#8) some of your friends have a reduced range of emotion and this makes them more stable but less capable of experiencing intense joys

[faaun]

ive talked to a lot of ppl who have taken vyvanse now and i think ik a bit more on how i need to live on it

[tarzantips]

Pregnancy and Self-Care: Prioritizing Your Well-Being

Since being pregnant is an amazing experience that is full of joy and excitement, there are changes and challenges along the way. Expectant mothers need to put their health first by practicing self-care during this exciting time.

Let's cover and discuss easy yet powerful strategies to guarantee a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Pregnancy and Self-Care during Pregnancy

1. Nutrition (Fueling Your Body and Baby)

Good nutrition is the foundation of a healthy pregnancy. Make sure your diet is well-balanced and full of important nutrients, such as protein, calcium, iron, and folic acid.

Within your meals, include a range of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, as well as lean proteins. Regular small meals can help stabilize your energy levels and help you manage your nausea.

2. Hydration (Water for Two)

It is critical to stay hydrated when pregnant. Water supports the increased blood volume, helps digestion, and maintains amniotic fluid levels stable.

Try to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day, and carry a reusable bottle as a reminder to stay hydrated. This is importance of self-care during pregnancy.

3. Regular Exercise (Nurturing Your Body)

Pregnancy and self-care exercise can reduce discomfort, elevate mood, and enhance general well-being. Take part in low-impact exercises like yoga for pregnant women, swimming, or walking.

Before beginning any new fitness routine, speak with your doctor. Pay attention to your body and change the level of difficulty as necessary.

4. Adequate Rest (The Power of Sleep)

It is hard work growing a tiny human, so getting enough sleep is essential. Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.

Create a relaxing sleep environment, stick to a nightly schedule, pregnancy self-care products and think about using pillows to support your evolving body. Good sleep is important for both mental and physical health.

Read: Prenatal Yoga - Benefits for Mom and Baby

5. Stress Management (Finding Calm Amidst Chaos)

Stress is a normal part of pregnancy, and it can cause a wide range of emotions. On the other hand, ongoing anxiety can be harmful to both you and your child.

Use stress-reduction strategies like meditation, deep breathing, or mild exercise. Be in the company of a network of friends and family who are there to support you during pregnancy and self-care at home.

6. Regular Prenatal Check-ups (Partnering with Doctor)

Regular prenatal visits are essential for keeping an eye on the mother's and the unborn child's health. Please keep your appointments, talk to the doctor about any worries, and do as they advise.

Frequent tests help in the early detection and treatment of possible problems.

7. Educate Yourself (Empowerment through Knowledge)

Since knowledge is power, being aware of the changes your body is going through can help you feel less anxious.

Read trustworthy pregnancy books, take prenatal classes, and keep up with birthing procedures. Being informed allows you to make decisions that are best for both your health and your child's health.

How does a man feels when his wife is pregnant?

A man frequently experiences a range of emotions when his wife becomes pregnant. Becoming a parent and looking forward to meeting the baby is exciting. Also, some men may experience a little stress or worry, particularly if it is their first child.

They might want to know how being a father will affect them and how their lives will change in general. A man could also feel required to provide for and take care of his pregnant spouse.

All in all, as the couple starts this new and exciting chapter in their lives together, the emotions can vary from excitement and eagerness to a hint of fear.

Do husbands love their pregnant wives?

Yes, most husbands have a strong love for their pregnant wives. Pregnancy can deepen a couple's emotional connection as they travel through this journey together.

 A feeling of love and connection can be developed by the excitement of bringing a new member of the family into the home and the excitement of becoming parents.

In besides attending prenatal visits and actively helping with the baby's arrival preparations, husbands can show their love for their wives through providing support during pregnancy.

While every person and relationship is different, many husbands discover during pregnancy that they have greater respect for their wives because they understand the courage and stamina needed to carry and raise a child.

more >>>

[mentalhealthmantra]

5 Effective Strategies for Managing Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety can be major roadblocks to success. They can make it difficult to focus on tasks, lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, and even cause physical health problems. Fortunately, there are many effective strategies for managing stress and anxiety that you can incorporate into your daily life. Here are five proven techniques that will help you reduce stress levels:

1) Exercise Regularly: Physical activity is one of the best ways to manage stress because it releases endorphins which improve moods naturally. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise such as walking or jogging - this will help keep your body healthy while also reducing mental tension!

2) Practice Mindfulness Meditation: This type of meditation helps relax both the mind and body by focusing on breathing patterns in order to achieve a state of calmness. It’s easy enough for anyone with little experience in meditation - all you need is 10-15 minutes each day dedicated solely to mindfulness practice!

3) Get Enough Sleep: Lack of sleep has been linked with increased levels of cortisol (the hormone associated with stress). Make sure you get 7-8 hours per night so your brain has time to rest properly before tackling any stressful situations during the day ahead! 

4) Talk To Someone You Trust About Your Stressors: Talking about what’s bothering us often helps put things into perspective – especially if we have someone who cares about us listening closely without judgment or criticism. Whether it's a family member, friend, therapist, etc find someone who understands & supports u & take some time every week to just talk! 

5) Seek Professional Help If Needed: If none of these steps work then don't hesitate to seek professional advice from a psychiatrist in Bhopal. A qualified mental health expert may provide more insight into why certain triggers affect u differently than others & how best to address them going forward!

About the Author:

Dr. Vaibhav Dubey: Your Trusted Choice for the Best Psychiatrist in Bhopal. With a commitment to mental well-being, Dr. Dubey combines extensive experience and compassionate care. As a leading psychiatrist, he specializes in a wide range of mental health issues, offering personalized treatment plans that prioritize your emotional and psychological health. His expertise and dedication make him the go-to choice in Bhopal for that seeking top-tier psychiatric care. Regain control over your life and mental health with Dr. Vaibhav Dubey.

[plannedparenthood]

8 Conversation Tips on the Importance of Sex Education

We each bring our individual sparkle to video gatherings. So, make a commitment to let your advocacy shine during Zooms with friends and family! Support the movement for bodily autonomy by illuminating your next video chat with insights about the state of sex education in America. 

We know — starting a conversation with your family (or with anyone over video) can seem awkward. Don’t worry! We’ve got 8 tips to sail through the convo. 

Tip #1: Get the conversation going in a way that’s welcoming.

If you’re at a virtual hangout, share how important education is to you. Encourage each person to share the topic they believe is essential for young people to learn. 

When the time is right, say something like: “For me, sex education is one of the most important forms of education a young person can have today.”

Tip #2: Take Time for Q&A

Ask the adults: 

“What do you remember about your own sex education?”

“If you received sex education, what would have made it more helpful? 

“If you have kids, how would you like sex education to be taught to them?”

Ask any young people on the call: “Do you have thoughts about or experiences with sex education that you feel comfortable sharing?” 

Ask everyone: “Would you like to hear some facts about sex education and where we are as a country with it?” If people seem engaged, then move to Tip #3.

Tip #3: Explain what sex education is and why it’s important to talk about.

Sex education is more than just putting condoms on bananas. It's even beyond sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention and avoiding unintended pregnancy! Sex education is a foundation for our development as people. 

Sex education helps young people make healthy decisions about their bodies, relationships, and how they express their gender and sexuality — without fear or shame.

Sex education covers a wide range of age-appropriate topics, such as:

Physical dimensions of sexuality, like  puberty, pregnancy, and STIs

Emotional dimensions of sexuality, such as feelings of connection and self-esteem

Identity and sense of self, including gender identity and personal values

Healthy relationships, including platonic relationships, intimate relationships, and dating

Communicating boundaries, including both listening and speaking up

Tip #4: Drop some knowledge about the benefits of and public support for sex education in America.

The benefits: Sex education is proven to increase safer sex and help young people prevent unintended pregnancy. It’s also linked to reducing transphobia, homophobia, and sexual assault.

The support: Public opinion overwhelmingly supports sex education across geographic and political lines. Among parents of middle and high school students, over 80% believe sex education is important for middle schoolers, and 98% believe it's important for high schoolers.

The problem: Too few young people get the sex education they need and deserve.

Tip #5: Explain what’s getting in the way of sex education at the state level.

Almost every state has some guidance on how and when sex education should be taught, but decisions are often left up to individual school districts. 

That means state and local politicians decide whether or not educators can discuss birth control; how educators can talk about LGBTQ+ experiences (if at all); and how much educators must stress abstinence until marriage.

Only 30 states and the District of Columbia mandate sex education. But just because a state mandates sex education doesn’t mean that it’s good or comprehensive! Of the states that mandate sex education, very few have high-quality standards:

Only 20 states and DC require information about contraception.

Just 17 states require what’s taught to be medically accurate.

Merely 11 states require sex education to have LGBTQ+ content and inclusive language.

Tip #6: Explain the problems with abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

Abstinence-only programs:

Focus on deterring students from having sex, often by scare tactics and withholding information

Often blame survivors for their own sexual assaults and ignore the needs of LGBTQ+ teens

Leave a population of sexually active people uninformed and vulnerable

Studies show that abstinence-only programs are ineffective — they don’t decrease STI or unintended pregnancy rates.

Studies also show that abstinence-only programs are harmful — they reinforce damaging gender stereotypes, stigmatize or exclude gender nonconforming people, and violate a basic human right of young people to access accurate health information.

Despite all this, Congress poured $2.1 billion taxpayer dollars into abstinence-only-until-marriage programs between 1996 and 2018.

Tip #7: Say what people can do to help.

Encourage your friends and family to share local and national news about sex education on social media, along with what they may have learned in this conversation. 

You can also encourage people to contact their members of Congress and advocate for sex education, such as by:

Ending federal funding for programs that promote abstinence-only-until-marriage, gender stereotypes, and medically inaccurate information

Supporting initiatives that promote sex education and access to sexual health services for young people — like the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, the Personal Responsibility Education Program, and the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act

Tip #8: Thank everyone for having the conversation with you.

Express heartfelt gratitude for each person who joined in the conversation, and any person who just listened.

Whether the conversation was challenging or a breeze, remember this: It could be a gateway to other meaningful interactions about issues you care about. 

Pat yourself on the back for taking this big step!

[charismaandcashmere]

Energy, not time, is the basis for productivity. Having all the hours in the day won’t help you if you’re exhausted for most of it.

Your habits define your energy levels. If you have good habits, you’ll feel energized and be more resilient to burn out, both physically and mentally. If your habits are misaligned, you can get into a cycle where you feel worse and worse, until your it’s a struggle just to keep up.

Here are nine habits you can work on this year to increase your energy levels.

Habit #1: Go to Sleep Early

Sleep is the foundation of your energy. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll start to underperform.

While some people claim to work best on six or less hours of sleep, research says they’re kidding themselves. Seven to eight hours are pretty much mandatory if you’re going to stay cognitively sharp in the long-run.

For some people the sleep deprivation may have mentally plateaued, meaning they feel slightly tired all day, but they don’t think they’re getting any worse. An interesting experiment showed that sleep deprivation caused continuous declines in mental performance, even though subjects felt like they were holding steady.

Try this: Go to bed by 10pm every night, including weekends, for the next thirty days.

Habit #2: Exercise Every Day

Exercise is a long-term investment in your energy levels. It’s easy to cut in the short-term, but over time you’ll reduce your overall fitness, making it harder to think straight and stay alert throughout the day.

If you struggle to find time for exercise, don’t make going to the gym your prerequisite. Make a habit of doing some pushups or burpees every day throughout the day. These will get your heart pumping and blood moving, and they don’t require setting aside two hours from your already busy schedule.

You can add gym or fitness classes on top of this foundational habit, but this basic investment in exercise will keep you sharp when you can’t make it to the gym.

Try this: Do at least 10 burpees every day from your home.

Habit #3: Twenty-Minute Naps

Napping may feel lazy, but there’s research showing it has a range of cognitive benefits. This is particularly true if you’re doing a lot of learning, since the short burst of sleep can help with memory.

I used to feel guilty taking naps, believing it was a sign of weakness. Now, I think it’s definitely a strength. A short nap can turn you back on for work in the afternoon, when you’d normally be exhausted. Even if you work in an office that doesn’t encourage napping, you can use a slice of your lunch break, to quickly rest.

The key is to learn how to take short naps. Many people take naps which are too long, pushing them into deeper phases of sleep which cause them to feel even groggier when they wake up (although the benefits to even these naps often occur after the initial grogginess wears off). The key is to wake up immediately with your alarm. If you start adding more time, a quick nap can become a long sleep.

Try this: Insert a 20 minute nap after you eat lunch to recuperate your energy for the afternoon.

Habit #4: Do Your Hard Work in the Morning

Aim to get your most important work done in the first four hours of the workday, starting as soon as possible.

The benefits to your energy here are mostly psychological. My energy levels depend a lot on my mood. If I’ve gotten some important work done, my mood is usually good and I feel productive. If I’ve wasted time on emails, meetings, calls or failed to produce something valuable, I’m often frustrated and exhausted entering the second half of the day.

The other reason for this approach is that deep work isn’t always sustainable for the full workday. Better to concentrate it into a specific period than randomly insert it across chunks of time.

Try this: Make the first four hours of your morning a quiet, deep work zone.

Habit #5: Set Your Intention the Day Before

Energy is often about momentum. Start working hard and you’ll overcome procrastination and keep going throughout the day. Start slow and you may end up struggling against your own impulses, wasting the energy on things that aren’t productive.

One way to avoid this is to set a very clear intention of how your day will go, particularly in the beginning, the night before. Visualizing this intention and writing it down into your schedule can make it happen more automatically when you wake up.

Try this: Before you go to bed, write down your plan for the next day and visualize it.

Habit #6: Sell Yourself on Your Goals

Many people simultaneously hold two contradictory beliefs: that other people (marketers) are really good at persuading them to do all sorts of things they wouldn’t do otherwise, but that they themselves have no ability to change their own motivation to do the things they have to do.

The truth is, you need to become the salesperson for your own goals. Not for other people, but for yourself.

Part of that starts with packaging—how you frame your goals and projects can have a huge effect on your motivation. Is this something you have to do? Or an exciting challenge?

Next it comes from refreshing and reminding yourself of your inspirations. Why did you get started down this path? What were you hoping to achieve. Good marketers know to focus the customer on visualizing what they want to drive sales. You can focus yourself on what you want to have the energy to get it done.

Try this: Set aside ten minutes every day to think about what today’s actions are helping you build towards.

Habit #7: Get Better Friends

You may not be able to choose your parents, colleagues or your boss. But you do have some control over the friends in your life.

You know that some friends you leave a conversation with them feeling excited and energized. Others you leave feeling even worse than you did beforehand.

You don’t need to exclude friends who are going through temporarily rough times, but you should consider who you spend your time with when there are people who consistently create one-sided emotional exchanges as the basis for your relationships. Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on sometimes, but some people will expect you to be their permanent shoulder.

Try this: Set a time limit on friends who leave you feeling drained.

Habit #8: Read Better Books

One of the great benefits of reading books isn’t simply to give you ideas and information. Rather it’s to reinforce a mentality that often occurs at a subconcious level. The best books aren’t those that teach you facts, but those that subtly change your entire thinking patterns.

Audio books can be very useful for this, since you can listen to them and re-listen to them on the go every day. A good book for this is one that, when you listen to it, automatically adjusts your thinking onto the things you need to work hard on. Just like a good song can be the background for a particular emotion, a good book can be the background for a particular energy of thinking.

Try this: Always have an audio book that motivates you to work on your goals.

Habit #9: Align Your Life

The last habit isn’t a one-time process, but an ongoing effort to bring the different elements of your life out of conflict and into alignment with one another.

A lot of energy is squandered because the different parts of our lives, both internal and external, are in conflict with each other. That could be the colleague at work who doesn’t want you to get promoted, the friends who make fun of your goals or even the internal fears and assumptions that keep you hesitating.

Spend some time untangling the different conflicts in your life to see how you could resolve them. Sometimes that can be done in the short-term, by making a change. Sometimes, it requires a long-term plan to escape the toxic environment, social circle or belief system that holds you back.

Try this: Sit down for an hour and brainstorm all the things which assist your goals and all the things which hold you back. How could you resolve those tensions?

What habits have you built to give you energy to work hard on the things that matter to you? Share your thoughts in the comments!

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #173: Sherlock Holmes

Yes we’re going out of order, but I have a very good reason for this! ...Well, not really. We were already in the geniuses section, and any excuse to not think about summer while it’s still 40 degrees out is one I’m going to take.

Anyway, today we’re making the man famous for discombobulation, Sherlock Holmes! Track down mysteries, show up everyone else in the party, and kick ass with Baritsu. Easy stuff.

Check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: Chaldea’s other resident genius.

Race and Background

There are some theories about Sherlock’s race, but for simplicity’s sake we’ll call you a Variant Human, giving you +1 Dexterity and Wisdom. You also get Sleight of Hand proficiency for some close-up detective work, and the Keen Mind feat, giving you +1 Wisdom, the ability to always point north, perfect time telling, and the ability to recall anything from the last month in-game, a.k.a. the DM’s nightmare.

You know a lot yourself, but you also know how to build and maintain an archive, so the closest background to match would be the Cloistered Scholar background, giving you proficiency in Nature and Religion. Arcana and history would suit you better, but I’ve got something in mind for that, and good things come to those who wait.

Ability Scores

As you’d probably expect, your Wisdom and Intelligence are pretty freaking high. You are Sherlock Holmes after all. You’re pretty strong, but the reason you’re so scary in a fight is because of your technique, so we’re going with Dexterity here instead. You snort cocaine like it’s going out of style, so your Constitution has to be able to keep up. This does mean your Strength is a bit low, but you’re practically an anime protagonist, there are some things we just can’t get in a balanced build. Finally, dump Charisma. Half the reason you drag Guda along on your cases is to talk people out of thinking you’re the murderer, honestly it’s kind of embarrassing.

Class Levels

1. Rogue 1: You’re a skilled guy, and rogues get skills for days. You get proficiencies in Dexterity and Intelligence saves, as well as four skills- Deception for disguises, and Insight, Investigation, and Perception for cases and clue-catching. You also get Expertise in two skills, doubling their proficiency bonus. Right off the bat I’d suggest Insight and Investigation so you can hopefully get to the bottom of things quickly. Foiling a plan at the last second is thrilling and all, but utterly shutting down a villain is so satisfying.

To help with that, you can use a Sneak Attack once per turn if you’re using a ranged or finesse weapon and either have advantage against a target or a friend within 5′ of them. You also learn Thieves’ Cant, it’s a language that will be especially helpful when you have to navigate the criminal underbelly of a city.

2. Monk 1:None of that was Baritsu though, so we’re bouncing over to monk for some Martial Arts. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength on monk weapons (this does not make them finesse), and spending an action to attack with one also lets you make an unarmed attack as a bonus action. Your unarmed and monk weapon attacks also do at least a 1d4 of damage.

You also get Unarmored Defense, making your AC 10 plus your dexterity modifier plus your wisdom modifier. I don’t care how hot it looks, that corset isn’t armor.

3. Cleric 1: Last multiclass, I swear. Since you can literally make clues appear like magic, we kinda need a bit of magic. Clerics get Spells that they cast and prepare using their Wisdom, which you might have noticed is becoming a pretty important ability for you.

If you want clues, you’ll need knowledge, at least enough to know that the Knowledge domain can help with that. At first level you gain the Blessings of Knowledge, making you proficient in History and Arcana and doubling those proficiencies as well (hey, see what I said about waiting?).

You get three cantrips for joining the clergy, Light gives you some of those cool magnifying spotlights you carry around, Thaumaturgy for some parlor tricks, and Guidance for when you really have to focus.

For first level spells, Command gives you a basic command spell, and Identify teaches you all about the magic affecting an item or creature. Normally that would be more of a research montage, but some times you’re in a hurry. 

As far as actually prepared spells go, anything with “Detect” in the name is a good pick.

4. Rogue 2: Now that we’ve got our spread, let’s build some of these classes up. Second level rogues can make Cunning Actions, Dashing, Disengaging, or Hiding as a bonus action. If you already spent your action rifling through someone’s files and they’re about to burst into the room, you’ll thank me.

5. Rogue 3: There’s really only two possible picks for your subclass, and we’re saving the Mastermind for Moriarty. As an Inquisitive, you have an Ear for Deceit, giving your Insight rolls a minimum of 8 on the die. On top of that, your Eye for Detail lets you make Perception and Investigation checks as a bonus action, further speeding up the process. On top of that, your Insightful Fighting uses your bonus action to make an Insight check versus a creature’s Deception check. On a success, you don’t need advantage to make sneak attacks against that creature for up to a minute. Finally, your Steady Aim uses your bonus action to get advantage on an attack if you don’t move that turn. I’d just use your insightful fighting, but your rival might push you to your limit.

This is a lot of stuff to do on your bonus action, and it’s only going to get worse from here.

6. Monk 2: Back at the school of Baritsu, you gain Ki Points that you can spend to make two unarmed attacks, dodge, disengage, or dash as a bonus action. Doing either of the latter two also doubles your jump distance for the turn. You also gain Unarmored Movement, increasing your movement speed by 10 feet while not wearing armor.

7. Monk 3: We need the most technique in the fewest levels, so that means we’re turning to the Way of the Open Hand once more. Your Open Hand Technique gives extra benefits to your flurry of blows. On each hit, the creature either can’t take reactions for a round, must succeed on a dexterity save or be knocked prone, or must make a strength save or be pushed 15′ away.

You can also Deflect Missiles as your reaction, catching an incoming attack and reducing its damage, possibly sending it back at the enemy if you bring it down to 0.

8. Monk 4: Our first Ability Score Improvement will instead be used to make you Observant, bumping up your Wisdom by 1, giving you +5 to passive perception and investigation, and allowing you to read lips. You can also Slow Fall as a reaction to take less fall damage. Hey, any help to survive the Reichenbach is well appreciated.

9. Rogue 4: Back in rogue now, your second ASI is going towards your Dexterity for stronger and more effective attacks, as well as a higher AC. 17′s pretty good for a corset.

10. Rogue 5: Fifth level rogues get an Uncanny Dodge, allowing you to react to an incoming attack and halve the damage. 

11. Cleric 2: You didn’t think we forgot about this one, did you? Knowledge clerics get two Channel Divinity options each short rest. Turn Undead is your bog standard option, or you can gain the Knowledge of the Ages, spending an action to gain proficiency in one skill or tool for 10 minutes. Protagonist powers, activate!

12. Cleric 3: Third level cleric, second level spells. Suggestion is a more open ended command spell, and Augury is more “telling the future” than deduction. That being said, you do get Calm Emotions to keep your cool, as well as Find Traps, Locate Object, and Zone of Truth. 

13. Rogue 6: You know I’m a sucker for quadrupling things, so for this round of Expertise double up on History and Perception. You’re good at everything, but especially current events.

14. Rogue 7: At this level you get the powerful Evasion feature, turning your failed dexterity saves to avoid damage into successes and successes into no damage at all.

15. Rogue 8: Use this ASI to bump up your Intelligence. It’s a shame we had to wait this long for it, but better late than never.

16. Rogue 9: Your Steady Eye gives you advantage on perception and investigation checks as long as you’re moving at half speed. Unless your DM’s really keen on mapping out rp situations, this is pretty much permanent advantage.

17. Rogue 10: Another ASI, another bump to Intelligence. Does it really do anything? Probably not, but you can feel smug about it regardless.

18. Rogue 11: Your Reliable Talent means you skill rolls are always 10 or greater on checks you’re proficient with. And thanks to your knowledge of the ages, you can be proficient in just about anything.

19. Rogue 12: Use your last ASI to max out your Wisdom for more AC, stronger spells, and more skilled Baritsu.

20. Rogue 13: Your capstone ability is your Unerring Eye, an action to sense illusions, shapechangers, and the like around you. You can sense something’s off, but will have to investigate yourself. You can use this a number of times per long rest equal to your wisdom modifier.

Pros

Your minimum rolls in Insight and Investigation are 27 and 26 respectively, making you an ace detective. Your ability to root out lies, plus your photographic memory, will make any mystery you play through a breeze. (You the player still have to connect the dots, though.) Also, literally being able to see through illusions is a big plus.

Maxed out wisdom also means your open hand techniques are as strong as possible, giving you a good amount of battlefield control to beat down enemies and push them around.

Knowledge of the Ages plus Reliable Talent equals you being really good at everything when you need to be, and you’re much faster a switching things up than Hundred Personas. 

Cons

Since we only splashed into monk, your baritsu isn’t that great an option for damage. It also comes with the caveat that you can’t use your sneak attack unarmed, so you will have to carry the murder weapon around with you.

Despite being a melee fighter, your hp is pretty low, making straight confrontations a bad idea.

We really wanted Unerring Eye, but as a consequence we could only get a couple levels of the other classes. This means your ki points and spell slots are rather limited. But I mean, you’re Sherlock freaking Holmes, you’ll know when you need to use them and when you don’t.

[rpf-bat]

Singing Songs That Make You Slit Your Wrists

Pairing: Frank Iero x Reader

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Written for Gothtober 2020, Day 8: “From Inside”.

Linkin Park invites you, and the other members of My Chemical Romance, to join them on the Projekt Revolution Tour. But, when their song, reduces Frank to tears, you realize that something is wrong. He confides in you, about his heartbreak. 

You sat in the dressing room, at the back of the venue, feeling sweaty and exhausted, but good. You and the guys had played a killer set tonight. The fans had loved it. 

“Where’s Frank?” you asked, sipping on your water bottle. 

“I think he went to go watch Linkin Park’s set,” Ray replied, wiping his face on a towel. 

“Oh, okay,” you nodded. “I might go watch them play, too.” 

Linkin Park were the headliners on this tour, so their set came after yours. They were a really talented band. You were honored that they had asked My Chemical Romance, to open for them. They were really great guys to hang out with, too. 

You left the dressing room, and began walking towards the stage. You found Frank, just behind the curtain. Beyond the back of his head, you could see the band rocking out. They were facing the crowd, so their backs were to you. But, Mike and Chester’s voices, still reverberated off the walls. You could hear, that they were in the middle of a song off their second album - “From The Inside”: 

Trying not to break, but I’m so tired of this deceit

Every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet

All I ever think about is this, all the tiring time between

And how trying to put my trust in you, just takes so much out of me

Take everything from the inside, and throw it all away

‘Cause I swear, for the last time, I won’t trust myself with you

I won’t waste myself on you!

As the instrumentals kicked in, Frank punched the wall. The drywall crumbled under his fist. 

“Hey!” you gasped. “What are you doing?” 

“Y-Y/N?!”

Frank’s head whipped around, when he heard the sound of your voice. When he turned to you, you saw that his face was streaked with tears. 

“Frank?” you blinked. “What’s wrong?”  There’s no way that he’s getting so emotional, just because of the song….

“Nothing’s wrong!” Frank insisted, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “Just...go away!”

“I won’t go away!” you insisted. “You’re not the type, to get all weepy for no reason. Tell me what’s going on.” 

“She deceived me, Y/N.” Frank rambled. “I can’t trust her...all my love was totally wasted on her.” 

“Who are you talking about?” you asked gently, putting a supportive hand on his shoulder. 

“My girlfriend,” Frank explained. “She’s cheating on me.” 

“Oh my god,” you gaped, “are you serious? How do you know?” 

“I...I just found out, tonight,” Frank stammered, beginning to cry again. “I left the dressing room, because I didn’t want you guys to see me like this. But, the song just made me feel even worse….” 

“Sssh, it’s okay,” you soothed him, pulling him into a hug. He buried his head in your shoulder.  “Frankie, you’ve got eyeliner all over your face. Let me take you back to the dressing room, and get you cleaned up, okay?”

“....O-Okay,” Frank sniffled, his voice muffled against your jacket.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

“....Where did the others go?” Frank wondered, as you reentered the back room. 

“I think they said, they were going to go hang out with Mindless Self Indulgence,” you recalled. You grabbed your box of makeup wipes, off the vanity. “Will you come here, please?” 

Frank walked over, and sat on the stool, by the mirror. You grabbed a wipe out of the pack, and gently began to wipe at his face. The black tire tracks were all over his cheeks. How long was he crying, you wondered, before I found him out there?

“I look like shit,” Frank said glumly. “I’m pathetic…”

“You’re not pathetic,” you assured him, wiping the last of the makeup away. “Look - you’re all better now.” 

“Thanks,” Frank sighed. “I’m glad it was you, at least, who caught me crying like a girl, and not Gerard, or Ray.” 

“I doubt that they would have made fun of you for it,” you pointed out. 

“I know they wouldn’t,” Frank shrugged. “But….fuck, Y/N. I’m a mess.” 

You pulled him into another hug, and he just sat there for a second, clinging to you for comfort. He smelled like sweat and cigarette smoke. That shouldn’t have been an attractive combination - but, you found yourself inhaling it deeply.

“....You know my friend Shaun, right?” Frank said, pulling away at last. 

“Yeah,” you nodded. “He’s from the same hometown as you, right?”

“Right,” Frank explained. “So, I got a text from him, right when we came offstage, earlier. He went to the drive-in movie theater, in Newark, tonight, to see the new Halloween remake.”

“And, then what happened?” you asked.

“He looked at the next car over,” Frank went on, “and that’s when he saw her! He sent me a picture.”

Frank fumbled in his pocket, for his cell phone. He flipped it open, and held it up to you, so you could view Shaun’s picture message. The image was grainy, but you could clearly make out the face of Frank’s girlfriend. She was passionately kissing a man in the passenger’s seat. 

“Oh my god!” your eyes widened, as you stared at the evidence. “Who the hell is he?” 

“I don’t know,” Frank said miserably, “but he sure as hell ain’t me.”

“So, she’s macking on some other guy, while you’re away, on tour?!” you realized. “Frank….I’m so sorry….” 

“How could she do this to me?” Frank sobbed. “Why wasn’t I good enough for her?” 

“Hey, hey - you’re good enough,” you assured him, holding him again. “She’s the one, who doesn’t deserve you.” 

Frank jerked away from you, grabbing for his phone again.

“.....Should I call her?” he asked hesitantly. “Should I tell her that I know what she did?” 

“Yeah, I think you should confront her about it directly,” you advised. “I mean, it’s clear as day.” 

“This is the type of conversation that I would prefer to have face to face,” Frank frowned. 

“Yeah, but we won’t be home for another two weeks,” you reminded him. “You can’t just ignore it, until then.”

“The tour was almost over, damnit,” Frank swore. “I….I was really looking forward to seeing her when I got back, and spending more time with her. Now...it’s like, I’m not sure, if I ever want to see her again.”

“Then, tell her that,” you urged him. “I’ll be right here, by your side, okay?”

“Thanks, Y/N,” Frank said softly, taking your hand, as he dialed her number. You gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, as the phone rang. 

“Hi, Frankie!” said an oblivious voice, when she picked up. “How are you, baby?” 

“Don’t baby me,” Frank snapped. “I know what you did!” 

“What are you talking about, sweetie?” the whore asked innocently. 

“Shaun saw you at the movies, you two-timing trash!” Frank scowled. “How….how could you?!”

“Oh, yeah, I went to the movies, with my cousin,” she lied. 

“Oh, really?” Frank scoffed. “You like to stick your tongue in your cousin’s mouth?” 

“Shaun needs to learn that snitches get stitches!” she snapped. “Fine, he ain’t my cousin. But, he didn’t mean anything to me, Frankie, honest. You’re my number one.” 

“If I’m not your one and only, I don’t want to be jack shit to you!” Frank cried. 

“What, so, you’re breaking up with me?” his girlfriend asked. “Come on….please forgive me, baby! I swear it won’t happen again!” 

“Yeah, it will,” Frank said miserably. “People like you never change....I thought I could trust you. But, this is what you do, behind my back?!” 

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t go disappearing, for months at a time, then!” the girlfriend screamed back at him. “A girl’s got needs!” 

“All I need,” Frank growled, “is for you to lose my number - you and I are through!” 

He hurled at the phone at the wall, in a fit of rage. The screen shattered, when it made impact with the cement. 

“Fuck!” Frank cried. “Fuck, I’m so stupid!” 

“It’s okay,” you said quickly, “Screens are easy to fix.  We can probably take it to a repair shop tomorrow, before we get back on the tour bus, and move on to the next city. Or, we could just get you a whole new phone…”

“I don’t care about the phone,” Frank said, sinking to the floor. “Just..leave it.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, already handing it back to him. 

“Yeah, just set it down,” Frank said, putting his head in his hands. “I….I’m stupid, for trusting her. I thought she really loved me.” 

You put the phone on the counter, and sat down beside him. 

“Frank, I’m so sorry that she did this to you,” you said sincerely, putting an arm around him. “You don’t deserve it.”

“What if I do, though?” he said sadly, letting his head slump against your shoulder. “I mean, she’s right. I’m never at home.” 

“She knew what you did for a living, when she decided to date you,” you reminded him. “You’re a musician. You’re going to tour a lot. There’s nothing that you can do about that.” 

“But, when I was home, I was good to her,” Frank sniffled. “I worked so hard, to show her that I cared. When the album went platinum, I even bought her a car.” 

“And she chose to screw some other guy, in the backseat?” you spat, revolted. “She really is a whore, Frank. She was probably just after your money, in the first place.” 

“.....You don’t think she ever loved me, at all?” Frank asked. The thought seemed to make him even more depressed. Tears began to well up in his eyes again. 

“...Fuck,” you swore, realizing you’d inadvertently twisted the knife. “Fuck, Frank, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” 

He started wiping his eyes on his sleeves again. 

“Here,” you offered, pulling a handkerchief from your pocket. “Use this instead.” 

“....Thanks, Y/N,” Frank said, taking it, and blowing his nose. “Thank you for being here for me, for that….breakup call. Fuck….it’s really over…..”

“It is,” you nodded, “But, that’s probably for the best. You don’t want to be, with a person who treats you that way.” 

Without warning. Frank dove into your lap, burying his face into your shirt, as he began to cry harder. You held him tight, and gently stroked his dark hair. 

“.....What if nobody else ever wants me?” he sobbed. “Why aren’t I lovable?”

“You’re lovable,” you whispered into his ear. “Frankie, any girl would be lucky to have you!” 

The truth was, you’d had a crush on him, for the longest time. But, you knew he was already taken, so you’d never acted on these feelings.  You told yourself, you were fine just being friends. Secretly, you’d been so jealous of his girlfriend...but, you thought he was happy with her. You didn’t want to mess that up for him. 

But, tonight, you considered, she messed it up, all on her own. Now..he’s a single man….

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, Y/N,” Frank frowned. “The truth is….I’m nothing special.”

“That’s not true at all!” you insisted. “You’re an amazingly talented guitarist….you’re a kind person, and you’re fun to be around. You’re honest, and loyal, and….and, god, you’re so handsome….” 

“I’m handsome?” Frank repeated. He picked his head up, and looked you in the eyes. 

“Yeah,” you nodded, blushing. “Your hair looks so good, since you started growing it out. And I love the tank top you wore onstage tonight….it shows off the tattoos, on those muscley arms. When you started licking the microphone….I swear to god, I almost dropped my sticks.” 

“Really?” Frank chuckled. It was the first time that you had seen him smile, all evening. “You thought it was sexy?”

“Yeah….,” you breathed. “I think you’re sexy, Frank. I always have. If I had you….I would never dream of kissing anyone else.” 

“Then, have me,” Frank whispered. He leaned in, and closed the distance between you. You tasted the salt, of the tears, on his lips. And yet, the kiss was so sweet. 

You pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, and winding your fingers into his hair. Was this real? 

He pulled away after a moment, gasping for breath. 

“Promise me,” he panted. “Promise me, you’ll never hurt me, like she did. Promise me you’ll always be true.”

“I promise,” you vowed. “Frankie, I’ve wanted you forever….I’ll be yours ‘til the end.”

This was exactly what he needed to hear. He crashed into you again, harder this time. You kissed him, and kissed him, until your lips felt sore. You would show him exactly how loved he was - even if took you all night long.

[latraviesascott]

What kind of dreams (or nightmares) do you think the Avatar characters have? Obviously Aang's got some wild ones and Sokka dreams about food eating people xD but what do you think The rest of the gaang and the Fire Nation kids dream about?

Okay so this is just my opinion but, even if Aang's dreams and nightmares in Season 3 were funny, they all came from the fear of failing that Aang had. So if the dreams/nightmares are influenced by the character's feelings/ insecurities then this is what i imagine each of them would dream about:

Katara- even though the fandom jokes about it a lot, she does mention/talk a lot about her mom in the series, and that is completely understandable considering the fact that she's dealing with that trauma since she was a kid. The North and South comics begin with Katara dreaming of her mom back in the SWT, and the dream was both happy and sad for her. She even woke up feeling nostalgic. Therefore i feel like Katara's more significant dreams consist of memories of her mom , and the good times she had in the water tribe before the Fire Nation altered that forever. Her nightmares could be heavily influenced by the amount of stress she has with being the "mom" of the group. She truly does act motherly with her friends, but it's all because she cares and she's has been doing so with Sokka since she was a kid. The idea of not being able to protect them probably haunts her dreams..

Sokka- i sometimes feel so bad for Sokka. Many people often overlook the fact that he was also a child personally affected by the war. In Season 1 we see that he feels this big responsibility to protect his tribe. After all, he is the oldest "man" left. That's a huge responsibility! He also has this need to prove himself as a warrior to Hakoda. Not only that, in the episode "Sokka's Master" we see that he also has this issue with being a non-bender in a group of powerful benders. This doesn't come from him being selfish, but he feels bad when he sees that he can't help people as much as the rest of the gaang does. So if you add that to his usual easy going, fun personality his dreams could honestly range from silly things like him being eaten by food, and him being awesome with Suki, to more serious nightmares that involve him not being/doing enough to protect those that depend on him.

Toph- out of all of the Ember Island players i feel like Toph's representation is most accurate 😭 that kid is tough as nails. The many statues she makes of herself in both Imbalance and later on in Legend of Korra make me think her dreams mostly consist of her being awesome in super badass scenarios! Or her being MELONLORD!!! Her nightmares however are the complete opposite. In "The Blind Bandit" she says she hasn't had a single friend in the 12 years of her life! like omgg bby let me give you a hug!!! And I thought it was super interesting how vulnerable she looks in the episode "The Avatar and the Firelord" when she asks if its truly possible for friendships to last more than one lifetime. She found more than friendships, she found a family with the gaang. In The Rift, her own father denied knowing her, which proves that family is not defined by blood ties. So letting go/ losing those friendships is a concept that seems to scare her. I feel like this is something she might have nightmares about.

Suki- because Suki is part of the gaang!!! She does have her own group with the Kyoshi warriors, not trying to erase that, but i consider her to be a part of the gaang too! With that being said we really do not know much about this queen, and i am so glad that she's getting her own comic! Hopefully we learn more about her! But from what we know, she began training since she was 8 years old! She is a brave warrior and a great friend. I feel like she takes her job as a Kyoshi warrior super seriously and is honored to be their fearless leader. I imagine that her happy dreams consist of her meeting Kyoshi herself. As for her nightmares, we do not get a lot of her (unfortunately) to really perceive her fears, but if Azula's taunting in "The Day of Black Sun Pt.2" are true, then Suki has been waiting on Sokka to rescue her for some time now. Seeing that time passed must have been hard for her. Her nightmares might have been influenced by her feeling abandoned, or her worry about the other Kyoshi warriors. (Also i love Azula, but Suki probably also dreamed of dragging Azula's big head on the ground.)

Zuko- omggg where do i even begin with this boy?! I feel like the Fire Nation teens are just so angsty! But when one's father burns off half of your face then that's the way it is igs. So I feel like the show was pretty in detail when it came to Zuko's character and his personality. Throughout the show, we see how he sometimes gets this flashbacks whenever he's feeling a specific way or when he's reminded of something. This was seen most in "The Beach". Despite being this angsty, emotional guy he is always remembering his early childhood very fondly despite being part of the most dysfunctional family in the Fire Nation. During his fever, we see his nightmares being this representation of the constant fight between good and evil inside him. Therefore i think this is what Zuko most likely sees when he has nightmares. (It is quite interesting how the "evil" blue dragon in his nightmare seems to represent Azula and the "good" red dragon is Iroh. That kind of made me wonder why Zuko seemed to associate the evil aspect with Azula rather than Ozai🤔). But back to the point. If the flashbacks he has are any indication, then his dreams most likely involve the good times he had with his mother and family during their vacations on ember island. (And because of his trauma, he might also relive the Agni Kai with Ozai in his nightmares.)

Azula- i could write essays on this girl. Her character is just so complex! And literally nothing in this world is gonna convince me that she didn't deserve better. Im gonna try to keep it as short as possible with her because quite honestly i could go on forever. But im having a hard time figuring out what a happy dream might be for Azula. Conquering Ba Sing Se?? Mastering Firebending at a young age?? Oh right she did do that! She wasn't like Zuko, in the way that she could look back on the past and remember it fondly. Quite the opposite actually, she refers to their beach house as "depressing". Then, later on in the bonfire, she treats everyone's emotions and confessions as a "performance". It's quite interesting to think that truly the only one who was trying to perform was her. Everyone else was very honest and open with their insecurities even if they didn't realize it. The fact that she thinks showing emotion is a performance of some sort makes it clear that everything she does is a perfectly put-together performance. Her nightmares could consist that facade falling apart, and her status as the perfect daughter being reduced to nothing along with her many achievements. The difference with Azula is that just as she became everything she dreamed of, she also ended up being everything her nightmares doomed her to be. ( I also have this hc that she dreamt of having a cat with ty lee and just living together at Ember Island after she got help and just lived their happy gay life of wtvvvv)

omggg this post is gonna be super long, but i had so much fun answering this! thank you for that! it was a nice surprise 🥰 i can do ty lee and mai later if you'd like just lmk! im just giving my thumbs a lil rest rn. hope this sorta answered the question😌

[tinyshe]

It's not uncommon in our culture to use the "H" word frequently. We use it to describe our distaste for all things, from food to art and music—and most definitely politics. The line between love and hate, as most of already know, is dangerously thin. Rarely do we feel such compelling emotions for the mediocre. Surely in our mind's cavernous sorting system, the doors for love and hate are adjoining. And while these emotions share an incredibly important common denominator—intense passion—they drive us to do vastly different things. But with that line between the two so thin, is it possible to turn hate into love? Here are a few reasons worthy of giving it a try and some tips on how to do it:

1. Less hate is healthier

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." And he was right on from a health perspective, too. Studies have found being nicer can reduce stress while hate often exacerbates it. Stress is believed to be a huge factor in the development of illnesses ranging from insomnia and digestive disorders to cancer. And decreasing hate supports healthier mental states as well. Healthier bodies and minds make us ripe for healthier relationships, too, which can be rewarding on spiritual and physical levels as well.

2. Less hate could mean a longer life

Author David R. Hamilton, PhD says the brain's production of oxytocin (which happens through emotionally satisfying interactions) can also help to reduce the levels of free radicals and inflammation, which can help to slow aging. He also cites a connection between compassion and the vagus nerve, which controls inflammation in the body. A study conducted on Tibetan Buddhists found kindness and compassion reduced inflammation.

3. Love and kindness make us feel good

When we turn our hatred into love—or at least, kindness—our brain releases chemicals including dopamine, which can improve our mood. According to Hamilton, "On a biochemical level, it is believed that the good feeling we get is due to elevated levels of the brain's natural versions of morphine and heroin, which we know as endogenous opioids. They cause elevated levels of dopamine in the brain, so we get a natural high, often referred to as "Helper's High."

4. Kinder people are more successful

David Brooks wrote for the New York Times that people who are genuinely kind and compassionate are usually the most successful: "In pursuing our self-interested goals, we often have an incentive to repay kindness with kindness, so others will do us favors when we’re in need." And a study published in Psychology Todayfound children who performed acts of kindness "gained an average of 1.5 friends during the four-week period—good support for the idea that “nice guys finish first.”

5. Creativity and kindness go hand-in-hand

While maudlin and depressed may be the more common way we think of great poets, authors, musicians and artists, new research has found a connection between art and kindness. Research conducted by the Centre for the Study of Group Processes at the University of Kent, found that there is potential for the arts to "be at the heart of strengthening our capacity for empathy, friendship, social bonds and concern for others, including future generations."

Turning anger into loving kindness can seem easier said than done. But you can try some of these tips to help you transform hate into love:

1. Be in service

When we help others, we think less about ourselves and those things that frustrate us. And helping others makes us feel better, too.

2. Meditate

Gaining some quiet time for self-reflection can help to shed light on reasons we may be full of hatred and show ways to transmute it. Even just a few minutes a day can help.

3. Think of something (or someone) you love

It's believed that hate and love can't co-exist in your mind, so when you're feeling hatred, try thinking about who or what you love, like a family member, a pet, music, a special place...

4. Be present

Often, our hatred happens when we're in "unconscious" mode. We're letting triggers or memories from the past affect our current actions. By staying in the present moment and observing our feelings, we're more capable of dealing with them properly.

5. Do you really hate it?

Like being unconscious to our actions, a lot of our hatred of things can actually be based on an experience we had a long, long time ago. Maybe it's time to check in and see if you really do hate something as much as you think. I routinely "try" garlic just to be sure I still hate it (and I most definitely do not like it).

6. Find the love in the hate

It's a thin line between the two, right? And as it's often the case in marriages or relationships, we can both love someone and find them extremely irritating at the same time. Can you love the fact that you hate someone or something? Does that change the experience at all?

7. Receive more love

Sometimes our hatred can stem from our own lack of being loved. Spend more time with people who love you or volunteer at an animal shelter or sanctuary where animals easily give you lots of love, and see if that changes your perspective.

8. Evaluate your diet

What we eat profoundly affects every part of our being. Food sensitivities and allergies can certainly impact our moods. So can foods high in processed sugars and flours, as well as caffeine.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

complete article here

[just-antithings]

With regards to something pro-survivors said, I wanted to see for myself just how similar anti-shippers are to a cult. Based on my own observations and experiences, I've used the BITE model to evaluate just how much like a cult anti-shippers really are. Obviously I'm not an expert or anything, but ultimately I think I agree with pro-survivors that there are some qualities about anti-shippers that are cult-like, but it's not a cult at the end of the day. Trigger warnings for mentions of rape, torture, kidnapping, murder, and abuse.

Behavior Control:

1. Regulate individual’s physical reality [No]

2. Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates [Yes]

3. When, how and with whom the member has sex [Unsure]

4. Control types of clothing and hairstyles [No]

5. Regulate diet – food and drink, hunger and/or fasting [No]

6. Manipulation and deprivation of sleep [No]

7. Financial exploitation, manipulation or dependence [No]

8. Restrict leisure, entertainment, vacation time [Yes, entertainment]

9. Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals and/or self indoctrination including the Internet [Yes]

10. Permission required for major decisions [Unsure, maybe sometimes]

11. Rewards and punishments used to modify behaviors, both positive and negative [Yes]

12. Discourage individualism, encourage group-think [Yes]

13. Impose rigid rules and regulations [Yes]

14. Punish disobedience by beating, torture, burning, cutting, rape, or tattooing/branding [No]

15. Threaten harm to family and friends [Yes]

16. Force individual to rape or be raped [No]

17. Encourage and engage in corporal punishment [No]

18. Instill dependency and obedience [Yes]

19. Kidnapping [No]

20. Beating [No]

21. Torture [No]

22. Rape [No]

23. Separation of Families [No]

24. Imprisonment [No]

25. Murder [No]

Information Control:

1. Deception: a. Deliberately withhold information [Yes] b. Distort information to make it more acceptable [Yes] c. Systematically lie to the cult member [Sometimes]

2. Minimize or discourage access to non-cult sources of information, including: a. Internet, TV, radio, books, articles, newspapers, magazines, media [Yes] b. Critical information [Yes] c. Former members [Yes] d. Keep members busy so they don’t have time to think and investigate [Unsure, probably not] e. Control through cell phone with texting, calls, internet tracking [Sometimes]

3. Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs. Insider doctrines a. Ensure that information is not freely accessible [Yes] b. Control information at different levels and missions within group [Maybe] c. Allow only leadership to decide who needs to know what and when [Maybe, there's no real leader]

4. Encourage spying on other members a. Impose a buddy system to monitor and control member [Yes] b. Report deviant thoughts, feelings and actions to leadership [Kind of, there is no leader] c. Ensure that individual behavior is monitored by group [Yes]

5. Extensive use of cult-generated information and propaganda, including: a. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audiotapes, videotapes, YouTube, movies and other media [Yes] b. Misquoting statements or using them out of context from non-cult sources [Yes]

6. Unethical use of confession a. Information about sins used to disrupt and/or dissolve identity boundaries [Sometimes] b. Withholding forgiveness or absolution [Yes] c. Manipulation of memory, possible false memories [No]

Thought Control:

1. Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth a. Adopting the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality [Yes] b. Instill black and white thinking [Yes] c. Decide between good vs. evil [Yes] d. Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders) [Yes]

2. Change person’s name and identity [No]

3. Use of loaded language and clichés which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzz words [Yes]

4. Encourage only ‘good and proper’ thoughts [Yes]

5. Hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking and even to age regress the member [No]

6. Memories are manipulated and false memories are created [No]

7. Teaching thought-stopping techniques which shut down reality testing by stopping negative thoughts and allowing only positive thoughts, including: a. Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking [No] b. Chanting [No] c. Meditating [No] d. Praying [No] e. Speaking in tongues [No] f. Singing or humming [No]

8. Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism [Yes]

9. Forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy allowed [Yes]

10. Labeling alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful [Yes]

11. Instill new “map of reality” [Yes]

Emotional Control:

1. Manipulate and narrow the range of feelings – some emotions and/or needs are deemed as evil, wrong or selfish [Yes]

2. Teach emotion-stopping techniques to block feelings of homesickness, anger, doubt [No]

3. Make the person feel that problems are always their own fault, never the leader’s or the group’s fault [Maybe]

4. Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness, such as: a. Identity guilt [Maybe] b. You are not living up to your potential [No] c. Your family is deficient [Maybe] d. Your past is suspect [Yes] e. Your affiliations are unwise [Yes] f. Your thoughts, feelings, actions are irrelevant or selfish [Yes] g. Social guilt [Yes] f. Historical guilt [No]

5. Instill fear, such as fear of: a. Thinking independently [Yes] b. The outside world [Sometimes] c. Enemies [Yes] d. Losing one’s salvation [Yes] e. Leaving or being shunned by the group [Yes] f. Other’s disapproval [Yes] f. Historical guilt [Not]

6. Extremes of emotional highs and lows – love bombing and praise one moment and then declaring you are horrible sinner [Yes]

7. Ritualistic and sometimes public confession of sins [Sometimes]

8. Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader’s authority [Yes] a. No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group [Sometimes] b. Terrible consequences if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc. [Yes] c. Shunning of those who leave; fear of being rejected by friends and family [Yes] d. Never a legitimate reason to leave; those who leave are weak, undisciplined, unspiritual, worldly, brainwashed by family or counselor, or seduced by money, sex, or rock and roll [Yes] e. Threats of harm to ex-member and family [Yes]

[radbutsafe]

ALL FUCKIN 35 OF THEM SKLNWESDJFPXO

I SHOULDVE EXPECTED THIS FROM YOU

1. From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

A three! I think I’m mid range cause I ain’t terrible but there is still shit I gotta improve and grow in my writing

2. Why do you write fanfiction?

to manifest what canon won’t give me and to write more! (though yes it is mainly about the smooching and the— I’ll stop there LOL)

3. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

Hm! My weird research details? I’m that “fun fact, did you know...” in my fics sometimes LOL! I plan on giving a penthouse for erina in a fic and I went through penthouse listings in Japan for floor layouts and locations💀 my research gives me inspo and depth to stuff I think I lack in comparison to others sometimes.

4. Are there any writers that inspire you?

In terms of fellow fic writers, one of them I can’t name here but she’s an inspiration with her exceptional gift for prose period and her lovely skill at comedy! I want to be as funny as her when I write, I love her ironic situational humor. Other fic writers are @takoyakitenchou, @royaldragonsevgisi15 who I always love sharing ideas with and motivate me to create more! For non-fic writers it would be V.E. Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, Oda, and Horikoshi! The last two may be mangaka, however they are writers as well to create their stories! The depth these creators have given their worlds and interesting characters theyve given life to are all what I aspire to be like!

5. What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

so far uh?? hm everything I’m currently writing are wips lol!! im proud of my wip that has been nicknamed ‘soma panics’ that is a multi-chapter fic that spans like probs 20 plus chapters maybe

6. What element of writing do you find comes easily?

dialogue! it’s so much fun! and character thoughts. I’ve said to people I may be better suited for script writing

7. What element of writing do you struggle with most?

I think it’s description, of like setting and showing action. also an expansion of my vocabulary LOL

8. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write?

erina! I think it’s because canon has shown us many of her different faces and range of emotion.

9. Which character(s) do you find most difficult to write?

SOMA!! chill ass mofo whos more carefree compared to the common shonen protagonist! for other shokugeki characters I’m not sure just yet because I haven’t flexed my fingers enough for the rest of them.

10. What’s your favorite genre to write for?

I guess I should say romance cause that’s what I mostly write LOL!

11. Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

sorina and I try to get them to smooch eventually KEK and yeah it’s..usually romantic fluff lmao

12. Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about.

HONESTLY ALL OF THEM but “soma panics” is my brain child

13. First fandom you ever wrote for?

pretty sure it’s digimon....

14. What’s your favorite fandom to write for?

currently shokugeki no soma!!!!

15. What’s the weirdest fandom you’ve ever written for?

uhhhh I guess SNS? LMAO fandoms...all have their quirks to them.

16. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

characters cuddling!!!! or getting the urge to smooch!!!!

17. A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

unrequited love GOOD FUCKIN BYEEEEEE

18. Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

I have plot ideas thst can be wild potentially but so far nothing fits this criteria so far that I actually have written.

19. Do you prefer canon-compliant, AUs, or something in-between?

depends on the fandom, but if written well, all of it!

20. Gen fic or shippy stuff?

shippy 100% like I said I like smoochin

21. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

romantic is...*drumroll* SORINA! platonic, soutaku and erina and alice!

22. Do you listen to anything while you write?

Sometimes! There are times songs will be on loop and times I just shuffle a playlist. and if I’m writing in random bursts it’ll be with no music but it really does depend lmao I think music is when I’m forcing myself to write?

23. Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?

completely independent ideas, I’ve realized in the past prompts shoot me in the foot often unless I luckily figure something out. but I’m often driven by my own sporadic self interest with shitty ping ponging attention

24. One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

multi-chap I guess cause I can post without being finished LOLLL but tbh can I really answer? I haven’t finished anything.....

25. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

I can’t answer this question imo because I haven’t finished a fic yet so technically stuff could all fit in the one fic?

26. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

MYSTERY AND CRIME! I love the genre and I have plot ideas once a blue moon but I can’t dive in because I want to make details that work and reduce plot holes where suspension of disbelief isn’t as needed. I need to study it more (I need to study all the details for any of my fics imo to be confident sometimes LOL)

27. What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

I don’t think I can say one comment was the nicest because I’ve gotten comments that have given me quite the smiles to my face many times! I know this is a cop out but it’s true!

IS WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY UNTIL REINA SENT ME THE FOLLOWING ON DISCORD LIKE TWENTY MINS AGO:

and also rad. i am never this vocal about my emotions like EVER but this needs to be said your fics are obviously far from perfect, as are mine and everyone else's. but the thing about your works is that they're so well-sanded that it's impossible to find any rough edges or faults in them in terms of cohesion to a plot. your cast is never OOC and the amount of effort you devote to developing your takes on the characters as accurately as possible is unimaginably awe-inspiring.

BITCH I WANNA CRY 😭

28. How well do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?

I’d like to believe I take it often well to try and improve because that’s always my goal. if someone is rude lol that’s not constructive snd is unhelpful. If I disagree with criticism I’ll explain why !

29. Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

Not yet, but I have some plot ideas I think will let me test this.

30. Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

F L U F F.

31. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

elliott fuji, a japanese-american award winning photographer who is erina’s boyfriend in ‘soma panics’ which..causes soma’s panic LOL he’s 30 with slightly wavy black hair. I still haven’t pinpointed his personality just yet...he kind of humble brags for sure an artsy fucker and flirts maybe I’ll make him a lil shy though. he teaches sometimes, and becomes an adjunct photography professor in Tokyo so he can be with erina.

32. Summarize a random fic of yours in 10 words or less.

a cook is unfashionably late in realizing his feelings.

33. Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

I am a slow. so slow. motivation who is she? I also write out of order, unfortunately a bit too often.

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

this should be for the fic ‘soma panics’ it’s either megumi or satoshi talkin to him rn, I’m leaning towards satoshi

“You thought she would always wait for you, didn’t you Soma-kun? To always welcome you home.”

Soma drags his palms down his face and groans. He doesn’t like this at all. He doesn’t shy from confrontation but this is a whole different ballgame. Soma doesn’t play any ball.

“I guess..?” Is his reply, because he thinks he isn’t sure how to answer that.

“You guess?”

Just being questioned again is enough to crack Soma’s pathetic facade as if it was dropped chinaware and he lets out the longest sigh.

“No.”

Coming home means coming home to Nakiri Erina too.

Nakiri Erina is his forever.

this is @takoyakitenchou’s excerpt she’s most proud of that I’ve written, which is also from you guessed it, the long fic soma panics

SOMA: I am, I mean I will be, I swear I will always come home to you, not spend as much time abroad, once I’m done with work I’ll come right back. I’ll make sure to message you. Nakiri, I’m in love you with you. Maybe for a really long time. You know how I say I dedicate my food to you? My dad—my dad said that the key to become a good chef is to find someone to dedicate your cooking to. A special someone. For my dad it was my mom, you know? For me it’s...

(this is a good piece of dialogue tbh so I am also proud of this)

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I’ve mentioned it throughout this but the WIP I’ve nicknamed ‘soma panics’ is something I’m super excited to write, but it’s going on slowly...and almost completely out of order. out of all of my writing it showed off that particular habit of mine, along with “what is this, a shoujo manga?!” though the latter is currently being written chronologically now that I’ve posted chapter one and is pretty solid in direction. it was originally supposed to be a one shot but I got impatient and wanted to post at least something for the sorina / soueri fandom.

however, because ‘soma panics’ (I won’t call it that LOL) is my baby I want to keep true to my rule of refusing to post it until I have a draft of the entire fic finished and I’m satisfied with the main points pretty much. due to my writing out of order, I’m worried I’ll change my mind about scenes or want to reflect things in earlier chapters for later ones etc etc

I joined the SnS fandom extremely late, as season five was airing. I was a fan of the manga five years ago and dropped it because I forgot to check for updates when I caught up 😔 I really want to bang out the different fics and aus for sorina that I have before the fandom fizzles out entirely but tbh I’m writing for myself, I’m manifesting what I want to see and I’ll just share it with all my friends to read if no one else will. cause I’m slow broski I dunno what writing fast even is like LMAO I do really want to write faster though, so I can contribute more and let the words free from the discord dms....

[ivebeenmade]

The BITE model: how cults brainwash people explained

Behavior Control

1. Regulate individual’s physical reality

2. Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates

3. When, how and with whom the member has sex

4. Control types of clothing and hairstyles

5. Regulate diet – food and drink, hunger and/or fasting

6. Manipulation and deprivation of sleep

7. Financial exploitation, manipulation or dependence

8. Restrict leisure, entertainment, vacation time

9. Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals and/or self indoctrination including the Internet

10. Permission required for major decisions

11. Thoughts, feelings, and activities (of self and others) reported to superiors

12. Rewards and punishments used to modify

behaviors, both positive and negative

13. Discourage individualism, encourage group-think

14. Impose rigid rules and regulations

15. Punish disobedience by beating, torture, burning,cutting, rape, or tattooing/branding

16.  Threaten harm to family and friends

17. Force individual to rape or be raped

18. Instill dependency and obedience

II. Information Control

Deception: a.                  Deliberately withhold information b.                  Distort information to make it more acceptable c.                  Systematically lie to the cult member

Minimize or discourage access to non-cult sources of information, including: a.                  Internet, TV, radio, books, articles, newspapers, magazines, other media b.                  Critical information c.                  Former members d.                  Keep members busy so they don’t have time to think and investigate e.                  Control through cell phone with texting, calls, internet tracking

Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs. Insider doctrines a.                  Ensure that information is not freely accessible b.                  Control information at different levels and missions within group c.                  Allow only leadership to decide who needs to know what and when

Encourage spying on other members a.                  Impose a buddy system to monitor and control member b.                  Report deviant thoughts, feelings and actions to leadership c.                  Ensure that individual behavior is monitored by group

Extensive use of cult-generated information and propaganda, including: a.                  Newsletters, magazines, journals, audiotapes, videotapes, YouTube, movies and other media b.                  Misquoting statements or using them out of context from non-cult sources

6. Unethical use of confession a. Information about sins used to disrupt and/or dissolve identity boundaries

b. Withholding forgiveness or absolution

c. Manipulation of memory, possible false memories.

III. Thought Control

1.Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth a.  Adopting the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality

b.  Instill black and white thinking

c.  Decide between good vs. evil

d.  Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders)

2.Change person’s name and identity

3.Use of loaded language and clichés which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzz words

4.Encourage only ‘good and proper’ thoughts

5.Hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking and even to age regress the member

6.Memories are manipulated and false memories are created

7.Teaching thought-stopping techniques which shut down reality testing by stopping negative thoughts and allowing only positive thoughts, including:

a.Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking

b.Chanting

c.Meditating

d.Praying

e.Speaking in tongues

f.Singing or humming

8.Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism

9.Forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy allowed

10.Labeling alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful

IV. Emotional Control

1.Manipulate and narrow the range of feelings – some emotions and/or needs are deemed as evil, wrong or selfish

2.Teach emotion-stopping techniques to block feelings of homesickness, anger, doubt

3.Make the person feel that problems are always their own fault, never the leader’s or the group’s fault

4.Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness, such as

a.Identity guilt

b.You are not living up to your potential

c.Your family is deficient

d.Your past is suspect

e.Your affiliations are unwise

f.Your thoughts, feelings, actions are irrelevant or selfish

g.Social guilt

h.Historical guilt

5.Instill fear, such as fear of:

a.Thinking independently

b.The outside world

c.Enemies

d.Losing one’s salvation

e.Leaving or being shunned by the group

f.Other’s disapproval

6.Extremes of emotional highs and lows – love bombing and praise one moment and then declaring you are horrible sinner

7.Ritualistic and sometimes public confession of sins

8.Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader’s authority

a.No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group

b.Terrible consequences if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc.

c.Shunning of those who leave; fear of being rejected by friends, peers, and family

d.Never a legitimate reason to leave; those who leave are weak, undisciplined, unspiritual, worldly, brainwashed by family or counselor, or seduced by money, sex, or rock and roll

e.Threats of harm to ex-member and family

Methods like this are used by cults, terrorist groups, what some politicians are doing right now...etc

[therokoko]

“A bad attitude on set is deadly” - Interview with Alex Rider Director and Producer Andreas Prochaska 

Andreas Prochaska on adapting the books, casting Otto Farrant and the challenges of releasing the series in times of Corona

Based on a podcast interview with Austrian news outlet Der Standard titled “Schlechte Laune am Set ist tödlich”. I’ve translated the important bits. 

1. How he came in contact with Alex Rider: 

Well, that was relatively simple. I have an agent in England, and he sent me the script for the first episode as well as an outlook, a kind of series bible about how things were going to proceed, and I read this and thought: “This works for me. That’s something completely different.” 

I mean, especially … you mentioned “Das Boot” earlier, which was the production I worked on before, and which was burdensome in every way, I mean not only because of the time it took but also because of the topic, because we killed, I think, 26 characters in “Das Boot”, not counting extras, and of course that has an effect on you. And then I also filmed “Spuren des Bösen” [Traces of Evil, a German 8 part crime series made between 2010 and 2019, A/N), in which a mother jumps out of a window with her baby, and I was looking for something with a lighter tonality, and something which I hadn’t done before in this particular form, and “Alex Rider” was perfect for that.

I also didn’t know the book series at all. I read it completely unbiased and thought: “This is actually a cool, daring concept – so to speak somewhat exaggeratedly Coming-of-Age meets Jason Bourne....

[This job] was a result of “Das Boot” insofar as someone working for the distributor, Sonar, knew someone at Eleventh Hour – and it’s not just over here that people talk, and when someone says “listen, this guy has done a decent job, take a look” or something, that helps, and in this case it’s probable that the people became aware of me through these contacts.

2. How they approached adapting the books:

Well, it already started with the fact that our series is a mixture of the first book of the book series, namely “Stormbreaker”, and “Point Blanc” – I don’t remember right now whether that’s the second or a later book.

In Stormbreaker, the drama of the protagonist is established with the uncle who dies and the realization that this uncle wasn’t who he appeared to be. Stormbreaker had been made into a feature film which was produced by Harvey Weinstein and for which Anthony Horowitz had written the script, and that was pretty much a lead balloon. And because of that it was relatively clear that everything bad that had happened with that feature film needed to be avoided, namely that everything was totally over the top.

And my job was to [adapt] this material, which actually … I started reading the novel afterwards, and I stopped after 20 pages because I realized that that wasn’t helping me because they are actually books for 12 year olds, or at least Point Blanc is – when I read it I thought: “This is an English, better-quality version of the ‘Knickerbocker Gang’ [a German children’s book series about a group of child detectives, A/N] or something like that”. And the task was to just adapt this material for an older audience and to just draw the characters in a different way emotionally, to draw them in a more realistic way. When you look at the entire season it does occasionally reach into almost absurd spheres, but it was important for me to pave the way for the audience by starting out realistically with a protagonist that could just be the boy next door.

3. How he went about filming a spy series:  

Well, the most important thing for me in every story are the characters and to get as close to them as possible. I developed a sympathy for this unwilling hero quite quickly. And, as I said, I tried to make the surroundings as British as possible given my Austrian view of things, and to draw a character that you believe and for whom failure is always a possibility, because I find it incredibly boring when you have these superheroes and you already know that they are never in any real danger.

And this was very important to me also in working with Otto Farrant, who plays Alex, to guide him and direct him in such a way that you get the feeling that it’s possible for things to not turn out well, so that you go on this journey with him emotionally, and as to the rest it is … I don’t approach things mathematically. It’s not as if I feel: “Ok, in minute 10 this particular thing must happen, and in minute 20 this thing must happen.” For me, every story is a journey, and you try to make these journeys as good as possible following your instincts.

Like, for instance, the opening scene. In the script the villain was sitting on a roof manipulating some things on his laptop. And then the thing that happens with the man happens – I don’t want to spoil anything, because it’s actually a pretty nice surprise – and this was only 2 thin pages, and I thought: “Actually, to start this series off in an epic fashion, I’d rather like to introduce another character here, too, to charge this scene as much as possible so that you’re just drawn into this world.” And equally in episode two, that’s so to speak the episode of the test, where he has to pass the test designed to show whether he’s suited for this mission, and the script called for a hut in the woods and a road in which things happen, and I thought: “Ok, if we are dealing with a secret service, the military is not that far off.” And so I told the location scout to look for abandoned military bases, and we ended up on a former nuclear weapons base somewhere in the South of England, which made the producer sweat quite a bit because this was a relatively complex location compared to what had been in the script. But those are the things where I, as a director, can try to create visual appeal for a global audience. The series has been sold to a hundred countries, which comes with certain expectations, and of course you don’t want to disappoint these expectations.

4. On the circumstances of the release and viewer reactions: 

It came out in England in the beginning of June, which is sad, of course, because we had planned to have a premiere celebration at some festival, which wasn’t possible because of the current situation. And so this release on Amazon almost felt a little stepmotherly. So I just refreshed the link on Amazon.uk again and again to see how the people reacted to it, and there were actually many very positive reviews in a relatively short time. I think we are at 4.6 out of 5 stars at the moment, whatever that means, …

There are of course, again, total haters who only give one star and say: “What a bunch of crap.” But the majority of people seem to really like it. So hopefully, or it seems we have managed, at least in England, to … that the fans who read it as children watch it, so to speak, in retrospective joy and that they remember the times in which they read it, and still [feel like the series] adds something new.  

5. On the casting process: 

There was … even before I came on board, they made an England-wide, i.e. Britain-wide casting call. And in England, there are quite a lot of youth theatre projects, which were also contacted. And we received, I think, more than 3000 e-castings, which were screened beforehand. I still saw about 200 e-castings, and then this number was reduced bit by bit. In the end there were 3 people left in the room, one boy was from Game of Thrones, another one was very young – barely over 16, which would have been difficult -, and then, to be honest, there was only Otto. On the one hand, that was surprising because you think that there are loads of great actors in England, that it would be difficult to find the right hero, but in the end it was just very clear. It was an interesting casting situation: there was Anthony Horowitz, then there were the two executive producers from Eleventh Hour, then there was Wayne Garvey from Sony International Co-Productions, and also a casting agent from Sony America, and they all sat behind me like an assembly, and I just took the camera and worked with the actors and just tried to ignore the audience – I also felt like I was being cast again as well in my work with the actors, but … it was, yeah, it was very interesting and exciting.

I virtually grilled him for hours, tried again and again to draw the different scenes in different temperatures and with different emotions out of him, just to see what his range is and how much I would be able to work with him later on in terms of fine-tuning. Because carrying 8 episodes is an extreme challenge for a young actor, and it doesn’t help me if the boy is just dashing and then he carries only half an episode and then breaks apart. That is why it was so important to really test him thoroughly, also in combination with Brenock, who plays his best friend - we tried different combinations – and with Ronke, who plays his confidante in the household, just to try and find the right chemistry. And that was a very exciting and very satisfying process. What was really great was, when he had those three, there wasn’t any discussion anymore at all, we all agreed – I mean it would have been equally possible for Anthony to favour someone else or for Sony to like somebody else better, but it was really incredibly harmonious and unanimous.

6: On what made Otto Farrant stand out: 

Well, it was his perseverance. I mean, really, we had one scene which we really tried in 10 or 15 variations, and every time I felt that he understood where I wanted to go. To direct often means to change the temperature of a scene using only short adjectives, and for that you need someone who understands you and who can also implement that. And I just saw that he doesn’t give up that he really has stamina, and that was essentially – apart from the fact that he really comes across as incredibly natural and likeable – the deciding factor for me in the end.

7: On the responsibility of making Alex Rider and the first weeks on set: 

Well, I mean the … Alex Rider is, I mean to English fans, a promise like James Bond, on a different level. And you need someone who – and of course you need that with every film and with every series – you need an actor who touches the people emotionally, to whom they can connect. That is, of course, something you can’t … beforehand … I mean, of course you can, as we did, try everything out during the casting process, but you only know whether it really works out after a week of shooting.

And I really – especially in the first 3-4 weeks, in which I was still searching, too – I mean with every production you start on the first day of shooting and you want to throw away all the material you shot on the first day right away and start over on the next day – but he was searching, I was searching, and in a way I became – it sounds a little exaggerated right now – I became a little bit of a surrogate father during that time, because I noticed that he needed a certain type of attention and a certain security that only I as the director could give him. That is, he could come to me with every problem and with every decision concerning the character, and that worked out really well …

8. On the challenge of “carrying” a series as a lead: 

As for the “carrying”: on the one hand he has to, so to speak, function technically, i.e. he must be able to, so to speak, deliver every scene, i.e. to know the dialog, to have the right energy, and do that over the course of months - now, luckily, Otto is 21; I don’t think that would have worked with a 16 year old. And that meant that while we were shooting Otto had to read the other four scripts, which were still being written while we were shooting, and he had to comment on them and to learn them by heart, and the transition was seamless. I had to interrupt my shooting schedule for two weeks because we had a location that was only available at a specific time, and so I left the set and flew to Austria to start the cutting process, and on the next day the other director came in and just kept working with him. That means Otto had to adapt to the other director, and that’s a challenge for every actor, but especially for a young actor. ...

I [as a director] could only keep it together up to a certain point in time, until my episodes where done shooting. [...] And of course, when the lead actor is in a bad mood when he comes to the set in the morning, that is at least as bad as when I come to the set in a bad mood. That emanates in all directions. So the strength of character of someone, who also knows … I mean, he doesn’t know yet about the power he may have in the second or third season, when he maybe becomes executive producer or I don’t know … but [it’s important] that you, as a human being, just treat everyone with respect in such an environment.

Source: Der Standard AT 

[drethanramslay]

Chapter 1

Pairing: Cassian X MC (for this chapter)

Warning: Light swearing and check out this post to know how we are gonna go about this mini series 😊

Word count: 3K

Taglist: @choices-love-affair @miyakokurono @openheart12 @trappedinfandoms @noboundariesplease @nooruleman @madampugzalot @sekizincimektup @dailydoseofchoices @choicesfanaf @choiceskaavya @junggoku @flyawayboo @whatchique @vampiregirlsblog (let me know if you want to added or removed from the taglist 😊)

Songs: Heartless by The Weeknd

I love parties.

What is not to love? The free buffet of food, drinks and woman can make a guy’s day. I had got off work and was hella tired but, at the same time, I was in a celebratory mood. I had just returned from the Caribbean, finishing another WITSEC case, with the witness returned to his family. The reunion was so emotional and the mom made me sit down and eat with them.

There was so much love there and it made me feel like an outsider. I’m still unfamiliar with ‘love’ as a concept. Be it, familial or romantic. It’s foreign to me.

My mom died from a robbery gone wrong when I was just 8 years. My dad raised me after my mom died. He used to be so busy and I think I know why. He was grieving and he threw himself into work so that it could reduce the burden on his heart. But, he didn’t make me feel neglected. He loved me and I often used to think of him as a superhero. The Sunday’s where we would play ball in the park are one of the many good memories I have of him.

He passed away when I was 13 years and it was the worst phase in my life. I don’t know why, but nobody was ready to adopt me or foster me so I was thrown into an orphanage.

It was hell on earth.

The kids there were so primal and aggressive. Regular fights would break out and I swear they were so crazy that it seemed like one of the kids would die. I had to sleep with an eye open all the time.

It was a very dingy and dark place. Water supply and living accommodation sucked. But at least, the school I went to was good. At the age of 15, I swore to study so hard that I could get out of the country.

I mean, Kenmare had its pretty sites and wonderful views but when it’s dark, all the monsters come out.

I got into the army as soon as I graduated high school. It wasn’t much but at least I didn’t have to go to bed with an empty stomach. I started saving up money by doing odd jobs so that I could collect enough to get into a university in the States.

So, I slogged my ass and got a scholarship to Boston University. I packed my bags and never looked back at my fucked up childhood. I worked on re-inventing me. I was no longer the scrawny and scared 16 year old, but I was the 20 year old heart throb, Cassian Keane.

I always wanted to get into law enforcement. Think of it like a tribute to my mom. I don’t remember much but I can remember some memories. Like how she loved baking and singing songs as she worked in the house. I do remember that she loved me so much.

But, the one thing I’ve learnt is that, you should learn from the past but not hold on to it. I wouldn’t have ever moved on if I kept on crying about how life treated me.

Just shove it in a safe and don’t open it.

As the lift soared to the terrace level I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head of all the thoughts running in my head.

The lift dinged and I opened my eyes.

Show time, Keane.

——————————————————————————————————–

It was a high profile party. I did see a couple of actors and CEO’s of various companies. They were all chatting animatedly and drinking expensive champagne in crystal flutes.

A band was playing lively music which could be heard through the speakers and the entire terrace was decorated with fairy lights. I was on the 60th floor and I could clearly see the sun glinting over the the bay, making the water sparkle and glimmer.

In short the area was sophisticated as fuck.

And I couldn’t help but feel out of place. I usually play off all my discomfort with my nonchalance but still no matter how much I pretend, I know that this is not my scene.

I took the overpriced whiskey which the waiters were serving and my eyes roamed around the party, observing the people, the place and the closest exit. It had become like a second nature. Observe, map the area and stay alert.

As my eyes wandered, it locked on to the most gorgeous blue eyes I had ever seen in my life. She was standing there chatting with a friend. Her luscious shiny brown locks fell over her shoulder as she laughed at something the other person said.

She was wearing a red number, which fit her like a second skin, making all the curves prominent. She had a great ass, not gonna lie. And her skin… It was caramel in colour and under the setting sun, she looked exotic.

In short one of the most beautiful creatures God had made on this earth. I just couldn’t take my eyes off her.

I could see the friend leaning in to tell something to her and at that moment her cerulean eyes met mine.

And it seemed like the world stopped.

People disappeared until it was just me and her.

She gave a confident smile and I swear my heart dropped.

She headed inside and I followed her, like a sailor to a siren.

It wasn’t really hard to find her among the crowd near the bar. Almost all eyes were on her, stunned by her sphere of prettiness. You really needed to be blind to ignore such a beauty.

By the time I reached her, I could hear the sleazeball of a bartender shamelessly hitting on her. The jealousy that I felt made me uneasy but, I shrugged it off.

What would I know about that anyway?

I saw the discomfort and the scowl on her face. She was struggling to keep him at bay so I decided to step in.

I mean, who doesn’t love a knight in the shining armor?

Smoothly cutting in, I spoke in a playful voice, “Did I hear that right? The barkeep’s giving away drinks for a kiss? Sounds like something the whole bar would want to know.”

The barkeep’s face turned red. “It’s not an open invitation.” He replied curtly.

“Or a welcome one for that matter.” The beautiful woman responded, her eyes swirling with anger.

“Then it’s only fair her drink should be free of cost to make up for the..” I leaned forward on my elbows and gave him a chilling stare. “…inconvenience.”

Grumbling he gave me the drinks and went back to his work. I turned to look at her, and gave her lopsided grin.

“You know, I don’t need saving.” She said as she leaned on the bar. I knew that she was going to say that.

I lifted my hands in fake surrender. “I just came here to get a free drink.” I had perfected the art of flirtation and with a little smoldering gaze,any woman could fall for me.

She giggled and took the glass from me, her fingers tracing the ridges if my knuckles.

“I must say, you’ve got great taste in uisce beatha. Most people around here think Irish whiskey is something they put in their coffee.” I said as I took a sip of the smokey whiskey.

“Thanks, I know. That’s why I ordered it.”

I chuckled lowly and shook my head at her feisty nature. She was something, all right. Clinking my glass to hers, I said, “Slainte. Here’s to you knowing exactly what you like.”

She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and looked at me and I swear, it felt like she could see through my soul.

“It makes things much more efficient. There’s no point in wasting time when you know what you want.”

With that, she waved a waiter over and took a honeyed cream puff off their appetizer tray, grabbing a second to hold out to me.

“For example, I love sweet things.”

Smirking, I took the puff on a napkin and pulled it towards me. “Thanks. It seems you live in the right place. Though I’d prefer some hole in the wall fish n’ chips over the fancy stuff any day.”

And that’s the truth. The amount of money spent on this overrated cream puff could get me some delicious take out and cheap beer.

She bit into the pastry slowly, letting the tiniest bit of cream coat her lips before you suck your bottom lip to remove it. My eyes flickering on to the luscious red lips which were teasing me and slowly arousing me.

God, I want to bite that lip.

“I prefer finding the best of the best. The challenge makes it more enjoyable.” She gave a catty smile.

She is one vixen.

“Sounds like I could learn a lot from you.” I spoke in a husky voice and I saw her eyes dilate.

“Maybe. But right now I was hoping you’d tell me your name.” She asked, as she twirled her finger around the rim of her glass.

“Cassian. What’s yours?”

“Adira.” Her name just rolled out of your mouth like honey.

“That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful lady.” I took her hand and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. I heard the sharp intake of her breath.

She is so responsive… Wonder how would she responds when I have her naked underneath me…

“Well, Adira… it was lovely to meet you. I’ll let you get back to enjoying the rest of your night.”

I wasn’t actually going to vanish but, gotta keep the ladies wanting more.

But what she did next, surprised me.

She snaked an arm out, and slid her dainty fingers through one of my belt loops, using it to pull me closer to her. I raised an eyebrow and she just smirked.

“Not so fast. I’m not letting you go without a dance.”

Giving her my signature lopsided smile I help my hand out to her. “I’m starting to get the feeling that I couldn’t refuse you anything. Lead the way, Adira.”

——————————————————————————————————–

The phone rang at an ungodly hour and I groaned.

I reached all around and finally found it amidst the tangled sheet. The bed was empty and it wasn’t much of a surprise but it kinda made me crave her.

She was amazing and the sex we had was mind blowing. I think she is the first person to step a foot inside my house. And she definitely was the first person to whom I submitted.

There were so many 'firsts’ last night and that just made me wonder if that was the end of our story.

Maybe I might drop a text…

“Yup?”

“Hey Keane. We have a new case for you. How long will you be here in?” Tomas spoke into the phone.

“Is there coffee and donuts from 'Dunkin Donuts’?” I said as I sat up, rubbing my eyes and eyeing the alarm clock on the bedside table.

4:45 am.

“Obviously Cassian. What do you think I am? An immature?"I swear, I could hear Tomas roll his eyes through the phone.

Smiling, I headed to the washroom to get on with my morning chores.

"I’ll be there in ten.”

——————————————————————————————————–

I got my steaming hot cup of coffee and poured two spoons of sugar in them before stirring.

“What you got there, Marshall Keane?” A bright eyed police officer eyed my cup. “Is it Irish coffee?”

I threw my head back and laughed at the stereotype. “It’s black coffee. Rookie, just because I’m Irish doesn’t mean I am every stereotype you have seen in your life.”  I patted his back and headed towards my office.

It was definitely an upgrade from my cramped up desk. I could sit back and kick up my legs without anyone saying anything. I had my space and I could relax without anyone, figuratively and literally, breathing down my neck.

And I could see it in Tomas’s eyes, the itch to promote me. My back to back successes in the recent cases and the huge underground drug bust I led, it was no surprise. I just knew that he would give me a promotion and I honestly, could not wait.

I loved my job and took it very seriously.

I found Tomas standing in, through the window and I entered. “Good morning, sir. What’s up?” I asked as I leaned against my desk.

“Well, we found a person who witnessed the murder of Sean Kelly by the O'Connell’s.” He said as he turned towards me, face grave.

“Shit. Is the witness okay?” I said as I picked up the file he had kept on my table.

“Yeah… I made Miss Lockhart familiar with the gravity of the situation. She is going into WITSEC and this is your case. This witness could help us in cracking the case wide open and we can finally arrest Killian and Maeve.” As he stepped out of the office and I fell in step with him.

I opened the case file and found what all they had got on the redheads. It wasn’t much but it was a start.

“Your witness is in my office and you are the lead in this case. You both will be shifting to Nantucket for the summer until the heat dies down here and we can get enough evidence. Then, we will get her to testify.” We turned and walked down the hallway to his office and I saw Nwosu grumbling in his office.

“What’s up Nwosu’s ass?” I asked with an amused grin.

“That would be the witness. She cussed him out in front of the entire precinct. She is a feisty one, I’ll give you that. I will just check upon the living accommodation for the two of you.” Tomas said as he headed in the opposite direction. I chuckled as I knocked on the door.

“Miss Lockhart. This is US Marshall Keane. I will be working your case with Tomas.”

As she opened the door to his office the smile that was playing on my lips died down when I saw my witness.

It was Adira.

“Cassian? You are a US Marshall?” She exclaimed.

I immediately shut the door behind me and she looked as if she had seen a ghost.

“Shit. Adira I thought I would never see you again… Are you okay?” I asked.

“Y-yeah.. I just changed into the clothes they gave me and I- I dyed my hair platinum blonde.” She said as she consciously ran her hand through the silky short locks.

“You look magnificent.” I smiled at her, as I took in the floral dress and the new hairdo.

“And you look hot in that uniform. You almost make me wish I had stayed back for a round two.”

Crossing my arms, I leaned against the wall. “I was hoping you would have stayed back for much more.”

A pretty blush dusted her cheeks. She looked up through her eyelashes. “Your mouth is nothing but trouble, Cassian Keane.”

I was going to respond but the phone rang, breaking us from our reverie. I ran my hand through my hair, and patted the man bun, trying to get my cool together.

“Okay Adira. I have been assigned lead on your case. It’s my chance at a huge promotion. Tomas is my supervisor and if he found out we knew each other…”

Adira’s eyes widened. “He would take you off the case?!”

“Yeah. If we were involved in any way, I’d be considered compromised. And who knows when I’d get another shot at this.” I have her my best puppy eyes expression, hoping that she understood where I was coming from.

“I know this is a lot to ask but, can you keep our history a secret?”

Her eyes turned cold and suddenly it looked like I was looking at a different person. “I don’t think it will be that easy.”

My eyes widened. The hell?

“You purposefully hid the truth from me and now you want to act as if what we had was nothing? Don’t you think it seems a little too convenient from my view?”

“Adira- Fuck it was everything to me but your life and my job is on the line! Can’t you understand?” I said.

She rolled her eyes as she looked down on her manicure, bored. “Fine. I will believe you. I will keep your secret, but you owe me.”

Tomas entered the office with a cheerful grin. “Everything good? Did you both get acquainted with each other?”

With glimmering blue eyes she sent a smile towards Tomas’s direction. “Yeah.. Feels like I have known him for a long time.”

A startled choking noise emerged from me, which I quickly covered up with a cough.

And at that point, all I could think of was, how truly fucked I was.

How the hell am i going to survive this summer?

hello hello we back at it again😎

the first two to three chapters will be similar to what pb put up so that we can get a feel of the premise

like, comment and reblog:))

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #129: Artoria Pendragon (Archer)

Today on Fate and Phantasms, our fun in the sun continues as we make yet another Artoria Pendragon. Geez, we’re over 100 builds in and they just keep coming. How many of you are there?

...Wow that’s a lot of clones.

Anyway, Artoria’s known for two things- the existential horror of existing in over a dozen places simultaneously, and now, her skill with water guns. I choose to believe those are connected somehow.

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: Summer lovin’, happened so fast!

Race and Background

Again, there’s nothing new here. You’re a Human, giving you +1 to all stats. You’re also a Knight, getting History and Persuasion proficiencies.

Ability Scores

Your Charisma was already pretty strong, and thanks to Summer helping you chill out a bit it’s only gotten stronger. Instead of focusing on Strength, your mana bursts now empower you Dexterity for greater speed and avoiding other player’s shots. You’ll also need some Wisdom to spot enemies lying in wait. Your Constitution hasn’t been changed much by your class change, but your Strength did take a hit as did your Intelligence. It’s Summer, the one time you don’t have to worry too much.

Class Levels

1. Sorcerer 1: Thanks to your ranged weapon specialization this time around, being a paladin is completely useless for us! The good news though is that we can finally take a moment to appreciate your Draconic Bloodline. As the descendent of a white dragon, you get abilities related to Cold damage later on. You also double your proficiency in charisma checks against dragons. Your Draconic Resilience makes your sorcerer hit dice slightly less terrible, and you get a permanent mage armor effect, making your AC 13 plus your dexterity modifier.

On top of that, you get proficiency in Constitution and Charisma saves, as well as two sorcerer skills- Intimidation and Religion. You can really put the fear of god into people.

You also get Spells you can cast using your Charisma. Grab Frostbite, Shape Water, and Ray of Frost for the opening salvo, Light so you can still make your sword all cool and glowy without God helping out, Expeditious Retreat for a bit of speed, and Charm Person because there aren’t that many first level spells I really like for you.

2. Warlock 1: You wouldn’t be King Arthur without Merlin hanging on like a hair in a biscuit, so let’s spend this time to make you a Archfey warlock again. This gives you a Fey Presence that lets you force Wisdom saves on creatures in a 10 foot cube (DC 8 + proficiency + dexterity modifier) or they become frightened/charmed by you for a round once per short rest. You are the king of the britons wielding a deadly weapon, but you’re also in a bikini, so either one works here.

You also get Pact Magic, another spell list that also uses your Charisma to cast. This spell slot doesn’t mix with your other spells, so just use the normal spell tables to figure out how many you have.

You get Friends for more charisma shenanigans, Eldritch Blast for a quick and easy water gun (it’s force instead of cold, but that just means you’re blasting them really hard). For first level spells, Armor of Agathys ensures you get water all over the place when you’re hit. I told you to put a towel down before you sat in the car, but noooo... You also get a Healing Elixir to create a healing potion. Nobody will judge you if you take a sip out of your water gun. Actually I just saw its color, everyone will judge you. But it’s still healing.

3. Warlock 2: Second level warlocks get some Eldritch Invocations to customize your squirting experience. Lance of Lethargy makes your Eldritch Blasts slow down enemies when they hit once per turn by making their socks a bit squishier. Most people would call it rude to attack someone with a squirt gun when they’re clearly not ready, but you call it strategy. Like usual, we’re saving the other one for level 3.

You also get Protection from Evil and Good, because even if you’re not a paladin officially, you still gotta get some of the holy flavor in there.

4. Warlock 3: You’ve probably figured it out already, but your pact boon is the Pact of the Blade, allowing you to create a magical melee weapon as an action. Thanks to your Improved Pact Weapon, you can also make it a crossbow, if you really want an actual water gun. Regardless of its form it gets +1 to attacks and damage. You’re limited to two-handed crossbows though, so you won’t be able to dual-wield a gun and sword like in your NP.

You can also cast Calm Emotions, to cool down your allies and enemies alike with a little playful water. Don’t mix this up with your killing people water, that’s an easy mistake to make.

5. Sorcerer 2: Second level sorcerers are a Font of Magic giving you a number of sorcery points equal to your sorcerer level each long rest. Right now you can use them to recharge spell slots, or vice versa. This gets more interesting next level.

You can also cast Magic Missile now! it might not be cold damage, but it is very accurate.

6. Sorcerer 3: Third level sorcerers can use their sorcery points for Metamagic, adding extra effects to their spells. Right now you get two options, Distant Spell doubles the range of spells that involve attack rolls, making your water guns fire on par with most bows. Empowered Spell allows you to re-roll damage dice on your spell for some extra pumps before firing. Both of these cost 1 point.

You also learn how to fire a little wildly thanks to Snilloc’s Snowball Storm, launching cold damage in a 5 foot radius, dealing full damage to creatures who fail a dexterity save (DC 8+proficiency+charisma) or half as much if they succeed.

7. Sorcerer 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to round up your Dexterity and Constitution scores for better weapon attacks, a higher AC, and more health and concentration.

Your next cantrip is Blade Ward in case you miss raging, and you can cast Alter Self to give yourself a swim speed and water breathing. There’s other uses, but you can just ignore these.

8. Warlock 4: You get another ASI right away, so use this to become an Elemental Adept. Your spells now ignore resistance to cold damage, and all dice rolled for damage count as at least 2. Your water blitz skills grow by the day.

You can also Create Bonfire for a cookout after the match, or take a Misty Step for some extra speed.

9. Warlock 5: Fifth level warlocks get third level spells, and Spirit Shroud will allow you to add extra cold damage to your closeup attacks, and make your surroundings a bit more slippery for enemies.

You also get the invocation Eldritch Smite. Just because you aren’t a paladin doesn’t mean you can’t hit like one.

10. Sorcerer 5: Your Magical Guidance lets you spend a sorcery point to re-roll a failed ability check, because being a protagonist means never having to say “I got a nat 1.”

You can also cast Water Walk at this level to walk on water. This is more in-character than alter self, use this instead.

11. Sorcerer 6: You now have an Elemental Affinity for cold damage, adding your charisma modifier to cold damage caused by spells. When you deal damage with such a spell, you can also spend a sorcery point to gain resistance to cold damage. You’re probably the only person in the party in a bathing suit, water shouldn’t be an issue for you.

You can also cast Haste now for even more extra speed and eldritch blasts.

12. Sorcerer 7: Seventh level sorcerers get fourth level spells such as Stoneskin. We’re not spending levels on barbarian this build either, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out.

13. Sorcerer 8: Use this ASI to bump up your Charisma for stronger and more damaging spells. You also get Watery Sphere this level. I don’t have a way to flavor this as a watergun technique, but there’s only so many cold spells so we can’t be picky.

14. Warlock 6: As a sixth level feylock you speed up a lot thanks to your Misty Escape. As a reaction to taking damage, you can turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet away, once per short rest.

You can also cast Blink to become fast enough to be completely unhittable. At the end of each turn, you’ll have a 50/50 shot of vanishing into the ethereal plane. You’ll pop back in at the start of your next turn, or if the spell ends.

15. Warlock 7: Your final spell is the fourth level Elemental Bane, forcing a constitution save on a target creature. If they fail, the first time they take cold damage each turn they take extra damage as well, and lose resistance to the damage type. (It also works on other types of damage, but... come on.) You also have a Thirsting Blade, allowing you to attack twice with your pact weapon each turn.

16. Sorcerer 9: At ninth level your aim starts getting really wonky, turning your watergun into a Cone of Cold. It’s a cone, it’s cold. It forces a constitution save.

17. Sorcerer 10: With another metamagic option you get Twinned Spell, allowing for double the blasts at once.

If you really wanted to, you could cast True Strike. Or you could do something productive with your turn and go with Far Step, giving you teleportation as a bonus action each turn the spell stays up.

18. Sorcerer 11: Your sixth level spell gives you the nicest bikini magic can make, the Investiture of Ice. This outfit makes you Immune to Cold damage and resistant to fire damage, causes the area around you to become difficult terrain, and you can create cold blasts as an action, dealing cold damage and further reducing the speed of anything that gets caught in it and fails a constitution save.

19. Sorcerer 12: Last ASI, bump up your Dexterity. More AC, better weapon fighting, yadda yadda.

20. Sorcerer 13: Your capstone level nets you a seventh level spell, Plane Shift. I’m not entirely sure where that place you do your noble phantasm is located, but I’d bet the elemental plane of water will make a great substitute.

Pros:

Sorcerers are good blasters, and you show that off nicely. With haste and a quickened spell you can fire off three supercharged cantrips per round, or the powerful eldritch blast. Or, you can use other spells like Spirit Shroud or Elemental Bane to push your spell damage even higher.

Thanks to all that ice and water you’re sporting you’re great at slowing down creatures, controlling the tide of battle by controlling the tide.

Compounding on that, you’re pretty mobile thanks to those teleportation spells to pop you around the battlefield, making you a real nuisance to pin down.

Cons:

All three of those pros mostly rely on concentration spells, meaning you’ll have to pick which one you’re good at at any one time. You also run the risk of wasting spell slots by dropping them since we spent all your ASIs on feats and attack stats instead of constitution.

We got a lot out of multiclassing into warlock, but we also lost a lot, especially in regards to sorcery points. It’s a good thing you’re good a blasting, because you’re not good at extended fights.

If you could focus on either your sword or your water gun, you’d have a much easier time squeezing yourself into 20 levels. You dual wield though, so we have to split our attention.

[lacecannon5]

Popularized Anxiety Condition In Adults.

Just How To Raise Depression Promptly And Securely.

Content

Support Web Links.

Might I Be Used Social Care Support?

Other Forms Of Therapy.

Chatting Treatments For Stress And Anxiety.

You may be assuming 'what a charming day' and also you could rejoice. Additionally, you could be assuming 'I want my partner was right here' and also feel depressing as a consequence. If you are rejoicing you may take a walk around the lake with a close friend as well as treat yourself to an ice-cream. If you are really feeling depressing and low you might leave the park and also go residence feeling upset with yourself. To find an exclusive, qualified as well as totally certified CBT therapist, browse through British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies. For lots of people it has actually been located to be a lot more handy than any various other kind of treatment, consisting of antidepressants. As soon as we approve that, we can learn to find these adverse ideas as they develop and after that obstacle as well as rethink them.

The Vicious Cycle type will aid you practice - document at the very least one circumstance everyday for the following few days. se the Self Assistance mp3 downloads to enhance treatment or as a stand-alone strategy. Generally, better degrees of cognitive impairment may make it harder to involve with CBT, nevertheless, it might be feasible to tailor CBT according to an individual's degree of functioning. Among the important things that I have actually been working with is establishing surveys that will certainly help us to comprehend which kind of CBT a specific individual living with mental deterioration may be most able to involve with. Like the remainder of the population, CBT is likely to benefit some individuals with mental deterioration and also not for others. Discover the signs as well as root causes of stress and anxiety, as well as possible methods to treat it for a person who is living with dementia. Envision that you are resting on a. bench in a park, you can listen to ducks quacking as well as water lapping in a nearby lake.

Assistance Links.

Effective conclusion of the training should gear up people to accomplish the abilities called for when checking out coming to be an independent CBT professionals. Our centers include a mock ambulance, which pupils can use as part of their studies, to aid replicate the person journey. This offers pupils the chance to discover in situations that mirror real life situations. An acclaimed college, we are committed to offering our students with the very best feasible experience. We remain to buy both our centers and also our cutting-edge technique to education and learning. Our trainees benefit from industry-relevant mentor, and also resources and support made to assist them be successful.

CBT can be delivered in correctional as well as area setups and is made use of for both adults and also young people. Admission to this course goes through satisfying wellness clearance, Disclosure and Preventing Solution checks and an effective meeting.

Might I Be Used Social Treatment Support?

Training visit are calculated on the basis of what it sets you back to educate each training course and also we go for complete economic openness. According to the National Wellness Service constitution we utilize a values-based recruitment approach in seeking candidates with the suitable worths to sustain efficient team working in delivering superb patient treatment. Demonstrate a capability to adapt CBT sensitively, and also to guarantee equitable gain access to for individuals from diverse societies as well as with different values. Practise as a 'scientist expert', progressing your understanding as well as understanding and creating new skills to a high degree. Take individual duty for professional choice making in uncomplicated and a lot more complex circumstances. The PgDip program is modular, supplied on a full time basis, as well as is supplied via a mix of college attendance, professional positioning activity, scientific guidance, and also access to on the internet discovering products.

Can you do CBT on yourself?

Many studies have found that self-directed CBT can be very effective. Two reviews that each included over 30 studies (see references below) found that self-help treatment significantly reduced both anxiety and depression, especially when the treatments used CBT techniques.

EU nationals need to have stayed in the UK and Islands for the 5 years before the beginning of their program. The function of that five year residency must not have actually been mainly for the function of getting full time education. EU nationals have to have lived in the European Economic Location or Switzerland for the 3 years prior to the beginning of their program. The purpose of that 3 year residency should not have been primarily for the purpose of getting full-time education and learning. EU nationals and also their relative beginning in the 2019/20 school year continue to be eligible for the exact same fees as house trainees and the exact same financial backing. Financial backing originates from Student Money England, as well as covers undergrad as well as postgraduate study for the duration of their program, providing they fulfill the residency demand. We satisfaction ourselves on offering affordable tuition charges which we evaluate on a yearly basis and provide a variety of scholarships to support students with their researches.

Various Other Types Of Therapy.

By approving your offer of an area and signing up with us, a Student Contract will be created in between you as well as the University.A duplicate of the 19/20 Agreement can be discovered below. The Agreement details your rights and the responsibilities you will be bound by during your time as a student and also consists of the obligations that the College will owe to you. You must check out the Contract before you accept a deal of a location as well as prior to you enlist at the University.

These array from our contemporary library and also computing centers to dedicated professions suggestions and also our remarkable Trainees' Union tasks. If you want a basic intro, without coursework or official analysis, consider our 8-day 'Intro to CBT' course (usually run 2-3 times each year). A brand-new openly offered video on how to deliver CBT for OCD utilizing remote working consisting of an introduction of formulation, theory AB as well as behavioural experiments. Postgraduate Certification in Cognitive Behavioural StudiesThis program aims to furnish researchers as well as professionals with knowledge of the versions as well as theories made use of in CBT therapy and also guidance. In training sessions, emphasis is placed on monitoring of CBT at work as well as on experiential discovering with participation in role-play and also various other useful workouts.

Several of our previous grads from our program have achieved success in gaining posts as CBT specialists in both primary and also second treatment services in the NHS, as well as third industry organisations. Some previous grads of this training course have actually also efficiently advanced to tackling managerial functions, monitoring posts and also teaching/training duties. On effective conclusion of this course this honor ought to give trainees with a strong foundation in cognitive-behavioural psychiatric therapy, as well as a chance to attempt and get a duty within the feld of mental.

CTB looks for to identify and afterwards change these adverse thought patterns for the better.

She has actually collaborated with clients throughout the life-span and also from a series of backgrounds, collaborating with common mental health problems such as anxiety and anxiousness.

CBT changed completely free of charge took a look at it and aided me approve what had actually occurred, not feel that it was my fault or anything like that-- that I wasn't as poor as I believed I was."

During CBT sessions, clients are taught to exercise alternative thought patterns that reduce adverse emotional consequences as well as their going along with self-destructive behaviors.

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be as reliable as drug in dealing with some mental health and wellness problemsand it can certainly work for a large range of individuals with a wide variety of different problems.

Regrettably, much of these individuals are not fully aware of these believed patterns and also beliefs that fuel their harmful behaviors and bad psychological standing.

The course begins with a four-day training block adhered to by one full day per week over 2 terms. Professor Tom Buchanan bears in mind Professor Angus Hawkins, a historian of modern-day British national politics, the Victorian celebration system and also constitutional modification.