#i dont think Im capable of being in the right headspace

[rat-rosemary]

"To whoever wants to hear, losing you is my biggest fear"

... I am not I'm the right headspace to deal with this

[ribbitdeltarune]

the post like i said. its been 2 days later (maybe a bit more. im a bit late at this point..) But! 14 of november! My birthday !!! :p didnt do anything for myself but i did spend some (more like a ton) time with friends

so ahead will just be rambling . read if u want

Alriiight so. i am. Dead. i dont post very often . Thats bcuz i dont actually have a active online presence when it comes 2 posting lol this is sorta my first time . however i did post a few times on twitter before and got a decent following but that was basically never anyway . Thank you all for (checks notes) 19 followers! That. is a first actually

however i also kinda have 2 apologize since i dont post a lot which makes this account.. uh, semi-inactive? shrug. as i did mention before in a prev post i am holding back a lotta stuff that i havent posted yet . oops! i personally dont like posting irl photos because 1) i am actually dogwater at taking photos, 3) my camera quality sucks and 2) i dont actually draw on A4 paper very often or like notebook paper at all lol. (its this small one thats more like a notebook to write stuff down stuff you gotta remember, an agenda or whatever. not like i care i use it to draw anyway. it aint got lines its just full white paper (sometimes colored depending on the one i buy) so its for drawing in my view.) but the bad thing is most drawings i made of ribbit so far are... On Paper.

Now. I can just upload them as is but i dont like doing that . i can also just make them digital drawings but if you think im capable of doing that without immediately doing something else you may be wrong

Speaking of thats mostly why this acc is also semi-inactive . whenever i DO draw digitally im probably also doing another thing at the same time so i get distracted and then get stuck on doing something else completely and forget i have to draw!!! Oopsies. im also bad at executing things (''man im gonna draw ribbit right now'' (doesnt do it) (its also a 50/50 if i actually do it or not)) so thats part of it. do i Think posting and/or drawing ribbit stuff is a chore? Not really. i actually like drawing stuff 4 this fandom and im attached 2 the characters + the mod anyway so its not like im gonna stop This soon . not even a year in yet!

I also have a lot of ideas so i hop between 'em a lot (i have so many animations/animatics in mind but guess who cant animate and also drawing frames take longer than just drawing sighs)... thats why most posts on here is just doodles so far .

to be fair though i have been in a . Uh. I guess fine. Maybe a bit bad headspace as of a few weeks now so i havent really gotten the urge/want to post rn and who knows how long that'll take to go away anyway. thinking of trying 2 get sum stuff finished and then queueing a few posts just so i can get some brainworms out of ma head . and Who Knows if i'll really do that. Future Is Mystery!

Oh and to add i still need to finish or get to like maybe the 5th chapter for a fic im working on rn so theres that too. im still on chapter 4 (progress is fine. i think ill rewrite the dream segment?) and then i will Hopefully get 2 work on chapter 5. god bless being unable to execute things AND to spice it up focus on things (sarcasm)

i am however kinda busy these days. Schoolnstuff. I get in drawing moods a lot (literally everyday bro i dont get burnt out easily or get demotivated that much bc i just finish it eventually anyway) but i need to pass math to pass the year itself so maybe no art posts until thats done. i might post every now and then though. Speaking of posting! Did you know VeeReMia is actually a pun on viremia which is, ''a medical term for viruses present in the bloodstream''. vee came first as part of the instrumental theme, and then maxine added the other syllables. Fun isnt it (i cant stop thinking about it now)

Thanks for reading . I think thats all. Maybe. Shrug.

Also current pfp is placeholder i also need 2 make one BANGS FISTS ON TABLE REPEATEDLY

[rin-and-jade]

hello, cohost of a relatively newly discovered system here, i just saw a post you made in response to new system ask, and i was curious about how we would go about developing an innerworld.

i am led to believe we have aphantasia, so we cant "picture" anything in our head so i dont know if that prevents us from having a headspace/innerworld. i know some systems just dont have a headspace (a roommate of mine has DID and she has told us that she does not have a headspace, and she cannot communicate with her sysmates outside a discord server)

anyways, i was just curious if there would be a way for us to try devloping an innerworld or not after reading that post. ty

I can be of help to you, but this will heavily depend on yourselves as im here only capable of sharing what might work, from my own experiences.

To understand what makes innerworld an innerworld, by simple means,, it is a place that is reconstructed by senses mentally, vision (mental images) is one of them. You see where this is going.. right?

What if you try it by theory, i know you can't imagine, but im sure you know what it'll be like correct? For first advice, a small but functional innerworld will do because navigating in a big one whilst being 'blind' does not spark joy. Ok so, let's start the steps:

Using your other senses (tactile and hearing) as advantage: How do you want your floors,, is it solid, warm to touch and smooth? That could be porcelain. Straight ridges, un-even textures and cool to touch? That could be wood planks. Fluffy, scruffy texture and it damps noises? That could be carpet/rug floors. Now how do you want your walls,, is it wallpaper patterns you can feel by tactile? Maybe you want it the regular way that is painted smoothly? How thick or thin do you want it to be, enough to produce an echo from a knock or nothing at all? The rest then lies on personalization like furnitures and decorations,, i bet you can do this yourself. Also recommend you by practicing with little things for now and work from there, to bigger things.

Map it out: after determining which fits best, this is where the floor plan is arranged, you might want to draw it out physically (or use apps/webs its ok), from arial, or from side, or in 3d,, anything works. This will help you keep the world consistent as you can't see, as well as serving as a map to navigate around. I also have aphantasia where i can barely see anything as it fleets away so fast (i believe its in a spectrum, i saw it), leaving me having to navigate by touching the walls and guess the floor and temperature (i think windows make rooms feel hotter and in this case my living room has a big balcony). Do not over do the items as it can block your walking route leading to unnecessary bumps, if you want shelves or something hanged above, place them in a reasonable spot because bumping to it by forehead or elses is annoying.. i changed the height of my hanged shelf at the end and it never happen again. Especially if you don't have the innate 'gps' to navigate around.

Teamwork makes dreamwork: I assure you that you don't want to do this alone.. why not share some ideas of what the fronting room should 'look' like, or what the communal place should,, this is honestly done to make everyone feel at ease living in it, as well as sharing the work. You CAN do this yourself but it feels overwhelming and could lead to a burn out.. anyway, it'll take a while to properly build a world, so don't feel bad if its still going to be on progress for months,, no worlds are made perfectly in one try. Incase if you want to remodel the world to a new one at future, just repeat the steps.

Hope this serves you as an insight, this has definitely work for me, and i am not 100% sure it could for you, though, you still learn a few things from here. If you feel like giving up or see this as too much work there is no shame,, and so, i wish you the best luck.

- j

[joocin-thebox]

so when i was young i had this oc right her name is Kitten and ive had her since Middle School like 5th grade forward she is my MOST ICONIC oc to date but but but not my point

she, in her beginning, had two alter egos, one was an angel, and one was a devil, which explained why her tendencies were never... consistent

these two alter egos were ALWAYS at war with one another, and somewhere along the line i moved them to ANOTHER character's story but as wolves (not cats) who were Gods and they were in love but they kept fighting and hurting each other bc well that's just what happens when you're polar opposites

and man the... the ms paint edits i made of them...

their names were Kuza (dark) and Miaan (light) and they were literally just,,, i dont even have to explain

it was so edgy and i loved it so much

but then i revamped them AGAIN, bc... well idk i thought they were cringe before

but i gave Miaan a y in her name bc who cares In this rendition i made them both "entities" of the parts of the world they had control over, Miyaan controlled the heavens and the skies, and Kuza controlled the earth and the underworld

Both of them had equal domain over the after life but they were more so judges in death, that would decide where the soul would go (heaven or hell) or dole out a punishment that was purgatory, but for the MC they were like "no you've committed too many crimes you're not allowed to die :) but your friends? your loved ones? they will die. And we'll make sure you're there to witness it"

but then i made Kuza literally want the WORST for MC and ruin her life and possess her and stuff, then i scrapped that and tried to give them their own world

then i dropped it for other ocs

BUT NOW we've come full circle

im changing their names, or ill just make characters inspired by them, or subcharacters of them idk, i get attached to variations of my ocs :(

but Kuza is now Evermore, and Miyaan is now Dinah, they are cats and they've returned to being alter egos of Kitten

(this is Kitten btw)

and she hasn't had any like story type of relevance for a while bc she's just my oc that i put wherever i want, but we're gonna give her back to the roots

and my oldest AMV idea for her was The Pheonix and i just realized today that i am CAPABLE of scripting that AMV and bringing it to life, so i did that

Evermore is, resentful of Kitten bc she believes Dinah chose Kitten over her (to watch over her, rather than spend eternity with her, and yeah she's jealous), but bc they're all the same person, Dinah is Kitten and Kitten is Evermore, but Dinah isn't Evermore, they're... they're scorned lovers again

bc Dinah and Evermore spend so much time in Kitten's like,,, not headspace but like between worlds , her mindscape maybe? idkyet i dont really care for location, but they can make the world whatever they want, but Dinah has been so focused on keeping an eye on Kitten because Evermore's chaotic tendencies have been getting the best of her, and Evermore, barely aware of this, starts to fight with Dinah about it, which drives her away MORE

And then there's Evermore, left in the Realm alone to brood and fester her hated, so the world turns hostile and volcanic, and Evermore is just destroying the land because she feels so betrayed and alone (think Catra but not... not really)

so she brings Kitten to the Realm during her sleep, not every time but frequent enough, and Evermore's like "im actually going to kill you" and she KNOWS that Dinah is watching and technically present, and Kitten IS Dinah, but she's so upset that she's taking it out on both of them

in the script i had written, Dinah takes over Kitten's place in the Realm and fights Evermore, but its too much for Kitten bc while Kitten has magic, she doesnt have nearly a quarter as much as Dinah and Evermore do, so she's like losing her grip in the battle and growing weak, but Dinah pushes on, and the fight continues

it doesnt have a clear winner, bc they're destined to fight for eternity at this point bc of how their priorities have changed, but yeah

:) those r my ocs of the night, i like them

[reinhxrdt]

Im just in a really weird/bad/stupid headspace and idk, i dont have an outlet for anything. I get mad when people are "there for me" or just offer to listen bc like, ok, and? I dont wanna sound ungrateful to people who do give a shit but i just dont feel like caring about me is helping at all

[transmasc-wizard]

hellloooooo if u are okay with it i woul dlike to hear ur thoughts on the mandela catalogue speficially the paranoia parts

well its quite simple. i'd rather die than read/watch/listen to/etc anything involving a creature that theoretically has the capability to steal my exact identity and also wants to kill me!

jokes aside though ! cw discussions of paranoia and kind of like. unreality. LOTS of scopophobia (being watched) too. also brief mentions of suicide and sh. just in general... cw mandela catalogue subject matter lol

i genuinely do just get a bit mentally illnessy (of the intrusive thoughts variety) abt that identity type of stuff. i once blocked someone bc they had their birthday in their bio and it was close to my birthday + their name was nick or nicole or something. there was literally no logical reason for that action and im sure they were a nice person but i could not handle that <3 (they didnt know me anyway its fine). there are more examples but thats the first to come to mind. so, TMC's whole thing with the alternates.... yeah. not something that would be super smart to engage with.

that aside: i also dont do well with like. distorted Wrong face type things (unless they r hot. stares at michael distortion) like the ones that get shown in the thumbnails of the videos. i would provide an example but! that would mean i'd have to see one again! and i really really really do not want to do that! they also tend to very easily be added to the roster of "things i am convinced are Watching Me", which is not a list that has to get longer. im not sure if thats the intention of the faces, but it's definitely what they did to me.

im also really eugh when it comes to things that are capable of manipulating you into things like sh/sui. i tend to get very,,, not paranoid in *that* regard, but just. existential and anxious. about whether i have free will, as a person. whenever i think about it. and things that can torment you into that sort of thing really deeply scare me and also get me thinking about free will again!!!! which i dont like!!!!!!!!!!

also as a caveat. im also honestly not sure how the mandela catalogue would affect me right /now/. when i tried reading the transcript, i was..... not in a great headspace? i dont remember exactly when it was but i know it was not a fun time for the brain of nicola disaster. i was getting a lot of those "feeling watched" feelings in particular (like. "every time i look away there is a thing getting closer and closer and it wants to hurt me" level feeling watched), + some really gross intrusive thoughts & a swing around of more of Le Depression, so TMC was kind of feeding into a mindset that was more rickety than usual.

[metal-caregiver]

Caregiver questions!  1. do you have a little(s)? if you do, how did you meet them? if not, do you want one? No! Unless you count my brother (hes the host of my system). I do want a little of my own but I'm not in the right place to take care of one yet. 

2. what are your favourite petnames for your little(s)? Bubs, sweetheart, little one, kiddo, dear, angel (things I call my brother) 

3. are you more of a strict or soft caregiver? or somewhere in between? Somewhere in between. Id say Im pretty relaxed. I let my brother get away with a lot of things. But I do have some rules that Im strict about.

4. what rules do you have for your little(s)? I don't have many rules - no being mean to others, 11pm bedtime, always try to have 3 meals, using good manners, dont lie, always clean up after yourself, use coping mechanisms 

5. do you have a preferred age range to care for? I have more experience with 8 and below. But I think I could care for any kind of age!

6. how did you learn about agere/cglre? I'm not really sure! I wasn't exactly around when we learned about it

7. when did you realize you were a caregiver? I didn't exactly have a choice on being there for my brother. I got into the age regression community by watching him! 

8. how long have you been a caregiver? I've only been in the system since october of 2020. So a few months?

9. what’s your favourite activity to do with your little(s)? Watch cartoons and make snacks/meals, going to the park, crafts/drawing, puzzles and playing games. Nap time can be fun too!

10. why do you like being a caregiver? It relaxes me. I don't feel like I'm out of control of huge responsibilities. Sometimes it's just nice to have tiny time and take care of someone else for a while. 

11. what pet name(s) do you like to be called? Bubba, Bear, Alek - I don't have many nicknames 

12. are you a regressor as well or just a caregiver? Just a caregiver but I have regressed a few times out of stress (very rare) 

13. do you have other caregiver friends? Sadly no but I would love to!

14. do you have any advice for new caregivers or regressors? Honestly my biggest advice is time. Don't be hard on yourself to get into any kind of headspace. Some days will be easier than others. It makes it harder to regress/be in a caregiver headspace if you try and force yourself.

15. what do you think makes someone a good caregiver? Someone who is patient, honest and respectful of boundaries. Capable of communication and compromise. 

16. what is the hardest part about being a caregiver? For me personally? Not fronting enough. Im not fronting enough and in a caregiver headspace to take care of a little long term and its a bit depressing. By @/princessrainy

[fairycosmos]

lmao im actually so desperate to die im considering swallowing two peach pits just to see if i will choke to death because nothing else ive tried has worked so far . you know what my life doesnt fucking matter ill do it. with my luck it wont work i feel im being punished and thats why i cant die. ill do it. if i dont get back to you something happened but i doubt it. im tired like you said i deserve peace. we do. bye maybe i hope this works this is pathetic but im desperate to die

hey, i'm really sorry to hear you're feeling this way. it seems like you're totally overwhelmed right now and i completely understand how debilitating that can be. i know there's nothing i can do or say that will really change how awful it feels, and you're probably not in the headspace to read all this. but if you ever want to come back to it, it'll be here. maybe you could try some of these grounding exercises, here / here and here beforehand to get you in a place where you can focus a little. it's alright, there's no rush or pressure. i just wanted to say first of all that this is not pathetic in the slightest. sometimes the world gets on top of you and you go througn so much trauma and hurt that it really does feel like giving up is the only option. people can only take so much, and i get it. that's the trick of the suicidal brain though, i think. it uses life's suffering and your own past experiences to convince you that it is always going to be this way. to romanticize death and make it into something it isn't in your head. it is actually very hard to die, as i'm sure you know. and it's not the peaceful option or escape you're looking for, either. and the most paramount thing i want to say is that your life 100% does matter. this was never up for debate. you were born with an inherent worth and it hasn't went away just because you can no longer see it. you honestly can't fathom how you've impacted peoples lives, directly and indirectly, and even just the world itself. you don't have to be anybody but who you are, i promise, the whole point is just having the human experience you're having. you're fulfilling your purpose by existing, no matter how hard it is at times. i think it's a good sign that you reached out to me, i honestly think it shows that you have a lot of self awareness regarding what's going on and that you're truly capable of asking for the help that you need. you're not in a place right now where you can trust your thoughts and feelings, so it's good to seek an objective perspective from somebody else. this state of mind is so transient, it's so intense that it's not built to last. i'm not trying to downplay how unbelievably hard to live with, of course, but it can be freeing to acknowledge that this is not all there is, no matter how difficult it is to endure currently. you deserve to be here and to exist in a way that heals you, no matter what your mind is telling you. there can be a variety of underlying causes for suicidal feelings, and obviously they're very serious issues that need real medical attention in order to begin to overcome. but with that and with time, it is totally possible to learn to live a full live along side all you've been through. even though right now i'm sure that's the lastthhing on earth you want to do.

are you currently working with a mental health professional of any sort? your doctor, a therapist, a support group, even a hotline? if not, i would really urge you to get in touch with them as soon as possible. and if you already are, let them know where your thoughts are at lately so they can focus on upping your level of care. if you're worried about money, there are cost-effective choics available, like finding a therapist who offers a sliding scale price, or looking into mental health resources within your community. i know your brain is probably screaming at you to do the opposite, but i promise any baby step in the right direction is going to pay off. the prospect of reaching out and being honest is a daunting one, and i'm only bringing it up as something to consider at the moment (or when you feel able to) so please don't write it off all together. you don't have to do anything right now, just know you have options. you honestly do. and talking to someone really is not as bad as your brain is probably building it up to be. just like with physical illness, mental illness can be confronted and treated. it's all about learning how to manage your unique mind, and even if it takes a lifetime, it is so possible to lessen the frequency of episodes like this. or to become more prepared for them so they feel less erratic when they do occur. discussing about what you've been through, pinpointing root causes of your suicidal thoughts, learnng how to implement healthy coping mechanisms into your daily routine, building a support system, finding the medication for you if needed - all of this is going to make a tangible difference. it is not going to fix everything, obviously, but it is going to lighten the weight and broaden your perspective on yourself and on living. you deserve to be supported without judgement and with genuine care, you deserve to be listened to. there are a lot of people, professionals or otherwise, even just strangers like me, who are willing to filling that role for you.

idk how it is for you and i won't pretend to, but sometimes suicidal people don't want to lose their lives, they just want to stop living the way they are. with so much chaos and unresolved pain and exhaustion. you don't have to hurt yourself in order to get there. i know when you're in this mindset, any even slightly positive piece of advice just feels impossible to believe. but even if you can't seriously take it on board at the moment, i hope when you're in a more grounded place, you can at least consider as an alternative to absolute hopelessness. you may as well, because you are alive and that is not always going to feel like a curse. it is so hard to believe it, i get that, but it is a fundamental truth. you are in an extremely difficult moment but that is not your whole existence. the future is ever changing, and you've already made it through the past, so the only thing that really matters is this moment. focus on what you need, not what you want, but what you need to do right now to truly self - prioritize. even if that feels like the last thing on earth you want do. if self destruction and self harm was gonna make you feel better, it would've by now. welcome the idea of trying something new, maybe just the notion of attempting to guide yourself through this with a bit of self-compassion. please, if you feel like you are an immediate danger to yourself, please exercise any sense of self preservation/ survival instinct and call the authorities, a hotline or a friend/family member right away. no matter what bullshit your brain is telling you, no matter how heavy your heart is right now . everything is always always always changing and things are going to change beyond recognition, it's the one thing you can count on. you deserve to stick around to see it all, and once you've made the decision to do so, you won't feel so stuck and conflicted anymore. i'm going to leave some links that i think might help a little in this moment, but like i said, please call someone if you feel you can't be alone right now. i'm rooting for u a lot and i really hope you are able do the right thing for yourself. if it's all too hard, focus on getting through the next hour. if that's too much, the next minute. and if that's too much, the next second. break it down into what you can handle and let yourself live. and then just go from there. sending you all my love.

list of hotlines

coping with depression

coping with suicidal thoughts

so you feel like shit?

template for creating a safety plan

[marshmallowprotection]

I rambled this out in the tags of my reblog of ur response to my... hm, "pink" ask, but i'll put it here anyways

I think ray and i are similar in the way of emotional sensitivity and people pleaser tendencies, albeit stemming from very different origins. For Ray, it's his traumas and the lifestyle and mindset he's been forced into. For me, it's the neurological disorder/learning difference I've had all my life, ADHD, and its accompanying RSD and anxiety.

One good thing about that bad friendship i got myself into was that i learned how to be a little more independent and how to overcome certain parts of my anxiety at times, as well as how to say no and to not give in so easily into the urge to just do whatever my friends ask.

So, I'm better than I was. But like I mentioned, its a little different when i dont know the person yet, and its especially different if theyre as sweet and kind as ray is. Honestly it gets me weak. I mean, even in the game, when i play AS (and his route) for the first time, i was very compliant to everything he said, especially since he seemed to have some confidence about him (i still cant tell if im just dumb or if he actually seems that way to others in the beginning). And thats not just cos i wanted to progress with the game; i chose the options i felt drawn to.

I'd have a hard time telling him no.

As for emotional sensitivity and RSD... itd be a loop i swear oh my days lol. He's always like "sorry sorry sorry pls dont hate me" and im sitting there like "same." If i was actually there id be like "no no never! Id never hate you i swear ur so freaking nice and sweet and fjbdjdbjd" and then like that very same day, say i shot him a text or two and he doesnt respond for like an hour. I get it. I know he's busy. I don't reach out further cos i dont wanna be annoying, i just wait. And wait. And tell myself he's busy. He doesn't hate me. He's just busy. ...did i say something wrong? Maybe i was confusing...? *proceeds to reread my texts like a million times, analyzing all the possible interpretations and probably scaring myself a couple times*

Finally a text comes in, or a chatroom with him opens up, and- here's where we differ. I keep those "what if he hates me" thoughts to myself. Instead its, "oh thank goodness lol i thought maybe i was being annoying or something or offended u or made u mad" (usually just one of those; which one i felt depends on the scenario) and even then it's only if an opportunity comes up. Sometimes i'll outright ask "was i being annoying? Sorry i know i can get out of hand sometimes" or say something like "just lemme know whenever im too overbearing or annoying or confusing or fast, etc". I tend to prefer to lean towards semi-subtle phrasing rather than outright asking.

But its like... "sorry sorry; are u mad?" "No!! No im not mad... but... i thought you'd be upset at me so I was afraid to face you... and then when you didnt text me i thought it even more..." "what??? No never! I didnt text u cos i thought u were mad!" Lmaooo

[417]

Yeah, I can totally relate to that internalized dialogue. So, it just seems that you can look at him and say same hat. I understand that feeling very well because I do it all the time too. Ray oftentimes gets overworked and overwhelmed by the thought that he's not doing enough, as a matter of fact, he's been told that he's not doing enough so he just thinks that constantly without anyone having to prompt him otherwise. A part of it might be a manipulation on his part but another part of it is genuine self-loathing. It is hard to say because he has moments where his genuine sincerity comes out and moments when his plans pop out. That's why I often tell people that he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Yes, he is relatable in a sense but that doesn't mean that he is inherently good too.

His morality is a little skewed but you can't really blame him for it given how he was manipulated himself. It is a matter of getting to know him and helping him see that something is amiss that allows him to almost realize that it's not okay. It is just too easy to overanalyze and get overwhelmed by the smallest of details that may not mean anything. It's an unfortunate circumstance that many of us have to deal with.

He's definitely a lot to deal with, and you have to be on your toes and ready to deal with it. If you are not in the right headspace or you easily get overwhelmed by little comments that may not mean much, then it's probably going to be hard for you to deal with the situations that take place with him. Even I know that I would have some specific problems with it myself given he and I have so much in common. However, don't think that that counts you out or anything. You still have the capability to get through to him.

It just comes down to empathizing and reaching out to each other when things don't feel right. That is easier said than done though so yeah, it would be a little complicated. It'll turn into a game where you're reassuring him and he's reassuring you. Sometimes it's good if someone can understand you firsthand, because the thing you can help yourself in the process.

[fyrecrafted]

Rescued. (a fic?)

So Ive been going through hell lately. I really needed to feel some kinda hope through all this darkness so I wrote this.  Basically a lot of bullshit Im going through and a happy ending via and old friend Tom Hiddleston... the line between reality and wishes is slim, yet obvious. Written more to help myself get through this than anything. Its quickly written and prob a mess. 1k words

I mentioned the abusive situation I was in a few times online where everyone could see it... but... my closer friends on discord really saw a lot more of what was going on. And not everyone really had the full picture. I was too scared to say it all in one place. I didn't want all that gross toxicity I was living in to be put on any one group's shoulders. One day I got in a really bad headspace. I wanted it to all end. I didnt see a way out. Im disabled, mentally and physically... I can't really work in my current situation (not that I'm not trying, but I seriously doubt the employment services could help me... and, even though I filed for disability I kept getting denied because I couldnt get health coverage to get medical diagnosis... and yeah... I had tried the method you just thought of and no its not available... at least you didn't think of that one idea that one person had 'if you get pregnant you can have medical coverage for 9 months', I really hope you can see how fucking disgusting that idea is... if you can't I don't have hope that explaining it to you would help any.)

No... I do not have any other fucking family that could fucking help... holy shit... DO YOU REALLY THINK I'D BE HERE IF I DID? Why do people ask these same questions over and over...? On the other hand I do know people are trying to just help and feel powerless to do so... Well... back to where I was... One day I said a lot more about how bad it was... How I was told by my whole family that I was worth less than them because I cannot work... How my mom screamed that she hated me... How I was blamed for every single thing that went wrong, and I was expected to do all the housework even though Im not physically capable of doing so. I was basically a disabled fucking Cinderella... trapped by a world that wont let me escape because I dont have cash... So many people don't see that in this reality money = freedom. I felt so lost... Trapped and up against a wall with no way out. Even if I went to a shelter I'd lose my cats who act as my emotional support animals (lessbe real here, they are service animals but cuz criteria dnt really cover mental issues like ASD they cant be labeled as service animals... fuck that bullshit) and I'd likely have lost all my stuff that keeps me from going into a shutdown. (like my brain will just go into bad chaos mode and shut the fuck off for a bit... like I can do the basic life stuff but no more than that) So... like... big nope for mental health reasons, and prob would fuck with my physical disabilities too... A few hours after I posted about everything I got an anon asking if I would leave if a friend offered me a place to stay. No strings attached. I reblogged an answer: Yeah, if they were gonna take me and both cats and my stuff in and work with my handicaps and I knew they werent gonna use it as a way to murder my face and hide the body. Another Anon: Even if it was in the middle of the night? And the only way was to do it fast? Me: I mean... I'd have to really know 'em and trust them to do that... I'm a little concerned that an anon is asking this though tbh... kinda freaked out man... Anon: Well, you do know me. I promise. I just don't want to advertise my intentions and I can't really DM you atm. So, I'm doing it like this. Im so sorry its causing you added anxiety. Also I've been a long time follower and I absolutely love your work. Me: Yeah... Okay... Sure... Whatever... If you show up bring me a pizza... or something and a redbull and cat treats... lol... seriously doubt anyone would take the time to rescue me... It was late when I posted and several hours later (I have non-24 and no circadian rhythm so being up at weird times is nbd for me) I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a knock. I grabbed my cane and was ready to play whack a mole intruder edition... when I peeked through the door I couldn't believe my eyes... A friend I had so very long ago but lost contact with... Someone I watched online from afar... Someone who was looking at my raised cane with much concern on their face... Tom... Tom fucking Hiddleston...

'You could have asked... if I had known earlier I would have come. Also please put that down.' 'y-y-y-eah.' 'May I come in please. I brought the pizza and rebull.' He grinned 'um, okay. Uh watch out for the cats though. Everything is kinda a mess.' 'I really dont give a damn about the mess. Im more concerned about the shit you've been going through. No one deserves to go through all that. I would like to ask you to move in with me. I'm staying in Georgia at the moment until all this mess clears up and we finish filming. After that we can figure stuff out. I don't want you to worry about a damned thing right now. I want to do everything in a manner that will be the best for you. If something isn't okay let me know. If you need something let me know. Fuck, if you WANT something... LET ME KNOW. Please.'

We ate and chatted and I cried... a lot. We packed up my stuff, and the cats and disappeared into the night. The sun rose as we pulled into the city. A brand new life began for me that day. And I will never look back.

[bananonbinary]

some epilogue thoughts

i still havent finished the epilogues but i read most of meat and tbh as a dirk fan, it didnt really bother me? i dont think he was acting ooc or it “ruined the character” or anything. like we’ve always known dirk was capable of some really dark shit, and his connections with his friends are what keep him from going down that road. when the sprites^2 became aware of their ultimate selves, it was easier for them because sprites are literally built by the game as vessels of information. when alpha rose tried to do the same thing in the epilogues, it fucked her up because she could barely even keep track of which timeline she was in. Dirk pretended he wasnt affected by it but like, you know who’s a part of him ultimate self? who would’ve started influencing his actions and thoughts as soon as dirk became aware of him? fuckin bro. i dont think it’s too out there to say that bro’s 30+ years of bullshit kinda subsumed poor alpha dirk’s attempts at not being a piece of shit.

overall, the epilogues (which i still havent finished but im not gonna do that until im in a better headspace for downer endings so here we are) don’t seem out of place to me, cause it’s just sort of the natural conclusion to the ongoing theme that sburb doesnt care about its players. that skaia pretends to be benevolent but its only an attractive facade to ensure that the players join the game. that the land quests and classpects and ultimate reward are some bullshit that promise that if you do everything right, you’ll get to be the best version of yourself and fully realize your potential or some shit, but in the end skaia’s only purpose is universal reproduction.

also it doesnt even really feel “final” to me. like that’s realizing one specific theme, but the ao3 format, the unreliable narrators in the most literal sense, the lack of hussie as an in-universe narrator, it all just feels like one possible outcome of many. i dont think it invalidates the hopeful end of act 7, i think it just shows two possible ways things could go, that elaborated on some of the darker themes of the comic.

iunno, call me insufferably positive, but nothing i’ve read felt like it was out of nowhere or ruining the comic

[thedeadflag]

Hey, pretty soon I'll be playing a friend of mine is gonna be DMing Tyranny Of Dragons for me and a couple of friends, and I can't decide whether I should play a Monk (probably Open Hand, maybe Kensei) or a Ranger (either Beastmaster or Horizon Walker), 'cause I've never played either of those classes, nor has anyone at the tables I've played. Can you tell me a little about your experiences with these classes?

The Ranger has been one of my favourite classes throughout the editions of D&D in terms of flavour, and I’ve had some fun with monks as well. In 5th edition, both took a fair bit of a hit in utility (individual and within group dynamics) and power at pretty much all ranges. The Ranger was propped back up a little bit in Unearthed Arcana in the revised ranger archetype, but both are still largely considered at best middle of the road classes, and at worst, the lowest tier of classes in the game in utility and character. 

That’s not to say they can’t be fun and have a lot of flavour, and still find use. If you’ve watched Critical Role, you can see Vex and Beau weren’t useless by any stretch. No class is junk in 5e due to the improved parity compared to some past editions. So power and utility aside, if you feel drawn to any class/subclass, and you want to dive into its particular brand of flavour, then I say go for it. I would gauge the rest of the party’s makeup in making your decision, because group synergy is important, but you have to make yourself happy, too, right?

Anywho, I’ll break down my take on both.

When it comes to Monks, I like Open Hand the best. If you want to have a Monk-style gameplay with weapons, then Mystic or Fighter are probably better options with some more flair and utility involved than Kensei imo, but if that’s the route you want to take, it’d be alright. However, Open Hand has quivering palm, which is pretty incredible late game as far as damage and flexible timing from a single person through 3 ki pts and an action. If you do ever reach level 17, I would recommend multiclassing after that if you’re allowed, since the rest of the Monk’s class progression is kind of junk in comparison, and it could use some much needed utility from 3 levels of another class. Anywho, I like open hand not just for the flavor of being a class that’s capable of being an unarmed beast in battle, but also because of the way it can work in alignment with fighters who can also control the battlefield, like any fighter with a sentinel/polearm master. The ability to shove an enemy up to 15ft with one of your flurry attacks, launching them into the range of a fighter who gets a free opp attack against them and can from then on lock down their movement with a successful hit? That can be an excellent tag team. The Monk isn’t excellent for utility, but the Open Hand technique is probably the best at providing utility in combat among all the monk disciplines. Like, another option after hitting with flurry of blows is to steal all reactions for the opponent until the end of your next turn. This can be especially helpful against casters, as stealing reactions = preventing counterspells. And Monks can get a lot of attacks = lots of attempts to disrupt concentration of enemy casters, so the open hand monk is especially helpful at being a designated mage wrecker with having the mobility to reach casters and the ability to destabilize them. It’s arguably the one thing (aside from unarmed damage) that (this one kind of) monks do better than just about anyone else, arguably.

Now, to Rangers.

Honestly, I don’t like beast-focused Rangers. I think they’re a lot of work in order to get the mechanical payoff most other classes can achieve without a lot of thought or effort. Generally, any class that can let me focus more on flavour and RP is one I’m going to prefer, and beast master’s just…unwieldy. A lot of people say the class is junk, and if you run it without getting into the headspace for optimizing, it’s probably going to be more of a frustrating experience than you’d have hoped for. With BMs, you’re managing not just your character, but your companion, and you have to keep up with the different mechanics of both, you need to be 100% on top of choices made while leveling up, you need to have a strong understanding of battlefield control and your companion’s capabilities from the get go, and you really ought to be the kind of player who is happy to take a backseat to everyone else in and out of combat because the way you’ll shine is by helping everyone else do what they do with a little bit higher odds of success than otherwise. Personally, I like playing that sort of character, but I can do all of that with other classes a lot easier, and usually better, so this isn’t the kind of archetype I’d choose for a character myself. If you really want to, and think it’s cool, go for it, though.

The first thing I’d do is ask if you can use the UA revised ranger instead of the PHB ranger if you’re going the beast route (it’s “beast conclave” archetype in UA). If your DM allows that and insists you choose your companion from the list provided here, take the wolf (pack tactics is v helpful, same with 40ft speed and being able to send enemies prone after attacking) or ape (climb 30ft, melee/ranged ability, good stat baselines). 

The second thing you’ll need is to lock down a quality companion, and that can take a bit of wheeling and dealing with your DM to let you use one of the supplementary books as a source, which is especially necessary if you’re not able to use the revised ranger class from UA. You do not want a hawk, mastiff, or panther, the PHB offers some shit examples out of the gate (panther and hawk are only conditionally good if you’re only ever going to have your companion rushing around the map using the ‘help’ action, or scouting to some extent, and the latter becomes less useful and reliable the higher level you become). Don’t choose a CR 0 companion, or one under ¼. If you absolutely must use a hawk for character flavor, then a blood hawk that at least has pack tactics would be a must. But if you are hoping for a companion that can do damage, look for something with certain damage if it hits, like added poison damage. Look for good AC if you want a tank. Look for versatility in mobility and senses. Look for special abilities (the boar having a relentless ability where it’ll go back to 1HP if it falls below 0; the wolf spider has web walk and web sense which can really help with casters using web if players don’t want to wade into the difficult terrain or are having difficulty finding enemies caught in the web; etc.)

But yeah, beast-focused rangers  will be best when they’re spamming the help action with their beasts, using their beasts to get enemies out of cover, using their beasts to help control the field and give others advantage/take advantage, etc. You need to be quick mentally to know what you want to do with your character and your companion each time your turn comes around (most DMs, myself included, aren’t going to let you have as much time as you need to figure out what you want to do on both fronts, so if you can’t juggle two characters at once without losing a step, it might not be the archetype for you). This type of ranger requires you to know exactly what you want to be able to accomplish for yourself and your party right out of the gate, so you’ll want to gauge what your party members will be specializing in, what they want to be able to do, and see if there’s a way to shape your ranger to aid in that, particularly in choosing a beast that can be the most effective in ensuring that. Group cohesion is the name of the game with this form of ranger, so you’ll want to consider race selection a part of this process, too. I’ve had one player bomb hard as a BM and re-roll a different ranger, and I’ve had a friend who ran one who was the group’s unsung hero a lot of the time during their campaign. If you’re looking at Vex from CR as inspiration, keep in mind she had an excellent set of stats from lvl 9 onwards, and plenty of magical weapons to make up for much of any class shortcomings as characters scale up…look at how often Trinket was useful (very rarely) and understand that the bear was essentially just flavour for most of the campaign, and Vex would have been considerable underpowered compared to the rest of the party if not for some considerable DM intervention in ways that make things a lot trickier for DMs (adding magical weapons/items can easily unbalance a campaign, and it’s a matter of experience in knowing how to dole them out without throwing balance aside…Matt Mercer’s comfortable handing out flying carpets and multiple +2AC items  and superpowered magical weapons by level 9, I wouldn’t give them out before level 14 or 15 and it would really only be if a player was severely struggling and refused to re-roll a more appropriate character while dying or nearly dying most combats). Other classes and archetypes have features and abilities that scale as you level, some earn specific spells as they level up that others can’t get, etc., but with beast conclave rangers, it’s their beast that slightly improves in a few meaningful ways. So if you’re going that route, you need to commit to a great beasts that’s a great fit for you and your party, and you need to commit to making the absolute most out of them and knowing how to make the most out of them.

Horizon Walker’s a simpler archetype that has some badass spells, but the flavour for the class can be a bit…strange in some adventures. It might not fit well with Tyranny of Dragons, I’m not sure how much planar travel’s involved in that adventure. Which might not be a problem for the DM, or you. I still prefer the UA ranger conclaves, but out of the PHB ones, this one’s probably the best of the bunch, even if it’s mostly going to lean towards being a melee build (which, again, check your party comp to see if that’s something that is workable). 

Anywho, those are my late night D&D ramblings. You can take my words with a grain of salt if you’d like, and as always the rule of cool applies…if you think it’s cool and you really want to go with something, go for it and I hope the DM will find a way to help you make it work, but yeah, these classes can be a bit of an uphill battle, though I suppose potentially a rewarding challenge if that’s what you’re looking for.

Best of luck with the campaign, I’m sure you’ll have fun! 

[morningpages-louise]

November 01 - Setting intentions for November, looking back at 2018 so far, and Reminders and affirmations of life.

it's fucking november. what the fuck. this month, no this year, it went by so fast. i literally say that every year tho. we all do. why is that? the worst part is, most of us, including me, go by it without being mindful. without appreciating the things happening before us. we just kind of let these moments slide right through us. we forget to be mindful. we forget to take a breath, look around and appreciate. appreciate all that we have. appreciate this moment right here which will never ever be replicated. instead, we thinkin about what's lacking. we think about what could make these moments better. we bring in negativity into an otherwise perfect moment. it's annoying as hell but we all do it, we do it unconsciously. this negativity should not and will not rule over our lives. that's why this November, I VOW TO BE MORE MINDFUL--take deeper breathes. take things slower. not overthink every single fucking situation and just allowing each moment to pass. i really want to spend less time infront of my screen too. engaging in mindless social media which is so damn bad i dont know why im sucked into it so much :( but yeah. i just want to go back to the basics. slow down. appreciate. and cherish these last 2 months that I have left. because i will never have these months left. appreciate and take into grattitude.

i would also really like to just look at this year that went by because it's almost coming to a close. 2 months. you know what i find myself being so busy but I must never forget who i am and who my values are and what i value and why i took up all these opportunities in the first place -- for growth, to develop myself, to step out of my comfort zone and become more of the person who i am bound to be, whoever that is. sometimes i really feel like im being sucked in the system. it's like i forget the reason why i decided to do this work in the first place. and it's so damn important to never lose that. never lose that meaning and that reason and that drive that pushed us to try this new thing out in the first place. so damn important. huhu i feel like im on my flow. i love it when these moments come. work starts to be on autodrive and my mind is clearer, and i feel more motivated to work and all. but yes, it's november 2 now. i started writing this november 1.  I feel like when i started this term, i had a grip on my life. i had so much free time. i had a routine set in motion, but then it felt at times like i was just doing certain things for that tick on my planner, which is one of the reasons i stopped using my green bulletjournal. and i was just setting myself up to do so many things -- listen to the news, meditate, write, yoga, and all that stuff and the reality is, as simple as these tasks may be, i just didn't have the time to do most of the stuff and i wanted to do it out of impulse and not out of force, although i do know that that force is what makes certain tasks habits but you get what i mean. so yeah ive completely gotten rid of that way of living. now, it's just me and a black empty canvas and i kind of just choose how i go about my day. the things i want to do more of are

--> Find more time to Read. god, it's been so hard to slip in a quick 30 minutes or even a goddamn chapter :( i get so anxious man gud. so even if i do find a little hole for me to do what i love doing so much, i get an anxious feeling in the back of my mind which is annoying as hell.

--> Indulge in creative projects. no, not write for the sake of my damn internship and shit but create projects that give me joy. i feel like its so important to find time to do these things because being creative is a sort of portal to your soul. it taps into your consciousness and what interests you, what aspects fascinate you and all that stuff. for me, i'd really love to create more personal videos about important moments in my life. i've only done one video about my birthday but it felt so damn great to be honest. the next one i would like to do would be a video about my unit because that unit i hold so close to my heart man. so many memories. so many moments. so many people whove spent a certain amount of time at one point of their lives. im really obsessed with memories. i love saving them. i love keeping them and organizing them so i can look through them from time to time. yup i guess im floating. that's the song im listening to now. it's awesome. it feels like im stuck in a particular moment. held within time. that kind of stuff. god writing feels so good. it gives me a fucking high. makes me tap into my consciousness and check in on how im feeling. okay anyways getting a bit off track.

--> spend more time appreciating things and being in the moment rather than on social media. cmon guys, it's practically the last 60 days of 2018 and im gonna spend it attached to my goddamn phone? nuh-uh. the time for living should be now. the time for being aware and savoring every little moments and creating memories and cherishing them and just taking moments to feel goddamn alive you know. make this year worth something.

but honestly, it's hard to really look back at this year and see the growth that has transcended over the course of the few months. it's hard to look back because im living in it right now and i don't know. right now, it doesn't really feel like much has changed. it doesn't really feel like ive grown. or ive changed or ive bloomed which was literally this year's motto dba. that's why my peg for the whole year was a sunflower, inspired by tylor the creator's album sunflowers or whatever it was called. i still feel the same. i have felt like im the same person for so long to be honest. it never really feels like ive changed, but i bet i have. i just fail to see it. but honestly in terms of headspace, i can honestly say that i feel like im in a better place. im more at peace with certain aspects of my thoughts. ofcourse, i don't think we can ever really be fully at peace with ourselves, but in some way i feel like ive mended certain parts. i'm not in so much pain anymore. when i started the year, i had just broken up with my boyfriend of almost three years. ofcourse i still think about him every now and then, how can you not honestly especially when you spend so much time with a person like that, and it does still pain me when he chats with me to ask something or when i see him because i get a little hope extinguished in me of us getting back together even though i know in the end, despite everything, that we're better off apart. we're better off not together. because it was getting so bad. there was no fire. there was nothing. i felt like i was just forcing myself at times to like him. i didnt even look forward to seeing him whenever i came back from Manila, and that's not a good sign at all. so yeah, i know the most annoying advice ever is when people say time heals. it's so frustrating because you can't really do anyhing but let time heal you and well, it's true. it sucks but its so true. in time, you will just hurt less. there will be a time when his name comes up and it doesn't hurt so much or your thoughts don't start jumping up into nostalgic memories of the both of you. strangers again. it sucks but its the reality, i guess. i knw we shouldn't be together. we weren't a good match no matter how much nstalgia tells you otherwise. but i really really really hope to become good friends with him atleast. not be so fucking scared whenever im about to see him. not feel like i have to drink a whole fucking liter of beer before i see him. because in all honestly, he was such a good friend. so caring and so kind and he always tried to make a positive situation out of something so negative. his optimism sometimes annoyed the shit out of me especially when we were together because it's not as easy to just say like oh don't think about it like that. life is so much more complicated than that. its' a lot more complex. hay i really miss talking to him. he was such a good person to just let everything out to. i miss that the most. but it's okay. i have this morning thoughts now dba? to let everything out and just dump my thoughts and whats been circulating nonstop in my mind. cge anyways, what else. i feel healed. i feel like my headspace is better. well--i also feel like ive gotten better with regards to my connections. i love how this year, ive added new people to my circle. my favorite part. i love how this year has opened me to meeting more people. it has also let me become closer to my existing relationships. made it stronger and that makes me so happy. probably the most important thing i learned this year was the importance of connections, and that no man is an island. no matter how introverted we may be, we can't survive without having connected with other people. i really just want to have more of those throughout my life--genuine connections. where i can be myself and they can be themselves. and where we actually enjoy each others companies. not lackluster, shallow relationships that never seem to go beyond a certain level you know. i want deep, loving, intimate connections. i wish to find a tribe of people where i feel supported and everything. my life goal. but yeah im happy ive opened myself up to meeting new people. probably the biggest development of this year is well the fact that i now have an internship-say what? and or a company ive been following for quite some time nonetheless, mad travel. this whole year i feel like ive been trying to get a job and now i finally have found the time to do so and it makes me happy :) atleast. i know i am capable of gainig jobs and putting myself out there. i feel more confident applying for my jobs and my resue is looking fine. and although my internship is actually sort of a source of stress and anxiety these days, i shouldnt take it so goddamn seriously because in 2-3 years i will just look back at these moments and it wont even matter. what mattered is i did my best. i shouldnt take my work so seriously gyud. that's why i hate turning down friends or turning down invitations for my fucking work because in the end we all fucking die. in the end whatever titles we may have at the moment wont even fucking matter you know. we all die in the end so just live unapologetically and bear yourself to the world. that's so damn difficult and i feel like we take life so damn seriously. we really need to loosen up and have fun and not overthink every single fucking thing. why are we all so damn anxious? it makes me so angry like goddamn get it together. we have lost the true essence and meaning of our lives. we have forgotten why we are here in the first place. to love. to feel. to experience. to learn and most of all, to enjoy. okay that's my ted talk. goodbye and sayonarra.