#a lot of the common like. Effects of POTS

[faineant-girl]

not wanting to seem like a hypochondriac health anxiety freak but dude. those POTS symptoms look familiar..........

[windvexer]

Ritual Gestation and Birth: A relatively low-spoons method (at least I think so) of creating powerful* servitors, enchantments, etc

*Powerful as compared to other techniques that work worse.

A common spellcasting method is to immediately deploy the spell once the casting is complete. In fact, deployment is often a part of the casting ritual in and of itself.

A different option is to keep the spell vessel in a state of magical gestation over a period of days or weeks, so that it slowly matures, gains strength, and solidifies, until it's born into this world, ushered by your hands.

This method is opposed to one where huge amounts of energy need to be raised at once. It's not a technique I'm able to manage in a sustainable way, and I find the results to be a little too... jittery.

If you are a witch who must not, or may not, raise lots of energy at once, this technique may be more manageable. It involves supervising a pot of spell, a bit like a simmering pot of stew, but overall I find it to be less of a draining process. Perhaps other people will find the same.

I believe that creating a magical seed (or embryo, if you like), and tying it to a physical object - such as a candle, crystal, piece of jewelry, charm bag, poppet, and so on - is in and of itself a powerful act of magic. This is why a candle can be enchanted, immediately burned, and still result in miraculous effects.

However, I also believe that giving the seed time to magically gestate can produce deeply powerful, effective, and long-lasting (or perhaps better to say, permanent) results. This isn't the same as completing a casting and letting the enchantment sit until you're ready to use it - it's an active process of nurturing.

Instead of immediately sending a spell to go out and work, sending it to a gestation phase is an easy change. If our spellcasting methodologies are anything alike, all you've got to do (in crude terms) is to swap out your targeting/release portion of the spell with an introduction to the magical womb, or egg, or embryonic sack, (&etc), within which the spell will grow and gain strength.

Examples:

If you direct energy as you raise it, instead of chanting, focusing, writing, or affirming that the spell goes to the target as you raise the energy, instead C/F/W/A that the spell goes into the gestational vessel.

If you gather energy and imprint/program it before you deploy it, send it to the gestational vessel instead of the target.

If you fully enchant a spell vessel (such as enchanting a candle, or creating a poppet), after the spellcasting is complete, instruct the new spell to rest and grow strong within the gestational vessel, until it's time to be fully born.

After the spell is cast, and you have magically moved the spell into its gestation phase, the spell components should be placed securely within the gestational vessel and tended to until they're ready to be born.

The "gestational vessel" is a physical object - in Traditional Witchcraft, this is most suitably the cauldron. But the gestational vessel only needs to meet a few qualifications, regardless of its ability to make campfire stews:

The gestational vessel must have a secure lid, even a makeshift lid, which blocks out the light.

It must be large enough to completely hold the physical components of the spell which it gestates.

It must be able to be stored without disruption, where no unqualified persons may accidentally remove the lid or disturb it.

Additionally:

Moving the vessel doesn't seem to typically disrupt what's growing inside. It can be taken down from a shelf, etc.; as long as the lid isn't opened without due cause.

I do not personally consecrate gestational vessels to that special purpose. I tend to use multi-use vessel which I'll use for other things later.

When the spell is inside of the magical egg (tired of saying gestation), it becomes your job to tend to it by providing energy. This can take many forms, and is an intuitive process.

Feeding the spell can be done in any manner which you usually recharge objects, or provide offerings to spirits. The line is blurred here, I think.

Feed the spell more of what you fed it in order to create it; that is, more of the same energy you raised, more of the same emotion you spent, and so on.

If preferred, feed the spell food, candle, and incense offerings. A general offering of "white light," or another creative energy, also does well here.

Intuition may advise that different foods are wanted by the spell at different times. Do with that as you please.

Those able to "tune in" to the energies of their spells and environment may find it to be very easy to keep track of the embryonic spell's hunger. Otherwise, follow a simple schedule.

I usually do not find that spells need to be fed every day, and when they require feeding, I do not find that they respond to huge amounts of energy or offerings.

Feeding about every three days is a safer bet for me.

I notice that an excess of provided energy just seems to pool up and go to waste.

A feeding may be as simple as placing a bit of your dinner next to the gestation vessel along with an offering charm, or if you're able to, lighting a single tea light.

Persons interested in psychism may have an excellent time noting the energetic change in the spell as the gestation develops.

The lid may be carefully opened to peek inside, especially if normally helpful intuition fails without peeking in; but treat the vessel gently, as if a tiny embryonic baby chicken is inside. Be quiet and gentle, and avoid disrupting the lid unless you really need to.

Ahead of time, before you even cast the spell, you should have decided how long you're going to gestate it for. Three days, or a full moon cycle, or dark to full moon, are a good bet; so is one week if you're doing a planetary thing. I find that even a shorter gestation period provides delightful results compared to doing none at all.

Intuition may advise that the spell is ready to be born early, or would like to stay a little longer.

If intuition is not your ally in these matters, follow the schedule you've set. All will be well.

The appointed time has arrived - the spell is to be born! (Celestial enthusiasts may be wise the the idea of birthing their spell at a special hour, day, or election).

Frankly, popping off the vessel lid, saying, "your time of rest is done, you are now at full power, go now and begin your duties" will perfectly suffice.

But better can be achieved.

If possible, consider employing a birthing ritual. Here are ideas, in no particular order:

Symbols of a gateway or passageway are very good, even something as simple as two stones or two candles to mark a 'gate'.

Using an actual doorway, especially moving from indoors to outdoors (or vice-versa, depending on the nature of your spell).

Using a hag stone to represent pulling the spell from the faerie world into our physical one; the reverse process of how such a stone is often employed.

Using a family tradition, or religious or cultural tradition, to celebrate the birth of a new baby; even if this tradition is only symbolically simulated through key points ("I am the grandpa of this family, and as the grandpa, I announce the new baby's name!")

Doing something celebratory and evocative, like that Lion King scene where Rafiki holds up baby Simba, etc.

In general, the spell should be removed from the gestation pot in a ritualistic way, glistening with the gravity of ushering new life into this world.

The spell may be carefully taken from the vessel and passed through a doorway or liminal space; symbolically drawn through a hag stone or other physically impassable space; held up to greet the first light of the day, or the light of a certain moon phase; be passed over a fire; or any number of ritualistic acts to denote movement into a new phase of life.

At this time, you should magically assert that the spell is born, and ready to do its task.

Of course, you do more. And in these matters, I find that more is better.

A christening ceremony, or a baptism, is most excellently employed to further empower this new life to be a living being in our world, capable of great influence and change - as we all imagine our children will be.

A bit of anointing oil, a touch of holy water, a formal naming ceremony ("I name you, My Paycheck is Cleared. Your name is My Paycheck is Cleared."), whatever you like - especially include a small gift to the spell (perhaps a few coins to set it on the right path in life), or - I suppose this post has gotten long enough. You can perhaps imagine what more could be done.

When all is said and done, employ the spell; light it if it's a candle, whisper things to it if it's a poppet, hang it up if it's supposed to be hung up, and so on.

Do mind that such things, having being born into this world and given real life, do not tend to quit it so quickly as only bornless energies that are diffused just as they were raised; like waves, forming and dissipating.

Things with birthdays and names and birthday presents and baptisms and godparents tend to feel as if this world is theirs, too.

I am generally not very much of a "be careful" sort of poster, but for this sort of technique, I'd recommend being careful. It really does work fantastically, and that's the problem.

Feed the spell with your blood at the moment of conception, and at the moment of birth, for something extra delightful.

[thebibliosphere]

hey, noticed you talk about having POTS, hope this is okay to ask -

I'm looking into a diagnosis myself, so

1: what made you first consider POTS as a possibility for you, and

2: what advice might you have for anyone new to managing their POTS? all the health website article suggestions seem pretty weak

thanks for taking the time to read this!

I've technically got two types of dysautonomia, one of which is "presumed to be POTS" and the other which is listed as "non-specified" because I've got MCAS and that can trigger all kinds of 'fun' autonomic dysregulation.

I was diagnosed after several years of suffering from vertigo, rapid heart beat, problems with blood pressure regulation and severe headaches.

I did a tilt table test which was juuuust under the threshold for diagnosis (a shift of more than 30bpm is considered worthy of investigation. Mines was 29bpm), but give the rest of my symptoms, the doctors had the sense to go "yeah, that's dysautonomia" and started me on treatment.

When you say the suggestions seem weak, what does that mean?

A lot of POTS/dysautonomia management starts with very basic things, like adequate hydration with electrolytes and boosting salt intake to increase blood volume.

Other common advice is to wear compression garments to keep blood flow from pooling in our outer extremities. On bad days, I wear the medical equivalent of Spanx to keep my blood flow in my core; otherwise, it pools in my legs, and I faint.

Sounds silly, but it's the nature of the disorder.

Eating smaller, more frequent meals, which is frequently recommended, can also sound like hokum, but it can help because it puts less strain on the nervous system. If you're eating heavy meals 3x a day, that pulls blood flow to your digestion, and that can make POTS symptoms worse, which is why you'll sometimes get advice to graze throughout the day instead.

There are medications you can take, such as beta-blockers, if you need them, but before that happens, a knowledgeable dysautonomia doctor will absolutely put you on the "drink more water and eat salty snacks" method of management to see if it helps.

It's basically one of the "the body has forgotten how to body" disorders, and treatment can range from extremely basic but effective to complicated and (hopefully) effective. It really depends on how severe the individual is.

[cannabiscomrade]

It's Gastroparesis Awareness Month

Hi! I have gastroparesis and I'm an insufferable know-it-all so let's talk about it!

Gastroparesis, or a paralyzed stomach, is a condition that causes delayed gastric emptying.

This can cause a range of symptoms and complications:

nausea

vomiting

early satiety/fullness

upper gastric pain

heartburn

malabsorption

dehydration

malnutrition

Gastroparesis can be treated by a gastroenterologist, but often needs to be managed by a motility specialist due to a lot of misconceptions about the condition. Providers, especially in the emergency department, will commonly misdiagnose gastroparesis as cannabis-hyperemesis syndome, cyclic vomiting syndrome, gastritis, food poisoning, etc.

There are several commonly known causes of gastroparesis like vagus nerve damage from diabetes, injury to the stomach, and stomach surgery like hernia repair or bariatric surgery. There are also idiopathic cases with no known cause. Other causes of gastroparesis are:

Connective tissue disorders like HSD and EDS (commonly hEDS and cEDS)

Post-viral (like COVID, viral gastritis, mononucleosis/Epstein-Barr)

Restrictive eating disorders

Autoimmune diseases like Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), Lupus, Hashimoto's

Central nervous system disorders

Gastroparesis also has common comorbidities with conditions like:

POTS and other forms of dysautonomia (POTS, EDS, and gastroparesis are a common triad of diagnoses)

MCAS

SMAS (which can also present with similar symptoms to GP)

Intestinal dysmotility and esophageal dysmotility disorders (known as global dysmotility)

PCOS with insulin resistance

Endometriosis

SIBO/SIFO

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction

Migraines

Certain medications like Ozempic and other drugs in that class act on the digestive system to delay gastric emptying, which has caused people to be diagnosed with gastroparesis. Some people report that their cases have not gone away since stopping the medication, others report feeling better after stopping. Other drugs like opiates and narcotics can cause delayed gastric and intestinal motility as well, but these are commonly known side effects of those painkiller classes.

Gastroparesis is classed based on severity and graded based on how you respond to treatment.

Severity of delay ranges from mild to very severe, and this is based on your actual stomach retention calculated at 4 hours into a gastric emptying study.

The grading scale ranges from one to three, one being mild and three being gastric failure.

There is no consistent single treatment that is proven to work for gastroparesis, and there is no cure. Treatments can consist of:

Diet changes (3 Step Gastroparesis Diet, liquid diet, oral sole source nutrition)

Prokinetic (motility stimulating) drugs

Anti-nausea medications

Proton-pump inhibitors

Gastric stimulator/gastric pacemaker

Pyloric botox and dilation

G-POEM/pyloroplasty

Post-pyloric tube feeding

Gastric venting/draining

Parenteral nutrition

IV fluids

Other surgical interventions like gastrectomy or rarely, transplant

Gastroparesis is a terrible disease and I hope that if any of these symptoms resonate with you that you can get checked out. I was misdiagnosed for a long time before getting a proper gastroparesis diagnosis, and all it took was a gastric emptying study. This is ESPECIALLY true if you're having post-COVID gastrointestinal problems that are not improving. I almost died from starvation ketoacidosis because of how serious my GP got in a short period of time post-COVID (I had GP before COVID), and now I'm tube reliant for all my nutrition and hydration.

Stay safe friends!

[cripplecharacters]

Hello! I hope you having a good day, I just had a question that I hope is ok.

Is there any condition that would make it difficult to walk long distances (sometimes using a wheel chair, sometimes crutches) but doesn't affect the hands/arms at all? I'm working on a concept for a character and was wondering about making him an ambulatory wheelchair user since it's not something I see often in stories, but he's also a musician mainly playing stringed instruments and I don't want that to become painful for him.

But I wasn't sure if that was something that could exist and I wouldn't want to write it that way if it's not

Hello lovely asker!

So here is a list of conditions that don't (or sometimes don't) affect the upper body and can be ambulatory conditions.

Conditions that physically effect the lower back/legs:

Lower extremity amputation

Congenital lower body differences - Foot, ankle, knee etc. (Club Foot, Miserable malalignment syndrome etc.)

Sacral Agenesis

Monoplegia

Leg injuries

Cartilage Damage/Injuries

Spina Bifida

Arthritis

Incomplete Paraplegia

Leg length difference

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Multiple Sclerosis

Hypermobility

Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction

Complex regional pain syndrome

Conversion disorder

Brain Based Disorders:

Epilepsy (drop epilepsy, myoclonic epilepsy etc)

Diplegic Cerebral Palsy

Narcolepsy (often with cataplexy)

Chiari malformation

FND

PANDAS

Tourettes/tic disorders

Autoimmune Encephalitis

Heart/Respiratory/other etc.:

Vertigo/POTS/other conditions that cause syncope/dizziness

Respiratory Conditions (COPD, etc)

Heart Conditions

Conditions that affect balance/increase fall risk

Post polio (and other diseases)

Psychosomatic Paralysis/Pain/other ailments

This is just a rough list of what we could all come up with, there are many others that have gone forgotten, but that's for you the writer to do more research on too. One thing is a few of these conditions can affect the hands or eventually progress to effecting the hands, arms, and/or even the upper or lower back.

Depending on what type of instrument they play will also factor in. Playing posture is different with every instrument, as well as the weight. And some instruments like the Viola Da gamba does require leg strength. If the character is classically trained also, it makes a difference in etiquette. I am (was technically) classically trained and if you have pain of any kind you're told it doesn't matter, you're told to play through the pain and keep going. To suffer for your art is still the prevalence in the classical world. Excruciating pain? Keep going. Cut open your finger on something? Keep going. It's not good, but it is the reality of it, unfortunately.

Also I will mention that don't be afraid to choose another condition that does affect the character's upper body. A lot of disabled musicians have a variety of conditions and simply exist and play music. But also even though the character might have a condition that mainly affects the legs, if pain is common with the condition you choose, this still will affect the character playing. Being in pain even if it's not in your arms or back can be very distracting and will throw you off.

And one last thing! Please don't write this character "Overcoming" their disability to play music. I would research disabled musicians (Itzhak Perlman is the first one that comes to mind for me) and even—if called for—adaptive technology for instruments or how people have adapted their instruments/music to them for more accessibility.

Alrighty! Happy writing! I hope this helps some!

~ Mod Virus 🌸 (and a very thank you to Mods Sasza, Rot, Bert, & Patch for helping me with the research on this)

[blue--ingenue]

soft!sebastian headcannons - part 3

Author's Note: as promised, soft!seb headcannons. i'm honestly having a great time writing these, so i'll keep em coming as long as people are interested in reading them :) might make the Christmas hc into a mini-fic at some point, we'll see hehehe

you’ve both agreed not to speak to each other after a fight until you’ve both calmed down. if he can’t talk to you he’ll huff and perform little acts of service. he notices you’re running out of ink, and the next day at your first class you sit at your usual seat to find a fresh pot of jet-black ink

will whine if he thinks you’re not giving him enough attention (usually while studying). acts like a cat (slowly nudging your textbook closer to the edge of the table until you’re forced to snatch it from him, comes up behind you and resting his chin on your head while you’re reading)

HEAVY sleeper. between his packed class schedule and quidditch practice, boy is exhausted. someone could cast confringo next to his pillow and the most he’d do is roll to the other side of the bed. Ominis once levitated an entire stack of books and dropped them on the floor next to his nightstand to test this. he didn’t even stir

if you share a bed he 100% tries to pull you back in every time you try to get up. will roll on top of you and refuse to move. he’s also not above feigning sleep if it means you’re more likely to stay in bed with him

fidgets a lot. twirls his wand during lectures, definitely plays with your hair if you’re sitting next to him. either paces while reading or switches spots every few minutes. every time you enter the common room he’s curled up on a different couch or settee

his socks are always mismatched. he reasons that nobody will notice so he doesn’t see the point in properly pairing them. the only time you’ve seen him in matching socks was on your first date. he nicked a pair from Ominis’ drawer but of course his friend noticed. the Gaunt boy hid a non-venomous snake in his sock drawer and used parseltongue to command it to scare the daylights out of Sebastian. he still refuses to pair his socks, but has vowed to steer clear of Ominis’ dresser

used to dread Christmas because it hurts to remember the happiest times before the death of his parents. you, Ominis, and Anne decide to help him make new holiday memories to cherish. you all decide to stay at the castle for the holidays. you spend most of the day outside, playing in the snow. to your surprise, Ominis is the one to throw the first snowball. after it hits Sebastian square in the back of the head feigns innocence and blames Anne. Anne levitates a pile of snow to fall directly on top of him in retaliation and so commences a vicious snowball fight

at one point he intercepts a snowball that was meant for you. he pretends like he’s been mortally wounded, falling to the ground for dramatic effect

(boy is shameless and will do anything to have you fuss over him)

says he has a surprise for you and leads you to a pile of pumpkin-sized snowballs. he flicks his wand in their direction and they animate themselves into puffskeins, jumping around you and puffing out into clouds of snow as soon as they make contact with you

(it took him a week to learn the spell, but it’s worth it to hear you giggle under a mountain of snow-puffskeins)

on Christmas eve he holds you in his arms as you fall asleep in front of the crackling common room fireplace. doesn’t want to disturb your sleep, so he levitates a blanket over the both of you and tucks in for the night

[aggywytchking]

Coffee theory, Lie theory, Body-swap theory, Az has trauma theory—-

I propose my good people: ALL OF THEM

S2 Good Omens Spoilers ahead as well as s3 predictions

Let’s start with the first and most common: the coffee theory.

Coffee theory is simply that Metatron did something to Az’s coffee to make him agree to leave Crowley and go up to heaven.

Now there is no denying that coffee has played a suspiciously conspicuous role throughout this season. From the coffee shop (oh we will come back to the coffee shop at the end my friends, don’t you worry), to Crowley’s espresso order, to Metatron’s suspicious offering, and the coffee cup making an appearance in the opening sequence.

I am never one to cast aside what writers are so obviously trying to shove in an audience’s face.

Do I think that Metatron drugged Az’s coffee in some way? Not really no- I believe coffee might be a symbol for sun here, almost Az’s own Apple as it were.

Throughout the show we have never seen Az drink coffee, only Crowley and humans, both of who are capable of sin. (Also Crowley chugging down 6 shots?). Az drinks tea (unspecified) and offers hot chocolate, but never coffee.

Coffee has no biblical ties- BUT in LSD/Mormonism has a rule against it.

This stance dates back to 1833, when Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Church, received what he called “a revelation from God” that said: “hot drinks are not for the body or belly.” -source

Shortly after this “rule” it was updated to allow herbal teas, and in modern times hot chocolate.

Now why would a Mormon rule apply here possibly? Because I believe it may apply to s3. The initial planned sequel to the book has been said to pertain to the second coming of Jesus in America.

After Jesus' resurrection, according to the Book of Mormon, he visited America. In fact, America plays a special role in Mormonism. Mormons believe that when Jesus returns to Earth, he will first go to Jerusalem and then to Missouri. -source

The Book of Mormon references Jesus visiting America- and I don’t think the writers would make one silly tie in and just leave it at that. If we’re saying they’re right on one prophecy, why not add this to it?

I find it silly and impossible to believe that our little human food lover has had it all but was unfamiliar with how espresso would effect him. I also find it highly suspicious how much of the marketing revolves around the beverages our characters drink.

I do believe there is also stock in the almond syrup as everyone else has pointed out.

In context, God had just given Israel a warning. “I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:9-10) Then after Jeremiah sees the almond tree, God shows him a boiling pot over Jerusalem which portends “calamity”. (Jeremiah 1:13-14) While the almond is a sign of hope that God will eventually fulfill His wonderful promises to Israel (or to us), the context is more ominous. Later, God repeated the warning through Jeremiah: “Behold, I will watch (shaked) over them for evil, and not for good…” (Jeremiah 44:27). God’s message to Israel was that sin has consequences and there will come a time of reckoning – namely the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of Israel. Years later, Daniel would pray: “Therefore has the Lord watched (shaked) upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all His works which He does: for we obeyed not His voice.” (Daniel 9:14) -source

That last bit really gets me because Metatron is the voice of god as we know. So the coffee is a combo threat as well as a type of temptation, like the apple. (“Are you going to take it?”) We know that in the s2 opening we see Adam’s (of the garden variety) grave and we are supposed to learn about his death in s3. I think Az falling to temptation will tie into all that.

Back to the moment in question- a lot of people pointed out a miracle sound occurring faintly when the Metatron handed over the coffee. It’s been floating around that this was him doing something to the coffee .

I disagree- I think that was Crowley protecting Az. We don’t see him immediately in that shot- and him being on the other side of the room would be why it was so faint. Metatron’s glare wasn’t one of pure dislike- he sensed something then and was suspicious.

Crowley is overprotective on a good day- but he knows Metatron and does not appear to hold and fondness to him. I think he knew no good was to come from the conversation and wanted to protect Az of anything that could occur. So the coffee didn’t actually end up effecting him at all.

All that summed up to say: coffee theory doesn’t tell us why Az does what he does- but it does tell us why Metatron thinks everything is working out in his favor.

Next up! Az is just traumatized theory

It has been pointed out that Az’s decision in this moment is actually pretty on brand for all that he’s been through. And I would agree!

Of course he wants to be in heaven’s good graces, of course he wants to fix the world-save the humans- overhaul the system, of course he is still seeking validation.

That’s why when offered the position he jumps at it! No mind inducing coffee needed like the Metatron had thought. It’s just that what Metatron doesn’t know is that Az is agreeing with his own motives in mind. He wants to make a world safe for humans, he wants to make a reality safe for him and Crowley, and he wants to come back to his bookshop at the end of it all.

All that summed up to say: Az trauma theory tells us why he decided to take this path- but doesn’t explain the offer itself (coffee theory did that), or why he presents it the way he does

Next: The Lie Theory

This theory comes based around the idea that Az is lying to both Metatron and Crowley.

This season taught us something very crucial about angels in general and our favorite, Az. It showed us that angels are not supposed to be able to lie- and that Az willingly does on multiple occasions.

Lying is definitely a big deal in the Bible. It is one of the Ten Commandments in fact.

One of the Ten Commandments is "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour"; for this reason, lying is generally considered a sin in Christianity. -source

It is no small thing that Az commits this sin- although I’m sure he puts himself through all sorts of mental gymnastics to do so. From what we can tell, he only does so to protect. In this case, we can assume he is trying to protect Crowley.

The lie in theory is that during the secret conversation with Metatron, some sort of threat against Crowley may have been made or that Az simply needed to figure out a way to drive Crowley away from him (or possibly goad him).

So when Az is telling Crow that he can be an angel again, this is a lie knowing that he would never go for it. Then when he reports back to Metatron he lies (by omission) what he actually relayed over to Crowley.

Why such a harsh lie though? Why hurt Crowley so deeply- surely there are other ways to push him away from danger.

Because he was trying to goad him- he was trying to rile him up.

So to summarize: The Lie theory tells us why Az delivers his news how he does- but not to what end

Now: The Bodyswap Theory

Bodyswap theory is essentially that Az and Crow switched bodies again during the kiss to go about and solve the issues at hand.

Now we know from s1 this is possible- but I don’t exactly think that’s what happened. We learned this season that angels also appear to have the ability to store memories or consciousness ~elsewhere~ and that both of these seem to require physical contact to occur.

What I believe happened here was that Az transferred some sort of information to Crow (a memory- what happened in the conversation-etc). That’s why kiss was, uh, not quite so quick and chaste and why Az was goading Crow in the first place. Also possible Crow transferred some knowledge (or abilities) back.

We have seen that Crowley is actually rather easy to rule up- and that Az has succeeded in doing so multiple times.

I don’t think Az was expecting a kiss (poor soul)- but he was expecting to be grabbed or something.

To summarize: Bodyswap theory explains why Crowley didn’t immediately burn the world to the ground

Now looking ahead to s3 and my own silly theories off of all of this. Aka: gentleman start your engines theory

This theory will hopefully explain those last few painful moments.

“I forgive you”

“Don’t bother”

For what? The kiss? The not going to heaven? All of it?

No- for what Crowley is about to do. Aka raise hell on heaven.

Whatever information Az passed along- Crow’s response was some sort of inkling of a plan towards destroying heaven and the system as we know it. A revolution of sorts.

The revolution has been hinted at since the end of s1- ever since our precious coffee shop sprang into existence (told you I’d get back to it).

The quote that the title of the shop is referring to is “Give me liberty or give me death,” from founding father Patrick Henry’s famous speech credited with swinging public favor to join the American revolution (America, the convenient location of our second coming) during the First Virginia Convention at St. John’s Church.

I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to comfort themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves, are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrance’s have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation? There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. The war is actually begun! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! -source

Another fun historical fact- this church also helped pave the way for religious freedom in America. (But also had a very messy history).

It is notable that the Second Virginia Convention authorized Baptist chaplains to minister to soldiers, an important early step toward freedom of religion in what became the Commonwealth of Virginia. Baptists and Methodists had been influential in Virginia during and following the Great Awakening, and many of the common people had already become affiliated with Baptist and Methodist congregations. -source

We also what seems to be a militia of sorts marching to heaven in the s2 opener with all sorts of walks of life. This isn’t going to be the heaven vs hell war- it’s going to be a revolution.

We see repeatedly when Az forgives Crow it’s almost reactionary. He wants Crow to know he doesn’t condemn his actions (and therefore also agrees with them to some extent).

Crow says “don’t bother” not because he’s dismissing Az, but because the very system that the forgiveness is based on he seeks to overturn.

This planned revolution is also why we get the “no nightingales” line.

Now the: No Nightingales Theory

Now, we are meant to think it’s just a heartbreaking reference to the song “a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square” but it’s so much more.

Nightingales are mentioned one time in the Bible- well the Old Testament has them at least, in the Song of Songs.

"Behold the autumn has passed, the rain has gone, blossoms are seen in the Land, the time of the nightingale has come, the voice of the turtledove is heard; the fig has formed its first fruit; the vines in blossom give forth fragrance", Song of Songs 2:11-13. These verses describe springtime in the Land of Israel. The rains have ended, the trees are in blossom and the nightingale has come. Israel is located on the migratory route between Europe and Africa, of so many birds, including the nightingale and the sweet sound of the birds can be heard from within the shrubbery. -source

The Song of Songs is described as, “a literary, poetic exploration of human love that strongly affirms loyalty, beauty, and sexuality. Yet in God's story, these things are not ends in themselves.”- Tom Gledhill.

Both this and the song “a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square” reference a nightingale symbolizing the coming of spring after winter.

Nightingales have a long history in British literature having a general theme of representing nature's purity, and, in Western spiritual tradition, virtue and goodness.

In Romeo and Juliet, they help represent the opposing sides of light and dark in love

In the same way that light and dark are mutually exclusive, Romeo and Juliet are like nightingales and larks, never able to be together. The lark, a bird of the morning (light), represents harsh reality, while the nightingale represents the safety of night (darkness). -source

In John Keats “Ode to a Nightingale” he references the battle between logic and passion- “The nightingale described experiences a type of death but does not actually die. Instead, the songbird is capable of living through its song, which is a fate that humans cannot expect. The poem ends with an acceptance that pleasure cannot last and that death is an inevitable part of life.” -source.

We also have this lovely tidbit from Izaak Walton’s (famous British author) essay.

But the nightingale, another of my airy creatures, breathes such sweet loud music out of her little instrumental throat, that it might make mankind to think miracles are not ceased. He that at midnight, when the very labourer sleeps securely, should hear, as I have very often, the clear airs, the sweet descants, the natural rising and falling, the doubling and redoubling of her voice, might well be lifted above earth, and say, “Lord, what music hast Thou provided for the saints in heaven, when Thou affordest bad men such music on earth?”-source

This references the shortcoming of heaven and the beauty of what sinners may find on earth again via the nightingale.

All this to say- Crowley’s “no nightingales” may be a way of saying “spring is not here, we are still in the trenches, I love you-but cannot protect you where you are going now.”

Still sad! But like- less break up sad, more the reality of the situation they’re entering sad.

Also- back to Walton’s piece- the questioning of god again—

Speaking of god… where is she

And finally: God is Dead- a not fully formed theory

Did anyone else notice god did not narrate this season? Not to go all “his dark materials” on y’all, but did someone kill god?

Odd artistic choice to just remove her so suddenly.

I just keep circling back to Metatron’s question in the coffee shop, “does anyone ask for death?”

At first I thought he was referring to Job- who’s story we got to tackle this season, as in the Bible he actually mentions asking for death several times.

But then it got me wondering- did god ask for death? If so was it because the ineffable plan failed?

Also the inclusion of Iain Banks, ‘The Crow Road’ that Metatron gives Muriel can’t be for nothing. (Spoiler of for book-but it’s loosely a murder mystery with a solid grappling with faith).

Part of me also wonders if Crow is suspicious of all this- just based off the faces he was making around Metatron. Also because of Gabriel just throwing everything away suddenly- and him referencing the second coming.

I don’t have a fully formed analysis of this theory- it’s just growing in my head.

ANYWAYS- in summary: Metatron tried to trick Az with the coffee, but crow protected him, and it wasn’t necessary anyways because Az has trauma, but still wants to protect Crow so he lied and riled him up to transfer knowledge, and Crow has decided to raid a revolution but is being a romantic drama queen about it, and god might be dead. :)

[dazzlinglybitter]

It's Disability Pride Month!! Let's talk about POTS!

Hello beautiful people. Since it's Disability Pride Month, I wanted to talk about my disability. I have a condition called POTS. It stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Sydrome, which is a very long name, and you can see why we just say POTS. Essentially, it means that when I change position or stand up, my heart rate gets too high. It is normal for your heart rate to go up when you change positions. But what makes POTS different is it changes too suddenly and much higher than average. The National Institutes of Health defines that a person with POTS has "an increase in heart rate of 30 beats/min or more when moving from a recumbent to a standing position that lasts more than 30 seconds". Which on its own doesn't sound all that bad. I would be a much happier human if that's all it was. However, POTS comes with its own host of symptoms. That swing in heart rate can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, and sometimes fainting. Other symptoms of POTS include:

Exercise intolerance

Headaches

Nausea

Fatigue

Anxiety

Dry mouth

Excess thirst

Leg pain

Blood pooling

Brain Fog

Swollen Extremities

Sleeping problems

Bladder problems

Digestion issues

Tremors

Shortness of breath or chest tightening

Memory issues

Poor temperature regulation

Chronic dehydration

Neuropathic pains

Increased sweating to the extremities

Loss of appetite

Light sensitivity

Dry eyes

Heart palpitations

Chest pain

Cold extremities due to poor blood flow

Heat intolerance

Hypovolemia (low blood volume)

And probably more that I've missed! Doesn't sound all that fun, and trust me, it isn't! POTS is a condition under the larger umbrella of Dysautonomia. There are several different types of dysautonomic conditions, POTS is only one of them. Here are some fun facts about POTS:

POTS effects around 0.2% of the world's population

It is most common in females, 75 to 80% of all patients are female

Though it can be diagnosed at any age, it is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 25 (I was 19 when I got diagnosed!)

There is no cure for POTS and it's a chronic illness

Some teenagers will outgrow the condition in their 20s

The average time to diagnosis is 5 years and 11 months (took me almost a year, luckily)

According to Dysautonomia International, 25% of POTS patients are so disabled they cannot work or attend school

There is no singular cause for POTS, and many patients will likely not know what caused their condition

Research on POTS is incredibly sparse, making advocacy, treatment, and diagnosis even harder

The usual recommended treatment is increased fluid intake, increasing salt intake, wearing compression stockings, raising the head of the bed to conserve blood volume, reclined exercises like rowing, recumbent bicycle, or swimming, and a healthy diet

While there is no FDA approved medication for POTS, some medications such as beta blockers can be used to aid the condition

Though the heart is directly involved, POTS is not technically a heart condition. It is technically a nervous system disorder stemming from the autonomic nervous system

There's lots to be said about POTS! I don't think I could fit it all in one post if I tried. But if you made it this far into the post, thank you for taking the time to learn about it! Awareness is key, and the more people that know about the condition, the better we are. Happy Disability Pride Month!!

[southwest-pottery-bracket]

Preliminaries: War of the Utility Wares!

Most pottery you find in archaeological sites isn't painted. Most pottery is unslipped, undecorated utility ware - with the assumption that "utility" typically here means "cooking over a fire." Sometimes grain storage. Usually cooking, though.

It doesn't mean they can't be beautiful in their own right. And one of my friends is working on a dissertation which among other things argues that "surface treatments" like incising and corrugation should be considered "decoration" too, when usually in archaeology "decorated" means "painted." There were lots and lots and lots of types of utility wares. Some were plain. Some were gorgeous.

So this is a Preliminary Round - four different styles traditionally called utility ware will go up against each other... only two will move on to represent utility wares in the final bracket.

Vote for your favorite: More information about each is under the cut:

Corrugated

Mesa Verde Corrugated jars. Southern Colorado, AD 1100-1300.

There are SO many different types of corrugated pottery; if I listed them all we'd be here all day. However, they all have commonalities: They were primarily (though not exclusively) made in the Mogollon cultural region, primarily (though not exclusively) plain and unpainted, and primarily (though not exclusively) used for cooking.

In this region, potters don't use pottery wheels. Pots are hand-built, typically from coil-building: using many thin coils to build up the shape of the pot. For most pots, those coils are scraped smooth as they're still wet. But for corrugated pots, those coils are only scraped smooth on the inside. The outside coils are instead pressed using a tool or the potter's thumb to make a patterned, scaled, or woven texture. Corrugation, due to its association with cooking pots, is not typically considered "decoration" by archaeologists, but it creates beautiful and captivating patterns.

Micaceous

Micaceous Bowl with Etched Flowers. Made by Virginia Romero (Taos Pueblo, 1896-1998).

In northern New Mexico, there are golden-red clays with a lot of sparkly mica in them. The mica self-tempers the clay, and creates a lovely shimmering effect when you see the pots in person. There's evidence of polished micaceous pottery being made as early as the 1300s, but it really took off as a popular type of cooking ware in the 1500s-1600s. In this time, it was made primarily by norther Pueblos like Taos, Picuris, and Nambe, but was enthusiastically adopted by the Jicarilla Apache as well, who have strong social ties to those northern Pueblos. Cimarron Micaceous, the handled jar seen above the cut, is a 1600s Apache micaceous pottery style.

Micaceous pottery is still extremely popular with Native potters today. Some of it is as an art form, with many different experiments in structure and style, but some people still swear by cooking in these micaceous clay pots - beans just taste better when cooked in clay instead of metal!

Incised

Taos Incised jar sherd. Northern New Mexico, AD 1050-1300.

Incised ware is SO underappreciated. However I am also biased because for the past three or four summers I have worked on an archaeology project in the Taos area and we find so much of it.

Incised designs are carved into the wet clay. Usually, these are not painted. Incised pottery is very common on the Great Plains, but less so in the Southwest. The Northern Pueblos like Taos and Picuris, however, has long-standing interactions with Plains groups, trading corn and buffalo hides, holding market days together, Picuris and Taos people fleeing the Spanish invasion to live in Kansas with their Apache allies. This is also visible in the sharing of pottery styles in the northern Pueblos, where incised ware is common. Parallel lines that mimic corrugation, chevrons, and herringbone patterns are common.

Plain Smudged

Reserve Plain Smudged, Mogollon Highlands, AD 600-1250.

As I described in my pottery jargon post, "smudging" is a method of getting that shiny black interior during the firing stage. During firing, different levels of oxygen will cause the minerals in the clay to turn different colors. An oxidized environment (high oxygen) turns iron-rich clays red; a recducing atmosphere (restricted oxygen) plus an infusion of carbon turns them black. To smudge a pot, the inside is polished, and then in the firing pit is covered with ash and charcoal. This puts a lot of carbon on the surface, and blocks the oxygen from reaching it. When the pot comes out of the fire, the part that was covered in charcoal will be shiny black. This was another pottery style particularly popular in Mogollon areas.

[blacksapphrodite]

Witchcraft Basics: Cleansing

What is cleansing, and why exactly do we need to do it? Let's break it down into its parts, discuss the context, and the different ways we can do it. Simply put, cleansing is the act of dispersing any energy build up, especially negative energy build up, in your space. You how after an argument or a bad visit, the air in your home or apartment can feel tense and heavy? Or how, after casting a couple of spells, you start to feel cluttered, or even overwhelmed? That’s energy building up that needs to be dispersed, and cleansing is what you do to take care of that. It’s important to cleanse before and/or after spell casting (especially curses), after bad experiences, etc. There are different kinds of cleansing, and different methods of doing so, and I’m going to cover a few of them here!

People and Object Cleansing Spells

You can cleanse objects, people and spaces. You might cleanse an object you use to cast spells often, such as a wand, an athame, spell bottles or (as in my case) a pot or spoon you use to whip up cooking spells. There are many methods to do this--some people bury the object and leave it there for a time, allowing the Earth to do the cleansing. You can leave the object out under the sun or the full moon, cover it in salt, or give it a cleansing bath in water infused with herbs, moonlight, etc.

Cleansing baths are also good for cleansing people! If you’ve had a particularly bad day (or week, or month, or year), feel like you’ve had negativity following you around or just want a new start, place some herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme into a tea infuser and place it into a bath, perhaps with some sea salt. Light some black and/or white candles and relax in the water until you feel lighter, or until the candles have burned down. Sugar scrubs are another wonderful method for personal cleansing. You’re literally scrubbing your skin clean, as well as scrubbing away your worries and negativity. They’re also a great choice for people that may not have access to to a tub for a bath.

Spaces

The most important and most likely the most common form of cleansing, however, is space/area cleansing. This method of cleansing often cleanses people and objects second hand. The most common method of cleansing is smoke cleansing. People burn herbs and waft the smoke through their home. Sage (regular garden variety sage, not endangered white sage) is most commonly used, but you could use a blend of herbs with cleansing properties. It can also be done with incense or a mixture of all of the above. Smoke cleansing is often accompanied by visualizing the negative energy leaving a space, prayer, and/or general affirmations and energy work. Fire has been known to have cleansing powers throughout many practices and cultures. The fire burns the energies, and the smoke carries them away.

(A note: smudging is not a term to be used interchangeably with smoke cleansing. Smudging is a *closed* Indigenous practice that involves a lot more than waving smoke around regardless of what some of these sites and books would have you think.)

Smokeless Cleansing

Using fire isn’t always viable, however. If you live somewhere that doesn’t allow open flame, like a dorm room. If you’re scared of fire, or you’re just worried about setting off your alarm, smoke cleansing can seem daunting. Luckily, there are other ways to cleanse an area. Water, of course, also has cleansing properties. Create a cleansing liquid infused with the cleansing herbs of your choice, and you can quite literally wash and wipe away the unwanted energy in your house. An example from a closed practice would be the floor washes found in Hoodoo.

Another way to cleanse with water is to take the same water-based cleanser, pour it into a bowl and flick it all over your home with your fingers or an herb wand, like rosemary, sage, etc. Or, if you’re in a hurry like me, a spray bottle works just fine. Salt water is also an effective cleanser, combining the protective and cleansing powers of both sea salt and water.

Sound cleansing is another method--use wind chimes outside to clear the energy around your home. Ring a bell throughout your home to clear the space of negative energies and presences. The idea is that the clear, sweet sound of the bells breaks up the energy in a space and replaces it with peace and clarity. Bells have been used in many religions and cultures for this exact reason, such as suzu, Japanese shrine bells known to repel evil, Tibetan bells and even Christian church bells.

In Summary...

What method you use comes down to personal preference, and what works best for your space. All of these are quite effective. What is important is that you do so routinely. Energy build up, especially negative energy build up, can cause spells to not work or even worse, to backfire. Consider it like washing a pot. If you used a pot to cook soup in, you wouldn’t start cooking another recipe in it the next day without washing it first. That would be gross and unsanitary, not to mention it would muddy up the flavor of the new dish. The same logic applies to spells, and life and general--you want the air clear before starting something new. Think about how fresh and calming your room or your house feels after you clean it. Cleansing is the same idea. In fact, I recommend cleaning your house physically along with doing a spiritual cleansing. The result is more than worth the time and effort you have to put into it.

I hope this left you with a better understanding of cleansing, its purpose and the methods available to achieve it. I’ll be writing more cleansing spells in the future, but this is a good place to get some ideas to write your own! Cleansing is one of the first things we should learn about as witches, and luckily one of the most versatile! With this in your repertoire, everything else will be a little bit easier to pick up. Good luck cleansing!

(I'm cleaning up my blog and reposting some of my spells/etc that were once hosted on my website.💕)

[archetypal-archivist]

Notes for Outer Wilds World-Building

-head canon heavy, but grounded in reason I think-

Healthcare: Lots of treating symptoms but not a ton of fixing the thing that caused the initial problem as the Hearthian body is remarkably sturdy and when self-healing can't take care of it, it would take some advanced healthcare to fix it (ex. punctured lung, strong infection). And that's not always something the Hearthians have, as why would they put a ton of effort into advanced pharmaceuticals like penicillin and invasive internal surgeries when it's so rare that someone gets hurt to that point and doesn't immediately die from it in a matter of days? I picture most medicine is herbal in nature, plant-derived and highly concentrated if necessary, such as opioids/morphine for pain that can be taken by injection until you get home and can patch yourself up. Bandages and bed rest and going off of what's taught to you (with a dose of improvising) are key to Hearthian healthcare. For the Hearthians, it's less unwillingness to help in cases of disability and more not being sure how, as the tech to do so would need to be jury-rigged or made from scratch. How well this helps varies as some things like missing limbs and damaged hearing can be accounted for but things like malfunctioning kidneys can't. Ironically, diabetes would spell bad news for a Hearthian.

Food: They don't have birds on Timber Hearth or else we'd see a lot more primitive wings for flying, so that means the animal life differs from earth. Lots of bugs and amphibians and fish, but very few mammals if any as fur is weird to the Hearthians. Hearthians are likely omnivores, given their history, but no trapping of land animals beyond insects. I imagine mostly teams of gatherers picking food from known locations and being careful about how much they take, and maybe some "controlled burnings" to clear out unwanted brush and give room to grow for the plants they actually want. The burnings may be more of an accident but the effect is the same regardless. Berries, nuts (especially pine nuts), cattail tubers and pith, water reed shoots, edible wild greens, and bread made from the flour of ground up tubers/acorns/pine nuts is common. This is supplemented by fish, the fat of which (Google candle fish) and the gelatin formed by boiling their bones are also used in many things. Marshmallows are made the old way, from mallow roots and sugar cane. Snow covered in sap or molasses is a treat, made more common with the invention of rockets that let you grab snow and fly it back to the village before it melts. Chera (borrowed from the fandom) is a tough, fibrous fruit that is sort of bready and is used much like apples are as a thickener in bread and eaten as mash on its own. Pickling, smoking, and canning are very common in Hearthian culture and are key ways of preserving food for when certain key gathered plants are out of season. During the insect mating season when the flies are out in full force, people will smack the clouds of bugs with sap-covered sheets of metal, scrape the bugs off, and grill them up into patties like burgers. This time of year is all hands on deck and not everyone likes eating fly patties but as food, it's incredibly nutritious and ground up flies are sometimes added to food that is lacking. Cooking is communal for the bulk of it, with a town cook pot and storehouse being open to the public to pull from, but if you want to eat beyond standard hours or mass-produced fare, you're on your own and you best hope you know how to cook over a wood fire stove. Filling the communal food pot is often a job foisted on hatchlings and the elders supervise. Specialty foods like sap wine are a trade item or are saved for celebrations and traditions.

Travel: Hearthians don't have wheeled carts as getting things into their crater via wheeled cart would be difficult at best. Instead they'll drag chopped down trees where they need to go via sleds or float them on the rivers or lower them into the crater with elevators. Anything else they'll carry down personally. To get around the planet, Hearthians just walk and if it takes more than a day, they camp along the way. Now that ships are a thing however, travel has shrunk the world by a lot- not that it does the average Hearthian much good. The ships are dangerous, prone to causing fires if one tries to land on Timber Hearth proper as rockets plus grass equals bad. A skilled pilot can pick a decent landing spot that's damp or barren enough to not be a problem, but it's usually so far from where you want to go that it's better to walk anyway. Said average Hearthians also do not like dealing with g-forces or potential death. Those are the only reasons why it's not normal for astronauts to ferry average Hearthians around like a taxi service or to take materials from point A to point B across the planet. None of this matters on the Attlerock however, as there's nothing to catch fire there, so ships will haul stuff up there all the time at Esker and Hornfels' behest. Rocket fuel is made from flammable gases pumped up from underground by the mining equipment as waste. It used to be released into the atmosphere to keep the miners from suffocating or exploding (a problem, sometimes those spouts would catch alight) but Slate had the bright idea of storing it in tanks under pressure. They already had pressurized air for the miners at the deepest depths to breathe where air was hard to come by, why couldn't they bottle up the waste gases to dispose of more safely? Like burning it elsewhere?

Clothing: Fabric is made from the fibers of a linen-like plant called flush, names for the purplish hue at the base of the reed's stem. The weavers' house is filled with Hearthians whose job it is to separate the fibers out and spin them into thread. From there, the weaver in charge of the loom will dye the thread with plant-based dyes and use a flying loom to quickly weave bolts of fabric. It takes a LOT of thread to make fabric but thanks to the weavers' bugging Slate into making them into a machine running off water power, the thread-making time has been cut down significantly. However, the whole process still takes a while so most Hearthians only own a few pieces of clothing and they're expected to patch it, hand-me-down it, and wash it until it is literally in rags before they get more. Hatchlings get the worst of it, they get pretty much nothing but hand-me-down clothes as they outgrow things too fast for unique outfits for each of them. Scarves, hats, and handkerchiefs are an exception and are often the only piece of clothing a hatchling has that survives to adulthood, which makes them all the more precious. Dresses- which take more fabric- and anything patterned or multicolored is a sign of indulgence/finery or a very nice gift and is such relegated to fancy clothes for fine events. Shoes are made of fish leather or treated fabric strips wrapped around a wood sole and structure and then sewn in place.

Economy: Hearthians run on a trade economy, with every person expected to contribute in some way. You are always guaranteed food from the communal cook pot and shelter in either a house of your own or on someone else's couch/floor, but beyond that you get side-eyed if you ask for things too often without offering something in return. Fortunately, Hearthians have a strong oral tradition and a very relaxed (boring) lifestyle so most are happy to trade gossip and stories for basic amenities. Building houses, weaving fabric, gathering food, working in the mines, and watching the hatchlings and tasks like those are ones that are never required for people to do, you can walk off and take a break whenever. However, it's seen as poor taste to do that for more than a few days at a time without cause because if you aren't working, you're letting your fellow Hearthians down. If you can't do big work for health reasons or lack of skill, you're expected to pick up small work like knitting, patching things up, cooking at the communal food pot, etc. What most hatchlings end up doing is they either find a passion and just continue with it into a proper "job" that helps the village in some way, they get an apprenticeship, or they get picked up by an adult and pretty much conscripted in order to "keep them out of trouble." Fire watch and astronaut and jobs like it are jobs of high prestige and are very demanding in the body, and as such run as apprenticeships with Gossan and Tektite selecting who they want to teach from those that come up to them and ask to learn. Such jobs don't do much to physically help the village (beyond bringing back space relics but those aren't always useful to the village at large) but they do bring in a ton of interesting stories and those are prime currency for the Hearthians.

Life Cycle: Hearthians are hermaphrodites that breed like fish do- during certain times of year, Hearthians may feel the urge to slip down to the river and release sperm and eggs into the water. Couples can go together, but most don't make much of it, seeing them as temporary dalliances or choosing to put up with being a little hot and itchy for a few days, refusing to go, and then the season is done for them for the year. The sperm and eggs mingle in warm underground pools and incubate there until they get hard and heavy enough to be picked up by the current. Due to how the waters of Timber Hearth run, the eggs more or less end up being carried to the same place every year where Hearthians in charge of raising hatchlings go to pick them up. The eggs are candled to check for life, then swaddled and placed into cribs to hatch. Hatchlings are raised in batches together in the Hatchling House, with sick ones quarantined in a back room to keep the rest from getting ill (so things like measles don't wipe out a whole generation). Hatchlings are fed mash until their baby teeth fall out, then they are fed real food like fish with bones in it. They only are named when the caretaker is sure that they will survive their first month or three of life, then they are introduced to the village by that name. They are allowed to go outside for the first time once they can walk and talk a little bit, an occasion marked by giving them shoes. After that, a hatchling may leave the Hatchling House to live on their own once they have a place to stay lined up, work, and they either can drink sap wine (which hatchlings don't have the enzymes to digest) or meet a certain height. As Hearthians age, the ears droop more, the skin pales, and the body starts failing. Past a certain age a Hearthian just kinda stops healing, as if all their sturdiness is limited to their younger years, and if they survive past even that, then their mind begins to go. Deaths are grieved and the dead buried with song and music being played with a space being left in the song for the deceased to "play a solo" and the rest of the band picking up after as a reminder that life goes on. In a few rare cases, hatchlings can imprint on an adult and vice versa, which gives rise to more "standard" parent child bonds and frequently, apprenticeships.

Calendar: The Hearthian planet does have seasons, sort of, but mostly a "hot and dry" vs "cool and wet" divide. No snow, their winters are just slightly more rain than usual and their summers are slightly warmer and with a chance for thunderstorms. However, there are still holidays involved with the changing of the seasons, mostly tied to when food is more or less available and when the solstices are. The alignment of the planets is also celebrated but that's a more recent celebration that popped up and it intensified into a major holiday only when the observatory got built with its ability to lock down alignments to exact dates. Breeding season is an informal holiday, being a few days in Spring and Autumn where sap wine is plentiful and people are expected to take some time off from work to relax. Hearthian formal holidays involve getting everyone in the village to sing, dance, and play music together around a bonfire. Stories and sap wine flow thick and fast and the best storytellers and musicians are treated to the best food and treats. Musicians will sometimes "duel" for funsies to see who is better at improvising and technical skills, to the joy of the crowd. Informal celebrations, like when an astronaut launches for the first time or one comes home or a batch of hatchlings are given a name on their name day lead to similar events, just scaled down some with only non-busy people attending. However, Hearthians love a good party so many will make time for such gatherings if they can.

[the-drayster]

// Character introspection!

This is just a post where I talk about some things I realized last night. Quite literally shower thoughts.

The reason Drayton prefers wearing things like long skirts, or if that's not an option, full-length pants, is because of his POTS. Blood pooling makes his legs look weird, and he doesn't like it, so he hides them.

Going more in-depth under the cut, but warning!!! I am going to include a few pictures of what blood pooling with POTS looks like, so if veins and blue skin and feet and that sort of thing gross you out, you may not want to give it a look.

-

Basically, blood pooling is where all of (not literally) your blood settles in a specific part of your body. Most of the time withs POTS, this happens with your legs, as they're the lowest part of your body, and gravity, right? Usually my blood pools in my arms and hands.

Here's a silly looking graphic of what happens.

And some photos of what blood pooling looks like.

Your legs go blue, and your veins bulge, or are otherwise way easier to see. How bad this happens depends on the person, but it's something fairly common in most folks with POTS.

So, what exactly does this have to do with our boy here?

The simplest answer is that it looks really weird. He doesn't like it. Drayton, for the most part, doesn't care an awful lot about his appearance, but the veins and the blue and red splotchy skin looks really odd. He probably got a lot of comments about it when he was younger.

Now, usually POTS symptoms start when you're around 12-13. Also, POTS is usually something that only AFAB people get. These two factors are important.

At 12-13, you are at the age where other people's comments, especially those of other kids, start to actually affect you. So, when Dray was being an ordinary kid, running around in shorts, and people see the blue-veiny legs and go "Ew what's wrong with you", it hurt him a lot. Drayton is a very casual person, but comments like that wear on him more than he'd like anyone to know. It doesn't help that he was already facing some bullying for his Dyslexia and Dysgraphia.

The other thing, is that usually only AFAB people get pots. So, typically women. It is possible for AMAB people to have POTS, but it's far more uncommon. So, for the people who do know about POTS, it's about a fifty/fifty shot that they actually believe him when he says "This is what's wrong with me". They either think he's lying for attention, or that he's just wrong.

And so, he hides his symptoms. He starts wearing long pants, and when he figures out that he likes wearing skirts, long skirts. Besides, it's easier to put on a pair of compression socks/tights under a skirt. It isn't just a fashion choice.

I already knew that I wanted him to be uncomfortable with having people see his legs, but I hadn't had a particular reason until I noticed "Hey, when I take a shower, my legs are covered in red blotches". I had forgotten about it, because it's something normal to me. Nothing is wrong with me, it's just my blood is weird. But, if that's something that happens all the time, especially if it's the full pooling with the veins and the blue skin and whatnot, it's probably one of those things that is easier to hide than to face head-on.

Another thing that this effects is his general laziness. I've already spoken some about how chronic fatigue with POTS is part of his laziness problem, but this is another thing.

He doesn't like getting up and moving around because it's hard. His legs are quite literally heavier than they should be.

The best way I can describe the way blood pooling feels is like this.

You know the feeling of your arm or leg falling asleep? It's like that, but rather than a lack of blood flow, there's too much. Your limbs feel heavy, they hurt, they may be slightly swollen. It tingles, and you just feel odd.

So, he avoids that feeling. By avoiding getting up.

That's all I really have to say for this. It's something I realized could very easily apply to Drayton, and thought was interesting enough to share. Enjoy!

[ilikebigbellydotnom]

Kekkai Sensen/Bloodblockade Battlefront pred headcannons!

This list will be a vore headcannon list for nearly all the notable members of Libra, the list will include pred/prey details, WG, MG, digestion details oral vore and same size limitations for their belly! (keep in mind this is ONLY based on the 2 seasons of the anime and not on the manga, I'm aware there's differences between the two media : ] )

(PS, I am not doing human size increments for the Prey limit, there's too many large and wide alter world prey to do such a thing, so detailed similes and metaphors are what you get instead this time)

Leonardo Watch

Pred/Prey

If he swallows prey while at work he can't fit on the moped to get home, will usually stay in the Libra office and have Klaus help rub his belly for a few hours while he digests overnight with company! He will save devouring a person as a last resort due to the humans limited ability to move around with a heavy thrashing gut compared to other members of libra

Can attempt Endo vore, usually fails. Klaus & Zapp mainly know the inside of Leonardo's stomach, they live and tell because the humans acids can't break down their alter world flesh faster then the supernaturals healing abilities which unfortunately for Leonardo also applies to similar but not all alter world beings being undigestible for the small human.

Traditional human digestion, his prey will gently pass out and eventually circum to digestion, will only devour someone when they aggravate him or threaten someone he cares dearly about

HUNGER: quite hungry, but can hold back

METABOLISM: Average; will gain a pot belly for a while, the larger the meals, the bigger his belly will be. Secretly gains genital mass from his meals but can easily hide it with his outfit from everyone

VORE LIMIT: City bus size gut is the max Leonardo can handle, he holds up a prideful farce but if he reaches his limit he will become a whiney mess begging for rubs and digestive aids

Klaus Von Reinhertz

Pred/Fatal prey (except for when his friend or lover devours him)

Will vore regularly, he needs iron for his blood powers and regen effects, Prefers to devour some metals typically from weapons or even debris from a fight. Will gulp a common gang/thug passing by on the street if it means he saves innocents or Leonardo, will devour to safely contain thrashing vampires for Leonardo to use his past/present vision to exorcise the vampire's full name

Can't save anyone or anything inside his belly, his belly is average at digestion but his throat, pectorals, and stomach walls are nearly as strong as his punches... Usually causing pain and death on the way down to his stomach opening unless you're a vampire (Zapp) or well armoured alter world being then your worse worries are his acids. if you want to safely enter and leave Klaus' belly in one piece you'll have to be wearing a protective suit

Above average digestion, melty style digestion, unless it's an super powerful supernatural being most prey of klaus is dead or injured as soon as they enter the inside of his stomach! He digests quite fast with helpful hands, if not a lot longer to churn and process. Usually digests and leaves no bones from his acids being so deadly and effective. Can safely use his big schlong to safely carry lovers inside his sack or other types of prey in combat situations; he mainly saves it for in the bedroom however like a gentleman.

HUNGER: way above average but won't act out unless he's in a literally weakened or starving state to save himself, the more he uses his powers in a day the hungier he will become in the later half/night!

METABOLISM: Above average, doesn't really retain much muscles or fat for long periods of time from his prey due to his daily regiment burning so many calories, will gain muscle over all but fat pools around the torso and buttox!

VORE LIMIT: Klaus is a god amongst men in comparison to the rest of libra, if klaus had to he could easily fit the entirety of hells Salem lot/state of Manhatten into his belly and manage to gulp more! Just needs to be practical with his combat limits if the belly is a size of a large building then klaus cannot fight or eat his target with a large mound in the way!

Steven Starphase

Pred/Fatal prey, will sometimes shove himself down the maw of a pred or creature to freeze them from the inside out, doesn't mind the warmth of a belly but rather have prey inside him rather then become a prey for someone else

Will vore someone every day if he could, but doesn't bother with the hassle unless it involves some thug or villain at work he needs to melt down or detain

Can Endo vore, since his acids are cold and freezes his prey solid before moving the prey from the stomach to the intestines, if his body can detect movement and heat inside his stomach organ the real digestion doesn't start until the prey is frozen solid and can't resist the acids in his bowels, has swallowed a few lucky ladies and Leonardo in the past to save them from a dire situation

Since his digestion acids freeze his prey over time, he doesn't actually begin to feel full until they leave his stomach, he can take a long time to digest, up to 4 days if the prey is the same size as him longer time if bigger

HUNGER: average, gets hangry but takes a long time to become moody

METABOLISM: Average, if he eats a lot of regular or big heavy prey he can start to sport a round pot belly and a more muscular physique from digestion, will be able to burn it off with ice powers to melt the fat away, but still is insecure about his belly bulging out of his suit from the fat gain

VORE LIMIT: can handle roughly a seven story apartment complex in his belly if he had too, at that large limit of a size he would be belching and bickering about getting the libra interns over to him to treat his cold to the touch belly ASAP

Zapp Renfro

Pred/unwilling Prey

Will always digest his babes and add them to his great body, sort of like a male version of a praying mantis, except instead of the head he's swallowing the whole body instead. Will periodically get swallowed by an enemy or Klaus from trying to fight him. Leonardo on his worst of days will also gulp down Zapp and make sure he's on tummy time out for the rest of the office to have peace and quiet Zapp can't kill the guy and has to let it happen

He both can and cannot do endo, he is capable of doing it, but keeping prey alive for a long time is something he struggles with. IF he could focus long enough on not digesting them he would be great at it. Due to his ADHD like attention span the man will get distracted by food and woman while walking, these thoughts trigger his stomach muscles and acids to go in full effect and it's very hard for Zapp to stop it once it starts... Which is why he has to be careful whenever he tries to Endo vore Leonardo for revenge because if he digests libra's favourite human and his boss's potential lover, he knows Klaus just eating him will be the easy part of his suffering punishment.

Has above average digestion properties, will crudely gut crunch his prey and grind them over any surface to break them up even faster so he can eat more belching while doing so

HUNGER: Always hungry but keeps his hunger levels in check most days

METABOLISM: Below average, will gain fatty love handles and pot belly from junk food and fatty prey he consumes, alternatively he gains muscles and toned abs onto his body whenever he churns a fit or buff prey! He is hesitant to vore certain prey do to his physique being so impacted by the prey but if drunk enough he could care less about the blubber he'll sport

VORE LIMIT: about the same as Steven, several story building worth of prey packed inside of him is his rough limit, he will gloat about his belly with pride even if he can't physically fit inside the Libra office, which happens more often then not, on those digestion/blubbery belly days he will remote call into the office and somehow makes his way to the scene around the city with the rest of his coworker in time every time

K.K

Pred

With her remote locations in high places from sniping it limits the woman, she can't really vore much with her secret double life as a mom and supernatural sniper making it a rare occasion, her husband knows about her vore capabilities in the bedroom but he thinks that's her only secret she shares with him... K.K denies she uses her vore powers in the bedroom at work

Is fully capable of Endo, and will regularly consume her husband some nights to comfort him and bond. Will use her vore powers to save several people from tragedy or explosive deaths inside her belly. Forces an emotionally distressed Leonardo to spend some "mommy" time with in her belly to help calm him down and talk about his tough/romantic problems with her!

Will be able to start her belly digestion sequence with a Zap to the outside of the belly, triggering her electrified stomach acids instantly dazing prey and turning the gentle Endo belly into an electric Tesla death sphere

HUNGER: reserved, but will get hangry after a long day

METABOLISM: Above average, with her lean lifestyle, healthy home meals, and walking with ankle weights, the woman can digest and hold onto fat for a few days before her lifestyle habits burn the blubber away, her husband loves when there's more cushion for the pushin so she'll try to keep a balance of thin and thicc physique when applicable

VORE LIMIT: K.K has not reached her physical limit, she has a mental/pragmatic limit because she still needs to be able to fit though door ways to get home and traverse the day to day around the city, because of that the largest prey K.K. has ever consumed whole was larger then two food trucks parked beside eachother worth of belly

Chain Sumeragi

Prey/Forlorn pred

Because of her powers she can't use them and keep prey inside her belly, they will always fall down to the ground if she flies or adjusts the weight of her flesh. She does however use her powers to save teammates who may have became prey in the belly of another pred, or she'll enter the belly and deliver painful attacks from the inside

Isn't capable of Endo vore however she is able to digest normally if she eats a prey before bed or in a safe space where she doesn't need her powers. Will sometimes fill out Leonardo's, Steven's and sometimes even Klaus' belly with her presences. She'll enter Leonardo as a joke, enters Steven when she's horny or flustered, and when scared or jump scared she'll enter the belly of Klaus knowing it's pretty much the safest place in the city to be in.

Can only digest like a standard human, will typically drown her rare prey in liqueur usually because they're her drinking partner.

HUNGER: hungry for food, but picky with people

METABOLISM: Since she exists between several dimensions at once, she can never gain weight from her prey, will always maintain her figure after digestion like nothing happened

VORE LIMIT: hasn't been reached yet but she manages just fine with 3 large prey worth inside her belly

Zed O'Brien

Pred/willing prey to friends

Prefers to devour and digest prey way more then become a part of someone's belly as a prey himself, with his extra aquatic capabilities his saliva in his mouth coats his entire throat and stomach organ as a means to trap and ensure his meals stay inside him, doesn't mind being eaten by Leonardo, especially when him and Zapp start arguing he appreciates the cool down time inside his pal, will always float in water with his big prey filled belly from the digestion gases inside his belly

Is capable of Endo vore to save a comrade or civilian, but very difficult for him to upchuck and pull them out of his slick maw, usually someone in the Libra office has to help Zed by pushing upwards on his lower belly while someone pulls on the limbs from his open maw. Loves the feeling of prey moving inside him most of the time

The fish man has a hybrid digestion system, his body will first swell out his preys remaining movement space with a rising tide of saliva, once submerged the acids in the saliva kicks in and with motion triggers the digestion process, meaning if he rubs or has someone else rub his slurry filled round belly the digestion of prey will be nearly rapid for Zed if not he can wait to digest a prey in his belly until nutritionally needed for a later time with a pot belly keeping the slurry contents inside of his last vorish event

HUNGER: Quite hungry, but will endure if he has food in his belly awaiting processing

METABOLISM: average, will gain a hard like shell around his upper body and legs from the extra marrow and calcium from his prey, however due to aquatic mammals tendency to hold onto blubber for long periods of time Zed will always get a fatty over hanging gut for days to weeks depending on how much he gored or size of the prey he ate, he will spend hours exercising and swimming laps in his tank to burn the blubber as quick as possible.

VORE LIMIT: can eat A LOT his midsection is designed to handle a lot of movement and large amounts of it, he could potentially but hasn't yet reached it able to fill up an American football stadium to the tippy top with his squirming gut and still fit some prey inside him!

Gilbert F. Altstein

Pred/Willing Prey

Does combat rarely, in his younger days he would consume people and food on the regular until he found no more fulfillment with his lifestyle and decided on the easier life style of taking care of a rich family's overpowered vampire child, however he will devour large prey with ease if needed be

Is capable of Endo, will use it to save civilians from disasters and release them when safe, Klaus when first awakening from his chained encampment underground first few weeks back on the surface he would miss the darkness of the underground bunker, and with no affection from anyone for several years gilbert has swallowed Klaus whole a few times while he needed a nap or a destress activity that wasn't cyber chess, Klaus at his worst will still do it to this day, but gilbert is happy Klaus is opening up to having Leo take his pred role from him in due time

Since gilbert is a mummy like entity he can wrap his body bandages around certain prey to detain them, he can also tighten his bandages while having a rowdy prey inside him and crush them down to mush as his body begins the normal digestion process

HUNGER: not very hungry but will eat food and people for nourishment

METABOLISM: very bad, gets a huge overhanging gut when he eats a lot of prey, will take him months to burn it off, for this reason he does the vore act more rarely in his elderly years, Klaus seems to approve of it so Gilbert will keep his belly for as long as his young master pleases

VORE LIMIT: Can eat a several story building in his belly easily, however he reframes from doing so because of the calories, he needs to fit though door ways and still fit in his car to drive and escort Klaus and friends

This is my list of headcannons for the main cast of the anime, would love to hope this has inspired or peaked interests in watching the anime! It's really good I swear! Would love to know if any fans of the series in the comments below have any improvements or their own headcannons to share?!

[verdemoun]

REDISCOVERING HOW HOBBIES WORK 100 YEARS LATER GOTTA BE FUN

Arthur and art supplies that have become much more accessible and common!!! SOMEONE DEFINITELY GOT HIM ONE OF THOSE ART KITS FOR KIDS AND HE NEARLY CRIED WHEN THE MARKERS DIDN'T WORK UNTIL BESSIE, BLESS HER HEART, INFORMED HIM HE HAS TO PUT WATER IN THEM. You can't convince me that didn't happen xoxo

Javier and his guitar. The availability of different equipment in modern era. Straps, picks, RAINBOW STRINGS (proud owner of rainbow "training" strings here. i absolutely love them). ELECTRIC GUITARS. Even if he wouldn't like them a lot, he'd still marvel at how far guitars have come. That Hatsune Miku amp/effect unit/whatever that was i don't remember tbh. It ends up either with him or with Isaac.

Knitting!!!! Crocheting!!!! Someone definitely takes that up as a hobby!!!!!! and then cries at the cost of yarn. Curse of the love sweater is a thing they fear.

Gardening not for survival, but for fun. Like yeah we've talked abt plants before but definitely someone noticed those weird ass sets with small pots and different seeds in some dollar store. Someone definitely got it. For themselves or the kids.

That shit has to be healing for the soul you can't tell me otherwise my dear friend you cannot.

i love arthur and modern crafts. yes he bought a kiddy craft kit when he first timewarped because the concept of spending money on hobbies was new. but more than that - he never had the chance to explore mediums. bessie immediately offered to pay for decent watercolors and fancy markers and colored pencils but he insisted on the cheapest option and then was upset (which came across as aggressively frustrated) when they didn't work. bessie explained very softly about the markers being dipped in water and adored how much he still lit up like he was a kid when they started working

arthur even a decade into timewarp gets very flustered over people actually spending money to encourage his hobbies and interests at christmas (which is a gift-giving holiday he can't avoid, unlike his birthday). he gets very emotional over giving given expensive pencils because the idea of people 'wasting' money to encourage his creative pursuits still effects him

both bessie and hosea will frame the few drawings he gives them and hang them in their house. while he prefers drawing from life, he has drawn horseshoe overlook from memory and hosea can be caught staring at it nostalgically

javier tried an electric guitar for all of ten minutes before going no thank you.

he has 4 different guitars because he was a little addicted to the fact acoustic guitars could come in so many different woods and also patterns in modern era. rainbow string, straps, and stickers definitely, because a guitar was actually affordable and no longer a prized possession (on bessie's dime, they're all secondhand)

he has one is acoustic/electric hybrid that he only brings out when isaac is begging for a jam session, because isaac also knows guitar and is obsessed with electric for recording

he does admittedly love playing with music software. is garageband still a thing? sometimes he will plug in his one hybrid guitar and add his own bass and drum to hear an actual full song of one of his more original pieces

susan grimshaw is the first to try crochet and everyone has at least one crocheted animal in their house. karen, charles and kieran are all knitters. karen maintained the habit from canon era and always knits maeve a sweater before winter. kieran learned it because repetitive and a hell of a lot cheaper than his other hobbies, he uses the cheapest yarn and can only make scarves

charles got into it because something creative he can do with his hands like making his own arrows (he admits purchased arrows are more reliable despite still hunting with a bow when he goes camping). charles most strongly believed in the curse of the sweater but arthur wears his charles' knitted sweater very proudly.

kieran is an avid gardener. it was the first 'task' he was given to encourage him to leave his room and once noise-cancelling headphones are introduced most people look for him in the garden first. him and bessie lose entire weekends in the garden, weeding or checking soil phd. she will take time off work when the weather is right for planting saplings

gardening is one of kieran's hyperfixations where he will abandon asl to actively talk to people about gardening no matter what. for this reason jake adler is one of his favorite people, who is more of a survivalist, edibles only, but similarly obsessive gardener

lenny buys bought those kiddy diy indoor herb sets for maeve only to get into it when she neglected the plants and he took over. he appreciates being able to send jake+kieran a group message when a leaf on his basil looks weird and they reply with an essay of what the plant needs

[lifenconcepts]

Y’all have no idea what you’re doing when you mess up a character. Sure, a bit of blood is nice, but if you REALLY loved them then you would put them in misery and anguish. here are some ideas :3

physical, emotional, mental distress, ill, harm..

Chop off a limb, their reaction can be plentiful expressive and entertaining.

Make an ordinary human quality an over abundance. there’s lots of opportunity here. Such as too much hunger (basic) or having enhanced vision (sensitive eyes too) or too much blood in the body or lots of one substance or limb like having 2000 eyelashes idk man. Make the consequences believable so it doesn’t resemble a superpower (like super hearing but their ears constantly are in pain and they get migraines from it and they ring).

Throw them into an unlucky situation where their vehicle messes up and if they’re on public transport then it just brings them somewhere wildly different than what they wanted would be nice if they also didn’t have a safe place.

Give them a sudden overwhelming emotion, play god, make them absolutely manic or depressive or unprompted hostile. It’s fun.

Give them a random delusion. There’s lots of possibilities here from commonly represented ones like feeling watch’s and what not but you can experiment! Make them afraid to take off their clothes, make them unable to walk through door frames, make them disconnected with their body (could be one on its own), make em irrationally afraid of pots, make them desire to destroy every slug in the world, there’s so much creativity to be unleashed!

Get rid of the most loved and prized thing in their life, this one’s a classic.

How would they respond to threats? Threats to their well being, to their home, to their belongings, to their financial stability, to their families, to their friends and pets, to their sanity, to their body, to their life?

Teach them a false belief and allow them to destroy themselves.

lead them into a false sense of security and rip it out of them at the very moment they need it most.

fuck it. Teleport them to a messed up place. Crumbling building, country without the language they speak, planet where there’s no air, they’re suddenly in the sky, no recollection how they got there.

Ruin their job or hobby for them.

The one thing that’s least likely to happen happens and what seems to be a one in a quadrillion chance actually happens (such as a bit of dust travelling so fast it blind them, or a sandwich causes them to slip and slide down the stairs and crash into a metal wall).

Make nobody able to understand them (interpret it however. Could be just language wise or just unable to comprehend their bodily cues and constantly misunderstand and misread their behaviours and thoughts).

Eh strip them away from their humanity or something. No more emotions, no more soul, no more love, no more morals. Only pain and suffering.

have them choose between two things equally dear to them (common trope but not common enough).

Make them a sad song personified, take Simon & Garfunkel’s Sound of Silence for example, or any of The Smith’s songs (incredible, really).

Make them suddenly have a desire to destroy themselves, an idealised fascination with something strange such as wanting to see red on themselves or want to feel the raw bones in their hand.

A tad bit of insanity is always wonderful. Truly.

ANYHOO if anyone needs help to think of a plot for their story or fanfic please feel free to request me, I have dozens of theories and ideas of how to not only make a believable thing but also an interesting character and truly effective hurt! I insist, I can help!

[torturing-characters-101]

What are some examples of different types of chronic illnesses and how they effect a person. I've tried looking it up but they are super confusing.

Officially, a chronic illness is any illness that lasts over 6 months.

Chronic illness is a spectrum. It could mean an illness that is so bad the person has to live in a hospital or long term care facility, but it could also mean an illness that maybe the person has to see a doctor about a few times a year but otherwise doesn't have to think about. A lot of people are somewhere in-between.

Some examples of common chronic illnesses include:

Diabetes (types 1 and 2)

Hypertension

Heart Disease

Kidney Disease

COPD

Asthma

Depression

POTS

Cancer

Crohn's Disease

Celiac

It might also be the aftereffects of an illness like COVID-19, Polio, a stroke, or a heart attack.

I would recommend googling "Living with [insert chronic illness here]" which can get you a lot of first-hand accounts of people living with whichever disease you are interested in.