#i'm really attracted to skills and one's ability to create

[villowstar]

bismuth!

[soaringwide]

PAC: What hidden talent do you have?

Hello with another pick a card reading, this time on the topic of ''get to know yourself better''.

This time the idea is to look into what talent of yours you are not fully aware off and could tap into and develop in the future.

By definition this might not be at the core of your personality since it is hidden, but maybe that's something you will tap into later in life. So I hope it's useful to you in some way!

How does that work?

Take a moment to recollect yourself, breathe, close your eyes if you need to, focus on the moment. Look at the 4 pictures and select the one that draws you in the most. Not the one you think looks cooler but the one that creates that pinching feeling inside of you. The one that makes you feel it has something to say.

It is possible to feel attracted to more than one pile, just as it is possible to only find parts of the reading relevant. Remember that this reading is meant for many people so it won't be perfectly applicable to your situation.

PILE 1

Cards: The Nectar + The King (archetype) + 4 of Swords Rx + Empress Rx + Strength + The Hierophant + King of Cups Rx + the Protectress + The forbidden forest + yin and yang; 2 of Swords + 4 and 6 of Wands; Priestess Magician

There is definitely the idea of a latent, untapped ability.

To me it has to do with healing, as in, the ability to help people through their recovery process and put them on track to bloom and be abundant again. To remove barriers to healing.

The fact that it has to do with remediating what is poisonous for the person, transmuting something toxic into something positive, makes me think it has to do with magical or energetic healing.

Perhaps you will use your words like a fire-talker (not sure it's the right way to translate but "coupeur de feu" in the orginal french term as in those who can heal burns by talking fire out, among other things), or work on removing magical thorns with your healing touch. I'm getting strong hand imagery and holy words may be significant as well as carrier for background movements in the spiritual realms.

I'm getting you will be or are guided to do this by higher powers with this ability that can help others tremendously, somewhat relaying these healing powers into the world. Like a bridge between the healing spirits and our world, putting healing energy in motion.

There is the idea of a position of authority that must be embraced with humility, respect and reverence, in order to restore the flow and clarity of health, working in tandem with powers from the realms beyond and by learning to develop your own power and ability for leadership whilst staying true to yourself.

You have this undeveloped ability of perceiving the higher realms, harness their energies and transmute them into something not only healing, but also protecting for others.

You would need to go on your own healing journey to gather the missing parts of yourself (individuation process is another way to look at it) and rectify what is unbalanced to find a wholeness that will allow you to carry this energy over to others. I'm really getting that it's not just about picking up a skill but really going through a process yourself in order to reach that step and that's why you haven't reached it yet. With also the idea of learning to listen to guidance and understand your bond to these higher powers more, and let yourself be guided on that path.

I wanted to see if there was another message that wanted to come out and I saw that while this ability is not currently active, and even blocked by your current circumstances, there would be great success gained from going through this journey towards that path. It's a call that you have the option to answer and are encouraged to do so with the support of your spirits and god(s) and that would be a source of celebration and achievements.

PILE 2

Cards: The Fool and Fear and Happiness + 7 of Cups Rx + Queen of Cups and 4 of Cups + The Magician Rx + Queen of Pentacles + 7 of Pentacles Rx

Your hidden talent has to do with performance arts, perhaps theater or dance, with the use of your body alongside your voice. You can pretend to be someone else again and again, endorsing different roles on different days and creating this artificial image for others to see.

You have the hidden ability to perform emotions so that it can be reflected in the heart of the audience. For example, expressing sadness or joy, the whole palette of emotions, and having that be felt by those who watch you. Relieving people in the lights of the stage.

I don't think it is about showing who you truly are but rather as I said, endorsing different identities and expressing something universal through that. You might not always feel passionate about what you are expressing, what role or piece you are given, but that's the nature of the craft. And in some way it allows yourself to explore your own thoughts and emotions by shifting perspectives, so it can be healing for yourself as well if you allow it to be.

By creating an artificial space for exploration of thoughts and emotions through your craft, you can shift people's emotional state and help them let go of what worries of preoccupies them. It is cathartic and the healing aspect of the arts. Ever watched a movie, cried for a while because it reminded you of something and felt lighter in the end? That's what you can give to people: freeing them of themselves for a short while. Allowing them a break from their own lives.

It's a trickery of some sorts, but the good kind of trickery because it is part of the game and the reason why people would come to you. It is to be willingly taken on adventure.

There is also a highly democratic aspect of your craft, as in, in front of performance in the audience, everyone watches the same things, react to the same things, rich and poor, good and bad. You help people bond together by lowering the boundaries that separate us all for a while.

In any case it is a raw talent, as in, you're very much at the apprentice level at the moment. You would need to work on it consciously, nurture this talent to let it grow and harvest its rewards later on. If that reading resonates with you I think that would be a good thing to practice on a hobby level for the pure enjoyment and personal fulfillment of it, rather than in order to make money from it.

PILE 3

Cards: The King, Protect your feelings, Knight of Swords Rx, 9 of Wands + King of Cups, Reflection Rx + 4 of Wands Rx, Renewal Rx + 8 of Swords Rx, Courage + 5 of Cups, Gloom Rx + 10 of Cups + The World + Intuition Rx, Sorrow Rx

Your hidden talent is to embody some of the noble qualities of the King, especially being a protector of the weak. You have the ability to stand up for what is right when facing a menacing majority and would step up to fight to defend what you believe in. You may have a tendency to be rash and impulsive when faced with something that doesn't sit right with you, because you want to confront that and rectify the wrongs committed. You will not take a defeat and will get back up again.

Your quality associated to that talent is that you are full of compassion and look at others with empathy because you have a great understanding of human nature and suffering, and you have a desire to protect that. You are devoted to help people and this helps balance the harshness of you combative spirit.

The caveat is that you might feel like it's a lost battle, or at least that you won't personally see the end of it in your lifetime. You feel like you're doing you won't be the one in the parade at the end of the battle because you will be long gone. What you don't see is that you can still help others in the present.

What you can give others with this talent is that your bravery is infectious. You lift them up, give them courage and they can free themselves in the moment. With you by their side they feel so much stronger.

And when faced with a loss, you are, again, here to help people grieve and be a shoulder to cry on, listening to their pain with empathy, which helps them tremendously.

And for the reason why it is hidden, I think the need just hasn't arisen at this stage of your life. You will need to reach a form of completion and to move on from the idea that things are perfect to the desire to put things in motion again and start a new chapter. A content heart doesn't strive for change.

PILE 4

Cards: Aletheia, Wheel of Fortune Rx + The Moon Rx + 9 of Swords Rx + Queen of Cups + The Empress + Justice

You hidden talent is the ability to speak the truth on what's hidden and trigger changes for those you bring the news to. I see you being able to detect lies easily. It can trigger fears in others because they might not want to see what you reveal.

You are able to see through the confusion and pierce through the illusion, and thus, bring vitality back where there was just fog and stagnation. It might make you feel a bit lonely and isolated at times due to feeling misunderstood. I don't think you have come to term with that talent yet so you may fail to see the good in it.

Because your strong intuitive gift of being able to see your emotions so clearly can bring a lot of healing and clarity to people, especially if you wield it with kindness and compassion. You may get back a lot of love and consideration from helping others.

Because you can help people release who takes advantage of them by shining light on their lies, especially if they are over-dependant and attached to this person or situation.

As to why it is hidden, you may not believe that you deserve to speak up and that you have the right to do so and would feel like you're being manipulative when it doesn't have to be the case.

[missgryffin]

Just out of curiosity, how do you see Jilys dynamic based on their astrology signs?

Omg anon I LOVE this question thank you so much for sending it!! I have done a lot of astrology research in connection with writing because I find it to be such a good tool for characterization, so I feel like I could talk about this for days!

I'm going to do this bullet point style because I'm kind of just rattling off thoughts as they come. (And also, I can tell this is going to be long already, so I'm not going to go into their individual traits too much here, but if you google Aries Man and Aquarius Woman you'll find pleeeenty of material!!)

They have insane chemistry. It's air + fire, so how could they not? The attraction + energy match is just there, and it feeds off each other. When they're dating, they're obviously leaning into it, but before they're together, I think it wildly throws Lily off to feel this kind of chemistry with him (because it's him, y'know?)

They both value independence and approach each other as equals. This is so central to their characters. Obviously the dynamics of him being pureblood and her being Muggle-born during a war about blood purity make this incredibly important for them. But even on an interpersonal/relationship level aside from the war, it sets the whole tone for them. James is known to be arrogant and the only other person we see him give deference to is Sirius. He's not the type to suffer fools, he's not patient, and he likes to take charge and be in control, so the fact that he steps back from all of those impulses to give more equal deference to Lily I think speaks volumes about not only his respect for her but also their ability to match each other.

Building off that, they challenge each other. Because they are on equal footing in terms of skill, intelligence, energy, they can challenge and mentally stimulate each other in a way that they don't necessarily get from other people. (There's a scene coming up in ES Ch 6 that starts exploring this dynamic that I'm so excited for you all to read!!) There's a really deep intellectual attraction there in addition to the physical attraction, and this is what ultimately brings so much depth to their relationship.

They also share degrees of impulsiveness, playfulness, and creativity that just naturally bounce off each other and create a really fun energy between them. Like they're constantly flirting (especially in a teasing kind of way), and there's a healthy amount of spontaneity with them.

But! They still have challenges!!

They're both stubborn as fuck. James's arrogance can drift into a lack of empathy that makes him callous, closed, ruthless. (See: his dynamic with Snape.) Lily's strong beliefs and convictions can lead her into being hardheaded. He wants to be in control, she wants to be right—and she will go to great lengths to avoid being wrong. (See: her serious case of denial wrt James and struggle to end her friendship with Sev.) This type of clash, where one or both of them is being extremely stubborn, is the source of most of their conflict.

In a similar vein, their pride can easily get the better of them and both of them being stubborn and argumentative can turn things explosive very quickly. Passion can manifest in a bad way just as easily as it can manifest in a good way! Though I think with time they get better at recognizing this and just turn bad passion into good passion, since the root of the feeling is the same.

They struggle with communicating feelings and emotional vulnerability. Their independence makes them afraid to appear weak. Especially in all the lead-up to getting together, I think they struggle with talking about their feelings and showing that vulnerability to one another. On top of that, James can be brash and insensitive, while Lily's defense mechanism is to shut down — not a good combination. She can be aloof and distant when she's like this, and James struggling with being vulnerable makes it hard for them to bridge the gap. They both need to dig deep, put aside ego, and make an effort to resolve this kind of conflict.

[luffysoulmate]

✨🏠📞 !!

✨ - Gush about your f/o's skills

Luffy doesn't have a lot of typical skills but he is such a great fighter !!!

Have you seen his fighting skills ??! He's soooo smart, always coming up with creative and efficient attacks, and always understands how to beat his opponents, IT'S SO ATTRACTIVE !!!! HE'S SO SMART FOR THIS AHHH 😩 When we train I'm always impressed and wonder how he's so good !!! 🤩

Also he's really good at physical stuff in general, expect when it involves dexterity !! 😆

And oh yes not really a skill but his emotional intelligence??? Like the way he understands people, his empathy and the way he just understands what's not fair !! Like he has an incredible ability to understand situations and who's causing harm !!! Despite him being clueless !! That's so admirable oh my god I love that so much 😍

Also I love the way he draws and sings !!! He's an artist !!! People might say he's not good but I disagree !! His drawing are super cute !!! 🥹

(I kinda share the same drawing skills BAHAHA 🤣)

Also the way he sings ??? I mean it's not perfect but as a musician I think he has so much potential !!! Also he can create melodies?!?! We need to work on a song together !!! Him and I singing !!!

LISTEN TO THIS !!! I HONESTLY LIKE IT !!! PLUS HIS VOICE HIS AMAZING 😩

He also sang a song where it's even better but it's not canon, I think ?!?

🏠 - Gush about home life with your f/o

Living with Luffy is the dream !!!!!

BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SAAAME ENERGY AND INTERESTS ETC ETC !!

I'm not sure what to put here exactly but here we go !!

Were both very free people so we do as we please and we're lucky to share enough similarities to not get into arguments !!!!

We always wake up together, even though Luffy often wakes up before me and gets a snack before coming back to bed !!!! Cuddles in the morning are mandatory !!! 🥰 He's the one motivating me to get up though 🤣

We do almost everything together, he's like a puppy that follows me EVERYWHERE and he's so clingy it's adorable !!! 🥰

I force him to cook with me even though he's bad at it but screw it if it's messy, at least we laugh a lot and have fun !! Also food fights !!! And of course dancing to some music !! I got him into baking too !!! 😆

Same for other chores !! I'm better than him at chores even though I HATE it so he motivates me, and we end up doing them both, me guiding him even though I'm not very good and of course having fun !! When I'm overwhelmed about tasks, he helps me calm down with a hug or sweet words or just by being goofy !!!

We almost never have things planned for the day we spend at home becaus we love to improvise !!! We often do the same activities like listening to music, playing video games, dancing, singing, watching silly stuff on Tik Tok, anime, reading mangas when we're focused and most importantly, eating, cuddling, napping and planing our future or dreaming about it !!!

We do lot of parallel play too !!!

I also force him to do basic hygiene stuff, and he loves to do them since it's with me !! It's just the basics cause I don't really take care of myself a lot 😆

Meals are often while watching a good anime or in bed, cause it's so cozy !!!! We eat kinda all the time and we don't have regular times for meals !!! We eat whenever we're hungry !!! 🍖

Luffy's often tired before me, but a lot of time, I manage to get him to stay up at night with me, my favourite time of the day, cause it feels so free !!! We often goof around, play etc !!! And he ends up being as energetic as I am, because we feed on each other's hyperactive energy !!

And we go to bed together, CAUSE YEAH WE CAN'T GET SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER !!! We cuddle and fall asleep in eachother's arms, often quite late 😆

📞 - Gush about phone calls from your f/o

Luffy and I don't call each other often now because we're almost always together but we used to call each other a lot !!! When we do call each other, it's always really fun !!!

OF COURSE WE HAVE THE CAMERA ON !!! 😆

We love making silly faces but most importantly looking at each other cause we're soooo in love !!! 🥰

We talk about anything and everything and goof around a lot !!

Phone calls allow us to get motivated to do boring tasks, so we keep the camera on and get done with tasks !!!

We had a few times where we called each other in bed and fell asleep on the phone it was so sweet 😭

I also call Luffy when I'm anxious or having a panic attack and he's always there to reassure me !! 🥹 He never got mad at me for waking him up, and I'm forever grateful for that!!!

Luffy also calls me when he's bored or misses me !!! And he's always kinda bored or missing me when we're apart !!! He just really needs someone who matches his vibe and energy !!!

Woooow that was an hell of a gush I hope you guys liked it !! I poured my heart out but you don't understand how much I love him ahhh 😭 Thank you so so so so much for the ask !!! Again sorry for replying so late !!!!

Tag list :

@phanta-soba @citrus-shipping @trafalgar-laws-wife @qualitynightmarekryptonite @andres-galans-wife @avatarduck @zoroscanonhusband @a-silly-bunny @faggotboyfreak @adorablesaiyan @moxanji-real

Tag list form here !

[creature-wizard]

What's your advice to people starting spirit work?

Hmm, so in the context of communicating with spirits? First, always remember that we don't have any solid evidence that spirits - or at least, the vast majority of what we perceive to be spirits, aren't just psychic constructs of some sort. If we look at records of spirit interactions for as long as we have them, with a decent sense of historical context, we can see a long pattern of said "spirits" conforming to what are very clearly subjective cultural and personal expectations. You can be an extremely earnest practitioner, and your "spirits" can still be very obvious mental constructs.

Now, I say this not to discourage practitioners, but to keep them grounded. Because even if your spirits are in fact mental constructs, that doesn't mean your experiences working with them won't be valuable or enjoyable.

But it does mean that you should be aware that the communications you're getting might not be coming from some higher, objective source, and shouldn't be readily granted that kind of authority.

Secondly, even if you really believe you're working with a real entity outside of yourself, keep your critical thinking skills on. Like, while researching New Age beliefs and watching videos from New Age channelers (who were just as earnest as anyone else), I have seen them make failed claim after failed claim. Like for example, a few years back there were a bunch of them claiming that we'd soon (as in, within a few months) be seeing quantum healing technology everywhere. We'd have these "medbeds" that we could just lay on and they'd fix literally everything wrong with us. And a number of them claimed that Elon Musk was involved in creating them. Elon Musk, of all incompetent clowns. And this level of departure from reality doesn't just happen to New Agers; it can happen to anyone who starts relying on spirit communication to find out what's really going on in the world.

With this said, my next piece of advice is to be respectful and kind to spirits, and make a habit of being respectful and kind in general. If there's one thing I've noticed among practitioners, it's that the people with the worst experiences are frequently assholes. Being someone who leans toward psychological explanations, I really think a lot of this is because they just unconsciously expect hostile behavior from others, from all the pushback they get when they're assholes to people. Other people might explain it as their vibes attracting entities similar to themselves. But either way, it's a thing.

Also? Make sure you're good with setting boundaries. The type of people who are able to say "nope, we're done, bye" or "nope, I'm not gonna do that" have, in my experiences, far fewer bad experiences, while people who see themselves as powerless and always at the mercy of others often have very bad ones. In my own personal experience, one of the best wards you can have is the ability to say "no, now begone" and mean it.

If you're looking for a basic method to get started with, I wrote one over here. I can't promise it's for everyone, but it's meant to be simple and flexible.

Hope this is useful.

[mechanical-sunchild]

So when I talk about being an 'AUman' I mean in a very literal sense, in another universe, another time, another life (one or all of these things, I don't know) I was a human.

Now, it's not fictionkin because it's not from any fictional world in this universe. Not factkin, because this universe is not that universe and thus this person is not 'real' here either. Something in between. A real person who existed in a world people would consider fiction from my mind.

It's a puzzling part of me, I'm still trying to discern the data.

I know for certain that;

Humans were not the dominant species and were considered 'just another animal'

We were kept in artificial habitats which were a lot like modern homes/cities though limited in size

We were infrequently interacted with for health checks and tests of intelligence/obedience etc

We were likely a lot less intelligent and/or sentient that those who looked after us

However a lot of artistic skills (people would draw, paint, make sculptures, create and tell stories, put in plays, dance, craft and play instruments etc) and we had the knowlege and ability to use tools and provided resources to build dwellings that had electricity and indoor pluming so we weren't much lesser if any lesser than modern humans in this universe our resources and opportunies were just much more limited

I did not reach old age and very few humans did

I had a name given to me by those around me but was also refered to as something else by those who looked after us

I do not know for certain;

What the species of our (captors? benefacters? keepers?) were

If wild humans existed

What they really wanted of us

How many enclosures like mine which contained roughly 100 individuals existed or where they existed

What sex/gender (male feels right I think) I was or what those names I mentioned were

Things which feel right but I have no real way of knowing;

Breeding was selected for us by those who looked after us and many of us were made infertile on purpose to prevent unwanted pregnancies

Some had high opinions of humans and some did not, treatment therefore varied on who was 'working' that day

I feel like the name my keepers name was something akin to 'Sunstripe' (and I featured in something which might have been TV to these creatures or just filming as part of their studies) whilst my human name was a sound that has no translation because human languages were more like advanced theriform ape vocalisations than what we consider language here and the name had no selected meaning other than to be a name

Fiction where aliens care for humans, cooing over us the way humans coo over theriform animals strike a cord with me. Whoever looked after us they were a lot bigger than us and interacted primarily via robotic arms and other such devices.

What really attracts me though is Planet of the Apes scenarios. Not as in 'what if other kinds of apes got really smart of all of a sudden'. But as in, what if every other kind of ape except humans evolved very quickly, whilst humans evolved very slowly. And what if therefore they advanced beyond humans so much that humans became the 'theriform apes' of this universe.

Both feel...right? Wrong? Is this two different sets of information becoming muddled in my memory banks?

I wish I could talk to others which may remember such a thing. Apes or aliens. Maybe it would make sense then.

[trolagygirl2022]

Hi , 🫧

I saw your game just a few mins back. I hope I am not too late ⏰

I saw that your favourite idol is Ni-ki. So I will check “what he will think about you the first time you meet” (tarot) . In exchange-

Please help me interpret this synastry chart . Romantic compatibility

me 1st person (on the inside) , him 2nd(on the outside)

What will Ni-ki think of you the first time you guys meet ?

Cards drawn:Temperance (balance, patience, and harmony), The Hierophant(tradition, conformity, and authority), The Sun (success, joy, and vitality).

During the first time you meet, you might have a composed , cool and balanced demeanour 😭 or maybe you are trying to fake it as much as possible. Whatever the case , it seems to be working in your favour, as Ni-ki will be curious and intrigued by it.

Ni-ki may feel a sense of respect towards your approach to certain beliefs or customs. You are probably wearing some sort of cultural accessories or adorning certain things associated with a particular culture or race( eg: braids, bindi, hijab,etc). This could create an impression on Ni-ki.

The Sun card suggests that your meeting has the potential to bring warmth, happiness, and a sense of fulfillment to both of you. You may naturally resonate with each other's energy and outlook on life.

How will he view you physically?

Cards drawn: Temperance, The Hanged Man inverted, The Chariot

Niki will admire you physically. He might think that you have a balanced and graceful physical presence.

There is a sense of balance and moderation you exude in your outfits or look that he likes when he sees it .

There might be a difference of physical attractiveness perception. Niki might be experiencing difficulty in changing their current perception of physical appearance. (His personal preference might be different from you)

Niki may feel a powerful connection to you on a physical level, because of a sense of mutual values and shared goals. He might find your drive and passion, very attractive.

( I don’t know what else to add, so I’ll end this here 😭👍🏼 . Remember this is based on my tarot abilities, so take this with a grain of salt. Thanks 💋💋💋)

Thank you so much for this! (Also yours really resonated as I have braids lollllll) Here's your interpretation:

Your Sun conjunct his Mars: This placement has two forms, either lust or annoyance. You could have originally thought of him as someone who is either arrogant of very charming. He seems to be someone that you see and go "yeah that's my type right there". Since it's in Leo this can also mean a type of adoration or strong attraction. You guys probably share strong values and ideas.

Your Moon in his 2nd house: You rely on him alot and I see you feeling free to talk to him about anything. His energy is coming off as quite soft here. I see him possibly buying you things or doing certain things and actions.

His Mercury trine your Mars: You two could be good business partners not going to lie. I see his communication skills and your ambition working very well with each other. I see you both bonding over certain activities. The vibe I'm strongly getting is "Gym couples". They go and support each other with their goals.

Venus trine Venus: This romantic relationship is going to be a sweet one. I see both of you having a similar relationship style and you'll be all over each other! You both will see each other as a "safe space". He'll shower you with a lot of love and adoration and I see you doing the same!

Overall this romantic compatibility is chef's kiss and I see you guys doing really well together if you both make it work!

[overflowchute]

having a job vs working

so yada yada alienation of labor but basically when you do a work like old ass trades and shit like people do in video games as an idealized older way of working it's a way of life, it's your identity - a dude makes baskets or is a merchant or something. they work. but when you have a job you just kinda *gestures vaguely* doing some role as part of an organization and it doesn't feel like anything. you have a job you're employed but it's not like anything. it's just sort of a challenge you deal with unsatisfyingly on a regular basis that mostly exists as a time sink upon your soul.

all of this came from the fact that even though i am, in fact, employed, i feel like i'm unemployed at heart. what i mean by this is that what i do to make money and what defines anything about me or anything about what i want to do are only tangentially related, there's no real connection between my work answering phone calls at a certain government institution and anything i feel any personal interest in at all, this is what gives rise to the worksona - a sort of roleplayed set of activities and tasks that we are made to dance as a puppet for the approval of other people, also roleplaying their dancing puppet selves, so that we may be given the ability to live and possibly allow the true self to be an actual human in our spare time

we talk about how no one really loves their job and this is interesting to me because i think obviously there must be people who do, for reasons relating to the ideals of being able to feel like you're meaningfully having an effect on the lives of people around you and creating something you can be proud of. but the jobs where you can truly do that are basically vanishingly small and rare and now almost every job is not defined by the social network of (me as an offerer of a service and another as a receiver of a service) but by the role of (me as an interchangeable part welded into a giant machine, where personality and individuality actively runs against the goal of converting money into service into money again), this is the core of the ideal of how work does not actually exist as true labor anymore

that is to say, the labor still exists, the same things are being done, these jobs in some way relate to actual services and creation and activities and so on, and yet somehow the goal is for the majority of labor to be transformed from a human activity into an automatic assembly of mechanical parts. thus does the rise of automation once again lead to the problem of people fearing their deletion, thus too do we recreate a sort of spiritual despair of time wasted in a meaningless existence

i think especially in office jobs and bureaucracy, where you advance beyond the world of specialized skill-sets that you learn how to do and can sort of gamify, you reach this nightmarish prison where you're being kept around to be a human that does a vague variety of office and computer and file related things, or perhaps just one thing, but it doesn't FEEL like you're learning some skill, it's just vaguely understanding the annals of a contrived and stupid system where trying to figure out who does anything is a pain in the ass and your job is just to shunt various comments and paper around in the hope it eventually gets processed out into something someone wants - this in particular distances you from the idea that you've really developed a true "skill", rather than just sort of the ability to live in a corporate space without attracting undue negative attention

hence the total separation of the employed self and the unemployed self, the negation of one's tradeness, and the desperation of having to spend a great amount of every day and structure one's waking and sleeping hours week after week around the gnawing negation of selfhood that makes up approximately 1/7th of our daily life

the madness of it all...

[scribble-dee-vee]

Happy STS! Which of your characters do you think would be most popular among cosplayers? If you had to pick one of your OCs to cosplay, who would it be?

Oh heck yea! Thanks for the ask; I lowkey forgot that STS was a thing

So, I loooove cosplay as an art form/means of having fun! I used to do it more when I was younger, and I still dress up for cons/fan themed events. I also follow a lot of cosplay content online. I must admit that I think about the cosplay-ability of my characters a LOT. Like, every author wants a screen adaptation/a fully VA'd audiobook/whatever, but I specifically want silly creative ppl on the internet to dress up as my lads!!

That being said, I have many opinions on this front.

Taking a broad look at the Heart of Lead universe, I think it would offer a lot of different options to cosplayers. I could see the extended cast catering to people of all skill levels and interests, at least in terms of character design. You got regular-ass humans with one or two defining physical traits (although someone could always go in for more detail, because of the Victorian-fantasy clothes)! You also got characters with A.) complicated armor/uniforms/gowns, B.) wings/fangs/assorted fantastical traits, and C.) like,,, props?? Like there is a very large, somewhat evil sentient sword in this universe, and I would die happy if someone made their own for cosplay purposes. I would DIE.

All that in mind, here are the characters I think would be the most popular to cosplay, based on my observations of present-day cosplay communities online. I've given all them "most ___" awards, for funsies.

Dale Porter – most popular. No contest whatsoever. Sarcastic, evil, conventionally attractive white man. People love to cosplay characters with this profile; it's inescapable, and somewhat obnoxious. He's also fairly easy to cosplay, I would argue, as long as u got a white wig. (I would not personally cosplay him. He is my pookie but he can go ROT.)

Rosalind Lake – most sexy. If you want to wear an ostentatious dress and look hot in a femme way, here ya go. She's not the most important character, but her look is distinctive and fun. (I would definitely cosplay Rosalind.)

Wren Dorian – most steampunk. Listen, if you love steampunk/gaslamp fantasy/cabaret rock aesthetics, she is your GIRL. Big curly hair, big boots, massive belt full of tools, potentially goggles if you're feeling really fancy. Wren also gets some interesting design variations throughout the series that make her even cooler. (I would cosplay Wren. I have closet-cosplayed her before.)

Nicolas – most edgy. At least, that's how I think people would cosplay him. He wears a black trench coat and fingerless gloves for like half of the series; he has emo boy hair; he lowkey looks like Dream of the Endless. I'm not going to spoil his magical abilities, which make him EVEN EDGIER, but those exist, and they also impact his physical appearance. He's a sweetie boy baby who cries a whole lot, but he LOOKS very cool to one's inner 13-year-old. (I would cosplay Nicolas, and I have closet-cosplayed him before!)

Vesper – most fantasy. They're a faerie. He has wings. Their magic turns their eyes and fingers black. He wears sickass gender-nonconforming outfits, including such articles as capes and tiaras. If I was actually going to pour tens of hours into creating a cosplay from the HoL universe, I would 100% cosplay Vesper. They look cool as hell. (Also, fun personality – he's very outgoing and sweet!)

I'll leave it there for now, but I genuinely have SO many more opinions about HoL cosplay potentiality. There are options for the ppl who only cosplay evil dilfs,,,, for ppl who like to play princess dress-up,,,,, for ppl who incorporate gore and horror elements into their cosplays,,,,, we've got it all!!

(Now to get about FINISHING and PUBLISHING these books, so ppl can feasibly do this. Lmao.)

[dy-will-cry]

Once you get this, you have to say five things you like about yourself, publicly. Then you have to send this to ten of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool~) 🌈 🌈 ← slickskullshock actually decided it's negotiable, send it to whoever you want!!

I normally don't do these, but what the hell.

I genuinely like how I'm able to make my friends laugh. I don't want to say that I think I'm hilarious, but I like seeing that I was able to make them happy.

I love my ocs! For some reason i think that one of my biggest skills is writing a good charactwr with a really emotional story. I just like that I have the ability to create in some way!

This is like. Highly specific but I have a weird thing where I somehow manage to attract either lesbians, asexuals, or autistic people wherever I go. I'm like a damn magnet for them and I will become friends with one if near one for over an hour.

I feel like I can be very passionate about things. When I care about something I care about it with my whole being, latching on with an iron grip and engrave it into my heartbeat.

I've been told that I'm REALLY good at expressing bittersweet and intense emotions through my writing. My teachers, my friends, and evenboth of my parents have told me that I can write something very poetic and intense, and I feel proud of that.

[yazee13]

Character flaws for non-perfect OCs and how I relate to them in real life

I got this as inspo from @kaylenmesoftly on TikTok who is a writer that talks about how to perfect writing. i'm no writer, but more of a reader

but 1 of her post really resonates and really simplify how I behave or how people around me behave in general and how it can effect themselves as well as the people around them

the post im talking about : Character flaws for non-perfect OCs (she has 2 parts)

Part 1 : https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSkNKp9SJ/

Part 2 : https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSkNKCcxC/

so lets start

1# too much of a good thing is…a bad thing

Trust : A too trusting person is naive and easily deceived

maybe me when I was younger (6-10 years old), kids absorbed stuff like a sponge and I am not a rebellious kid, quite opposite to listen to people older than you to learn more, that's what I did, an obedient kid

but in turn the adults around me at the time (I was under babysitter because my parents were busy working) were exploitative of me. one stole money from me and exploit labour from me like (there is difference between helping and doing chores for them) where everyday my babysitter would make me organize their kids book everyday for their school in the afternoon. due to that, it left me with quite hectic and tiring schedule that left me burnt out since i have 2 types of schooling (primary and religious school) at the age of 10-11 yo

i experienced bullying and cocsa in another babysitter household but realizing cocsa now when i was a teenager makes no point because their is no proof, only word and left me only with the experience to live with

my mom suspected something happened to me but the babysitter said otherwise

why did i not say no? maybe i dont have a spine at the time but for me, i though this was the norm. i never thought of speaking out for some reason

and it took a long time for me to reverse the damage

i realized it fucked me up because my childhood doesn't provide me with basic understanding on healthy bonding with other people whether friendship wise

for example, i attracted people that wants to exploit since in my mind even though it was sucky but i never took it as a sign to end a friendship.

i built bonds with people familial or friendship that i felt i have to be of servitude instead of connection in similar hobbies or manner or mindset

i am relearning that now

me now: very anxious and careful with people, prefer isolation though still think that creating bonds with people is important

lack social skills

Ambition : An overly ambitious person is reckless and overestimates their abilities

I think it can overestimates your ability due to ego

my experience ego is good because it makes you confident about something but for me ego dumbs me down if I get it too far because I don't bother checking anymore

my experience with it due to my background (middle class home, wants to have more in life)

how I see it affects people is their deteriorating relationship whether its your family, spouse or children

I always see it in movies whether in the pov of the ambitious person or the pov of their spouse, family or children, ambition can deteriorate a relationship because it is not focussed on community

usually ambition focuses on prestige, title, wealth and etc, ambitious people would chase their goals to no end

but if their ambition is you (I speculate in marriage perhaps) for example, if a person works hard solely to get money then they have no qualms to divorce their spouse or abandon their kids but if their ambition to work hard is to provide better life for them and their family then the focus would be different because their family well-being is their priority

reminds me of 2 choices whether to marry a rich person but stingy or poor person but generous

if you marry rich person but stingy, they would be stingy with you and your kids and you wont see a penny from the rich person

if you marry a poor person but generous, they would work hard for you and your kids to get the best that you can *maybe not accurate for this concept of ambition but similar manner of pros and cons you have to decide

Selflessness : A selfless character neglects their own needs, leading to burnout

I see this in many women in my life that burnout especially housewives

with toxic patriarchy household where the person who make most amount money (breadwinner)is the decision maker factor but actually in my household experience its fucking gender

when I was younger, my mom makes more but still contributes more to the household (chore wise) (50-50 dating gone wrong)

personally, in todays age, 50-50 is a scam because patriarchy culture does not recognize labour at home as true labour, just labour that makes money

idk but in theory for 50-50 dating style to work out, if you want that type of dating style, you need to be with someone who is aware of women disposition and how the systems disregards women (eg: someone that recognize the invisible labour)

my mom is the most selfless person I yet shes the most exhausted

even when she does not have much monetarily due to business down, she is generous to give in other ways such as her cooking and affection while my dad is currently the breadwinner of the family but is the most cheapest person I know and still want their children to treat them with me being the oldest currently still in college, he still asks me to treat him (I mean its ice cream but its frequent and the way he asks it is pushy and it still about the principle) because i know if he asks me this way know, imagine when i have my own salary

honestly i rather treat my mother and my sister (they need it more) than that stingy ass father

women becomes selfless and exhausted in household duties to numb themselves (not here to blame but its sad that becomes the norm and we are fucking here to change it!)

in toxic patriarchy household, it promotes women to be giving and sacrificial towards the family situation (job, body, mind, identity) whilst usually in these household, the men think that contributing money is the only responsibility that lets them get away from actually raising their child such as they dont even know their own children disposition or allergies and then expects people to respect them like a fucking king

yeah yikes, being a cashcow is not a flex to hold over peoples head just to get their respect

Optimism : Refusing to prepare for potential disasters, believing "everything will work out" or "be fine". Then a crisis hits, their lack of preparation shows

I usually see it with people that have type B personality maybe

usually wants to do things at their own time and pace or have someone type A to handle the leadership which usually for me leads to burnout and not relaxing at any time

Idk if im type A but in work I am, in life not that much

for me, my current work style is to work alone or if I cant help it and have to form group, im not going to be a leader and just let it run its course and choose other people next time since I prefer to work early too

Generosity : A philanthropist gives away so much money that they bankrupt themselves

I guess it depends on why they are generous in a healthy way or unhealthy

I imagine generous people that give in a healthy way or manner would still have boundaries such as they do not let other people push them into giving something, they give when and what they want to in terms of how it can let them carried away is because for example maybe money doesn't really matter much to them

generous people in general if get carried away may not realize that their actions effect other people such as their family such as a situation example I can think of is people that gives too much to the point letting it effect their children development

for example, marmee in little women latest adaptation where she gives to the german mother who has lots of children on Christmas day. for me, I mean I get you want to give to other people in need and teach your children to do so but please let the girls eat first before giving or at least set aside. it ends well with the neighbour giving food but I don't want to give to someone before giving the best to my family first

in my experience, generosity can manifests as a form of social protection. tying back to my bonding ritual to become servitude to other people and be useful to have a bond instead of connection, I realize that giving to other people is way for me to cope of in actuality it gives away my power due to how I use my generosity

I do it so that people don't bother me or call me stingy but doing it in the long run attracts unhealthy dynamics such as my relationship with my father.

someday, he will not have access to me and my resources and I want to give what I want to who I want and when I want

Perfectionism : An artist obsessively reworks their masterpiece, never finishing it and misses the exhibition that could have launched their career

experienced it personally when perfectionism prevents me from doing things that can make me have mistake

anything that I am not good or complete at is not worth pursuing or expressed

I had a hard time to do enjoyable stuff in free time because im not good at it or not good at it anymore

even now, it is a start for me to just ramble

but an epiphany when someone said that successful people make decision quickly due to them can smell opportunity

another epiphany is to start pursuing what I want because it would eventually lead me to my next lesson or blessing. lesson meaning what I want doesn't suit me or blessing because I want it even though its not perfect

so perfectionism hold yourself back from decision making out of fear

[diverse-hearts-ocs]

"Give my hand a little squeeze. See? I'm right here." { for Rai }

It was going to happen sooner or later. Strelitzia created such beautiful gardens, gardens that tended to attract all different types of wildlife and of course one of those would be butterflies.

He hadn't even thought on those creatures for a while now, not until those amber wings had fluttered past his eyes, causing fear to quickly take root. It didn't help that his method of protection was for his ability to freeze the room around him instantly, keeping the insects in view - it wasn't until he felt Miran's hands on his shoulders that he snapped out from the daze, the ability deactivating and allowing the insects to quickly fly away.

"M-Miran...", with a small gasp, he turned and hugged into the older woman tightly, trying to hold back the tears, not wanting to get in trouble for crying or appearing weak, though that all went out the window when he felt the squeeze against his hand.

Blue eyes sparkled with tears that soon dripped down his cheeks, "...I'm sorry", he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing close to side, burying his face as he felt himself shaking a little, "...you...you really are like a proper mum...", he sniffed. At times, it really was hard to understand how he'd gotten this lucky. Where would he be now, if Miran had never allowed him to stay at the hotel like this?

And it wasn't like he was being used for his skills either. He barely even used his ability these days, only sometimes when he and Strelitzia were trying to learn how to control theirs a little better, as they tended to activate rather randomly at times.

"...Miran...can...can you be my mom...?"

[commiemartyrshighschool]

Two things have been on my mind lately.

It is not enough to be right, you also need to be persuasive.

Video essays are significantly more work than written essays.

That comes together, I think, in making video essays a preferred medium for ideas at the moment. They hold your attention and hit you with sound and visuals alongside words that invite concentration but not thought. They're performed in a way that tone of voice, facial expression, and visual display of information are at least as important as the text being delivered.

Being a good video essayist requires not just a way with words, but also editing skills and the ability to not only make a case but be an orator.

A slick, well produced video essay is a lot of work, and if you don't have all the resources necessary yourself to pull it together you need the resources necessary to pull together a team that can do it.

In essence it becomes much harder to "argue back" in a medium where you need to do a lot more than simply write a response.

Now, writing ability varies considerably among people, even before accounting for things like discussions with multilingual dimensions. But almost anybody on Earth who would care to respond to a written essay on the internet has access to a keyboard! Not everybody can become a novelist or essayist for the ages, but even minimal practice and reading can improve anybody's ability.

But video essays have essentially raised the barrier to entry in participating in many conversations. Only a handful are truly consequential, to be sure, but the comment section is almost always going to be relegated to a peanut gallery unless the channel runner takes the time to respond in a video format.

This, I believe, creates a sort of assumed parasociality to watching a video essayist. Because even if the ideas are on your level the presentation is more likely than not, well beyond you.

But a written essay? There might be apparent differences in writing ability, and being persuasive is distinct from being right as well, yet you won't be able to tell if the response was made on a new computer or an old one, who has the bigger stock asset library, the nicer set, the better camera, the quickest cuts. Things that absolutely do matter in a video essay, as does if the watcher finds the essayist attractive, or feel they look trustworthy.

I don't know if there's any way TO actually bring back a public appreciation for essays though. Less than 60 percent of millennials EVER read newspapers, and older generations don't lag far behind on that stat. The internet is ostensibly a great place to discover, read, and share essays but now that video essays can be delivered at watchable speeds even if they're in HD and four hours long they have almost no competitive advantage.

Text oriented platforms do exist, but they're skewed towards the pithy and combative, the hot takes of twitter, bluesky, threads, what have you. I'm not sure that traditional forums, even the few that exist, are free from that either.

I dunno, it's part of why when I published my magazine I really wanted that magazine format, that print-ability. Wish I had the time and energy to get past Issue Zero.

But it seems to me that might be where some of the hope is to be found, collections and curations with accessible submissions.

Anyways, another perk of the written essay is that you don't need to plot the whole thing out. You can just kinda jam and dash off thoughts without an ending sorted.

[heywriters]

Hey, I have a huge question here, mostly pertaining to that scary "55%," so uh....

Do these US literacy statistics account for ability to read and write in any language, or just American English? Because I had actually looked at literacy stats for the US before seeing this post, and the states with the lowest literacy appeared to be,

areas with high concentrations of immigrants from non-English-speaking countries

My grandparents emigrated to and lived in the US for forty years, and neither of them ever became fluent in spoken English let alone written. I worked with people daily who needed their young children to translate English signs and pamphlets for them. Is their ability to read material in their own language not counted? In a country where approx. 22% of the population speaks primarily non-English languages, would literacy not be improved by accommodating that section of the population instead of calling them blanket illiterate?

That initial link states it tested "12,330 U.S. adults ages 16 to 74[...]from 2012 to 2017" to create "model-based estimates" on US American literacy. They rely on demographics data from the census bureau to fill in their gaping lack of information. Thus, their model guesses the literacy levels of state/county populations based on their,

level of ability to speak (not read) english

educational level

when they entered the country

employment status at time of census

willingness to voluntarily provide accurate personal data with the US government

It also notably counts 16year olds as adults, presumably because that is a standard age at which an American can drop out of school, obtain employment, a DL/ID, and overall care for themselves.

Now, op states "55% of adults can't read long texts" then alters that to say "55% of adults under 30" which is a vastly different number. If this "55%" is based on data from the PIAAC link they provided, 16–29 year-olds do not make up 55% of US adult population. They account for roughly 18% of the pop as a whole (based on census data). So 55% of that actually represents >10% of all US adults. Not that this isn't still a lot, but it's far less eye-catching than "55%."

May I ask why that age range is the one you chose to focus on, op? And does this number account for adult immigrants, English or non-English literate, who received their educations elsewhere? There did not appear to be a variable for adults with learning disabilities or other possible hindrances to individual literacy. Because if that number includes these factors the data is inherently skewed. If it excludes these factors, the "55%" becomes an even smaller number of people.

I'm truly pleased everyone on this post supports improving literacy. Reading comprehension is vastly important and is certainly not being taught well across all classrooms. However, the initial post and opinions themselves are creating the "shock" that we are all in fact illiterate and didn't know it. Between this and the dozens of articles announcing the same thing in their headlines to attract readers, no one ever really stopped to ask a) why are these Americans illiterate?, or b) what was the test basing this information on? In the spirit of learning, this is not a helpful way to inform people.

TL;DR — In addition to practicing your reading comprehension skills, please also practice researching subjects on your own and critically analyzing that research before jumping to conclusions!

Quick question, genuine question:

Why on earth does "more than half of US adults under 30 cannot read above an elementary school level" not strike horror into the heart of everyone who hears it?

Are the implications of it unclear????

I'm serious, people keep reacting with a sort of vague dismissal when I point this out, and I want to know why!

If adults in the US cannot read, then the only information they have access to is TV and video, the spaces with the most egregious and horrific misinformation!

If they cannot read, they cannot escape that misinformation.

This obscene lack of literacy should strike fear into every heart! US TV is notoriously horrific propaganda!

Is that???? Not??? Obvious???????

I know this sounds sarcastic, I know it does, but I'm completely serious here. I do not understand where the disconnect is.

[artsytoasterwaffle]

MY PERSONAL STATEMENT :)

I'm a very passionate person and I love to indulge in the vibrant and intricate aspects of the world around me. The first time I watched the animated TV show Steven Universe, I almost instantly fell in love with its beautifully designed settings and worlds so much that I had the desire to bring its beauty into other parts of my life.

When the time came to start my A Level art personal investigation project, I decided to explore the concept of landscape paintings acting as portals that allow you to escape into whatever world is depicted. Having taken the title from an episode called “Escapism” I explored all sorts of media until I eventually found my strength in gouache. I love intricacy and gouache helped me to incorporate lots of idyllic details into my work as well as maintaining a slight cartoonish style so as to not forget the roots of my inspiration.

My main intention for my escapism project was to make people wish that they could enter my paintings, and I was successful in this by picking techniques and aspects from artists along my journey in order to create the ultimate escape; I was able to capture the blissful and timeless feelings and combine them into an ethereal and whimsical atmosphere. It fills me with love to see other people in awe of the worlds that I've created, so in the later parts of my project I brought more personal influences into it, like my dual heritage (Mauritian and South African) where I created a hybrid out of each country's national flower.

Doing an art foundation course will allow me to further bring beauty into the world with the skills I'd learn, and being able to create things in the future that I wouldn't be able to now would broaden my ability to spread love through my art. I consider myself quite open to new experiences. Having travelled all over the globe to beautiful places like Mauritius, South Africa and Spain throughout my life I tend to meet opportunities with excitement and anticipation whilst taking inspiration from everything, and I would be ecstatic to study a foundation course and try out new techniques and materials as well as developing skills i have already acquired.

Photography is a skill that I am quite experienced in, where I chose to investigate the changes in fashion over the past 100 years for my A Level personal project. However along the way I found it to push me out of my comfort zone. Photography really helped me with my problem solving capabilities as I found myself having to overcome many obstacles such as set building, makeup design, outfit design and much more, but as aforementioned I love to bring out the beauty in things and one of the most rewarding aspects of the A level was getting to see the final products. Just something about these elegant and graceful images really ignited my passion for the subject and made me want to learn more.

I look for creativity and beauty everywhere I go and a lot of my interests stem from art. For about the past 10 years I have had a vast array of interests with my main 2 being toys and films. I am highly invested in the process of creating and designing toys and I find myself attracted to vibrant and brightly coloured ones as they bring me joy with their vivid patterns and hues. The process of stop motion animation and classical hand-drawn is also something that has greatly influenced me for a long time, with my first encounter with the stop motion world being in 2010 when I watched the movie Coraline in cinemas. My passion for toys and stop motion has led me to create a handful of doll-like sculptures out of plastic in the past, however I would love to try creating maquettes out of other materials in the future. I hope to

[mathandsciencearshdeep]

Name Arshdeep Kaur

Math and Science 320

Professor name: Tamara Faires

A) Choose one of the Stations from the workshop. Discuss how this experience supports the Engineering design process/steps (see class notes). Provide details and examples for each step.

The Table  Challenge is my preferred option. For me, this is a really difficult approach. I'm going to go over a few of the engineering design phases below.

What is the problem: I had to create a home, tree, boat, and the initial letter of my name in just ten minutes, which made the task difficult.

Brainstorm idea: I came up with a lot of ideas for this task by using my imagination. For instance, I use different colors and blocks for various tasks.

Design/Invent: shapes and blocks come in extremely useful. In the first exercise, for instance, I loved using blocks to write my name in various colors.

Build/create: I constructed a home. I use a triangle and two, for instance, similar blocks. My house's main door is made out of several blocks.

Test and evaluate: I keep notice of and analyze my home to see whether the blocks are flawed in any way. For the main entrance, for instance, I first used just two blocks and placed them nearby, but after testing and evaluating, I used four blocks—two of each—which seems well.

Redesign or modify a design: I changed my mind and utilized different building blocks to create a person.

Share solutions with others: When I exchange ideas with other people, they advise me not to use the same color blocks. It appears attractive if you use different shade blocks.

B) Justify the age group for this experience (experience you have chosen in 1. A). Use references to support your response.

The table challenge is suitable for students in school. I chose school-age children for a variety of reasons, one of which considering that they are capable of understanding how to complete the task in less time, especially with a 10-minute time limitation. School-agers may use their imagination to come up with creative ways to use blocks, even if they are not all the same size. School-agers can use their hand-eye coordination and problem-solving abilities to complete their task. School-age children use their finger and hand-eye coordination. However, infants and toddlers cannot use such skills. They cannot apply creativity and balance. It's a complicated task that they are unable to understand how to deal with the complex time, therefore they get frustrated.

 2. Choose your favorite station (activity) from Workshop #4 and explain why. How did the experience help support your understanding of the Engineering Design Process (one example)?

I enjoy completing the Playdough button challenge the most. This is a really enjoyable activity. This task requires both finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination in addition to imagination. The engineering design process has been integrated into this task.

What is the problem: Establishing a balance for a high building is the primary challenge.  for instance, I used buttons of varying sizes, thus it was difficult for me to maintain balance because there was more of a risk of falling.

Brainstorm Idea: I started by selecting large buttons to build a 20-meter tower. However, after determining that the height was 12 cm, I switched to smaller buttons first and large after.

Design/Invent: I came up with a plan for a straightforward tower structure that helps in meeting requirements.

Build, create: I construct a tower after a few attempts. 

Test and evaluate: it is important to identify the point of weakness first. I then measure the height, and it falls from 20 cm.

Redesign or modify a design: To meet my requirements, I discovered that it is crucial to divide the large and little buttons while building a tower because doing so saves time when creating a tall structure.

Share solutions with others: I just asked others to come join in and give advice so that I could finish the task.