#i might make these more personal instead with less focus on the exact way that they work

[dravidious]

You're more amazing than stuff and things

Started writing up magical plushies that do helpful comfy stuff! Currently I have 2 that are basically the same but opposite

CHILL WALRUS

This plush absorbs heat from the surrounding environment and from anyone touching it, making it perpetually cool to the touch. The effect is dependent upon temperature; hotter temperatures will make it absorb heat faster, while low temperatures will slow down or even stop the heat absorption. Squeezing the plush will give a brief boost to the heat absorption, which is helpful when the heat is too much for it to absorb naturally.

Its temperature sensitivity can be adjusted by tugging on its stretchy tusks; tugging its left tusk will gradually make it more sensitive to heat, causing it to absorb heat faster and even at lower temperatures. Tugging its right tusk will make it less sensitive and thus less cold.

In order to get rid of the heat it absorbs, it converts it into magical energy, which can potentially be harnessed for various purposes. However, the amount of energy collected from the conversion is very small, so it's usually just used to fuel a minor good luck enchantment.

HEATER CHEETAH

This plush radiates heat while held, warming the air as well as the holder. The heating effect depends on the temperature; it will be warmer in colder temperatures, and will lower its heat or stop heating at all if the temperature is above a certain point. When squeezed, the heating will briefly intensify.

Its target temperature can be adjusted by tugging on its stretchy ears; tugging its left ear will raise its target temperature, making it warmer, while tugging its right ear will lower the target temperature.

[burningcheese-merchant]

Abt burning spice's kingdom interaction with nutmeg tiger when he says "this place it reminds me of the first kingdom i..." do you think he destroyed that kingdom? Or built it?

The fact that he shows regret and hesitation in that line is interesting...

Do you think he became what he is because he doesn't have anything left to lose?

This can perfectly foils Golden cheese's story, even after her kingdom got destroyed she eventually embraces that fact and process that emotions healthily

Sorry im just yapping here, i love me two character that perfectly foils each other while being more similiar than enyone else and form a weird ahh relationship balancing between romantic or wanting to kill each other

-🌾anon

I'm going to go ahead and say both. I think he built it AND destroyed it. In fact, I'm going to go a step further and specify that he accidentally destroyed it while trying to defend it from some invading force, thus making this the first real step down that dark path. Think of it: in a mad frenzy to protect something he loved, he destroyed it instead. He unwittingly became what he was fighting against, if only for a moment - and that moment would set many things in motion, each more terrible than the last, for not only has Burning Spice now come to truly know the bitter taste of loss and history's seemingly futile nature, it came to him in perhaps the worst way possible, and so left the most lasting impression. (Idk if what I tried to cook here came out of the oven right, but there was an attempt lol)

I 100% agree with the idea that Spice became who and what he is after succumbing to despair in the face of seemingly unending loss (I go into detail about it here, this is how I personally headcanon his descent into villainy), and that there is still a lingering sense of regret somewhere inside of his heart, even if small and not strong enough to influence him anymore. That dialogue he has with Nutmeg Tiger is what pushed me to want to analyze him and construct a possible background and motive for him, and later what inspired me to want to redeem not only him, but all five of the Beasts. The fact that he might have regrets is very interesting and very promising to me, and lends itself to the idea that, with time and the right guidance, he could perhaps... change (to keep with the theme haha).

And I also agree with you on him and Golden Cheese being perfect foils for one another (it's part of why I ship them so hard lol). They mirror each other SO well in my eyes. And in the face of the same exact loss, one folded while the other stood strong (although you can say that GC folded as well, at least for a while, before she realized the folly in her delusional grief and collected herself). Nothing lasts forever, that's true, but that doesn't make it meaningless - quite the opposite. It is the ephemeral nature of life that makes it beautiful and worthwhile. It's alright to be upset when something ends, but you can't let that define you. Everything ends eventually. Focus less on what's far ahead or what's far behind and focus more on what's in front of you right now. That's the lesson GC more or less learns, and it's the lesson BS needs to learn too, in my opinion. And I honestly think GC is the right one to help teach him that.

Sorry, I sort of spoiled the "Change" arc in my Reformed Beasts AU a little bit here lol. You really hit the nail on the head with your thoughts here and it prompted me to puke this word salad. Great minds lol

[saber-monet]

Hey I came across your post about embracing the “manifestation coincidences”, and one about making sure to not be unfazed by how well things play out. I’d like to ask how you make peace with the ‘insanity’ of it? Bc I think I’ve shifted to a higher timeline and now am living a better reality. But I spent the last 2 days looking up parallel universes on reddit & now I’m scared I’m going to run into my doppelganger and get killed or that I’m actually supposed to have died in my actual universe.. I’m scared and I can’t talk about it with anyone in fear of them suddenly turning into a demon just like in horror films.

Hey! First of all, everything you’re experiencing is more common than you might think, especially for people who, like me, grew up skeptical or secular about spirituality and are only just now exploring it. Shifting your mindset and embracing manifestation can feel so surreal at first—like you’re stepping into something “forbidden” just by allowing yourself to believe that things can work out in your favor.

I went through the exact same thing when I started three years ago; I felt paranoid, like I was breaking some unspoken rule just by thinking positively. I promise—you’re not going to run into a doppelgänger or anything bad. That’s just your mind processing a huge new perspective.

One thing that’s helped me is thinking of the “surrealness” you’re describing as an emotion, like anxiety or sadness. It can feel jarring, but it’s temporary and will pass. When I feel that surrealness creeping in, I just acknowledge it: “Yeah, this feels weird right now, but it’s going to end soon.” I know my mind will eventually latch onto a less intense thought process, and things will go back to ‘normal’, and so will yours—sometimes in 30 seconds, other times in a couple of minutes. but you will feel fine again.

Also, if affirmations work for you, lean into those! Remind yourself that you’re safe and fully capable of handling these new feelings. It’s all part of the process, and you’re going to get more and more comfortable with it.

And honestly, one tip? Steer clear of Reddit or anything that brings up new fears. I stay away from things that make me question my safety and, instead, focus on what feels grounding and calming, whether that was music, a walk, cooking, talking out loud or even talking to chatgpt helps me (there's a voice call option on the app so you can talk to it like a real person)—anything to keep me from overthinking.

i treat myself like a worried child, what would you say/do to a worried child to make them feel better? You would tell them everything's gonna be OK, put on their favorite comforting TV show/movie/musical, give them a snack, you remind them that you're here for them and that eventually they will laugh about this moment in the future etc.

Watching Abraham Hicks Workshop Excerpt videos helped me so much too (she talks a lot about exactly this topic, and if you’re interested, I can DM you a link, just message me). And these videos, she speaking to people who have gone through the exact same thing that you're going through and had the exact same questions/ concerns/ stories about reality creation.

Her seminars really put into perspective that I wasn’t alone, and neither are you. You will make sense of this experience. You'll know what works for you and what doesn't. It's a personalized journey.

You’re in good company, and there’s an entire global community of people who get exactly what you’re going through. Trust that you’re okay, you're being properly guided each step of the way and give yourself permission to enjoy the experience. You're not the first person or the last person to go through stuff like this.

There's a lot of older people who have gone through the " awakening process" and have reacted differently to it. Some become monks/teachers, others use it to grow their business and achieve their goals, others just use it here and there to get the things that they want and live a relatively normal life, and some never use it again . Don't feel overwhelmed by it, you have the choice on how you wish to proceed .

(also I'm going to dive into this topic in another post im currently working on: but you can ask for less synchronicity and for things to go back to “normal”. Just because you've learned this new information and this new way of interacting with reality doesn't mean that you have to continue if you don't want to. ( Yes, you have lifted the metaphorical "veil" but you can also put it back down)

Also, please reach out , or anybody reading this post, if you wanna chat. I did this alone, I got to this place of balance, reassurance and comfort alone, and I would have really like to have somebody to talk to so I'm here if you need me.

[sunflowerhotline]

venus square neptune is one of the most difficult ones to have. squares are always hard to overcome but i feel other squares present themselves in a much more straightforward way whereas the venus-neptune hard aspect presents itself foggily. which makes sense given what we’re talking about.

there’s a sort of seesaw effect with this square in relation to interpersonal relationships. you will realise idealise a person and obsess over “them” or most likely the idea of them you’ve created and be DEVASTATED when the illusion fades. it can present itself as the native being more attracted to people who have little interest in them. these people can be deeply avoidant but not realise it. it is so hard to come to terms with someone’s flaws. if someone comes along that does have interest in them but doesn’t match the neptunian ideal they’ve spent very long creating, they’re not interested (im guilty of this sorry). in this case, they’d much rather live in dream land. they always have a long list of ideals and/or requirements for a partner. love is perfect. love is the ideal. love is forever. love is the saviour. love is incredibly elusive because the natives sometimes have a hard time falling into it. i mean really falling in LOVE itself instead of LIKE or INFATUATION. it is somewhat easy for this person to be deceived especially early in the game. the truth is they like to believe what they want to believe. in others, they want to believe the absolute best and give others the benefit of the doubt. in many ways, this is an act of self-delusion. situationship-enabling placement.

in this one, relationships are a form of performance. i have a friend who said she was relieved to not be dealing with anyone romantically because she no longer has to perform. she admitted that in the past, she would be a bit dishonest about herself and try to mould herself more into the type of girl the guy she was interested in might like so she fudged her interests a bit to match his and tried to make herself appealing from his pov. this is a performance placement. they don’t want to be themselves with that special person because to a certain extent, they don’t want that person to see them for the imperfect individual that they happen to be.

venus-neptune is the aspect that needs love to be a movie. everything needs to go as they scripted it and when it doesn’t it’s devastating. endless daydreams about love. their person coming to sweep them off their feet and whisk them away into an eternity of happiness.

as far as the native’s relationship with themselves, this aspect makes it no less complicated. they often have NO IDEA what they really look like. these people can find much difficulty seeing, accepting or liking their own features but will love the exact same thing on someone else. this is exacerbated if neptune is aspecting the ascendant or in the 1st house. to them, beauty and love are similar in the way it [seems] to elude them. it’s not that they are not beautiful, they just have a hard time seeing it; the comparison generated by this aspect is insane. i’ve observed serious waxing and waning of these individuals’ self-esteem throughout their lives. oftentimes on their journey to self-confidence they kinda have to trick (?) themselves in a way. maybe trick isn’t the right word…they sorta have to fake it til they make it yk. a lot of affirmations. i have a friend with this placement and she said that she just started saying nice things about herself ironically and eventually she started to believe it. these people sometimes have to develop a detachment to the idea of beauty; or even a slight detachment from themselves physically in order to try to see themselves objectively and be a bit kinder to themselves. they will learn to see the positives in themselves as well and when they do, the over-reliance on a romantic dream to complete them will somewhat dissipate and they will focus their energy on themselves and whatever they decide to create.

i know we always talk about saturn and standards (and rightfully so) but we don’t really talk about neptune in the same way. saturn standards may be high but he promises that overtime, if you work hard enough and be patient enough, the standards will be met and the goal will be achieved. in a sense, you’ll be rewarded for your suffering. neptune does not promise you the same thing. neptune’s standards are frightfully high and often unrealistic. these are no longer standards; these become ideals. romantically or personally, it will be difficult or even impossible for a mere human to embody an ideal. even the native will struggle and go through a lot of pain to try match their own ideal. with maturity and time and some heartbreak (sorry…i didn’t want to say that but it’s true), the native will be forced to get real.

this placement is not all doom and gloom. there’s a lot of artists with venus-neptune. this placement also is very optimistic. they do believe in love. they do believe in happy endings. they do believe in soulmates. they are very forgiving (which is necessary in relationships and life itself). they are very romantic. they can create and see beauty in almost everything and everyone. with this placement, the lesson is to be grounded. grounded with yourself and grounded with others. to see people as they are and not what you want them to be. then, all relationships will be much easier. once you’ve learned to accept the humanity and imperfection of others AND YOURSELF, there will be some level of relief. once this lesson is learned, though it may take time, you are not likely to make the same mistakes.

[princess-of-the-corner]

hey im having some trouble with something fic-wise and i wanted to ask if you had ideas. if todo hadn't had his chimera-perfect quirk, do you think enji would have been trying for another kid? also, do you think toyua's breakdown would have been delayed or just Different?

Hm!

I think it kinda depends on the exact nature of how you're writing it? Because like.

I think there's a few factors in it.

/Why/ specifically is it the Fire/Ice child he wants? Because remember: Enji was perfectly fine training Toya despite having only Fire and no Ice until they found out that Toya wasn't fireproof and therefore using his Quirk would be putting him in danger.

So even in Canon, while the Fire/Ice child was an ideal scenario, he settled for 'less'. So what, exactly, changed? Why couldn't he just turn his focus to Fuyumi or Natsuo(those two are free to do whatever they want)? Why make another child and hope for the combo like originally intended instead of just writing off Toya specifically?

Another factor in this is Rei. How much of a choice does she have? Obviously I write Enji as a decent person so if Rei had said 'no, we're not having any more children' then he'd listen. Some people clearly write differently and think he didn't give her a choice already.

Like I clearly write Enji one way and while Canon narratively backs a lot of this up, I do take my own liberties and I can see why people interpret things completely in the opposite direction even if I think they should refrain from stating it as fact and being shocked when people don't agree.

Anyway! There's a lot of ways to interpret these characters depending on the story you want to tell.

For example how I write them in CC:

Enji wanting a Fire/Ice child is him projecting his own trauma and guilt. Though he was fine with Toya initially, he now feels guilty to 'cursing' him with a Quirk that causes him pain and having to crush his dreams. Therefore a Fire/Ice child would be projection for both of them to succeed where they both fail.

He doesn't go to Fuyumi or Natsuo 1.) because he wants the Fire/Ice to make up for everything. If he doesn't succeed in what he started, Toya suffered for nothing and 2.) as insane as he is, he's not going to fully force them. Fuyumi and Natsuo don't want to be Heroes. If they did he'd train them, just like he later trains Shoto. But they don't so he doesn't. (Shoto may have had less choice/would have been more pressured to be a Hero, though Enji tells himself he would've listened if Shoto wanted something else. But he wanted to be a Hero anyway. In a way, Enji is just doing exactly what he wants. (I don't mean this in a victim-blaming way I mean this in a 'Enji is justifying things' way))

As for Rei. I haven't gotten to this in Road to Hell, but after everything with being pregnant with Shoto? She doesn't want to be pregnant again. It scares her. It scares her even years later no way in hell would she want to do it again immediately. Now, given her own traumas re: her parents and her inability to say 'no', she might not express this and she may crumble if Enji tries to talk her into it not realizing how scared she is. But she doesn't want to.

As for Toya's breakdown:

Again this can be up to the writer on how they interpret his actions/behavior/choices.

But I think that regardless of if Shoto came out 'perfect' or not, the base setup for Toya's breakdown was already coming. Without intervention on that particular front, I don't think things could've stopped. And that's a separate thing from how Shoto turned out.

I think at best what might happen is Toya having some camaraderie with Shoto in a 'Shoto got rejected too and Enji moved on to the next kid' kind of way. I don't know if it'd totally change course, but Toya would have someone to feel the way he feels in some way that Fuyumi and Natsuo don't understand./Maybe/ this could change things in that Toya has someone who 'gets' him and also someone to look after more, but I think he'd still have problems.

[raayllum]

I keep seeing people calling Callum Snake boi what does that MEAN

Little slice of fandom history and also because it's my fault (TLDR at the bottom in bold):

Years ago, a few days after S1 came out and when JK Rowling wasn't an outspoken bloody TERF there were discussions of what Harry Potter houses the characters would fit into. The general consensus for Callum seemed to be that he'd be a Ravenclaw because he's clever and artistic, but I argued for Slytherin (whose symbol is a snake) because I saw him more so as ambitious than just curious and more selectively loyal when it comes to his motivations, etc etc.

If you've been following me for any period of time you might know that I tag Very Meticulously, so as a trans person and a trans ally I was like I don't wanna use the TERF's terminology anymore, but having a tag to talk about a specific aspect of Callum's characterization (his wonderfully harsh temper, his intense selective loyalty, his obsessive ambition, etc etc) was still a useful prospect to me. Thus Snake Boi Callum as a tag was born, mostly as a joke? And so I could find metas that talked about his characterization (specifically) as I don't think I had a characterization tag almost at all for a while?

It started to pick up steam in my tags specifically when there was starting to be a little bit of - pushback isn't the right word cause everyone's entitled to their own interpretation and characterization of a character, nor does everyone have to engage with every part of a character's canon personality or actions in their fandom stuff if they don't want to.

But there'd be stuff of people forgetting that he can be pretty mean when he gets angry or not seeing him as selectively loyal to Ezran and Rayla? People would also be surprised but accepting, or resistant, to his growing and consistent parallels in characterization with Viren and Claudia (even if they are all still, ultimately, different from one another).

I saw a fair bit of sentiment during the hiatus of "oh he'd Never ever do dark magic again" (which I never believed even immediately post-s2) or in discussions of how he'd respond to Rayla after she left in Through the Moon graphic novel (set shortly after S3). Some people thought understandably that he'd care a lot about the lie (that he'd get to go with her) and the abandonment, understandably so - they're both shitty things to do, but I also sympathize/cry over why Rayla thought she had to do them, but I never thought he'd think the lie was that important, and focus more on the abandonment aspect as a source of hurt.

Snake Boi Callum as a concept also got some mileage in the development of my Cube Hostage Exchange Theory as well, an ongoing theory since November 2020-ish that Callum will help Aaravos / give him the Key of Aaravos in order to save Rayla's life if she was injured / taken hostage. I don't know if they'll do that scenario now because S5 basically delivered the exact thing, just with Finnegrin instead of Aaravos, but there was some more legitimate pushback to said theory/scenario during the hiatus because people thought Callum would never help a villain like that or take such a big risk for someone he loves. I'm not gonna say that I was wholly right (because I wasn't) and again people can interpret his actions in S5 in whatever way they want, but I will say that all of S5 was one of the most validating experiences of vindication I've ever had in my whole life, so that probably speaks for itself

But yeah, it's a term that's kinda caught on (I would say 60-80% of the fandom sees Callum as someone who would risk the world for Ezran and/or Rayla, with 20-30% - maybe less? - seeing otherwise, hence why I think it's caught on; but again, having an 'unpopular' opinion in fandom doesn't necessarily make it wrong, god knows I've had plenty) and then in the discords I'm in, a few people thought a week based around those traits would be fun and boom. Snake Boi Callum Week was born.

TLDR; Snake Boi Callum is a fanon catch-all / shorthand for the 'darker' / more emotional and torn side of Callum's personality (his ambition, his temper, particularly his fierce protectiveness and selective loyalty) that is being explored by whoever wants to in a fun fandom week. His bio in official series material does read that he values "those close to [him] more than anyone or anything" after all (which again, was very validating after years and seasons of seeing and writing him with that exact sentiment)

The tagging also means that for people who don't agree with this characterization for whatever reason, or whom dislike the emphasis on it, can blacklist it easily (as is the intended purpose with all tags on my blog)

He's a goofy nurturing guy who will Cut You and verbally eviscerate you without question if you hurt his loved ones or piss him off enough, and I love that for him. He's a little snake boi and we think he should have lots of angst (or sometimes not enough when it comes to killing/threatening people) over how far he'll go to protect the people he loves, as a Treat

[rockitmans]

Ellipsis

A/N: This one is for @jazziergin who stumped me in the fic line game. She helpfully asked for Soulmate AU with a twist, obviously an easy thing to embody in a drabble 😛

But here we go, at least it's less than 1k this time. Hope you enjoy, love! Not convinced this counts as a twist but hopefully this is something different.

~~~~~~~

An ellipsis. That's what Kurt has tattooed across his wrist in the place that is meant to display the first words your soulmate says to you. A classic dot dot dot. The most mocking collection of punctuation ever conceived of. 

He has theories. But most of those theories all kind of point firmly in the same direction. He's probably destined to die alone. Even if the ellipsis is meant to indicate something, how is Kurt ever going to find the person that is embodied by something as abstract as a pause? 

He determinedly doesn't think about it when he gets to college. Either he'll find his soulmate or he won't. All he can do is keep an open mind and give himself the best possible chance of finding The One. He even signs up for an English Lit class with the absolute mammoth leap of logic that Lit students are much more likely to use an ellipsis in everyday speech than your average person. Like that’s something that’s likely or even possible to achieve.

He may be losing his mind. 

He regrets the decision immediately when he finds out the lecture is at eight am. He slumps in clutching his coffee and thinking fondly of his bed. He should drop this stupid class. It's way too early and he signed up for dubious reasons and they're reading Lolita for God's sake.  He doesn't need that kind of toxicity in his life. 

The bad mood lasts until the exact second an incredibly cute guy slips into the seat next to Kurt. Dark curls and warm eyes and a tiny waist that Kurt kind of wants to wrap his hands around. Cute Guy tosses an absent smile of greeting in Kurt's direction and it's the most radiant thing Kurt has ever seen. Holy fuck. He thinks he's halfway in love already. 

Kurt wants to say something, but is not caffeinated enough to manage witty repartee and this guy is hot enough to make him feel speechless on a good day. Instead, he goes to nod and then tries to change it to a wave. The result is that he just kind of twitches violently. Fuck. He’s lost it. A guy smiles at him and he’s completely lost it. He quickly grabs his coffee to try and cover for whatever the hell that just was and tries to pretend he’s anywhere else. 

The guy touches his arm, three gentle taps with his finger, and Kurt's eyes snap up, only to be surprised when a notepad is slipped in front of him with a single line of text. 

I'm Blaine. I'm not ignoring you, I just can't talk. 

Kurt blinks, frowning. And then he watches Blaine get his phone out and start up a text to speech app and it clicks. Oh. He gives Blaine a thumbs up and Blaine smiles slightly and touches his ear. Right. Blaine can hear. Which means that Kurt doesn’t have to resort to gestures as well. But he’s an idiot. So of course he did. He genuinely can’t wait for this hour to be over so he can go and walk into a deep fog never to be seen again. 

He does his best to focus on the lecture for the simple fact that the professor seems to be the sort to pick on people at random and he’s already suffered enough humiliation for the day without being caught not paying attention. It’s hard though. He can’t stop stealing glances at Blaine. He feels like he can’t breathe. His pulse is racing. He seriously wonders if he might be coming down with the flu or something.

He’s only dragged back into the moment by the most garbage take he’s ever heard a human being utter so confidently in a room full of total strangers. People usually save that shit for twitter.

"Humbert Humbert being a misunderstood genius is not the hot take I expected to be subjected to today," Kurt mutters before he can stop himself. 

He hears the intake of breath. He practically feels the way Blaine stills beside him. And then Blaine moves in a flurry, tugging up his sleeve to expose his wrist, shoving it under Kurt’s nose. Humbert Humbert being a misunderstood genius is not the hot take I expected to be subjected to today, it says in slanting script.

Kurt's mouth drops open. Blaine gestures, pointing at Kurt's wrist, a question in his eyes. Kurt slowly turns his hand over to show the three dots neatly pressed against his pulse. Blaine frowns and starts to sign something out before remembering. He grabs his notebook instead, scrawling out some quick sentences. 

Disappointed but not surprised to learn the soulmate system is so ableist. It can't even be bothered to have the first words I write to you? Unbelievable. 

Kurt laughs. Mostly out of shock and relief and the feeling of a heavy weight being lifted so suddenly it's like he could float away. All this time he assumed that the dots meant his soulmate would never speak to him for the worst of reasons. But his soulmate is right here. Blaine is here. Blaine is his. He’s literally won the soulmate lottery. 

"I thought you didn't exist," he whispers. "Because of this."

Blaine's eyes soften and he lightly brushes his fingers over the offending dots. But I found you, he writes. 

"You found me," Kurt repeats shakily. And maybe that's where he was going wrong this whole time. Years spent fretting over what the dots meant and doubting that he was ever going to find his soulmate.

It just turned out that all along his soulmate was meant to find him.

[genderfluid-info-blog]

I'm genderfaun, and it kinda makes me scared to express myself, people might not think i'm really trans or stop using he/him pronouns on me (most people dont use them) But do you have any tips?

Hi, my best tip would be this: seek community and surround yourself with love/support.

The sad reality of being trans is that sooner or later you will meet someone who will disrespect you and question your right to exist. But the more stable your environment and your support system is and the more you're confident in yourself, the better you can cope with those moments and encounters. So as I said:

If possible, build a reliable support system. This can consist of people (like friends and/or family), pets/animals, but also hobbys and online communities

Never force yourself to come out. If you do not feel safe enough or simply don't want to, you don't have to come out to anyone.

Try and seek community. You could for example join a local queer group (if available), but if you can't/don't want to, you can also interact with your community in other ways! Whether you interact with the community online, watch videos of trans creators, read books or listen to songs- could be anything! But interacting with your community can make you feel less alone and also give you confidence over time :)

I know it's way easier said than done, but try and build confidence. Expressing yourself can be scary, but the first step to it is self-acceptance. You can build confidence overtime and in smaller steps: It doesn't have to be anything drastic in the beginning. Find something small (like a jewellery/accessory, hairstyle etc) and go from there. Slowly push your limits, you don't have to change everything at once!

Try and experiment. Figure out what you like and what makes you happy/comfortable. The way to do this differs from person to person. Some people prefer trying out new things in familiar environments, others prefer to go out (to the library, a shop, pharmacy etc) -> but this is a good way to try out new clothes, names etc

As for your pronouns: this obviously depends on your environment and relationship to the person, but as long as it's possible and safe for you to do so, be upfront and assertive. Tell them what pronouns they should use for you and assert it multiple times if they don't use them

And never forget that you don't have to disclose anything to people if you're not comfortable! Using micro labels often means that people inevitably have more questions, that's why I also don't always disclose my exact labels to people (most of the time I just tell them I'm genderfluid, and even that is something I often have to explain).

But I found that many people are just uneducated on the topic and often an explanation is all they need, although this obviously depends on context and environment! I personally never argue with transphobes, doesn't matter whether they themselves are cis or trans, if someone has set their mind on the fact that micro labels/genderfluidity are not real/valid, I just walk away, and I would recommend you to do the same! Do not waste your energy on people who don't want to change their minds, it'll only affect you negatively. Instead, stop the discussion and try to regulate yourself as soon as possible. Over time, you'll grow more confident in your gender and you'll be less affected by stuff like this :)

And remember, give yourself time. It's perfectly okay to be scared and to not have it all figured out. Try and focus more on yourself and less on what others think of you. You're enough the way you are <3

[my-mt-heart]

I want to address a few things that Norman said in Le Parisien. The article isn't free, and I'm not going to encourage anyone to pay for something they might not like, but if you do want the link, DM me and I'll send it. Thank you to the person who read and translated this:

Defending himself against others trying to throw him under the bus is one thing, but denying all responsibility for the title accomplishes absolutely nothing except further insulting a significant portion of Daryl's fanbase. These fans, specifically Carylers, were all paying close attention when he said the exact opposite on Jimmy Kimmel. Watch at 8:45:

The video is from late last year. Melissa's negotiations for S2/S3 started last summer and her deal closed at the end of the year per my sources, which means there was (at least) a loose plan to bring her back before S1 started shooting. Norman confirms Pilgrim was a working title at some point, but he doesn’t mention Raise the Dead, which was more than likely planned as the official title of the show while they were shooting between October '22 and February '23.

I bring up the timeline because even if you believe Melissa was always part of the French spinoff, Norman’s other favorite narrative right now, the implication is still this: Norman, AMC, and the other EPs were fully aware that Melissa was coming back when they officially landed on a title excluding her. You could argue Daryl has the most name recognition from being the most marketed character or that his tags on SM have 6 billion views or, hey, let’s make it 6 trillion (how much of that overlaps with Daryl and Carol content btw?), but as we saw, that doesn’t guarantee all those viewers will watch the show, which is how AMC makes money. If there are two leads on the show, naming it after one lead doesn't make any sense from a marketing perspective because AMC is missing out on attracting more audience, promoting two characters and their chemistry instead of just one character.

So. They either manipulated the situation to give Norman and the other EPs what they wanted or, once again, they dismissed Melissa’s/Carol’s vitality to the show. Or both. Regardless, it poses a big problem for me, because Carol's ability to stand her ground against anyone who thinks less of her is what draws me to her character. I can't reconcile that with the obvious tactics Norman and the other EPs use to claim the show for themselves, completely ignoring fans who may be critical, yes, but ultimately just want the story both Daryl and Carol have earned.

Speaking of being ignored, I heard from multiple fans that AMC did in fact send out a survey regarding the title. I can't confirm because I haven't seen the survey myself, but if you're doing market research, you need a target audience, and if you're doing market research on what you know will (eventually) be a Daryl and Carol show, you should probably target Daryl and Carol fans, shippers or otherwise. Not that it's the most appropriate way to choose a title (not even close), but where's my survey? Did any Carylers get to participate? Did anyone bother to check? Because to me, it sounds like the focus group they used for their market research wasn't aimed at their target audience at all. It's possible they did the market research with a sample audience of the flagship show or just Daryl fans who are a percentage of their audience but not all their audience. If they used an audience that incorporated Carylers, Daryl fans and GA — the feedback for that title would've been mixed. If they focused their market research on mostly Carylers, the feedback would've heavily leaned towards having an inclusive title.

So many fans, not just Carylers, hate the title. It's boring, it's offensive, it's pretentious, it's misogynistic, etc. etc. These are fans who want to watch and enjoy the show, who are expected to pay for it, so why don't their opinions carry more weight? Why is there still such a strong disconnect between AMC and Carol/Caryl fans when that's exactly what caused the backlash last year? Why are they not doing everything they can to avoid the same mistakes?

As for this:

Most of it is true except for one important detail. Angela Kang's spinoff was going to be a road show shot and set in the U.S. That's the phone call Norman is alluding to. That's the spinoff Melissa signed on for. To say otherwise makes her look unprofessional and flaky for "dropping out" knowing all along she'd have to relocate, and that's not what happened at all. It's like there's no consideration for his co-workers' images while he's trying to rebuild his own, and that is unprofessional.

To be very clear, this is not meant to be a smear campaign. My intention here is to point out how deceptive the PR/marketing strategies have been and how they're hurting everyone, including Norman. I can't for the life of me see any business sense in repeatedly gaslighting and alienating a profitable fanbase, treating Daryl and Carol fans like they're stupid, or insinuating a Daryl and Carol show can't belong to Daryl and Carol fans. The more Norman talks about the spinoff's inception, the more it ensures people will never trust a single thing that comes out of his mouth ever again, and that sucks because if he just focused on what the audience wants, insisting that Melissa is his equal on the show, talking about the characters in meaningful ways, supporting Daryl's and Carol's relationship, he could sell it easily. Fans should be getting excited for their story, not reliving last year's trauma over and over and over again. Melissa is back and that's exciting, but story still matters. Both on and off screen (precisely why we need someone else on board who can manage all of that really well). I've asked this several times before. I'll keep asking until someone listens. Can we please move the fuck on from the spinoff fiasco?

And change the title.

[onejellyfishplease]

I am all about constructive criticism. I mean, how am I supposed to get better at writing/drawing if people won't be honest with me and give me tips to get better. I personally think that people who can't take constructive criticism aren't very bright. How are they supposed to get better at things if they don't listen to others who are just trying to guide them?

Also, I would love some more tips on how to make the shell better. If you are willing, of course. :)

I am horrible at drawing. I usually have to trace things to get a decent drawing. (For instance, I traced like five different things to make Mikey a pony.)

I'm so much better at coloring than I am at drawing. My writing needs work, too, but I'm getting better.

First of all, can I just say that you shouldnt worry about tracing art to improve your own (as long as u aren't posting it as soley your own but thats a whole other rabbit hole) I did too! It helps build ground work for a good understanding of anatomy and poses.

However there are a few holes in tracing. Forst of all it is quite limiting in the outcome of your work, as your art is stuck static in one pose. this can alkost hinder your ability to see things in '3D' and visualise objects for multiple angles. it can also lead to 'skin wrapping' , which i think is the hole you fell into here (and also a term i just made up now)

with the shell, you only coloured it within Mikey's trace lines - this caused the shell to loose a lot of its mass - making it look, quite frankly, not like a shell.

a way to improve on this is to look at more references of Mikey's shell in the show and its shape from different angles. this can help you get a good idea of how it should look, and it is a good idea to practice drawing it from these angles. this will improve your ability to think in a 3D space, (which is so darn hard, but seriously useful)

however, and you may have noticed this yourself, when you add new additions to the figure, the line art just doesnt line up! the line quality is different!

This is because the line you have done for the addition is Your Line. And we love your line.

so lets make the rest of the traced lineart fit into your style, instead of you fitting yours into theirs okay?

You may notice that when you trace art, the line work is just not the same, the lines are shakier than the original and it just doesn't look as good. this is not a reflection of your skill.

It is because, usually, (at least when I did it) you follow the original line so closely that it turns out shaky, probably taking your pen off the page a few times to take a break from the oen stroke. while the original artist did that line in one sweeping stroke.

a way to fix this, and make the line arr cleaner and more you, is to instead use the drawing as a very close reference. for example:

instead of tracing the exact lines of the art, merely trace the general shapes of the art. not only then do you add your own flair and gesture to the drawing, you are then more free to add more shapes to this sketch.

You can still use the reference drawing as closly as you want, but try to focus less on getting the exact lines copied, and more on the general shape. you linework wont be perfect the first time, it might be really messy compared to your usual tracing, and thats fine! you should see some of my sketches before i refine them!

But these will be your lines, theyll be smoother and more gestural, and overtime you will get better control over your penstrokes doing this.

Okay I cant really think of anymore to add here, I hope this helps! i think this was just one big word vomit lol. Keep drawing!! cause no matter what you do, as long as you are actively drawing you are always improving! dont be afraid to push yourself out of you comfort zone! who cares if it doesnt turn out the way you wanted it to? Its your art, You Created That with your Own Hands, and I think that is amazing.

<3

[guardian5tiger3]

No contact tarot reading /intuitive messages 🌟

Groups.

1 2

3 4

Group one

This is either family, someone who you were happy with, or someone that you worked with. It seems like you guys were attached to this person and we're hopeful about your connection and then were let down. A lot of you are trying to find yourselves and or fill a void that was left with this person being absent. That seems to be why spirit had them leave your life . This may be teaching you guys to be independent on some level and or that you do not need anyone to accomplish your goals. In regards to being sad or disappointed about what used to be, I see that spirit wanted your priorities elsewhere. This is all in your highest good as you can't see everything that they can ok. I see that for some of you it feels as though this person is still there even though they're not and that may hurt. It may feel like it will always be this way and it will always bother you. spirit is asking for me to tell you guys that in some way you need to consciously fight against this and confront it , and they want you to understand that whatever was between you and this person or maybe even people I'm not sure, was not the purest form of love. And they want the purest form of love for you. Nothing less than. I just heard guilty conscience. If this is you you can utilize this in order to get over this person. They might help make you feel better in terms of feeling guilty. If it isn't you, it's them. Or it could be both of you? The reason some of you feel the way you do is because this is a level of a spiritual connection , but keep in mind it is not the highest one. You have people that are more meant for your truest self. So this is signifying that by you having dealt with this person you were at a higher step on your spiritual journey, but I want you all to be encouraged to continue evolving and moving forward. This may have felt good but it isn't the best it can be. I wanted to say you have people counting on you so I suppose that is a message for you all that that is so. I'm sorry guys, spirit doesn't want to me to talk about this person much at all. They want me to ask of you all that you get over them. I hope this helps. I love you all. Happy times ahead you're in the middle of a period you can compare to when pressure is put to make a diamond, or when the butterfly is in the cocoon.☮️💕

Group two

You guys seem like you're still contemplating about this. Some of you want to talk to this person in a manner of defending yourself or something .I see you guys doing something to spite this person. Spirit is asking me to ask you all that resonate with that to please do not do that even if you're just using at fuel for motivation in your own life because it is a more negative vibing energy and you don't need that. Instead what you're really seeking is higher vibing emergencies you're mistaking as being spite, and they want you to go with that or those vibes. This is truly only doing things for yourself because you love yourself for instance. They want me to say also that by trying to spite them you're actually putting yourself down for this person which is the exact opposite of what you're trying to accomplish. You guys have to be honest with yourself about how you really feel. Don't tell yourself that it's any type of negative for feeling any way that you do. Emotions are strength and they are a necessary tool for human beings. Please some of you keep in mind if someone brings out any negative reaction within yourselves that you're letting them one up you in a way. Focus on yourselves and making yourselves happy regardless of what the hell anyone else is doing. Build yourself up. You guys need to look inward in general and sort of explore the depths of your own souls.

Group three

*this was such a specific reading it was almost ridiculous. Hear it out though I guess.

Wow . You guys. Wow . This energy is coming through strong and clear already for me. So somebody is really overshadowing probably even hiding someone else. This is for some type of public recognition. Like " look at me ! Look at me!" When the person they're trying to block is the one with good energy, so you can see why they feel the need to in a way cause an eclipse of some sort or something like that because this person is so in their ego and they couldn't have this other person around because in their mind they're scared this person would naturally without trying take all the attention away. This is me personally but why not just work on your energy instead of trying so hard when even standing alone you're not gonna get the same attention as if you were being pure about it. fuckhead. It feels almost like I'm zooming in on something now, so the person with the good energy is being surrounded by horrible energy sadly and they're trying their best to stay positive and ignore it.*along with being isolated. The sun card is coming out. So I'm getting that the person who is wanting attention is the one sending at least some of this horrible energy and they're about to be or have been exposed about this. So this person was digging themselves a grave , meanwhile the positive person though being rightfully messed with and things has been building themselves up very well. I just got that pertaining to this situation there is a major death and rebirth occuring. So this first part was the death, and onto the rebirth.. I'm picking up on someone almost sneaking up behind this person who is positive. I get they might ask them what happened and this person will get to share their side of the story. And i think things somehow will be made clear.so this is crazy the person having to defend themselves is going to get a happy ending it seems and oddly going back to the whole person doing all of this to them to get attention socially, the good person is actually supposed to and will be able to give to other people which is crazy that the bad person in this was stopping them from doing that for attention or something. Okay I don't know who the hell you are in this but socially things will come in I heard better than before and all will be made well basically. I really don't see at all how this is no contact but you guys know your situations this was so specific but I can relate to this and being that we're all family and tend to have stuff like this in common I won't be surprised if there's a good reason they had me do this reading. My best guess is you guys are either in no contact with the good or bad person or y'all are the good person then I don't know who the actual hell you're in no contact with less it's with the bad person or..... You guys duh no contact with all the people the bad person was blocking the good person with. I guess you guys know your stories. I hope this helps.

Group four

*this reading was a little confusing so take what resonates.

I'm getting something about a phone call or phone calls. You guys seem like you're doing ok at least I hope you are. This also may be some sort of physical ending that took place as well as verbal. Take what resonates. Someone or something spirit angel person I don't know actually really blessed you with this ending . Even if it may be a rough one which for some of you it is. Yeah spirit suggested you cut communication as a way of self defense. Either way this was guided. You guys definitely constantly check yourself to make sure you're calm and being mindful. Someone may have done something behind your back that would or has or will really piss you off. This seems like a woman. Either way I also see this person possibly having threatened you in some way to try to disturb your good energy frankly. For some of you probably a lot of you actually but not all. This person was trying to kick you out of their home or did. This was just to try to make you feel imbalanced. That's a dick move guys seriously. Like lowkey spirit just said "piece of shit" lol ok . Sorry everybody. You guys seem to really want to just be yourselves and enjoy your own energy and shit. Spirit just said "it's just a matter of time" also in my right ear if that matters to any of you I guess. I don't know fully how no contact this is cause they keep showing me that you guys feel the need to be fake somehow . You guys might have someone trying to talk to you and you're just not being receptive or well this seems like a different energy so this could be the one fully cut off. You guys know your situations. Somebody has or does make you feel like you're a certain type of person or something like that. This made you feel stuck. Some of you still feel stuck somehow someway. Okay if you do it's seriously just a matter of time before there's an ending so for some of you you're going to have to move out if you are ready to or not if that's your situation. Yah so spirit is showing me that there are resources that you can contact if that's the case. Damn guys I'm really sorry if this is so. I didn't even pull a card just channeling but oh my god the amount of transformation this will cause in you in just one event is insane. Like you guys snap and really become your own persons. For the future future after all this storm passes indeed you guys being very well off, chilled out, in control of everything , and no bad vibing person is showing up at all. I just got a glimpse of the persons karma and it's crazy. I will do readings on people's karma's next ok. Bless you guys one love and peace out dudes.

[cerosin-bis]

Howdy!

(First of all, I'm a massive fan of your art and headcanons. I'm krueger girl any day of the week, and your art just makes me want to gnaw on him.)

I've been obsessed with drawing military gear for a few years now, and I love how your art style depicts everything. I was just wondering how you went about developing that ridiculously cool style? How much do you think about real anatomy and actual references of gear while still retaining the stylistic look? I always tend to struggle with overdetailing in certain areas, especially on plate carriers and guns.

Do you have any tips for someone wanting to improve in this specific area? (Other than heaps and heaps of practice, of course, haha)

Thanks, and keep up the great work!

Hello! Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm glad that you like my take on Krueger that much as fan, means a lot! 😊♥

Also, this is very high praise. In a lot of ways I think it's also important to remember that my artstyle tends to be very forgiving as my lines are naturally super loose. My anatomy isn't objectively good, but it works because I have a general idea of how body parts are linked together. i think.

My reply got super long (SORRY..) so it goes under the cut:

What made me develop my style was... gaining confidence. Over the course of the past 5 years, 90% of my drawings were the same 4 characters, over and over.

I got comfortable with the layout of their gear -> the more comfortable you are with something, the more you simplify it → the more effortless it looks → the more "daring" you get with it. I think it particularly applies to gear art.

Regarding specifically what you mentioned, here's my advice (this is personal advice from my experience, again, I lack actual solid basics and I only draw lined works, so this might not apply to painting!!!) :

Overdetailing: DRAW UNZOOMED!!! literally my n°1 advice. When I over-detail (you can see it in some of my posted pieces) it's exclusively when I wanted to correct smth and stayed zoomed in. Unzoom as much as you are comfortable with - I advise seeing at least 40-50% of your drawing at all times. Having a general view will help you not to "linger" on any part, and consider your drawing as a whole instead of separate parts.

References: use them, but don't get trapped by them. Basically: don't try to stick to them too hard. This is personal advice, but in my case, when I focus too much on a reference and try to replicate exactly what it shows (the exact angle an arm bends, every detail on a piece of gear, etc), my drawing ends up being very stiff and/or overdetailed. Try to draw your reference your way, with your proportions, while retaining the general idea of the ref - whether it is an entire pose, a body part, a plate carrier or a gun. It'll be less frustrating, and will get you to develop your own style quicker while making you improve.

I'll be honest - I lack actual, good anatomy basics and practice, which hinders me *a lot* when I draw or attempt drawing more elaborate stuff. It might not show because I find workarounds in my style.

My point is that.. despite this, you guys like what I do, and for the most part (I can't believe I'm saying this now) I'm confident with my artstyle 🥺 ... so, ultimately, it's about finding some sort of balance. Again, thank you for your words. I hope amidst my rambles you could find something useful. I'm rooting for you! 😤

[amysubmits]

Hi there, hope you are well. Realistically speaking, how can I get over the fantasy or rather my "unrealistic" desire of how I want my first time having sex to be? Nobody forgets their first time, but I can't help but want to it be a certain way that I know isnt exactly attainable. I want it to be romantic and sensual and very very intimate, in other words for it to be really love making instead of just getting it done with. I am mid twenties so I am pretty young and obviously inexperienced so I am not sure if it isnt right of me to want that cause its not really how the real deal is or if its just me being nieve to want something so unrealistic..

Hi! I am doing pretty well, thank you!

I don't think having a desire for something specific is ever bad or wrong. But, I can understand why you may find yourself wanting to double check that your expectations are reasonable so that you don't end up setting yourself up to be let down.

I think it's really reasonable to aim for romantic, sensual and intimate. I think your best bet for making that happen would be to talk to your partner in depth about what those three things mean to you or how to create those feelings for you. Because what feels romantic to one person might not feel romantic to you, and vise-versa. This is just me, but something that came to my mind with those words was massage. If massage helps you to feel intimate and sensual then perhaps specifically discussing starting out with a slow moving, quiet massage might be a plan you could make that would nearly guarantee that you'd at least tick off the 'sensual' goal if nothing else. Perhaps you can come up with other specific things to include that you know have a really high likelihood of making you feel intimate and romantic. In my mind, where you need to leave a lot of space for flexibility is in the actual sex part of it. Bodies are finicky especially when our emotions run high and it's natural to be nervous your first time, or your first time with a new person, or you're with someone who you know its their first time - and sometimes anxiety makes it hard to relax and that can make our bodies not respond to sex as positively as it would if we were able to relax more. The first few times I attempted to have PIV sex it wasn't possible (vaginismus). For other people they might be able to experience penetration but it might not feel good, or the guy might struggle with getting or sustaining an erection. Any series of things could 'go wrong' and so I'd try to go into it just planning to make an attempt and learn about your body and your partners body. I would try not to go into it hoping to have amazing sex that makes you both cry and orgasm together, or something like that. Because while that might sound really romantic, it's sometimes really hard to make our bodies react the way we'd like them to. So try to leave lots of space for how that part of it might go. But a mood of romance, sensuality and intimacy should be able to be achieved regardless of whether your body parts respond as you're hoping they will. So I'd try to focus on that rather than the exact details of how he sex will go. Maybe also ask yourself if there are needs you have based on fears. I easily could be reading way too much into what you wrote, but with you saying what you said about 'just getting it over with' I wonder if you have specific fears about sex not lasting very long, and/or about feeling used or something along those lines. And if you can pinpoint what your fears are, you can communicate those with your partner and see if you can come up with ways to buffer against those. Maybe discuss cuddling after the sex, for example, if that might make you feel like it was less of a 'just getting it over with' kind of experience. It's cliche, but communication is often really key to working things like this out. Try to communicate your needs and wishes as clearly as possible and with the right partner you'll get pretty far together by doing that. :)

[rainbowgaez]

i saw a comic or something about this the other day but i can't find it now. it was about learning to do makeup and one of the things it goes over is trying to follow a tutorial only for the person following the tutorial to be frustrated when their final product didn't look as good as the final result in the tutorial, and it got me thinking about my own journey with learning makeup and how ive managed to mostly steer clear of that frustration.

learning how to do makeup well is definitely intimidating and a lot harder than it may initially seem (especially if you're like me, a trans woman who didn't approach it until she was 30). in the beginning, it feels kind of humiliating. pretty much no matter what, your first few times are going to end in you looking like you let a toddler do your makeup. that's okay, though. that's completely normal, and you should try to be comfortable with that going into it. and that's part of why i think when you're first learning makeup, you should avoid tutorials for anything outside of the very basics, and try to focus on finding out what you want out of doing makeup instead.

the reason people manage to make things look so good in tutorials is because they're showing you how to do something they've probably done a million times in a row. even if you're given the exact methodology, the same tools and materials, you're probably not going to get it right the first time (and if you do, you won't the second time). and that's really irritating! because you follow everything they do to the best of your ability, and when you compare your results to theirs, it just doesn't match up even though it feels like it should. but i think that end result comparison is what generates a lot of frustration.

i very specifically used the phrasing "looking like you let a toddler do your makeup" earlier because, well, what is a toddler but a very young, inexperienced person? of course it's going to look like that when you're starting out. being an adult may allow you to understand things easier than a child would, but your ability to execute is always going to be hampered by lack of experience, and the only way to get your hands to do it right is by going through the motions enough times until you feel confident—the amount of times being something that will vary from person to person.

the other reason i think avoiding tutorials in the beginning is important is personal angle. what you want out of doing makeup and what someone giving tutorials might have wanted aren't always going to align. i feel like a good majority of people approach makeup like they have to be good at it (as nebulous as that concept is), and while that's a perfectly valid way to go about it if it works for you, i think that can end up making the whole thing feel way more rigid than it actually is.

something that's really common with tutorials for any kind of art form (and that irritates me to no end) is how much people will focus on "DON'T DO THIS THING BECAUSE ITS WRONG," and the reason it annoys me is because, on more than one occasion, The Wrong Thing i've been told to avoid is instilled in my brain as The Law ends up working really well for me actually. this is something i have experienced a LOT as a musician.

so when i started learning makeup, i approached it like i would any other art form—an open landscape of self-expression i can cultivate through uninhibited exploration. instead of following the dots on someone else's map, i charted my own path.

to put it in a less pretentious way: i saw an excuse to figure out how to do cool shit by drawing on my face. specifically, i got really into eye makeup because i could get really colorful and creative with it. if my username doesn't make it obvious enough, i love bright, saturated colors of all kinds, and drawing them on my eyes is a really great way to express that in a way that's inherently unique to me. eventually i learned how to do other stuff, too, but this method of exploring on my own allowed me to pick and choose the things i like to do the most, which made the experience a lot more fun and rewarding.

once i started focusing on that, i felt more comfortable with messing it up. mistakes looked less like fuck ups and more like opportunities to figure out how to make something weird Work. it got easier to justify putting on makeup regardless of whether or not im leaving the house that day (and most of the time i don't end up leaving when i do it lol), and easier to keep it on even when it didn't pan out the way i imagined it. i just approached it like i was drawing a daily picture. and i certainly ended up looking ridiculous on quite a few occasions—ill never forget asking one of my roommates how i look the first time i ever did makeup and her pausing for several seconds before saying "...it's a start."—but because i was doing it for the fun of it, that didn't bother me.

i was lucky enough to have my older sister show me how to do basic things a couple times in the beginning—stuff like what are the basic materials/tools you need, and what's the most efficient order to apply things—but something she always emphasized was that there's no wrong way to do it, and that i should always experiment if i feel inclined. because everyone has different tools, everyone has different materials, and even though a lot of the tools/materials her and i use are the same, there's two fundamental differences: we both have a different canvas, and we both have different ideas of what we want. and so does everyone else.

you might not learn as efficiently as someone else—it might take you months to figure out something that took someone else only a few days to nail—but efficiency shouldn't be your goal. besides, that's going to happen regardless of how you learn it. do it because you want to. or don't do it at all! do what you want lol.

[wejustvibing]

Hello again!

Sorry for being in here so much! I wanted to ask your opinion on something about Lewis and his interactions with people he is interviewed by or who he meets for the first time. What i mean is, when Lewis met Takashi Murkami and he described him as a nugget of love or something of those words or when the Mercedes E Sports boys met Lewis and Marcel said meeting Lewis is like an experience you can’t put into words (again im not sure of his exact words) what do you think it is about Lewis that makes people feel that way? Because no offence, i don’t often see anyone else being spoken about in this manner, so I wonder what it is about Lewis that has people feeling this way. And in your opinion, why do you think, despite this, people still want to call his character into question and imply or blatantly say he is the opposite of what so many other people have said he is?

I also would like to ask, what are a couple of things about Lewis that you appreciate?

Have a good day!

hey you! sorry for getting to this so late. i needed a breather. yes!!! people's reaction to meeting him is my absolute favorite thing. the way murakami has described him is a masterpiece in itself. it's so overwhelmingly priceless. he must be magic, this guy <3

well i've never met him so it wouldn't be right for me to try and guess the feeling or vouch for any of these experiences. at least not without bringing out my inner parasocial crazies. but in my opinion, aside from the obvious personality and aura, he's highly intuitive and excellent at reading energies around him and more often than not he reflects them back, probably drawing people in. he's super respectful and attentive when they're engaging him which must be refreshing. also he never ever does what's expected of him—including expectations based on perceptions, media reports or hearsay that always paint him a certain way. it probably surprises them the most i guess?

i appreciate and love a whole lotta things about him but let me try and stick to the topic and context here. i love that he is compassionate and often tries to show it through actions. he will ask interviewers about their day or lives, in a curious yet respectful way. will try to make them feel comfortable by being calm and soft-spoken. will try to make time for fans and not just through sheer obligation. i like that he's intentional with every single thing he does in public eye. it comes from hard learned lessons i'm sure and must take a whole team of people to make it work so well. but i love it, especially when you know the level of unnecessary scrutiny he faces.

i love the fact that he's not perfect. don't think i'd be a fan if he was. as someone learning to live with maladaptive perfectionism i take solace sometimes knowing it's okay to be less than perfect and it's okay to learn and improve, it's okay to keep striving in ways that might never reach perfection. you're allowed to be wrong and you can always be/do better the next time. i love it when he's spontaneous, lets out normal human emotions and passionate reactions. i love that he's one petty mf if and when he decides to be. love that he's always curious and ready to learn. he's not afraid of expressing himself, being himself (anymore), i really admire that. he could have easily gotten jaded by now with the amount of success as well as negativity but instead he's elevated himself beyond both and has nurtured his heart to be the best version of himself and enjoy the journey he's on.

but, one thing that i love the most about him is how easy he makes everything look. if there's one thing about him it's that he is going to make everything look effortless—hard work, driving, winning, success, fashion, attitude, reaction to criticism & hate, and most of all living (and living rent free in so many heads). it's probably what pisses some people off too. must need heaps of discipline, focus and strength to achieve it. but he does it anyway and you have to appreciate that.

[kawarikisaki]

I mean the supernatural and super powered people exist in DCMK so it could be lowkey canon. Agreed about the “Why you do it?” Being his catchphrase is nice support but what convinced me is his immediate understanding about how Aoko was feeling and trying to help her feel better. He a stranger picked up on her feelings before her childhood friend did. Do you think it helps him with Watson?

I do agree that it could just quietly be canon, but I also think that there's not really enough overt evidence to really say that. I'm the kind of person that's really picky about that sort of thing, I'm willing to move away from canon but I always try to use it as the basis for things.

So with regards to empathic Hakuba I tend to treat it as a less supernatural kind of empathy unless the story that I'm trying to tell is one more magically inclined, but then on the flipside, if I am trying to tell a story where the supernatural is on the forefront then I will make it a supernatural empathy.

As for the bit with Aoko, he picked up her feelings yes, but I don't think he did before Kaito. Kaito knew how she felt but and didn't respond anyway, that's the dynamic between them- Aoko tends to invite Kaito places and he always complains but then goes along with it in the end and tries to make sure that she has a good time. It's more or less Kaito's nature to not be honest with his own feelings; he knows she wants him to go with her, he wants to go too, but he can't say it, and it's easier to just follow the status quo. To pretend that she wore him down until begrudgingly he promises to come along. To not show how much he really cares. So what does that mean for our slightly socially awkward empath? He read them both, he doesn't know the details of their history together, but it's plain to see that they both care about each other and want to spend time together, and also fairly easy to see that if things keep up as they are with Aoko feeling like the only one that cares then things would end with one of them getting hurt. And with that information he tries to make Kaito show that he does care, and tries to make Aoko feel wanted.

But anyway.... Watson.~

If it's just normal human empathy then it's probably not a huge help, but when we take the more supernatural direction then it absolutely does, in several different ways.

The exact details would vary a bit depending on just how strong of an empath he is. Is he just getting a vague sense of emotions or is he getting it fairly clearly? What kind of range does he have? Can he pick out who the emotions are coming from or does it all kind or blur together? Can he project emotions of his own back or is it purely one-sided? For people that he's established some kind of bond with can he trace that to get a sense of how they feel even if they aren't nearby? My answers to these questions are all flexible, and vary based on my mood or again what story I'm trying to tell. And those answers are of course going to effect how this ability changes how he interacts with Watson.

To start with, it's probably way easier to train an animal if you have a solid understanding of how they feel. Way easier to condition responses if you understand how motivating different kinds of treats are, or if you can pick up on when they're feeling particularly attentive and when that attention drifts.

I like to think that animals probably 'feel' different than humans when it comes to empathy. So then it might be easy for Hakuba to pick up on it when Watson sees something that feels like a cause for concern, or helpful for Hakuba to try to focus on Watson's feelings instead when humans are overwhelming him.

If he can project his own emotions as well, then it becomes a basic form of communication between him and Watson, and depending on the range I can see a lot of ways it can be used to achieve different things.

But that's where I'm gonna end this one.