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anti-catradora-receipts · 4 years

Note

I really had to see someone say catra didnt abuse adora bc she "didnt have a position of power" over her. And claimed that i "didnt know what abuse was". Well i guess the abuse that ive been through in relationships (platonic and romantic), that has often been like catra/adoras dynamic, wasnt abuse huh. Guess im not an abuse victim after all by that logic

Dear anon,

Firstly, I just wanted to say that I’m really sorry for everything you’ve been through. And I’m really sorry that someone tried to invalidate your experiences with abuse. I really hope you’re doing okay and taking care of yourself.

Secondly, I disagree with the person’s statement of “catra didnt abuse adora bc she "didnt have a position of power" over her.” That’s false.

Catra admits to manipulating Adora during the show. And this article talks about manipulation in a relationship and how manipulation is all about power and control. I extracted some parts of the article and placed it right below (within the quotation marks):

“People who manipulate use mental distortion and emotional exploitation to influence and control others. Their intent is to have power and control over others to get what they want.

A manipulators knows what your weaknesses are and will use them against you. This will keep happening unless you actively and assertively put a stop to it. That said, it is not always easy.”

Next, this article is from the perspective of a victim of abuse after leaving an emotionally abusive relationship. The author of the article wanted to better understand their past abusive relationship and shared the insights that they gained from reading the book, ‘Power Games: Confronting Others’ Hurtful Behaviour and Transforming Our Own by Kay Douglas and Dr Kim McGregor’. I feel that the article illustrates in depth the enormous power imbalance between Catra and Adora and I extracted some parts of the article and put it below (within the double quotations):

“After leaving an emotionally abusive relationship, I found myself needing to understand what had happened. Like most people who leave a volatile situation I was, quite simply, unable to process and articulate what was wrong. Apart from being incredibly vulnerable, I was also just too close to my own situation to see it objectively.

So I decided to read Power Games: Confronting Others’ Hurtful Behaviour and Transforming Our Own by Kay Douglas and Dr Kim McGregor. What I found was a wealth of information confirming what I couldn’t express or even see for myself. Here are some choice insights from the book, as well as some of my own thoughts*:

1. Control is always at the heart of a power game. The need to assert control will usually involve undermining and/or discrediting another to achieve our own ends. For example, we are using power games when we:

bully or intimidate someone into agreeing with our demands;

bait and provoke others through disturbing statements or actions and then claim they’re being over-sensitive/emotional, crazy or irrational (known as gaslighting);

...

engage in name calling, put-downs, harsh criticism or threats.

2. Manipulators are not concerned with taking responsibility for their decisions/behaviours/feelings. Instead, they create a smokescreen by shifting the focus or blame to others. And consequently, the other party must assume the responsibility for making the situation ‘better’. If the other party is a ‘good’ person, they will comply with whatever demands are issued (peace at any price). As soon as they resist, however, the manipulator is likely to go on the attack.

3. For the receiver, cumulative exposure to such tumult may reduce self-esteem and increase anxiety, resentment and fear. Receivers will experience intense emotional reactions and may end up interpreting these as proof they are selfish, unbalanced, over-sensitive and unreasonable. They may lose their sense of self; either over-compensating to ‘get it right’ and ‘be better’ or even adopting manipulative tactics against others.

...

4. For the receiver, regaining personal power starts with a shift in one’s thinking. More specifically, an acknowledgement that the manipulator must take responsibility for their feelings and behaviours and any future change. It is accepting that the dynamic needs to change and learning to distinguish between real and manufactured guilt. It is constructing and defending boundaries and a willingness to listen to what anger is trying to say. It is the ability to cut through the smokescreen tactics and see the situation clearly. It is the ability to speak one’s truth and articulate one’s feelings. It is honouring the self. And, sometimes, this will mean leaving.

What I learned is that while not everyone who feels inadequate is a manipulator, every manipulator feels inadequate. So do we all, I know. But, what sets manipulators apart is the way they consistently and systematically re-distribute this inadequacy onto others.

...

What I also learned is that by disengaging I was not giving up, but that I was actively saying ‘I am worth more than this’.”

On a personal note, I just wanted to point out some additional reasons I see a huge power imbalance between Catra and Adora:

- The fact that Catra was completely okay with controlling Adora and Catra was not willing to give up her control of Adora.

- The fact that Adora seems to be the one who is constantly scared of Catra. At the present moment, I can only remember two scenes when Catra is scared of Adora: when Adora gets corrupted and attacks Catra at the beginning of White Out (S2E5), and when Adora gives Catra “The Look” at the end of The Portal (S3E6) . In addition, take a look at this scene. Adora honestly believes that Catra is going to kill her:

- The fact that Catra is completely okay with taking away Adora’s power. In the following scene, Catra doesn’t even see Adora as a person but as a tool. Catra literally states that they’ll use the corrupted sword in order to control Adora and use Adora as an advantage for the Horde. Catra even states that she’ll control Adora to kill Adora’s own friends. That is unbelievably sick. Moreover, Catra was completely okay with controlling Adora’s choices and actions. In fact, this scene supports the fact that Catra was completely okay with taking away Adora’s freedom.

And honestly, there are some stark similarities between the previous scene with Catra and the following scene with Shadow Weaver. Shadow Weaver was ready to take away Adora’s power and use Adora as a tool against the Rebellion.

I’d also like to point out that what Catra was willing to do to Adora, Horde Prime had actually done to Catra in S5. Catra’s power and freedom was taken away by Horde Prime and Horde Prime controlled Catra to attack Adora. The fact that Horde Prime took away Catra’s power and freedom was cruel and despicable. And the fact that Catra was willing to take away Adora’s power and freedom is cruel and despicable.

Moreover, Adora ended up with Catra, a person who was perfectly okay with taking away Adora’s freedom and power.

That is absolutely vile.

Finally I just want to add that my pinned post titled “Catra abused Adora.” has hyperlinks to resources relating to abuse:

- The Emotional Abuse section is reviewed by professionals.

- The Physical Abuse section is provided by an online mental health service in Australia.

And these resources confirm that Catra emotionally and physically abuses Adora.

In conclusion, you are right to say that Catra abuses Adora. Again, I’m really sorry that someone tried to invalidate your experiences with abuse. And I really hope you know that your feelings about Catradora are completely valid.

I genuinely hope you’re talking care of yourself. Seriously, please make sure you check in with yourself and prioritize some self-care.

Thank you very much for sharing. ✨

#anti catradora #anti c//a #anti-catradora-receipts #spop salt #spop critical #every time i look at this ship #it just gets worse #the fact that catra was willing to take away adora's freedom is disgusting #i have no words #i hate this ship with all my heart

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aries-writingblog · 3 years

Text

Atlas (9)

Summary: After years of being imprisoned on the Raft, Tony negotiates freedom for his sister Tessa. When she’s free- so is her past, and it will never stop hunting her.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OC(Stark)

Chapter Word count: 935

Warnings: PTSD (subtle ish), trauma, torture (in later parts), suicidal behaviors and thoughts, mentions of death, character death, injury, violence, angst, and a lil bit of fluff in there, language

Disclaimer: Atlas is my own, original work with characters belonging to Marvel (except Tessa and Dr. Clifton). Plagiarism is not cool kids.

A/N: this is my first work Im posting to this platform and I’m really excited and nervous about it. Hope you enjoy- constructive criticism is always helpful as well!!

This is the final part in this series.

~~6 months later~~

“Sam! Give it back!” Tessa’s loud, boisterous voice could be heard from the kitchen. She and Sam had been playing Mario Kart for hours, leaving most of the others to watch. Bucky and Steve had made the most of the cloudy day, going on a jog around the local park before coming back to join everyone.

Bucky crashed on the couch beside Tessa, laying his head on her lap as she swerved on screen. She scowled as Sam took the lead again, pushing her character off the side of the map.

“Oh screw you Barnes, you’re in league with him.” She griped, begrudgingly accepting a sloppy kiss to her jaw. He took notice of her breathing, seeing that she was doing so without struggle. The first two months after the mission was hard, her mood often swinging many times a day, making her frustrated with herself. And then she would be angry, irritated with the nurses who were only trying to help.

Then there was her physical limitations- her punctured lung healing slowly. The skin on her arm had been replaced by Dr. Cho, not even leaving a scar.

And she had been training more with Wanda and Steve, gaining more control of her powers. Now when she had a nightmare, she no longer set anything on fire subconsciously. Which was good because Bucky had thrown enough burnt shirts that he just started sleeping without them. Of course, that decision came with strings attached, his own doubt bubbling up as he revealed his full metal appendage to Tessa. But she took it in stride- giving him love and acceptance, just as he had shown her.

Tony was still very apprehensive of the whole idea of them being together but, he caved everyday that Tessa became more of herself. He wasn’t blind- he saw the rapid progress she’d made. He also saw her relapses and how Bucky handled them. As much as he hated it, they were good for each other. His frigid nature and her white hot anger seemed to counteract each other when they were together.

“What do you guys want for dinner?” Natasha asked. She had been sitting in the same chair for the past thirty minutes, her head hanging upside down from the chair, legs thrown over the back.

“Nat, did you see that post Matt from accounting made on Twitter?” Wanda asked. Natasha’s head shot up.

“He posted?” She shouted, scrambling over to see Wanda’s phone. “Oh my god he’s an idiot! Look at that spelling...”

“It’s a gold mine!” Wanda cackled, scrolling through his posts.

“Stop harassing the employees, you two.” Steve scolded. Then he leaned over, glancing at the phone. “He didn’t even capitalize his letters.”

“We’re eating pizza for dinner tonight- it’s Thursday.” Vision reported, picking at a piece of lint on his sweater.

“Fucking- Sam, stop that!” Tessa slapped his hand away as he tried to sabotage her. Bucky only cuddled himself closer to her abdomen, feeling the warmth of her overheated skin. He loved feeling that warmth- too accustomed to the cold, craving the temperature her body emitted. “Alright, I quit. You’re just cheating.” She tossed the remote to the table, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Fine, whatever, anybody else up for a round?” Sam offered, holding the remote out. Tessa tapped on Bucky’s head and he looked up to her eyes.

“I’m gonna head up to our room... I don’t think I can handle anymore today.” Bucky swiftly untangled himself and stood up, offering an arm to her.

“We’ll see you guys later.” Bucky announced, the words falling on deaf ears. Bucky had made her promise that if she ever began to feel like her ‘social battery’ began to run out to tell him. It was something her therapist suggested and Bucky took it and ran with it. And so far, it had been successful.

Once they were in the seclusion of their room, Tessa sighed, stretching her arms above her head before flopping to the bed. Since he had moved into her apartment two weeks ago, he had stopped sleeping on the bathroom floor- giving the bed an actual chance. She wasn’t lighting things on fire so it was safe. They established a new sort of trust in one another.

Bucky lay down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. She sighed contentedly and nuzzled closer. He pressed a quiet kiss to the crown of her head, his eyes heavy with sleep.

“Bucky...” her words were quiet, soft. He hummed in response. “Thank you...” She didn’t have to explain anything. He understood the weight of the words in the silence. “I know it isn’t easy to take care of me.” A squeeze to her shoulder.

“Not to me.” He answered, keeping his voice low. He knew she wouldn’t say it back yet, but it didn’t stop him from letting the next words tumble from his lips. “I love you.”

Tessa squeezed an arm around his waist, curling closer to his chest. Her lips grazed his chest, a light kiss pressed to his pectoral. In a way, that was his answer. She said the words everyday in multiple ways, including small kisses to his body. And he was okay with that. She was still learning, just as he was. It would take time and patience. The weight of both of their pasts threatening to swallow them while, to crush them alive. But Bucky was willing to help shoulder hers, just as she was to his. As long as neither of them held the weight alone.

#bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes x oc #bucky x oc

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if-the-crown-fits-translate-it · 4 years

Text

Discord pt 85

[Date: 16/03, 09.51 PM - 16/03, 10.14 PM GMT]

Baroness: “Hi Max, how's the little flower? :)”

Maxwell: “.....”

dreaming: “max you should leave.”

Maxwell: “why are you here”

Jack: “Hello Baroness.”

Raeva: “How do you know that?”

donti: “hi baroness! nice to see you here!”

Ilyr: “Hi, baroness :3 how are you?”

disks and the color red |Stars: “Hm. Well I suppose I should finally introduce myself to the new guy. Hello there ma'am Im Dave, Im one of the mods here. Jack said you were interesting”

jayyyyyyyy: “what did you do to max, baroness?”

Renboo: “Hello Baroness how have you been?”

Jack: “thanks. [/s]”

Bea: “Hello again Baroness--”

Baroness: “Hello! I'm just checking in. I thought I saw everyone checking on Max's head. How interesting. :)”

Maxwell: “how the fuck did you know”

Baroness: “:)”

Jack: “she can backread?”

donti: “Well! A growth coming from someone's head is a little concerning. It could have been something malicious!”

Little-K1ng: “groaan ugh,,, hey, something up?”

Bea: “We just wanted to make sure our friend was ok.”

Maxwell: “baroness”

Little-K1ng: “not my name

oh you mean

hm”

jayyyyyyyy: “baroness, do you know what the growth is?”

Baroness: “ I saw fetch leave earlier too, scratching behind his ears a bit. I wonder what that was about?”

Little-K1ng: “ hello? we havent met”

[jayyyyyyyy: “baroness, do you know what the growth is?”]

Baroness: “Well, spring will be soon. :)”

disks and the color red |Stars: “oh so you have something to do about that? thats interesting.”

[Little-K1ng: “hello? we havent met”]

Baroness: “Oh, hello mona! very nice to finally meet you. :)”

jayyyyyyyy: “hm”

Maxwell: “im not a huge fan of flowers...”

Little-K1ng: “uh..... sure”

Renboo: wait, baroness, when did you see fetch?-

Jack: “Say, Baroness. How do you take care of your flowers?”

Little-K1ng: “fetch stormed out a little while ago, but he could not have gone far. you're a little far from home right now, arent you baroness?”

Maxwell: “ shes very fucking far from home”

[Little-K1ng: “fetch stormed out a little while ago, but he could not have gone far. you're a little far from home right now, arent you baroness?”]

Baroness: “Not really! I always make time to see family. :)”

Renboo: “if baroness if ar away from the mansion i think that defeats the 'crown's powers have a reach' theory-”

Maxwell: “we're not your family fuck off”

[Maxwell: “shes very fucking far from home”]

Jack: “court members come visit the mineshaft all the time.”

Little-K1ng: “ so you... snuck away to have a peek? and you're just back to crowns mansion now? or am i misreading this”

[Maxwell: “we're not your family fuck off”]

Baroness: “Watch your language when speaking about the family.”

disks and the color red |Stars: “ its not like we dont want them to come here right?”

[Baroness: Watch your language when speaking about the family.]

Maxwell: “no fuck off”

disks and the color red |Stars: “max be polite”

[Little-K1ng: “ so you... snuck away to have a peek? and you're just back to crowns mansion now? or am i misreading this”]

Baroness: “Snuck away? I don't need to sneak away. I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.”

donti: “hey hey heeyyyy max you should chill before anything we might regret happens hehehaha”

Baroness: “I suggest you do the same, Mona.”

Little-K1ng: “so... crown lets you leave? after all that, he lets you leave home?”

Renboo: "Baroness what's your deal with cursing?-(cussing?)”

[Bea: “what are you doing, then?”]

Baroness: “Learning.”

Little-K1ng: “you suggest i "do what im supposed to be doing", or "watch my language about the family"?”

Maxwell: “go suggest you go learn about something else”

Baroness: “:)”

Little-K1ng: “im hardly critical of the family, ive never fought with crown or the court members. frankly i would almost say im currently closer to them than you are :) (threat)”

Baroness: “ Is that so? :)”

Little-K1ng: “it is”

jayyyyyyyy: "max, mona, im pretty sure baroness is a.. watcher, of some sort, to see whats going on and check in

keeping out of sight is probably best for now”

Little-K1ng: “ frankly, im the one housing them and keeping them healthy and in one piece. you're all the ones making me ruin my lawn with the sprinkler system”

[Little-K1ng: “it is”]

Baroness: “Tell me, Mona. How are you feeling?”

[jayyyyyyyy: max, mona, im pretty sure baroness is a.. watcher, of some sort, to see whats going on and check in]

Renboo: “so like a spy-”

jayyyyyyyy: “not exactly

spies stay hidden”

Jack: “...”

jayyyyyyyy: “baroness does not”

Jack: “ ...

...”

[Baroness: “Tell me, mona. How are you feeling?”]

Little-K1ng: “wouldnt you like to know, new money”

Maxwell: “id say shes more like a stalker”

Jack: “ this is very. very. reminicent of a conversation I've had before.”

jayyyyyyyy: “yeah, not a spy”

Baroness: “A spy? no, i am just a humble observer. I just like to learn. :)”

Maxwell: “then go learn about something else”

[Bea: “I know it's not my place to say, Baroness, but watching people without them knowing doesn't sound very... legal. Or ethical.”]

Baroness: “Tell me, what do you know of ethics or morality? I’m just doing what's right for the family. :)”

[Little-K1ng: so you're not setting things in motion, obviously. you're just making sure they go smoothly. i hope i can find a way to piss you off in a way that's constructive. i know you know full well whats 'meant' to happen, but are you willing to say more on that?]

Baroness: “I am simply here to learn, Mona. I'm new, after all. :)”

Little-K1ng: “baroness, you seem to like information? do you want anything specific from me? there isnt much i could tell you that you wouldnt be able to figure out, but it would be interesting to know what kinds of things you're having trouble with”

Maxwell: “fuck my head....”

[Little-K1ng: “baroness, you seem to like information? do you want anything specific from me? there isnt much i could tell you that you wouldnt be able to figure out, but it would be interesting to know what kinds of things you're having trouble with”]

Baroness: “Well, you are always welcome to share anything with me, mona. But i already know more than you think. :)”

Little-K1ng: “shhh max, we're still sitting on the couch just lean your head on me”

[donti: “ethics is always a fun subject”]

Baroness: “It really is, isn't it donti? :)”

[Little-K1ng: “no doubt”]

Baroness: “:)”

[Maxwell: “look i said before i have my reasons why i dont like being watched”]

Baroness: “Why are those, Max? I'm just looking out for you.”

[disks and the color red |Stars: “Personally I see nothing wrong with that Baroness is doing”]

Baroness: “Thank you, Dave. :)"

[Baroness: “Why are those, Max? I'm just looking out for you.”]

Maxwell: “youre not looking out for me”

Baroness: “Oh, but I am! I just want to make sure that things are blooming nicely. :)”

#on:discord #by:baroness #by:maxwell #if the crown fits

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ahusaka · 4 years

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hey! this may be a super random question but im curious as to how you plot/outline your wips? im obsessed w into the haze

Thank you so much! Honestly this is gonna be pretty long because I’m self indulgent in worldbuilding so oop.

This isn’t necessarily an outlining technique as it is just for writing in general but be willing to consume other people’s works. You don’t even necessarily have to be a critic or anything but the consumption of different stories really helps a person develop their own tastes (not even just in genre but in the development of prose too) and aligns themselves with whatever themes and messages they want to deliver themselves. Into the Haze evolved and grew because I got to read so many things and adapt them into my own writing. You’ll also know what to avoid when writing too.

Secondly, the big worldbuilding. Now, quick PSA but you absolutely do not have to be elaborate with world building but for me, I’m always been big on it. Worldbuilding is all in the details where the details can be big or small. I’m personally a very big fan on exploring politics/linguistics/war history but a lot of people make their expertise on agriculture, religion, art, and so on. That shit’s hot as hell is all I can say and when you play up to your interests, you get some cool stuff.

I take the angle of politics and see where I can use schools of thought to really dig into it. Societies are just a bunch of dudes walking around and screaming about philosophies of rule and then some other dudes countering it. Those things resonate with me (lmao I’m literally a weirdo I’m sorry) because FOR REAL, you got so much things to go off of with literal schematics of how rulers can be “good” (not morally but they monopolize on things such as charisma or they’re just really good at suppressing debates same thing) or “bad” (fucking those guys who use fear and just make everyone hate them). You have different landscapes of how a “rule” is designated (it doesn’t have to be rooted in feudalism for fantasy!! Make some democracies 2020) and the motivations of which the rulers encompass and how they reflect onto their ruling societies.

ALSO GEOPOLITICS ARE PRETTY IMPORTANT!!! They tie into trade and economics with neighbouring countries, important for alliances to be made, how war is conducted and executed (An example is how Germany invaded Belgium to get to France in WW1), what resources need to imported or exported, where major hubs are, and etc.

Class order/hierarchy. This is one of the biggest elements I like to talk about. You can go absolutely monkey with this (assuming you’ve laid the structure down of your ruling class to justify this). Class can be dictated by socio-economic structures (nobility = rich, peasantry = poor), religion (only certain people are mandated by god(s)), race (but people clown this too much so I don’t recommend this unless you are personally acquainted with the culture dealt with or like you have sensitivity readers), magic (most common, magic is banned and magic users are oppressed) and so on. Basically power and privilege stems from the historical basis of this class order/hierarchy which befalls the writer to create, connecting to the above political ruling because it’ll directly benefit their interests.

War is another thing I write a lot and want to say a lot of people don’t really write about the devastating effects of war. Once writers write a war they’re like “well the good guys won and everything was peaceful!” If only. The aftermath of war efforts is very gruesome and involves everyone just kind of traumatized, an influx of refugees of war, poverty, destruction of the environment, and in some cases, causes uprisings or the very least, protests if the war efforts continue. I’d really like people to consider those factors when war is central to their plot because it seems to be glorified a lot.

Culture is a big thing I also focus on and culture is basically the catch all for the cool stuff humans decide to make when things are relatively chill (or not chill in the aftermath). Usually culture is an export that can be shared and you’ll see influences in other countries if they’re relatively close together or if they’ve had a history of being invaded/occupied. ALSO SUBCULTURES EXIST SO!!!!!! Consider if your world is a melting pot, if there’s a dominant culture, if cultures co-exist, and you know so on. Culture can find itself in pretty much everywhere but the biggest would be the following:

- art

- theatre (ok but the coolest thing I’ve learned about Vietnamese theatre is their water puppets??)

- food

- language * (which I’ll mostly talk about)

- the dominant religion

- architecture

- clothing (ESPECIALLY the fabrics used)

- weapons

- stories (whether they tell them by mouth or writing them down, how they decide to enact these stories, etc)

Language is my biggest interest too because it’s really complex and not many people focus on it. It has ties in class hierarchy (people speaking in higher class tongue, the different dialects indicating class / schooling disparities) and the development of language can have roots in cultural shifts due to occupation of other countries and so on. Like the creation of language is so amazing honestly and if anyone needs resources hmu.

Magic systems have their own line of being categorized with rules and classified as hard and soft but I don’t necessarily limit myself to thinking about those and rather, think about the basis of their existence in relationship of them being culturally significant to the society. Basically, I construct a history of magic before I go into the details. My favourite way of constructing a magic system is by relating it to science (it’s what makes chemistry bearable sad emoji). But it really depends on how I want to write my story because, like I said, I find regulations on magic and laws on magic interesting and relating it back to the idea of political power. But culture (ESPECIALLY RELIGION) is important consideration and I would implore writers to think about the way magic is utilized (as a tool, as a weapon, as both, as a shortcut, etc) and how it relates before you really digest the nitty gritty of magic because you can do so much with it.

This is a vomit word post I’m so sorry but yes this is the general mess going on in my head when writing my wips. I was so tempted to go into characters but that would be a GARBAGE fest. In conclusion, read too much books and scream.

#ask | answered #im sorry i dont know what i did here #im crying #worldbuilding

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maternacapra · 5 years

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rules for mobile followers

Muse =/= Mun. While I don’t expect this to be a problem, at the same time I feel as if I must have this disclaimer here. The way Toriel acts, thinks, or believes do not necessarily mean that the mun holds the same views.

Drama is not tolerated here. Leave the mun out of it. She wants nothing to do with whatever is going on, and if this request is not honored, mun reserves the right to not only lecture her entire dashboard, but also block the offenders.

I will tag triggers if/when requested. Mun has one trigger, and that is visual depictions of hanging. Mun will also tag the more common/general ones, but if you have certain ones, please be sure to let mun know!

Please have available rules/about pages! This makes it much easier for the mun to learn about you, your muse, and what you will and will not tolerate. I’m afraid that if these are not available, then the chances of me rping with you are much lower than they would have been.

This blog is strictly SFW. This means there will be absolutely no sexual encounters or otherwise NSFW smut content here.

I am OC-friendly! I understand how difficult it can be to get an OC started in RP, believe me. I usually play OCs myself! So, yes, feel free to come at me with your characters; the only thing I ask is that you have a rules and about page for said OCs so I can understand a bit of what they’re all about!

No rudeness allowed. Between muses (IC), it’s fine. However, if it starts to turn OOC… we will not have that here. Constructive criticism is okay (especially since this is mun’s first attempt at RPing a canon character); if it ends up being something like “how dare you not ship what I ship!!!!11!!!” mun reserves the right to ignore you.

No godmodding allowed. Minor godmodding (i.e. you give Toriel a cup or something) is fine. If it gets heavier than that (i.e. you write that your muse outright kills Toriel), that is not permitted unless we have discussed it beforehand. Along with this, unless your character has a good reason for knowing/canonically knows information, please do not assume that they already know what’s going on with her.

Don’t stress over timing/length of replies. Mun is very easygoing when it comes to this. She can wait forever, seriously. You do not have to match the length of mun’s replies, either; as long as there’s something for mun to work with well enough, you’re good. Mun can do one-liners or paras, but prefers paras. Mun can also be rather slow in regards to her own replies. You may remind mun about your reply after a week if she hasn’t gotten to yours, since it’s very possible she’s lost it! Also, one very important thing: Do not pester mun and ask repeatedly if she will continue your thread. This will only result in mun becoming less and less willing to reply to your thread.

Regarding shipping: This blog is multiship. All relationships with Toriel take place in their own separate verses, so don’t worry about one overtaking the other or something! Mun’s personal favorite ship with Toriel is Asgoriel (Asgore+Toriel), but she’s open to others!

IMs are for OOC communication only. I am afraid I prefer doing my RPing in either Discord or on the blog itself; for me, IM rping is a little too difficult to keep up with. Hand in hand with this, is the fact that I am not always very quick to answer said IMs. I may be working on replies (90% of the time this is why I won’t answer immediately), I may not even be looking at the tab, or I just may not be on Tumblr at all at the time. So, please, if I do not answer you within 30 seconds, be patient. Patience is a virtue, after all!

You are allowed to tell the mun to shut up if you feel she’s posting too much OOC. You are also allowed to block her ooc tag, which is ooc: a silly little mun who worries too much. No hard feelings will be held, I assure you!

The mun will not rp with personal blogs. In short, there have been some bad experiences that have been had, and she does not wish to repeat these. If you are a personal with rp sideblogs, though, please let her know! Those are fully and entirely acceptable.

Lastly: have fun! This isn’t a job, it’s a hobby, and you shouldn’t be made to feel as if it’s a job! If you’ve lost the muse for a thread, that’s fine; just let me know! Mun doesn’t want anyone to feel stressed out over it, after all.

To show you have read these, please send Toriel your best goat pun! After all, she loves puns. A lot. This isn't absolutely required, but it is a nice thought! I understand if you have anxiety about it, though. After all… the mun is a little ball of anxiety herself!

#mobile rules

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miterakatsika-a · 6 years

Text

the laws of the ruins

I will tag triggers if/when requested. Mun does not have any triggers in particular. Mun will also tag the more common/general ones, but if you have certain ones, please be sure to let mun know!

This blog is strictly SFW. This means there will be absolutely no sexual encounters or otherwise NSFW smut content here. I do have a sideblog for that, but only those 18+ in age may interact with that.

#mobile rules

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creepypocky · 3 years

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Hiiii! May I have a match-up please? One who is my lover and a best friend one? Thank you!

My sun sign is pisces. My moon is Sagittarius. And my rising is virgo!

I'm a intj my personality is mostly independent, blunt, bold, and chaotic

Im somewhat shy at times definitely when im in love with someone but im also not experienced being in love like tbh its awkward for me but I try to shove it away. Im really kind and a passionate with certain things, im really psychic and it really scares me tbh but I can handle it.

My sense of style is kinda walk it changes every so often bc of my mood but my main style is vamp or romantic goth! I wear rings, jewelry, and some makeup to go with it!

My most favorite animals are bunnies, frogs, lizards, raccoons!! Maybe sharks too? Idk they seem cute & cool to me

My sexuality is so confusing rn but im gonna put myself as biromantic asexual!

Im very picky with my partners of course they don't have to be perfect but im only picky with the way their attitude and actions are! Im a classy type of gal to be respected and not treated like a toy.

I suffer from c-ptsd, major depression, ged anxiety, ocd, anemia and dissociation. I also have allergy asthma ;-; its sucks man but ill fine <33

My hobbies are playing video games, listening to music outside, doing art when I have motivation.

For date ideals are going to the arcade, going outside and looking at the stars, spending time together, watching movies, and going out to party!

Also thank you very much when you get the time to do this I really appreciate the time and effort you put into yout writing! <33

Alright, just woke up and I'm gonna work on this ASAP since I put it off last night, I don't want to be too tired to give you a good post!

Before I get into the matchup, just wanted to say I'm terribly sorry you're going through those health issues both mental and physical. I whole heartedly hope you recover from them soon! Take care of yourself honey!

~~~

|| I match you with: Hoodie! ||

Hoodie is also pretty independent and blunt, he’s a very quiet guy obviously but it’s not because he’s shy it’s mostly because he doesn’t like people. Regardless though, he doesn’t take disrespect from people and he will be blunt with them.

He loves how bold you are, it attracts him a lot along with your independence. I feel like you two are really compatible since he’s just naturally attracted to you without even noticing at times.

When you two get into a relationship, he also shares that kind of shy feeling since he’s in no way whatsoever experienced when it comes to love. But he’ll definitely try his best to make sure you’re always comfortable and will be as slow and chill with you as you need him to be. Remember, this should be a mutual thing.

You a psychic? He’s interested. Tell him all of your predictions hon he’ll spend hours just listening to you go on and on.

He’s honestly pretty indifferent about styles but he thinks yours is cool, he loves seeing you dress up into goth outfits and see how they compliment your form.

Hoodie really loves nature so he also loves going deep into the woods, which means he gets to see all kinds of animals. He’s more than willing to bring you with him to see all the animals you like and see if you two can even get one. He’s... not so sure about sharks. He thinks they’re cool, though.

Don’t even worry, this man always respects you, until you do something shitty to him, that is. But, you’re his and he wants to show you he appreciates you. If anyone ever treats you with disrespect he’s always there to back you up.

This is very important; he is there for you when you’re suffering from those mental illnesses, whether it be to give you advice, calm you down, or just simply listen to you rant to him. He wants you to understand you’re not alone in any way and will always slowly help you get back on your feet. If you’re suffering from an asthma attack, there he’ll be watching over you and helping. Just please make sure to show that contribution back bc pls he’s going through stuff aswell this man is super pent up.

He’s not much of a video game guy but he’ll watch you play, maybe even play with you if you teach him how. Teaching him is kind of funny though tbh because he acts like an old man and doesn’t even understand what the game is even if he watches you play it for hours, lmfaooo.

He does love listening to music though, he likes to listen to music with shared earbuds as you walk in the woods together hand-in-hand. Pls let him watch you do art and show him, he loves watching you work. He finds it super interesting especially since it’s you doing the art. I also canon that he’s trying to learn how to do art and get better at it.

He will 100000000x look at the stars with you babe, you two constantly go out at night and cuddle under a tree just to look at the stars in silence. It’s one of his most favorite things to do with you.

He’s honestly not the best at going into public to do arcades or parties, but he’s willing to try and go out of his comfort zone for you if you ever want to go to them. Pls he just wants to see that smile on your face and have fun with you.

Best friend:

||I match you with: Clockwork! ||

This woman is also blunt and bold, so the two of you make a pretty good pair. She’s very caring once you get to know her and tbh she’s a bit of a mom friend towards you. She’s always checking up on you and making sure you’re doing okay and if you’re not, trust me she gonna coddle you till you feel better.

I canon that she has a bunny so when you two hang she brings him with her and lets you play with him and it’s super wholesome like fjhgjkg. She’ll probably kidnap some frogs for you too so the both of you can mess with them together.

Honey, as long as you respect her she will respect you back. In fact you’re one of the people she respects the most in her life because she loves how strong and kind you are as a person!

If you’re suffering because of your mental illnesses, she’s your go to for advice and/or emotional support. She loves you platonically too much to just let you suffer alone so she’s always by your side and helps you get back up on your feet.

She doesn’t know many games but she’ll play Minecraft and Mario Kart with you from time to time. Honestly sometimes she’ll just call Ben into the room to play some games with you instead of her because she’ll feel like she’s boring to play games with unless you reassure her.

She loves doing art though and seeing your works, she loves to paint and share art ideas with you. She’ll be your main person who gives you motivation to keep doing art and will give you constructive criticism on how to improve.

All in all, she’s a bit blunt and rude at first but is actually extremely caring for you and she’s like one of the most wholesome people to be besties with.

~~~

I hope you enjoyed this matchup hon, as I said earlier, take good care of yourself please. I hope you have an amazing day/night.

Also, thank you so much. <3 I try to put as much effort as I can into my writing even when it’s not the best.

#creepypasta #fluff #creepypasta fluff #hoodie #clockwork #creepypasta clockwork #brian thomas #matchup #creepypasta matchups #creepypasta hoodie #anon ask

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lifewithboys · 7 years

Text

What Happened?

We are in full swing basketball mode here. Dean is playing this year for the local rec league and he’s falling in love. Hayden is just as hard core as ever-he’s in 8th grade and playing for the school this year.

Roy played growing up. I swam growing up-and we’ve both coached. I got paid to coach-it was my job, and I loved it. I was good at it, and I know for every child I helped, I had a parent that wondered why I didn’t do this or that. As a coach, it’s hectic to have parents sit there and coach from the sidelines. It’s hard to have parents sit there and tell you what should and shouldn’t be done.

And as a parent-I see that side as well. Part of it is you are removed from the situation. You don’t have to make decisions-which child starts or swims which event. How long that child plays or if they get to swim on a relay. As a parent you only see the outcome, not the decisions made to try and reach said outcome. And to be clear-any coach worth a darn is doing so because they care. They love the sport, they care about the kids, and they want to give the kids a good experience. A positive one.

Now, I admit I don’t know as much about Basketball as Roy and Hayden. Even little Dean knows infinitely more than I probably do. I know what a rebound is, I know what a three pointer is-I know all the basics. I don’t know all the details of a backcourt violation, or why they don’t call holding when someone was clearly holding my child’s jersey. Yes, I look things up and yes I ask questions-point is I’m still learning.

What I do know is that a bad attitude is a problem. I know that kids get frustrated and can have bad games. I know sometimes something seems off and the team just doesn’t get it together. I know when a child is phoning it in, and when a child is leaving it all on the court. I know it’s not always about the numbers you put, sometimes it’s about how you work with your teammates. Do you give credit where credit’s due? Can you admit a mistake, and accept criticism? You might know someone messed up, they might know, the entire school might know, but can you put aside ego and be a friend, can you be a good teammate?

I liked to win. I liked to psych out my opponent. If I was behind at a turn, I pushed myself just a little bit harder, and when I saw them looking at me out of the corner of their eye, I relished the challenge. I was viciously competitive, until one day I was getting ready for a relay. The 400 IM was my jam. I swam the butterfly leg-2 laps, (or 4 in a 25 meter pool). Butterfly was my thing-yet no matter how many times I swam in, I was still dreadfully nervous before each event. And I covered that nervousness with bravado. I swung my arms just a little bit harder than the girl I was to race against. I stretched just a bit deeper, and I made sure to have my game face on, until one day something happened.

The girls I swam with were equally as hard core. We were a tight group, we knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We knew who had to do what based on warm up. One of us had cramps, so the other three knew to pick up the slack. And then our backstroker got sick. The alternate was a quite girl, very nice, but she didn’t swim in our lane. She didnt’ know all the tricks, and it showed. I saw her sitting with her back to us, she was shaking and another girl asked if she was ok. She started crying. Her fear? That she would disappoint us. That she would mess up our time, or get disqualified. That she couldn’t possibly measure up-and I stopped. THIS is what my ‘game face’ had reduced a very kind girl too? I stopped my arm swinging and the three other girls and I silently agreed to reassure her. We told her it didn’t matter what time we pulled, let’s just do our best. And did she ever! No, she wasn’t as fast as my friend. But I saw her joy at being on the “A” team. I saw her push herself harder than she ever had, and how happy she was when we cheered for her. We didn’t win that relay, but we came close-because Kara stepped in and gave it 110%.

Now, my story is dramatic, but it was a teaching moment for a 14 year old me. It showed me that sometimes the race isn’t about the win, that sometimes it’s about the journey and what you learn on said journey. I didn’t lose my hunger to win, but I did understand that winning isn’t the only thing, and I learned that those willing to give their all are the people you want on your team.

And I desperately want my son to learn that. I direct this at Hayden now, because he is at a competitive age. Parents are starting to take notice-they are starting to expect more from the coaches and the kids.

Disclaimer: I can run my mouth. If Roy’s there I have a tendency to tamp it down, but if he isn’t.....

Anyways, the team had a game yesterday. It did not go our way. Now, I don’t know if the coach was trying something new, or what. I do know that I drove for well over an hour to support our team-so that’s what I was going to do. I did my best to film the game for Roy. I cheered on the boys-ALL of them. I tried to pay attention to the refs and learn what was what-and I became consciously aware that our team had very few people there.

6 of us to be exact-and I get it. It’s during the work day, it was a long drive-I know I’m lucky to be able to attend those games, I get it. But the other parents that were there?

Why weren’t you cheering for the boys?

Why didn’t you make an effort to cheer for ANYONE-your own child? Mine? The other boys?

WHy did you sit there and criticize the coaches?

Why did you ridicule other players?

And why, if you can do a better job as you told me, do you not step up and offer your expertise? IF you can do so much better than the two men that devote their time and energy to this team, why aren’t you? Why are you just coming to a game, complaining it’s crap and a waste of time?

I get it-I’m a parent too. I want the team to do well, I want them to succeed, but succeeding isn’t just winning. It’s learning to be a good sport. It’s learning from your mistakes, and then showing up the next game ready to do better. Not insulting the coaches and the kids five minutes after a loss isn’t babying them-it’s picking your battles.

My dad was the first one to tell me if I made a mistake-if I false started, if my turn was slow, if I looked sloppy. But he also understood that there is a time and place. He didn’t need to come at me after I false started for the second time and got disqualified. And because he understood this-I felt comfortable listening to his constructive criticism. Roy does that for Hayden-I’m mom. I hug him when he’s frustrated-hell I even hug the other boys! And cheer just a bit louder than I should. But truth be told-win or lose, I’m proud of those boys for getting on that court in the first place. I’m proud when they play to the bitter end, knowing they’re going to lose, but not giving up. And I’m proud that my son is doing well-I admit it. I’m proud of every bucket he makes. I’m proud when he makes a free throw even thought the other team is yelling and screaming against him-and I’m proud when he walks out of that locker room with a smile on his face-no matter what the score board says.

I’m proud when he realizes that there just might be better teams out there, and that the ‘starting five’ needs to up their game. Him included. I’m proud that he is starting to understand what it means to be a part of a team.

I wish some of our parents got that...

#sorrysolong #sorry not sorry #basketball #parenting #family #sports

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comicteaparty · 5 years

Text

April 8th-April 14th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from April 8th, 2019 to April 14th, 2019. The chat focused on Radio Silence by Vanessa Stefaniuk.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Radio Silence by Vanessa Stefaniuk~! (http://www.radiosilencecomic.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until April 14th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. What do you think happened in Wren’s past to make her the way she is? How does this also tie in to what happened between her and Conibear? Will she ultimately overcome these issues? If so, how do you think it’ll happen?

€heshire777

My favorite so far is Shy's expression when Wren grabbed his arm on the bus.

€heshire777

I don't have the link handy, sorry

€heshire777

Radio Silence should totaly do a jam with noosehead

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. Do you think Matt is hiding something from the group given his video call at one point? If so, what is he hiding, and what’s stopping him from saying anything to the group? What does the person he was talking to have to do with it?

starkfield

1) I love Brent's worry going into overdrive when Colbie and Shy get left behind and the bus is looking for him, worried that even an old lady walking her dog is in desperate need of help...it's such a great character moment as you realize how much he notices/is always mentally juggling

RebelVampire

1) my favorite scene this read through is probably the scene where wren and shy finally talk. i appreciate how natural everything felt, yet at the same time felt like a concentrated efffort on wren's part to finally get shy to talk to her. brent also kind of set up some expectations about whether theyd get along or not, so it was some good immediate payoff to seeing that yup, he right. 2) I think it's pretty clear Wren was an abusive relationship before she met the band. Who with it's hard to say. It could be a boyfriend but given her age id also believe it was her father. But regardless i think for all of wren's confidence that she has a lot of self esteem issues that shes trying to get over and it doesnt help when ppl like conibear are around her reinforcing her worst fears. i think shell overcome them, but i kind of think she needs to get a therapist if she doesnt already have one. which, theyre on the road a lot, so i dont get the impression she does have one.

3) Probably Shy because I find Shy the most relateable. Also I like shy because i kind of feel like he has the most potential for growth. Not to say the other characters arent growing or have issues to deal with, but i feel shy kind of starts on the lowest rung of the ladder. So when he grows and changes, like how he finally learns to talk to Wren, its really noticeable and really satisfying. Like watching your baby grow up. 4) for the life of me i cant fathom what matt is hiding. at first youd assume the obvious: that he wants to go solo. but that doesnt seem likely given other things hes said. and youd also think hed have said something by now if that was the case. though i feel like hes avoiding the subject because he feels like the others, especially colbie, would take it as a betrayal. as for the person he was talking to, who i believe is his cousin, i think shes just involved in the sense that he needed to tell someone. so he told her cause she cant exactly go spilling the beans to the band for him

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. Given the focus on communication and relationships, what was your favorite moment where the challenge relationships present was on display? Overall, what do you think we can learn about the two from the comic?

RebelVampire

5) I've always really love this top panel with the Brandenburg Gate http://www.radiosilencecomic.com/comic/174 Cause man, there is so much attention to detail in the panel. Not just for the architecture, but all the little activities of the people too. It really feels like a hot tourist spot. Not to mention I love the angle used cause it really gives an impression of granduer and scale. 6) i really liked the recent one between matt and shy where shy was upset matt had treated him like a kid when dealing with samantha. at first i was kind of was more on the other character's page where i didnt really get what shy's deal was considering samantha had been the awful one. but then when shy was forced to communicate his feelings, it just really struck me as an "omg this makes sense." but i somehow feel this reaction i had was 100% what communication and relationships are all about. because sometimes we dont understand how we hurt others, and sometimes we forget that ppl arent mind readers. so for me, it was a moment where communication really was at the heart of it and it showed that without communication, relationships really just dont work that well. which this last sentiment i think is the take away from the entire comic. communication is key, because if we dont make others understand, we cant expect others to just magically know.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. Why do you think Liz took a chance on the band? What happened between her and Pandora, and how might this come up again given the past history Radio Silence has with the Sirens?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. Overall, how do you feel Shy will continue to grow and change over the course of the story? What role do you think Wren will have to play in his future?

RebelVampire

7) im really torn between saying shy and wren or shy and brent. so ill say both. cause i super enjoy watching how shy and wren come to get along even though their personalities are so opposite. like opposite in the way i never know what to expect when theyre interacting, so that makes each interaction exciting. but i also like shy and brent just cause of how mother hen brent is with shy. and honestly, theyre just super adorable when theyre together. 8) I'm going to be boring and say I think Liz took a chance on them for the exact reasons she said: she liked their sound and thought they had potential. though probably not shown i imagine once she met them, she saw their chemistry and charisma and thought "perfect." as for what happened between her and Pandora, i really think it might have had to do with the sirens. Either something before like Liz was supposed to help Pandora and Pandora betrayed her. Or it could be after the Conibear incident and Liz told Pandora to step up and doing something. and Pandora was like "lol nope" and Liz was like "how dare" but i do think pandora will be vindictive and use the sirens to irritate liz. and everyone will be sad

9) one of my variety details i think deserves more attention is how great the comic is at throwing in languages to kind of show everyone's ethnicity and add character to them through that. like how wren and shy both swear in different languages. or wren's extremely heavy accent that's really spot on for what it would sound like. i think it really helps bring the world together and emphasize the setting as well. because youd expect a british rock band to have more opportunities for different languages and stuff like that just due to how connected europe kind of is in general. overall though, just an endearing detail to me. 10) I think Shy still has to grow and stop being so, well, shy. Like even the recent incident with Matt kind of shows that hes n ot the best communicator. and i think thats something well see continue to change and hell voice his opinion and communicate his feelings more and more. and i think wren will definitely help with that cause she is more than willing to remind him ppl cant read his mind and he has to say the things for ppl to know the things.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. As a band, do you feel that Radio Silence will continue to be successful and grow their popularity? Or, do you feel they will crash and burn? What challenges will the band continue to face in regards to either path?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. What do you think is the story with Colbie and his family? Why do you think Colbie’s dad is trying so hard to contact him? How might this affect Colbie’s place in the band?

RebelVampire

11) I think this comic's strength is realism. Like this feels like an actual band that might exist and how theyd actually go about their actual daily lives. Even between the social media stuff, it just has this really endearing authenticity that helps draw you in to the drama and slice-of-life stuff. 12) I think theyll continue to grow, but i kind of feel that its their personal relationships that are gonna be the biggest obstacle to their growth. Cause I mean you have wren is keeps bottling up her past and no way that isnt going to blow up some day. You got Matt keeping secrets. You got Colbie's family issues. And then I kind of even think there might be issues with Brent cause i think theres gonna come a point where Brent has to pick between family and the band or something like that. And all these are gonna bring about drama and test everyone's dedication to staying cause love of music and fans can only take you so far

RebelVampire

13) i am most looking forward to things about wren getting revealed. cause i feel like the time is drawing near where well at least get an answer or two, and im interested to see what sort of depths this adds for her character. 14) I get the impression that Colbie's mom and dad might have divorced maybe and then she died. or maybe no divorce. i just assume divorce cause it sounded like she had money to give colbie which wouldnt work as smoothly if the mom and dad had shared accounts. granted i guess i also assume death too just from how colbie phrases buying gifts and stuff to matt. as for colbie's dad, well, probably typical rich dad. didnt have time for his son, son goes off to do his own thing, dad is like wait a second get back here. as for why hes trying to contact colbie? I mean i could assume the typical get back home here? but then maybe his dad is just angry cause colbie hasnt called him. and like will suggest colbie comes back out of vengence for colbie cutting him out of his life. i dont think itll have much effect tho outside of everyone else finding it a big deal while colbie doesnt really want to talk about it.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Radio Silence this week! Please also give a special thank you to Vanessa Stefaniuk for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Radio Silence, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://www.radiosilencecomic.com/

Vanessa’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quietsnooze

Vanessa’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/quietsnooze

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #radio silence #Vanessa Stefaniuk

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thunderheadfred · 7 years

Note

hi! i was wondering if you had any tips for someone working to improve their prose? im trying to improve my writing, and i absolutely adore your writing style! it's so lyrical and your characterisation is so on point!!

Hi! Thank you for asking! Holy crap. Well, I’ll try to help, but honestly, I’m as clueless as anybody. More, probably.

Honestly, I am always working toward this goal myself, and I still have plenty to learn! I actually had a fairly in-depth chat with @theherocomplex about this earlier tonight, about the merits of a technical skill-set versus rote practice versus artistic intuition, and advice-giving is a slippery slope.

Academic standards/grammatical rules/narrative guidelines are certainly valuable, and we should all work to improve our technical skill and understanding of language, but ultimately? Guidelines can only take you so far. I think the key is to maintain a critical mindset in all that you do. By which I don’t mean “negative” critical, but critical thinking, like, keeping your brain plastic. Always be open to new perspectives, risk-taking, and experimentation. Read broadly, write wildly, and reach into all of life for your inspiration.

Most important in my experience? Read critically. Never speed read prose that you enjoy. Read aloud (especially in your own head) and really listen to the way skillful authors construct their sentences. Where do they put their verbs? How short or long are their phrases, and why? To what effect? When do they introduce exposition, description, or scene-building elements versus when do they sink into an uninterrupted stretch of dialogue? And why? If a scene makes you feel emotional, WHY? If a scene feels fast-paced or exciting, WHY? Did the author change sentence length or structure, start using shorter or longer words, repeat certain words/phrases, or switch character POVs, change tense, or alter their style?

Most of all, if a character description or word choice strikes you as beautiful, WHY???? Highlight it, write it down, look at it, rip it apart, try to emulate it, then make something of your own in its image.

Critical reading, like I said.

Other than that, the only “advicey” type of advice I can think of is to never, ever, under any circumstances use a dictionary or a thesaurus, unless you know the word already and forgot it during a brain fart. Your words should always come from your own brain, no one else’s. If you don’t know the word, don’t use it. Sometimes you might need to sit and hunt for the right word, or take out repeats, or really try to pare down the most efficient descriptor. But nonetheless. Your words only. You don’t need fancy five-syllable clusterfucks to get your point across. Nor do you need fancy run-on sentences with ten verbs, twelve commas, and no purpose.

Every sentence - every word - should be there for a reason. If it’s just sitting there taking up space, to hell with it. When you edit, examine every word and make sure it has earned its place. If not? Chuck it in a fire. You can always make more.

(edit) I'm not saying a person can't or shouldn't work to expand their vocabulary, just that you should be willing to trust a word with your life before you use it in a sentence. When words are used with consideration and care, they have power. Otherwise, they're cheap as squeezy cheese.

As to specific guidebooks, I’ve got several books on my wishlist, but I haven’t actually read them yet, so I can’t endorse them personally. I’ve heard multiple recommendations for: Steering the Craft (Le Guin), Writing Down the Bones (Goldberg), Bird by Bird (Lamott), and On Writing (King)

Hope this was helpful? I have no idea what I’m talking about and I’m always happy to get advice handed back to me, too!

#Anonymous #you got questions I got answers #fred answers

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comicteaparty · 5 years

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March 28th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on March 28th, 2019, from 5PM - 7PM PDT. The chat focused on Daemon by Akreampuff.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Daemon by Akreampuff~! (http://daemon.smackjeeves.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

my favorite scene is probably the one where billie transforms. this is largely due to it overcoming my expectations, cause a lot of transformation sequences are graceful or maybe even silly. even when demons are involved whether the demons be bad or good. this one though? this one looks terrifying to go through and i love. its such a cool illustrated scene too between the transitional effects and other sorts of kind of magical effects going around. http://daemon.smackjeeves.com/comics/2477610/page-25/

another scene i really enjoyed was the boat scene, specifically when the banter picks up. i appreciate that billie is not willing to trust zeke, but i also like how chill zeke is. i think it really shows off zeke's character in particular since it seems pretty clear hes empathizing with the situation.

mathtans

Made it. I was gonna ask if you meant the transformation forwards or back, so I'm glad you put in the reference. Neither seem all that fun.

I rather liked when the door blew out due to the fire, sending Billie out into the tree. And I mean "like" as in it got to me, not "oh, that looks fun".

The boat and banter was kinda cool. I mostly liked it for the way it could slip in exposition elements in an entertaining way.

RebelVampire

billie getting blown out of the house was a pretty said moment. although i did like this one page where its just debris and her hand http://daemon.smackjeeves.com/comics/2477607/page-22/ maybe im just a sucker for glass debris, but i really loved how it kind of slowed the moment so you could take in what just happened and then the next page really shows that hit and land(edited)

that is also true about the boat scene. the banter was a good balance to keep the exposition entertaining

mathtans

Right, that's the page just after the one I was thinking of. But that was good too, I kind of pictured her as reaching for her mum but being blown back through the window.

I feel so bad for the mum. I think she was in it just enough to create some empathy. Part of me wonders if Dad came back and accidentally started the fire.

RebelVampire

now that would just be tragic. dad sneezes and whoops, suddenly fire

although

tbf

we never see a dead body

maybe the mom is alive

and she started the fire!

mathtans

It's true. I wonder if maybe mum is alive but could even be kidnapped or something... um, or that? She smoke, maybe? ^.^

Fire could also have been started by that other watcher, the one working with Zeke but that Zeke said he couldn't find. Maybe he went rogue.

RebelVampire

that could be. i mean right now just being disappeared kind of makes them the prime suspect

but yeah if theres one thing stories have taught

its never believe someone is dead until you see both their dead body and ghost

so i consider it highly possible the mom wasnt in the fire

doesnt even have to have been kidnapped. maybe she was at the late night store getting milk

mathtans

I wonder if ghosts exist. We only know vampires don't (which was kind of funny as stated).

Everyone probably thinks Billie died in the fire either way.

RebelVampire

yeah im really curious how she expects to just go back. cause shes been gone long enough that someone probably noticed the fire and investigated and made assumptions. or for one of the supposed victims to turn up out of the blue is the height of suspicion

it screams murder or for the insurance money

mathtans

People already didn't seem to like her, so this won't help either. Poor kid.

RebelVampire

yeah tbf i also dont get why she wants to go back

she didnt have any friends

and i didnt get the feeling she had some sort of extended family either

which i mean maybe she hasnt considered it cause shes in shock and being grumpy

QUESTION 2. Overall, it’s very obvious Billie has a lot on her plate regarding her newfound demonic lineage. Emotionally, how do you think Billie will come to deal with her situation, both in regards to her heritage and her mother being dead? How long do you think it’ll take her to adjust (if ever)? Do you feel Billie will endeavor to learn to control her newfound powers after Zeke shows her some more? Or, do you feel Billie will return “home” and try to pretend everything is normal at first? Assuming Billie learns at some point, what sorts of things do you think she’ll learn power wise? Speaking of home, what do you think Billie is going to do in regards to that? Overall, how do you see Billie just dealing with the new situation in general?

mathtans

Could just be a fear of the unknown. And she had that one blonde friend. Kinda.

I feel like one of the things Billie will ask eventually is where's Dad hanging out. I'm not sure if that will help her adjust but I think it'll help her sort some things out.

RebelVampire

yeah im surprised insofar shes not the least bit curious about her dad. especially cause her dad must be well known since those medical daemons knew of him.

enough to even say like father like daughter basically

i feel like for a while, billie might emotionally not deal with. like especially if she stays in the caves, its a lot easier to put the events out of mind. or more i mean she might deal with the demon elements and come to accept that, but i think theres other things shell avoid and not hit her till later

like the fact she has no house

mathtans

I mean, she thought her dad was just some guy, there's still the need to adjust to that.

Also might not immediately want to meet the guy who's supposedly part of this hybrid breeding program.

Yeah. I wonder if the caves are fireproof. Feels like she might have fire issues later.

RebelVampire

actually if her powers wind up being fire related, that has huge implications she started it. and i would hate to be her in the moment she realizes she caused it.

mathtans

Oooh. Like, unconsciously? That would suck. Unless someone watching her decided to start it to make her think she started it.

RebelVampire

that would be devious

but not impossible

especially if powers are somewhat inherited and her dad is the big fire guy or something

maybe what will inspire billie to meet her dad is anger. like in the sense she needs someone to lash out, and hes the secret demon father who made her and gave her demon blood and sort of got her into the situation.

mathtans

Maybe the police will investigate and she can get a report to figure out how it all started. She might not be related to fire though, maybe she has powers of just making people uncomfortable, like she did to her classmates.

Maybe. Or maybe she meets him as a trainer and doesn't realize who he is until later.

RebelVampire

actually thatd be a really interesting way to have him introduced

have him just there upfront the whole time

and then surprise

ya know, i hope the uncomfortable thing is her powers and not just her heritage in general.

cause if all daemons make ppl uncomfortable, theres a huge question of why

cause that stands in contrast to the nicer image zeke wanted to paint of them

mathtans

I'd say Satan was her father except I'm pretty sure Satan's a lady. Either that or the cliffhanger is that there's a librarian.

RebelVampire

somewhat off topic, but i really liked that one page on the boat that was all blue and white while zeke was talking about the daemons actually being good. the palette really made them see ethereal, but i like the contrast of how real colors make them look. like without that blue colored glass as it were, its kind of easy to see why someone would hmm if theyre good or bad.

yeah i kind of get the impression satan is that lady too

cause zeke did purposefully not use pronouns that i noticed

mathtans

Zeke may have his own rose coloured glasses too, mind.

Oh, that's cool. I'm not always good at picking up on art stuff.

I did have a look at the link to the time lapse video on the colouring of one of the pages... interesting how it was flipped horizontally at a couple points, I've never thought of doing that.

Actually, lots of the bonus stuff is pretty fun. Like Zeke's alternate magical transformation, or the 100th page breaking the 4th wall.

Maybe Satan is also the librarian.

RebelVampire

well zeke did say satan is just a title

so satan is the job title given to their librarians

i really loved that bonus page with zeke's alternate magical transformation

it was a good, silly addition in some serious moments

QUESTION 3. Vaguely, Zeke mentions that the hybrids were created because daemons needed something from humans. What do you think this thing daemons need is? Will Billie like the answer when she finds out, or is it going to be something that horrifies her? Why are the daemons so desperate they’d even create a breeding program to get it? The comic also talks a bit about the history of daemons. What do you think was said and done in the past to create such a negative view of daemons? What was even the purpose of making them so hated? Also, who was even the main perpetrator of these distortions? Ultimately, how do you believe both the history and the creation of hybrids will play into the story and the daemons’ goals?

mathtans

Interesting, I guess part of me just thought what they needed was love and attention. But maybe there's something in the genes.

As to the negative view, probably propaganda by cults. Maybe a jilted ex-lover.

RebelVampire

maybe it is love. i mean i dont consider it impossible. though i also would be concerned why daemons cant produce love naturally cause that has horrible implications

maybe humans are better magical conduits or something

idk why thatd be

but its the only thing i can think of

or maybe daemons have longer or immortal lifespans and they need some good ol' mortality

since the comic description mentions theres gonna be fighting angels

maybe only humans can fight angels

but they made hybrids cause plain ol' humans are too weak

but speaking of angels, i assume the propaganda was theres. which i mean, if all daemons make ppl uncomfortable, it was probably easy to manipulate the world that way

cause of course youd assume ppl who make you uncomfy were evil

although

if i go with humans kill angels thing, it makes sense why theyd do it. cause if humans dont like daemons anymore, there will be no alliance

mathtans

(Sorry, back) Yeah, it's weird unless they need a surplus or something... oh, right, magic. Hum, that's an idea.

Maybe a daemon can only be killed by a hybrid or something. They need one to go on a quest. Or the angel fight's a good one too.

Maybe the daemons have signed something like that they won't do stuff to angels, and so their hands are tied now that some angels have gone rogue. I wonder if there's half angels too.

Oooh. Maybe only hybrids can breed with angels?

RebelVampire

that could be.

i never considered thered be hybrid angels

if there are i feel doubly bad for humans

no matter what are the puppets

mathtans

Instead of horns and tails they grow wings. Very inconvenient as far as shirts go.

I wonder if there's some actual humans who can do magic, or only hybrids.

Also, their program can't be too successful if they've only managed under 10 in something like 20+ years.

RebelVampire

i got more the impression was that they wanted to start small

which either suggests 1) they really dont know much about the risks or what the consequences are so made a small sample size or 2) theyre afraid of there being too many hybrids

mathtans

Hmm, I suppose that could be too. Though seemingly they weren't sure if anything would even manifest, so maybe their sample was larger than we give credit for.

RebelVampire

im really curious if the blond friend is a hybrid somehow. especially since she didnt mind billie at all

mathtans

I wondered about that, but with so few of them, it'd be a bit of a coincidence.(edited)

Unless they're all from the same region on Earth or something, I guess. (Maybe she's an angel?)

It'd cut against the grain, an angel who likes to skip class and show up late and stuff.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 4. Besides the history of daemons, there are a few other mysteries floating about. Who do you think burnt down Billie’s house and for what goal? Was Zeke really not involved? Could it have been another daemon? How do you think Billie’s mother even ended up with a daemon? Did Billie’s mother really not know he was a daemon? Alternatively, if she knew, why didn’t she tell Billie? Do you think Billie will get to meet her father? If so, how do you foresee that going? Additionally, how do you think it will go when Billie meets the other hybrids? Will she find newfound friends, or is she doomed to be alone? In general, what future events do you see happening in the comic?

they could be from the same region. maybe theres something in the water. but tbh it could just be a coincidence. i dont see why not.

mathtans

Maybe the shocking twist is, Billie's mom was actually an angel! And nobody knew!

I'm kinda curious to see the other hybrids. The author must have kinda figured them out, they were shown in silhouette early on.

Iris

just wanted to quickly say that this seems like a super cool chat, I'm really hoping that I'll be less busy during the next one and be able to get more involved ;o;

mathtans

Heya Iris. We all have our busy times, early March chewed me up.

RebelVampire

hoping it works out too! we'd definitely love to have you, @Iris ~!

yeah i really want to see the hybrids too

but mostly cause new charas

to see billie interact with

Iris

ty! gonna check what next week's comic is

RebelVampire

and have fun

mathtans

I'm curious about the designs, since they all look different. Which is a real interesting way to go on that. (Also, seems Billie lucked out in terms of her armour.)

RebelVampire

@Iris its kamikaze https://kamikazeanimated.com/comic/

yeah im kind of for the theory billie's mom was an angel just cause it seems convenient she got such nice armour

Iris

thanks!!

RebelVampire

i really hope we get to learn how billie's mother ended up with a daemon. cause im really banking on the fact that she probably knew.

cause the lie she told billie seems sort of vague and convenient(edited)

mathtans

I hadn't considered that. (Tinder?)

Iris

(demon tinder. cinder)

mathtans

"There's finally dating apps. Project hybrid is a go."

RebelVampire

appropriate name given the fire themes XD

plot twist: daemons invented dating apps

Iris

makes sense

mathtans

Heh. Maybe they've got a tech area.

So, Billie and Zeke... do we ship them? The conversational bits about being a cat make me think yes. But of course, I prefer to ship Billie with the BadGirl (tm), because of how I prefer yuri.

RebelVampire

idk if i ship billie and zeke yet. im not sure i trust zeke. not cause i think hes up to something, but he seems creepily loyal to the daemons to the point i wouldnt trust him to have unbiased decision making

mathtans

Billie hasn't totally trusted him for that reason though, so I feel like the lampshading makes it possible. Though if he's meant to be her mentor/trainer, maybe not.

Kinda related, maybe Billie will want to stay just because everyone around now won't have that bad vibe she gave to the other students.

Also, there's books.

RebelVampire

yeah i did kind of feel that will be a motivating factor

that now she has a chance to make friends

and not be alone

and i kind of feel that fact will make her stay for a bit "just to see what its all about"

and then shell come ot feel they are family like zeke said

but im also curious how the hybrids in general are treated in the society

cause i do worry theyre getting the useful tool treatment

mathtans

You need to make sure they're plugged in at night. Or they lose their charge.

(Billie's lucky, she doesn't have a tail, so doesn't need to charge up. Zeke, on the other hand...)

RebelVampire

billie is one of the fancy wireless ones you just put on the stand

mathtans

She's her own action figure.

Seriously though, yeah, I wonder if all of them are as chill about things as Zeke. Also, I wonder if anyone else is being monitored out there.

RebelVampire

yeah thatd be an interesting situation for billie to be in

having to monitor some other hybrid

which emotionally i dont feel will go over well for her

mathtans

Maybe she'll have to monitor BadGirl with the ponytail. And I get my ship.

I wonder if any of the other short forms for Satan will get used. ("Actually, my name's Stan. Someone added another 'a'.")

RebelVampire

maybe.

mathtans

Well, all the best to Billie then. Hope her next transformation goes smoother. (Oh, I also liked the whole "and then she died" gag, heh.)

RebelVampire

although now im wondering if satan is actually an angel or if this comic split lucifer and satan

mathtans

Ooh, that's a good question too.

RebelVampire

i guess well find out eventually tho. darn angel propaganda

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Akreampuff, as well, for making Daemon. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Akreampuff’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://daemon.smackjeeves.com/

Akreampuff’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AkreampuffArt

Akreampuff’s Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/AkreampuffArt

Akreampuff’s Twitter https://twitter.com/Akreampuff

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #daemon #akreampuff

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