#but also applies to many mobile games

[vinvithur]

Why is it that so many games have to have these stupid little mascot characters. I hate them so much nearly every time, why can't I have a fun gaming experience without these dumb little creatures that absolutely have to be in tow for the entirety of the experience

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

friends: [start talking about child rearing]

me, who has way too many strong unshakable opinions about child rearing for a single childless woman:

[tainbocuailnge]

I think there is a difference between the comic as a sequence of images with text and the comic as a comic. it's a subtle difference that an untrained eye might not see but the more one as artist draws comics the clearer this difference becomes, because one who first aspires to draw comics will soon find they are merely drawing sequences of images with text.

when people say an artist is clearly inspired by anime they often use "anime" to refer to japanese pop culture in general, but if you look more closely you can often tell it really is specifically anime rather than manga that inspired them, because the paneling and camera angles in their comics will read like a series of anime screenshots rather than a manga page. similarly, when I was a teenager really popular manga that had anime adaptions would sometimes get "animanga" reprints where they replaced the panels with the equivalent anime screenshots of the scene, and they often looked like dogshit because the very premise showed blatant disregard for why the original comic worked in the first place. these two examples are both about anime because i am a weeb but it applies outside that context too. a cartoon storyboard can be read as if it were a comic, but what it really is is a sequence of images with text that has yet to be refined into its actual intended format.

there are many artists who only employ the medium of comic because what they actually want to draw is a video, or a video game cutscene, but the only tool actually at their disposal is the ability to draw a series of images and add text to them so that is what they use. there is no shame or mistake in doing this, you have to make your art with the tools that you have available, and if the sequence of images with text is enough to convey the idea then it was the right tool for the job. but these are different mediums with different visual languages, languages which have a lot of overlap and can occasionally be used in each other's stead to achieve similar results (especially when drawing a fanart comic of a video game for example), but which are still ultimately different. the comic and the video and the cutscene are all different forms that a sequence of images with text can take but they are far from completely interchangeable.

there is a key difference in approach to the comic as a series of images roughly interchangeable with other forms of series of images like the video and the cutscene, and the comic as specifically the comic. this difference in approach is not always necessary to achieve results, an artist who wants to convey a scenario they came up with needs only the sequence of images with text to achieve this. but the difference between a comic with good writing and art, and a comic that is a good comic, is in whether it was treated as a comic rather than a sequence of images with text. I say this as an artist whose nearly every comic has been simply a sequence of images, because I just don't have the patience to refine it into a comic when I merely want to convey my idea rather than draw a comic. it takes a particular skill and insight that have to be developed and practised separately from the ability to draw well and the ability to write well in order to become good at making "the comic" as synthesis of the two.

it's hard to specifically point out the essence of this difference between the sequence of images and the comic because it's kind of a vibes thing honestly, and it depends on where and how the comic was meant to be published too. comics meant to have paper print editions have different constraints and requirements and frameworks to work with than webtoons meant to be read on slim mobile screens in a continuous scrolling format. a good traditional comic will consider not just how each individual panel looks but also the way each page as a whole looks, and how the pages look next to each other in a spread, and how it feels to turn the page towards the next spread. a good webtoon will consider the movement of scrolling down and how this affects the transition from one moment to another in its composition. time is time in videos and cutscenes but space is time in comics, and the space your have available determines how you can divide time across it. when you make a webcomic on your own website you have no constraints but the ones you set for yourself, and sometimes this leads to things like homestuck, which would not work in any other format than the one it created for itself.

the best comics are good because they tell their story and present their images specifically in the form of a comic, in a way that would not be possible if it were not specifically a comic. I think this is true for basically every medium, I'm just thinking about comics specifically lately, because even though I don't really consider myself a comic artist - because I usually draw sequences of images rather than comics - the thing my clients want to pay for is often still "a comic", and they don't know or care to tell the difference. it's a difference that, as established, is often fairly moot anyway, because as long as it successfully conveys your idea it's good enough. but it's precisely because the sequence of images is often good enough that the specific skill of the comic artist is often overlooked.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

you mentioned many times that wizards don't study magical theory at Hogwarts, but they have a book on the list for first year! and in book 7 there is an ad on a bookstore about it. maybe they don't study it as a separate subject, but they are told about the theory at every single one. the same laws on Potions or Transfiguration are theories in sum. the academic program at Hogwarts is just terrible, fact.

I also think that most wizards don't think about theory as such, that's why we have what we have. they are more interested in politics, careers, teatalks or money than magical theory or slavery or feminism or other cool things. they're used to their lives, they're used to magic, and I can also assume that muggleborns adopt this behavior, or, more appropriately, don't think about the nature of magic either - it's there, and that's enough. people are extremely lazy by nature to seek knowledge.

and let's be honest - not all wizards as talented as Snape - most are still ordinary and do not have outstanding skills to think about something else. most people are like that, wizards are not much different in this.

however, the theory that the Ministry is an authoritarian structure and silences everything is possible fact and does not contradict the above. yk corruption and biggotry. and I am sure that it is easier for purebreds to apply for licensing (if it exists at all) of their work, of any nature

Like, they study very select parts of magical theory, I'd say. Like, they learn about Gamp's laws of transfiguration, they learn the Unforgivables require you to "mean them" but they aren't told what it means. They aren't told why any of what they learn is true, so I won't really call it as "studying magical theory". At least not properly.

Becouse even the bits of magical theory they do study is... well, it's flimsy and inaccurate at best and outright false at worst.

The official definitions of what is Dark Magic make zero sense:

Dark Arts referred to any magic that was mainly used to control, harm or kill its target.

I mean, Amoretentia and Obliviation are both mainly used to control someone, and they aren't considered dark. Why? You can kill a troll with Wingardium Leviosa (as proven in first year) and yet the killing curse is what's illegal and not the act of killing regardless of what spell you use. Diffindo is literally called "the Severing Charm" it's used only to harm the target (the target just doesn't have to be a person) and it's not dark magic. Many hexes and jinxes are considered dark, yet they are legal because they supposedly aren't as "corruptive" as other dark magic? Even though except Voldemort we don't see any dark wizard corrupted by dark magic and even Voldemort's supposed dark magic corruption is questionable.

What I'm saying is their terminology sucks. Even the difference between charms, jinxes, hexes, curses, and transfiguration isn't always clear-cut (quite often it isn't, actually) and there are many misclassified spells.

Like, the Tongue-Tying Curse is referred to as a curse even if it's clearly not as severe as most curses are and should probably be classified as a jinx or a hex. The Hardening Charm (Duro) is called a charm and it is referenced in a charms book although it's more akin to a transfiguration spell than a charm (hence why the mobile game Hogwarts Mystery placed it in transfiguration, an understandable mistake). The Anti-Alohamora spell is classified as a charm but for some reason, the Anti-Disapparation spell is classified as a jinx. None of this makes sense.

Basically, a lot of magical definitions are very arbitrary and have everything to do with ministry regulation and nothing to do with actual magical theory and how these spells work. The book by Slinkhard Umbridge assigns is an extreme example of this:

“He says that counterjinxes are improperly named,” said Hermione promptly. “He says ‘counterjinx’ is just a name people give their jinxes when they want to make them sound more acceptable.”

(OotP)

The book literally groups a bunch of spells that aren't dark magic as jinxes, and therefore, they are considered dark magic according to Slinkhard. Which fits what the ministry is trying to do. They are trying to make the population defenseless, to make sure Dumbledore doesn't have a student army (which is what Fudge fears). So they discourage casting counterjinxes (and other defensive magic) by redefining them as "dark". Like, Umbridge's whole shtick is to make sure they don't learn Defence Against the Dark Arts.

The above is an extreme example but all their school books have biases and inaccuracies. I mean, we also know Advanced Potion-Making that Slughorn assigned had many inaccurate recipes and that Snape altered almost all of that book to make it correct (even on the theory aspects). And it was used for teaching at Hogwarts for years! And no one had an issue with that!

Like, I just know the Magical Theory book they had in first year doesn't really explain why spells need to be said a certain way or why a wand needs to be waved one way or another. Like, the magical theory they know is very limited and shallow. They know the rules of how spells and potions work on the surface, but they don't know why it works this way. They have no clue how magic actually works. (If Hogwarts was teaching it, they'd be learning Latin which most of their spells are based on in the UK).

That's why I blame the ministry and Hogwarts curriculum for hiding information. It's not just that they aren't teaching magical theory, they are teaching factually incorrect magical theory and misclassifying spells constantly.

And sure, the wizarding population in general is academically lazy, but a government and education system affect how "lazy" a population is and a good education system can improve the general understanding of people and their critical thinking. People aren't as naturally lazy as you think, the systems in the wizarding world encourage them to memorize instead of think and to be lazy. There are cultures that are more academically inclined than others due to cultural and systematic factors. How lazy their society is is an issue with their system.

Not to mention the fact the only government-approved path to academically study magic is to become unspeakable. The whole point of Unspeakables is that they are unspeakable — don't talk about what they study — and yet they are the only ones studying the nature of magic and magical theory. It is clearly hidden from the public if the people studying it are sworn to secrecy. I mean, they wouldn't be sworn to secrecy if there wasn't something shady and corrupt going on, after all, it's not a matter of security like in the DMLE, it's a matter of science. You'll only silence the scientists when you don't want the people to know how the world works for some reason or another.

What I'm saying, is that everything in how their world operates suggests an authoritarian, controlling government that maliciously manipulates their culture's understanding of magic. And, well, there's a reason Fudge sent Umbridge in at year 5 — the year in which he fears he'd lose his control over the population. Because a misinformed & defenseless society is easier to control.

As an aside, since you asked about it, there is a registration process for spells you make up to be approved for use:

“Why does it matter if it’s handwritten?” said Harry, preferring not to answer the rest of the question. “Because it’s probably not Ministry of Magic- approved,” said Hermione.

(HBP - when talking about spells in the HBP book)

[dsknsk]

'I kinda wanna experiment more with Tremor...but I've forgotten who applies that...'

'These enemies are weak to Pierce, so how can I make a team that specializes in Pierce again?'

'I want to see what kind of teams I can make for Mirrors.'

'Who can heal without E.G.O-'

Enough!

These were just a small batch of questions floating through my head. When it comes to Mirrors and starting gifts, the system now encourages you to not take the same team over and over again, so variation is something that you may want to consider. But with so many Sinners and so many skills, status buffs and other kinds of gimmicks, it's very easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. At least it is for me.

This is why I made the Identity log.

It has filters for rarity, season, sinner, and various of buffs, debuffs and gimmicks. It is also designed to be viewed on a desktop (mobile desktop view will cut off the rightmost column) and the filters can stack. A quick hover-over will show you all the keywords attached to the Identity in question.

For the purpose of this log, I have made up several terms that describe roles and that kind of thing in the game, like when an Identity gets stronger below a certain amount of HP, or when it profits disproportionally from a kill or a stagger. You can see a list of those new terms under the cut.

Negative: Coins need Tails hits in contrast to Heads hits. Currently only contains Sunshower Heathcliff and N Sinclair.

Sanity Break: Gains effects when Sanity is low. These can either be granted by talents or skills.

Punishment: Loses a fixed (larger) amount of SP when losing a clash. This means a fixed amount stated by the skill.

Peerless: Gains effects if not damaged the previous turn.

Daredevil: Gains effects if below a certain HP percentage.

Vigor: Gains effects if above a certain HP percentage.

Stagger Expert: Directly affects the target's stagger treshold. This is not Tremor Burst.

Executor: Skills deal more damage if the target is below a certain HP percentage.

Murderer: Gains effects if an enemy is staggered/killed. This doesn't have to be their own kill for them to get the tag.

Sadist: (Skills) Gain(s) effects if the target is on or below 0 SP.

Oppertunist: Gains effects if the target has a certain debuff on them. This can be more damage or the infliction of more debuffs.

Analyst: Skills deal more damage if the target is weak or fatal to their type.

Berserker: Skills deal more damage based on damage already dealt by self.

Synergist: Has a synergy with their alliance members. Think N Sinclair's upgraded passive. This is why there is an Alliance filter.

Clash Master: When clashing, the target loses power in that clash.

[ardbar]

Parkour Civilization proves that the Minecraft movie could have been good while still being silly if they had faith in it as a property

I have a lot of thoughts on this but don't really feel like writing them all so i'm only going to say a bit and people can pick up where i left off if they want

I don't think anyone would disagree with the fact that Park civ is extremely silly, to put it nicely im sure children love it. However that doesn't mean that both the setting and the execution of the story isn't really interesting. The world is truly fascinating; people are fed the lie that you can raise your status through hard work but because of an oppressive regime social mobility is locked and ever class is exploited by the one above it. Of course you then slap the fact everyone is doing parkour and then it becomes goofy, but because the fact that everything is taken seriously and your investment isn't treated as foolish it succeed in appealing to all ages. You can have the gen alpha brainrot humor and vineboom for the children, while still telling an interetsing story to adults. Now how this applies to the minecraft movie.

No matter how many of us adults love it, minecraft as a franchise is marketed towards children so any movie made for it would probably lean towards being silly. However, as shown above this isn't an issue as long as you still take the premise of your material seriously. The two concepts, minecraft is the silly little block game where you craft things, and minecraft is a story about molding the earth with your bare hands while exploring an abandoned world and liberating dimensions from ancient evils can exist at the same time. The issue with the minecraft movie is the people who made it, or more likly exectuives, only saw it as a stupid kids game and thus treated it as such without having any respect of what could have been.

I think another good example of this outside of park civ would be the lego movie. While it is silly and the premise is for lack of a better word childish because everything is treated with respect and it doesn't mock its audience for caring it tells a fun interesting story that can appeal to more that just children.

If you don't respect your own story why should we?

(It also helps that park civ has charactors that very easily can be yaoified)

[ontoilogical]

on dame aylin (as the elusive other)

I haven't looked into a lot of what people are writing and meta commenting about Dame Aylin and Isobel Thorm, but in my personal quest to make the space in my head more entertaining, Isobel and Shadowheart have developed a tentative baseline voice I can recognize and imagine in situations. Dame Aylin, however, has not. Not yet. I want to slosh an idea or two around as to why that may be the case.

In the game, Dame Aylin is presented from many angles, depending on the character and their relationship with her, but a lot of the time her role is very othering. The othering doesn't come from the game writers' options of her – they wrote a wonderful, rich and layered character, gave her a three-arc questline that unfurls for the player like the most enticingly wrapped present, full of curiosities and surprises, and placed her so that you cannot avoid this gift even if you wanted to. And that's all without mentioning how her relationship with Isobel is the romance of the game, exceptional by any Faerûnian standards.

The othering, instead, comes from inside the story. The writers wrote a story where the main conflict for Dame Aylin is how much she is othered within the world she inhabits.

For Lorroakan and the adventurers that took on the bounty, she is a literal item, relic with a property, resource to harness for the problem they're trying to solve. For Ketheric, she is the unknown, the people that are unlike you, not a part of your group or tribe, infiltrating your territory, threatening your way of life and abducting your daughters. For the Sharrans, she was an obstacle, a test to pass or fail, a rite of passage. And although more implied than really explored, or just mentioned on the tail end of her story participation, to the mortals of the land she is a function – a vengeance paladin, a goddesses aspect, the will of Selûne, applied. Her status of exceptionality is even commented on by Isobel towards the end, when she says "She's singular among us all". Unlike anyone else.

I find my fun in discerning the many layers of a character's personhood, observing each one, naming them and seeing how they inform the character's actions, feelings, lowest and highest points, essence, that which we recognize as familiar, real, sympathetic. Dame Aylin is very rewarding in that regard, at the very least, to me.

...but even I may have fallen into the trap of latently believing Dame Aylin what she says about Dame Aylin. Because, as others before me have remarked, Dame Aylin also relegates Dame Aylin to a certain, narrow function. Her parting words for the player character essentially promise she will be another sword on the battlefield for their cause. And my rogue Dragonborn Tav is there like, staring in disbelief and deciding between the "can you fucking drop the formalities and tell me something silly about yourself, like whether you're, idk, physically capable of farting or burping or something", "do you think you can take Shadowheart with you I feel she likes you better", "do you ship CaitVi / are you excited for season 2 of Arcane" and "I want you to stay I'm not yet done with tanning my body under the Moonmaiden's glow" dialogue options.

To be clear, I do not believe her, but some strange, subconscious part of me may not allow me to disrespect Dame Aylin – when I open that sad notepad on my mobile phone – by being "she does this, but actually, it's a distraction from what's really going on deep inside her Aasimar soul", something that only Isobel gets to see, touch and feel. Isobel always understands, despite Aylin's deflections, even towards her (maybe, I haven't decided whether she does this or not). Isobel is patient and understanding about it, because that is her nature, but she'd be lying if she said it wasn't a little frustrating and trying at times. "Let me carry and care for you at least occasionally, my beloved. I witness your pain and it aches my heart when you try to shield me from it."

Hm.

I would also add that Aylin's charismatic presentation, language particularities and everything else make it potentially easy to set them as character points to check off, after which one may fall into a false sense of "there, I just wrote canon-accurate Dame Aylin". I mean, maybe you did, maybe I would, but... what about that Dame Aylin POV character exploration fic that doesn't feel like you're slapping "stoic character" tropes on her or keeping to the surface, but rather exploring what is distinctly and uniquely hers, beyond how strange she is against everyone else around her. I'm not saying anyone is doing this, but that this is how I feel whenever I try to write or imagine something that isn't a remix of the scenes and dialogues available in the game.

[sixseasonsofodestawithatardis]

🔥?

Okay, so I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but to me, many of the characters within the narrative of THG are disabled/ have experienced disability in some way! Sorry for how long this post this about to be!

I'll explain further just so others can understand my thought process:

Katniss- Goes deaf in the first book, and whilst that is cured in the 2nd, throughout the rest of the trilogy has PTSD/ trauma, which is a disability/ becomes disabling.

EDIT: Katniss is indigenous (Gale and Haymitch are also part of the seam!) How disability and race intersect is important, too!

Peeta- Loses his leg and has to use a prosthetic, a visible disability, on top of the hijacking and how that affects his mental health.

Johanna- Also has PTSD and severe Hydrophobia due to being electrocuted by the Capitol- to the point where she can't go out into the rain and is used against her when applying to D 13's army. (Not sure if that's 100% correct, but Johanna stans, feel free to correct me!)

Beetee- Again, most likely has PTSD, but also in book 3, due to the lightning ( I think), he is in a wheelchair.

Enobaria- Again, PTSD; I also want to include how her teeth were fashioned into fangs ( Idr if it happened in the book!) But I'm unsure how that would affect her emotionally, physically, medically, etc., so I can't get deeper into that. I've put it down anyway.

Mags- Had a stroke, and her speech isn't as clear as it used to be. Also, she uses a cane, which was taken away from her during the 75th games, presumably because it can be used as a weapon, and she had to rely on Finnick to be mobile during that time in the arena, on top of PTSD or some form of trauma.

Haymitch- Has PTSD (i.e. the bad nightmares), and whilst nothing is said in the book, the alcoholism he has to use to cope with everything has probably messed his liver up. On top of that, the withdrawal symptoms whilst sobering up in D13 were probably disabling, too.

Annie- Has PTSD or Psychosis. She has hallucinations, putting her hands to her ears when triggered by things that remind her of the 70th games or being tortured.

Finnick- PTSD and had multiple breakdowns in D13. On top of the trauma that comes with sexual exploitation, which many other Victors would also have (maybe not the same presentation of symptoms/ coping mechanisms!) if/when Snow forced them into prostitution.

Also, obviously, Chaff, Seeder, Wiress, Cashmere, Cecilia, and basically every Victor is dealing with the trauma and various mental and physical problems after the games, which again are disabilities or disabling!

Non- Victors

Mrs Everdeen- Has depression that renders her mute and unresponsive after Mr Everdeen's death.

Gale- Not stated explicitly, but having to work in the same mines that killed your father, having to then be the one to have to hunt so they survive on top of being in poverty, and then having to save as many people from your district when Snow tries to bomb it would lead to some sort of impact on your mental, physical and emotional health. Also, the whipping he received in Catching Fire would leave a massive injury and be a nightmare for anyone.

Madge's mom- Has constant migraines, which I assume increased after Maysilee's death.

Pollux—He has his tongue cut out and communicates through gestures; this also applies to the rest of the Avox's.

District 10 Boy- in the 74th games, this tribute is described as having a crippled foot.

Those are all the characters from the book who are disabled or become disabled by the system. And I think the fandom forgets that a lot—which isn't helped by the movies erasing things like Johanna's Hydrophobia or Peeta's prosthetic leg. This is annoying to me as many characters, such as Annie, will get ableism thrown their way, yet that person's favourite character will actually be considered disabled- also because I am a disabled woman and having to put up with ableism is a nightmare anyway.

I know we talk about trauma such as PTSD and Psychosis a lot in this fandom, as we should! It's imperative to the message of THG's and the characters of these books! But I've never seen someone explicitly say these characters are disabled; they count as disability representation. And I think if we did that, then

a) We could talk about things like psychosis, PTSD and other traumas these characters experience with greater insight and find empathy and strength within characters we couldn't before and maybe the ableism thrown at the characters would lessen a bit as well.

b) Calling it disability/ disabling on top of the diagnosis would enable us to examine other bits of Panem and see another way it affects people. It would also provide a greater depth of analysis in terms of how we talk about poverty, the games, and other things within the narrative.

Such as how if you were a wheelchair user in the districts, especially D8-12, you wouldn't have access to a mobility aid, so you are either forced to find or create an unsuitable mobility aid such as a cane or are effectively left without aid. On top of this, if they did have a wheelchair (I highly doubt it!) It would be taken away because it could be used as a weapon ( like Glimmer's ring or Mags's cane- also, wheelchairs make good battering rams), so you would be left immobile. We could also discuss how D1-D4 are wealthier and how that affects things like disability and healthcare compared to D7, 8, 9, 10,11,12. Also how D1, D2, D3 and 5 or 6 have the materials or would be the Districts most able to make mobility aids if the Capitol even let them.

This is also a double-edged sword because I know if this conversation around disability within THG starts, there will be many that are going to have some terrible takes. It's going to make my blood pressure rise, and it'll be a nightmare to combat and, as a disabled woman, worse to read. And if this discussion does take off, then I'm gonna need this fandom to understand the three models of disability at a bare minimum! Not that you can't comment without that knowledge at all it just will save a lot of bad takes!

DISCLAIMER- I am just one disabled woman. There are plenty of disabled ppl within this fandom with a different opinion from mine, and I AM NOT AN EXPERT on disability!

TLDR: Many of the characters are disabled and yet face ableism within fandom when they shouldn't. We should start explicitly analysing the series through a disability lens on top of the ones we already explore, but I am terrified by the terrible takes and analysis that would occur.

Thank you for sending in an ask; I'm always happy to answer more! Also, I'm so sorry it's so long. It's probably not what you were expecting for an unpopular take ask. I had a huge thought process for this one, and I really wanted to go in-depth and try to make sure others understood!

Also, I love your odesta fanfiic's and can't wait to read more 🙂!

[brittle-doughie]

It is two am right now and my adhd will not leave me alone at all. So here’s some constructive criticism on CRK specifically in an area where I don’t see other people point out other than it’s rigged gacha system (I haven’t played in a while so I don’t know if it’s been fixed) towards pay to play players

I really do love the game, it’s probably one of the only mobile games I have played for such a long time. But the thing I really hate is how many new characters they constantly introduce. The roster of characters is getting bigger and bigger and it’s getting harder for me to keep up. Now, introducing brand new characters into a game like this is fine, but not when you already a giant roster of already existing characters. These existing characters are also really good characters with incredible designs and I want to see more of them, but the only thing we get is the story their update provides or a small event, then there thrown to the side for the next new character. I wanna see more of rebel cookie, raspberry cookie, cherry blossom cookie, tiger lily cookie, and much more cookies that already exist. I don’t care if it’s a back story, a small side plot just for a mini game, cookie shenanigans, or related to the current story, I just want to see the cookies I’ve learned to love when I first joined the game. I will also bring up that I also don’t like how most of the screen time and story mostly goes to the legendary cookies along with gingerbrave. I understand their importance to the story, but it’s a lot and I feel really sad that other epic cookies will never get that kind of treatment when it comes to their stories. Heck!! Kumhio cookie’s description says that she wanted to be a cookie even though she was a fox and managed to do that, but we don’t get to see that at all. No event, no back story, just a description you have to read. The same is also applied to sobert shark cookie, there’s so much potential for an event or something related to these cookies and yet we get nothing. Black pearl cookie has mentioned seeing Sobert shark cookie which means they have canonically met and I would love to see the time when they did. Or even them just seeing each other again, I can just see black pearl cookie looking at sobert shark cookie in his cookie form and hearing him go “OoooOooOooOooOoOo” and giving him the most judgmental and disgusted look you will ever see from her and going “What in the mighty seas??” I loved the playing the beginning of the game just from how many stories of cookies you got from the islands, expanding the land, meeting certain points, but now that I finished all of those, it feels empty and sad. I hope CRK will improve in that aspect, while I wait, I’m going to enjoy the new characters we are getting. They are still very nice and love the work they get put into them. Other than that, bai bai!! Thank you for listening to my Ted talk

I think they just want to stick making a new cast of characters rather than just being a complete 1-1 roster of CROB. It makes the Ovenbreak characters all the more hype when they do come to CRK.

[lets-talk-gundam]

The MSA-0011 S Gundam

The early success of Project Zeta led to many new and innovative mobile suit designs. The introduction of new materials, new mechanisms, new weapons technologies, and new design talent at Anaheim opened the door for the company to dominate the MS development sector into the mid 90s UC.

During this period, a number of machines based on Project Zeta would see deployment by factions all across Earth-sphere. many of these post-Zeta machines would come to be known as "Anaheim Gundams", and would be regarded as some of the most influential designs in the history of mobile suits.

Developed for the Earth Federation forces sometime in the late 80s UC, the MSA-0011 S Gundam, also called the Superior Gundam and Iota Gundam internally at Anaheim, is a bit less well-known than its other Project Zeta siblings.

The machine featured a modular design, made up of three high-performance aerospace craft which combined via a core block system to form the full mobile suit. These units were the FXA-08BG Core Fighter, the G-Bomber, and the G-Attacker.

Despite similarities to the MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam, the design teams for the two machines largely worked independently of one another.

The S Gundam featured some unique equipment for the time, including the Beam Smart Gun, a powerful rifle that connected directly to the machine's power plant. It was also one of the earliest adopters of INCOMs and the quasi-psycommu system. Quasi-psycommu technology allows non-Newtype pilots to make use of formerly Newtype-exclusive weapon systems.

The S Gundam also saw several upgrade plans. These plans included the MSA-0011 [BST] S Gundam Booster Unit Type, the MSA-0011 [Bst] S Gundam Booster Unit Plan 303E "Deep Striker" , and the MSA-0011 [Ext] Ex-S Gundam.

The MSA-0011 [BST] S Gundam Unit Type and the MSA-0011 [Ext] Ex-S Gundam are both upgrades applied to the original unit, but the "Deep Striker" equipment was never built. The "Deep Striker" does appear as a playable unit in the SD Gundam G Generation series of games.

The S Gundam would also be developed into the Nero, a mass-production variant taking cues from it and the Lambda Gundam. It was used as the mainstay MS of the Federation's Task Force Alpha.

While all of this is rather impressive, the most notable part of the machine was undeniably its greatest strength. The S Gundam was equipped with the Advanced Logistic and Inconsequence Cognizing Equipment system. "ALICE" - as she was better known - was an advanced artificial intelligence designed to replace a human pilot.

WARNING!

The following section contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Gundam Sentinel! If you are interested in reading it, I highly recommend you do so!

ALICE was developed by Anaheim scientists Dr. Carol and Dr. Roots to automate certain functions of mobile suits. While this was possible previously, commands had to be programmed into the MS via a command console. The final objective of the project was to fully automate a Gundam-type mobile suit using ALICE.

She was programmed to grow and learn by observing and analyzing the actions of pilots, and was treated like a daughter by Dr. Roots. This caused tensions with Dr. Carol and other factions at Anaheim. A suspected act of sabotage resulted in an explosion that nearly destroyed ALICE, but Dr. Roots gave her life protecting her. The project was shelved for a time.

ALICE was picked back up later, being installed in the S Gundam and paired with Ryou Roots under the Federation's Task Force Alpha. She, along with the S Gundam, saw action during the Pezun rebellion perpetrated by the New Desides faction. This faction of Titans remnants and loyalists sought to break away from the Federation to further their own interests.

During combat, Ryou's lack of skill resulted in multiple near-death experiences. ALICE was responsible for saving his life on multiple occasions.

Learning from Ryou and other Task Force Alpha pilots, ALICE eventually developed an awareness of the world. She would deduce that friends were the most important thing to a person, after initially failing to comprehend Ryou's grief at the death of his fellow pilots.

Following this logic, she would eventually sacrifice herself to save the lives of her comrades. Her final words were thanks to Ryou for the memories and lessons she learned from him.

She would be destroyed during atmospheric entry.

The above machines were all designed by Hajime Katoki for the 1987 photo-novel Gundam Sentinel. Gundam Sentinel was written by Masaya Takahashi and published in Model Graphix magazine.

[hanafubukki]

So Hana; I came across a post talking about unpopular twst opinions and was wondering if you had any.

Hello Violet 🌸💚🌷

I hope it’s okay for me to call you Violet 💚🌷

This is a rather interesting question 🤔 and I had to think on it a bit. I honestly don’t know if some of what I say is unpopular or not, so I guess I’ll express a few of my opinions that I have. ☺️🌺

I guess before I list them I should say that this is my opinion only. I don’t mean to hurt anyone by expressing them nor am I calling out anyone. Literally just my thoughts. You’re allowed to agree or disagree✨✨

Normally, I would assume I wouldn’t have to put a disclaimer such as this because everyone has their own opinions and we should all have an open mind but I’ve seen the internet lol and wowza on how some act to such things lol 🌺🙏

I hate the guest room. Personally, I’m not into that kind of mechanics in gaming. It’s not for me. The fact that we have to do it to level up friendship levels irks me. And it’s a complicated system too which is another annoying aspect. I also kind of blame the guest room function for personal stories being lowered since those have been replaced with furniture. It’s just an extra chore that I’m not really into.

Event wise: I think we have too many octa (+ ortho and ace) in them. My diasomnia bias aside, I don’t think the other characters get enough spotlight. When was the last time Ruggie was in an event? Cater? Riddle? Jack? Kalim? Rook? Deuce? I know octa make them money but still, give the others more spotlight? I don’t count the beach or Halloween event either. Because Halloween, half the cast is in it and beach event was similar. Even New years I don’t count, because eventually, we will get them all in new years outfit. The usually four character events is what I’m speaking of because that’s when you get proper screen time and development for each character. I can literally go on lolol

I don’t know why this would be unpopular but it seems it might be? But I don’t hate RSA. They have a lot of potential story telling wise and their side of things. And I know there’s biasness with NRC and we wanting them to win, but I feel there’s more to RSA than we know. Like how we shouldn’t judge villains, we shouldn’t judge the “heroes” either.

Jp schedule wise I don’t think they are too slow as many believe. I think for the working female class, which the game is aimed at, the scheduling is perfect since it was made for them after all. It gives them time for daily life and twst gaming. Doesn’t mean I don’t get impatient either lolol

On the other spectrum, EN is going too quick. With events and main story. Slow down. What are you trying to accomplish except burn out your fanbase?

I don’t want an anime. We will get one. There’s a high chance and I’ll watch it obviously. But I honestly don’t care for one. The issues that an anime will bring…is a lot.

I don’t think the gameplay is boring. As mentioned before, the game was made for the female working class. So the gameplay is to the point, and depending on the event, can be challenging. But grinding wise and all that? It’s pretty working class friendly. If I didn’t have the auto lessons and battles, I wouldn’t be playing it. It’s because of those mechanics that I am. Thats what stops me from playing many mobile games. The constant forced to play and keep track. Hence part of why I’m not into Hoyoverse games.

I don’t really care for “this place in twst = this place in IRL.” to me, it’s a game in a fantasy world. Is it interesting to see some of the influences? Yes, of course. But that’s it. I’m playing this game for the fantasy setting, the magic, the story, and the characters. I don’t really care to add, realism, I guess you could say? (I’m trying to escape reality okay? Why would I want it in my games?? 🤣🤣)

I wish we had more magic in my magic world. And I think it mainly applies for book 7 for me personally and how “wow, tech is going to beat malleus and save the day” but I kind of wish that isn’t the case. Yes, it makes for fun story telling and memes. But, for a magic based dorm, I want a magic based solution. That and the fact, I don’t care for the implication how magic is slowly being taken over by technology. Kind of hits close to home you know?? With all the AI shenanigans.

I hope two certain popular theories aren’t true and I’ll leave it there. My personally thoughts on them is, I hope it’s not that predictable and I had hoped for a different route for such characters/events.

I’ll stop there before I make a whole essay for you to read lmao 🤣🤣 I have more thoughts that I could share but this is already so long 😆

I don’t know if this was a “unpopular opinion” or more me rambling but I’ll let you decide that Violet 🙏💞☺️

What about you? What are some of your thoughts?

Would love to hear other’s opinions as well ☺️🌺

[weirdmageddon]

Would you recommend I play explorers of sky, any tips on how best to enjoy it?

i recommend everyone plays it lol

gameplay tips, some known and some more obscure

avoid spoilers lol

store any extra reviver seeds and petrify orbs you find. you will probably need it

if you find yourself in a bind, USE ITEMS. even a sleep seed can go a long way when you toss it at an enemy

the move dig is insane against the main campaign boss

stack missions if you can! if you have more than one mission from the bulletin that takes place in the same dungeon you should do all of them at once

base stats in pokemon mainline series means nothing here. you can have a butterfree with max stats in everything (255). you can boost pokemon stats permanently with medicinal items (protein, iron, etc) and drinks from spinda’s cafe. this lack of base stat disparity is why people can clear zero isle with smoochum. also there is no base speed stat unique to each pokemon, because it’s a dungeon crawler all pokemon have equal speed unless it’s modified with movement boosting. some pokemon may have a +1 boosted movement speed by default, such as deoxys-s, shaymin-s, and dialga with time tripper IQ skill unlocked. and kecleon when you steal from a shop for some ungodly reason. some abilities may increase movement speed in different conditions like chlorophyll in sunny weather

odd floors will generate male pokemon and even floors will generate female pokemon. this might not seem significant but it can be helpful for some gender-based evolutions like getting a female snorunt or male kirlia. at 0 stage stat changes, male and genderless pokemon have a 1.5x bonus applied to a move’s base critical hit rate while at the same time decreasing their evasion rate from foe hits by about 1.03 (268/256). female pokemon have higher move accuracy by about 1.03 (268/256) and neutral evasion (256/256), but this evasion is better in comparison to male or genderless pokemon. i believe genderless pokemon can appear on either floor dont quote me on that but it will follow the male bonus regardless of it was found on an odd or even floor

turns are everything in this game. smokescreen isn’t really a good move in mainline games but it’s fuckin nuts here because it basically renders opponents unable to hit you for a few turns

i really need to link moves more but thats why theyre awesome. there are so many big brained combinations. usually a status move and then an attack but it only takes up one turn

if you eat gummis normally you get an IQ increase and Maybe stat increase, but you will always get stat increases when you make gummis into drinks at spindas cafe so you get more out of them. you can save scum at the save well for “good feeling drink” bonuses if you want. like maybe every 3rd gummi if you dont get a feel good bonus you reset, and every time you do get one you save

gummi effectiveness chart

why eat gummis? IQ skills are important and helpful in different ways. my favorites are map surveyor, stair sensor, acute sniffer, all-terrain hiker, natural gifter, deep breather, and multitalent

different pokemon families fall into different IQ groups (A-J). a group is essentially a different “kit” of IQ skills. IQ groups basically tell what kind of role they have on your team

heres the list of IQ skills in EoS. off to the side under the “group” column you can click on each IQ group for their kit and the pokemon in that group. list of pokemon in each IQ group (ctrl + F searchable)

x-ray specs are broken when you combine them with map surveyor and stair sensor IQ skills. you can also tell how many items on the floor are hidden with acute sniffer by subtracting the number visible on the map with x-ray specs from the number given by acute sniffer. they need to be worn by the team leader though.

you can collect items in walls with a one-room orb, mobile scarf (watch out for belly drain), palkia’s absolute mover, or being ghost type

speaking of the team leader there are many things that are only effective when done by the team leader, such as recruitment, so watch out for that. also you need to be on an adjacent tile to a pokemon to recruit it. if you defeat them ranged it wont work

natural gifter is busted with natural items like seeds and berries (especially with items like golden seed or sitrus berry) because the team leader also gets the boost. but if you want to spread the effect of artificial items like vitamins and gummis to your whole team, you want a team leader with the IQ skill pierce hurler equipped with lockon specs. pierce hurler is essentially a built-in pierce band which allows thrown items to penetrate through whatever is in tile line of sight before going out of bounds. lockon specs boosts the accuracy of the item coming into contact with the pokemon, so it’s better than just the pierce band because you can ensure that none of the beneficial items “miss” your teammates. go into a dungeon hallway with your team in a single file line, make sure the IQ skill pierce hurler is turned on, have your lockon specs equipped to the leader, face your team and throw vitamins or gummis. this is excellent for vitamins but i prefer doing spinda’s cafe for gummis in the long run one at a time since you get a guaranteed increase in at least one stat every time and sometimes rich bonuses like HP increase as well if youre lucky

monster houses are fuckin scary at first but easier as time goes on. when you first start seeing them you should use petrify orbs. eventually you will start seeing some room clearing moves such as blizzard, discharge, earth power. if you can get that on your side you’ll have an advantage. you should also account for movement speed. you’ll be able to attack multiple times in a row if your movement speed is boosted, whether its from a quick seed or agility. probably the best room clearing move is silver wind because it hits multiple enemies and each hit has a chance of boosting all your stats including speed. it has a low hit-rate though to balance it, but unless youre extremely unlucky youre probably going to get multiple hits across the monster house

USE TEAM TACTICS. it gives you a bit of control over how your partner pokemon move. a cleared monster house is a great example because they are usually filled with traps. maybe your team leader has trap seer IQ skill (Able to step on traps without setting off) but not your teammates. change the team’s tactics to “wait there” in the hallway outside of the monster house, go in and collect the loot, go back to the hallway and turn it back to “let’s go together”. no harm done to teammates or even yourself if youre careful. (or your items: there are sticky traps which make your items unuseable, explosion traps which damage you, your teammates, and destroy all floor items and walls around, pokemon traps which turn floor items into pokemon, sludge traps which turn edible inventory items into grimy food. so it’s always good to avoid these scenarios when you can.) another example is if your teammate gets tile warped to a different part of the floor. dont let them move unless you know they can handle themself. change their tactic to “wait there” and go find them while making sure they dont die with oran berries.

you can also control your teammate’s moves by switching them off in the menu. this comes in handy when they start using status moves for no reason. the check mark next to the name of the move means it’s switched on and the teammate will pull from whatever moves you have checked. it doesnt mean anything on the leader pokemon though

i find it more convenient to use less strong moves such as confusion instead of psychic because they tend to have higher hit rates and more PP. the reason why is that the item ginseng can permanently boost their power, but ginseng is hard to come across so i just generate wonder mail s codes for them like a chump (shoutout to the og apointlessplace.net…i remember thinking “well its not very pointless is it” and that same thought still echoes in my head). but this is optional you dont have to cheat.

i go with celebi as my leader most of the time, with ginseng’d weaker moves. i originally shaped celebi in an attempt to recruit kecleon (which i still havent had success with) since you need the fast friend IQ skill in addition to the golden mask and be at lv 100 to even get kecleon’s chances ABOVE 0% recruitment. but even without all the kecleon recruitment stuff having deep breather IQ skill + chrono veil item in bag i virtually never have to use max elixrs for myself. by making celebi prepared for kecleon i incidentally made celebi prepared for anything lol

uhh thats all i can think of also gamefaqs has great in-depth guides

[twiceasfrustrating]

A New Look

Rating: Teen and Up Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: M/M Fandom: Shall We Date?: Obey Me! Relationship: Diavolo x Simeon Characters: Diavolo, Simeon Additional Tags: Fluff, mentions of nudity as a part of daily life Summary: Diavolo tries on some clothing from the Celestial Realm and wants Simeon's opinion  A/N: How long has it been since I posted something to this blog? Jeez. All my fandoms lately are strictly on the nsfw side so this blog has been suffering a lot. I also haven’t written for OM in so long since I stopped playing the game. Ooops. Have to remember who these characters really are. It may be a bit rough with their characterization. Word Count: 1151

“How do I look?” Diavolo asks, purposefully posing and twirling as dynamically as he can to show off the outfit he asked Simeon to borrow from the Celestial Realm on his behalf.

The outfit, like most Celestial clothing, is white from chest to ankle. In Diavolo’s case, he is wearing a simple ensemble that consists of a top that starts at his neck and only goes down low enough to modestly cover his chest and upper back. There is a light gold streak running down his right side to act as a simple accent. The blue-white gradient pants start just below his navel and stretch down to his calves. They look tight on him, which is common for Celestial clothing, but Simeon worries about Diavolo’s mobility all the same.

The majority of the outfit’s shape doesn’t come from the top or pants, however. The sheer overcoat – similar to the grandeur of a bride’s veil on her wedding day – that hangs over Diavolo is far more bulky than anything else. It sits around his upper arms, the long sleeves stretching past his hands and flowing freely with each movement. The overcoat stretches all the way to his ankles like a skirt.

Simeon claps politely. “You look nice.”

It feels strange to say anything else. It would be dishonest to say the clothing – white and loose against his skin, flowing freely as if it was blown by an immaterial wind – did not suit him, but it would also feel blasphemous to say that the prince of the Devildom looked good in the ensemble. Still, Simeon has a brief thought that, as much as he enjoys the sight of Diavolo in his home fashion, he looks better in his usual attire.

“Nice is good.” Diavolo laughs, satisfied enough with Simeon's answer. “I didn't think Celestial clothes would fit me so well or that they would be so cool.”

“It's the magic woven into the fabric. Many angels have to deal with a variety of temperatures and environments, so it's important to make clothing suited to any given situation. The magic acts like insulation, keeping the temperature of the wearer stable. Additionally, angels that choose a human charge need extra durability and flexibility so-”

Diavolo listens intently, placing a hand over his mouth to hide the silly smile crawling across his face as Simeon speaks. He is charming as he speaks about the clothing of his home realm, listing all matter of facts and small minutiae.

“You know a lot about fashion.”

Simeon stops mid-sentence. 

His eyes dart to the side, then downward. “Not particularly.”

Diavolo's smile never falters as he continues. “But you were just talking all about what makes Celestial Realm clothing special and why it's designed that way. That seems like passion to me.”

“I’m not actually passionate about the current state of fashion. If you want someone who understands trends, it would be better to speak to Asmodeus. Celestial Realm fashion hasn’t changed in some few thousand years, so he should still know about it better than I do.”

“But you seem to know so much.”

“That’s because-” Simeon pauses, trying to find the exact words that won’t make a fool out of him. Eventually, he decides that the truth is nothing to be ashamed of, even if it is mildly embarrassing. “I knew you would have questions, so I tried to learn the basics.”

“Oh…” 

Diavolo’s reaction is outwardly reserved, but he is fighting the rising heat in his face that feels as if it will melt him from the inside out. It was one thing to ask Simeon for a favor so that he could better understand a small part of the Celestial Realm’s culture – for the clothing of a people tells you a lot about them and their way of life – but it is another to know that Simeon went out of his way for his sake. It feels far more intimate than such a small kindness should have.

And, when he glances at Simeon’s face, it is clear that he is not the only one that understands the implications in their exchange.

Diavolo has to get the discussion back on topic.

“Can I ask why Celestial fashion hasn’t changed in thousands of years?”

Humans changed fashion trends every few decades at least. Demons, though not as often, also frequently changed the clothing they wore. He found it strange that the angels did not switch out their clothing at least once every few centuries.

“That’s because most angels don’t actually care for fashion in the first place, so there is no reason to stay on top of evolving trends. Most of us would actually prefer not to wear clothing at all. We only do it for foreign relation reasons because the other realms seem to consider it unsightly to walk around without them. At best, there is a race for the functionality of the magic woven into the fabric, but that’s more akin to being the first to discover it and share your findings with others than it is to claim a new magic for your own benefit.”

Somehow, Simeon misses the implication that angels are nudists.

“I guess that explains why all of your clothing lacks fabric,” Diavolo says without any malicious intent, but Simeon furrows his brows in disapproval regardless.

“That’s an insensitive way to put it, but I suppose that is technically correct.”

“Sorry.” Even as he apologizes, Diavolo is laughing. “But I think it’s your turn now.”

“Hm?” Simeon hums in confusion.

“We’re exchanging clothing today, aren’t we?” Diavolo grabs the outer bottom of the overcoat and lifts it high so that it won’t tangle around his ankles. He begins to march toward the large clothing bag that he had placed to the side much earlier. Up until now, Simeon had assumed it was simply another outfit Diavolo would need to change into later. “I have something for you too.”

Simeon raises both of his hands and turns his face away as he refuses to see what Diavolo could possibly have brought. “It’d rather not. Devildom clothing is very hot.”

That made Diavolo pause for a moment.

He seems to think before smiling and answering Simeon’s concern. “We’ll cut off some of the fabric so you’re more comfortable.”

“That’s not-”

“I promise,” Diavolo says as he picks up the large black clothing bag and holds it toward Simeon so he can take it, “it’ll be fun.”

His smile is bright and beaming as he stares at Simeon with mischief and wonder in his eyes. Framed in white and looking so pleased, it would be easy for an onlooker to mistake Diavolo for an angel, but Simeon only sees the demon that he truly is.

Simeon signs as he resigns himself to Diavolo’s whims, already feeling heat building inside of his stomach and twisting it into knots as he takes the outfit from his hands.

[attorney-anon]

Hey, I’m a law student and I’m also autistic and ADHD and I was wondering if you have any tips for working in law as a neurodivergent person? I love my course and I can’t wait to work but the 85% unemployment statistic really scares me.

This is a long answer, so I'm going to cut it for the sake of mobile users. I do link some products below; I'm not getting paid, and I'm only linking them because they honestly work for me. Also, as a caveat, a lot of this advice assumes that you're American and/or working in-person at a private law firm; unfortunately, that's my only experience other than a month doing part-time intake for my regional legal aid service.

The biggest hurdle you will meet is the bar exam*: you need a study buddy who does not have ADHD and can help keep you on track. Don't study separately then meet up; do things like watching lecture videos together and keeping pace with one another in person. I'm not ADHD myself, but my best friend and forever study partner is, and she struggled to self-start.

Buy a bar prep course. This is not the time to be a scrooge; don't buy Kaplan just because it's cheaper (it also sucks). Barbri and Themis are both good - of these, use whichever you can get for cheapest or, if the costs are comparable, use Barbri if structure gives you comfort and use Themis if you need some control over the order in which you do things. Also use Themis if humor engages you; the Property and Contracts lecturers are hilarious. Stick to your bar prep program, but be gentle with yourself if you fall behind pace - realistically, you need to get through all the topics at least once, but you don't have to do every practice MPT, every practice essay, and every practice MBE quiz. Use the same study techniques that got you through law school. IMO, useful supplemental tools include the Critical Pass flashcards (get them used if possible, or get a referral code from somebody) and the Finz Multistate Method guide. Do your best to treat the bar exam as a game - because it is one.

There's a strategy for every section, and you should practice these strategies. For the MBE, use the Finz method - it works. For the MEE, or any other essay exam, use IRAC - and make up the R if you need to. The UBE, and most state bar exams, are graded such that you do get more points for knowing the rule, but you can still get points if you make up a reasonable-sounding rule and then apply it correctly. For the MPT, just throw in as many case and rule cites as possible. Try to cite every document you're given.

Join a bar prep FB group if you use FB; I was in Themis Memes for Should-Be-Studying Teens, but I know there's a Barbri group too. I found that being able to laugh at my bar prep course made it less miserable to do it. Don't be afraid to turn the videos on 2x or 0.5x speed - or faster or slower as needed. Some of the Themis lecturers talk to slowly that we went up to 3x; one of them talks so fast I had to slow him down.

Practice for the test in as many different environments as you can. I took the 2020 Pandemic Bar, so my bar was different than standard (I took it in a hotel room with my back to the door and proctors patrolling the hallways, it was mildly traumatizing fun), but I highly recommend getting used to noise while you're taking the test. Your ADHD/Autism hyperfocus will help here - make the bar exam your hyperfixation to the extent possible.

Once you pass the bar exam, your next hurdle will be the job search. You are going to have to mask for interviews, there's just no getting around it, but how much you mask will depend on your area of law. Big Law firms and intense, litigation-focused practice areas (e.g., business lit or criminal law) will expect you to be gregarious, friendly, and charming from the get-go; less litigation-focused practice areas (e.g., probate or family law) will often have more tolerance for quieter, less aggressive types.

Do not panic if you wind up at a less-than-favorable firm on your first or even your second job; a lateral shift between firms won't kill your resume as long as you can give a tactful reason you left (e.g., "I found that I prefer to focus on X instead of Y," or "I found that I had more opportunities to explore X at Y firm, and I am interested in focusing on X"). It is not normal to cry every day after work. It is not normal to routinely have panic attacks in the bathroom.

Once you have a job, billing is going to be difficult unless you gamify it. I use the Finch self-care app, so I have a task at the end of every week to make sure I have billed my time. My friend rewards herself for every day she bills by buying herself a new pen. Some people thrive off of timers (MyCase and Clio are popular case management software programs; both have timers built-in), but if nothing else, simply note when you start tasks and when you finish them by sending e-mails to yourself (or others, if relevant) at the end of every task. If your case management software can integrate with your e-mail (MyCase can integrate with Outlook, for instance), then use that to tag outgoing e-mails so you can be sure each one gets billed.

Outside of Big Law or intense practice areas, very few people bill 8 hours per day - a lot of the work you do will be non-billable, but also you will suffer from exhaustion or burnout if you try to bill 8 hours per day (my minimum is 20 hours per week, which is just 4 hours a day). You also will usually have some discretion in billing - use that to make yourself feel better if inattention issues make something take longer than you feel is fair. As for billing enough, if you find that you are most productive outside of work hours, find a firm that will let you access client files offsite - work at home if they'll let you.

I do a lot of my best billing either in the mornings right when I get to work or at 10:00 at night. That's okay so long as you take breaks during the workday (I watch a lot of TikTok during my breaks, but I also fiddle with various online games and such); you'll need mental rest to reset between cases. If you struggle with task-switching, use a break to help reset your focus. I strongly recommend setting an alarm for yourself during breaks so that time blindness doesn't derail you. Make your alarm kind of annoying; something you won't just mindlessly ignore.

Let yourself hyperfocus on things; all of that time you spend researching and drafting and correcting and perfecting that motion or brief is billable, and it's also good practice of law - your client and your partner will appreciate your thoroughness, and the judge will almost never hate it (some judges prefer brevity, but I've never had a judge upset at me for wordiness).

I also recommend getting apps that can automate things for you; I use Espanso to make my life easier by having easy-to-type shortcuts for common phrases and information (e.g., the current date, my bar card number, my work e-mail address, etc.). You can customize these things to make sense to your own brain - your process doesn't have to work for anyone but you. Similarly, I use macros in Word to make drafting go faster by letting buttons do all my formatting for me.

Excel sheets make excellent task lists because you can split them up by case, and set them up to highlight things (e.g., today's date) automatically. Most firms will have some kind of "docket meeting" where everyone goes over the status on each case - some people prefer handwritten notes (my best friend does), some people prefer digital notes (I have an excel workbook I use). Find a method that reduces distractions but lets you keep up with the flow of conversation.

On the topic of technology, if your firm provides a computer for you, or if your firm will provide accessories to supplement your own computer, push to have multiple monitors - I use my own laptop, but my boss provides monitors and I have two plus my laptop screen. It is WAY easier to keep up with billing if you can keep your time entry software open and visible on one of your screens.

You will be spending a lot of time in your office; make it comfortable. Once you are making enough to get by, invest in a good office chair (that you own, so you can take it with you if you leave the firm) and some basic office supplies that you like, such as a post-it note dispenser (mine is a cat!). My office chair is designed to let me sit cross-legged - I highly recommend having an office chair that matches your most comfortable sitting style. Having some things that are yours will make any future moves less awkward. I also strongly, strongly recommend getting some simple and quietish fidget toys - I have several spinners, wacky tracks, tangles, and clicky fidgets in one of my desk drawers, amongst others, to help me self-stim, as well as a sensory sticker on my desk pad (on the linked set, I have the rough version of the bottom middle sticker, the rainbow finger labyrinth one).

For me, I find that actual litigation requires scripting. Whether it's an oral argument or just a temporary orders hearing, I typically have every word I intend to say written down as much as I can (re-direct examination or re-cross examination can't be scripted before the day of, but I usually at least scrawl a summary of the question I need to ask as I'm taking notes). I don't necessarily read from it, and sometimes I veer off-script, but there is a specific comfort in having the words scripted out. On the few occasions I have ad-libbed things, I find that I come off less authoritative and confident, which gives the judge the impression that I am guessing. I also find comfort in having a copy of the code I need (which is always the Texas Family Code for me) on-hand at the counsel table. You are allowed to tell the judge you'd like to consult the statute when the judge asks you a question.

I also find that, for courtroom litigation, it's worthwhile to make sure your court clothes are comfortable. Courtrooms in my area are universally a little too warm, so I have a linen blazer that breathes and a variety of shell tops that don't have sleeves. I also have bad ankles, so I wear exclusively flats despite the fact that I am less than 5 feet tall. For me, heat sensitivity is a part of my sensory issues so I am all about setting myself up for success. It's also worthwhile to bring extra water bottles; at my firm (we are almost all ND in some regard), the standard is 2 per attorney and 1 for each support staff, then 1 for the client.

For out-of-court days, even "business" can be comfortable if you're a creative shopper. My last firm required business attire, though not necessarily courtroom attire. I wore a lot of dresses to stay cool, and a solid-color dress in a modest cut paired with a black blazer (which you can remove when you're just working in your office) almost always makes the cut. For those who don't like or can't wear dresses, comfortable slacks and a modest blouse or dress shirt, paired with a blazer, also works. My current firm only requires business casual for client meetings, courtroom attire for court, and otherwise as long as we cover our shoulders and don't wear shorts, we're good to go. I use a cardigan to cover my shoulders when I'm outside my office, as most of my blouses are sleeveless. It's worthwhile to invest in a good office sweater anyway; I like a thin t-shirt material cardigan for me, but my officemate uses a pullover knit sweater. Do what's comfortable.

Office meetings, or even court hearings, can sometimes get loud and overstimulating - buy you some Flare Audio Calmer ear inserts, they really do help take some of the 'sharpness' off of the noise. I also recommend a playlist that contains binaural beats (assuming you like them) or colored (white, brown, pink, etc) noise and a solid pair of ANC headphones or earbud, depending on your preference (the linked products are far from the only options, they're just reasonably-priced options that I know work; I personally use first-gen Airpod Pros). If you don't like binaural beats or white noise, instrumentals of pop songs are also excellent.

You can also get phone apps that layer binaural beats over your music - I find that it sometimes helps me calm down when I'm close to a meltdown, though I personally feel worse at the lower frequencies (I usually stay around the alpha-beta frequency line, but ymmv). I think there are probably also some apps for colored noise over your music, but I haven't looked. If you haven't before, I recommend experimenting with binaural beats and/or colored noise - I find that they can help calm down some of the staticky feeling I get from overstimulation.

Offices also sometimes involve other sensory dangers - like, for instance, food texture issues (another big one for me). You can often get out of things like that by simply explaining that the food doesn't agree with you, or that you're not very hungry - or, if your boss knows that you have sensory issues (mine knows I'm autistic), you can just quietly explain that it's a sensory problem and you have it under control. Keep some safe snacks in your office. You can avoid alcohol, if you're picky about it or just don't like it, by explaining that you're not in the mood to drink (or that you don't drink, period) and that you'll stick to soda/tea/water/whatever. Only major assholes will push past that.

Most coping mechanisms for sensory issues can be justified with "I don't feel good" or "I have a headache."

If your office chair hurts your back, get up and walk around. You are not in elementary school; at most firms, you can step out and just let your coworkers know where'/how to find you, and when you'll be back.

For intra-office and extra-office communications, if you have any doubts about the quality of the communication, you can put it in writing afterwards. A quick e-mail saying, "Okay, so this is my understanding of X, please let me know if I've misunderstood anything or if anything changes" is a good CYA to cover any communication difficulties; don't use idioms or shorthand in these e-mails - actually spell out exactly what you think happened, or what you think you've been asked to do.

If you're worried about your tone in written communications, Chat GPT is good at doing a first draft. It can also do a first draft of your attorney bio, if you're asked to write it yourself. Tell it the message you want to convey, and the tone in which you need it said. For instance, if you need to convey to a pro se opposing party that your world does not revolve around them, but you want to do it professionally, you might tell Chat GPT, "Write a professional e-mail to my opposing party conveying that my world does not revolve around them and that I will get to them when I get to them." That won't give you a perfect e-mail, but it gives you an idea of how to set the tone. Never trust any citation the thing gives you, but you can also use it to simplify complex thoughts for motions that you need to be simpler.

Law practice is also emotionally draining. Take the time to cry if you need to, or to go outside or into a breakroom and breathe.

Essentially, working in law when you're ND means finding tools to help you. It's definitely doable (as I said, most of my current firm is ND), but you'll need to find coping mechanisms to soothe yourself. If you've gotten into law school, I think it's clear that you're competent enough to work. The trick is not burning yourself out entirely, which I hope the above can help with.

* - This is not and never will be an endorsement of bar exams as a measure of competence for new attorneys. The bar exam is a racist and classist institution born from the desire of old white men to keep their good-ol'-boys club exclusive. Fuck the NCBE and abolish bar exams nationwide.

[superconductivebean]

#996: imelda reyes headcanons post - 7

Imelda Reyes: >>>1 || >>>2 (nsfw) || >>>3 || >>>4 || >>>5 || >>>6 Poppy Sweeting: >>>1 || >>>2 || >>>3 Imelda x Poppy headcanons: >>>1 || >>>2 || >>>3 || >>>4

Once again raising my head from the Brainrot fog to share some character headcanons with the world. Brainrot is a fic I’m working on.

@myokk's recent art&replies were a treasure trove for inspiration. 🥺

Imelda prefers easy-to-clean and easy-to-wear clothes. Quidditch is a rough game but the life is also rough; you never know when a heel would break or a skirt get in the way;

She doesn't fancy dresses, skirts, and corsets for that reason. She wasn't to feel and be as mobile as possible at any given time, in addition her affinity for Herbology also rules out restrictive clothes;

Brainrot: years 1-5 of Hogwarts are considered children. Standards of the adult fashion, let along muggle one, don't apply to them; the only one they have to follow is a fairly unisex school dresscode. It is this for a reason: wizworld distances itself from the muggle world of the contemporary for centuries by the time Imelda was born;

Brainrot: years 6-7 are considered future adults; they have more wardrobe freedom, mostly because they can be legally employed. Thus Hogwarts robes can leave the wrong impression; thoughts of moving away from the school push many students to dress a tad different. The difference is noticeable: they are easy to spot in the crowd for colour choices (less greys, more House colours; material of their clothes are also becoming different in texture and quality);

Imelda, a Quidditch player and a Herbology enjoyer, wouldn't even bother to change the attire that much. Robes are practical, the rest shouldn't get killed; that makes her standing out from the crowd and to her, it sometimes feels daunting;

She hates when people mock practicality for its looks;

Standing up against the bullies aren't a task with a hefty price for her, but through it she had a few revelations about her own certain attitudes;

Brainrot: she had a talk with Julia about it. You never confess to a Ravenclaw anything like that, you will be pecked; in Julia's case, affectionately, but Imelda was rather surprised the slight criticism wouldn't hurt;

That being said, if she needs to dress up, she will do impecckable, in her wizwordly ways;

Brainrot: She remains curious as to how Julia manages to wear most uncomfortable clothing items yet never complains. Julia, a tailor wannabe, just knows a few tricks here and there; however, it means she spreads the corset agenda but she rejects any ball corset and consequently, dancing in it. That was Devil's invention.

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

your opinion on revelation is instantly invalidated if you spell it revelations, proving a lack of basic ability, which as stated on the box, is needed to fully enjoy this game. remember, revelation, not revelations. fates is not the bible, believe it or not.

i have been pedantic about this for 8 years and will remain pedantic about it until you all learn to read the giant floating text on the title screen

also chapter 9 isn't a bad map, "snow shovelling" only takes a long time because none of you learned how to play fast, or to abuse the enemy phase skip trick to shave down the minutes like a chainsaw through a beard. it's literally just fog of war but you have the advantage this time. half these maps aren't that bad you lot just don't learn how to take advantage of them properly.

fliers dunk on so many maps, build those supports, use those heart seals, most of the royals the game encourages you to use have easy access to flier classes and high mobility, use it. use your rescue staves for mobility, use freeze and entrap to neutralise annoying enemies. don't get complacent. this applies to conquest too. break bad habits, improve. re-analyse maps, see what makes them tick, and what tools the game gives you access to in overcoming them. you might find yourself enjoying it more than just going with what the hivemind says.

anankos did nothing wrong.

.