#Also i want to learn how to identify all the bird calls

[hellohoihey]

have i talked about my love for spring yet

[shrubsparrow]

hey! I really loved your bird, art tutorial! This might seem a little specific, but do you perhaps have any advice for drawing a mourning dove, specifically the head? I have really loved these guys!

Hello, and thank you! I ended up getting inspired by this question, because when I googled some reference photos of morning doves, I discovered that there is a wikiHow article called "How to identify a mourning dove". And the illustrations in it are, ummmm....

This is really rough. The text was written by an ornithologist, but it barely helps because it feels like the illustrator has never drawn a bird before this. Doves and pigeons usually have a very distinct body and head shape, and based on this image, I couldn't even tell this was supposed to be a dove of any kind, much less a mourning dove. So I thought that we could learn by looking at what went wrong here!

(Keep in mind that I'm only being this critical of these illustrations because they are attached to an article that's supposed to help you identify a mourning dove, and they do not help in this matter.)

There are multiple issues here, so let's address the general ones first. The legs are too straight for a dove, and also so far back in the body that this bird would end up falling on its face. The feathers are very strange and almost look like fur. And I don't know how they missed the most distinct feature of a mourning dove, which is the long pin-tail. Here is a quick redline to make it actually resemble a dove!

You can probably see that the head has the most issues. The head is what gives doves and pigeons a very characteristic silhouette, so let's focus on that in more detail!

You can compare the head of a mourning dove to something like the head of a thrush to see what makes it distinctly dove-like!

Doves and pigeons also have quite a bit of body mass, but their head stays small, so the head looks comparatively small to the body.

Some more tips for drawing the head!

Like in that wikiHow article, I sometimes see people draw doves with too much curvature in the beak. Doves and pigeons have a relatively thin and short beak, and it curves less than you think!

That's all I have for now. I wanted to keep it kind of general so you can use the same advice for other doves and pigeons too. I hope this was helpful!

[mopopshop]

On and Off the Court

based on this request <-

words: 3.7k

summary: You've just been accepted for a sports medicine internship at the University of Connecticut, joining your best friend Sue Bird. As you meet Diana, you're quickly warned about her romantic habits. Will this warning be enough to keep you away?

made an OC for this one, hope you guys enjoy and lmk how we’re feeling about the DT stuff and if I should keep making it 🙏🏾

as always my requests are open so send me anything you guys want to see, please enjoy!!💕

UConn Campus: 2002

Securing the internship at UConn had been a long shot, but you had never been one to back down from a challenge. The application process had been rigorous—endless forms, letters of recommendation, and a nerve-wracking interview. But when the call came through, informing you that you’d been selected as an athletic trainer intern for one of the most prestigious women’s basketball programs in the country, you knew it was all worth it. 

Sue was right there with you too, she’d already been attending UConn two years prior to your application but she was the one who encouraged you apply in the first place. She knew your love for sports medicine and what’s greater than having your best friend study that at your school? 

You first met Sue Bird during a summer basketball camp, you’d dabbled in the physical sport before deciding on sports med. She was the cooler older girl who’d taken you under her wing and from then on you were inseparable and the rest is history.  

Sue had been the one to drive you on campus for your first day, she helped you move into your dorm and now she was showing you around the UConn practice facility. 

As you walk beside her, she points out players, giving you a quick rundown of who’s who. And then she mentions, almost casually, "And that’s Diana. Lemme introduce you real quick."

Your eyes follow her gesture to see Diana, tan freckled skin and a slick back curled bun, who's shooting three-pointers with an ease that defies logic. There's an intensity to her that draws you in immediately.

"Aye, D! Meet the new intern," Sue calls out. Diana pauses, her gaze shifting towards you. She walks over, her confidence apparent in every step.

"Hey, I’m Diana," she says, extending her hand. You shake it, feeling a jolt of something you can't quite identify.

"Yeah! I’ve heard a lot about you, I’m Nora" you manage to say, your voice steady despite your racing heart.

She gives you a once over, nodding and biting her lip lightly “Nora, that’s a pretty name”

You flush and go to respond but Sue quickly cuts you off, clearing her throat.

“Alright! Um we’re gonna… I’m gonna show her around the rest of the place.” she makes an awkward thumb gesture, pointing down a hallway and quickly ushers you away, not even giving Diana a chance to respond. 

“Do you think D’s hot?” She blurts out once you get to one of the med rooms.

“Huh?!”

She groans, rubbing a hand over her face “ D’s… she’s like- well she’s..”

“Spit it out Sue” you shove her lightly 

“She like-  she sleeps around! I don’t know, I just got vibes that she thinks you’re cute and as your self appointed big sister and very best friend I don’t need her breaking your heart”

“You got all that from a three-second conversation??”

“Well no- but also yes, look.. all I’m saying is I know my teammates and I absolutely know you, as much as I love D don’t fall for her lesbian flirty tactic thingys”

“Lesbian.. flirty… tactic… thingys…”

“Yes!”

“Sue you sound crazy but sure”

—————————

Your next few weeks at UConn are chill as you settle into your role, finding a rhythm in the fast-paced environment. You spend your days taping ankles, stretching out sore muscles, and learning from your mentors.

Even after what Sue said about Diana you can’t help but be attracted to her and honestly you feel that Diana reciprocates your feelings. These past few weeks you and Diana have only gotten closer, first it started with talking during practice, then getting food together after practice, and eventually hanging out at each other’s dorms.

One evening, Sue invites you to your first college party, eager to show you the social side of university life. You’re excited but also nervous, partly because you don’t know what to expect and partly because you can’t stop thinking about Diana. Despite Sue’s warnings, you can’t shake the feeling that there’s something real between you and Diana, something more than just casual flirting.

The party is at a popular off-campus house, and as soon as you walk in, you’re hit by the loud music and the sight of students milling about, drinks in hand. Sue is quickly pulled into a conversation with some friends, leaving you to navigate the crowded room on your own.

You grab a drink and wander around, trying to blend in and relax. Just when you’re starting to enjoy yourself, you spot Diana across the room. Your heart skips a beat as you watch her laughing and talking animatedly with another girl, her arm casually draped over the girl’s shoulders.

You tell yourself not to overreact. After all, it’s a party, and Diana is allowed to talk to whoever she wants. You start heading in her direction, hoping to get her attention but as you walk, Diana leans in and kisses the girl, a deep, lingering kiss that leaves no room for misinterpretation.

Your stomach drops, and you feel a cold wave of disappointment wash over you. Sue’s words echo in your mind, reminding you of Diana’s reputation. You turn away, trying to focus on anything but the scene unfolding before you, but it’s no use. The image is burned into your mind.

Feeling a mix of hurt and foolishness, you decide to leave. You make your way to the door, hoping to escape unnoticed. Just as you step outside into the cool night air, you hear Sue calling your name.

“Nora! Hey, what’s wrong?” She asks, her voice laces with concern.

“Nothing, nothing! Um.. just feeling kinda nauseous, I’m gonna head back but you have fun ‘mkay?” you reach up, giving her a hug “Thanks for bringing me, I’ll see you at the gym tomorrow” you spit out before rushing to your car.

—————————

After the party, you do everything in your power to avoid Diana, shrugging away from her flirtatious touches, opting to eat lunch with Sue instead, and finding any excuse to keep her from coming back to your dorm. 

One night after practice, you find yourself in the training room alone, organizing supplies. The door swings open, Diana walks in, and your heart sinks, you still have feelings for her despite everything and being alone with her doesn’t make you feel any better. 

“ ‘Sup, Nora,” she greets, her voice dripping with playful charm as if she’s completely oblivious to the change in your dynamic over the past few days. 

You force a smile, trying to keep up appearances despite the turmoil inside. "Hey, D"

She saunters over, her movements fluid and confident. "Just thought I'd swing by and see how you're doing. You've been kind of distant lately."

You swallow hard, struggling to find the right words. "Yeah, just busy with work and stuff."

Diana raises an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "Is that all it is? Because it feels like there's something else going on."

You avert your gaze, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm fine, Diana. Really."

But she doesn't seem convinced, and you can feel her studying you intently. "Nora, whatever it is, you can talk to me. I'm here for you."

Her words stir something inside you, a flicker of longing mixed with frustration. How can she act so caring and yet be the cause of so much pain?

"I don't think that's such a good idea," you murmur, your voice barely above a whisper.

Diana takes a step closer, her presence overwhelming. "Why not?"

You finally look up, and your breath catches at the intensity in her eyes. She’s so close now, you can see every detail of her face, every freckle, and the way her lips curl into a slight, confident smile. The air between you is charged with tension, and you can’t help but feel drawn to her.

“I…”

You’re standing so close now, mere centimeters apart. You can feel her breath on your skin, and it’s intoxicating. Your body leans in almost of its own accord, the pull towards her undeniable. You can see the same desire reflected in her eyes, and for a moment, you think you might actually kiss her.

But then images of Diana and that girl at the party flicker into your mind. You take a shaky step back, breaking the magnetic pull between you. “I.. I don’t know, I’ve gotta get back” you laugh awkwardly, trying to play it off and rush towards the door “Um I’ll catch you at practice tomorrow!” and with that you go, leaving Diana standing in the training room alone and  confused. 

—————————

The next day at practice, the atmosphere between you and Diana is noticeably tense. You arrive early, as usual, to help set up and assist with stretches. You’ve managed to avoid telling Sue about this whole Diana debacle, trying to keep from her lectures.

As the team files in, you focus intently on your tasks, hoping to avoid any awkward interactions. But it’s impossible to ignore the magnetic presence of Diana as she walks into the gym, her eyes immediately seeking you out.

You try to act natural, going through your routine with the players. When it’s Diana’s turn, you lead her to the training room as she takes her place on the mat, and you approach with professional detachment, though your heart is pounding.

“Morning,” she says, her tone casual but her eyes betraying a hint of something more.

“Morning,” you reply, keeping your focus on the task at hand. “Let’s get started.”

As you begin to help her stretch, the proximity brings back the memory of the previous evening. Your hands brush against her skin, sending electric sparks up your arms. Diana doesn’t make it easy, her body language and occasional lingering looks making it clear she hasn’t forgotten either.

“You know,” she says quietly, “I’ve been thinking about last night.”

You swallow hard, trying to maintain your composure. “ D, we shouldn’t talk about this here”

She chuckles softly, a sound that makes your stomach flutter. “Maybe not. But we can’t ignore it forever.”

You don’t respond, focusing instead on finishing the stretch. But when you look up, her face is inches from yours, her eyes dark with intent.

“Nora,” she murmurs, her voice low and intimate. “I don’t know what’s going on between us, but I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Your breath catches in your throat, her proximity overwhelming. “Diana, we can’t—”

But before you can finish, she leans in, her lips brushing against yours in a soft, tentative kiss. It’s like a spark igniting, setting your senses on fire. For a moment, you forget everything—the warnings, the doubts, the pain. There’s only Diana, and the undeniable pull between you.

But just as quickly as it began, the moment is shattered as coach’s voice booms across the gym, down the hall, and into the training room, breaking the spell.

“Alright, everyone, get your asses up let’s get started!”

Diana pulls away, her expression unreadable. You’re left standing there as she runs back to the main practice area, heart racing, trying to make sense of what just happened. 

As practice continues, you struggle to focus, the memory of Diana’s lips on yours distracting you at every turn. It’s like a whirlwind of emotions, pulling you in all directions at once.

After practice, you find yourself alone in the training room once again, sorting through equipment as you try to process everything that’s happened. You’re still reeling from the kiss, unsure of what it means or where things will go from here.

Just then, the door swings open, and Diana walks in, her expression determined.

“Nora,” she says, her voice soft but resolute. “We need to talk.”

You suck in a sharp breath “D I have to go I’m-“

“No, Nora you keep running and we need to talk”

“Diana…”

“Just five minutes, please” 

Diana's voice is pleading, and you can see the sincerity in her eyes. Despite your reluctance, you can't deny her request. You nod silently, gesturing for her to take a seat as you settle into a chair opposite her.

For a moment, there's silence between you, the tension palpable in the air. Diana fidgets with her hands, her gaze fixed on the floor as if searching for the right words.

Finally, she looks up, meeting your eyes with a mixture of vulnerability and determination. 

“I’m just confused about what’s going on between us? I mean, your first few weeks here we were inseparable and then you do a 180° on me and pretend like I don’t exist? And then- then we almost kiss and then we do kiss I’m just.. I’m confused on who you feel here.” 

“You’re confused? Imagine how I fucking feel D, you flirt with me and call me pretty and take me out to eat and sleepover at my dorm and—all this other shit but turn around and kiss another girl? And on top of that you tell me you can’t stop thinking about me, It’s frustrating like just be honest” you rant, letting all your feelings from the past few months voice themselves.

Diana sits there sort of silent and you continue “Even fucking Sue warned me that’d this what happen! And I didn’t listen when I know I should’ve, it would’ve saved me all this confusion” you huff.

“Nora I…” 

Diana's voice trails off, and she runs a hand through her hair, clearly struggling to find the right words. She takes a deep breath and starts again, her eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that makes your heart race.

“Nora, I didn’t realize how much I was messing with your head. I’ve never felt like this before, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I was scared,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Scared of what?” you ask, your tone softer now but still edged with frustration.

“Of this,” Diana gestures between the two of you, “Of us, of how strong my feelings are for you. It’s easier to flirt and mess around than to face how real this is. That kiss at the party… it was a mistake. I was trying to convince myself that what we have wasn’t real, that it was all just in my head. But I can’t keep lying to myself, and I can’t keep hurting you.”

Her confession leaves you speechless for a moment, the sincerity in her words cutting through the fog of your emotions. You take a deep breath, trying to process everything she’s said.

Diana reaches out, taking your hand in hers. Her touch is gentle, but there's a desperate urgency in her grip. "Nora, I'm so so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I have to just please forgive me” 

You take a deep breath, glancing down at your intertwined fingers and feeling the weight of her words. Part of you wants to hold onto the hurt, to protect yourself from getting hurt again. But another part of you recognizes the sincerity in her eyes, the genuine remorse in her voice.

"D," you start, your voice trembling slightly, "I need to know that you won't hurt me like this again. If we're going to move forward, I need to trust you."

She nods fervently, her eyes shining with determination. "I promise, I swear on fucking everything, I promise."

A small smile tugs at your lips, the vulnerability in her words melting some of the walls you've built up. "Okay, but this has to be different. No more games, no more mixed signals. I need you to be honest with me."

"I will," she promises, her voice steady. "I want to make this work, Nora. Let me start with asking you on a proper date m. No more hiding, no more confusion. Just you and me."

You feel a flicker of hope in your chest, a warmth spreading through you at her words. "A proper date, huh?"

Diana grins, her usual confident demeanor peeking through. "Yeah, a proper date.“

You stand there silently, watching her sweat a little at your lack of response.

“So? You gonna ask me?”

“Wha- I thought I just did?” genuine confusion paints her face.

 “I’m waiting…..” you sing song, smiling

She rolls her eyes at your sarcasm, scoffing then takes both of your hands in hers “Nora Evans, will you please do me the honor of sharing a meal with me, outside of the facility, in a romantic setting, preferably under $40”

You chuckle nodding before glancing down at her lips. She leans in, her eyes sparkling with relief and excitement, and presses a soft, lingering kiss to your lips. When she pulls back, you can see the sincerity in her gaze, the promise of something real and honest.

—————————

Over the next few days, you and Diana take the first steps into your new relationship. It's a gradual process, filled with small, meaningful gestures—a shared laugh, a lingering touch, a whispered promise. The awkward tension that once filled the training room is replaced by a quiet, mutual understanding.

One afternoon, you both decide it's time to tell Sue. You've been dreading this moment, knowing how protective Sue can be. But it feels right, and you want your best friend to be a part of this.

You catch Sue in the dining hall, finishing up a study session. She looks up as you and Diana approach, a curious smile on her face.

"Hey, you two," she greets, her eyes flicking between you with an all-too-knowing look. "What's up?"

You glance at Diana, who nods encouragingly. Taking a deep breath, you start, "Sue, there's something we need to tell you."

Sue raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Oh? This sounds serious."

You exchange a nervous look with Diana, then take a step forward. "Well, Diana and I... we're kind of seeing each other now."

For a moment, Sue just blinks at you, her expression unreadable before she groans, smacking her hand on the table “Dammit, I owe Tamika $20 bucks”

You and Diana burst into laughter “What? You were betting on us?”

“She knew the second I told you not to date DT you were gonna do it anyways, shit” she sighs “I guess I’m happy for you though” she says jokingly.

“Oh whatever, Sue” you laugh

She looks up at Diana “If you hurt my best friend, just know I’ve got something in store for your ass”

Diana raises her hands in mock surrender, a playful glint in her eyes. "Got it, Bird. No need to send out a hit squad."

Sue narrows her eyes, leaning in for dramatic effect. "I'm serious. I've got connections."

You can't help but burst into more laughter at the exaggerated threat. Sue joins in, pulling both you and Diana into a tight, affectionate hug.

"Honestly, I'm happy for you guys," Sue says sincerely, giving you a squeeze. "Just be good to each other, alright?"

You nod, feeling a warmth spread through you. "We will, Sue. Promise."

———

lmk how you feel about this everyone! i kinda struggled writing it but in the end i like how it turned out

[itsafablefolks]

Some things about the frames in No Longer You!

Spoiler warning for the finale!

The first frame of Haley and the last frame of Sherb are different stylistically than the rest of the frames. The majority are in ‘prophecy-land’, which is inspired by a tapestry but it’s really to signify that this is not physically happening. Everyone in prophecy-land is silhouetted, and has one thing/color to help signify who they are. The exception for this is the wack, which is in color, because the wack isn’t something that’s supposed to be there/not from the world of Fable.

Song of past romance: Momboo! They were dating in s1, so she’s there. I chose her pink flowers in her hair. I knew I wanted something pink, and those made the most sense to me and tie into her being Lady of The World.

Sacrifice of Man: Jamie! When Icarus went and (tried to) kill Jamie, it felt the most like a sacrifice. It was the first time that Icarus went out, on their own, to deliberately hurt someone. I chose Jamie’s vines to be the color here, because they feel distinctive.

Portrayals of betrayal: coworkers! I really like this frame. Ari and Ven both betrayed the Grove to work for Fable, and then ended up betraying Fable at the end. And even though they didn’t betray Icarus specifically, he was still alone at the end. Originally, I was planning on using blue for these two because they’re both blue characters, but then it was too much. So I used yellow, which worked for a smaller area and also it’s Fable’s color.

Brothers final stand: This is Rae. This stream is called Brother’s Final Stand. I chose to do Rae’s horns, because they’re something that signify his connection to the End, and they are a distinguishing feature.

On the brink of death: Icarus is dying! And Centross is here. I wanted to include Centross in this, and this frame made that work! He’s got his scar across the eye, because I wanted to do something purple and doing all his scars would not have worked. Icarus has their eyeblood, because that’s how you can identify them. Shoutout to Abby amiactuallydoingthis for helping me figure out how this pose works- they needed to have a clear silhouette and Centross had to be catching Ic, but we needed to see Icarus’ chest.

Draw your final breath: Icarus falling, thinking they’re about to die. We can see the wack, and their wings are shut.

Man who gets to make it home alive, but it’s no longer: Icarixus!!!! Icarixus isn’t the same as Icarus- because at time of singing, Icarus has Sherbert’s eye in their head and is not fully Icarus, while Icarixus has both eyes back. Also, Icarixus has learned so many things- not to trust Fable, about the worlds and the Sherbversions, about how the wack works and how they can help and hurt the other worlds. And they do get to make it home alive, after a bit. They get their glowy bird ears!

You: Icarus not in prophecy-land, but we see the tapestry falling behind them. Their eyes are colored, but nothing else is. Apart from the wack, this is the only time someone gets two colors, and I think that’s fun.

Thanks for reading! I thought a lot about what I put into these frames, so I wanted to share it somewhere.

If you want, check out all of my Fable animatics.

[hiddenhearthwitch]

do u have any tips/advice on how to identify and separate intrusive thoughts vs anxiety vs coincidence vs ‘this a fucking sign from the gods PAY ATTENTION’ cause tbh i feel so alone and def fuckng insane :)

First of all sugs, you're not alone. 💚 I definitely struggle with intrusive thoughts and it can be a terrible struggle between a "sign" and "wow you're in a park of course you saw a bird". You're not insane, there's just a lot in the world and even inside yourself for one human brain to process. I'm going to try to break this up into intrusive thoughts + anxiety then into coincidence + signs because it feels easier to lay out that way. We'll talk magical and mundane ways to work through this. I'm sending you good vibes babes. 🤍✨

I constantly have to remind myself that thoughts are not facts and I shouldn’t believe everything I think.

Sometimes when I have an intrusive thought I visualize myself as this dope ass paladin and I literally fight my thoughts away? I just close my eyes and meditate and focus on being the strong person I want to be and slay my own dragons. Sometimes that’s too hard and I just picture All Might because he’s Best Dad, if you have a favorite character I would give it a shot.

Aromatherapy bracelets and necklaces can be super helpful as well. Medicinally speaking lavender, chamomile, and opium would be the most mentally easing. Magically speaking pine, oak, lavender, valerian root, and hawthorn are all great for stability/protection in my experience. 

I personally carry around a sachet of onyx, rose quartz, lavender, pine, and oak.

You can minimize the damage of intrusive thoughts with self-help. This includes being mindful in the wake of an intrusive thought. Don’t waste your time obsessing over why you had that thought or what it all means. I’ve noticed once I learned to get past asking, “why am I thinking this?” all the time they don’t weigh as heavily on me. You are not your thoughts.

Intrusive thoughts are kind of just like a really loud boombox to me. Usually, if I listen to music I can really get into I can quiet down the thoughts. For the past four months or so Nujabes has been amazing musician to turn too. This past month Modal Soul has been the album that helps the most. It usually takes me a full album to feel normal again and I feel albums give me more stability than a playlist but honestly do what’s best for you.

Compulsive behavior can manifest when you try to change who you are based on the intrusive thoughts you experience. Changing who you are and your reality because of a thought that isn’t necessarily rational is the worst way to go about it. Stop trying to change who you are so you can adjust to your thoughts. Try to think about yourself in a third person perspective, “what would (insert name here) do in this situation?” This might not work for everyone but it’s helped me out once I started noticing the patterns.

From a magical perspective I’ve noticed moonstone is the stone that helps me the most. However most of my intrusive thoughts are PTSD related and I feel like moonstone helps me because it’s also stabilizing and can help prevent dissociation. I do also really enjoy onyx, tigers eye, and rose quartz as well!

Learn to recognize the starting signs for your intrusive thoughts. When my intrusive thoughts begin, they usually start off pretty simple. It’s one thought that feeds into a bigger insecurity or fear. Once you can spot the first thought you can start fighting it.

On the focus of coincidence versus a sign:

If I'm unsure if it's a sign I ask myself why I'm looking for a sign or if my gods made it clear to me to look out for one. Am I in a turning point in my life? Do I know I need guidance? Did previous divination point towards a sign coming my way?

Sometimes coincidence is the sign. If you're trying to decide if you want a purple or green wedding fit and you're driving down the road and see a shit ton of purple cars. I would call that a sign. If it's something you're actively thinking about and then it's glaringly in your face - I read that as a sign.

I've personally asked my gods to send me a sign three times if they're trying to tell me something. So that way I know.

I also take into account where I am. For example: I tend to read falcons and hawks as a sign or general greeting from Freyja. I live five miles from a national park though - hawks are every where, if I'm looking I can pretty much always find one or two on the way to or from work. Not really a sign if it's just local ecosystem at play.

That being said - they can still be signs. It's one thing if a bird of pray is just sitting on a lamp post. It's another to see it sitting on my car or catching a snake right outside my window. Common things aren't always signs - it can just be the mundane. That's when it's important to think about how it appeared and how it made you feel. Intuition is a powerful tool.

Ask yourself how you're feeling. I know this is probably a typical response but I know I personally read into everything when I'm anxious. I will catastrophize. Anything and everything becomes a sign of impending doom, fear of failure, etc. It's important to be aware of your inner dialogue and feelings when looking for signs.

If divination is a strong suit for you, consider using your divination tools as a way to verify if something was or was not a sign.

This is 100% personal belief but if a deity comes to me in a dream I will always read it as a sign. My dreams with gods are far and few between but relationships with them run very deep.

I'm not sure if any of this really helped or made sense but I hope it did. Good luck on your endeavors friend. 💐

[elaho]

Stardew Valley MBTI x Enneagram: Abigail

Following my last post about the Stardew marriage candidates and their MBTI types, I've been learning more about Enneagram, how it pairs with MBTI, and how it changes some of the typical characteristics of each type.

The Enneagram and MBTI complement each other wonderfully, providing greater depth and understanding of how a person interacts with the world [Cognitive Functions] and their motivations why [Core Desire/Core Fear].

Here are my thoughts on Abigail's MBTI and Enneagram pairing.

Abigail - ENFP 7w8: “The Opportunist”

“ENFPs are the campaigners of the MBTI typology. They bring good vibes and excitement that’s hard to ignore. You’ll also agree that their happiness and charisma can be infectious. It’s not a surprise then that most ENFPs identify as type 7 in the enneagram of personality.

[ENFP 7w8s] enjoy a good adventure and good conversations. They can also easily be the life of the party when they are excited. However, having a type 8 as their wing makes things a bit interesting, [creating] a lot of changes in this type of ENFP.” - Personality Hunt

Abigails’s Core Desire: To be happy

The core desire of the ENFP 7w8 is to be happy. ENFPs need consistent intellectual stimulation and external engagement to be truly content.

Bringing their ideas to life is incredibly important to them, and the 7w8 tries to achieve this by reaching their goals and getting everything they desire.

“The birds were happily chirping today. They're too simple to understand the future. It's better to be like them, isn't it?”

“I always loved this place, long before you moved in. Now I can explore the farm whenever I want!”

“There's always something new happening on our farm... I love it.”

"The sounds of the night are louder out here. I'll never stop enjoying that."

“It's pretty cool that we have a cave on our property. It's something I always dreamed about.”

Abigail’s Core Fear: To be deprived

The core fear of the ENFP 7w8 is to be deprived. Because they lead with Extroverted Intuition [Ne] ENFPs get bored quickly and easily if they aren't given enough freedom and flexibility to explore new ideas and chase after their dreams [both old and new].

Because of their fear of deprivation, ENFP 7w8s do everything in their power to ensure they'll never be in that position.

“Hey, this is my favorite magazine! My Dad won't let me have a subscription, so I have to get it on the black market like this...”

"Don't tell anyone, but I snuck into the old community center last night... I think it's haunted!

"I heard you've been exploring the old mines. That sounds like fun! ...I'm working up the courage to go there myself...”

*sigh*... Can you believe my parents were ever young? They don't understand my perspective at all. I know, I know... they grew up in a different era, with different values. It still ticks me off sometimes, okay?”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

How Enneagram 7w8 changes typical ENFP behaviour:

New Strengths

1. More Direct

"ENFPs are feelers. This means that they use emotions as their first point of call. However, you get another vibe with ENFP 7w8s. While they retain their emotional intensity, they can now express these feelings directly and clearly. This can make the ENFP better public speakers." - Personality Hunt

Abigail isn't afraid to speak her mind or speak up when her values are threatened. Although she can come across as blunt in some instances, her emotional awareness allows her to temper her responses so that she still gets her point across without going overboard.

Examples:

“Hey. Sorry in advance if I say anything rude. I didn't get much sleep last night. What do you want?”

“I felt like making some soup for dinner. I hope it's not too disgusting.”

“I hope you'll still like me when I'm old and shriveled. It's going to happen some day!”

"Stop trying to make me feel guilty. I appreciate that you and Dad are helping me out, but expecting me to dress the way you want is ridiculous. I'm not a little girl anymore, Mom.”

2. More Likely to be Assertive [ENFP-A]

ENFP 7w8s are more likely to be Assertive [A] than Turbulent [T]. Because of their more direct nature, they can come across as opinionated or assertive. This can make them seem more determined and focused in the long term.

More information about the ENFP-A can be found here.

Examples:

"Ew, I hope I don't get a tan this summer."

"I used to think Pelican Town was kinda drab, but lately I'm starting to love some things about it."

“No matter how much we clean, the house keeps getting dirty again. I guess farms are kind of dirty.”

“Congratulations on the marriage. I guess this means Sebastian won't be moving to the city like he always talked about. That'll be nice. I'd be kind of sad if I never saw him again. We've always been good friends.”

3. More Disciplined

ENFPs aren't typically known for their discipline and following through on plans or projects.

Their Extroverted Intuition [Ne] constantly makes connections and seeks out new opportunities, and an idea that once had merit can no longer seem relevant or the best use of time, especially when more information and opportunities are made available later on.

Though ENFP 7w8s also struggle with procrastination and follow-through, this is reduced thanks to their 8 wing; however, the extent of their follow-through will depend on the strength of their wing.

Examples:

"I'm still mad that you beat me at the egg hunt last year. You'd better start practicing..."

"Feeling pretty good about the egg hunt, huh? Well, next year you won't be so lucky...

“Hey, the egg festival is tomorrow. I'm sorry, but I won't go easy on you because we're married! I plan on winning that egg hunt. Go ahead and try to beat me.”

"I guess you're wondering why I'm in the graveyard at this hour... Well, I'm here because it's the best place in town to find some privacy. And I'm all sweaty because I've been practicing my swordsmanship.”

4. More Ambitious

ENFPs are the adventurers and campaigners of the MBTI world. While they have big dreams, they don't crave financial success or riches. This is also true for ENFP 7w8s, but they realize that having money or power is one way to achieve the life they want. Thus, ENFP 7w8s tend to be much more ambitious when compared to typical ENFPs.

Abigail doesn't seem ambitious in the traditional financial sense, but her ambition is clear when it comes to making a name for herself: she wants to do something memorable with her life.

Examples:

“See? You understand why I'm out here, then. I've lived in the valley my whole life, but I've never really done anything memorable. I want to go on an adventure!”

5. ENTP Look-Alike

"ENFPs and ENTPs are cousin types. Thus, it’s only natural that they look alike. However, ENFP 7w8 will look a lot and behave like the ENTP to an extreme level.

They will be more rational, charismatic, and argumentative than your normal ENFP. Thus, a lot of ENFP 7w8 can easily misidentify themselves as ENTPs." - Personality Hunt

ENFPs and ENTPs have the same dominant and inferior functions: Extroverted Intuition [Ne] and Introverted Sensing [Si]. However, the main difference comes from their 'sandwiched' functions: ENFP ENTP

Extroverted Intuition [Ne] Extroverted Intuition [Ne] Introverted Feeling [Fi] Introverted Thinking [Ti] Extroverted Thinking [Te] Extroverted Feeling [Fe] Introverted Sensing [Si] Introverted Sensing [Si]

On the surface, Abigail may appear to be an ENTP. However, when considering the cognitive functions and their application between ENFPs and ENTPs, Abigail uses Fi much more readily to determine and defend her values and Te to implement her values in real life [ENFP], rather than use Ti to ensure her decisions are logically consistent and Fe for external feedback as to whether her logic is taking other people's values and opinions into consideration [ENTP].

For this reason, I believe there is strong evidence that Abigail is an ENFP 7w8 rather than an ENTP, though she does share qualities of both types.

Examples:

“Hey! I'm just debating what I should do today. I'm not used to having this much freedom!”

“Oh, that's right... I heard someone new was moving onto that old farm. It's kind of a shame, really. I always enjoyed exploring those overgrown fields by myself.”

“Disgusting... I love it!”

"Whoa... Where'd you find this? The workmanship is fascinating...It's a little too rusty to use, but I'll add it to my collection."

“Sebastian mentioned that he heard strange music while having dinner the other night...I didn't tell him it was us! It seemed better to keep it a mystery.”

“I may fight with my parents a lot, but I know they're just looking out for me. They're doing what they think is best. I dunno why I'm saying this to you. Don't tell anyone.”

6. More Focused and Determined

"Their wing beings a steely attitude to the ENFP. Thus, they will be more focused and determined. This might show in school, the workplace, or even at home.

ENFP 7w8s are go-getters and will achieve their goals or get close to doing so. You’ll see a clear difference between this ENFP and the stereotypical ENFP you have probably heard about." - Personality Hunt

Examples:

“*sigh*... so I've been playing 'Journey of the Prairie King' for hours and I can't even beat the first level...”

"Hey, I finally beat the first level of Journey Of The Prairie King! Watching you play helped a lot.”

“Maybe I'll boot up Journey Of The Prairie King today... one of these days I swear, I'll beat the whole game”

7. Less Impulsive

ENFPs aren't the best at considering long-term implications when jumping into something.

Their Extroverted Intuition [Ne] is great at taking advantage of opportunities in the here and now; however, their Introverted Sensing [Si] function is the weakest in their stack, meaning they aren't the best at examining past experiences to help navigate potential pitfalls in the future.

This can cause them a lot of trouble and lead to repeating avoidable outcomes that could have been prevented with some reflection. Depending on the strength of their wing, ENFP 7w8s will be slightly less impulsive and more considerate of the consequences when putting themselves in a position that may lead to the loss of power or control.

Examples:

“Whoa, that's a creepy looking book... I love it! *Flip* *flip* *flip*... Ooh... It's full of monsters...I'll have to study this before going into the caves... Thanks!”

“If I knew how to use a sword I would be exploring those caves by the mountain lake right now. It's probably nice and cool in there.”

New Weaknesses

1. They Have a Temper

"Type 8s are known for being confrontational. So, no matter how soft and emotional this personality type might seem, they have this in them.

Thus, ENFP 7w8s can have quite a temper. This might only be displayed when they are pushed to their wall or when their feelings have been hurt. It can be quite scary." - Personality Hunt

Examples:

“Hey, I heard you and Sam got together... He's a really good guy! We've been friends for a long time. You'd better be good to him, or you'll see my bad side!”

“Oh, it's because I'm a girl... isn't it? Ugh...Why? I'm just as strong as you! I'm not some fragile princess… I can take care of myself.”

"Mind your own business [Dad]! You think I should be at home cooking dinner because I'm a girl, don't you?!"

2. Manipulative

"This personality type will be more manipulative. Type 7 loves to have influence over others while type 8 loves power.

These two types blend to form an individual who knows how to control or influence people’s decisions.

While this is true, this does not necessarily mean that they might use this to hurt others. However, it is definitely part of their arsenal." - Personality Hunt

Though Abigail isn't manipulative throughout most of the game, when her marriage to the farmer is on the rocks, her manipulative tendencies start rearing their ugly head:

She becomes passive-aggressive, wondering out loud if she'll eventually get bored living on the farm.

She also asks if she could have done better than marrying the farmer and brings up her old flame Sebastian in front of them.

A low blow, if you ask me.

Examples:

“I wonder if I could've done better... I was very good friends with Sebastian before we met. He was probably the one...”

“I wonder if we'll live here our entire lives? I might get bored.”

3. Distrustful

"There’s a lot of talk on ENFPs being naïve. While this personality type loves ideas and wants to trust others, they can be especially distrustful.

They realize that people might not be exactly what they sell themselves as. Thus, this personality type might play the fool but understand exactly what is going on.

You’ll probably know where you stand with them when the chips are down." - Personality Hunt

Examples:

“One thing I've learned living here... everyone stares at you if you look different.”

“I can't trust a person who doesn't like animals...Oh, don't worry! I know you're an animal lover!”

“Hey. I know you're smart, but I still worry about you sometimes. The world is full of monsters. Just promise me you'll be careful. I don't want to lose you.”

“Hey! What... you think I'm too weak to swing a blade? Sorry, I guess I'm getting a little defensive.”

------------------------------------------------------------------

Conclusion

Abigail is everyone's favourite goth gf in the Stardew Valley community: she's outgoing, quirky, energetic, and marches to the beat of her own drum.

However, there is a lot more to Abigail than her renegade lifestyle:

Though her character arc isn't as dramatic as other bachelors and bachelorettes, Abigail struggles to find what many of us yearn for in our lives: happiness.

Though she hides it well, Abigail is deeply unhappy with her life and life circumstances. Her parents are overbearing and controlling, demanding she conform to their traditional lifestyle and manipulating her into doing what they want by holding financial support over her head:

"Stop trying to make me feel guilty. I appreciate that you and Dad are helping me out, but expecting me to dress the way you want is ridiculous. I'm not a little girl anymore, Mom.”

"Mind your own business [Dad]! You think I should be at home cooking dinner because I'm a girl, don't you?!"

Even her community doesn't seem to understand her or make an effort to. There are few people she feels she can trust to be herself around, and those are few and far between.

“One thing I've learned living here... everyone stares at you if you look different.”

Her Enneagram type 7 desire for happiness, paired with her MBTI cognitive strengths as an ENFP, leave her wanting more than what Pelican Town can offer her. That is until the farmer arrives and embraces Abigail for who she truly is: encouraging her to follow her dreams, and supporting her in all her adventure-filled endeavours.

“I always loved this place, long before you moved in. Now I can explore the farm whenever I want!”

Do you agree that Abigail is an ENFP 7w8? If not, what type do you think she is? Let me know your thoughts in the comments :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------- References:

Personality Hunt: ENFP 7w8 - The Complete Guide

[barblaz-arts]

I've been doing research recently on monsters & myths/legends from my own culture (and from different cultures, as well.) And here's an interesting fact, my mom's hometown in Mexico has a legend of a creature that shares some similarities with the Manananggal. Mainly in the whole, detaching their upper body from their legs.

It's called the "Tlahuelpuchia," & it's a type of vampire or witch that lives with its human family. It's able to shape shift and sucks the blood of infants at night. Tlahuelpuchi are born with their curse and can't avoid it. They first learn of what they are sometime around puberty. Most tlahuelpuchi are female & the female tlahuelpuchi are more powerful than males, apparently.

Tlahuelpuchi are able to change form by detaching their body from their legs (which are left behind in their house) while they hunt, usually in the form of some bird like a turkey or a vulture. The tlahuelpuchi has to perform a ritual before she can enter the house of a victim: they must fly over the house in the shape of a cross from north to south, then east to west.

Tlahuelpuchi must feast on blood at least once a month or they die. Their victim of choice are infants. There's no way to really detect a tlahuelpuchi except by catching them in the act. If anyone identifies a tlahuelpuchi, they must be killed on the spot. However, if a tlahuelpuchi's family discovers them, they'll protect them out of shame because if a family member is responsible for the death of a tlahuelpuchi, the curse will be passed down to them. It's also said that garlic, onions, and metal repel the tlahuelpuchi.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that cuz I find it so fascinating when different cultures share similarities with legends/stories/folklore even if it's just tiny stuff. Kinda how a lot of cultures have legends of a woman dresses in white clothes with long dark hair wandering around at night.

-Twicetheheartx2

(PS I'm not just talking about Mexico's famous legend of "La Llorona." If you're interested, you can ask me about "La Yeguatzihuatl" from Chiapas.

That is genuinely so cool tho. Similarities in different cultures are fascinating af, but I didnt realize that could also happen for folklore monsters. Lotsa people here genuinely believe that the aswang(umbrella term for Filipino folklore monsters) are real, including me tbh to some degree, so possible implications with all that considered are interesting.

[talon-dragonbeast]

hii um feel free to skip this but I kind of need help

so I'm recovering from a huge tr*scum phase and I have realized that maybe kinda sorta I'm otherkin?

but I come from a huge therian hate phase and part of me is still stuck with bigoted beliefs-

before the wave of hate I identified as a furry but I think I'm feeling more and more like I'm otherkin or voidpunk even (I was voidpunk for a long ass time before and it feelt so nice)

I just don't know what to do with myself :( what if I'm otherkin? what terms do I use? how do I get over my hate?

how do I do this? do I need to have like an alter ego or something? how does it feel to be otherkin?

I'm sorry for so many questions and feel free to redirect me someplace else if you can't or don't wanna answer all of this

-🐕

hey, first of all, congrats on being able to leave your hatred behind! that must've taken some guts, im proud of you bud.

now, you are considering a new identity that you were previously taught to hate. thats amazing! but also hard. so, how to figure out if youre otherkin? the answer will vary from person to person, but for me, its a deeply ingrained part of my identity. when i started questioning myself a year ago, it was because i realised that it didnt feel good to call myself human. it didnt feel right, like i was lying to myself. i tried different species labels, to see what fit me the most, and when i found the draconic community it clicked. ive been calling myself a dragon for little over a year, and im happier than ive ever been!

if you think you may be otherkin or otherwise nonhuman, there may be a few signs that point you towards that. why did you start questioning? maybe you felt something wasnt "right" with you or your body, maybe you have instincts or urges that arent completely human, maybe you feel like you have or that you should have certain body parts that you currently dont, maybe you feel a certain connection towards a specific creature, or maybe you just... dont feel human!

i want you to take a piece of paper (or your phone if thats easier, but i feel like writing with a physical pen on a piece of paper makes your thoughts flow better), and to write down all that. make a bullet list, a little essay, a letter; hell, another ask for me would work too. make doodles on the margins when you cant think of anything else to write. draw yourself, draw the body you wish to have, draw the birds on your window or the pen youre writing with. dont worry about the correct terminology, about what nonhumanity is "supposed to feel like" or about how stupid you think this is. this is your journey, not anyone else's.

and when the feelings of hatred or cringe come up again (and they will come up), treat them like any other intrusive thought: acknowledge the feeling, validate it even if its a bit misguided, and then gently push it aside. dont get me wrong, its good to remain a bit skeptical; a critical mind is a healthy mind, after all! but theres a line between critical and hateful. one is useful, the other blinds you. i encourage you to learn as much as you can; hatred often comes from fear, which often comes from ignorance. to get over the hate you must kill that ignorance with knowledge. but dont worry, the community can help you with that!

since you asked, ill leave you some definitions under the cut if you want to take a peek. i strongly recommend you to not get caught up in terms or definitions though; figure your identity first, and then you can learn about the rest later. ill also leave a link to the alterhuman archive, in case you want to read about other peoples journeys:

otherkin: an umbrella term for people who identify as a nonhuman being on a psychological/spiritual/physical level, partially or wholy. the term is popularly used for beings that come from mythology such as gryphons or fairies, but it doesnt have to be. this identity is usually involuntary, and it cannot be turned off at will.

therian: shortened form of "therianthrope", its a term for people who identify as animalistic beings on a psychological/spiritual/physical level, partially or wholy. therians can be earthen animals that exist or have existed on our planet like lions or cows, or mythical beings that are more animalistic in nature such as dragons (some of these use the label theriomythic, but it isnt necessary). this identity is usually involuntary, and it cannot be turned off at will.

fictionkin: people who identify as a fictional character or species on a psychological/spiritual/physical level, partially or wholy. this identity is usually involuntary, and it cannot be turned off at will.

otherhearted: people who identify with a nonhuman or fictional being, instead of as it, to the point that it becomes a part of their identity. includes things like wishing you were this being, feeling like its your family, feeling represented by it, etc. this identity can be spiritual or psychological, and its usually involuntary as well.

copinglinkers/otherlinkers: people who voluntarily choose to identify as a nonhuman or fictional being, either for coping reasons, for confort or for any other reason. this identity is completely voluntary, and can be turned off as necessary.

[bhenvs3000f24]

Unit 7 Blog

As complex as human beings are, we are not the only animals capable of producing music. Many animals, like modern birds, insects, and frogs, have evolved to produce specific patterns of sound varying in tone in order to communicate. We can hear this anytime we go outside and listen to the sounds of nature. To take it a step further, every sound we can hear, from the rustling of leaves to the cracking of twigs under our feet, can work together to produce a harmony that influences our thoughts and emotions, despite not being recognized as traditional music. Given how connected we are to music and the emotional, cultural and social benefits it provides, hearing the peaceful sounds produced by nature can invoke a sense of belonging. I know it certainly has for me! It’s no wonder why we have incorporated the sounds of nature into our own music. Early musical instruments were crafted using materials found in nature and used to produce similar patterns of sound. It is thought that early forms of flutes were developed to mimic the calls of birds (Davin et al., 2023). In modern music, we see nature everywhere - especially in lyrics. Natural imagery is often described in lyrics to represent emotions. For example, weather is commonly used to describe happiness (sunny/clear skies), sadness (cloudy/rainy skies), or conflict, confusion and anger (dark and stormy skies). While this is seen in many forms of media, it is more often seen in artistic works like music. An example of a song that reminds me of nature is Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles. This feel-good song references winter as cold and “lonely”, and uses the sun to signal a new day as a fresh start or “light at the end of the tunnel”. This is a song we can all relate to in some capacity, and natural imagery is used to enhance this connection. Oftentimes, nature in music is represented through the artist’s own connection with it. This is seen in the music of many Indigenous peoples whose cultural views are deeply connected to the land and environment.

How can this connect to nature interpretation? First of all, given the wide variety of forms and styles of music, it is a great way to represent culture and certain time periods in history. Music can be a powerful tool in nature interpretation because it is often much more easily remembered than regular information presented by an interpreter. As we have learned in this course, interpreters should want their visitors to take away a memorable experience rather than expect them to take away a ton of information. Effective interpretation Is able to find a perfect balance of information and entertainment, and music can help us achieve this. While I am a musician, I could never see myself using instruments or singing to teach or entertain as an interpreter. Instead, an approach that I feel could be effective is taking visitors into a forest or other natural site and having everyone close their eyes and listen to what they hear. How many sounds can they identify? Do they hear music in nature? How does this make them feel? Not only does this provide a more hands-on learning experience, but it will also encourage the “what’s next?” after the program is done by allowing visitors to continue trying this exercise wherever they are.

Davin, L., Tejero, J., Simmons, T., et al. (2023). Bone aerophones from Eynan-Mallaha (Israel) indicate imitation of raptor calls by the last hunter-gatherers in the Levant. Sci. Rep. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35700-9

[stormyoceans]

what's the song that plays during glasshouse also is it possible to share a list of songs/music that's not known much in the series

NOBODY MOVE THIS IS MY TIME I HAVE AN EXCUSE TO MAKE A MASTERPOST OF THE VICE VERSA SOUNDTRACK AKA THEE BEST SOUNDTRACK IN TELEVISION HISTORY SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!!!

OFFICIAL OST

have i found – sea tawinan

the key – jimmy jitaraphol, sea tawinan

complicated – indy thanathat

by my side – jimmy jitaraphol

madly in love – jimmy jitaraphol, sea tawinan

INSERT SONGS

miracle – sofa [it’s the one that puen sings at the bar in episode 2 and that talay sings back to him at the beach in our skyy episode 2]

love – paradox [talay sings an acoustic version of it to puen in episode 6]

city – three man down [hourglass hug in episode 12] (SORRY BUT THIS WILL ALWAYS BE A PUENTALAY SONG TO ME)

INSTRUMENTALS

actually let me just say something real quick before moving on: this is by no means a comprehensive list as 1) i’ve decided to leave out the upbeat tracks to focus on the more emotional and meaningful ones, 2) i’ve put only the ones that were recognized by two different music identifier apps, and 3) there are genuinely SO MANY instrumental songs in this show and they can change SO QUICKLY (only in the glasshouse scene at the end of episode 4 they used 5 different tracks ;;;;;; [AND YOU CAN BET I PUT THEM ALL IN THIS LIST]) so it’s hard to recognize every single one of them. i definitely missed a lot and i also didn't specify all the scenes you can find a specific song in, but hopefully this still can be a good starting point.

speak without words – we dream of eden, christopher galovan [puen wearing the bucket hat in episode 1]

the echo of you – at the end of time, nothing [‘what if i have a problem one day? who should i go to?’ ‘me.’ in episode 2 // 'don't tell me after spending time together, we turn out to be each other's portkeys.' 'if it's you, i'm okay.' in episode 3]

beautiful days, faraway – itay kashti [drunken kiss in episode 2]

i love clouds - rymdklang soundtracks ['to be my wife, you must endure.' in episode 2]

once every 20 years – at the end of times, nothing [talay and puen meeting at the park in episode 2 // nivea bathtub scene (my beloved) in episode 3 // greyllery kiss in episode 8 // beach kiss in our skyy episode 2]

shooting star – rachel meyer [puen repeating a line from the movie to talay in episode 3 // talay under the rain in episode 4 // ‘do we get along well?’ in episode 7]

elusive dream – at the end of time, nothing [shy puen in episode 4 // snow falling in episode 5]

distant echo - jakob ahlbom [puen and talay drawing on each other's back in episode 4 // talay saying what he missed about puen in episode 6 // 'where there's you, there's me.' in episode 8 // puen giving talay the friend credits folder and shirt in episode 12]

wind land – TURPAK [‘so? will they fall in love?’ ‘i guess they will.’ in episode 4 // puen directing talay in episode 8]

holding on to hope – christopher galovan [‘are you hitting on anyone right at the moment?’ in episode 4 // puen and talay recreating a scene from their movie in episode 9]

flight of the inner bird – yehezkel raz, sivan talmor [‘how about we fall in love with each other?’ in episode 4]

pulchra – at the end of times, nothing [‘been waiting for you’ in episode 4]

and they call me daddy - christian andersen [puen apologizing to talay at the glasshouse in episode 4 // talay learning puen's past from pang in episode 9 // talay remembering puen singing to him in episode 11] (DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE THAT PUEN SAYS 'sleep on daddy's lap here' WHILE THIS SONGS PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND AND BY HATE I MEAN I WANT TO KISS PìX ON THE MOUTH)

love - ben winwood ['there's one more thing about the characters that i don't understand.' in episode 4] (GOES INSANE)

the ground after a summer rain - at the end of times, nothing [glasshouse kiss in episode 4] (GETS DRAGGED INTO A PADDED ROOM)

materialising – of water [puen asking talay to move in with him in episode 5 // puen hugging talay to sleep in episode 6]

glimmer light – amaranth cove [‘i freaking missed you’ in episode 6]

distant shores – amaranth cove [puen massaging talay's ear to sleep in episode 6 // talay reaching the secret island in episode 11]

you are the reason – francis wells [almost kiss in episode 7]

everything comes to an end – of water [talay leaving friend credits in episode 7 // 'where is the person who promised to go back with me?' in episode 9]

heavy clouds drawn back – be still the earth [talay meeting puen on the way to the secret island in episode 9]

the sky is no limit – at the end of times, nothing [bucket hat reveal in episode 9 // talay reading puen's 'wish' in episode 11 // 'without work, i can survive. without him, i can't.' in episode 12] (NEEDS TO BE HEAVILY SEDATED)

telekinesis – tellsonic [bathtub kiss in episode 10]

any given place – of water [talay at the glasshouse in episode 11]

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball GT 48

✨GT Stands For Guilt Trip✨

Well, we finally made it to the home stretch.  This is the Shadow Dragons Saga, the last arc in Dragon Ball GT.  And it’s pretty fucking terrible, let’s make that clear up front.  I was willing to be diplomatic about GT when I started.  I was prepared to wade through the nonsense of the early episodes, and I let my interest in Tuffle lore keep me engaged with the Baby Saga, and I barely remembered the Super 17 Saga, so I powered through that one by sheer curiosity. 

But the Shadow Dragons Saga sucks ass.  I say this with zero respect to anyone who worked on this anime.  This arc is like watching an oil spill happen.  This arc is like the time I found a dead bird in the vent duct of my dryer.   I’d rather go to the dentist than watch this crap, because at least it wouldn’t take as long.

I’ll be honest with you, dear reader, liveblogging GT has really worn me down.  I wanted to cover this one for the sake of completion, and so I could have a handy reference to each episode in the future, and I also thought it could be a lot of fun to critique the show in a playful sort of way.  But I didn’t take into account just how awful this show really was, or the mental toll it would take on me to spend so much time on it. 

So from here on out, I’m just gonna augur in and get this over with.  Strap yourselves in, because we’re about to see quite possibly the worst Dragon Ball saga ever made.  I’m not sure if the individual episodes are worse than the ones we’ve seen so far, but the arc as a whole is a master class in how to piss away your audience’s goodwill.

✨"Good" "Ideas", Poorly Executed✨

Oh, where do I even begin?  Okay, so when Dr. Gero opened up that portal between Hell and Earth, it caused all these disasters across the Earth, on top of the damage done by Super 17 and Gero’s allies.  Dragon Team decided to summon Shenron to wish away all the death and destruction, but the Dragon Balls were cracked, and when they called Shenron, a bunch of smoke billowed out of the Balls, and a new, shady-looking Dragon emerged. 

King Kai warned Goku that it wasn’t Shenron, but the dragon itself seemed to identify as the same Shenron that Dragon Team had used in the past.  I’m pretty sure it’s the same guy, just changed beyond recognition.  Anyway, this is sometimes referred to as “Smoke Shenron”, and he never actually does anything in this form.  He just tells the good guys that he’s not going to be their “lapdog” any more, and then he takes the Dragon Balls and splits himself into seven parts, each one taking a Dragon Ball in a different direction. 

One annoying part of this is how no one can agree on who’s going to explain this situation. King Kai starts, but then the Elder Supreme Kai cuts him off, but then he’s so furious about it that Kibitoshin has to explain it instead, and then Dende and Mr. Popo show up to add their thoughts.  So I’m just going to give you the summary without getting into who says what.

During the Majin Buu Saga, Kibitoshin heard about the Earthling’s plans to use the Dragon Balls, but he seemed to have no idea what they were.  Later, the Elder Kai caught wind of it, and expressed disapproval.  According to him, the Dragon Balls were a special dispensation to Namekians, and should only be used sparingly.  The idea of the Earth having its own set was bothersome to him, and he seemed uncomfortable about using them to undo the damage of the Buu crisis, even when he was one of the people resurrected by the wishes.  In Dragon Ball Z, it sounded like he was just objecting to the whole thing on moral grounds.

But in this episode, we learn that his warnings we based on very real, very serious dangers. Each time you use the Dragon Balls, you introduce “minus energy” into them.  This arc really lays it on thick with the terms “plus energy” and “minus energy”, so get used to that.  I guess the deal is that it takes plus energy to grant a wish, so each time the Dragon Balls get used, they lose plus and gain minus?  Fuck it, who cares?  The point is that if they get used too often, the minus energy builds up inside the Dragon Balls, until they can’t contain it anymore, and this is what led to the events of this episode.  The next time Shenron is summoned, he comes out looking all weird and instead of granting wishes, he buggers off to start destroying the world.

In theory, the Dragon Balls can safely release this pent-up minus energy after each wish, but it takes about a hundred years for that to happen.  This is why the Dragon Balls scatter after each use.  By the time anyone can find all seven of them again, centuries would have passed, and the minus energy from the previous wish would be gone. 

However, that natural cooldown period got hijacked when Bulma invented the Dragon Radar.  Thanks to her, the Dragon Balls could be gathered much more easily.   Hell, just look at the last episode.  Goku, Trunks, and Pan went to gather the Balls at the tail end of Episode 47 and it didn’t take any time at all.  So over the past forty years, they’ve been making tons and tons of wishes, and that’s overloaded the Dragon Balls.  

The danger now is that Shenron will destroy the Earth.  I think there was a line about how it’s been cut off from the rest of the universe, but I’m not sure if I interpreted it correctly.  There’s also some concern that Shenron might continue his rampage and destroy the rest of the universe as well.  So Goku resolves to hunt down Shenron and kick his ass, which will presumably restore things to normal.

Okay, so that’s the premise.  Here’s why it sucks.

1) This is just a retread of the Black Star Dragon Balls.  I’ve already explained my gripes about the BS Dragon Balls, but the short version is that there was a prototype set of Dragon Balls hidden away for centuries, and using them can destroy the whole world, and Mr. Popo knew about them the whole time and never said anything.  The BS Dragon Balls were written out of the story in Episode 40, so now we’ve returned to the classic Red Star Dragon Balls we’ve always known, and suddenly they turn out to have the same problem, where they’re too dangerous to use.  So it’s not even original.

2) Why didn’t anyone say anything about this until now? This is the worst kind of retcon, the kind where new lore is introduced that doesn’t even remotely fit into the established history.  As this episode states, the gang have been using the Dragon Balls for decades.  During that time, they met Kami, who created the Dragon Balls, and other characters like Mr. Popo, Guru, Moori, and Dende, who know a great deal about creating and maintaining Dragon Balls.  Throughout Dragon Ball and DBZ, characters will pose questions about the kinds of wishes they can make, and what rules apply, and the experts will mull it over and give clear, concise answers.  On occasion, Shenron himself will counsel the characters who summon him, explaining the limitations of his powers and making helpful suggestions for how to word their wishes.  

The point I’m making here is that the Dragon Balls are extremely user-friendly.  The hard part is gathering them all together, but once you’ve done that, there’s plenty of guidance on how to use them and what not to do. And at no point did anyone ever bring up the dangers of overuse.  And yet, when Episode 48 comes along, you have King Kai, Kibitoshin, the Elder Kai, and Mr. Popo all going “Yeah, you assholes blew it.  You shouldn’t have used them so much.”  

3) If the Dragon Balls need 100 years to reset, then why do they work the way they do?  From the start, the Dragon Balls turn into stone for a year, after which they change back into orange crystal orbs and they can be used again.  This was written into the story to explain why the characters can’t just constantly re-gather the Dragon Balls for continuous wishing.  But it’s implied that this is a cooldown period to reset them for the next use.  This is further clarified when Dende reactivates the Dragon Balls in the Cell Saga.  They ask him to upgrade the Dragon Balls to grant three wishes instead of just one, and he can do it, but it means adjusting the “wishing power”.  Shenron can’t be made to grant 800 wishes in one go, because there’s a limit to what he can do in one summoning.  Porunga seems to have far greater capacity than Shenron, which is why he can resurrect people multiple times, restore whole planets, and always grant three wishes every 130 days.  But I assume this is because he’s built different.  

So there’s already a lot of logistical considerations built into the Dragon Ball concept.  And yet this episode suggests that the 1-year cooldown is only one percent of the time the Dragon Balls actually need to reset.  If that were true, then why didn���t Kami or Dende fix it so they turn to stone for 100 years instead of just one? 

Also, this episode mentions how Dende upgraded the Dragon Balls to grant more wishes, which only compounded the problem.  Well if Dende knew that was an issue, why the hell did he do it? And if he didn’t know, then how is he qualified to make and maintain Dragon Balls in the first place?  Dende doesn’t have much to say in this episode, which doesn’t make any fucking sense, because he should know more about Dragon Balls than anyone else in the show.  He’s a Dragon Type Namekian!  He literally studied the art of making Dragon Balls!  That’s why they recruited him to become the new Kami of Earth!  Moori said all of this when he recommended Dende to Goku! 

It really, really annoys me how this series keeps deferring to Mr. Popo for all of the Dragon Ball lore.  Popo is an attendant to the reigning Kami of Earth.  He’s not a Namekian, and everything he knows about Namekian culture and Dragon Balls, he learned from Kami, a Namekian.  Dende is a Namekian.  Everything he learned about Namekian culture and Dragong Balls, he learned on Namek.  He knew all about this stuff before he came to Earth, and then he kept studying it afterward.  And unlike Kami, Dende didn’t lose his memories of his people. 

If this Shadow Dragon nonsense made any sense at all, then Dende should be the one explaining it to the others.  Instead, they’re all explaining it to him, like he’s some idiot who never knew how any of this worked.

Seriously, how the fuck would Mr. Popo know about an evil dragon destroying another planet?  He’s never left Earth.  What would he know about any of this? I could see Dende reading about something like this in some book of Namekian legends, but not Popo.  Hey, speaking of Dende...

4) Why don’t they just kill Dende?  Everyone talks about this Shenron problem like it’s irreversible, but Shenron’s not invincible.  King Piccolo killed him with a ki blast, and he’s a weakling compared to most of the characters in this show.  But even if Shenron got stronger from all this minus energy, and killing Shenron isn’t an option, then why don’t they just kill Dende? 

This has always been the way it works.  When Nappa killed Piccolo, Kami died too, and the Dragon Balls were deactivated.  When Guru died, the Namekian Dragon Balls were deactivated.  When Kami and Piccolo fused into one, the Earth’s Dragon Balls were deactivated.  According to GT, their fusion somehow reactivated the Black Star Dragon Balls, which is why Piccolo allowed himself to die in Episode 40, so they would never endanger anyone again.  So it’s clear that the people making GT understood this concept. 

Well then, the Earth’s Dragon Balls are under the stewardship of Dende now, so if he dies, they should stop working.  This was a major plot point in the Buu Saga, where they needed to keep Dende alive in order to wish everyone back to life after Buu was defeated.  Kill Dende, kill Shenron. 

I’m not saying they should have actually gone through with this, but why doesn’t anyone bring it up?  Or, a more humane option would be to break that sculpture of Shenron that Mr. Popo made.  I’m pretty sure Kami and Dende always had the power to turn Shenron off when it suited their purposes.  We never saw that put into practice, but the pecking order was always very clear.  Shenron is not a “god” or a “mysterious legend”.  He’s a magic familiar under the control of Dende.  Shenron can’t do shit without Dende to allow it. 

5) What about the Namekian Dragon Balls?  If this is a problem on Earth, then why has it never been an issue on Namek, where the Dragon Balls can be used much more frequently?  Do they just know how to avoid the problem, or do they wait 100 years between wishes?  I ask this because we’ve seen Porunga grant a dozen wishes in about as many years.  Oh, and in GT, they used Porunga again to restore the Earth after it exploded in Episode 40.  So the Namekian Dragon Balls have been overused at least as badly as the Earth’s Dragon Balls.  So where’s their Shadow Dragon problem? 

But maybe I’m being too hard on this story.  Yeah, there’s a lot of plot holes to this, but ultimately it comes down to a pretty cool angle.  The final boss of Dragon Ball is the Dragon himself.  Goku has to fight the Dragon to save the universe, and the Dragon has split into seven, which means Goku has to throw down with seven badass monsters, like some kind of awesome fantasy martial arts gauntlet.  Right?

Right?

You’re shaking your head, are you saying that the Shadow Dragons are not badass monsters?  Well that can’t be right, I’m sure that.... Oh.  Oh.

6) The Shadow Dragons suck ass.   Goku tracks down the first one and he looks like a joke.  Then a rock falls on his toe and he cries out in pain, revealing that he doesn’t just look like a joke, he is a joke.

This is played off like some sort of “appearances can be deceiving” trope, where the moral is not to underestimate your foe.   But that’s really not what this series needed at this stage.  You kind of knew that the Shadow Dragons would get increasingly difficult with each one, so the very first one would be the weakest, but this is ridiculous.  By the end, the last three give Super Saiyan 4 Goku a hard time, but the first four Shadow Dragons are total chumps.  They play their tricks and give Goku some trouble, but not because of any physical strength they possess.  And then you finally get to the “serious” Dragons at the end, and the fights suck, because GT is terrible at presenting fight scenes.

And this is what makes the arc so damned infuriating.  The Saiyans Saga from Z worked because it opened with a devastating conflict--Goku dies, for goodness’ sake!-- and then it promises an even more terrible enemy will appear in one year.  So the heroes train and the story winds on and the arc relies on this suspense.  What are the two Saiyans going to do when they get here?  How strong could they be?   Can anything stop them?  Then they finally arrive and the first thing they do is destroy a whole city.   The second thing they do is kill several major characters.  After it’s over, Goku spends the next several episodes in the hospital, because Vegeta broke every bone in his body!  The Saiyans Saga did not fuck around, and the reason it’s such a classic is that it delivered on the hype.

The Shadow Dragons Saga is the polar opposite to this.  This arc opens with dire warnings about seven monsters who will surely destroy the whole world, and it blunders the execution in every possible way.  The last Shadow Dragon is the only one that really matters, and he throws a clock at Goku, just to give you an idea of how “intense” that battle is.   You watch this garbage hoping that each new Shadow Dragon will redeem the disappointments that came before, and then you finally look up and notice that there are no more.   All of the Shadow Dragons came and went, and they all sucked. 

✨Positivity Page✨

There was a montage of all the wishes made over the years, so I guess that was pretty nice.  I’ll be honest, it’s gonna be really hard to find anything nice to say about these next few episodes. 

✨Is This Episode Worse than "The Roaming Lake"?✨

Yes.  It is worse.  The Roaming Lake is pretty much guaranteed to make a clean sweep of this thing.  All hope is lost.

One major problem with this episode is that very little actually gets done.  Most of the runtime is spent infodumping the Shadow Dragon concept, and I think I’ve already made my opinion on that very clear.  They spent a lot of time explaining the thing, but they managed to avoid every question that I had about it.

The rest of the episode shows lots of pointless scenes of Shadow Dragons flying around the world, choosing their bases of operations and selecting their powers.  One of them flies into a volcano and he’s going to be their fire guy.  That sort of thing.   Then Goku remembers he forgot the Dragon Radar, so Pan offers to let him have Giru, but only if she can tag along.  Then they find Haze Shenron, who looks like the love child of a frog and a moldy potato.

✨The Blade Braxton Memorial Haiku*✨

Yeah, this show gets worse. 

Don’t worry, though.  We still have

Plenty of Giru.

[thescienceofapologetics]

hi, hope you’re well. i’m pretty new to studying the bible (raised christian in name only, learning true faith as an adult) and it’s obvious that the bible does not condone mercy killing humans (euthanasia or abortion or whatnot) but what about animals? if a pet dog is suffering and it is put down, for example, is that okay?

How wonderful it is that you’re taking the time and initiative to dive into the Bible!

I have a unique perspective on this myself since I come from the veterinary field. Euthanasia is something I deal with frequently. So let’s take a look at what the Bible says…

Genesis 1:26 — “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”

This verse makes two important distinctions. Firstly, humans are made in the image of God and animals are not. That means that humans have attributes such as a conscious that animals do not. Secondly, humans rule over the animals. This is important because in regards to animal rights, people often want to compare them to humans. It is important to identify that biblically speaking humans and animals are not equal.

Proverbs 12:10 — “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.”

Matthew 6:26 — “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

These verses tell us that God cares about animals. We have been given rule over the animals, and with that authority comes the expectation that we will care for them and treat them with kindness.

Exodus 20:13 — “You shall not murder.”

Genesis 9:3, 6— “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything… Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.”

Again, there is a distinction between humans and animals. God clearly states that we are not to kill another person. Throughout scripture it is consistently stated that no man is to take the life of another innocent person for ANY reason. The only killing that is ever condoned for people is the death penalty in regard to heinous and unrepentant sins. On the other hand, the killing of animals is clearly acceptable in certain cases such as consumption, and while we are called to care for animals, we are permitted to kill them in certain instances such as nutrition. Not to mention the Old Testament is full of instructions for the animal sacrifices that were required prior to Christ’s death and resurrection. Exodus 21 also outlines that an animal is to be killed if it is a danger to others.

Because of the distinctions between humans and animals, we can reasonably conclude that if an animal needs to be put down due to suffering or extreme aggression, this is permissible.

[beantothemax]

Rain poured on the woods in a seemingly endless torrential downpour. H'aanit had often spoken of how wet early autumn was in the Woodlands but Castti did not believe it until she saw it herself. She doubted the rains of Osterra could match storms she had seen atop mount Liphia, but she was wrong to assume less of the Woodlands.

"Castti!" a lovely, truly concerned voice called out.

Castti turned on the log she sat upon, a soft smile adorning her lips at the sight of her beloved.

"Aren thee alright?" H'aanit took off her fur and placed it upon Castti's shoulders, "Comen, or thou willst acquiren some ailment."

"The rain's nice."

"Truly?"

"Yes."

Perhaps H'aanit thought she was delirious. Castti hadn't enjoyed even the sight of gathering clouds in months, what changed? As they returned to S'warkii, the rain only continued. Each blink of her eyes seemed to last an hour. Castti tripped as she began to slip into a deep slumber.

"Oh Dreafendi, why do thee push thyself to thy limits?" H'aanit sighed.

She took Castti in her arms, wondering why she had once more deprived herself of sleep. So often would Castti reprimand her for hunting late into the night but wouldn't even acknowledge that she had herself had hardly slept in days.

It was a mystery how long she slept. The last thing she remembered was the pouring rain and now she was in bed at home. A fire crackled in the hearth and Linde purred nearby. Still, a sound more pleasant reached Castti's ears. H'aanit hummed and sang as she cooked.

Castti did not dare move, she only listened as H'aanit sang an old folk song that she hardly understood. The language of the Woodlands was one Castti struggled to learn, but she tried nonetheless. Anything for H'aanit.

"Leave some crops behind, the paupers and the birds must also eat," was just about all Castti caught.

"A little late for a harvest song," she said.

H'aanit's rhythmic stirring slowed to a stop, "Thou art awake."

She was by Castti's side in an instant, pressing a gentle hand to her forehead.

"Fever."

"You're getting good at identifying illnesses, I could retire soon, you're good enough to replace me," Castti giggled.

"Now ist not a time for antics, I am worried for thee."

"... I promise, I'm fine."

H'aanit returned to the kitchen, setting plates out on the table. She helped Castti stand, careful to hold her when they sat.

Castti could hardly keep her eyes open as she ate. Each bite was amazing, but she was still so drowsy. The stew had been so lovingly made by someone who only wanted to see her happy and healthy.

"I wanted to asken something of thee."

"Go ahead."

"Thou detesten the rain, but stayed outside for hours. Why ist that?"

She paused and sat silent longer than she cared to admit. She wandered out into that rain because all she could think of was Trousseau. Lovely memories of teaching him about medicine and watching as he cared for Sally and Temm had returned to here.

A part of her regretted how she killed him. He was only a grieving man who was in way over his head. Had someone asked what was wrong, it was possible he would still be alive and it was possible he could be a wonderful apothecary.

But another part of her knew it wasn't her fault for inaction either. Claude was a manipulative monster and Trousseau would stop at nothing his father, even just once. It didn't matter what Castti did, his life would still come to a bitter end atop Timberain castle.

H'aanit cradled her in her arms, humming as she rocked back and forth.

"I miss Trousseau," Castti murmured.

"I know, dear. But resten now, the rain hath hurt thee."

wah,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, the them……… pie this is so sweet melting as I type this.,,,..,..,..,.,

cabsti,,,, h’aanti…………..

[da-millerrrrr]

I'm going to bed. Chew on this in my absence.

Rain poured on the woods in a seemingly endless torrential downpour. H'aanit had often spoken of how wet early autumn was in the Woodlands but Castti did not believe it until she saw it herself. She doubted the rains of Osterra could match storms she had seen atop mount Liphia, but she was wrong to assume less of the Woodlands.

"Castti!" a lovely, truly concerned voice called out.

Castti turned on the log she sat upon, a soft smile adorning her lips at the sight of her beloved.

"Aren thee alright?" H'aanit took off her fur and placed it upon Castti's shoulders, "Comen, or thou willst acquiren some ailment."

"The rain's nice."

"Truly?"

"Yes."

Perhaps H'aanit thought she was delirious. Castti hadn't enjoyed even the sight of gathering clouds in months, what changed? As they returned to S'warkii, the rain only continued. Each blink of her eyes seemed to last an hour. Castti tripped as she began to slip into a deep slumber.

"Oh Dreafendi, why do thee push thyself to thy limits?" H'aanit sighed.

She took Castti in her arms, wondering why she had once more deprived herself of sleep. So often would Castti reprimand her for hunting late into the night but wouldn't even acknowledge that she had herself had hardly slept in days.

It was a mystery how long she slept. The last thing she remembered was the pouring rain and now she was in bed at home. A fire crackled in the hearth and Linde purred nearby. Still, a sound more pleasant reached Castti's ears. H'aanit hummed and sang as she cooked.

Castti did not dare move, she only listened as H'aanit sang an old folk song that she hardly understood. The language of the Woodlands was one Castti struggled to learn, but she tried nonetheless. Anything for H'aanit.

"Leave some crops behind, the paupers and the birds must also eat," was just about all Castti caught.

"A little late for a harvest song," she said.

H'aanit's rhythmic stirring slowed to a stop, "Thou art awake."

She was by Castti's side in an instant, pressing a gentle hand to her forehead.

"Fever."

"You're getting good at identifying illnesses, I could retire soon, you're good enough to replace me," Castti giggled.

"Now ist not a time for antics, I am worried for thee."

"... I promise, I'm fine."

H'aanit returned to the kitchen, setting plates out on the table. She helped Castti stand, careful to hold her when they sat.

Castti could hardly keep her eyes open as she ate. Each bite was amazing, but she was still so drowsy. The stew had been so lovingly made by someone who only wanted to see her happy and healthy.

"I wanted to asken something of thee."

"Go ahead."

"Thou detesten the rain, but stayed outside for hours. Why ist that?"

She paused and sat silent longer than she cared to admit. She wandered out into that rain because all she could think of was Trousseau. Lovely memories of teaching him about medicine and watching as he cared for Sally and Temm had returned to here.

A part of her regretted how she killed him. He was only a grieving man who was in way over his head. Had someone asked what was wrong, it was possible he would still be alive and it was possible he could be a wonderful apothecary.

But another part of her knew it wasn't her fault for inaction either. Claude was a manipulative monster and Trousseau would stop at nothing his father, even just once. It didn't matter what Castti did, his life would still come to a bitter end atop Timberain castle.

H'aanit cradled her in her arms, humming as she rocked back and forth.

"I miss Trousseau," Castti murmured.

"I know, dear. But resten now, the rain hath hurt thee."

CASTTI AND THE RAIN. H'AANIT CARING ABOUT HER. JUST. ALL OF THIS. AAIUFHHHHHHGGHH PIE YOUR WRITINF IS ALWAYS SO GOOD WHAT THE HECK!!!!!!

[askeataiho]

Hi! For the writer ask: 20-41 😘

Wait is that 20 through 41? I thought it was just 20 and 41 at first.  Well, I have time and can’t concentrate on writing fic now so why not; I’ll answer 20 and 41 and the ones I’m feeling in between.

Thank you!!

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

I wish I was better at identifying patterns in my fics because I’m sure I have far more than I have find.  I think joy is a common emotion, I think my fics have a general atmosphere of light even when something more serious or scary is happening.  For more technical things I think I fight my automatic habit of run on sentences so hard that I end up with shorter than average length sentences at some points while still having very long sentences at others.  I don’t have too much dialogue because that’s something that’s difficult for me to write.

21. Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?

Maybe?  I like the idea in theory of collaborating with someone whose fic I like.  But also: I suck at conversations, school group-project trauma, seems so time consuming.  Writing fics inspired by each other is great though!

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

I am not ruling anything out! But of course, some things are more unlikely such as things that squick me out.

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

Probably This is the Best Way to See America.  But it’s a long fic in a shrinking fandom that is incomplete and has no ships.  So by that metric I think it’s done okay.  Just the amount of response for the amount of time I’ve put into it (because it’s so long) is small.

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

Well, This is the Best Way to See America has to be it.  Because it’s long and weird, but it’s not what I’d normal label a wild ride.

27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

Answered

28. On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

Not much! 😅 On days I actually write I probably average maybe 100-400 words.  But I don’t write at all many days.  It’s very rare for me to write more than maybe 800-1k words in a day (happened twice I think, not that I keep close track.)

29. What’s your revision or editing process like?

I edit as I go usually.  Then when I finish, I usually sleep on it then look it all over the next day and either post it or send it to my beta-reader depending on the fic.

33. Do you want to be published some day?

Not really, it sounds like far too much work and stress.

34. Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

Hopefully still having time and motivation to do so.  And maybe having written for some other fandoms and so longer fics too.

36. How do you write kissing scenes?

Ideally with a lot of time spent imagining it 😳

37. How do you choose where to end a chapter?

I don’t feel I’ve written the kind of stories this question is geared for.  I feel there are clear end points in all my multichapter fics.

38. Would you ever write commissions?

I don’t think so.  I’m stressed enough writing for myself and for attention.

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

Here is a bit from my Joker Out fic:

Despite Bojan’s tardiness this morning, it’s looking like they’ll make their flight from Amsterdam to Ljubljana.  Nace knows it’s too soon to count on everything going smoothly – Nace hasn’t been with this band that long but he’s been with them long enough to learn they have an air-travel-specific travel curse.  Usually it’s lost baggage, but Nace thought today it might have been a lost Bojan. However, Bojan had made it – just in time and with traces of green chalk powder in his hair hinting at where he may have spent last night.

And a bit from TITBWTSA (this chapter has been in progress for ages):

“Ooh, look at that bird,” Olli said suddenly, interrupting the flow of conversation between Joonas and Niko. Joel turned quickly towards Olli, then towards the direction he was pointing into and saw yet another bird.  This one was a little bigger than the brownish-blackish ones on the table, and it was bright orange and black.  It would have been quite pretty, if it wasn’t a bird and so close. It was perched on a trash can only a meter or two from the table they were seated at. “That one is pretty,” Niko said, “I wonder if I have anything in my pockets for it.”  He began digging through his pockets. “Please don’t feed the birds,” Joel said.  He didn’t want to encourage more to come. “There are a lot of birds here, someone must feed them,” Joonas said, “look at that red one over there.” Joel where Joonas was pointing to see a bright red bird perched on a branch of the nearest scraggly tree. “Some seagulls too,” Olli said, nodding towards the far end of the lot. Joel looked that way and saw a half dozen seagulls standing on the ground.  As Joel watched, he noted that they seemed to be shuffling gradually closer.

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

Oooh, I would be so excited!  It would depend on their style a lot actually.  The first thing that jumps to mind is Niko first discovering the glade and Olli in Chill.  For someone whose art is more focused on the characters rather than backgrounds, maybe the beginning bit of A Privilege of Olli and Aleksi on the bed or something with the daemons. Or just almost any part of the bear fic, if the artist can draw bears 🙂

41. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

I have reread all my fics after posting, except the latest one and TITBWTSA.  I write for me!  For fics I didn’t write, I reread some of my favorite fics too.  Not as much as I have in the past because I’m reading in multiple active fandoms and at least looking at the tags/summary of everything in the tags for each, so I have so many new fics to try.  But there are many fics I have read over and over, including ones I’m not in the fandom at all for anymore (or never really was, e.g. treasured and much reread Star Trek fic vs. how little of the material I’ve actually watched and how little I’ve engaged the fandom.)

Fic Writer Asks

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

Oasis: Day Eighteen (continued; part two)

Note from the author: Sorry it’s been a long time since I updated this (I even forgot what’s going on LOL). So, uh, if you, too, have forgotten the contents of anything between Day Seventeen — Day Eighteen (Continued), you might want to reread them because this contains details present in specifically those parts. (Un)Happy reading!

CW: Heavy talk of real-life religious doctrine… this will continue on throughout the book in varying degrees.

…

When I pressed her further as to what kind of convention it was, she said that I could go to the next one with her and see for myself… in exactly one year’s time. So it seems sure that I will be here for at least that long, or longer… for what purpose, I do not know.

I took her unwillingness to answer the first question as an opportunity to ask another, “Why are there tropical plants growing in the same place tundra animals are living? What is the nature of this place?”

“The whole Earth is a garden” She spoke as if I should have known this already, “There is no place without food because that is the way our planet was designed.” 

“You say ‘designed’ as if you mean by a god—“ The peridot eyes flicked up at me with renewed interest. Obviously I had struck a chord with her, “…what is your faith?” 

She paused for a long while before answering, taking time to clasp her hands and stare into the middle distance with her chin rested on them. I found it odd that she would have to enter a state of such deep thought to answer, what I thought, was a fairly simple question. Most people I’ve met were eager to discuss their beliefs with you, providing a snap answer as to what religion they belonged to, and why they have faith in it. However, I have met a few people who became angry even at the mention of beliefs, taking your honest question as an attack on their person. “Have I said something wrong?” I asked, hoping that was not the case with Sophia.

“If you mean to ask ‘Have you offended me?’ No; you haven’t… but you have said something very, very wrong. You should know by now that there is no such thing as ‘faith’ anymore.”

“So… you’re a— you’re all—“ I stumbled on a word I, for the life of me, could not remember, despite having identified with it myself at one time.

“No, you don’t understand: All faith is obsolete.”

“But that — whatever it’s called — is a complete lack of faith in God, or—“ I was getting frustrated with myself for not being able to remember, “a god… images.”

“Dulce, you were a scientist (assuming you haven’t forgotten that too). How often did the general understanding of science change over the years?”

“Quite a lot. Every year, something new is discovered. That can sometimes change how we do things; or sometimes it confirms we’re on the right track.”

“And if something that was once a theory became confirmed; was it not recognized as scientific fact?”

“Well… I guess you could describe it that way; but that’s not quite—“

“Regardless, once you had seen something to be true, believing turned to knowing, correct?”

I wasn’t in the mood to argue with her about the intricacies of scientific research when I saw she had no knowledge on the subject. She was driving at a different point, albeit, using an ill-fitting example to explain it; so I merely waited for her to finish with the example so I could learn whatever she wished to tell me, “I think I know what you mean.”

“We, the people of Earth, have seen definitive proof that God exists. We have all but seen God in person. We need no faith.”

I folded my arms, not so much out of doubt than of curiosity, “And what, exactly, did you all see?”

She raised an eyebrow at me, then stared at the picture on the wall, reciting something very familiar, “‘I saw also an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice and said to all the birds that fly in midheaven: ‘Come here, be gathered together to the great evening meal of God,  so that you may eat the flesh of kings…” I started violently, the blood drained from my face. Sophia saw my reaction, continuing even louder, without pause, “and the flesh of military commanders and the flesh of strong men and the flesh of horses and of those seated on them, and the flesh of all, of freemen as well as of slaves and of small ones and great.’ The nineteenth chapter of Revelation, verses seventeen and eighteen; yesterday you were screaming the passage in your sleep. Would you like to hear more?”

 I didn’t realize that, in my night terrors, I had actually screamed the words aloud, and felt briefly, as a result, like Sophia had invaded my mind and rummaged around in my memories. She had recited that which I could barely remember four words of, perfectly, in its entirety. To say I was horrified would have been a severe understatement. I must have said yes to her offer, because she continued:

“‘And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the one seated on the horse and against his army. And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the one seated on the horse and against his army.  

And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who worship its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulfur.  But the rest were killed off with the long sword that proceeded out of the mouth of the one seated on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.’ End chapter.”

Sophia smiled a reminiscent smile, “So, Dulce, whatever you remembered in that dream of yours is what we all witnessed:  total annihilation of a corrupt and evil system. But not only that,” she held up a finger, moving her head emphatically to the benefit of her point, “We have also witnessed its restoration. That is why we need no faith. Faith is the assured expectation of what is hoped for. We are neither expecting, hoping, nor wanting, for anything any longer. Paradise Earth as we now intimately know it, is the spiritual oasis after a long time thirsting in the desert. The act of faith is complete; we have drunk life’s water free.”

…

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