#a person should and does not Have to change anything physically or lifestyle wise for YOU to

[mejomonster]

I need to find someone who worded this better but. This is your friendly reminder that a woman can be as masculine as she wants. A man can be as feminine as he wants. A nonbinary person can be feminine and masculine and androgynous and whatever they want: everyone can! Your expression and appearance and hobbies etc do not have to conform within a box to be allowed to exist, do not have to match those rigid lines of societys expectation of gender roles in any way at all for you to Be the Gender you Are. You are the gender you feel you are. Your expression can be and is whatever you want, and does not have to match up to expectations.

[jenomark]

Can i request an ideal type for all members? Like just your thoughts on what the members need please

Keep in mind that this is not truth. I'm not going to focus on the physical stuff, because physical preferences change all of the time. I'll just focus on what kind of person I think they need/want, or what I think they should gravitate towards more. 💚

Also, I answer these kinds of questions a lot, but my ideas do change. Keep that in mind, also.

Taeil: I think he would be so in love with someone whose personality is not unlike Haechan. Someone who ends up being the life of the party. Someone who cares about keeping other people happy and entertained. Someone with a larger than life personality to balance out his own. Someone to bring him out of his shell more (because we all know the real Taeil is a wild man, tbh). Someone extraverted and friendly. However, he'll need them to be serious when it's time to be serious. I also think he'll need someone that really understands his lifestyle, because I can't see him with someone not in some part of the entertainment industry.

Johnny: I think, when Johnny sees people, he wonders if that person will be a good marriage partner for him. There is something about him, to me, that suggests he's modeling relationships off of what he's experienced growing up. He'll need someone with a similar personality to him. It's not because he's vain, it's just that he wants things so badly to be fun and stress-free. So, with that said, their sense of humor has to be amazing. He is a leader type, but I think he'll switch to being a follower type when he finds his ideal type. He'll like it, too. I think he'll end up falling for someone not from his native country. Differences are interesting and cool to him.

Taeyong: Honestly, someone that can take care of him. He's not looking for a mother figure. He's not looking to be babied. I always get the feeling he just wants someone to take over for a while and tell him things will be okay. Someone empathetic. Judging by what he shows us, animal lovers are ideal. Don't laugh at how seriously he takes things sometimes. I think that would kill him. I always see him with someone mentally and emotionally strong. The opposite they are to him, the better. I can see him being interested in someone he works with, but I do think he's the type to get caught up in how people make him feel rather than how good they would truly be for him. I genuinely hope someone good and sweet finds him eventually!

Yuta: Someone who can deal with the intensity he dishes out. They have to be strong and capable, mentally and emotionally. They can't clash with his ideas or opinions, but they also can't back down. He'll be looking for someone who can keep up with him. I do think they would have to have a degree of goofiness to them, though. I don't think he's as serious as he can present himself to be. Someone charming. Someone that can hold an interesting conversation. Someone who makes him feel like home, if that makes sense. He needs to feel at ease in a relationship.

Kun: Someone focused and mature. He feels like someone who would be honored to find a partner just like himself. In a weird way, I think he would look at a reflection of himself and be turned on. However, I happen to agree with him on this one. Someone who enjoys what he enjoys would compliment him well. Someone affectionate and open to receiving his affection. Someone disciplined and wise beyond their years. Though, I do think they would have to differ from him somehow because he'll need someone to help him chill out. For this reason, I would probably place him with someone younger but mature.

Doyoung: Someone even more outgoing than he is. Extroversion. Someone he can learn from and follow. Someone that likes to cuddle and stay inside, but they can also go out and have fun. He's not picky at all. His restlessness makes him want everything and to experience everything at once, so his ideal type ends up looking like a million people squished into one. Personally, I would like to see him with someone mature. I don't want anyone that will be reckless with his soft heart. Someone he can sing with, I think. I feel that would be best for him, because I think it will create a tighter bond.

Ten: Since he knows people really well, he knows what is best for himself. I think he has a whole lot of qualities on a list that he wants. Someone artistic. Someone without an attitude. Someone that lets him live freely. They'll have to understand him, and they can't just pretend to understand him because he'll know right away if they don't. Someone gentle with him. Someone who sees his heart. Someone that feels like a soulmate to him. Someone who can live in the different world he's created for both of them. I think the person he goes for will be spiritual and creative and just everything that embodies Ten as a person.

Jaehyun: Someone pretty. That isn't necessarily a physical thing, because someone can be pretty on the inside, too. Someone who doesn't make him think or talk too much. He doesn't want drama. He doesn't want anything that is too hard. I do get the feeling that he likes femininity a whole lot. Someone who is private about their affairs but knows how to celebrate their own accomplishments. He'll need a best friend as well as a lover in that person. I see him with someone in the entertainment industry, but I think he'll always go for someone people least expect him to. Honestly, they might have to be a little weird, since his energy is a little offbeat.

WinWin: Ideally, I think he wants someone that excites him. Someone who acts one way in public and another way privately. Though observant, his attention sometimes isn't the best, so someone that thrills him would keep him interested. Whether or not that's good for him, only he knows. He likes giving support and likes knowing that they're pleased by that support. He has a lot of determination to do what other people do not want him to do, and I think that might translate into relationships. He'll probably go for someone opinionated and talkative. Someone that will let him spoil the shit out of them and treat them like royalty.

Jungwoo: His ideal type is someone just like him. For better or for worse, they'll have to know what he's like when they're with him. Someone clever is good. He likes mental games and likes to be kept on his toes. Someone that can teach him new things. I think he likes to be surprised. Outdo and outspeak him. On the flipside of all the chaos, he's deeply sensitive and probably needs someone who understands what it means when he's stressed. Someone patient, because he's not a person who opens up as easily. A good listener. Honestly, someone that isn't scared to call him out sometimes can't hurt.

Lucas: Someone who is fun enough for him to take his mind off of things. He has a lot of worries, so he'll need someone to take his worries and turn them into something positive. Someone dependable. Someone who has had shared experiences. Someone who understands everything he is not saying. For this, I definitely think he'll need someone in the entertainment industry. I think his ideal type reads a bit different from what he might need. There is a part of me that feels he has no idea what he really needs or wants. To me, he seems like someone who, right now, just wants to be loved.

Mark: Ambition and independence is a big theme. He needs a hard worker, first and foremost. They would have to give everything 110%. Next, he needs someone with similar values and morals. They, of course, don't have to see eye-to-eye with him about everything, because he's quite accepting, but he can't be with someone who doesn't believe in anything at all. Friendliness is good, but extraversion isn't needed. He needs someone devoted to him. Someone confident and sure of themselves. He'll need someone who can hang around when things get tough, which they will. I can't see him with someone too wild.

Xiaojun: Whether he wants it or not, ideally, someone who can put him in his place. He does need someone to guide him. He needs a boss, in a sense, but not someone too prideful to accept his love. He has a lot of love to give. I think he's addicted to people who are loud and crazy. He needs a big presence in a personality. He wants to always be stunned when this person walks into a room. Someone who likes to play and have fun. If they're too stuffy or serious, Xiaojun starts to change himself, and he doesn't want to do that. Whomever they are, I think his eyes will light up whenever he sees them.

Hendery: Someone sensitive. His ideal person is the same whether it's for a relationship or a friendship. He needs someone who thinks about the welfare of other people. Compassionate. Kind. Welcoming. Humor is a big need. If his person can't make a fool out of themselves, he's not likely to be interested. He wouldn't want them being self-deprecating, though. Someone who believes in and loves themselves is important. I think he wants someone to romance him rather than just him romancing them. The more I get to know him, the more I feel like he strives to be a really good husband for someone someday.

Renjun: I think he would fall so deeply in love with someone bubbly and cute. Someone a little extraverted, friendly, and probably a little annoying. Someone that makes him feel shy when he talks to them. Someone that can talk him down from a ledge. He has tendencies to be a little pessimistic, so someone optimistic is perfect for him. Whomever they are, I see them being small and sweet. A good listener. If they can do the things for him that he does for other people, he would be very thankful. For some reason, I see him wanting to date friends of his friends.

Jeno: I've always seen him with someone older. Not by too many years. I think, no matter what age, they would have to treat him as an equal. Ideally, his type would have the same interests that he does. He would love nothing more than to do an activity and for them to be truly happy about joining him. Someone caring. Someone kind. Someone that other people would call a nice person. He wouldn't want to be taken advantage of in any way. Therefore, someone with a fiery and self-serving personality won't work with him. He needs calmness and simpleness. He doesn't need your support, but he's touched if he has it.

Haechan: Someone who understands him. Don't change the things you don't like about him, but offer to help him grow. I say this a lot about him, but he definitely needs someone patient and compassionate. I think, if he had it his way, he would go for another singer/artist, but I don't think that's the best idea. I think he needs normalcy in a relationship, or it will have the tendency to make him depressed along the line. Someone very intelligent and clever, like, they have to be able to back up what they're talking about. Mental sparring turns him on. If you can play with him and not get hurt so easily, it's ideal.

Jaemin: Stability!!!! It's, like, his number one thing. He is self-sufficient all on his own, so if you don't add any stability to his life,there is no use for you. I think he looks at love in a very logical way. He just wants someone to share his life with. He wants what is his and he wants them to have what is theirs, but to also come together in a way that is mutually beneficial. Honesty is a must, because it's what he values in others. He'll probably need someone who isn't bossy or dominate. He's not someone who takes too kindly to being told what to do, to be honest. Someone wise. Someone intelligent. Someone low-maintenance.

YangYang: Someone that doesn't take themselves too seriously. Someone who makes him laugh a lot . I think, right now, his ideal type physically is very shallow and typical of someone his age (for the most part). The more important parts read like: "Someone my mom likes." or "Someone who makes me be a better person." I do think YangYang thinks a lot about what's on the inside of a person and how that affects him in the long run. He'll want someone kind and easygoing, someone that has good values and morals. Something also tells me he has this idea about love that can be very much like a fairytale. He can be very naive, so someone who knows what they're doing can only help serve him.

Shotaro: I think his ideal type list is miles long but he'll never admit exactly what is on it. His expectations are high, but realistic. He needs someone energetic, someone who wants the same things out of life that he does. Someone trustworthy. Someone intelligent and savvy about the industry. I kind of get the sense that he is picky about who he chooses to love, like, he knows exactly what he wants. I want for him to go for someone who looks tough on the outside but is really soft around the edges. I kind of want him to go for a dancer, but something tells me he stays away from all of that.

Sungchan: Someone he can help. Someone he can take care of, cherish, nurture, love for life. He has a really good and lovable personality, so I think he's going to attract exactly what he's looking for. He'll need someone bold, too, like, they have to match the fearless vibe he sometimes has going on. If they're bolder than him, it's a plus, because he sometimes feels like a coward. I can see them also being a little awkward, and I really think he's attracted to that awkward energy. He'll want his ideal type to make sense when other people look at them together. Someone chill and drama-free. I don't think he cares what kind of job they have or where they come from, just that they make him happy.

Chenle: When I think about it, his ideal type feels simple. He doesn't feel like someone who really needs much in life. The qualities he wants are basic things like: nice, fun, honest, loves him, doesn't like to argue too much etc. I think Chenle's main requirement is probably that the person loves and respects his family. I don't think he's too fussy. I can't see him with someone who likes being part of the spotlight. I think he needs a low key relationship where two people can flourish in each other's company. I do think he draws people to him that he might be so tolerant towards that he won't realize they're manipulating him. Either way, I think relationships are the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

Jisung: Someone most likely older than him. It's not that he needs someone to lead him in life, just that he likes learning from people who have different experiences. I also kind of feel like he has a need to be taken seriously and seen as mature, so someone more experienced will do that for him. Someone who expresses their own emotions well and can see where his emotions are coming from. His ideal type would need to be best friends with him first. Building friendship is important to someone like him. If you pass the friendship vibe check, he's up to seeing where else it goes. I think he would be into someone artsy and cute, someone soft and kind. I wouldn't be surprised if he went and found himself a little weirdo.

[mammons-tax-returns]

How would Lucifer, Mammon, Levi, Satan, Asmo, Barbatos, Solomon, and Diavolo react to a male MC who wears skirts (because *chants* men in skirts, it’s masculine af) on the daily? bonus if the MC wears black nail polish!

REACTING TO MC THAT WEARS SKIRTS

LOVE THIS PROMPT 🙏

During this I imagined 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻TANGO DANCER SOLOMON and thats going into my art idea list

masterlist

✖️MALE MC✖️

Not unlike all the other boys, Lucifer is willing to risk it all as soon as he sees it.

His favorite cut of skirt is the classic a-line ones, both modest and not.

A CLOSE second goes to wrap skirts.

This is a SFW blog so I will not be going into any detail at this time ✨

Literally loses his breath everytime he sees MC, and it surprises him.

If MC isn��t already wearing the RAD skirt, he’s already offering to get him a set. Almost too eagerly?

When MC decides to not wear a skirt one day, he tries not to make it too obvious, but he’s simply curious as to why is all. Maybe a tad bit let down.

MC insisted one time that Lucifer painted his nails for him, and...

“Well, normally Asmo is the one doing that for all of us...”

“But Lucifer 🥺”

“Alright... Fine. But I’ll have to continue my paperwork in between each layer.

It’s just kinda cute to think that he would spend an incredibly unnecessary amount of time on each nail, trying to perfectly lay down the polish. Occasionally, his tongue will poke out because of his concentration.

There’s some slip ups here and there, but mentioning them will only get him flustered.

I don’t use this word lightlySIMP SIMP SIMP

He thinks he loves MC in every skirt imaginable just as equally as the last (which, he actually might) but deep down he can’t deny that a mini skirt just hits different.

The first time he saw MC wearing a mini skirt, mammon’s initial reaction was to cover him up before anyone could see him.

However, he failed to realize that he was actually the last of the brothers to see him, since he woke up late.

But that’s just what being the avatar of greed does to you. You just want to keep what’s yours, no matter what.

But considering his jacket isn’t as big as Lucifer’s or Solomon’s, he ended up just holding it up against MC’s lower half and stood in front of him.

It took the coaxing of MC and the snark comments of his siblings to make Mammon finally allow MC to walk around freely.

Looking back on it, Mammon most certainly understands why even Asmo had called him clingy.

But even now, he can’t help but hold MC a little bit closer in public when so many demons are staring at him! It just feels wrong to allow them to do that.

Cut him some slack, he thinks MC looks amazing, and he trusts him, but they’re literally in hell surrounded by demons. He just wants to keep his boy safe <33

Levi doesn’t even realize what MC’s wearing at first.

In fact, he doesn’t realize even after their first FEW encounters.

He only notices because while Mammon was ranting to him and Satan about money, he brings up MC and his “stupid and cute but also dumb skirts”

Levi is baffled that he’s the only one that hasn’t noticed it. So, the next time he walks by MC’s room, he contemplates stopping by to talk. Right... Socialize. That.

While Levi is stuck in his thoughts, MC opens the door, presumably ready to go out to a party with Mammon and Asmo.

*fish man short circuits*

MC looks...! S-so cute....!

- thinks the third born otaku.

Because I’m big on fashion, I can kind of picture an exact skirt I feel would apply to him. Let your mind run free but I imagine a semi-sheer maxi skirt with water-like embellishments uwu

But don’t get me wrong, Levi literally loves seeing MC in skirts so anything will get him like 😳 yall know how he is

Actually starts to get more interested in feminine fashion because of MC. And one day, he purchases a long black skirt from Akuzon.

He saw a popular cosplayer wearing one, and so he makes that his excuse.

No one even realizes the change except for Asmo, who gushes over the new look, even if it barely changed. MC also notices, but only compliments him/brings it up when they’re alone so Levi doesn’t overheat.

I was this close to typing “Satan is a man of beauty and FASHION” can you believe that

OKAY ENOUGH SATAN SLANDER

Satan... He can recognize when someone else looks ridiculous.

But he knows for a FACT. That MC very likely pulls off a skirt better than anyone he’s seen before.

Call him biased, but he sincerely loves it on MC specifically.

He likes the puffier skirts because they’re ADORBS, but for a more casual look, there’s this one asymmetrical skirt in particular that makes MC look so handsome to him.

He has no idea why men don’t wear skirts more often! Surely MC isn’t the only one that can do it!

Oh. Right. Gender norms 😪🤚🏼

Satan feels his anger crawl up his skin when he watches MC get ridiculed. And just for something he simply enjoys wearing! The nerve of demons.

He advances to “de-escalate” the situation in the most “avatar of wrath” way possible, but when he sees MC’s slumped shoulders walking away from him, he feels more inclined to follow and comfort him.

Satan gives an icy glare to the irrelevant demons, taking note of their faces, and goes after MC.

He doesn’t immediately bring up the situation, instead opting to go out on a spontaneous date to a nice café or a shopping district. Anything to distract from the situation subtly.

If his plan works out, splendid. Anything to make light of situation without even addressing it for even a day is good.

If the shopping and food doesn’t quite bring MC’s smile to his eyes, Satan will just have to be forward with his feelings for once.

“MC. I’m not entirely sure how I can get it through to you, but you shouldn’t be worrying about what some moronic, low-level demons think of you or your clothes. Much less what they say. Just be you, and make them suffer ten times worse.”

MC relishes in his words, even if the last bit sounded more like a threat than anything.

The last thing Satan would ever do is let MC even hesitate wearing an outfit that he would have had no trouble throwing on any other day because of someone else.

Asmo screams (in a happy way)

“No, Mammon! You’re wrong. MC is NOT my personal dress-up doll! He’s my model.”

Trying to break the stigma around Asmo’s “shallow” personality, let’s get the obvious things out of the way.

He and MC shop together pretty much every other day. It’s almost concerning. And nail appointments are, of course, regular.

NOW THAT THAT’S OVER,

Yes yes, Asmo loves the skirts and wonderfully glossy black nails, but there’s still such a massive divide between him and MC. Not physically, or even relationship-wise.

He’s never met someone like MC, who is so fashion-heavy and just the right amount of self-centered.

He thinks its the fact that they’re a human and demon. But he’s seen firsthand that the line between what makes a demon so different from a human is very thin. Solomon is an example of that.

But he realizes it’s just MC. He’s simply dressing for himself and himself only.

Asmo loves himself, there’s no doubt. And it’s nice to go out and dress fancy for others. He couldn’t dream of another lifestyle.

But he has to admit that what MC is doing is working for him. He comes off as a charming sort of man when he ignores the negative comments made about his clothes.

He knows that people in both Devildom and the human realm are a little sensitive when it comes to men in skirts. And the fact that MC continues to wear them is beautiful in and of itself.

This got kind of deep out of nowhere and i apologize but Asmo deserves to be seen for more than he’s constantly portrayed as 😞

Diavolo isn’t really thrown off that much by it at first, but as time passes, he starts to understand the appeal of skirt-wearing MC.

PENCIL SKIRT LOVER 🚨🔊PENCIL SKIRT LOVER🚨🚨🚨🔊🔊🔔🗯

Barbatos has to remind him that it’s rude to stare, but he finds it almost entertaining how whipped they BOTH are for MC.

Like Asmo, he actually loves bringing him out to shop!

The only difference between the two experiences is that Diavolo has no fucking idea what he’s doing when he picks out clothes for him.

Which leads to some pretty funny/terrible clothing combinations.

No, Diavolo, MC will not be wearing a flannel top with a camouflage hi-low skirt. Put those plaid socks away.

He’s confused and even a little sad when MC continues to turn down his ideas, but he figures that he should turn this into a learning opportunity.

So he lets MC grab whatever he wants, and patiently waits for him to finish up in the fitting rooms.

The store clerk is shitting her pants at the sight of the literal future ruler of Devildom hyping MC up with the energy of a puppy retriever.

Barbatos does an amazing job pretending like this doesn’t affect him.

He’s a classy man, he just internally loses it when he sees MC in any fancy skirt, really. From silky gold ruffles to a victorian-esc vibe, he’s obsessed.

So when Diavolo makes arrangements for an event/ball, Barbatos makes sure to, at the very least, offer to help MC get ready at the castle. He may not be the most fashion-centric but being able to spend time with MC in an extravagant get up is enough to make a demon butler interested.

Most of the time he’s disappointed because in between the seven brothers, he’d be lucky to be able to see MC at all because of how jealous they can all get.

I can imagine that even Diavolo doesn’t get to hear what Barbatos has to say about MC and his ability to make him weak at the knees.

But all it takes is Diavolo prompting, “MC’s outfit tonight... It was a sight for sore eyes, correct?”

Then, Barbatos lets a compliment or two slip out.

I can also imagine MC wearing a slightly short snd flowy skirt, and some rather disgusting demons waiting for it to get picked up by the wind, only for Barbatos to already be there, discreetly holding the fabric down and shooting them an intensely calm smile

Barbatos will always be one step ahead of creeps.

👀..

sneaky boy is sneaky.. especially with the constant glances he gives MC.

Solomon’s favorite type of skirt to see on MC is DEFINITELY pleated. No other option.

Unlike Lucifer, if MC isn’t wearing a skirt, he makes it clear that he wishes he would’ve.

It’s in a playful manner, though! Don’t worry.

“No skirt today? Bummer. That’s fine though, I can’t expect myself to feel attracted any less.”

I imagine MC wearing a flowy skirt to some sort of event at the demon lord’s castle, and he uses his magic to make it temporarily sparkle or shine.

This mf flashy and wants EVERYONE to know that MC is dancing with HIM and no one else.

But if you ask him about it, what? What’re you talking about? Lights?? Emitting from your skirt??? While we were dancing ?¿ Crazy talk. I would never do such a thing.,.

As childish as it is, he loves to see the way it flows when MC twirls or turns.

Not in a weird way, either. It’s just beautiful to him.

So, not to be cheesy (which he WITHOUT A DOUBT is.) but he’ll occasionally just spin MC by his hand throughout the day, then catch/dip him by the waist.

[thevindicativevordan]

Mongul

Wanted to chat about another Superman Rogue who has been around a while: Mongul.

Background

Now this guy enjoys something of a mixed reputation. On one hand he, unlike many other Superman classic Rogues, has actually been in some good stories. There’s the iconic For The Man Who Has Everything by Alan Moore which is the perfect encapsulation of his core character traits. There he’s a hulking brute, with enough raw power to go toe to toe with Superman and actually hurt him with physical force alone. He’s crude, making misogynistic comments to Wonder Woman, and gleefully reveling in the conquest he plans. Yet he’s also clever, using the Black Mercy to incapacitate his foe, and has an air of faux affability to him that only adds to his menace. 

It should come as no surprise that an Alan Moore story is still Mongul’s best showing, but there are other stories worth mentioning as well. There’s Superman: Exile, the first meeting between the Post-Crisis Superman and Mongul and personally one of my favorite Post-Crisis Superman stories. There’s Mongul’s debut Pre-Crisis issue where he and Warworld first appear. There’s his attempt to hijack the Sinestro Corps during the Johns era of Green Lantern. Finally there’s his usage in Bendis Superman, which has been the first time in ages he’s been treated as a serious threat, and given an interesting way to serve as a contrast as Superman.

So why does he suffer from a mixed reputation? Well...

He sure does look familiar doesn’t he? He was created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin, and Starlin you might recall was the creator of Thanos, who was a ripoff of Darkseid. So Mongul is a copy of a copy, lacking the grandeur of Darkseid and the ambition of Thanos. He and Apocalypse are both cast in Darkseid’s mold, and have both gotten one really great and iconic storyline that guarantees they’ll stick around, but have also not traditionally fared well outside that one story. Also like Apocalypse:

He has a really bad habit of jobbing and being used by writers to prop up their characters. Jurgens used him to prop up Hank Henshaw in Reign of the Supermen and Henshaw again along with Zod in the Rebirth arc Revenge!, giving him a reputation as a joke. He also got killed by Sinestro pretty easily during his coup attempt.

Besides that he’s also unfortunately been treated as a generic tyrant for Superman to beat up, lacking much in the way of characterization, or in being a meaningful contrast to Superman beyond “Superman uses his strength to serve others, Mongul uses his to oppress them”. For a while I kind of wrote him off as a lost cause, someone that really didn’t offer anything as a Superman opponent beyond that one Alan Moore story. But recently I’ve changed my opinion; I’ve come to believe Mongul does in fact serve an important purpose and should be treated as an essential part of the Superman Rogues Gallery. Part of this turnabout was caused by really enjoying his usage in Bendis’ Superman run, which caused me to do a reread of Mongul stories, and got me thinking about who Mongul is, what he’s about, and what role he plays.

What Role Mongul Plays

A crucial realization hit me while I was rereading Mongul stories: Mongul is The Bully of the Supermythos.

He’s the guy who doesn’t delude himself into thinking he’s the hero like Lex does. He doesn’t consider himself above petty emotions or notions of right and wrong like Brainiac. He doesn’t have a sympathetic background like General Zod does. He’s the guy who enjoys pounding people into the dirt, who doesn’t mask his desire to lord over the populace behind pretenses of noble intentions. He’s gleeful as he crushes his enemies beneath his heel, he’s petty in that he enjoys forcing people to fight for his amusement, he’s dangerous in that while Darkseid can be bargained with, Mongul is always going to prefer to take what he wants via force and is powerful enough to do just that. In other words, he’s the exact kind of guy Superman started out wanting to take down, just living in the cosmic space where Superman can actually kick his ass without it feeling like punching down. 

That core ethos, beautifully summed up in All-Star Superman, is in direct opposition to Mongul’s entire lifestyle. When the United Planets starts to form in Bendis’ Superman, Mongul is outraged, not just because it may pose a threat to him, but because the very idea of the “weak” uniting into a stronger whole downright offends him. He runs Warworld to cull the “weak and unfit” of the universe for his own amusement and entertainment, the petty schoolyard bully who has turned a planet-sized Death Star into his own playground, and he climbed to the top via crushing anyone that stood against him with his own two hands or outwitting them with his brain. He’s got no time for others who think they can rise above their station in life without the physical/mental power to back that desire up. If Superman believes that everyone is capable of greatness, Mongul is a firm believer that greatness is the sole purview of the very few (and really only himself). 

This core conflict allows writers to bring back the bully hunter of the Golden Age and early New 52 t-shirt and jeans Supermen. Here’s a guy, a foreign ruler no less, who is actively oppressing people. We get to enjoy seeing Superman taking on a foreign dictator because he’s off in space instead of doing so here on Earth where thorny parallels to American interventionism abroad would be raised. Superman can be the Champion of the Oppressed again, and that’s always something I enjoy seeing.

I’d also like to bring up why Mongul was originally created. Len Wein wanted a foe for Superman who could match him physically. In other words, Mongul is like Doomsday if Doomsday actually had a personality. Mongul offers the opportunity for deeper exploration of Superman that Doomsday can’t. We know this literally because Mongul’s best story isn’t just a slugfest between the two the way Doomsday’s is. For The Man Who Has Everything is one of the best explorations of just how damn lonely being the Last Son of Krypton is for Kal. Exile explores the ethics of Superman’s no kill rule, his belief in the sanctity of life, his struggles to hold onto that belief in the face of the cruelty of others. His usage in Bendis’ run is to illustrate just how fragile the United Planets is, how easily it can break apart, and how hard Superman is going to have to strive to make it work. PKJ used Mongul in his Future State Superman: Worlds of War stories to show the lengths Superman will go to liberate others, his defiance in the face of Mongul’s attempts to break him. There’s an opportunity for psychological evaluation of Superman when Mongul shows up that just isn’t there with Doomsday. That alone is reason to keep him around, but he also brings a bunch of cool shit in addition.

Cool Aspects Mongul Brings to the Supermythos

He’s got a Death Star that doubles as a gladiator coliseum, where we get to see Superman compete with other gladiators from across the cosmos. Mongul lets Superman channel that Conan brutality in a very entertaining way, putting Superman in a setting where he’s facing lots of foes who can go up against him with raw strength and numbers alone. 

It’s a place that channels that pulp science fiction that Superman was borne from in a very entertaining way in my opinion. Also they should set a Superman video game there (but that’s another blog post). The gladiators are also useful, either as oppressed prisoners for Superman to liberate, and showcase directly how he makes life better, or as bloodthirsty mooks that can actually challenge Superman without dimishing him.

The Black Mercy is an awesome science fiction concept. While it’s been overused in relation to Mongul, it’s also the embodiment of the unknown wonders and threats of DC Cosmic. In the right hands it’s a great tool for exploring characters’ psychology. 

Bendis and Fraction reestablished that the name “Mongul” is a legacy one. The current Mongul is from a long line of Monguls, the sons killing their fathers when their fathers show weakness. Given how Rebirth has established the importance of legacy to Superman with Jon, something continued by Bendis, this may be a very crucial aspect to play off of. The way “Mongul” as a mantle is assumed is a dark contrast to the way the “Superman” mantle is taken up by others after Clark. Exploring the Mongul father-son relationship in contrast to the Clark-Jon relationship may be in the cards for the PKJ run given Mongul will be the first classic Superman Rogue appearing in PKJ Action. If not I hope some other writer will take a chance to explore the way the two contrast and compare with one another because it could be very interesting.

What I Would Change About Mongul

I think there’s already a pretty damn solid base to build off of with Mongul, but some aspects that I would play up to better establish him as separate from both Clark and Darkseid:

Making him more of a hedonist. This is a guy who eat, drinks, and fucks, and enjoys himself while doing so. He loves being a bad guy and isn’t “weighed down by his sins” or any such nonsense

Showcase his knowledge more. Mongul is smart, he’s been all over the cosmos, he learned about Warworld and the Black Mercy, show that he knows other dangerous secrets as well. Weapons, planets, florua, fauna, Mongul knows stuff not even the Guardians do

Establish some underlings. Instead of having Mongul job, use some of his gladiators, elite ones raised above the riffraff who can pose a threat and hold off Superman while Mongul accomplishes his goals

Appearance wise I’d like to make him look more different from Darkseid. I’d want to draw on dinosaurs for his look. If you need to justify it, just have another son replace the current Mongul and become the new Mongul, or have Mongul modify himself with enhancements in order to beat Superman

Mongul is cool and brings a lot to the table, DC just needs to stop treating him as a jobber and more as a legitimate threat. I was happy with how Bendis used him, and I am hopeful that PKJ will continue to treat him well. He’s a villain who actually has stories that showcase why he rocks, and not just cool ideas that have never come together like other Superman Rogues. Hopefully he’ll get more opportunities to showcase that.

[fictionturnedherbrain]

Marguerite

Full name: Marguerite Blakeney, née St Just

Nick-names: Margot; ‘little mother’

Age: 25 (‘scarcely five-and-twenty’, in September 1792)

Born: August 1767

Place of birth: France

Education: Convent school, Paris; travelled to England to study the language

Currently lives: Blakeney Manor, Richmond, England

Height: ‘Tall above the average’, perhaps 5’ 6”; slender, regal figure

Eye colour: A very fluid blue!

Hair colour: Strawberry blonde (‘reddish-golden’, ‘ardent’)

Facial features: ‘Classic brow’, ‘sweet, almost childlike mouth’ with ‘full lips’, ‘straight chiselled nose’, ‘round chin’ and a ‘delicate throat’

Marital status: Wife of Sir Percy Blakeney, Bt. They met at Versailles, during a banquet held for the Flanders regiment on October 3, 1789. Two years later, they were married at the Church of St Roch, Paris, ‘just like that’, ‘without a soirée de contrat or diner de fiançailles’

Family: Brother, Armand St Just (eight years her senior). Parents died when Marguerite was ‘but a child’

Occupation: A gentlewoman. Formerly an actress with the Comédie Française. Also a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, 1792-1795 (‘You are a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. The most adored. The most revered amongst all’)

Interests: Society hostess (balls, routs, suppers, etc.); music (operas, particularly Glück’s Orpheus); reading (contemporary novels, such as Fielding’s Tom Jones); setting the trend in fashion (‘She wore the short-waisted, classical-shaped gown, which so soon was to become the approved mode in every country in Europe’); the company of her friends, Suzanne Ffoulkes, Juliette Deroulede, Yvonne Dewhurst

Passions: Time alone with her husband (‘Moments like this, when she was alone with him, were the joy of her life’); the late night drives from London to their Richmond home (‘a source of perpetual delight to Marguerite’)

Character: Once an enthusiastic republican and feted actress, courted by men such as the Scarlet Pimpernel’s arch-enemy, Citizen Chauvelin (‘one of the many satellites that revolved around brilliant Marguerite St Just’ ), Marguerite gave all up for love. Yet despite exchanging the Paris stage for London and Bath society, she still holds true to the ideals of the Republic, even after personal experience has made her detest what people will do in the name of liberty. She does not judge by wealth or class, only by individual intelligence and creativity – and how these gifts are utilised. Marguerite is also very impulsive in her actions, and is often guided by instinct, whether wisely or foolishly. She has a passionate and loving nature, dedicating herself wholly to those she cares for – her brother Armand, and her husband, Percy. Her selfless concern for others has on occasion actually imperilled those she would give her life to save, so forceful is her desire to actively protect the people she loves. Her loyalty to her husband, the Scarlet Pimpernel, has never wavered, and has been tested many times. Initially insecure that his love for her, though great, was not as devoted as her own for him (‘He loved her and went away!’), Marguerite has learned to trust in her husband’s seemingly boundless good luck and ingenuity, supporting his dangerous mercy missions instead of trying to hold him back (‘the noble-hearted woman, whose very soul was wrapped up in the idolised husband, allowed herself to ride by his side on the buoyant waves of his enthusiasm’). She has even taken an active role in the League’s adventures, preferring to face her husband’s fate rather than be left without him (“If you go, I go with you”). If she sometimes gives into the emotional strain, and pleads for Percy to put her needs first, it is only because his love has come to shape Marguerite’s life (‘ the one man who had made her so infinitely proud and happy in his love’) ; from a young girl who thought herself incapable of love, and who claimed to have married for wealth and position, she has matured into a woman who is happiest in the company of her husband, and who will suffer any hardship to be with him. Marguerite has suffered greatly since learning of her husband’s dual identity, but she has also found a soul mate and earned the love of a noble-hearted, adventurous, and intense individual - somebody a lot like herself (“Are we not one, you and I?”) She understands that Percy’s honour is bound up in the reputation of the Scarlet Pimpernel, and that the strength of his love for her is proven by his dedication to others: ‘Nay, it intensified it, made it purer and better’.

Marguerite is not unaware of her physical charm, as it has helped to advance her career and attract admirers who flatter her vanity – but how much of her confidence is natural, and how much an act? Does she believe all that people tell her, about her beauty, wit and talent, or is she hiding behind a studied role?

Actress Vs. Child Marguerite definitely has a pampered ego, and will not let her guard down in public. Her republican philosophy that ‘money and titles may be hereditary, but brains are not’ seems to stem from her own self-image, rather than any political influence: she has only equals in society, never betters. When the aristocratic Comtesse de Tournay crosses Marguerite in public, the bourgeois actress regards her with ‘hard, set eyes’. Yet when the Comtesse refuses to let Marguerite speak to daughter Suzanne, a childhood friend of Marguerite’s, a ‘wistful, almost pathetic and childlike look’ replaces the defiant glare. This is Marguerite’s core: the young Mme. St Just within the haughty, practiced Lady Blakeney, and few are allowed to penetrate her perfect facade; only when she is alone can Marguerite relax, like one ‘long oppressed with the heavy weight of constant self-control’.

Love The key to earning Marguerite’s love is to win her trust. For all her brilliance and popularity, the twenty-five year old actress-turned-lady is emotionally insecure; before meeting Sir Percy, she had already consigned herself to a life alone: ‘I naturally believed it was not in my nature to love’. Why should such a beautiful, successful and young woman have closed her heart to happiness? After her rather unexpected and unconventional marriage, it was claimed that Mademoiselle St Just was a ‘brilliant matrimonial prize’ for which ‘there had been many competitors’, and this can be believed – but how many men might have proposed, how far they got, and what happened to them, seems not to have affected Marguerite. Even when speaking of Sir Percy, in the early days of their marriage, she can only say that she would have allowed herself to be ‘worshipped’ and ‘given infinite tenderness in return’; she does not speak of her love for him, because, at that point, she is not able to recognise it in herself (‘A woman’s heart is such a complex problem’).

Marguerite’s concept of love, as with her support of the revolution, is purely idealistic: she has notions of how it should be, but her upbringing has sheltered her from gaining any experience of the realities. Her formative years were spent in a Paris convent, where she was educated alongside the wealthy children of noble families, such as Suzanne de Tournay. After her education (she and Suzanne travelled to England, at one point, to study the language), Marguerite became an actress, making her debut at the Comédie Française when she was eighteen. Yet instead of succumbing to the attentions of male admirers at the theatre and perhaps becoming somebody’s mistress, she seems to have immersed herself in the romance and morality of the plays in which she acted, waiting for a ‘perfect love’ which might not exist. Percy’s slavish devotion to her flattered her vanity, but also appealed to her romantic imagination: when she talks of the Pimpernel, unaware of the connection with her husband, Marguerite reflects that ‘there was a man she might have loved’, the ‘shadowy king of her heart’ so like a character upon the stage in his bravery, chivalry and anonymity. She admits that she was ‘vain and frivolous’, attracted by Percy’s wealth and position, and takes advantage of all the trappings of her new lifestyle when he withdraws his love. Material possessions and a grand home in which to entertain a new court of admirers, however, are only superficial distractions; as Lady Blakeney, Marguerite is ‘lonely in the midst of her grandeur’.

Though praised for her beauty, wit and talent, Marguerite has always felt secretly undeserving and mistrustful of anything more than token flattery. Her vanity can accept compliments with ‘inimitable grace’, but she is wary of having to give anything in return. Though initially attracted to Sir Percy’s ‘curious intensity of concentrated passion’, it is the fact that she perceived him as ‘slow and stupid’ – or safe and submissive – which allowed Marguerite to overcome that main obstacle and agree to marriage. A clever or busy man would soon tire of Marguerite’s charms, her looks and her witty conversation, but she believed that an unquestioning slave such as Sir Percy would always worship her as a goddess, and bend to her will – which she accepted as no more than her due.

When Percy rejects her as soon as she becomes his wife, Marguerite is lost. She is ‘grateful’ to him, for his generosity, unceasing civility and polite attentions, but cannot comprehend the change in his attitude towards her. Loneliness, fear and a bruised ego cause her to defend herself in the only safe way she knows – by hiding her feelings behind a mask, and acting the role of her own life: ‘she, too, had worn a mask in assuming a contempt for him’. To maintain her dignity in public, and to try and rouse a strong reaction from her husband in private, Marguerite takes to mocking Sir Percy, who has similarly retreated behind the guise of society fop: she tries to ‘goad him to self-assertion’; ‘even amused herself by sharpening her ready wits at his expense’. When he merely accepts her taunts, she tries to stir his jealousy by flirting with other men, but Percy leaves her alone to do as she wishes, ‘to flirt, dance, to amuse or bore herself as much as she liked’, such is his pain over her apparent deception. Marguerite, like a vindictive child, wants to hurt her husband as much as the unexplained withdrawal of his love has hurt her, and says ‘cruel, insulting things, which she vaguely hoped would wound him’, but it is only her vanity that has been insulted. She assumed, before they married, that he would accept anything she did or said. Burdened with the guilt of her rash act of revenge, Marguerite told Percy of her part in the execution of the St Cyr family, trusting that her ‘boundless power’ over him would suppress his judgement of her, and took his silence as a lack of comprehension. Blinded by his devotion, Marguerite didn’t bother to learn about her husband’s true personality, just as he idolised his own image of her; only when she confronts her husband, after a year of estrangement, does she realise that her initial hesitation in confiding in him shattered his illusion of the ‘angel’ he married. When the permanence of marriage breaks the spell of their brief courtship, they begin to find out who it is they think themselves in love with. Percy learns about Marguerite’s human failings through her denunciation of the Marquis, and Marguerite must accept the exaggerated persona of her husband’s pride as his true self.

Armand ‘Her love for her brother, Armand St Just, was deep and touching in the extreme’: Marguerite is mother, sister, friend to Armand, and because he is the only person she can trust without reserve, ‘whom she dared to love’, the bond between them becomes like a lifeline to her. Losing their parents at a young age blurred the roles of their relationship: Armand, elder by eight years, became a father figure and chaperone to his young sister, and Marguerite, when she was old enough, provided a maternal influence in her brother’s life. Having Armand ‘near her to love and protect her, to guard her from the many subtle intrigues which were raging in Paris’ has obviously been a regulating factor in Marguerite’s unconventional upbringing. It is possible to imagine that he has saved her from her own guileless and impulsive nature, steering her away from unwelcome attentions on more than one occasion. Marguerite is naïve and sensitive beneath her cool attitude and arrogant beauty – she needs the advice of others to help her actively confront difficult situations, otherwise she is content to let events happen to her. And when she does act on impulse, to avenge her brother and her own injured pride, she is blind to the consequences until it is too late. Her denouncement of the treasonous Marquis de St Cyr, an unfortunate combination of her own petty desire for revenge and gullible nature, is the event which separates Marguerite and Percy immediately after their wedding.

Armand’s pivotal role in her life, however, makes Marguerite afraid to release her brother and trust in anybody else. Before he is to return to France, she holds him with ‘sudden strong, almost motherly passion’, and pleads with him that, “I have only you to care for me”, when what she probably means is that she has only Armand to love her. Her protective over-reaction is understandable, considering that Armand’s life is constantly under threat as a citizen of revolutionary France, but neither does Marguerite want to be left ‘alone’. Her brother’s first visit since beginning her new life in England as Lady Blakeney can only have intensified Marguerite’s feelings of loneliness and estrangement as a Frenchwoman in exile; her brother is her ‘home’, a link to the life she left behind. Already convinced that she will never love another being as wholly as she does her brother, ‘the only being in the whole world who has loved me truly and constantly’, her sisterly and maternal concerns for his safety are multiplied by her own fears of losing the last member of her immediate family, and being completely abandoned in a strange country with a husband who is cold towards her. Armand tries to reassure her, understanding ‘the reserve which lurked behind her frank, open ways’, but he is not as dependent upon her as she is with him.

Marguerite reveals to Armand the truth of her marriage, and hints at how unhappy she is in her new life, but her pride will not allow her to break down completely. After only a year apart, Armand finds himself locked out of his sister’s deepest confidence, and has to form his own conclusions based on his understanding of Marguerite’s nature. He realises that she has misjudged and underestimated her husband, not recognising that he could be as proud and headstrong as her until it was too late, and that her bargaining on a ‘fool’ might have been miscalculated. Armand regrets the distance between them, but as Lady Blakeney, she will not let down her guard, even to her brother.

Fate

Until she follows her husband to Paris to save his life, attempting to redeem herself by repairing the consequences of her actions, Marguerite tends to view the choices she makes as being beyond her control: ‘Fate had decided, had made her speak, had made her do a vile and abominable thing’. Without the support of a third party to ‘shift from her young, weak shoulders this terrible burden of responsibility’, Marguerite disassociates herself from her actions, in a defensive bid to spare her conscience: ‘What had she done to have deserved all this?’ Perhaps the greatest example of this is her view of the St Cyr executions, and the extent of her role in their downfall. The Marquis was a traitor to his country, a royalist and an aristocrat seeking military intervention from Austria, and this information was known by other people before Marguerite learned of it ‘amongst her own coterie’, but this doesn’t change the fact that she then, with ‘a few thoughtless words’, denounced the Marquis to the Assembly (probably via Chauvelin). Nor was her desire for retribution motivated by patriotism or political ideals – the Marquis’ crime was personal: ‘what her brother must have suffered in his manhood and his pride must have been appalling; what she suffered through him and with him she never attempted to even analyse’. Still naïve and immature, for all her renowned salon wit, Marguerite failed to foresee the fatal consequences of her actions, although her ‘friends’ were fully aware (‘they trapped and duped me’). ‘Horrified’ at the repercussions of her ‘thoughtlessness’, Marguerite ‘strain[ed] every nerve, us[ed] every influence’ to reverse what she had set in motion and save the St Cyrs, but it was ‘too late’. Satisfied that she had done all she could, Marguerite was able to convince herself that ‘fate had merely stepped in’, and that she was actually ‘morally innocent’. Spiteful, ignorant and easily influenced, she probably didn’t think beyond humiliating the Marquis, who had punished her brother, and therefore insulted her own bourgeois background, for being socially beneath his family – but that she did so in a petty bid for revenge makes Marguerite far from blameless.

Entirely free of false humility, Marguerite is equally aware of her attractions and her failings. She complains to Chauvelin about the incongruence of living in a land of ‘fogs and virtues’, and observes to the Prince of Wales that ‘virtue is like precious odours, most fragrant when it is crushed’. Marguerite’s bohemian lifestyle as an actress, earning a living in deception and courted as a republican mascot, contrasts sharply with her strict and pious childhood in the convent, and the dichotomy of the two goes a way towards explaining her liberal yet penitent attitude to life. Whereas there is no doubt that Marguerite enjoys life, as the ‘darling of a brilliant throng, adored, feted, petted, cherished’, with ‘the joy of living writ plainly’ upon her face, her generous and compassionate spirit is easily disturbed by the cruelty and suffering around her. Her cynical wisdom and sharp wit display a pensive and distrustful side to her youthful personality, as she warns her brother that ‘little sins are far less dangerous and uncomfortable’. An ardent supporter of the ‘lofty virtues’ that inspired the Revolution, Marguerite welcomed the new Republic, but when the words and visions of philosophers like Rousseau and Mirabeau were replaced by the harsher realities of violence and executions, she was horrified and quickly abandoned the bloody excesses of France for the security of England.

Class

Marguerite is trapped between social plateaus in ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’: proclaiming herself a republican with ‘an enthusiasm for liberty and equality’, she is originally from a middle-class background, elevated in her own sphere by her beauty and wit, and then removed from her queenly position in Paris to become a pretender to the aristocracy in England upon her marriage. Sir Percy is a baronet, on the next to the lowest rung of the peerage, but his wealth, good name and novelty value in the Prince of Wale’s court ensure that he is accepted amongst the higher ranks of society (at least two of the League are lords). However, this still makes rather a hypocrite of Marguerite, who, despite professing that ‘money and titles may be hereditary, but brains are not’, seems to enjoy her new status. She accepts ‘jewels and luxuries’ from Sir Percy, in place of affection and a happy marriage, and adapts to the privilege and insularity of English society within a year. At Brogard’s inn, when she and Sir Andrew travel to Calais to warn Percy that Chauvelin is on his trail, Marguerite is disgusted by her fellow ‘citizen’, thoroughly acting the part of the pampered aristocrat as she holds her handkerchief to her ‘dainty nose’ and stares ‘in horror’ at her surroundings.

She and Chauvelin are both idealists, preferring rhetoric to action; when the diplomat seeks to enlist her patriotic assistance in Dover, Marguerite asks, ‘What can I do, here in England?’ Overhearing her confrontation with the haughty Comtesse de Tournay, Chauvelin confronts Marguerite with this typical example of social injustice in the hope that her bruised pride will make her an ally, but Marguerite can defend herself. Instead of betraying the brave Pimpernel to punish the undeserving aristocrats he rescues, such as the de Tournays, Marguerite calls the Comtesse’s bluff with the aid of the Prince of Wales, ‘with a wealth of mischief in her twinkling blue eyes’. As a bourgeois actress, Marguerite has suffered the prejudice and arrogance of the aristocracy, inspiring her faith in the Republican creed of ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’, but her popular reception amongst the London ton, and the Royal protection she enjoys as a friend of the Prince of Wales, tempers her vehemence. Marguerite’s primary motivation is safeguarding the security and happiness of herself and those closest to her: to avenge a brother, she spoke out of spite, and to provide for her future, she turned on her homeland. Money and titles may not matter to Marguerite, but neither will she renounce personal advantages on principle; without ‘her rank, her dignity, her secret enthusiasms’, she is always Marguerite St Just.

[thoughts-penned-down]

Gruhakaryam - The Creation Of Human Life

BRIEF

Emotions are thought of as something that lets you feel about things, in a good way or bad - but it just isn’t all about it. The factors that led to your emotions and the factors that your emotions will result in, all matters which are more important and worthy of attention and being taken into consideration, for the sake of which this article is put forth.

LET’S BE MORE SPECIFIC!

How often do you have a conversation or at least be prone to topics that everybody seems to know but are not often spoken about?

Being aware of such things isn’t only important but also life-changing if known at the right time or beforehand -only to save some regrets later on in life😌

Since the heading read 'let’s be specific’, let us actually be🤷‍♀️.

What picture comes to your mind when you hear the word 'Sex’? Adding to it, 'sex intended for having a baby?’.

Does it sound more like a taboo topic? Or like a physical act? Or Lovemaking?Or even just 'baby making' ??

Let’s know the science behind it…

SCIENCE BEHIND THE PICTURE YOU CREATED IN YOUR MIND

"Making Baby" in itself is more than just an act. It is like planting a tree for which we need seeds, soil, time, and right nourishment and most importantly is spiritual too. Why?

Because what else can you call for the creation of new life?

And when it is about a new life you are thinking of, isn’t it necessary you give in a lot of good for the same?

Before knowing what I mean by 'good’, let me state some things that study proves.

Ayurveda believes that the reproductive health of both men and women is dependant on plasma, blood tissue, muscle tissue, fat tissue, bone marrow, reproductive tissue. Nourishing these plays a vital role in having a healthy child.

Factors like obesity, emotions, stress, metabolism, and lifestyle contribute to not only the baby’s health but also the mother’s during pregnancy and conceiving. So having a healthy routine and being mindful adds a lot more to the picture.

With the changing times, maintaining a work-life balance has been a challenge for working couples.

Adding value lessons to one’s own life, practicing gratitude, fulfilling one’s wish rather than having a baby as a wish — work, since it is not only the sexual fluids that are exchanged but feelings and emotions that are!

CASE STUDY

FOOD AND LIFESTYLE — Overhearing a conversation between a doctor and a father who had just witnessed a stillborn, made evident that — a healthy diet is something everybody knows must follow but neglect without being aware of the after-effects. “ I witness 50–60% of stillborns — all of which are because of food habits the present lifestyle has brought up,” says the doctor. So act before it’s too late.

STRESS — A sole problem creator can make anything go from everything to zero. So it is advised to be totally stress-free for 4 months, especially during the act.

Negligence and lack of knowledge on the above-mentioned result in various kinds of miscarriages and pregnancy loss like chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, blighted ovum, first-trimester miscarriage, molar pregnancy to name a few.

PREPPING UP

Think of it this way. Since you are convinced that the Creation of life isn’t simple, it involves a lot more than planning. But what else to act upon?

WHAT CHANGES ARE TO BE MADE?

Have a calm mind. Meditate for having a peaceful state at least for three to four months. Follow a healthy diet throughout this duration and I can’t stress enough how much chanting or listening to value-based stories helps. Chanting of mantras and listening to them rejuvenates the nervous system and makes you feel refreshed. The exchange of emotions and happiness comes before the exchange of fluids. Appreciate each other daily. Read, listen and place yourself in the good surroundings that will naturally make a positive impact on thoughts, mindset, and fluids. Exercise regularly along with motivating each other to exercise. Perform Pranayamas. Engage in a soothing massage once every three months (Panchakarma is recommended as a result of which the three doshas namely Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are balanced). Be filled with a sense of positivity, enthusiasm, and gratitude in the air!

Be a genuine helping hand for the conceiving partner because the biology of childbirth that a mother undergoes in itself is very complex yet beautiful.

After three to four months, being aware of the monthly cycles of your partner, schedule a getaway, be life-enjoying and refreshed to cut off all the baggage that is weighing you down.

Rather than expecting a baby to be a solution to your already existing problems, solve them among yourselves to create a peaceful life for your offspring.

It is said that even the food cooked by a person with anger and agitation creates an ill effect on the people who feed on it. Guess what effects should your mind with stress, guilt, anger, turmoil, and a body being unhealthy, have on the newborn and the mother about to conceive!

Women suffering from PCOS, PCOD, Endometriosis, and any underlying factors that deteriorate infertility must live a health-conscious life from the start and your first job after conceiving is to find a good doctor and get it scanned on the very first day of your pregnancy confirmation to avoid life-threatening consequences like Ectopic Pregnancy. Find out the reason for the problem you are facing and then act upon it by changing food habits, lifestyle, environment. Great understanding between the partners, supporting each other mentally as well physically in highs and lows, being the caretaker when the other one fails to take care of themselves, sound cliche but not worthy of being ignored.

TAKING OFF

With all this being said, let’s hope for the evolving mindsets to understand this complex process to be no more complex if acted upon wisely and responsibly🤞🏻

Miracle of Life

[leejeongz]

cravity ideal types- MY OPINION

🔸i decided to not include an empirical height since we don’t know all of their real heights, i just did it in comparison to them so “shorter” or “taller”, i hope this is okay!🔸

*once legal

serim: 1999-2003*

i think serim would like someone who was shorter than him, but still considered quite tall in society, with long legs. someone who also dressed well would match him perfectly. i think he would want someone who took care of their appearance and presented themselves well at all times. he would probably like someone who never really “dressed down” when they were out, saving it only for when the two of them were alone. i get a feeling he finds the alternative aesthetic attractive on others, including piercings (and tattoos possibly).

in terms of their personality, i think serim would look for someone who would stand by him at all times (when justified) yet would challenge him to better himself. i get the feeling that serim always wants to be number 1 and wouldn’t settle for anything else and so someone that gives him that confidence and tells him where to improve without fear would be perfect. i think he would really like someone who was always smiling too, someone who was content with their life even if they weren’t living the lavish lifestyle that they had dreamed, it would make him feel like he should be happy too and would allow him to appreciate the little things in life that maybe others didn’t. oh also, someone with god tier playlist hehe.

allen: 1999-2004*

i think allen would want someone who was a similar height to him, maybe a little shorter but he wouldn’t mind, with an athletic build. i feel like he would adore someone who wore a natural look most of the time and appeared quite youthful in their looks. the clothes that they wear wouldn’t really have any effect of allen but seeing someone in colourful clothing would make him subconsciously very happy. i see him with someone who has big eyes and big lips, quite like himself, with pale skin and light hair, shoulder length or shorter. idk why but i think he’d find tattoos kinda hot and would love to learn about their meanings when he was alone with that person.

personality wise, i think allen would want someone who was a little flirtatious and playful, but only to him. he radiates playful energy himself so someone who was also like that would compliment his personality really well, especially when the two of them were alone. i don’t think he would like someone with no goals and no ambitions, i feel he would want to be inspired by his s/o and so they really need to be driven and determined to reach their own goal, whatever that may be. allen would probably find it really cute if they saved a part of themselves for his eyes only, for example if they acted tough in front of others but were actually really sensitive and in touch with their emotions behind closed doors.

jungmo: 1999-2003*

i don’t think that jungmo would take height into consideration when finding an s/o, but the idea of him with someone taller is so cute in my mind ahhh. i think he would like someone with beauty that is unique but can still be appreciated if that makes sense. he would want the right amount of cute and the right amount of hot in a person, just like himself, but would maybe only reveal one of those things to other people, leaving the other one just for him. hair wise, i think he would like someone with long brown hair that he can play with. i don’t really think he would fall for someone based on looks alone and would probably weigh it wayyy more on personality and attitudes.

like i mentioned before, i think someone with duality would make this boy w e a k. he would appreciate someone with a kind heart but a sharp tongue, someone that wouldn’t be afraid to call someone out on their bs. their humour would be what attracts him the most though, his partner must have a sense of humour that compliments his or else he would feel restricted in what he says or does. i get vibes from him that he is a good listener, so i think he needs someone to talk to too sometimes, someone who could also offer him sensible advice when he needs it. cooking for him is probably the way to his heart and so he would want someone that knows their way around a kitchen.

woobin: 2001-2005*

i sense woobin would want an s/o who understands him and his values and has a similar mindset to him, it would make communication easier and neither of you would be afraid to overstep any boundaries. i think he would want someone who knows what they want but isn’t afraid of making mistakes along the way, mistakes that they could both learn from together. someone who could show him new things would really spark his interest, he’d want to know more about your passions, especially if they were something he wasn’t too knowledgeable on. learning, to him, is an important part of a relationship and he sees it as quite an intimate aspect.

height wise, i see woobin with someone taller than him, whether that’s a lot or a little, he doesn’t really care. body type isn’t something he cares about either, nor the length of their hair, however, i do think he has a soft spot for mousy brown hair. i don’t really know how to explain this but i think he would like someone who wears neutral colours or house colours that compliments their skin tone, whatever that may be. probably likes people who overdress for every occasion and are a little out there with the style of clothes since the colours aren’t that bold. someone that looks put together is what he finds really attractive and makes him immediately want to learn more about them.

wonjin: 1999-2003*

i don’t think wonjin would be fussy and wouldn’t have a specific type, instead just going off vibes and the connection he has with the person. because of that, i think someone with a similar mindset would match him well since he feels like he can actually converse with them naturally. i think he’s quite an open minded person and so he wouldn’t care for cultural differences and would love to learn things about the other person’s culture. of course, since he loves to be funny and have a laugh, someone uptight wouldn’t be a great match for him and so he would love it if they could be their goofy selves in front of him. honestly probably just wants someone to vibe with more than anything.

height wise, i think he’d look good with someone shorter than him, it would probably make him feel most comfortable- like i said in a previous post, i think he would like to take the lead in a relationship and would prefer more of a “traditional” relationship. i think he would take an interest in the person’s clothing and would judge someone quite quickly off of their fashion, but is always open to changing his opinion on them. dressing well isn’t necessarily something he looks for, instead someone who is brave with their clothing choices and can pull it off. probably likes people who have their nails done, especially when they do it themselves and they aren’t really long.

minhee: 2002-2005*

since he’s an absolute g i a n t, i think he would struggle to feel comfortable physically (sharing a bed, cuddling etc) with someone taller or the same height, and so he would therefore like someone shorter (probably without even realising his reasoning lmao). not to mention he would find it insanely cute and would be his favourite topic of conversation. i think he would like someone with long, light brown hair, which is a lil bit wavy, and would find it very attractive if their eye colour was the same as their hair. he would really like it if they had an interest in fashion and could give him tips on how to make his outfits better.

i think he would like someone academically clever, always achieving good grades and reading in their spare time who could help him study sometimes and keep him motivated, but was also a little bit of a scatter brain. would probably fall for the “class president who everyone actually liked” type of person. someone who didn’t think too much into things unless they were really important would make minhee slightly intrigued. he would find it funny hearing their questionable thought processes but could also understand where they were coming from because he is also chaotic asf. little moments like those made him feel closer to that person and made him fall more in love with them.

hyeongjun: 2001-2003*

okay so, hyeongjun wants to be babied, that’s for certain. i think he’d love a person that was quite motherly, the mum of the group for sure. he’d really admire it if they could help him with things that he struggled with, even if that meant going out of their comfort zone just for him, it would allow him to trust them more. i think he’d be best with an extrovert. at the times when hyeongjun might shy away from things, he would be thankful of someone who could push him forward and make him do things that he might regret not doing later on. since he is sensitive himself, someone who wasn’t sensitive at all might intimidate him and he might feel pressured into acting okay when he isn’t and so i think someone sensitive, like himself, might be more suited to him.

his ideal height for an s/o would probably be shorter, someone who fit the “cute and bubbly” stereotype, while still having some more mature features. i think he would want someone with chubby cheeks and plump lips, both with a pink tint that was more than the average person’s. i don’t think he’d mind about the colour of hair, he might find shorter hair kinda cute tho. i think he would like someone who wore a lot of pastel colours and simple clothes, just like jeans and a tshirts. i think he would prefer someone more feminine.

taeyoung: 2003-2005*

his worst nightmare would probably be having an s/o who was really introverted and serious and so i think he would like someone carefree and just happy, ya know? he would like it if they were optimistic on every occasion and weren’t that cautious about new things, a risk taker. his ideal partner would be described as fun, simply put, there would be nothing that they wouldn’t try. he would appreciate some sarcasm, just to spice things up. for him i think it would be ideal if there was nothing he couldn’t joke about with them (idk i just get a dark humour vibe from him lmao) so he wouldn’t constantly be worried about what he was saying. obviously, it would be preferable if they had an idea about their future, but i think taeyoung would find it admirable if they were adaptable to any career and he would be supportive of whatever they chose.

in terms of height, i don’t think he would mind too much, perhaps preferring someone his height or a little taller. he would like it if they experimented with their looks, whether that be through their hair, their outfits, their make up, their accessories or all of the above, making them look different from the average joe. i’m not saying taeyoung has a thing for hands, but i think he would notice someone’s hands first and would make a judgement from this. he doesn’t strike me as someone who really cares for their appearance and would more likely fall for someone solely for their personality.

seongmin: 2002-2004*

i think he would like someone with a balanced mix of feminine and masculine, someone to compliment his mix of both (does that make sense? probably not). i see him being happiest with someone who is quite shy like himself but not exactly introverted. like they would still rather go out than stay at home to have fun but it would only be the two of them most of the time. he wouldn’t want them to be AS shy as him though because how else would he talk to them? i think he would like it if they were more sensitive than him and weren’t afraid to show their emotions, and at the same time made him feel comfortable about showing his emotions. at the end of the day, he just wants someone who accepts him for who he is without trying to change him in a way that he doesn’t want to, he wants to develop into a better person during a relationship.

seongmin having a smaller s/o would be so freaking cute like he could baby them and a g h so yea i think someone smaller would suit him well! i’d say he likes someone with black hair, maybe dyed underneath like a bright pink or blue or something (that’s a thing, right?), i think he’d find that so cool. i think the first thing he notices about someone is their smile and would like to see that person smiling like all the time. someone who radiates cute energy would make seongmin feel so weak he’d have no choice but to fall in love with them.

[wisdomrays]

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Did Prophet Muhammad Write the Qur'an?: Part 2

The Qur'an's substance also is a compelling argument for its Divine authorship. Those who allege that someone wrote it provide no proof to support their assertion. Other Scriptures, due to human intervention, make claims that we know to be untrue. For example, they give a particular account of creation or of a natural phenomenon (e.g., the Flood), which we know from modern scientific facts, such as fossils or astronomic discoveries, to be false. People altered those Scriptures to suit their own understanding, with the result that the progress of science has rendered their understanding and their now-corrupted Scriptures largely irrelevant and obsolete. However, the Qur'an has not been subject to such mistreatment.

If someone wrote the Qur'an, how could it be literally true on matters that were completely unknown at the time of its revelation? Do not the unbelievers realize that the Heavens and the Earth were one unit of creation before we split them asunder? (21:30). Only in the last few years have we been able to contemplate this verse about the first moment of the universe in its literal meaning.

Similarly, when we now read: God raised the Heavens without any pillars that you can see. Then He established Himself on the throne [of authority]. He has subjected the sun and moon [to a law]; each runs its course for a term appointed. He regulate all affairs, explaining the signs in detail, that you may believe certainly in the meeting with your Lord (13:2), now we can understand the invisible pillars as the vast centrifugal and centripetal forces maintaining the balance amid the heavenly bodies. We also understand from this and related verses (e.g., 55:5; 21:33, 38, 39; and 36:40) that the sun and moon are stars with a fixed life-span, that their force of light has or will fade away, and that they follow an orbit that has been determined with the most minute exactness.

A literal understanding of these verses does not diminish the responsibility that comes with understanding—that you may believe certainly in the meeting with your Lord. The purpose of the verses has not changed; only our knowledge of the phenomenal world has changed. In the case of former Scriptures, scientific progress has made their inaccuracies ever more visible and their associated beliefs ever more irrelevant. Just the opposite is true with the Qur'an—scientific progress has not made even a single verse harder to believe or to understand. On the contrary, such progress had made many verses more understandable.

Yet some people still allege that the Prophet wrote the Qur'an. While asserting that they are on the side of sense and reason, they allege what is humanly impossible. How could a seventh-century man know things that only recently have been accepted as scientifically established truths? How is that humanly possible? How is it on the side of reason and sense to claim such a thing? How did the Prophet discover, with an anatomical and biological accuracy only recently confirmed, that milk is produced in mammal tissues? How did he discover how rain clouds and hailstones form, or determine a wind's fertilizing quality, or explain how landmasses shift and continents form and reform? With what giant telescope did he learn of the universe's ongoing physical expansion? By what equivalent of X-ray vision was he able to describe in such great detail the different stages of an embryo's evolution within the uterus?

Another proof of the Qur'an's Divine origin is that what it predicts eventually comes true. For example, the Companions considered the Treaty of Hudaibiyya a defeat; the Revelation stated that they would enter the Sacred Mosque in full security and that Islam would prevail over all other religions (48:27-28). It also promised that the Romans [Byzantines] would vanquish the Persians several years after their utter defeat in 615, and that the Muslims would destroy both of these current superpowers (30:2-5), at a time when there were scarcely 40 believers, all of whom were being persecuted by the Makkan chiefs.

Although the Prophet was the ideal man, he could make mistakes on matters not related to Islam or Revelation. For example:

• When he exempted certain hypocrites from jihad, he was criticized: God forgive you! Why did you let them stay behind before it became clear which of them were truthful and which were liars? (9:43).

• After the Battle of Badr, he was rebuked: You (the believers) merely seek the gains of the world whereas God desires [for you the good] of the Hereafter. God is All-Mighty, All-Wise. Had there not been a previous decree from God, a stern punishment would have afflicted you for what you have taken...(8:67–68).

• Once he said he would do something the next day and did not say "if God wills." He was warned: Nor say of anything, I shall be sure to do so-and-so tomorrow, without adding "if God wills." Call your Lord to mind when you forget, and say: "I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer than this to the right way" (18:23–24), and You feared the people, but God has a better right that you should fear Him (33:37).

• When he swore that he would never again use honey or drink a honey-based sherbet, he was admonished: O Prophet. Why do you hold to be forbidden what God has made lawful to you? You seek to please your wives. But God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (66:1).

In other verses, when the Prophet's higher duties and responsibilities are brought into clear focus, the limits to his authority are made known. There is a clear space between the Messenger and the Message revealed to him, as clear as between a person and his or her Creator.

Orientalists deny the Divine authorship out of fear of Islam. Many miracles are associated with the Qur'an. One of the clearest is how quickly it established a distinctive and enduring civilization by serving as its constitution and framework. It mandated the administrative, legal, and fiscal reforms necessary to sustain a vast state of different cultural communities and religions. The Qur'an inspired a genuinely scientific curiosity to study nature and travel in order to study different peoples and cultures. By urging people to lend money for commercial ventures and to abandon interest, it made sure that the community's growing wealth would circulate. It inspired the first-ever public literacy and public hygiene programs, as both were necessary for worship. The Qur'an also commanded the organized redistribution of surplus wealth to the poor and needy, to widows and orphans, for the relief of captives and debtors, the freeing of slaves, and for the support of new Muslims.

One could expand this list considerably, for only the Qur'an has ever achieved what many people have desired. Do we not know of at least one human idea of how to establish or run an ideal society, at least one system or formula for solving equitably social, cultural, or political problems? Have any of them ever worked or lasted?

Those who deny the Qur'an's Divine authorship also fear its power and authority, and that some day Muslims might obey its commands and restore their civilization. They would prefer that the Muslim elite, as well as other Muslims, believe that the Qur'an is a human work belonging to a certain time and place, and therefore no longer relevant. Such a belief would relegate Islam to Christianity's current status: a tender memory of something long gone.

Such people want Muslims to believe that the Qur'an belongs to the seventh century. They admit, in order to beguile Muslims, that the Qur'an was very advanced for its time. However, now they are the ones who are advanced, who offer a lifestyle of intellectual and cultural freedom, and who are civilized, whereas the Qur'an and Islam are backward. But, scientific progress proves the Qur'an's accuracy on questions related to the phenomenal world and helps us to better understand the Qur'an, just as improvements in our understanding of human relationships and human psychology will establish its truth in these areas.

Claiming that a person wrote the Qur'an only reflects the failure to understand that all individuals are indebted to God, Who has given us everything. We do not create ourselves, for our lives are given to us, as are our abilities to contemplate, comprehend, and feel compassion. We are given this extraordinarily subtle, varied, and renewable world to exercise these abilities. In addition, the Qur'an is a gift of mercy, for there is no way it could have had a human author.

[mgares]

HOW TO BUY A HOUSE - IN 3 EASY STEPS

There is a lot of confusion out there about how to become a Homeowner so I thought I would take a moment and put it into Average Joe speak. That, and in my experience, some people go about it totally backwards which is counter productive to the end goal.

STEP 1. - ASSESS YOUR FINANCES

This is fairly simple. Eliminate non-essentials from your spending budget and stick it in the piggy bank. Modify spending habits to generate savings. Make short-term lifestyle changes.

It's just temporary and if canceling monthly memberships (Netflix, Gyms, Any Subscriptions), adjusting your shopping habits [I got some great tips for this], or eliminating other non-essential spending allows you to keep more money in your pocket to get a home versus flushing rent dollars down the proverbial toilet? Bit of a no-brainer if you ask me.

Bottom line is you have to have money ready-to-hand for the transaction. Even with the "zero down" options like VA and some USDA loans; just to name a couple.

There are inspections, appraisals, escrow funds, repairs, home warranty policies, property taxes, closing costs, and other such considerations that must be paid in order to get a home of your own.

"Do Not Save What Is Left After Spending; Instead Spend What is Left After Saving" - Warren Buffett

Figure out what kind of a down payment your financial situation will allow for. The more, the better, but very few people I know got 20% of the purchase price [a.k.a. - conventional/bank loan] sitting around collecting dust. Good news is you don't necessarily have to have that much.

One of the most common loans is a FHA that only asks for 3-5% down AND there are down payment assistance programs out there if you are really Stuck Like Chuck when it comes to finances. NOTE: This does NOT mean they are going to give you ALL of your down payment; you gotta have some chips in that poker game too.

I like to recommend that people shoot for at least 6-8% of the purchase price of the "kind of home they want" just to make sure all the bases are covered - down payment AND cost(s) of the transaction. Folks, that's a lesser down payment than Owner Finance options for the same "kind of home" as Owners generally ask for 10-15% down.

This total can be a combination of self-savings, down payment assistance, assets that can be used as collateral against the loan, monetary or tangible gifts from friends/family members in some few cases, and more.

Each person is unique and different in how that 6-8% manifests and lenders can vary in what form(s) of down payment they will accept.

EXAMPLE:

Purchase Price: $150k

FHA Down Pymt (3-5%): $4,500 - $7,500

Other Cost(s): (3% +/-): $4,500

Total Savings Needed: $9,000 - $12,000

Kill some bills, sell your "junk" - we all got crap laying around the house we don't use worth money in various amounts - and modify spending habits in a positive manner.

If you are a two car family... can you get by with just one vehicle on a temporary basis [turn that car, and its bills, "into" a house]? Perhaps you have a skill set or piece of equipment that can earn you extra cash here and there on your terms? What changes to your lifestyle can you make that will put another dime or dollar into that kitty bucket?

Finally, do whatever it is you need to do to put those greenbacks into a savings method you can stick with. Whether that is a traditional banking institution or an old shoe box under the bed; you do you. If this means you have to ask someone in a position of trust to hold it so you don't spend it? Guess what you should consider doing?

STEP 2. - TALK TO LENDERS

Let's talk about the "When" of contacting a lender. The only true answer to "When" is... When You Are Ready and only you know how Ready you feel.

I've had clients express the sheer dread they felt about reaching out to a lender and it's an understandable fear. One of my people even said that they felt applying to lenders and having them see their credit condition was akin to stripping naked in front of a total stranger.

But, and as I told my client... think of it like going to the doctor for a full physical exam. Hospital gown over your birthday suit and all. Lenders are professionals there to do a job. They do NOT judge or speculate just because they have intimate knowledge of or about you.

If you suspect you may have some homework to do, credit wise, then it's better to contact a lender sooner rather than later. This allows you to get a game plan together and knock out credit related targets while you are saving funds for your down payment goal. Once completed, you are able to resume your application with confidence moving forward.

"Everything You Want Is On The Other Side of Fear" - Jack Canefield

However, if you are one of the few who feel their credit profile will be a "non-issue" then my suggestion becomes waiting to speak to lenders until you have most, if not all, of your down payment goal met.

When applying to a lender always ask if they perform a Soft or Hard inquiry against your credit report. Most of the lenders I know [and I will list two of my favorites for you here in a second] will execute a Soft Credit Inquiry to determine credit worthiness. This Soft Inquiry does not impact or affect your credit score - should such be a matter of concern to you.

Something else I've noticed is that people don't seem to understand shopping for lender is very much like shopping for an automobile. The overall requirements of any one particular lender (or dealership) can be totally different from a fellow lender's (or dealership's).

Just because one says "No" does not mean they will all will say "No". And even if the first lender tells you "Yes"... I would still encourage you to apply to more than one who does Soft Inquiries. Compare apples to oranges to find the best fit for your home purchasing needs by reviewing interest rates, terms of repayment, mutual rights and remedies, and so on and so forth.

Only after you have secured lender approval (which may be conditional based on various factors) and they have given you the green light to shop up to the amount of $X.00 do you move on to Step 3.

STEP 3 - FIND YOUR REALTOR

The vast majority of the population feels the path to homeownership is "finding the home and then buying it" - through a Real Estate agent. This is NOT the case.

Selecting an agent to help navigate you through the complexities of The Offer and Purchase process is the absolute LAST step to be taken.

What Happens When You Do It Backwards:

You shop for, and find, that PERFECT place and then reach out to an an agent or contact the website that is listing that property. The agent involved determines you haven't spoken with a lender and may now recommend one to get the process started.

Just to let you know... most of us agents are unable to do much of anything at this point without your having secured a lender first. There are some agents out there who are also qualified mortgage consultants but I, personally, haven't met one yet so I don't know how they work.

At this point the agent may also put you on an e-mailer list that scouts the MLS's and regularly sends you properties "matching" the ideal home that you originally asked about.

Why?

Because "that home may not still be there when you are in a position to buy". That's agent speak for... this is gonna take a bit of second and that property will most likely have sold by the time we get you lender approved.

I can't emphasize enough the fact that we agents don't "GET" you that house - the lender does that by providing the loan to pay for it. Us agents help you shop for a home and protect your best interests when buying it.

We deal with the butt-ton of technical paperwork coming/going from every which-a-way at all hours of the day, manage the contract negotiations, handle scheduling and execution of services by professional providers involved in the transaction, are your personal defacto counselor/moral support during the stress mess of buying, and more. None of which can be done until a lender gives us the green light to begin.

Well, most folks aren't mentally or emotionally prepared to reach out to said lender on the fly like this. Fears of "what that lender will see" or personal misgivings about "not qualifying" due to credit condition can halt the whole process at this point. Perhaps leaving you with negative emotions about the whole experience thus far.

But, for the sake of argument let's say you muster up the courage to reach out to a lender anyway. You'll discover that they are people too - most with a generous heart and helpful personality.

You might even discover that your credit was nowhere near as bad as you had built it up in your mind to be. Or, the lender may come back with a little homework for you. Take care of This and That and we'll be able to get you into a home.

The "whammy" of doing it in reverse order like this is that the lender will also share that you will need X thousands of dollars as a down payment to make that happen. Talk about a case of sticker shock!

Obviously, this can be discouraging and disheartening. To overcome one obstacle only run smack dab into another you weren't prepared to tackle? It may start to feel like you are looking up the side of a mountain, the goal of owning a home clearly in your line of sight, but you lack the climbing equipment (not to mention the funds to acquire such) to reach the summit.

It may feel like "that's it, game over" at this point. I know because I, too, approached home ownership azz-backwards like this before I became a Realtor. Felt like someone had ripped a bit of my soul away and left me frustrated and crying inside my heart and mind.

DON'T give up on yourself or your dream of home ownership. Back up, regroup, and attack that goal again. This time, in the correct sequence of events.

"You May Have To Fight A Battle More Than Once To Win It" - Margaret Thatcher

Do this and I promise you that there will be no better feeling in the world than those you experience at the closing table when you are finally handed the keys to your very own home.

Disclaimer: Opinion Editorial for educational and/or informational purposes. Content presented is deemed accurate and/or reliable at the time of authorship. Any errors or omissions present in material(s) are unintentional. You are encouraged to execute your own research.

[eusalej]

                                                    ᵃˡˡ'ˢ 𝓯𝓪𝓲𝓻 ⁱⁿ                                                    𝐿𝒪𝒱𝐸 & 𝖜𝖆𝖗

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆:

⟨ IVANA BAQUERO. CIS FEMALE. SHE / HER. ⟩ though the mist might prevent some from seeing it, 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐉𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀 ‘𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐉’ 𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐑𝐎 is actually a descendent of 𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄. it’s still a question of whether or not the 24 year old 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐒𝐘𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘 from 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐀, 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍has taken after their godly parent completely, but the demigod is still known to be quite 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 & 𝐀𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄.

𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒:

          a wanderer at heart, nomadic to the core ( a mercenary ) who dislikes lingering in one place, perhaps why she’s filtered in and out of the university like a specter for the past five years ; a daughter of aphrodite who wants nothing more than to shirk that title and does her best to ; frequently misidentified as a daughter of ares for her ruthless and often cold demeanor ; uses her amokinesis to sense feelings in people and uses that knowledge to her advantage, but adamantly refuses to use it to manipulate ( and lacks charmspeak ) ; a lover of physical combat, typically simultaneously wielding a mismatched celestial bronze short sword and dagger ; yet also a non-believer in love, seeing it only as a weakness.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘:

— mariana guerrero was a strict woman with a kind heart somewhere deep inside her, endlessly focused on climbing the ranks within the spanish armed forces and shattering that glass ceiling. with a surname name like that, perhaps it was a bit of an inevitability. what she did not think was inevitable was falling in love. with a tough exterior few seldom cracked it was perhaps more like an impossibility, that is until she caught the eye of a certain goddess of love. 

— alejandra guerrero was born on an insignificant day in july, sweltering hot and the kind people say is only good for lying around to try not to get too sticky. unfortunately for her mother, she never made anything easy.

— alej was raised in her mother’s image : the model of firm but fair and tough love, fiercely independent and strong. but her mother was often absent at most times of her life due to her service, leaving her to be raised by her grandparents in barcelona.

— she was quite young when her first power manifested : AMOKINESIS. but it was less a matter of control and more a matter of simple observation in her mind and one she simply used to her advantage, viciously teasing her classmates about their crushes. she was rarely wrong, something that put most of her classmates off so sure she was betraying secrets when in fact it was just the beginning of her power manifesting. she wasn’t exactly a bully, but she wasn’t the sweet little girl her face suggested.

— as she grew older, alej was aware she had this odd sixth sense, even if it never seemed to do any good. she did learn to use it more wisely, though — there’s a lot people will do for you just to keep the object of their desire oblivious : a stupid logic if you asked her, but hey, she may as well profit from it.

— she was average in school, but where she excelled was in the study of people, learning what made them tick and how she could use that to her advantage — things that were not so easily taught.

— at twelve, her mother finally disclosed the secret about her identity and in the summer, she began going to a camp in spain. to say the least, alej loved going to camp, or rather she loved learning how to fight. she had little interest in learning to hon her powers to be used as they should be, instead gravitating to all things physical and strategic warfare, hellbent on not being seen as the sweet little aphrodite girl that many still saw her as. perhaps this was her mother’s ideology at work, but somewhere along the road it became her own.

— then began her drive to go on as many quests as she possibly could and as many as the camp would let her on. though she maintained she worked better alone, questing was something she enjoyed greatly in spite of the company of the two other demigods and the danger. she couldn’t have cared less about the actual things they were doing for the gods — it was all about honing her skills and testing her abilities in the real world.

— at fourteen, she began to stay at camp full-time and at seventeen after graduating from bachillerato ( because in spite of her attitude, she ceded education was of critical importance if she ever decided to go to college ), she left to roam europe.

— it was in these years that she picked up some freelance work, hunting down monsters that plagued demigod and mundane establishment sometimes for money, sometimes just because she was bored and felt like it. she was a mercenary in some ways, going where the trouble was and profiting immensely from it ( think almost… a witcher ?? ). this lifestyle suited her nomadic preferences, allowing her to go where she wanted and no one telling her what to do and afforded her enough money to survive.

— people’s perception of her was usually positive, so long as they didn’t have to interact with her awfully long in person. alej could be sweet when she wanted to, and people often wanted so desperately to like her, finding something alluring about her unavailability and callous attitude ( so sure that they would be the one to finally break through ) but if alej didn’t want to like them, then so be it.

— alej’s attitude and arrogance finally got the best of her not long after her twentieth birthday, seeing her get critically injured after dispatching of a trio of monsters that’d been sniffing around the outskirts of athens. luckily, a pair of demigods found her and brought her back to the apollo infirmary at eonia university where she was nursed back to health after a few days.

— the accident did have alej rethinking her ways in that weeks that followed, the two years of travelling with little reprieve finally catching up to her. she eventually decided to stay once the fall semester started. and thus began a slightly new chapter of her life, taking classes at the university until she inevitably became trapped by the boarders that protected her and some danger called to her from beyond them.

— since then she’s nearly always alternated semesters at eonia, slowly chipping away at some degree of a sort ( though she almost always just picked classes that looked interest to her with no specific path in mind ). sometimes she finishes a semester, sometimes she disappears halfway through only to show up two months later. it’s anyone’s guess really.

𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂:

— her main weapons are a short and light celestial bronze sword and a dagger that was a gift from apollo upon completion of a quest ( though it is sadly just a dagger ) ; obviously they don’t match but she typically wields them simultaneously, finding their mismatched nature allows her for flexibility within fights. she can wield either in either hand with ease as well. they don’t have any other additional magical properties besides the fact they never lose their shine, but they don’t need to because they’re always holstered at her waist and she doesn’t go anywhere without them.

— her fighting style has evolved over the years and often changes depending on who ( or what ) she’s facing. but one thing that always remains is that she never tries to overpower with pure brute forcing, knowing she typically does not inherently outmatch her opponent pound for pound, but with her skill and slippery way of fighting, she is more than a match.

— ambidextrous : it’s not something that came naturally to her at first, but she trained herself  relentlessly at from even a young age until it was because she thought it would be cool. as she got older, she realized just how much benefit that’s given her.

— she’s currently declared as a behavioral psychology major, which is something that she does find interesting, but it’s mostly just because eventually the university said she had to declare and that just happened to be what she had the most credits in. she often loads up on combat classes too, and can be frequently found in the gym or sparring rings. as it stands now, in the four and a half years since she first “started” at eonia, she has about three semesters worth of credits. at the same times, she is in no hurry to finish up.

— alej is quite smart, quick to think on her feet and enjoys a good challenge. it’s one of the reasons she volunteered to so many quests and then transitioned to mercenary work as she got older. however, in spite of her strategic skill, she’s prone to recklessness and jumping before she looks. she’s not against making half a plan and figuring out the rest as she goes ; she thinks she’s smart enough to get away with it, and many times she does ( until she doesn’t ).

— she doesn’t own much : able to pack her entire life down into a backpack with ease. she doesn’t keep much in her room in the aphrodite house, either — mostly items she’s deemed unimportant ( mostly things gifted to her ). her space often has the look of being unlived in even when she is there. alej always had a tendency to leave impressions in people’s minds, not physical spaces.

— she enjoys climbing things and being in high places, especially when they offer her a vantage of large swathes of land. it makes her feel like a bird for a moment ( and means she’s slightly jealous of hypnos kids that can shapeshift into birds — she’s not in the habit of yearning for what can’t be, but it’s really the only godly power she wishes she could possess )

— her languages are spanish, english, greek ( as a demigod ), french ( as aphrodite’s daughter ), and conversational german.

— alej has met aphrodite once. i think she tried to stab her. aphrodite probably laughed and then blessed alej’s weapons to never dull, rust, or lose their shine which she thought was dumb at the time but begrudgingly has since recognized that it’s a useful property since it means she never has to clean her weapons.

— “looks like she could kill you, could actually kill you” on the cinnamon roll spectrum

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘:

— “ all’s fair in love and war.” certainly words alej loves to live by. she has a temper she doesn’t bother to reign in when it shows up, often acting on whims and with a certain reckless abandon that doesn’t take her safety ( and often other’s safety ) into account. alej can be emotionally cruel at times, very love is a battlefield and shit.

— she’s fiercely independent, something that expresses itself as both a positive and negative, often leading her to refuse help even when she desperately does need it. she has few friends. people have to earn her respect to earn her friendship and that’s not an easy thing to do with alej. her few friends are often ones who can spar with her, physically or mentally, and challenge her to ceaselessly be better. earning her trust and friendship is difficult, but once you do you have a friend for life. ( at times, she envies those who are effortlessly kind, but on most days rolls her eyes at them and moves on ).

— that being said alej is an incredibly hard worker. her image is ironically very important to her, and she doesn’t take days off on that. she strives to not be seen as “a daughter of aphrodite,” which she views as a sort of weakness. a more level-headed approach would be to use that underestimation to her advantage, but alej loathes to be seen as weak and incapable in any light, and even more to actually feel that way. because of that, she hates to lose and fears failure. she’s been asked if she feels like she’s overcompensating ; no one ever asks that twice. it’s not uncommon for people unfamiliar with her to assume she’s a daughter of ares, given her brutal, reckless, and trends toward violence — she likes when people do ; to her that means it’s all paying off.

— a staunch non-believer in love : she knows firsthand just how easy it is to manipulate, and even sensing it in other causes her to roll her eyes. she equates loving to weakness, not because of any tragic past or great heartbreak, simply because that’s what she believes. passion, desire, and lust are all more fun in her books, but again still weakness, things that can be easily exploited — something she goes out of her way to do. she hates being seen as a daughter of aphrodite and goes to great lengths to not be perceived as such, from her brutality to her callous demeanor. for the most part, she’s successful in this and many of the people who refer to her as such don’t make the mistake of doing it again.

— she’s not exactly a bully. though no one is safe from her attitude at least once, she won’t often go after the same person twice unless she’s sure they can take it and rarely without cause ( though granted, that “cause” doesn’t have to be much ) — like any fight, it’s the most fun when someone pushes back. some people are so pitiful that they’re not even worth her attention. in general, her mannerisms and attitude are less due to true malice or a desire to harm others, and more due to a blunt and abrasive nature, a cynical worldview, and a low tolerance for bullshit.

𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒:

AMOKINESIS —

        it’s less of a thing alej really exercises total control over and more a single side-effect of it she abuses to no end. after all, the most potent effects of amokinesis are merely results of blossoming of seeds that are already there. alej doesn’t dabble much in the blossoming or generating feelings, simply in being able to detect the emotions, no matter how small or buried, in people and ( if people are in the right place and right proximity to each other ) just who they’re for. just the knowledge alone is enough for her to twist to her own needs without need for dabbling further — at least with her power. knowledge is power, after all, and if she’s learned anything in this world, it’s that a lot of people like to keep their romantic feelings close to their chest, making it an effective motivator ( not even to mention the number of loveless relationships out there ). there are endless destructive possibilities for her without even having to influence a single emotion.

        this aspect of amokinesis is something she’s honed relentlessly since she first discovered it within herself to the point where it’s practically reflexive to her. it’s more effort for her not to sense the respective emotions than it is for her to register them. there are a select few that she makes an effort not to read, but it’s a very select few — there’s not many people she respects enough to do that. she doesn’t dabble much in manipulation, save occasionally to suppress other’s feelings for her if they come to annoy her too much. she can manipulate emotions adequately, but this is more a result of her required amokinesis classes than anything.

        being the offspring of aphrodite is also useful in that her siblings’ powers have no effect on her, be it amokinesis or charmspeak ; this is something she is begrudgingly thankful for. the idea of being forced to develop feelings for someone or being forced to do anything against her will are both things of a nightmare in her mind. on the flipside, it means it’s a lot harder for her to get a read on her siblings’ feelings.

ENHANCED BEAUTY —

        one trait alej shares with her siblings is her undeniable vain streak. it doesn’t present itself in the need for makeup and frilly dresses, more in the way a wolf can still be beautiful after tearing into a caribou carcass. it’s more of a wild beauty, not one she controls but she never looks like shit no matter what she’s been through, a sparring session or a crawl through a dump truck. she enjoys turning heads of all kinds, and enjoys it even more because she fancies herself completely out of their league.

MISC —

        alej notably lacks the ability of charmspeak, though it’s unclear if she simply doesn’t have it or if it’s so weakly developed in her that it goes unnoticed. she still has a way with words and the way she holds herself that she can still get what she wants, the same way any beautiful woman could get what she wants if she puts her mind to it.

        she considers herself a daughter of aphrodite only on technicality, not in practice and that includes not actively using any of the powers she gains from being her daughter. that’s why she doesn’t participate much in the control or influencing aspects of her amokinesis ; if she’s going to get something, she’s going to earn it under her own devices and because she deserves it. it’s far more satisfying to her that way ( though some may argue her looks and persuasion skills are also traits from her goldly mother, alej stanchly does not see it that way ). 

          her time and energy is more channeled towards other things, like physical training — and it’s paid off : her hand-to-hand combat skills are near unparalleled. given her large swath of real life experience, alej is quite talented in the art of fighting and strategy — however, without surprise, her teamwork and ability to work with others is severely lacking.

𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄:

— 5′4″. built like a long-distance runner and extremely agile.

— alej often has a dishonest look about her and a predatory and observant gaze, not unlike that of a wolf. her leave me alone vibes are impressive despite her small stature.

— honestly… just ivana baquero as eretria in shannara chronicles bc it’s such a Look™

— in general she sticks to natural colors : earth tones and forest greens, and clothing that is form-fitting but not so much that it hampers her movement in any way. she doesn’t wear overly baggy clothing, more because it can get caught on things than any real desire to show off her figure ( though it is a perk ). she typically wears light boots of some kind, ones that fit impeccably and have been molded to her feet with time. she hates poorly made shoes and also expensive shoes that are uncomfortable as hell. alej always has an air that she might run off at any second, and tends to dress like it too.

— she doesn’t go anywhere without her weapons, often holstered in her belt. there is also a small silver pen knife sheathed in one of her brown combat boots in case of encounters with werewolves.

— jewelry: black leather bracelets on both wrists ( right is a band about a centimeter wide, the left is a leather string wrapped around several times ) ; three black stud earrings in her left cartilage

— scars: several small scars all over her body related to typical demigod shenanigans, one long scar across her left palm from an accident when she was first learning to use her daggers

—  PINTEREST BOARD HERE

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒:

🎵i wanna ~𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦~ with somebody🎵 🎵feel the ᶜʰᵉᵐ with someboᵈʸʸʸʸʸʸ🎵

— okay but one plot i do want is someone who genuinely did like her / have a crush on her for…. whatever reason alsdkfj. and alej manipulated their feelings and buried them. cld be angsty yknow.

— she’s also frequented / passed through most of the european camps at some point due to her travelling / wandering. so… y’know potential point of connection.

𝐎𝐎𝐂:

         hello… i am still ollie and i am back with alej 2 electric boogaloo… she has a real bio now and i have a much better idea of who she is so i think this time will go much better.

[deanbentley]

Trial Claim Form

The absolute thought, care and love that went into this form is amazing and should be what everyone aspires to have in a claim. That being said even Non-Romantic claims should have this much love and respect for each other so take note! The trial claim has been approved, and the papers will be officially turned in on Monday. 

SAWYER HUDSON AND FAUNA ELOISE WILL IMMEDIATELY MOVE INTO TRIAL CLAIM DORM 202.

Name and Age of Dominant or Switch: 

Sawyer Thomas Hudson, 24 years old, Dominant.

Name and Age of Switch or Submissive: 

Fauna Eloise Flanagan, 23 years old, submissive. 

Education Completed: 

Fauna: 5 months at a D/s school in Ohio and degree in Medicine

Sawyer: 6 months at a D/s school in Ohio, certification in Higher Education of Arts

Length of Relationship: 

Officially in a partnership and romantic relationship for one year and 2 months, however we were seeing one another on a more casual basis for three months before that.

Why would you like to enter into a trial claim?

FAUNA

I feel that Sawyer and I are an excellent partnership in all senses of the word, not only do I respect him and his authority as a Dominant I also love him as a boyfriend. I want us to be able to have a future together, and I think that my time at this institution would be best served if I could experience it in a claim with Sawyer. Honestly I have neither the want nor the need to submit to anyone else, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. Also I don’t know if this needs saying on a form but I love him a lot, and also I’m exceedingly attracted to him physically. Plus I want people to have to defer to him when it comes to me, like if they perceive me to be acting up I want it to be Sawyer Hudson they have to talk to.

 SAWYER

Fauna and I have an excellent chemistry between us, both as Dominant and submissive and as boyfriend and girlfriend. We would like to enter the trial claim to prove that we’re best fit for each other in every sense of the world, as well as giving us enough experience in a safe, controlled learning environment to grow and adapt, before heading out in the real world. I also feel like I’d be able to care for Fauna better as my submissive, trial or otherwise, and any issues anyone has, I’d have the power to help resolve them, as well as give her a sense of protection. 

  Do you feel you know your partner well enough on a personal level?

FAUNA

I do, as Sawyer and I have lived together independently for over a year now, and have been committed to one another for all of that time. I’m aware not only of his expectations of me as a submissive but also of his own personal hopes and desires and how they function in regards to my own ambition. I know that he isn’t quite sure exactly what he wants to do in regards to his career right now and that’s more than fine with me, I want to help him explore that and to support him in whatever he does choose to do. There isn’t anything that’s a part of my personal history or development that he isn’t aware of, and we spend most of our time together so if I don’t know anything about him then I’m sure I’ll find out soon. 

 SAWYER

As we have just surpassed our year long relationship, including living together in close quarters, it is safe to say Fauna and I know each other extremely well on a personal level. From our daily routines, to habits, to even goals and hopes for the future, I know everything there is to know about Fauna, and am willing to support her every step of the way. We have developed enough trust with each other to discuss dreams both realistic and more outlandish, as well as our deepest, darkest fears and secrets. I have also developed a routine to fit around her studying, as her goal is to become a pediatric surgeon and I am more than willing to help her achieve it no matter what it takes, as I’m sure she is willing to help me find my path. 

  Do you feel as though you have learned enough about you and your partners limits and expectations of the relationship as a whole?

FAUNA

Due to my extensive knowledge of Sawyers personal history as well as numerous scenes I believe I know his expectations of me very well. He’s always been incredibly respectful with my limits such as not being photographed or recorded while in intimate situations, he’s the only person I would ever trust to push my limits or that I would be willing to discuss doing so. Because I know that he loves me and he would never ever want to do anything to hurt me.  I’m also aware of his past with BDSM and we both continually check in with one another during any scene. 

 SAWYER

We have made sure to stress the importance of communication in our relationship as a whole, with an added emphasis within our D/s lifestyle. From this, detailed discussions regarding kinks, limits, and preferred aftercare has been discussed, and adjusted when needed. The expectations from the relationship as a whole is rather simple; trust, love, and safety. We pride ourselves on practicing scenes in a safe, sane and consensual manner, and we have done scenes to test the boundaries for both of us so we can encourage safe-wording, and thus opening a conversation both needed, and should be expected. I trust Fauna cares about my limits and boundaries as much as I care for her, and I would put my life in her hands if needed, and am glad that, due to our constant communication, she is still comfortable and safe with me despite past mistakes in D/s relationships. 

  Do you feel you both are well versed in what a claim will be outside of the trial period?

FAUNA

Yes, Sawyer and I have discussed our future together in detail. We both understand that our claim will be a romantic partnership, and Sawyer is more than supportive of my desire to enter into a surgical internship program after we have finished our studies here. Sawyer and I share similar lifestyle aspirations, and we don’t expect the relationship that we’ve maintained for the past year to change dramatically after we enter into a claim. 

 SAWYER

We understand that a permanent claim is a more serious commitment than the trial period, and are excited for the potential challenge it could bring upon us. As we are both equally as trusting, caring and supportive in our relationship, both as a Dominant and submissive, and as romantic partners, we imagine that the permanent claim would make no difference to our arrangement. On top of this, we have discussed our future in detail, including her job as a pediatric surgeon, and desire to enter the surgical internship program upon graduation, and potentially moving to Malibu, California to do so. She is, in return, supportive of my desire to go back to school, and explore my options career wise. We also have similar ideas in lifestyle and budget, and can’t imagine a permanent claim would alter this.

  Do you believe you are comfortable enough with each other and the fundamental levels of BDSM as a whole?

FAUNA

I do believe so for a number of reasons before I met Sawyer I had already been involved in a number of BDSM dynamics as the submissive party and so my experience with kink is quite extensive. Paired with the schooling that I undertook at my previous institution, and a year of private exploration within our own relationship in which we have not only explored shared kinks but also experimented with new ones I believe I’m exceedingly comfortable with our dynamic in the D/s sense of the word. 

SAWYER

I am extremely comfortable with Fauna, as my girlfriend, my submissive, and as another person in general. Our trust in each other has helped me become more comfortable with the fundamentals of BDSM as a whole, as certain past experiences left me rather scarred, until Fauna and I created a trust between us that only built up over time. We have explored kinks we have in common, kinks the other one prefers more, kinks we were willing to experiment with, and have had in-detail conversations regarding this. In addition with our past education, as well as our schooling here, I can only imagine my comfort levels will grow even more.

  Lastly please provide the list of rules under which your claim will operate, including examples of punishments and rewards that may be used to reinforce them.

General Rules

Fauna Eloise will follow all laws and school rules to the best of her ability 

Fauna Eloise will wear her collar at all times

Fauna Eloise will use my title (Sir) where appropriate 

Fauna Eloise will put her mental and physical well-being first and communicate with me effectively if she is hurt or upset so that we can work on it together.

Fauna Eloise will try to never lie to me, if she does not wish to discuss something then she is simply to express that rather than lying. 

Fauna Eloise will remember that nobody she invites into our home is to touch the records or the books without my permission

Fauna Eloise will be respectful of our space, and keep it clean and tidy. This includes doing the dishes on a daily basis if she has cooked. 

Fauna Eloise will inform me before inviting anyone to stay the night and if she is staying the night anywhere else.

Any major financial decisions will be discussed before they are undertaken by either party.

Fauna Eloise is welcome to discuss any punishment that is being administered with me if she feels it is unfair or unearned, and should remember our claim is always an open conversation between two partners. 

Scene Rules 

Fauna Eloise will ask permission if she wishes to take part in a scene with anyone else. 

Fauna Eloise will use her safeword, and remember that she is encouraged to stop a scene at any time if she feels in any way uncomfortable. Should any new limits arise she should communicate this immediately so that I can keep her safe. 

Fauna Eloise will accept any and all aftercare that I deem necessary and tell me if she thinks anything is missing. 

Fauna Eloise will communicate if she wishes to try anything new or if she is interested in a particular scene

Wednesdays are our day, and should be reserved for exploring a new scene together or alternatively ‘date night’. 

Punishments will include: 

Removal of her Nintendo Switch

Sleeping in the spare room

Orgasm denial 

The temporary inability to socialise with Alexis St James (including text messages)

Rewards will include: 

Extra orgasms

A roleplay scene of her choice

Me appearing in a Tik Tok

One of her My Melody plush being moved to the living room

[internaljiujitsu]

5 Realizations That (Finally) Got Me Off The ADHD Treadmill

I used to hate reading books. I did it anyway but couldn’t last more than five or ten minutes before dozing off or having my mind dart away to distant lands. Like the skinny kid with no appetite that had to force feed himself to pack on muscle, I shoved books into my brain because I hated the idea of not being well read more than I hated reading.

As a kid, I often left things undone. — or worn out to the nub. After beginning enthusiastically, I’d soon lose steam and beat myself from pillar to post for quitting. I’d always hang around through the torture just to avoid the sting of giving up again. Once the interest was gone, whatever I was doing became pure misery. This would inevitably lead to mental and physical breakdown, as every cell in my body rejected the reality my mind was accepting.

I got good grades and excelled athletically but always thought I could do better. There seemed to be a gear missing — the one that I just knew could take me to a place that felt right. If I were just better, more disciplined and able to focus more — but I didn’t think I had it in me.

Back then, I didn’t know I was working with a slight disadvantage. While medication has played a crucial role in managing my ADHD, and no doubt would have made a massive difference in my childhood, it’s been just as important to build coping and productivity skills. While ADHD makes it difficult to work for other people, it also challenges your ability to self-regulate. Your perception of time is thrown off, so keeping track of your own schedule can be tough without a system.

Before I ever tried medication, in my forties, I spent my life learning skills to make up for what I saw as inadequacies. I’m thankful that I built a technical foundation before supplementing with chemicals, but eternally grateful for what meds have done for me. Once I was properly diagnosed, I realized that the progress I was able to make on my own was astonishing. Giving myself credit for putting in the work motivated me further. The medication made it all click. It was the missing piece I’d been searching for after years of hard inner and outer training.

Here are my five keys for finally jumping off the ADHD treadmill. Once I inserted these into my belief system, I no longer felt hopeless. The limiting, negative self-talk stopped. It took a long time to finally put everything together, but the results have been life changing.

Meds Are Not Evil

Like a lot of other people, I didn’t believe ADHD was real. My perception was that it was a made up disorder designed by drug companies to pump kids full of personality stifling drugs — an excuse for parents to medicate energetic kids and abdicate responsibility.

Meanwhile, I lived every day in lonely terror, until my symptoms became so overwhelming that I became suicidal. At that point, medicine was my last hope. I read books, meditated, prayed, had countless therapy sessions, including EMDR, and took massive action to change my life — but I hit a healing wall. I needed a boost.

The wiring in my brain makes it so ADHD medication that would make the average person speedy simply makes me feel normal. I am no longer listless and suicidal, disappointed in myself because my aspirations outweigh my self-belief. Before meds, it felt as if I was receiving random radio signals from everywhere. The one that always caught my ear never had anything good to say. Still, my disciplined nature dragged me through my days.

The stigma against medication and the dangerous abuse of these drugs by the general public has left many people unnecessarily living in misery. Prisons and homeless shelters are purgatories for the mislabeled, ignored and discarded members of society unlucky enough to suffer from mental illness. How many of those fortunes could have been altered with the right diagnosis, treatment and protocol?

2. Medication + Discipline = Badass

As a person that uses discipline as therapy, I once thought I could muscle my way through pain. Becoming older in the martial arts world means you have to fight smarter. That’s the trade off — you are wiser and have a much better understanding of your art, but your body does not react the same. Nature seeks balance.

But fuck that. If you take care of yourself, you can whip on the youngins long after your head is covered in gray. Combining experience with conditioning makes you unstoppable. That’s how I see my mental health approach.

If you have no clarity, you won’t make the best choices. You simply can’t see what’s in front of you without a trained eye. The frantic nature of the ADHD mind is like a white belt thrown into what we call the “shark tank.” It’s a relentless onslaught of tough competitors coming in fresh at intervals to continuously beat your ass. No place for white belts. That’s what life feels like off my meds.

The passions that occupy my time have kept my brain buzzing enough to distract me from my buzzing brain. Now that the unwanted chatter is gone, I can feel the good kind of buzz — the warm, fuzzy feeling of loving what I do without feeling like I have to do it.

Would I have preferred avoiding all the pain I felt over the years and just been medicated all along? No. If life didn’t necessitate that I acquire the skills that I have, I wouldn’t have been driven to pursue them. I may have relied too much on the drug. I would not have changed. But I have a feeling the relief of the meds wouldn’t have been enough — It’s just not who I am. I know that now. Eventually, I would have gone searching. At times I almost feel like I have an unfair advantage now. Technical ability and practical experience. Strength and skill. Balance. I’m glad it happened the way it did.

3. You Feel How You Eat

While nutrition has always been important to me for physical fitness, I was more concerned with appearance. As I got older, my focus became increasing my energy levels and feeling better. It wasn’t until after being diagnosed and forming habits around optimizing my abilities that I realized the importance of nutrition for good mental health. Inflammation caused by certain foods is detrimental to brain function and a frequent culprit in ADHD.

Once you’ve gone down a suicidal rabbit whole, giving up gluten is a tiny price to pay for sanity. Not that you know what sanity is — you just know you don’t have it.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t give a second thought to the type of food they put in their mouths. Lifestyle is a gigantic factor in mental fitness. Eating foods that promote brain health (fatty fish, blueberries, avocados) and avoiding processed products and sugar will ensure you have the energy and mental clarity to face the day.

4. Your Phone Is A Tool

People love to complain about how their phones have taken over their lives, but we’ve got the most amazing tools ever invented in our pockets. You can read books, listen to podcasts, watch Ted Talks — non stop learning at your fingertips — all the time.

But, with great power comes great responsibility (Stan Lee will never steer you wrong). Just like television can range from “The Sopranos” to “Jersey Shore,” your cell phone can educate or anesthetize you. If you’re not disciplined, your time will be eaten up swiping left to right and “liking” shit you couldn’t care less about.

Take advantage of your calendar and alarm features to schedule everything. Don’t assume you’re gonna remember, because let’s be honest, you’re gonna forget. Use voice memos and notes to keep track of ideas and journal your feelings and thoughts. You know you have to keep yourself occupied, so download the Kindle app and have a book at the ready for down time. Listen to a guided meditation. Take an online course on the go. Learn a new language. It really is endless. Use it wisely, and your phone is the ultimate weapon. No utility belt required.

5. Less Sleep Isn’t Helping

Feeling lazy had me convinced I needed to force myself to do more. That meant getting up earlier so I could get shit done. With a schedule that had me winding down at ten o’clock at night after teaching martial arts classes, it was tough to go right to bed. If I wasn’t careful, I’d lose a half hour of sleep here and there because I wanted to stay up watching television (which miraculously has a way of leading to chips or ice cream). Arnold Schwarzzenegger famously said that you should learn to sleep faster if you can’t get by on six hours of sleep. After years of insisting on shutting down for a minimum of 7–8 hours to promote physical recovery from training, I tried getting by on just 5–6 hours. No dice.

My brain and body just don’t work the same. The sleep I was getting wasn’t all that restful either. I’d frequently wake up during the night feeling restless. It wasn’t until I developed sleep rituals that I began falling asleep quickly and getting a deeper rest. With repetition, my body and mind got used to the same sequence of events every night leading up to bed time. Once I trained my brain, my body knew what to do as soon as my head hit the pillow.

By now, I’ve learned that seven hours is my sweet spot. Eight clean hours can make me feel like superman (mental note: start sleeping eight hours a night).

Recent research suggests ADHD symptoms are often a result of insufficient restful sleep. Sleep deprivation also exacerbates symptoms in kids and adults with ADHD. Your physical and emotional state is undoubtedly better when you get sufficient rest. Staying up late into the night with unproductive bullshit is a mistake, but so is getting by on five hours because you want to prove you’re a tough grinder. You simply won’t be functioning as well. It’s self-sabotage.

There is no magic pill to fix you. If you think of meds that way, you’ll be putting scotch tape on a gunshot wound. You’ve gotta stop the bleeding. Dig the bullet out. Repair the internal damage — then stitch it up. You’ve gotta let it heal and start actively rehabilitating if you want to get stronger. It’s not going to happen by accident or by divine intervention — even though it may feel like that in the end.

Although I’ve developed a good arsenal of skills to maximize my mental wellbeing, I still want to continue growing. My next step will be scanning my brain to understand what areas are being over or under stimulated and adjusting my lifestyle accordingly. As Dr. Daniel Amen, one of the nation’s foremost psychiatrists and a leading expert on brain health says, “Did you know that psychiatrists are the only medical specialists that virtually never look at the organ they treat? Think about it. Cardiologists look, neurologists look, orthopedic doctors look, virtually every other medical specialist looks — psychiatrists guess.”

It seems so obvious now that I want to run out and get my brain scanned as I write this. I’m excited to discover what changes I can make to improve my performance and sense of well being. Brain imaging will provide a road map.

No matter the cards you’ve been dealt, planning and hard work can help you become who you want to be. No circumstance is a limitation to an open mind. There are always ways to improve if you’re willing to search long enough. Luckily for me, I tend to get a little obsessed.

[whitecrownsblackthrones-archived]

Chosens|The Line of Infinity

As part of a deeper dive into the lore & creation of the Immortal Realm world, I will be diving into the many Chosens that were selected by Ying & Yang throughout the years, as the Chosens have shape the world more then anything. Note that, I will not be doing ALL of the chosens which existed, as some of them aren’t notable or worth talking about. I will be talking about them in no particular order, so bear with me, as I may be jumping from era to era. These characters will also be available for rps, but only via request.

In this installment, we will peak into the lives of the mystifying Lord Masters of the Mystic Arts, with their secretive lives & traditions, however, we will only go into deep drives on three people of this honored line, the two Lord Masters who acted as Chosens, Diamond & Nickel Infinity, & the current Lord Master, Quartz Infinity.

Note: Later in a different post, there will be a deep drive into the Original Lord Master who began this long line of masterminds & magical experts.

Face-Claim(s): Lyse Hext, Final Fantasy XIV(Stormblood version) | Taki, Soul Calibur | Zhuge Liang, Dynasty Warriors 9

Originating from one man, by the name of Isorin Infinity, the Line of Infinity is a name passed on, from one generation to the next to those who are demeaned worthy & powerful enough to carry the title of Lord Master of the Mystic arts. There is a zero bias standard for this title, meaning when a female comes to possise this title, it does not change to ‘Lady Master of the Mystic’ but remains the same as ‘Lord Master’, & is not passed down through any blood connection to the current standing Master, only to those who are powerful enough, meaning there is no limit to who can stand to become a possible Lord Master. Race, gender, origins, beliefs, even criminal records are completely irrelevant to the standards of becoming a Lord Master, only power, wit, discipline & having the presence of an open mind matter in this field. Because of this, there have been many, many cultural changes in the home shine, named ‘Mystic Shine’ of the Lord Masters, believed to be found in the northern mountains of the kingdom, Lyttona.

Traditions

With the coming of each new Lord Master, traditions states that they much surrender their birth name & take on a new one, of which their new last name will always be ‘Infinity’, likely to represent the forever on going line, & their new first name must be a known mineral of the earth, to represent the home world they were born upon.

Living at the Mystic Shine means living similar to that of a hermit or even a monk, to live off the land around them. Chores, studying, & much time meditating. There is also much time spent exploring the multiverse, as the goal of the Lord Masters is to explore & understand the multiverse around them. To discover all it’s secrets, both good & bad, to gain the knowledge that other beings are otherwise unable to handle. Lord Master are also known to live incredibly long lives, even by age immortal standards.

A Lord Master is also forbidden from dating or getting married, if they are single when they first approached for training, & must renounce all worldly possessions, for must their focus must be to that of their study of the multiverse & that alone. It is believed to, that the hermit lifestyle, combined with not seeking out partnership & having no valued possessions will grant the Lord Masters the quickest access to Heaven upon their death.

The Mystic Arts

The Mystic Arts itself is often compared to wizardry & witchcraft, in truth the mystic arts compacts both of these magics, plus a few others, including(but not limited to) elemental manipulation, eldritch magic manipulation, some reality warping, inter-dimensional travel & dimension manipulation. Each Lord Master has their own preferred & favored form of the magic, but all of them are required to be able to preform a majority of mystic powers, if not all. More powers are always being added to the list of mystic spells, as Lord Masters are always creating new sort of magics & abilities. 

To perform these arts, the user should have a certain degree of physical strength to be able to continuously cast these powerful spells, without such begins to take a tole upon the user’s body. As such, it is a requirement for Lord Masters to have their body in a certain physical condition at all times, usually done through undertaking some sort of fighting training & practice, though it appears the style of fighting does not matter.

Nickel Infinity

Of the three Lord Masters, Nickel was the first chosen to become a Lord Master. Born under Lady Ying’s gaze, it is known she originally hailed from Vlaqinn, but there are no records of what her birth name was, or what her childhood was like. First records of her appear in 1000 B.E, when she was sighted as a shinobi-in-training, undergoing Karate, Taekwondo, & Ninjutsu combat training, while also studying magical arts closely with remarkable skills in both. She appeared to know at the beginning of her life what she wanted too do, noting many times in her personal journals that ‘she knew ever since she was a baby, that she wanted to be the next Lord Master. Like the gods themselves were guiding her to this fate.’ Such eventually lead to her taking her master’s place as the Lord Master of the Mystic Arts.

She is noted mostly for her strange ability to light her body up with symbols when casting spells, as well as her favor towards espionage based magics. Invisibility, shadow movement, mist creations & other of these sorts she used to suit her shinobi based fighting style. Supposedly, she was also the creator of the Oblivion Blade, which was originally a Kodachi, before the blade was found by Queen Figg(a chosen who lived after Nickel’s time) & was transformed into a longsword. It is unknown what the purple energy in the sword is, but it was sighted by Nickel in her person journals to ‘slay all that is unwanted, & that which should not be’. By this, it is believed that Nickel may have used this weapon to kill many times before, but what is unknown & unclear.

Nickel was know as a woman of a serious nature, her duty must come first, it must always come first. She did not like to make small talk, & was noted as something of a mute. Her position was no game to her, & rightly so. She also had something of an ego, her position as Lord Master was serious, & as such, everything she says & does must be taken serious as well, as she liked to think, but this is often lead to the gaining of much pride.

Nickel was believed to have died around 2019 B.E, a shorter life then what most Lord Masters live. The Lord Master, Mica Infinity, was known to have come after Nickel’s death.

Diamond Infinity

Born under Yang’s sigil, Diamond appears first in 2050 B.E, a few years before the coming of the Death Plague that would ravage the world. Because of this even less is know about her then normal Lord Masters. Though she is sighted as a survivor of the Death Plague, who went on to live until 5971 B.E. Few who knew her called her a joyous spirit, who enjoyed the outdoors, & loved to do painting & needle pointing in her free time, if she was not mediating. She was always calm, but she always had something of a light in her voice, that showed her enjoyment of life.

It is unknown where she originally was born, the best theories suggest she hailed from Jailiam or Vlaqinn, as she was noted to be able to write in the languages from those countries(Latin, Koran & Japanese).

Her favorite use of magics appeared to be those like levitation, teleportation, transformation & the use of power seals & signs for varying effects & uses. Diamond was also believed to have an incredibly powerful form of foresight, more powerful then the foresight normally used by other Lord Masters. She also appears to have greatly studied a form of martial art, but which one & how many has been left unclear.

She was also noted to be a great beauty of the ancient world, often called ‘One of the Seven Greatest Beauties in the world’. The saying ‘Shine bright like a Diamond’ was originally ‘To shine bright like Diamond’ & was to compare a person(usually a woman) to Diamond Infinity, meaning they were beautiful, wise & powerful as Diamond was.

After her death, the next Lord Master know to take her place was the man called Natrolite Infinity.

Quartz Infinity

As of 9818 B.E to now(2020 A.E.), Quartz Infinity was served as the Lord Master of the Mystic Arts. He is not a chosen by any means, but has much knowledge about chosens, including the ones of the current day Princesses Ann Yang Li & Suzanne Ying Li. 

Quartz is described as a humble man, who enjoys late nights under the moon, & spending his time away doing calligraphy & stargazing with his favorite cup of tea in hand. His preferred form of physical training is Jiu-Jitsu, specifically Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to use only as a defense measure, while his preferred forms of spells appear to be all wind-based spells. Showing he is easily a man who wants to avoid all conflict, & will not strike until all opinions have been exhausted.

It was by his advice that the old war that once ravaged the world came to an end, after assisting the King of the Intelligence Kingdom, John Li, in organizing a Declaration of Peace & having the Kingdoms of the world come together to sign it. This massive feat has earned Quartz much respect & adoration from across the Immortal Realm.

Today, he still lives at the Mystic Shine, though it may be that he is looking now for someone to take his place as Lord Master, to be blessed with a worthy protege.

[matteredloyaltyaa]

really LONG CHARACTER SURVEY. RULES.

repost , don’t reblog ! tag 10 ! good luck !

TAGGED. I stole it. TAGGING. Go for it. lol

FULL NAME : Arthur M/organ NICKNAME : A handful. English, Cowboy/Cowpoke, Black Lung, etc. Common aliases are Tacitus Kilgore and Arthur Callahan. AGE : 36. BIRTHDAY : January 25th, 1836. ETHNIC GROUP : Caucasian. NATIONALITY : American. LANGUAGE / S : English, primarily. Knew a handful of Welsh thanks to his father, but it’s faded with disuse.  SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Bisexual, somewhat closeted.  ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : Biromantic, somewhat closeted. RELATIONSHIP STATUS : Verse dependent, single-ship with @notanoutlaw in most. CLASS : Lower/working HOME TOWN / AREA : Arthur just mentions he was born “up north”, I headcanon around the Oregon area, possibly California due to his mother’s favorite flower, but it’s uncertain. Though, the place he laments the most about is New Austin, or “out west”.   CURRENT HOME : Transitory, he moves with the gang.  PROFESSION : Outlaw, occasional bounty hunter.

PHYSICAL. HAIR : Light brown, dark blonde in some lights. EYES : Unique eye colour, blue-grey-sorta hazel.  NOSE : Average, dimpled. Scarred from fighting and getting it broken a couple times.  FACE : Somewhat sharp features in the brow and cheekbones, square jaw.  LIPS : Full, can be dry/chapped.  COMPLEXION : Somewhat clear? Hard to tell. Dry, dirt spattered sometimes.  BLEMISHES : Uncertain. SCARS : A handful. Most notable are the one he has on his chin that is most visible with shorter facial hair, one across his nose, and the one left on his shoulder by the O’Driscolls in chapter 3.  TATTOOS : N/A HEIGHT : 6′0, possibly 6′1 WEIGHT : Uncertain, fluctuates.  BUILD : Stocky, broad shouldered and he can be fairly intimidating, especially when his weight is about average or above.  FEATURES : Look above? ALLERGIES : N/A USUAL HAIR STYLE : Right parted, about 3-5 in length. Though, for people who don’t know the system--fairly short, tufts out around his ears and may reach the back of his neck before he cuts it again. USUAL FACE LOOK : Expression wise, his kind of got a resting irritated face, sometimes bored. Rarely clean shaven unless he has to be, usually keeps a fair amount of stubble.  USUAL CLOTHING : I change him too much to say. Tends to keep his heavy navy blue winter jacket, jeans/ranch pants, some sort of button up shirt, and sometimes his tan leather jacket. Tends to keep his hat, however, unless he needs to go without. 

PSYCHOLOGY. FEAR / S : Arthur has a mild one of change. He’s adaptable but he’s very sentimental and nostalgic, he will miss “old ways” and previous places. There’s also losing his usefulness, disappointing those who depend on him (much as he will get defensive when it happens). Post-Guarma, he does develop a fear of drowning. It won’t keep him from swimming, but getting swept or held underwater may cause some panic. Post-game au, he does fear about getting sick again and actively avoids doctors.  ASPIRATION / S : Uncertain, just wants to get out of the mess he’s in and eventually just wants a calm existence somewhere. However, once he’s diagnosed with TB, his main goal is getting those who want/will listen to him out of the gang as it starts to fall down. POSITIVE TRAITS : Caring, compassionate (to people he knows, might not be clear on first impression), intelligent (much as he may say the opposite and isn’t exactly book smart), observational, brave, humorous (in certain situations and may be a cover sometimes), friendly (somewhat, changes as he ages), artistic, creative, loyal, etc. NEGATIVE TRAITS : Violent, murderer (doesn’t do it without reason but he knows he’s killed more than he certainly should), defensive, (passive) aggressive, sarcastic, depressive, self-deprecating, selfish, rude (sometimes intentional, sometimes not), conflicted, stubborn, reckless (sometimes, has mellowed out with age but it’s still there), self destructive (sometimes), money-driven (not always a flaw but he’s easily swayed by money). MBTI : ISFJ-T - Turbulent Defender  ZODIAC : Aquarius  TEMPERAMENT : Phlegmatic-Melancholic ANIMALS : I’m not going to take the quiz because the game is very heavy handed with the whitetail buck motif for high honor Arthur. lol VICE HABIT / S : Smoking, drinking, etc. FAITH : Non-religious. GHOSTS ? : Generally, the existence of ghosts isn’t something he completely writes off after he’s witnessed the few in the game, but he’s also hard pressed to admit to believing in them outright. AFTERLIFE ? : Not in any sort of defined sense. He’ll often say he doesn’t believe in one or it won’t be a nice one for him if there is, but he finds himself nervous about the subject once he gets sick.  REINCARNATION ? : He doesn’t know enough about it. ALIENS ? : Not really? Doesn’t really know he’s looking at a UFO when he sees it. POLITICAL ALIGNMENT : Don’t start. ECONOMIC PREFERENCE : Uncertain. SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION : Uncertain. EDUCATION LEVEL : Does not have a formal education on even the basic levels (primary, high school, etc), however Hosea and Dutch have taught him to read and write and he’s learned a handful of things when it comes to survival and his lifestyle. However, he’s not exactly book smart or the “book learnin’ type”. 

FAMILY. FATHER : Lyle M/organ, deceased. MOTHER : Beatrice M/organ, deceased. SIBLINGS : No blood related, but considers John as one along with a couple other members of camp. EXTENDED FAMILY : He has a few uncles, aunts, and cousins, but he’s not in touch. Issac, his son, and his mother, Eliza, who are both deceased. Mary L/inton/Gillis, ex-fiance. (Cain Kennedy, lover - @notanoutlaw) NAME MEANING / S : Arthur - English, “noble, courageous”, Morgan - (and I’m going against what’s been said in fandom) - Celtic/Welsh surname, comes from Old Welsh name Morcant - “mor” as “sea” and “cant” as “circle”.    HISTORICAL CONNECTION ? : Uncertain in the game, but it’s been pointed out about King Arthur and also Morgan le Fay, which highlights his struggle with good vs evil themes in his character. 

FAVOURITES. BOOK : Uncertain, mostly non-fiction. MOVIE : -- 5 SONGS : -- DEITY : Doesn’t know enough to give a favorite. HOLIDAY : Christmas, in a way. Not quite for the religious context, but he enjoys the hunting and cooking the gang does to celebrate, singing and talking over fires. He remembers it vividly when he was younger, so it’s stuck with him. MONTH : April-May. SEASON : late spring, early summer. PLACE : He likes most places in wilderness, give him something with a view and he’s good. WEATHER : Sunny, average weather. Not too hot, not too cold. SOUND : Rain, birds, etc. SCENT / S : Again, rain, campfires, etc. TASTE / S : Prefers savory over sweet.   FEEL / S : Weightlessness in his limbs once he’s able to sit/lay down after a long day, fingers in his hair, etc. ANIMAL / S : Horses, dogs, cats, animals. NUMBER : He hasn’t given it much thought. COLOUR : Blues, greens, deeper colours.

EXTRA. TALENTS : Sharpshooting, Arthur’s got impeccable aim and speed when using guns, there’s also his drawing, he’s getting fairly good at tracking, etc. BAD AT : Admitting to mistakes, expressing himself emotionally, adhering to rules, anything overly scientific, etc. TURN ONS : Sense of humor, confidence or self-assurance, kindness and/or compassion, dark hair, etc. TURN OFFS : Hypocrisy (much as he suffers from that himself), cockiness (has a limit before confidence becomes a turn off), excessive or needless cruelty, etc. HOBBIES : Drawing, writing in his journal, hunting, wandering around/sight seeing, etc. TROPES : Anti-Hero/Anti-Villain,The Atoner, The Big Guy, Jerk with a Heart of Gold, Obfuscating Stupidity, etc. AESTHETIC TAGS : Horses, old west, deserts, nature, gun slinging, writing, drawing, photography, etc. 

FC INFO. MAIN FC / S : R/oger Clark, mainly in game icons so I haven’t found a need for one. ALT FC / S : -- OLDER FC / S : -- YOUNGER FC / S : -- VOICE CLAIM / S : R/oger Clark GENDERBENT FC / S :

MUN QUESTIONS. Q1 : if you could write your character your way in their own movie , what would it be called , what style would it be filmed in , and what would it be about ? A1 : I actually REALLY enjoy the game’s story line, much as I feel the redemption through death is overplayed and not as deep as people make it out to be. I’d find a way to subvert that or some alternative, but idk. I like the game’s story. lol

Q2 : what would their soundtrack / score sound like ? A2 : Western-y. IDK? The game’s soundtrack is actually really good too so.  Q3 : why did you start writing this character ? A3 : I love his development and progression as a character, and even with the trailers where he seemed no more than an angry outlaw there was a part of me that was still “hmm” about writing him. Ultimately, he’s grown to mean a lot to me and I really enjoy writing for him on this blog.  Q4 : what first attracted you to this character ? A4: As mentioned above, Arthur probably has one of the best character progressions I’ve seen in a while imo. Even in the beginning, I went in under the impression that I’d be playing as this outlaw so the violence and gruffness wasn’t too much of a surprise, much as I wasn’t too attached until later chapters in the game because of this. However, as I spent more time playing as him and reading his journal, seeing how he interacts with strangers and people he loves, he has some depth to him and some deep rooted flaws and insecurities that are played very well in the game. He’s probably one of the few character deaths I’ve cried over. lol Q5 : describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse. A5 : I have to be truthful, Arthur’s an asshole. lol I didn’t like and still don’t like him from Colter into Horseshoe in behavior and personality, much as it’s lessened from my first play of the game because I know what happens to him and how he grows. However, while he’s not blind to himself and how he acts, he doesn’t think for himself really. Even if he hates debt collecting, he does it for the gang and even tells Strauss he does it for pleasure at a point (sarcastic or not, considering they are talking about Thomas, a man trying to raise money for charity while suffering poverty himself on top of having TB), he does whatever Dutch tells him, among many other things. It’s not until later in the game that the theme of grasping redemption comes into play, and he starts to act and think for himself a little more once things start to spiral. As much as I love him with all my heart, Arthur’s got some deep flaws that are hard to ignore.   Q6 : what do you have in common with your muse ? A6 : HHHhh. I’d say we suffer from similar self-esteem issues, not just in body image but morality of character (much as his are way more complicated than mine jaksfha), we also have a similar sense of humor...Yeah, idk. I’m attached to him as a character and I can relate to him in certain ways, but it’s hard to pinpoint.  Q7 : how does your muse feel about you ? A7 : Idk, he’s pixels? Though, for the sake of a fun answer, I genuinely don’t know? We can be fairly similar in mannerisms and thought process (at points), but I have no idea if we’d actually get along if by some universe rip we were able to meet.  Q8 : what characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ? A8: I don’t want to get specific, I interact with a lot of interesting characters. Anybody who’s put me out of a comfort zone or forced me to look at Arthur in the different way has definitely stood out. Q9 : what gives you inspiration to write your muse ? A9 : The game itself is a good source, I enjoy putting up lets plays of it in the background sometimes if I’m struggling or just need something that isn’t music. I get more muse putting together blog playlists than playing them, but there’s that, too. Also generally plotting or talking about him can pull some to the forefront. Q10 : how long did this take you to complete ? A10 : An hour or so, I think?

[crqstalite]

15* day swtor challenge.

*didn’t take fifteen days. not even five.

the challenge <<<

anyways, decided to finally get around to this bad boy that i reblogged like a week ago or smth. our toon of choice for this one is our darling darth tri’ama amarillis-quinn.

1. PROLOGUE.  Where was your OC before the class story? How’d they end up on the starter planet?

Tri’ama was born pure Kaasian (or so she assumes) to two unknown humans. There’s evidence there was another child born to her parents, making Tri’ama a twin to someone but she isn’t aware who. Adopted by two Sith Pureblood Lords, Raegia and Yusaits Amarillis, Tri’ama was raised rather well at the height of power. She had always been destined for Korriban, and routinely trained with her parents.

2. FAMILY.  Is your OC’s family a large part of their story? Why or why not? Are they on good terms? Are any of your characters related?

Tri’ama’s parents have always been her biggest supporters, but were always very withdrawn with their loving. Often their childrearing would be considered extremely odd, from the violent training and the fact they’d continually push her past her physical boundaries. However, Raegia and Yusaits were careful to allow her to grow close to them, so they’re always on good terms. Tri’ama is aware that she has a twin, but assumes they were stillborn or abandoned, so doesn’t care much for it. They don’t appear much in story yet, but they will soon.

3. NAME.  How did you come up with their name? What is it in-game? What do people call them? What do *you* call them?

Tri’ama was because I was beginning to realize ‘holy crap you can use apostrophes?!!!!’ hence why at least a 1/3 of my characters have an apostrophe somewhere in their name. It’s the same in-game, Tri’ama Amarillis (though I don’t have money for my legacy name). Sometimes Vette calls her ‘sis’ when they’re alone (which she LIVES for), Malavai refers to her as ‘my lord’, ‘my love’ when he’s feeling particularily adventerous, and her name when they’re alone, Jaesa refers to her as Master, Pierce is always ‘my lord’ or ‘my greatness therefore our one and only savior’ if he’s feeling like being annoying (thankfully he has a so-so friendship with her, so he’s in no danger of dying), and half the time she can’t figure what Broonmark is saying. I, call her bitch boy because she’s an asshole to literally everyone else.

4. COMBAT.  What’s your character like in a fight? Is there anything you wish they could do in-game that isn’t an option? Favorite in-game moves? How did you decide their specialization?

Tri’ama is chaos and mayhem on wheels, but organized. Everyone has their position and what they have to do, and when things go according to plan, things are wonderful. I think force leap is my favorite thing for Sith Warrior’s and Jedi Knights to do because I love just leaping towards enemies and going to town. I decided her specialization because I really, really like double sabers and the abilities that come with them.

5. WARDROBE.  How many outfit slots are filled? Did their look change over the course of the game, or stay consistent?

1. Literally one because I can’t afford to buy anymore. Also because I do more functionality than looks, so it depended on the planet. Whatever a Warrior on Hoth wore, she wore on Hoth. However, fic wise she did, going from having her hair short and slicked back, to having her hair long and around her shoulders during the endgame.

6. HOME.  Where is home? A place? A person?

Home is Dromound Kaas, in her old family home. Home is with her parents, with the smell of good food and the quiet nights as the rain patters against the windows and she falls asleep.

7. PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS.  Who are their closest friends? Do they have a lot, or a few? Do they trust easily, or does it take time?

Her closest friend is easily Vette, being the first person who began following her. They have a sisterly relationship, and always has a joke for her when they return to the ship. She’s one of the two people that can get her to laugh (the other being Malavai). She doesn’t have too many friends, being not only a Sith but also being Darth Amarillis. It takes a lot of time for her to trust someone, after being betrayed by not only Baras, but Malavai as well. But, it’s easy to see that those she does trust, are there for her life.

8. ROMANCES.  A companion? An NPC? One of your OCs? Someone else’s? Nobody? Explain!

She’s married to Captain Malavai Quinn. Though it’s been a trying relationship (due to his betrayal and her inability to trust), Tri’ama loves him with her whole heart. They spend time together a little more sporadically than either would like, but what they do have, they treasure.

9. RIVALRIES.  Who do they hate most? What’s the fastest way for someone to earn their dislike?

Mierrio. Hands down they despise each other mutually and don’t even try to fight their corresponding lovers on it. For a reason that still has yet to be revealed in-universe >:)

10. SLEEP.  What are your OC’s sleeping habits like? Healthy? Terrible? With someone else?

Tri’ama actually sleeps rather well at night. She goes to bed when work is done, wakes up and then going back to work. In that way, she didn’t sleep with Malavai for nearly a year after his betrayal (she believes she’s most vulnerable while sleep), but now she can’t do so without him. Other than that, she’s the most well-rested Sith in the roster.

11. CANON DIVERGENCE.  Are there parts of their story that don’t line up with in-game information? Why? Where?

Yes. When Baras asks the Sith Warrior whether they know the Sith Code, it’s assumed the PC has no idea what’s going on, and has been rushed into the Sith lifestyle. Tri’ama has been part of the Sith lifestyle since she was adopted by her parents, and of course would know the Sith Code, and what it means to be Sith. She wouldn’t have been rushed to Korriban either, though she was heavily advanced compared to other students and would’ve had no problem murdering Vemrin out of sight of the overseers without the assistance of Baras or Tremel. Other than that, no.

12. AUs.  Do you have any alternate universes for them? What’s different? What’s the same?

One AU I have is the Faction Swap AU, where obviously, the characters switch their factions with the opposite class. Tri’ama became a Jedi Knight, which isn’t much different from her usual form, except that she murders less and doesn’t have an Imperial accent. Doc would’ve pissed her off, but she probably would’ve came around eventually, making it very clear that she was the one wearing pants in this relationship. The second AU I have is the Heritage AU, where she and Malavai have an unknown amount of children and...well it’s not written yet. Another AU is the lover swap AU (where I swap the companion lover and the PC’s roles), and Tri’ama would be the one stuck on Balmorra until Malavai arrives. She’s rather suave about how she enjoys her time spent with Baras’ apprentice and is extremely forward. Tri’ama, with her own trust issues, nearly refuses Baras before her life is threatened, and she purposely makes the robots much weaker than they should be.

13. ALIGNMENT.  Light-dark, or D&D style, or both, whatever suits you. Did you plan for them to be the way they are, or did your ideas change as you played?

Dark side, mostly. Of course, I didn’t intend for her to be merciful to some characters, but it ended up that way because Malavai was partially light-sided as well and Tri’ama wanted to please him. Her D&D Alignment is Lawful Evil.

14. POST-OSSUS. How have they changed over the course of the thirteen years? How do they feel about their past self? How would their past self feel about them now?

Assuming we’re following my very fractured ‘Made of Star Dust’ universe, Tri’ama has changed because being seperated from the one person that promised to never leave her again, and the person that she trusted most in the whole galaxy snapped something inside her. Some call her the Melancholical Murderer, because she kills due to her own sadness and straining sanity. Things don’t go right back to normal after Malavai and Vette return, and she struggles to trust those in the Alliance as well. While Ezridivia has tried to reach out to her, along with Lana, surprisingly her remaining trust in the Barsen’thor (Naji) and Mierrio. Tri’ama sees her past self as weak, for not being able to deal the killing blow when she should’ve. Her past self would’ve seen this version as insane, and downright scary.

15. FREE DAY.  Anything you’d like to talk about that wasn’t covered goes here. Fun facts? Not-fun facts? Go wild. I don’t own you.

Tri’ama loves, loves, LOVES, pets. She begged Malavai to adopt an akk dog (they didn’t, he made a remark that they already had Broonmark), and always checks out the wildlife on any planet that they land on. She also adores silk underclothes, and Malavai always complies. <3

@wolfboywarmachine !

[kendrixtermina]

Disclaimer For Potential Partners (f/m/x)

Writing this down as much to gather my thoughts and go into this with clear priorities as for possible future reference. 

My mother always told me that if you wanted everyone to like you, you’d have to be a 50 dollar bill. I have come to accept that I’m more like licorice. Some people aren’t gonna like me but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t others who would appreciate me. 

I’d rather you run away screaming NOW than in three years when we’re both invested so Let’s get all this out of the way:

I’m bisexual. Yes, I’ve dated dudes in the past. I’ve had a brief online flirt with an agender person and do think androgynous ppl are hot which I suppose would make me pan in some ppl’s books, at this point the choice in label is purely aesthetic. I’m looking for a female partner right now because I’ve always had a slight preference for girls anyways but a sufficiently compatible non-female would not be refused. 

Because ppl have gotten this wrong in the past: Preference is about how likely you are to notice that someone is hot in the first place like in the early stages. It doesn’t mean my attachment to those dudes was any less “real” (or the other way around!) I just flat out don’t care whats in your pants there are other things to be picky about

From since I was young, the message I got from music, books etc is that it’s pretty bad to say “I love you” unless you truly mean it. So I don’t say “I love you” until I’m 100% sure I can do that it good conscience. It seems that it takes me a bit longer to be sure than most people, but it’s not like I’ve conducted statistics on this

I’m not vegan/vegetarian and I’m never going to be vegan/vegetarian

I’m not a pet person 

I’m not a sporty person and I’m never going to be a sporty person

Go through my stuff, spy on me in any way or ask me to tell you where I am at all times and its over

I’m an antiprohibitionist and don’t think there’s anything morally wrong with taking recreational substances. Conversely, I’m not interested in that sort of thing as a full-on lifestyle either. 

I try to keep an open mind and try everything once but im probably not gonna reorganize my life around new age woo-woo. 

So far my folks have liked most my partners, but if our social circles don’t get along I’m comfortable with leaving them separate. 

I believe in judging people as individuals first. I don’t wanna hear no paranoid shit about “the muslims” or other stereotypical carricatures but if you’re gonna be “europeans that europeans this” as if im not in the room its not gonna work. 

Don’t be fooled by the foreign-sounding surname im a potato through and through. No exotic fanservice to be had here. 

Barring unforseen dictatorships, I don’t want to move out of Europe. I like it here. Its full of frustrating dumbasses but so is the rest of the world.  Yay for cheese and consumer protection laws! I would consider moving closer to the shore though. 

It’s fine if you don’t speak German but you should not hate or dislike it.  English is a plus because me, my friends and my family are into internet culture

I haven’t spoken to my father in five years. No, you’re not going to patch this up. You don’t have to ignore him too if you’re not comfortable but you’ll have to respect my choice instead of playing family therapist or throwing platitudes about forgiveness at me. 

Im not counting and it depends on your definition but Ive fucked at least 15-20 people, which according to statistics is above average? Always used rubber unless it was long-term and exclusive tho. That might bother some ppl. 

That said it has been my conclusion that fucking does nothing that a beer can’t do and that the real quality stuff is what you could already do as a grade schooler when you still thought of all the grownup stuff as mystical. Having ice cream together, exploring new places, having contemplative conversations in the rain, telling each other your fantasies? That’s The Stuff. 

Hence while I wouldn’t turn down some fuckage along the way what im looking for at this point is someone to share life and grow old with, like there doesn’t need to be the expectation of further strings but the end goal RN is to find One That Sparks Joy(TM) that will get precedence

I’m not big on material gifts or the ritual part of dating if thats important to you I might not be the ideal candidate, but if its not thats probably good for your wallet

I’m a strong introvert. Sometimes I go weeks without talking to anyone other than my boss or maybe texting my relatives. If you’re very introverted or work alot this might be an advantage. Of course if I love you I will try my best to match up to your attention needs but if you need your partner to text you 15 times every day to feel good I might just not be your cup of tea

That doesn’t mean im not interested in going on or doing new experiences. I very much hope to do that together with you just not 5 days a week - if you can’t give new things wholehearted tries things might get uncomfortable

I like spicy food and all sort of asian cousine, but if you can’t stand the sight of cheese, asparagus and sausage it’s not gonna work either. I can obviously put less chili in your portion. 

I tend to talk fast and I find it hard to stop it even if I try, if that bothers you look elsewhere

I cannot stand forced optimism OR over-the top misanthropy or snobbishness. I will gush about things, but I like my dark edgy content and I stand by it. It is an advantage if you like talking about art. If you don’t like morbid humor that might be a problem

No diet talk

No perfectionism

No passive aggressive ppl or ppl that are uncomfortable with direct confrontation. That won’t work, we’d just set each other off even without meaning to and it would just be sad. If Im doing something wrong don’t expect me to notice by magic, tell me to my face so I can fix it. Don’t be hostile out of nowhere and don’t beat around the bush. 

im not religious or spiritual. I don’t mind if you are but if you want to have kids and bring them up strongly-immersed in some Abrahamic faith im not sure if this is the right adress

No anti-intellectualism (no snobbery, elitism or smartassery either - as a wise pig once said, “Knowledge is a horizon to strive for, not a prize to hold in your hand” It begins with realizing what you don’t know)

Indifferent about monogamy, but I wouldn’t say that I’m the sort of person who needs non-monogamy either.  If you want to we can do it (write me out some list of where you draw the lines so there’s no misunderstandings) but if you don’t it’s no biggie. I don’t care if you fuck 10 other people - for me, respect, honor and loyalty are to do with other things, like, don’t make fun of me and don’t expect me to change because one (1) person said I’m weird or whatever.

Don’t give me diseases tho. I’ll take precautions to extend the same courtesy to you.  

Potential character flaws: I can be a tad sensitive, disorganized and defensive sometimes, not gonna sugarcoat it. I have no filter and curse like a sailor. Also I have zero social skills and sometimes I come across as either angry or unemotional when its really the opposite. I find that just as confusing and contradictory as that sounds, I have like zero sense of how I come off. I try to be aware of all of these and do right to everyone to the best of my ability but if you’re sensitive about any of these point someone else might be a better fit 

2 kids max. I’m not sure I’ll have ANY at this point, and most certainly not in the next 5 years. IF we decide to have some later I volunteer to carry them though, I probably have good genes, my mom popped out 4 babies in 6 years with nary a complication. Besides I’d rather it was me dealing with the gross pregnancy stuff than someone I love

My favorite bedroom stuff is fingers-in-front-cavity and butt stuff. Mild sleepsex fetish but nothing super pronounced. What I don’t like or just am not very good at is top/bottom play. 

So far most my partners have had somewhat stronger sex drive than me but Id argue that I very much have one and ive never refused unless I was in physical pain, severely sleep-deprived or working on some important work-related thing that was due the next day. 

It’s important - and science backs me up on this - that you can freely talk to each other in n open, natural and relaxed manner

If you think im weird just do us both the favor and stay away don’t come at me with the attitude that you’re gonna mold me to your desires - even just writing this comes off kinda touchy but im saying this because some people out there really don’t get it. Like my natural tendency is to be open, courious and realistic,  but some people see that as free real estate and then it falls to me to be the reasonable one and End The Madness and im tired of that.

Like I want to be able to give love and pour out all my inner romantic shit without having to be afraid of being fucked over I want to be able to trust you with my inner harley quinn as well as my inner phantom of the opera 

UGH that sounded a bit tryhard didn’t it? But its the best description i could come up with

Must remember to translate this into mordor speak later