#happy to provide help or answer questions but this is a skill everyone - myself included - can and should work on | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

zachsgamejournal · 2 years

Text

COMPLETED: Lake

I was not prepared for the emotional and existential experience this game would put me through. Especially when the game's opening cinematic features blatant pop-in and the camera clipping through game objects. Still...I don't feel any hesitation saying this is one of the best games I've ever played.

Let's start with the bad:

The Graphics:

They're not all bad. The art direction is very decent. The character design and models are on par with The Walking Dead from Telltale. The scenery is generally very pretty and immersive--with the right balance of texture detail and basic color.

But the game is not optimized. There's random pop in and some of the buildings look like something I would quickly texture and then tell myself, "I'm not an artist--so fuck it." They took some shortcuts, is what I'm saying.

The worst though, there's no real facial animations. The characters don't even really look happy or sad. They're just set in stone. Their jaw moves up and down, but that's about it. It works, to a degree, because the standard facial expression they've given every character appears to match their over-all personality. So about 50-70% of the time the facial expression works.

Exploration:

The game is "open world" but outside of where you can drive and the couple of buildings you can walk in, there's not much to do. That's not the core of the game, but I kinda wish exploring on foot was more of a thing. But still, your character can only walk...and slowly, so it's a chore to go anywhere on foot, honestly.

Now the good:

EVERYTHING ELSE!

While the game is a post-worker simulator, it's really about building relationships. Or not. Kinda your choice. The game feels like Grand Theft Auto. You drive to an objective and often get a little cut scene. Unlike GTA, the cut scenes are good, character driven experiences with choice. Basically, you cover the mail route for the this sleepy lake town for two weeks. At the same time, your boss is calling you to do some remote computer work. You CAN just delivery the mail and tell everyone "no" when they invite you to do things or ask for favors (including your boss). In that case, the game is just you delivering mail and watching your character read a book at night. OR, you can be open to the experiences that character's invite you to--which allows you to build some relationships and get to know folks in town.

STORY

The Main character grew up in this town, then moved away to go to college. She becomes a skilled programmer and ends up working over holidays to get the job done. Her parents want to vacation for two weeks in Florida, and your character (Meredith) is asked to house sit while covering her dad's mail route. Her boss is pushing her to do more work but she insists on taking the two weeks off.

Now you're in control. While delivering packages and letters characters will talk to you, ask questions, or answer questions you asked. Some of the dialog choices can be dismissive: basically allowing you to not get to know folks. Or, you can provide sympathy, ask for more details, and even offer to help the characters. Someone will be more direct: "Please deliver these movies, this unstamped letter, or this cat here." And as you build relationships with people, they'll ask you to hang out or go on dates. You can always say no.

But since Meredith has history here, some of the characters know. At first, there's a little bit of drama given that Meredith has been out of contact for nearly 22 years, including with her once best friend.

How I Played

As an introvert, I'm very drained by interacting with people and going outside and doing random shit I wasn't planning to do that day. But in this game I was like Jim Carey in "Yes Man" and tried to agree to everything. I end up taking an old lady's cat to recover from eating a cupcake, and later I cat-sit for her. I helped a video store clerk share movies with people. I helped a local guy fight against an apartment development. I even agreed to do some extra programming work that led to a successful multi-million dollar deal. I also reconnected with old friends and learned more about their lives.

It was fun. I liked asking people questions and digging into their lives. Now, my screenwriting professor always said, "Bad for life, good for drama". While this is true--I hate overly dramatic storytelling, where people say or do terrible shit just to stoke the fires of drama. I appreciate that this game doesn't force conflict for the sake of it. There's a few times where conflict happens, but you can actually handle those situations in a mature, emotionally healthy way. For the most part, it all works out.

It's getting hot in here

So I ended up in a lesbian relationship. Weird thing to say. But Meredith delivers a packages to Angie. She's an LA native that's moved to this sleepy Oregon town to expose the local yokels to finer film classics. She's totally a film snob. And honestly, I really relate to her character. Flaws and all. Opening a snooty film shop in the middle of a small town filled with people that don't like movies is exactly something I'd want to do (and even have thought about).

So anyway, after meeting Angie she wants to meet Meredith back at her house. There was a dialog choice like, "What--like a date?" I took it as sarcasm, but that might have set us on the course we ended up on. Suddenly Angie was very flirtatious. So...I leaned into it. At one point, I see Angie and she's very curt and grumpy. I decide not to take it personally (something I can never do in real life). Then later Angie asks me (Meredith) on a date. The date goes well and we kiss.

There's also a romance with a guy that I think you can lean into. He went through a divorce, but he's definitely enjoying Meredith's company. I hate juggling lovers, so I focused on Angie and tried to be "just friends" with the dude. It worked.

The end of the game is pretty obvious. You're meant to make a hard choice: stay or leave. It's made hard by huge financial promise of following up on your million-dollar deal vs staying in this sleepy town. In truth, Meredith's parents are giving her a house, and it was the 80s--which is right before wages began to drop for Americans--so there's a good chance that Meredith could live a great life here. Plus, she's got her best friend, right?

My ideal was to stay in the town but continue dating Angie. Angie, though, wants to leave and says mean things about the town. Somehow I was able to agree to stay and keep the postal job and also leave town to travel with Angie. I'm going to pretend that it was a temporary drive and they move back to town. But clearly Angie wouldn't be happy, so my guess is that she eventually leaves.

Great Game!

Despite the issues with graphics and lack of facial expressions, I think the game is great. It achieved something I've been dying to see in games--they've gamified storytelling. I think many games do this "a little". The Walking Dead does this a little, with the characters reacting differently based on your actions and dialog choices. But generally the game is going to hit the same plot points with only slight differences in dialog. In Lake, the game's journey is shaped by your choices. Time marches on--you're going to deliver the mail for 2 weeks. But are you going to get to know anyone? Are you going to go on dates? Are you going to mend broken friendships? this is all entirely up to the player--and it's great.

I really appreciate that they focused on providing a relaxing story. It's not Grey's Anatomy where every character says and does the worst possible thing, and somehow we all stay friends and no one gets fired. There's plenty of drama in life, we don't need to make it worse. It also allowed the game to be more relaxing. I'm glad the choices and drama did constantly twist my stomach into knots. I get plenty of that in real life.

And the game really touched me. Maybe it's because I'm at a bit of a crossroads in my own life and I'm not sure what decisions to make, but the game wisely communicates that you can't calculate all the possibilities to make that absolute perfect choice (despite that's how games work). Instead, you just have to do your best and go with it.

So, not only did I enjoy this game, but I feel empowered in my own game design to trust that this sort of story-driven experience can be just as fun and impactful as anything.

To add: when I first started the game, I really did just want to deliver mail. Anytime a story element popped up I rolled my eyes a little. "Just let me deliver mail, please." But by the second week of the game, the mail delivery was a real chore. What I was excited about was meeting the characters and developing those relationships!

done.

#Zach's Game Journal #COMPLETED #Lake #Google #Stadia #Video Games #Gaming #Game Streaming

1 note · View note

monstermoviedean · 2 years

Text

i saw a post today where someone stated that they often can't tell real information from misinformation online. i am not here to make fun of that person. that being said, the ability to figure out if information is real or not is a critical skill for everyone who uses the internet. you need to be able to do that on your own. it's great if you can get help or if people will tell you what's real and what's not, but you also need to be able to do it by yourself. simple, easy tips under the cut.

the most common style of misinformation i see on tumblr is the fake news headline. it's an image or multiple images of a headline and sometimes an attached story. easy tips to discovering whether this is real or not:

is there a link in the post? click it and see where it goes. no link? possibly fake, possibly the poster just didn't include it.

google the full headline, not just key words. even better, google the headline with the full headline in quotes so you get exact matches. can't find a match? probably fake.

is there a clear url/website attached to the headline? if so, go to the website and search for the headline. can't find a match? probably fake.

is there an author? google them. see if they're real. see if the subject of the article matches the stuff they usually write about. see if they have social media where they may have posted the headline. can't find an author, or they seem way off-track? probably fake.

if it's an image of a tweet, look up the person's twitter handle. can't find the tweet? possibly fake. it could also be a real tweet with the text or date edited.

is there a date? a story written in 2002 may have very different ramifications than a story written in 2022. it depends on the subject, but some subjects change rapidly and even a 5-year-old story may be out of date. see if you can find anything recent. if not, it may be fake or out of context.

go to google news and do a quick scan. this is going to work better for headlines that are about world news, but it's still worth a try. google news also allows you to search stories and limit by date. see if you can find a matching headline. if you can't, it may be fake or old news.

general tips:

don't trust social media. just don't. please. people can and will say literally anything they want. anything you read on social media that has real-world implications, you should fact-check.

you may think it's overkill, but google everything. even things you're mostly sure of. reading more headlines and more news can help you get better at discerning between real and fake headlines.

every source of information is biased in some way. try to seek out less biased sources. look up the bias media chart (here's a link) and use it to find sources that do less biased and more original reporting.

think about bias as you're reading. who is the author writing for? why are they writing? what do they want the audience to feel? what facts are they choosing to include or omit? how might the presentation of the facts change if someone with a different perspective was writing?

there are also websites dedicated to fact-checking. this works best for major world news, but try snopes or factcheck. the rand corporation has a huge list of tools for rooting out disinformation as well.

there's nothing wrong with asking for help, but if you genuinely cannot figure out if something is real or not on your own, and you give up trying to figure it out without help, you run the risk of believing and even spreading misinformation. some misinformation is essentially harmless (a celebrity's favorite color, for example). some misinformation is incredibly dangerous. please please PLEASE check your facts. it is quick and easy and worth it.

if you need more help, let me know.

#this is not a vague at anyone and personally i think some misinformation is funny.#*** **** ********** was hysterical i laughed my ass off at that #mutuals this is very much NOT about you <3 #however. i was really concerned that someone essentially said the only way they could tell if something was fake is if it was tagged #again not making fun of that person #not opposed to tagging or asking for help but i am concerned that not everyone here can figure out what's real and what's not #everyone needs to be able to do that #period.#happy to provide help or answer questions but this is a skill everyone - myself included - can and should work on #also i know 10 pm on mcr night is a bad time to post this but it was bothering me

9K notes · View notes

my-reality-my-rules · 2 years

Note

can you give tips on how to let go of your cr? ty for answering so many questions!

before i answer, i just wanted to say that I've also seen a similar question in my inbox, so I'm adding it here! so that's two questions in one answer. [anons, i hope you see this lmao]

So I keep seeing stuff talking about detaching from your reality, what is it and how do you do it??

[thank you both for your asks!]

so, to answer the first one, one way of letting go of your CR is through detaching.

if you want a straightforward dictionary answer on what detaching is, it's basically being able to break away from your current reality. it's not like disconnecting, which I've heard is more on actually severing your ties from your CR. detachment, to me, is somewhat like muting this reality out.

imagine detaching to be like drinking water in a cup that was previously filled with coca-cola. there's a leftover aftertaste. it's not as prominent, because you're drinking water, and you're focused on drinking water. then imagine disconnecting to be like washing the cup first, before drinking the water. there's no traces of the coca-cola ever being there in the first place.

to me, detaching means the link to your CR is still there, and disconnecting means fully separating yourself from it. i really wouldn't recommend doing the latter one.

now to answer the second half of the second ask; some of the few things that I've found incredibly helpful when detaching include: finishing up urgent tasks in your CR, indulging in DR-related things, and scripting.

FINISHING URGENT TASKS

now, i wouldn't call this a mistake that i made as a baby shifter, but i do think that wrapping up any other business in your CR makes it easier to focus on your DR. i don't know how well that applies to other people, but as someone with a horrible attention span, having that lingering thought of 'but i haven't done this yet' really bothered me. it kept eating away at my mind; this was especially true when i had school work to finish, and ended up procrastinating on shifting instead. at least, if it helps ease your state of mind, finish important things in your CR first. there was also that added sense of accomplishment, which helped in giving me acceptance that I'm done with my CR for the moment, and that i deserved some rest (which took form in the shape of shifting).

INDULGING IN DR-RELATED THINGS

I've lost count of how many times I've mentioned this before, but DR immersion!!! lmao it sounds quite redundant with the way I've gone on about it, but it really does help me in getting into what i call my 'DR mood'. basically, you just take everything that could be related to your DR and apply it into your CR. listening to music, skills you'd pick up in your DR, and whatnot. if it's a fandom DR, you can also try consuming fan content (fanfiction, animations, musicals, etc.). to me, this has the advantage of drawing your attention away from your CR as well as immersing you in the world you want to be in.

SCRIPTING

while it probably doesn't work for everyone, scripting does provide some good visualisation, as well as detachment. it helps in giving you a template of just exactly where you're going, what you have, and what you're going to do there. while you're writing out your DR, you're also manifesting it. in a way, it can make your thought process move as if you're already in your DR. it could make it easier for you to integrate these thoughts into your life, and in turn, cause you to be more aligned with the reality you desire.

i hope this answers both of your questions! i had some fun writing the reply because i kept remembering those 2 separate actually came consecutively. dunno, just made me feel a bit better about myself because i got to write this out lol.

anyhow, much love and happy shifting ❤️❤️

#shifting #shifting realities #reality shifting #desired reality #shift #Esther's shifting posts

33 notes · View notes

where-theres-smoak-2 · 3 years

Text

What Was Aleksander Thinking? (The Runaway)

Ok so I am bored and I can’t sleep so obviously I decided to rewatch S&B again. And as it always does it got me thinking so I am thinking I might do a series of posts centred on various events that take place in the show and do a deep dive into what Aleks was thinking, what his thought process was during those events and how those thoughts influenced his actions. This post obviously being the first in the series and this time I want to focus on Alina running away and what Aleks’ thought process was when he was pursuing her. So obviously show spoilers here. Also as always this one got really really long.

I’m going to start with the moment that he discovers she is missing. Obviously we know that he leaves because he has just received word that an assassin has made it into the LP and attacked Genya and Marie with Alina being the target of the attack. We can assume during the time he is away, and whilst Baghra is outing him to Alina, that Aleks was likely in the fitting room being filled in on what happened. So whilst away he would have learned that not only was there an attack but that Marie had died in that attack. I think we don’t think about how much this would have hurt Aleks. He built the LP as a safe haven for Grisha, its suppose to be the one place where they are truly safe, but now one of his grisha has died inside its walls. I feel like this would have made Aleks even angrier and maybe even guilty and like he failed in providing that haven he had promised himself at 13 he would make for the grisha. So naturally upon hearing that the assassin had actually killed a grisha his immediate response instead of going and speaking to The Conductor/ assassin is to check in on Alina. You can see how eager he is to see her as he comes into the room. When he doesn’t see her in the war room he doesn’t panic right away, instead he heads straight to the bedroom whilst calling her name and knocking in the most adorable way on the table as he goes. It is when he discovers that Alina isn’t there either that I think he begins to become worried. The next time we see him is when he is crossing the grounds and encounters his mother. The context of this scene though is important because the scene before it shows Jesper with the coaches and he quickly hides as soldiers go running by shouting ‘He’s over there!’ and ‘Quickly, get in there!’ Seeing as this scene follows right after Inej kills the Inferni, I actually think this was when they had just discovered the Inferni’s body. So when we see Aleks crossing through the grounds its likely that he has also just learnt that another one of his grisha has been killed which would indicate that the assassin wasn’t alone. So knowing this he is naturally very concerned about the fact that he can’t find Alina. We can see that he is very agitated, he is walking fast and looking around quickly, checking everywhere, his fists are clenched. Then he comes across his mother who can obviously see that he is searching for someone but she assumes he is looking for M*l. This is one of the things that makes me sure that Aleks really did care for Alina because at this point he is so focused on Alina that he has completely forgotten about the Stag, which seeing as the stag is the thing that will give him control over her powers if her powers were the only thing he cared about he wouldn’t have forgotten about it. Instead he has to ask his mother who she is talking about because the only thing he was thinking about in that moment was finding Alina and making sure she was safe. After his impassioned speech about Alina being the one that his mother interrupts with ‘but where is she’ I think Aleks begins to suspect that maybe his mother had something to do with the assassination attempt, maybe she helped them into the LP, she had just admitted to disposing of M*l after all. So he warns her and points out that she doesn’t matter anymore either. I kept wondering what he meant by this line and I think it might be because up until now I feel like Aleks stuck with his mother because she was the only other immortal and so despite them not really seeing eye to eye he knows without her he will well and truly be alone. But now there is Alina and she is immortal and so Aleks won’t have to be alone if he leaves Baghra. When he’s warning her I did notice that Baghra did look sad and hurt when he says that she doesn’t matter. He is basically telling her that she is disposable herself now, that he no longer needs her. Of course this conversation only agitates and worries him further. As he walks away you can see him clenching and unclenching his fists and to me it looked like he was trying really hard to keep calm and keep his emotions in check. As he is walking away Baghra calls after him ‘I reckon you’d need a skilled tracker to find her now, pity.’ Obviously she is mocking him here but this does tell him two things, one Alina is still alive and two she’s not in the LP anymore.

After his talk with his mother he goes to The Conductor to interrogate him, I do think part of the reason he goes straight there is because he wants to know whether his mother did help the crow crew kidnap Alina but also because he is desperate to find Alina as quickly as he can and so needs all the information he can get. At first when the interrogation starts Aleks is his usual calm and collected self. But Aleks is very smart and after centuries on this earth can read people very well and so he very quickly figures out that his prisoner is The Conductor by putting together the report from Nina and the fact that The Conductor says he crossed the fold with three others. Here we actually see Aleks become angry, The Conductor is clearly someone he already hated, he even loses his cool and shouts when talking about how The Conductor smuggles grisha out of his palace and helps them abandon the war effort. He manages to get his emotions back under control and again when he continues he appears calm, but his eyes betray his anger, however that venom he feels towards The Conductor comes through again when he questions whether The Conductor had something to do with Nina’s disappearance. At this point he knows this man has smuggled grisha out of the LP, has helped a crew planning to kidnap Alina into the LP, has tried to kill Alina. It doesn’t take much for him to put all the pieces together and figure out that he was also working with Zlatan. The look of absolute hatred and loathing on Aleks’ face when The Conductor admitted that he agreed to kill Alina for Zlatan for a million kruge was actually really chilling. This was the man who had tried to take Alina away from him, the woman who he had waited for, had longed and ached for over hundreds of years and he was going to take her away for something as materialistic as money. The moment he admitted to it The Conductor had signed his death warrant. But you know what? I also think he signed the death warrants of everyone in Novokribirsk too because I really do believe it was at this moment that Aleks decided to take drastic action to get rid of Zlatan and his rebel forces. This is what he means when he says to The Conductor ‘No. I think I’ll take care of that myself’ when he offers to get revenge on Zlatan for Aleks. As he is walking away The Conductor asks how he can help and Aleks replies that he already has, which is true, he had helped Aleks decide what to do with Zlatan, he had confirmed by not mentioning her that Baghra hadn’t helped kidnap Alina though in Aleks’ mind he thinks she clearly knew something about it considering she made that comment of where is she, he doesn’t know about his mother’s own plot to help Alina escape so he probably assumes his mother saw the crows take Alina, and he also now knows that it was in fact the crows that took Alina so he now has a target to pursue.

So by this point Aleks has realised that Alina is missing and has now discovered who took her, so now its all systems go in searching for her. This is when Fedyor comes to give his report about Nina, but when he says he has a lead on ‘her’ Aleks thinks he means Alina and you can see for a moment that he is relieved, happy and hopeful. But then you can see his disappointment when he realises Fedyor is talking about Nina and he looks a little angry too which I think is the residual anger left over from The Conductor and from the fact that he has lost two of his grisha within the walls of the LP. When he tells Fedyor to go as far as he can and bring back any grisha he finds I think this is again because he wants to protect grisha and he wants them behind the walls of the LP so they can be protected but he also wants ‘one of theirs’ because the events of the night have clearly brought up alot of his anger at the grisha being hunted and killed and how that never seems to change, he is very much in this mindset of wanting to hurt anyone who has even so much as thought about hurting even one of his grisha, he wants vengeance and not just for them trying to hurt Alina but for trying to hurt grisha as a whole. So this means killing the Conductor, this means killing the crows, this means killing Zlatan and this means killing any Fjerdan/ Witch Hunter he can get his hands on. I really do think that Aleks was coming to a breaking point and I think the catalyst for that was losing Alina, he feels unbalanced and lost without her and as the time that he is away from her goes on he becomes more and more erratic and unhinged.

The next scene we get is between Zoya and Aleks and he instructs her to assemble a team which includes David because they are going to be pursuing Alina’s ‘kidnappers’. Zoya is clearly confused about why David is going to come and Aleks answers that he’ll need him for what comes next obviously meaning after they find Alina and needing him for the stag amplifier. Now I’ve said this before but I really don’t think this is because he was already planning to force the collar on her and steal her powers. I actually think Aleks is thinking more along the lines of, I nearly lost Alina to an assassin and now she has been taken against her will to essentially be sold to some stranger across the fold, I need to get her back and then I need to make her as powerful as possible so that if there’s a next time that someone tries to harm her she’s even more powerful and even more capable of defending herself. If she has the stag amplifier then there’s even less chance that he will lose her and she will be even more his equal. Throughout this scene we can see that Aleks looks flustered and scattered, he’s moving from place to place, he’s picking up one map then looking at this piece of parchment. He’s very distracted and even when giving instructions to Zoya he barely even looks at her and is only half paying attention when she starts asking questions. When she then brings up the possibility that Alina was rescued and ran with the crows Aleks actually looks really irritated, he doesn’t even consider it as a possibility, his facial expressions is basically saying why are you bothering me with this nonsense I’ve got more important things to worry about like rescuing Alina. I mean it is very obvious at this point that he believes this is a rescue operation. Zoya keeps pushing saying that Alina didn’t fit in, that she was under alot of pressure and this is when Aleks snaps a little. He tells Zoya he knew exactly how Alina felt, that the King’s men treated him the same way. Zoya is clearly surprised at his outburst, this is someone who is usually very in control of themselves. You can also see on Aleks’ face that he realised he let out more information than he meant to, he’s surprised at himself. Then he sighs and shakes his head while sinking onto the bed, clearly hit by fatigue and tiredness and says he’s not feeling himself. It’s actually a rare moment of vulnerability, one that Zoya responds too by bringing up how he used to call on her. Aleks makes it pretty clear he’s not interested in talking about that with his very dismissive ‘Did I?’ Zoya doesn’t take the hint though and keeps pushing continuing to talk about how she used to help him relax clearly offering to help him ‘relax’ again. But Aleks just dismisses her again and says he’ll relax when he has Alina making it very clear to Zoya that whatever they had in the past is staying in the past.

I do think that Aleks is grappling alot with his past in this episode. I think alot of things are reminding him of the past, The Conductor and Nina being taken by the Fjerdans is reminding him of all the suffering and prosecution he’s witnessed his people go through and how he was hunted by the old king, his conversation with his mother reminding him of his poor relationship with her and all the issues he had with her over the years, Zoya reminding him of how lonely he was and how he used to seek comfort through a casual fling with her just so he could get some human contact when he was feeling particularly stressed and of course Alina being missing reminding him of all the lovers he’s lost, in particular Luda. On top of that as I said before he’s feeling very unbalanced without Alina. His emotions are all over the place, he’s clearly still very worried and concerned for Alina, he’s feeling alot of anger at the crows, at his mother, he’s feeling the stress of trying to find Alina whilst also dealing with everything else that is going on like Nina also being missing. Basically Aleks is just not having a good time of it. So by the time he leads the hunt for the crows and comes across Kaz he’s already in a pretty foul mood. Also as a mentioned above he has alot of anger at the crows for taking Alina and killing grisha in the LP. When Kaz says that they don’t have Alina and that she fled on her own Aleks for a moment looks surprised he literally stops dead in his tracks. But he gets this look on his face and you can see he is trying to figure Kaz out and looks very suspicious and comes to the conclusion that Kaz must be lying. So again he insists on knowing where Alina is. But again Kaz says he doesn’t know, that it was obvious she didn’t want to be a captive anymore. You can see it starting to dawn on Aleks that Kaz may be telling the truth, him talking about how she didn’t want to be a captive anymore and Zoya earlier talking about how Alina didn’t fit in and was under alot of pressure and Aleks is starting to think maybe Alina felt trapped and ran by herself. You can see that he has tears in his eyes and is clearly very hurt at the idea that Alina left him willingly. He becomes angry and tries to kill Kaz. I said earlier that Aleks is very much on a hunt for anyone who he believes has wronged him or the grisha and the crows are very much on this list so naturally when Kaz escapes this only makes Aleks angrier. In those moments right after Kaz escapes Aleks is left alone with his thoughts and you can see him processing everything and to be honest the man looks completely destroyed. He’s clearly struggling alot with this new information that Alina ran on her own, that she didn’t want to be with him, that she chose to leave him. Now this bit is more my theory on what I think he might be thinking at this moment its not really based on anything just to me it would be a natural thought process. But I do think on his walk back to the carriage he would have been thinking it all over and coming up with a plan. So what is this new plan? Well I think Aleks would figure from what Kaz said about being a captive and everything Zoya said, that Alina is feeling trapped and is maybe getting overwhelmed by everything and so ran away scared. I mean when he does get back to where the carriage is supposed to be he actually seems alot calmer and I think this is because he believes now that yes Alina ran on her own but she only left because she just got overwhelmed about having so many lives to safe and once he finds her he can calm her down and reassure her and she’ll come home again. This is why he doesn’t seem bothered about chasing the crows, as much as he hates them and as much as he wants them dead, Alina is his priority and as he says she is on her own. Basically he is back in the mind set of she needs my help, she’s on her own and she’s scared, I’m going to find her and bring her home and keep her safe.

Of course all that changes when he speaks to the guy Alina attacked. During the first part of the conversation Aleks seems happy and relieved, he knows Alina was there and now he knows that she headed into the woods. But then the guy makes the comment about her being a spy and talks about how a first army tracker was also looking for her. I think in this moment Aleks thinks he’s figured out what happened, but is obviously wrong. He thinks that his mother helped Mal rescue Alina and that Alina chose to run with Mal and the two of them are going after the stag together. Here’s why he thinks that, firstly he knows how Alina has strong feelings for M*l and vice versa. Secondly Alina made that comment in episode three asking if any grisha had escaped the LP, thirdly his mother told him that Mal was dead and yet not only is he alive but he is with Alina which looks really bad for Baghra, he probably thinks that Baghra convinced Alina to claim the stag for herself and then sent the two of them after it so that Aleks couldn’t get the stag’s power. He probably thinks this was a long term thought out plan that took place during Baghra's lessons with Alina that they were conspiring together. He might even think that the kisses he and Alina shared were actually Alina trying to get him to let down his guard and distract him. So he is now feeling angry, hurt, betrayed and used. Also from the way he says the line about orphan’s of keramzin reuniting he is also obviously jealous and to be honest I also think he’s heartbroken. I think it’s telling that when he informs his team that she’s in the woods and going after the stag he uses miss starkov, he does often interchange what name he uses for her depending on the situation and in this case I think he’s trying to distance himself from her again to go back to that formality. I believe this is the moment he decided that he was going to kill the stag himself and take Alina’s powers for himself. He has decided that he has been a fool and that he can’t trust her, that by letting her in he lost sight of his mission to protect the grisha and that’s led to him losing three of his grisha in the last 24 or so hours. He can’t risk the grisha’s future again so the only path he can follow now is to force Alina to help him by taking control of her powers. He’s not merely searching for her anymore, he’s hunting her.

When he does finally catch up with her alot of his thoughts are confirmed for him, she is with M*l, she is with the stag so in his mind he must have been right about it all, she did chose to run away with M*l and go after the stag herself because she is acting against him along with his mother. But as I’ve mentioned in previous posts I also think in this moment seeing Alina distressed over an injured M*l and desperate to save him and the stag he is thinking alot about Luda and how he was once in a similar position and I do think the protectiveness he feels for her and his desire to save her from going through the same experiences he did takes over. As angry at her as he is and as hurt as he is, he still cares deeply for Alina, he just doesn’t think he can trust her anymore because in his mind she betrayed him for M*l and now instead of them working together she is working against him. I think this is why he does have that conversation with her before he puts the collar on her about how there’s nothing more powerful than the two of them together and how they can do anything together. He wants her to be on his side again. But he doesn’t have all the information, he believes that his mother has said something to Alina to turn her against him but he doesn’t know exactly what she said. He gets little clues once he is reunited with Alina, he knows that Alina knows his name is fake, that she has told her about the stag, seeing as Alina also keeps asking about the fold he has probably guessed that Baghra told her about his plans to weaponize it. When talking to M*l he discovers that M*l knows he is the Black Heretic and likely assumes that Baghra told him. But it isn’t until he goes to talk to Alina that he realises the mistake he’s made, that Baghra actually told Alina that he is the Black Heretic and that is why she ran. As their conversation continues and Alina says that line about how they could have had this, they could have had it all, he realises that she didn’t run because she wanted to be with M*l, she didn’t kiss him because she wanted to distract him and bring his guard down. She ran because she found out he had created the fold. When she puts his hand on her collarbone and says ‘instead you made me this’ he realises just how big of a mistake he’s made and that he really has lost her now. By putting the collar on her he proved his mother right and so now Alina doesn’t trust him at all. He became the villain to her and he can’t take it back. So instead he commits to it and instead he focusses on his original mission of protect the grisha at all cost and he once again distances himself from her.

Ok so that’s it for part one of ‘What Was Aleksander Thinking?’ I’m not sure how many of these I’m going to make or even what scene or event I am going to do next, but they are fun to do and it gives me a reason to keep rewatching scenes, so I will probably be posting another one fairly soon. If there are any scenes in particular anyone wants me to write about feel free to let me know.

#darklina #the darkling

37 notes · View notes

anjuschiffer · 4 years

Note

Kiss 11, IzuOcha

Oh god! I haven’t written BNHA in like...months! Tho tbh, its a nice change of pace! Enjoy! :D

------

Under Wraps [IzuOcha]

------

Prompt: Kiss 11: Public Kiss - IzuOha

------

Context: Ochako is at a press conference, talking about her latest deed - rescuing workers that were trapped in a burning enterprise caused by an ex-employee. While answering questions pertaining to the incident, reporters keep noticing that she liked to pick a certain reporter among the bunch.

------

“-but seeing as we haven’t seen this new skill from you in your previous rescue, does that mean you’ve recently developed it?” A man around her age asked her, his pencil touching his notepad as he looked at her with anticipating emerald eyes.

Ochako managed to make her smile grow wider as she repeated the question to herself, all the reporters in the room noticing how her eyes softened. All cameras that were there quickly captured the moments, a few reports jotting this detail in their books.

It wasn’t the first time this occurred with the Zero Gravity Heroine.

It started four years ago, two years after her Hero debut. Ever since the rookie reporter -Deku- came into the scene, Uravity started to answer more questions, made her press conferences longer and convinced her agency to do more Q&A sections in her conferences that didn’t relate to the recent incident.

Everyone knew that Deku was the reason behind Uravity’s change, but they didn’t know how exactly. After all, what can a Quirkless reporter like him do to change one of Japan’s Top 20 Heroes?

Not only was he Quirkless, he had a horrible sense of fashion. Round glasses, a blazer and hat combo. And no, it wasn’t a fedora or a regular solid colored shirt. It was always, always, some type of hero merch.

Today’s outfit included Creati merch under his brown blazer. Yes, that simple red t-shirt was Creati merch, a matryoshka doll peeping from the breast pocket.

“Yes! Yes I did! I’m so glad that you caught it!” Ochako said with glee, placing her fingers together, making sure her pinkies didn’t touch. Despite having one of her pinkies covered by a single bandaid, it was still a habit Ochako did as a precaution. Old habits die hard after all. “I found out I was able to stabilize the amount of gravity pulling on a person a few months ago and only until this recent rescue was I able to show everyone the efforts placed into developing this skill.”

Ochako watched as the reporter wrote furiously into his notepad, not once looking down. She couldn’t help but notice the breton hat on his head, his hair peeking from under it.

If she remembered correctly, that was the hat he got from when he went to interview the Wild Pussycats. An anniversary report relating to the Waterhose Heroes. A very emotional read now that she remembered.

“And do you plan to keep working on your Quirk?”

“I do! After all, it’s how I perfected this skill.” Ochako looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them. She looked at the scars that ran across them, each one a story to them. She looked back up. “Who knows what other skills I have yet to uncover! The only way I can discover them is if I keep working on perfecting my Quirk to save everyone in my reach.” Ochako said with a soft smile, watching as the freckled reporter watched her with starry eyes through his round framed glasses from Creati’s new fashion line.

Red definitely complimented him.

“Seeing as we are running out of time,” the conference planner said, hearing complaints from the myriad of reporters in the auditorium. “We’ll allow one final question pertaining-”

“Is it true you have yet to find a partner, Uravity?” One idiot reporter yelled from the back, all the senior ones groaning in annoyance.

Who’s clown was this? Who forgot to teach this idiot that asking that type of question made a conference end earlier than intended? That it got rid of all opportunity on elongating the already short conference? And why did he think about that question now? Uravity’s Q&A was in two days. Two. Days! Why couldn’t he wait until then to ask that question?

As the conference planner tried to wrap things up, Ochako sighed, grabbing the microphone from her manager, mouthing an apology.

“Can the reporter who said that please come to the front?”

Everyone looked around as they wondered what idiot had asked Uravity the question of the status of her love life.

Everyone groaned as they watched Reo walk up to the stage, the man sporting a grin as he walked up.

Reo - Cupid’s Nightmare. Notorious for digging into every hero’s love life, as if his life depended on it. (It didn’t.) He would do anything to try and grab a scoop, especially when it came to single heroines, but everyone also knew that he had a thing for the anti-gravity hero.

He even admitted it during a panel when he was a guest at Tokyo’s Hero Con last year.

“My ideal girl? Probably Uravity.”

Ochako frowned as Reo stood in front of her, fully knowing where this was going. “Can you repeat your question?”

“I asked if there’s anyone you’re seeing, Uravity.” Reo stated, taking out his phone to record their conversation. “After all, you’re the only heroine in your age group that has yet to find a partner. Being 24 years old, everyone would expect you to be a relationship or at least been through one.” Reo let out a smirk. “Any guy would die to have you, seeing as you haven’t changed a bit since your highschool years.” Reo let out a chuckle before stretching out his phone to Ochako. “So tell us, are you seeing anyone?”

Ochako sighed, wanting to badly roll her eyes, but she knew that it wasn’t worth it.

She had heard of Reo through her friends, Momo and the rest of the girls had warned her about him. How they talked about him finding their old apartment addresses, how he would stalk them, how they had to get restraining orders for him and how he would pester them until they would give him an answer to satisfy his question and make them feel uncomfortable and at times unsafe.

She wasn’t going to let him get his way. Not against her.

“First and foremost, I find it very rude and uncomfortable that my body should be the sole reason as to why someone should ever date me.” Ochako started, her lips a thin line. She hated that Reo still had a grin on his face, as if saying he had finally cornered her. Oh how wrong he was. “But setting that aside, my answer to your question is yes,” oh how she loved the way Reo’s grin fell. How his face paled. “I am seeing someone.”

Gasps filled the room, reporters shouting about who the lucky person was as camera shutters attempted to drown them down. No one watched as a breton hat made its way to the side of the stage.

“As a matter a fact, the two of us are getting married.” Ochako said with a smile, internally grinning as Reo dropped his phone, his eyes wide. “In the timespan of five months, may I add.”

The room soon filled with applause and shouts that congratulated her.

“You’re lying!” Reo shouted, Ochako still smiling. She had already done her part, so she let him go on. “You’re lying! I would’ve known if you were dating some!” Reo blabbered on, not registering as cameras rolled, filming his every word. “You’re just saying this to-”

“Why would she lie about something she greatly respects?”

More clicks and shutters filled the room as everyone stared with wide eyes as they saw Deku on stage, his hand on Uravity’s waist, snuggly pressed against him. “Seeing as you’re her biggest fan, you would think that you would know that Uravity holds marriage with the utmost respect. Or am I wrong, Reo?” Deku asked, a smirk on his face.

“Deku. How-”

“How did I get up here?” Deku tilted his head towards the side stage. “The perks of being her fiance I guess.” The room once again ruptured into shouts.

“Stop lying. The two of you.” Reo gritted through his teeth. He looked at Uravity with round eyes. “Please tell us that you were lying, Uravity. That you were simply saying it so that-”

“-so that people like you would get off her back.” Deku cut off, frowning. “Look man, do you know how frustrating it is to hold myself back every time someone kept hitting on her? How hard it was to pretend like I was just another face in the crowd? That I couldn’t punch you for saying countless disturbing things to my girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend?” Reo asked, looking at the smirk on Uravity’s face. “You’ve never-”

“Interacted with her? Um, sorry to disappoint, but I have?” Deku pretended to count his fingers. “Have been for the past five years. We’ve been dating for the past four though.”

“How can that be?”

“Result of being an ace reporter I guess.” Deku provided, telling the truth. He also had his quirklessness to thank.

When was security going to learn to place barriers that kept everyone out and just not those with Quirks? Thanks to the flaw in the system, Deku was able to slip through Quirk detection barriers and since he didn’t have one, he was able to slip every single time.

“Ace reporter my ass. You’re just another Quirkless idiot who can’t do a single thing besides run after heroes, seeing as that the next best thing besides having a Quirk.” Reo crossed his arms, smirking when Deku frowned. “What makes you think that you’re capable of protecting Uravity. Of deserving her love?”

“First off, it’s called connections buddy.” Izuku smiled, snapping his fingers. Soon, security was escorting Reo out the room, Reo shouting insults at Deku. “Second, if she chose me, that’s all I need to know that I am worthy of her love.”

“You’ll regret taking Uravity from me, you Quirkless Deku! You'll pay for this!”

“See you in court!” Deku yelled back. “I also suggest you invest in a lawyer! I’ve never seen so many lawsuits against a tabloid reporter like yourself!”

As Deku watched the room quiet down, Ochako decided to speak up.

“Now that that is over, we would be happy to answer any-”

“KISS!” Someone from the back shouted, the other reports laughing at the request. Ochako couldn’t help but also laugh, only to stop when she felt hands cup her face.

“Izuku?” Ochako stared with wide eyes as she felt his lips pressed against hers, the clicks of cameras going mute as she melted into the gesture, pulling Izuku deeper into their kiss as she closed her eyes.

How long she had waited to do this with him. To announce her happiness to the world.

How she found love with the reporter who viewed her as Ochako and not only Uravity.

The reporter who managed to sweep her off her feet by simply asking her questions about her Quirk and work along with other mundane questions about her day.

The man who talked endlessly about his job and how he enjoyed learning about Quirks despite not having one himself.

The reporter who managed to keep Reo away from her and her friends thanks to his connections and collections of blackmail.

The man named Izuku MIdoriya, who proposed to her after having received her ranking of number 11, just like the hero she had idolized as a child and who heavily inspired her career.

As the two parted from each other, Ochako stared at Izuku, watching as he stared at her with dreamy eyes before a blush formed onto his face.

“I just remembered we are on a live stream.”

#bnha #izuocha #prompting anju #anju writes

56 notes · View notes

aatgeog2260 · 3 years

Text

Human Geography Researcher Potential!

It is wild to think that this is the last blog post in this class! When I chose this class for this semester I wasn’t really excited about it - it was just another required course. I’m happy to say that I really appreciated this course and learned so many things as well as met some more people in geography!

These three things I know for certain about human geography research:

1. Human geography research is not just one thing. It is interconnected with so many other types of geography like the ones presented in our last class and more! My favourite part of this course was attending that final class and watching all of the videos about different subtopics under human geography that students in this class created. It helped identify connections and relations as well as how these are relevant in the real world. When combined together, they form this incredible subject of geography.

2. It is essential! Human geography research provides patterns and connections between people and places which is vital for living today. It helps us understand the world better which can aid the development of moving forward in a positive direction while respecting the past. In the summary of chapter one in the textbook, it states that “human geographers are bringing new and effective approaches to the fundamental questions of societal structures and individual experiences (Hay 2016 p. 26). Human geography will continue to help find answers to these questions about the world we live in.

3. It is a delicate process. All research is a delicate and complex process as there are numerous things to consider and be aware of, but because human geography deals with real people, their lives, culture, religion, families, etc., I know that we need to be so careful to respect and acknowledge others and who they are. Chapter three of the textbook includes a poem by Barabara Nicholson, titled Something There Is… that highlights the necessity of consent and privacy in research. Just because someone is classified as a researcher does not give them the right to invade a person's life (Hay 2016 p. 48). Below is a sketch I did after I read the poem for the first time: (I am not an artist but it was something I did afterwards to reflect upon the reading)

In general, it’s a researcher looking through a magnifying glass at these people who feel exposed from the “research”.

These three things I am still confused by:

1. Analyzing surveys. This was one of the larger lectures we had live in class and I think I was having a hard time keeping up after we had so many lectures online in which I would pause, rewind and go back. It was my fault that I never went back to the recording to review so I’d still like to clarify this content. I know that if I were to be asked about each data type: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio, I would not be able to explain them all clearly (Hooykaas 2021 Week 5).

2. The following phrase was used in the week 6 lecture: “Testimony by itself is a relatively weak form of evidence” (Hooykaas 2021 Week 6). I’m unclear with how or why this is. When we watched documentaries in this course I thought this involved testimony and it was used in research. Maybe they are classified more as a case study. So I wonder, what are the differences between a case study and a testimony? Or is a testimony involved within a case study? For example, in week 3 we watched the documentary Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 years produced by VICE. I believe that this was a case study, but within it, Agafia Lykovs shares her story. Is the research incomplete unless you unpack and verify this testimony?

3. I am a little confused with the concept of triangulation. The week 6 lecture provided this image:

I am not sure if triangulation means having one of these sections, for example, researchers but having multiple of them, or if it is putting these sections together, for example, both multiple researchers along with multiple theories (Hooykaas 2016 Week 6). I have a feeling it would be the second option, simply because if you have multiple researchers then most likely you would get multiple theories and methods, however, I would like to clarify in order to understand it better.

These three things I know for certain about me as a human geographic researcher:

I created a word-cloud of things I’ve felt I’ve gained from this course and things that I enjoyed to help me come up with this section of the blog:

1. There is potential! I remember writing my first blog post in this class and describing how I used to really dislike geography and didn’t want anything to do with it. After this class, I know that I have the potential to become a researcher and possibly find it enjoyable! I surprised myself when I enjoyed working on the DSP. It was fun coding information with all of the colours and although it was challenging to go through the information, condense, review, condense some more, etc., it felt so rewarding to show that final product to others and to think that other people could learn valuable information useful in the world based on what you provided to them! I think if I ever did become a researcher I would enjoy participatory action research since it allows people in the community to become “co-researchers and decision-makers in their own right” (Hay 2016 p. 350). This is really important to avoid that idea of invasion of privacy.

2. I learned more about my interests. I used to think the biggest goal in geography was being able to sing this song called Nations of the World:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pOFKmk7ytU

I thought research in geography was only about analyzing piles of data and I didn’t realize you could bring creative outlooks to it. I enjoyed the poem we read in the textbook, the documentaries we watched, the opportunity of interviewing for the DSP, the creativity with the final DSP videos, etc. I am intrigued by those forms of media to learn more about and analyze/reflect on geographical concepts.

3. I have more appreciation for geography and others. The topics of critical reflexivity and ethical considerations apply to research in human geography of course but it also floods into all aspects of life. It helps consider other people’s backgrounds, lives, privileges or no privileges, and just creates better communication and respectful relationships between people (Hooykaas 2021 Week 2). It’s also worth thinking about whether you’re an insider or an outsider before you interact with different groups so that you can build a good rapport with trust (Hay 2016 p. 40).

These three areas I need to spend time developing/learning in order to feel more confident in my skills:

1. Patience. When working on the DSP, after my group and I had found our resources, I just wanted to dive in and write the script! Then we learned about coding in the week 8 lecture and my group members expressed how they would feel better going through the information quite a few times before writing anything. Of course, this worked extremely well even if it was time-consuming! In the future, I would like to make sure I take the process only one step at a time and make sure I hit every part of the research process in order to create a robust and accurate end result. Once again, this applies not only to human geography research but also the real world. Chapter 18 in the textbooks states that “Being in the world requires us to categorize, sort, prioritize, and interpret social data in all of our interactions” (Hay 2016 p. 391). There is always room for improvement here so that misinterpretations and miscommunication can be avoided.

2. During the research with the DSP, I had a challenging time determining when my group should move forward and how much research we should gather especially with the course deadlines in mind. I know that you can move forward when you reach a “point of saturation” and concepts begin to be repetitive, however, because I am detail-oriented, I was not great with grouping similar ideas if one tiny thing distinguished them (Hooykaas 2021 Week 9). I would like this to improve so that I have a clearer sense of when enough is enough.

3. I would like to clarify and learn more about the list of three things that still confuse me. It’s good to identify what confuses you and what you are unsure of but it’s even better to then go and clarify those things and understand them so that you develop your understanding and skills even more. I want to fill in those gaps of information so that everything makes a bit more sense.

Final Remark

Overall, I am really glad that I took this class and hope everyone has a great end of the semester! It was nice interacting with everyone through these blogs!

-April

References

Hay, I. (2016). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography. Fourth ed., Oxford.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Week 2: Philosophy, Power, Politics and Research Design.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Week 3: Cross-Cultural Research: Ethics, Methods, and Relationships.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Week 5: Literature Review.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Week 6: Data Collection - Interviews, Oral Histories, Focus Groups.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Week 9: Writing Qualitative Geographies, Constructing Geographical Knowledge Data Analysis, Writing, and Re-Evaluating Research Aims Presenting Findings.

Nicholson, Barbara. (2000). Something There Is....

Vice (April 2013). Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68

1 note · View note

july-19th-club · 4 years

Note

hi, i am very sorry to bother you, but i am trying to get into The Untamed and i am having a lot of trouble just... understanding it? even its basic premise? i tried watching the netflix show and got really confused and then i tried looking stuff up on the wiki but that was also incredibly hard for me to parse. if it's not too much trouble could you, like... give a very basic summary as if i am a particularly slow child? if not dwbi don't feel obligated to respond! again sorry to bother you

ok i myself am not DONE with the show, but i think i can parse out the beginning of it for you, and the main thing that might help your understanding is that the first two episodes take place in media res, and THEN the next like...twenty or so jump back to give a linear flashback of what happened to GET us to the first couple episodes. so because of the nature of the present-day/WOAH BIG FLASHBACK structure, you’re not meant to know everything that’s going on to start with; there are lots of things in the first couple episodes that ONLY become clear once you’ve gone back and established who the characters are. it sort of plops you right down in the middle of the action and then rolls you all the way to the beginning so as to clarify a few things.

i’ve heard a couple people say that if you don’t want the confusion of this, start with episode three, and then go and watch episodes 1&2 AFTER you’ve finished all the way up to about a quarter of the way through episode 33. this seems needlessly circuitous to me, so instead i will try to give you a basic rundown of the important plot stuff so you’ll know what’s happening in the beginning. after you get to the flashback as episode 3 starts, it’s pretty straightforward from there and things are explained as the action unfolds in order.

BASIC PREMISE: this is a story about two men (wei wuxian and lan wangji) in ancient fantasy china. they’re also each other’s love interests, although due to censorship reasons, this is established mostly via context clues rather than physical stuff. we follow them forward and backward through time as they navigate political upheaval, war, some murder mysteries, and ghost troubles. HERE’S HOW IT STARTS.

a) a young man is seen falling off a cliff to his death in battle. two men are with him; these fellows will become important later. for now, all you need to know is that the guy in white likes him and the guy in blue doesn’t. a scholar narrates the battle in a voice-over, and seems THRILLED that our hero has just died.

b) FAST FORWARD 16 YEARS

c) as the scholar finishes his lecture, we see a very confused man waking up in a very bloody room. this is wei wuxian, the guy that died in the prologue; he’s just been resurrected and tasked with taking revenge on a shadowy figure’s enemies. we quickly learn that he’s as confused as we are. he doesn’t know much except that there seem to be some ghosts possessing people in the household where he’s woken up, and that none of these people seem to like him very much. crucially, none of them know he’s the man that died, however: they seem to think he’s someone else entirely. he takes advantage of this, puts on a mask, and disguises himself so that nobody recognizes him.

d) at this point, we meet several other people who will become important: the crowd of chipper young gents in white who are setting up flags all over the place are “the juniors,” a group of students who specialize in magical fighting skills and exorcisms. at the climax of the episode, their teacher shows up to help them battle the ghosts; he’s the guy in white from the prologue! that’s lan wangji, our second romantic lead. our hero is extremely happy to see him, but doesn’t show his face. ghosts vanquished, our hero leaves town the next morning. so too, does a mysterious figure whose face we don’t see, but who carries a fan and seems to have a lot of gold to spend on scholars telling stories about battles.

e) EPISODE TWO: our hero wanders about the countryside, still trying to figure out why he’s alive. on the road, he meets a crowd of travelers, who provide some background info on the world our story takes place in. our hero experiences a couple weird flashbacks on his way to the temple, including one at a graveyard tended by an old man. the woman we see him imagining? she’s an important figure from his past.

f) OTHER PEOPLE WE MEET IN THIS EPISODE: a somewhat bratty teenager in gold; this is jin ling. he’s a rich warrior, but he’s also an orphan and a bit touchy about it. he’s busy setting traps for demons in the woods, and when he gets into an argument with our hero about his attitude...

g) HIS UNCLE SHOWS UP. this is jiang cheng, and the most important thing about him right now is that he’s the other guy from the prologue - the guy who pushed our hero to his death. this is understandably worrisome, but before he can figure out wei wuxian is alive, lan wangji and the juniors show up and our hero is able to escape.

h) at this point, lots of things happen at once, culminating in the juniors fighting an animate statue and our hero stepping in to help them. he does so via makeshift flute, which seems to be his primary weapon; with it he summons a figure in black who flings some chains around and really kicks ass. he’s another figure from the past, but before we can find out about him, everyone i’ve mentioned sort of converges on the scene and it’s clear at this point that our hero may have given himself away.

i) FLASHBACK TIME. the episode ends with a flashback to many years before, some time prior to the battle in the prologue. our hero is enjoying a stroll through a nice town with two people who we quickly learn are his siblings - a sister and a brother. first mystery solved: the brother is jiang cheng, our cliff-pusher. they’re on their way to school as episode 3 begins, and from there the series follows their adventures as juniors some sixteen+years prior, what they do after school, how the war begins, and why our hero dies in battle. when it’s all said and done, this part of the story takes us all the way up to ep33, when we revisit the battle, now with context. after that, we’re back in the present.

do note that lots of characters have several names and titles, so i can break some of those down and that might clear up some of the confusion as well. i recommend the TVTropes page if you want a breakdown of ALL the titles; it’s pretty thorough and sometimes wikis can be overwhelming. the only ones you’ll need to know from the start tho are these ones:

wei wuxian = wei ying = the yiling patriarch > all same guy

lan wangji = lan zhan = hanguan-jun (his job) > all same guy

i realize this is very long, but i wanted to be thorough for you. if it sounds very confusing, it IS based on a novel, mo dao zhu shi, which i have not read but which you can find online and which i believe does the flashbacks in a more spaced-apart way. i hope this answered your question??? i realize i kind of went for it, but i wanted to give you a thorough recap without too many spoilers.

#the untamed #long post #Anonymous #anon i REALLY hope the length of this post doesnt scare you off lol i was trying to be thorough

21 notes · View notes

maxdark158 · 5 years

Text

Chapter three! Finally! We’re halfway through guys unless I add more chapters

Thank you @ozmav once again for the inspiration for this, thank you everyone who is reading it, I hope you all have amazing days and enjoy!

ps: I’m thinking of writing a version of this from Damian’s POV. Should I do that or nah?

Angel in Gotham: Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Ao3

Demon in Gotham: Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Ao3

Fanart for AiG: Riddler ~ Joker thank you @thegreysman

Please tag me in any fanart you draw for this guys ^^

Once Marinette got over the hugeness of the entire house – The entrance was roughly three times as big as her entire house, bakery included – it was fun. Damian didn’t take her on a tour, as he wanted to eat before talking to his brothers, but the places she saw were amazing.

Alfred showed her the kitchen – she stared at it open-jawed for nearly a minute – before having them sit in the dining room and wait until he had prepared their lunch.

Lunch was amazing, to put it lightly.

Alfred whipped up some amazing food and desserts – sugary sweets that her parents didn’t typically make. He left her and Damian alone for the most part, though she kept asking if he wanted to eat with them. He assured her that he already ate and continued to leave them alone.

It was really fun. Damian was just, in general, an awesome person, and Marinette was having more fun than she had in years.

He made her happy.

She really, really liked being happy.

But, of course, the quiet lunch didn’t last. The food was finished, Marinette was full, and she couldn’t reasonably slip anything else into her purse for Tikki. Plus, she knew some of Damian’s brothers were in the house. According to Alfred, Dick and his father were working, but the other two were home.

“Do your brothers know we’re here?” she asked while helping Alfred and Damian clean up.

“No, and we can leave before they find out if we’re quick about it,” Damian told her.

“What if I’d like to meet them?” she teased. “They sound fun!”

Damian paled, though his expression hadn’t changed.

“Alright Angel, if you’re sure,” he pursed his lips, “but if you want to leave for any reason, just tell me.”

“Master Damian, I do believe that Miss Marinette is capable of taking care of herself,” Alfred chided him.

“What he said, Damian,” Marinette giggled. “I’ll be fine. They can’t be worse than The Riddler or Hawkmoth, and I survived those two.”

If anything, that made Damian look more… upset? He didn’t look nervous anymore. More… angry? His shoulders had tensed and he gripped the plate he was holding. But before Marinette could properly decipher his emotions, his grip loosened and his shoulders relaxed.

“Todd,” his voice sounded annoyed. Marinette turned around to see who he was talking to.

A very tall man with a white streak in his hair was smirking. “Demon Spawn! I thought you went somewhere else!” He glanced down and saw Marinette. “Timmy! The Riddler girl is here!”

The Riddler girl? Why was she referred to as-

Marinette heard a crash, running footsteps, and suddenly another boy was there. He had dark purple bags under his eyes and smelled of coffee.

“Holy sh-

“Language,” Alfred tutted.

“You’re actually here! I didn’t think Damian would let you near us!” he chuckled. “I’m Tim Drake-Wayne!”

“Jason Todd-Wayne,” The tall one with the white streak said.

For a moment, she blinked at them. These were Damian’s brothers, members of the Wayne family which is very prestigious and rich and well-known.

One of has a dye job and uses nicknames. The other looks like he hasn’t slept in a week and smells like his blood is entirely coffee. They were people.

Marinette liked being reminded of that.

She smiled. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng! A pleasure to meet you!”

“So you solved The Riddler’s riddle, right?” Tim asked. “Like, knew what the answer was?”

Marinette nodded. “He probably googled it. A toddler could do better.”

Tim seemed to light up. She wasn’t sure why the riddle was ridiculously easy. She was expecting a challenge from the villain named after them.

Tim opened his mouth to add more when Damian cut in from behind her. “Drake, don’t harass her with your questions!”

“I’m not!”

“You are!”

“She isn’t uncomfortable-”

“You’re asking about her first and only encounter with a villain of course she is-”

“Are you even looking at her she isn’t-”

“Hey!” Marinette jumped at Jason’s voice. It wasn’t loud, but the argument was putting her on edge. Tikki in her purse pressed closer to her. It was comforting.

“Yeah?” she asked, facing him. The brothers were still arguing behind her, but her focus was on Jason now.

“So you took down The Riddler, right? Like with hand-to-hand combat?”

Now that she thought about it, the uncertainty in her was beginning to rise. how did Jason and Tim know? Her memory then decided to remind her that Damian, the two’s younger brother, had also been there. Plus there’s the article online. Damian didn’t know she had taken down The Riddler combat wise until he read it

Marinette nodded. “You must have read the article. They really made it a lot more amazing than it was.”

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. She took that as a sign to continue.

“The Riddler clearly has very little combat experience,” she moved her hands in an exasperated gesture. “In Paris, we have akuma that turn people into temporary villains, so most people learn basic combat to stay alive.”

Jason huffed. “Are you saying you only know the basics?”

Marinette tried not to freeze. If she said she only knows the basics, she’s lying. If she says she doesn’t, he might figure out her identity – the Wayne family was supposed to be smart!

“My class is attacked by akuma often,” she says instead, allowing him to come to his own conclusion about her words.

Jason hummed, contemplating. Then he grinned.

“Want to spar with me?” he asked. “I’m not a slouch in combat myself, and I’d like to see how good you are.”

No. Marinette should say no. Jason would respect her answer and she shouldn’t fight someone else in Gotham when the news already made an article about her. She needed to draw less attention to herself she should say no-

“Sure!” her mouth moved on its own.

Curses!

“What?” Damian asked, interrupting Tim during their argument.

She spun around to face him and Tim while Jason slung an arm over her shoulders. “Freckles here just agreed to spar with me!”

Marinette almost expected the sudden physical contact to make her tense but it didn’t. Huh. Maybe she was doing better than she thought, dealing with… well, everything.

She turned her head to look at him. “Freckles?”

“It’s your nickname. ’Cause you’ve got Freckles.”

Marinette shrugged. It was better than Princess. Plus, it would be weird if he called her Angel too – wait why would that be weird? It’s just a nickname between friends!

“Do you seriously want to duel her because she beat The Riddler?” Tim scoffed.

“You wanted to question her because she solved his riddles! Plus-”

“Todd,” Damian hissed.

“Yeah demon spawn?” Jason went from annoyed to bored pretty quickly.

Marinette felt like another argument was going to happen. “Damian, I agreed to it,” she told him, meeting his eyes. “Plus, akuma are typically much larger than me anyway. It’s not like I’m going to break from someone as small as Jason!”

Jason and Tim both laughed at that, but she paid more attention to Damian. he seemed to tense for a moment again before his shoulders dropped. He grumbled something that Marinette couldn’t understand and turned around.

“We have a gym down the hall,” Tim helpfully provided. Jason was still giggling, his arm removed from her shoulder.

Marinette made her way there, following Tim. Damian walked behind her, and she heard him talking to Jason, but she wasn’t sure what was being said.

Plus, they just had this whole conversation about the right to secrets! If Damian didn’t want her to know, she wouldn’t eavesdrop.

“Do you know your IQ?” Tim asked.

Marinette blinked at the sudden, and odd, question. “No, I don’t think I ever took the test.”

She did remember taking a test when she was younger, but that couldn’t have been the IQ test. It was difficult, and there were things she didn’t know, but the IQ test wouldn’t be as easy. Plus, her parents would have told her if she had taken an IQ test!

Tim seemed to deflate slightly. “Do you have any measurement of your problem-solving skills?”

Marinette had a feeling that Tim was trying to compete without telling her the rules of his competition. She played nonchalant though, shrugging it off.

“My parents don’t like playing strategy games with me,” she said, remembering how even as a young girl she always won. They pretended to like it because she liked them, but she could tell it wasn’t fun for them after a while. She’s not sure that they weren’t just pretending to loose for her though.

“You always win?” Tim asked. She nodded.

“Hey Timmy, stop holding Freckles up!” Jason called from ahead of them. Marinette jumped this time, wondering how he snuck around them without her noticing.

She checked – Damian was with him too. What the hell?

“Alright, alright,” Tim grumbled. The two sped up and soon entered the gym.

It was huge, much like everything else in their mansion. There were several treadmills, punching bags, different assortments of weight lifting equipment, and a large mat in the center. Likely for sparring.

Marinette was glad she had chosen her overalls instead of her dress.

Jason took off his jacket and took a position on the mat. Marinette followed suit, setting her purse with Tikki inside near his jacket. When she took a position, she made sure that it was off slightly. She didn’t want to try her hardest, just in case the brothers realized something about her. Something about spots.

Jason lunged, Marinette ducked his punch and maneuvered behind him, driving an elbow into his back. He dodged, barely, and went for a swipe under her feet.

She let herself be tripped, maneuvering her fall so she wasn’t hurt.

“Well, that was fu-”

“You can do better than that!” Tim cried. “There’s no way that’s it.”

“Drake,” Damian grumbled.

Jason paused. “Wait, you weren’t really trying?”

“I-” she hated liars, she didn’t like lying, and usually preferred telling half-truths “What makes you think that wasn’t my best?”

“The Riddler is bad at combat,” Tim leaned against the wall, “But he’s better than that. Why are you holding back?”

“She can hold back if she wants to,” Damian grumbled.

“Jason wanted to see how good she is,” Tim retorted. “If she’s holding back, it’s like purposefully failing a test or losing a game!”

“No, it’s not!” Marinette responded before thinking, her competitive side awakening. It was hugely different! It wasn’t a game and-

“Why are you not trying to win, Freckles?” Jason asked. “This is sort of a competition.”

Marinette’s eye twitched. She was losing the game!

She got up and assumed a better position. “Fine then,” she huffed, deciding to make this quick. She could get her parents to vouch for her if needed, as she did actually sign up for combat lessons.

Jason got into position and this time, she attacked first.

She knew he was likely too heavy for her to swipe under his feet, so she instead went for a fake punch to the throat. He grabbed her fist to block and she grabbed onto his other hand to swing onto his shoulders. He attempted to pull her down with the hand she grabbed but she managed to remove it from his grip and grab it with her own.

“What the hell!”

Jason’s wrists were held by her. He couldn’t shake her grip off him, her hold was too strong. He was attempted to buck her off his shoulders, but Marinette’s legs wrapped around him too tight to be shaken off. As he struggled to get her to let go, she began to swing around to make him lose balance.

He didn’t have his arms to stabilize him or catch his fall. His bucking made his lack of balance worse, and with several curses, he began falling backward. Marinette let go of his trapped hands mid-fall flipped off him, somehow dodging his head.

When Jason landed face-first on the mat she was there quick as lightning, pinning his arms behind him and his legs with her weight.

“I win,” she grinned.

Jason responded with more muffled curses.

She got off of him and helped him up. After he was standing, she spared Damian and Tim a glance.

Tim’s mouth was open, likely because she climbed all over his brother to beat him – but Jason’s much bigger than her, so she had to use his weight against him somehow!

Damian… Damian’s expression seemed neutral, but his hands were open instead of fists. They shook slightly too.

She wasn’t sure what that meant.

“Holy hell what are they teaching you in Paris?” Jason grumbled, pupping his back.

Marinette bit her lip. She should have gone easier on him. “I’m sorry-”

“Why?” Jason asked. “I asked for you to fight me. This was fun even if I got a mouthful of matt.”

“Do you work out?” Tim asks.

“Not regularly,” she says. “But my parents own a bakery and the flour bags are heavy. Plus, sometimes someone orders a huge cake, and those can get heavy too!”

Tim nodded.

Damian was still silent. She frowned.

Jason spoke before she could. “Hey Demon Spawn, are you rebooting or something?”

Damian blinked. “Apologies. I’m a bit surprised, as I didn’t see Marinette actually fight The Riddler, I didn’t know what she was capable of.”

Marinette felt her dread building up. He was afraid of her and he hates her and she wouldn’t have him as a friend and she’d be heartbroken and because of his rejection and – wait what?

“What?” she said out loud, “I’m sorry I zoned out.”

“He said you did a good job, Freckles,” Jason interrupted Damian. Jason seemed smug for some reason. Damian’s eyes looked greener – or was his face redder?

“Thank you,” Marinette smiled.

“Okay since that’s over now,” Tim rubbed his hands together. “Marinette-”

“Please tell me none of you died,” Bruce Wayne, as in THE Bruce Wayne walks in, surveying the room. “Huh. I’m surprised there isn’t any blood. Alfred told me you were sparring.”

“Jason decided to spar Damian’s girl-”

“Marinette,” Damian interrupted. “My friend Marinette.”

Bruce Wayne sees her for the first time and Marinette has to shake off the feeling of being analyzed.

“She’s the girl that punched Riddler in the throat,” Tim says helpfully, and she feels slightly embarrassed but – hang on.

How does he know that? There’s no way he could have known that.

She abandons that thought and decides to introduce herself.

“Hi, nice to meet you,” she goes to shake his hand since that’s how Americans greet each other. He takes it and shakes.

“She won against Todd by the way,” Damian says and Bruce stiffened? She’s not sure what that’s about.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Bruce says. “Alfred wanted to invite you to stay for dinner.”

Marinette paused. “I apologize, but I must be returned to my class by five-thirty pm,” she says. American time is really weird.

“Uh, it’s four forty now,” Jason points out, “How long is the drive, Freckles?”

Marinette pails. “I should probably head back-”

“I’ll go with you,” Damian says. “Alfred can drive us if that is alright with you.”

She nodded, going over and grabbing her purse. “Thanks for inviting me over,” she smiled at Damian. She turned to his brothers and father, “It was wonderful to meet you guys!”

“I’ll win the sparring match next time, Freckles,” Jason told her. He was smiling though, and so was she.

Tim grumbled something about not getting to test something. “You better come back,” he said out loud.

Marinette a mixture of sorrow and guilt in her chest when she remembered her limited time here. Her smile turned to more of a grimace. But she shoved the nasty emotion away. “I’d love to return if I’m invited.”

“When,” he told her.

She managed to smile again. “When.”

She and Damian left the room. Alfred, who already seemed aware of the situation, escorted them to the car.

The ride was silent at first. Marinette couldn’t tell if Damian didn’t know what to say or was comfortable with simply sitting there.

“The brothers I met were nice,” she told him. “They seem annoying-”

“You can say that again,” he grumbled.

“-but they seem like decent brothers,” she finished. “They’re fun people too.”

Damian shrugged. “Sometimes.” Marinette saw his lip twitch though and knew he was happier than he let on.

“Do you have secrets?” he asked suddenly after a few more minutes of silence. “You don’t have to tell me, obviously, but you’re aware that there are things I’m not comfortable telling you yet and-”

“I have secrets,” she said, feeling Tikki nudge her. “Maybe I’ll tell you someday,” Tikki nudged harder.

Damian smiled slightly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wish to, Angel. It’s only fair that I give you what you’re giving me.”

Marinette grinned wide. “Thank you,” she said earnestly.

“We have arrived,” Alfred said from the front seat. Damian opened the door and got out, holding it open for her, and she mumbled a quick thanks.

As she got out, the worst happened. Her clumsiness, while rarer nowadays, sent a curse from where it resided in her Paris bedroom.

She tripped over Damian’s feet.

“Oh my- I’m so sorry,” she struggled to get the English out while scrambling to get off the ground.

“It’s alright Angel,” he said from behind and Marinette stiffened, ice water filling her veins.

Oh no, no no no.

Damian helped her up, and she turned to face him. The sun wasn’t setting, it was still low in the sky and she was seeing him in a new light.

“Is something wrong?” he sounded worried.

The ice water got colder.

“I’m okay,” she said, brushing off her knees. “I used to fall like that all the time, but I’m okay, I promise.”

Damian’s face smoothed back to its neutral expression, but Marinette knew he was still worried. She wasn’t sure how she knew though.

“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask,” he told her.

She felt numb. “I won’t,” she said.

They said their goodbyes. The car drove away. Distantly, Marinette realized that the sun was setting.

The ice water froze her to the core, it’s dread soon becoming a guilty weight to carry on her shoulders.

“Tikki,” she whispered. “I think Damian is Robin.”

oooOOOooo

“He knows. He’s going after her,” her friend sounded tense. “The girl from the article.”

“The one that took down Riddler?”

“The same one.”

“That’s not good,” she mumbled. “I haven’t even gotten to talk to Batsy yet.”

“Don’t tell her, okay?” her friend’s tenseness bled into worry. “She doesn’t ever need to see him again.”

“She doesn’t know?” she asked. “Don’t you two tell each other everything?”

“Just don’t tell her,” her friend stood. “I will when I’m done.”

“Done with what?” she asked, turning to watch her friend leave.

Her friend didn’t answer.

392 notes · View notes

princessmichelleancheta · 4 years

Text

Hi everyone! I’m here to tell something or describing about myself before we go to succeeding content of this blog. Everyone is different from the rest of others. There is nothing without the purpose in this world. Every individual has some different purposes.Also, humans are the best creation, and each of us is exclusive. Thus, when I write about expressing or describing myself, I write something about my journey, expressing myself that what I see, what I experience and what I plan for my life. I try myself to be modest, be passionate about my reams and hobbies, live honestly, and work hard to achieve all of the things that I want to make.

I’m from the middle-class family of Ancheta, wherein I am Princess Michelle Leal. In this life, nobody comes in this world without the love and support of family and friend. Actually whatever ypu will be, it is because of your family.

My father namely Armando Catacutan Ancheta wherein he is a famer and my mother namely Romana Tutaan Leal Ancheta where she as an occupation of Liaison officer. They both embraced and love their occupation and with that thing, I have learned a lot from my parents like how they value their time, being honest,and for being a hardworking person.

My mother gave birth to three children and I am the youngest child in family. My two brothers namely Siegfreid L. Ancheta and Edwin L. Ancheta wherein thy have already finished their study and also they have their own job until now and with that statement, I just the only child that is still studying now in family. Being the youngest child in family is very hard and it is not easy for me most especially that my siblings are already finished their study and have their own job. Yes, I am one of the luckiest child in the family because I experience the things that they didn’t experience in the past but I am the one who is sad today because they left me but not all days are not we together especially to my second brother who is working in Mallig Plains Rural Bank Inc. That he is able to go home but the oldest sibling in family didn’t able to go home because he is working on abroad wherein he is OFW.

In terms of my study, I am studying now at St. Paul University Philippines. I feel happy to be a part of this school with good friends, helpful, and loving teacher even though we cannot meet in personal but we already meet through virtual. I can say on my own that I have a little skills in some subjects whereas I am very weak in few.

In compare to my studies, I am little bit good at sports which is in chess that this is I considered as my strength and also each person has different hobbies and doing different things gives them joy. I considered that capturing natural resources, playing a guitar, and singing are my hobbies. This is all I want to do if I am being bored an also if I’m doing nothing in home. I want to improve my strength and most especially to my hobbies that is playing a guitar and singing because it is the one that I considered as I serve myself to God in our church and I am proud that I am the one of singer and guitarist in our church which is the religion of mine is Union Espiritista Cristiana de Filipinas Incorporada because serving to god is one of the most important thing for me.

In every individual, we have our own weaknesses, so have also like I am not good in terms of drawing, how to communicate to a crow people,how to swim, also I am not fluent on how to speak in English language, but those weaknesses makes me stronger, also it can help me to focus on improving myself, it can help me to fight mental illnesses and the last one is that, it can help me becomea better version of myself. In that situation, I try my best to overcome my weaknesses.

In terms of my ambition in life, everybody has an ambition. Aim or ambition is the inner aspiration of us. No one of us can do anything in the world without aim. So all of us should be determined about aim in life.

While many people have dreams of becoming a lawyers, nurses,and doctors, I have always wanted to be an Accountant someday because becoming an Accountant is my dream when I was younger so that I pursue my study to achieve that dream of mine someday with the help of God.

My parents have always supported my dreams and aspirations . According to them, the most important thing that we have to do to achieve our goal is to pray because praying is God wants to bring us closer to Him. Prayer is our tool to win that battle.Prayer gives us the strength and the faith to finish the race victorious. And also to attain our goals in life, we have to do is to work very hard and never give up on them. So I hope that you will enjoy my blog. I hope you like it. THANK YOU.😊🥰❤

So now, we go or we will proceed to the first content of my blog which is the Question and Answer portion. I am going to answer the given question by my teacher in the subject, Empowerment Technology.

Where do I see myself 10 years from now?

I see myself 10 years from now with God’s grace. I will be an Accountant someday with the help of God. I will have a decent and stable job, good manager, and I will earn a lot of money to pay back for the sacrifices of my parents during those times that I’m still studying and to do what the things that I dream for an also I will be able to build my dream house someday. 10 years from now, I visualize myself as a woman who has a numerous struggle someday but won’t give up for she has a dream . To sum it all, 10 years from now, I will be SUCESSFUL.

Is my learning in SPUP vital to where I’m leading to?

I think my learning in SPUP are vital that will lead me to what I want in my life it is because they taught me the things that I must learn to pursuing adventure what I want in life.

2.Was ABM the best choice after all?

For me, the ABM strand is the best choice that I choose it is because it is related and connected with the course that I take comes with the college level.

3.What course will you take in college and why?

The course that I take in college is that Bachelor of Science in Accountancy because I am now in the ABM strand and most especially the reason why I take that course when I’m in college level someday it is because that is one of my dream life since I was young and also I want to become an Accountant someday with the help of God like my aunty,and my cousin’s in my mother and father side.

What topic would you like to learn more in this subject?

The topic that I would like to learn more in this subject is that how to use the modern technology because nowadays,technology is more on advance so I want to know more, in order for me to not lost my knowledge in future.

5.What the corona virus has taught you about life?

For me, the corona virus has taught me about the meaning o life and its purposes; it reminds me of what I am. Covid 19 taught me that life is essential or it is important, we must be grateful for what we have and learn how to be contented and also corona virus has taught me what is truly valuable in life and what’s facade. It’s given me an opportunity to slow down in this fast changing world to appreciate what truly matters: friends, family and the connections I’ve made over course of my life. Because of this pandemic, there are many changes that I have to do with my self like I am renewing with my passions, my likes and dislikes, my interests and, most importantly, my desire to live, rather than merely survive. And with that things, I’m rediscovering myself.

So we will proceed now to the second content of this blog which named as “ CREATE A TECH REVIEW”

Our teacher in Empowerment Technology say that choose your own favorite technology and make a review for it. And now, this are my answer and I hope that you like it. Please you may read it until the end of this blog. Thank you.❤

But before I will answer it, let me first elaborate what technology is, “TECHNOLOGY” means the use of scientific knowledge for practical purpose or application, whether in industry or in our everyday lives. So the technology that I choose was Gadgets specifically “CELLPHONE”.

Here are the questions that I made for this Tech Review about the technology that I choose.

1. What is cellphone?

A cellphone is any portable telephone which uses network technology to make and receive calls and messages. It is also about the technology used to transmit calls and messages, rather than what the handset itself can or cannot do. As long as a phone can transmit signal to a cellular network, it is a CELLPHONE. This is also a wireless telephone that permits telecommunication within a defined area that may include hundreds of square miles, using radio waves in the 800-900 megahertz (MHz) band.

2.What are the characteristics that cellphone have?

Here are the characteristics of a cellphone:

- Has a Wi-Fi or cellular access to the internet

- A battery that powers the device for several hours

- A physical or onscreen keyboard for entering information

- Size and weight that allows it to be carried in one hand and manipulated with the other hand

- Touch-screen interface in almost all cases

- A virtual assistant, like Siri, Cortana or Google Assistant

- It has the ability to download data from the internet, including apps and books that we want to download and to use it

- Wireless operation

3. What is the importance of cellphone?

For me, the importance of cellphone was the perfect way to stay connected with othr people most especially a family member whose away from you. It also provides a user with a sense of security. Example, in an event of emergency, having a cellphone can allow you to help to seek for a help and it could even save lives of others. This is also capable of internet access, sending and receiving photos, videos and files, and some cellphone are equipped with GPS technology. This allows users in locating some places around the world and allowing the cellphone to be found and the user location in the event of loss or emergency.

4. What are the negative effects of cellphone among teenagers?

Here are the negative effects of cellphone among teenagers:

- Cause headaches

- Decreased attention

- Shortness of temper

- Sleep disorder

- Depression

- Lack of human contact

- Psychological problems

5. Why do we use cellphone?

Cellphones are used in a variety of purpose, such as keeping in touch with family members, for conducting business, and in order to have access to a telephone in the event of emergency. We also used this to socialize to other people in different places through the use of social media, we also use cellphones to share information to others, read news, stories and others and it is used as one of our source of information. To meet other people and etc.

The last but not least blog that I present for everyone. Th last content of my blog is that the “MOVIE REVIEW”. Our teacher again in Empowerment Technology say that choose 3 of our favorite movie that had a profound impact on my own or our life. After every movie, I should answer the given o guide questions given by our teacher. I hope that you enjoy reading of this.

So the first movie that I choose was FIVE FEET APART

Summary:

Five Feet Apart is a movie about Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) who is a cystic fibrosis patient who actively uses social media to cope with her illness. She tries to live a normal life like others even if she had this kind if illness. At the hospital, she meet Willian “Will” Newman, who is there for a medical trial, in an attempt to get rid of the bacteria infection (B. cepacia) he has in his lungs. Those patients that have a CF are strictly kept six feet apart to reduce the risk of cross-infection, as a contracting bacterial infections from other CF patients can be dangerous – even life- threatening to them. Stella is determined to follow the rules not like Will who likes to break the rules and take dangerous risks sometimes. She notice that Will isn’t strictly following the treatment regimen and eventually gets him to agree to do so. As time goes by, Will and Stella began to fall for each other and secretly go on their first date, staying only five feet apart instead of six feet apart. Stella explaining she’s “taking that foot – for us”, they eventually end up to the hospital pool where they strip to reveal scars from their past surgeries they have. The next day is Will’s birthday and Stella throws him a surprise dinner party with the help of her best friend Poe and their fellow CF patients. The next day, Poe dies which leaves her devastated and because of this she pushes Will away. Later Stella realize how Poe did not get to live his life so she decided to live her life and see the lights with Will. As they walk on solid ice, Stella almost die but Will gave her a mouth-to-mouth and save her. At the hospital, the lung transplant for Stella was successful, and Will learns that Stella did not contract his infection. When Stella wakes up after her surgery, she sees Will through the glass of her room. He has set up a display of lights outside her room, saying that his only regret was that she did not get to see the lights, so he brought them to her. He tells her that his drug trial isn’t working, and he doesn’t want her to have to deal with his eventual death. He gives her a notebook of his drawings of her and he confesses his love for her. Will makes her close her eyes, because he says he won’t be able to leave if she is looking at him so Stella close her eyes and Will walks away. Years have passed, Stella can be seen in a video on her channel, saying she misses Will’s touch now that she has lost it forever.

1. What life lesson can be learned from the movie?

The moral lesson that I have learned from this movie FIVE FEET APART was: first, Even healthy young people can die; second, illness can devastate families emotionally and financially; third, it is scary to love someone and it can be even scarier to let someone love you, especially when you are embarrassed by your scars; fourth; always find a way to feel in control in something; and lastly, live life to the fullest, because you never know what might happen tomorrow; sixth, love can really conquer all.

2. What part of the story told by the movie was the most powerful? Why?

When Stella and Will fall for each other despite of the risk they may encounter in their life and that can give death to the both of them. It so hard to fall for someone who can’t be yours until the end because of the reason that he/she must let you go because of a reasonable reasons.

3. Who was your favorite character in the movie? Why?

My favorite character on the movie was Will, because of he was willing to give up his love for Stella even if it will break her heart because he doesn’t want Stella to deal with his eventual death because the medication is not working to him.

4. Did anything that happened in the movie remind you of something that has occurred in your own life or that you have seen occur to others?

I haven’t seen any of the situation on the movie that was happened on my life but maybe it happened to other but I don’t who they are. But watching this movie makes me very emotional and I even think or put myself on Stella’s situation. Just thinking of it, it breaks my heart into pieces and that is true.

The second movie that I choose was TOMB RAIDER

SUMMARY:

Adventurer Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) defeats a robot in an Egyptian tomb, revealed to be a training exercise arena in her family manor, where she lives with her technical assistant Bryce (Noah Taylor) and butler Hilary (Chris Barrie). In Venice, as the first Lphase of a planetary alignment begins, the Illuminati search for a key to rejoin halves of a mysterious artifact, “the Triangle’” which must be completed by the final phase, a solar eclipse. Manfred Powell (Iain Glen) assures the cabal that the artifact is almost ready, but has no real idea of its location. Lara’s father Lord Richard Croft (Jon Voight) long missing and presumed dead, appears to her in a dream. Lara awakens to a mysterious ticking, and finds a strange clock hidden inside the manor. On her way to consult a friend of her father’s, Wilson (Leslie Philips), Lara crosses paths with Alex West (Daniel Craig), an American associate and fellow adventurer. Lara shows Wilson the clock, and he puts her in touch with Powell. Lara shows Powell photographs of the clock, which he claims not to recognize. That night, armed commandos invade the house and steal the clock, bringing it to Powell. The next morning, a prearranged letter from Lara’s father arrives, explaining that the clock is the key to retrieving the halves of the Triangle of Light, an ancient object with the power to control time. After misuse of its power destroyed an entire city, the Triangle was separated: one half was hidden in a Cambodian tomb, the other in the ruined city, now modern-day Siberia. Her father tasks her to find and destroy both pieces before the Illuminati can exploit the Triangle’s power. In Cambodia, Lara finds Powell, who has hired West, and his commandos already at the temple. West solves part of the temple’s puzzle, and Powell prepares to insert the clock at the moment of alignment. Lara, realizing they are mistaken, she finds the correct keyhole; with only one second left, Lara persuades Powell to throw her the clock. She unlocks the first piece of the Triangle, and the statue of the temple come to life and attack the intruders. West, Powell, and his remaining men flee with the clock, leaving Lara to defeat an enormous six-armed guardian statue. She escapes with the piece; recovering at a Buddhist Monastery, she arranges a meeting with Powell. In Venice, Powell proposes a partnership to find the other half of the Triangle, and informs Lara that her father was a member of the Illuminati, and offers to use the Triangle’s power to resurrect him; though reluctant, she agrees to join forces. Lara and Bryce travel with Powell, West, and the Leader of the Illuminati (Richard Johnson) to Siberia. Entering the tomb, they discover a giant orrey, which activates as the alignment nears completion. Lara retrieves the second half of the Triangle, and Powell kills the Illuminati’s leader to restore the Triangle himself, but the halves will not fuse. Realizing Lara knows the solution, Powell kills West to persuade her to complete the Triangle to restore West’s and her father’s lives. Lara complies, but seized the Triangle herself. In a “crossing” of time, Lara faces the memory of her father, who urges her to destroy the Triangle for good rather than save his life. Returning to the tomb, Lara manipulates time to save West and stab Powell instead, and destroys the Triangle. The tomb begins to collapse, and all flee but the wounded Powell, who reveals to Lara that he murdered her father. After a hand-to-hand fight, Lara kills Powell, retrieving her father’s pocket watch and escape the tomb. Back on her manor, Lara visits her father’s memorial and finds that Bryce has reprogrammed the robot, and Hilary presents her with her pistols, which she takes with a smile.

1.What life lesson can be learned from the movie?

The life lesson that can be learned from the movie was: first, Don’t be afraid to fail. Failures makes us stronger, learn from our failures and also it is a part of our life. Second, women are strong. Never ever under estimate what women can do cause sometimes they are more stronger than men. And lastly, believe in yourself. If you think you can’t make just believe in yourself that you will can do it.

2.What part of the story told by the movie was the most powerful? Why?

For me, the part of the story that was the most powerful for me was when Lara choose to destroy the Triangle rather that to retrieve his father’s life. It was hard to choose when one of the family member was involved, especially your father. It can make you confuse to think what to do or what to choose.

3. Who was your favorite character in the movie? Why?

My favorite character to the movie was Lara. She was so brave to face all things that she encounter in life l even her fears. She never ever let negativity surrounds her. She let her fear make her brave enough to face them.

4.. Did anything that happened in the movie remind you of something that has occurred in your own life or that you have seen occur to others?

When Lara decide what to do. That’s the thing that happened in my life. Deciding whether what to choose between two things, What to do, and others.

Lastly, the movie that I choose was MIDNIGHT SUN

SUMMARY:

A girl named Katie Price (Bella Throne) has a rare genetic condition called Xeroderma Pigmentosum or commonly called as XP, in where she is allergic to sunlight. Katie’s condition prevents her from being out in the sunlight. At the age of 17-years-old, Katie was been sheltered since childhood and was confined to their house during day because of this rare disease that she have that makes even the smallest amount of sunlight are deadly or can kill her. She has her father and her friend named Jack and Morgan to keep her company. When she graduated from home schooling, she asked her dad to allow her to go out. Katie comes out of the house every night, when the ray of the sun is no longer present. One night, she was noticed and asked out by her longtime crush, Charlie, whom she had been watching from her window from time to time. She was playing a guitar at the train station that time. Charlie heard her voice that’s why he walked towards Katie. When Charlie tried to talk to her, Katie suddenly leave and forgets her notebook. Charlie saw the notebook that Katie forgot so he keep it. He returns the next day, hoping that Katie was there. When he arrived at the train station he saw Katie singing again, so he walks towards Katie and talk to her. He explains to her how he got his injury that prevented him from getting a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley. They fell in love with each other as she secretly hide her health condition to Charlie. One night, she forgot about the danger and she was a little bit exposed to sunlight and eventually got her sick. She at first couldn’t accept the truth and didn’t want to see Charlie again. But at the end, she learn the importance of the time she could spent with the people she loved. She enjoyed her remaining days of her life with Charlie, her dad Jack and her best friend Morgan.

1. What life lesson can be learned from the movie?

For me, the life lesson that can be learned from the movie MIDNIGHT SUN is that it was be brave enough to faces every struggles, pains and most specially fears in life. But those struggles in life makes us stronger and we exceed those struggles through prayer with the help of God.

2. What part of the story told by the movie was the most powerful? Why?

For me, the part of the movie that is the most powerful was when Katie and Charlie slept outside and Katie woke up when the sun was going to rise, so she hurriedly run and told Charlie to get her home fast but still she was exposed to sunlight. This is the most powerful part of the movie MINIGHT SUN for me because it made me realize a lot of things like how special our life is, I have a lots of complaints in life not realizing how blessed I am among other people in the world, I have a life and freedom which I never a blessing from above, it also teaches me to use my time wisely, and lastly and most specially is that I realized that our parents can be overprotective with us but chose to allow us to be happy and enjoy the life outside the house.

3. Who was your favorite character in the movie? Why?

My favorite character on the movie was Katie Price, because she became brave enough to face the one she feared of the most.

4. Did anything that happened in the movie remind you of something that has occurred in your own life or that you have seen occur to others?

When the time that Katie was dying it reminds me when I was a child (I am 12 years old that time), when my aunty on my mother side is dying because of the illness she have.

So, that’s all for today.. Thank you very much for reading this kind of my blog😊❣ God bless us all😇❤

2 notes · View notes

drewogrady377 · 3 years

Text

Computer Managed Services - Is Managed Service Higher Priced Than Traditional Repair?

And if you want those ways is a 24/7 toll-free hotline which means you can get tech support or at the centre of a billing question any kind of time time - even 2:00 AM if you have an issue. The help desk should be available, totally knowledgeable, empowered to solve problems and 100% patient. If it consulting firms In dallas takes ages to walk you through how to hook up a blog module, good for your health someone along at the other end of the fishing line who offers knowledge and endless patience to assist accomplish your on-line role. With a hospitality industry merchant services account, could certainly easily combine all all those services onto one david. When your guest heads down for getting a back rub, they can just say to the masseuse, "Put it on my room dan." The same goes for the bar and anywhere else in your establishment. Your guests will love this convenience, and about to have them coming back and quickly as more. Be pleasant, civil, and outgoing to everyone. Smile. Walk straight as an arrow and keep a positive look from the face. Do not need to need to grin-as-you-walk, but look relaxing. When someone approaches you, get eye-to-eye contact and smile. To do a weblog you will need company providing MySQL client base. All usernames, passwords, blog posts and other data are stored on that point there. Another important feature which you should to require from the hosting service should be PHP back. Most of the weblogs are written in PHP. You will also need take into account the volume disk space and data. If you will only write texts you won't need greater few megabytes. However, if you plan to include photos or videos on to the articles utilize a web service permits at least a few gigabytes of web space and data transfer. You attract that what you. This is not really a tip but alternatively a business principle. What's cool is the fact that I received a little credit for this principle in Mathew Dickerson's latest story. Basically, if you want to draw larger customers you need to act like larger clientele. If you want to attract "mom and pop" type customers, you must act as being a "mom and pop" program. Change the face and operations of business to attract the types of firms you want to work via. Know what brings to be able to you - this is actually comparatively much a test of your brand identity, that essence in enterprise that attracted your fans in is among the. Find out what made your fans happy, what compelled them to share genuine about you, as well as the benefits they receives by speaking in account. You can do sponsorships of one's best customers' favorite fun-filled activities. Aside from the publicity, outsourced it solutions also cements the relationship between both you and your best customers. Most times if you want a trustworthy managed Forex account service "for free" (I mean with no monthly fee) you should invest incredibly $100-150K some. can you do that? Of course not. Perhaps you want attempt them and look for your gem but seek it . lose a consequent amount of money for upfront or joining fee. Many hosting companies provide only email assistance. Only few good ones give all of you 3 methods to contact their support team for aid. Email support will only be good for non-urgent stuff. But like I said earlier, your websites can follow anytime this requires immediate attention. Precisely why it help desk services's important to get an internet hosting company that provides you with email, live chat and phone support. There is a lot of times that may need an additional key developed for a fastening. Make sure make use of a reputable locksmith. Would you give your keys to one's home to just anyone. You do not need someone making an extra key for any front door so and still have visit payday advances away. For your IT managed services firm, correctly negotiating a business deal significant. It has to be an agreeable deal for you and profits leads candidates. The problem here lies the actual way marketers approach this - as the competition. For those who have this regarding mindset, at which the other party must 'yield' to use want, rarely will you succeed with your appointment setting campaign. Now, that is really a losing proposition for your firm, simply because this will drive away your prospects. Customer service is not a department. Your answering services company is not purchaser service department. There isn't such thing for a customer service system. Customer service is a company wide attitude. Everybody related to a company provides juice in the customer experience glass. Get going to restrain myself to yourrrre able to send employees as partners and closely related services also carry the customer experience. outsourced it solutions support is the technical support that find when you have problems with certain electrical appliances like computers and software lessons. This support is in place to in order to solve a lack of success with the item or program that needs specialist skills. There are a associated with ways that this support could be had knowning that is by telephone, email, online chat support very well as home visits from mechanics.

1 note · View note

davidfarland · 5 years

Text

What’s a “Working Outline”?

When you send a novel proposal to a publisher or a movie proposal to a studio, you’ll often be asked to send an “outline” with your package. The word outline is used rather casually, and it often can be misleading.

Many publishers and producers really want a “synopsis,” a brief description of what happens in the book or screenplay, often told in as little as a page. However, a good book publisher will often leave the length of that synopsis up to you, or they might ask for three pages or maybe even five. I’ve known some authors who will write up to 50 pages. But all that the editors want is a brief description. I like to break it up like this:

Paragraph one answers the following questions: Who is my protagonist? (Sixteen-year-old Desiree McConnel.) Where is my story set? (64 million years ago beside Lake Gunaya which is current-day Saint George, Utah.) And what is my major conflict? (Desiree is a time-traveling sightseer who has come to watch the destruction of the Jurassic world as a huge meteor is about to strike Earth, when an angry triceratops trashes her transporter.)

That first paragraph launches the story. Now, I might want to elaborate on these things. For example, I might explain that Desiree’s mother has just died, and her father brought her on this trip to bring her out of her funk. Or maybe I’ll explain that she’s fascinated with dinosaurs and secretly wishes to avert the coming decimation, or she’s attracted to a hunk named Beckett who has also tagged along.

Or maybe I’ll want to heighten the conflicts. Sure, there are going to rampaging Utah raptors, but Desiree’s growing attraction to Beckett will surely become an important conflict, and that funk is just going to get worse when she sees her father killed. And when she finds herself struggling to breathe air filled with micro-carbons from the destruction of the Earth and gets to see first-hand why everything died on the planet for the next three hundred thousand years, the whole story is going to become more and more grim. Especially since she realizes that she and her new boyfriend won’t make it—humans didn’t evolve 64 million years ago.

But that opening will be important.

The next couple of paragraphs become just as important. You have to answer the questions: What conflicts arise out of the situation? How do they morph and grow? What does my protagonist do to try to handle them? And how are all of these going to surprise your editor and reader. This is where the art of storytelling really becomes important. This is where you have to begin blowing your editor’s mind, throwing surprising twists into the mix.

This mid-section will also be the point where I begin weaving things together. Maybe our protagonist flees the devastated time-travel vehicle and tries to climb into some hills to find shelter. I could detail how her father checks out a cave and is killed, not realizing that even raptors need shelter. I might get into how she has to huddle with Beckett for warmth, having their first romantic interludes, and that they soon find themselves hunted by a raptor that has developed a taste for human flesh. Then the meteor strikes, sending shockwaves around the world and micro-meteors go blasting into the atmosphere, so that the air becomes unbreathable. Huge lightning storms begin striking, setting forests afire, and a global ice-age sets in.

The conflicts need to weave together and build, and our protagonist needs to grow through her struggles, until we reach the climax of the book. This is our final paragraph or two. Is Desiree saved by a rescue team? If so, is she sixteen or ninety-two when it happens? Does her boyfriend become a lover, a husband, a meal for a T-Rex? Could she possibly decide after living a life in the Jurassic age, that she wants to stay? What does she learn from all of this? Does she find happiness?

That’s the conclusion of your synopsis, and you really can put an entire book into one page.

Writing a great synopsis is an art in itself, and it is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. When an editor wants to buy a manuscript, he might show your synopsis to the publisher and the marketing department, and if you’ve got a stellar outline, it can add a zero or two to the amount you’ll be paid on your advance. It can also motivate the entire publishing company to push your book big before it is even purchased.

Think of your synopsis as an advertisement for your book. You want it to sell the reader, hook them into reading the longer manuscript.

Often the publisher or movie studio wants something longer than a page. For example, I recently got hired by a producer to put together a proposal for a movie, and I got to outline it in twenty whole pages, single spaced! (That’s called a movie “treatment,” but it’s much like a synopsis.

For big books, ones where the publisher is going to invest millions of dollars, the publisher might want a detailed synopsis that is seventy or eighty pages. I’ve only ever heard of a publisher asking for an outline this long once, but you should know that it happens.

A “working outline” is different from a synopsis, though, and I recommend that you write one for every novel you write, and often even for short stories. The working outline is a document that I use as a writer. In it, I like to break my novel down scene by scene and plan who will be in the scene, what significant action will occur, and make any notes to myself. Here is an example of such a scene:

Chapter 9—The Appetizer—With the time machine damaged, Desiree tries to help Beckett repair it, but her father warns that the radioactive power source is dangerous. It can damage her reproductive system. Her father doesn’t want her to get near it. Beckett gives her a look and she realizes that he is thinking, “We might be stuck here forever.” He might even be thinking of the family they might raise. She doesn’t want to consider such things—they’ve only ever kissed— but feels she should worry about her health. So she goes to a small rise and stands guard while her father and Beckett work. She’s terrified of the pack of Utah raptors that are hunting in the area, when suddenly the sky lights up and a huge meteor blazes across the horizon. There are several deafening explosions as pieces of it fracture, and she watches it for ninety seconds until suddenly it impacts. The ground bucks and seems almost to liquify as it begins to roar, and in seconds she sees huge dust clouds exploding up in the distance, crowned by lightning. Dinosaurs roar and hoot and whistle in terror, and flocks of pterodactyls take flight out over the lake, while freshwater fish seem to try to leap out of the lake. Note to self: Make the end of the world spectacular.

With each scene in my outline, I put in the name of the point of view character in color so that I can track my POV characters visually over the course of the novel. (This is important if you are using multiple POVs). I also put in the actions that they take and the things that happen to them. I put in the new conflicts that arise or the ones that are resolved or the conflicts that escalate or broaden. I want to make sure that I keep track of rising stakes, mysteries that are bought up or solved, romances that bud, and so on. I might also make notes to myself about how to handle the scene, emotions to evoke, and so on.

When I finish writing a scene, I will go back and make a notation, showing how many pages the scene came out to be, so that I can see how well I’m controlling the pacing.

A working outline can easily be twenty pages long. I will even add in bits of dialog or description that come to me in the middle of the night, so that my working outline might grow to be a hundred pages. No one but me will ever see that outline. It’s just a tool that I use. Yes, I’ve got a working outline for my latest book, and no you can’t see it.

In fact, there is some good software that writers use for this. Scrivener for example will help you track your scenes and characters and write a nice summary for each scene, and then you can expand each description into a scene pretty easily. There are a lot of other programs that do the same, but I haven’t used most of them to make comparisons.

Still, learning to write a great synopsis is a valuable skill, and every writer needs to learn to throw together a working outline and keep developing even while you’re in the writing process.

***

Writer’s Peak—

Many soon-to-be great authors suffer from writer’s block. Which is the number one problem troubling young and old writers alike. David Farland, along with NLP Trainer Forrest Wolverton, are providing a training that has been designed to help you change all that.

We will be streaming this event live and providing a taped recording afterward so if you cannot join us in person, join the feed! You are encouraged to take notes and actively participate during your time with us.

This workshop is coming up fast! Writer's Peak will take place on November 16th in Provo. That's next Saturday! Don't miss your chance to break that writer's block and get back to doing what you love. You can find it at https://mystorydoctor.com/live-workshops-2/.

Writers' Bundle—

Due to some unfortunate technical issues, I am extending the Writers' Bundle for one more day. Quite a few people had software problems that prevented them from purchasing the bundle. Now that we have solved the problem, I want to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in this sale.

You'll get access to the audited versions of my online workshops and receive copies of his books on writing, all for a special price. These materials together would normally cost more than $1800, but for this sale only you can get them all for the low price of $89. This year’s bundle includes some new items as well.

You’ll get one-year access to all material in these workshops, meaning you can work through courses at whatever speed you like, and even complete assignments alongside friends and writing groups (my personal recommendation to get the absolute most out of this bundle deal).

You can learn more here at https://mystorydoctor.com/pi-the-writers-bundle/

Or if you just want to go straight to purchasing, you can do that here at https://mystorydoctor.com/pricing/oc_checkout/?s2p-option=10

#writingtips #writrblr #writerblr #writingcommunity #writingtip

53 notes · View notes

asking-jude · 4 years

Note

I started college a year ago. I thought I was ready after much delay trying to find stability. I’ve passed six classes and failed seven so far. I feel so guilty and terrible. Part of my issues stem from attendance because I have agoraphobia after things I’ve experienced in my life. I don’t want to use that as an excuse and I know I need to do better and I want to but how do I just MAKE myself do something? I was ready to go back this semester fighting but it ended the sa

Hello!

Thank you for reaching out to Asking Jude. Growing up can bring upon many new challenges. I suggest you seek professional help for agoraphobia. Agoraphobia treatment includes both psychotherapy and medication. Consulting a family physician, or campus mental health services and broadening your sources to overcome your fear can be very helpful. Furthermore, physical exercise, yoga, and meditation have also reduced the stress of many people who have previously experienced agoraphobia.

You are not alone when it comes to failing classes in college. Failure is not the end of the world because it happens to everyone. Learning from your mistakes, not giving up, and improving your skills is what matters. Attending classes allows you to understand what your professor expects and learn the material accordingly. Failing multiple classes most likely means your current study methods are not working for you. The most important way to do better in class is to stay organized.

You can try inputting due dates into your calendar, taking notes neatly, and staying away from distractions. Don't be afraid to seek help or tutoring if needed. Talk to your professors and academic advisors for more advice, as this can help you through your journey. Go to professors' office hours and join study groups in the library to understand the material more deeply.

Furthermore, another way to succeed is to try changing the way you study. Cramming the night before a test can be difficult, however studying every night helps. Reviewing the material everyday familiarizes you with the subject, and gets into your long-term memory. Instead of just reading your notes, you can try to explain the material to others or take practice tests to test yourself. Teaching others by answering their questions is the best way to make sure you have understood the material well. No matter what, always stay Motivated! Your motivation to succeed and improve yourself will lead you to future events. Try to set goals every day and treat yourself when you achieve them. Work with others that help you stay on task. Picture the result of your work to stay motivated and finish tasks without procrastination.

Finally, do not worry about how your partner may feel now. Improving your study methods and performing well in your future classes will automatically make your partner happy and proud. Therefore, try changing your study methods to perform better in your future classes. The following link will provide you with useful study tips:

https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/

https://study.com/articles/10_Ways_to_Turn_Things_Around_When_You_re_Failing_a_Class.html

https://www.thebestcolleges.org/17-scientifically-proven-ways-to-study-better-this-year/

I hope this helps!

Srija

Asking Jude needs YOUR help! Donate pocket change here and save our safe space.

#ask #advice #mental health

3 notes · View notes

trauma-13 · 4 years

Note

All the asks 😈

Who hurt you the most?

My dad. He essentially walked out of my life when I was 12-13, and blames me for our lack of relationship and refuses to acknowledge his part in it.

Who have you hurt the most?

Oh hell. Uh, I really don’t know.

Who do you miss the most?

My mom, and my friends that I don’t see on a regular basis. @car-one-responding i’m looking at you.

Who do you want out of your life the most?

Happiness and to feel like I’ve made a difference in someones life. If that’s a stranger, a friend, my son, my husband, doesn’t matter. I like helping people. (I misread, I thought this said WHAT do you want out of life, not WHO. So to answer the original question, I wouldn’t mind my dads wife wandering off somewhere and never returning.)

Who had the biggest positive impact on you?

There’s been quite a few people. My mom and two of my nursing mentors are the first ones who come to mind. My mom taught me to never give up on your goals, no matter how hard it is and how much you may struggle. She taught me to what a good mother is, and was always present in my life no matter how busy she was in her own life. She gave me my love of nursing and helping others from a very young age, and continued to inspire me to join the nursing profession. She continues to inspire me to further my dream within this career. My nursing mentors are a married couple I used to work with, who I still speak to on a fairly regular basis. They’re the epitome of amazing nurses. D is the kindest person, she gives every patient a piece of her heart and cares for them like they’re her own family (even the frustrating ones). She’s so loving to her friends and family as well and goes above and beyond to help them anyway she can. M is also an incredibly caring nurse, who is the smartest human I’ve ever met. Not just in nursing, but in every aspect. He’s continued his education into his 60s to further his career and his knowledge to provide the best care for his patients. When I first met M, I had just started at my prior job, I was fairly quiet just because I didn’t really know anyone yet. I had worked there maybe a week or two, he put an arm around my shoulders and said “You’re kind of quiet, do you want to be friends?” and immediately he was my favorite person. Of all the people I’ve worked with through my 10 yrs in health care, D and M are the ones I miss the absolute most.

Who had the biggest negative impact on you?

Again, my dad. I have very good and fun memories with him when I was little, like 10 and under. However, he decided his wife and her children were more important than his own and he walked out of my life. It took a VERY long time (probably 10 yrs) for me to get over his abandonment, and accept that it wasn’t my fault and there is nothing wrong with me as a person that caused it.

Who do you wish you could be honest with?

I’m a pretty fuckin honest person, and I tell people like it is. There aren’t many people I don’t just speak my mind to.

Who have you harbored (any kind of!) secret feelings towards?

I’m sure I have in the past, but there isn’t anyone who comes to mind specifically.

Who would the world be better off without?

The cheeto in charge of our country. Sorry, not even a little bit sorry.

Who do you wish you’d treated differently?

I was a dick in high school to a lot of people, and I don’t really think I had any reason.

What was the worst day of your life?

The day I got kicked out of nursing school. I obviously got back in, but it was a horrible experience.

What’s your greatest fear?

Failure.

What’s your biggest insecurity?

My knowledge level. I feel like I’m not as smart as I should/could be.

What’s your biggest regret?

Staying in my past relationship for as long as I did, and ignore all the red flags that were there since day one.

Describe your ideal world.

Cleaner air, less crime, less pollution (across the whole world), more green/renewable energy use, a safer world for my kid to grow up in. Married to my hubby, raising our son and possible a #2, to have the financial ability to help foster rescue dogs.

Describe your personal hell.

The current world we’re in.

What’s a hopeless dream you’re still holding on to?

Hmm. I feel like I’ve always had very realistic dreams. So probably the slim chance that I’ll win the lottery haha!

What’s the most embarrassed you’ve ever been?

Probably when my douche bag ex got shitfaced, the PD called on him, they called fire for an evaluation because he had a lac on his hand due to punching glass, they wanted to take him to the ER and because he was absolutely obliterated he couldn’t refuse annnnd they took him to the ER I worked at. When I got there he was in full on 4 pt restrains and had been given the magical vitamin H. I shoulda turned and walked out then (or one of the many red flags before....)

What’s the angriest you’ve ever been?

When said ex threatened to hurt my dogs because I told him I was done and to pack his shit and get out. He pulled a knife on me and said he would kill me and the dogs if I tried to leave him. I figured I could probably keep myself alive if he did attack me, but if he hurt my dogs I’d have gone to jail that day.

What’s the saddest you’ve ever been?

Honestly? this last week. motherhood is hard. breastfeeding is fucking hard. I was having such a difficult time with breast feeding and postpartum depression that I had legitimate suicidal thoughts with a vague plan of what I would do. I’m fine now, don’t go calling for a welfare check.

What’s the most scared you’ve ever been?

Again when douchey ex threatened my dogs. They’re my world and I would do anything to keep my kids (2 and 4 legged) safe.

What’s the most hopeless you’ve ever felt?

Also this week.

What’s the most frantic you’ve ever felt?

Frantic?? uh fuck, the most recent time I can think of was the day before my son was born, my OB told me I had to go to the OB triage at my hospital because my BP was high and she needed to monitor JTD and make sure he was okay.

What’s the bravest you’ve ever felt?

When I stood up to my douche ex as he had a knife pulled on me.

What’s the best case scenario for your future?

I’m a trauma nurse at a level 1 trauma center, hubby is done with nursing school working in his dream unit (either ED or ICU, he changes his mind daily), our son is happy and healthy, if we choose to have a second kiddo that they’re happy and healthy. We own a nice house, with a good sized yard for the 2 and 4 legged babies.

What’s the worst case scenario for you future?

Uh, I lose my rights to my son, and lose my license.

What’s the most physical pain you’ve ever felt?

Tie between labor contractions when i was complete/ready to pop the kid out, or when I had nasal surgery and they accidentally “forgot” to give me any pain medication through the whole surgery. Honestly probably the nasal surgery, it was constant, the contractions came and went, frequently, but there was a little break in between.

What’s the most emotional pain you’ve ever felt?

I’m going to go with when I found out my ex cheated on me and knocked up the girl he cheated with.

Describe a time you felt like a hypocrite.

I try really hard not to be a hypocrite, I’m sure there’s times it’s happened but I genuinely can’t think of a time off hand.

Describe a time you felt like a traitor.

I really don’t know. Again, i’m sure there’s been times, but I don’t remember any.

Describe a time you felt like a hero.

I wouldn’t necessarily say “hero” but when I’m able to help people at work, and when my knowledge and skills benefits them.

Describe a time you felt inhuman.

This last week. It’s easily one of the hardest things I’ve been through. I felt so detached from my family and I just didn’t care.

Describe a time you felt like a failure.

This last week. I felt like I was failing as a mom, and that I couldn’t do anything right because I couldn’t even feed my son in the natural way I’m meant to as a female with mammary glands.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?

Uh. Honestly the only thing that comes to mind is when i skipped a lease with my college roommate (the first time I went to college). It’s genuinely not that bad, but I can’t think of anything else hah.

What are you proudest of?

My son, my husband, my degree/license.

What’s your relationship with your family like?

With my husband and son, it’s great (now). With my moms side of the family it’s great as well, I talk to my mom every day, and my gramma and grampa every couple days. I’m also fairly close with my Uncle. My in-laws are pretty good too, my mother in law can get on my nerves but who’s doesn't, honestly hah! I have a decent relationship with my half-brother, Aunt and gramma (Nana) on my dads side, and my cousins. Literally the only one I have issues with is my father and his wife.

What’s your relationship with religion like?

I think organized religion is a joke. I’m completely against it. I don’t personally believe in God/Jesus/whatever, but I do believe in afterlife and that there is such a thing as past lives and reincarnation.

Talk about someone you’ve lost.

My grampy died when I was in 4th grade. He was an amazing man. He was very stoic and didn’t show his emotions much, but he always included me in whatever he was doing (fishing, camping, working in the yard, whatever it was). He showed his love in different ways, more with his actions than words.

Talk about someone who abandoned you.

I think i’ve talked about my dad enough hah

Talk about a desire you have that scares you.

To become a trauma nurse.

What’s something you wish you were capable of?

I wish I was able to do more first-responder stuff. I have the ability, just not the time currently.

What’s something you’re afraid that you’re capable of?

Becoming a trauma nurse hahah

Describe the kind of life you wish you’d been born into.

Doesn’t everyone wish they had been born into money??

Describe your worst heartbreak.

When my dads wife texted me and told me “youre a selfish bitch, and he would be better without you in his life” and he told me I was lying, even with the text proof. I was 14-15ish. That was the final straw, and when I stopped trying to have a relationship with him.

Describe your worst disappointment.

When I was in nursing school and I failed the full body assessment the first time. I was anxious as fuck and over thinking everything. I technically passed based on points, but was asked to come back and re-do it once I had time to clear my head.

Have you ever taken a fall for someone?

Taken the blame? No. Own up to your own damn mistakes.

Have you ever forced or let someone take a fall for you?

No, I take the blame for my own mistakes.

Have you ever done serious physical harm to someone?

I don’t think so??

Have you ever done serious emotional harm to someone?

I hope not, but maybe.

Have you ever self-harmed?

It’s been about 5 years since, but yes.

Have you ever attempted suicide?

Attempted no, but had a plan, yes.

Have you ever stolen something?

On accident when I was like 5 hahah We were in line at the grocery store, an you know they have all the little toys and candy and wtf ever at the check out lanes. Well I was looking at something and mom told me lets go, so I continued looking at it and followed her off. Mom realized, took me back inside to return it and apologize and the manager ripped my ass in front of the check outs.

Have you ever cheated on someone?

No.

Have you ever been cheated on?

Yes.

Have you ever taken revenge on someone?

Nah, people have a way of ruining their own lives.

Have you ever seriously considered killing someone?

Not had a plan to, but remember my ex threatening my dogs? Had he done it, i’d have attacked him.

Have you ever betrayed someone who trusted you?

I don’t think so?

Have you ever experienced something supernatural or unexplainable?

Yeah, I regularly experience things all the time.

2 notes · View notes

uncloseted · 4 years

Note

What is the best way to find what career path you should take in life? I know ultimately its a choice I’ll have to. make myself but I lack direction and seem to have multiple interests (in like everything...), I wish there was a way to pinpoint what my realistic options were like a place or a site that would take into account my interests, my desired salary, my actual skills, etc.?

So first things first, I think it’s important to say that your field of study/career doesn’t necessarily have to be your passion (and for that matter, what you study at uni doesn’t necessarily dictate your future career- a lot of people have degrees they never use). I know that many of us have been sold this idea that a career can only be satisfying if it’s our “passion”. I think that’s a convenient narrative for aggressively capitalistic countries (the US being the biggest offender) because it sets a standard that we should be willing to do anything for our passion-career (unpaid internships, working for less than our labor is worth, doing unpaid work, putting up with toxic work environments, unreasonably long commutes…), since we’re not doing it for the money, we’re doing it because we genuinely love our jobs. Maybe your passion is making dolls from corn husks or golfing or people watching or something else that’s not easy to monetize, and that’s totally okay. It’s okay to have a job that you don’t love and aren’t super dedicated to because it allows you to do the things you do really love. Your work shouldn’t have to be your life- work should allow you to live your life.

Anyway, I do have some thoughts about how to find a career that works for you, whatever that might mean. First, I would look into the Japanese concept of ikigai- your “reason for being”.

When searching for your ikigai, I would suggest making a list (no matter how short), of the things you love, the things you’re good at, the things the world needs, and the things you can be paid for. Look for overlaps in each category, and try your best to think creatively about how you can combine the different categories. For example, maybe you love movies, you think the world needs to know about global warming, and you’re good at organization. Your ikigai in that case might be to be a coordinator on documentaries that focus on global warming. It’s a job that pays pretty well, and also incorporates the other sections on your list, so it’s likely to feel fulfilling.

Moving away from ikigai, there’s this story that I think about a lot. One of my great uncles told it to me, and I always assumed it was a story from his life until one day I discovered it was actually a chain email called The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman and the Banker. I still think about it a lot, though, and it’s shaped the way I view work, so maybe it will be useful to you as well. It goes like this:

An American investment banker was taking a much-needed vacation in a small coastal Mexican village (in my uncle’s story, the fisherman is from Kalymnos and he dives for sponges) when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. The boat had several large, fresh fish in it.

The investment banker was impressed by the quality of the fish and asked the Mexican how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, “Only a little while.” The banker then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish?

The Mexican fisherman replied he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.

The American then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman replied, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos: I have a full and busy life, señor.”

The investment banker scoffed, “I am an Ivy League MBA (in my family the school is always Harvard), and I could help you. You could spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats until eventually, you would have a whole fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to the middleman you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You could control the product, processing and distribution.”

Then he added, “Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City where you would run your growing enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But señor, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15–20 years.”

“But what then?” asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You could make millions.”

“Millions, señor? Then what?”

To which the investment banker replied, “Then you would retire. You could move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

The question that this story prompts for me is, if you had unlimited time and resources, what kind of life would you lead? Where would you live? What would you spend your time doing? Who would you be with? Would you have pets? Kids? What would your daily routine look like? Maybe the answer for you isn’t a university degree or an office job. Maybe it’s not millions. Maybe it’s diving for sponges on a Greek island or being a fisherman in Mexico. I think it can be helpful to put together an image of that perfect life and then try to reverse engineer the best way of getting there instead of putting the onus on the job you have to shape what kind of life you want to lead. Maybe you really want to have kids, so you need a job that will have a good parental leave policy or that has flexible hours or that will pay enough to support the family you want to have. To me, those considerations are just as important as whether or not you feel interested in the job you do every day.

I would also think about the opposite- what kind of life could you absolutely not stand living? What kind of workplace would drive you crazy? Knowing what your “hard nos” can help you to narrow down the potential field of options. For example, my hard nos include anything to do with venipuncture, jobs that require me to be organized on behalf of other people, anything that’s heavy on performing/public speaking, jobs where people have high expectations of me (incidentally, this is the reason I’m not a therapist), and any environment that wants me to work more than 40 hours a week. For some people, all of those are totally doable, but for me they’re not, and that’s okay. There’s no reason to spend your life doing things that make you miserable.

The last thing I’m going to suggest is the CareerExplorer quiz. I like this quiz in particular for a few reasons. First, it’s a really comprehensive test, and so I think it can help you find the language to describe what you’re going through, what your hard yesses and hard nos are, and what you need in a work setting. Even if the answers the test gives aren’t perfect, I think it provides a framework to think about career options because of the questions it asks. The other reason I really like this test is because so far it’s been 100% correct for everyone I know, even those with more obscure careers, so it seems to be more exact than other career aptitude tests out there. And the user interface is really nice as well, which is a bonus.

Hopefully some of that is helpful in your decision making process. And if you ever want someone to bounce ideas off of or help coming up with careers that might be a good fit for you, I’m happy to help.

4 notes · View notes