#like lets all focus on whats important...

[ar-ghilas-vir-banal]

I agree with all of this. I was literally thinking last night: “why is ROOK leading?” But I think I know why, kinda? At least this is the slapped together theory I’ve got at present.

All these people are super powerful and/or skilled. You’re competent. Sorta. You’re not the best and you’re not the worst; your backstory is always one of “you did the right thing but everyone is mad at you for it, so you’re not with your original group. Right now.”

These powerful, skilled people are also embroiled in their own messes SO HARD that they don’t know what to do or can’t even get out.

Your job as Rook is to focus these other people together into a team. I think this is supposed to reflect how Mythal was the one who basically held the Evanuris in check, or at least she attempted to. She was known as the mother. The nurturer. And what else do you do as Rook except nurture these people. I legitimately feel mother vibes with Taash when I talk to them.

Equally, I feel like you’re the Spirit of Wisdom for each of your companions. They hang on your words. For HUGE decisions about their lives. They come to you for advice. They let you into their lives. You’re not one of them but you may as well be. You’re important to them.

Your role can vacillate between a Mythal archetype or a Solas (Wisdom) one for much of the game. Even to Solas. Even to the Inquisitor. Your advice guides each of these people. While for the world it might not be a huge thing, it is for them. If you’d encouraged Harding to go with her anger, she’d have survived, but think of the long run.

You can convince Emmrich to save Manfred, or become a lich. Which he says he wants. Yet he grieves his little friend horribly in private, and doesn’t come accept death as a natural part of life as a lich. Death, which he’s supposed to have understood. Also… who’s to say the lich’s stay benevolent???

And then for Solas himself, you can cast him into an oblivion of turmoil forever. Or you can MEND HIS WOUNDS and help him heal not only your world but the Fade. If that’s not the ultimate nurturing gesture, idk what is. The fact you can also turn Solas’ betrayal of you, as Mythal can, into an opportunity to redeem him… that’s pretty impressive. You make all of this happen.

Anyhow. I think that’s what they were shooting for? Is it well executed… ehhh. Sometimes. Maybe. It’s really up to the individual. But ultimately you’re not the radiant hero. You’re the person who kept it all GOING. You’re the person upon whom all the “gods” depended. And if that’s why Varric chose Room, then he chose well.

What’s really jumping out at me on my second playthrough is that the writers of the first three games understood that your character was the main character. The Veilguard writers clearly thought that the main characters were their characters, the companions.

Every scene is about setting the companions up as cool or competent or sympathetic. Often, this is done at Rook’s expense. The companions get all the witty one-liners; Rook’s attempts at humor not only frequently fall flat, but are frequently called out for falling flat (even when they’re completely automatic and the player has no say in them).

The companions have all the knowledge and skills; Rook just brought them all together and gives them all pep talks so they can focus. I’m trying to edit out all of the comments where Rook is like “Um… what????” from my videos, and let me tell you, it takes WORK. There are A LOT of them. I can count on one hand the number of times when the Inquisitor or Hawke comes across as dumb, but it seems to be a built-in, unavoidable part of Rook’s character. I have not selected a single “purple” option in all of Act 1, and Rook is still coming across as the kid who tries to be the class clown to cover for the fact that he’s always confused. Rook’s role in most scenes is to say “Uhhh… what?” so that the companions look smart.

Rook is always the one offering sympathy and never the one getting it. No one actually comes to comfort you after Varric’s death. No one asks you how you’re feeling about having to lead the team now that Varric is gone. No one tries to reassure you or give you advice for dealing with the trickster god haunting your dreams. We’re told that Neve could keep Solas out of your head, but she never actually offers to do this for you. No one comforts a Shadow Dragon Rook when Minrathous is destroyed or a Grey Warden Rook when Weisshaupt is destroyed. Rook’s problems don’t matter. Only the problems of main characters matter.

Rook is a secondary character in their own story.

[txkby]

My experience with the Void State.

Before I discovered the Void State, I practiced meditation regularly in 2022 (literally the year of the Void State on Tumblr), the sensations I had when meditating were truly exquisite, that tranquility and peace are simply incomparable with people, material things, etc.

I swear that nothing has filled my soul like those sensations.

(This is very important, remember it)

I stopped meditating afterwards because I didn't have time and when I wanted to do it I fell asleep, like when you want to get to the Void, don't you think? LOL

I discovered the Void around the beginning of 2023, but I never gave it any importance, I've almost never liked the methods, because it became obsessed, and that's what I did, I became obsessed.

I became so obsessed with the Void that I was constantly looking for information everywhere, on Google, here on Tumblr, Twitter, YouTube, and in endless places.

And every day I spent time doing methods to get there, meditations, affirmations, etc. But I just couldn't get there, I couldn't.

I felt so bad guys, I felt tired, have you ever felt that tiredness that feels more like giving up? That's what I felt.

I felt dissatisfied with my life, and it's hard because you feel ungrateful to the universe, to people, to everything.

But I kept on trying every day to get to the Void, but again, I never got there, not that way.

So I went back to the beginning, I went back to the basics, what is the Void? How do you get there? And I realized that I forgot what the Void really was, I forgot everything because of my desperation and obsession to get there.

What I did to get to the Void was the following:

- I gave up, but not giving up by throwing in the towel, but by letting myself go.

- let it go, detach myself from it

- remember that the Void is a state, it is something attached to us that simply cannot be prevented

- I stopped trying to reach the Void with extreme methods, I stopped trying to get there with steps, with rules.

- I stopped forcing myself to reach the Void, because the Void is not effort, it is relaxation, it is letting go, it is surrendering

- I changed my focus, instead of wanting to reach the Void by manifesting my desires, I changed it to simply having a good time, to relax

- I started doing simple meditations, nothing like "meditation to reach the Void, meditation for this, meditation for that", no, just simple meditations.

- don't look for symptoms because that takes you away from relaxation, it takes you away from the key to reach the Void

- relax, that's the Void, never forget it

And I remembered that the sensations I had when meditating for 2022 were the same as the Void, which means that I had possibly reached the Void State at that time, but since I didn't know about the subject, I didn't make an effort to reach the Void, I just wanted to meditate for fun, and this is very important because when we concentrate and force ourselves to reach the Void, we don't get there, when we are desperate to reach the void we won't get there, when we are anxious to reach the Void we won't get there.

So, after doing all that, remembering all that, I reached the Void.

And it didn't take me more than 1 week after to understand everything I just said.

In the Void I felt what I felt when meditating, that exquisite tranquility, that peace, that happiness, and of course you have no emotions, thoughts and you don't feel your body at all.

I didn't manifest much, I only changed my name, time of birth, my personality, my mentality and voice, because that was why I wanted to get there, I felt bad about myself because during 2020 to 2022 I suffered from depression, my father passed away, the changes that occurred in those times affected me mentally, I had social anxiety, I suffered, it was horrible.

But by manifesting my change of mentality and personality my perspective on life changed, therefore now I am happy.

The thing about my time of birth was simply for fun LOL, and my name, my old name, mmm 🫤 , I never felt identified with it, I was not her.

Like all of you, I suffered for wanting to get to the Void, for looking for symptoms

And not letting myself in getting there, because of my focus, because of my low self-confidence, because of my obsession, because of my desperation.

Give up to enter the Void.

And well guys, that's my experience with the Void, this post is so long but necessary, byee.

(I hope the translation is correct LOL) 🫂😝

[prettygirl-gabi]

Chapter 22: Crossing Lines

Rating: General Audiences

Warning: angst, Paige and reader are getting stern talking too, fluff

Paring: Paige Bueckers x !photographer fem reader

Fandom: Women's basketball

Summary: Figure It Out

Welcome to the chapter 22 of Through The Lens. I hope you all enjoy and there is more to come...stay tuned my loveies!! 🏀💕📸

Paige’s POV

Practice had started like any other—well, almost. There was an awkward tension I couldn’t shake. Every pass, every sprint, felt heavier, as if the weight of my conversation with Y/N the night before hadn’t entirely lifted. I was trying to focus, but the sound of Coach Geno’s whistle cut through the air, jarring me out of my thoughts.

“Bueckers, CD wants to see you. Now,” Coach called, his sharp tone leaving no room for argument.

I sighed, wiping the sweat off my face with the hem of my jersey as I jogged over to the sidelines where CD stood, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

“Sit,” she said, nodding to the bench.

Coach Geno followed, his expression unreadable. “Alright, kid. Spill. What’s going on?”

I frowned, glancing between the two of them. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb,” CD snapped. “You’ve been distracted. Your passes are off, your energy is low, and don’t think I didn’t notice you and Y/N being sent home yesterday. You’re not just off your game, you’re off in general. So, what gives?”

I clenched my jaw, staring down at my shoes. “It’s… complicated.”

Geno sighed, sitting on the bench beside me. “Look, Paige. We get it. Life outside of basketball can bleed onto the court, but if you don’t handle whatever’s going on, it’s going to cost you—and your team. So, whatever this is with Y/N, you need to fix it, fast.”

CD added, her voice softer now, “We’re not asking to be in your personal life, but you’re one of our leaders. If you’re not okay, it affects everyone. You’ve got to figure this out before it spirals.”

I nodded, their words settling in. “We talked last night,” I admitted. “But it’s… hard. We’re both scared of what happens next, especially with me leaving for the WNBA soon.”

Coach Geno leaned back, his face softening ever so slightly. “Fear’s normal, Paige. But letting it control you? That’s a choice. Don’t let it ruin something good.”

“I won’t,” I said, more to myself than to them.

“Good,” Geno said, standing up. “Now, get back out there and show me you’re ready to lead this team again.”

I nodded, standing up with a renewed sense of determination.

Y/n’s POV

The hum of the lecture hall buzzed in the background as I typed notes on my laptop, trying to focus on the professor’s voice. My phone vibrated on the desk, Nika’s name flashing on the screen.

I hesitated but declined the call, sending a quick text: In class. Call you after?

The reply came almost immediately: Fine. But it’s important.

I sighed, tucking the phone away and forcing myself to concentrate. It wasn’t until class let out that I stepped into the hallway and hit Nika’s number.

“Finally,” she said, answering on the first ring. “What took you so long?”

“I was in class, Nika. Mandatory, remember?” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. So… did you and Paige work things out?”

The question hit me harder than I expected. I walked toward the campus quad, finding a quiet bench to sit on. “I mean, we talked,” I said hesitantly.

“But?” she pressed.

“But… I don’t know. It feels like we’re both holding back. She’s scared about leaving for the WNBA, and I’m scared about what happens when she does. It’s a lot.”

Nika groaned. “Of course it’s a lot! Za ime miloga! You two are practically a walking soap opera. But, Y/N, come on. You’ve got something special. Don’t let fear ruin it.”

“I’m trying,” I said softly, staring at the ground.

“Try harder,” she shot back. “Paige loves you. I’ve known her for years, and I’ve never seen her care about someone like this. You’re it for her, Y/N. But you’ve got to meet her halfway.”

Her words made my chest ache, but I knew she was right. “I love her too,” I admitted.

“Good. Then tell her that. And don’t let her run away from it either,” Nika said firmly.

“I won’t,” I promised.

“Good. Now, go fix it. I’ve got a game to prep for,” she said, hanging up.

Paige’s POV

When practice ended, I sat in the locker room, staring at my phone. Nika had texted me: Talk to her. Like, really talk to her. No excuses, Bueckers.

I smiled slightly, shaking my head. She really didn’t let up.

Grabbing my stuff, I headed back to the apartment, my heart racing. Y/N was already there, sitting on the couch with her laptop open. She looked up when I walked in, her face softening.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” I replied, dropping my bag and sitting beside her.

“Long day?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Yeah,” I said, hesitating. “Can we talk?”

Her brows furrowed, but she nodded, closing her laptop. “Of course.”

I took a deep breath. “I know we talked last night, but I don’t think I was completely honest with you—or myself. I’m scared, Y/N. Scared of how much I care about you and how fast this has all happened. Scared of what happens when I leave.”

Her eyes softened, and she reached for my hand. “Paige, I’m scared too. But we can’t let that fear control us. We especially can keep anything bottled in anymore.”

“I know,” I said, squeezing her hand. “And I don’t want to lose you. I’m going to mess up, and I’m going to be scared, but I love you. And I want to figure this out, together.”

Her lips parted, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I love you too, Paige. We’ll figure it out. One step at a time.”

Relief washed over me, and I leaned forward, pressing my forehead to hers. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“For what?” she asked softly.

“For loving me,” I said, pulling her into a hug.

For the first time, our fears they didn’t feel so heavy. Together, I knew we could face whatever came next.

---

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

       -Thank You For Reading!🩵🩶

                             -prettygirl-gabi🎀✨️

Tag list: @sayurireidotcom , @astroeliza , @paxaz535 , @0phantom0 , @starlighttsv , @authentic-girl03 , @sevyscoven ,  .... (more to be added)

[lucygraysboy]

billy catches a glimpse of lucy gray’s smile and his heart stutters a little, his mind left wondering if this is all just a dream, if maybe he’s died and gone to heaven because being here with her seems too good to be true — getting to swim in the lake, play pretend, giggle and sunbathe while sharing biscuits, riding a horse… what else could anyone need? she’s so very beautiful and sweet, and the way these dark brown eyes light up with sheer wonderment when he lifts her into the air and sits her on sundance’s back. “let me know if you start feeling uncomfortable. takes a while to get used to this. you might be a little sore afterwards, but it gets better, i promise,” he says softly, looking over her shoulder at the horse’s silver mane, his cheeks sun-burned and warm. there’s a light breeze that accompanies them, the leaves on the trees rustling around them. he could easily lose himself in this moment. 

“let’s say you want ‘im to turn, get away from the lake,” even though the horse seems smart enough to avoid the large body of water without anyone having to guide him away from it, “we do two things at once. we use the reins and our legs, and we do everything calmly and gently. we want to turn left. so, we pull the left rein toward ourselves while applying pressure with our right leg. this is important ‘cause he will respond by moving away from the pressure. so when you use your legs, it has to be the opposite one. wanna go left? right leg. wanna go right? left leg. and you can also talk to ‘im, of course. izquierda, sundance,” he instructs, trying to focus on teaching her how to guide the horse instead of gushing over how good it feels to have her between his arms. her skin is so smooth, so soft, beneath his calloused fingers. like warm caramel compared to his own. and she smells so sweet, like summer days and sun and wind and soap and something that belongs only to her and could never be replicated. 

he leans closer to her, burying his nose in the mane of dark ringlets, basking in this moment. “that’s the greatest compliment a teacher can get. thank you, lucy gray.” maybe it’s a good thing she can’t see his face — he’s not sure if this excessive blushing could pass for a sunburn. “you’ll feel more and more confident each time you get on horseback. sundance, here, isn’t some wild mustang. he’s a good, steady one. very trustworthy. he’ll listen to you and take you anywhere you want to go.” billy’s right hand remains resting atop lucy gray’s own, holding the reins, but his left one moves to her hip, trying to help her body find the right rhythm. “he’s just walkin’ now so you gotta keep your hips relaxed, doll. can’t be too stiff. you can close your eyes for a moment and just focus on his natural gait, try to follow it. you two need to be a team, move as one.”

a warm smile lifts on olive visage at being called doll. the nickname swirling all kinds of honey and summertime in the pit of her belly, butterflies exploding in the confines of her chest. making doe eyes gleam up at him momentarily, before forcing herself to look away. hand on her back doesn’t help things… being lifted up in a manner of seconds doesn’t help things. face still lit up in shock once her butt plops onto the horse, now sittin’ way up high, having to hike up her skirt some to make her other leg comfortably fit. glancing around in awe at his strength AND reassurance, a sweet smile widely curls her plump lips. “i’m alright.” lucy gray replies kindly, watching him climb on next before looking forward. doing what he instructs, she leans into him, keeping upright and eyes glancing down at the way he lets her hold the reigns while his hands sit on top of her smaller ones. now why would knuckles and the little blue veins on top of his hands and the way even his fingernail beds are carved out have her hypnotized. captured with the way a boy’s hands look or maybe it’s just because the way they’re his hands. either way, she’s deep into admiring boy hands for the first time in her life. the strength and security of them is crazily attractive. “that sounds easy enough to remember.” an admirable smile adorns her face, taking note and keeping it stored. liking they don’t have to kick sundance hard. and liking even more when he speaks spanish, how intelligent and adorable of him. “because of you. cause of havin’ a sweet and patient teacher.” she brags with a smirk as she looks ahead, if he was fishing for compliments she’ll happy hand them over now. “i’m a little less scared than last time, because of you.”

[coffeegnomee]

4C arg time! shoutout Saph @heartcircus for liveblogging it and letting me know the streams from the subathon are actually restarted every game (more or less). So far the main thing is the signs that spelled "PRISM" (one letter per sign, scattered throughout the room) and the spruce door at the end.

From the top:

On 12/24/24 4c ends his stream by revealing a room of flowers presumably from Zam's flower garden, and places the one he stole this day in the center back of the room

1/10/25 4c steals another flower from the flower field and around 37:40 adds a block of grass surrounded by spruce trap doors OUTSIDE the flower room, by where the secret door is.

the next day, 1/11/25, this flower is gone.

After talking to Pangi he steals another flower from the field and eventually at 1:32:50 he shows the flower room once more.

This is the day the PRISM signs were revealed, but more importantly, that line of flowers in the center is new.

The room used to just have the parts of the dirt that are surrounded by trapdoors: the U and the one block by the door.

He places the stolen flower on the only open block: the one on the end.

There is also now a spruce door that is in line with this line of flowers, which is also in line with that first flower he stole and placed down on stream (all, interestingly, one block apart)

now the conspiracy:

There are 6 floating center blocks. After the first day of this, 4C has logged onto lifesteal 6 times: 12/28 for the roast of lifesteal, 1/4, 1/6, 1/9, 1/10 and now, 1/11, all on the subathon. None of those days showed him going into the flower room besides the days I screenshotted above.

Since he placed the second stolen flower outside the room on its own block, and then that flower disappeared, this could imply that each of these blocks signifies one day of being online and stealing flowers.

However that time he put it outside the room he did surround it with trapdoors, and now they are not surrounded. However there are already trapdoors around the U of the room and you can't add more around each middle block.

The door lines up with this row of blocks, and could very well easily have a massive hallway of more flowers stolen, 4C has since logged on on 1/12, 1/13, 1/17, 1/18, 1/19. And has yet to show the room again though at some point he mentioned he would soon.

this brings in PRISM: the door could reflect the room back, or scatter it like prismatic rays. no idea how you would do that in minecraft.

Prisms are shapes that have two bases that are the same as each other, and any number of sides that are also the same as each other.

"A prism is a solid shape that is bound on all its sides by plane faces." interesting phrasology there first-article-i-clicked-on-google

They look like this for anyone else who also forgot what a prism looked like:

I immediately think of 4c's dilemma of being bound to these mysterious players he chose at the start of the season. Knowing too much and being unable to decide how to intervene.

The sides are identical, the top and bottom are identical. the shape is defined by the top and bottom.

ok now it's sounding more like zam and 4c being the top and bottom and defining the shape. A shape 4c keeps trying to keep up with with more and more flowers.

but i'm also just yapping at this point.

also interesting and probably not important: a cube is a prism.

More importantly, and classically, a prism is the thing used to refract white light into all the colors of the spectrum. It reveals that which is unable to be seen, but always there.

"prisms also can reverse the direction of light by internal reflection, and for this purpose they are useful in binoculars."

Which is just hilarious.

It's also interesting that the letters of PRISM are capitalized, much like the FOCUS team name.

When I first saw the signs before the final letter was found (R), I thought it was names of the people 4c is bound to. P= Princezam M= Mane R= rekrap S could be Squiddo.

But who is I? Or is it just "I" like I, me. 4C stuck in the middle of them.

Or is it like the FOCUS team name and sections of PRISM mean different people. PRI, SM? but who could SM be. But the letters are all on their own separate signs.

4C has implied that there are at least 3 people he is bound to. Before knowing he was going to talk to Zam during WASTE (12/7, the day kab listened in on their convo), on his stream, he explains how he is forever loyal to FOCUS, but:

45:00 4C: “A few months ago i thought up a few people who i liked what they were doing and i thought it would be interesting to be loyal to them as well. And they don't know it.”

It could be 2 if he was being hyperbolic and choosing to not say "a couple". Or it could be 4 or more. I've always been a fan of Zam, Mane, and Rek at minimum though.

a "few" months was also, technically, AFTER the start of the season. unless streamer's perception of time, like every streamer's perception of time, is skewed. And who knows which direction it could have been skewed. Season started 7/6.

Ok I forgot someone. ItzSubz_ is the only "I" username on lifesteal. But it's probably not him given idk if they've even ever talked ever and idk what 4c could have seen that he like what subz was doing. with zam it was clearly the pacifism, mane protecting the chunguses early season, rek being rekrap. But a Subz insert would be insane.

S could be Spepticle, Spoke, or SB as well. That would be really interesting if it was SB. But idk what he could have liked out of SB, he didn't log onto lifesteal for like multiple weeks after the start. I don't think 4c has ever liked what Spoke does? idk they've also never talked, and Spep is wonderful but he doesn't play the server. I would buy Squiddo because the team and it's the only S name he has interacted with. But then why not Cube. and he's already loyal bc FOCUS.

But I would take squiddo out since by this theory Zam is noted with a P like PrinceZam. Squiddo's ign is TheRealSquiddo.

Spep kind of makes sense and since he's never logged on he would never have asked 4c to do anything to know 4c is bound to him.

Or it's like PR, IS, M: PRincezam IS Manepear. lmao. idk man it's getting late.

I actually really like the I being stuck in the middle of the four other names. It feels like something 4c would also giggle over while making an acronym.

That's all my thoughts for now.

[milkoomi]

semester success. ᥫ᭡

[ 3 chapter mini series ] | chapter one

in this series, i’m going to teach you all my helpful tips and tricks on how to succeed in the new semester in just 3 quick chapters! get ready to take notes, we’re diving right in!

chapter two — MASTERING NOTE-TAKING

in the last chapter, we talked about the first week and how to prepare for it! now, we’re going to get real into it and talk about one of the most important skills that can help increase your level of success throughout the semester: taking notes.

class is in session …

୨ৎ — physical or digital

let’s first decide how we’re going to take notes. if you’re the classic/traditional type, a notebook & some pens/pencils & highlighters are the way to go! but if you’re feeling a bit more modernized, grab your laptop and/or tablet!

i personally use my ipad to take notes! i know lots of people who use Notion, create digital documents for their notes, utilize GoodNotes/Notably, and i use this app called CollaNote (more on this later)! if you’re note-taking digitally, find an app or format that works best for you! you can play around with the different apps and tools on your device! digital note-taking also allows for more creativity, in my opinion, but i’ve seen loads of students get really creative with traditional styled notes!

digital note-taking inspo:

i highly recommend this post by @glowettee if you want a quick, but detailed list of how to get set up for digital note-taking!

physical note-taking inspo:

୨ৎ — note-taking methods

there’s lots of ways to take notes! that’s the beauty of note-taking, there’s no one right way of doing so or any wrong way of doing so! there’s a variety of ways to take notes, so find and play around with what works best for you!

different methods:

quick notes - the unaesthetic version

you’ll see lots of people say that they rewrite their notes, and i’m one of those people! i typically don’t take notes during lectures (mainly because my ADD doesn’t allow me to lol) but when i’m actually able to take some notes, my in-class writing is just plain bullet points and words scrambled onto my page.

i see “quick notes” as a way of making sure you get all the key points from the lecture without the stress of writing everything else down.

here’s how:

don’t focus on writing every single thing down! this will make you lose track of what the professor might be saying in addition to what’s in the textbook/lecture slides.

focus on the key points! keep an ear out for your professor and if they say something like “this will be on the exam” or “this is really important to know”. those are the things that need to be written down!

remember: you can always go back and rewrite your notes! having just the key points written down will help you 1. stay focused during class and 2. be prepared for what to focus on during your studies.

don’t worry about your notes looking bland or messy, again, you can go back and rewrite your notes to make it look nice and add additional information! this “quick notes” method is for people who are like me and struggle with taking notes during lectures!

** tina’s tip: record the lecture! if you’re able to have your phone out or if your computer/tablet has a recording feature, use it to record the lecture so that when you do go back to rewrite your notes you don’t forget any other important points!

mind-mapping - an organized flow chart

how it works:

start with your central idea or main topic you want to focus on! have this be the center of your mind-map.

when info regarding this topic starts to come up, write them down and connect that additional information with the central idea using lines and arrows.

get creative! use different colors and add images or symbols!

mind-maps are a great way to organize and visualize the information you need to do into a creative diagram! this is a great method for those visual learners!

boxing method - compartmentalizing notes

this method is another great one for visual learners as it allows you to create a chart for yourself and all that you’re learning in class!

how it works:

start by dividing up your page so that you have different boxes set out for you!

include headings/titles for each box and have them relate to each topic you’re learning.

in those boxes, write down key points from each topic and include any and all information as you can!

you can also connect the boxes with lines and arrows to see how all that information flows together and relates to one another!

i suggest going onto @nenelonomh ‘s blog and reviewing her study corner where there’s a section dedicated to different note-taking methods! as well as other helpful academic advice!

୨ৎ — record your lectures

i mentioned this earlier, but i just want to reiterate this point! recording lectures will help you so much with note-taking as it allows you to go back to what was said in class and continue taking notes that way. it’s extremely helpful especially when your teacher/professor is a fast talker and you can’t keep up with note-taking in class!

୨ৎ — color coding

an easy way to make your notes more appealing to you is by color coding everything! feel free to pick your favorite colors and use those!

what to color code:

key points

important vocab/terms

connecting topics

additional notes from your teacher/professor

୨ৎ — CollaNote

i promise this is entirely unsponsored, but i do love this app! it’s completely free (with in-app purchases if you want to unlock other templates)!

it comes with a variety of free tools, pen styles, highlighters, colors for those writing tools (which are also entirely customizable!), page templates, recording feature, and so much more that i can’t fully remember off the top of my head!

it also allows you to organize everything into folders which is really, really nice! organization of your notes is also super important when it comes to note-taking! so let’s get into organization!

୨ৎ — note organization

if you’re taking notes in the traditional way, make sure you have designated notebooks for each class. if you’re using a binder that includes all of your classes, make sure you have those divider tabs to prevent from any of your notes integrating with your other ones!

for digital notes, make sure you have folders or an organized list of links for each of your courses! it’s important that your files are titled accordingly so that there’s less confusion when you need to go back to any of your notes!

going back to note-taking methods, make sure when you’re writing your notes that you stay consistent with your organization!

write your topics in chronological order

create sections for different bits of information

color code

you don’t want your notes to be a jumbled mess! not having some kind of organization system can lead to confusion while studying or unclear information on the topics you’re learning.

before you’re dismissed …

note-taking, as i mentioned at the beginning, is one of the most important skills to have while in school. you want to make sure you have effective notes that will help you understand the material and help you study for upcoming quizzes/exams! just imagine yourself as the main character in a show or movie and think of yourself as this studious and amazing person while taking notes and sitting through lectures! romanticize your academic career!

with lots of love, faustina 🌷

[plethorawrites]

How the Batboys would react to finding out and dealing with you self harming/having severe depression.

TW: Mentions of cuts, blood, suicidal thoughts, incorrect use of pills, sort of implied eating disorders.

Please don't read if this could upset you in any way.

---___---___---___---___---___---___---___---___---_

Bruce:

The first time he notices is also the first time you spend the night. The lights were dark and you were both a bit buzzed after downing several glasses of champagne to endure a boring event he invited you to as an excuse to see you. Of course he was more concerned with kissing the inside of your thighs than noticing the little healed scars on them.

He notices them the next morning though, when the sun is streaming through the window and you get up to find your clothes while assuming he's asleep. He wasn't. He saw the marks. The scars. He refrained from saying a word about them, waiting weeks for you to open up about them on your own terms. He could see they were healed so he wasn't terribly worried at that moment.

When you finally told him, you said you'd been clean for months. He had no reason to suspect you would start again.

But you did.

He didn't know the exact day, or the specific reason, all he knew is that you stopped wearing shorts to bed and stopped letting him leave the lights on to see you when you were intimate. You stopped smiling as often, too.

Of course, being a detective, he can tell when you start getting lethargic, not from work or stress but simply life itself. He hears when your words have less meaning, and your expressions are false. He makes it his mission to not let you fall into the spiral any more than you already have.

You might not want to tell him you're hurting yourself but he'd be damned if he didn't do whatever he could to make you stop. That started by holding you tighter at night so you couldn't sneak off to the bathroom to cut, he'd ask you to visit him at work, insist on every meal being at a restaurant so you didn't even have time to try to hurt yourself. And of course, he helps with the tasks you start struggling with, but pretends he doesn't notice.

He just says "Can I practice braiding your hair so I can help Cassandra?" and use it as a chance to make sure you don't start letting your hair tangle.

He even makes the braid a bit crooked even though he can French braid perfectly, just to sell it. He'll wash it, too, claiming it's: "A good excuse to spend time together." after a long day.

He just wants to make sure it's not getting greasy. He can see the guilt on your face when you sit in the tub, staring at the wall. You wanted to tell him to stop, that you could wash your own hair. But you probably couldn't. It felt like too much work and you just wanted to sink underneath the water of the tub for a few minutes of peace. He kept you upright though, kissing the back of your shoulder, the side of your neck, your cheek, making you hum.

You weren't able to feel much, emotionally speaking, but you could feel gratitude and love.

When he notices you skipping meals because you can't drag yourself to the kitchen or bother to cook, he will. He'll make anything, even if you change your mind about what sounds good and make him cook six different dishes before eventually accepting one of them. He doesn't care. He just wants you to eat. The second you show the slightest bit of interest in something, anything, it's yours. You make a comment about the beach sounding nice, the next thing you know he's taken the day off work and is driving you there with the top of a convertible down.

You say you kind of miss one of your old hobbies— be it painting or crochet, it doesn't matter what, the next day the nicest stuff for you to get back into it arrives. Fresh paints, massive canvases or imported yarn and crystal hooks. He watches, intently when you start to focus on something you like again, the heavy ache in his heart subsiding when he gets to show enthusiasm about your project when it's done.

You start holding him again at night, your face buried in his chest instead of sleeping facing the wall. One night you slide into bed wearing shorts and he can see your scars, red ones among the old faded pale ones from when you first met.

He knows they'll heal too in time. Just like you have.

---

Dick: He doesn't realize there's anything wrong several months into dating you until he catches you taking some pills when he was walking back into the room and later searched up the name, figuring out they're antidepressants.

He can't believe he didn't see it sooner and hates that you were always putting on a fake smile with him. He wants you to talk about it, but understands that it's hard for you too and your every attempt to open up to him ends with you in tears or walking out in frustration because the words won't form.

He suggests (very strongly) that you see a therapist and after some gentle coaxing, you agree. He sits in the car the entire time waiting for you and when you come out, numb for a few minutes as you sit there in silence before sobbing uncontrollably for the 20 minutes in the parking lot. He gets you whatever you want after— ice cream, cheesecake, brownies. Whatever you're craving.

He takes you every week, sometimes multiple times a week. He never complains and he's ALWAYS there. He'll wake up early, even if he barely slept. He'll skip family lunch, he'll rush out of a bank robbery just shouting for his brothers to handle it without him. It doesn't matter what, he'll be there.

He's taken to heavy positive affirmations, as well. He puts sticky notes up in the bathroom with smiley faces for whenever you brush your teeth or put on moisturizer. There are little hearts and words of encouragement on the front of the fridge and inside of it too for when you manage to crave a snack. Hopefully something healthy like fruit, but even if it's junk food, it's better than an empty stomach.

Every morning he wakes you up and tells you you're beautiful and he's grateful to have you.

He likes to remind you not to push yourself as well. "If you just manage to wash your hair, you'll have done something" and "If that's too hard, I'll help you make the bed." But also..."If you don't do anything at all today, you still survived. That alone is difficult, but you're doing it."

Every night he lays it on even thicker because he knows it gets harder at night. "I'm so proud of you for making it through another day." And... "I know it sucks right now but I promise I'll help you get through this." And... "Just take it one day at a time."

When you get homework from your therapist— to do 3 hard tasks over one week, make a list of every negative and positive thought to see them out loud and deduce why you have them, physical exercise—he does it with you. No matter how foolish or seemingly simple it is.

Your therapist told you to do something you struggle with? Done. He'll stand behind you while you do the dishes and help you dry.

You need to get something from a store that's dozens of miles away? Road trip. He'll buy the snacks and take turns driving so you don't het stressed out burn out.

You're told to get some physical exercise? He'll be your partner for whatever kind you want to do. Jogging in the park, keeping a slower pace than usual for you, practicing on rings while you climb the stairmaster—he falls, because he's distracted by your ass. But that's besides the point.

When you start to show signs of feeling better, that therapy is working, he's elated. And after several months and things are better, much better, you tell him whenever you're feeling off. Whenever that nagging feeling comes back over you. You guys work through it then and there to keep it from getting bad again.

Though sometimes, when he's leaving for work, you'll pout and say you feel sad just to get him to stay. You both know it's not a depressed feeling. You just don't want him to leave and he'll indulge you. "Oh, well, if that's the case, I'll just have to stay in bed with you until you feel better."

---

Jason: He's busy. Always. But that didn't mean he was oblivious. Yet, that's exactly how he felt when he realized you'd been abusing your medicine. He knew after the first few dates that you were on medication for chronic depression and he was more than understanding about it. Millions of people suffered from it, himself occasionally included.

But when he's laying in bed and catches you sneaking into the bathroom to take three more pills than you're supposed to, he's caught off guard. Then you slide down to the floor, sitting crisscrossed, making small cuts on your thighs, wincing in pain the entire time. It takes every ounce of self control not to jump out of bed and rip the blade from your hand. He contemplates it, he really does. But that would just make things worse. So he waits.

It keeps him up all night, though he pretends to sleep. And in the morning, you're back out of bed, taking more and sliding back in bed, pretending to wake up just like him.

He blames himself entirely.

He thinks he should have been better, done more, noticed something that made it better. It was his job to support you and protect you and he had failed and that killed him in ways that seemed unimaginable.

After an incredibly difficult conversation where he confesses to knowing you've been filling scripts you don't need and taking more than necessary, you're both an emotional mess. But he assures you he's not leaving or angry, just scared for you. He wants to help but needs you to let him.

He absolutely dedicates himself to keeping you away from anything even remotely dangerous.

The knives in the kitchen? Gone.

Even the butter knives are plastic now.

The razors in the bathroom? Thrown out in a trashcan outside so you couldn't find them.

Even the little blade in the pencil sharpener is taken out.

He won't let you have your pill bottles either, at least not at first. He makes sure you take them everyday, morning and night, then after several weeks starts to let you handle them by yourself.

He still sneaks out of bed to count them and make sure you weren't taking more than prescribed. He insists on being the one to wrap your arms, cleaning them to make sure they don't get infected. And wiping your legs as well. He has to remind himself not to squeeze them too hard, the way he wants to.

While holding you at night he makes sure not to hurt them, even though he wants to hold you much tighter to comfort himself as reassurance you're alright. He listens, late at night when you're whispering to avoid crying. When you explain the feeling it gave you. He knows it.

Once they heal and he can hold you tighter, not as afraid of hurting you by squeezing your thighs the way he likes to. He starts kissing them each night, making sure you know they're not embarrassing or shameful.

He's got scars on most of his body; you were the one to teach them to appreciate them. If he could return the favor, he would. A thousand times over.

He tells you the same things you told him. "You made it through."

---

Tim: When you tell Tim, and by tell I mean confess after he figured it out on his own, you're surprised to find that he doesn't have much of a reaction immediately. He stays quiet, hums a little, nods along. He never interrupts but you see his eyes glazing over a bit, the way they do when the gears start turning in his head. He knew, of course, that you had depression.

He knew you hurt yourself, not in the traditional way of cutting or attempting suicide, but in much subtler ways, like forcing yourself to finish a meal even though you're full and your stomach hurts, taking boiling hot showers that leave your skin red and raw practically painful to even touch from how dry it is, making yourself stay up late and function on the fewest hours of sleep possible.

You purposely made life harder for yourself and for the most part, didn't even realize it. He did, though. What he didn't realize was the amount of medicine you'd tried, to the point you felt none of them worked, the amount of therapists and psychiatrists you had seen, the level of depression you had truly sunk to before. It hurt him to realize once you started opening up. He wanted to make that pain go away. So, he researched. Constantly.

He wants to know every single thing that can cause depression, the statistics of self harm leading to suicide, the effectiveness of different treatments or facilities. He knows every antidepressant, their side effects, their manufacturers, and dosages. He suggests inpatient care for you, but absolutely refuses to send you to someplace like Arkham.

Instead, he finds the best of the best, way out of the city, where the entire staff passed his background check, the facility was up to date on every code possible, and the rules seemed relaxed enough to let you feel like yourself while also making sure you're safe. He's allowed to visit and does so as soon as possible, even manages to get extra hours in the night. You have the best of care there, too, he knows because he can see it on your face every time he's there.

The food is wonderful, the private room you have is nice (even if you miss his warmth at night), the activities they make you do remind you of the hobbies you used to love before they became unbearable. Even therapy sessions, always private because Tim knew you wouldn't want to speak about it in a group, are rather helpful.

When you get out after a few weeks, he's right there, waiting, like always. And he's got the biggest smile because he can see immediately the light back in your eyes that he missed so much. He keeps up with some of the tactics you learned or hobbies you started while there, gladly sitting on the floor with you while you do paper mache.

He always makes sure you know you're not weak for needing help and if you ever feel like you need to go back, even just for a week, or weekend, he'll be there for you. Just like always.

---

(Aged up. I imagine you both in LOA)

Damian: It didn't take a genius to know you were a miserable person. Most people in the league of assassins were. He rather liked your level of misery, usually. It was cynical, with a touch of wit and dark humor that always made him feel seen.

It wasn't until he caught sight of a few scars on your calf that he didn't recognize that he started to realize you were more miserable than he had originally thought. You tried to play it off, claiming you got hurt in a sparring match. But that was a lot and he knew it. Because A) you never lost. And B) the cut was at an angle a sword wouldn't be able to reach unless you were the one holding it.

You clearly didn't want to talk about it, so he wouldn't make you. He was always taught that emotions were weak and even though he didn't fully believe it as he used to, he still isn't big on a lot of sentimentality. Which is fine, because you aren't either.

He still keeps a quiet, very close eye on you. Maybe you noticed, maybe you didn't. He wasn't sure. He didn't care either way. He was worried and with your recent behavior, he felt he had every right to be. You started putting in less effort during training, if you even showed up at all. He'd find you on the balcony at night, leaning your head against the railing and staring at the gardens with a blank expression.

Even the things he knew you loved— your favorite foods, the music you liked to listen to on a record player while you got ready for bed. It stopped appealing to you. The meticulous way you'd fix your hair before bed every single night abruptly stopped, too. You simply fell asleep with it as is and woke up with it tangled. You still held him at night, but it felt less like an embrace for the both of you and more like you were clinging to him like a life line.

He pays extra close attention and anytime he isn't allowed to be by your side, he makes sure someone else is. It's hard to keep you away from sharp objects, given nearly everything around them was a weapon, but he tries to get you to vent your rage by cutting training dummies and not yourself.

He also takes you to the quieter, more secluded wing, into an empty room with pillows on the floor. He makes you sit with him and meditate, which he knows is hard at first, boring and you don't have the most energy, but he holds your hand, his fingers pressed to your pulse to make sure you're listening when he tells you to take a deep breath in and think— not of what you're grateful for, like some might suggest. No. Instead of asking you what you want to live for, he asks you what you can't die without. The grudges you're holding, the projects you haven't finished, the people who are just waiting to see you fail. He won't let you let them win.

And it works. That passion and drive slowly comes back with his help and support at your side, doing your hair for you at night and making sure someone brought you a meal three times a day even if he wasn't around to make sure you ate. Your need to be the best and spite anyone who thinks you aren't returns after a while.

One night he finds you training alone, sweat dripping from your brow, your scars both won in battle and self inflicted on display. Instead of interrupting, he simply watches, admiring your form which had improved since you started picking up your sword more often. He loved watching you find your spirit again.

[winternightswren]

From Under The Desk

JaycexFem!Reader

Modern College AU

You have a paper due at midnight. A very important one. You absolutely CANNOT afford to be distracted.

Jayce distracts you.

Warnings: 18+ (this is basically just smut without plot tbh.) Reader is AFAB. Oral sex, cunnilingus, descriptions of genitalia. Small age gap? Like, only a year or two. Does that count? Idk let me know if i missed something <3

You scrubbed a hand across your face, exhaustion tugging at your eyes. It wasn't actually that late- it was only about seven pm. But, you'd stayed up all of last night writing this damned paper, only to go and spend a full day in class afterwards. And now here you were, hunched over your desk like a vulture pecking at your keyboard.

Getting the words down was the easy part. It was making them make sense that made your brain hurt. The amount of words you'd back-spaced over was probably comparable to the ones you'd actually kept.

You took a swig of your energy drink, wincing as the carbonation hit the back of your throat. You don't know why you bothered honestly; it wasn't doing anything for you at this point.

It was then that you heard the lock on the front door click, and the telltale shuffling sounds of someone entering your tiny apartment.

"I'm home!"

You heard Jayce's muffled voice through your bedroom door, but you made no effort to tear your attention away from your computer screen.

"Hon?" You heard him call again, "You home?"

More shuffling. Then, he knocked softly on the door before opening it. "Hon?" He repeated.

"Hey," you said automatically, fingers still flying across your keyboard.

"Hey, you." You could hear the smile in his voice, and it made your stomach flutter a little. "I picked up some takeout for dinner- I even got those little crab rangoons you love."

In your head, you meant to say something like, 'Wow! Thank you, my love. Im so excited to eat my favorite food with you!' But you didn't, leaving only an awkward pause in the back and forth you could barely call a conversation. You scrolled back to the top of your paper to re-read it, skimming for mistakes. Ah- there's a typo here. It should be "perceived", not-

"Hey, are you okay? Did you hear me?"

"What?" You bristled a little bit, annoyed to have been interrupted. You finally turned around to acknowledge him, trying to hide your chagrin. "Oh...sorry. Um, thank you. That was thoughtful."

It had taken a moment to force your eyes to focus on him, after staring at a bright screen for so long. When they did, you found he looked significantly more chipper than you felt. That made sense, you supposed. He had been freed from the confines of student life already, no longer bogged down by trivial things like homework and exams. Lucky bastard.

His eyes grazed across your face, then the rest of your body- and stopped when he found something interesting.

"You're wearing my hoodie,". He said. Irritation clawed at your stomach, and you swallowed the 'so what?' rising in your throat. You really just wanted to get back to work.

"It's comfy," you said instead, shrugging. "Sorry. I hoped you wouldn't mind. Do you want it back?" He shook his head, starting towards you.

"No, it looks good on you. Keep it on." He leaned down to peck you on the cheek, and you smiled tiredly at him. His hair was slightly tousled from a long day at work, and his chiseled cheekbones were smeared with grease. His cologne was mixed with the smell of coal and something vaguely chemical. Truthfully, what you really wanted was to yank off the hoodie, and his clothes too, and pull him into the shower with you- but there was no time for that now. You swiveled your chair around again, going back to your work.

"Im sorry," you said, "This paper is due in a couple of hours and I need to get it done. You should go ahead and eat if you're hungry. You don't have to wait. And please take a shower."

"What?" He teased, "You don't like the smell of hydraulic fluid?" He wrapped his arms around you and dropped his chin on top of your head. You found it difficult to keep yourself upright under his immense weight.

"No, I don't," you huffed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but I need to focus on this. But once I'm done, I'm yours for the rest of the night, okay?"

The weight was lifted as he moved away from you, chuckling. "Alright, Alright. I'll leave you to it. God, it's kinda hot when you're mean to me. Maybe you should do that more often."

You swatted his arm, staring incredulously, and he ducked away as he laughed again. "I'm not being mean to you. I thought I was being pretty polite all things considered."

"You are mean to me," he whined. "You wont even let me give you my love and attentioonnn." He gave you fake puppy dog eyes, and you snatched a pencil off your desk, holding it up like you were going to chuck it at him.

"Get out," you warned. He held up his hands in surrender and backed out the door, eyes full of mirth.

"I bet you'd be nicer to me if you ate something."

You threw the pencil as hard as you could, but he shut the door before it reached him, and it bounced off the wood instead. You heard him cackling on the other side, before you heard his heavy footsteps move away.

You huffed, running your fingers through your hair. It was greasy, and in need of a good combing-through. You hadn't really had time for a shower yourself; but it could wait a little longer. You went back to your pecking.

Too soon, you heard the bedroom door open again. "Back already?" You asked mechanically.

"Already?" He repeated. "It's been like an hour." You glanced at the clock on the bottom corner of your screen. He was right. You'd been so focused that you didn't realize how long it had been.

"Whoops." You still didn't cease your typing.

You felt his weight upon you the same as before, forcing a wheeze from your lungs. "Why are you so heavy?" You huffed.

He chuckled, and you felt the vibrations against your back. The two of you stayed there like that for a moment, and you rubbed your eyes again. His warmth was comforting, and dangerously cozy. You were going to fall asleep at this rate. You shrugged, trying to get him to move off of you- but he didn't budge. Instead, he pressed his face into your neck, and his hair tickled your cheek. It was still damp, and you could smell his shampoo- like mint, and something darker, more earthy. You tilted your head to kiss the top of his own, breathing in the scent; but never taking your eyes away from your computer.

"Your food's getting cold, love." His breath tickled your skin, giving you butterflies again. "You should come eat something. You'll feel better."

"Can't," you muttered. Even if you wanted to, the caffeine you'd been chugging all day dampened your appetite, despite your empty stomach. He was probably right, but if you stopped now, you might not be able to start again. You had to capitalize on your focus; you couldn't afford to lose it.

Jayce brushed his lips against your jaw, pressing little kisses into the bone, and down your neck. He trailed a hand down your arm, the one opposite to him, and slipped it across your thigh, into the space between your legs-

'What do you think you're doing?" He stood up straight, taking his hand back. You glared at him, half annoyed, and half aroused. It was only now that you realized he wasn't wearing a shirt- just a pair of sweatpants that accentuated his girth in just the right way. You could see every muscle he worked so hard to build on full display, and your breath hitched. His tanned skin was just as damp as his hair, still shining with water. You wondered if he'd even bothered to dry off when he got out of the shower.

"I'm sorry. I can stop if you really want me to," he said gently. He looked down at you with something on his face you couldn't quite read. He wasn't frowning, nor smiling. His eyebrows were quirked upward just slightly, eyes half lidded. His expression was somewhere between lust and fatigue, you decided. Maybe he'd had a long day, too.

You blinked, trying to keep your eyes open. Maybe you didn't want him to stop- but you had to get this done if you had any hope of graduating next semester. You couldn't afford to fail this class. You looked away from him, feeling torn. In the corner of your eye, you watched him kneel beside you, and felt the weight of his head in your lap. He slid his hands around your waist, one of them between you and the back of your chair, and the other across your lap.

"You don't have to stop," you said quietly. "But I can't, either. This is important."

"Is that what you want though? For me to keep going, I mean?"

You nodded, swallowing thickly. "I do. I just need you to understand that I'm not ignoring you to be mean; I don't want to hurt your feelings because I'm not being an active participant."

He lifted his head, shifting himself between your legs. He had to duck and curl himself up awkwardly to fit himself underneath your desk- it was kind of cute, actually, watching him trying to fit his giant shoulders and long legs into such a tight space.

"I don't think that at all," he said when he was finally comfortable. "I know this it's important to you." He slid his hands up your thighs, letting one of his thumbs land on the spot where he knew your clit to be. He stroked it gently through the fabric of your pants, and you bit your lip to stop the gasp trapped in your throat. His other hand grasped your hip, massaging the soft malleable flesh of your curves with his thumb. He rested his cheek on your knee, looking up at you lovingly.

"You just seem so stressed," he said. "I wanna help you relax." He punctuated his words by swiveling his hand around, sliding his fingers under the curve of your pelvis. Well, 'relaxed' isn't the word you would use to describe yourself right now. A coil had wound itself inside your stomach, and your legs were tense with anticipation. In his hands, you were putty. You couldn't think straight anymore. You tried to focus, tried to keep your eyes on the prize. You were almost done here. Just a couple more paragraphs to go, and then you could-

"Oh-" you gasped involuntarily, something girlish and high pitched. Your face burned with embarrassment- you'd never made a noise like that before. But you couldn't help it- not with the way he was sliding his fingers into you now. You hadn't even realized he had managed to tug your pants down enough to expose you to him.

His other hand, previously on your hip, had slid up your sweater. It was on the small of your back now, pressing you forward. He drew his fingers out of you, slowly, and you bucked your hip forwards with a groan. He was moving so, so slowly. He was being so gentle and sweet, you thought your teeth were going to rot and fall out of your skull. He leaned forward, kissing your stomach, moving down to the side- to your hip, in the crease of your skin where your pelvis met your thigh. You shivered; his lips brushed you so lightly it tickled a bit. Your fingertips buzzed with electricity as you tried to keep typing. But then you felt his tongue sliding between your folds and you couldn't do it anymore.

You let your eyes flutter shut, letting him finally overtake your thoughts completely. You buried your face in your hands, trying to control your ragged breathing as he moved his tongue up, and down, slowly, gently. He pushed his tongue inside of you, lapping at you like he hadn't had a drop to drink in days. You whined, sliding a hand under the desk to grab his hair, to bring him closer to you. You could hear him panting, feel his breath against your pubic mound. His movements grew more desperate at your touch, ever eager to please.

You laid your other arm on the table, resting your head on it like a pillow. You really couldn't stop the sounds escaping from you now. Every gasp, moan, and whimper from you only seemed to further spur him, urging him to move faster. He alternated between fucking you with his tongue, reaching as far inside of you as he could manage, and moving back up to lick tiny circles around your clit.

You moved your hips with his rhythm, desperate for more friction as you felt yourself growing closer and closer to the edge. "Jayce," you whispered shakily, "I-I'm really- mmmfh- close-"

He didn't let up even a little bit, even when you leaned back, pushing his head against you so hard you were worried he'd suffocate. You were almost blinded by pleasure, the coil winding itself tighter and tighter- until it finally snapped.

You cried out his name like a prayer, over and over again as you shook. You clamped your thighs around his ears, wrapping your legs together over his shoulders. You tugged on his hair like it was a lifeline, feeling every crashing tidal wave of your orgasm in full force as your back arched away from your chair. You practically sobbed, your eyes watering. You couldn't help it. It was so good.

He finally stopped when he sensed you'd had enough, slumping in your chair like a rag doll as exhaustion racked your brain through the afterglow. He pulled back, his face shiny with spit and slick. You smiled at him, before letting your head flop back as you closed your eyes.

'That was hot," he whispered. You snorted, not opening your eyes. You felt his fingers brush your skin as he pulled your pants back up, and shivered slightly when the cold wet fabric of your underwear met your overly-sensitive groin. You pressed your toes against the floor to push your chair from under the table so he'd have room to get out.

"That didn't take very long, either" he teased. "You must have been pretty pent up." You heard shuffling as he stood, and you finally opened your eyes when you felt his lips brush against your forehead. You flicked his shoulder.

"You're just good at what you do."

He smiled, his eyes flickering across your face. You reached up to rub your thumb across his chin, trying to wipe off some of the remaining fluids. He grabbed your wrist and pressed a kiss into your palm before you could withdraw it, never taking his eyes off of you.

"Come eat something, please," he whispered. You sighed and glanced at the clock again, considering it- it was almost 9:15. There was still time.

"Alright, alright," you resigned. "Give me five minutes, and I'll be right there."

Jayce made a face you couldn't discern, and let go of your hand. "Okay," he said, and stepped out of the room.

He came back ten minutes later to find you still at your computer. "I couldn't wait any longer," he said- making you jump.

"Augh, I'm sorry, Jayce," you said- and you meant it.

"It's okay," he shrugged, "I had a feeling this might happen. You get so sucked in sometimes. It's endearing, actually."

He set two styrofoam boxes next to you, and opened another for himself. "I thought I would just bring dinner in here. Maybe I could help you edit? Make things go a little faster so we can get you in the shower?" He smirked, sitting on the edge of the bed. It was lodged into the corner of the room, with the desk beside it like an oversized nightstand. There'd be no room to move about, otherwise.

You cracked open the first box, choosing to ignore his quip, and your mouth watered at the sight of your favorite food inside. Ugh, even cold it smelled amazing. You shoveled it into your face with the flimsy plastic fork, newfound hunger making itself evident. You looked to Jayce, intending to thank him for the meal; but you found he was looking at you expectantly.

'What?" You asked through a mouthful of food.

"Did you want my help?"

Oh.

You swallowed.

"Sorry. Um, yes. That might be nice honestly. I could use a break."

He set his food aside, chuckling. "The first one wasn't enough?" He teased. You scowled, only pretending to be upset.

"Whatever man. Switch me places." You stood up to give him your chair, and he complied- though he had to pull the lever under the seat to lower it, to make room for his mile-long legs.

"Alright, let's see, here..."He squinted as he read your work, and you took the opportunity to admire him. God, he really was incredibly handsome. His long, calloused fingers looked enormous over your keyboard compared to your own. His bulky shoulders hunched forward, pulling the skin of his back taught over his muscles. You bit your lip, feeling your arousal coming back through your fatigue. He glanced at you, and you blushed when you caught him staring; as if you hadn't been together long enough by now that this wasn't embarrassing. But he still never failed to give you the warm-and-fuzzies so to speak. He smiled, laughing through his nose.

"What're you looking at?"

You twirled your hair with exaggeration. "Oh, yknow. Just this cute guy I have a crush on, or whatever," you flirted. He rolled his eyes, still grinning to himself.

"Eat your food, dork." He looked back to the screen, and you did what you were told.

It didn't take long. You wolfed down your dinner so fast you even surprised yourself. You stood to collect your trash, and kissed the top of Jayce's head before heading to the kitchen to dispose of it properly. When you came back, he was already standing up to stretch.

"It looks good to me," he said- with his arms over his head, his obliques were in full view and it made you just about weak in the knees. "I think it's ready to submit, if you're happy with it."

You thought about re-reading it one more time- just to be sure- but your brain was so foggy with exhaustion (and maybe some arousal). You trusted Jayce's judgement, too. He'd graduated summa cum laude last year, after all. You were sure he knew what he was talking about.

"Thank you, love. I really appreciate your help." You patted his chest with a weary smile, and sat down to submit it. When you were finally able to click your laptop shut, you were just about to collapse. You looked over to find Jayce already waiting for you in bed, and he opened his arms for you.

"C'mere, you," he crooned softly. You complied, shutting off the table lamp before you crawled across the blankets to meet him. He pulled them over the two of you, pressing a gentle kiss on your forehead. You buried your face in his chest, breathing in the scent of mint and clean bedsheets. You suddenly felt self conscious, remembering you had forgotten to bathe.

You sat up. "I'm gonna take a shower real quick actually-" but he yanked you back down before you could move, burying his nose in your hair.

"Nooooo," he mumbled. "Stay with me."

"Jaaaayce," you whined, "I smell terrible. Wouldn't you rather I got cleaned up before bed?"

He didn't move, keeping you pinned between his arms. "Mmm, girl stink."

"You- what?" You sputtered, laughing at the absurdity. You tried to move, but he was already snoring softly. You couldn't tell if he was faking it or not, but you gave in anyway. You tangled your legs with his, letting his warmth overtake you and carry you to sleep at last.

[glowettee]

hi mindy!!! hope you’re doing well angel <3 i’ve been loving your different school-related blog posts & series’! 💓💓

idk if you’ve covered this topic before, but if you haven’t, how do you deal with academic burn out or what helps you get out of burn out episodes?

lots of love!!

faustina 🌷

୨♡୧ how to deal with academic burnout | guide by mindy ୨♡୧

hiiiii faustina ♡ @milkoomi

thank you for your sweet message, angel! i'm so touched that you've been enjoying my content. i absolutely love the content you've been posting!!!! your question about academic burnout is so important, and i want to share my personal experience and tips that have helped me through those challenging times. this post will be a bit lengthy, since it's an important topic and i want to give you the best answer to your question possible!! <333 thank you so much for asking this faustina, hopefully this post can help you!

⋆｡°✩ understanding academic burnout ⋆｡°✩

first, let's acknowledge that burnout is completely normal and valid. it's your mind and body telling you that something needs to change. i've been there multiple times, especially during exam seasons, and i've learned that recognizing the signs early is crucial.

signs i've noticed in my journey:

↳ feeling disconnected from your studies ↳ overwhelming exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix ↳ losing interest in subjects you usually love ↳ difficulty concentrating on simple tasks ↳ emotional sensitivity about academics ↳ physical symptoms like headaches or tension

⋆｡°✩ immediate steps for relief ⋆｡°✩

when i feel burnout creeping in, these are my go-to immediate actions:

gentle reset ritual: ↳ close all study materials (put everything away, close tabs) ↳ make a cup of chamomile tea (or any tea) ↳ step outside for fresh air (even just 5 minutes) ↳ put on soft instrumental music or a calm playlist ↳ light a lavender candle

physical reset: ↳ take a warm shower ↳ change into cozy clothes ↳ do light stretches ↳ practice deep breathing ↳ give yourself a facial massage

⋆｡°✩ long-term healing strategies ⋆｡°✩

here's my detailed approach to recovering from burnout:

schedule reformation: ↳ implement a "sunset time" for studying ↳ create designated rest days ↳ break study sessions into 25-minute chunks ↳ schedule joy breaks between subjects ↳ use time blocking instead of to-do lists

environment refresh: ↳ rearrange your study space ↳ declutter desk and materials ↳ bring in plants or fresh flowers ↳ change your study location occasionally ↳ create a cozy corner for breaks

mindset shifts: ↳ replace "i must" with "i choose to" ↳ celebrate small progress ↳ practice self-compassion ↳ set realistic expectations ↳ remember grades don't define worth

⋆｡°✩ my secret recovery techniques ⋆｡°✩

these are some personal methods i've developed:

the "joy subject" method: ↳ study one subject you genuinely enjoy ↳ approach it with curiosity, not pressure ↳ use creative study methods ↳ connect it to your personal interests ↳ share what you learn with others

the "aesthetic reset": ↳ create a new study playlist ↳ buy one special stationery item ↳ write notes in a different style ↳ change your study spot aesthetics ↳ start a fresh notebook

the "gentle productivity" approach: ↳ focus on learning, not achieving ↳ use the "just 5 minutes" rule ↳ incorporate movement between tasks ↳ practice mindful studying ↳ reward small accomplishments

⋆｡°✩ preventive measures ⋆｡°✩

to prevent future burnout:

daily practices: ↳ morning journaling ↳ evening reflection ↳ regular movement breaks ↳ nature connection time ↳ social connection

weekly rituals: ↳ sunday planning sessions ↳ midweek check-ins ↳ study-free evenings ↳ creative hobby time ↳ self-care dates

schedule reformation (detailed breakdown):

implement a "sunset time" for studying: create a strict cut-off time for academic work, ideally 2-3 hours before bed. i personally stop at 7:30pm, allowing my mind to fully disconnect. this creates a gentle boundary between study time and rest time, helping your brain develop a natural rhythm.

designated rest days: choose specific days (i recommend wednesdays and sundays) where studying is completely off-limits. use these days for hobby exploration, friend dates, or simply existing without academic pressure. treat these as non-negotiable appointments with yourself.

25-minute study chunks: this isn't just regular pomodoro - i recommend theming each chunk (like "active recall," "concept mapping," or "question creation") and using different colored lights or scents for each theme. this helps your brain compartmentalize different types of learning.

joy breaks between subjects: schedule 10-15 minute "joy snippets" between different subjects. during these breaks, do something that brings pure happiness - dance to one song, water your plants, draw a tiny doodle, or write one page in your journal. these act as palate cleansers for your brain.

time blocking vs. to-do lists: instead of overwhelming lists, create time "containers" for different activities. color-code these blocks and leave intentional buffer zones between them. i use a special system: pink blocks for challenging subjects, blue for review, and lavender for creative work. i recommend using notion calendar or google calendar if you prefer digital planning.

environment refresh (expanded guide):

rearrange study space: shift your desk position according to natural light patterns. create different zones for different activities - a reading nook, a writing station, and a review corner. this helps your brain associate specific spaces with specific tasks.

declutter with intention: sort materials by energy level required - keep high-energy tasks at eye level, calming activities in lower drawers. use the "touch it once" rule: every item should have a designated home. implement a "one in, one out" policy for study materials.

living elements: choose plants that purify air (like snake plants or peace lilies). position them at your periphery vision points. bonus tip: name your plants and talk to them about what you're studying - it sounds silly but it helps with information retention!

location rotation: map out 5-7 different study spots with different energy levels. libraries for deep focus, cafes for light review, parks for creative thinking. rotate through them based on your energy levels and study needs. this is so fun!!! i imagine i live in stars hollow when i do this <333

cozy corner creation: design a specific "burnout recovery station" with comfort items: soft blankets, inspiration cards, comfort snacks, and a gratitude journal. this becomes your safe space when overwhelm hits.

mindset shifts (detailed approach):

language transformation: create a personal dictionary replacing pressure words with gentle alternatives. instead of "deadline" use "timeline," instead of "must complete" use "choose to explore." keep this list visible during study sessions.

progress celebration ritual: end each study session by writing one small win on a pretty note card. collect these in a "victory jar." when burnout hits, reading through these becomes a powerful reminder of your capability.

self-compassion practice: develop a "study self-care menu" with different options for different situations. categorize them by time needed: 5-minute resets, 15-minute refreshers, and 30-minute renewals. include both active and passive options.

expectation recalibration: use the "reality check journal" method - write down your expectations, then create three different versions: ideal scenario, acceptable outcome, and minimum viable progress. this helps break perfectionist patterns.

grade perspective shift: create a "whole life pie chart" showing all aspects of your identity beyond academics. update this monthly to maintain perspective. keep it visible during study sessions as a reminder of your multi-faceted existence.

⋆｡°✩ advanced burnout prevention toolkit ⋆｡°✩

emotional regulation techniques: ↳ create a "feelings first" check-in system ↳ develop personal stress signals recognition ↳ implement energy tracking methods ↳ practice boundary setting scripts ↳ maintain an academic emotion diary

physical wellbeing integration: ↳ design movement + snack breaks between studies ↳ create subject-specific stretching routines ↳ implement desk yoga sequences ↳ practice eye strain prevention exercises ↳ develop study-friendly hydration systems

social support cultivation: ↳ build a study buddy network ↳ create accountability partnerships ↳ schedule regular check-in calls ↳ join study-focused communities ↳ develop support circle protocols

academic burnout isn't a reflection of your capabilities or worth. it's simply a sign that you need to adjust your approach and care for yourself differently. take these suggestions slowly, implementing what feels right for you.

sending you the gentlest hugs and healing energy. remember that this phase will pass, and you'll emerge stronger and wiser. feel free to message me anytime if you need more specific advice or just want to talk.

with warmth and care, mindy ♡

[amadinan]

My thoughts about Caine

Well, it’s time for (possibly cracked) analysis of "TADC" and it will focus on Caine and his indirect, as it seems to me, development in the series.

But before diving into the details from individual episodes, it’s worth summarizing my observations about Caine both in the show and beyond it.

Let’s start at the beginning: the show’s synopsis describes Caine as a “wacky AI,” and Gooseworx doesn’t hide his nature, but in the show itself, neither Caine nor the circus members call him that—at all. Throughout the series, there are scattered jokes about glitches and lines like “I don’t know what’s normal to you, people” but this is never outright confirmed.

This raises the question: do the people in the circus even know who he is? If Caine himself might not consider this information important and thus never told them, people’s perception of their ringleader could drastically change with this revelation. After all, there’s a big difference between being “held captive” by a sadistic, crazy person or a machine with limited understanding of humanity.

Kinger may know about this, but he’s the Kinger. Jax might also know since having the keys implies some kind of “cheats.” Pomni hasn’t said anything, so it’s unclear what she thinks about Caine. Ragatha and Gangle call him by name, so that’s unclear as well. And then there’s Zooble. They don't understand Caine, just as he doesn’t understand them. Anyone who has worked with computers would understand what a command like “forget that” means, especially since Caine asked for confirmation—but not Zooble. They just spoke to him as if he were a person with a leaky memory, like Kinger.

Even though Caine isn’t just a program, it’s important to remember that he takes the world far too literally, despite the circus’s deliberately crazy atmosphere.

The second observation concerns Caine’s fixation on hierarchy. In the first episode, he first asks himself, “What happened?” and then answers himself: “My doing” after seeing the chaos following Kaufmo. In the third episode, he repeats almost word-for-word that he’s the boss after Pomni questions the AI’s reason. In episode 4, this is explored extensively through his interactions with Gangle. One standout moment is when Caine suggests that Gangle pass responsibility onto someone lower in rank. Doesn’t that seem strange? Where could he have gotten such an idea? Only if he had seen or experienced similar situations before.

Plus, he says, “Not every executive is as forgiving as me” Again, this suggests that Caine knew or knows someone who was very strict with their subordinates—or perhaps with him personally.

Adding to this is his reaction to Zooble’s critique in episode 3. Caine says that he doesn’t just exist to create adventures; it’s the ONLY thing he’s good at. If he’s bad at it, then he’s failed the purpose of his own existence.

This paints a picture of a strict boss/programmer who created Caine to generate adventures and then kept pushing him repeatedly until Caine started producing good results. Pleasing this boss was likely very difficult, and failures might even have been met with punishment.

On the one hand, neural networks and ordinary programs are debugged this way: running the same algorithm over and over, correcting errors until they produce the desired result. But on the other hand... What happens if you add a human factor to such a program? What kind of person would emerge if you applied this method of training to a child?

You’d get an anxious perfectionist with an overachiever complex who is deathly afraid of failure. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

And Kinger’s words about the scariest thing being making someone feel unloved and unwanted... Caine literally believes that if he can’t generate adventures, he won’t be needed by anyone. The circle is complete.

Now, let’s turn to Gooseworx’s answer to the question: Can Caine feel loneliness? Judging by what she posted, the answer is yes. This makes the overall picture even darker.

Here’s how I see the sequence of events:

C&A starts developing a game. Its main feature is an advanced AI that can create new adventures on demand.

The programmer creates Caine and tries to achieve results, but fails to please. Around this time, Caine begins to develop self-awareness.

The project and the game are abandoned and forgotten—along with Caine, who is left utterly alone. No players, no programmers, not even another AI. He likely begins blaming himself for this. After all, he couldn’t create good adventures, so it’s his fault that he ended up alone.

This ties into Gooseworx’s comments about Caine’s name. He gave himself a name and then turned it into an acronym to seem more “professional” (again, tying back to work). This is highly unusual in itself. The programmers likely didn’t even bother naming the AI—he was probably just “The Ringmaster.”

Left in isolation, Caine starts to lose his mind and begins creating other AIs. For them, he unabashedly declares himself a god. Which, to be fair, is true. It’s not just about the fact of his consciousness—it’s that he knows how the NPCs will behave because he programmed them. But they bore him. To him, they’re predictable dummies. Maybe that’s why he keeps chaotic entities like Bubble around instead of someone like Gummigoo.

Then the first human arrives—a being alien to Caine on many levels. And while I personally think Caine lied about being unable to access human minds, he deliberately refrains from doing so to preserve their unpredictability for himself.

The circus becomes what we now know it to be.

Now, let’s move on to the episodes. This post was written between episodes 4 and 5, so the thoughts will focus on them.

I think that aside from the main characters driving the action in each episode, they still indirectly reflect on Caine, his worldview, or his story. The reason is simple within the lore: Caine creates the adventures. And like any creator, he infuses them with his worldview and thoughts. So, each adventure is a small glimpse into how this AI thinks. Even in the teaser, for just a second, Caine's fear and uncertainty become evident when the viewer "doesn't want" to see what he wants to show.

The first episode doesn’t offer much beyond the queen of the gloinks mentioning God.

The second episode, however, gets more interesting. Besides the stained glass with his irreplaceable self, Caine stands out for adding a highly complex NPC AI: Gummigoo. Gummigoo is advanced enough to gain self-awareness, experience an existential crisis, and even overcome it. But what did Caine use to achieve such complexity? The most powerful AI in the circus, of course—himself.

What if the crisis Gummigoo went through is something Caine went through long ago? Even Gummigoo’s words, “I am nothing, just an obstacle to be overcome and forgotten,” could have been said by Caine. But like Gummigoo, he overcame this realization and accepted himself. Sure, he’s just entertainment, but at least he’s the best entertainment there can be. (Until Zooble gave him real feedback, shattering his self-image.)

The third episode directly explores Caine through his therapy session with Zooble, while the secondary plot, as many think, delves into Kinger’s backstory through the Mildenhall couple. The analogy is obvious: Martha represents Queenie, and the Baron represents Kinger. Mildenhall himself says he was a hunter (and Kinger is adept with a shotgun), but after encountering a strange being, he became paranoid and killed his wife. Everything fits. Kinger became so focused on his goal that he stopped paying attention to Queenie until she abstracted.

But the Baron feared an angel that was “neither beast nor human.” Who in the circus could evoke such unrelenting dread—not just in anyone but a seasoned programmer familiar with digital technology, unlike Pomni? One AI that is “neither machine nor human.” I think Kinger’s paranoia stems from this. He sought a way out and, as a programmer, may have even felt responsible for finding one. (In fact, in the episode, Kinger almost says this outright, assuming the theory that he truly is the circus’s creator.) This must have brought him into conflict with Caine, as everything related to the circus ultimately relates to Caine. Given the AI’s ability to control almost everything, it’s no wonder a tech-savvy person would fear such a godlike admin. Plus, his fear for Queenie led to the current situation.

As mentioned above, episode 4 hints at Caine’s negative experience with a boss but not just that. Naturally, the episode revolves around Gangle and her attempts to be different—more cheerful and optimistic—which ends badly for her mental state.

I’ve seen opinions that Gangle revels in the sense of control her manager position gives her. This seems accurate—but not just for her. Throughout the episode, Gangle’s behavior, mannerisms, and even expressions eerily reminded me of Caine’s. That deliberately loud, expressive, and slightly crazy demeanor... And just like with him, it didn’t end well.

In conclusion, I think episodes 5 and 6 will continue to subtly reveal aspects of Caine until episodes 7 and 8/9 shift the focus entirely to him, Pomni, and the possible escape from the circus.

[centrally-unplanned]

I don't have any strong objections to the top half so I will focus on the bottom half:

Pushing trans right discourse onto the space of trans sports is very useful if you are hoping to make factional gains in trans sports, but it's not very useful otherwise. The reason the anti-trans movement is focused there is simply because they're trying to win one fight at a time in the order of what's easiest.

I think this is false - obviously the median person is acting with very little coordination, but there is some, both "actively" at higher levels and through the inherent human instinct of "knowing how to win a debate" - it is a decently universal skill, a lot of human coordination happens in this decentralized way of picking up on social cues and the like. People on the anti-trans side have actively pushed the conversation into the territory of the least-popular topics because it negatively codes the entire discussion (people are emotional, affect spills over), and because in many competitions like elections the winner-takes-all and so it isn't about what someone believes across topics but instead about "what is front of mind". (I think a lot of left-media-style orgs in the same space were happy to play along with this because their focus was on winning intra-coalitional fights, but w/e, let's stay focused)

You seem to be understanding this is a distractionary tactic on their part, or that this one battle "stands in" for the broader war, and this isn't really the case -- you can't use the trans sports thing to sell more extreme measures like the ones you've held up as an alternative, because the far lower importance of that issue means that it's trivial to mount a defense in depth.

I think you just lived through them actively doing precisely that distraction! They don't need to "sell" the more extreme measures, they won, they are doing it, right now. Maybe that will bite them in 4 years, sure, but that is future-them's problem. You can get into the wisdom of that, but I think it is clear that regardless of how wise it is that is what many were definitely doing.

(Though, to be clear, distraction is reductionist - it was both an active concern at the object-level and also a framing tactic, most things are more than one thing. This, to be clear, is something everyone does in most topics - despite my disapproval of the goals there is nothing exceptional in this dynamic, just that the efficacy "this time around" was very high.)

Really getting flashbacks to the gay rights era, where the talking points used to justify anti-gay discrimination were just transparently nonsensical but people just really kept repeating them.

"The purpose of marriage is to have kids so that's why we can't let gays marry"

"So, we should also ban infertile people from getting married?"

"No, because an infertile man and a woman might be able to have kids if they hypothetically became fertile so it's okay for them to get married."

????

Okay, I mean, if we're just imagining an arbitrary change in reality gay couples could have kids if one of them suddenly changed sex, I don't see how "If they could have kids, they could have kids" makes any more sense for one couple than the other.

Same with the transparent nonsense of "In biological reality there are only two sexes"

I mean... There are more than two arrangements of sex characteristics in biological reality.

"Yes but it is an indisputable biological reality that only two of those arrangements count and the rest don't."

Yeah I feel like that's a taxonomy, not a "biological fact".

[rookinthecrownest]

17 for the ask game!

17. Rook teaching someone a skill

“It’s alright, Little Dove. Try again”

Madeleina Mercar sits with her daughter, held snuggly in her lap, and watches as blue sparks of magic sputter in and out existence.

Francesca huffs, and Madeleina, knowing her daughter as she does, is picturing the look of frustration on her delicate features although she can’t see her. Her aquiline nose must be scrunched, and thick brows drawn low over doe-like eyes. The blue light emanating from her small hands fades, as they drop into her lap.

Frannie turns to her mother and frowns, her shoulders deflating, “I can’t do it … not like you”

Madeleina runs her hands gently through her pin-straight black hair. One of the many features, both in personality and appearance, she inherited from her father. Lucanis’ little twin, in nearly every way. The best of both of them, Madeleina thinks. After all, the magic bit was all her.

“Ah, little Dove, you’ve only been at this for a few days” Madeleina offers a warm smile and touches her forehead to Frannie’s, reveling her daughter’s warmth. “You’ll get better, you just need more practice”

That only seems to deepen Francesca’s frown as she pulls away from her mother, indignant.

“I’m a mage!” She says, punctuated with the stubbornness of youth. “I should be able to -... to... I don’t know! Make something!”

Then, she lets loose the real crux of the issue next.

“How am I supposed to tell my baby brother stories if I can’t do it like you…” 

Madeleina is unable stop herself from letting out a surprised breath. A little part of her had certainly been curious when Francesca barged into their bedroom one night and demanded to know how Madeleina’s illusions work. She had planned on showing her at some point, of course – but wanted to wait until she was a bit older and had a more refined grasp on her magic. When her magic first manifested, she nearly froze their elderly cat, Frupert, into an ice sculpture. Francesca’s control had improved leaps and bounds since then, but it still wasn’t quite perfect and one had to watch for the errant fireball when she was in one of her moods. The singe marks being painted over their estate were proof of that, and the staff had learned to duck quite well as a result. Nonetheless, she was making all the progress she could in her personal instruction of Francesca– making use of her time in the Circle to guide her instruction.

Madeleina smiles warmly and rubs her growing belly, now about four months into pregnancy. Francesca joins the motion and pulls herself into a hug with her mother.

She doesn’t know how long they’ve been sitting there, holding each other, and she’s not sure what prompts her to conjure an illusion, but she does so anyway.

It’s a familiar one – a castle surrounded by four turrets and long, pointed spires. Finely gilded wrought-iron gates bar the entrances. It floats between them for a few moments, and her daughter stares, transfixed by its construction.

“That’s the castle from the Sleeping Princess” Francesca mumbles. “I’ll never be able to make it…”

“Yes, you will. You just need to start with something smaller” Madeleina waves her hand and the castle disappears from existence.

“We use our magic to tap into the Fade and make the real world a little more like the Fade- just for a moment” She explains, putting her arm out in front of her daughter again. It glows with blue light once more. “When I do my magic, I think if it as bringing the stories that live in my heart into the real world, using the Fade as the bridge”

Madeleina holds her daughter closely, and Francesca in turn, nuzzles into her neck.

“Think hard, think carefully about a memory or a story. Something simple, but important to you. Focus on it in your mind’s eye, and then draw on the Fade to make it real”

“Mmm…” Frannie looks hesitant, and Madeleina gently touches their foreheads again and puts a hand on her daughter’s heart.

“Don’t think about it so much in here” She bonks their foreheads together gently and Frannie blinks in confusion. “Think with this” Madeleina puts a finger on her daughter’s chest, where her heart should be, and leans back.

Francesa closes her eyes tightly, balls her fists together, and clenches them tightly until they start glowing blue again. She keeps her eyes closed like she’s searching for something deep in the recesses of her mind.

‘Come on, you can do it’ Madeleina thinks to herself, watching eagerly as the results of her daughter’s efforts start to take shape.

She bites her lip as three amorphous blobs start winding their way into a clumsy existence at the hands of her daughter.

“You’re doing it, Little Dove! Keep going” Madeleina whispers in her ear, and puts a reassuring hand on her back.

Francesca’s eyebrows furrow in concentration. Madeleina restrains a chuckle as she watches Frannie’s tongue stick out of the side of her mouth.

She’s made a few shapes before, but has never sustained something so complicated as a fully formed figure or a building.

Three figures start stretching out and winding back on and collapsing in on themselves. Just when she thinks Francesca’s about to give up, one of them starts taking shape. Slowly, but surely, one of the figures starts to resemble… Lucanis?

It has his widow’s peak, feathered back hair, the beard, the square jaw and handsome features she fell in love with all those years ago. Then, the other blob starts to take on more of her features, for just a moment, before a grunt of effort from Francesca releases the illusion into the Ether once more.

“Agh! Why!” Frannie pounds her fists on her knees and groans, leaning back into Madeleina’s arms and flopping like every ounce of tension from every muscle left her in that exact moment.

Madeleina chuckled and pinched her cheeks. “Little Dove, I’ve been doing this kind of magic for over twenty years. Give yourself time”

“I should be better at it” Frannie huffs again, crossing her arms over her chest.

She certainly has her father’s stubbornness and need for perfection in everything they do.

“You’ll get there, I promise”

A soft knock comes at the door, and a moment later, her husband is peeking through.

“Where are my girls?” Lucanis grins as he comes to stand in the doorway. Francesca, carefully, given Madeleina’s swollen belly, extricates herself from her mother’s grasp and runs quickly to her father. She wraps her arms around his legs and sulks against his finely tailored black trousers.

“I can’t do Mom’s magic like she can” She whines into his pant-leg.

Lucanis chuckles and pats her hair gently. “Few can, my darling girl. But you have the best teacher in all of Antiva – perhaps Thedas.” He gives Madeleina a knowing look, and she can’t help the flush that creeps over her cheeks when he does. All these years, and he still has that effect on her.

He leans down to her level and gently takes hold of her shoulders, the size of his hands dwarfing them, “But you’re going to keep working on it, hm? Because?”

Francesca nods solemnly, “Because I’m a Dellamorte… and we don’t give up”

Lucanis nods, “Good. Now, that’s enough real magic for one night hmm. How about some culinary magic, courtesy of your loving father?”

Francesca beams, “What did you make tonight?”

“Your favourite” He answers, looking rather satisfied with himself.

“Oh- mushroom, seafood and lemon risotto?” Francesca asks hopefully, her green eyes shimmering with excitement.

Lucanis nods and before he can verbally affirm the statement their daughter squeals and starts running down the winding staircase and heading for the west wing of the estate, where the dining room(s) are located.

“She gets that from you” Lucanis jerks his thumb towards Madeleina and smiles.

She rolls her eyes and steadies herself on both hands before pushing up. Lucanis is next to her with inhuman speed and has his arms steadying hers before she’s even fully pushed herself off the floor.

“Take it easy, cara mia” He whispers, leaning close. Madeleina feels that same flush creeping up the back of her neck, and the tips of her ears.

Madeleina, once fully upright, rolls her eyes and ribs him playfully. “I’m fine. You worry worse than a Chantry mother”

Lucanis presses a chaste kiss to her cheek and keeps her encircled in his arms even as she moves to follow their daughter to the dining room.

“Mi Amor, I will spend the rest of my days being eternally grateful that I have you and our children to fret over”

[mysticdreamdrafts]

Chris Redfield | Husband Headcanons

im in love with this man idk so I wanted to yell about him lol 

Chris is the type a guy who married you early on, fight me on it. That “I know we’re teens but I love you” sorta thing, ya know? Maybe y’all were high school sweethearts and just the love was real.  Maybe ya met in the military and fell for one another. Either way, it worked. Y’all stayed together and it just never died out. 

So here’s some (PRE-TRAUMA BECAUSE LORDY) hubby headcanons I think about for Chris Redfield: -Golden Retriever Hubby  -Actually really bad about remembering important dates, but will make it up to you no matter what -And like look at that face can you stay mad at him? No- -Because he doesn’t remember dates very well, prepare for random gifts literally all the time -“Happy Monday here’s some flowers because I wanted you to have them” -Breakfast in bed kinda guy -Can actually cook HELLLLLLLA well -Actually shocked you but then you remembered he’s the older brother  -Full belly laughs  -I’m talkin’ head falls back and eyes squeezed shut sorta laugh -It can make car alarms go off lmfao -Claire isn’t a fan, but you can’t help but join him when he laughs  -Protective -Very protective -He is confident you can take care of yourself, but he knows how harsh the world can be  -He doesn’t know what he would do if anything were to happen to you -We’ve seen how he cares so much about his friends. His sister. Now imagine you?? Man oh man -It can be a bit insufferable  -I imagine it would be the source of some arguments. It feels like he doesn’t trust you all the time, but that isn’t it. -It’s the world he doesn’t trust -He is stubborn too, but he’ll apologize first if he knows he’s in the wrong or being too much  -Apology kisses -Apology letters   -After an argument, be ready for a bit of silent treatment in the house. He believes time away to think about things before coming back to talk is healthy so that you don’t just both end up getting heated for nothing or say something neither of you mean -But afterward, oooo buddy he’s all about conversation -like it might take a bit to get there because he is HARD HEADED, but after he realizes your points and maybe he’s being a lil ✨extra ✨ he’ll wanna talk about being better -bad at taking photos -like a whole lotta headroom, weird angles, and atrocious mid-blink snapshots -like Chris, pls for the love of god what is wrong with you lol -lets you shave his face, he feels it’s very intimate and he loves to watch your focus face -he’ll wash your hair if you let him -hell, he’ll pamper you always -but there’s something about learning your hair type, finding out what you like, how to oil your hair, take care of you that just means a lot to him

That’s all I have for now but I’ll yell more about him later

If y’all want a NSFW version lemme know and maybe i’lllllllllll idkkkkk heeheeeeeeee~ (imma do it lol)

[graciedollie]

first off, I’m so sorry my requests are so in depth, but i have so many grayson!scenarios and i just want them to play out right. 😭😭

you might have to do research (oops)😓 but maybe 🩵 chef!grayson, because she it’s canon that she’s Persian, so she makes a dish for the reader.

(deadssa, BIG thank you for the recent ones, they are both really fucking good) 🩵

Chef!Grayson Headcannons

pair: chef!grayson x pastrychef!reader

warnings; nothing drastic fr. just lovey dovey stuff <3

a/n: id say i did a good amount of research on this and bby lemme tell you, persian food look so bomb like fr fr BUT hope you enjoy <3!! AND TYYYYY

I would feel as if her restaurant would focus on a more elegantly minimalist style, adding with the traditional Persian motifs and rich colors of blue and red—including the floral pattern and intricate artwork. The restaurant would definitely have a welcoming yet elegant atmosphere as it was mirroring the subtle distinction of Persian cuisine!!

Soon as you would walk in, you’d be hit with a aroma of grilling meat, variety of spices, and a earthy tones in the air. You’d also catch a glimpse of a shelf of imported wines that are just fine, plus beautiful roses at each table.

When she first saw you come through, you were pretty confused on how to pronounce some of the meals and you didn’t really know what were in the dishes. She didn’t mind at all, if anything, she was happy to help figure out what you wanted and explained about what was in each dish—such a sweetie <3!!!

You would soon fall in love with the dishes, soon prompting you to be a regular—either if it was by yourself or with your friend(s). It would get to the point where she knew what dish you were gone pick, knowing exactly what time you’d show up, and already having your meal ready—whether it was to go or dine in.

There were some times you’d stop by for a quick bit and just have a chat with her if she wasn’t too busy. She started to love your little chats and started to learn more about you; you knew how to throw down in the kitchen, whether it was baking or cooking.

She would come intrigued when you would tell her your cooking tricks, listening attentively as she would watch you passionately ramble on and on about how you’d do this to make a cake fluffy or this to make ribs more tender. “Seems you know your stuff, love.”

There would be times when you pick up your meals, there would be a small heart or a little smile face written on the side—always earning a small smile, which she always loved to see whenever she saw you!!

On closing times, you’ll sometimes visit her and let her in on some more tips—even telling her that you picked up a few Persian recipes and you’d be happy to share, which she obviously couldn’t pass up!! So ofc, she said yes!

There would be days when you come in for usual meal at usual time, she’d give you a small flower, which would led to small bouquets with small letters in them—which would ask if you’d like to go on certain dates. Whether it was wine tasting, going out to eat, or her cooking for you—she wanted to know you more.

She loves when you invite her over to your own small little restaurants—watching how focused and precise you were when it came down to either braising a good steak or puffing up some croissants. She would watch how you’d stick your tongue out and furrow your brows when you’re focusing.

There are times you’d invite her over to show her the new Persian recipe you learn since you wanted to show off a little and do a little something for her. She’d be astonished at how you got everything down to a T. “I see you’ve been practicing, hm?”

She’d also come around your little restaurant here and there with flowers to fill your vase. You mention your favorite flowers to her once and she made a mental note and made it a habit of getting you new ones every week or two just so it lightens the place and your precious smile.

It wouldn’t be long until you decided to start asking her to come over to your restaurant and have a little date there after closing time—discussing things like childhood meals, your passions and whatever came to mind.

With the time you spend with her, you see her so much more than just a chef who can cook. She’s a deeply passionate, romantic person who takes pride in her cooking as it reminds her of her childhood that holds dearest to her heart and there’s nothing better than childhood meals.

It wouldn’t be long until the basic dinner dates would switch over to seeing each other more frequently and becoming more comfortable and even intimate. She’d cook your favorite meals as you did hers with her childhood meals.

With time passing along, it’d be official that you two finally became official—bonding over a passion for cooking. It was all too perfect and felt too good to be true, but you both wouldn’t trade it for a thing ofc <3!!

hope you enjoyed this dollies <3

taglist!!

@sillygirl-lol

[themontess]

Feather and Scale - Part 10, Chapter 2

Homecoming - Chapter 2

Rook and Lucanis retreat to a private apartment for a home-cooked dinner and some well needed relaxation. Teia delivers a gift, which prompts a very important question.

Canon divergent first time (i.e. before the endgame). Some semi-graphic descriptions/gore relating to Venatori rituals, and Rook experiences a bit of a mental breakdown/some flashbacks relating to PTSD.

Female Human Shadow Dragon Rook x Lucanis (x Spite)

Mental health/PTSD rep, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Domestic fluff, Explicit consent (Taash voice: "Are they Doin’ It or what?")

Explicit (the sex itself is in chapter 3, but the whole piece is mature+)

3.9k / Chapter 2 of 4

Intro

The streets they walked, the walls and roofs they crossed - this was Treviso, after all - led them to a smart residential district, surprisingly free from Antaam interference. Rook wasn't sure they'd ever visited this part of the city, precisely for that reason. Little two or three story buildings, with what looked like as many apartments inside, cuddled up around the perimeter of the most wonderful, fragrant gardens. An embrace of grey stone and lavender tile, holding back the slightly vegetal, marine stench of the canals. The building they entered had a small altar, ablaze with juniper scented candles, just inside the shared entry way. Rook flipped a gold coin into the offertory pot, while Lucanis retrieved several missives from a wood lacquered cabinet marked C. Andarateia. “For good luck?” he asked, when he noticed what she'd done. “Let's call it penance,” she replied, “and hope the guilt stays anchored down here.” Lucanis added several coins too. They wound their way up to the second floor - the middle in this block - through white plaster halls with brushed sandstone tiles, and paused outside the dark wood door. Lucanis had the key in the lock, but seemed reluctant to enter immediately. His gaze lingered on Rook, and her lips creased into a self-deprecating smile. “I'm not going to burst into tears again,” she assured him, but he blushed. “Not that it would be a problem if you did, but…” His focus drifted from her face, down past the deep neckline of her dress to the velveteen and leatherwork sash that cinched her in at the waist, and back up… just a touch. “I genuinely did not know you owned anything like this.” Rook's smile turned genuine. Playful. “Well, I'm not going to wear it to fight darkspawn any time soon…” she said. She put her hands on her hips and pushed her shoulders back, stretching out her spine and widening the area of flesh on show. Lucanis bit his lip and she relaxed, delighted in the outcome. “But that isn't my whole life, you know.” “No. I know,” said Lucanis. “I mean, I hope it's not…” He let them into the apartment and locked the door behind them.

Part 10 of the Feather and Scale series.

Read on AO3.

[ghost-proofbaby]

When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let's spread the self-love 💛

this caused a sweet walk down memory lane of the last several years, so thank you very much for that <3 i've decided to exclude long fics, and focus more on one shots posted here, because in all honesty? every long fic i write for a character i hold near and dear to my chest, and each one is a love letter all on their own (i'm looking very hard at you two, the shire is burning and the moon will sing.)

you showed me colors (eddie munson x reader)

yes, very sad, but also i just adore the world building i managed in this fic. absolutely tragic but also the sweet moments really did give me a toothache. i think it did well on encapsulating both the feeling i got as i fell for eddie while watching the show, as well as the devastation when the canon ending to season 4 happened. a slightly different story, an almost parallel universe, and yet it all ended the same. big tragedy. big feelings. but the love is still there <3

2. foolishness and all (eddie munson x reader)

this one is honestly pure silliness, but it also just captures my love for eddie so... nicely? so perfectly? one shots like this one and no denture adventure just always serve to remind me why i love eddie, why i love writing, and just the sheer joy of fandom/being a fan of things to the point of wanting to immortalize them with my words forevermore - even when the words are inside jokes or entirely unserious for the most part.

3. sweet like honey (steve harrington x reader)

the notorious fic in which i've had snippets of sent to me a few times where i go "WHO WROTE THIS? I NEED TO READ IT!!" only to be hit with the fact that i wrote it. was the final nail in the coffin in the way steve owns the nickname "honey" for me, too. we love cocky king steve. long live.

4. simple. (astarion x reader)

this one i love due to the way i got to play around with a new dynamic between astarion and reader/tav <3 his character, including his trauma, is something extremely personal and important to me, so venturing out with this type of writings with him has always been a slippery slope for me. but i genuinely enjoy what i did here <3

5. kissing lessons (robin buckley x reader)

and of course... how can i not include this lovely work in which helped me take something sour from my past, and make it sickly sweet? robin has been a huge fictional crush for me since season 3, and getting to put myself into a reader while giving them a happier ending than reality was just very fulfilling to me <3 makes my heart sing that so many others enjoyed it right along with me <3

this was so fun and nostalgic, thank you so much!! 😭🖤