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forsakenoathkeeper · 3 years ago

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I Am Alive (chapter 30/?)

Chapter 30: Where the Skies End

Deviant!Connor[RK800] x (fem!)Reader Rated M(18+) for canon-typical violence and gore, medical procedures, and graphic sexual content

Chapters: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • more coming soon

[ You can also read on AO3 ]

Unsurprisingly, and much to your frustration, Connor had finished the move without you. There might not have been much left to move at that point; but, it was your stuff at a house that you rented, and not Connor's responsibility in the slightest.

But, there was no telling the android that, and you knew that he would have been well equipped with plenty of reasons as to why he could handle the rest of the move alone: you needed rest, he didn't require sleep, etc, etc.

When you stepped off the elevator into the android's - and now your - apartment, Connor had a look on his face, as if you had come home for the first time in years. You had only spent a week at Hank's place, and only a day and some odd hours at the hospital prior to that, and Connor had been nearly inseparable from you the entire time; yet, it felt like ages since you had been here.

It was only then that the weight of your near death experience became apparent. Before, your life, or the loss of it, wouldn't have impacted anyone else. It was just you in that little house, trying to make a living, picking up the pieces of a war and watching humanity change astronomically.

Now, there was a life that would be changed if you were gone. You let yourself imagine how Connor would cope, what would become of him, and struggled to keep the sorrow to yourself.

Perhaps, for the first time in your life, you knew what it was like to be needed.

Your wound healed remarkably in the weeks that followed. The scar left behind was star shaped and your skin was darkened around the sunken surface. But, you didn't find yourself hating it as much as you thought you would.

It wasn't something you looked at with pain or regret, but rather something prideful. Maybe there was something masochistic about it, not that you found yourself bothered by that realization.

Your coworkers thought it looked 'pretty cool' and declared that it made you 'quite the badass'. Now, you could wear the badge of 'I've been shot', with a bizarre story to tell. You didn't care if people thought it was strange, letting yourself get shot for an android.

Connor was much more than 'just' an android. He was the man you loved, who carried an astronomical burden you could barely understand. Sure, you could judge the weight, the pressure; but, you, an ordinary human, couldn't possibly understand what he felt as the target of a revolution that would change humanity forever.

The thoughts became clearer as you and Connor stepped into Haven for the last time, and you took in the emptiness, the quiet, and the cold.

"One moment," Connor advised you, stepping away and into the open space in the center of the room.

RK800, like all androids, had no true sense of temperature. Connor couldn't feel cold the way humans did. His artificial skin wasn't going to prickle with goosebumps and his muscles wouldn't shiver from the discomfort.

His HUD could report the weather if he enabled it and he had various feedback modules to inform him of how the temperature would affect a human, with the rightful assumption one would be in his presence.

Yet, despite this very well known limitation of his being, Connor couldn't explain how he managed to feel so cold as he stood there in the very abandoned Haven.

He was aware that warmth could be metaphorical, symbolic of belonging and comfort. His sense of cold was both literal and figurative in this sense. Without any machines running, all the lights turned off, Haven had become very cold. The halls, once busy with androids, were now empty, and the building was silent if not for the creaking walls.

-until someone walked through the distant corridor, their quiet footsteps rattling in Connor's acute hearing module.

There was an apology on the tip of Connor's tongue when he caught the sight of Markus. However, the RK200's stare wasn't cold or untrusting. There was something undeniably regretful on his face, conveying sympathy to the fellow android.

Markus' mismatched eyes caught the sight of you over Connor's shoulder, and spared a sad expression.

The two androids had agreed to meet here, for the last time in circumstances like this, hopefully. Once the final bill was passed, and androids would be proper citizens, there would be no need for this.

However, Connor had yet to obtain a definitive lead on Reaves' accomplices. This, at the very least, could provide some security for the androids that came before him.

"I know you didn't want me to," Markus began. "But, I will tell them it's from you. They should know."

"It's... your choice," Connor replied quietly, hoping to mask the uncertainty in his tone.

The two androids took each other's wrists, pushing the fabric of their jackets out of the way to touch skin to skin. Connor knew that Markus trusted him. He took the file without even bothering to scan it first. Only once it was already saved on his local system did he bother to analyze it.

The detective android had worked on that during your recovery week, while he laid beside you in low power mode. He reviewed the log files on his internal firewall over a thousand times, and crafted additional security protocols, specifically designed around write protection. Factory defaults, if he could help it, would be near impossible.

Markus could share this new code with other androids. If Connor failed to stop it in time, at the very least, their memory modules would be protected from brute force attacks, cyberlife certified or otherwise.

As their hands parted, Connor seemed to understand why he felt so cold. He had grown accustomed to how your skin felt - how human skin felt. Even when you weren't acutely aware of it, you were always warm.

"You're one of us," Markus declared, his hand dropping to his side. "We couldn't have done this without you. Your sacrifices need to be known."

"Sacrifices," Connor parroted quietly, doubtful.

He thought about Reaves' disbelief, at how he prioritized saving your life over securing the future of his kind. He could have killed you, carried on the mission, secured all of the chips and brought the android protestors to absolute surrender.

But, he didn't.

Before you, what had he gambled, if not his own life? A life that, by the very words of his creators, didn't exist, was meaningless, just programs executed in succession. He had questioned the very existence of his own life, but so had every android before him.

Still, the determined look on Markus' face didn't falter.

"Until we meet again," he offered, nodding at his fellow android. His eyes landed on yours before he turned away, and you offered him a sad, small wave.

As Connor passed, he took his hand in yours and guided you out of the building with careful steps. It was unnecessary to bring you here, but he understood the importance of goodbyes, and didn't want you to believe your efforts here had been in vain.

You expected to be driven home after that; however, as you climbed into the car, Connor asked, "would it be alright if we went to the park for some fresh air?"

"-'course," you replied softly, shifting your gaze from the android's face to look out the window.

Connor was uncharacteristically quiet during the drive, his hands gripping the steering wheel in a death lock. You didn't pay much mind to it, figuring he was stressed after everything that had happened. You had been the one on death's door; yet, Connor was the one seemingly always on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

It was worrying; but, you knew he needed to work through it in his own way.

At the park, Connor had hoped you would head straight for the bridge, to a place you had cherished so much. If his research was accurate, this needed to be done at a special place. As he followed you slowly up the curve, feet tapping against the boards, a wave of doubt washed over him.

You looked stunning, standing upright for the first time in weeks, with pep in your step, the sun soaking up your hair. Could he really have this? Could he even think himself allowed for such a thing? Could an android truly understand the needs of a human?

"You alright?" you called out to him, pausing before you reached the apex of the bridge.

It snapped him out of his stupor, and Connor replied softly, "I'm fine."

You continued and he followed, counting the steps despite how unnecessary it was. The android knew he had never been this scared in his life. This type of sensation was really, really unpleasant. His processors were giving him ridiculous warnings that didn't pertain at all to the situation.

He shut off the alerts and met you at the top of the bridge. His hand slid over the railing, analyzed the material as a strong timber, coated with a lacquer color called 'cedar brown', manufactured by-

Connor quickly closed the analyzed results, realizing how pointless that was. He was distracting himself, busying his processor with his manufactured purpose to avoid something he was definitely not made for.

At the top of the bridge, you turned to the man standing beside you, just in time to see him deactivate his human skin. His gaze met yours, and you smiled at the sight of RK800, as he was made, without the imitation of human-likeness.

For a moment, he stood there and let the heat of the sunlight catch on his sensor processors. The human tone of his factory issued skin flickered back on briefly before shutting back off, as Connor mentally questioned if he should do it like this.

The sudden nervous expression on his face, and his flickering pallet, had you concerned. In the sunlight, you could catch the subtle flaws in the design of his optics: the faint glimmer of a camera lens hidden beneath the almost perfect human appearance.

"Are you sure you're okay?" you asked, suddenly reaching for him. Your hand fell into the curve of his elbow.

"There's-" Connor began, stopping himself when a jogger passed the bridge. He was silent until they were gone.

"There's something important I need to ask you," Connor explained, his voice quiet and hoarse. "I'm sorry for not being more forthcoming. I was afraid."

Despite the obvious implications of what that question was, your head swarmed with the worst possibilities. The detective android, who had stormed a building of armed men to rescue you, who never hesitated to take a bullet for anyone, was afraid of something?

"Connor," you murmured, his name falling from your lips without purpose. The concern, however, was heavy in your tone.

"Before I ask, you need to know that you can refuse. There is no obligation, despite what we have been through. I won't hold any negative feelings towards you. From my research, this is premature, and I apologize for that," Connor babbled.

"What?" you blurted. "Connor, what are you - what's wrong?" you insisted, pitch rising as you started to panic.

"Nothing is wrong," he replied sharply.

He stepped back, just enough to create a few inches between you. You watched him reach into his coat pocket and pull out a small box. Mind hazy with the aftermath of Reaves' attack, you feared Connor was going to present you with evidence, that the case had taken a dangerous turn, or even inform you with the worst possible news.

But, then, Connor, cupping the small box in his palm, knelt down onto one knee. He looked up at you, brown eyes bright in the sunlight, android skin white as freshly fallen slow, failing to conceal the crease in his brow as worry sank in. The box opened, but you were too focused on his face to bother looking inside.

"Will you marry me?"

You could have laughed, at yourself, really, for thinking he was going to talk to you about Reaves, about factory-resetting computer chips, and the potential downfall of androids.

Instead, you let out a choked gasp. It was pathetically wet and embarrassingly loud. It all came pouring out before you could even think to stop it. Connor's nervous expression melted into panic when you started crying hysterically.

He was shifting to stand up, an apology hot on his tongue. He could feel his processors heating up, threatening to lock up at the sight of your tear-soaked face. It had his internal processes soaring, questioning if he had misinterpreted your relationship, your feelings for him.

You flung yourself into him before he could stand up, knocking the jewelry box right out of his hand. It clattered noisily on the bridge. If Connor was human, he would have followed; but, he was sturdy and, even unprepared, managed to stay upright as you crashed into him. His knees hit the bridge and his hands cautiously cupped your back.

"Yes!" you cried out, pressing your cheek into his coat, some odd centimeters from his thirium pump.

Your arms squeezed at his back, hands clawing into the thick fabric of his coat. Connor was unmoving, stiff where you clung to him. The artificial movements he made to appear more human had ceased, and you briefly feared he had powered down.

"Yes," you declared again, softer this time, squeezing him even tighter.

Finally, his systems relented and he properly relayed to his processor what you had just said. His arms wound around your back and, for the first time in weeks, Connor hugged you tightly, as if he wasn't afraid that he might hurt you. You could feel the tightening of his fingers tugging at your blouse, the thirium pump in perfect beats inside his chassis.

"Yes," you said again.

His cheek fell against your hairline and he closed his eyes. He wanted to dig his fingers past the fabric of your clothes, to feel your skin in a hopeless attempt to interface. Even if he could only reach your body, even if your mind was out of reach, that was good enough.

"Yes," again.

For now, the ring laid forgotten in its case, the jewelry box sitting some odd feet away, flipped on its side.

#rk800 x reader #connor x reader #deviant connor x reader

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otakusheep15 · 3 years ago

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SFW Alphabet - Simeon

This man seriously owns my entire heart. Like, I would trade all of the brothers just to be with him, no questions asked lmao

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Surprisingly, he’s not that affectionate. Well, at least not physically. He enjoys spending time with you and being in the same room, but he hardly ever craves psychical affection like the brothers do. The farthest he usually goes is hand-holding and maybe a little hand kiss too, but he rarely goes beyond that unless he’s feeling especially clingy that day. Just being near you is enough for him really.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Friendship with him can go one of two ways. He’d either baby you like he does with Luke, or lowkey bully you like he does with Lucifer, no in between. It really depends on how you are as a person and how he sees you. If he sees you as someone who needs protecting and is a bot more on the childish side, you’ll totally be another Luke to him. And if you’re someone whose more on the opposite end of that spectrum, calm, composed, serious, he’ll treat you more like he does Lucifer. But he loves you all the same.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Cuddling is probably the one exception to the lack of physical affection. He loves nothing more than to curl up next to you in bed after a long day of dealing with RAD, Luke, and Solomon’s “cooking”. He especially loves laying his head on your chest so that he can listen to your heartbeat. It just calms him down and reminds him that you’re really here with him.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Man is the definition of malewife (besides Barb), so of course he’s amazing at any kind of chore. He’s also gotten quite good at household chores after having to take care of Luke for so long. And, trust me, he would love to settle down with you. Maybe Luke could come along too? That would be ideal.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He’d be super gentle about it. The last thing he wants is to make the situation any worse than it’s gonna get, so he breaks the news as calmly as possible. If the situation did somehow escalate, he would try is best to get everything under control lest someone get hurt (physically or emotionally).

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

As much as he’d love to get married, he also wants to take it slow. He understands that relationships need time to develop, so he wants to wait until both of you are absolutely sure before going any further. After all, marriage is a big commitment to an angel, so it’s important that everything is perfect.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He is so gentle. Like, he’s the best when it comes to care. Maybe it’s just his instincts as an angel, but he feels the need to protect you from any harm whatsoever. He always makes sure he has permission before touching you anywhere, and he’s constantly checking up on you and making sure you’re feeling well. really, he just wants you to feel as comfortable as possible with him.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He likes hugs, but he doesn’t give them out too often. It’s almost always you who goes to him for hugs first unless he’s in a really good mood. But he’ll never deny anyone who does want a hug, especially you (and Luke).

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Honestly, he probably waits a while before saying it. In fact, you might end up being the one to say it first. He wants to take things slow, and the last thing he wants is to make you feel rushed by saying it too quickly. He loves you very much, and you’re both highly aware of that, but actually saying the words takes time for him.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Surprisingly, he gets really jealous really easily. Not so surprisingly, he’s very good at hiding it. He just hates how much time you spend with the brothers, and he’ll use anything to get you to come over. His most common excuses usually involve either Luke or Solomon needing supervision and him needing help with that. He never means to guilt trip or gaslight, but he lowkey might if it means getting you to him quicker.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

He is a sucker for for hand kisses, both giving and receiving. They’re just so romantic to him, and they don’t take much effort either. His kisses, regardless of where they are, are super loving and romantic. All he wants to do is sweep you off your feet and make you feel loved.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

*cough*Luke*cough* All jokes aside, he does really love children. He just loves how innocent and joyful they can be, and he loves how they speak their minds since most don’t have a filter. The chaos they can get into is also an added bonus, even if it can be a hassle to clean up afterwards.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings can go one of two ways. The preferred way is you two waking up around the same time and just staying in bed for a couple hours enjoying each other’s company. These mornings are usually filled with sweet words and soft touches. The other, less preferred way, is absolute chaos. It doesn’t matter if you stay at the HoL or PH, there will be chaos. And one (or both) of you is going to have to fix it.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He tends to stay up late working, so you can either go to bed and he’ll join later, or you can stay up with him. Either way, he’ll try and finish up as quickly as possible so that he can curl up with you in bed. If his day was especially stressful, he’ll hold you close to him and rant about all of his worries. Side note: please pet his hair, he deserves it.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He’s actually pretty open with you, which is kinda surprising. I mean, he does have his secrets he’d much rather keep, but who doesn’t. However, he also knows the value of trust in a relationship, so he tries his hardest to be open and honest with you as possible. He hopes that you’ll do the same as well.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

The freakin definition of patience. He’s dealt with so much throughout his life, so he’s grown to have an amazing temperament. Of course he can get annoyed (*cough*the play*cough*) but he does so well at controlling it most of the time. This patience is specifically applied to you and Luke. You could literally murder someone and he probably still wouldn’t be mad.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He’d remember most of what you say, but he’d hardly ever utilize it like some of the brothers do. He’ll use the information in more subtle ways. You mention. a certain flavor of cake you like? He makes sure Luke makes some during hsi next baking session. Any shows you enjoy? He may not watch them depending on the length, but he’ll do some research on them so that he can talk to you about it.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

His favorite memory is this one time you came over to bake with Luke. Luke, precious thing, was trying out this new recipe, and he was super excited about it. But, of course, Solomon had to come in and mess everything up and now the kitchen and half the house is a mess. Luke is super upset, Solomon is lowkey enjoying it, and Simeon is there watching the world burn around him. And through it all, you stayed there and helped them clean up even when you didn’t have to. He just found it so sweet that you took the time to help Luke and also the rest of the Hall as well. It ended up being a fun day even if he did scold Solomon for hours afterwards.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He’s decently protective, but that’s mostly is angelic instincts. Angels have that natural instinct to protect humans, so he had that urge even before you two became a thing. And that urge only became stronger as you two got closer. However, his protection comes in more subtle ways, like most of his gestures. Someone getting a bit too close to you? He’ll put his arm about you and slowly back you away. The brothers are fighting again? He’ll step in front of you to make sure you’re not caught in the cross-fire.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Like pretty much everything else, he’s much more subtle with his dates. He prefers more lowkey options, like a picnic or just hanging out in either his room or yours. You guys never do anything over-the-top, and he likes it that way.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He tends to prioritize others over himself a lot, and he’s been trying to work on it for a while. And, obviously, he’s terrible with tech. I honestly have no clue how he’s survived this long not knowing how a D.D.D. works past the basics.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He’s naturally pretty, so he doesn’t need to care. Jokes aside, he isn’t one to particularly care for his looks. He does want to look nice and presentable, but it isn’t usually a top priority compared to someone like Asmo or Mammon.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

WIthout a doubt. He tends to get attached to people very easily, and you’re no exception. Once you two being getting close, it’s over for him. From then on, he’s attached to you. If something were to happen to you, he would simply cease to exist.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He and Michael totally had something going on at one point. Maybe they still have something going on. Hell, maybe even Luci was involved at one point. I have no clue where this idea came from, but it’s in my head and so now all of you are being subjected to it as well.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

People who dislike Luke are a big no for him. Sorry, they’re a package deal. You want him? Well, now you have a child too.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He tends to make noises in his sleep. It’s not really cohearent words or anything, more just like light snores and stuff. Kinda like a dog when it really gets into a dream, ya know?

#OBEY ME #shall we date obey me #shall we date simeon #scenarios #sfw alphabet #Headcanon

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liquorisce · 4 years ago

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i’ll leave my heart in your hands

ao3

rating: m (some sexy stuff under the cut)

summary: The longer he stays, the harder it is for Sasuke to leave. (sasusaku, sasuke-centric, baby sarada)

// "... If it were still a couple of years ago, she would have insisted that she comes along.But things have changed for them now, and even though Sakura is the same woman with enough determination to follow him and demand to stay by his side... they now have Sarada to consider. "//

A/N: i just wanted to write sasuke being emo about leaving his wife and child. happy valentine's y'all :)

He feels it when Naruto shows up at his door, blue eyes sombre, telling him that Kakashi needed to see him.

"... I need to watch Sarada," he states, trying to ignore the dread that uncoils in his stomach, "... Sakura's shift doesn't end for the next two hours."

"Sasuke," Naruto murmurs, "... I don't think this can wait." His blue eyes linger on Sarada, where she sits on the floor, trying to assemble a tower of blocks taller than her. "... I'll take care of her while you talk to Sensei," he murmurs as he walks past him to say hello to the little girl.

"Sarada-chan," he says, distracting her with his big grin, "... Shall we go play with Boruto-kun for a while?"

She scrunches up her nose. "... Boruto never shares his toys with me," she begins to complain, as Naruto laughs good-naturedly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he does," -

Sasuke tunes out the banter behind him as he leaves towards the Hokage office. Despite Naruto's urgency he doesn't rush, he walks at his own pace, taking in the sleepy streets that he's gotten used to over the last two years, because something in the way Naruto spoke makes him suspect he might not be seeing them much longer.

"... You said you needed to see me," he states, opening the door to Kakashi's office without knocking, ignoring Shikamaru's annoyance at being interrupted.

"... Ah sorry, Shikamaru, do you mind if I speak to Sasuke privately?"

...

He finds Naruto waiting for him outside when he is finished with Kakashi.

"Hinata's making dinner for the kids," he says, hands in his pockets, blue eyes looking at Sasuke anxiously. "How'd it go with Sensei?"

"You clearly know about the mission already, so why bother asking?"

Naruto winces at the sharpness in Sasuke's tone. "... Sasuke," -

"The leads we've been following up on have some truth to them, after all. The Otsutsuki will be back, it's just a matter of time."

"When do you need to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

The silence hangs heavy in the air, and Sasuke, unlike Naruto, doesn't care to interrupt it.

"It doesn't just have to be you alone, you know," he's speaking fast, and Sasuke knows him well enough to hear the guilt in his voice, "I can pick up from where you've left off in a couple of months, you don't need to," -

"And? You intend on traveling through dimensions to find these monsters, as long as I pass you the leads I get?" Sasuke looks at him point blank, "... Is this a new power you've acquired in recent months while you were playing Daddy to your son?"

When Naruto doesn't say anything, he continues, "And sure, I guess I can just press a button whenever I want to come to Konoha and pass on the baton to you. Sounds like a good plan."

The sarcasm in Sasuke's tone is biting, and Naruto doesn't blame him. But regardless, he mumbles, "... But you can tell Sensei, it's not fair to you... Sarada-chan is so small, and this kind of mission... I don't - You don't know how long it will take!"

"You think I don't know that?" Sasuke snaps, "... Some of us don't have the luxury of being asked to stay in the village for 'Hokage-training'," -

"That's not fair," Naruto flares, angrily.

"... I'm a shinobi. And I said would protect this village. I don't intend to go back on my word."

They arrive at Naruto's house and as Hinata goes to get Sarada, Sasuke murmurs, "... Protect them with your life. Promise me."

"Of course!" Naruto says immediately, "... But Sakura-chan's going to get mad if she hears you saying she needs protection..." He laughs, "She's scary, you know?"

"... My wife is perfectly capable of getting through any situation," Sasuke says simply, as he sees Sarada waddling to the door, her grin large and gleeful (just like her mother's) having grabbed one of the cookies that Hinata baked for her, "... But she shouldn't have to be in those situations in the first place."

...

Sakura returns home, tired after a 12-hour turned 14- hour shift, to find her daughter passed out on her husband's stomach on the couch. "... Sorry, I'm late," she whispers, not wanting to wake Sarada, and dropping a brief kiss on his head. She can sense that Sasuke is awake, despite his lack of a response, but that isn't really out of character, so she proceeds to the bedroom to get changed and take a shower.

Flushed from the hot shower with nothing but a towel around her body, she steps into the bedroom towards her closet only to trip over a small bag. Curiously, she picks it up and looks inside. The contents make her heart lurch.

Spare clothing, scrolls, essentials. Sasuke always packs light.

Before she can confront her racing thoughts, she senses Sasuke's presence right behind her. When she turns to him, she finds herself flush against his chest.

His eyes are unreadable (they usually are) in the dimly lit bedroom, and when he dips lower to catch her lips in a soft kiss, she welcomes the distraction. But when he deepens the kiss - a nip on her lower lip for permission, always, always so polite - she murmurs, "… You're leaving."

He doesn't answer, and she didn't really ask him a question, but she feels him sigh against her lips. "… When?"

"… Tomorrow morning," he murmurs, fingers tracing the tops of her turkey towel, his touch featherlight against her flushed skin.

She looks at him with questions in her eyes, Where will you go, Sasuke-kun? How dangerous is it going to be? How long will you be gone? Why do you have to be the one to go?

Of course, she'd want to know what it was about. Of course, mission details are meant to be classified... Especially something of this magnitude. Of course, he wanted to tell her anyway.

"... Sasuke-kun..."

He sighs. "... It's more of the same, Sakura. What we faced in the War - it isn't over yet." But she knew that already.

And if it were still a couple of years ago, she would have insisted that she comes along.

But things have changed for them now, and even though Sakura was the same woman with enough determination to follow him and demand to stay by his side... they now have Sarada to consider.

So, she doesn't ask her questions out loud. Instead, she states her assumptions. And if her voice quivers, she does her best to hide it. "... So, I guess you don't know how long you'll be gone?"

Sasuke doesn't say anything, and she didn't think he would anyway, so she continues, "... And this mission is dangerous and difficult enough that Kakashi Sensei specifically asked you?" She inhales, "Even though, it's peace time and half of our Shinobi force is in need of a job..."

"... I don't have answers for you, Sakura." And he really wishes he did, because he knows he'll leave and face whatever it is he'll need to face, but she'll be here, with no assurance, and only worry to keep her company.

She plops on to the bed, and her face betrays her dejection, her soft features crumpling. "... I guess I was getting kind of spoilt, huh?" She smiles, bleak, "... Having you by my side for so long, now... It got me believing this would actually be our life."

It's a simple thing that she utters, but it shakes him, because the lone avenger, the solo agent that he used to be, is no more. He hasn't been without her for the last 3 years almost, and he's begun to take her presence for granted.

He sees the tear rolling down her face, and he's by her side, cupping her face and wiping it away before the next one forms, cursing to himself because he has come to loathe that expression on her face, and loathes himself even more for somehow always managing to cause it.

"... If you don't want me to go, then you can say it." The words are out of his mouth, barely a soft whisper, before he realizes it. It's a small plea (without real consequence), and it makes him realize how much he wants her to say it, like the times she has tried to stop him leaving in the past, only this is probably the first time he would actually stay for her.

She laughs, through her tears. "Of course, I don't want you to go, Sasuke-kun." Her fingers twine into his, "... But I can't stop you," - and even though Sasuke winces at the sentiment behind that statement, he knows Sakura isn't referring to the past at all - "... I know this is to protect us. To protect Konoha. To do your duty. And I have no right," -

He kisses her before she can finish her sentence. In part, because he just wants to hold her close to him, and also because he doesn't want to hear her say that she doesn't have the right to ask him for anything. "... You're my wife," he reminds her, a soft murmur on her lips, "It's your right to demand more of me."

And in that moment the irrational part of him reminded him that it wasn't impossible - she could ask him to stay and he would… other ninjas did it. They prioritized their families, and he could too.

But Sakura's love wasn't demanding, it was giving, and that's all she'd ever asked him for, to be able to give him her love, to stand by his side, to make him happy.

And she knows the vows he's made in his heart, and that he will honour it, no matter the moments of weakness that pass by him.

So she kisses him back, winding her hands into his dark, unruly hair and pressing herself closer to him. "... Sarada and I will wait for you, Sasuke-kun.

"I'm sorry," he breathes, apologizing again, a multitude of apologies in two words, that only Sakura can understand and accept, kissing her fervently.

He hadn't intended to take her to bed that night, she is tired from work, and he has to leave early, but he finds himself hooking his fingers into her towel and unwrapping her body to him. Sakura's fingers ease him out his shirt first, and his trousers second, and when he lays her on the bed beneath him, and sinks into her embrace, the feeling of her bare body pressed against him burns against his skin, imprinting itself into his mind.

He kisses all the little parts of her body, the nooks, and curves that he's grown to love, the little pieces that make up Haruno Uchiha Sakura. He takes his time with her, pretending in that moment that they do have time, all the time in the world, for him to taste the different ways her body tells him she's excited, for her to respond enthusiastically, dipping low and using her mouth to please him.

He makes love to his wife tenderly, achingly slow and filled with passion, until he is rewarded by the sight of her under him, lost to her pleasure, spent and sobbing his name.

In the moments after when he's catching his breath, the scent of sweat and sex surrounding them, Sakura has a sated smile on her face and whispers that she loves him, so very much.

She says it happily, and he's grateful for it because he knows how many times he's heard her say it with pain in her voice, begging and pleading to him to stay with her, and he'd promised himself a long time ago that she'd never sound like that ever again.

He wants to say it back, but pretty words don't come as easy to him as it does to Sakura, so the words catch in his throat, constrained by all these feelings that take over him, without warning.

He'd known he would miss her terribly since the moment Kakashi told him there was "a mission", but it suddenly hits him that he isn't going to hear her i-love-yous or feel her warm hugs, or her sasuke-kuns and anatas thrown at him whenever she feels like it, whenever she wants to show her love. He wouldn't hear her voice for days and months, and maybe even years, and the loneliness grips him instantly, before he even leaves her.

And because he's reminded that she's still right next to him (by her fingers intertwined softly with his), he kisses her again, but this time greedily. He wants to take the feeling of her, the sweet pressure of her against him, her taste and her smell, along with him to keep him company. He spreads her legs for him before she can catch her breath, his fingers stroke up and down her folds, only to find her wet and sticky with his own release from a moment ago.

Sasuke doesn't care for it, and Sakura doesn't protest (she likes it when he demands so much from her) and slips into her, groaning from the heat, from the tight pressure, the blissful feeling of being inside of her. He fucks her this time, hard and unrelenting, lifting her legs onto his shoulder and angling himself as deep as he can possibly get. And when that isn't enough for him, he flips her over, onto her knees, taking the smallest second to appreciate the sight in front of him before thrusting into her.

There's a desperation with which he takes her this time, she recognises it and she wants to soothe him, whisper into his mouth that it'll be okay, but right now her mind is blank, and the only thing that spills from her lips are mindless noises urging him to fuck her harder.

"I want to hear you," he murmurs roughly, as he pauses his punishing pace, breath warm against the back of her neck. He doesn't really know what he wants to hear, but Sakura knows what he likes, so she doesn't bother restraining herself any longer, and when he drives into her and makes her lose her mind with feeling, she tells him how good he feels, buried inside her, gasping. And after she's come twice and told him how sensitive she is, he squeezes her breast roughly from behind and mumbles, "… I'm gonna come." And she coaxes it out of him, moving her hips back to meet his thrusts, cooing his name, begging him to come inside her, and fill her up, until he does.

"... I love you," he pants harshly against her skin, thankful that the words have been pulled out of him, because he needs her to hear them. Because he doesn't want to leave her with any doubt of that, unlike every time he has left her in the past.

This time he wants to leave her with the promise that he will be back… that even while he is away he will think of her, and dream of her, and love her.

...

In the morning, he wakes up Sarada even though it's too early for her, because he wants to say goodbye.

But she's barely two years old, and doesn't really comprehend it when Sakura tells her, "Sarada-chan, Papa will be going away for a while.

She falls asleep in Sakura's arms after blinking up at him and saying "Come back soon, Papa," and because Sasuke isn't much of a talker and doesn't really know what to say to her, he just smiles softly at the sight of his daughter sleeping in her mother's arms.

Sakura walks him to the central gates as he gets ready to leave.

He clears his throat. "... If she asks about me" -

"Not if, Sasuke-kun, of course she will ask about you, you're her Papa" -

"... Tell her the good things, Sakura."

Sakura looks at him, green eyes honestly surprised to hear this from him. He doesn't know what these good things are, to be honest, but Sakura has never had trouble seeing them, so he wants selfishly, for his daughter to hear nothing else about him.

There will be a time for truth and Sasuke hopes that he will be back home for that, for Sarada to hear everything from him.

"Sasuke-kun, why are you behaving like the world is going to end?" She teases, "You're just going on a mission. I know you'll be back soon."

Sighing, he realizes he might as well go along with Sakura's attempt to keep this lighthearted. Her green eyes are steely and resolute, and so full of love, he is reminded that she really is the braver of the two of them... and always has been.

In any case, they'd discussed this already last night, and reality will soon be along to remind them of their distance. "You're right, just a casual mission where I beat up the Otsutsuki mob, and come back in time for dinner, I guess." His lips quirk up into a smile, as he pulls closer to tap her forehead. "See you soon then, Sakura."

And as he turns to leave, he commits the sight of his wife to memory, faint blush on her cheeks, smiling eyes, and their sleeping daughter nestled in her strong, loving arms.

- fin -

A/N: i've seen a lot in this fandom, read a lot of fanfic and metas and opinions that think Sasuke showing emotions is OOC. imho, pretty much all of naruto was about sasuke being an emo brat and showing his emotions quite blatantly. i think older sasuke is definitely more controlled, but i still think emotions are the core of Sasuke's character. He is a gorgeous, emotional guy who is crazy about his partner and his family, and also emotionally attached to his ideals and his vows. So if you made it this far, did you think Sasuke was OOC in this fic? I personally don't, but let me know what you think! :)

#sasusaku #uchiha sasuke #uchiha sakura #uchiha sarada #liquorisce fanfiction #naruto

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keep-ur-head-low · 4 years ago

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I just watched an early In The Heights screening! Here’s an in-depth, mostly non-spoilery review for anyone interested

To sum it all up: I have a feeling this movie will be divisive among fans but in my personal opinion, this film is absolutely gorgeous and one of my new favorite movies. It captures the spirit of the original production perfectly while also being a COMPLETELY different beast. I’ll split my thoughts up into 4 sections: Story, Cast, Music, and Visuals. I will avoid spoilers as much as possible simply because this really is something that should be watched fairly blind.

Story: The way they tell the story here is SO different from the original musical that I’d go as far as to say that it’s more a remake than an adaptation. Entire plot lines are removed, characters have different motivations for certain actions, and specific plot points are sorta shuffled around. But in the end, a lot of the changes were needed to shift from stage to film. By far my favorite change was the ending: I personally always thought the original ending felt rushed and abrupt, but they really take their time here and everything feels so much more cohesive while still maintaining the old ending’s infectious joy and message. I’m certain that there will be people who will just hate this movie because so much has been altered and that’s perfectly fine as long as you don’t expect it to be a copy of the original musical.

Cast: Everyone is well cast here. I’m so insanely glad Jon M Chu prioritized talent over famous names, because the actors really shined in their roles. I loved everyone but specific highlights were totally Anthony Ramos as Usnavi, Olga Merediz as Abuela (of course), and Daphne Rubin-Vega as Daniela. Corey Hawkins‘ Benny and Leslie Grace’s Nina had really good chemistry as well. The one person I admittedly wasn’t a super huge fan of was Melissa Barrera as Vanessa just because she never seemed to have that much energy, but I‘m sure I’ll warm up to her when I watch the film again. Also a Hadestown actor has a tiny role here and and I may have squealed

Music: Don’t watch the movie thinking two or three songs have been cut, because I can assure you the number is bigger than that. However, I think some of us forget just how music heavy the original production was, and there are still a TON of songs in this movie that I think any more would have caused casual audiences to be taken off-guard by the sheer amount of singing. It is also worth mentioning that the song order has been heavily changed to fit the movie’s new plot structure, so don’t panic right away if a song appears to be missing cuz it might just appear later. There is one song in particular that has been HEAVILY altered and I KNOW that people will be mad at the new version, but there’s a little twist added to the moment that just completely recontextalizes everything and I believe that it more than makes up for the somewhat disappointing lyric changes.

Visuals: Damn Jon. You really outdid yourself here. The film has SUCH a distinct visual style and it is not afraid to be straight up cheesy or weird. Amidst all the cool camera work, fantastical cgi, and gorgeous shots, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to adapt these songs. There are three songs in particular that I cannot wait to watch again:

- When You’re Home: the choreography is insanely cute and fun

- Paciencia Y Fe: my god this was stunning

- Champagne: this was the most mundane song in the entire film but it utilizes a neat camera technique that made it really stand out.

Was the movie perfect? No, there were definitely flaws here and there. Three that stuck out to me were the obvious voice-overs in some songs, weird cuts to the Rosario storyline, and the fact that Daniela and Carla’s interactions were safe enough that you could easily mistake them as really close friends rather than in an explicit lesbian relationship like Lin said they’d be. The most they ever did was slow dance together, so that kinda annoyed me. But for the most part, I felt this movie was just incredible and completely worth the wait, and I am incredibly eager to see all y’all’s reactions when it official comes out. Feel free to ask further questions, though I’ll definitely be avoiding spoilery talk.

#in the heights #in the heights spoilers #ith spoilers #ith movie spoilers #kinda #my post

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sapphire374 · 4 years ago

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When Stars Align

“Is this the second time we’ve both gotten stuck in the same elevator?”

Wattpad Link

I would like to give a special thanks to @silver-inked for helping me when I went through writers block with this idea. I was able to figure out an idea cause of your help so thank you. :)

Background: The gang are at a Roller Skating competition. It’s sort of an AU that would take place in season three but there are no spoilers or mention of anything that correlates to season three. A character does mention Mitchel but nothing specifically about him is said. Ships included are Lutteo (with angst) and Simbar.

Luna and Matteo both entered inside the elevator to head upstairs since it was their turn next to compete. They stole glances from each other and it was just pure silence in the air. They both couldn’t help but stay angry at each other for their own reasons.

“C’mon Emilia hurry up,” Ámbar demanded outside of the elevator.

“Can’t you see I’m trying!” Emilia replied. Emilia was frantically unscrewing the latch that contained all of the buttons of the elevator outside. She pulled out her scissors from her back pocket and snipped at one of the cords. The elevator stopped.

“It stopped..” Matteo noticed.

“Chico Fresa, what do you mean it stopped? Can’t you just press another button to go up.”

“None of them work. The elevator is stuck,” Matteo stuttered whilst frantically pressing all the buttons at once.

Luna covered her face in astonishment. Out of all the days and all the times it had to be now, right before it was their turn to perform and nonetheless with Matteo. The one person she didn’t even want to look at right now or even be with. Luna pulled out her phone.

“Ugh there’s no service. What are we going to do?” Luna anxiously asked.

“It’s ok, calm down Chica Delivery. Someone is bound to notice and try to use the elevator. They will let us go and we’ll be fine.”

“Clearly you’re forgetting one very important event. We were up next to skate and now we won’t be able to make it on time! Plus how are you able to stay so calm? You must not care so much about this, only your album is all you worry about.”

Matteo rapidly turned towards her. “Of course I care, it’s just in matters like these it’s important to stay calm. Plus you’re not so perfect either Luna. You haven’t stopped holding a grudge on me for what happened with the album and Bruno. You know I’m not like that anymore and I already apologized countless times,” Matteo rebutted.

“Ok maybe I went a little too far there but lately you’ve been just so distant from me and the gang. Whenever we talk about competitions you lose interest and the closer I try to get to you, the farther you move away.” Matteo stayed silent at her response.

Luna broke the silence and said, “Well I’m going to try to call for help.”

“How?” Matteo questioned.

Luna yelled whilst banging at the door with her hand as a fist “HELP HELP! WE’RE TRAPPED IN HERE! HELP!” Matteo decided to do the same thing.

“Aww hear that Emilia, they’re trapped. Poor things, well I guess they have to figure it out all on their own.” Ámbar and Emilia cackled together. Emilia picked up all of her tools and placed it in her backpack after screwing back the elevator button latch so there will be no evidence that it was them.

“C’mon let’s get out of here so no one thinks it’s us.” Emilia ran out the hallway and so did Ámbar till she bumped into someone. Her black, fringe shoulder bag falling to the floor alongside her phone. “Watch where you’re goi- oh Simón! Uh what are you doing here?” Her mood and tone of voice quickly shifts when she notices it’s Simón.

Simón bends over to pick up Ámbar’s stuff like the gentleman he is. Ambar always loved it when he was nice to her but now wasn’t a good time. She had to hurry quick before the others suspect it was her. “I’ve been searching for Luna and Matteo. They’re needed now at the rink, they’re up next to skate. Have you seen them?”

Ámbar rapidly shakes her head, “No no I haven’t, sorry. Don’t worry too much about it though, they're bound to be found soon. In fact, they’re probably at the rink tying up their shoes, you know they’re never late to a performance.”

Simón scratches his head. “Yeah I guess you’re right. Hey, what are you doing here?”

Ámbar quickly makes up an excuse. “I was just… looking for the vending machine! I wanted to eat something before I prepared skates.”

“Oh say no more.” Simón stuffs his hands in his pockets scavenging for something. He pulls out two granola bars and smiles. “Here you go. You can have it. It’s not much but it’s something you can eat and not have to buy or waste your money.”

Ámbar couldn’t help but smile at this sweet gesture Simón made. He always helps her, without thinking. Ámbar couldn’t help but wonder maybe there is somebody in this world who cares about her, could it be Simón? Would life be better if she just let her guard down to him, for him.

“HELP! HELP!” The staring contest between Ámbar and Simón spontaneously ended. “Do you hear that?” Simón asked Ámbar. “No no. Must be some kids playing outside.”

Simón immediately ran to the dressing room hallway. Ámbar changed her mentality on a “what if she did change” cause she feels at the end of the day he will always prefer Luna and the others. “Stupid Lunita always ruining everything. Plus, what’s the point of changing if he’s alway going to care for those losers and ignore me or leave me at the sidelines. I’m tired of being thrown to the side,” Ámbar wondered.

Emilia dashed to Ámbar. “I came back. I thought you were right behind me running. If we stay any longer they will figure out it was us.”

“I know we have to hurry but our plan sort of backfired. Simón was able to hear these two idiots yelling from the elevator.”

Emilia puts her hand over her head. “No it can’t be. Well, fixing that elevator shouldn’t be easy and it's their turn now meaning they’ll miss it. We’re just going to have to hope that the judges don’t give them a second chance.”

Ámbar and Emilia escape the scene. Simón runs into the hallway. He notices the closer he approaches the elevator, the louder he hears the screaming for help. “Guys are you ok? Who is this in the elevator and what happened?”

“Simón! Simón! It’s us, Luna and Matteo! The elevator randomly stopped and there’s no service. Ever since then we’ve been trapped in here,” Luna announces.

“Oh I’ll go get Juliana now! Don’t go anywhere ok?”

“Guitarrista, where would we go, we’re trapped,” Matteo answered.

“Oh yeah that’s right. Whoops.” Simón replied.

Simón runs off to go let the team know. Now it’s just Luna and Matteo…. alone. Luna sits down, bends her knees and lays her head on top with a gloomy expression plastered on her face. Matteo can’t help but stare at the way Luna feels depressed. He hates seeing her the opposite of her usual happy, cheery self. “Cheer up Chica Delivery, they’re coming soon to fix the elevator. We’ll be out of here in no time.”

“But Matteo, we missed our turn to skate and what if the judges don’t give us another opportunity. What if, cause of us, our whole team misses out on performing as well. We don’t know how severe the elevator issue is nor how long it will take and -”

Matteo cuts Luna off and tries to comfort her. “And everything will be okay. Look if those things do end up happening then we’ll have another opportunity in a future competition. Some things are just out of our hands, like this elevator incident in this case.”

“You’re right but we worked so hard for this competition.”

“And we'll work even harder for the next one,” Matteo being optimistic, hoping this would make her feel better.

“Yeah you’re right.” Luna sighs.

The elevator turned to silence again. They couldn’t help but steal glances from one another. Oh how it was so hard to just speak to the other, they’re constantly overthinking and worried to put their heart out on the line. “Why do we always end up in arguments with each other,” they wondered. Matteo inhaled a large gulp of hair, tried to put his nerves on the sidelines and his courage to the test.

“I’m sorry for avoiding you these past days.”

Luna’s head shifted towards Matteo now. All her attention is now on him.

“It’s just I didn’t know how to react when seeing you constantly with Michel and I was worried there is something more between the two of you. I thought there was and tried to give you space, you deserve someone who truly loves you and cares about you. I didn’t want to get in the way of that but at the same time it hurt seeing you with him so I always tried to leave. Sorry if I ended up hurting you in any way from doing that. I would never want to hurt you or cause you any pain.”

Luna's lips slowly curved into a little smile. “Chico Fresa, thank you for being honest with me. Me and Michel are just friends, I can guarantee that. I also would like to say I’m sorry for being harsh and upset. Your music deal was very important to you and I shouldn’t always prioritize these competitions, I should’ve been there to comfort you when Bruno cancelled it at the time. You were my boyfriend and I really did care about you, and still do. I think it was just I didn’t want to see you lose sight of yourself and care solely about your album and your success. Life is much more than that but I should’ve expressed myself better. I did notice though you have changed ever since you apologized. You now make more of an effort to get along with Simon and are even friends, which is so cute! I know it has been tough for you ever since Gaston left as well. Just know I will always be here for you, whenever you need me.”

Matteo smiled widely now. Luna’s words couldn’t have been any more comforting. He hates arguing with her but he loves these intimate moments, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all to get trapped in this elevator. Maybe it was meant to be, maybe it was their time for the stars to align.

Matteo and Luna both got up. Juliana and the gang were outside with an electrician fixing the buttons to the elevator. Luna and Matteo were so wrapped up in their conversation they barely even noticed. “Let’s make a deal Matteo. I will try to focus some more time in helping you out with your music if you will do the same with these competitions and actually get excited for them, and train with me.”

Matteo chuckled. He was beaming with joy and anyone who knew him could tell. “It’s a deal.” Luna took out her hand and Matteo shook it. Right after, while holding her hand shaking it, he pulled her in closer. They were only centimeters apart now. The air felt like it escaped their lungs and Matteo knew exactly what he was doing when he did it. “So Chica Delivery, is it true what you said about me? You still care about me?”

Luna looked up. Their faces were so close to each other, their noses touched. “Chico Fresa, you still have doubts, on me?!” Luna joked.

“Do you still have feelings for me too?” The sparks were reignited again and floating in the air. Luna tried to breath and her nerves couldn’t stop from taking over her. Great, now she forgot how to breath. Matteo caressed her cheek and now her skin feels like it’s on fire. Her heart couldn’t stop racing. She wanted to answer but she already knew he knew the answer as they kept leaning closer...and closer… and…

BING

The automatic doors have opened

Everyone stared at Luna and Matteo’s almost kiss. Luna and Matteo frantically moved their faces and stared in shock. They were not expecting the elevator to get fixed so fast. Jazmin had her tablet in hand and exclaimed, “YES I GOT IT ALL ON TAPE! Ja- Jazmin fans you all are in for a real treat this week!” Luna face palmed herself and couldn’t believe Matteo was laughing, even if he was trying to hide it.

#soy luna #Lutteo #soy luna ficweek #soy luna fic week #soy luna fanfic #Simbar #soy luna wattpad #sl wattpad #soy luna one shot #soy luna lutteo fic #soy luna lutteo fanfic #soy luna one shots #soy luna when stars align #lutteo fanfic #soy luna universe #Luna Valente #Matteo Balsano #Ámbar Smith #Simón Alvarez

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hetalia-has-a-secretary · 3 years ago

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Any tips on making a Hetalia scenario blog? Rlly need some good advice for writing, handling asks, etc.

This is a very good question! From what I've seen from other blogs, and such I can give you a nice list of the basics! I'd also LOVE to see your Blog so feel free to send me your username! Biggest rule SAVE EARLY. SAVE OFTEN! the amount of times I lost a whole hours worth of work! ALSO DON'T CLICK ON OTHER TUMBLR NOTIFS BECAUSE IT CAN KICK YOU OFF FROM YOUR DRAFT AND THAT SUCKS!

Know your Boundaries- While it's nice to want to anwser everything that comes through, it's helpful to pin a Do/Won't Do rules list. Both you and your future followers need to know Boundaries. It makes things easier on both sides! Make sure to stay with those Boundaries to avoid problems in the future.

Hetalia Fandom- as with all fandoms we have the good, bad and the ugly. Keep in mind you don't have to, and shouldn't, interact with anything negative. Only respond to 'hate mail' and trolls if you can handle it. Once they see you take their bait they most certainly will send more, and it can easily spiral your blog into a negative space! (It's also way more fun not answering them, and just KNOWING they're probably frustrated you're not giving them attention) A good rule to follow is to step away from that ask before deciding to respond. It might not be worth getting worked up over it.

Be inclusive- It can be fun to do research on ethnicities and other things like Genders. But if you ever feel like you can't answer an ask dealing with Trauma, Mental illnesses, or Races don't feel obligated to anwser then. Especially if you don't have the knowledge. Feel free to leave a brief message such as "I don't know enough about this, so I'm afraid I can't answer." Or "I'm unsure if I can represent 'X' properly so I can't do the ask."

Don't over do it- I find I get burned out if I answer more than 3 (I have no life) asks in a row. Get a tiny notepad and scribble ideas down when the urge or idea occurs! It can make it easy. But also, don't let it distract you from daily life! Tumblr users are relatively understanding of this rule.

Those are rules for what I personally feel that helps me keep motivated, and mentally well, all while keeping a rather clean and safe blog. This next set is more or so actually running a scenerio blog.

Have a pinned rule lost- Go take a peek at my rules list. Yeah. See that glorious mess I made- Don't expect everyone to have the ability to read a lengthy rule list. Keep it simple. We have people with ADHD (etc), reading disabilities, and people who don't speak full english roaming about in our lovely fish tank know as the Hetalia Fandom! So keep that in mind if someone asks something that goes against your rules, and be kind when telling them!

Have a back up- If there's any specific scenerios or asks you don't want to keep, Make a Google doc to copy and paste the scenerios from. I've noticed that Tumblr posts (mobile) don't let you copy anything more than what's between breaks and bullet points. So I'd recommend typing things out in Google docs (which can help with grammar and spelling as well) and paste it into a Draft.

Drafts- I personally like having several drafts to work on throughout the week. So I don't always do them in order, but I also let my blog followers know when I start hopping around.

Know your limit- I have over 50 asks (I'm also slightly out of my mind) and I will admit it can be overwhelming, so set a small limit of what you can get out at a comfortable pace, and close your ask box when you go over that limit if you plan on using it. Example: I can do 6-10 asks in a week (pain), So I should be closing my box when I see it get to 15-20, excluding the stuff like friendly compliments I can give a quick thanks to!

Writing- It's important to keep things organized. If you look at my past asks you can see I keep characters separate, and I make the names Bold of I'm not using bullet point. It's to help people reading my blog skim through and keep track of what's what. I see a lot of word counts, and Trigger warnings. For trigger warnings, act like you're rating a movie! Is it M for mature due to Violence, or mentions of nudity? It's nice to have a NSFW tag to help people filter your blog. Mine is #handsypandsy because Tumblr doesn't like the tag NSFW.

You can do a readmore- : readmore :

But without the space. Very helpful for NSFW, sensitive content, and long content. If the thing you made takes more than half a scroll, you should use it.

Prioritize your tags- this is a rule I don't follow, but I'm trying to remember it. It's probably smartest to go in the order of: NSFW tag (if any), Main Characters, Series Names, Funny tags or commentary. It makes it easier for both you and your readers to find what you're looking for! Also, organize any other AUs like human AU.

Last but not least- don't be afraid to make mistakes. I've forgotten characters, and some nice anons point it out. It can be a pain to find them, but like I've stated previously tags can be your best friend. It's also fun to use a text to speech and listen back to your writing (definitely want to Google doc so you don't struggle trying to copy everything).

With that being said remember to have fun! I know it seems like a lot, but it comes down to what feels best for you, and what goes on with your life. Feel free to DM me as well, I keep a very strict "What happens in DMs, Stays in DMs" rule! Remember internet safety, and if you have any specific questions feel free to send them in! And if anyone has anything to add, feel free to comment below!

#Secretary Anwsers #hetalia #aph #hws

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shoury01 · 4 years ago

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SELF-REFLECTION: INITIATION

Being present with oneself, in the moment, being mindful, mentalizing, reflective function—all of these constructs point toward a crucial recognition of one’s own experience that takes place over and over again on short time scales, as much as it is an overarching way of seeing that spans a lifetime. Practicing curiosity fosters open-mindedness.

There is the “a-ha” moment of realizing what one had temporarily forgotten, an often-amusing moment of noticing that one stopped noticing something basic. Witnessing one’s own witnessing while participating in the flow of other activities grounds one in a particular sense of security, leading toward integration as the scope of awareness becomes encompassing. There is a firm but gentle way to be intently aware, where one almost sees oneself as a beloved stranger. Being a stranger to oneself can represent alienation and nihilism, but it can also be the beginning of a love affair as we meet ourselves anew. Closeness to oneself, however, can pose a variety of real and imagined threats. It’s important to respect our own boundaries, self-consent to all major decisions, and equip ourselves well. Self-inquiry is a complex affair. There are so many layers and options, and fully cataloguing every dimension would be quite an undertaking. Taking it all in and using it implicitly would be ridiculous. In the meantime, here are a few questions and related observations, which may be handy. A) Why am I thinking this? I mean this thought, right now: . . . . .

While this can simply be a curious question, it may feel critical particularly if the emotional tone (the inner tone of voice) is short or explicitly berating. However, there is a possibility that this is a useful question, as it allows one to trace back the origins or triggers of a particular train of thought or sequence of experiences. “How come” or “when did you first notice this” can be other ways to wonder why. B) What is happening? This is what is passing through my mind: . . . . . . This feels like recognition, though the content may change. There is a sense of sureness, no doubt. It may be a fleeting notion, or an old familiar companion. Getting such repeating complexes of thought-emotion-behaviour, holistic experience, is useful. They may represent the brain’s resting state network, or default mode network (DMN) activity. Many people do not pay attention to this background noise, but it isn’t fully random. There are often large parts which are consistent over time. Whether they work as we wish, and so on, is another question. C) What am I seeing? More to the point, where is attention focused?: . . . . . . A lot of how we think is in a visual mode. The mind is a high-entropy system, meaning it can be in many possible states. According to physicist Emerson M. Pugh (though often ascribed to others), “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.” We can imagine anything, given enough time, but the reality is that at any given moment we have a limited capacity to hold information in mind. This is the paradox of the brain, which is effectively infinite to itself while being severely constrained, as in theory I can think, say or experience a massive number of possible things. In the visual metaphor, we can control how far away we are from the object of attention, creating a degree of detachment without disengagement. D) Am I listening? Did I stop listening to what is important to me?: . . . . . Listening is key because we can expand the soundscape of how we take our own thoughts. Sometimes the littlest voices are the most important, as is often said. The default mode network is meant to meander, and meandering is healthy, creative, and restorative. It lets us stumble upon interesting and potentially important things we might otherwise zip past. The executive control network can remember what was prioritized, execute plans, and direct resources. The salience network decides what to highlight and what to filter out, to a significant extent based on past experiences, for better or worse. Clearing the mind makes listening easier. E) Am I using all my senses? . . . . . . Other ways of self-attention track with other sensory modalities, scent or olfaction, touch, taste, body sense or proprioception, and subtle cues of a very basic nature, such as level of tension and groundness, feeling uprooted or firmly planted. It takes a bit of a Sherlock Holmes mentality to fully get a sense of oneself first by looking for all the tell-tale clues. Any sense can be a metaphor or template for ways of inner perception. The immersion in digital reality tends to make it harder to cultivate other senses, though, as audio-visual systems get disproportionately used, and highly developed. Adaptations to cyber-reality may make it harder to be present in an embodied form, as we come to expect and have become accustomed to obvious simulation. It also changes the way we relate to one another. F) Am I present? . . . . . The act of asking this question, which may be dispassionate and compassionate, can have the immediate effect of returning one to the present. This is especially true if the path is well-travelled. Neurotic tendencies interfere, with second-guessing and worry. It’s like building a bridge into the air over a canyon without being able to see the other side. Being present uses up mental resources, taking other brain systems offline, such as those involved in excessive worry. It also means that we can’t think about the past and future in quite the same ways, as there is a sense of time standing still in the present moment. Long-term planning from this perspective is more of a blueprint, perhaps as imperfectly glimpsed in a dream. There is a question of whether humanity has been sleepwalking — a manifestation of collective self-hypnotic somnambulism — and whether we are becoming woke, or not. Being present allows us to at least take stock of our personal inventory, possibly catching more of what we ordinarily downplay or completely miss.

Sometimes we have an idea, and while we are thinking about it, we realize we are struggling to clarify to ourself what we are really thinking. We have an idea and wanted to communicate it to someone else, but find ourselves saying, “it’s hard to explain”. Some questions that may help us out of this are:

Clarity: . . . . . . . . . . . . Can we illustrate what we mean? Could we give an example in a visual format?

Accuracy: . . . . . . . . . . . . How could we verify or test it? Can we check it some way? Do we need or want to do this?

Precision: : . . . . . . . . . . . .Could we be more specific? Can we give a clearer more detailed version of this idea?

Relevance: . . . . . . . . . . . .How does that solve a problem? How does it bear on a question?

Depth: . . . . . . . . . . . . What are some of the complexities with this idea? What factors make this a difficult problem?

Breadth: . . . . . . . . . . . . Should we consider another point of view? What is the other perspective?

Logic: . . . . . . . . . . . . Does this make sense? Does it need to make sense? Is this abstract? If so, can we explain it in a way others will understand?

Significance: . . . . . . . . . . . . Is this the most important idea to consider right now? Does it line up with our priorities?

Fairness: . . . . . . . . . . . . Do we have a vested interest in this? Are we considering the feelings of others here? Is this idea self serving or not?

Content Curated By: Dr Shoury Kuttappa

#mindfulness #self image #self reflection #self inquiry #self concept #emotional intelligence #listening #focus #acceptance #awareness #emotions #thoughts #feelings #gratitude #self leadership

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becomewings · 5 years ago

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Archived Network Event

2020 Secret Bunny Exchange

hai lovely! Im sparkle and I’m going to be your secret bunny. I hope you’re having a good day or night. 🥰 -sparkle ✨💫

Hello Sparkle dear! Thank you for being my secret bunny. I hope you are having a good day/night too and enjoying this wonderful comeback.

I’m enjoying it too! It’s such a good comeback, and I honestly love it. This is like my second comeback with them. -sparkle 💫✨

This is my first comeback, eek! I was not at all prepared for how much I would be waiting on the edge of my seat, but it's been really exciting!

Yes! It's such a good comeback honestly. When did you first get into BTS? What drew you to them? I'm sorry I'm asking for many questions. Lol. -sparkle 💫✨

It's okay, ask away! ^^ I stumbled across BTS by accident...which may indicate just how much I live under a cultural rock. I actually don't usually listen to much pop music. I'm a classically trained composer and video game soundtracks and moody indie/rock are more my jam, but last year I heard the YouTube ad that uses part of DNA and it intrigued me. I didn't know which song it was so I ended up listening through quite a bit before finding it...and fell absolutely in love along the way! So I have a soft spot in my heart for DNA. How about you, Sparkle? What got you into BTS?

So first, I hope you're having a too day/night! It's been a very long and busy one for me. I'm so glad to be off. Alsooo, I've been into Kpop for around 10 years now, so I've always enjoyed and I have a soft spot for 2nd gen kpop groups. When BTS started to get popular I didn't like them at first. But I saw Dope after the FBE channel reacted to them and I'm like okay they seem interesting around 2018. Lol. And I went down the hole, and have been stuck since. Lol. They're amazing. -sparkle 💫✨

Thank you Sparkle, hope you enjoy your evening off! Mine was busy too (we’re prepping for a move, eep) but at least it was productive. Wow, you’ve been into Kpop for a long time! Dope is really catchy (and I love that honky sax haha), I’m not surprised it got you interested and then hooked. :) Do you have a favorite era? Mine is probablyyy Wings, but I love most of Love Yourself too, and HYYH is so wonderfully nostalgic even if I wasn’t a fan then... and I’m a big fan of this new era too

Moving sucks! I'm going to be moving in the next year or so, and I"m not read for it. And yes! I've been into it for so long. But HYYH is one of my favorites as well. I think mine may be LY because that was the era that I started stanning them. I forget which one, but it's the one with idol as their title song. Wings is super amazing, and one of those that I'll always listen to. MOTS is just GOD TIER. Lol. I love it. -sparkle 💫✨

Haha MoTS being god tier is accurate xD Sounds like your move is a little ways off, but I wish you the best of luck when it happens! Ours is on a fairly tight deadline so I really have to hustle this weekend with house preparations (we still need to sell ours). I hope you have a lovely weekend, dear Sparkle! 💫

It is a little ways off, but moving just sucks in general. The packing and unpacking and then trying to get everything ready. Especially in your case. But I hope everything works out for you. And I hope you have a beautiful weekend too. -sparkle 💫✨

Thank you, Sparkle! We made a lot of progress today so I feel a bit better (and extremely tired). When the time comes, I hope you have the opportunity to prepare ahead for your move so it doesn't stress you too much. :) Have a nice start to your week! ✨

Heyyy! It's me sparkle! It's been alright so far, let's how it stays that way. And I'm glad you've made more progress on your move! Hopefully your Monday was good. -sparkle 💫✨

Thank you, Sparkle! There's so much going on in the world right now, close to home and far away... I am trying to stay calm and positive, with varying degrees of success. Please take care of yourself! (And that goes to everyone... I know it is difficult because we all have our own obligations to school, work, family, etc., but please try to prioritize your health and stay safe 💜)

Yes! I hope you’re staying safe. I don’t know what area of the world you live in and I know the virus is hitting others harder than most. We have 8 reported cases here. And it’s a scary to me. I hope you are staying safe. I just said that twice. Lol. Happy Thursday! -sparkle ✨💫

Thank you, you too! I live in the US (California, to be somewhat specific) and so far there have been two confirmed cases in my county. I'm grateful the university I work at is (finally) taking precautionary measures by banning large gatherings and moving classes temporarily online, and that I can continue working unless there is a full campus closure... Trying not to be too anxious about things that are simply out of my control and hoping that things gradually work out and improve. I'm also grateful for the community here, even if I don't know anyone personally, it is nice to come online and see people being reassuring and encouraging to each other from all across the globe.

Music and BTS are a good distraction when needed... Now that their promotional period is done, do you have a favorite moment?

I'll repeat you too, please stay safe dear, you and everyone who happens to read this 💜

I truly wish that my job would take some measures, and they have yet. I work with the general public a lot as a secretary. So it's like seriously having me on edge. I know the schools year have temporally closed down and moving things to online since it was spring break here. As well as the public schools closing for a month. Honestly, I'm not sure if I have a favorite moment honestly. Lol. They were all good moments, but I did quite enjoy watching all the ON performances. What about you?

I truly hope your employer catches on soon and makes accommodations so that you can practice some social distancing and have a safe work environment. We were just informed today that we have to work from home two days next week, on rotation, to keep our department staffed but also reduce the number of people on the floor -- for next week only so far, but I won’t be surprised if it continues past that. I can’t fulfill all of my responsibilities from home, so I’m grateful that they are allowing us to complete online trainings and such in the meantime. I am also so glad it’s Friday. What a week it’s been.

Ahh, I love ON! As a former member of drumline and marching band, I have such a fondness for the drum corps elements they incorporated into the music and background choreography. I was excited for the Official MV version too, so beautiful and thought-provoking! I also looove Black Swan (JIMIN’S DANCING EEK). I haven’t been as excited about something in a long time as when I stayed up late to catch their first performance on James Corden. So while I’ve enjoyed all of the comeback (especially as it’s my first!), that was particularly memorable for me. The surprise MV drop was also lovely 🦢🖤

Sorry, I am really rambly tonight. Please take care and have a good weekend! Hope you can get lots of rest! 💗

It’s been a long couple days! Sorry I haven’t gotten back with you! I’ve been stressed about everything going on, and I do hope that they catch on soon too. I was very excited for this comeback and the art in their videos has been beautiful. Black Swan and Jimin dance break? Quality content honestly. Yes! The surprise MV was great. I prefer this version of Black Swan over the other, but both are good. I hope you had a good weekend! -sparkle 💫✨

Hi again Sparkle, thank you for checking in on me! Please don't apologize for messaging delays, there's no need! We all signed up for this event long before any of this started, so I'm grateful you can spare a little time to chat with me. 💜 I'm working from home for at least the next 3 weeks because my uni is now fully closed... But I'm very grateful I have that opportunity. (As much as sometimes I would just like to go to sleep and wake up when this is all over, hah!)

Please continue to take care of yourself! Hope you find some comfort in music or other personal hobbies!

How are you doing? Last week was so stressful for me. So I am quite happy to be working from home this week. I hope you are staying healthy and happy through all of this! How was your week last week? I hope your weekend was alright? I had a pretty decent one me and a couple close friends had game night, and that was the highlight of my weekend. -sparkle 💫✨

I missed hearing from you, Sparkle! (But totally understand, the world is upside down right now.) I’m sorry you had a stressful week and I hope this one is better for you as you transition to working from home. My days have just fluctuated between quiet/boring and a little stressful (mostly re: house stuff, but that’s out of my control at this point), but I suppose I’m glad it hasn’t been worse than that.

Ooh what are your favorite games?? I’ve been trying to keep up creative side work between writing and blog content, but… I might purchase Animal Crossing soon hehe. Do you have any other hobbies to help distract you from stress/everything that’s going on? Take care dear! 💗

I know! I let time get away from me honestly! I hadn't been meaning too. I miss talking to you! I love all kind of games. I'm not particularly picky, but i do like that Game of LIfe. I've had just about ever version they've made. We played this one called Blockbuster in reference to movies and it was fun because if you know a lot of movies it's somewhat easy but you have to act out some of hte titles. Lol. Animal crossing seems like fun, everyone talks about it. Lol. -sparkle 💫✨ 1/2

I’ve never played it before. I’ve been thinking of getting an Nintendo Switch, but I don’t know how often I would play it. I know that game comes on there. But I heard it’s also an app? I’m not entirely sure. Lol. Also, I’m planning on making you a gif set for the secret bunny exchange! I know you said you love Jimin (my bias wrecker and sweet baby), Kookie, and Tae. And you were right, it’s hard to pick just ONE. Is there any particular one you want to see in a gif set? -sparkle 💫✨ 2/2

Receiving messages from you makes me happy! ^^ I know life is strange right now though so completely understand if you don’t have time. I’ll be patiently waiting!

So you like tabletop games? Sounds fun! I gravitate toward video games more personally, but haven’t had too much time lately to play. There are definitely fun ones to try if you ever get a Switch! There’s Breath of the Wild of course, which I admit I am still holding off on finishing because I don’t want it to be over LOL, some Mario & friends party games if that’s your jam, as well as some really beautiful indie games (Gris for example!). ANYWAY I won’t ramble about that anymore haha. I’m not sure what the app is, if you were referring to Animal Crossing–might be a companion to the game? I saw a tweet referring to using an app for quicker messaging in AC lol, but I haven’t played the game myself yet.

Aw thank you so much for asking about the gift (and for making it in the future)!! Oh dear you want ME to pick one? If I’m honest, I think Jimin and Tae light up my heart the absolute most (any vmin content gives me life but totally understand if that’s not your thing) but… please don’t ask me to… choose between them HAHA. How about you go with whoever would give you the most joy to gif right now?? I will truly be happy to receive any gift from you, regardless of who is featured. :’)) thank you dear!!

(Edit: btw who is your bias??)

I love tabletop games, and I play a lot of video games too. So don't get me wrong, I am huge into video games, but I don't play them as often. my boyfriend uses his PS4 all the time. I'm still trying to get through SpiderMan, but that's also because I don't wanna end it. I'm almost finished though. And yes! It's so hard to choose just one honestly, so I get your dilemma. And I can do vmin content! I don't gif them much and I want too. I can't wait to work on something for you! -sparkle 💫✨

Yay!! Sounds like we might have that in common. I have a huge appreciation for video games (and video game soundtracks is one of my favorite ‘genres’ of music, recognizing that they’re incredibly diverse of course), but I spend more time watching videos of other people playing them than playing them myself haha. We have a PS4 too. SpiderMan looked fun but I never tried it! I loved watching my partner play FFXV and Death Stranding. Trying to remember what I’ve actually finished on PS4, it’s been awhile lol... Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and Rime were beautiful. I started Last Guardian but didn’t get very far before life got too busy. :( Hope I can pick it up again some day! Do you have a favorite PS4 game?

Aww you’re too kind. I’m so excited to see what you create!! And to chat with you off-anon. :) Who is your favorite member to gif?

Yes, I also like watching other people play video games, but it's rare when I do. I always end up getting distract sometimes. I've played SpiderMan, Horizon Zero Dawn, which are my favorites as well as Tomb Raider. I do really like FFXV, but i haven't played it in so long though. I can't wait to talk to you off anon either. I be having to really make sure I press the anon button. adlfkjsl I"m bad at forgetting. And Yoongi is my favorite to gif. -sparkle 💫✨

Oo I forgot I watched some of Horizon Zero Dawn too! Very impressive game. It looks like a lot of fun and I might try to play it myself in the future.. but like you said, it’s easy to get distracted. Life just likes to get in the way huh. Have you seen/heard of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice? Intennnnse. I’m an absolute coward when it comes to horror games (or movies) and somehow my partner tricked me into playing one of the scariest parts because he got too scared HAH. That being said, as much as I love really emotionally intense games, I love soft gentle ones too… especially chill co-ops! (I’m thinking of the one we played most recently, Pode… that was on Switch though.)

Yayy Yoongi! I really do love all of BTS, and while the maknae line ran off with my heart, I have a big soft spot for Yoongi. I was never really drawn to rap/hip-hop except maybe Linkin Park like in middle school am I dating myself until I met Yoongi and just… wow. ._. He’s so expressive in his delivery, his lyrics are heart-breakingly raw and honest, and he has extraordinary range between his gentlest material and the lines that come at you with a knife. Also I’m so proud of him for continuing to work as a producer and refine those skills on top of his life as an idol. What are your favorite things about Yoongi? If you can even choose haha 💗

Lol I know what you mean, I was really paranoid the first 2 weeks about sending anon messages to my other partners on mobile because the interface was different and I was really suspicious of the term ‘public’ vs ‘private.’ And every time I send the ask for about 5 seconds I question whether or not I clicked anon.

P.S. I should keep my mouth shut but … I have an itty bitty guess of who you may be. I won’t say any more than that and I guess I’ll find out in 2 weeks whether I’m right or wrong haha. xD take care sparkle dear!!

That game was really fun honestly. I still haven't finished. And sameeee! I am not into the horror games. The movies I can do, but the games I'm just too scared to really play them. I tried Resident Evil, and I was like this is a BIG FAT NO. Lol. And I haven't heard of that game though, but it sounds intense by the name of it. I also like soft gentle ones, or the ones were it's not a lot of challenging aspects to it. I really like Spyro. The original and the remake. -sparkle 💫✨ 1/2

Linkin Park is one of my favorite groups. I love them, and miss Chester so much. Also it sounds like we're maybe around the same age because that's when I got into them maybe? And I am so proud of him for everything that he's done. Yoongi originally wasn't my bias at first. I think maybe it was going to be Taehyung, but watching their variety shows made me fall in love with him. Outside of his hard exterior, he's so sweet and loving of the boys. It's so hard to just pick one! -sparkle 💫✨2/2

Okay, so one more. Lol. Because the ask limit is so short! I get paranoid all the time, and i have to like double check to make sure I Press it. alkdjfls NOW i'm curious as to who you think I am! But I do how you have a wonderful weekend. -sparkle 💫✨

Dying over your Resident Evil reaction because... SAME lol. However. I have enjoyed watching some playthroughs of 7 and the remake of 2, which is the closest I will ever come to watching a horror movie again. xD I have really fond memories of playing Spyro at my cousin’s house as a kid, but haven’t tried the remake yet! It looks like fun too. There are too many good games to choose from, not nearly enough time to play lol.

I only really listened to a couple of Linkin Park’s old albums, but I miss Chester too. \: We could be around the same age yeah! I’ll tell you when we’re messaging off-anon. :)

If I may tell a story, my discovery of BTS went like this: heard a music clip in a YouTube ad of all places (normally skip them lol but I got it a couple times at work and thought hmm this is catchy). Then had to dive into some compilation videos to figure out which heckin song it was (turned out to be DNA). But along the way I found more songs I liked. And then I fell HARD for the Mic Drop MV (again, a little strange for me, because it’s pretty hip-hoppy). Jungkook makes this super intense expression at one moment that made me go oh. hello. So then I slowly learned who the different members were, and since this was me mostly streaming YT in the background at work haha, I had to keep switching tabs to check who was singing. I loved Jungkook’s singing but then also realized that I loved Jimin’s sweet voice too (yes I admit when I was first getting to know them, I could not always tell them apart). And THEN mister baritone Tae with his unique falsetto and delicious low range (I really wish they featured his chest voice more but OH WELL I digress) snagged my attention and ANYWAY long story short that’s how I fell in love with BTS and also the entire maknae line I guess. :’)

Hehehe I’ll tell you after the event ends if I’m right or wrong, don’t worry. It might be almost over, but I hope you had a lovely weekend too! ♥♥♥

Yes, somehow my sister convinced me to get it like she was going to play the game too, and she did not. I ended up exchanging the game because I'm like this is a waste of money. haha. I usually always skipped them too, so I totally understand. Everyone I knew liked but I had stopped listening to kpop for a while after the members of Big Bang went into enlistment (sad sad times). I first heard Dope. The FBE Youtube channel reacted to them, and I'm like OKAY GUYS. 1/3 -sparkle 💫✨

When Jungkook hits that high note I was like COME THROUGH VOCALS. So then naturally I had to go and look a few more videos. This was during around the time they had appeared on the AMAs the first time. And then I listened to I Need U and Save Me (this is one of my favorites). And I was hooked. I went and watched their Ellen interviews, and they're so sweet. I ended up binge watching their variety show and Bon Voyage and I was hooked then. -sparkle 💫✨ 2/3

Run BTS was when I realized that Yoongi was my bias. Because I'll admit that I did not like him at first, but I said that already. And then I just realized how sweet and funny he actually his. And I think he's just shy at times. At least in the beginning, but he's so handsome and his stage presence is like a 360 from him being off stage. If that makes sense. I could go on for house about Yoongi. Lol. -sparkle 💫✨3/3

The high notes in Dope are pretty ridiculous because they’re at the start of the phrase so they get little to no preparation lol. Their vocal abilities are truly impressive... and then they do it all while dancing :’)

I agree that Yoongi’s stage presence is strikingly different from his real self! Or the self we get to see in their behind-the-scenes content lol. Possibly like a lot of people, I thought he was super intimidating and tough until I saw more of him offstage... and then went awww he’s a big softie who just doesn’t pull his punches when he’s rapping and producing.

Do you have any favorite Run BTS episodes? So far I’ve only watched a handful of the recent ones, but all the random gifs and clips of older content warms my heart or makes me laugh. I’d like to eventually watch them all from the beginning... some day lol. (see all previous mentions of being too busy to do anything fun outside of work haha)

They are ridiculous. I love when they hit high notes in songs. All the boys have such a beautiful range, and I love hearing them. Especially when they do their solo songs. Jimin's solos are normally my favorite because his voice is the type I tend to lean towards a lot His stage presence is so different! Just like Jhope's. It's always so different, but it's them all in a nutshell, if that makes sense. Lol. I was in Chorus for a while, and I liked it begin in a group. -sparkle 💫✨1/2

It's easier being in a group, but I could never do it by myself. And favorite Run episode? Hmmm, there are so many that I love. I prefer some of the older episodes to some of the new ones. I'll have to find them again, but there was one where they were doing like this haunted house type of thing and it had me dying of laughter. They're all so funny though. I'm still trying to catch up with some of the new ones they've been doing. -sparkle 💫✨2/2

The vocal line is so wonderful, but I’ve been increasingly impressed with the rap line’s singing too. I have always liked the beginning of Spring Day and I confess it took me an embarrassingly long time to wonder which one of them was singing, and I was surprised to learn that it’s Namjoon. Also his low line in Louder Than Bombs is wonderful... I don’t even care if it’s probably autotuned a little lolol. And I only recently found out about the song Sea, but Tae’s chest-range melody at the very end.. UGHGHGGH it’s too. good. (DEAR BIGHIT COMPOSERS, MORE BARI PLS.)

I had to sing in choir in grad school and ended up enjoying it way more than I thought I would. (I’m a composer/pianist and I needed ensemble credit.) I’ve always been really self conscious about my voice, and now... I would love to take vocal lessons some day. While I know that no two people will play an instrument exactly the same, it’s kind of magical that you don’t know what the true sound or full potential of your own singing voice will be until you train it. Do you play any instruments? :)

The vocal line is amazing. I love all of their voices for different reasons, and sometimes I'm in the mood for one, and then another time I'm in the mood for another. If that makes sense. I haven't listened to Sea that much, but it is such a beautiful song! And you're right. His chest tone HELLO VOCALS. Lol. I'd love to take vocal lessons one day, but not sure if I ever would. And I don't play any instruments, but I would love to learn guitar one day. Lol. It's a dream of mine. -sparkle 💫✨

Hii Sparkle. I’m sorry it took me a bit to get back to you, but it really makes me happy when I receive your messages! Yess Tae’s chest voice deserves all the shouty caps all the time hehe. I hope you have the opportunity to learn the guitar someday if that’s what your dream is! Everyone starts somewhere... I would love to learn the cello too :)) one day haha.

Do you have a favorite “underrated” bts song? Just curious! Take care dear, looking forward to finding out who you are soon~

Yay! I'm glad you like hearing from me! I really like talking to you. I don't talk to many people on here sometimes, but then other times I do. So this is nice just to be able to talk with a fellow army. One day I will learn it, I just have to learn how to read music first. Lol. Because I definitely don't know how to. Hmm honestly there are a few that I feel are underrated, that i Iove. Spring Day, Hold Me Tight, and Autumn Leaves. These songs are queens! What about you? -sparkle 💫✨

Music is a lifelong learning process but it’s worth it. :’) I believe in you!!

SPRING DAY!! 🌸🌸🌸 One of my all-time favorites. I honestly might not have a very good awareness of what is underrated and what isn’t, especially among older songs, but... I love Spring Day, The Truth Untold, Jamais Vu, and most recently Sea... lol hm I’m sensing a trend of bittersweet/melancholy songs. But also House of Cards (it’s just so delightfully WEIRD and dark and different??). On the other end of the spectrum (although not sure if it’s underrated?), Silver Spoon/Baepsae. What a jam. Love to tune out the world with that one at work on one of my walk breaks if I had a frustrating day. And maybe it’s too early to tell from MOTS 7, but I get the impression that I might love Louder Than Bombs way more than the average army. And that’s okay :)

I don’t talk to or know very many people on here yet too, probably because my blog is still relatively new. So I’m very glad to be getting to know you

I loved Spring Day as soon as I heard it. I still listen to it a lot when I'm in the mood for it. It's such a beautiful song. The Truth Untold IS A QUEEN. I love that one too. Jamais Vu, I think I have to be in the mood to listen to it sometimes, but it's growing on me. House of Cards, that one I heard last year sometime and I like that one too. I don't listen to it as much. And Silver Spoon is my go too song honestly on my way to work. Louder Than Bombs is really good. -sparkle 💫✨ 1/2

I listen to that one a lot myself. I think We Are Bulletproof 2.0 maybe one, but I'm not sure either. I absolutely adore that song so much. It's such a beautiful mad song honestly. And also you're right this update is kind of weird, but I don't mind the font so much. -sparkle 💫✨2/2

Yasss I’m glad you like Truth Untold too. It’s too beautiful. I practically cried when I heard for the first time a live performance video (somewhere in Japan) where he sang a higher note in the climax than in the studio recording auuughgghgh my heart.

We Are Bulletproof pt. 2 took awhile to grow on me but I was happy when it did. I can be a little odd about the order in which I listen to songs, and usually need to listen in album order, but for some reason I really like that one after No More Dream. Also, though it’s hardly underrated, I now know what all the fuss is about Cypher pt. 3. I’ve been gradually purchasing their older albums (kinda out of order) and finally got to Dark & Wild about a month ago haha. I’m listening to all these mad songs now. Been in a weird sad mood for a lot of today tbh and... mad bts is helping a little haha. So is chatting with you!

I’m probably overreacting about the dashboard, but something about that bubbly serif font is irritating haha. And I don’t see this mythical option to revert to the old dashboard that people are talking about in their settings. Boo. I’ll get over it... eventually haha.

The Truth Untold is one of my favorites, and I normally don't like ballads a lot. It takes me a while to get into them, but this one just caught my eye. I'm learning Korean, and it's one of the ones that I can sing along too while reading the lyrics! I am super proud of that accomplishment. When I was going through their albums after I got into them, I skipped the older ones at first. I wasn't sure if I really liked them. -sparkle 💫 1/2

I listen to a select few of them on their darker albums, but a lot of it isn’t really what I like hearing. Although, I think I may revisit the albums again. It’s been a while since I actually listened to them. haha if you go to settings > dashboard you’ll see it there. Just let it load for a second, adn then it pops up. -sparkle 💫✨ 2/2

(Ugh I typed an answer and then tried to drop in a screenshot and everything disappeared. Got it, tumblr. No dropping images. REDO.)

Oo that’s awesome that you’re learning Korean! Are you self-studying? How long have you been studying? I’ve been studying Japanese for several years (very slowly lol). Then a few months ago, thanks to BTS, I was suddenly really interested in learning Korean too. I worked on memorizing hangul for a week and then had a “lol what am I doing” moment when I realized I didn’t know nearly enough Japanese yet to realistically tackle two challenging languages at the same time. So Korean is on hold for now, but I really wish I could just… magically be fluent haha. It would be amazing to understand their lyrics or interviews/conversations on the spot without relying on translations. And English is stupidly difficult, so as much as I appreciate how much effort they’ve put into learning too… as an international fan, I wish I could return that effort too and learn their language so that they don’t feel like they need to learn English.

Love Yourself: Answer was my first album and I purchased that one specifically because it was a compilation and contained most of the individual songs I already knew I liked from YouTube haha. Then I expanded from there. To be honest, if I had found BTS when they were just getting started, or anytime before HYYH, I probably wouldn’t have connected with their music, sound-wise or thematically. But… they were exactly what I needed when I did finally find them. And now I have immense appreciation for their beginnings and how far they’ve come, even loving some older songs/styles that I never expected to. As I mentioned, I don’t usually listen to pop or rap/hip-hop… like ever haha. But something about them just reached into my heart and I’ll be forever grateful to them.

I tried what you suggested (waiting on the page) and… the text kinda jumped at one point as though something else had loaded, but nothing else displayed. Am I derping around on the wrong page? \:

edit: I see it in the source code, idk why the toggle isn’t displaying for me 🙃

Yes! I am self learning. I have been doing it on and off for like two years, but the last part of last year I've been doing it most often. However with everything that's going on, it's kind of slowed down and I've just been focusing on what's going on in the world right now. I feel the same. I think if I would have found them before, I don't think I would have liked them as much as I do now. I do have an appreciation for their older music even if I don't listen it to it much. 1/3 -sparkle 💫✨

Their first two albums I didn't like as much, but everything from then on I'm pretty sure I am obsessed with when I found them out. Lol. I do remember you say that previously that you don't listen to a lot of that style of music. What do you normally like to listen to? I listen to a lot of everything, so I'm not sure if I have a genre that i really stick too. Although, I think in the beginning i listened to a lot of hiphop/rap and alternative stuff. -sparkle 💫✨ 2/3

Then the older i got the more I got into pop music because I found kpop when I was about 17, and it's been stuck to me ever since. Lol. So I don't know I like a lot of music that makes me feel good and I can dance too or sing along with. I think maybe it depends on my mood. Lol . -sparkle 💫✨3/3

I think that’s awesome that you’re working on learning the language on your own! And I understand the challenges of keeping it up independently, especially in such strange and challenging times... I feel guilty that I stopped my daily kanji studying pretty much as soon as I started working from home. It was initially because I used my commute time to study (I’m in a vanpool) and... definitely lost some motivation once everything started changing. I know I shouldn’t be too hard on myself though for taking a break, and I hope you are not either. I’m hoping to get back into soon and reform some study time habits :)

Yeah it sounds like you’ve been listening to Kpop for a long time! ^^ Aside from my fairly recent BTS obsession, I gravitate toward moodier music in general haha. Evanescence was my instant favorite way back in middle school and... tbh I still listen to their albums sometimes! I tended to like anything indie-ish with piano or rock + orchestra. I loved this European band Within Temptation, their music is like a blend of rock and symphonic orchestra. Nowadays, I love video game music and that’s probably what I listen to the most... Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasyyy), who is probably one of my biggest inspirations for pursuing composition, Austin Wintory (Journey, Abzu, etc), and more recently Jessica Curry (everything the Chinese Room studio made lol). The past few days I’ve been streaming the songs from Death Stranding. I admit I don’t tend to have a lot of variety... I’m kind of picky and when I find something I love, I will listen to that obsessively over and over for months on end. Like BTS. xD No regrets haha! But I know I should broaden my horizons too...

I'm trying not to be so hard on myself, but I know I'll get back into it soon as I set a schedule for myself. Evanescence is amazing, that's all I got to say. I love them so much, so I totally get it. That's interesting though. I love learning about others music interest. It's always so different and diverse from mine. And also, I realized I didn't answer your question about the dash, and for some reason I don't know why it's not showing up. You were in the right place though. -sparkle 💫✨

Yayy glad you like Evanescence! Yes it is amazing and also wonderful that we all have unique tastes. I know I should make a better effort to try out new things, because finding something new that I connect with is amazing (see: BTS hehe).

I'm so excited to meet you next week!! Please take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend 💗

Sometimes it’s harder to really step out the box. So I totally understand, but I’ve always kind of had “weird” taste in different music so I like listening to whatever it is I like! And yes! I can’t to show you what I’m working on. I’m still searching for things for it! Lol. So I hope you like it. Also I hope you have an amazing week! And also a good day! -sparkle ✨💫

I woke up way earlier than planned thanks to this new isolation insomnia, but I was so happy to see your message. 💜 I’m so excited to meet you, but don’t feel like you have to rush on the gift! I know whatever you make will be wonderful. I hope you have a great week too. Do you have any ~weird~ music suggestions? I’ll give them a try!

I totally understand how that is. I hate waking up earlier than I want too because then you don't want to get up out of bed, but then you're too awake to go back to sleep. At least that's how i feel. Hmmm, weird music suggestions? I'm not entire sure. I like Florence and the Machine, FK Twigs (this might be an acquired taste), Panic at the Disco. There's so much I listen too, and my mind is going blank. Lol. -sparkle ✨💫

Yeah, that was my feeling exactly. :( At least I put in a couple extra hours of work, so I’ll get to take a shorter Friday. Or whichever day we try to brave a grocery run.

Thank you, I will check them out! Hehe due to your comment, I am intrigued by FK Twigs. For some reason I couldn’t really get into Panic at the Disco in high school, even though I had friends who loved them, but... I do appreciate that someone made an Emote! at the Location bot on twitter. xD

I hope you are having a good week so far! Tbh mine has been a little gloomy, but... I am really looking forward to meeting you! And finding out if my guess is right haha :’)) Take care dear!

And I loved Panic! They were so good, I still love them or Brendon Urie. Lol. FK Twigs is really good, but I know she's not for everyone. I really enjoy her music honestly. And honestly, I'm just about finished with your gif set. I have to find a few more videos and I'll post it probably tomorrow or later tonight depending on when I finish. And hmm, I don't know I don't think it is, but it shouldn't be long though. however, I'm really curious to know who you think I am. -sparkle ✨💫

EEek I’m so excited!! (Please don’t stay up late just for me though!)

As much as I am terrible at branching out, I do enjoy finding new music I like, so thank you again for the suggestions! I will try to listen with open ears and mind haha. Have you heard of Fleurie? I stumbled across her music when an artist I followed made a piece inspired by some of her lyrics. She might be quite a bit different than the artists you recommended though.

I’m going to feel a little silly if I’m wrong, but I’ll tell you after the reveal so I don’t make a fool of myself early. xD Can I ask you one question – do you know your Myer-Briggs type?

I'll probably go to bed soon. I'm actually in bed. I just got stuck on the tiktok app, and I really shouldn't. I've never heard of her, but I'll have to check her out tomorrow and see what she's about. And yes! I do know my Myers-Briggs type! -sparkle ✨💫

Oops you fell down the internet rabbit hole before bed :) Hope you didn’t stay up too late and got enough rest!

Love and War is the first song I found by Fleurie, and it’s also the title of one of her albums. It’s a little bit older but probably my favorite overall! I love the song Hurts Like Hell. It’s devastating but beautiful.

Have a great day, hope to talk to you more soon! 💜

p.s. I’m INFJ ✨

I did fall down the rabbit hole of the internet. It always happens. Also you should check out Kerli! she's really interesting, and I really like her music. Her music videos are also really nice. Intriguing at most. Lol. And I'm infj too! -sparkle ✨💫

I know the reveal has been made, but I didn’t want to leave this sitting all alone in my inbox.

Thank you, Ash, for taking the time not only to make me a beautiful gift but to talk with me this past month. Thank you for being a light and comfort in these uncertain times. I will miss your little surprise messages, but I hope we keep in touch. Now I will go back to liking your wonderful posts (because I confess I held back once I started to guess who you were, I didn’t want you to be suspicious either HAH). I’ve said it a lot but I really hope you stay safe, healthy, and happy!! 💗✨💫💗

#network events #secret bunny exchange #asks #sparkle #yoonqiful #this really made my march better :')

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powerandmagic · 6 years ago

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P&M Press is now taking submissions for POWER & MAGIC: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology Volume 2.

First, there was the award-winning POWER & MAGIC: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology... then, our “spirit”-ed interstitial volume, Power & Magic: IMMORTAL SOULS... and now, POWER & MAGIC returns with a full-length Volume 2, bigger and better than ever before!

The POWER & MAGIC SERIES is all about queer witches of color as icons of female power. Witches represent rebellion, transcendence, healing, feminine monstrosity, so-called “deviance,” and interconnectedness -- with the cosmos, with their bodies, and with each other. These anthologies exist as a space for women of color to explore gender, power, struggle, selfhood and community, all in the context of compelling fantasy comics for young adult readers (and up)!

Submission Period

Submissions will be open to the public from February 11th - March 10th (11:59 PM Pacific Time).

Who Can Participate

To submit to POWER & MAGIC Volume 2, both of the following must apply to you:

You are a person of color.

You identify -- whether fully or partially or complicatedly -- as a woman. This can include cis women, trans women, bigender people, two-spirit people, demi-girls, questioning-but-leaning-woman-aligned, etc. Sex assigned at birth is irrelevant. We’re looking to represent womanhood as a spectrum rather than a fixed point.

For team submissions: At least the writer must meet the above criteria.

If you’re a member of a long-standing comics partnership that includes a white writer and an artist of color, you may pitch together so long as the partner of color plays an equal-or-greater role in determining the story.

If two submissions are equally matched, the team whose members all meet the criteria will be prioritized.

Use #CovenSearch on social media to find teammates!

Age Restrictions

All contributors must be 18 years or older. All content must be suitable for readers as young as 14 years old.

Specifications

Comics from 2 - 10 pages long (must be an even number)

6” x 9” trim size (template will be provided)

Bleed? Yes.

Black & White or Grayscale (no screentones, please)

600 dpi

.PSD final files

Timeline

Selection Process (Feb 2019 - Apr 2019)

Open Submissions: 2/11 - 3/10 (4 weeks)

Selection Period: 3/11 - 3/24 (2 weeks)

Acceptance Emails/Pitch Feedback: 3/25

Paperwork: 3/25 - 4/1 (1 week)

Creation Period (Apr 2019 - Sep 2019)

Script: 4/1 - 4/21 (3 weeks)

Feedback/Edits: 4/22 - 4/28 (1 week)

Thumbnails: 4/29 - 5/12 (2 weeks)

Feedback/Edits: 5/13 - 5/19 (1 week)

Pencils: 5/20 - 6/23 (5 weeks)

Feedback/Edits: 6/24 - 6/30 (1 week)

Inks: 7/1 - 7/21 (3 weeks)

Feedback/Edits: 7/22 - 7/28 (1 week)

Toning & Shading: 7/29 - 8/11 (2 weeks)

Feedback/Edits: 8/12 - 8/18 (1 week)

Lettering: 8/19 - 9/1 (2 weeks)

Feedback/Edits: 9/2 - 9/8 (1 week)

Final Files Due: 9/15

Kickstarter (October 2019)

Payment (November 2019)

Compensation

Contributors will be compensated at $106/page plus any Kickstarter bonuses unlocked through stretch goals. Contributors also receive a minimum of 10 complimentary copies of the anthology, royalties on all digital sales, and royalties on any future print runs of the anthology after the first printing sells out.

Rights

Creators will cede exclusive first worldwide print and digital rights to their stories for a full calendar year from the date of publication, and non-exclusive worldwide print and digital rights in perpetuity. Ownership remains with the creators.

What We *WANT*

Previously unpublished stories.

At least one protagonist must be a queer woman of color (or woman-aligned).

At least one character must be a witch, and at least one witch character must be a queer woman of color (or woman-aligned).

The queer woman of color protagonist(s) must be human or human-appearing.

Any era, any location, any type of witch -- real or folkloric or invented.

Fantasy elements! How fantastical or understated is up to you.

Peaceful stories, sad stories, triumphant stories, funny stories, failure stories, action stories, love stories -- the full spectrum of humanity is welcome. The catch: it must end “positively.” Everything doesn’t have to work out, but we’d prefer for stories to end on a note of hope or new understanding or resilience, etc, even if things go wrong.

What We *DON’T* Want

No fan works. No auto-bio. No prose. No one-off illustrations.

Comics that are already finished or that you’ve already started drawing.

Meet-cutes (“Two people meet and crush at first sight, the end”). A meet-cute may occur within the story, but it can’t be the whole story.

Horror: Your story can use fear and danger as plot elements, but if instilling fear/existential dread in the reader is the overarching goal, this is the wrong anthology.

Tolkienian fantasy: no elves, dwarves, orcs, etc. We won’t freak out if you make something up that’s very loosely(!) inspired by any of these (unless it replicates the problematic elements of Tolkien’s work, in which case your work will not be accepted).

Cursing is permitted as long as words aren’t used literally (i.e. “Shit, you scared me!” as opposed to “Let’s go shit in the woods!”) and are used very sparingly when used at all. In general, we’d prefer not.

No porn. No references to specific sexual acts. No explicit nudity whether sexual or non-sexual (sorry, folks). “Consensual fade-to-black sex between legal adults” is fine.

No depictions of abuse (sexual, physical, psychological) whether pictorial or written. Characters may vaguely reference (in non-graphic language) abuse that they have suffered in the past if doing so serves the story or is integral to the character.

No gore. People can get hurt, bleed, die, etc, but not in a grossly over-the-top way that fetishizes violence.

No slurs, no racism (not even “gnomes hate all faeries” fantasy racism), no misogyny, no transphobia, no ableism, no xenophobia, and no white supremacist nonsense in general. (And please, no stories whose sole purpose is to teach that these things are bad.)

Ready to pitch? FILL OUT THIS FORM.

Here’s what you’ll need to complete your submission:

A working title and page count for your comic (doesn’t have to be exact).

A synopsis of your story, including a beginning, middle, and end. Spoil everything, but try to keep it under 500 words.

Preliminary sketches associated with your pitch: character ideas, important creature designs, environment concepts (the latter is especially important if your portfolio lacks strong examples of background art), etc. These don’t need to be final or polished pieces! Just detailed enough to give us an idea.

Links to any relevant publishing credits (whether you’re writing the comic, drawing it, lettering it, or doing everything yourself). Self-published works and webcomics count as credits! Choose examples that best reflect the style you intend to use for this comic. You may simply include a link to your portfolio if you have no pre-existing credits, but please note that folks with sequential storytelling examples will receive preference.

Tell us about yourself and anyone else working with you, your cultural and artistic background(s), and why you want to be in POWER & MAGIC Volume 2. Short and sweet is best!

More Questions?

Check out the FAQ. If your answer isn’t there, Ask away!

#power and magic #power & magic #powerandmagic #woc #twoc #poc #comics #queer #anthology #paid #open submissions

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micropenisunveiled-blog · 6 years ago

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How Having a Small Penis Messes With Men’s Minds

I noticed my penis was one of the smaller in the bunch as a kid, when I used the communal showers after swimming, track and basketball practices. So for a long time public washing was strictly off limits—I'd rather drive home from the gym in my sweaty clothes and shower in the privacy of my own apartment.

My insecurities about his 3.3-inch erection affect more than just my hygiene habits. Condoms didn't stay on well, and that made sex more of an anxiety trip than it already was. In a recent bout of obsession, I gathered a "database" of scientific papers on penises and measured myself multiple times a day for several weeks to see how I sized up. Growing up, it shaped me socially, even when my pants were on. Because of teasing from my brothers and some team mates at school I became quite insecure. I had an ongoing fear that I would never grow up, never become a man. I feel that my low self-esteem, due to my size, was a main driver for this. I did an interview with Michelle Malia, freelance reporter on November 3 2017 that was published in Tonic.

I am reprinting the article here.

I suspect that lots of guys can relate to my story. It is part of why I started this website.

THE TONIC ARTICLE

Almost one in five American men are unhappy with the length of their erection, according to a recent study of more than 4,000 men, and another 15 percent have a problem with their girth. You won't be surprised to learn that the guys who thought their penises fell short had less sex than the penis-proud group. "Being small can be the heaviest of burdens. I'm genuinely afraid of everything and everybody alike," says David, 30. "I feel I just can't be truly sexually desirable to women with my size."

There's a lot of dick-shaming that perpetuates this idea. When Marco Rubio exposed Donald Trump's small hands, Trump felt the need to tell the whole country that his penis was perfectly fine, thanks. (On national television. During a presidential debate.) In a Fat Shack ad, a seductive blonde—lips parted, a trail of mustard dripping out of her mouth á la cum—holds a sandwich. "Four inches has never been so satisfying," the caption reads.

It goes beyond mainstream news and marketing and weasels its way into casual conversation. "A lot of the jokes we make in everyday life are often sexually related in one way or another," says Abraham Morgentaler, a urologist and the director of Men's Health Boston, whose practice focuses on the health effects of testosterone deficiency. "It's sort of standard humor for guys to josh each other about masculinity type stuff, including penis size."

Movies and television frequent take jabs at villains and characters by assaulting their masculinity. No one would consider making fun of a man with one arm, or a blind individual. When asked in a recent Bloomberg poll what bothered them most about Donald Trump voters picked one action above all others: when he mocked a reporter with a disability in November 2015. But no one winces when someone makes fun of a man’s small penis. Interesting!

Morgentaler calls men with dick fixations "peno-centric." The idea that the size of your junk validates you as a man might start as early as boyhood. "When we're younger and coming of age sexually, when there's a lack of sophistication about what it means, number one, to be a man, and number two to be a good lover, the thing that men can see and point to and certainly think about is really the penis," he says.

Boyhood is synonymous with inexperience, and sadly, we don't magically figure everything out as adults. Some guys may think they're small even when they're not, but for the ones who do fall left of the bell curve, the best way to get over it is by being realistic about what your penis "should" look like and how important it really is in the long term”, Morgentaler says.

Lots of people never have the chance to see other people having healthy, real-life sex, so they might base their expectations on the sex they do see, usually in porn. But—shocker—porn is not real life. Those macho men are more than well endowed and that can give off the wrong idea, that you need to sport an eight- or nine-inch shaft (also, ow—but we'll get to that later) to satisfy your sex partners.

"If a guy watches 50 or 100 of these video clips, he's going to feel inadequate because he may be smaller than every one of those," Morgentaler says. "But those men are extremely unusual." When researchers sifted through data on more than 15,000 men, they found that the average penis is 3.6 inches soft and 5.2 inches erect. Nothing like many of the massive dicks we see on our laptops.

On a purely biological level, it's also irrational to think size has anything to do with your baby-making skills. "If it matters from an evolutionary standpoint, the best question would be, does it increase fertility?" says Robert Martin, an evolutionary biologist and adjunct professor at the University of Chicago. "The testes size indicates the potential of producing sperm, but I don't see any connection between penis size and anything that would be important in evolutionary terms." There's no evidence that primates have ever used their penises as a power display, he adds, and it may even have little to no effect on how physically desirable you are as a man.

Australian researchers generated 343 life-size male figures that ranged in body shape, body height, and penis size. They projected these "men" on a screen and asked 105 heterosexual women to rate how sexually attractive they were. The women cared most about body shape, which was responsible for 79.6 percent of attractiveness. (They preferred a triangular torso with wide shoulders and narrow hips.) Height came next with 6.1 percent, and penis size fell by the wayside, accounting for only 5.1 percent of attractiveness. "It seems to be a male preoccupation," Martin says.

It's a preoccupation that can be debilitating. Andy, 24, has never heard complaints from sex partners about his 4.7-inch erection, but he still can't shake the feeling that he's coming up a half-inch short. "It lingers in my mind throughout the day on a regular basis," he says. "It causes great anxiety and depression most of the time." Andy started to notice he was smaller than average when he was 19. Like Jase, he also measures a lot. "There [have] been days when I find myself spending a huge amount of time with a ruler next to my penis."

When he's naked in front of sex partners, he often tries to cut through the awkwardness of the initial reveal by being self-deprecating—"It's small, huh?"—but nobody has ever complained or agreed.

It's not crazy that Andy's partners aren't throwing him shade. When it's part of the equation, the penis is an important part of sex—whether it's the real thing or the dildo equivalent. But it's not everything. "How we talk and behave in bed, how we touch, these are all important parts of what makes for good sex," Morgentaler says. "The hands and the mouth and the lips are all part of that. The penis is just one part of the repertoire."

Bigger is not always better, and that goes for anal, too. Research in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that 72 percent of women and 15 percent of men feel pain during anal sex. In another study, 76 percent of bottoms reported pain during anal, and for 23 percent of those guys, it was worse than mild.

Not to mention more than a third of women need clitoral stimulation, not penetration, to reach orgasm.

Jace told us that he wonders if he was born bisexual, or if his life experiences led him to exploring sexuality with men, specifically because of his fear of intimacy with women after bad experiences. In his relationships with women he told us that he had used large strap-ons, penis extenders, and sex toys of all kinds before he finally figured out all women need is need is clitoral stimulation to reach her oh-my-god moments. Now I helps her plateau using the basics: his mouth and, sometimes, a vibrator. In his relations with men Jace told us that he is exclusively a bottom, and has come to prefer orgasms through prostate stimulation.

Jace has three decades of life in the books, he's been married and in a long term dom/sub relationship with another man—that's a lot of time to figure out what is and isn't important in your relationships and sex life. Younger guys might need to live a little more before they figure that out. "Every time I hear stories about guys my age hooking up and having one-night stands and even being in relationships, it gets to me because I know I can't ever do any of those [things] because of my size," Andy says.

The peno-centric approach can keep you from engaging with others in all sorts of ways, whether fully clothed or bare-ass naked. Morgentaler recently saw a patient who was worried that he wasn't "developed" down there—despite his junk being "completely normal," Morgentaler says—and because of that, he was still a virgin.

Jace doesn't get regular checkups anymore, because at his last visit the doctor brought in several interns including a young woman to check him for a hernia. "I really thought that I was going to die of embarrassment right in the doctor's office," he says.

David doesn't like swimming or going to the beach because he feels exposed. "I can say with all my heart, I'd be way more happy and have a better life if I had a normal penis," he says.

It might seem like a huge deal when it comes to first-time hookups or one-night stands, but in the longer term, your penis does not take top priority. Most aspects of a relationship have nothing to do with what's in your pants—compatibility, mutual respect, and sense of humor, to name a few. Good sex is also high up there in importance, but using your penis is just one way to satisfy your partner, and it's naive to prioritize size over everything else.

"I would emphasize that this problem often goes away when a guy ends up in a stable relationship, because the couple figures out what they do that works, and penis size is usually not an impediment," Morgentaler says. "The quality of the man is not dependent on the size of his penis."

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theonceoverthinker · 6 years ago

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OUAT 4X04 - The Apprentice

Apprentice? More like Apprent-ICE, am I right?!

...Yeah, that’s all I got. Unfortunately, be warned because it’s not a fun time here today, so strap yourself in and join me under the cut.

Main Takeaways

Past

Gotta say, I love how the writers had the balls to say that the reason Anna and Elsa’s parents went away was to find a more permanent solution for Elsa. Was it the right thing to do? Whether you think it was or not, just the fact that they implied that was heavy.

I love that scream when Rumple gets his dagger back. Seeing how much he hates it is so effective and had he not been the undeniable villain of the episode and more specifically the segment, it might have done more to reapply sympathy to him and allow for a really effective display about why being cleaved of the dagger means so much to Rumple.

So, as a warning, I get pretty angry at the present segment of this episode and to remember that this segment of it exists was like a breath of fresh air. Anna and Rumple have consistent characterization and even throughout all of the twists and turns of this episode, those characterizations are never lost. Because of that, the story is far more powerful in delivering something cohesive and entertaining. Sometimes, for as simple as a story is, that’s what makes it something truly good. The latte segment tries to be all over the place and as I’ll go over shortly, fails so hard because of it.

Present

This episode...was never one I liked. For a while, I found it simply difficult to watch because well...I like Killian. Like with seeing his lips cursed in the last season or seeing Henry turn against Emma in the one before, it’s an action that made complete sense to me from a narrative perspective, but is nonetheless hard to watch and for some reason, this one is harder for me to watch than either of the others.

And after rewatching it, I kind of understand why.

It’s good in terms of being a morality play of sorts. Killian not being honest with Belle about Rumple’s secret is a horrible thing to do and the punishment, while brutal, does make sense given his crimes. Rumple’s manipulation and reverse psychology is so cutting to watch play out. While Killian is trying to improve, obviously, there are cracks to his still developing sense of heroism and Rumple knows how to exploit that into getting a lackey and making Killian pay. It’s a lot harder to enjoy since Rumple’s the villain of the episode, but I also understand that that’s a personally hard point.

That ALSO having been said, Killian’s near snapping points kind of suck. In the case of the first instance, it’s really fucking stupid for him to be so pissed at someone who simply tripped and caused some drink to fall on Emma’s dress. I don’t care what kind of psychology Gold played on him, it’s still really dumb. Now on some level, I get that given the “rings” speech Killian gives in Season 5 (Assuming that he came upon those rings before his encounter with Rumple, and at least one of them came afterwards) and that the move was clearly more subconscious than anything in how it was shot and how Colin played it, this is more up old Killian’s alley, but just...for all of Killian’s confidence, this is such a petty thing to make it falter and it stretches my suspension of disbelief just a smidge too much. The way that it’s played doesn’t help. It drags the date down in a really awkwardly written way where Killian is both enjoying himself and kind of can’t because of the hand. And in the second instance, the moment goes by so quick and is given such little focus that it’s just not as effective as the former point. I found both instances to be so utterly weak.

And how Killian goes after The Apprentice with barely a moment’s hesitation because of such small incidents isn’t really that well written to me. Like, what’s worse: Punching someone or allowing your arch enemy to have his fucking way with a man who very likely doesn’t deserve it? It doesn’t paint Killian in the way that the episode is trying to. The episode is trying to show that Killian is a good person with inner demons that hadn’t finished coming out, but that he wants to stop. But instead, Killian’s getting scared over basically nothing in terms of this series and rather than look for any other solution, opts to help Rumple do Merlin knows! And Killian does NOTHING as it happens! I thought I remembered an apology, but there isn’t one! He just stands there, makes no attempt to even subconsciously stop the hat, and it really grinds the wrong way against all the goodwill he’s accumulated.

The ONLY action of his that was bad, but I at least get the nucleus of is when he threatens Belle. He was angry at Rumple and was trying to irk him (Also, it might have been just metaphorically given the news he had). And when that’s all the segment can provide for me, then that’s just sad.

What’s more: For all the bravado made at the end of the episode for how much Killian will owe Rumple for this, Killian breaks four episodes later the MICROSECOND Emma’s threatened. And the time in between simply has Killian out of focus for the most part in regards to this dynamic! Look, I’m normally one of OUAT’s more defensive fans, but this legitimately, given all the characterization that was picked up only to be abandoned after this episode, must conclude that this episode was only meant to move the plot along by trapping the Apprentice, but unlike other episodes, I mean that in the worst way BECAUSE it tries for so much else only to abandon it afterwards.

And here’s the thing: If they were aiming to make Killian a villain protagonist in this episode, someone who we thought was good but was actually bad, I wouldn’t be complaining. I wouldn’t like it from an emotional standpoint because I don’t like Killian being hurt, but I do understand that Killian’s a character capable of great evil and an episode delving into that would’ve been great (That’s why I like the twist in “A Murder Most Foul” so much). But Killian is clearly, despite receiving Emma’s forgiveness, disturbed by the danger his possessed hand poses and that’s a good thing in both the audience’s perception and in the episode’s framing. Him wanting to get rid of that hand for that reason is a good thing. It’s not like he hurt David or Emma or someone else he cared about -- he hurt an asshole thief (As far as he knew) and was still freaked out enough to make a deal to get rid of the hand. And because of that, the framing is all over the place and seemingly can’t make up its mind about what it thinks of Killian here. And works akin to that can work -- my favorite musical is Hamilton and that show is as scathing as it is praising at times, but Alexander himself is a consistent character. Killian in this episode is about as consistent as curds and whey and it sucks. This came after one of the best Golden Hook scenes EVER. How did they fuck that up in such a way?!

I like how Emma shows real strides in taking the advice given to her about not letting another crisis stop her from living her life. She actually makes the choice to not only go out on a date, but to not chase a thief. She’s prioritizing the important things and living and that’s solid development.

There is literally no point to Henry working at Rumple’s shop. Nothing comes of this and that’s a shame! It contributes nothing to Operation Mongoose, derails this already derailed episode even more with the awkward way that it pops up, and its lack of depth deprives the audience of Neal bonding as well as Rumple and Henry bonding. And again, that sucks. It doesn’t even contribute to saving Killian, like the placement of the hat during the ending scene implies that it might, and that makes it doubly frustrating! Like, there was potential for this idea (Maybe have Henry ask some more questions or delve into Henry’s feelings on Rumple’s betrayal and how it affects Operation Mongoose later since the villain who seemingly got his happy ending lost it).

All Encompassing

I like the more subtle theme of backing away from temptation. Anna steps away from the temptation of saving her sister at the cost of the Apprentice (Or so she thinks) and this is correctly framed as the right thing to do. Killian both does this and doesn’t do this. He backs away to ask for his hook back upon seeing the damage he does to others, but doesn’t back away at the darkness of the cost of that hook (Allowing for Rumple to put the old man in the hat).

Stream of Consciousness

-Ooh! It’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice! M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E! XD

-I like that we got to see Zoso again. You know, seeing as he was Rumple’s mentor, I wonder what it was like for him to train Rumple. I HC that it wasn’t a long journey since Rumple adapted to the darkness fairly easily, but the dynamic would’ve been interesting to see nonetheless.

-What parent names their kid Zoso? And I thought Malcolm hated Rumplestiltskin! XD

-”No Dark One will ever possess what’s in that box.” ...Well, you’re half right.

-“No, but I want you to be happy.” Someone remind me one day to write a giant ass post about why I think the Captain Cobra dynamic is so good because believe it or not, a line like this actually boosts my love for this dynamic!

-That missed dart will brighten me up on my darkest days! :D

-”What are you, like 300?” Don’t get people started, Emma.

-I don’t think I ever realized how close Mr. Gold’s was to Granny’s!

-”You kept it all these years?” Rumple, I know revenge and self loathing and all that, but there is no heterosexual answer to this question! XD

-”This hand belongs to the man you used to be.” I kind of wane back and forth around how bad that dude actually used to be. On one hand, “Good Form” shows that Killian was raring to go, violence wise, but his behavior in Milah’s town in “The Crocodile” suggests that there were circumstances where he wasn’t a pillager. So was it just noble pillaging or was that just an exception? Opinions?

-”That’s just A through E.” Was that an Adam and Eddy reference? Because that’s pretty cute! XD

-So my journey with Killian’s Storybrooke outfit was a bit of an adventure. I didn’t like it when it first came out, but I will admit that that was partially because I was holding out for seeing him in a suit or even a tux AND I missed the pirate coat and the glorious chest hair we got because of it. BUT the more time that I spent with the outfit, the more I liked it and as of a few months ago, I now own a kickass custom Funko of this specific outfit! XD

-”It seems he indeed has changed his ways.” Killian, I get that you’ve gotta explain the sudden reappearance of your hand, but that might be a little too much, even for you.

-I didn’t realize it, but the Apprentice has some jokes to him! I like that bit of personality and wish we got a bit more of it.

-Killian, you don’t get to make poses like that and expect me to live through them!

-”Shouldn’t you be happy [That Marian’s frozen]?” Dude, whether she’s with someone or not, an innocent woman’s doing her best popsicle impersonation because of that frozen heart! Henry, not your best moment!

-That weird bit of Killian looking at his hand mid-kiss is DUMB! Like, I can almost forgive the dumb snapping point at the restaurant because it was somewhat unconscious, but this is Killian focusing on kissing Emma and just a LITERAL SECOND AGO, he was happy with his hands around her. That was simply a poor writing, shooting, and music choice.

-SNOW AND DAVID ON THE COUCH IS NEVER NOT FUNNY! XD

-Emma, don’t just leave your folks! Gossip!

-”Because I don’t want to.” I love how blatant and frank Rumple is with so many of his lines! XD

-We got flowers! We got a run in in a car! DATE NIGHT 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO!

-I love how Rumple’s such a fucking drama queen that he HAD the fucking hook on his person! XD

-I love how Storybrooke has a dedicated radio station! That must be the most interesting job in the world! If by some miracle, I’m ever transported to Storybrooke, I’m getting a fucking internship! XD

-And I love how Granny’s sponsors said radio station! Does she not have enough money?! XD

-Oh hey! Rip Van Winkle survived his deleted scene with Rumple and made it to Storybrooke! XD

-...Wow, Will. They were really planning something for you….I think. (Fun fact: You ever want to unlock my hidden salt? Talk to me about Will Scarlet, apparently! XD )

-I know a lot of people think Killian might have been homeless at this point in the series, but I HC that he just drank himself to sleep or that he just didn’t want to be around people for risk of hurting them.

-I love how Robert Carlyle plays Rumple when Rumple loving what he’s doing, but he’s in Storybrooke mode so he can’t exactly show it but still is showing it. Does that make sense?

-I KNOW YOU, RUMPLE! “OLD FRIEND” MY AUNT FROU FROU!

-YES! MICKEY MOUSE SAVES THE DAY! M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E, MOTHERFUCKER!!!

-Anna, I will forever love the fact that you call the most danger artifact in the OUAT world a “wavy knife.”

-I also love how she proceeds to say “please” to Rumple! XD

-Anna, you are my fucking hero!

-Anyone notice how The Sorcerer is very likely the owner of that gaudy af red and white car?

-”So here we are, Captain. Still in business together.” This line was always weird to me. It had no congruity with the story and for such a big line, it has no presence.

-Umm makeup? Will doesn’t look like he has a shiner.

-Damn, that investigation scene was weird.

-”...before the trail gets...cold.” Thank you, Emma for gracing me with a pun! I needed that!

Favorite Dynamic

Anna and Rumple. These two are fucking hilarious together! Rarely does Rumple get to have a back and forth with someone not only oblivious, but also hysterical and Anna meets this weird mix to a tee! Their banter is truly one of a kind and I’d have seriously loved more scenes of them together! I also love how Anna learns from Rumple! When she finally gets her hands on the dagger, she is VERY careful about how she handles Rumple and her commands! Seeing Rumple’s lip twitch as he is forced to save The Apprentice is just one of the greatest moments ever! Not only that, but I found their dynamic to be a little necessary. While Killian is getting his just desserts for doing bad in this episode (Though it might be a bit overkill-y (Or should I say, over KILL-I-AN XD) for me), Rumple is doing bad too in the present with no consequence and I feel like the flashback here showing his proverbial ass getting handed to him made that a lot more palatable.

Writer

Andrew Chambliss and Dana Horgan are our writers today. It’s actually Dana’s first and...it really shows. I don’t feel too guilty attributing the present segment to Dana as she’s written second on the writer’s list, but correct me if that’s a mistake of judgment on my part. There is no understanding of Killian’s character or what she wants to do with him here and because of that, he flops on the deck like a fish. And when you’re dealing with such a delicate dynamic as Killian’s and Rumple’s, you need to provide it Andrew’s segment of the episode however is fantastic! Everything is much more cohesive!

Rating

6/10. This was is many ways such a failure of an episode. I GET what they were trying to do -- expose cracks in Killian’s redemption so that the door was open to explore more with his character, but the result of the work here made Killian an incomprehensible mess. His morality is all over the place, but not in the way it intended. Honestly, if not for all the goodwill Killian developed earlier on and following this episode, this singular episode might have destroyed my love for his character. If this segment were on it’s own, it very likely would’ve been tied for the series’ low of 3/10. Thankfully, the past segment is such a redeeming factor here. The story is far tighter and the characterizations were done so carefully. Additionally, Mr. Gold is at least consistent in the present segment and Robert Carlyle’s performances here are excellent in selling that sanrmyness of Rumple’s. But the rest of it is trash and apart from the hat scene and the flashback, are completely irrelevant throughout the rest of the series.

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Captain Swan - So before we get into the squee of things, I gotta talk about Henry. Despite that “no,” Henry is the one to push Emma into that diner. If he didn’t want her asking Killian out, he wouldn’t have done that. I’ll get into this when I one day talk about how much I love Captain Cobra, but I love how Henry likes Killian, but his feelings towards Killian dating Emma are a lot more ambiguous. Okay, we good! Now let’s get into AWESOMENESS that is the date stuff! First off, Killian wastes no time focusing on the mission because he knows how important it is to Emma and assures her that they’ll find her, all the while oblivious to Emma’s adorable nervousness. And then she asks him out and he misses so adorably! And the age banter and the planning banter! Fuck! I just can’t! And I get to watch a whole date of them! I’m already in pain from smiling. But before that, I’ve got to point out how Killian, despite being a lot fucked up i his method, is going for his hand back on the off chance that Emma wants him to hold her! That is just too romantic! Rumple, you’re right about blackmail and his romantic side! Ok! I love those first few seconds where Emma and Killian cannot speak because they’re admiring each other so much. Like, oh my FUCK! That is too cute! And can we talk about And then we get the actual date and while Killian’s having his mini panic attack, Emma’s the one to comfort him and tell him it’s okay. I really like how they both support each other in this way! “Will you go out with me again?” Because I’ve seen that thread where people started the show because of a gifset of that and I’m STILL shook af! And Emma’s response with that kiss is too beautiful! Like, she can’t even think of how to verbalize how much “YES” she has in her so she decides to kiss that “YES” and burn it into everyone’s skull for all eternity! And the way she stands by the door once it’s closed...that’s actual perfection. Like, I can die a happy woman!

Rumbelle - I’m not gonna defend Rumple’s actions in this episode, but seeing just how far he goes to fuck with Killian for threatening his marriage really does show how much he values said marriage. I also loved the deleted scene where Belle returns to the library and think that would’ve been better had it made it on screen.

-----

I hate bitching about an episode and I wasn’t looking forward to doing it at all, so much so that I pushed doing this episode off twice! I want to say that hopefully that’s the last time I need to review an episode like that, but unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the next episode either. This...is gonna be a hard week.

BUT thank YOU all the same for reading! You made this bit of suffering worthwhile! And thanks to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales as well as @daensarah! See you next time!

Season 3 Total (35/230) Writer Scores: Adam and Eddy: (9/60) Jane Espenson: (10/40) David Goodman and Jerome Schwartz: (10/50) Andrew Chambliss: (6/50) Dana Horgan: (6/30)

*Links to the rest of my rewatch will no longer be provided. They take posts with links outside of searches and I spend way too much time on these reviews to not give them that kind of exposure. Sorry for the inconvenience, but they still can be found on my page under Operation Rewatch.

#ouat #once upon a time #watching fairytales #ouat 4x04 #ouat rewatch #jenna watches ouat

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biomedgrid · 3 years ago

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Biomed Grid | Pediatric Nursing Triage in Mass Gathering: Education and Training Issues

Introduction

Deaths of children in hospital often occur within the first 24 h of admission. Many of these deaths could be prevented if very sick children were identified and appropriate treatment started immediately upon their arrival at the health facility. This can be facilitated by rapid triage for all children presenting to hospital in order to determine whether any emergency or priority signs are present and providing appropriate emergency treatment. WHO therefore published guidelines and training materials for pediatric emergency triage, assessment and treatment (ETAT) [1]. WHO pediatric ETAT guidelines aim to identify children presenting with airway obstruction and other breathing problems, circulatory impairment or shock, severely altered CNS function (coma or convulsive seizures) or severe dehydration, because it is these children who require urgent appropriate care to prevent death [1].

In 2013, [2] WHO guideline development scoping group reviewed the pediatric ETAT guidelines and identified areas of care and specific recommendations that should be updated considering the new evidence and international consensus [2]. Three priorities for the care of sick infants and children were identified: detection of hypoxemia and use of oxygen therapy, fluid management of infants and children presenting with impaired circulation and management of seizures. This guideline is intended for use in low-resource settings to provide clinical guidance to these health workers on managing infants and children presenting with signs of severe illness [2]. In 2003, the USA adopted and designed the emergency severity index (ESI). All are 5 category scales. The triage categorization level procedures depend on the patients’ complaints and the vital signs as well as the expertise of the triage person(nurse/physician/others). It requires education and training.

Methods

Articles were reviewed by two team members, and relevant articles were obtained and reviewed by the team. Articles were selected from peer-reviewed journals; focused on the role of the nurse in pediatric triage (hospital and pre-hospital), the required clinical competencies, the expected number of years of experiences both in ambulatory care and ER too, the hospital policy regarding nursing role, the Ministry of Health as a governing body for qualified health professionals, and the nursing curriculum in the Faculties of Nursing in the Middle-Eastern Region. The aim is to encourage policy makers and Ministry of Education in collaboration with Ministry of Health, to make the case for the inclusion of training on triage in nursing education programs

Concept of Triage

‘‘Triage’’ is a useful tool used in emergency departments (EDs) to prioritize the care of patients. Through a methodical process of different sequential steps, the triage nurse assigns a color code which goes from red critical patient with immediate access to medical examination to a white code that represents no urgency. Clinical studies have shown that the incorrect assessment at triage represents one of the major errors in EDs and the patients can be victims of errors during the process of care, especially in complex systems such as EDs [3].

The triage recommended in the guidelines defines the priority to receive treatment using four color codes in the form of: Red (very critical, highest priority); Yellow (average critical, medium priority); Green (low critical, low priority, treatment can be delayed); and White (non-critical, urgent intervention is not required) [3]. Triage is defined as prioritizing or sorting the patients for the care and treatment, it is the process of determining the priority of patients’ treatments based on the severity of their condition. The term comes from the French verb trier, meaning to separate, sift or select. Triage may result in determining the order and priority of emergency treatment, the order and priority of emergency transport, or the transport destination for the patient. Triage may also be used for patients arriving at the emergency department or telephoning medical advice systems. the concept of triage as it occurs in medical emergencies, including the prehospital setting, disasters, and emergency room treatment [4]. The goals of Triage, as set forth by the Canadian Association Of Emergency Physicians (CAEP), the National Emergency Nurses Affiliation of Canada (NENA) are: (1) to rapidly identify patients with urgent, life threatening conditions (2) to determine the most appropriate treatment area for patients presenting to the ED (3) to decrease congestion in emergency treatment areas; to provide ongoing assessment of patients (4) to provide information to patients and families regarding services, expected care, and waiting times, and (5) to contribute information that helps to define departmental acuity [5].

What is a Triage Nurse?

Ebrahimi M et al. [6] concluded that Triage nursing as a relatively new role for nurses is a challenging role in a dynamic environment which needs significant development to be practiced. Prioritizing is defined as the pivotal role for triage nurse. Comprehensive educational programs and developmental research are required to support diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in triage practice by nurses. Moreover, triage nurses must be aware of alternative health care facilities, she must have a minimum degree of BS in nursing and must have a minimum 2-year experience in ED. Also, triage nurses must have a minimum 40-hour educational courses annually

A Triage Nurse is a registered nurse positioned in an emergency room (ER) or facility; responsible for assessing patients and determining their level of need for medical assistance. The criteria used to evaluate a patient include the type of injury or illness, its severity, symptoms, patient explanation of emergency, and vital signs. A Triage Nurse is typically the first point of clinical contact for patients visiting an ER. A nurse who is trained in triage is trained to quickly assess and sort patients so that they can get the proper attention and care [7-16]. The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) has comprehensively indicated several educational programs (CPR, ALS) in addition to other triage educational programs. Furthermore, interpersonal qualifications including interpersonal, interdisciplinary, critical thinking, and communication skills as well as accurate decision making have been stated by several emergency associations. However, triage nurses are required to perform prioritizing of the patient care, take educational programs, and provide a safe environment as well as interpersonal qualifications needed to fulfill this role [17-20].

Knight A [21] confirmed that the role of the pediatric triage nurse is to have thorough knowledge of up to date practices in caring for the child, and to accurately assess and manage the child. Also, nurses triaging the unwell child should include evidencebased decisions in applying a triage category guideline, effective care including accurate and informed education of parents. Every nurse working on triage should maintain current knowledge and have continuous education concerning the child and the unwell child to promote best patient outcomes and maintain best practice standards. As stated in the emergency triage education kit: “The triage nurse makes urgency decisions and employs locally based policies and procedures to expedite care for all patients,”. Infants and small children differ from adults both psychologically and physiologically implicating challenging levels of assessment for the triage nurse. Initial and continuous assessment of the child is imperative to achieve best patient outcomes and reduce the risk of inaccurate triage assessments, and education of the parents is a role of the triage nurse that promotes comfort and security in the level of care being provided [22].

Role of Triage Nurse

According to Sinclair [10], the basic job description for triage nurse is the same for any registered nurse, plus at least 2 years of critical care experience in a large ICU setting. The role requires identification of nurses who possess the following qualities: a) Competency for working on several different units b) A capacity to work independently c) Goal oriented d) Self- directed e) Able to identify and set priorities f) Assertive with a positive attitude g) Able to work well with the professional staff

Aacharya et al. [23] illustrated that, the nurse must be able to calmly and capably communicate with a patient in need, ask appropriate questions, make good decisions quickly and focus in situations that might be highly stressful. Communication skills are essential, because triage nurses often must explain things to patients and their families as well as delegate certain tasks to other health professionals. A triage nurse is an important part of an emergency care team, working to ensure that patients who need treatment right away are prioritized properly. It is the job of a triage nurse to competently assess patients in emergency care. These may be patients suffering illness or patients who have been involved in accidents or other traumatic events. Since many patients can come through the doors of an emergency room, it is important that a trained and skilled nurse be able to decide who needs care most urgently. Some patients may be able to be treated quickly, while other patients may need to go to other parts of the hospital in order to have other services [24-28].

Delphi method was used to develop a role description of triage nurse relying on the emergency medicine experts. Based on Delphi method, Triage nurse is responsible for patients status until the first physician visit, manage ethical conflict in triage decisions, manage aggressive patients effectively, perform the first assessment in the ED, estimate life-threatening risk of chief complaints, prioritize patients based on assessing respirations, pulse rate, blood pressure, temperature, O2 saturation, and other diagnostic measures, follow organization’s guidelines during decision making [25]. Triage nurses are responsible for facilities of triage room and she are not permitted to leave the triage room. Triage nurses must document triage assignments and report daily and monthly statistics of triage. Diagnostic and therapeutic related interventions must be performed by triage nurses [11]. In case of doubt, triage nurses must consult with attending physician or head nurse, also in case of doubt, triage nurses must assign patient to the higher level of acuity. Triage nurses must reconsider their decisions if requested from medical directors. Triage nurses must explain waiting time to the first visit, explain necessary information relating to the patient condition, as well as explain necessary information relating to alternative facilities for care and treatment [9].

All triage is done by registered nurses (RNs), but the Emergency Nurses Association recommends that a nurse have more training and skills than just basic nursing. Some of the recommended components of that training includes CPR and ALS courses. Another important course they recommend is the Emergency Nurse Pediatric course, which trains nurses to work triage in disaster situations that involve children. Trauma nursing and geriatric emergency nursing courses are also recommended so nurses can be trained to handle a variety of patients in situations related to trauma and emergency. There may be other important courses for nurses preparing to work in triage, but these are considered some of the standard ones. Nurses in this area generally also work toward certifications as either a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) or a Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN) [29]. A Mirhaghi et al. [7] reported that responsibilities of a triage nurse include; Perform patient assessment, reassess patients who are waiting, initiate emergency treatment if necessary, manage and communicate with patients in waiting room, provide education to patients and families when necessary, sort patients into priority groups according to guidelines, transport patients to appropriate treatment areas, communicate status of patients to doctors and nurses, and triage nurses must also be able to multitask and make decisions when information is limited.

Pre-hospital and Field Triage During Mass-casualty Incidents and Disasters / Pre-hospital Care System and Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Pre-hospital care also known as the post-crash response consists of the urgent medical care provided to patients at the scene of injury, within the ambulance or other transporting vehicle until patients are transported to the emergency department (ED) of a hospital. Post-crash response in particular starts from extracting victims from vehicles or in vicinity of the accident. Pre-hospital care is a series of interventions that start at the incident scene and end at the hospital. It is a part of a larger system, which is known as trauma system [30].

Pre-hospital care provides an urgent care that requires timely appropriate medical attention to save lives or minimize permanent disabilities. Improvement in patient care outcomes is associated with improvements in pre-hospital care system. The World Health Organization (WHO) encouraged countries in its 2011 global plan for road safety to implement five pillars: 1) road safety management 2) safer roads and mobility 3) safer vehicles 4) safer road users and 5) pre-hospital or post-crash response [31]. Pre-hospital care is a remote critical care triage process, where Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and care are received before reaching the hospital. However, two EMS models are followed in the world. One, known as Franco-German model, brings the hospital to the patient, where most of the patients are treated at the site of incident. While the other model, Anglo-American, brings the patient to the hospital, where patients are transported to the hospital emergency departments as promptly as possible. The former is based on “delay and treat” philosophy whereas the latter is a “load and go” [32]. Although both are considered successful EMS models, outcomes cannot be easily compared given the fundamental difference in their operational methods.

The primary aim of EMS is to prevent unnecessary mortality and long-term morbidity by providing timely critical medical care to acutely sick patients. The role of emergency medical providers is very crucial. It affects patient’s journey from the point of impact to hospital discharge. Therefore, EMS providers are always under the pressure to develop and maintain skills of quick and effective decision making with limited information [33]. The American College of Emergency Physicians and ENA published task-force recommendations (originally approved in 2003 and revised in 2010) to implement a “reliable, valid five-level triage scale such as the Emergency Severity Index (ESI)” [34]. Other examples of 5-level triage scores include the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale, the Manchester Triage Scale, and the Australasian (National) Triage Scale. These indices are algorithmic and consider whether the patient is in extremis, the clinical context of presentation, the resources available, and vital signs. The triage scales have been applied successfully to adults and children and are appropriate tools to apply to a broad population who present to the emergency department with a variety of signs and symptoms [35].

Figure 1:The Pediatric Assessment Triangle and its components

According to the study of Timothy Horeczko et al. [36], who stressed that The Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) is a rapid evaluation tool that establishes a child’s clinical status and his or her category of illness to direct initial management priorities. Recently the PAT has been incorporated widely into the pediatric resuscitation curriculum. Emergency nurses can rely on the PAT as an objective early warning of children in or at high risk for clinical deterioration. It is especially helpful in cases when history and physical examination are limited. Furthermore, the PAT serves as a common vocabulary between health-care providers [37]. The Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) generates a rapid, global assessment using only visual and auditory clues; it requires no equipment and takes seconds to perform. The PAT was designed to enable the provider to articulate formally a general impression of the child, establish the severity of the presentation and category of pathophysiology, and determine the type and urgency of intervention. Using the PAT, the provider makes observations of 3 components: appearance, work of breathing, and circulation to the skin (Figure 1) [38].

Nurses’ Involvement Decision Making

The decision-making process is commonly termed triage and has been described as the sorting of medical conditions into different categories to achieve a true priority of care [12]. There are several factors that support the involvement of nurses in CPR decision making. As a result of lengthy stays, nurses spend a lot of time with many long- term care patients and could be expected to have a good understanding of their values and beliefs. Nurses are usually the first responders during an in-hospital cardiac arrest and must either initiate CPR or withhold it. In order to fulfill their role as patient advocates, nurses need to be informed about decisions that affect their patients. Although nurses are infrequently consulted before the CPR decision making process, several studies have reported that they desire greater involvement and they believe they can offer a unique and worthwhile perspective [39].

The Resuscitation Council (UK) recommends that doctors, nurses, medical students and student nurses should be trained to use automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to facilitate early defibrillation, and that AEDs should be available to all non- critical ward areas. The nursing position is reinforced by the chief nurse (UK) who, as part of the “National Health Service plan” to raise standards, recommends nurse defibrillation as a basic rather than an extended role. Nurses are key health care professionals for using AEDs in hospitals and for teaching other first responders--inside and outside hospitals--how to use AEDs. Although the use of AEDs by nursing staff has been suggested and implemented in many hospitals, studies assessing the results of this practice are limited with small sample size [40]. For nurses to initiate defibrillation there is clearly a need for a widespread change in philosophy as well as equipment. Simply introducing AEDs may not be enough to improve survival. First, nurses must accept defibrillation as a primary rather than extended role. The concept of nurse-initiated defibrillation is supported by many nurses. Combining AED training with annual BLS training may facilitate the acceptance of defibrillation as a nursing role and assist in its wider dissemination [41].

Researchers in the USA in the early 1980s found that triage was associated with a wide range of patient handling activities during disasters. If, however, triage was the prioritization of victims based upon assessment of need, the evidence suggested this rarely occurred. Certainly, in the UK there is an expectation that triage should be carried out at the scene of a major incident, and both the NHS Executive in England and Ambulance Service Association refer to on scene triage, yet neither document outlines what exactly is meant by triage. This can only lead to confusion—who should be performing triage, what form of triage should be used, triage for treatment (triage sieve) or for transportation (triage sort), should other models of triage be used, what skills should prehospital emergency care providers be taught? It is entirely possible that each provider on scene is using a different approach to triage without universal understanding [12].

Hajj Mass Gathering

Hajj is a unique gathering with Mecca and Kaaba being spiritually important to many faiths across the globe, especially Muslims. This is because of the proclamation of the prophet’s father, Ibrahaam, when he called all mankind to perform Hajj. That is why all Muslims on Earth feel that they must visit Mecca and Kaaba on a specific date and time, and that is the reason this small location hosts one of the largest human gatherings in the world [15]. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mass gatherings as “events attended by a sufficient number of people to strain the planning and response resources of a community, state or nation. Mass gatherings can have good and bad long-term effects on the health sectors of host countries. As the largest annual mass gathering in the world, the hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca overburdens Saudi Arabia’s health system because 2 to 3 million Muslim pilgrims from more than 180 countries converge on the country’s holiest sites [8].

Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia

Infection was a frequent feature of the Hajj especially with poor pre-Hajj Health care from Pilgrims came from low-income countries, crowded accommodations. Poor hygiene, unknown medical background, Extreme heat, poor prepared stored food and inadequate pre-Hajj vaccination are leading to many of infectious diseases like respiratory/airborne diseases, Meningitis, food/water borne diseases and blood borne diseases. Apart from vaccination in a pandemic situation, the effectiveness of yearly influenza vaccination for Hajj pilgrims is questionable because of differences in the viral strains used in vaccines in the northern and southern hemispheres [42].

The Saudi Minster of Health recognized the threat early and instituted a variety of infectious control measures, including screening, Monitoring port of entry and isolation for suspected cases, surveillance for infectious diseases epidemiology, and computer-based information systems, laboratory testing, infection control; and provide proper treatment [26]. Saudi recommendation to all pilgrims to wear surgical facemask when in crowds, hands hygiene and to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza [27]. Saudi Ministry of Health reported the preventive measures to control the infectious diseases as follow updated annual vaccination, enforcement of regulations about food and water security, regulation of head shaving and sterilized razors, Pilgrims awareness for hands hygiene, adequate hydration, facemask use, Sunscreen, Insect repellents, food and water and personal hygiene, avoid severe crowds. Initiate self-treatment as needed, continue usual medications, reporting illness and recommendations about respiratory hygiene. These improvements have taken place at the same time as important changes to infrastructure, including accommodation for pilgrims to reduce overcrowding and risk of spread of infection [19].

Triage During Mass Gatherings

Triage is a complex process and is one means for determining which patients most need access to limited resources. Triage has been studied extensively, particularly in relation to triage in overcrowded emergency departments. The need for an effective triage and acuity scoring system for use during mass gatherings is clear, as these events not only create multiple patient encounters, but also have the potential to become mass-casualty incidents. Furthermore, triage during a large-scale disaster or mass-casualty incident requires that multiple, local agencies work together, necessitating a common language for triage and acuity scoring [43]. Scant research has been done to develop and test an effective triage approach for use in mass-gathering and mass-participation events, although there is a growing body of knowledge regarding the health needs of persons attending large events. Existing triage and acuity scoring systems are suboptimal for this unique population, as these events can involve high patient presentation rates (PPR) and, occasionally, critically ill patients. Mass-gathering events are dangerous; a higher incidence of injury occurs than would be expected from general population statistics [43].

Telephone Triage

Practices have been encouraged to develop flexible models of access tailored to local needs. Telephone triage, in which a patient requesting a face-to-face appointment is, in the first instance, offered a call back from a doctor or nurse, is increasingly being adopted to manage demand. During the telephone call, the need for an appointment can be assessed and the most appropriate management plan agreed, including a face-to-face follow-up consultation if appropriate. Because a proportion of patients do not immediately require any further contact extending beyond the telephone call, this system would appear to be more efficient than the usual care arrangement in which face-to-face appointments are provided without triage [44].

Study of Tim A. Holt et al. concluded that telephone triage is not associated with a reduction in overall clinician contact time during the index day. Introducing telephone triage in primary care requires careful consideration of the organizational structure and culture, staff skills and experience, perceived need and anticipated outcomes, staffing issues, and the geographical location and primary care setting in which triage might be introduced [45]. Murdoch et al. [46] concluded that staff experiences and perceptions of telephone triage are shaped by the way practices communicate with staff, prepare for and sustain the changes required to implement triage effectively, as well as by existing practice culture, and staff and patient behavior arising in response to the changes made. Telephone triage reconfigures the function, skills and identities of staff according to how the activities of their everyday working practice shift as a result of its introduction. Staff resources need to be appropriately allocated in order to ensure staff are not overburdened, and appointment sessions need to be organized in line with triage sessions to ensure appointments are not wasted and that patients are not being inappropriately triaged into emergency slots [47].

Conclusion

1. Triage nursing as a relatively new role for nurses needs significant development to be practiced. Comprehensive educational programs and developmental research are required to support diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in triage practice by nurses. 2. Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) as evaluation tool has been incorporated widely into the pediatric resuscitation curriculum. 3. Triage related interventions still need extensive development to be reliable enough to practice by triage nurses. 4. A nurse without specific training in triage and inexperienced in critical care was identified as the ‘‘root cause’’ of the sentinel event. To make improvements we planned a triage training course (for newly employed nurses and a refresher course for existing staff) and created a team of dedicated triage nurses. 5. Telephone triage, in which a patient requesting a faceto- face appointment is, in the first instance, offered a call back from a doctor or nurse, is increasingly being adopted to manage demand.

6. Due to the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Emergency Medicine training in Saudi Arabia emphasizes mass gathering casualty care, disaster preparedness and ability to cope with multicultural people with no background medical knowledge. Emergency Medicine training programs include a National Hajj Preparation course and mandatory Hajj rotation during the residency program to prepare for this real-world challenge [18]. 7. Nurses have insufficient knowledge about disaster preparedness due to a lack of acceptance of core competencies and the absence of disaster preparedness in nursing curricula. 8. The recommendation that education in disaster preparedness, response and management must be included and further developed in basic nursing programs as well as in all postgraduate nursing programs.

9. The nursing education community has agreed that the existing curricula are too focused on content and do not teach the most vital nursing skills of critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and decision-making [48]. In fact, the National League for Nursing in the United States mandates that critical thinking skills must be included in nursing programs in order to gain accreditation. 10. language barriers are a major issue for triage nurses, especially in terms of comprehending the subtle nuances of critical messages. In effort to reduce such misunderstandings as well as to establish better clinician-patient communication for such hospitals, it would be wise to offer classes on basic foreign language skills for health professionals [49].

11. Inaccurate decisions and systemic inefficiency of triage nurses, despite their degree of experience, can result in patients being under-triaged or over-triaged. 12. Specific to pediatric emergency departments, most of the patient data is gathered from the parents. For this reason, nurses in pediatric triage training should be taught specific skills and techniques in information gathering when dealing with the parents. 13. Emergency departments typically have structured triage guidelines for health care providers. Such guidelines aid in determining which patients must be evaluated promptly and which may wait safely, and aid in determining anticipated use of resources [50].

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

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Analysis: What's behind Texas governor's 'Neanderthal thinking'? “I hope everybody’s realized by now, these masks make a difference. We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way in which we’re able to get vaccines in people’s arms,” Biden said when asked about the decisions by Abbott and Reeves. “The last thing — the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it. It still matters,” Biden told reporters Wednesday in the Oval Office. What Abbott really meant was: An Abbott spokeswoman clarified Wednesday that the governor was not saying, by ending the mask mandate, that Texans should not wear masks. “The Governor was clear in telling Texans that COVID hasn’t ended,” his spokeswoman said. “We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans.” What medical advice did Abbott get? The truth may be more political maneuvering than Neanderthal thinking, which is more sinister. There are smart people in Texas who know better. The governor just didn’t talk to them. That Abbott, still reeling from the power and water shortages that called his leadership into question last week, reportedly didn’t consult his state’s chief medical officer before ending the mask mandate makes it hard to see the decision as anything but political. Let their people go. Sen. John Cornyn rejected Biden’s criticism and said Texans are ready to throw off the yoke of government intervention, if mask mandates can be considered onerous. “At some point, the government needs to quit making arbitrary rules that do not have any demonstrable connection with the public health,” the Texas Republican said. Dude. Arbitrary? Recent CDC data suggests the most effective masking is double masking, or knotted masking, not optional masking. Here’s their mask guidance. Read it. The list of people and corporations disagreeing with the end of mask mandates is long. Don’t leave your mask at home yet. As CNN Business reports, masks won’t exactly be going away. “Leading US grocery chains, pharmacies, retailers and auto manufacturers, including Target (TGT), Kroger (KR), CVS (CVS), Walgreens (WBA), Best Buy (BBY), Macy’s (M) JCPenney (JCP), Toyota (TM), GM (GM) and others, say they will continue to require mask wearing at their stores and facilities by both employees and customers.” “There are exceptions, however, and some business advocates are concerned that the end of these states’ mask mandates will create new challenges for companies and their workers.” Where is the middle ground? Opening too soon. While it’s easy to roll your eye at Abbott ending all restrictions and allowing businesses to open at will, it’s also completely legitimate to wonder where the right place is. Texas will allow all businesses of any type to open 100%. In many other places in the country, any sort of indoor dining and exercise is prohibited. Taking so long to open. In my neighborhood in Virginia, parents are looking at the possibility of sending their kids to in-person public school for the first time in a year after the governor issued an order requiring schools to open by March 15. Arizona’s governor issued a similar order Wednesday. The details border on farce. It appears my two elementary schoolers will go to school two days a week, but they’ll be getting virtual instruction there either from teachers not returning in person or teachers in different rooms. My middle schooler’s teachers are split in half between those returning and those staying virtual. He may get some in-person instruction, but since the school district is hewing strictly to the CDC’s guidance on 6 feet of separation for children, he may be getting instruction from a teacher streaming from a different room in the school. It won’t be the grand return to school any of the 40% of students who opted for in-person instruction might have envisioned. Vaccine priorities. Virginia has been vaccinating teachers for weeks, although many in our district are not returning. I was flabbergasted to see Wednesday that Texas announced it would prioritize teachers only after the governor announced the end of restrictions on businesses. Texas reality vs. Virginia reality. I went to CNN’s superstar Dallas-based national correspondent Ed Lavandera to ask not only about Abbott’s move, but also what he’s seen in his travels this year. Our conversation is below. Shifting the burden for safety away from the government WHAT MATTERS: What’s going to be the practical effect of this order by Gov. Abbott on Texans and Texas businesses? LAVANDERA: The governor’s executive order ends all the restrictions and operating limits placed on businesses during the coronavirus pandemic starting on Wednesday, March 10. Gov. Greg Abbott is essentially shifting the burden and responsibility of enforcing medical guidelines over social distancing and mask wearing. Businesses will now be allowed to operate at full capacity but can still require employees and customers to follow public health safety measures, like mask wearing. The governor has made clear in the last year that local jurisdictions at the county and city level do not have the authority to issue stricter public health measures, which has caused tension between many city leaders and the governor. However, the latest executive order does say counties can tighten business restrictions, in a limited capacity, if the hospitalization rate reaches a specific threshold. (If the number of Covid-19 patients in a hospital region reaches more than 15% of total capacity for seven straight days, then the restrictions can be implemented.) A big question mark moving forward is how will the public respond? When Abbott started reopening the state last spring and issued the mask mandate last summer, there was great confusion over enforcement and many businesses were put in a tough place. We’ll be watching closely to see how businesses that choose to require masks will deal with customers who refuse to wear them. Texas cities vs. red Texas WHAT MATTERS: The view from here in Washington is that Texas is a state rapidly changing from deep red to purple. Do those changes factor into how Texans have viewed Covid restrictions and mask requirements? LAVANDERA: The pandemic has exposed the growing divide between the Democratic leadership in the most populated cities in Texas (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin) and the conservative Republican officials fully in control of state government. Texas is a rapidly growing state that’s seen its population explode to roughly 29 million. The myth is that these new transplants are making the state more liberal, but in my conversations with political observers that’s a questionable theory. It’s not a purple state, yet. When you drive around the state, as I have extensively for the last year, there is a clear divide in how politics has clouded perceptions of the medical guidelines during this pandemic. Gov. Abbott is leaning heavily into the idea that government should not be telling businesses and people how to do things. That sentiment plays well with a large segment of the population. The governor said during the reopening announcement that “Texans have mastered the daily habits to avoid getting Covid.” That’s quite a statement in a state that has seen 2.6 million cases and 44,000 deaths. But the governor’s decision has left many local leaders, especially in the state’s biggest cities, dumbfounded by his push to ease pandemic restrictions so soon. The old rule of Texas politics applied to Covid WHAT MATTERS: There are reports Abbott didn’t consult all of his medical advisers, which only amplifies the feeling that this is a political decision by a governor already struggling after the power and water fiasco. LAVANDERA: The way Gov. Abbott rolled out this decision is a revealing window into the political forces at play. Instead of calling a news conference in Austin and taking questions from reporters on the intricacies of how this reopening would roll out, Gov. Abbott announced the reopening of the Texas economy at a restaurant in the West Texas town of Lubbock surrounded by a political friendly crowd. He took no questions. Gov. Abbott faces a difficult political reality. On the left, Democrats have been inspired by big gains at the local level and the surprising performance by Beto O’Rourke in the 2018 Senate race against Ted Cruz. (Although that excitement has been tempered to some extent by Donald Trump’s performance in the 2020 presidential election.) Those big city leaders have pushed for more government-led efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus. And on the right, Gov. Abbott has received a great deal of heat and pushback from the most right-wing, Trump-like elements of the Republican Party in Texas. These are the conservative voices that have opposed the governor’s pandemic restrictions on businesses and lampooned mask wearing. Gov. Abbott finds himself in the middle of those political winds and there is talk that a more conservative figure could challenge him in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. An old Texas progressive activist named Jim Hightower once wrote, “There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.” No politician wants to be the armadillo. What else? We won’t know the toll these restrictions will have on US communities for some time. States are looking at extreme revenue shortfalls, which could affect funding for schools, roads and all sorts of projects for years. The first year of the pandemic was not as devastating on state coffers as expected, probably because of federal aid to businesses and the unemployed. Now Democrats want to keep the spigot of federal money running, although what they can pass through the Senate remains very much in question. Republicans, now in the minority at the federal level, are looking to move on from Covid. Fewer will get checks with Senate bill. Democrats in the Senate and the White House have agreed to a more narrowly targeted set of stimulus checks and will cut out couples making more than $160,000 and individuals making more than $80,000 per year. Those additional families would have gotten partial payments under the House plan. People need health insurance. There have been hundreds of thousands of sign-ups for Obamacare exchanges during a special enrollment period ordered by Biden. Pence was targeted by rioters! But he’s not rejecting the big lie. Pence pushes false election fraud claims in denouncing Democratic reform bill First look — The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2022. Writes CNN’s Simone Pathe: This cycle, only one senator is running for reelection in a state carried by the opposite party’s 2020 presidential candidate: GOP Sen. Ron Johnson. His Wisconsin seat is the third most likely to flip, but the two-term senator is the most vulnerable Republican incumbent. Unsatisfactory — Lawmakers raise concerns over reports of National Guard troops being served ‘raw, moldy food’ at Capitol New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo apologizes again. He had spent a week away from cameras. This is going to be hard to achieve. Biden’s energy secretary vows to ‘leave no worker behind’ in the clean energy revolution Why is the National Guard still camped out at the Capitol? Conspiracy theorists think March 4 is the real Inauguration Day — it was, until the 20th Amendment changed things. There’s chatter online that has authorities concerned. Source link Orbem News #Analysis #Governors #Neanderthal #Politics #Texas #Thinking #What'sbehindTexasgovernor's'Neanderthalthinking'oncoronavirus?-CNNPolitics #Whats

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dipulb3 · 4 years ago

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Analysis: What's behind Texas governor's 'Neanderthal thinking'?

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/analysis-whats-behind-texas-governors-neanderthal-thinking/

Analysis: What's behind Texas governor's 'Neanderthal thinking'?

“I hope everybody’s realized by now, these masks make a difference. We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way in which we’re able to get vaccines in people’s arms,” Biden said when asked about the decisions by Abbott and Reeves.

“The last thing — the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it. It still matters,” Biden told reporters Wednesday in the Oval Office.

What Abbott really meant was: An Abbott spokeswoman clarified Wednesday that the governor was not saying, by ending the mask mandate, that Texans should not wear masks.

“The Governor was clear in telling Texans that COVID hasn’t ended,” his spokeswoman said.

“We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans.”

What medical advice did Abbott get? The truth may be more political maneuvering than Neanderthal thinking, which is more sinister. There are smart people in Texas who know better. The governor just didn’t talk to them. That Abbott, still reeling from the power and water shortages that called his leadership into question last week, reportedly didn’t consult his state’s chief medical officer before ending the mask mandate makes it hard to see the decision as anything but political.

Let their people go. Sen. John Cornyn rejected Biden’s criticism and said Texans are ready to throw off the yoke of government intervention, if mask mandates can be considered onerous.

“At some point, the government needs to quit making arbitrary rules that do not have any demonstrable connection with the public health,” the Texas Republican said.

Dude. Arbitrary? Recent CDC data suggests the most effective masking is double masking, or knotted masking, not optional masking. Here’s their mask guidance. Read it.

The list of people and corporations disagreeing with the end of mask mandates is long.

Don’t leave your mask at home yet. As Appradab Business reports, masks won’t exactly be going away.

“Leading US grocery chains, pharmacies, retailers and auto manufacturers, including Target (TGT), Kroger (KR), CVS (CVS), Walgreens (WBA), Best Buy (BBY), Macy’s (M) JCPenney (JCP), Toyota (TM), GM (GM) and others, say they will continue to require mask wearing at their stores and facilities by both employees and customers.”

“There are exceptions, however, and some business advocates are concerned that the end of these states’ mask mandates will create new challenges for companies and their workers.”

Where is the middle ground?

Opening too soon. While it’s easy to roll your eye at Abbott ending all restrictions and allowing businesses to open at will, it’s also completely legitimate to wonder where the right place is.

Texas will allow all businesses of any type to open 100%. In many other places in the country, any sort of indoor dining and exercise is prohibited.

Taking so long to open. In my neighborhood in Virginia, parents are looking at the possibility of sending their kids to in-person public school for the first time in a year after the governor issued an order requiring schools to open by March 15. Arizona’s governor issued a similar order Wednesday.

The details border on farce. It appears my two elementary schoolers will go to school two days a week, but they’ll be getting virtual instruction there either from teachers not returning in person or teachers in different rooms.

My middle schooler’s teachers are split in half between those returning and those staying virtual. He may get some in-person instruction, but since the school district is hewing strictly to the CDC’s guidance on 6 feet of separation for children, he may be getting instruction from a teacher streaming from a different room in the school.

It won’t be the grand return to school any of the 40% of students who opted for in-person instruction might have envisioned.

Vaccine priorities. Virginia has been vaccinating teachers for weeks, although many in our district are not returning. I was flabbergasted to see Wednesday that Texas announced it would prioritize teachers only after the governor announced the end of restrictions on businesses.

Texas reality vs. Virginia reality. I went to Appradab’s superstar Dallas-based national correspondent Ed Lavandera to ask not only about Abbott’s move, but also what he’s seen in his travels this year. Our conversation is below.

Shifting the burden for safety away from the government

WHAT MATTERS: What’s going to be the practical effect of this order by Gov. Abbott on Texans and Texas businesses?

LAVANDERA: The governor’s executive order ends all the restrictions and operating limits placed on businesses during the coronavirus pandemic starting on Wednesday, March 10.

Gov. Greg Abbott is essentially shifting the burden and responsibility of enforcing medical guidelines over social distancing and mask wearing.

Businesses will now be allowed to operate at full capacity but can still require employees and customers to follow public health safety measures, like mask wearing.

The governor has made clear in the last year that local jurisdictions at the county and city level do not have the authority to issue stricter public health measures, which has caused tension between many city leaders and the governor. However, the latest executive order does say counties can tighten business restrictions, in a limited capacity, if the hospitalization rate reaches a specific threshold. (If the number of Covid-19 patients in a hospital region reaches more than 15% of total capacity for seven straight days, then the restrictions can be implemented.)

A big question mark moving forward is how will the public respond? When Abbott started reopening the state last spring and issued the mask mandate last summer, there was great confusion over enforcement and many businesses were put in a tough place. We’ll be watching closely to see how businesses that choose to require masks will deal with customers who refuse to wear them.

Texas cities vs. red Texas

WHAT MATTERS: The view from here in Washington is that Texas is a state rapidly changing from deep red to purple. Do those changes factor into how Texans have viewed Covid restrictions and mask requirements?

LAVANDERA: The pandemic has exposed the growing divide between the Democratic leadership in the most populated cities in Texas (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin) and the conservative Republican officials fully in control of state government.

Texas is a rapidly growing state that’s seen its population explode to roughly 29 million. The myth is that these new transplants are making the state more liberal, but in my conversations with political observers that’s a questionable theory. It’s not a purple state, yet.

When you drive around the state, as I have extensively for the last year, there is a clear divide in how politics has clouded perceptions of the medical guidelines during this pandemic. Gov. Abbott is leaning heavily into the idea that government should not be telling businesses and people how to do things. That sentiment plays well with a large segment of the population.

The governor said during the reopening announcement that “Texans have mastered the daily habits to avoid getting Covid.” That’s quite a statement in a state that has seen 2.6 million cases and 44,000 deaths. But the governor’s decision has left many local leaders, especially in the state’s biggest cities, dumbfounded by his push to ease pandemic restrictions so soon.

The old rule of Texas politics applied to Covid

WHAT MATTERS: There are reports Abbott didn’t consult all of his medical advisers, which only amplifies the feeling that this is a political decision by a governor already struggling after the power and water fiasco.

LAVANDERA: The way Gov. Abbott rolled out this decision is a revealing window into the political forces at play. Instead of calling a news conference in Austin and taking questions from reporters on the intricacies of how this reopening would roll out, Gov. Abbott announced the reopening of the Texas economy at a restaurant in the West Texas town of Lubbock surrounded by a political friendly crowd. He took no questions.

Gov. Abbott faces a difficult political reality. On the left, Democrats have been inspired by big gains at the local level and the surprising performance by Beto O’Rourke in the 2018 Senate race against Ted Cruz. (Although that excitement has been tempered to some extent by Donald Trump’s performance in the 2020 presidential election.)

Those big city leaders have pushed for more government-led efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus. And on the right, Gov. Abbott has received a great deal of heat and pushback from the most right-wing, Trump-like elements of the Republican Party in Texas. These are the conservative voices that have opposed the governor’s pandemic restrictions on businesses and lampooned mask wearing. Gov. Abbott finds himself in the middle of those political winds and there is talk that a more conservative figure could challenge him in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. An old Texas progressive activist named Jim Hightower once wrote, “There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.” No politician wants to be the armadillo.

What else?

We won’t know the toll these restrictions will have on US communities for some time. States are looking at extreme revenue shortfalls, which could affect funding for schools, roads and all sorts of projects for years.

The first year of the pandemic was not as devastating on state coffers as expected, probably because of federal aid to businesses and the unemployed.

Now Democrats want to keep the spigot of federal money running, although what they can pass through the Senate remains very much in question. Republicans, now in the minority at the federal level, are looking to move on from Covid.

Fewer will get checks with Senate bill. Democrats in the Senate and the White House have agreed to a more narrowly targeted set of stimulus checks and will cut out couples making more than $160,000 and individuals making more than $80,000 per year. Those additional families would have gotten partial payments under the House plan.

People need health insurance. There have been hundreds of thousands of sign-ups for Obamacare exchanges during a special enrollment period ordered by Biden.

Pence was targeted by rioters! But he’s not rejecting the big lie. Pence pushes false election fraud claims in denouncing Democratic reform bill

First look — The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2022. Writes Appradab’s Simone Pathe: This cycle, only one senator is running for reelection in a state carried by the opposite party’s 2020 presidential candidate: GOP Sen. Ron Johnson. His Wisconsin seat is the third most likely to flip, but the two-term senator is the most vulnerable Republican incumbent.

Unsatisfactory — Lawmakers raise concerns over reports of National Guard troops being served ‘raw, moldy food’ at Capitol

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo apologizes again. He had spent a week away from cameras.

This is going to be hard to achieve. Biden’s energy secretary vows to ‘leave no worker behind’ in the clean energy revolution

Why is the National Guard still camped out at the Capitol? Conspiracy theorists think March 4 is the real Inauguration Day — it was, until the 20th Amendment changed things. There’s chatter online that has authorities concerned.

0 notes