#HOW DO YOU SAY HELLO TO PEOPLE I LOSE ALL MY SOCIAL SKILLS LIKE

[granitxhka]

you guys

[the-milk-monarch]

hello hello! I really like your writing! can I request a Mal x autistic reader but all good if not. Have a nice day/night!

☣︎ omg yes I wanted to write sth similar but I felt like it'd be too self-serving lmao I hope you don't mind I added Mike in there as well

[𝙰𝚄𝚃𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙲 𝚂/𝙾]

Summary: Mal pretends to be Mike but Reader picks up on it. After the reveal, Reader has to spent a cold night out with Mal as a challenge + dating headcanons.

☢︎ | Total Drama | 6k words | gender-neutral reader ♡ | Mal | Mike ⚠ | Mal being an ass, reader having a meltdown

[𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚎]

Ever since you joined the Total Drama show, you knew you had to get an ally if you were to win.

Your social skills weren't the best, but you had your good problem solving skills to make up for that. At least you hoped so.

You were a little anxious while interacting with other contestants, hoping they wouldn't notice your a bit different approach to conversations.

But there was one boy who didn't seem to mind your awkwardness. On the contrary, he was a bit awkward as well, which filled you with adoration.

Mike was always so kind and respectful you never felt anxious around him, even with your quirky way of speaking.

Or the fact that you avoided eye contact while you spoke.

And when you cringed at yourself whenever you tripped on the flat ground, he didn't think of you any less, he was just worried whether you hurt yourself or not.

You could say you caught a small crush on Mike because of how comfortable you felt with him, but you knew he was interested in Zoey.

Although you were unsure about some small gestures received from him. "Was he just nice or is it his interest?" played in your head, although your mind told you to assume the worst and not hype yourself up.

That didn't stop you from simping from afar though.

What you loved the most about Mike was his willingness to listen to you ramble about your special interest.

You were really worried about being annoying around other people, knowing you might get a bit too excited the stuff you like and it'd be "inappropriate".

But Mike seemed to be into it, asking follow up questions and overall being engaged with you talking.

Your trust towards Mike was put to a test once you got a bit too overwhelmed in the middle of a challenge.

This particular day you seemed to have extra clumsy coordination which pissed you off a little, as it was important for you to win this time, given how strict the criteria for losing were this time.

"God, I have enough-" You desperately and a bit irritated announced while trying to tie a knot.

The challenge Chris McLean decided to do today was a scout obstacle course. Each person had to partner up with someone and do some scout activities, which included tying knots into various shapes shown on the picture.

The rope fell out of your hands for the 5th time while you were almost done with it and it made you forcibly exhale in irritation.

Mike had just finished his part of the activity and he noticed you had some troubles.

"Um, what is it?" He asked carefully, looking at your closed off body language.

"My hands don't listen to me and I can't tie these damn knots-" You tried not to make a scene, hating how much a simple, stupid task made you upset.

Your breathing got slightly heavier as you tried to suppress your rising emotions. You knew you had the right to express it, but not now. Not in front of Mike.

You took a step back from the ropes laying on the ground helplessly and given up, wanting to get some space from the irritating item.

Mike had noticed your change of attitude and immediately sensed you were losing it a bit.

"Hey, it's fine- I'll do your part." He suggested quickly, hoping to give some reassurance. "I-it's just ropes, right? We can still win!"

You felt a bit silly but you had no power to complete the task. You meekly nodded.

You stood there, just looking at his hard work until he finished.

"Okay, let's go!" Mike announced as he was done with your both parts.

At the end of the day, you and Mike managed to avoid elimination and after the challenge ended, you had some alone time to yourself.

Once you had a chance to be alone for a second, you quickly escaped the large crowd of people, wanting to get some space after such tiring situation.

You were chilling on a bench until you noticed a familiar face appearing on your radar.

Mike had managed to find you.

You quickly changed your way of cross legged sitting on a bench due to fear of being perceived as weird, even though you knew Mike probably wouldn't bat an eye on that.

You politely smiled as he approached you.

"Hey, there you are-" Mike reciprocated your smile a bit nervously.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you, but I noticed you kind of- disappeared from the rest earlier, did something happen? Are you alright?" He asked with worry on his face which made you soften your expression. Did he really care about your wellbeing so much he came after you?

"No, no, you're not disturbing-" You said, halfly honest. You wanted some time alone for yourself, but you couldn't say you didn't appreciate him coming here.

He came up to the bench you were sitting on and sat beside you, keeping a respectful distance.

You didn't even notice when you started slightly bouncing your leg as you spoke.

To a keen eye (or even not so) it was clear that even though your face was calm, you had some bottled stress inside.

Mike was mindful enough to notice it, so he proceeded carefully.

"So- you're fine, just wanted to- chill out alone for a second?" Mike gently asked, looking at your face, even though your eyes avoided his.

"Yeah. You know, people overwhelm me a bit sometimes-" You admitted a bit bluntly.

"Oh, yeah, it's fine, I get what you mean-" He assured you with a smile. But then his smile faltered a little in worry.

"Wait, since you wanted to be alone, aren't I a bother?" He asked again, ready to stop bugging you in case it wasn't welcomed.

You softly smiled at his politeness.

"No, I said you're not a bother. I don't mind you being here, and- I like that you came here, actually." You admitted with a bit awkward and coy smile. You weren't used to speaking your mind freely like that, in case something came out wrong, but you concluded your response was acceptable.

Mike grinned bashfully as he remembered your previous words.

"Right, right, sorry heh." He scratched his neck as he showed a toothy grin.

"So..." He started after a few seconds.

"Tell me if I'm crossing any boundaries here, but I felt like there was some shift from you since that, um, knot situation." He carefully said. "...Are you- mad at me? Did I do something?"

You cringed internally at yourself.

"Oh, eh- no-" You quickly chimed in. "No, I'm sorry if I came off that way-"

"I just got a bit overwhelmed because I'm so clumsy- But I'm alright now." You assured him with a half smile while your leg continued to bounce. Until you noticed the movement and promptly stopped.

Mike had noticed all of your quirks but never commented on them.

"Hey, it's alright- I didn't mind helping you." He gave you a warm and a calm smile.

You waited a bit before thinking about saying something.

"I- I dunno if you know what a 'meltdown' is...?" You carefully started. You never explicitly stated you're autistic, nor you wanted people to treat you like a child whenever they found out, but you trusted Mike wouldn't do that.

Mike blinked once before tilting his head slightly.

"A meltdown... Uh..." He looked at the ground, trying to think about it.

You explained before he could say anything else, saving him from an awkward silence.

"It's an autism thing, I just kinda shut off for a moment there. I know it's not really useful in a competition." You bluntly admitted, waiting for his reaction.

Mike then seemed to get the idea "Oh, right! Yeah, yeah I know what is it." He nodded to emphasize.

"You- You don't have to worry about that! I know how it is to get overwhelmed sometimes-" He chuckled nervously.

"Just so you know, it doesn't change anything." He showed yet another reassuring smile which made the corners of your lips move up as well. "I'll help you whenever you need it!"

"...Thanks." You hoped the shine in your bashful eyes didn't expose your feelings too much.

["𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚎"]

After several days on the island, you noticed something changed. Mike seemed off to you.

Others didn't seem to notice, but your eyes caught some discrepancies in the way Mike acted.

His whole demeanor changed in an uncanny way.

You were used to being very chatty around him due to his always reciprocative stance, but recently Mike started to seem annoyed.

Worries flared up immediately once you noticed he might get bored of your ramblings, so you decided to ask him about it.

"Hey, uh, Mike? Can I ask you a question?" You tried to casually introduce the topic.

"Hm? Yeah, sure. Go on." He answered with fake investment in his voice, smiling.

"Am I talking too much? You can tell me to stop if you got bored or something-" You awkwardly informed him, hoping you weren't a bother after all, waiting for the confirmation.

He stopped for a moment, showing an unsure but cheery smile.

"Oh, no, no- Of course I love listening to you- But I'm just a bit tired today, so maybe you could tone it down a little today?" He tried to be as gentle as ever while shutting you up.

He wasn't very disrespectful but it kind of hurt you. Even though you knew he had the full right to politely ask you to stop, you thought he enjoyed the discussions with you.

You tried once again a few times, but all you were met with was subtly seeping annoyance from his responses.

"Oh my, that's interesting- But tell me, do you have anything else to talk about?" He asked while smiling and pretending to be invested.

"Uh- yeah. If you want I can-"

"Cool. Then talk about something else." He abruptly cut you off.

So with time you slowly shut up with the ramblings, which Mike seemed to be happy about.

You couldn't believe he just changed like that, as if it wasn't him. But you also felt like you had any right to force him into listening to you.

The changes in his behavior didn't stop at that, as you also noticed some remarks coming his way, which you had trouble deciding whether it was sarcasm or not.

He also seemed to get a bit more demanding, not being as keen to help you with things now.

You didn't take Mike's kindness for granted of course, but you knew something changed.

You had a bad feeling.

Your logical thinking made you come up with theories on what happened.

You knew about Mike's D.I.D. and wondered if it was maybe someone else. But you also knew Mike's alters well enough to know it wasn't any of the ones you were acquainted with.

Only thing that stopped you from outright asking him about it was your common decency. It would be rude to just assume.

So you decided to test something.

You once again started your favorite topic, one that Mike had a lot of questions and discussion about while he still acted like himself.

"Hey, Mike, I recently thought about that one tv show we talked about recently and I forgot to tell you some trivia. Wanna listen to the facts about [character] or [character2]?" You asked with halfly casual tone, wanting to check his reaction. You mentioned Mike's favorite action movie, so you believed he would reply with some enthusiast about it.

"Wow- um- Yeah, [character2] sounds good." He responded with pretended interest but you caught some annoyance from him, "per usual".

"...I thought you didn't like [character2]?" You asked a tricky question. The character in question was his favorite one. At least Mike's favorite. You purposefully asked an untrue question.

"Eh- I mean- Hate-listening is a thing, right?" He tried to get out of the hole he fell in due to not listening previously to you. His attempts at trying to be casual were obvious to you now.

You stopped for a moment to look him briefly in the eyes.

"Actually, you mentioned [character2] being your favorite." You tilted your head and raised your brow a bit accusatory.

He looked to the side, as if caught in a lie, but still tried to save face.

"Well tastes change, don't they?" He crossed his arms in a bit of annoyance because of you poking holes in his story.

"That's really rude of you." He furrowed his brows in slight irritation as his patience was running out.

That was it, you knew Mike wouldnt' just tell you that! Or, at least you hoped you were right about it.

You took a leap of faith as you also crossed your arms in a defensive state, staring at him.

"You're not Mike are you?" You asked bluntly.

He got a bit surprised at your boldness.

"What?" He chuckled a bit patronizingly, as if you said something stupid. "Of course I'm Mike. Why do you say that?"

"Well- I didn't wanna assume, but looking at your behavior recently I noticed you got a lot less enthusiastic about spending time with me. So obviously something's up." You concluded, still sticking to your belief. You hoped you weren't wrong.

"God you have to overthink everything, do you?" His tone changed to a slightly deeper one.

You noticed him gracefully swish his hair in a way which made his bangs cover his eye.

"Are you usually this annoying? How did Mike even managed to deal with you?" He expressed his thoughts freely now while you were under his judging eye.

Your eyes widened a little - you were right, it wasn't Mike.

"Wow, okay- Who are you then?" You asked now without any restriction.

"I'm Mal." He responded with arrogance.

"And if you tell anyone I'm not that nerdy freak, you're done." He added with an undertone of threat.

"Hey, what's with that hostility?" You tilted your head and asked a bit bluntly but still remaining polite.

"I am simply direct. I don't have the time or patience to deal with any of your foolish questions." Mal's cold and serious persona was quite intimidating, but you managed to stay calm.

"Okay- I'm direct too, but I don't have to threat you while at it." You pointed out calmly.

"I'm not threatening you. I'm simply telling you what will happen if you reveal my true self to anyone else." Mal's words echoed a threat without any hesitation.

You sighed, sensing some mixed messages from him. "Alright- Uh, so- Why don't you want me to tell others you're not Mike?"

"It's not your business." Mal's face displayed no change in expression, still remaining as firm and strict as ever.

You waited a bit before shrugging. "...Fair enough."

Mal stared at you, showing no reaction whatsoever. "Anything else?"

"Uh- Since you're obviously not Mike, why don't we start again?" You tried to make something out of this unusual situation.

Mal raised his brow skeptically, trying to sense your intentions with that question.

"And what do you mean by that?" Mal's demeanor stayed unchanged, keeping a sharp and indifferent look on his face.

"Like- I know nothing about you, but- I'm opened to still hold an alliance, you know?" You shrugged, hoping he'll agree.

"I'm not looking for any kind of alliance with you." Mal's words sounded harsh and blunt. He never cared for any relationships, especially with people he doesn't even know.

"Okay, harsh." You bluntly put it, a bit awkward he wasn't keen on it. "But- uh, why not?"

"Because there will never be any mutual benefits here." Mal's statement was short and concise, showing no further interest in their current conversation.

"Uh- How so?" You continued.

"You have nothing worthwhile to offer me. No one else has anything worthwhile to offer me either. It's why I'm alone." Mal's words sounded as cold and harsh as ever, as if you weren't even there.

"…Isn't it a bit lonely?" You didn't wanna push the matter further, but without Mike or anyone else in an alliance, you felt lonely yourself. That's why you tried to save the situation you had before.

Mal stayed silent for a bit. "Lonely? Yes. Do I care? No." Mal's face showed no visible change of expression, staying as cold as ever.

"It doesn't matter to me if I'm alone. I can survive on my own, I don't need any friends. I never have and never will."

Your face showed a bit of concern as well as mixed emotions.

It was hard to get to him, but you still had some hopes.

"Well- I'm not saying you need them, but- since I already know you're not Mike, why can't we be at least on a positive terms?" You tried your best to seem an appealing friend.

Mal stayed silent for a bit, considering your words. He remained indifferent and unamused, but your words at least reached his ears.

"You don't even know me, yet you want to be on positive terms with me… Are you that desperate?" He looked at you patronizingly amused.

"I'm trying to be nice here." You bluntly said, a bit discouraged by his unwillingness to cooperate.

"Nice, you say? Do you even know what 'nice' means? To my knowledge, 'nice' is something you do to manipulate people and get their trust. I'm not interested in those kinds of games." Mal's words were cold and sharp, as if challenging you to answer him.

You stood there a bit dumbfounded at his definition of "nice". "No- And I'm sorry you had this experience if that's what you think it means. But I hold no malice towards you, really."

"Well you're either lying, or you're just a fool. I haven't decided yet." Mal didn't make an effort to hold back his words, just letting them slip with his usual bluntness.

You rolled your eyes slightly, but you were determined to change his mind. "Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, like me, or even believe me, but- let's say it makes us even then? We get to be in an alliance, and I don't tell your secret?" You didn't like blackmail, but you had to save yourself somehow.

"…Let's say your offer interests me… What would be your goal of this alliance?" Mal's demeanor changed slightly, becoming noticeably more analytical and entertaining the possibility at least slightly.

"Well- First off, a buddy is always nice to have on the competition, second reason- I like Mike. And you're a part of Mike So- I also wanna be friends with you. And- I hope that's reasonable?" You put it in a honest way.

Mal chuckled out loud before looking at you entertained and looking as if he was about to burst your bubble. "But I'm no Mike. If you think I'm gonna act like him then you're mistaken."

"No, I don't." You quickly disregarded his words. "That's why I suggested a fresh start."

You waited a bit before elaborating more. "Yes, I know that probably sounds stupid, but I'll be blunt. I just wanna make a friend and stay in the game. And I suck at social interactions." You knew how desperate you probably were to him, given his indifferent approach to you, but you had no other idea what to do.

Mal was clearly entertained by your responses. He couldn't help but chuckle at their naivety and the sheer persistence of being his 'friend' or something similar. "…You're one odd individual. I must say."

Mal stood silently for a moment, pondering the possibilities for an alliance between you two. He sighed before responding. "…Very well" Mal's face looked serious now, having a proposition in store.

"Should you fail to respect my boundaries, or try to manipulate me in any way… you're dead meat." Mal's tone of voice changed a bit too, now sounding as if he weren't joking anymore.

"And I also want you to not interfere with any of my plans. Understood? I can tolerate working with you for the time being, but only for the sake of mutual benefits." Mal's words were harsh and intimidating, but there seemed to be a slight tinge of… skepticism.

That was a good thing, you thought, because at least he was considering your request.

You nodded.

[Mal at the confessional]

"I can't decide whether they're planning something I didn't give them credit for, or are they that stupid to think I'm really gonna be in a real alliance with them." Mal chuckled to the camera. "Probably the latter." He added with a smug smirk. "That naive pawn… it's too easy to manipulate them. All that talk about "friendship…" nonsense." He obnoxiously mocked your words with a hand gesture as his look held entertainment. "As if that mattered to me… or anyone." Mal thought to himself out loud. "No one ever mattered to me, and they never will. People are merely tools in my eyes, and I will use them to get what I want..." His expression seemed to stay serious and pondering for a moment before the video cut off.

[𝙼𝚊𝚕]

You had very mixed feelings about the situation.

You were very well aware Mal probably didn't respect you and only agreed to it for his benefit, you weren't stupid.

But you also had some hopes he would come around with time.

Your relationship proceeding further was very rocky, as Mal didn't really treat you with kindness, which you kind of expected, but weren't happy about.

Still, he didn't try to vote you off, and for the time being it worked.

You were a bit lost about what to do, but the days on the island didn't let you have a break to think about things, and the challenges proceeded as usual.

Today's challenge was a camp-out one. People in the team had to partner up with someone and then spend a night outside, in the forest.

"Easy enough", you thought, but you noticed some eye-roll from Mal.

Obviously you and Mal ended up being partners, due to the "mutual" alliance you had.

Once the teams had chose their respective campsites and you were alone, Mal swooshed his hair so it fell on his eye once again without a comment, seemingly more comfortable with this hairstyle instead of Mike's usual standing hair.

"So- How about this place?" You pointed out to a simple area that didn't have a lot of pinecones on the ground, offering a softer ground to set a tent on.

"Whatever, can be." He briefly acknowledged your words without any further interest.

You were a bit tired of his apathetic demeanor but you let it slide.

You placed your backpack on the ground, preparing to take out the necessary equipment.

Mal sat on some available tree root, expecting you to do all the work.

It took you some time but you were determined to set out the tent properly, even under Mal's judging eye.

To no avail. Without an instruction, it wasn't your strong suit to just "wing it".

Mal raised his brow unamusedly while crossing his arms.

"God that's pathetic." He commented without any hesitance.

"Okay then, you do it." You crossed your arms as well, now looking at him.

You heard a "tch-" from him. "Really? You're that helpless?" He smirked.

"It would appear so." You just bluntly admitted, gaining some surprise from Mal, which quickly disappeared after a moment.

"Weak." He murmured to himself, making sure you also heard him. He walked up to the tent, setting it up without much resistance.

You plopped down on the tree trunk Mal was previously sitting on, watching him work.

After he was done you didn't want to be useless, so you got up with an idea of gathering some wood. What's a camp without a camp-fire, eh?

Mal saw you leave but didn't comment anything, choosing to go sit in the tent he just set up.

You were really trying to be nice and respectful to Mal, but he was slowly draining your willingness to do it.

As you were collecting random twigs from the ground you were thinking about him though.

No one was mean without a reason, and given Mike's situation, he probably went through lots of stuff to get to his current behavior, which made you feel sympathetic towards him.

You came back to your little campout, noticing Mal lazily sitting inside the tent, holding a knife in his one hand that was carving the wood he held in the other. You wondered where did he get it from?

"I brought wood." You announced, letting the twigs fall onto the floor.

"Congrats, you made yourself useful." He commented briefly, but mostly ignoring you.

It was a start at least.

Soon enough the air became colder, forcing you to make a fire.

You gathered some rocks and formed them along with several pieces of wood, trying to set the fire with 2 rocks, as you had to do with Mike on scout-type challenge, until Mal took out a match with unamused expression and started the fire.

You blinked as you saw the fire appear, then looked at Mal. "How did you get a match?"

"I stole it." He replied carelessly without a hint of shame.

"...Okay, that works." You only managed to say.

You both got near the source of warmth in a careful distance away from each other, you sitting on the tree trunk nearby, him sitting in the tent.

The challenge was going pretty smoothly, until it began to pour.

The rain quickly took out your fire, making Mal groan in irritation.

As you felt the droplets of water on your clothes, you quickly went into the tent where Mal was taking most of the space, but he reluctantly moved to the corner once he saw you coming.

You stayed silent as you observed the aggressive change of the weather, with Mal not making a peep either, only keeping his outward display of annoyance towards the rain visible.

It was getting dark and cold, with the weather having no plans of going back to the sunny afternoon it previously was.

Mal backed out into the tent, sitting quietly and looking outside with an upset expression on his face.

There was a long, awkward silence that got to you internally, but you didn't want to risk annoying Mal with bringing up "annoying" topics to talk about, as you had no other ideas.

You came to the show with quite a thick jacket with a hood on, so the cold didn't bother you that much, but you observed Mal pressing his bent knees to his stomach in attempt to keep warm.

There was no sign of struggle from his side though, as he made a good job of sitting still, acting like it wasn't bothering him, with the exception of subtle trembles of his body once in a while.

It was obvious he felt cold with only a short-sleeved shirt to keep him warm.

"Are you cold?" You asked hesitantly, even though you knew the answer.

He shot you a death glare. "I'm fine."

You waited a second, looking at him briefly and thinking about your options. You decided to press further.

"You have short sleeves though." You pointed out, looking at his face getting agitated.

"So fucking what? My fault this moron can't dress properly?" He barked at you with hostility, as if you were pointing out his misfortune.

"No." You responded a bit taken aback by his tone, but you remained calm.

"But- We can share." You made your intentions clear as you took off the jacket, handing it to him.

He looked at you with skeptic and confused eyes as if you had some hidden intentions behind that move, but he accepted the gift without any comment.

You noticed his grumpy expression soften slightly but still keeping that distrustful glare, avoiding your eye as he put the jacket around his back.

You judged his reaction as a positive one though.

After a moment you scooted closer to him, touching his side with yours, to which he raised his eyebrow at your "audacity".

"What are you doing?" He muttered, looking at your movements with mixed feelings.

"You're not the only one cold here. I'm also freezing." You explained a bit lightheartedly, hoping to ease the thick tension between you two.

Mal only briefly looked at you and let out a "hmph" noise as an acknowledgement as he looked away from you, yet he didn't move away, letting you stay in this position.

You sighed contently for the first time in a few days now.

You watched the rain fall in silence, but at least it wasn't as overwhelming now.

Finally the exhaustion caught up to you both as a product of several hours of walking and doing stuff.

Mal let out the first yawn and so you asked him whether he wants to go to sleep.

He shrugged, still keeping his indifferent behavior but accepted. "Sure, whatever."

You both moved to the far away corners of the tent and layed down, feeling the fabric of the tent soften the hard ground halfly. Chris didn't pack you any sleeping bags, that would be too easy.

All you had was your jacket as a make-shift blanket.

You noticed Mal laying on his side, in a way that wouldn't make him face you.

You offered him a part of the jacket but his ego didn't let him accept this time.

"I'm fine. I don't need it." He harshly turned down your offer.

You sighed. "Fine."

Mal remained stubborn, even though the cold was biting his ass, he managed to fall asleep.

You however couldn't, due to the uncomfortable place of sleeping.

You laid on your back for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling of the tent, before deciding to take a look at Mal.

His breathing let you notice he was asleep, although his shaky body was visibly cold.

You didn't have the heart to let him freeze, so you very carefully moved near him, putting a part of the jacket on him to cover him up.

You pressed your back very slightly against him, craving some additional warmth from his body that would benefit you boths

Fortunately he didn't wake up.

You managed to fall asleep after some time as well.

Mal woke up after several hours, thoroughly confused about the state of his being, as he expected to wake up cold, but he was quite- cozy.

His expression changed as soon as he noticed you very close to him.

He cringed at your proximity, with your front facing him in a blissful state of sleep, hair over your eyes as if in rom-com movie.

He was about to forcefully shake you off him, but he decided against it for some reason.

Perhaps it was his self-preservation finally speaking, instead of ego getting in his way of survival. Your position was both comfy and warm, after all.

He only turned to lay on his back, letting out a heavy sigh, furrowing his eyebrows slightly as it was now his turn to look above without any particular reason, just to think over the situation.

As soon as you started to wake up, he immediately backed off, putting the whole jacket on you.

"Finally you're awake." He said as if it was a big bother.

You softly rubbed your eyes, yawn escaping your lips as you done so.

"When did you wake up?" You asked with a bit of haze still.

"Doesn't matter." He sharply shut down your question, although his tone was just slightly different than his usual bitterness.

After you both past the challenge timer of staying and ready to leave the place, you noticed Mal taking down the tent, without you having to ask him for it. Huh.

[Mal at the confessional]

Mal stared at the camera with crossed arms for a longer moment, having an ambiguous expression on his face. After some time he finally decided to open his mouth. "God, they're so helpless. They can't even set up a damn tent." His scornful tone made it obvious he was making fun of you. "How would they even make it so far without me?" He once again made it clear to the recording device that he was needed for your victory. Yet another few seconds passed by before his thought was said out loud, this time his face turning less arrogant and more figuring out what he's gonna say. "...They're so naive." He reiterated once more, as if to reassure himself what to think. "But- Maybe with my help I'll be able to use them to my advantage." He finally found the correct direction of his further words. "I'll make sure no one gets between me and Y/N getting a chance at winning the money." "Of course, just for me to forcefully take the victory away from them, later." He said confidently, but he felt the need for a clarification on that last part. He lingered in the confessional for a moment more, before getting to his final words, looking straight at the camera. "And if anyone plans to interfere with that, they're gonna go down."

[BONUS - DATING HEADCANONS]

Of course if you and Mal become a thing, he'll be more keen about tolerating your quirks and listening to you ramble about your hyperfixations.

He won't be as invested in them, but he'll treat you in a way he'd treat a cat enjoying it's favorite toy - "You do your thing sweetie. It's stupid but adorable to look at."

Once he gets used to your true thoughts and trust you, he'd also think your honesty is refreshing.

He thinks neurotypicals play too many complicated emotional games.

He can also play them as a form of manipulation, but if it comes to trusting each other he appreciates you always being blunt when it comes to what you think.

It's obvious Mal most probably has ASPD and Narcissistic Personality Disorder, so he's not a stranger to people not liking his attitude and way of thinking.

He might be a bit too harsh on you at first, not used to having someone caring about him (or vice versa) but with time he'll learn to not go as hard on you.

Like with your 'special needs', not tolerating some textures and foods, your obsession about only on topic at a time, or stimming, which might be distracting to him.

He might panic a bit inside once you have a meltdown first time around him though, not knowing how to act around you in that state, as only thing he knows it's hostility, so don't expect him to be much help.

He might listen to your requests how should he act later on, though.

He will also be more straightforward around you when he notices your "denseness".

"Do you- want my jacket again?" You asked, looking at Mal. "No, let me freeze to death." He remarked sarcastically, expecting you to pass him the jacket again, but you just blinked, unsure if he wanted it or not after your previous similar encounter with him being reluctant to accept it. He looked at you a second more, now elaborating a bit annoyed. "Yes, I want it."

Even more so after Mal became less insecure about showing his interest in you.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked, looking at you expectantly with a hint of tease in his voice, obviously wanting you to come closer to him so you'd need him as a source of warmth. "Kinda-" You responded casually, yet still did nothing. Mal waited a moment before finally sighing and pulling you closer to him in a smooth manner, making you a bit surprised. "That means come here." He reiterated slightly more greedy about your presence. That amount of possessiveness made you a bit stunned, but in a kind of positive way. He wasn't negative towards you anymore, after all. "Do I really have to spell out everything for you?" He asked halfly serious. "Well- apparently." You admitted a bit embarrassed at your lack of clue. He rolled his eyes, pulling you closer. "Okay then. You're mine now."

[birdofmay]

30 Days of Autism Acceptance 2023

Hello, apparently I act as a substitute teacher this autism acceptance month 😄 @autie-j is busy, so my therapist and I spontaneously thought of 30 questions for 2023 - to be "published" before 1 April 2023 starts in the timezone UTC+14. Which... wasn't much time. If you see this, we made it! 😎

Rules:

Copy and paste the question you want to answer into an own post - this means don't answer via reblog!

You can answer as many or as few as you like. No force, for real.

Tag your post as #30daysofautismacceptance and #2023

1 April: The typical introduction question! Tell us something about yourself. If you can't think of anything, try these: What do you enjoy to do in your free time? What music or series/show do you like? Are you happy with your current living situation/the people you live with? What's one of your favourite foods?

2 April: When were you diagnosed and when did you know that you're autistic? If you're self-diagnosed, when did you first suspect that you're autistic and when were you sure?

3 April: How good or bad is your memory for things people say? For example verbal instructions. If you're deaf: Can you lip read? Do you think your autism influences your ability to lip read?

4 April: Were/are you in special education? Regular school? Home schooled? A private school? Did it change over time? Did/do you like it?

5 April: Did/do you have accommodations at school/IEP? If not, do you think it would help/have helped you?

6 April: Can you understand what people say when they talk fast, or do you lose track after a while? Was it different when you were younger? Additional question if your hearing is aided: If your hearing is aided, does that trigger sensory overloads sometimes?

7 April: Do you have other diagnoses? What are they? Do you think that some could be incorrect?

8 April: Do you struggle to read long texts or are you one of those people who can read everything with ease (Braille counts too of course)? If you're blind, do you struggle to pay attention when a screen reader reads a long text, or is it ok?

9 April: Did an interest ever turn into an "obsession" for you? If not, do you regularly experience hyperfocus when you engage in your special interest? If nothing applies, tell us about your longest interest, no matter if it's a special interest or not!

10 April: Can you understand speech when there is background noise? If you're deaf: Could you understand speech when you were younger? If your hearing is aided: Does the sound make listening to speech uncomfortable to you?

11 April: If you learned to speak as a child (definition for this post: the ability to use spontaneous speech (mouth words) to communicate in at least two-word sentences), did your ability to speak improve after that, stayed the same, decrease, or did something happen that you can't speak at all anymore now?

If you never learned to speak, did it take you a while to find a good communication method (for example sign language didn't work, communication board was too confusing, but AAC device is ok)?

12 April: Were/are you in speech therapy? If so, for what? If not, do you think speech therapy could have helped you?

13 April: How important are routines to you? Are your routines more based on time ("I always do this at 6pm!"), on habits ("I always drink from this cup!") or both?

14 April: If you learned to speak as a child, were you a late talker, average age, or did you speak at a really young age? If you never learned to speak, how do you communicate? For example an AAC device, sign language, a communication board, etc.

15 April: If you can perceive the facial expression of others and learned to recognise the meaning to a degree, did you learn that in social skills training, by your own "hard work", or was it a mix of both? Are there patterns that you understand intuitively (for example recognising fear because it's not so different from how you behave when you feel fear)? - if this question doesn't apply to you, you have a day off! :)

16 April: If you can perceive the facial expression of others, but struggle to learn the meaning, are there strategies you use to at least guess if the person reacts in a good, neutral or bad way to you (for example to spot if you made someone angry by accident)? Do you rely on how their voice sounds as a backup? - if this question doesn't apply to you, not even in your childhood, you have a day off! :)

17 April: If you can't perceive the facial expression of others (for example because you focus too much on details, struggle to perceive people in general, or because you're blind), do you pay attention to the tone of their voice? Can you hear if someone is angry if they don't tell you? - if this question doesn't apply to you, you have a day off! :)

18 April: If you can perceive the facial expression of others, how long does it take you to spot a pattern in new people (for example you observe someone for a while and at some point you know "This person is insecure because they always have that look when they're insecure")? - if this question doesn't apply to you, you have a day off! :)

19 April: Did your ability to express yourself improve or worsen/deteriorate over time? Or did it stay the same? Is it different depending on how you communicate (spoken language, written language, signed...)?

20 April: If you can (or could when you were younger) say words with your mouth (echolalia counts), did/do you have a monotone or "odd" voice, speak too loudly/softly, etc.? Did/do you practice to modulate your voice?

21 April: If you can (or could when you were younger) say words with your mouth, did/do you struggle to pronounce words or sounds? For example r, th, s, etc. - if this question doesn't apply to you, you have a day off :)

22 April: If you can speak (the ability to use spontaneous speech (mouth words) to communicate in at least two-word sentences), do you experience speech loss/verbal shutdowns, etc.? Meaning that you normally can speak, but sometimes you suddenly can't anymore. Semiverbal/semispeaking people and unreliably speaking people (apraxia), you count as "speaking" if you can use spontaneous(!) speech most of the time.

If you can't speak, are there times when communication suddenly is harder than usual? If not, was it different when you were younger?

23 April: Do you have balance issues? If not, was it different when you were younger?

24 April: How did your fine motor skills develop? Were you one of the first kids who could tie their shoe laces or do you think you'll probably never learn it? This is an "open question", if you want to ramble, start rambling.

25 April: How did your gross motor skills develop? Did you walk early or did you struggle to walk (if you can walk)? Do you have a bad posture? This is another "open question".

26 April: If you're interested in other people/want contact, how do you normally make contact with others? Do you stay where you are and hope that they approach you, or do you approach them?

If you're not interested in other people, do others respect and understand that? Were you negatively affected by the "autistics are very social actually and want friends, they just don't know how to do that!" mentality (for example that everyone tries to force social interactions because they think you secretly want social contacts)?

27 April: If you have/want real-life friends, how much contact is important for you and when is it too much? Do/would you miss your friends if you wouldn't see each other in person for a while?

28 April: As a child, did you tend to express yourself overly formally? Or did you struggle with grammar? Did you "borrow" words and expressions from other people or media, or did you make up your own words? Or both?

29 April: Was your hand-eye coordination delayed or maybe is still impaired? This includes things like throwing and catching a ball, putting a key into a lock without missing it, etc. Everything where your brain needs to process what your eyes see so that your hands can adjust what they do. If you're blind, tell us if you think your autism made it harder for you to estimate where things are, using your hands.

30 April: If you're interested in other people/want contact, did you try to make friends on your own when you were younger, or didn't you initiate anything because you didn't know what to do?

If you're not interested in other people, did/do you still enjoy online contact? If not, did/do people assume you're lonely and try to interact with you all the time?

[zebulontheplanet]

hey, I have a question about ID. how does being ID affect your life? ik this is a really broad question but im trying to learn more about ID since I don't have it, and I've just really been wondering how it actually changes a person's life.

Hello! This is a hard question because honestly, ID overlaps a lot with other disorders. It’s like a spicy add on that I have. Most of what I will say is from my own observation, the observation of others, and things my neuropsych has said.

ID affects your problem solving skills, adaptive functioning skills, social skills, judgement, learning skills, and ADL skills.

For learning, it’s a constant struggle. I’m severely behind then my non-intellectually disabled peers, and have to constantly work to just keep up a little bit. Learning itself is extremely hard for me, and while others may be able to process things within 2-3-4 times of being exposed and shown it, I might need 5x that amount of time being exposed and shown it. My learning is a complicated subject, because of how behind I am in most subjects. History? Forget it. Algebra? Forget it. I just can’t make those things click on my brain. Dates, memorization, faces, titles, etc etc is a no for me and takes so much time and effort. I have to also constantly work to not regress in skills, so I’m constantly learning to not lose the skills I have gained throughout the years.

For adaptive skills, that includes things like self care, communication skills, self-direction, etc etc. I struggle with all of these. If someone communicates something to me like a time and place or directions, or something along those lines, they have to write it down or it can get scrambled in my head, then forget it, the whole things is mixed up and everything is wrong and I can’t get to where I need to be. Relying information to other people is also very hard for me because of this. Information gets switched up, lost, etc. it’s very hard and I have to have things written down at all times.

For judgement, my judgement is severely impaired. I’m known for staying in relationships (platonic, romantic, etc) way past their due date, and I’m often manipulated and abused in relationships and still stay. I often times have to get my parents involved and for them to help me through it. It’s very tricky and difficult to deal with, because my brain just doesn’t get it, and I will stay in relationships even if they’re harming me.

For problem solving skills, that’s hard for me too. Solving situations, etc etc is really difficult, as well as even something simple as problem solving games, i suck at those and they’re so confusing to me. Puzzles? Forget it. Sudoku? Forget it. Can’t do it at all.

There’s probably a lot I’m missing, and I’m probably not stating it all, but this is just what comes to mind! I hope you have a lovely day and feel free to ask further questions.

[ninjagood4]

Hello, I’m Cookie! I'm a self-taught artist, create content about Ninjago and write the comic “NINJAGO: Future of the Past” ~

YouTube · X · Instagram · Toyhou.se (soon)

You can support my work, it’s help my family and give me the opportunity to develop every day 🫂

Link to PayPal Donate Button or QR-code⭡

Life in Ukraine 🇺🇦 | 19 y.r | She/Her

A little bit about me, my hobbies and the most important thing - OC content!

ABOUT ME

Hmm, well… I'm not a fan of communication because of my closed personality, which has seen a lot addressed to it. But you know, our life is too short to waste it on fears, and so I started to work on myself. I'm also very distrustful and often doubt, I'm learning to adhere to the idea of ​​"measure seven times - cut once" (because sometimes I rush and ruin everything) xD Although I'm really silent and can seem creepy(huh?), if I find a person I trust, then on the contrary, I will not be able to shut my mouth!

I very much love animals, VERY! I would still like to become a vet, but… it will be hard for me to come to terms with the fact that I could not save some cutie (it really hurts), so I don't go too far with it. I'm interested in psychology, love reading articles about the past of the earth, science and all sorts of discoveries, experiments, theories, facts, and other things like that… Well, and also… some memes and strange videos on YouTube that you can laugh at, holding back your laughter while everyone else is asleep ^^

HOBBY

There are actually a lot of them, but they are all related to creativity lol. Simply because it gives the opportunity to create something new and interesting! Well, and I just like handwork lol

Drawing is what I love the most! I did it all my childhood, and it was what I really know how to do. But I prefer to think that can do more than just draw :') I somehow didn't think about art school, since instantly lose interest when I'm taught. It's weird, but that's how it is, lol. So I decided to learn it myself, and focused on Ninjago, because it's my favorite series since ~2013, but I watched it from the very beginning - 2011 (I'm old 💀). In 2018-early 2019, I began to actively study natural drawing, and since 2021 I have been actively managing social networks and learning digital art. It's hard for me to say which style I prefer, I really like to parody TV series animations, including WilFilm, WildBrain and the MonkieKid style! But still, I liked combining my concept with The Lion King style, and I think I'll stop there for FotP :) BUT☝️ I will not stop parodying styles/animations, because it is very interesting (this does not mean that I challenged copyright, no!). Yes yes, I'm capable of more than just Ninjago commiss, if that's what you're talking about; just show me the style of the cartoon and maybe I'll repeat it >:D Oh, and since 2023 I started accepting commissions, and I sincerely hope to develop with their help, to make it my job (and also recently opened donations). We do not live very easily, and I am afraid that at this rate I will have to give up art. The only option is to make it my job (in fact, I am not against such a turn of events) 👉👈

Not many people know about this at all, but I compose music :) These jobs is rarer, because they require a LOT of time, and maybe that's why I think no one pays attention to it. And music is exactly what I studied for. I once dreamed of becoming a composer, because I had a passion for music and loved to compose, but my father (who refused to go to music school as a child)) decided that I would do this. Well, when he sent me for testing, I hoped that they would refuse me and send me away, but they took me. I improved my skills thanks to this, but somehow I lost my passion. Although I still compose music and love it, something has changed… At the same time, it's a shame that I did not live up to my father's expectations, but if I release tracks on YouTube, does this not look like a career as a composer? heh 🤔

In 2019, I tried to make a plush Lloyd (the photos are gone, but I sometimes remake it lol, so they kind of exist), but this was the beginning of crafts! Crafts (handmade) are also rare due to the time of work, but they exist. Because of my love for ecology, it seems to me that this also gives some kind of second chance to things. I prefer to use garbage unnecessary things for this (sometimes it's hard to say what I made this or that thing from, there is ALL), and then I put them in a box and they continue to lie :ʼ) But no, Lloyd does not lie in a box, I put him on a shelf, and later I even made Agatha for him jhvjfjgvjgcvm

Other things like wood carving (sometimes even metal), but that's rare. In short: I love absolutely everything that needs to be created, where you need to work with your hands! I think that's enough.

FANFICTION!!!! I can get so deep into the story that I forget it's non-canon (like what happened with Future of the Past). Wait, let this be canon!

Thanks to my mom, I got into cooking, by the way xD I hated cooking because it always turned out to be something smelly and inedible, but when I learned how to cook pancakes and potato pancakes — the world changed 🤌✨ I want to make a cake "Lloyd" someday. LET ME MAKE THAT CAKE

Hmm, does making stupid memes count?..

OC CONTENT

Briefly about NINJAGO: Future of the Past. I just wanted Lloyd to have a girlfriend

Ahem! I didn't plan to go this far, initially my plans were just to create my own character for fanarts, but everything somehow happened by itself. I really liked Agatha (because I had a lot of unsuccessful attempts), I was even afraid that no one would like her because of the idea itself.

Considering that I love nature and simple things, Agatha is an ordinary rice farmer, who lives in the Valley of Mountain Fires (this is a remote area in the world of Ninjago, and the Monastery of Spinjitzu is part of it!). The ninja did not know where they live hahaha))

So, therefore, Agatha spends all her time in nature, thanks to which she is very agile, fast, can climb to heights and swim. This is ✨Child of Nature✨ ​​

Agatha has a fear of the future (the unknown), longing for the past (since she made many mistakes that cannot be corrected), death and minor fears like a dislike for spiders, hatred of Tuesdays, etc :)

She also behaves freedom-loving and sometimes daring, likes to find fault with what she does not like, speaks directly and can be too rude, but at the same time she is a kind person who will not abandon you in trouble, and is always ready to support. In places she is quite timid, withdrawn, afraid to open up to a person (so Lloyd will have to go through a lot until they become friends).

As for Leo, he was invented in honor of my cat, who had the same name. I took up OCs after the evacuation in 2022 to distract myself, and then I had to leave Leo at home because of the difficult journey, which he might not survive (fortunately, our city was untouched at that time, and relatives looked after the house with Leo). But I missed him very much and thought that I would never see him again, so I made such a pet for Agatha.

And Tiger Bongo... Because they are canon, and a huge tiger thinking he is a cat sounds funny :) My cat began to feel extremely bad, but we returned after 3 months and he was waiting for us, so I managed to spend a few more months with him before he left.

I didn't think about the faction for a long time, I had inspiration for it. I create FotP trying to touch on real events from my life, so the faction became the Bandits on dragons, who are doing what is happening now in my country. They occupy the Valley of Mountain Fires, and the inhabitants (including Agatha) will have to live in such conditions for 16 years. There are many more bandits and their dragons (for which I came up with a new type), so ordinary residents cannot resist. If everything goes against their regime, Agatha's vellage will simply be wiped out, but...

Actually, I would be very happy to tell you more about this, feel free to write me questions! :D

Here I will write briefly: the plot is that Agatha and Leo decide to escape from the valley in search of the Monastery of Spinjitzu, so that "five masters led by green" can help save her home. She know that this would be the beginning of a war, but she had no choice. On the way, she is spotted by the bandit, so after 2 days, when the ninja are flying on the new Destiny's Bounty to the valley, the dragon of the robbers attacks the ship on the way and takes the ninja captive - Kai, Nya and Zane (Jay and Cole get lost in the forest, but later find Agatha's village). Lloyd, Agatha and Leo are not noticed, but given that Lloyd did not accept Agatha from the very beginning/she was afraid of him and very soon hated, they began to have a big conflict. Since the whole team was confused, they had no choice but to work together, and gradually they saw a lot in common (even though Leo doesn't like Lloyd and makes fun of him).

Later, the bandits learn that Lloyd is the green ninja, and use his power to search for the last key to Death (this creature supposedly should help them cross the border of the Monastery and create chaos in the world, but in fact it will destroy everyone). Let's just say Lloyd falls into the hands of a man who skillfully manipulates him. To stop Death, Lloyd and Agatha need to learn the Skill of Yin-Yang, which will lead to the fusion of Jade and Energy (Lloyd and Agatha's powers), because without it, Jade absorbs a huge amount of Energy and causes it to the pain, which can destroy the master of Energy.

Forgot to mention that Lloyd struggles with his Oni side, depression, and traumas throughout the series.

By the way, if you're wondering again why Lloyd is chubby - the events take place after the Crystallized, and then peace comes. Due to the imminent separation from Harumi, he falls into depression, and Wu's death becomes a turning point that awakens the Oni side due to negative emotions. Then part of the family breaks up, the ninja are also going to disperse, but Lloyd forbids them and trains them, because he believes that because of the Oni side, they will have to confront him. At the same time, Lloyd prefers to eat away his depression with food, which has negatively affected him for many years. Anyway, I also briefly told everything here. This boy thought that the ninja would have to fight against him, but he didn't expect that he would have to fight for them.

But then again, I plan to write up to 400 pages for the first season (and I'm already close to the final stage), so there is A LOT of stuff there. Even so, I practically didn't say anything about it 😭 There are some things I'm still keeping quiet about, but... if you're interested in something, just ask! 🙌🫠

DON’T MIND/LOVE AND DISLIKE

Ninjago | Only Dragons Rising (sorry 😭)

Any orientation (every person has the right to their own choice)

Distribution/propaganda (of something in greater quantity)

Any wars/those who in any way approve of it

Acceptance of equals

Racism, sexism, any kind of evil banter

This list needs to be extended…

I have a lot more to write, but let's finish this and start watching the shit I publish?) ~really, because I use a translator and I can't imagine how "beautiful" it sounds~ Hope you have fun!

Thanks to everyone who read to the end

:3 ♡

and please I would be truly grateful for donations and commissions as it really help. You can distribute the image with the QR-code it can also help. Ty :)

[syqamorsun]

Hello, my name is Syqamor. And I love literature, psychology, and visual art.

I don't know what my first post should be, so I'm just going to go on a little stream of consciousness boat ride.

Why don't you take a cup of tea and join me?

Writing is more important to me now than before, i think. Which may seem less true due to how infrequently I sit down and actually work on my projects. But as I've grown older, life has become so dreary, much more than I imagined in my youth.

In 2021, I wrote a poem, partially about the pandemic and partially about depression. There's this segment:

I sleep with my eyes wide open, Scrolling mindlessly and thinking endlessly. Burning my thumb on the phone screen, I wish For a light, yet cling to shade. And there, a lone bulb flickers, Over and over.

And I revisit it because I've noticed an interpretation that I didn't think of before. The lack of actual rest. I take a break from work by scrolling on my phone, or when I get home from work/school, I scroll for hours before finally losing the strength in my eyes. The action seems so effortless - just blink your eyes, absorb 1 million bits of terrible information, and move your thumb until the rhythm draws you into sleep madness.

I rarely feel rested. I don't feel calm very often, and I think that with the state of the world, it's only normal. There's so much to fix, so much to do, meals to figure out with the cans in your pantry, personal problems on top of congested societal problems. The noise never seems to settle.

And I think that's why returning to my stories, even though it's less frequent, feels like drops of cool refreshing water. Writing has always been there for me since the beginning.

I did lose my way for a little while, though. I did initially join Tumblr in 2016 with the intention of building a brand as a teen writer. Many people did. The online writing community was kind of blossoming, but also unfortunately turning into a capitalistic hellscape. We were all trying to become published teen writers, starting youtube channels, writing every day, writing every chance we got, writing more than eating or sleeping, stepping on each other's ideas to scramble to the top.

I think my entire friend group, save for like 3-4 people, completely left social media. Some of their pages are still up, frozen in time, their last writing update from 2018. The rest became... normal people, I suppose, a couple still writing, others writing less. And we became closer throughout all the madness.

Writing became less of a priority as the world around us became mad. But I noticed that each time I was able to return to the pen, my writing skills became so much more sharper. It was no longer about becoming 'successful', but about what writing meant to me originally - a way to escape.

And so now, more than ever, as rain pours outside my window, I can say that writing is more important to me.

And even if no one reads my blog, it's okay. My words have left my congested brain and landed in a little home that people may find if they are searching for.

That is enough for me, I think.

-Syqamor

[nicomrade]

Hello local Akagi and Sahara enthusiast! What do you think those two would think about each other? Would Akagi be impressed by Sahara's begging to be in a dangerous gamble?

took forever to get to this one cuz i cant make up my mind. so lets start easy i suppose

i dont think akagi would be... impressed by it but i tihnk he might respect it? at least an older akagi does respect it- hiro did some similar begging to be part of the east/west tournament and akagi enjoyed that. a younger akagi only looks at other people to tell if they can be "an existence like his" and doesnt care much beyond that. sahara IS willing to take risks and stick to his death gambling decisions so that 19kagi does respect id say? (if his conversation w urabe is anything to go on- he dislikes/d half-assed people) he wouldnt feel NEGATIVELY towards sahara anyway. but who does akagi even truly dislike ?... only time he gets mad is in the chohan arc so. hes a pretty easy going dude all things considered

sahara-wise i think hes got a bit of an ego and overestimates how really good at gambles he is/would be lol. like "please let me in ur death game and i promise ill win and i wont die and u wont have my death on ur conscience i promiiiiise ill win i can win id win anything" is kinda like erm. u dont even know what game itd be yet. and hes one of the first people to actually step on the brave mans road (if not the first? i forgor) so he has an outlook of "ok i can pull that off" and i think hed be impressed w akagi skills but not see him as a demonic gambler or anything hed hear about akagis risky wins and think "wow! so cool! i could pull that too!". but akagis drive towards death and destruction he wouldnt vibe with and maybe thats what hes scared of akagi for. the suicidal drive of it all. that sahara doesnt have he just doesnt wanna have to work a job hes in it for the money (which akagi has no interest in) like he wouldnt get why akagi doesnt care about money & isnt happy despite always winning really ("wdym losing is healthy? losing sucks. if i could, id never lose. this guys an idiot lol." <- sahara internal thoughttrack)

so i guess put together.... theyre both a bit puzzled with each other but feel generally positively towards each other? also sahara DOES die at the peak of his gamble and thats the one thing (19) akagi desired so maybe hed be a bit jealous of that. but then saharas dead so they cant interact

sahara also has social skills that akagi doesnt have... hes like if osamu was kinda fucked up. like sahara would maybe make himeslf look like easy pickings so he can scam his colleagues and then akagi walks in and wins his bets before sahara can pull his scheme.? vs osamu just being straight forwardly picked on by his colleagues lol. sahara would similarly stick to akagi and follow him around if they met in those circumstances i think. but less in a "i admire you and want to learn from you" way and maybe more "let me eat off of ur scraps"

or saharas kaijis friend that akagi meets once and he just invites himself in akagis life and hangs around him. idk if hed be interested in playing akagi tho? saharas really just in it for the money lol idk that he enjoys games really. but they could be game buddies still thatd be fun even if not necessarily in-character

[femmefatalevibe]

Hello!

Hope you’re doing great today.

How do you become your best self- like operating in your full Potential? There’s a girl I know of who’s super popular on campus and she’s great: a model, may be doing pageants one day (I encouraged her), and is super smart. Recently on IG I saw she’s at Harvard Business school studying and she has a major in Political science.

I’m an English major - couldn’t attach myself to any legal studies because it wasn’t for me and I get insulted by family that I should be doing something other than English (they look down on the major).

So I find myself comparing myself to her because I am trying to do different clubs, and speak up and be all that I can be. But I’m not seeing anything changing for me.

I get over looked a lot, and it’s a new school for me (I’m a transfer student) so that’s added.

And I’m so lost.

I often looked down on my degree, I do believe I should be a speaker or go to galas and study things that holds influence. To be a woman of change but I don’t see that. I haven’t gotten any scholarships for holding events for clubs, nor do I get recognized.

I feel like I’m not doing enough and I feel inadequate in my abilities (I literally took a creative writing class with fifteen other poets for a special class and the Professor would constantly nit pick at my writing and say I have to revise - and the other students would be praised for their writing. And I actually thought I was a great poet til that happened. And he’s a poet himself, and well known so that hurt. And was embarrassing cause my peers weren’t helpful or encouraging either. They would just stare at me while he critiqued my work).

Not sure who I should be.

I’m not even good at the things I thought I was good at.

But when looking at my acquaintance- I see such great things going to happen for her in her future (all well deserved).

Hi love! You sound like you're doing great for someone in university, honestly. Most people, especially at that age, do not take the time or energy required to self-reflect and think critically about how they can improve/ thrive in their environment instead of blaming external circumstances for any obstacles they face. You sound very emotionally mature, which I'm sure will take you far. Having so much uncertainty and little support is so difficult, so know that your feelings are valid regarding why you feel uncertain and like you're losing time in this current moment.

While it is easier said than done, comparing yourself to others is a waste of the time and energy you can be spending on ideas, hobbies, and activities that make you happy/help you reach your goals. Please know that people putting you down for being an English major is very closed-minded. There are so many career paths you can pursue with an English degree (signed someone who almost did one, lol) – copywriting, PR, social media/content strategy & creation, UX & technical writing, broadcast journalism, reporter, editor, screenwriting, etc. Also, he is one poet – that is an opinion, not a general consensus. He might be a professional and have considerable skills under his belt, but that does not make his words gospel. Writing quality can be fairly subjective. However, the way he singled you out is awful – I would talk to an advisor about this unprofessional behavior.

The best things you can do in a situation like this are three-fold:

Focus on taking care of yourself. Block out what others, especially critics, think or say about any choices you're making that don't hurt anyone else. Try to establish some healthy routines (meals, walks, workouts, studying, skincare, reading, etc.) to feel more in control of your day-to-day life

Sit down and reflect on the activities that give you energy, what you're passionate about, and the goals that you would most like to achieve in the few years after university and the immediate ones while you're still on campus. For example, it sounds like you're interested in writing, public speaking, and fancy events. Find resources to get good at these skills and ways to get yourself in your desired work environment (internships, temp service work for special events, etc.) Maybe consider potential career paths like PR or speech writing. Consider creative outlets like making a podcast, TikTok, or Youtube videos.

Make it a priority to develop confidence in yourself and an unwavering sense of self-trust. I feel like an old lady saying this, but you're so young and have so much time to figure it out. Everyone has different histories, traumas, resources, and advantages/disadvantages in this life. Spending time ruminating over those of others and comparing notes is taking away the energy and creativity you need to pour into constructing your own life and identity.

Hope this helps xx

[messeduploser]

If there's a self help side of Tumblr, Hello sisters and other pals I need help.

(Please be kind. If you have any ill intentions I recommend look at some other post. Thank you)

I want to improve myself, but whenever I try I just fall back to my old habits.

I want to be more self-loving and having confidence.

I want to be person that people will feel comfortable around but before that I don't even know how I should make myself be comfortable around other people, my mind goes full blank.

I have undiagnosed audhd and avpd

I don't have any funds to go to a therapist. I don't know If my countries psychiatrist would even believe me. 

I would like a detailed help if it's possible.

That's why I want the help of you guys,

I can list my issues if you need it.

(They are from official sites. They explain all my issues)

1. Having a short attention span and being easily distracted

making careless mistakes – for example, in schoolwork

appearing forgetful or losing things

2. Easily distracted. Getting sidetracked and failing to finish tasks (even fun tasks such as video games or a TV serie

Being unable to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming

3. Appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions

4. Constantly changing activity or task

5.Having difficulty organising tasks

6. Being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings

7.  Fidgets sometimes 

8. Being unable to concentrate on tasks

excessive physical movement

9. carelessness and lack of attention to detail

continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones

10. Poor organisational skills

11. Inability to focus or prioritise

12. Continually losing or misplacing things

13. Forgetfulness

14. Restlessness and edginess

15. Mood swings, irritability and a quick temper

16. Inability to deal with stress

17. Underachieving at work or in education

18. Trouble developing and maintaining relationships: Often struggle with making friends, or sharing interests.

19. Showing more interest in objects than people

20. Limited interest in others

21. Behavioural issues like self-injury or self-isolation

22. Little eye contact

23. Sensory issues

Distinct reactions to:

lights

tastes

smells

sounds

colours

textures

24.  Having hard time communicating with others

25. Feel likes the world is against them

26. Terrified of starting something is they're not immediately perfect 

27. When ever someone pays on the hand-arm even if it's a light touch it still somehow hurts 

27. Difficulty with expressive and receptive communication

28. Poor adapting to change: Age-appropriate schoolwork or tasks may not be problematic, but a child may have a hard time changing activities or trying new ways of doing something.

29. Challenges adjusting to different social situations:  They might become upset in new social situations and not understand social "rules" and expectations.

30. Repeating the same actions, activities, movements, or words: They may line up objects or do other activities over and over again, even if there is no obvious reason for doing so.

31. Difficulty with back-and-forth communication: They can find it hard to hold a conversation and use or understand body language, eye contact, and facial expressions.

32. Trouble expressing yourself verbally: You may say things that seem blunt, or have trouble describing what you are thinking or feeling.

33. Having a poor self-image, seeing themselves as inadequate and inferior.

32l4.Being overly concerned about criticism or disapproval.

35. May be reluctant to become involved with others unless they know for sure that others will like them.

36.Experiencing extreme anxiety (nervousness) and fear in social settings and relationships. This may lead them to avoid activities or jobs that involve being with others.

37. Being shy and self-conscious in social situations due to a fear of doing something wrong or feeling embarrassed.

38.Tending to exaggerate potential problems or misinterpret feedback as negative.

39. Seldom trying anything new or taking chances.

Basically the signs of audhd and avpd

[villainessprefect]

Hi! I know I already put in an ask so you can ignore this one if you want! I was just going to put in a second one in case there were empty spaces at the end. Please don't feel pressured to write it though! <3 I'd just hate to lose the chance for more of your great stories! lol

If you're okay with it and no one else chooses it (please prioritize theirs first if that happens) I'd love to see my OC named Dakarai with Kalim. (or Kalim and Jamil if you do poly, I don't remember) with the dialogue "I have this weird feeling when I’m with you. I…can’t explain it, but I know it’s a good feeling." (he can either be saying it to Kalim or Kalim could say it to him, whichever you think fits better)

(you don't have to use Dakarai's name or pronouns (he/they) if you don't want to)

Dakarai is Egyptian with darker skin like Kalim/Jamil/Leona. He has long black hair that's curly and green eyes and is similar in physique to Epel. He is a soft boy, though, (unlike Epel lol) and is fluid in his clothing the way Vil is (mostly because his half brother likes designing and making clothes and he ended up as his usual mannequin.) He's on the timid side but can open up once he gets to know someone and can ramble forever about things he finds interesting. He loves reading and learning so his interests jump a lot but he feels really insecure and will stop himself a lot because he's been told he was annoying and stuff before because of it.

I think Da would really admire Kalim for how kind and friendly he is but also really look up to him for how easily he's able to throw himself out there and talk with people when that can be terrifying for Da. (If you put Jamil in it too he would definitely see how smart Jamil is and want to talk with him about his thoughts on stuff and how skilled he is in everything and how good he is about being able to control conversations and social situations so easily).

Of course you can use any or all of this or none of it if you get inspired for other stuff! Even if you don't do it thank you for even offering the event and I hope you have a great Valentine's Day! <3

★ * • .☆  ’ • ⋆

Hello again!! No worries I got you and your request <3

I went with the Fairy Gala as a bit of a plot (and to celebrate its rerun) and used Dakarai as the Prefect (its not explicitly state tho) so I hope thats fine ouo/ I opted out of poly this time since my brain couldn't think of how to get it all together, but I guess at the end you can see a hint of it?? if you squint??

I do hope you enjoy the fic tho <3 and sorry for the bit of wait lol

link to fic here!

[phantomcat94]

Hello this is just a vent post for the void to get my thoughts out without stressing out my friends (I already talk with them a lot about this, hopefully soon my insurance will get approved and I’ll get a therapist to do this with instead) TW suicidal ideation/language, abuse/abusive language

Today was frustrating. I almost got duped by one of those job scams that lists on job searches as a job but is actually a course to learn the skills to *potentially* get a job. Which, like, I initially thought I was a contracted “work when work is available” sort of job, but it was fitted pretty much exactly to my skills, it was remote (so I don’t have to worry about finding out the hard way how much my POTS still affects me in the workplace), it paid decently enough that a few hours a week would have been. You know. ENOUGH. Not to get out of my mom’s house but to have my own money. To afford the things I would really like to have without having to use my moms money, or the very smallest residual amount I get from my OnlyFans, or just putting it on a wishlist where it will rot until the day I die and looking at it wistfully sometimes. Think clothes that fit and aren’t almost 20 years old, a blender that works, a replacement for my sad melted phone case and broken pop socket, little things I don’t NEED but would be nice to have. (Mostly I was hoping to have a little money for a trip mom and I are taking in October. I’d like to visit my high school best friend and pay for my own food. Maybe get a trinket or two at the ren faire, nothing extravagant but some earrings or a necklace maybe, something to remember the trip by)

Anyhow so. The job wasn’t real but was somehow listed on Google jobs literally 50 times in a row from different companies which all linked back to the same site (it’s social sale rep btw) and then I was just. SO ANGRY and FRUSTRATED I had ti scrap todays plans to try to emotionally regulate (ahh, autism)

Some other highly frustrating stuff happened today and it led to me having a meltdown trying to tell my mom that, no, that job I was so excited to apply to wasn’t real, just like the last 20 I’ve found that are suited to my needs. And I’m so ashamed of having my friends say “are you coming to see me” and realizing that, no, I simply can’t afford to. I can barely afford to inhale. My mom had to unretire not only because of me (bitch is SHIT at financial decisions) but I’m certainly making things worse. A very dear friend of mine jokingly pointed out I’m not contributing and I couldn’t look at them and say “I know. It makes me want to kill myself. I spend every day maddened and sickened by the knowledge that I’m a black hole that does nothing but cost money and eat food. I am aware.”

And mom was (for once lmao) so supportive because she offered to have me move home so I could recover from fainting 3 times a day (2022 was a nightmare, man). So that I didn’t have to worry about work, after losing my dream job twice in one year for being disabled (Disney ghosted me and then I was forced to quit my performing job because you can’t perform when you’re unconscious and I just needed to move home). But I carry the shame and guilt of forcing her to unretire because she couldn’t make ends meet without working and I simply couldn’t. And now that I’m able to cognitively, I’m still scared to approach the physical workplace because I’m physically and socially disabled, I don’t know what the stress of work will do to me anymore. Also, getting people to comply with the ADA is like pulling teeth, and most people would realize I need accommodations and just not hire me.

So while mom was being supportive and saying she’d pay for some of the stuff I’m stressed about having to choose between… I remember when she used to threaten to kill me because of how much money she wastes on me. I remember the screaming matches. I have spent my life trying to be worthy of existing, trying to pay my own way and not need anyone to pay for me, and being back where I was at the height of moms abuse is… harrowing. Hearing her be so supportive and comforting is a dissonance that makes my skin crawl because… no. I look at her and think, “but you hate me for SPECIFICALLY this. You’ve said so. For almost 30 years. Many times and in many ways.”

I remember being the burden, the thing that ruined moms life (as well as the only thing keeping her alive, yes at the same time) the reason she never had money or got to do the things she wanted to do— etc etc. It’s not something I’m just gonna let go of and feel less stressed over, that’s the nature of the C-PTSD I got from this whole ordeal growing up.

Anyhow. That’s how my day’s been.

[risinggunviolence]

Deliverable #3

Deliverable #3

Gun violence is a complex and contentious issue that affects many people and communities. It involves the use of firearms to harm or kill individuals, and it has significant social, political, and public health implications. Opinions on gun violence and gun control vary widely, with some advocating for stricter gun control measures to reduce violence and others emphasizing the importance of Second Amendment rights in the United States, where the debate is particularly intense.

How do you and your family feel about gun violence? "Hello, I'm Fatima, and I'm from Somalia originally. In 2007, my family and I moved to Oregon in search of a better life and more opportunities.  However, my younger cousin Abdi wasn't lucky enough to take advantage of every chance. In the daytime of 2021, Abdi was shot and killed. Abdi was the oldest child who was just 16.We are still in anguish even though this happened a few years ago.  Abdi was her first kid, and because of her illness, she was devastated to lose him. She raised him all by herself. Although he is only a teenager, she consistently warns about hanging out with people you don't trust. After a year the mother also passed away due to cancer. Returning to your initial question, gun violence is a serious issue that takes the lives of many young Black males at a young age.

Do you feel safe living in this neighborhood? “I don’t feel safe living here. I may have just mentioned my cousin Abdi but there is always shooting in this area and my family and I fear for our life everyday. ( Fatima and her family live in SouthEast Portland) When a shooting takes place in a neighborhood, the locals who are either witnesses or informed of the event may experience trauma. There may be long-term psychological and emotional repercussions from the trauma. When I was a kid I used to play outside with my friends on the playground but that doesn’t happen now. The childrens don’t even go outside because we are worried for their safety.”

What steps can we take to reduce gun violence in our neighborhood? “I would say community-engaging events. If there is an activity that will keep them busy I think we can save them from doing bad things and from making decisions that will hurt others. Even having a deep conversation with them and talking to them about the issue.”

(Fatima wasn't happy with the photo thing so I didn't take a picture of her)

Effects on Child Development The consequences of exposure to violence on child development are very real. CWLA’s National Blueprint points out that children and youth exposed to chronic trauma can experience inhibited brain development, producing a lasting impact on life outcomes. Likely a result of such exposure, participants noted numerous skill deficits among the children and youth they serve who live in neighborhoods that have high rates of poverty and crime. As suggested by the research, many children experience problems with violence and aggression because they lack nonviolent conflict-resolution skills. Much of this violence and aggression is further exacerbated by emotional overload from exposure to violence. Children and youth exposed to violence experience significant stress, and often struggle to identify and regulate their emotions, as a result of developmental impacts from their frequent exposure to trauma. Their emotions are often internalized and can later erupt in aggression and violence. (Collins, 2013) 

Reducing gun violence in a neighborhood requires a collaborative effort that involves residents, community leaders, law enforcement, and policymakers. It's essential to address both the immediate consequences of violence and the root causes that contribute to it. Building a safer neighborhood is a long-term process, and ongoing commitment and persistence are necessary to achieve lasting change. https://www.cwla.org/the-impact-of-gun-violence-on-children-families-communities/ 

The main stakeholders in gun control are the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Brady Campaign. The National Rifle Association was started shortly after the Civil War in 1871, by a group of Union officers who were very impressed by the performance of Union forces compared to that of the Confederates. The Union forces suffered twice as many casualties on average at each battle, through the course of the war, and to prevent this from happening again, the group of Union officers began to develop training regiments and drills that made the armed forces more capable at handling firearms.

Developing a Comprehensive Strategy

To protect their citizens' health and safety, and to address the fear of gun violence, many communities are successfully combating such violence by adopting a strategy that takes into account the specific gun violence problem experienced by their community and then identifies an appropriate solution. This problem-solving approach requires that stakeholders in the community collaborate to develop and implement a comprehensive gun violence reduction plan. Although one stakeholder (e.g., law enforcement, a public official, or a community group) may initiate the process and the same stakeholder (or another) may spearhead it, consultation and collaboration are essential. 

Establish stakeholder partnerships

‘’Gun violence does not discriminate. It strikes purposefully and randomly, in inner cities and rural towns, wounding rich and poor, blind to differences in skin color and religion. In short, gun violence operates throughout the community. As a result, participation from Federal, State, and local law enforcement; juvenile justice authorities; businesses; families; faith communities; civic organizations; and health and social service agencies is necessary to successfully prevent gun violence. Harnessing the resources of these stakeholders and creating a successful partnership frequently requires strong leadership from law enforcement. However, a successful partnership invites multiple perspectives and allows for the sharing of responsibilities and accomplishments.’’

It's important to recognize that stakeholders may have overlapping roles and experiences, and their impacts can be interconnected. For example, community organizations may collaborate with law enforcement and healthcare providers to support victims. Addressing the diverse impacts of gun violence often requires a coordinated effort involving multiple stakeholders to create comprehensive solutions and mitigate the effects on individuals and communities.

References

The Major Stakeholders | gunsafety. (n.d.). Wix. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://anguyen5945.wixsite.com/gunsafety/the-major-stakeholders 

Section II: Solving the Problem of Gun Violence Developing a Comprehensive Strategy. (n.d.). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/pubs/gun_violence/sect02.html 

[aisha-ot]

Well hello there again. Funny seeing you here.

I’ve been thinking I wanted to change things up a bit around here so today’s theme is going to be all about magic. Weird. I know. But trust me it’s a good one I promise.

I suggest everyone buckle up because today we’re delving into the realm of the therapeutic use of self.

Now I sat and started to think about how I could explain this in an easy way because I’m a little tired of definitions. Not to say they’re no good, I’ll link a website below for you guys to check out if you’d like a more clear explanation. But I’m gonna go further into it in my own way.

Cue the cringe.

Occupational therapists are the superheroes of well being. And our superpower is all about us. Hence, therapeutic use of self. It’s our secret weapon to make a real difference in our clients lives. In my case I use it to help my elderly clients in the old age home I’m placed at.

Let’s do it like this. I’m going to list a whole lot of superpowers that we as occupational therapists have in order to ensure “therapeutic use of self” with all clients. And for those of you who still don’t understand, don’t fear, Aisha’s here (the cringe gave me a shiver up my spine 😭) What I meant to say is that I have a million and one examples of how I use each of these superpowers in my therapy to make the most of myself as the therapist with my clients.

💥 Superpower number #1 : Building trust and a connection between us and our clients.

When our clients see that’s we’re on their side and that we’re only here to help they’re more ready to reveal their challenges and we create a safe haven where their voices are heard. According to a site I was looking through when I was struggling with this a few days ago, some ways of building trust is through remaining calm, being patient, avoid behavior that will humiliate the client and throwing your ego out the door. There’s a whole lot of ways to build trust and rapport with your clients and I’ll link it below for you to read.

Guys, I cannot explain how important this is. Especially in my case. Elderly people are sometimes paranoid when others come into their residence especially since it disrupts their routine and what they’re used to. And our clients often find it difficult to warm up to us. I think I should actually just put this out there that this superpower is so difficult to develop. You need to find the right things to talk about and the right things to build on and my client was hard of hearing so wow was it difficult to find that connection. There were moments where I wanted to give up and needed a few moments to collect myself because it’s so difficult to communicate with someone in an alternative way to what we’re used to. Here’s an example though, of how I used myself as a therapeutic tool. I used a whiteboard to communicate with the client which made her trust me more when she saw that I was making an effort to communicate with her. Since she began losing her hearing she hadn’t had contact with anyone. Can you imagine living without any social interaction ?? Gosh my heart broke. You could actually see how she opened up when I made an effort to build that trust. It was so heartwarming.

💥 Superpower number #2

Mind reading. I’m our words, empathy. This is where our telepathy skills come in. We don’t just hear words, we dig deeper into the thoughts and feelings of our clients. When we speak to our clients we don’t just hear their words and boom we have a fix. We need to ask more questions and add more value to the conversation to find out what is happening in their minds beneath the surface of what they’re outwardly showing.

💥 Superpower #3: Multicultural Awareness

We as the therapists need to understand their backgrounds, beliefs, and traditions and once we have that foundation built we need to adapt our approach to each therapy session. A shapeshifter of sorts. At the home I’m placed at, Christianity and Catholicism is a very prominent factor that plays a vital role in the residents lives. So many of them hang onto that as their life jacket that’s keeping them floating. Let me tell you guys, my interventions for my previous client was built on this superpower. It was *chefs kiss* if I may say so myself. For my first session I centered it around the Virgin Mary and as soon as I saw my clients eyes light up I knew I had to keep implementing these ideas into all my sessions. And guys … it worked so well I could cry. Although I have to admit, there were times where the line between understanding and accepting another belief and staying firm on my beliefs became slightly blurred. Speaking to someone through a whiteboard is ridiculously difficult and there’s only so much you can write. So when my client started to question my faith I found it so difficult to be able to get her to understand the difference in our religions. At some point it did worry me that I was just stringing along to everything she was saying and it sparked a sense of guilt within me. Because although I was doing it to make communication easier, I was also lying to my client in a way and going against my own beliefs which is definitely not part of this superpower. We need to use ourselves to add to the therapy whilst also maintaining our own values.

💥 Superpower #4: Adaptability (shape shifting)

Adaptability and flexibility are KEY in the therapeutic use of self. Needs if our clients can change in the blink of an eye. So you need to morph into whatever form is needed, always ready to tackle new challenges. Especially at the old age home, one second you’re in your usual OT role and the next you’re the clients new friend that’s learning all about their childhood memories. Side note, elderly people and their jokes and smiles are so precious. I saw a client get a new walker and I found myself stopped in my tracks just observing her little interaction with the nurses dancing and taking photos of her. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming being in the same place all the time and I know I’ve been feeling it lately. The same routine and problems happening every day can take a toll on you and it’s like you’re just dragging yourself through the hours some days. But it’s moments like those that make you realize that the type of people were working with deserve all our superpowers and that it’s worth using ourselves as a therapeutic tool to achieve those smiles.

So here’s all my superpowers that explain the therapeutic use of self. If I think of any more I’ll be sure to let you know. But before we end off I think it’s important to mention that there will be times when you feel like your superpower isn’t super powering. Does that make sense ? I had a client this week that made me feel like my superpowers had just *poof* vanished and my word did it drain me. Just a little back story, I had received the name of my client and her file with all the necessary information I might need which I decided to look through before I met her. Now, keep in mind her file portrayed her to be a friendly, kind, sociable resident that communicates well etc.

Guys I went up to meet my client and I was practically dragged through mud and then sent back. It’s ok you can laugh, I’m at the stage where I’m laughing about it too. I won’t go into the details of what exactly happened because I don’t think it’s necessary to expose or make fun of elderly behavior seeing as there’s always a reason behind it, be it a psych disorder or general psych problems or problems due to institutionalization etc. The only thing I need to mention is that I had a plan when I went to meet my client with my superhero cape tied on securely and my superpowers ready to use myself as a therapeutic tool but when the session began, everything just left me. My client gave me a lot of trouble and in the moment I decided to scrap all the formal assessments and the planned activity etc. and just try and talk to the client to build that rapport. It still didn’t work out and I became a nuisance to the client which deflated my self esteem and confidence badly. I’ll get it back though I know I will, these things have to happen to be able to learn and I know that. I just felt like I needed to mention that your superpowers don’t always succeed seeing as human beings are very complex beings but the mere fact that we try and use ourselves to help our clients is all we need to be able to keep us motivated to push on.

Moral of the story guys, we’re not just occupational therapists, we’re the superheroes of well being, functionality and independence, especially at my old age home. We don’t just change lives, we save the day, one client at a time (maybe more if it’s a group session but you know I had to say that to be the cheesy little nut that I am)

Thank you guys for staying all the way to the end of my very strangely changed up blog post for the week. Come back again next week, maybe I’ll have another surprise theme going on. Should I make it a thing where I have a new theme every week ? Come back and find out 😉

[nroibdodyl3e1r]

Hi ! here is the first chapter of my fiction. I just finished it so maybe I'll edit it later.

Olive's babysitter

Notes: I aged Dwayne because in the movie he's 15 and I didn't feel comfortable writing about him at that age, so I gave him 18 (he's a senior in high school.) Also, this is my very first time writing. Don't hesitate to tell me what I can improve, and give me your opinion and ideas! I hope that you will like it! English is not my first language, I do my best to correct myself but there may still be some mistakes.

Chapter 1 a strange day

You have been babysitting Olive for 3 months now. You pick her up from school, take her home, help her with her homework and of course, you help her practice. Recently you even stay for dinner.

Sheryl is happy to be able to rely on you. Grandpa often offers you to smoke a joint with him and gives you questionable advice about men. Richard talks about his 9 steps all the time and you have acquired the very useful skill of pausing your brain to not listen to him but still knowing when to nod your head to give the impression that you are listening. Olive sees you as the best big sister in the world. You don't know what Dwayne thinks of you, the fact that you've never heard him speak and the fact that he's very explicit about how much he hates everyone doesn't help.

-----------

"Oh shit I'm going to be late!" was the first thing you said this morning. Putting on your t-shirt and sneakers at the same time, you storm out of your room, grab your bag, and leave your house.

By some miracle, you arrive just in time for your first class of the day. You look around when you get to your classroom and see Dwayne sitting in the same place as always; in the back by the window. You smile slightly at him as if to say hi and sit down where there is still a seat. Dwayne has a few classes in common with you but your schedules don't match up at all. You made yours so that you would finish early enough to pick up Olive from school every day.

High school is not really your thing. The day went well and thank god no one came to talk to you. It's not that they are bad but your social anxiety keeps you alone most of the time. You do have a few friends but you're not very close to them, and it doesn't bother you that much.

As soon as you arrive at the elementary school Olive comes to you with a big smile. 

"Y/n!"

"How are you, your majesty?"

"I'm doing great!" she replies with an even bigger smile than before.

You grab her backpack and head back to the Hoovers' house together.When you arrive only Grandpa is there, he is taking a nap on the sofa with his mouth wide open and his arms crossed over his belly. You take a waffle out of the freezer and put it in the toaster while Olive puts her bag in her room. Then she comes to the table and tells you everythings about her day while eating. After a while Richard arrives, tossing his keys on the kitchen cabinet.

"Hello y/n. How are you?"

"Fine and you?"

"Great, I had a lot of people at my conference today."

Suddenly Grandpa wakes up.

"How much did you have to pay them to listen to you talk for so long?"

"Hello, dad." replies Richard losing all his good mood.

You look away quite amused.

After finishing her waffle Olive goes out into the garden with Edwin to repeat her choreography. So it's time to start your homework, you're still working on an essay for your English class. After 20 minutes of trying to write the same paragraph, you throw yourself back in your chair and let out the biggest sigh possible. Dwayne arrives at that moment. You sit up suddenly, a little nervous. He goes straight to his room as always.

You remember the first few weeks you were babysitting Olive how your heart would jump in your chest when he came home. That's when you realized you had a crush on him. Although you still didn't understand why. He acted like you didn't exist, but that's changed now, he would pass you the bottle of Sprite at the table when you asked, and once he even let you into his room to lend you his history textbook. You felt more comfortable around him even though you were still nervous. 

After a little while, he comes out of his room and comes to you. He hands you his notebook where it says "Want need with your essay?". Surprised, you look at his face and he is completely inexpressive. This is the first time he has offered to help you. Slightly shocked you just say a brief "yes". With a sign of the head, he tells you to follow him into his room. You stand up quickly, grab your notebook and follow him with your eyes wide open. Are you dreaming? That's so unusual coming from him.

Without a sound, he sits down at his desk, takes your notebook, and starts reading and making notes on it. You hesitantly sit down next to him on his bed and remain completely silent. After a while he gives you back your notebook, he had corrected some sentences and written some things that you had to add.

"Thank you, Dwayne, that's really nice. I- I don't know how to return the favor."

He scribbles something in his notebook "Don't hesitate if you need help".

"T-thanks." You were completely shocked, this is the first time you'd ever seen Dwayne be so nice to someone.

Dinner is ready!" shouts Sheryl.

"y/n, honey how are you?"

"Fine thanks” You finish setting the table with her and the whole family arrives.

You sit in front of Dwayne, staring blankly at your plate without saying a word, still in shock at what has just happened. You are snapped out of your thoughts by Edwin.

"What about you, Y/n? How are the boys doing in high school? There must be a lot of them after you?”

You laugh nervously and answer in a semi-serious tone "Actually no".

"WHAT!?" shouts Edwin "I don't understand young people these days."

You laugh nervously one last time. Your gaze turns again to your plate and you cast a discreet glance at Dwayne without him seeing you. His face has a strange expression that you can't define. You finish clearing the table, hug Olive, and tells her "good night Olive. See you tomorrow" with a sweet smile. You greet the rest of the family and look at Dwayne for a second, you gather what little courage you have left for the day and throw him a big, sincere smile.

And that’s the end of this long and strange day. You go home, still in shock. That night you struggled to fall asleep, dissecting every second you spent with Dwayne to try to understand his behavior. Finally, you fall asleep with even more questions than before.

[genshinlover101]

Hello-could I request a reader who quite bad at expressing their emotions so like they can seem indifferent and stoic to others around them so they ask their s/o(Yoimiya,Thoma,Ayaka and Yae Miko) for help in social situation after being complained that they weren’t caring or being expressive enough-reaction can vary depending on character :3

Them with an Unexpressive S/O

Characters: Yoimiya, Thoma, Ayaka, Yae Miko x gn!reader

Warnings: None

A/n: Hihi, Thank u for the request :) I think it’s so cute and fits all the characters personality

• Yoimiya will gasp when she heard you got insulted for your lack of expression. It was something she really liked about you because it made you unique and she felt as if it balanced her own craziness out.

• When you asked for advice she’ll give you the best advice possible, she wasn’t any stranger to socialization. Especially because she had to bargain for the Naganohara Fireworks now that her dad was losing his hearing. 

• If you were too shy to start with grown adults, she’ll gather the children who look up to her and have you start with them. She’ll bribe them with candy and stories in order to get them to follow her plan.

Yoimiya was of course the loudest in the neighborhood, she had just set off some sparkles with the kids who lived nearby. They all giggled and adored Yoimiya like their leader, sometimes they’d call her ‘Big Sister Yoimiya’ and you remained ‘Gloomy Sidekick’. She decided that would change today.

The kids all surrounded her, jumping up and down for another sparkler. Yoimiya decided now would be the time for you to jump in. She nudged her head to signal you to come over, “Come here have some fun with us!” she called.

You walked over hesitantly, a frown and a drop of sweat from your forehead. You felt a little uncomfortable in this whole situation but you guess it was better than interacting with people your age. You could take kids less seriously even though they could be brutally honest at times. “Listen up everybody, remember my gloomy sidekick?” All the kids nodded, “If you want a sparkler from now on, you’ll have to get it from them.”

You panicked a little, shaking your head at Yoimiya praying that she’d change her mind. She handed you the sparklers and all the kids ran up to you, you shyly handed them out. All the kids muttering ‘thank you’. You felt like your social battery was draining even with such little interaction and just saying ‘your welcome’ to all of them. 

Yoimiya could tell your exhaustion but she was proud of you. Giving you a strong pat on the back. “See it wasn’t that hard,” she gave you a big goofy smile.

• Thoma felt saddened when you told him about your encounter. In fact, you don’t even have to ask him to teach you social skills, he’ll offer it. He was quite the sweet talker, and he knew it.

• Thoma’s negotiation skills were out of this world, he can seriously bring the cost of your dinner bill from 1,000 to 200 mora. All with the power of his charm. 

• Thoma will create individual lessons for you to grow out of your shell. The first one was a foundation that he created. The others would be more advanced moves to manipulate a potential adversary. 

Thoma was sent by the Kamisato Household to deliver a letter to the Tenryou Commission, Thoma thought it would be good exposure for you to come along. He thought the best route for you to take would be to start with small greetings. You trailed along behind him in the city, making your way to the Tenryou sector. The officer standing on duty was the one you were supposed to deliver the letter to.

“Come quickly, we’ll start with you introducing yourself,” you gave Thoma a panicked questioning look. You were told you’d just be by his side observing, not talking. He tried to nudge you but you resisted, uncomfortable with this situation.

“Wait Thoma, what do I even say. This is weird. Do I just give him the letter? How do I give him the letter? Isn’t this a little weird?” You asked question upon question unconfident in your own abilities.

He giggled a little, “Trust me silly you’re just overthinking, it comes naturally.” He tried nudging you further. “Just walk up and smile, say ‘here’s an update from the Yashiro Commission’. You don’t even have to greet him, just talk.” You tried resisting even more, your feet glued to the ground. He took the letter and forced it in your hand.

“Wait Thoma please, can I just watch for now?” You begged, he just shook his head in disapproval.

“You’ll never break out of that shell if you don’t start with basic communication,” He shoved you towards the officer, there was no avoiding it anymore. You had already made a scene, “Go get ‘em tiger.” Thoma stood behind you with his hands on his hips, overseeing your actions.

• Ayaka will feel pity for you. asking you if you wanted to get revenge on whoever insulted you. She asked gently and hesitantly as she was shy, but you knew she wanted to cut them down a size or two verbally.

• She was more reserved compared to most girls her age, but she’ll be willing to help you out. She wasn’t the eldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan for no reason. She knew her way around negotiations.

• She’ll cheer you on like a soccer mom. Literally, she’ll stand in the back and watch as you introduce yourself to random strangers as practice. If you succeed she’ll treat you out for a nice dinner.

Ayaka decided the best course of action for you was to sit down and practice with her. Essentially roleplaying. She would take on the role of the “stranger” and you’d introduce yourself to her. She had you stand in a corner of the Commission’s headquarters as she approached you. Quickly scurrying outside the room only to reenter with her signature fan over her face.

“Greetings Traveler,” she said. You felt a little silly in the moment, not accustomed to this whole ‘pretending to not know Ayaka’ roleplay, let alone socialization in general. You hesitated but she gave you a comforting smile that it was okay. 

“H-hello,” you mumbled. You didn’t know what to say next, you’ve never really held a long conversation with a stranger in your life. “Uh-,” 

Ayaka nudged you, lowering her fan from her face. “Ask me how I’m doing, or ask if I’ve eaten. It’s polite,” she whispered. You rubbed your neck nervously, everything felt out of place, you weren’t accustomed to such behavior. “And don’t forget to smile.”

“Um... How are you today?” You asked her, giving her the most contorted obviously fake smile she’s ever seen in her life. She couldn’t help but giggle at your awkward demeanor, how exactly have you made it this far without socializing, she thought. You gave her a questioning look before she ran up to you giving you a quick peck on the cheek.

“You’re just too adorable,” She held your cheek looking you in the eye adoringly. You didn’t know what you did but apparently, it pleased Ayaka.

• First of all, Miko would wanna verbally degrade whoever made you insecure in the first place. She will literally be fuming in the moment, it must’ve taken you hours to calm her down from her passive-aggressive mood.

• Miko will otherwise be 100% willing to help you out with expressing yourself, in fact, she’ll be tempted to create essentially a mini version of herself. If you both were good with manipulation then you both would be powerhouses.

• You were lucky and picked the right teacher, nobody in Inazuma was better at verbal communication than Miko. She was so good with her words that some notable people in Inazuma often found her quite scary.

Miko had you follow her around like a little puppy dog to her meetings recently. She had decided the best way for you to socialize is through experience. You even took note of the strange stares she received when the guests had expected her to attend alone, only for your gloomy stoic figure to follow closely behind her.

She had you greet everyone attending, starting with introductions. She in particular walked up to one lady and greeted her. “I’m glad you could make it this fine afternoon,” Miko said gently shaking the lady’s hand, lingering slightly to show adoration. You anxiously stood beside her like a shy child waiting for their mothers to introduce them. 

“Ah yes, last week I had some unexpected trouble pop up,” the lady said. You noticed she smiled not only with her mouth but with her eyes. You took mental notes on how to mimic it. “And who do we have here?” the lady asked curious about you. You panicked a little not prepared, glancing back and forth between Miko and the strange lady. Miko only gave you a sly smirk and a head nod to go ahead and introduce yourself. 

You held on Miko’s sleeve, “I’m Miko’s significant other. Pleased to meet you,” you bowed slightly to her with a crooked smile. Miko glanced at you confidently, her head held high reminding you to do the same. You mimicked her behavior, and once she noticed she smiled before looking away. 

“Lady Miko has spoken lots about you before,” she took a deep breath before preparing to end the conversation. “Well nice to meet you,” you both shook hands before parting. Miko nudging you with her elbow.

“Well done,” she whispered to you.

[sukunasbabymama]

Could you pretend to be my boyfriend cause I’m being harassed by my ex?

⌗ Pairing: Manjiro Sano (Mikey).

⌗ Warnings: cursing, mention of cheating.

⌗ Word count: 1.3K

⌗ A/N: Do y’all know the channel “Treeman” on youtube? They make a lot of social experiments and I cry in every single one, there are still such good people in the world. We know my grammar skills are trash so stay with me to see if I can present you the idea in my head.

She’s nervous, really nervous because her ex just texted her that he is on the way to where he knows she hangs out so they could “work things out”. She doesn’t want to work things out with a person that cheated on her six months ago.

It’s been like this for two months now, she’s constantly running from one place to another because he keeps showing up to “talk”, it got to a point where she changed all the locks in her apartment even tho she never gave him a key, she is just starting to get paranoid.

She starts to look around desperate and see three guys hanging together outside of the convenience store she was in, without thinking twice she walks to them.

“Mhm… May we help you?” Says the tallest guy, and this is the moment where she gets a little bit intimidated because just now she’s seeing the jackets that have the name of a gang. She knew she was stupid but this is new even for herself goddamn it.

“I-I… mhm, c-can—”

“Take your time, miss” The one with the long black hair say, she takes a long breath before talking again.

“My ex is coming here in a moment to try to convince me to get back together but I don’t want to, we split up six months ago and he hasn’t stopped bothering me to the point that he’s straight-up harassing me so…” She looks at the tires of their bikes. “Can you pretend to be my boyfriend for a bit so he could leave me alone?”

The silence was loud, they were looking between each other for God knows how long but suddenly she heard her name being shouted in the distance and she starts to tremble, the guys acted fast and the shortest took her hand and pull a bit so she could crash into his chest, he circled her shoulders with his arm.

“Name’s Mikey,” He says in a whisper “Sorry to touch you so suddenly, but by your reaction, I assume we don’t have time, do we?”

“No, he is—”

“Y/N?” The same voice now sounds close, she had to take a step back to turn around because her nose was touching Mikey’s chest but he didn’t let her get too far, just enough to turn around, and now her back was against his chest because he pulled her back again.

“I told you I didn’t want to meet up.” She says with a little more confidence than what she feels.

“Because you’re with a nobody? Do you really have a boyfriend?” He is refusing to believe she move on. Who does he think he is tf

“Hello,” Mikey says without emotion in his voice, he put his other hand up to shake it with the ex but he just rolled his eyes, refusing it. “I assume you’re the scumbag that has been harassing my girlfriend.”

“UH? I was her boyfriend first” He says offended as hell, the other two guys burst into laughs.

“What the fuck does that have to do with anything? I had short hair, not anymore” Says the long-haired guy in a mocking tone.

“I didn’t have a tattoo in my head, now I do,” the tallest says and they burst into laughs again, she smiled a little because they started helping her without her telling them her name or anything.

“Baby list—”

“Watch your mouth,” Mikey says and even tho he didn’t put emotions in his voice it somehow sounded threatening as fuck.

“Y/N, listen, we only had a few fights, why did you break up with me?” She let out a little laugh in disbelief and all of them looked at her, a few fights? this bitch—

“You cheated on me. With my best friend, in every chance you got. Even in my damn apartment, what the fuck are you on? a few fights?!” She stopped talking because she felt… Mikey’s lips on her temple? It wasn’t a kiss, he was just there.

“Don’t lose your cool now, he ain’t worth it” He whispered for her to hear, she nodded.

“Because you were in a bad shape and were always dressing like a damn homeless” She turned around again and clutch onto Mikey’s shirt a little bit too tight. “You started going to the gym and changed all those bad traits, now look at you, wearing short skirts in front of a bunch of nobo—”

“Puppy, could you go and buy a coke for me? Pretty please?” Mikey says out of nowhere, and because she was the one who asks them to act like they knew each other for ages she couldn’t exactly deny the petition.

“Of course baby,” She says and starts walking back to the convenience store, without looking back out of fear that her ex could see the lies in her eyes now that she didn’t have the confidence Mikey made her feel.

What she didn’t know was that Mikey let her ex talk all that crap a few seconds ago so he could justify what he was about to do.

“Now, I’m going to punch you three times: one for saying all that nonsense about her, even tho you’re just one step away from dropping to your knees to beg her to forgive your poor excuse of a man's ass, two for having the audacity to cheat on her, you didn’t deserve to be with a goddess like that in the first place” Mikey was talking calm while the others two looked like they were having the time of their life. “And three, for harassing her all this time, even when you know you’re in the wrong.”

When she came back with drinks for everybody since they were kind enough to help her she was faced with her ex on the floor, passed out, Mikey looking at him with a smile, and the other two doing the same.

“Too disrespectful to be this weak.” Says Mikey when she got close enough to hear, he looked at her and his smile grow wider.

“What happened?”

“I beat his ass for disrespecting you all this time,” Mikey says with a shrug.

“I-i bring drinks for you too as thanks for helping me, it’s not a lot but…” She said giving them their drinks, they took it with a smile. “You didn’t even give me your names and I didn’t give you mine.”

“Baji Keisuke” Long-haired boy says, busy opening his can.

“You can call me Draken, and he called you Y/N so we already know your name,” Says the tall one, then he looked at Mikey. “Take your time, we will wait for you at the meeting place.”

After that they hoped up on their bikes, said bye to her, and went on their way, Mikey signaled a bench and she followed him, she kept looking back at her ex sleeping on the floor.

“He is okay, don’t worry, we will be here by the time he wakes up,” He said taking the drink from her hand and opening it for her.

“I don’t think a drink it’s enough to thank you for everything you did, how can I repair you?” She asked and he looked at her for a couple of seconds before smiling.

“Let me know you”

“Uh?”

“Let me get to know you better, I mean, I was your boyfriend moments ago and I don’t even know your age,” He said and she laughs “I know that everything you went through with him was a little traumatic, because of that I’m not asking you on a date with romance in my head, but rather on a friendly date to know each other more.”

“That sounds good, Mikey,” She said and he doesn’t know if it’s because she wasn’t nervous for her ex anymore, because she knew the harassing would stop (he would make sure of that) or because he likes her aura, but his name in her lips sounds better than in any person he knows.

“I’ll start actively courting you after I know you’re healed,” He said, as bold as usual.

She looks surprised for a second but then gifted him with the prettiest smile.

“That sounds way better, Mikey”

Yeah, he would court her.