#and then hes finding it difficult to pronounce complicated

[puhpandas]

trying to match Gregory's characterization in my writing to canon Gregory is sooo hard. I'd think that he isnt super smiley and energetic because we've never seen that from him, and any jokes he makes in the game are always just him complaining instead of clever little quips. we've only ever seen him scared annoyed sad or panicked and nothing else. all of his dialogue is very relevant to the plot a lot of the time so we never get to actually see him just talk normally so barely any personality is seen from him, but all we have to go off of is hes reserved not smiley easily annoyed etc

but then in all of the official art by steel wool hes always smiling real big and having fun and having a good time so it's like does he smile a lot or not. do I write him normal or make him one or the other. I dont know how he would react in canon to certain things. WHAT DO I DOOO

[cin-cant-donate-blood]

Ever wanted to know how to pronounce the name of our favorite Ur copper merchant, Ea-nāṣir? If you haven't looked it up, I can almost guarantee that you are saying it wrong, but fret not. I will share the secret with you (or at least the buest guess modern experts have).

The reconstruction of how to pronounce his name currently looks like this in the IPA:

[e.a.ˈnaː.t͡sʼiʁ]

If that looks daunting, keep reading.

While Ea-nāṣir may be remembered to us as a Sumerian, he did not speak Sumerian. The Sumerian language was all but extinct in his day, and Sumerians now spoke an unrelated language called Akkadian.

The infamous complaint tablets are written in Akkadian Cuneiform, which is a complicated writing system that it is difficult to figure out the pronunciation of after the fact. Pronunciations have shifted considerably during the time that modern people have studied it. All the same, we have a "buest guess" at pronunciation.

The first thing to note is that Akkadian has phonemic vowel quantity, which is a fancy way if saying that the length of a vowel is really important. Ea-nāṣir's name has four vowels, and three are short and one is long. The long one is the A with a bar on top (called a macron, pronounced MACK-ron or MAKE-ron). If you see that symbol in other languages it is probably also a long vowel (you'll see this in Arabic, Latin, and many other languages).

This also tells us where to stress the word. While Akkadian has somewhat complicated rules for stress, Ea-nāṣir's case is simple: stress the syllable with the long vowel.

The vowels themselves are the vowels you would find in Spanish, Japanese or Swahili: the E is closest to the English vowel in dress, the As are between trap and palm, just like Spanish gato, and the I is somewhere around sheep or fear.

So far, intuitively, you're probably pronouncing it something like "e-a-NAW-sir", which is getting closer to the accurate idea, but we haven't looked at the consonants yet, and unfortunately they are the hardest parts (for an English speaker).

The N is just a regular N. This isn't too surprising since N is one of the single most common sounds across all spoken languages (perhaps only beaten by M).

The R, while contested among scholars, seems to be leaning towards a "back R" or "guttural R", the way French people and some Germans do it.

That leaves the ṣ. Oh boy. It is, first of all, an affricate, like the Z in pizza. "e-a-NAAT-sir" would as such be a good try. It is, however, also something called an ejective, which is a notoriously tricky type of consonant where you block the airflow while saying it, only to release it immediately after.

You know the T-dropping that some brits do, or the way you rapidly close off air flow at the back of your throat when saying ah-ah-ah (and perhaps wagging your finger)? Try putting an air release like that right after the ts sound. If the closest you get is "e-a-NAT-suh-ir" then you are already doing a good job.

If you are a perfectionist, here is an old youtube video of a person making the noise, with decent audio.

And that's it, really. That is a complete breakdown of the best guess we have at how Ea-nāṣir's name would have been pronounced.

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Homelander being obsessed with his sister HC V

Warnings: siblingxsibling implications, Homelander being such a narcissist that he falls in "love" with his own sibling, dubcon, manipulation, stalking, basically all the horrible parts of HL come out to play, MC has blonde hair and blue eyes like HL, different plot than 'All I Ever Wanted, All I Ever Needed', stockholm syndrome, dealing with aftermath, mental trauma

I II III IV

Oh you poor fool, did you really think Homelander would keep to his word? No, this only meant that he had to act under your radar. Stealth was required now to feed his desire to be close to you always.

He let you think that he was taking a step back. Grudgingly let you resume your previous life though you found little comfort in the family you once lived with. Time with HL changed you. Everything you'd known about your life was an utter lie manufactured by Vought. The hero you'd adored was. . . a complicated creature that wasn't like the golden man on the tv.

HL will draft thousands of texts to you but hesitate on sending them to you. He'll break and send you at least a text every other day. Tolerable, you think. You didn't know that he'd be using his enhanced vision to watch you read them and gauge your reaction.

Now is the time that stalker HL comes out to play since he can't be caught or you really would never forgive him. He didn't want another fight. He hated fighting you. It fought against his natural instinct to protect you. Plus you packed a punch that actually bruised his ribcage making it difficult for him to breathe for the next two days.

Often on his patrol breaks (and when he knows you aren't home) he'll fly by your apartment just to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary. You know, checking your drawers just to reassure himself that you were taking care of yourself and doing your own laundry. Particularly your undergarments.

Careful not to leave a trace when he does these inspections. Never staying too long.

You're non the wiser when you return to your apartment although you do notice how you have to buy more underwear lately.

He likes to keep the clothes he's taken from you under his pillow. When he goes to bed he pulls them out from their hiding place and places it next to his face.

your absence in his own apartments is suffocatingly pronounce

he hates how quiet it is, hates how his room is so empty without you there

and grudgingly you miss his familiar presence too

Your bed is suddenly too large without Homelander laying next to you. You hated when he'd pull you close to his chest in the middle of the night, refusing to relinquish you even if you had to pee.

You find yourself actually missing him and fuck does that make you resent him more. He completely uprooted your life. Him and Vought.

When exactly did you starting hating him less to actual start contact with him? You hate that you cracked after three days of being away from Homelander. Three days and you missed him like you hadn't seen him in a week. Hell, you'd been stuck with him for close to two months before enough was enough. That time spent together, all that trauma bonding, was bound to leave it's mark on you.

Loathing the idea that you may have developed a degree of Stockholm Syndrome. You'd read about it in books and seen it played out hundreds of times on tv.

You're annoyed when you close your laptop after spending hours of research. Especially after encountering this little passage: "An alternative explanation suggests that being in a captive or abusive situation generates intense emotional dynamics. Over time, individuals may adapt their emotions and develop feelings of compassion towards their abuser, particularly when subjected to kindness."

For the most part, Homelander had been kind to you (except, ya'know the whole fucking kidnapping thing). There were definitely moments where he made you uncomfortable but overall his intentions weren't necessarily malicious.

You recall a few times when Homelander leaned in too close to you and you thought. . . well you thought he was going to kiss you. But wouldn't that be messed up? Why would he do that? You didn't quite understand those odd moments where it sounded- it sounded like he was in love with you. There was nothing familial about the way he'd eye you.

In a short amount of time Homelander had done so much damage to your mental health. You found yourself unable to be without him. Perhaps that was the cruelest thing he's done to you.

[salty-croissants]

Tu sais je vais t’aimer ( Bullfrog x g/n reader )

It’s been a while since I made a story unrelated to requests … I just felt like doing something a little different since I recently noticed that we have reached 110 followers , which is just - 

Broo !! :,0

I really wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all so much for being so supportive of my little headcanons and stories for Bullfrog and Rayman , you’re all really amazing and kind and you’ve really made me feel like home here on Tumblr …

I may be a bit too busy and ( most of all ) shy to interact much with everyone , but I really do appreciate you guys … thank you so much , I mean it :,) ❤️

Now then , onto the actual story , I’ve recently stumbled upon this beautiful French song , and at some point a random inspiration for a Bullfrog fic hit me : 

what if the reader decided to surprise their beloved frog boy by singing him this song ? Maybe for a special occasion , like the one year anniversary of the relationship ? 

It just seemed too wholesome of a concept for me to let go , so I ended up writing this :,) 

I also added a translation in English for the lyrics , because it’s just so cute and it melted my heart when I read it ;//; 

Hope this turned out okay ! 

Details : use of g/n reader who likes to sing and can play piano ; 

established relationship ; 

no warnings needed 

It had been a very long , tiresome day for Bullfrog …

The last mission the Warden had assigned him and his companions had been filled with complications , and this could easily be guessed by his bruises and ripped clothes .

Even as someone who took pride in his job , he yearned for nothing more than to find a quiet place to rest … hopefully in the arms of his beloved .

He also hadn’t forgotten about what a special time this was , so before going back to you he had managed to pass by a flower shop and buy a bouquet of your favorite flowers : the thought of your smile in front of his gift was the one thing that was keeping him from dropping on the ground for sheer exhaustion .

< I’m back mon amour ! Sorry for being late , this was a much more difficult task than I anticipated … > 

Bullfrog stopped , slightly alarmed by the fact that you weren’t behind the door to greet him like usual :

you were always so happy to see him whenever he got back , so it was quite strange …

He closed the door as quietly as possible and begun to walk , attentive to every single sound to avoid anything sneaking by him .

If something had happened to you , he was more than ready to rescue you and defend you from any possible threat , exhausted or not …

But it was then that he heard it : someone was playing the piano in the living room , and when he finally reached it his eyes widened …

You were there , as beautiful as ever , and as soon as your eyes met you smiled softly at him and started to sing …

< Tu sais je vais t'aimer même sans ta présence 

( You know I'm going to love you even without your presence ) 

Je vais t'aimer même sans espérance 

( I will love you even without hope )

Je vais t'aimer tous les jours de ma vie 🎶 

( I will love you all the days of my life ) > 

Bullfrog wanted to say so many things in that very moment , and yet he was so overwhelmed by joy that he couldn’t bring himself to speak …

He just walked forward , sitting on a chair next to you while listening to the sound of your voice .

< Dans mes poèmes, je t'écrirai c'est toi que j'aime …

( In my poems I will write to you it is you that I love ) 

C'est toi que j'aimerai tous les jours de ma vie🎶 

( It's you that I would love all the days of my life ) > 

He looked up at you in awe , nodding his head to the beat , and as soon as the song ended and your hands left the piano you finally turned around once more to look at your boyfriend .

< Happy anniversary , love ~ 

God , you won’t believe how many months it took to learn how to pronounce everything correctly … buut , I just really wanted to do something special for you , you know ? I hope I didn’t butcher too many words … 

Also sorry for being so quiet before , I didn’t mean to scare you , but I wanted to surprise you and - > 

Worry immediately filled your eyes when you took a better look and noticed the bruises on his face , but Bullfrog shook his head , caressing your cheek with one hand …

< Don’t you think about that my dear , it’s nothing … besides , receiving something so beautiful from you as a gift was enough to make it all better . > 

He smiled at you tenderly , watching you leave a kiss on his palm .

< Thank you , y/n … je t'aime tellement … ~ > 

You let out a little chuckle , unable to stop your cheeks from turning red in front of his loving words …

< I love you too , Bullfrog … I’m really lucky to have you , you know ? > 

Before you could even realize it , the distance between your faces diminished more and more , until eventually your lips met into a much anticipated and needed kiss .

You closed your eyes , letting out a sigh while holding Bullfrog in your arms , and you could feel all the tension in his body instantly melt to your touch as he gladly leaned into it …

Eventually you both pulled away , staring into each other’s eyes and enjoying that precious moment of intimacy .

< We should probably get you patched up now , sweetie … those bruises look painful . > 

< Alright alright , but before that , here … > 

< *gasp* - you remembered my favorite flowers ! Thank you Bullfrog , these look beautiful ! > 

< Don’t mention it mon cher , it’s not quite as good as your gift , but … > 

< Are you kidding ? I love them ! We should put them in some water before they start wilting … > 

As the two of you carried on with your conversations , glad to finally be together , the sun started to disappear behind the tall skyscrapers of the city … some of the nightly neon lights were already starting to illuminate the crowded streets .

It had certainly been a one year anniversary to remember .

[ikranwings]

What’s meant to be

Chapter two: making camp

Song for the book:

Na’vi is in blue.

Sounding it out is pink.

Authors note: I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I’m so excited for the story!

Warnings: deception? Nothing bad just Miles being an ass.

Chapter dedication: @villiansimpqueen I had to put up another one because this person right here truly helped me get back into writing again and I appreciate it! You guys should definitely check out their writing as well! They currently have 2 miles Quaritch stories up!

Miles had not given Tilor his full name and it was something she had caught onto almost instantly.However that could be for many reasons. He could have assumed his own name was far to complicating to pronounce for her just as he Seemingly could not pronounce all of her own. Either way it was something that would come around in due time. No matter how many secrets one person had they always seemed to come to light in the end. It was just the way things were and no one could ever stop that. 

Tilor had given him her canteen in order to rehydrate. She had no idea how long he had been laying there before she had spotted him and dehydration on the plains was not something to be messed with. They were roughly a couple hours from her clans current resting place as she had been sent off scouting earlier on that day. There was no way in miles current state that they would be moving very fast when it came to travel. At the very least they would both have to stay the night, practically out in the open to the world around them. Since he was one of the sky people it would more than likely take them a little longer to get back. Tilor had yet to know if the man before him had ever sat atop a pa’li before or not. Something she could figure out tomorrow as it wasn’t her main concern at the present moment. 

Even then she still have yet to decide if she was just going to leave him there the next morning or take him along with her. He was one of the sky people after all and she was entirely unsure of how to proceed. Tilor had decided to take the night to think things over. Talk to him more just to see where he stood in the order of things. There had to be a reason she had come across him, It simply could not be by chance. Everything happens for a reason and that was something she truly believed. Ewya had lined up their paths and it was up to her to decipher why.

—

“ You must stand.. and we must move to make camp for the night. “ It would be safer for them, Miles already made enough noise to alert the surrounding area of their presence. While there wasn’t anything inherently dangerous out there she just had a strong feeling it would be smarter to move. Tilor had long since packed her things back up. Putting it all back within the woven saddle bags so she would have her arms free in order to help him stand if need be. It would be dark soon and she preferred to get a move on while they had the chance. She herself had no problem traveling in the dark on her own. But with an injured man who didn’t know how to fend for himself  it would be quite difficult. Not only would she have to look out for herself but him as well. 

“ Why is there something wrong with where we’re at now? “ Miles was finally able to sit himself up properly without having to use his hands to brace behind himself. His strength was returning however he did have to take it easy and Tilor would see to that. Despite being told to stand he  waited for her answer. He saw no danger in the immediate area nor did he hear anything aside from the sway of the wind through the grassy plains around them. Perhaps it would be wise to listen to her for the time being and not snap at her. The woman before him knew this area a whole lot better than he did, that was for damn sure. Being stuck with someone who knew the area was for the best in his opinion. Plus she wasn't so bad to be around, really she was kind of cute. Not that he wanted to admit that out loud at the moment. He wasn't in this to find love, he had a job to do.

 “ For food.. and cover. “ Tilor pointed above the to the open sky, if it were to rain right now they would both be entirely drenched from head to toe. Setting up a proper place to stay the night was their only option. They weren't far off from one of the many massive trees that littered the plains of Pandora. It wouldn't be hard for the two of them to set up camp underneath one of them for the night. Keep the two of them from being exposed to the brunt of the elements around them.     “ We are due for tompa,rain soon… “

 Stepping over to Miles she held out her hand, allowing him to take the chance to grab ahold of hers. Offering him the chance to trust her as she truly meant no harm to him in any way. The man before her had to trust her in order to get out of the scenario he was in. There was no way he could survive on the Plains alone and get back to Bridgehead with absolutely no help. It was just not possible for him and even he knew that. “Come, I will help you. “ 

The look of skepticism was still quite evident as he reluctantly accepted Tilors help. However it was the easiest way for him to get up without stumbling backwards and thoroughly embarrassing himself. In his opinion he already had his ego bruised enough for the day, “ This wont become a habit i'm telling you that right now.” It was as if he was  trying to assert some dominance over the situation which in reality was not working. THat much was made clear by the soft laugh his comment drew out of the woman before him. She was amused? How the hell was she not at the very least concerned about the man she was going to be traveling with, it simply did not make a lick of sense to him. Really all it did was intrigue him more about the mysterious woman that had found him lying there unconscious, and all she wanted to do was help him out? This sort of care was new to him and he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that.

Miles was now on his feet being led to Tilors Pa’li,taking his hand and carefully guiding it to the animal's shoulder. Only moving once she was positive that he had caught on to the fact that she wanted him to have a firm but steady grip on its shoulder. Her own hand moving to the leed that was tied securely around its face, the woven harness made for the utmost comfort of the animal. “ Hold here, this Paysyul(water lilly. ). She will keep you steady as we walk. “

 “ Pay..s..y.ul.. Is that right? “ His pronunciation was entirely off but it did sound similar to what Tilor had told him. However he was trying, still trying as his son had already started teaching him at least a month prior. His understanding of it had gotten better, sure but his pronunciation of it was absolutely horrible. It was definitely something he had to work on over time. As long as Miles put his mind to it he would improve, he just needed a patient teacher.

 His attempts at the language and the way he seemed to genuinely want to learn led Tilor to believe that the attitude he was trying to give her was merely a front. Made to make himself look and appear frightening to others when in reality it was to cover how out of place he was. How dazed and confused he was, not to mention a bit concerned as to whether or not the Rda and bridgehead were going to allow him to continue his mission after his return to them. Technically he had failed not once but twice in two completely different life times, he wanted this chance to really prove himself.

“ Pai sue el.. Say it slowly first, then put it together. It will help you. “ He didn't ask for her to teach him and yet here she was trying to help him along only when he made attempts at the words she had spoken. Tilor even made the effort to walk him through it properly and not speak down to him as if he was a child despite his attitude towards her so far. That did not however stop her from telling him exactly when he was acting like a child.

“P..aysyu..Better? What does that even mean anyway. “ Yes it was the animals name but Miles wanted to know the meaning, The translation behind it as in truth he had no clue what he was saying. This woman couldn’t tell him anything and he wouldn’t know if it was the exact translation unless he tried it on someone else.

“Yes, much better than before. “A smile appeared on Tilors face at his second attempt.She had to admit, Miles seemed to be a quick learner or at the very least showed the initiative to try. Perhaps Ewya sent this man to her in order to teach him the ways of the Na’vi people. Teach him that the ways of the sky people was not the only path out there for him to take. That if he truly wanted, Miles could be accepted as one of the people,a part of Eywa. 

——

Camp was set up underneath one of the trees they had set out for. Walking beside the Pa’li had ensured their little journey wasn’t slowed. A small fire was set up in order to keep the two of them warm throughout the night. A small fire with low flames meant to only give off heat would be for the best. Draw less attention to them in the long run and hopefully lead a peaceful evening. 

Once the fire was going Tilor returned to her Pa’li, carefully sliding the woven saddle bags off of its hips and over one of her shoulders. Carrying it back with her as she sat down in front of the fire beside him. Now sliding the bags off of her shoulder in order to open one of them. Food she had gathered and wrapped up earlier on was pulled out in order for the two of them to share.Handing one to him she then spoke up to explain. “ This is Niktsyey..  Food wrap, meant to preserve what is inside for journeys. “

“  Nik.. Niktsyey. “ Miles repeated her words as he watched her unwrap her own food from the tightly wrapped leaves. Carefully digging in as she ate simply to ensure that none of it would fall and go to waste. The contents of his small packaged meal didn't taste all that bad. In fact it was quite pleasant to have something fresh to finally eat after the events that had unfolded earlier on in the day. If she only knew what he did , if only she heard of the horrors he had allowed to happen. What he had done before coming into this body and after. Miles could only assume that their meeting would have been far different, perhaps she might have even killed him. 

“ That's good… “His pronunciation with different words seem to vary, almost as if someone had already started teaching him the language before he inevitably ended up in her care. If he was willing then she would teach him more, there was no harm in that. She then pointed to the leaves that head wrapped the food they were now eating. “It is edible,the leaves..good for you as well. '' Tilor had made a point to take a bite out of them as well to prove that what she was telling him was true. Everything was usable, created in order to ensure that nothing was to go to waste. She was taught from a very young age and everything in life had meaning. What ever wasn’t used is given back to Ewya, given back to the world around them as what they use is but a gift given to them by their great mother. 

An eyebrow raised as he looked from the food in his hands to the woman sitting beside him. He was skeptical at best however she did bite a piece off of hers just to prove her point. So really it couldn’t hurt to try it, it seemed as though she was genuinely trying to help him. Why? He didn’t quite understand. Most people didn’t really give a damn about others unless they were a doctor and they were being paid for it. It didn’t occur to him that the Na’vi didn’t expect payment of any sort when it came to helping someone in need. It didn't occur to him that not every good deed was done in order for a favor to be cashed in later on. Miles ripped off a pice of the leaf wrapping, shoving it in his mouth as Tilor watched him expectantly for some sort of reaction to the food. A slow nod was given as he mulled the taste of it over for a moment, “ It tastes salty.. Not bad but what's it called?. “ 

“ Rumut, The leaves are naturally salty. It makes a good Tsyey, snack.. i think. “ Tilor had to have gone to one of the schools the RDA had made for the natives in order to learn the English language. There was no way she hadn’t, especially with how fluently she was able to speak it. Only it confused him seeing as how the RDA never reached out to the Na’vi that were out this far. Miles felt as though asking her now of all times was to soon, he had to earn her trust and asking to many questions like that to soon would not make it easy.

–

  The two of them had finished off their meals for the night. Tilor was taking the time to sit by the fire for a few moments longer before she was going to settle down for the night. she truly hoped that she was doing the right thing. Hoped that what she had chosen to do when coming across miles in the grass unconscious wasn’t going to be a mistake. The poor woman had already had enough heart break from the sky people as it was. She didn’t want to bring more of that around.

“ Tilor? “ 

Miles had spoken up in order to get her attention, there was no telling how long he had tried but the snap in his voice seemed to hint to her that it had been at the very least a few tries. However she rolled her eyes and ignored how impatient he was when it came to getting an answer.

“Yes? “Tilting her head she awaited an answer in return. Whatever his question was to be she could only assume it was important. At the very least important to him in that given moment.

“ I want to learn, will you teach me? “

The confusion was quite evident on her face, wasn’t she already teaching him how to speak Na’vi? Such a silly question to ask of her when it was already something they seemingly had established. 

“I have been already, it takes time. “

She didn’t understand his question frustratingly enough for him. still he wanted to get something out of this he had to at the very least try and remain calm. 

“No, will you teach me to be Na’vi. “ to be able to think like them, learn their ways so to speak he should theoretically be able to find a way to go after Jake. Achieve his mission and not disappoint those that have given him a new life. Learning the ways of the people on Pandora was a tactical advantage he wanted. Not only that it seem to mean he would have more time around the woman before him. More time to figure out why she was such a mystery to him when she really shouldn’t be.

“I will teach you Miles, but you must be willing. “

@milknhonies

@villiansimpqueen

@drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed

@peachymemoriess

@blossom618

@bitchykittenconnoisseur

@belos-simp69

@eddiesbitch83 

@mrs-sullys-blog

@mooniequeen

@zilena9

@witchywannabe3263

@whoreforquaritch

@fluffyravapardus

@luix-cloud

@randomstuffthatdontmakesense

@philophobianprincess

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hello. Thank you very much for your hard work in maintaining this blog - thanks to you, I find useful materials on autism. I have some questions, but first of all I want to start with the seed, if you don’t mind.

I once asked you a question about suspecting autism when my male relatives are autistic, and you recommended taking an autism test and reading an article about autistic impostor syndrome. Since then, my journey of studying autism as a phenomenon began, and now I understand how broad it is, especially for an unscientific person like me. I can't tell you how long it's been since I asked, but every two months since then I've been retaking all the different autism tests you recommend here, and my results range from severe to moderate (mostly in that order, because over time I understand that some manifestations of autism are atypical for me).

I think I might actually be autistic, although I continue to have doubts. For example, some manifestations remain with me no matter what (sensory sensitivity and stimming, communication difficulties, anxiety, empathy/sensitivity, internalization), some manifestations were more pronounced in my youth (special interests, masking), but due to depression and anxiety they appear less. Some manifestations are atypical for me (shutdowns, alexithymia, nonverbality). This affects my life more and more every year, but if you ask why I don’t want to see a professional for diagnosis, then due to circumstances, diagnosis can complicate an already complicated life. I prefer that others, including my physician, perceive my condition as chronic depression and anxiety, at least outwardly, at least until I live separately from my family, so that any possible diagnosis other than depression and anxiety will not affect my family's attitude towards me.

Despite this, I still have some questions that concern me, even if I do not have an official diagnosis: 1) Can depression and anxiety distort some aspects of autism? For example, affecting energy levels, resulting in energy remaining only for office work, a basic mask, and basic physical needs, but not enough for mental and psychological needs? 2) Can some manifestations of autism be distorted or “suppressed” due to circumstances or due to masking? For example, an autistic person, due to circumstances, has to temporarily give up his special interests. He thinks about them every day, but does nothing about them because he cannot afford them, and when this period ends, it becomes difficult to return to special interests. Could this be possible? 3) How does self-care differ between a neurotypical person and an autistic person? How can an autistic person take care of themselves beyond quality sleep, nutrition, and basic hygiene? How can an autistic person accept the fact that some of their needs are different from those of a neurotypical person and require a different way to meet them? How can an autistic person acknowledge needs that may be socially frowned upon, but which are not objectively bad or harmful? For example, the need for stimming, in their attention to their special interests, to certain foods, and so on.

I hope it wasn't too hard for you to read all this. I needed to ask questions of someone who is autistic or knowledgeable about autism, because I still have doubts and discounting: what if I am just fitting into a description that is convenient for me? Am I too demanding? What if I'm just justifying my anxiety and passivity? Is all this worth my attention? It’s hard for me, but is it hard objectively?

What I really need in life is someone who could look at all this objectively and say whether I’m right or wrong, partially or completely. That is why I asked you questions in the hope that you could look at a small part of the picture of my life with fresh and autism-aware eyes. I hope my message wasn't too long.

Thank you for paying attention to my message. I wish you a good time of day.

…Your questions overwhelmed me so much that I had to resort to chat GPT to help. So many questions. I hope it helps anyway…

One: Depression and anxiety can indeed have an impact on how autism is experienced and expressed. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication difficulties, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. However, it is important to note that autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that individuals with autism can vary greatly in their experiences and abilities.

Depression and anxiety are common comorbid conditions that can occur alongside autism. When someone with autism also experiences depression or anxiety, it can further complicate their overall well-being and functioning. These mental health conditions can affect various aspects of autism in the following ways:

1. Social interaction: Depression and anxiety can intensify social challenges for individuals with autism. They may struggle even more with initiating conversations, maintaining eye contact, understanding social cues, or forming and maintaining friendships.

2. Communication difficulties: Depression and anxiety can exacerbate communication difficulties in individuals with autism. They may have increased difficulty expressing themselves, finding the right words, or understanding the intentions of others.

3. Restricted and repetitive behaviors: Depression and anxiety can influence the expression of restricted and repetitive behaviors commonly associated with autism. Some individuals may experience heightened anxiety-related behaviors, such as repetitive movements or rituals, as a way to cope with their emotional distress.

4. Sensory sensitivities: Many individuals with autism have sensory sensitivities, such as being hypersensitive to certain sounds, textures, or lights. Depression and anxiety can heighten these sensitivities, leading to increased stress and discomfort in sensory-rich environments.

It's important to recognize that each individual's experience with autism, depression, and anxiety is unique. Some individuals with autism may experience more significant impacts on their autism symptoms due to comorbid mental health conditions, while others may not. It's crucial to provide personalized support and interventions tailored to the specific needs of each individual. Consulting with healthcare professionals experienced in autism and mental health can be beneficial in developing appropriate strategies and treatment plans.

Two: Yes, some manifestations of autism can be distorted or suppressed due to various factors, including circumstances and masking. Masking refers to the process in which individuals with autism consciously or unconsciously suppress or hide their autistic traits or behaviors in order to fit into social norms or expectations. This can be done as a coping mechanism to navigate social situations or to avoid judgment and stigma.

Here are a few ways in which autism manifestations can be distorted or suppressed:

1. Social masking: Individuals with autism may actively mimic or imitate neurotypical social behaviors and communication patterns to appear more socially adept. They might learn to make eye contact, engage in small talk, or imitate facial expressions, even if these actions do not come naturally to them. This masking can be mentally and emotionally exhausting, as it requires constant effort and can lead to increased anxiety and stress.

2. Camouflaging: Camouflaging is a strategy where individuals with autism blend in with their neurotypical peers by suppressing their autistic traits. This can involve concealing repetitive behaviors, stimming (self-stimulatory behaviors), or sensory sensitivities. Camouflaging can help individuals navigate social situations, but it can also result in feelings of disconnection from their true selves and significant mental strain.

3. Contextual factors: Some manifestations of autism may be more evident or pronounced in certain environments or situations. For example, an individual with autism may display more obvious autistic traits when feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or fatigued. However, in other contexts or when they feel more comfortable and supported, these manifestations may be less apparent.

It's important to note that suppressing or distorting autism manifestations can have negative consequences, such as increased stress, anxiety, and mental health difficulties. It can also lead to difficulties in self-acceptance and identity development. Recognizing and understanding the impact of masking and providing a supportive and inclusive environment can help individuals with autism feel more comfortable expressing their authentic selves.

Three: Self-care practices can vary between neurotypical individuals (those without autism) and autistic individuals due to differences in sensory sensitivities, social preferences, and individual needs. Here are some ways self-care might differ between the two:

1. Sensory considerations: Sensory sensitivities are common in autism, and individuals with autism may have particular needs when it comes to sensory input. Some autistic individuals may find certain sensations overwhelming, while others may seek out specific sensory experiences for comfort or regulation. Self-care for an autistic person might involve creating a sensory-friendly environment, using tools like sensory toys or weighted blankets, or engaging in activities that provide sensory stimulation or relaxation based on their sensory preferences.

2. Social preferences: Autistic individuals often have unique social preferences and may find social interactions challenging or draining. Self-care for an autistic person may involve setting boundaries around social interactions, allowing themselves time for solitude and recharge, and engaging in activities that align with their personal interests and passions.

3. Routine and predictability: Many individuals with autism thrive on routine and predictability. Self-care for an autistic person may involve establishing and maintaining a structured routine that provides a sense of stability and reduces anxiety. This might include regular meal times, consistent sleep schedules, or specific rituals or activities that provide comfort and familiarity.

4. Special interests and focused activities: Autistic individuals often have intense interests or hobbies that bring them joy and provide a sense of purpose. Self-care for an autistic person might involve indulging in their special interests, engaging in activities that allow them to hyperfocus or deeply engage their attention, and creating a balance between structured tasks and unstructured time for exploration and personal pursuits.

5. Communication and support: Autistic individuals may have unique communication styles and preferences. Self-care for an autistic person might involve advocating for their needs, seeking support from individuals who understand and respect their communication differences, and utilizing tools and strategies such as visual supports or assistive technology to enhance communication and self-expression.

It's important to remember that self-care is highly individual, and each autistic person will have their own specific needs and preferences. It's crucial to listen to and respect the individual's self-identified needs and support them in developing a self-care routine that works best for them.

I hope this helps. I felt too overwhelmed to answer any more questions.

[moonsilkwisdom]

A little about grief

As the holy day of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) approaches, it tends to be a time when many address grief in their lives. Acknowledging the dead, gone from our lives can bring happy memories and strong feelings of loss. Most people are familiar with Kubler-Ross's five stages of grief, the denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. What many do not learn, is that she developed the stages of grief working with the dying, not so much their families. The stages are not steps one goes through one at a time but are more a map of the emotions one goes through sometimes more than one at once[1].

Kubler-Ross was not the only one to write about the grief process. J. William Worden actually describes the steps of grief. He describes them as 1) accepting the reality of the loss, 2) process the pain of grief 3) to adjust to a world without the deceased, 4) find new connections to the deceased while moving on to a new life without them[2].  Unlike Kubler-Ross, these are steps one should take through the grief process. The steps don’t happen quickly. They take time and grief can be complicated by difficult relationships or types of death.

As you plan to celebrate your ancestors or loved ones that have passed, keep in mind that grief is a process, not an end goal.

[1] 1. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and Rosemary Ronald, essay, in On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy, and Their Own Families (Auckland, N.Z.: Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, 2013), ix,.

[2] 1. J. William Worden, Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner, 4th ed. (New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, LLC, 2008) pp 39-53.

.

[espresso-ships]

6 and 14 for both Athenobi and Varganardi!

AHHH OK <3

Thanks for asking! :D

(I may have misunderstood what quirk means LOL so I hope this makes sense either ways!!)

6. What small quirks do they love about each other?

Varganardi

Nacho: His favorite quirk about Laura is how she pronounces so many things wrong without caring/bothering to care LOL

She pronounces "complicated" english words all the time and uses the wrong words to explain something (this one is very s/i! I know English but talking it is so difficult lol! 😭)

She'll say something wrong and Nacho will be like: "...Do you mean... *insert word/phrase*"

Laura: Her favorite quirk about Nacho is how he ALWAYS wears a shirt/tanktop under his shirt 😭

At first she was like ????

His explanation being: "What? I don't want to be cold."

Even during hot days he'll wear his silly shirts-under-shirt combination (and he looks damn good doing it too <3)

Athenobi

Ágata: She loves how Clemmie, no matter what, can never sit still.

Always fidget-y and restless

Girlie can't sit still on a chair for more than five minutes (also very s/i lmaoo)

Ngl, at first she found it annoying

But it's also kinda cute to see Clemmie struggle to "sit straight" in a char without moving her feets or arms, sitting in weird positions or sighing in frustration over how uncomfortable and bored she is

Clementia: She loves how loud Ags tend to talk - whatever mood she's in.

She talks loud and clear and always sounds so enthusiastic, even when angry

She'll fight anyone that thinks her girlfriend is annoying <3

14. Where would they go on a 3am adventure?

Athenobi

Probably to a party!

They'll both be too energetic to sleep some nights and instead of laying in bed, they decide on going on adventures.

It doesn't have to be "adventourous" - Going somewhere nice and watching the stars is cozy enough for them both :')

Clemmie really loves watching the stars and show Ags different star patterns in the sky.

And Ags just likes to look at Clemmie explaining things - smiling like an idiot 🥹

Varganardi

Nacho is an early bird - Laura is a night owl.

So their differences collide sometimes lol

Both have difficulties falling asleep or will wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep

Moments like these, when they're both sleepless - they will get the random ideas to go on a date.

They go on roadtrips in Nacho's car, playing loud music, drive with no destinatio and find beautiful places to park the car.

They either remain seated in the car or they go out for a mini sightseeing

If the place looks creepy they try scaring each other LOL (spoiler alert: Laura gets scared first and Nacho has to comfort her and he feels bad for scaring her 😭)

Link to the game!

[feyhunter78]

Moonflowers (8/16)

Description: A plot is hatched to rid the kingdom of Aegon

He was hiding out in a back corner of the library, far from the prying eyes of others, when Alyra set a stack of books down in front of him with a tired look on her normally cheerful face. Jacaerys knew she’d been up all night trying to find a way to separate Aegon and Helaena without Aegon’s death. He wanted to remind her that she was with child, and that sleep was of the utmost importance, but he knew she’d throw a book at his head if he did.

“Any luck?” He asked. He had his own stack of book in front of him, though they were on a differing topic, one of a more violent nature.

Alyra sat and slumped forward, resting her forehead on the table. “Surprisingly enough, there are quite a few ways for a marriage to be annulled, but the queen would protest them all.” She slid a book over to him, “we could attempt to claim that the marriage was performed under duress, but that would be difficult to prove.”

Jacaerys thumbed through the book, it was an old text of law. “Would that not render her children illegitimate?”

Alyra raised her head and nodded, “that is the other complication.” She rubbed at her eyes; it was early morning, the sun just barely peaking over the horizon. “Did you find anything in the Valyrian texts?”

Jacaerys shook his head, “there’s a reference to divorce, but it seems to be a euphemism for beheading.”

Alyra pulled one of the books from her pile and opened it, laughing tiredly. “This would be far easier if your mother was queen, then Aegon and Helaena wouldn’t be potential heirs to the throne, they would just be royals. Royals, your mother could separate.” She flipped through the book in silence before she spoke again, this time in Denouan. “Should we kill your grandsire and put your mother on the throne before the Hightowers can react?”

Jacaerys snorted, “have you always been this bloodthirsty, or is it Aemond’s doing?”

“A little of both.” She said, slipping back into the common tongue as she closed her book and buried her face in her hands. “This is hopeless, there is no peaceful solution.”

He had to agree. They’d been searching for a way to dissolve Helaena and Aegon’s marriage for over a week and found nothing that separate the two without great consequences for Helaena and her children.

“I thought I might find you two here.” His mother’s voice filled the room and Alyra shot up quickly, curtsying to her.

“Good morning, mother.” He said, standing and pulling a chair out for her.

“Good morning, Jace, Alyra.” She placed a plate of pastries before them. “You two need to eat.”

Alyra sat and grabbed a honey drizzled pastry and ate it slowly, careful not to drop any crumbs on the books she’d borrowed. “Thank you, Princess, your kindness knows no bounds.”

His mother smiled warmly at her, “you, my dear, need to eat the most, you are creating life within you.”

Alyra rested a hand on her stomach, her bump was still small but pronounced, she was no longer able to hide it with flowing fabrics. “My little one knows their mother is working on something important.”

“Ah, yes, the peaceful freeing of our sweet Helaena.” She scanned the table, “I assume your findings have not been successful?”

“We have searched diligently, and yet there is nothing that can help her.” He said, voice colored with frustration.

“Perhaps that is the will of the gods.” His mother said.

“That she remains trapped in that awful marriage?” He snapped; jaw set as he turned to face his mother.

She gave him a soothing smile, “no, that Aegon dies.”

Alyra choked, and began coughing, hitting her chest, until she regained her breath and spoke, her voice scratchy. “You would give us permission?”

His mother intertwined her fingers loosely, resting her hands on the table. “Aegon is a cruel man, a danger to every unmarried and possibly married woman in this keep. He has harmed and shamed Helaena on countless occasions and is not fit for the throne. I will not give the order, but I will support it.”

Alyra’s eyes were downcast as she fiddled with the silver ring set with sapphires Aemond had gifted her the day they married. “What will I tell Aemond? Aegon is his brother.”

“Aegon is also his tormentor, and you are his wife, and mother of his child.” His mother reminded Alyra. She leaned forward and took Alyra’s hand, her voice taking on a persuasive tone he often heard her use with his grandsire. “Do you want your child to grow up in fear of their Uncle Aegon? Do you want Helaena to continue living in misery?”

Alyra shook her head, gripping his mother’s hand tightly. “No, I want Aegon gone. I’ll talk to Aemond, I’ll make him understand.”

His mother smiled brightly at her, “you are the only one I could trust with this task, my dear girl. He will only listen to you.”

Alyra gave her a bashful smile, “he is quite in love with me, but I feel the exact same for him.”

“Then it is settled, we will rid the kingdom of Aegon.” His mother said, her words set with Valyrian steel.

Their next meeting was on an island outside of King’s Landing, his mother and father had ridden out an hour before on Syrax, he followed on Vermax an hour later. When he landed, his parents were sitting on a blanket, their heads bowed towards each other.

“Mother, father.” He called, waving to them.

They waved back, and he patted Vermax before making his way towards them. Once he reached them, he sat and noticed the sheets of parchment laid out before them.

“Do you think Alyra will come?” His father asked, eyes searching the skies.

“I have faith in our girl. Aemond has been enraptured by her since they were children, he brought her a severed head as proof of his devotion. I believe they’ll show.” His mother said, tilting her face up towards the sun.

A few minutes later the ground shook and Vhagar landed next to Vermax who opened one eye then promptly feel back asleep.

Aemond dismounted first, then helped Alyra down. They approached the blanket, a strained look on Aemond’s face.

“Aemond has agreed for the good of our child, and his sister, that Aegon must die.” Alyra said, she had one of Aemond’s hands in her own, and she pulled him down to sit with her.

“I take no pleasure in joining this plot, but I cannot deny that my brother is a thorn in the side of all that is just.” Aemond said, keeping his eye on Alyra as if it pained him to look elsewhere.

“And I promised him, he would not be the one dealing the blow, my husband will not be a kinslayer.” Alyra said, her expression like stone.

“No one will be labeled kinslayer.” His mother reassured. “What happens to Aegon will be done by an outside force.”

Alyra tilted her head, “are you speaking of witchcraft?”

His mother shook her head, “no, I’m speaking of angry women who Aegon has left battered and broken.”

“The brothel.” Aemond said suddenly.

“I always knew you were a smart lad.” His father said, sending Aemond a proud smile.

Aemond didn’t respond, but nodded in Harwin’s direction.

“You are entrusting this plan to a prostitute?” Alyra questioned, a hesitant look in her eyes.

“Prostitutes kill their abusive clients quite often, but they haven’t been able to kill Aegon for fear of repercussions from the crown.” His father explained.

Alyra tapped her nails against her leather covered thigh, connecting the pieces in her mind. “But if a member of the crown was to make it clear that there would be no repercussions, then…”

“One of them would kill Aegon.” Aemond finished, a hint of admiration in his voice.

“Exactly.” His mother said, handing them both a list of names, “do any of these sound familiar to either of you?”

Alyra shook her head, “I attempt to tune out Aegon any time he speaks of the brothels.”

Aemond took his time scanning the list. “Two of these I recognize as Aegon’s favorites, but this third name…I believe she slapped him.”

Alyra bit her lip to keep from laughing. “She slapped him?”

“Yes, Aegon left her with child and when she told him, he tried to claim it wasn’t his. Called her a liar and attempted to get her fired.”

“We should speak with her first, then?” Alyra suggested.

“I doubt Aegon will wish to go near her again after she slapped him, it’s better we choose someone he’ll trust.” Jacaerys said, pointing to the name Aemond had first identified. “Someone should pay Ruby Mathers a visit.”

“But who? You are all quite recognizable, and I do not wish to involve more people in this plot.” Alyra said, the tapping of her nails resuming. “Perhaps I should go? Aemond and I’s wedding was so small, I doubt many smallfolk know my face.”

“Absolutely not.” Aemond growled, taking Alyra’s hands in his, voice softening as he looked at her. “You are with child, my child, and you do not know how to fight. I will not let you wander the Fleabottom alone.”

“Fine, we shall go together.”

Aemond’s eyebrows raised in an expression of shock Jacaerys wasn’t sure he’d ever seen before.

“We will go and say that I wish to learn how to better please you. Once we are in, and they are no longer suspicious of us, we will speak with Ruby.”

Aemond in a surprising move turned to Rhaenyra for help. “Sister, please, tell her this plan is ridiculous. I will go in disguise and speak with Ruby.”

Rhaenyra gave him a sheepish smile, “I find myself agreeing with your wife, it will throw off suspicion.”

Aemond growled and stood, storming off towards Vhagar.

“He’ll come around, give me a moment.” Alyra darted after him and they talked for a while, Alyra’s hand on Aemond’s cheek as they did.

When they started back towards Jacaerys and his parents, his father let out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Tell us the night, and we’ll be there.” Alyra said, clinging to Aemond’s arm.

Tag list: @nyctophilic0vitnir, @svtansdaddyx, @fan-goddess, @dc-marvel-girl96, @shintax-error, @bellameshipper, @the141bandicoot

[dedalvs]

Please allow me to thank you for answering my query R.E. the ‘Common Hand’ and thank you also for throwing in some info about ‘Old Andal’ to boot! (Also, please allow me to apologise for letting curiosity get the better of me when I ask “Are you at liberty to share any samples of your Andal lexicon with us? I know there are likely to be legal complications associated with this sort of thing, so I will understand if the answer is “No”).

Eh, it's more like since the show it was used in didn't become canon, it might become weird if some other show down the line develops an Andalish language, whether by me or not, and the language is different. For example, Gerna Mohr, the language of the Children of the Forest, was originally called Gerna Mosha. It was called that because it was the literal translation of "The Song of the Earth" into the language, but when I went to use it for The Long Night, George R. R. Martin didn't like the sound of the name. That put me in a difficult spot, because it was a rather morphologically complex bit of language, and while I could change a root, a lot of it had to stay the same (like the m). I was VERY fortunate that he liked Gerna Mohr, because if not, I might have had to rip the language out by the roots and REALLY start over.

So, yeah, that's part of the problem of sharing some of these things that never officially became canon (like the sketch for Asshai'i). You hate to put in that work and get attached to something and then have to redo it.

There are some things I thought were pretty cool. Like, check out this declension I came up with for septa (a title as in Septa Mordane; note, doubled vowels are long, gh is [ɣ]):

NOM: septa (sg.) septaha (pl.)

ACC: septa (sg.) septassa (pl.)

GEN: septaahan (sg.) septahan (pl.)

DAT: septaata (sg.) septaada (pl.)

VOC: septassa (sg./pl.)

Couple things might look a little odd, but if you compare it a c-final form like theileg (think this meant "man", but I can't find it in my online notes; it's in a notebook somewhere), it comes together a bit:

NOM: theileg (sg.) theilegha (pl.)

ACC: theilegha (sg.) theileks (pl.)

GEN: theilegan (sg.) theileghan (pl.)

DAT: thelekta (sg.) theleighada (pl.)

VOC: theileks (sg.) theleksa (pl.)

The stress system here is antepenultimate, but it moves to a heavy penultimate syllable, where present. (Also, there's an alternation here where a long vowel shortens when unstressed. I wrote long [e] as ei because I didn't want it to be pronounced [i] if I wrote it ee.) Anyway, there's some fun stuff there. Hopefully that gives you a bit of an idea.

[to-yngewai]

Japanese 3

Okay! now you probably have learned some basic vocab, know hiragana somewhat reliably, and you’re getting to particles. Particles are easy once you get the hang of them.

“wa”: It’s spelled with the “ha” hiragana, but whatever, go with it. You generally use it to mark the subject of the sentence. “Watashi wa gakusei desu.” I am a student. Don’t forget the desu! You kind of need it.

“ga”: This is sort of “wa”‘s evil cousin. It sneaks in occasionally and better linguistic people can opine about it. For now just keep track of how it relates to “watashi”

"wo”: indicates the direct object. Pronounced “o” because just go with it. “Sakana wo tabemasu.” I eat a fish.

“no”: indicates possion. “watashi no hon desu.” My book.

“to”: indicates ‘and’, but only for nouns. Woe be anyone who uses it for adjectives! “hon to enpitsu desu.” Book and my pen.

Now there’s a combination of “no” and “ga” which they like to hit first year students with. I’ll spare you the reasons, just go with it:

“Watashi wa eiga wo miru no ga suki desu.” (I like to watch movies.)

See how “ga” slipped in? You’ll also find it for “Watashi wa ongaku ga suki desu.” (I like music.)

There’s a very complicated reason why, but for now, just go with it. It’s to illustrate why you need ‘ga’ and in what situations.

“ni”: Now this is the beautiful one. It means the indirect object. As well as location. There’s so much you can do with “ni”. Remember “ni” it will save your life. “watashi wa gakkou ni ikimasu.” (I go to school.) See how ni so perfectly indicated where you were going? Giving an example of the indirect object use is a little more difficult in this stage. “Watashi wa sensei ni shitsumon wo kikimasu.” (I ask the teacher a question.) The direct object is the question. The indirect object is the teacher who is being asked the question.

There’s a few others, “ya” and “he”, but you don’t need those as much. “he” is useful for letter writing, and “ya” will find occasional use, but not as much.

“he”: same as ni, but only for directions. And generally speaking more emphasis on them. “gakkou he ikimasu.” It’s pronounced ‘e’. Don’t ask why, just go with it. Don’t try to use it for everything. It really won’t be strange if you use “ni” for all directions, except in letter writing for your greetings.

“ya”: this one’s sort of interesting. You use it the same as “to,” except it sort of means “beyond other things”. Like “ongaku to benkyou ga suki desu.” (I like music and studying.) You’d instead say “ongaku ya benkyou ga suki desu." (I like music, studying, and other stuff.) It implies you’re giving an incomplete list. You’re not just some robot who only listens to music and studies, are you?

“mo”: this means “also”. Like if someone says “gakkou he ikimasu.” you’d jump in and say “watashi mo ikimasu.” (”I’m going to school.” “I’m going too!”) “Ongaku ga suki desu.” “Ongaku mo suki desu.”. (I like music.) (I like music too.)

“de”: this means “at”. Like if you say “gakkou de sakana wo tabemasu.” I ate a fish at school. (Possible, but the eel is better.) “gakkou de benkyou shimasu.” (I study at school) is probably a better example.

Okay, there’s more, especially “kara” and “yori,” but those can wait. Welcome to the world of Japanese particles. These are the simple ones in Japanese 101. Oh, and “ne” and “yo” can wait, too. Those are simple.

[rosehearrt]

"if you’re going to be a queen, you must look the part.”

"I do understand your philosophy, Senpai, I appreciate it as well, however..."

Leaning in closer to the vanity mirror he'd been perched in front of, Riddle examined his features, expression unfathomable. Long lashes blinked as butterfly wings, he'd always had such naturally pretty features, mother had never appreciated their femininity so for a certain period, Riddle had strayed from allowing them to be made more pronounced.

It was a complicated thing, to appreciate his upperclassman's time and effort, to enjoy his work - art, really - and to find fascination with his own mirrored reflection, but it was daunting as well, and the confusion it brought about was ever-present.

"Facial features and bone structures aside, are you truly certain such things suit my demeanor? I must admit, I'm a bit excessively cautious in portraying any manner of softness to my students, or giving them a reason to make pointless jabs and jokes towards their housewarden. I am somewhat inclined to believe that they may not understand...this."

And yet, Riddle hadn't looked away from the appearance staring back at him for but a moment, utterly entranced. Difficult youth that he was, he had far to go yet in thoroughly discovering who he was and the things he both liked and disliked. This was...a satisfactory way to aide him along in that process.

He wouldn't be opposed to doing it again in the future.

[theohonohan]

Detailing

I don't really know as much about architectural detailing as I would like. I have a copy of The Architectural Detail by Edward R Ford, but I haven't read it.

For some architects, detailing is everything. The central European idea that "God is in the details", associated with Mies van der Rohe, prioritises precise design and control of details. It's possible to design with a broader brush. Zaha Hadid, for example, did. But the outcome is a set of details, all the same—just self-consciously crude ones. but The tendency among designers as a whole is to agree with Charles Eames when he said “The details are not the details. They make the design.” In concrete terms, the drawing-up of details is a central part of the design process and a crucial mode of communication between the architect and the builder.

Nicholas Grimshaw wrote in 1994 that "there are very few universally admired buildings where the detailing is not superb", implying that great detailing is necessary, if not sufficient, for great architecture.

That much is clear. This is where my knowledge gets a bit patchy. I'm aware of magazines such as AJ Specification and the German DETAIL. Aimed at professionals, these publications reproduce drawings of details from recently completed buildings. Now, I've never seen a group of architecture students gathered around a copy of one of these magazines. There's little or no intersection between the concerns of the DETAIL reader and a typical architecture student. The student is designing at a different scale—larger, vaguer and more conceptual. The reader of DETAIL wants to know about things like cold bridges, vapour barriers, breather paper, intumescent coatings, insulation, drips and fixings. Still, I'm a bit puzzled that architectural students don't seem to appreciate or to aspire to the rigorous and specific practice of detailing, as celebrated by these magazines. Maybe they just didn't disclose this enthusiasm to me.

One of Le Corbusier's books was called Precisions, which is the French word for "specifications". It's an architect's job to select building materials, more or less from a menu, so it would seem natural to consume detail drawings in the same way one might browse a recipe book. Another parallel might be between browsing AJ Specification and reading literary prose or poetry and appreciating what the author is doing "at the sentence level".

Far from being abstract, the details reproduced in AJ Specification and DETAIL are completely concrete and particular. The work of discerning principles that can be applied on another project is left up to the reader. This work of abstraction is complicated by the three-dimensionality and relative intricacy of construction. At least, it's a more complex problem than is encountered in garment design in fashion. There can be a lot going on in a detail, and (it seems to me) a certain amount of brinkmanship—never over-insulating, for example.

Detailing shares with some forms of engineering the goal of an economy of means. In computer science, Edsger Dijkstra claimed that "an efficient program is an exercise in logical brinkmanship."

His contemporary CAR Hoare wrote:

There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult.

Not really having access to the world of the professionals who read AJ Specification or DETAIL, I wonder whether this observation about complexity applies there. The details that are chosen for publication ideally go beyond mere best practices: they are clever, presumably, but are they clever in a simple way or clever in a complex way?

Hoare also made the following pronouncement:

The price of reliability is the pursuit of the utmost simplicity. It is a price which the very rich find most hard to pay.

Does this apply to architecture, as a profession? Innovative, fancy and expensive details are presumably more likely to fail. I understand that construction, like computer science, has inexorably become more complex. With ecological concerns that by now could not be more urgent, we now consider a building which uses fewer resources as a better building. I suppose there is often an expensive path to low-energy buildings, and an affordable one. An architect can specify an exorbitantly expensive self-contained curtain-wall system made in some factory, or they can choose the path of "utmost simplicity" and try to be more conscious not just of u-values but of the cost of complex building technologies and programmes. It's not so easy to make this choice if the client wants a standard office block, with the prestigious finishes everyone else has got used to.

I don't know why professional architects who read AJ Specification or DETAIL choose to examine and appraise specific details rather than discuss the underlying principles that make detail design possible. It's understanding the latter that confers the ability to actually design a new detail, rather than just copying what everyone else is doing. I guess I may never find out why these magazines exist in their current form. Perhaps it is something to do with the difficulties of describing three-dimensional structures in words, the difficulties of abstracting and generalizing about concrete arrangements of building materials. Or maybe it's just about the connoisseur's pleasure in sampling a fine detail, in the same way that someone might sample wine, cheese, or poetry.

[the-nyrune-library]

Ink's Blurbs about Elowynn and Syn part 1

Part One: Childhood Years (5-12/13 years old)

- Elowynn and Syn both were childhood friends whose families both lived in the same village of Aranyo, Located within the Forests of Si'ang. The village and its people consisted of both Huna (Humans) and Y'tan (Lizardfolk) that had dwelled together for hundreds of years and forged a mutually beneficial bond with each other.

- Syn was the adopted son of Koa (pronounced Koh-Awe), the Y'tan healer. Being born with what the Y'tan call "Palehide", his hatch family deemed that the newborn Y'tan was a reincarnated demon, and this casted the hatchling out to die. Koa had found the starving hatchling wandering around and crying deep within the forests on her travels with her kin. Refusing to let a literal child die, Koa took the child with her and she designated herself to be their guardian.

- Elowynn was born to one of the Village leaders, Brannagh of the Rippling Thunder, and his other half Xelia of the Whispering Winds. El's birth coincided with a full eclipse, usually marked for the birth of particularly strong mages. It was a long and difficult birth, which led to Xelia passing away as a result of complications with Elowynn's birth. Elowynn themselves at first fared no better, as the young child had always been prone to illness and Bran feared that the last connection he had to Xelia would be lost with Elowynn's passing if it were to happen. However Elowynn would slowly begin to rebound and catch up with children of their age.

- Even as they rebounded, they were not free from the illness. Which struck the young mage again, putting them into a near comatose state with seemingly no cure. Desperate for a cure for their child, Brannagh consulted with Koa, who was able to find a cure for the youngling and restore Elowynn from their comatose state. Though El would be bed bound for several weeks as a result so they could fully heal.

- During those weeks recovering, Koa would frequently come and check on the young mage, bringing Syn along with her as she did her check ups. The young Y'tan would hang out and keep Elowynn company, to which El appreciated being visited due to how lonely they felt during these times. In time Syn would continue to stop and visit El, to which the two would become friends, bonding over their playing, drawing and talking about whatever was going on in their lives and their education. The two would become thick as thieves and would often get into all sorts of antics together, much to Bran and Koa's displeasure at times.

- Even as the seasons came and went, and as the two got older, They were always so close and stuck up for one another. Even with El coming to terms with their gender identity and Syn's own changing views, nothing could separate them.

- During this time, Elowynn and Syn both would start to exhibit signs of magic wielding (though not fully awakening their magic yet), the key signs that the two were on the path to becoming mages themselves. By the time they were 12, they were both ready to begin their initiation and coming of age within the village, and from there, they would be able to forge their own paths. But they'd still have each other throughout it.

- At least that's what they'd hoped for until the winds of change brought calamity to their front door.

[vacantgodling]

thank u rose ( @void-botanist ) for the excuse 😭🥺

i had to do quite the amount of research today to even shamble this backstory together and it’s still Very Heavily a work in progress—but here’s the general gist up to where i want (insert name of wip here) to start:

sjaak de witte (sjaak being pronounced “shak” — the a pronounced like “aah”) is a mixed, black dutch man to a free house laborer mother and the employer she worked under—in secret sometime in the mid to late 1700s. it’s quite obvious who sjaak’s father is, as he and his father have very similar faces but his dark skin allowed the lady of the house (and lawful wife of his father) to feign ignorance. it was here that sjaak first meets eliseabell schwann (first name subject to be tweaked), as she is also the child of servants of the home and the two spend their youth playing and doing schooling as well as varying household chores when necessary together, with sjaak promising to marry her when they’re older. however, this time is cut short when his mother suddenly passes away, and having no use for a “stray child” in the home, sjaak is sequestered to the streets of holland. he finds and takes any job that will accept him, losing contact with eliseabell in the process, but never forgetting his promise. when he’s old enough he emigrates from holland to spain/the basque, and enters the spanish army as a mercenary foot soldier sometime around/during the peninsular war between spain and france. this is mostly to gain steady pay, but his luck runs dry when he is medically discharged after he starts to experience strange… “episodes” during his time in the militia.

(one of the soldiers there that is another character in the militia, known as gust (name also subject to be altered), unknowingly to sjaak fed him moonstone, which is what turns humans into vampire hunting beasts that prowl the night—or a werewolf in laymen’s terms. the “episodes” sjaak is experiencing are the side affects of turning into a lycanthrope. idk why gust does this yet but we’ll get there)

after his discharge, he first returns to holland to find eliseabell but learns through the grapevine of far off acquaintances that she has already been married off to one eduard insert-surname-here. they had been smitten with one another for awhile (from the rumors) and apparently she is now heavy with child. this news breaks sjaak at first, and he laments, but gust finds him and tells him that his lady love has been carried off by a vampire, and that the baby inside of her will tear her from the inside out and kill her as it is a half blood.

terrified for eliseabell’s life and furious that eduard was able to trick her into carrying his half blood child (in sjaak’s mind but it’s more complicated than that—obviously my boy Does Not have the full details) thus sjaak travels to where eliseabell and eduard are said to have settled after marriage, in the basque region of spain along with gust and gust’s wolf pack to hunt down eduard and his family and hopefully save eliseabell before it’s too late.

he is a resourceful man and one that can struggle with but usually succeeds against his own tempers. he knows how people view him and he strives to eliminate that stigma, but having a wolf literally living under his skin makes that somewhat of a problem. he has a slight flair for the dramatics and once he sets his mind on something it’s difficult to sway him from it. he’s an actions first think second person but he does have enough common sense to not be blindly reckless. he doesn’t necessarily trust gust or his intentions, and he does have Major Issues with yknow being turned into an immortal bloodthirsty beast against his consent—but for now they share a common enemy and so he’s willing to put this aside for now. much of his love of eliseabell has definitely been manufactured by the thoughts years of isolation (from proper love and nuture i mean) and his rigid ideals of what’s proper, and isn’t necessarily a one-to-one understanding of who she is now. how eliseabell could fall in love with a monster (if she even knows eduard is a monster) is beyond him, but he doesn’t stop to think about the irony of him trying to tell her this now that he too is a monster in his own eyes.

he’s my favorite type of guy tho: one with problems and so it is extremely unsurprising that my brain latched onto him as it has 💀💀

does anyone want to hear more about sjaak 👉🏾👈🏾

[ganseybois]

now that you mentioned it... tommy crying while or after alfie fucks him

here you go! i hope you like it :)

Sex was a very complicated thing for Tommy Shelby.

Now that he was in a very serious relationship with Alfie Solomons, those complications had become only more pronounced because of the very intense sex that they had.

Tommy liked sex, in fact, he loved it, it was just that his trauma mixed in with his current emotions mixed in with the strange painandpleasure painandpleasure that Alfie enjoyed had Tommy feeling all sorts of things.

He was still reeling from the painful bite mark that Alfie had left on his shoulder, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Alfie had angled himself in a way that hit Tommy's most sensitive spot over and over and over again. He was trying to gain some kind of balance, trying to find his footing with his heels, scratching his way down Alfie's back, trying to kiss his shoulder, but he couldn't manage any of it. Alfie's ruthless (and welcomed) thrusting left him feeling empty-headed, leaving his body feeling like honey. How was he supposed to feel anything else but pure bliss?

It was when Alfie bit him again that Tommy let out a sound somewhere between a whimper and a moan, and three fat tears fell from his eyes.

Alfie noticed immediately (he noticed everything Tommy did) and slowed his thrusts, making Tommy panic.

"What are you doing?" he snapped, blinking. A few more tears fell as he did.

Alfie frowned at him. "Am I hurting you?"

"What? No. Get on with it."

"Get on...mate, you're fucking crying."

Tommy hurriedly wiped his tears, trying to find a way to exclude his normal detachment and confidence while his lover was deep inside him. Quite a difficult mission to accomplish.

"It's fine, Alfie."

"Tommy, mate--"

Tommy grabbed Alfie's face and smashed their lips together. He was feeling very unlike himself, full of chaos and intense need. Alfie made him feel like a completely different person.

"It's fine," Tommy whispered against his lips. "It's good crying."

Alfie grinned as he pulled back. "Right, I am just that good of a lover yeah? That I move the great Tommy Shelby to tears?"

"Something like that." Tommy rolled his eyes and smacked Alfie's chest. "You can fucking get off me, if you're going to be an arrogant prick about it."

"Well," Alfie murmured, rolling his hips. He kissed a quick tear that slipped from Tommy's eye, "thing is mate, yeah, I don't think you want me to move."

"God," Tommy breathed, his eyes fluttering shut. The warm slide of Alfie moving in and out of him would never get old.

"He can't help you now mate."

Just to shut him up and spur him on, Tommy pulled Alfie in for another kiss, a few tears from his pleasure mixing in with their kiss.