#I don't pressure people to take part you can just read and post whenever you feel like it

[demigods-posts]

annabeth chase headcanons, part 1:

she has crippling social anxiety. it's been an ongoing thing since she was a kid, and it went into overdrive once she left camp for the first time. she's too embarrassed to speak in-depth about it to most people, so only a handful of her friends know.

homegirl picked up freestyling when she was nine. she had read that it demonstrated high levels of intelligence and cognitive skill, so she just never stopped practicing it. ironically, it isn't something she'll brag about to people, but she'll definitely do it if you ask her.

as much as she enjoys being around her family (especially her younger brothers), she never fully settled into the family dynamic once she returned home. so she occasionally uses her invisibility cap to move around town unnoticed when it's particularly difficult to be around them.

^^ (she also uses it to sneak into movie theaters and eat snacks for free every once in a while, but she likes to leave that detail out.)

she is a huge procrastinator. it isn't her fault, really. she's just been a trained soldier since she was seven, so she does her best thinking under pressure. honestly, it's saved her ass more times than she can count, so she takes great pride in her quick-wittedness. but it gets her into frequent trouble during the school year.

whenever she gets to stay home alone, she puts the speakers on the highest volume and has a one-person dance party all throughout the house. this habit continued well into her adulthood when she and percy moved in together, and eventually became a familial thing once they got married and had kids.

"maybe i'm just in love with her. i don't know." ~ @demigods-posts

[shinjiikar1]

Once again I have so many thoughts about these episodes... i was sort of dreading watching them because i wasn't totally recovered from last week, but I ended up watching it in one sitting (with a lot of breaks to pace around and calm down lol), I really want to give this show the space and thought it deserves, it's just too good for me to watch any other way...

I'm going to make another post with my Extensive thoughts about Go Young and Young Soo, but I wanted to answer some of the questions this week first.

The first part of the story paired the relationships with Choi Mi Ae and Kim Nam Gyu. Why do you believe this section paired Yeong’s relationships with Yeom Eun Suk (Umma) and No Yeong Su (Hyung)?

I think this section really emphasized various relationships to homosexuality, particularly how it intersects with Christianity.

Both characters are homophobic (internalized or otherwise), and enact this homophobia on Go Young, but represent different aspects of how it can manifest. Umma (in the present) is willfully blind, she pressures Go Young about marriage, she sees the picture but doesn't comment, she keeps his books at her bedside and takes newspaper clippings but won't read them and she's relieved when she doesn't have to meet Young Soo. She's avoiding reality as much as she can, it seems by the end she's realized there's nothing she can do to change her son, but she wants to keep pretending that it isn't really real (an attitude I find a lot of staunchly Christian households have).

Young Soo on the other hand is reactionary and anxious. He panics and lashes out whenever Go Young does or suggests something he considers "too gay". When his senior infers he might be, he freezes and then later blows up at Go Young. He's at war with himself, and he cruelly redirects that internal conflict back onto other queer people.

Crucially, both approaches harm Go Young. He lacks acceptance and understanding from his mother as she denies a vital part from him, and he is insulted and berated by his partner because of his comfort and pride in his identity.

With the drama feeling like more of a continuous story rather than four distinct vignettes, how does the connectivity to previous characters adjust the experience with the story?

I have to say I really love the way the T-aras have been included in the show. I can't really speak on how it's adjusted the experience, but to see their continual presence in Go Young's life makes him feel just slightly less isolated and gives the audience familiar ground to stand on. When they appear at the hospital, it feels incredibly meaningful because we've seen them from the start.

While their connection with Go Young isn't as deep as some of the other characters, I think they represent a very important type of relationship. They aren't complicated, they don't insert themselves overly into each other's lives, they share some problems, but never push. I think that's why Go Young doesn't push them away, they don't have as much capacity to cause him deep and lasting harm, but they provide a source of comfort and camaraderie in a life that is otherwise isolated. Not every friendship needs to be incredibly deep and overwhelming, it's important to have friends who can provide a distraction from your problems, and a different perspective on your life. And they clearly do love and care for him, their concern at the bar and presence at the hospital show that. Just because they're not sitting down for deep philosophical chats or sharing all their trauma doesn't mean they're not good friends.

In the last section, Yeong’s experiences with Mi Ae and Nam Gyu reflected the difficult ways heteronormativity impacts queer life. How did this section highlight sources and expressions of internalized homophobia?

It's really no wonder Young Soo is homophobic given the type of people in his life and his lack of connection (intentional or otherwise) to the queer community. He views gay people in a very stereotypical and simple fashion, and on some level probably thinks he's above them because he doesn't engage in some of their more "barbarous" activities. It almost seems like he's constantly doing penance for being gay, he has to live this austere life to offset it.

After seeing Yeong's journey with these first four meaningful relationships, where are you emotionally as we head into the section with Gyu-ho?

STRESSED. I love this show Dearly, and I'm looking forward to watching more, but also I know it's going to make me cry. Especially because I know some vague spoilers (oops).

This week was such a roller coaster, but I'm enjoying the ride. I also really want to point out how well LITBC uses music, picking a specific piece to underscore each section and tie each pairing of characters together is so smart and really speaks to the level of care put into every aspect.

[ixhika-jsx]

BLACK SWAN- ✧˖°BTS Challenge - 𐙚

Main concept: of this challenge is that I have to bring my passions back to life that died long ago

Bit inspired by @zzzzzestforlife 🍾🫶🏻

As in song's lyrics of 'black swan'

"If this can no longer resonate, no longer make my heart vibrate, then like this may be how I die my first death."

[ You can reblog this post and start this challenge by yourself after adding your own goals under the reblogged post of yours... :)) ]

[ Academics:- ᥫ᭡🎐

As to bring back my interest in studies there are some goals of mine and some tips (I am referring myself as 'you' as some external force for myself) 🎀

☆ By the mid of September you must be on track in academics - complete notes and zero backlogs , regular revision ! 📄❕️❕️

☆ 📌 Complete pw modules till December

☆ work on weak chapters🗯 - relation and functions , trigonometry , periodic classification and topic electronic configuration of chapter - 2 of chemistry 💨

☆ listen to podcasts like 'ACADEMIC VALIDATION'🗒and 'YOUR A+ LIFE'📈 while studying mathematics. (As I kinda not get maths yk )

☆ study along with study vloggers - 'STUDY WITH ME' 🩰 because it helps when you find a 'partner' in studying.

☆ Have a mindset that you are not a student but you are a employee working for a greater position in your job or for greater income....🏷 which means position- topper or sum and income - grades ⏳️

☆ while studying physics you should use whiteboard 📇cuz I know it gets boring at times so yea

☆ for chemistry I would say that read books and make pretty pretty notes 🪄 and if you still can't study it then just watch some study vlogs and restart 🎲 (it helps me sometimes)

☆ study computer science chapter of - 'PYTHON' 🖥 whenever you get time as of getting mind off STEM subjects

[ Workout :- ᥫ᭡ 🎳

☆ I know it's not easy getting off bed but just use 1-2-5 minute rule 🎗

-stand up for 1 minute and drink some water

- start off with some stretching next for 2 minutes

- do 4 plank sessions in 5 minutes or any other favourite exercise move of yours

(This is my concept btw) And this will help about 70 percent to actually get you up.🥊

☆ do pilates in case you don't feel like exercising⛳️

☆ do 'lazy' stretching either before sleeping ot after sleeping.🎯

☆ walk minimum 6k steps a day♠️

[ Hobbies/Extra curricular :- ᥫ᭡ 🎱

☆ subscribe/follow to multiple dance pages so you automatically get the urge to dance🪀

☆ watch your idol dancing...it helps🧩

☆ dance atleast twice a week no matter what , even if you have to force it. It will individually get better if you were some day passionate bout it once.👯🏻‍♀️

☆ start writing your incomplete book by visualizing the scenes of the book...may help sometimes🖇

☆ during breaks from studies play basketball even for 5 minutes... put your phone away and walk around with your basketball around you then you will automatically feel the urge.🏀

☆ take part in school activities as much as you can....I get it that there is lot of academic work but it shouldn't stop you from being an all rounder🏆🏅

[ Social :- ᥫ᭡🥂

☆ cut people off...yea exactly CUT THEM OFF !! Lot of people don't really deserve you. You know who those people are.🌬

☆ don't get too comfy with some people. I get it that its your nature but keep that aside rn because it can be pressuring your self respect.🛑

☆ cut off atleast 3 people this year (atleast)💬

☆ don't be too kind to endure every other 'tease' of thiers. No this degrades your self respect and standards✋🏻

☆ if they are constantly mean then cut them off or just give them what they deserve(be the karma).🗣

☆ be as much confident as you can.you know nothing is cringe.... your definition of cringe is limiting you from your potential.🧭

So this is it for this challenge. I will regularly add more goals if needed and keep on updating my process.

You all are free to join :))🍾💐

[aannonn]

Going through some things right now,

but seeing and making ColorGang content makes me happy so

I got more headcanons! xd So- like- A part 2 of this post? Probably lol

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed sharing it! <3

╰┈➤ Whenever one of them is sad, they will immediately pull each other into a big group hug. Saying comforting words to the other. Watching some movies. Drawing and/or animating together, and etc. Just doing everything they know it makes the other happy!

﹌﹌﹌ They also won't pressure the other to tell them why they are sad. They just want to be there for each other in their darkest nights. ❤

﹌﹌﹌ They will hear each other out, and will do their best to be there, not only for the one who is sad, but also for each other.

╰┈➤ They are all really dramatic. Not in a bad way, but like- They can speak, but at the same time they are speaking they are also doing many movements and motions as they speak because they are dramatic like that lol

﹌﹌﹌ Alan can't hear them outside the computer, and since Orange is the only one who knows how to talk to Alan, the rest of the group just does many moviments and motions so Alan could understand what they are saying.

﹌﹌﹌ Alan doesn't understand a thing, so Orange often speaks for them, but at the same time Alan doesn't really mind and, instead, finds it adorable xd

╰┈➤ Green didn't taught only Orange how to sing - even though it didn't really work well xD - He taught the others how to sing, too!

﹌﹌﹌ Red is a quick learner, so it wasn't too difficult to teach him how to sing.

﹌﹌﹌ Blue was a lil' more difficult, but it wasn't that hard, either. - Green suspects Blue used potions to learn how to sing, though...

﹌﹌﹌ While with Yellow, surprisingly it was harder to teach him, but he got the hang of it eventually.

﹌﹌﹌ So- Basically; Orange is the only one who can't sing;')

╰┈➤ Yellow is the most intelligent of the five(5), but he also often uses only one(1) braincell when doing shenanigans with his friends...

﹌﹌﹌ He's such a genius when it comes to technology and redstone engineering, but when doing shenanigans with his friends... Oh boy.

╰┈➤ Blue and Yellow are the epítome of; Work Smarter, Not Harder.

﹌﹌﹌ In summary; They are all pretty smart, but they'll often lose braincells whenever doing shenanigans with each other. But can you really blame them? They are kids, after all. They just wanna have fun and fight and just be silly

╰┈➤ The group can often pays a lil' visit to Orange and Alan when they are animating. Either to just watch their father figure and best friend-sibling doing work, or to try to help them with their work.

﹌﹌﹌ They are like lil' kids watching their parents work lol (I do not mean this in a Alan x TSC way...... Plz don't take this the wrong way-)

╰┈➤ It might be a canon thing, or maybe not, but Green loves attention. Any kind of attention is good for him.

﹌﹌﹌ Talking good about him? Awesome! Talking bad about him? Awwn shucks, but cool. Just mentions him in only one single part of the conversation? He's instantly the happiest stick in the world.

﹌﹌﹌ For Green, just talking about him just proves how cool he is. Cool enough for people to even bother talking about him. (and he's so right omg i love him sm)

╰┈➤ Since it wasn't confirmed how tall they actually are, then for me; From Tallest to Shortest; Yellow, Blue, Green, Red & The Second Coming!

﹌﹌﹌ It's not that much of a difference, though. Like- Only a few inches of height difference.

﹌﹌﹌ They will playfully tease each other for their heights though. ;)

╰┈➤ Probably a canon thing, but; They can sometimes get carried away and ends up hurting each other, but they will always make up in the end.

╰┈➤ They have some trauma, not only from The Dark Lord fight, but also from when they fought King Orange and when they got betrayed twice by Purple. They can get a lil' paranoid about it sometimes.

╰┈➤ RYGB are all very forgiving, not just because they are kids and kids usually forgive pretty fast, but because they were unwillingly taught to forgive.

﹌﹌﹌ The StickMans were created to fight, and while it can hurt sometimes, especially when a player gets too carried away, they will always forgive and forget, because they did not have any other choice but to keep fighting.

﹌﹌﹌ If they know they were created to fight, and will keep fighting for the rest of their technology lifes, then what's the point of holding grudges because a Stick got too carried away?

﹌﹌﹌ Most of the time it wasn't even their fault, but the player's.

╰┈➤ Even after RYGB met TSC and finally got freedom from their site, they still can't help but to keep going doing what they were created to do. Old habits die hard, after all.

﹌﹌﹌ They do not dislike fighting, though. They still love having battles with each other, be competitive, and etc. It's kinda like a comforting nostalgic thing for them, to keep doing what they were initially created to do.

﹌﹌﹌ And because being competitive it's fun.

╰┈➤ For me, pronouns do not define gender. So like- I like to think that the ColorGang are all genderless, or atleast they identify as genderless, but they feel more comfortable with he/him/his and they/them pronouns? Gender is something really unimportant to them. xD

﹌﹌﹌ It wasn't important before, and It won't be important now.

﹌﹌﹌ They are, overall, neutral about She/Her pronouns, though. They don't mind it, but not really their preference.

Weell- I think that's all the headcanons that I have about them so far. There will probably be more, though. But, for now, that's all! &lt;3

Now.. I'll probably share my headcanons that I have so far about the RainbowGang(ColorGang + Purple) and HollowHead Bros someday! But, for now, that's it.

It's already 1 am from where I am now so- XD

Welp! I think that's it..? I might do a part 3, since my imagination is endless and I would love to do as many ColorGang content as possible, but, for now, that's it!

Cya u all in my next post! Goodbye ~ !

[xinnabon]

he's the type to...!!!

#kazuha & albedo x gn!reader

note; "he's the type to" edition!!! but these are basically just wholesome, on crack, short, and definitely hcs that don't make sense at all.

requests are allowed to be sent but do take in mind that i will take longer than expected since i would require your patience over this. also no nsfw, i'm a minor.

i don't think this is proof read since i just wanted to post after months.

+KAZUHA

he's the type to dance like old married couples with you. life awaits him and now that you're here, many outcomes behold in the future to the two of you as time comes, as he wants you to be a part of it.

he's the type to wait for you. if you're going to be gone long, he'll support you and still stay loyal. why is that?

he's the type to sing for you. the questionable thing is, its like he's alluring you to sleep after a hard day. he has some poems he made and just make it in song form to just make you more sleepier just trying to understand what it means. i do wonder if it does matter.

he's the type to be like a knight. even though he is a noble himself, it is never a burden to sweep you up your feet. saving you and saving himself.

he's the type to lift your stuff. maybe when you try moving in with him, he'd do all sorts of things just to make you feel welcomed enough, or its just simply carrying certain grocery. who knows.

he's the type to write about you ACCIDENTALLY. maybe he'd reflect it over something he foresaw or just something he takes value of and inspired him. as he progresses, it eventually turns about you.

(previous bullet extended) "a promise is made out of true loyalty and devotion in committing to someone. either you spouse, friend, family, or even to someone as hard as rock to figure out, it is still a must to be able to harnest your ability and fulfil it. someday, somewhere, somehow, i'll have the will to promise to my own spouse. to make due with at the end of " he scraps it off. (bonus if he just keeps it somewhere instead)

he's the type to save drafts from his writing. he probably has a lot and likes looking at it since it sounds so direct and a few mistakes... just often poorly written or not understandable enough to comprehend.

he's the type to be caught rambling too much about a certain topic or interest by "reflection". he'd go all out and get sympathetic, just by thinking as well what other people would think about it. you sometimes tell him over and over again but maybe he can't stop because it may take advantage of him.

+ALBEDO

he's the type to never judge. even at times of being reckless, he wouldn't bother to pressure you further. he is someone to trust whenever you fear of one's opinion or possible judgement that can lead as an offense. no. he would never.

he's the type to doodle. whenever you come by while he is working or watching him work, he does horrible but cute doodles of the both of you while writing specific formulas or other materials he does. he thinks that it serves as entertainment for you.

he's the type to ramble and fidget around. again, working. you can hear him spitting out certain hypothesis, possibilities, formulas, or literally... anything. he likes it just because he thinks that it can help progress his mind more.

he's the type to be clueless. maybe the first time you were trying to court him, he thought you were just trying to hell regardless of the weird pick up lines you did to get his attention. you literally told him off that you liked him and the fact he only knew now at that moment.

he's the type to accidentally baby you. he's pretty much used to being with klee all the time to the point he is overly protective even if you doubt it. as in, he would ask if you are comfortable with him or not. maybe he does need a break.

he's the type to generally not know how to cook. he'd kept asking you how to just to spend some time and improve. all he probably knows is just to make daily every morning coffee.

he's the type to be less self-conscious around you. people are horribly terrifying to be with because it's either they'd want to test you or even aggravate you to your limit. not you. no. you'd never do that to him. he did thought about it but as timed leaned and further passed, with you, nothing will interfere.

he's the type to be your tutor. history or chemistry, he'd know. instant head aches just hearing him teach you but he doesn't bother to make an issue out of it. but of course, he'll be cut out in trying to go a more simpler level for you. (not an insult...)

he's the type to do crossword puzzles or just puzzles in general. he can be bored or just in a burnt out, and you know all about the cerebrum and testing your brain to become more knowledgeable per puzzle or anything. he liked asking you if you ever want to do some with him but maybe that's your fault for the lack of capacity you contain in your head that you refuse to at times.

[wingzie]

Hi Lovely!

You are the G.O.A.T Jikook historian and I love, love, love your threads on Twitter. I also love your posts you’ve been doing here on your thoughts and perspectives all things Jikook, jikookers and the fandom.

I have a question. I’ve already talked about it a while ago but I wanted your take. What’s your opinion on people feeling like Jikook haven’t been the same post-2020 and the fact that EVEN MORE feel like since chapter two Jikook are not in a ‘relationship’ anymore. I use ‘relationship’ as it’s the easiest word to use for them for this ask, whatever people believe the labels for Jikook’s jikooking should be.

Do you think that:

a. There IS a difference in Jikook of the past and Jikook of now?

b. Do you think that if they once had something they no longer do?

c. Do you think that Jikook are no longer close after chapter 2.

We know Jikook are currently serving together and used the buddy system but apart from that, if you were to answer the above with evidence as the Jikook historian you are, what’s your take.

Thank you for your part in making Jikook spaces fun and informative 😉

💜

Hello! Thank you for your kind words and for sending in the ask. Let’s get into it with some honest truths: I don’t see a difference and I don’t think anything has changed. I am very much aware of what people are saying, but this is a pattern that repeats itself every single time there is less content to “feed” those who are less patient. Or, even worse,  those who want to control Jimin and Jungkook.

On 8th March 2020, BTS were told that their April concerts in Seoul would be cancelled. As we know, this later included the cancellation of their entire tour. Both the members and entire fandom were very upset about this, but I remember very vividly reading takes on the Jikook side of Tumblr saying: "but what about our Jikook content?" When, in all honesty, that should never have been the main focus when the entire world was experiencing a pandemic. I've seen this complaint several times. This happened during their vaction in 2019 and it's even happening now whilst they are in the military. It is incredibly selfish. I may be a Jikooker, but I understand that Jimin and Jungkook are their own people.

Hindsight is also a wonderful thing. There are a lot of times that we don't know about something, until it is revealed later on. We didn't know that Jikook ate dinner together after one of their concerts until the docuseries was released. This goes for 2018 AND in 2022. There are certain things that Jikook do because it is to heavily engrained into their routine together. We just won't always witness or hear about it.

How is this all linked though? There has been a change in content releases. We were used to Memories being released every summer and a Run episode every Tuesday. Episode 155 was the last weekly episode, released in October 2021. The last Special Episode was released in February 2023. They would have been filmed years apart, but they still show the same closeness and loving spirit. Both of these episodes also included some Jimin butt loving from Jungkook!

When chapter 2 began, it was obvious that Jimin and Jungkook were focusing on their own things. They do not have a persona in BTS to explore with, so this was their chance to share their stories or experiment with other music. Though busy, they still supported each other massively with social media posts or hyping each other on Lives. This is another pattern which has maintained over the years.

We also know that they have been on several trips together. They may have been on many more that we don't know of. I personally don't worry about it, I just support them as much as I can without putting any pressure on them. That would be unfair. I just think that whenever we do see anything from them, we are very lucky.

I know this response is probably what you (and others) weren't expecting, but I think those saying these things are probably too involved in Jimin and Jungkook's lives. That also goes with the amount of leaked photos and videos lately that I have seen on all platforms. Respect goes a long way and some are abusing it. (And thank you for always showing it in your own posts!) I am working on a "Jikook during Chapter Two" post, coming soon!

[sirfrogsworth]

I'm still not feeling great, but I really needed groceries. So I forced myself to go last night, which was a really bad idea considering I hadn't recovered from post-exertional malaise as it was.

But I didn't have much food due to stalling for so long. I know I could do delivery or have someone pick stuff up, but I really need to walk around and pick things out. If I am not in the mood for something I won't eat it. I can be picky that way. And then it spoils and I have to throw it out. It's just better if I go to the store and find things that my brain has a craving for.

It just seems like whenever I have the least energy and I try to do a short, simple trip out of the house, I have all of these mini-adventures that make it not as short and simple.

In this case, I didn't even make it out of my driveway before the adventures began. I got in the car there was a warning my tire pressure was low. And usually it isn't that bad and I can just fill up the tires when I have more energy. But one tire was extremely low, so I didn't want to chance it.

I wish I knew why my tires lose air so fast. Seems like I fill them every week or two. I read it could be bad valve stems. But like, on all the tires? I'll save that mystery for another day.

Unfortunately putting air in my tires is just about the hardest task for me specifically. Even if I sit on a stool, I have to bend down in a way that pushes my belly against my lungs. I run out of breath very quickly and so I have to go up and down many times to finish filling the tire. By the end of filling all 4 tires, I was sweating, exhausted, out of breath, light headed, and nauseous.

I really need to find a better way to fill my tires. I could try sitting on the ground, but standing up from the ground is not always easy for me and I'd have to do it 4 times.

I wonder if there is a place I can tip someone to do it.

I digress.

I make it to Sam's and I am struggling before even walking in the store. And they have gigantic shopping carts that take much more energy to push around. Schnucks has these little baby carts that are great for when you need a few items. I guess Sam's assumes if you are going to a bulk store you are going to buy in bulk.

I get my sushi and my brownie bites and everything else and head towards checkout. I have a bit too much stuff for self checkout to make sense, so I get in line.

On one side of me was a guy who was impulse buying a 65" TV. Which is a really bad idea. You should never buy any electronics without researching it first. (Or ask me. Everyone should always ask me before buying technological items.) He was buying a TV that was made to be thin. And if he needed a super thin TV, and he couldn't afford an OLED, it was an okay choice. But for the same price he could get a thicker TV with much better image quality. There was a part of me that wanted to take him back over to the TV aisle and help him make a better decision. But my anxiety thought of about 30 ways that could have backfired and I was barely standing.

And then there was this cart in front of me...

Seriously?

Is there a midwestern hurricane headed this way or something?

I don't even understand how they did this.

This isn't Tetris. This is... overstuffing a turkey.

I'm a little worried about those eggs too.

Thankfully a new lane opened up and I didn't have to wait 30 minutes for them to figure out how to deal with that.

I did try to use my amazing Tetris skills to arrange my items so the bar code was visible for each one. (I probably could have done self checkout, I guess.) Last time the lady thanked me for making it so easy for her. So I was waiting for this lady to pull out her laser shootie price gun and start zapping my stuff.

But she unloaded everything in my cart onto the conveyor.

My shopping cart Tetris skills went unnoticed and she had to do 3 times the work.

Then I get out to the parking lot and a bunch of carts are all blocking the disabled parking space for people with rear-loading wheelchairs.

I tried to move some of them as I went by. I just didn't have the energy to put them all in the receptacle. But even if they are in the yellow zone, that is where they need to unload the wheelchair. I'm just so tired of people being inconsiderate like this.

And I also see a lot of disabled people without wheelchairs using this space. I suppose if it is the only one available, but this is such a great accommodation for wheelchair users. It is much safer to unload away from traffic. I would rather park in the back of the lot than take this option from someone.

Oh, and Schnucks has one of the disabled spots reserved for police and that makes me so mad too. They can double park if there is an emergency. I never see a cop car in that space and so many people could be using that.

Sorry, after pushing my dad around for a year I have become very sensitive to this.

I really wanted to drive straight home, but I still needed some soup and black cherry soda from Schnucks. I probably should have gone back a different day, but sometimes a different day isn't for weeks. So I just got it all done at once. Plus I really wanted to try that Vess black cherry.

Sorry, RefresCoVesScnhucks™ Black Cherry Soda.

I've been pretty sore all day. And I'm still not prepared for the second house auction. And people are coming to pick stuff up from the first auction on Friday. The house is a mess again. Half the groceries aren't put away.

I'm going to need to pull my lantern battery out of the pocket dimension to charge myself back up.

[true-blue-megamind]

I have a question. I don't know if this has been asked this before. Why does Roxanne fall for Megamind? I'm crazy happy they end up together but I still wonder why? Most people were scared of him until he saved the day. He kidnapped Roxanne all the time. She was super pissed at him for a while there. He's also not human. How does the whole attraction thing even work when you aren't the same species? Because, yeah, Megs is cool af, but an ET with blue skin and a big head probably wasn't the star of many Metro City girl's wet dreams. Maybe after he started the hero gig since people are just like that but not before. But Roxanne kind of flirted with him before he turned good or anything. So I guess she had to see something in him other people didn't. What do you think it was?

MEGAMIND FAN THEORY THURSDAY: Roxanne’s Attraction

Yes, I’m back again with another Megamind Fan Theory Thursday! Special thanks to this week’s anonymous contributor! I appreciate you, whoever you may be! I also want to express my sincere gratitude to all those who read, like, and reblog these posts… Knowing that you share the love for this fandom is the reason why I continue dedicating time, whenever possible, to researching and writing about these theories. This blog wouldn’t exist without you. Thank you!

If, however, you are that one individual who has inexplicably insisted upon reading two years' worth of articles about a film you still haven’t watched… I continue to have faith you’ll one day see the light. Or at least the movie. Hope springs eternal.

In the meantime: SPOILER WARNING!

We’re all human—at least, I assume most people reading this probably are—and that means we’re imperfect. One of the sadly common flaws of our species is a tendency to be rather judgmental, sometimes without just cause, and we certainly see that occurring in the film Megamind. After all, the alien genius was left to be raised in a high-security jail among presumably dangerous inmates simply due to his appearance and was pressured into supervillainy in part because he was different. Given that fact, along with the fear and ostracization many apparently showed him, there is reason to wonder exactly what first attracted Roxanne Ritchi to the blue man. After all, as today’s contributor pointed out, most humans, if asked to describe their perfect match, might not immediately default to “an alien with a large head and a complexion of a popular primary color, as a random nonspecific example.” Yet Roxanne is most certainly attracted to Megamind. Of course, many fan suggest that she must find him handsome—it’s doubtful she’d be in a romantic relationship with him by the end of the film if she thought him ugly—but they also contend that, given her disinterest in Metroman, the attraction must be more than physical. The question is: what qualities made her fall for him rather than an ordinary human or the supposedly perfect former Defender? Can fan theories shed any light? Let’s take a look!

Not Your Average Damsel

Some may be tempted to suggest that this is merely a typical case of the damsel falling for her rescuer. After all, that’s one of the common superhero tropes, isn’t it? Even Megamind himself, while talking to Titan after training, said that saving a lady was the way to her heart. The problem with this is that, in that particular instance, the blue man was completely and undeniably wrong. His love interest’s attraction had little or nothing to do with him whisking her out of Titan’s murderous clutches.

There are three reasons why fan theories rightfully dispute the concept of Megamind and Roxanne sharing a stereotypical hero/damsel romance. Firstly, the movie itself is well known for subverting superhero genre norms, and indeed that seems to have been one of the major themes of the narrative. Given how much effort was put into turning such conventions on their heads, sometimes even lampooning them, it’s extremely doubtful that the film’s creators would have suddenly adopted such stereotypes in this one case.

Secondly, there is Roxanne herself. This character is spunky, independent, and not easily cowed. During Megamind and Titan’s second fight, we see her holding a broken street sign, preparing to join in the fray. That’s a far cry from the expected behavior of a supposedly helpless damsel. Furthermore, despite being rescued by Metroman multiple times—hundreds, in fact, according to the prequel comic The Reign of Megamind—she states outright that they “were never a couple.” That alone clearly dismisses the idea of Roxanne swooning for the blue man simply because he rescues her. If she were the sort to do that, she would have fallen for Metroman as well—especially considering that most of the people around her apparently believed him to be Mr. Perfect.

The third and final reason is one we’ve touched on before. It bears repeating, however, as it truly puts the proverbial nail in the coffin of the Typical Damsel argument. As our contributor mentioned, Roxanne canonically was attracted to Megamind while he was still a supervillain. During the kidnapping scene, when the blue man draws close and practically purrs a vaguely suggestive line—“such… tricks won’t work on me”—in the reporter’s ear, rather than showing reluctance she asks him to “please talk slower.” Megamind, of course, responds by calling her “Temptress.” Tellingly, while she doesn’t acknowledge it, Roxanne also doesn’t object to the epithet. Fan theories suggest that this obviously indicates there was already attraction on both sides, although its extremely doubtful either would have ever acted upon it. (As a well-known television reporter, Roxanne may have been too well aware of the potential destruction of her career, and Megamind, despite having her at his mercy numerous times, was obviously too goodhearted to make a move without invitation. You can read more about the latter in Megamind and Masculinity.)

Smart is Hot

This, then, leaves us with the question of exactly what did attract Roxanne to Megamind. Does she simply have a thing for blue aliens, or is it something more than that? One fan theory suggests that the answer lies in a line that was cut from the final version of the screenplay. Initially, after telling Megamind, who was then disguised as Bernard, that Metroman had never been her type, she added that she’d always preferred brains over brawn. That is interesting because intelligence is certainly something the former supervillain has in abundance. In a previous Fan Theory Thursday post, Why Kidnap Roxanne, we explored the likelihood of Megamind’s clearly ingenious species being naturally attracted to intellect. The thing is that he may not have been the only one. Merriam-Webster defines the term sapiosexual as someone who experiences “sexual or romantic attraction to highly intelligent people.” As you can guess from the mere fact that this word exists, it is fully possible for some humans to possess this inborn predisposition. Many fans believe that Roxanne Ritchi is, indeed, a sapiosexual, and this may be one reason why she would fall head-over-heels for a super-genius, alien or otherwise. In fact, as discussed in How Smart is Megamind, the blue man may quite literally be the smartest person on Earth, making him extremely alluring to someone already attracted by brilliance.

Indeed, according to fan theories, several things about Roxanne’s character support this idea. She was originally imagined as an investigative reporter, so she’s obviously not stupid. She appears to dislike Hal not based upon his appearance but rather due to his lack of intelligence and his constant harassment. Perhaps the most telling evidence, however, comes from comparing her reactions to Megamind and his former nemesis. As mentioned before, Metroman is supposed to be most people’s idea of masculine perfection. Simply look at the way his fans, especially the female ones, behave during the opening of his museum. Add to this the fact that he is largely based on Superman and Elvis Presley—both of whom were, at one time, considered extremely handsome—and we can safely assume that Metroman is supposed to be some sort of Adonis. He’s also wealthy, famous, and powerful; three qualities that many people might consider great advantages in a potential boyfriend. Nonetheless, Roxanne Ritchi shows no interest at all in him.

Conversely, while dating Megamind in his guise as “Bernard,” the woman’s attention—and perhaps her heart—seem to be captured by his conversation, intellect, wit, and humor. She initially begins spending time with him because she believes him to possess expert knowledge concerning Megamind as well as enough intelligence to help her decipher the supervillain’s plan. She clearly enjoys having long conversations with him, laughing at his humorous stories, and reading books together in a library. Granted, the last was done for research purposes in the film, but the Bad Blue Brilliant comics show Megamind and Roxanne planning a date at a library after the blue man has become a hero. Obviously a shared love of books was something Roxanne liked about him. It appears that such traits attracted the reporter while riches and model-perfect looks couldn’t.

Of course, Roxanne rejects the former villain after she learns who he really is, but one Megamind fan theory suggests that that was almost certainly not because of him, but rather because of his actions. It makes sense. She is hurt and infuriated that he lied to her, and she makes her objections to some of his past behaviors known in no uncertain terms. However, when considering the charges she lays at his proverbial doorstep, it’s clear that what she cannot abide is his criminal behavior. She accuses him of murder, taking control of the city, and tricking her. Furthermore, she seems convinced that his only purpose in disguising himself was to toy with her emotions for his own sadistic amusement.

As the film progresses, however, she realizes that he did not actually kill Metroman and that he was sincere about their relationship. That, in turn, removes many of her objections and creates room for her love to grow once more. Indeed, when Megamind, obviously upset, mentions their breakup while they are driving to Metroman’s hideout, Roxanne briefly displays a sorrowful expression before apparently hardening her resolve and slamming on the breaks. (This was likely because she still thought the former villain guilty of murder.) Furthermore, during this unused clip cut from the final film, while taunting his captive, Titan refers to Megamind as Roxanne’s boyfriend, and she doesn’t correct him. Moments later, when he tells the woman to summon her hero, she doesn’t hesitate to issue a heartfelt plea to Megamind. When she sees the blue man make his grand entrance, the look on Roxanne’s face says clearly that she knew he would come. When she believes Megamind to be wounded, Roxanne weeps, and when he, at last, takes up the position of Defender, she kisses his cheek. It seems the woman has grown to trust and love the former Master of All Villainy.

It’s What’s Inside That Counts

Megamind’s intelligence is likely not the only reason Roxanne finds herself falling for him. Many fan theories suggest that his personality was also a driving factor. As mentioned before, he is funny and likable during their dates. When they ride bikes together, he’s clearly having fun, and that makes him fun to be around. While dining out, just before the kiss and the holowatch’s malfunction, he obviously charms her. Even before that, however, the blue man seems to display some very positive traits. His mourning his nemesis, laughing with Minion, and playing with the brainbots all evince a kind heart hidden beneath the black leather and spikes. That same trait continues to appear throughout the film. Later in the narrative, during Titan's attack, Megamind displays a concern for the people of Metro City despite those same people having ostracized him all his life. He is manifestly not as evil as he tries to appear. In fact, his treatment of his damsel offers further proof of this. While he has Roxanne tied up in his Lair as bait for Metroman, it becomes obvious that Megamind’s so-called doom devices have been carefully calibrated not to actually harm the woman, and she seems to know it as she shows no fear. She even seems to enjoy her situation sometimes. When Megamind makes a veiled Star Wars reference, Roxanne smirks as if she’s trying not to laugh.

Thus it appears extremely likely that, from the start of the movie, the reporter already knew Megamind was too good a person to actually hurt her and it seems she appreciated his geeky humor. This is hardly surprising. According to the prequel comic, The Reign of Megamind, he has had more than 600 failed plots and Roxanne has been his compulsory guest of honor for many of them. Consider how much time for interaction that must have afforded them before the cameras started rolling. Even if Roxanne was only awake for an average of half an hour before each actual battle began, that would still mean that she spent roughly 300 hours alone in Megamind and Minion’s company. To put it in perspective, that’s twelve-and-a-half days! It seems nearly impossible that Roxanne could spend the equivalent of nearly two weeks in Megamind’s company without some of his charm, kindness, and humor showing through. This is quite possibly another reason for her evident attraction.

That’s not all. As mentioned in the post What Sort of Hero Will Megamind Be, the blue man lists several qualities necessary for a Defender while discussing the topic in the Metroman Museum. Although he doesn’t seem to recognize it at the time, he actually displays all of them with the exception of his former adversary's DNA. Strength? The fact that Megamind breaks a saw on Titan’s face while punching him indicates that the former villain is far more physically powerful than he looks, and his ability to remain calm and think under extreme pressure suggests that he has serious willpower. Determination? Megamind talks about learning from his many defeats, and the simple fact that he continued to get up and try again after losing more than 600 times shows that he certainly doesn’t give up easily. Courage? The alien genius goes to Roxanne for help in finding Titan’s weakness rather than fleeing despite Titan’s attempt to kill him. Afterward he puts his life on the line to save Roxanne from the new villain—and that’s after facing a superpowered foe for years. Whatever else he may be, no one can argue that Megamind isn’t brave.

Finally, there’s also Megamind’s industriousness. Imagine how many inventions he must have constructed over the years… There would doubtlessly be hundreds! Everyone one of them had to be not only built but also designed and tested. How many hours of plans, calculations, schematics, calibrations, and labor go into each one? It's unclear, but what is certain is that, despite clearly knowing how to have fun, the blue man just as obviously understands the value of hard work. It’s doubtful that laziness is a vice he has ever suffered from.

So, why is Roxanne Ritchi attracted to Megamind? While we may never know how physically desirable she finds him—although fans speculate that, based on their relationship, she must find him handsome—the blue man possesses plenty of other beguiling virtues. Alien or not, Roxanne obviously finds his intelligence and personality too alluring to ignore, and as soon as he embraced goodness rather than behaving in destructive ways she could not condone, she gave him her heart. If you consider it, that really isn’t shocking at all. If any one of us were courted by a person who was smart, funny, courageous, kind, charming, hardworking, fun-loving, and strong, would we remain unaffected? Or would we, like the movie’s heroine, tumble head-over-heels into love? In the end, it’s little wonder that Roxanne fell for the new Defender of Metro City. It would have been more surprising if she hadn’t.

That concludes this week’s Fan Theory Thursday! I hope you enjoyed it!

[roosterbruiser]

I don't understand why people pressure writers and make them feel guilty for not updating. It's really selfish tbh. I'd rather the writers take their time and write something that they're happy with than make them post as often as possible. It'll stop being fun for everyone if they start writing their fics just to get it over with. I love reading different types of fics and you can really tell when the writers actually had fun with their stories. And it makes me so happy when they themselves say how excited they are to update.

I mean it's FANFICTION. It's supposed to be fun. You won't die if one of your favorite writers takes a break. Be patient! If you as a reader keep making them feel bad then you might not get any fic from them anymore. Bc what's the point of posting for people who don't appreciate it.

And also, you're reading this FOR FREE. And you're complaining? It just sounds so disrespectful. Writers are allowed to take breaks whenever they want. And for whatever reason. Readers should appreciate all the masterpieces they get on here!

bestie, you simply must know how happy this ask made me. this is such the right attitude to have when coming on here and reading fan fiction!

I want to tattoo this on my forehead!! especially this part: It'll stop being fun for everyone if they start writing their fics just to get it over with.

everyone needs to study this!!

[thrilling-oneway]

whenever people want to hate on d4dj why do they jump straight on "It's queerphobic bc..." as if it doesn't have the best queer rep of any rhythm game out there.

1757 words about queer representation in D4DJ and other rhythm/gacha games below cut

Like there are actual valid reasons to not like d4dj. There's definitely an issue with sexualising the high schoolers, I've made posts talking about it before. But at the same time, if you as someone who plays other of the major gacha/rhythm games is going to say that, you should probably address that SIF, bandori (and maybe enstars? it's been a while since I played) have some dodgy cards as well. Admittedly these cards are mainly old whereas D4DJ is still producing these, but you shouldn't act like your preferred game is perfect either.

But especially saying that D4DJ is queerphobic is so weird. To say that just proves you have no idea what actually happens in the game, and you're just taking screenshots out of context.

Firstly hayakoko. Okay so in the flashback where they get together they said "but we're both girls". Yeah, it's a cliche line that screams 'written by a hetero person', but within the context of the story it's not that bad if a little cringe. Neither Hayate or Kokoa had liked a girl before they started dating, this is literally stated on screen: Hayate says that she was a little surprised to realise that she had a crush on Kokoa. They're baby gay at this point in time. I think Kokoa's an interesting one to point out as well, because she's the one who said the line in the first place, and even after she admits that she likes Kokoa as well and they start dating, the True Love Kiss side story shows her being insecure about PDA in school. It reads a lot like she's had a very heteronormative upbringing, which is very common for queer people. It's probably more common in Japan where they still don't have equal rights for queer people (they don't have marriage equality, same-sex couples can't marry, the exception being if one is trans and hasn't legally changed their gender. and after they're married they can't legally change their gender). Not to mention she goes to catholic school, and as far as I know there's some issues there. So I don't see anything wrong with Kokoa not wanting to be out publicly, and being a bit insecure when she and Hayate confess. You gotta remember they are 15 as well (and ~14 when they started dating). Their relationship isn't going to be perfect, and that's normal.

And then Aoi and her gender presentation. Aoi has always been a very masculine presenting character, and is explicitly GNC, so I can understand that some people were disappointed with her wearing long hair and a ballgown in the Aoi & Haruna Relations event. But the anger some people hold towards this. Come on, how badly can you miss the point? Aoi's gender presentation has been a part of her character since her initial card story. She says she actually used to dress more feminine and have long hair in high school, but decided to change her look because she thought she suited the shorter hair. She also mentions that when she presented fem, she would be told she looked like a cross dresser, which obviously offended her. It's not hard to see that Aoi just wants to be seen as Aoi. It's not about how she presents her gender, she's still Aoi no matter how she dresses - Tsubaki mentions this in the A&H Relations. Nothing was retconned or de-canonised when Aoi wore hair extensions and a dress, it wasn't a sudden unnecessary change. The event explores the fact she wants to try different looks outside of her usual 'princely' one, but she's a bit of a people pleaser and is unsure about it because people associate Aoi with "androgynous good looks". There was no pressure from anyone to be feminine, there was actually pressure the other way. She wore a dress and had long hair for one (1) event, and 2 illustrations. Her most recent card has her in trousers with short hair again. Like you don't have to pounce on it being erasure because Aoi wanted to dress more feminine one time. She doesn't hate being GNC now, she's not permanently feminine now - Aoi being GNC is a part of who she is. Aoi being fluid with her gender expression is a part of her queerness and I don't get how you can miss the point so badly to call it erasure.

D4DJ is genuinely one of if not the best mainstream gacha/rhythm game for queer rep. There's so much more than just this: Tsubaki and Aoi are canonically in love with each other and there was even an attempted confession (they got interrupted), KyoShino have implied romantic feelings, same with NagiHiiro and RinMuni (mainly from Muni's side). Haruna was pretty much confirmed as lesbian during the A&H relations, and has had crushes on two separate characters. Saori's sapphic as well (there's one or two implications that she's bisexual). Having Hayate and Kokoa in a relationship opens the doors to more ships becoming canon in the future. The only negative representation I can think of in this game is Noa, so if you really want to go out of your way to say D4DJ is queerphobic, there you go. Noa likes cute thing, cute girls, and flanderisation took hold quickly to the point of her being creepily obsessed with the ri4 girls and a few others, and literally stalking them. Yikes. Her writing is improving though, especially in All Mix where she just occasionally comments on how cute they are without taking it too far, and they actually let her have other personality traits expressed that had pretty much been forgotten.

My point here is that if you're going to say D4DJ is bad rep or homophobic, you're admitting that your game is worse for representation. I'm not saying that the games in the "Big 3" (proseka/bandori/enstars) are bad by any means (idk about enstars actually I didn't play for very long), but D4DJ has definitely taken some big steps in queer representation that those games are seemingly too scared to make. Having a canon sapphic couple is a game like this is a huge deal, I'm not even sure if it's been done before. And before anyone says "but anhane and minoharu went on a double date in Buddy Funny Spend Time", neither of those pairs are stated or even fucking implied to be in a relationship outside of that event. It kinda just happens in one event, and even then it's still a bit vague on whether either of the couples are actually dating in the event. It's definitely heavily implied that anhane/minoharu have mutual romantic feelings, so they are arguably canon in that sense, just not in an established relationship sense. Bandori has done this as well with PareChu, have them go on dates and be clearly romantically interested in each other, only to never actually be a couple (I know tsumutsumu and reochi have called parechu an official couple, but that's word of saint paul rather than word of god, so take this how you will). Hayakoko is HUGE for this genre, and could mean good things in the future of other rhythm games (especially other Bushiroad ones).

--Break here where I went on a tangent about non-D4DJ queercoding--

Outside of schroedingers dating, both bandori and proseka have characters who are implied/canonically queer. I'll make this short because this is getting really long now and I apologise to anyone who's still reading.

For bandori, Arisa has a crush on Kasumi, Kaoru can be considered as canonically lesbian just from how she's presented, YukiLisa has a lot of implications for romantic feelings, as do MocaRan. Himari is also an interesting case, as she could be read as bisexual or comphet lesbian, it's never really made clear (at least as far as I know, I stopped playing bandori a while ago, and am not up-to-date on story, so anyone who's still reading feel free to add to this or correct me). There's probably some stuff missing here as well.

As for proseka, it actually has quite a lot of queercoding. I already touched on anhane and minoharu earlier, but Kohane and Minori are both heavily implied to be lesbian, An as well (although there's like one or two hints that she could be bi. I can cite them if needed). Mizuki is canonically transfeminine (their gender is unconfirmed), and they have been shown to be attracted to women. ShizuAiri and AkiToya have a lot of romantic implications in their relationships, EmuNene has gradually been getting more and more actually (Amidst a Dream). Ena is implied wlw and Rui is implied mlm okay I think I got everything tangent over.

--End of break--

Regardless of my criticisms, all of the games I've mentioned definitely show how much queer rep has grown and become a lot better in the last decade or so. While not focused on the rhythm game, the first generation of Love Live (2010-16) queerbaited* a fair amount. To give one example, there's an 'interview' with Honoka from 2015 where she heavily implies that she's straight, despite having ship tease with other female characters. Compare that to what we have 8 years later, and you can definitely see improvement. However I think it still needs to be addressed that what we have isn't perfect, and it probably will take while to get to a point where we can have more openly queer characters/couples, especially considering Japan as a country (and american/else localisation teams). But I think more people need to recognise how important D4DJ is for queer representation within this genre. It's really not common to have queer romance and gender presentation be directly addressed and frequently shown, and not just for the sake of making money.

I'm bad at ending essays.

* Queerbaiting - intentionally and maliciously leading a queer audience to believe they will receive representation which is then not provided. Whether the rhythm games mentioned do this or not is... debatable? It's done for the money which ticks the intentionally malicious box, queer people aren't for capitalising on. But a good amount of the time it's done to bait straight people who like yuri/yaoi. I do think it's queerbait though like heavily ship teasing a couple and then throwing in a line to imply one of them is straight definitely queerbaiting. april edit: it took me over a month to realise that there were words missing in that last sentence sorry about that. hi anyone who's reading this in the future

[yellowocaballero]

I'd be interested in those writing shortcuts 👀 (don't feel pressured though)

Yeah sure! This is in reference to this and this posts.

These are all pretty 'fic style' stories, because they scaffold off pre-existing canon. It's like you're walking inside of a pre-built house and you're putting up new wallpaper and designing the rooms. Novel style is like if you're building the entire house. So these are really great for fun and if you have writer's block or have problems starting a story. They're also really good if you're practicing your dialogue, scene composition, characterization, etc - they are not good for developing skills on how to build the house, but if you're trying to work on actually making a readable story they're great methods to practice. They're also a lot easier to make good lol.

While writing these out I realized that they're almost entirely AUs. This is because I like AUs. You don't have to do AUs, you can adapt these however you want if you just like writing canon. Loser. Anyway, these are my low-effort stories:

A series of disconnected scenes that take place over a long period of time. If you have an idea in mind (or you just want to use the OG work's timeline), then you can show scenes or moments over a long period in time. For example, ages ago I wrote an AU story following the life of one character. One scene for 2008, one for 2010, one for 2012 etc.

Rewriting canon. If you have an AU idea or have a way in mind to change canon to something you think fucks harder, then you can use pre-existing episodes or season plotlines and just add your own flavor to what already exists. If you write for BNHA you aren't allowed to do this. That's the rule. How is all BNHA fic 600k AUs where one extremely minor detail is changed. God they're boring.

Alternate viewpoint/missing scene of a story you have. Like you can do this for canon too but that sounds super boring. This is actually something I do in order to help the quality of the main story - if I'm finding myself writing a super complicated character, I write another story about him from his POV to help give me a handle on him. Or write her parts of the story from her perspective. It's a writing exercise to help me figure out the character and it is also easy and fun.

"X Meets Y". Do you really like Legally Blonde? Do you think your favorite character being Elle Woods would be really funny? Stuff like that. Would it be really funny if your blorbo was Sharpay Evans? Yes it would be. Yeah I DID write a story many years ago that was "X meets Teen Beach Movie", why?

I don't know how many other people out there have extremely convoluted entire AU ideas, but if you have the whole AU in your mind then it is incredibly easy to write little stories or snippets from the AU. Like, so easy. A stand-out scene in your mind, the life of one supporting character, an alternate POV, whatever. Literally whenever I want to write something absolutely 0 effort whatsoever I go back to one of my 3 bugfuck stupid AUs and write something for them again.

This is actually something I think everybody should do, because it is basically how I learned story structure: find the trashiest, most formulaic genre you can. Watch or read something from that genre, or just collect genre conventions. Use the pre-packaged and pre-written formula to structure your own story and fill in the blanks.

(Also, these aren't very tropey or reliant on shipping/romance beats, which is nice if you want to get away from that stuff)

Nowadays, I find all of that helpful when I feel like doing something 0 effort. When I was a less experienced writer and I deadass did not know how to build a house, then these were really helpful for learning what wallpaper looks good and what arrangement of furniture creates good fung shui and what couches go best with that coffee table. They're also good passing. Seriously, these are like the most popular stories on my AO3. People eat this shit up. Why. They're so lazy.

IDK, these are what I do because they're the kinds of stories I like to write! What you find easy to write will be different. This is all a very personal list. I can see my personal thumbprint (no romance, AU central) really clearly. I'm kind of curious now: what are y'all's favorite low-effort, easy, fun stories to write?

Also as a heads up if your story doesn't have any sort of conflict in it, then it will actually very difficult to write. Trust me. Conflict makes you voom. Do it. Please. Love of god.

[greensagephase]

Ok, ok, it's been so long and I have many things to say.

First, I already have a sketch of Miguel (kind of), and he looks so soft. I was going in with super low expectations because he is so hard to draw, but I love how it came out! School keeps me busy, and I suck at managing my time, but I'll draw Pavitr soon enough so I can get started with fanarts (If I hear another engineer say my career is easy I'm losing it)

Second, the nickname post was so cute!!! I always love Miguel fluff. We don't have enough of it. I remember one time you hinted Miguel might or might not get jealous in one part of Nonviolent Communication but if I'm being honest I can't see Miguel being a jealous type (Although I'd love to read your take on it) I think he is more of an insecure person. Sure, I see him getting angry and even uncomfortable if someone flirts or tries anything with his partner, but not because he is jealous but rather because he wants his partner to be safe. I picture him hugging them the moment he gets home and just melting with them in his arms, nuzzling his nose against their hair, drowning in them. I think he focuses more on their safety than in any other thing.

"Did he touch you? Offer you something? What else did he say? Are you sure you're ok?"

In his mind, he is just glad they're safe and comfortable. Anything else is secondary, but I can maybe see him getting jealous of the attention they give to others, but if that's the case, I think he would just start saying nonstop that they are his and they're in a relationship at every opportunity he gets. He would also stand closer, just as an extra precaution (because he is petty like that)

Ya, por último, do you think Miguel eats red meat during Easter? I'm sure he allows Gabri to do so, but I have this silly idea that Miguel just... doesn't. He isn't religious or anything, but whenever he serves something with red meat to his daughter, he hears his mom telling him that he shouldn't eat that because it's disrespectful. Again, he isn't religious, but I like to think that something deep inside him tells him he shouldn't. Like that feeling when you can finally do something your parents didn't allow (like pulling an all-nighter or trying a certain food or watching a show). It's not guilt. It just feels odd... So he instead cooks seafood unless Gabri specifically says she wants something else. It's a silly idea, but I feel it's something ATSV Miguel would do

I'm sorry for the late answer! I'll check the last headcanons I sent you so I can answer your questions on them in another message (and show you my sketch). I feel this one is too long already. Take care!!!

Hi @coralskybunny !! I'm so happy to see your ask 😊

I love seeing that you're doing well with your drawing journey, especially drawing Miguel!! He's def hard to draw (I'm still struggling and I've been bad about practicing, too, because of poor time management recently😭 so that doesn't help! Really hoping to get back into it this week tho, so I can draw him correctly one day), so I'm happy that you love the way it turned out!! I'd love to see your sketch and the full fanarts of your headcannons once you're ready to post it!! I was actually thinking about the last ones you sent the other day because in the upcoming chapter Miguel, Pav, and Hobie will have a scene together, so I thought of you and your headcannons!! 🥺 Also, good luck with school, haha!! I'm going to make a guess that you're studying architecture? I always see that engineers and architects have beef, so that's my educated guess! But don't feel pressured to confirm! Either way, no career is easy, they're all hard in their own way 😭

Also, thank you!! I'm glad you liked the nicknames for Miguel post!! I've been meaning to post a little more since I feel like I rarely post original content, even though I have a lot of ideas but sometimes lack of time and overthinking stops me. I do agree that we need more Miguel fluff though!! We need more people to write or send fluff requests to writers!! We need like a fluff week of writing or something for Miguel!!

AWWW your jealous Miguel idea just got me in my feelings for real!!!!! 🥹🥹 Him being focused on his partner's safety more than anything >>>>> why is he not real???? No, I totally agree that Miguel would be more insecure than anything!! In Nonviolent Communication, I've included that Miguel has felt/sometimes still feels insecure about his appearance and his family life (the parents situation), so if we do have jealous Miguel in the fic... 👀 This aspect will def play into it. Also, the bit about him being more jealous of the attention - I can see this as well!! But in the fluffy way that Miguel just loves receiving his partner's attention, you know?

I can see him def making it known that his partner is taken especially if he sees that his partner feels uncomfortable by someone trying to make a move on them despite already making it known they're taken, so Miguel then steps in and we have him pulling them into him, placing his hand on their waist, and "hola, mi amor" or whatever nickname he has for his partner, to emphasize to the person to stop bothering his partner.

But do trust that if we see jealous Miguel in Nonviolent Communication, it won't be him going crazy or acting aggressive/hostile. I don't want to say much but believe me, we'll continue to see soft Miguel no matter the situation, even when he gets all celoso and grumpy, which I can see him displaying - grumpiness, not aggression!!

I'm very quickly going to say that I didn't know you're a Spanish speaker, so I'm delightfully surprised to see your Spanish in this ask!!! :) But about Easter and whether Miguel follows lent - it's actually crazy that you bring this up because I was thinking about this, too, recently as I'm Catholic and was not eating red meat. And well, this man truly does live rent free in my head and being Mexican, I like to wonder about his experiences - both the serious and the funny ones - as a Latino.

I hope I'm not rambling from this point on but this is something very interesting to think about, so here we go!! I know in a comic run it's mentioned that he's not religious but that he still finds himself at times doing certain things out of habit because he grew up in a Catholic home. He doesn't identify as one though, but instead as an atheist. That's comic Miguel and that's what I've seen so far from doing research in the past for the fic. I haven't read the comics yet, so I may be missing some information but that seems to be it.

ATSV Miguel on the other hand... I have a feeling he's not super religious right now (maybe hasn't been for several years), but he's also not an atheist?? It's more like he's lost a lot of faith at one point with so many negative events and situations taking place in his life (and like, I wouldn't blame him because if the writers stick to comic events... I would, too, lowkey). I think he probably has an ongoing inner conflict with his religion. Despite that, I truly do think that he still respects not eating red meat during lent for the reason that it's so ingrained into his brain that doing that is bad.

I can see him letting Gaby eat whatever, especially her being a child and children being excused (at least that's my knowledge; children, the elderly, and those sick/injured are excused), if she wishes to eat red meat but like you said, I imagine he finds himself cooking meals without red meat because again, it's ingrained into his mind that eating red meat is disrespectful. Also, the fact that he lives in a New York that's heavily influenced by Latin culture - I feel like that also influences him and leads him to opt out from eating red meat.

But I don't know, that's my idea as of right now! It's certainly so so interesting to think about and I like how I have a favorite character that I can think about in these contexts that are familiar to me (and to so many other fans). I really hope that we get to see much more about Miguel's backstory in BTSV regarding these little things because I certainly find it intriguing. I think it'd add another layer to his character, too! I just really want more Miguel content, let's be real 😭 but yeah those are my thoughts on it! I'm sorry for how long this turned out!!

I look forward to reading your responses and seeing your sketch!!! I really enjoy your asks, so thank you for sending this one!!!! Take care friend, and have a wonderful day/night!! ❤️

[chevvy-yates]

WIP WEDNESDAY WHENEVER

got tagged by @kdval thank you!

tagging: @gloryride, @elvenbeard, @pinkyjulien, @kittenchrissy, @dreamskug, @wraithsoutlaws, @imaginarycyberpunk2023, @alphanight-vp, @morganlefaye79, @peaches-n-screem, @wanderingaldecaldo, @genocidalfetus, @jaymber, @humberg, @therealnightcity, @streetkid-named-desire, @sammysilverdyne, @aggravateddurian, and @breezypunk as always, no pressure – also feel free to ignore.

—

GENERAL:

My gaming laptop is still on vacation sleeping since mid November '23 so I have still nothing new except the last remaining vp I want to post but hesitate for own reasons to click the 'post' button. It's a never ending fight I have to do with myself here …

Each weekend I tell myself I will update, but I do not 'feel' it – it's complicated. Guess something needs to happen that requires me to update first. Nontheless, I did not sit around doing nothing. Used the time for writing, thinking, graphic design and selecting songs.

I managed to post Ryder's two favorite radio stations last weekend:

I'll link the post here again in case you missed it and have interest to listen to it. A like/follow is appreciated, a.k.a. Ryder dankt! 🖤

I know not many like this genre he (and I) listens to but maybe at least the Technoise FM finds a way into someone's music heart. Music is very deeply connected to especially my boy Ryder but all of the boys as well (each their own style) and will show up even in the big story to support the written scenery/moments.

Speaking of the big story:

—

FANFICTION:

The story has a name now and will simply go by:

Cyberpunk 2078 – Pandemonium

I'm close to finish chapter 01: The Golden Demon of Kabuki of our (@nervouswizardcycle's and me) story. It needs a few vp pics to be redone and me to make a few adjustments and prepare the first post. Hopefully I get it done by the end of January.

QUESTION:

I don't know how many people might be interested in reading it but if you are, please leave me a comment in this post or send me a DM or contact me on Discord so I take note of it and will tag you once I start releasing chapters. It won't be weekly, neither monthly. I'm slow in writing and editing plus I do not do it alone as this story is still at first a role play between @nervouswizardcycle and me, I convert into better reading flow afterwards which takes a lot of time. So you won't receive notifications that often. But in this way you hopefully won't miss out on it when I post them.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?/WHERE CAN I READ IT?

I will not make a long text post here, neither put it on ao3 or any other fanfic site. Gonna make a picture post instead that adds maybe a little teaser text and then link it to an uploaded pdf that will be stored on my personal google drive. You can read it online or download and read whenever you like/find time! :3

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

For those who do not know: It is set after the events of Cyberpunk 2077 and starts in January 2078. Arki, the main character, recovered from the game events (so he's V). All that happened in 2077 only set the ball for his story rolling so he's on his way to find out about his missing past. My boys who work together as a merc team (Vijay, Ryder, Hizumi in the beginning; Jay and Thyjs join later), happen to help Arki on his journey, he becomes a part of the team as well and together they find out things they never could have imagined and everything is connected. It might have the one or other flashback with Johnny in it as well as Arki used to be deeply connected with him and my boys two might get some. None of my boys is a V - even though Vijay goes with the name 'V' – and none of them knows the official npcs Arki has met except for: Jackie, Misty and Vic. They've heard (and maybe seen) of some famous names tho (e.g. Rogue, Kerry). It can happen we integrate a few other ocs that belong to friends/mutuals of us – either by just mentioning them, or they even might get their own appearance if managable to integrate – this is stil a tbd, tho and I will reach out and ask first ofc! I can definitely say @gloryride's Vanessa and Enzo will be mentioned/appear. Vanessa is part of V's and Ry's friend circle and their local fixer. She's also Ryder's neighbor in the Glen. Enzo is Jay's bf, so their names will definitely fall for sure. But as said I'll reach out and ask first if allowed and nothing is set in stone yet either as we are still at the start but have rough ideas that could be integrated.

BUT I ALREADY KNOW CHAPTER ONE AND TWO?!

There might be a few of you who remember the first versions of them, as about 1 1/2 years or so ago I posted them here as simple text posts but it was way shorter, less detailed. We've gone over some parts and it's definitely worth a new read now!

—

FURTHER PLANS/IDEAS?

too many to count, my list is neverending. I have not forgotten of my vp ideas but they are put on hold for a bit bc the story needs to be rolled out first or it will never happen.

I definitely want to redo the past looks of Ryder and Vijay (they will stay like they are, just a few details changed on them and their outfits) and add the ones of Jay and Thyjs as well.

And I want to focus on Jay's tattoos as they will change into the Japanese themed one done by Kala but I need to edit them a bit (thankfully it is allowed) with Glory's help so it fits to Jay. And hopefully we can solve the layer problem so his glowing tattoo still glows bc it is essential for the story xD

Alright, I'm done :)

[arlechinav-blog]

Trancework Requires Monitors

(Just to confuse you, I have added a photo of a drummer--who is not a monitor, nor are they capable of doing these two jobs at once. Pretty pic though. lol)

If you have not yet read my post on roles in traditional group trancework, here is the link so you have a little background. This post is complicated because it involves amateur diagnostic work. In an ideal scenario, you would learn about these things in person from a qualified person who could show you the nuanced differences between spiritual needs and medical needs in a hands-on, experiential way. It is nearly impossible to truly get this information and understand it from reading about it alone.

However, I am very much aware that people do go out and perform trancework and attempt to reconstruct ancient ecstatic traditions on their own without any guidance apart from text, intuition, and conviction. And I have seen the injuries that result from this sink-or-swim style of trancework. If I can give you any kind of leg up, heads up, or framework to help you, I would like to do so. So, please accept this information in the spirit that it is being provided--which is good faith. Use your common sense. Defer to medical professionals when it comes to medical needs. And for those of you reading this who are medical professionals in some capacity, think of the entranced like sleep walkers and go from there. As always, talk to your doctor about these kinds of activities if you have a medical condition that may be impacted by changing elevation, altered states of consciousness, physical exertion, allergies, etc. And also be aware that every living trancework tradition has roles for different ages and abilities. This is not for the able bodied alone but thoughtful care does need to be put into how things get done. Also be aware that some traditions out there place an emphasis on the spiritual value of self-harm--a few Catholic practices come to my mind on that. So, not everything that is traditional is benevolent or even harmless. Be careful, be aware, and take care of each other. Do not ever feel pressured into doing something that you are not comfortable with. If any of the advice that you read here sounds weird, reach out to me and I can walk you through it or you can walk me through something I may not know myself. Oral traditions are far more interactive than books because you get to ask questions and get answers. We can mutually learn from each other. Utilize this opportunity. Now onto the info! Brace yourself for a particularly long post.

 A monitor is someone who takes care of the entranced, usually a dancer who has gone into a state of trance.

A monitor is kind of like a bodyguard or personal assistant for a trance dancer. They hang out in the background most of the time and don’t do much until they are needed. One monitor is better than none but I prefer to always have two on hand whenever possible. A monitor can be someone who just enjoys doing that job and it is all they ever do during trance ceremonies. They can also be a supportive friend or family member who knows the drill. Or they can even be dancers who have not tranced yet who want to help out before they get their turn. The most important thing is that a monitor should always secure consent to do the job before any part of the ritual begins. This is a bodycare role so talk about it and find out what the person you will be monitoring is comfortable with. Stick to it. Informed consent is key to this.

*Dancers who have already tranced during that session really should not serve as monitors because they will be trance drunk. Monitors need to be sober.

(Pictured: Just a night out with the squad. Don't worry about it.)

I have compiled some advice for those who are interested in doing trancework of any kind, especially ecstatic dance. There are some tools you will need to do the job. So, let's get that list out of the way.

A monitor’s toolkit includes:

-White flat sheets. These can be used to stretch between a dancer and an obstacle, used to cover a dancer when they are done trancing, and used to subdue a dancer who has become “full of spirit”--if they need it.  

-Scented water. Rose water or Orange blossom water are great. This is used to cool down the dancer’s forehead and limbs when they are done trancing. It helps them to come back/revive. 

-Wake-up oil. I use a blend of cedar, rosemary, cloves, and something strong like eucalyptus or cinnamon. The monitor covers their fingers with it and then wipes the nose of the entranced after they have been sheeted and sprinkled with scented water. Check in with the people you are monitoring to see if they have a preference and if they have allergies that should factor into what you use here.

-Food & Water. Eating and drinking happen away from the rug so once the dancer is awake enough to move, the monitor can offer food and water. Bread is good, chocolate is also good. I like to have a couple bites of roasted chicken or fancy cheese but everybody has their preference. 

-Medications. If the entranced person that you will be monitoring requires medications for conditions such as asthma or something, the monitor should have those things in pocket when they begin so they don’t have to go looking for them should their charge need them. 

Useful skills to hone!

The key trait of a good Monitor is empathy. To perform their jobs well, they have to be able to reach into the entranced’s body language to retrieve information about what is going on. The Monitor is up close to the entranced when needed, sometimes stepping onto the rug to help them. Understanding what the entranced feels & what they are going through, helps the Monitor to become better at their job.

A Monitor needs to be familiar with the behaviors of an entranced individual to be able to differentiate normal behavior from distressed behavior. The vast majority of the time, the job is easy and there isn’t much to it. Occasionally entranced dancers will do strange things but how do you know what is within the spectrum of normal and what is actual distressed behavior?

I made you this handy little guide so that you don't have to learn from the disaster that is trial-and-error. Hopefully.

The Normal Job

Keep outsiders from disturbing the entranced. Nobody should come up and touch your charge, or try to get their attention, or yell at them, or hand them things, or take things away from them, etc. Interrupting a person who is in a trance can make that person nauseous or sick. It is also physically and emotionally damaging. It fricken hurts! Don't let it happen.

Remove things that your trance dancer sheds without disturbing their movement. Usually this is jewelry, sometimes this is clothing that has come off, hair clips, that sort of thing. Just move it out of the way quickly and quietly, without disruption, and put it somewhere safe.

Keep the entranced from knocking into others who are entranced (if you are doing group work), obstacles, and other random hazards. This is more of an issue outdoors or in small spaces. You can do this by stretching out a flat sheet and holding it taught to separate the entranced from the obstacle. You will need 2 monitors to pull that off.

Once your dancer has PTFO’d: (PTFO = Passed the eff out.) Place the flat sheet over their body and apply light massaging pressure to their limbs, sprinkle their exposed skin (hands and forehead) with scented water, take your time, and follow up with the wake-up oil to the nose.

Help the entranced get up and get them to a safe place where they can be wide eyed for a while. After they wake from PTFO it takes a while for their senses to return so you may end up sitting with them for some time unless you are needed back on the rug. Make sure they are safe before you return to work.

(This is what PTFO care looks like. Be a gentle and supportive human. Trancework is labor.)

Reading Entranced Body Language

Understanding the hidden body language in the structure of trancework requires an experiential familiarity with it. Reading about it can help to prepare you for it but you have to see it and do it to really understand what is going on. Make peace now with the fact that trance is weird and wonderful in its own special way.

Normal Behavior. Acceptable behavior for a trance dancer consists of all kinds of strange things. It may look disturbing but if it isn’t harmful, just carry on as normal and everyone can muse over it later.

1. Bending back and forth rapidly. This might look painful, but it’s quite normal and a seasoned dancer probably won’t even experience muscle ache afterwards.

2. Screaming, yelling, or crying while clearly entranced. This one normally causes concern in inexperienced onlookers, but trancing can be a deeply emotional experience, or it may be that the dancer is simply releasing excess energy. Occasionally, a dancer may even make weird breathing or animal noises, it is all totally normal. If the person you are monitoring wakes up and starts doing these things, that is completely different and you can render care as normal. But as long as they are still in the magic floppy zone, this is just energy moving around.

3. Dropping to the ground suddenly. Know the difference between this and a fall. Dancers regularly throw themselves on the ground and dance on their knees or back, even dramatically collapsing at the conclusion of a ritual (PTFO). If a dancer doesn’t look troubled by it, then don’t worry about it. However, if the entranced trips and falls, the lead musician should just steady the music. They will come around if they need to.

4. Sitting around bobbing their head. If a dancer starts doing this after they have been in a trance for a while, it does not mean that they are fatigued. It normally indicates that they are in a fairly deep trance. The music will need to add some zing to get them going again so this is a lead musician fix. The lead musician should up the tempo or try a different rhythm. Monitors can't really do much about it.

5. Talking. If a dancer starts talking while entranced, only an actual official Guide should engage them in conversation. Never talk to the entranced, you will only encourage it. This is exclusively ecstatic territory. It is perfectly fine to let a dancer chatter as much as they want but only a Guide is qualified to carry on a dialog. If the entranced starts swearing or babbling in gibberish, definitely seek the aid of a Guide at the completion of the session. That whole thing requires a different kind of trance ritual and everyone involved will have to consent to performing it. No spontaneous ecstatic rituals without consent.

6. Speaking in tongues. This is a possible symptom of possession but it just as naturally occurs on its own. Just proceed as normal. Ignore. See above.

7. Shaking fiercely. Occasionally, the entranced will do what looks like a full body extended shiver. This is another way of melting off excess energy. It is actually supposed to be good luck if this occurs. This is very different from a seizure or a body tremor. Experience will help you learn the difference.

8. Bending backwards. Not all dancers are as flexible as gymnasts, so when they start moving in a way that they ordinarily can’t (such as bending backwards at the waist until their head touches the ground) most people familiar with that person tend to become concerned. During an altered state of consciousness the body is unimaginably loose, and it can go far beyond the limited movements of its conscious state. Even those with arthritis or fibromyalgia can achieve this kind of flexibility, they are just not fully awake to enjoy it. They may or may not feel it the next day. ***

Troubled Behavior. Some trance dancers are having trouble descending into a trance. Either they can’t relax or something isn’t clicking right. Occasionally you will meet someone who isn’t really even trying or is hamming it up for what they think is an audience. A good lead musician can spot the difference and they will handle it with music.

1. Stealing frequent glances at others. This can be fixed with a blindfold or they can leave the rug.

2. Attempts to communicate with others while on the rug. If they are awake enough to be communicating, not simply talking while entranced, then they are awake enough to leave the rug.

3. Overly showy dance moves that require great concentration. If they are awake enough to put on a show, they are awake enough to leave the rug.

4. Frequently changing outfits or rearranging themselves before their turn on the rug and during. If the dancer is on the rug while doing it, just let it go unless it becomes problematic. It can take some time for trance dancers to learn to let go of concern for how they look. Be encouraging during off-the-rug time. This issue is about trust and patience. 

5. Dramatic behavior or symptoms of possession. Trance dancers who have a spirit have a separate kind of ritual that they go through for a reason. Their trances tend to be more violent than a normal trance ritual can handle. If this is a thing for one particular dancer, they need to trance exclusively in spiritwork oriented rituals with a qualified group who understands their needs. Handle it as a monitor should in the moment and then talk about it openly as a group at a later time. There is no shame in it, we all need what we need. ***

Distressed Behavior. Distressed trance dancers are having trouble trancing for some reason, possibly due to improper music or the simple inability to reach beyond a certain point. When a dancer is distressed, the lead musician will handle it with music. Monitors should keep in mind that a distressed dancer on the rug may be sore the next day. 

1. A lack of energy. The dancer just doesn’t seem to be following the music. It may be the wrong rhythm or song for them.

2. Signs of deep concentration in the lines of the face, accompanied by tight body movements. This indicates that the dancer is trying too hard and is not relaxed enough to descend properly. Trust, relaxation, practice, stretching or massage before trance, or participating in a catalyst trance ceremony could all work but those are long term solutions to work on off-the-rug.

3. Returning to their basic stance and techniques repeatedly. This indicates an inability to remain in an altered state, most likely due to the current rhythm or some kind of distraction. Not much you can do aside from being encouraging and supportive off the rug.

4. Slowly shuffling with little or no body movement. This means that the dancer is plugged in deeply, but needs the tempo raised to become more animated. ***

Potentially Dangerous Behavior. Trance dancers who give off danger signs are likely in some kind of peril and need help. A monitor can step in at any time they feel that something dangerous is going on but it would be best to make eye contact with the lead musician so that they know. This allows everyone to work together to get the dancer through whatever they are going through safely. This almost never happens but you should be ready for it anyway.

1. Collapsing suddenly and becoming non-responsive. If the dancer suddenly goes limp in the middle of a trance ritual with no outward signs leading up to the collapse, there is a serious problem. The Monitor needs to get to them quickly and feel for vital signs while the lead musician slows the music down. Someone needs to be poised to get the dancer some real medical attention if the Monitor is not satisfied with the dancer’s condition. The Monitor should check for a pulse and breathing, and attempt to rouse the dancer. This needs to be done very quickly. If the dancer does not wake and say, “I’m fine,” the Monitor should take steps to get the dancer proper medical care from a professional. If the dancer has a known medical condition that this fits, initiate their personal medical plan (that was discussed before trancework ever began).

2. Going into a seizure. A seizure looks very different from a collapse or a full-body shiver. You can gain a working familiarity for the ways that different types of seiures present by watching videos on YouTube. There are multiple kinds and there are different strategies for them as well. Taking a first aid course would also be really helpful and practical. A good Monitor should have a first aid background for occasions such as this so that they know what steps to take. If the dancer has a known history of seizures, they should not be doing trancework like this. Hopefully someone present will have medication or a standard procedure to go by. If no known history exists, call for medical help and be advised by a professional on what to do next.

3. Serious Bleeding. If the dancer begins to bleed and it is more than a light scratch, the lead musician should slow the music down and the Monitor should attempt to rouse them as normal. Even if the dancer does not seem to be in any pain, they should probably still wake up for medical assessment. If a dancer seriously cuts themselves while trancing, the Monitor’s first concern is to stop the bleeding with pressure while the lead musician keeps the music slow and steady. If the bleeding cannot be stopped, they need to get to a place of more advanced medical care. Tiny scrapes are not much cause for concern, and they are not worth waking the dancer over. Just use good judgment.

4. Panicked, jerking movements. If the dancer starts to panic while entranced, they need soothing music or they may hyperventilate and faint. There are a number of things that could cause a fear reaction; identifying the cause comes secondary to finding the solution. The Monitor should move nearby, just in case the dancer passes out, so that someone can catch them before they fall and really hurt themselves. If the soothing music does not help and they start going wild, they will need to be wrapped up in a sheet like a baby and that could take 2-3 Monitors to pull off. Once they are awake, the Monitor should follow their empathy and PTFO formula to calm and soothe. This can also be an indication that they need a different kind of ritual at a later date.

5. Sudden change from a loose dance posture to alert and unfamiliar dance behaviors. If the dancer goes from a perfectly normal trance experience to something completely out of character for them, they have either gone in deep or they need a guide.  Watch them and look for other cues. If it is not immediately dangerous, let them continue. If they start going wild, they will need to be wrapped up in a sheet like a baby and that could take 2-3 Monitors to pull off. Once they are awake, the Monitor should follow their empathy and PTFO formula to calm and soothe. This can also be an indication that they need a different kind of ritual at a later date. 6. Displays signs of a known medical condition. I am asthmatic. If I am trancing and I start to have an asthma attack, I may not be in the right frame of mind to make responsible decisions about my health. If my Monitor notices it, I would want them to hold up my inhaler as a sign to those watching that I need my medication. The lead musician would then slow the music down, the Monitor would go through the PTFO response if I am dazed, and THEN, while on the rug, offer me my medication. Having a medical issue like that does not make trance impossible and an attack is not necessarily a dangerous situation unless it is left untreated. If you have a medical condition that could be a problem, then make a battle plan with your Monitor before trancing.

7. Hitting Their Head. Sometimes an entranced dancer will start engaging in a headbanging-like movement. This can really hurt the supportive muscles of the neck and they will probably be sore for a while afterward. There isn't much you can do about it in the moment but you can have a conversation before trancing starts to work out a game plan. Ask the dancer if they want you to stop them if they should do that. Otherwise, use your own judgment in situ. If the headbanging looks like it is going to turn into head bashing against the floor, you can slip a pillow under their head if it is on the gentle side. If it is clearly too aggressive, the music needs to be slowed down and the entranced needs to be gently roused. The long term fix for this is for the dancer to train to move in a different way while fully conscious and just building up some muscle memory with those alternative movements. This goes for any potentially harmful movement.

Fire in the Disco!

The vast majority of the time trancework is chill and pretty simple. I have done a lot of trancework in my life. At my peak I think I was trancing about 3-4 times per week. And in my 30+ years doing this, I have only had a dangerous situation pop up a handful of times. The most common injury being people who dance around a bonfire and inevitably fall into it. The only kind of trancework that can be "safely" (as safe as it can be) done around a bonfire would be a group circle/chain dance. Solo dancers orbiting flames do weird things and I have zero trust that they can keep themselves out of the fire 100% of the time. If there is fire present anywhere where trancework is taking place, you had better have burn care materials on hand and a protocol in place for handling burns. Be prepared.

Emphasis on Safety

If you do not actively work to create a safe environment for the entranced to do what they do, you will not have one. Aim for controlled chaos. Prioritize strong supports, open communication, and consent. Keep your trance space open and clear. Remove as many hazards as you possible can. Monitors should train and drill outside of trance rituals to coordinate their methods for handling the entranced. Practice using a sheet to block the entranced from smacking into objects and other people. Also practice wrapping someone up in a sheet. (And do not let it constrict the entranced.) Do it as many times as you need to until you have it down.

Aftercare

Part of the monitor's job is to provide aftercare for the entranced. Food and drink will help them come down. Simple conversation when they are ready is also helpful in getting the mind used to thinking and being present again. Physical touch also helps to return awareness to the body. Calmingly rubbing your charge's limbs and back (with consent) is an excellent way of doing this. Making sure the entranced gets home safely is also part of the job. A few check ins in the days after would be helpful as well. Just to make sure that there aren't any lingering injuries or issues. It is psychologically nourishing to care for others and to be cared for. This is a major part of how trancework heals and benefits us as people. If the entranced has muscle fatigue or mild soreness the next day, encourage them to hydrate, rest, and ice the spot if it is needed. A full day of rest after a major trance session is normal. (Do not book yourself for strenuous activities the next day.)

Not every traditional form of trance will emphasize aftercare. This is something that is more common in North African traditions. It is conspicuously absent in Catholic based trancework. Just something to be aware of.

Monitors Outside of Mediterranean Trancework

I have noticed that folks who do not have a connection to a living trancework tradition are less likely to be aware of the role monitor's play and of any kind of care or assistance for the entranced. So, not everybody uses monitors. Trancing, especially open trancing around bonfires, is very common at large polytheistic camping events. These are the places you are most likely to encounter a group trance effort out in the wild. I have never seen official monitors at these things. If you want one, you have to bring your own. To their credit, there is usually a first aid tent though. So, there's that.

The secular version would be at concerts where some kind of trance goes down--like moshing and headbanging. Those settings have their own rules. Call it pit etiquette but basically it just means protecting yourself and fellow entranced. Looking out for each other. If someone falls, pick them up. If someone is injured, stop and get them help.

Hope this helps to give you a good start. Good luck!

[heirloomeds]

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS OOC , THEN TAG OTHERS YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW BETTER.

tagged by: no one tagging: @bury-me-low, @gccdwitch, @ickybby, @eternclsunshine, @testdrves anyone else who wants to!

roleplayer name: shay! i actually started using the nickname because my high school boyfriend randomly called me that and i decided it was my online alias since them. and now in adulthood, the only people to call me by my govt name are my family members.. who i don't talk to anymore lol roleplayer pronouns: she / her preferred communication: probably through tags? tumblr im's are ass and i honestly forget to reply for so long and feel awkward responding to a conversation months later 😭 and i never used discord, because i felt like it was just an extension of tumblr im's so i deleted it lol. we all have our busy lives so talking in the tags of an rp is more than enough for me <3 experience: joined in 2011 during the harry potter cringe. accidentally got into a spat with a draco malfoy rp blog without realizing it was just roleplay lmao preferred roleplay type: para/novella! one-liners don't do anything for me. at the same time tho i take forever to respond w/longer threads because i wanna make sure my replies have substance and it's not just rambling filler for 8+ sentences. and then if i wait too long, the muse disappears and i feel bad 😭 i try to do medium length to be fair, but get carried away dsfsdf pet peeves & dealbreakers: ooo a lot lmao but #1 is not reading anything about my characters or their lore and then trying to engage with them anyway. i understand its a lot of information thats been YEARS in the making, which can be kind of intimidating i guess? but a complete lack of interest/effort is just disrespectful to me. if someone really isn't into character development & just wants something quick (which is fine!!), i'm just not the right blog for them

secondly, i also don't like when i'm expected to jump into a relationship thread when i don't really know the mun or their character idk, those things take time and i don't like being rushed into a dynamic that's still fresh with someone i don't really know. things are more fun when i took the time to know the mun. yk when there's mutual investment in our worldbuilding and we engage with each other's lore posts, ooc posts, follow each other on pinterest etc! the C in RPC stands for "community", and that's what makes this experience so much fun<3 plots or memes: memes can be fun, but i have more energy for them with a developed character relationship! i like a bit of light plotting. too much makes me feel creatively stiffled, like i have to follow a specific path and check in on every little detail. for me, i think it's best to have a general idea as to where we're going but let our creativity take the wheel. if a thread concept works, it works! but if after a couple replies we lose steam, we can just drop it and try something else, and there's no pressure to keep something going if the muse isn't there or drafts are overwhelming best time to write: tbh whenever my daughter is napping or asleep. i'm with her in the mornings and i work in afternoons, so i really have to squeeze it in whenever i have some quiet time. but usually, my replies come during her nap (around 1-3PM), or the evenings when i have more time to sit down and actually decompress are you like your muse?: like every mun, i think little bits and pieces of me are scattered around in every character. some more than others. but none of them are really "like" me because i don't use roleplay as an outlet for my emotional issues like i did when i was younger. but dakota's character was heavily inspired by my older brother, who i unfortunately don't speak to anymore. but the better parts of him live on forever in my most cherished character

[pochapal]

Zero offense meant but I feel like for the sake of the umineko liveblog's pacing, you'd be better off saving the analysis until after each individual Episode. Trying to figure it out mid-episode is kinda overkill.

no i get it! it's definitely something that i am conscious slows down the experience by a great deal and i can see how that wouldn't be for everyone. one thing to keep in mind is that initially the lengthy writeups/theoryposts were intended to happen only whenever i'd covered enough ground, but people then advised me to throw up thoughts as i went along, which eventually morphed into the liveread/theorypost structure of the liveblog since people wanted to see both my theories and reactions in equal measure lol. the only problem with this approach is that a) i am far too wordy for my own good and b) i am honor-bound to keep committing to the bit.

the lengthy writeup posts are simultaneously silly and serious because if i'm gonna be honest i could condense the half-dozen or so theories into a couple bulletpoints in shortform post straight after finishing the chapter, but at the same time i genuinely do have a lot to say about this story when i read it, and imo the sheer ridiculousness of throwing up dissertation-length discussion posts after every chapter is like 75% of the fun of this for me.

i also think it works to give both the liveblog and me as a liveblogger a distinct character, since bog standard off the cuff reaction is fun but i feel like there's only so many times someone will want to see a new umineko reader screaming at the same high stakes moment? idk i just like to put a more substantial part of myself into whatever i do and for me that reflects in a several thousand word sharing of my deductive process instead of just going "oh my god holy shit people are dying i'm shaking screaming throwing up", even though the latter is far quicker and easier content both in terms of production and consumption. i, however, am allergic to making Content on every level lol. plus i have a lot going on so taking my time to carefully ponder over what i've read and craft a writeup post lets me fit this liveblog around everything else i'm doing without feeling pressured to do weekly screenshot+react posting marathons and running the risk of burning myself out. i really am enjoying umineko, and reading it in the manner i am is the best way of ensuring it never starts feeling like a chore.

in any case i don't think i could ever hold off until the end of an episode before sharing my thoughts, because extensively thinking about the story as it's going on is the way i've always engaged with media. i'm always thinking and always developing theories and i am unfortunately one of those people who loves to figure things out as i go and this is something that will always be the case about me regardless of whether i am publicly sharing my thoughts or not. i really do understand that this style is not to everyone's tastes, and it's completely fair for you to make these points of criticism! this is just what works best for me personally as the person producing this liveblog.