#Multi-Sensory Learning

[thisisgraeme]

Quick Guide to Supporting Adult Learners with Dyslexia: Strategies, Resources, and Best Practices in Tertiary Education

Discover practical strategies for adult educators to effectively support learners with dyslexia. From multi-sensory approaches to assessment flexibility, this comprehensive guide offers actionable insights for inclusive tertiary education.

Supporting Adult Learners with Dyslexia: What is Dyslexia? Dyslexia is a neurological condition primarily affecting an individual’s ability to read, write, and in some cases, comprehend spoken language.  Importantly, it is not a measure of intelligence or potential. Dyslexia presents as a specific learning difficulty, making tasks like decoding written words, spelling accurately, and…

[mixedbag-o-beans]

studying for my neuropathology exam: disgusting, awful, positively wretched

creating a numerical based micro-reward system where i get a sip of a fun little drink for every 1 flash card and have a 1 minute dance party for every 5: amazing, whimsical, a wonderful little game

[themontessoriacademyofarlington]

Early Childhood - Language

The Sandpaper Letters allow a student to understand writing before they have the fine motor skills to write. The student uses three senses, tactile, auditory, and sight, to learn the sound and formation of each letter. This student is working on an extension of the Sandpaper Letters, learning to recognize the initial sounds of words and placing pictures below the letter with the corresponding initial sound. He is very focused!

[one-flower-one-sword]

"The images that Xie Lian was seeing in his left and right eyes were different, and it was incredibly uncomfortable. He blinked lightly, which made him discover that his right eye could still see the scene outside even while closed. So he kept his eyes shut."

TGCF Volume 5, page 253

So this is when Hua Cheng is sharing his butterfly vision with Xie Lian by touching foreheads with him. Which is a very cute hualian moment, but I actually wanna talk about something else - Xie Lian describes having those conflicting views in his left and right eye as really uncomfortable, and while of course Hua Cheng has had many years to get used to it, I think it's still a pretty good example at just how skilled he is at multi-tasking. Because he apparently does this - using butterfly vision and/or hearing to keep tabs on different locations/people - all the time. Meaning at any given moment he could be listening to several different conversations at once, plus "flipping through" different views in one half of his vision, while also paying attention to his current surroundings. And not just that, he has to sort through and evaluate all that input and information. Just thinking about all that gives me sensory overload.

Also, technically speaking, having only one eye means he should have no depth perception - in that eye, that is. His butterflies don't have that problem. Imagine constantly switching between vision with and without depth perception, that'd be so disorienting. But he's evidently trained himself to do all this to a point where he can just seamlessly switch back and forth or use both his normal vision and butterfly vision simultaneously.

In that sense, I also see the butterflies as a sort of disability aid. Because with his right eye missing, Hua Cheng has a huge blind spot on that side. And while yes, even as a child he used to constantly cover that eye, so he's had hundreds of years to learn how to compensate for this. But the butterflies allow him to navigate the world in a way that is significantly different to someone with full vision and also something he's honed into a unique skill - he's still blind on one side, but he's made it much harder for enemies to take advantage of that and actually learned to "see" in ways that they can't.

[emeraldspiral]

A venn diagram of the queer/neurodiverse content depicted in Invader Zim. I've already talked about the inherent queerness of Zim and mentioned a few times that there’s a big overlap with autism/neurodiversity but I thought this would make a handy reference. Note that “neurodiversity” isn’t just autism/ADD/ADHD but also includes mental illness, personality disorders, mood disorders, learning disabilities, and anything else that isn’t “neurotypical”.

On the queer side there is actual canon queer rep in the show and comics:

Irkens are canonically aroace and intersex.

Groyna from the comics was confirmed by Eric Trueheart to be a lesbian.

Commander Poki from the comics may be trans, as she has eyelashes normally only seen on female Irkens, but lacks the curled antenna every other female Irken is shown to possess.

Recap Kid's gender is deliberately ambiguous.

There are also many instances of queer-coding that can be seen throughout the show such as:

The homoerotic rivalry between Zim and Dib.

Red and Purple basically being Zim's two gay dads.

Zim and several other characters having campy and dramatic mannerisms.

Zim using Keef and Tak as beards.

Zim and GIR wearing make-up/cross-dressing and generally not concerning themselves with or even being aware of gender conformity.

That time Dib's personality was copied into the body of a female ship which became very distressed at being told it wasn't really a boy and changed its physical appearance to match its brain.

Other queer elements featured in the show include:

Female characters who aren't love interests/show no interest in romance.

Most characters showing a general lack of visible interest in the opposite sex or romance.

The Membranes being a non-traditional family (single dad with no mom, later acquiring two more dads in the form of Foodio and Clembrane). Irken society not being structured around family units at all.

Satirical depictions of nuclear family units (Zim’s roboparents).

Transhumanism.

Kink/Fetish content including tentacles, bondage, domination, tongues, sadism, mind-control, body morphing, gore, food/eating, bodily fluids/fluids in general, Giger-esque designs, etc…

On the Neurodiverse side we have:

Zim’s food sensitivity.

Zim’s germophobia.

Zim’s dislike of being touched or hugged.

Zim seeming to suffer from sensory issues in general.

Zim getting overstimulated on the bus in Walk of Doom.

Zim and Dib infodumping.

Zim’s idiosyncratic speech mannerisms.

Characters having high intellect paired with poor social skills/low emotional intelligence.

Hyperfixations and special interests.

Zim’s struggles with multi-tasking and keeping his priorities straight.

GIR being easily distracted and unable to focus on anything that doesn’t immediately interest him.

Characters having poor volume control.

Characters having mood swings or trouble regulating their emotions.

Zim’s issues with memory.

Dib hyperfocusing to the point of neglecting hygiene.

Zim’s “problem with listening”.

And in the middle where they overlap there’s:

Zim and Dib being outcasts, misunderstood by everyone around them, and only able to connect with other misfits like Gaz, GIR, Keef, each other, and random hobos.

Zim masking his otherness and putting on performative displays of “normalcy” and having a well-founded fear of the consequences of being discovered.

Dib being open about his otherness and looking for respect and acceptance in the face of overwhelming ridicule and contempt.

Dib being pressured by his father to conform in order to please him.

Dib finding that the social benefits of conformity aren’t enough to outweigh the pain of not being his authentic self in Mopiness of Doom.

Dib’s experiences and perspectives being trivialized, dismissed and medicalized as indicators of mental illness.

Dib actually being mentally ill, but only as a result of not being accepted or supported for being different.

The eugenicist dystopia of the Irken Empire, where Zim is labeled “defective” and sentenced to death rather than treated for the mental health issues caused by the society that created him.

Daddy issues/familial rejection/non-acceptance.

Zim and Dib’s struggles with depression.

Zim and Dib’s need to prove themselves to gain validation and acceptance.

Zim and Dib being victims of bullying and in turn bullying others to feel a sense of power.

Dib’s self-loathing.

Zim’s default state being paranoia and anxiety.

Zim and Dib’s self-image issues.

And of course the one thing that binds us all: alternative fashion.

[bessiejoan]

Astrology: Venus and pleasure

When we struggle with or disconnect from Venus, we are not able to enjoy and find pleasure. When Venus is operating in its integrity, this is some of what we experience:

Venus Aries/Mars - ability to enjoy hard, physical work or exercise. They enjoy independence and getting something done. They find excitement and challenges pleasurable.

Venus Taurus - the ability to derive and create pleasure through food, cooking, decor, and objects. Extra sensitive to textures. The ability to make the environment multi-sensory. Venus finds beauty in the act of creation.

Venus Gemini/Mercury - the ability to enjoy poetry, writing, art, and music. They find conversations pleasurable and can be fun for others to talk to.

Venus Caner/Moon - the ability to find enjoyment in their mum or motherhood. They feel the joy of being safe at home. They are extra sensitive to softness. At their best, they find listening to and following their intuition pleasurable.

Venus Leo/Sun - the ability to love the limelight and being the centre of attention. The way others love them can also bring them extra attention in public. They are proud of what they love.

Venus Virgo - they can find enjoyment in looking after themselves and others. They find pleasure is experiencing their health improve. They find pleasure in order and symmetry.

Venus Libra - the ability to find pleasure in shared experiences, in communicating with another, and in an exchange of love. They find joy in justice prevailing and equality. The ability to find beauty in others to equal degree in which they find it in themselves. Relationships are an art form that they continue to learn from.

Venus Scorpio/Pluto - ability to enjoy pain, control, money, hurt. Satisfaction from total dedication and loyalty. At their best, they can find pleasure in transformation and rawness.

Venus Sagittarius/Jupiter - ability to enjoy learning and teaching others. Venus well aspected and appropriately used is moral and honest. When venus operates truthfully here, it is humble because it loves its teachers. The ability to have fun at parties and events.

Venus in Capricorn/Saturn - the ability to find pleasure in hard work, control, and leadership positions. The ability to enjoy the slow process. At their best, being respected and respecting others is pleasure.

Venus in Aquarius/Uranus - the ability to enjoy destruction and change. They find beauty in rebels, punks, and outsiders. They find joy in breaking social norms and shocking conservatives.

Venus in Pisces/Neptune - the ability to find pleasure in drugs and alcohol. When Venus is well aspected here and operating well, it does not need to go to excess. Rather, it can experience intense pleasure through smaller amounts of drugs and alcohol. It is also the ability to find pleasure in spirituality. They find beauty in the mystic and magical. Venus finds limininal places pleasurable.

[coffeeghoulie]

Could we get something where Phantom/Aeon realizes for the first time he is truly safe and loved in the new pack

I sprinkled some of my Aeon headcanons/lore on this one, I hope you don't mind.

Aeon had a rough time in the Pit and is afraid the other ghouls will hurt him, he does have sensory issues and a meltdown, but all ends well.

Aeon is summoned, brought Topside, in a particularly chaotic time.

He's rushed through practices, learns to harness his magick and play guitar, and is thrown into a tour that lasts several months. Sure, he's in tight quarters with a bunch of strange ghouls, he gets to know them, grows to like them even, but he's constantly on his guard. He knows what other ghouls are like, especially to a runt of a quintessence ghoul like him, and has the scars and marks to prove it. He spends the entire tour doing his best to keep up, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Getting back to the Abbey after the tour ends is just as drastic a change. Aeon's a ghoul who thrives on routines. In the Pit, it was simple: Scavenge enough food and clean water to survive, avoid the roaming packs of ghouls looking for easy pickings, repeat. Tour is similar enough, try to get enough sleep, keep his energy up, perform his best every night, crash on the bus, repeat.

When the tour ends, Aeon is faced with a daunting amount of free time. Sure, he has chores and duties, but nothing as demanding as the touring he's grown accustomed to. He doesn't deal with change well, throws everything off rhythm and makes it so much easier to overload him. Aeon spends most of his free time holed up in his room, door locked to the rest of the ghouls.

It's a shitty morning to begin with. The neckline of his pajama shirt rests against his throat, nearly setting off his gag reflex as he wakes up. Aeon changes into somebody else's hoodie that made its way into his room. The smell isn't quite right, doesn't fit him the way he likes, but it's the only clean top he has, and Aeon can't bring himself to go do laundry. The lights are too bright, and Aeon hisses, pulling the hood over his shaggy hair to shield his eyes.

Aeon slinks out of his room, trying to avoid the others as he heads to the kitchen. He just wants to grab some food, some fruit or something, and dart back to the safety of his room.

Naturally, that isn't what happens.

Cirrus, Swiss, and Dew are all in the kitchen, talking loudly and laughing with each other as Cirrus slips out, steaming mugs in their hands. The fire and multi ghouls turn and swivel to face him as he enters. Aeon gulps, pinned in place by their gazes.

"Morning, sleepyhead. Nice hoodie," Swiss teases, tail swishing behind him lazily. He grins wide, and Aeon does his best to hide his flinch as Swiss bares his fangs.

"We haven't seen much of you lately," Dew observes, taking a long drink from his mug, locking eyes with Aeon as he drinks.

Aeon burrows further into the hoodie, claws worrying at hangnails as he tucks his hands in the front pocket. "Sorry," he whispers, tail flicking behind him. He shudders as the sensitive spade scrapes against the tile. Aeon shrinks back

"You're always hiding in your room," Dew says, brows furrowed slightly. "What, are you afraid of us?"

"We spent months in real tight quarters, buggy," Swiss says, reaching out and setting a hand on Aeon's shoulder. "I know you value your privacy, but you can't hide in there forever."

Aeon flinches, jerking his shoulder back from Swiss's hand. "I just want to get something to eat. Don't wanna get in anybody's hair."

"You're not," Swiss says, frowning slightly, and Lucifer, that stings. "We just wanna know why you don't want to spend time with us."

"Yeah, voidling, we were all buddy-buddy on tour," Dew adds on. "What happened? We didn't upset you, didn't we?" Dew reaches out, touches his chest, and Aeon feels himself pushed over the edge, past an overload and hurtling towards a meltdown.

"Why won't you all leave me the fuck alone?" Aeon snarls, eyes flashing white-hot silver. His ears pin flat to his head, his tail lashing behind him. He snaps his fangs at Dew's outstretched hand, quintessence crackling in purple bolts like static electricity along his skin, looking for all the world like a feral ghoul straight out of the deepest, darkest parts of the Pit.

Dew flinches back, eyes wide with an expression that Aeon wishes more than anything he could read. Swiss takes a step back, swallowing hard as he holds his hands up placatingly. Aeon feels his stomach flip, eyes blurring with tears.

He takes a shaking step back, away from the fire ghoul. He ignores the others calling his name. He can't tell if they're calling for him out of anger, itching to put him in his place for disturbing their tentative peace.

His brain tells him he's back in the Pit, alone and in danger, surrounded by bigger, stronger ghouls, and his body acts accordingly. His hands dig into his hair, covering his ringing ears, claws biting into his scalp. He shrinks away from them, squeezing his eyes shut as he backs himself into the corner, back sliding down the wall as he makes himself as small as he can.

Aeon opens his mouth to beg, to plead with them for forgiveness, but can't find his words, human language escaping him, stuck in his throat. He hears Cirrus step back into the room, butting past Dew and Swiss, and feels her presence as she crouches down near him.

"Darling," she whispers. "Sweetheart, can you tell me what's wrong? It's okay if you can't."

"Please don't hurt me," he chitters, the ghoulish easier on his tongue. "I'm sorry, please don't hurt me."

Cirrus straightens, turning back to the other ghouls as she shifts backwards, giving Aeon a little more space. "Boys, I need you to take three steps back."

Aeon can hear their footsteps, breathes a little easier. He keeps muttering in ghoulish, pleading her, waiting to feel her sharp claws make contact. Tears streak down his cheeks, and he can't control his sobs as he feels three pairs of eyes on him.

"We're not going to hurt you, Aeon," she says, voice soft like a breeze. "Why would we hurt you? Darling, you're pack."

That's enough to shock Aeon out of his tears, opening his eyes to meet hers. "I'm not anybody's pack," He says, voice shaking as Cirrus's face falls. "I've never been anybody's pack."

"You're our pack, Aeon," she breathes. "Darling, you are as much our pack as any of us here. I'm sorry we haven't been clear about it."

Dew nods, taking a hesitant step forward. "Voidling, we all love you. I swear to the Father Below, none of us will ever hurt you," he says, sinking to his knees by Cirrus's side, his hands palm up and open on his thighs. "I'm sorry we kept pushing you."

Aeon wipes his eyes with the oversized sleeves of his hoodies, sniffling as Swiss kneels at Cirrus's other side. There's enough distance between the three of them and him that he doesn't feel cornered, but something in him feels right having them close.

"What did you mean, buggy, that you've never been anybody's pack?" Swiss asks, gold eyes full of something Aeon realizes with a start is concern. "You don't have to tell us, we just want to understand."

Aeon makes eye contact with Swiss for the first time since he lashed out. "Nobody wants a quintessence runt," he whispers. "Been on my own for a long time."

"Aeon, voidling," Dew says. "You're not alone anymore. You don't have to be."

"Besides, we do want you, buggy," Swiss says. "We want you in our pack so much. We want to see you, more than just glances. We're not solitary creatures, you know."

Cirrus reaches out hesitantly, her hand open and non-threatening, claws glamoured away. "Can I touch you, darling boy?"

Aeon nods and launches himself into her arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck, breathing her honeysuckle-jasmine scent. "You promise you're not gonna hurt me?" he whispers.

"May I be banished to the Pits if I break that promise, darling," she whispers in his ear. She notices the chunk missing from the shell of his ear, holds him closer as she purrs soothingly. Swiss sets a gentle hand on the small of his back, and Dew runs glamoured fingers through his shaggy hair. "You'll never be hurt again."

They kneel there on the kitchen floor for a while, until Aeon shifts uncomfortably. Cirrus moves to let him go, and he clings harder, whimpering. "Please," he whispers. "Just, my knees hurt."

Cirrus chuckles, shifting herself. "Mine too. Are you alright if we go to the couches in the common room? Far more comfortable than the kitchen floor."

He tenses, but nods, hesitantly extricating himself from Cirrus's arms. Swiss helps him to his feet, leading the group to the oversized futon in the common room. Aeon and Swiss lay down, Aeon curled up to the multi-ghoul's warm chest, his arms wrapped tight around him. Cirrus sidles up against Aeon's back, rubbing soft patterns along his bicep over the hoodie. Dew lays horizontal to them, letting Aeon rest his head on the softness of his stomach, purring like a rusty motor.

One by one, the other ghouls join the cuddle pile, Aeon in the center, and he's never felt safer in his life. He chuffs, safe and content, drifting off to sleep, surrounded by the soft breathing of his pack.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi, can you write a paragraph describing rain? Can you also give tips on how to describe nature? Thank you.

Describing Rain and Nature

While I can't write the paragraph for you, I can provide you with some tips for describing both rain as well as some related words.

Anytime you want to describe something--especially something multi-dimensional like a rainy day or something in nature--you always want to think about sensory details. What can the character see? What can they hear? What can they smell? What can they feel? What can they taste?

When describing rain, you would probably start with whether the POV is inside or outside. Are they only hearing it on a rooftop or window? Or are they seeing it, too? Are they standing outside in it? What does the sky look like? What do the raindrops look like? Is the rain falling hard or soft? Fast or slow? Is it a drenching rain or a mist? Are the raindrops making a sound when they fall? What are they hitting and what does it sound like? Is the rain causing a particular scent? Are the raindrops cold or warm to the touch? Do the raindrops taste like anything?

You can do the same thing when describing anything in nature.

Rain Words:

Mist - extremely light rain Drizzle - light rain (also: mizzle, sprinkle) Spit/Spitting - intermittent, annoying rain Downpour - heavy rain Deluge - drenching rain Cloudburst - a sudden, copious rainfall Freezing Rain - falls as liquid but freezes at ground Sleet - rain that partly freezes as it falls Liquid Sunshine - rain falling in sunlight Thunderstorm - rain accompanied by thunder and lightning Monsoon - seasonal heavy rainfall Squall - heavy wind and rain Pelt/Pelting - being hit repeatedly with rain Batter/Battering - heavy rain hitting something hard Thrum - a monotonous hum, such as rainfall on a roof Pitter/Patter/Pattering - a rapid succession of sounds Drum/Drumming - heavy beat of rain on a surface You can use Google and the thesaurus to find more rain words, and nature words, too. Just remember to crosscheck any words you find with a dictionary to make sure you use them properly.

Happy writing!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[arcaneacolyte]

@batcadillac and I were talking about which Ghouls we think know how to drive a car/drive during a road trip and this is what we came up with lol

Swiss: Can drive. He's pretty chill and smooth driver, but he doesn't ever signal, and somehow never gets hit. Takes really convoluted back ways to get places because he claims that, 'I know a way that's faster'. It has yet to be determined whether or not these 'shortcuts' are actually faster. Picks obnoxious radio stations when it's his turn that makes everyone groan, but he puts it on full blast because he thinks it's funny.

Rain: Cannot drive. He vehemently denies that it's because he's a little bit of a klutz, it's more that there are plenty of others in the pack who can, and why should he have to learn if he doesn't want to? He is a passenger princess and will not help with navigation or anything. More than likely he is asleep with his own little travel neck pillow and sleep mask.

Dew: Does not drive. He gets road rage on the driver's behalf, so the idea of him actually driving is too scary of a thought for the others to comprehend. One time he threatened to disembowel another driver for cutting them off. Actually incredibly good at navigation though, so he's usually riding shotgun. The others aren't even sure he actually knows how to drive, and whether he does or not is a moot point, because even if he can't, he's going to pretend like he can. Cumulus: Can drive but doesn't. She gets too much anxiety over it and will 100% cry about it. She almost had a full breakdown trying to merge onto a highway once, so she doesn't have to drive ever. She's is perfectly content in singing along to the radio or playing car games and is really good at heightening the groups morale when it comes to long car rides. Cirrus: Cannot drive. She never really bothered to learn since like Rain, she noticed that there are at least several others in the pack who can and actually like to drive, so what's the point? Unlike Rain though, she's not a passenger princess. She's a master at organization and timing. There's never a missed bathroom break or forgotten item on her watch. Sunshine: Can drive, but she is the most terrifying behind the wheel. Just because she can, doesn't mean she should. She is a speed demon and wants to see how fast she can go. She weaves in and out of traffic because, 'it's fine, I'm not gonna hit anyone'. She has driven Copia exactly once because he almost had a heart attack. Mountain: Can drive. One of the only Ghouls who isn't Multi that can drive a car with ease. Due to his abilities on the drums, the multi-tasking of driving a car is fairly easy in comparison. He is the safest driver and drives calmly and obeys all of the traffic laws. The only unfortunate thing is that he can get physically uncomfortable pretty fast since it's difficult to find a car that fits his height well. Aether: Can drive, but he's not a huge fan. Being a Quintessence Ghoul, with a lot of cars on the road, it can be hard to block out the Quintessence energy coming off of everything, so he has to concentrate really hard to be able to drive as safely as he wants to. Still will drive in a pinch if someone is too tired, but he's really tense and it can lead him into getting a migraine if he does it for too long. Unfortunately there can't be any music or really any conversation over quiet talking, because he might actually implode from sensory overload. Aurora: Can drive. She may be tiny and have to pull the seat all the way forward, but she's one of the best drivers in the pack. Even with her small stature, she loves driving big cars when she gets the chance. She loves being able to see everything, and the actual feeling of driving is pleasant for her. More often than not, besides Mountain, she's the pick for first driver. She will drive until Cirrus tells her that she needs to take a break, but she usually will be the one to volunteer for a second driving shift. Phantom/Aeon: Can't drive. He's the youngest in the pack, so it really isn't expected of him? He also gets too excited about all of the things they pass by, so his distractibility isn't really wanted when it comes to driving. However, he is the keeper of the snacks and drinks and he loves that job. Rations everything out perfectly, and knows what snacks go best together. He is the best at any of the car games and loves to play them with Cumulus.

[tobiasdrake]

Do you ever think that certain techniques don’t get used to their full potential like the multi form technique?

There are some, yes.

Shishin no Ken/Multiform doesn't really have much potential. Its critical flaw is mathematic and seemingly irreconcilable.

On paper, the benefits of being four guys instead of one guy are pretty clear.

Moreover, the technique seems to allow the four Tens to share consciousness? The purpose of the technique is to allow Ten's enhanced perception to be even further enhanced, by letting him follow Goku's movements with twelve eyes instead of three.

Which only makes sense if the four Tens are sharing sensory input. Otherwise it's not twelve eyes; It's four independent sets of three. This strongly implies that the four selves created by Shishin no Ken are a hivemind.

As an aside, I love how all four Tens are shouting this. That must be so eerie to hear in stereo.

But experienced counter-fighter Goku picks the technique apart pretty quickly. A less-critical vulnerability is that the Taiyoken/Solar Flare exists so, y'know, have fun with those twelve eyes.

But the more pressing issue is what it does to the user's ki. This is an oft-overlooked limitation of the technique - especially because the anime loved this technique and just sort of swept its limitations under the rug.

But the issue with Shishin no Ken is that in order to divide into four bodies, you have to divide your ki in four to go with those bodies. You do not have a limitless well of free ki that you can put into as many clone selves as you want. When you split, your ki splits.

Because it's not "I'm four guys now!" It's "I'm four guys now who each, individually, would lose an arm-wrestling match to Chiaotzu."

If you can win a fight as four drastically-reduced quarters of yourself, you could probably have won that fight without doing this. Again, its purpose was just the utility of having twelve eyes - and attempting it was a mistake that ended in Ten's complete humiliation.

The narrative purpose of this technique was to contrast Goku's new senses against Tenshinhan's enhanced perception. To convey the extent Ten has to go in order to perceive Goku's movements and pit them against what Goku's learned from Popo.

It's done for the sake of comparison; Setting up Ten with a flawed method of enhancing his perception in order to contrast it against Goku's more effective training. This is the context that gets lost when the anime reduces the technique to just "Characters sometimes clone themselves because it's a really cool move."

In practice, the mathematics of "Four divided selves have 1/4 of my ki each" seems pretty irreconcilable as techniques go, which is likely why this never appeared in manga canon again.

...though I do have to wonder if the Twins' infinite energy generators would be able to compensate for the flaw. They do, in fact, have a limitless well of free energy. Hmm.

For me personally, and I'm far from the first person to make this observation but. Like. Krillin can do this.

And Krillin can also do this.

That is a combination of techniques that should, by all rights, make Krillin the deadliest motherfucker in the universe.

[starflungwaddledee]

Hello I wanted to ask if its ok for others to include your magical signature headcannon to their kirby aus,it’s so cool and I wanna use it but I wanna make sure your ok with it first

{the headcanons in question}

oh, yes!! of course, absolutely! i don't think it's all that original, and you're free to take elements and change it how you like, but i'm also happy to elaborate a little on how it works in our specific worldbuilding in case it helps anyone!

as with everything i'd of course love to know if folks use this headcanon in their works!! if you like the idea of using visuals for them how i do, i grab free-use photos from unsplash!

i consider this whole thing to be an alien sensory ability with some synesthetic connotations. for some it could be auditory, for others physical or visual; for others a combination. despite this there is usually agreement on what individual signatures "feel like", regardless of how they are felt

magical signatures are basically just like voices, or faces, or fingerprints. some might be more appealing to certain folks for certain reasons, some might be stronger or more quiet than others (usually a stronger signature denotes stronger magic) but none are inherently bad; not even scary or "evil" ones

these magic voices are all unique, but they can change with time or be a little different in different circumstances. a related family or species might have similar traits in their signatures. folks who share magic very often may pick up notes from each other. life experiences could drastically alter your voice one way or another. someone could- given time, skill, and perhaps malicious intent- override your magic with their own

a stronger proficiency for magic makes sensing these signatures easier. most often they are sensed through touch, and it is generally uncontrollable- like feeling the temperature of your skin. you could initiate a share with someone who was unconscious or unwilling and in most cases still sense their true signature

if you are "sharing" (healing via a mild psychic magic link; imagine a multi-way electric current) your magic will be sensed by the other parties. waddle dees, who are social healers with a social sharing gift, are especially sensitive to the touch-signature

hiding or concealing or changing your signature on purpose is unusual. there's an essence of undeniable truth to it, like soul-seeing. someone like meta knight could learn to purposefully withhold the full strength of their signature, to avoid overwhelming others as an act of kindness. someone like galacta knight could easily do the opposite

the reason starstruck dee's signature in particular is off-putting is not because of the notes of her signature, though it is corrupted: a little unsettling and a little overwhelming; like a very loud voice. the problem is that her signature does not match that of a waddle dee. it's like encountering a dog that quacks like a duck, or touching something that looks dry but is wet. if she were not a waddle dee, most would have taken her signature in stride as simply 'alien'

similarly her ability to 'lie' through her signature is steeply abnormal and meta knight is actively teaching her to hone this skill. in the hope that she'll unlock her 'real' signature by trying on others. in the hope that she'll have a better time socialising with others if she's not so uncanny.

at present she's able to copy other signatures, or combine several into one "new one", but hasn't found one that feels right despite meta knight's tutelage. he's not a fan of how easily she copied his

[birdofmay]

Hi! If you don’t mind me asking, what are some ways that we can help support higher level/support needs autistic in real life? Like not just online and stuff like real policies that we can change and everything out in the Real World

That highly varies from person to person because everyone is different with very individual ways of how the needs have to be met.

Obviously the first point would be "If they can tell you what they need themselves, listen to them first." Apart from that, here are some possible things that can apply to some, but not to everyone:

speak slower or don't give too much information at once, some of us need time to process everything (unless we tell you that we don't need you to do that. As I said, it varies)

repeat important words of what you just said. This, too, is for processing everything

it's possible that we misunderstand you completely without realising it. Regularly check if we got what you said right to avoid misunderstandings.

make us aware of changes in advance and give us enough transition time. For literally everything, even if it seems absolutely small and unimportant to you. Some of us need step by step instructions to manage transitions. Every transition has the potential to cause a meltdown or badly overstimulate us

keep in mind that many of us can't tell you what our sensory triggers are, or that we're not aware that we're overstimulated until it's too much and we suddenly apparently "overreact" out of the blue. Learn to recognise possible triggers and make sure that we don't encounter them

make sure that there are enough breaks after a situation that has the potential to overstimulate us. We may not feel the need for a break, but it really is important. Make sure that we actively do things to relax/calm down, just sitting in a quiet room isn't enough. What helps varies from person to person. Some prefer music, some rhythmic activities, some swinging, some pressure/weighted things, some a massage with a spiky ball

some of us don't know what to do or where to start when it comes to easy multi-step tasks. If we can't find something, for example, and you tell us "It must be here in this room. Just look for it." we will stand there confused without knowing what to do. Better: "Lift the blanket. Is it there? No. Ok, then open the wardrobe.", etc.

try to always assume the best and take things in good faith. Level 3 means struggling greatly to communicate and to understand what's being communicated by the other person. "Just tell me" doesn't work here, very often we're not even aware that we want something to change or that we have the ability to communicate.

my parents have "yes no" cards with them in case I don't respond when they ask me something. That's when I'm not aware that I have to respond, how to respond, or that they can't read my mind. It helps me to respond without having to think how I want to respond.

always check if we're comfortable with you helping us with something. If we can speak, ask us if we need your help (but stay there just in case if we tell you no), if we can't, observe if we seem stressed or otherwise uncomfortable or angry. It happens often that carers "help" us with BADLs at a time when we don't want to do them because, for example, it's off routine. Even if you've always done it that way with us and it always was ok, it's always possible that suddenly we don't consent for whatever reason. Your routine isn't our routine.

This is what I can think of so far.

[boccher]

‭

I know there's that whole thing about the "3 learning styles" (visual hearing and touch) being a myth, because most things are best taught through multi-sensory reinforcement, or something like that. But still, thinking back to school, I feel like visualisation is the only way I've ever learnt things. Like if I can't recreate it and simulate it in 2d space in my mind, then I can't get it at all.

And this was like the only factor differentiating whether I was good or bad at a school subject. Like, physical geography? Geometry? Graphical algebra ? Piss easy, trivial, they literally give me the visual to understand the problem, that's how I see it in my mind anyway. Literary analysis? Whaddahell. Chemistry? I don't know what a H2SO3 is.... these molecules and bonds and stuff are too small and vague to understand

But like the thing is, in the end, that was enough to carry me all the way through high school, so I never thought twice about it. But now in uni, every lecturer is like "you need to learn the theoretical basis before you can understand the practical applications" and the theory is just 4 weeks worth of totally foreign integration stuff. So now I'​m like, "I can't understand the theory without a complete encompassing visual understanding, but I can't understand the given visuals because I don't know the theory!" What do I even do?

I think this (alongside social anxiety) might be the crux of my inability to ask questions.... cuz I can't just ask someone "I don't understand, what does this concept look like in 2d space?" when it's like, the process of making a job application, or verbal instructions to do something... It's just like a nonsensical question

Unless they can give me like a literal map of where to go to do things. or even like a flowchart. that would be helpful actually

But like, I'​m still not unconvinced that this is just how learning things is supposed to work, and I'​m just doing it bad or something. If I didn't know aphantasia existed, I would've literally defined understanding as "being able to visualise and run through a process in complete detail in my head". there has to be some other way, or something I'm doing wrong, or else no one would be able to get through all this shit in uni. Is there another way...

[thylacines-toybox]

i love love love love the chimera character in your icon!! did you make them? if you did, do youve detail pics and/or wip pictures? i really want to make / modify a sensory plush for myself so i love the addition of things like the teether tail and would love to see all the little beastie's features and learn more about them if youre ok with sharing!! and in general, do you ever post WIPs or tips abt sewing?? thanks for your time and sharing your amazing work with us!

First off, yes I do have a few bits and pieces of sewing advice in my plushie advice tag! There could always be more, though…

I’m glad you enjoy my chimera, I love him too! He was such fun to make and come up with all the babyish details for, and I’m very proud of him.

I don’t really have wip pics of the chimera (since I was kind of in The Zone making him) but I can take you on a, uh, short tour of his features, that sounds fun!

The baby boy himself… lots of pictures and words under the cut!

Here are the first doodles of him as I came up with his design! I was trying to make a cute lion/lamb (the meanings of the two parts of my irl name!) which is basically a chimera already, and the combination of primary colours, rainbows, and a cloud-like wool mane made the weather theme just happen.

Obviously I just had to sew this! He already looked just like a colourful baby toy.

Here is his lovely little face. I took style inspiration from a lion toy I had already, and to keep him accurate to a baby-toy style, I used embroidery stitches to make his face rather than any “choking hazards” like plastic eyes. I’ve not really used embroidery before so it was pretty hard to do neatly!

He’s also got ribbon loops for whiskers (or are they sun rays?) and you can also see a bit of star-textured minky fabric on his face and ears. Fun textures are important!

His mane is made with a super soft and fluffy fur fabric. Maybe not strictly “baby safe” since it can slightly shed fibres, but it’s very nice, and I’m not exactly a real baby lol. His horns have a nice ridged texture, you’ll see what those were made from in a moment…

Oh, I also added a banana scent chip from Build-a-Bear into his little head, because I love that smell. He’s a multi-sensory plush alright.

His front paws have some noises in them! In the red one is a squeaker, and the blue one is a rattle. You can buy these especially for putting in toys, but the rattle I used in him was actually just a little plastic capsule with a few beads inside like pictured!

All four paws have a bumpy rubbery texture on them. Rather appropriately, they are made from actual baby socks! I found a multipack of different colours that matched my planned colours perfectly by sheer luck.

The ridged horn material came from the top of the red sock!

Here is the tummy, also made with a star textured fabric. It has a cylindrical chime inside which makes a lovely musical jingling sound when he’s tipped around.

While bean filling probably isn’t baby safe either, I did put a beanbag in his bottom because I like a bit of weight and it helps him sit nice.

The wings have matching dimple textured minky on one side and smooth minky on the other. I feel like dimple minky is a must if you want to make a babyish toy!

Inside the wings are some pieces of (clean) cereal packet to give them a light crinkle sound. You can buy crinkly material especially for this too, which can be a lot noisier! He’s actually very quiet as crinkly toys go, but I’m okay with this.

He’s got some little raindrop patches made from dotty cotton, with more embroidered edges which I recall having a lot of difficulty with… looks good though! As well as textures, you gotta include some fun visual patterns in a baby toy too.

And finally, the tail! A thick rainbow ribbon holding a cloud shaped teether - another lucky find in a baby shop! It came attached to a squeaky sun and crinkly rainbow, currently held by another toy.

Originally I’d simply stitched the end of the ribbon in place around the teether, but then I got some plastic snaps (for making bandanas with!) and found they gave it a much nicer finish.

And that’s about it! Hope you enjoyed getting to know the little chimera and his features!

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 17, 2024

Computational mechanisms underlying latent value updating of unchosen actions. Ben-Artzi, I., Kessler, Y., Nicenboim, B., & Shahar, N. (2023). Science Advances, 9(42).

Associative learning or Bayesian inference? Revisiting backwards blocking reasoning in adults. Benton, D. T., & Rakison, D. H. (2023). Cognition, 241, 105626.

The value of mere completion. Converse, B. A., Tsang, S., & Hennecke, M. (2023). Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(11), 3021–3036.

Stable sound decoding despite modulated sound representation in the auditory cortex. Funamizu, A., Marbach, F., & Zador, A. M. (2023). Current Biology, 33(20), 4470-4483.e7.

Differential attentional costs of encoding specific and gist episodic memory representations. Greene, N. R., & Naveh-Benjamin, M. (2023). Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(11), 3292–3299.

The scaling of mental computation in a sorting task. Haridi, S., Wu, C. M., Dasgupta, I., & Schulz, E. (2023). Cognition, 241, 105605.

Simulations predict differing phase responses to excitation vs. inhibition in theta-resonant pyramidal neurons. Kelley, C., Antic, S. D., Carnevale, N. T., Kubie, J. L., & Lytton, W. W. (2023). Journal of Neurophysiology, 130(4), 910–924.

Attention preserves the selectivity of feature-tuned normalization. Klímová, M., Bloem, I. M., & Ling, S. (2023). Journal of Neurophysiology, 130(4), 990–998.

An approximate representation of objects underlies physical reasoning. Li, Y., Wang, Y., Boger, T., Smith, K. A., Gershman, S. J., & Ullman, T. D. (2023). Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(11), 3074–3086.

Associative and predictive hippocampal codes support memory-guided behaviors. Liu, C., Todorova, R., Tang, W., Oliva, A., & Fernandez-Ruiz, A. (2023). Science, 382(6668).

Same but different: The latency of a shared expectation signal interacts with stimulus attributes. Lowe, B. G., Robinson, J. E., Yamamoto, N., Hogendoorn, H., & Johnston, P. (2023). Cortex, 168, 143–156.

Model-free decision making resists improved instructions and is enhanced by stimulus-response associations. Luna, R., Vadillo, M. A., & Luque, D. (2023). Cortex, 168, 102–113.

Infants’ sex affects neural responses to affective touch in early infancy. Mariani Wigley, I. L. C., Björnsdotter, M., Scheinin, N. M., Merisaari, H., Saunavaara, J., Parkkola, R., … Tuulari, J. J. (2023). Developmental Psychobiology, 65(7), e22419.

Action planning and execution cues influence economic partner choice. McEllin, L., Fiedler, S., & Sebanz, N. (2023). Cognition, 241, 105632.

Parallel processing of value-related information during multi-attribute decisions. Nakahashi, A., & Cisek, P. (2023). Journal of Neurophysiology, 130(4), 967–979.

Extended trajectory of spatial memory errors in typical and atypical development: The role of binding and precision. Peng, M., Lovos, A., Bottrill, K., Hughes, K., Sampsel, M., Lee, N. R., … Edgin, J. (2023). Hippocampus, 33(11), 1171–1188.

Mediodorsal thalamus-projecting anterior cingulate cortex neurons modulate helping behavior in mice. Song, D., Wang, C., Jin, Y., Deng, Y., Yan, Y., Wang, D., … Quan, Z. (2023). Current Biology, 33(20), 4330-4342.e5.

Metacognition and sense of agency. Wen, W., Charles, L., & Haggard, P. (2023). Cognition, 241, 105622.

Sensory deprivation arrests cellular and synaptic development of the night-vision circuitry in the retina. Wisner, S. R., Saha, A., Grimes, W. N., Mizerska, K., Kolarik, H. J., Wallin, J., … Hoon, M. (2023). Current Biology, 33(20), 4415-4429.e3.

The timing of confidence computations in human prefrontal cortex. Xue, K., Zheng, Y., Rafiei, F., & Rahnev, D. (2023). Cortex, 168, 167–175.

[befuddled-calico-whump]

Total $hit$how: Shifting Colors

in which Hunter realizes he might be worth something

cw: adult language, referenced alcohol/drug use, referenced violence

previous ///// masterlist ///// next

×~×~×

The bruises on his throat were the color of an oil slick.

Hunter found them kinda funny, looking in the mirror. The muddied yellows and purples were the same colors that had danced around him when Sahota started applying pressure, when the lack of air started to get to him. Courtesy of the tech shit in his head.

Were the colors the implant’s way of telling the future, or was pressure on a throat just that shade? It had been a while since the last time he was choked out, at least a few years, way before he'd signed up for the experiment, so he didn't know.

He'd been punched more recently, of course. Punches were usually bright, something warm and sharp and almost painful to look at if they were gonna be aimed at his head. Once he'd figured that out, learned which colors would start to bloom before an oncoming hurt, he'd gotten way better at dodging.

Colors and shapes and smells that didn't seem to belong were all warnings, telling him how the world was about to be. It had been years since he'd started seeing them, and Hunter still hadn't figured them all out, but when he trusted his gut to the meaning, it usually saved him a lot of pain.

Sometimes it even led him where he needed to go.

He'd taken to wandering whenever he wasn't ordered to the training room; following patterns, trying to get used to the sensory effects brought on by the biotech’s response to the new environment. Wandering was better than sticking around with the rest of the dumbfucks. Everyone's colors were unique, different shades for different feelings, but the way his new team's hues would dull or flare in irritation whenever he spoke---whenever he even showed his face---told him all he needed to know.

Better to leave on his own than be kicked out.

Today he was following some multi-sided shape that had started speckling his vision, floating down the hallways like sharp-edged bubbles. He couldn't remember the name of the shape itself. The stop sign one. Eight sides, but each line curved to make the points sharper. If they were real, if he could grab one, he could probably use it as a weapon.

The shapes led Hunter to a closed door, and his hand went to the knob before his head could think about it. He pushed it open—he was a little surprised it wasn't one of the locked ones—and found whatshisname on the other side, sitting at a desk, looking at papers. Vic. That was his name, Vic.

Vic was mostly green. He'd been green at the meeting, so Hunter assumed that was just his neutral color. It flashed brighter for an instant—in what was probably surprise—as he looked up.

“Mr. Harbor,” he greeted.

“Boss,” Hunter greeted back. A little shimmer of blue went through Vic that might've been amusement. Or annoyance.

“You know, I was just about to go and find you,” Vic said, tapping a stack of papers on the desk to even out the edges.

“Yeah, that's probably why I'm here,” Hunter said. Vic raised an eyebrow, which usually meant someone wanted an explanation.

“The biotech takes me places,” he explained, the corner of his mouth tipping up in a grin. “Shows me where I should go and shit.”

Another shimmer through Vic. “Fancy that. I was actually planning on discussing it with you.”

Hunter scowled. “What, the tech? I don't know how it works. S’not worth a discussion.”

Vic folded his hands. His color was still a neutral green, no dulling disappointment or flashing anger. “Well, I figured maybe we could learn how it works.”

A smell like a swimming pool entered the room, and Hunter couldn't tell if it was a warning or an invitation. He took a half step back, just in case.

“You aren't gonna like… cut me open and shit, are you?”

Vic laughed, and the chlorine smell got stronger. “No, nothing like that. I'd rather you describe what it's like. Tell me what you see, what you hear, how you use it. It'll help me figure out the best way to train you.”

“What for? I can already use it in a fight.” That was usually what he was used for. An extra pair of fists, an extra hand on a gun. The implant had only made him faster. Harder hitting, harder to hit.

“What about other things? Finding hidden things, cracking codes, locating items. Have you ever tried that?”

Not really. He fell into what needed to be found more often than not, no intention behind it. Usually, he just liked to look at everything. Colors dancing around arguing friends, the taste of a storm while the sky was still blue and clear, patterns like road signs he couldn't read. He'd done acid before—once or twice, when there was an overstock and nobody cared if he took it—but this was better, and this never stopped.

He shook his head at Vic.

“Then let's figure out how. Together.”

Together. Huh. That was new. Usually it was 'we'll take the east side. Harbor, go watch the door.'

'Harbor, you go in first.'

'Harbor, stay here.'

Like a dog no one really wanted but no one knew how to get rid of. Even when he'd found Jelly and the guys again after getting the implant, even when they sometimes looked at him with a color he could recognize as admiration or awe, none of them really wanted to stick around when whatever job they were running ended.

Would it be different with Vic? Maybe. This was the first time Hunter had been sought out, chosen. Or maybe that was wishful thinking. Maybe it was only a matter of time before Vic learned what everyone else had already figured out. That there was a wrongness in him, an invisible thing that people just seemed to sense.

He hoped not. He hoped this time could be different.

“Okay,” he said. “What do you want?”

“C’mere, have a seat.”

Hunter shuffled over, slouching into the chair across from Vic, picking at his nails while he waited for the man to speak. Little pink flowers bloomed from his fingers whenever he applied too much pressure, digging under the nail bed. They were fine as sand, too small to be a nuisance. 

“What do you see right now?”

“Daisies,” Hunter muttered, rubbing his index finger.

“Do you always see daisies?”

He shook his head. Flowers came with pain in his hands. Thorny roses when he busted his knuckles open, dandelions for cracked bone. 

“What do you usually see?”

Hunter explained the colors, the patterns, the shifts and shapes. How they moved, how they meant things. He explained that Vic was green right now, and Sahota was gray, and that everyone had a color and sometimes it brightened or darkened or dulled. Sometimes it shifted to another color completely.

Vic himself had a subtle blue washing through him as he listened, and maybe it was curiosity, but it could also be irritation. Hunter had been talking nonstop for several minutes now, and people didn't usually like that.

But Vic hadn't told him to shut up once. Maybe he actually wanted to hear it.

“Does it ever hurt?” Vic asked.

“No,” Hunter said. He'd taken to bouncing his leg, sneaking glances around the room to see if any new patterns popped up. “I mean sometimes I get headaches, but it never hurts like real pain.” 

If anything, it made pain less. Well not less, but it created distractions that mattered more than the pain and took his focus off of it. He'd only felt something similar once, after Dez and Ricky kicked him out and he took the ecstasy caps that were still in his pocket, leftovers from the last party. One at a time. For a few days, everything was happy and good and fine. But then the comedown nearly killed him and he'd never thought it was worth it to try again.

The implant wasn't like that. There was never anything to come down from. Sometimes shapes followed him into dreams, too sharp for his tired head, but he'd found booze could smooth their edges whenever it got to that point.

“I think the patterns would be the best place to start,” Vic said, leaning forward in his chair. “Especially for your upcoming mission. If you can learn how to control them, you may be able to find weak points in the security systems.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” Hunter said, his fingers twitching against each other again. He glanced down at his hands. No flowers, no pain, just little tendrils of restless vines. “I can't control them. Never done it before.”

The older man smiled. “I'll help you. I'm sure we can find a way if we work together.”

There it was again. Together. Hunter liked the idea of together, of being a part of something, of actually being wanted on the team. Not that he needed a team, it was just… the feeling of being needed himself. That he was worth a damn to someone.

“What do you say?” Vic said. “Same time tomorrow?”

Hunter pushed the chair back, getting to his feet. “You sure? You think I… I can actually do this? Might be a shit idea."

“I don't think it is," Vic said. "I think you're something special, Hunter.” His eyebrow quirked up. “Can I call you Hunter?”

“Yeah.” His expression felt relaxed, which was weird, because it never relaxed. Usually his face was scrunched up in some way or another.

“Wonderful. Now, I want you to take some time to try and focus on the patterns tonight. See if you can use them to track down small items, like a pencil or a spoon.” He cracked a smile, and Hunter found himself mirroring it, in a crooked, cautious way.

“If you can manage it, I'll be quite impressed. Not that I wasn't already impressed with your abilities, of course, but you strike me as a quick learner. I hope you can prove me right.”

He wanted to, he really did. He'd never had a job on this level before, and he'd never had a boss who talked to him the way Vic did. With something that was almost like respect. Like he had high expectations and was sure Hunter could meet them.

He couldn't let him down. Just this once, he couldn't let himself fuck it all up.

Outside the door came muffled footsteps, a slight shift in color that turned the entryway gray.

Slate gray. Sahota.

Sahota's neutral color hadn't shifted once during the sparring session, but as he pushed the door open a shadow seemed to fall, darkening his face as he looked from Hunter to Vic. Black lines began to spiderweb through him, like cracks in a sidewalk.

“What are you doing in here, Harbor?”

Hunter jutted his chin out, eyes tracing the cracks. “Vic asked for me.”

On the other side of the desk, Vic chuckled. “We're going over skill application. Wait for me in the hall, we're almost done.” The little blue ripple returned to Vic as Sahota stiffly turned around, shutting the door with more force than necessary. The fuck was his deal? Probably no different than anyone else's. He probably thought Hunter was a weak point. A ruin for the rest of the team.

Whatever. He'd kick his ass next time they fought and prove him wrong. Maybe he wasn't good for much, but he could take punches and throw back worse and that was useful.

And Vic… Vic seemed to think he was good for more than just that.

He looked back to the older man, who still wore an easy smile.

“I'll be seeing you later then, Hunter. I'm glad you're on my team.”

“Sure, boss— Vic— sir?”

The shimmer went through him again, and Hunter realized all of a sudden that it meant Vic was pleased. This whole time, he'd just been… glad that he was around.

That was new.

He nodded again, one hand fumbling behind him for the door knob as he half-backed into the hallway. The gray crept into his vision a second before Sahota did, and when he shot a glance at his trainer, he saw the black cracks were spreading again, starting at his throat and trickling down his chest.

Maybe the guy hated him, but this shit hadn't shown up before. What was it?

“Got a problem?” he said, squaring his shoulders as he spun to face Sahota.

“Next time bring your training concerns to me. Vic doesn't want to be bothered.”

“Fuck off, he wanted me there,” Hunter replied, satisfaction prickling at the back of his neck as the cracks in Sahota's throat darkened. A toothy grin crawled across his face.

“What's wrong? You jealous?” He'd heard some of the team whispering about that, about these two. Goth guy and muscle girl, mostly. He didn't give a shit either way, but maybe they were right.

“You're out of line, Harbor.” Sahota stepped past him and into the office, leaving behind traces of crackling gray. If it was hatred or jealousy or just frustration, Hunter didn't know. Or care.

He didn't have to listen to Sahota. Vic was the one who was really in charge, and if he wanted him around, Hunter wasn't gonna stay away just ‘cause his underling bared his teeth.

He stuffed a hand into his pocket, fingers curling against fraying canvas as he moved back the way he came.

There was no more pattern to chase, just the slight smoky haze of the facility. Later tonight he'd try and create his own pattern, something to follow, like Vic had suggested.

But right now, the hall was empty. Too empty. Hunter pressed his thumb into the bruises on his throat, and watched the muddied colors start to dance.

He couldn't let himself get bored or stupid or weak and fall off the rails again.

This time, he had to make it work.

This time, someone actually seemed to care if he could.

× × ×

tag list:

@theonewithallthefixations