#people can have different experiences in life

[comicaurora]

Tahraim is my fav absolutely adore him! I love that you’ve made the smith deal in introspection and cryptic bs, a lot of times smiths are very straightforward characters in stories. What made you decide to shake it up?

Can gods be tied to concepts as well as cities? As Tahraim seems to be a god of blacksmithing (or at least has some serious motifs) does he have a city thats just forges?

He also seems a lot more mobile than the other gods, or is he just “tied” to Danix?

Tahraim is a conceptual god, a class of deity considered grander and more untethered than city or nature gods. Also in his weight class are Emnis and Erebas (dreams and nightmares), Shanyasi (music), Sennaia (knowledge), Jiya (war), and a whole bunch of others. They're gods of ideas, and their domains are in the collective consciousness of mortals. They can manifest anywhere they hold sway, and several of them have constructed domains of their own in pocket dimensions; Sennaia has a transfinite library hidden away somewhere, and Tahraim has a forge.

Tahraim's personality comes from my own experience with artists and craftspeople. Many artists are acutely aware that in order for their work to be better, they need to be better. The process of creation and introspection becomes inextricably linked. Forging a tool changes the forger, little by little.

There's also an element I've observed from teachers. I was always a firm proponent of "don't be cryptic or cute, just tell me the thing and I'll get it," and while that's true a lot of the time, there are concepts that cannot be Just Told in any meaningful way. They don't hit or stick if the person doesn't put them together themselves and construct a way that works for them. Teaching isn't always the impartation of information; a lot of the time it's guidance so the student crafts the tools that work for them. Even if the teacher can perfectly communicate what method works for them, everyone is different, and a student that does the exact same thing exactly right might gain no benefits or be actively harmed by the process. Instead, the student has to parse the lesson and create their own tools to execute the same goal.

Personal example under a readmore because it got a little long:

I've sporadically dealt with intrusive thoughts my whole life, though I didn't understand what they were at the time and they've mostly gone away on their own. When I was little, upsetting thoughts would get stuck in my head and stay there; things would give me nightmares that lasted for weeks, or I'd be stuck awake in the wee hours ruminating on every time in my life I'd done something shameful or harmful or wrong. My dad recognized I was upset, and tried to teach me a method of "counting thoughts" that worked for him, where I could sit for a few minutes and just passively observe the thoughts floating by, counting them and observing them and thus becoming aware that they were small, fleeting things with no power on their own. The problem is, this method didn't work for me at all, because "count the thought" didn't communicate to me "and that makes the thought not a problem anymore." The thought still hurt just as bad, all I was doing was reminding myself how many bad thoughts were happening. I would get overwhelmed and end up more distressed, and the fact that this thing that should have worked didn't work just convinced me that I was trapped and nobody could ever help me.

It took actual years before I found a method that clicked in my brain, and it was just one step further down the path of counting thoughts:

"Having that thought is harmless."

Every thought that got stuck in my head was about times or ways I might've harmed people. The things that distressed me most were things I'd done wrong that I had zero power to change, so the wrongness would just haunt me forever, making me miserable forever. But the root of the distress was that I had messed up and hurt people.

The thing that clicked was that having the thought does nothing to anyone but me. The thought is harmless, even if the event the thought is about wasn't or wouldn't be. Having the thought hurts no-one else. And since 90% of my distress was distress at the thought of hurting other people, it hit me that in reality, even in the depths of my angst, I was just sitting there, hurting no-one.

And suddenly I found that the last few intrusive thoughts rattling around in my brain withering, because the last thing that had been feeding them was gone. I was given the technique for Counting Thoughts, but it wasn't made for my hands. I had to make my own version out of it. And just because it worked for me and my own personal brain doesn't mean this method would work for someone else, just the same way the method that worked for my dad didn't click for me. If I wanted to teach someone a way to bypass intrusive thoughts, all I would have to work on would be what worked for me, but I could try to guide them through a path similar to the one I followed to find my method so they could maybe find their specific hangups and what specifically would work for them. Every mind is different.

This is also why it's so frustrating to hear someone say stuff like "Oh I used to worry about that too, but it's actually fine, you can just stop worrying about it!" And it's like, "oh, fuckin brilliant, just stop worrying about it? Absolute genius, I just hadn't thought of that-" like yea it sounds flippant and yea it's not helpful, but they are using the only frame of reference they have and describing what they did. They stressed about something, realized it was not actually a problem, and knowing that was enough to make it leave their mind alone. But saying that they "just stopped worrying" doesn't make you understand or internalize how they did it. And because they can't seem to help you, it makes you mad. But then sometimes, with time and perspective, you look back and think "wow, yea, at some point I really did just stop worrying about that." It doesn't mean their advice worked, it just means somewhere along the line something clicked in your mind and started working.

Tahraim is a smith who sees no difference between shaping a tool and shaping a person, but there are some ways that people can't be shaped from the outside, and instead have to shape themselves. He likes to be subtle and cryptic, but he also has good reason to be. The only way to make something click in someone's head is to guide them towards it and nudge them when necessary. It's not all hitting stuff with hammers.

[in-mutual-weirdness]

@antiterfbutch , sorry people are being weird about your commentary, but you did really hit the nail on the head here re: the problem isn't minors having relationships with adults, the problem is an adult treating children like peers

My first foray into internet communities was an IRC channel for a game I was into as a high schooler. I was the second youngest person there - most everyone else was in their 20s or 30s. These people helped raise me in the "village of adults" kind of way. They were kind older presences in my life who bonded with me over our shared interest. They were willing to listen to what I had to say and lent me their experience and support when I needed it. I remember a particular incident when a post from a white supremacist on tumblr hit me where it fucking hurt, and I went to the community in tears. People were kind, and the channel admin took it upon himself to DM me cat pictures until I felt better.

Being around people like this helped me see a window into what adulthood could look like. They taught me how to interact in mixed age spaces, and being friends with some of them led to me meeting trans adults for the first time, in a way that directly aided my own gender realization and coming out years later. My experiences with them enriched my life, and greatly inform the way I speak to young people in my online and offline communities today. And this is precisely the kind of boundary I maintain with those young people. I take a mentor-esque role, offering advice and perspective, comfort and reassurance. I talk about my life to show them what adulthood can look like, and show them that queer and trans happiness is possible. I show interest in the things they're passionate about, and want them to do well and figure out good lives for themselves. I want to watch them become capable and fully realized people.

But most importantly, I do not seek support from them. The spaces which have a predominantly younger userbase, I don't talk about my life problems there. I don't vent there, I don't process shit there, and I don't take my interpersonal problems there. Those are for communities where the userbase is mostly adults like me. I especially don't talk to them about sex - that is for adults. There are kink and nsfw discussion spaces where I'm around college undergrads - while I'm clear to discuss sex around them because theyre 18+, I mostly talk about it from a sex ed perspective. In this way, we can be in this space and discuss our mutual interests on the topic while respecting their maturity and autonomy. But I am not treating them as peers whom I can flirt with as prospective partners. The way I talk about sex as a personal experience is different in spaces with different age ranges.

It is essential to be able to share space with each other because our communities are always going to be mixed-ages outside of rare self-selecting circumstances. The village of unaffiliated adults who supported me as a kid needs to also be there for other kids who're growing up and figuring things out. Everyone leads stronger and richer lives through healthy intergenerational community ties.

Saw a tiktok of a guy saying he doesn’t feel comfortable talking to minors because he’s 19. And it’s just. I’m so fucking tired of this.

And like to be clear, I’m speaking as a victim of pedophilia when I say: We need to get over this collective fear of endangering children. Because holy shit, this stuff is getting out of hand.

The average person is not a threat to a child.

And also!!! It is actually really really good for kids to have friendships with adults that aren’t their family.

Having friendships with adults when you’re younger prepares you for adult life in a better way then only interacting with adults that are family members or teacher as well.

And also if there’s any sort of weird behavior happening with adults or teachers, it’s very helpful to have unrelated adults, you can go to, and also have a model for what normal adults are supposed to look like.

And also! You’re just making it way easier for pedophiles to prey on children when you completely avoid interacting with them as an adult. Because kids are naturally inquisitive and curious. They are going to want to interact with adults and they are going to want to ask questions. And if the only adult adults that are willing to interact and speak with them or adults who have ulterior motivations. Guess what’s gonna happen.

Also on a more general note. Having a model for what a normal healthy adult is supposed to look like makes it way easier for kids to be able to recognize and identify when adults in their personal life are being weird.

[obsessedhoneycomb]

Heating pads

Max Verstappen x fem!reader

Summary: Your good time in Portimao being interrupted by your endo flare up again.

Warnings: endometriosis, cramps, love and care, infertility and baby talk

A/N: Wrote this last night and I poured into it some of my personal experience with endo, more this time. Surgery worked a little for me, it gave me a three months without cramps. Every body is different, every treatment works differently for us. But we’re in this together, endo sisters!

For @amberjazmyn 🧡

Don’t use my writings without my permission! Pictures found on Pinterest.

———

The weather at Portimao circuit wasn’t so pleasant as it was nearing the end of the year. F1 season was long gone and Max was able to finally avert his attention to his other hobbies (not gonna mention it’s still racing, but for his kinda own team).

Meeting with all the people around Verstappen.com Racing was a great one, especially with Thierry Vermeulen, because he was so funny, but humble at the same time.

You were always amazed how Max was so good at handling his many duties and hobbies at the same time. He was a great mentor, passing his legacy and wisdom and you watched how his temper calmed down a little through the years.

It wasn’t long ago when you moved to his apartment at Monaco, making your relationship more official after three years of being there and nowhere, between your job and his races. One day you decided enough is enough and you didn’t want to face your life alone anymore. That stirred some rumours through his fan base and also your parents weren’t able to hold back in their questions about you two starting a family. Truth was that you and Max weren’t exactly against having children, but the main problem was your endometriosis. Severe pain episodes, ending in ER may times, being neglected by doctors, saying it’s only in your head and that you need to sleep it off. You thought, for so many years, that you’re just insane, but after Max got through one of your endo flare ups with you, he got you through many doctor appointments, to the best specialists in the field, where you finally heard your diagnosis.

The surgery date was set after the new year’s, when Max would be still around to help you get back on your feet and mend your wounds with his love and care. But to that date your body just decided that you need to suffer.

You stood in the garage, watching how Max talked with the engineers and Thierry about some issues, his yapping always getting more and more interesting, when you felt a cramp in your lower back. It wasn’t unusual, you always had similar, and you brushed it off as some kind of back pain, most likely from standing for too long.

Watching Max racing at the empty track was always fun, he gave it his all, enjoying his time and it made you genuinely smile. But now you were pale, your forehead getting a little sweaty, same as your whole body. Feeling the need to sit down, you understood immediately, when the pain shot through your abdomen, pooling at your right side, that stretching burning sensation ghosting to your lower back. Trying to play it cool, you swallowed hard, smiling at everybody around.

About two hours later, Max was done with the testing, leaving the car to Thierry and he went to look through some performance reports, when he spotted you sitting at the bench, having that weird expression on your face like you were trying so hard to hide something, but failing miserably.

“Hey, love.. are you okay?”

His hand went to your cheek and you quickly shot him a look full of pain. He knew that look, seeing it more frequently in past weeks.

“Come here.” Without further words, he grabbed your hand and led you through the corridors to your car outside, where you had your things. Sitting you in the backseat, he quickly went to the trunk, rummaging through his bag, coming back after a while with some packages.

“Max, it’s okay, I can manage it.” You tried to protest but he dismissed you.

“Let me take care of you, I’m prepared.” Sitting beside you at the backseat, he opened both packages, shaking the contents a little with an approving hum. Heating pads. Your eyes went wide with surprise, but then your face softened, your eyes nearly welled with tears.

Warming his hands with the pads a little, he carefully lifted up your hoodie along with your top, to get to your bare abdomen, placing one pad under the waistband of your pants and the other at your lower back. You were always taken aback, how he remembered the location of your pains, where it hurts the most. After he was sure he placed pads securely, he pulled down your top and hoodie.

“Does it feel good?” Cupping your cheek, he had a concern written all over his face and you just nodded. With soft hum, he wrapped his hands around you, getting you closer to his chest, holding you tight against him, making sure you’re comfortable.

“Thank you, Maxie..” your sweet murmur made him smile, your hands hugging his warm and huge body like a teddy bear, the heating pads bringing you comfort you needed.

“Anything for you, my love.. I would go to the end of the world if it meant for you to be in less pain.” Max kissed your temple softly, letting out a soft sigh.

“You’ve done so much for me in this case, I don’t know how I deserved this.”

“You deserve the world, darling. And those pains.. I would do anything to take it on myself instead of you. I hate to see you contorted by it. Packing those heating pads it’s less than I can do for you, to make it easier.”

“You really changed my life, Max.”

“Oh, baby. You changed mine. A lot. I wasn’t this happy like I am beside you. I never forget that moment you smiled at me at that coffee shop in London, because you absolutely stole my breath.”

You chuckled softly, but the slight shot of pain made you wince a little.

“Can you please rub my back a little? It helps also..”

Max just nodded, sneaking his hand under your top, his warm hand rubbing the heat into your skin slowly and gently, making you relax more.

“You know, when we bought this car back then, I thought that it will be different action we’ll be doing on the backseat..” his voice was laced with teasing, trying to make you smile.

“Well.. I thought so too, but I can’t even imagine doing it right now.”

“No, love, I didn’t mean it like that. You’re in discomfort and never in the right mind I would try to make a move on you like this.”

Max liked being intimate with you, your chemistry being something undeniable when you two got to bed, but he respected you and your body. He would rather not have sex with you for weeks than to cause you pain.

“I know, I know, sorry. But we can try after I’m healed from surgery. And there can be a little miracle after. Like we talked many times before. Little Verstappen tapping around.”

It was true happy smile he saw on your face in a while. His heart skipped a beat at the idea of having a baby with you.

“Sure, whatever makes you happy, love. And whatever doesn’t cause you pain.”

His soft lips kissing your nose in the most lovely way was something only you could see. To the world he was that unbeatable lion on the track, dominating champion. But with you he was a caring, loving boyfriend, who would die for you in every way possible.

[majikkulu]

━━ ❝MASTERLIST❞

these  are  my  personal  thoughts  on  how  moon  signs  experience  grief.  i'm  not  a  professional  astrologer,  so  they  may  not  resonate  with  everyone—take  them  with  a  grain  of  salt.  consider  the  different  houses,  aspects,  and  degrees!

if you have any astrology post suggestions, feel free to drop them in my ask box, and i’ll make it happen! xoxo.

ARIES MOON people  with  an  aries  moon  feel  grief  like  a  wildfire  —it  burns  bright  and  fast, consuming  them  in  an  instant.  the  emotions  hit  hard,  often  bursting  out  as  anger  or  frustration.  they  might  act  on  impulse,  chasing  anything  that  promises  even  a  moment  of  relief.  sitting  still  with  their  feelings  is  not  their  style.  instead,  they  dive  into  distractions,  piling  on  activities  to  keep  moving,  to  escape.  patience  isn’t  their  strong  suit;  they  want  to  push  through  the  pain,  outrun  it  if  they  can.  but  if  they  don’t  slow  down  and  face  it,  those  buried  emotions  will  eventually  rise  to  the  surface.  still,  there’s  a  fierce  bravery  in  their  approach—they’re  not  afraid  to  confront  their  grief  when  the  time  comes.

TAURUS MOON when  grief  strikes,  natives  find  comfort  in  the  familiar—comfort  food,  cozy  shows,  or  anything  that  nurtures  their  senses.  they  seek  solace  in  life's  simple  pleasures,  those  things  that  make  them  feel  grounded  and  alive.  their  healing  process  is  slow  and  steady,  often  with  resistance  to  fully  facing  the  pain.  they  prefer  to  process  it  alone,  but  they  don’t  mind  the  gentle  support  of  loved  ones  if  it  feels  right.  indulgence  can  become  part  of  their  healing—a  way  to  find  temporary  relief  through  spending  or  enjoying  life's  luxuries.  when  alone,  they  might  have  emotional  breakdowns,  retreating  into  isolation  to  soothe  their  soul.  they  can  get  caught  in  cycles  of  obsessive  thoughts  about  their  grief,  but  even  through  it  all,  they  remain  calm  and  composed  on  the  outside.  letting  go  of  attachments  is  a  difficult  task  for  them,  and  the  pain  can  linger  long  after  the  initial  wound.

GEMINI MOON emotions  for  a  gemini  moon  are  often  scattered  and  all  over  the  place.  they  tend  to  communicate  their  feelings  openly,  seeking  to  make  sense  of  them  through  words  and  conversation.  talking  to  friends or siblings can  be  a  source  of  comfort,  helping  them  process  the  chaos.  however,  their  tendency  to  overthink—thanks  to  their  mercury  influence—can  sometimes  prevent  them  from  fully  experiencing  the  raw  vulnerability  of  grief,  as  it  requires  slowing  down  and  being  still,  something  gemini  moons  aren't  comfortable  with.  they  make  excellent  storytellers,  especially  when  sharing  their  grief,  using  words  to  weave  their  experience  into  something  relatable.  while  they  share  some  similarities  with  virgo  moons  (both  ruled  by  mercury),  gemini  moons  have  a  lighter,  more  adaptable  energy.  they’re  often  looking  for  distractions,  keeping  busy  to  avoid  being  overwhelmed  by  their  emotions.

CANCER MOON natives  with  a  cancer  moon  are  deeply  attached  to  their  past,  often  carrying  the  weight  of  old  pain,  even  from  years  ago.  the  memories  of  loss  can  still  affect  them  profoundly,  and  they  may  retreat  into  their  shell,  waiting  for  the  right moment  to  face  it.  loss,  for  them,  triggers  deep  insecurities  about  their  emotional  security  and  safety.  they  experience  grief  with  immense  sensitivity  and  moodiness,  feeling  things  on  such  a  profound  level  that  it’s  almost  overwhelming.  their  emotional  depth  is  intense,  as  if  their  feelings  move  like  the  ocean—constant,  powerful,  and  ever-shifting.  they  revisit  the  memories  of  grief  repeatedly,  feeling  it  deeply  each  time.  their  nurturing  energy,  always  caring  for  others,  can  sometimes  leave  their  own  emotional  needs  unmet.  they  might  get  stuck  in  the  sadness,  struggling  to  let  go  when  it’s  time  to  heal,  often  holding  onto  the  past  longer  than  necessary.

LEO MOON grief  for  a  leo  moon  feels  like  a  dimmed  spotlight,  as  if  a  vital  part  of  their  inner  light  has  been  snuffed  out.  they  process  these  heavy  emotions  through  creative  expression—it’s  their  way  of  staying  true  to  themselves.  whether  it’s  art,  writing,  or  sharing  their  feelings  openly,  they  take  pride  in  turning  vulnerability  into  something  beautiful.  their  emotions  often  come  with  a  touch  of  drama,  but  that’s  only  because  they  feel  everything  so  deeply.  comfort  comes  from  the  warmth  of  loved  ones  or  the  soothing  embrace  of  music,  both  of  which  help  them  reconnect  to  their  heart.  yet,  despite  their  expressive  nature,  they  might  struggle  to  admit  the  depth  of  their  pain  to  others,  leaving  them  feeling  momentarily  disconnected  from  their  true  self.  (as  a  moon  in  the  5th  house,  i’ve  personally  channeled  grief  through  writing  posts  on  tumblr  and  diving  into  music—it’s  an  authentic  release  for  this  placement.)

VIRGO MOON  natives  with  a  virgo  moon  take  a  practical,  almost  analytical  approach  to  grief.  they’re  always  searching  for  the  why  and  how,  trying  to  make  sense  of  it  in  a  logical  way.  while  this  resembles  the  sagittarius  moon’s  quest  for  answers,  virgo’s  focus  is  more  on  details  and  practical  analysis.  they  might  even  wonder  if  they’re  grieving  "the  right  way,"  as  they  tend  to  overthink  the  process.  self-judgment  runs  deep,  especially  when  reflecting  on  the  past—they  may  blame  themselves  or  feel  like  they’re  at  fault.  vulnerability  is  hard  for  them  to  show,  so  they  often  hide  their  pain  from  others.  as  a  coping  mechanism,  they  may  dive  into  tasks  that  feel  within  their  control—organizing  things  that  don’t  really  need  organizing  or  getting  lost  in  practical  chores,  just  to  take  the  edge  off.  it’s  their  way  of  feeling  grounded  amidst  the  chaos.

LIBRA MOON natives  with  a  libra  moon  are  deeply  emotional,  even  if  they  don’t  always  show  it.  they  often  find  comfort  in  the  presence  of  loved  ones,  as  it  helps  bring  a  sense  of  closure  and  balance.  leaning  on  their  lovers  or  family  members  for  emotional  support  feels  natural  to  them,  as  they  prefer  to  share  their  pain  rather  than  carry  it  alone.  (ariana  grande,  for  example,  has  this  placement  and  has  been  open  about  her  emotional  experiences.)  however,  libra  moons  tend  to  prioritize  others'  needs  over  their  own,  which  can  lead  to  suppressing  their  own  emotions.  there’s  often  a  resistance  to  being  emotionally  authentic,  as  showing  vulnerability  feels  like  a  weakness  they’d  rather  avoid.  they  dislike  conflict,  so  any  hint  of  emotional  turmoil  is  usually  brushed  aside.  in  an  effort  to  distract  themselves  from  their  own  pain,  they  might  focus  on  caring  for  others  instead  of  dealing  with  their  own  grief.

SCORPIO MOON for  natives  with  a  scorpio  moon,  grief  is  deeply  engraved  in  their  soul.  it’s  not  shocking  to  them,  but  it  still  hurts,  leaving  an  indelible  mark.  every  time  they  grieve,  it  transforms  them,  reshaping  who  they  are.  they  tend  to  experience  grief  in  private,  diving  into  the  depths  of  their  emotions,  uncovering  painful  truths  they  wish  they  hadn’t  discovered.  for  them,  pain  becomes  a  path  to  personal  growth,  often  channeled  into  spiritual  practices  or  intense  self-reflection  as  a  way  to  move  on  or  find  closure.  even  after  they’ve  seemingly  moved  on,  they  hold  onto  the  pain  tightly,  as  if  trying  to  control  it.  grief  feels  deeply  intense,  enabling  them  to  access  the  darkest  corners  of  their  mind.  this  intensity  often  sparks  spiritual  awakenings,  but  it  can  feel  overwhelming  at  times.  (i  also  feel  like  this  resonates  with  moon-pluto  aspects.)  their  transformation  and  understanding  of  life  and  death  go  beyond  what  others  can  comprehend.  the  person  they  were  before  grief  may  no  longer  exist.  they  prefer  to  work  through  their  grief  alone,  as  it  is  a  deeply  personal  journey.  grief  acts  as  their  catalyst,  and  they  intuitively  understand  the  cycles  of  life  and  death.

SAGITTARIUS MOON grief  in  a  sagittarius  moon  often  hides  behind  a  smile—outwardly  optimistic,  but  with  emotions  subtly  written  across  their  face.  these  individuals  rarely  show  their  feelings  outright,  instead  channeling  their  pain  into  big  questions like why  did  this  happen? or what  does  it  mean?  they  seek  closure  through  philosophy  and  spirituality,  exploring  different  perspectives  to  make  sense  of  their  loss.  humor  becomes  their  shield,  a  way  to  mask  the  weight  of  their  emotions  while  keeping  the  world  at  arm's  length.  yet,  beneath  it  all,  they  may  struggle  to  fully  accept  the  situation  as  it  is.  for  them,  healing  often  comes  through  a  journey  of  discovery,  searching  for  answers  to  bring  peace  to  their  restless  heart.

CAPRICORN MOON for  natives  with  a  capricorn  moon,  grief  runs  deep—often  deeper  than  with  taurus  or  virgo  moons.  it’s  serious  for  them,  something  they  keep  private  and  internalized.  they  try  to  suppress  their  emotions,  appearing  calm  and  composed  as  if  nothing  is  wrong.  carrying  the  weight  of  grief  on  their  shoulders,  they  prefer  not  to  lean  on  others  for  support.  during  this  process,  they  can  come  across  as  cold  or  even  intimidating,  shutting  off  their  vulnerability.  to  feel  it  would  mean  showing  weakness,  and  that’s  something  they  often  struggle  with.  their  grief  can  become  overwhelming,  yet  they  tend  to  delay  the  grieving  process,  holding  it  back  until  they  can  no  longer  ignore  it.

AQUARIUS MOON natives  with  an  aquarius  moon  often  seem  unbothered  by  grief,  even  though  they  do  feel  it—just  not  in  the  same  intense  way  as  others.  their  response  is  much  more  detached,  creating  emotional  distance  almost  immediately  from  whatever  brings  them  pain  or  loss.  they  may  try  to  see  the  situation  from  a  broader  perspective,  often  focusing  on  how  it  impacts  society  as  a  whole  rather  than  their  personal  experience.  this  detachment  forms  a  barrier  between  them  and  their  emotions,  preventing  them  from  fully  engaging  with  their  grief.  they  tend  to  act  like  nothing  is  wrong,  sometimes  pushing  the  pain  out  of  their  mind  (as  i’ve  been  told).  they  don’t  form  emotional  attachments  the  same  way  others  do,  which  can  make  their  grief  feel  more  rational  and  composed.  while  this  helps  them  manage,  it  can  also  lead  to  misunderstandings  and  isolation.  the  gap  between  their  mind  and  heart  makes  it  hard  for  them  to  connect  deeply,  but  their  objective  approach  to  grief  can  be  beneficial,  especially  if  they  ever  choose  to  help  others  navigate  loss.

PISCES MOON natives  with  a  pisces  moon  experience  grief  in  a  deeply  spiritual  way  (no  surprise  there,  right?).  being  around  others  who  are  grieving  can  be  especially  painful  for  them,  as  they  absorb  the  emotional  energy  of  those  around  them.  it  becomes  overwhelming,  and  sometimes  the  grief  they  feel  isn’t  even  their  own—it’s  the  energy  they’ve  taken  in.  to  cope,  they  may  retreat  into  escapism,  whether  through  sleep,  creative  expression,  or  spiritual  practices.  though  they  might  try  to  avoid  dealing  with  their  emotions,  it’s  not  something  they  can  easily  outrun—it  often  finds  them  in  their  dreams.  when  they  grieve,  they  feel  ungrounded,  as  if  they’re  adrift  in  the  tide.  like  cancers,  their  emotions  can  shift  like  the  ocean—sometimes  calm,  sometimes  a  raging  storm.  they  experience  feelings  on  a  heightened  level,  but  their  ability  to  transform  pain  into  something  beautiful  is  nothing  short  of  mesmerizing.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Body Language

Body language - involves communication provided through nonverbal channels. This includes posture, facial expressions, eye movement/contact, proximity to others, and physical movements (Pease, 2017).

Body Language vs. Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication - includes all forms of communicative acts except speech.

Body language - a type of nonverbal communication. It lies under the umbrella of nonverbal communication, which encompasses a broader scope of communication (Milton & Randall, 2022).

One way to differentiate between the two is to think about body language as all the nonverbal communication that can be seen (Milton & Randall, 2022).

Nonverbal communication that is not considered body language (or cannot be seen) includes repetition of words or statements, vocal characteristics of speech such as tone and volume, and sounds that might not be considered words such as “hmm” and “uh-huh.”

Some types of body language include:

Facial expressions. The face is an extremely expressive form of body language, with the ability to communicate numerous emotions without a single word. From anger to anxiety, fear to grief, embarrassment to disgust, facial expressions are one form of nonverbal communication that is considered universal across cultures and species (Keltner, 2009).

Gestures. Hand, arm, and body gestures are part of daily life. So much so that now in video calls or online meetings, a hand gesture or arm movement can simulate a thumbs-up or heart emoji. Gestures can be positive, such as an “OK” signal, or negative. Gestures are largely cultural and may express different meanings depending on geography and ethnicity.

Posture. How an individual moves and holds themselves communicates information in subtle and powerful ways. Posture includes how someone sits, holds their head, stands, walks, and engages their physical stance.

Eye contact. Our visual sense is especially important in nonverbal communication. The way we look at others can communicate many things and help to improve or detract from the flow of conversation. Eye contact can convey affection, anger, attraction, and interest, among other things.

Physical touch. Physical touch is a powerful form of body language and nonverbal communication. From hugs to handshakes, touch demonstrates a variety of messages. Touch is also a very personal way to express interest, emotion, and engagement with others and can be received well or create discomfort and tension.

Personal space. Physical space in interactions is also a very personal aspect of body language. Our need for or comfort with it depends a great deal on culture, the specific relationship, personal preferences, past experience, and the given situation. Understanding other people’s boundaries is an important component of assessing the need for personal space.

As more interpersonal communication becomes virtual, it is important to be aware of how body language is portrayed on a screen. Some ideas to consider in virtual sessions include:

Make sure lighting is sufficient so clients and/or members can see facial expressions and pick up on body movement.

Be aware of posture. It is easy to get too comfortable behind a screen and hunch over. Have good support when sitting, staying upright and attentive.

Maintain healthy eye contact. It may be beneficial to shift between looking at the screen and looking directly at the camera to avoid uncomfortable stares.

Avoid touching the face and head too much, as this conveys insecurity and can be a distraction.

Smile and use warm facial gestures, as the face is the main thing people see in virtual meetings.

Use hand gestures. This will require the computer or recording device to be placed far enough away to capture some of the upper body.

Cultural differences in body language exist. Below are samples that have been observed. It is not an extensive list of all cultural differences in body language, but it demonstrates that ongoing education and awareness are important when working with others in personal and professional settings.

Hand gestures. A thumbs-up in Western cultures is a signal of “OK,” but in the Middle East it is a sign of “up yours.” Similarly, curling the index finger (a sign to move closer) is considered impolite and rude in areas such as China and the Philippines (Cortez et al., 2017).

Eye contact. Most Western countries view eye contact as a sign of confidence and interest. In many Middle Eastern countries, eye contact between sexes is deemed inappropriate, and in some Asian cultures, unbroken eye contact is seen as aggressive and confrontational (Cortez et al., 2017).

Touch. Northern Europe and Far East cultures engage in very little physical contact or touch, where physical touch is a large part of socializing in the Middle East and Latin America (Cortez et al., 2017).

Seated positions. In Japan, sitting cross-legged is a sign of disrespect, and showing the soles of the feet is offensive in Middle Eastern countries (Cortez et al., 2017).

Interpreting Body Language

Argyle (1978) was one of the first modern researchers to study nonverbal communication and believed that humans have more than 700,000 forms of body language. Some specific areas to note for interpreting body language include paying attention to the head, face, eyes, arms, and hands.

Head. Nodding when another person is speaking is a sign that you are focused and listening. It can demonstrate that you agree with or acknowledge what is being said and validate opinions. Tilting the head to one side is also a sign of attentive listening and respect. Both of these are considered positive gestures in conversation. A lowered head or head back with a rigid neck is a sign of a negative attitude, criticism, denial, or rejection. When someone is supporting their head with their hands, this is a sign of boredom and disinterest. And angling the chin upward is a sign of arrogance and dominance (Danesi, 2022).

Face. As most people know, smiling is an open, approachable facial gesture that indicates warmth and interest. On the other hand, frowning is a sign of anger, disinterest, or disagreement with what is being communicated. Raising the eyebrows is a sign of surprise, and raising a single eyebrow tends to be an expression of disbelief. Pursed lips tend to demonstrate anger, sorrow, or a lack of acceptance, depending on the situation (Danesi, 2022).

Eyes. It is often said that the eyes are the window to the soul. Eye contact is the basis for understanding in conversation. When eye contact is avoided, it may demonstrate discomfort, uncertainty, or shyness, or signal that the person has something to hide. When someone’s eyes are narrowed, it could indicate anger. Briefly closing the eyes and quickly opening them again is called confirmatory blinking and can indicate confirmation or approval of another person (Danesi, 2022). Narrowing the eyes can mean several things, such as confusion or a need for more information. It may also indicate concentration or anger. It is also important to notice the pupils. Dilated pupils can demonstrate interest and attraction, while widening the eyes can signal surprise or excitement.

Arms and hands. Upper body postures consist largely of the arms and hands, which are the most mobile and prominent demonstrations of body language. Crossing the arms is a way for someone to create distance and demonstrates a negative attitude (Danesi, 2022). When arms are crossed and the individual is gripping their upper arms, this signals tension and discomfort. Arms crossed with balled fists are also negative body language but signal aggression and anger. Putting hands on the hips can be a sign of aggression or dominance. Putting hands in pockets signals a lack of engagement and defensiveness (Danesi, 2022).

General Tips on Interpreting Body Language

In general, self-confident people frequently look at their reflection in mirrors or windows and place themselves in a position to be the center of discussion. People demonstrate confidence through large gestures, big postures, self-assured smiles, firm handshakes, and steady eye contact. Embarrassment, insecurity, and low confidence are seen through nervous laughter, avoidance of eye contact, turning away, and avoidance (Mandal, 2014).

Nonverbal cues of fear can be seen with wide eyes, clutching, and gripping. Holding the breath, glancing around, and placing hands in front of the body is also a sign of fear (Mandal, 2014).

People demonstrate resentment with crossed arms, a stiffened body, hunched shoulders, and low vocal tone (Mandal, 2014).

Sexual interest and attraction can be seen through eye contact, exaggerated facial gestures, blinking, wetting the lips, touching the body, or crossing and uncrossing legs (Mandal, 2014).

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Hand Movements ⚜ Common Gestures ⚜ Facial Expressions

[rosenclaws]

Stronger || Logan Howlett x Reader

summary: after failing your last mission you start to over train yourself in secret but Logan notices the bruises and cuts and wont leave you alone about it.

warnings: angst to fluff, patching up fic, the reader is very hard on themselves, injury, blood, insecurity, sweet logan, reader pushes themself too much.

a/n: I had this idea at like 1:30am last night and I wrote it when i woke up oops. I just love fluffy patching up logan fics what can I say.

There it is again. Logan's nose twitches as you walk by. You smell like dirt and sweat but most of all blood. He locks eyes with you as you walk past the kitchen door.

Theres a limp in your step. It's subtle but there. You're wearing long pants and long sleeves despite it being hot outside and you're hiding your hands in your pockets. There's bags under your eyes and the smiles you give people aren't real.

Logan narrows his eyes at you and you look at the ground. Hurrying away from his pointed gaze. He wants to go after you but he hears your door slam and lock.

No one else has picked up on this except for him. He brings it up in passing but he's brushed off every time. Something is up with you and he's going to figure out what.

You sigh as you lean against your door. Your body aches like crazy and all you want to do is collapse onto the bed and sleep. But you force yourself to the bathroom. You need to scrub off all the evidence of everything from the night before. The blood and grime washed off but the bruises stayed.

"Damn." You mumbled as you took in the injuries from this time.

The person displayed in the mirror looked like a stranger. Your eyes were sunken, bruises on your body, you looked tired and felt worse. But you had to keep going. You needed to be strong, to prove yourself and this was the only way.

At least that's what you think. You crawl into bed and pass out the moment your head hits the pillows. Unfortunately the nightmares start then too.

You're back on your last mission. The whole reason you've been pushing yourself so hard. You were weak, lost, a burden to the team. You weren't like everyone else at the mansion. You didn't come here as a kid.

In fact you were well into your adult life when Professor Xavier found you. You had no training, no experience. You got stuck into classes with kids who had already mastered their powers. You felt silly, a fool to think you could be apart of this world. You didn't belong.

So when you got the chance to go on a mission you were excited. It means they thought you were ready, that you had something in you that could help.

The mission went terribly. You were overwhelmed and could barely keep up. Tackled to the ground you cried out in pain. A sharp blade against your neck caused you to freeze. You tried to conjure your energy blasts but a foot on your wrist stopped you. It was digging into you, crushing you. You closed your eyes as you braced yourself for what was to come.

It never does.

The pressure is released all at once as Logan tackled the man who was on you. Digging his claws into him until he's limp on the ground. He runs to you, checking you injuries. You couldn't speak. You couldn't warn Logan that someone else was coming. Then it all goes black. You're too late.

You sit up, Logan's name on the tip of your tongue as you wake up. Fuck. You take in your surroundings and try to calm down. Slowly sinking back into your bed. Reminding yourself that everything fine.

That the last mission didn't really end that way. Logan is okay, you're okay. But what if things had played out different.

If you could have held your own then Logan wouldn't have had to come to your rescue. He carried you back to the jet and while everyone was nice, you knew that you disappointed them.

You haven't been asked to go on a mission since. It hurt, you wanted to go. To be apart of the team. So you took it upon yourself to train. Your powers were trained in lessons with the professor but he never lets you go past a certain limit. So instead you decided to sneak out at night to the nearby forest and train there.

Honing not only your powers but your hand to hand combat as well. Trees were your only partners but it worked. They were strong and sturdy. Every night you'd sneak out. Practice with your powers which drained you and then practiced everything else after. It left you bloody and bruised but in your mind it was worth it.

Glancing at the clock you see that you've slept through most of the day. The sun had already set. Quietly you get dressed and sneak down the hallways. Most everyone was already in bed and if they weren't they were socializing in the living room. All you had to do was sneak by and you were home free for the night.

Laughter is the perfect distraction as you sneak past the doorway. Opening the door slowly and sneaking outside, running to the safety of the woods. What you don't notice is someone following you.

Logan caught your scent the second you stepped out of your room. Whether he wants to admit it or not he's always searching for you. He smelled your shampoo wafting past the door and eyed you outside. You were quick but he could still see you. Enough of this. Whatever the hell you were doing was killing you. Slowly but surely it was ruining you physically and mentally. He slipped away from the rest of the people in the living room and followed you.

As he got deeper in the woods he became worried, just what could you be doing out here? His ears perk up as he hears you. Peaking through the trees he finds you in a small clearing. You were clearly exhausted but you kept pushing. Creating energy from your finger tips and blasting them at a tall redwood.

Logan smells the blood that trickled from your nose. You were pushing yourself too hard. He's about to reveal himself when the loud creaking of a branch stops him.

You were too wrapped up in conjuring another blast that you don't notice a large tree branch cracking from the force of your powers. Logan springs in to action.

"Watch out!" He growls as he launches himself at you. Grabbing your body and wrapping himself around you the best he can. The branch falls right onto his back. It snaps in two as it falls to either side of you.

"Logan?! What are you doing here?" You ask as you stare at the fallen branch. Kicking yourself for not noticing it fast enough forcing Logan to put himself in danger for you again.

"What am I doing here? What the fuck are you doing out here?" He yells as he lets you go. Taking in just how bad you looked.

"What the hell is wrong with you? What if I wasn't here? What if that branch fell and hit you and no one would know that you were bleeding out in the fucking woods!" Logan snarls. His fear and worry being masked by anger. How could you be so reckless? So stupid?

"I didn't ask you to fucking follow me!" You bite back. Shame creeping up as he scolds you. Logan scoffs and grabs your face firmly.

"Do you even see yourself right now?" He grabs your wrist and holds it up. Staring at your bloody knuckles. It fucking hurts. It hurts for him to see you like this and it hurts him that you were doing this to yourself.

“You're tearing yourself apart, why?" The anger starts to fade, his real feelings breaking through.

"Because I'm weak." You admit, your voice cracking as the adrenaline starts to drain. Instead being replaced but complete and utter exhaustion.

"What?" Logan asks in disbelief.

"I failed the last mission, I could have gotten you hurt, I was a liability. If I got stronger, If I was better."

"Stop. Just stop. You really think all that?" Logan has let go of you by now, his eyes are looking at all your bruises. All the damage you've done to yourself.

"You don't?" You ask, afraid of his answer.

He doesn't say a word. Instead he takes your holds your hand, you try to ignore the butterflies growing in your stomach as he leads you back to the mansion. Taking you up to his room where he pulls out a first aid kit.

He doesn't need one but every room has one, of course you had already used up all of yours. Silently he patches you up, wrapping your knuckles in bandages and wiping up the blood from your nose.

"If you wanted train you could have come to one of us, to me." He should have noticed sooner, said something. Stopped you from doing this to yourself.

"I thought I had to do it on my own."

"You don't. It took me a while to figure it out too but you don't." He would be a hypocrite to scold you for going off alone but he doesn't really care.

"I'm sorry." You mumble. Logan cups your face and to your shock kisses your forehead gently.

"Don't ever do this again do you hear me." Logan can help you, he can protect you.

"I won't." You promise him. He smiles and picks you up.

"Logan!" You yelp as he drops you into his bed.

It smells just like him and you can't deny the instant comfort that comes over you as you snuggle into his sheets.

"You're going to rest for the next week. Anything you need you just call alright?"

"But what-" He stares at you and you stop talking, he wasn't fucking around about this.

"When you're healed and rested. Then we can train together." He doesn't leave room for argument, not that you wanted to argue with him anyways but still.

"Thank you Logan...You didn't have to do this."

He could have turned his head, pretended he never saw anything. Its what you expected him to do if you were being honest. But he didn't. He saw you struggling, pushing yourself and he couldn't let you hurt yourself any longer. He cared about you, a lot.

"I know." He says simply.

"Will you stay, while I sleep. I've been getting these nightmares and well..." Logan nods his head.

He shuts off the lights and crawls into bed with you. Kind of, more like he's half hanging off the edge of the bed. But you're comfortable and that's good enough for him.

It doesn't take long for you to fall asleep. The comforting aura of Logan was enough. He hums as you curl closer to him. Logan chasing away any nightmares that threaten to hurt you and for the first time in a while your dreams are quiet.

A smile on your face as peace finally overcomes your dreams.

[gay-dorito-dust]

Could we please have a batboys (and Bruce) x reader who can break the 4th wall?

This was rubbish.

Dick

Would rest his head on your shoulder and ask. ‘Who are you talking to sweetheart?’

He genuinely wants to know considering the first thing he heard was you talking back his beautiful back and perfect thighs, only to find that you were saying all this to no one in particular.

‘Oh just the lovely people reading this.’ You tell him happily and Dick would only see the walls of your shared room.

‘And what are they saying?’ Dick would then say.

‘Oh I can’t hear them, nor can I really see them exactly but I just have this feeling that we are being watched -or read in this case- by many people, I can sense them and i want them to feel included in my love life with the most beautiful man Gotham has to offer.’ You tell him as you kiss him on the cheek, making him smile.

‘Well as long as they know that I am taken by you, then we’ll be okay.’ Dick replied as he kissed your forehead sweetly. Dick at first though you were just the type to talk to yourself like some people, but seeing as how it seemed as though you were more or less addressing someone rather then just talking to yourself, Dick then assumed that you might have an ability that allows you to look past this reality and into another one entirely that might be looking into this one.

It was a scary thought to think that he was being watched ,or read as you put it, by another reality but it was intriguing nonetheless the less that there was a possibility of multiple dimensions. So he could only imagine what you were able to experience if you were able to see beyond this reality to address people who probably saw him in a different form entirely.

If anything he’s extremely curious as to how your ability worked exactly as it was something that was clearly unheard of. Somedays you would address the audience as per usual but other times you didn’t address them at all, almost as though you knew where and when they’ll pay attention to you both: all so that you could entertain them for as long as possible without it coming across as excessive or too long winded.

He would try to act like he could see them too as to not have you feeling so alone, but would get flustered when you tell him that he was looking the wrong way.

He’ll leave the fourth wall breaking to you instead and will be nosy and ask all sorts of questions about your ability, all before saying that your powers was the most coolest he’s come across, but you knew he was only saying that because you were his beloved partner but that didn’t make what he said any less true.

Jason

Would raise a brow at first but would keep this tendency to himself out of a need to protect you from those who’d gladly send you away for such tendency.

Jason isn’t phased by much but you talking to a wall as though someone was there brought a weird feeling to his chest.

‘His thighs? Perfect. His stomach and autopsy scars? Delicious. Arms, hands and back? Gorgeous but all of you at home are already aware of that and could only imagine how plush his tits are-‘

‘Who are you talking to chipmunk?’ He’d ask, cutting you off as he expected you to be on the phone to someone, so imagine to his surprise when he saw your phone on charge and you were in fact talking to thin air.

‘Just the people thirsting after you.’ You’d reply as though it was common sense.

‘Thirsting?’ Jason tried the word, not liking how it sounded coming from his mouth. ‘What’s that?’

‘Just think of it as another word for desire, but they can’t have you because in their reality you’re a fictional character who gets the short end of the stick constantly by people who don’t know what to do with you in general.’ You shrugged as you looked over at him with a smile. ‘Also you get stereotyped as someone you’re not by people who obviously lack a capacity for reading given how short their attention span is.’ The last part was muttered under your breath before bringing the conversation back to him.

‘Enough about me how about you honey?’

It wasn’t the first time you’ve done this and Jason knew it wouldn’t be the last either as he would find you passionately ranting to your invisible audience about something, and while it was cute to watch you be this passionate, he also became concerned for you in case you were going through something that you didn’t want to burden him with out of a need to protect yourself.

‘You can tell me if you’re going through something you know that right?’ He’d tell you one night as he holds your face in his hands.

‘Of course I do jaybird,’ you whispered to him before watching him as he fell asleep, only to move your head elsewhere to speak to the wall. ‘Isn’t he the cutest? Truly a man unlike any other, a dying breed if you will, but I can assure you dear readers that you too will find your Jason Todd because that’s what you all deserve in life is to be loved deeply by an non-judgmental and caring man.’ You fished before joining him in your sleep.

Tim

He thinks your maladaptive daydreaming.

What else was he meant to take away from you talking to seemingly no one so passionately as you did in that moment.

He didn’t want to say that you were insane but it wasn’t everyday where a sane person would idly make conversation with thin air or a brick wall as casually as you did.

That or you were extremely lacking in sleep and were now seeing things, if that was the case then he would be able to relate to you as he had those types of days also, more often then others that’s for sure but from what Tim could tell was far from the truth as you looked bright and too well rested for that to be the answer.

And honestly? He doesn’t want to know who exactly you were talking to as not to frighting himself shitless and would act as though you talking to a crowd of no one within your shared room was completely normal in Gotham.

God forbid you start talking to this unseen audience during the night, Tim will think he’s in some sort of horror movie that he was forced to watch with the rest of his family on Halloween. Seriously who knew fourth wall breaking could come across as though you were demonically possessed?

He wants to ask who you’re talking to, he really does but if he was running low on fumes that day, really tired and wanting nothing more then sleep he would forgo all logic and just agree with what you were saying to thin air.

‘I wish I could tell you just how mean Tim can be when he’s sleep deprived, you think you know sarcasm? Wait until Tim is on about two hours of sleep and then you’ll know true sarcasm.’ You’d say.

‘Says the one who’s talking to the wall as though it had ears to listen or a mouth to respond.’ He’d replied.

‘See what Im on about? Absolutely mean when he’s sleep deprived.’ He would hear you whisper aloud but he was on the verge of falling asleep against the table to find out the true reason to your uncanny ability to break the fourth wall.

Damian

Genuinely thought something was off with how often you would look off into the distance, as though you were addressing someone he couldn’t see, like a hidden camera that lead to an unseen audience.

‘Isn’t he the cutest when he’s acting all tough,’ he’d her you say, ‘it’s like if you give a rabid chihuahua a knife but ten times worse because he can actually back up his deeply descriptive threats.’ Damian’s brow would raise at this as he watched you silently as his mind wondered who you could possibly be entertaining with such things.

Gotham has an ability to make the most strong minded person break and needles to say Damian would keep silent watch over you while you had these kinds of episodes, even when you would proudly praise his artistic skills but never to him directly, but more so to seemingly thin air with a beaming smile.

‘He’s got a future as many things and in all honestly I’m envious of how multitalented my Dami is, but at least I get to be his hype man and cheer for him no matter what, which is something I bet half of you which you could have but here I am loving your fantasy!’ You’d finish with a cackle and it left Damian smiling to himself at your pride towards him, but also still very curious as to who it was you were talking to.

‘Who are you talking to.’ He would ask you one day.

‘The audience reading this fic.’ You’d reply as though it was the most casual thing to bring up in conversation.

Damian’s brows furrowed. ‘Audience? What audience.’ He tried looking in the same direction as you, only to see nothing but his bed.

‘Oh I don’t expect you to see them but they are there,’ you tried to reassure Damian but it only came off as ominous and albeit cryptic, ‘they are always there, watching.’ You’d add and needles to say your words only made Damian go into a defensive posture at the aspect of being spectated by beings only you could seemingly engage with.

Well done you’ve made Damian somewhat paranoid as to what this audience you speak to wanted, what they wanted with you to have you keep engaging in conversation with them and what they could be planning.

‘Always watching?’ Damian asked.

‘Yep,’ you replied, ‘but not when we’re in the bathroom, that’s just really weird but other then that we are merely entertainment for them to consume on days of boredom and to grow a parasocial relationship with us to their leisure.’ You added and when you looked over at Damian, his jade eyes were wide and you winced internally, wishing you hadn’t said anything at all because now you’d knew Damian would start reaching for his sword out of instinct now.

Try and tell him it’s a joke as much as you like but Damian would now take your ability to break the fourth wall as a sign that someone was out there, watching all of you, an invisible enemy that he couldn’t kill and it pissed him off. He’ll break you free of the curse…sooner or later.

Bruce

‘That man is finer than a mother fucker and he knows it. And I know damn well all you thirsty bitches are making edits of my sexy Bruce to the song of older by Isabel LaRosa. I just know it you absolute sluts, but I can’t blame you because I would too.’ Bruce had just finished showering and the first thing he sees is you seemingly talking to a wall as though you were talking to a group of people in a whole different plan of existence.

He’s seen a lot of things in his time as Batman but someone talking to people who aren’t there? He’d assume you’re either clairvoyant or have another ability that can allow you to talk to an audience of people whom he can’t see, for whatever it was wouldn’t change Bruce’s opinion on you, powers or not.

‘My darling.’ He’d greet you as he holds you from behind. ‘May I ask why and or who you were speaking so passionately about me to?’ He adds.

‘The people reading this fanfic.’ You’d tell him as though it was a completely normal thing to admit as it was something you had been doing for as long as you could remember. Your parents thought you were talking to an invisible friend like other kids your age, but it grew concerning when you were still talking to no one in particular well into your late teens.

Bruce just raised a brow but would assume that you had some ability that you weren’t comfortable to admit to him, and he didn’t want you to feel pressured to talk to him about such a thing, especially not if you had admitted to someone in the past before and their reactions were negative.

He would just try and look deeper into this sort of thing in hopes of finding any pre-existing information about anyone showing similar signs as you and reading it deeply and intensively so that he could be well informed to know what you were going through. Bruce loves to be educated on things that he didn’t understand with the hopes of understanding it on a deeper level, so if he did managed to find something that perfectly describes what you were doing, then he’ll be reading it until he could recite it in his sleep.

He didn’t want you to feel as though you should be ashamed of your unique ability and would often take notes and things that he’d noticed you do as you addressed the invisible audiences in vivid detail. Your ability to see into another reality or anything similar to talk to people was a powerful thing to have and Bruce was fascinated by such a unique power, a power that could prove that alternate realities exist.

But Bruce would find himself intrigued with how you talked to this invisible audiences, almost as though you were greeting an old friend, whether or not this was your way to cope with the fact that you could sense an audience watching your every move and leave no privacy to be had for yourself. It was unfortunately something Bruce wasn’t quite sure but until your ability was causing you harm he would contour to watch and observe while acting as though he was unaware/ unfazed of your tendency to talking to seemingly no one.

Basically reader: you should know this too

[caramelc0rgi]

Can we please stop erasing and/or infantalizing Charles’ disability in fanfics (and in general tbh). Charles’ disability is a huge part of what makes him such a powerful and inspiring character in the X-Men universe. Being in a wheelchair doesn’t limit who he is; it actually adds depth to his story and makes his message even stronger. He’s a leader not because he can punch the hardest or run the fastest, but because of his mind, his heart, and his vision for a better world.

One of the coolest things about Charles’ disability is how it flips the usual superhero idea on its head. Most heroes rely on their physical strength, but Charles shows that true power comes from within. His telepathy and intelligence are his tools, proving that you don’t need to stand tall to make a huge impact. He’s a reminder that being a hero isn’t about what you can do with your body—it’s about what you stand for and how you help others.

His disability also ties into the X-Men’s larger message about discrimination and acceptance. The X-Men have always been about representing people who feel different or outcast, whether because of their powers, their identity, or their background. Charles’ paralysis fits right into that—it’s another way he understands what it means to face challenges that others don’t. That experience makes him an empathetic and compassionate leader. He doesn’t just tell mutants they belong; he shows them through his own life that struggles don’t define them.

What’s also great about Charles is how he refuses to let his disability stop him. He’s still this incredible visionary who leads a school, fights for mutant rights, and goes toe-to-toe with some of the most dangerous villains out there. His wheelchair isn’t a symbol of weakness; it’s a reminder of his strength and resilience. It’s proof that even if life knocks you down, you can still change the world.

[xenodelic]

OK so, we've gotten a lot of replies along the lines of, "But I'm just [x], what am I supposed to do?"

This is where we're going to go into our philosophy of non/alterhumanity. To us, there is a purpose to being non/alt-h. We feel this way for spiritual reasons, but it's a philosophy that can be chosen by anyone regardless of their ontological framework.

There is a purpose to being something other than human. There are lessons you can teach humans, perspectives you can give, unique frameworks that can only be understood through the lens of your experience.

For those of us who are nonhuman, we have the unique position of being able to communicate to humans in their own languages, and tell them what it's like. I can tell people what it means to me to be a slime mold, to be connected to the roots of my environment, to hear the trees speaking to one another and to decompose deceased creatures into something new.

I can tell them what it's like to be a lycanthrope, to exist in between worlds, to feel both fundamentally humanlike and beastly and the same time.

These are the sorts of things we can share with those around us. For those who are open minded, hearing these different perspectives can open them up to things they had never considered. It may bring them closer to their natural environment to know that the creatures they share the world with have just as complex and varied experiences as they do. It may help them feel less alone to know there are beings from other worlds and even other realities out there.

We put a lot of emphasis in the original post on direct action, but any open expression of being something Other can be equally as radical. Humans rely on communication to understand the world around them. To us, it's not only something we can do, but it is in fact our duty, our responsibility, to bridge the gap between humans and the other.

That is what the post is about. You have the capability to have an impact on those around you. It may seem small or insignificant, but think about the difference it would make to an insect, if a human decides not to kill them because they have a friend whose an insect. You've changed that person's perspective, and saved a life in doing so.

Your impact matters. YOU matter. The biggest change you can have on the world is to be who you are openly and proudly.

To all the alterhumans / nonhumans who dont know what to do: now is the time for you to start putting your money where your mouth is.

If youre an animal, it's time for you to be a goddamn animal. Be feral, Be aggressive, fight for your life.

If you're a dragon, then be a terror to Kings, and start burning down the halls of power like the dragons of yore.

If you're a mythical creature, have no concern for the social constructs of man. Stand proudly outside what people even believe is possible.

If you're plural, know you're never alone. Fight against individualism that seeks to divide each body into deterministic boxes.

If you're a fictional character who saved the world, believe that you can save any world. Don't back down now.

Now is the time to really believe that you are what you say you are. People in power are going to try to take that away from you. Don't fall for it.

It's time shed any preconceptions you have about what you're capable of. If you're an animal it's time to fight like one. A dragon that uses gasoline and matches is still a dragon.

All bets are off. If they want to treat us like dogs in a cage then im gonna start ripping fascists' throats out like one. And I'd better see y'all there with me, on G-d.

[bokettochild]

You ever think about how Sky's entire world got turned upside down like...days before what was essentially his highschool graduation ceremony? And, like, my dude got the Skyloft approximation of a full ride to college by winning that one race, but by the time he's saved the world, it doesn't matter at all- this thing that mattered so much just days ago- because not only has he learned more than most of the professors know, but also the school is basically going to be abandoned now

They're going to the surface, they're going to live there. Sky- finished his adventure and saved his best friend, and his reward was losing everything he'd ever known in life EXCEPT Zelda.

No one treats him the same; he's the hero now. He knows things they don't. He just got out of highschool and now his teachers are suddenly the ones coming to him to ask how the world works. He was going to be a knight and he is now, butt his experience is so drastically different from all the other knights around him.

He's this huge world now, this place he only is beginning to understand, and because he's the hero, because he's been here longer, he's the one everyone else comes to with questions. He's their leader now,w hen before he was a lazy teenager they always chastised with warmth, trying to teach him to grow up.

He's still a kid, still younger than the knights, the professors, but he's also the only person whos got much of an idea what's happening other than Zelda. That's got to be weird for everyone. People will come to him with things but they'll doubt him because he's still young, or they'll want to teach him something only to decide not to because he's the hero, he doesn't need their instruction.

Like, the game ends all bitter sweet, but let's be real: by leaving Skyloft, he loses his home, his plans for the future, any conception e previously had of the world, the other half of his soul (his best friend and companion!), his childhood, and probably any sense of freedom he had now that he's got the fate and security of his people on his shoulders now.

And then he somehow ends up meeting the chain. All capable people, who (like his professors, his teachers, his neighbors) know what's going on even if he doesn't, who can handle themselves, who can protect themselves, who knows more than him and are better (seemingly) at this hero gig than him, and Sky? He can finally relax. He's silly again. He's taking naps. He's able to zone out without consequences. he doesn't need to be in control and he's fine with that. He's happy with that. As long as all is well, he's content to just exist here, just for now.

But the moment that peace and security of being with other heroes is threatened? Yeah, that's when the god-killer comes out.

......

Anyways, yeah, I think Sky's more than just a big softie and sleepy-head. Man has issues he is avoiding with the power of ignoring them and sleeping, but on some moments (like Miss Her, or the Sunset arc) we see that he slips sometimes.

Long of the short: I have Sky brainrot these days :)

[sgiandubh]

In Jake Norton's words...

Among domestic clearer political skies (yes, thank God, it's improving greatly!), it is with much interest that I read Jake Norton's first blog entry about the Everest trek with S and team. You can find it here: https://jakenorton.com/reflections-on-hunku/

Here are the excerpts I found most telling, but I do encourage you to read it all. It is genuine, it is honest and it is real. This guy does not need to sugarcoat anything, indeed - not that mountaineers were this particular type, either.

'An adventurous soul with a heart of gold', who 'rose to it all, never flustered or bothered, always interested and engaged and inquisitive.' Remember (ROFLMAO), this is not Tash, the Twitter Sparkle Lounge madame, speaking from her fangirling mirador at a random OL con. This is what a man with a 30 years experience of high-altitude trekking has to say about his unlikely, but enthusiastic travel companion. And to make the unintended (but honest) Slap-an-Idiot operation even more resounding, he then proceeds to explain why this is not even remotely an indulgent judgement of the character. He could not be clearer about it:

'And, to be honest, my little coffeeshop meeting was both to suss out his interest and let him meet me (and judge me) in person, but also, more importantly, to feel him out. Guiding for me is not simply an economic thing, transactional, but about time and people and experience. I’ve done too many “off-the-shelf” trips in the past to have zero tolerance for sharing the mountains with people whose goals and values are misaligned with mine. It took but minutes with Sam to know our worlds, while vastly different, were built upon similar ideas and ideals and approaches.'

He guided S the only possible way one must travel through Asia: with an open mind and an even more open heart. They deliberately ran away from five-stars accommodation (this blogger always combines the humble and the glam, with a noted preference for the genuine 'humble') and graciously responded to the local people's enthusiasm - something that will always be the most beautiful surprise to any traveler who successfully unlearned how to behave like a tourist:

'Unfortunately for Sam, I don’t really believe in the sugar-coated version of Nepal; fancy hotels and windowed views of life are little more than television with smell. I want people to see the real Nepal, wander the back streets, immerse in the smoky incense of dawn on cobbled streets, bells chiming and dogs barking, ambling through the visceral reality that is Pashupatinath, taking in the respite of Bodhanath, embracing the comforting chaos of alleys and backways of Lalitpur.'

Reading this made me both feel nostalgic and itchy. For even if you might find me enjoying high tea, in the Bangkok Mandarin Oriental's Author Lounge, my heart will always, always fondly remember the magical nights in a humble Hmong thatched hut at Ban Somsavath, somewhere midway from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. But that is personal and I wouldn't dare mix it up with someone else's experience, so I won't insist. What I can tell you, though, is that I absolutely believe S is honest when he says he will be back: for it is not the traveler that chooses Asia - it is Asia that carefully, deliberately chooses the traveler.

These sounds are mine. They will always resound loudly in my soul, for too many reasons to list here in tearing haste. Why did I add them, though? Because once your plane crosses the Everest, the magic begins in earnest:

[provecfy]

I have a head canon that Cass is afraid of animals

Not deadly afraid or a paralyzing fear or anything too terrible (she did fight and earned the respect of a pack of wolves that one time), just slightly unsettled by them

Because she's so used to looking at a person and knowing exactly what they are feeling or going to do and sometimes even why, when or how, that she isn't used to animals, who have a completely different and sometimes contradictory body language

She's hanging out on the park with Steph one day when someone stops to play with their dog in front of them, and Cass subtly grabs Steph's sleeve in nervousness because the dog has a tension on his leg that indicates eagerness but she doesn't know if it's playfulness or aggression, and it's also panting with his tongue out which is supposed to indicate exhaustion on humans but the dog hasn't done anything yet so it must mean something else she's not getting and also what the fuck is the body language for tails-

So Steph snaps her out of it, and in order to calm her down asks the dog owner if her friend can pet the dog, which immediately sends Cass into a panic because "wait Steph what the fuck no I'm scared of it this is betrayal-", and the dog happily trots over to them (although Cass doesn't know this is how a happy dog acts so she's terrified), and Steph tells her a dog wags their tail when they are happy, she pets the dog and after a few moments Cass manages to pet it too

Ok, so rapid tail-wagging in animals means happiness or playfulness, fucking great, Cass totally has this, she's going to get a good grade in animal body language reading, which is a completely normal skill to have or want. So she's walking around the manor and Alfred the cat (who has escaped Dick's arms after being snuggled by him against his will) walks by her, wagging his tail rapidly. Cass bends down to pet him and promptly gets her hand scratched, which makes her jump eight feet into the air and run to the closest sibling to explain her traumatizing experience, after which Damian tells her cats wag their tail when they are unhappy or annoyed and-

And-

What the fuck?-

So each animal species has different tells??? Is she the only one who finds this both upsetting and unsettling???

Do you know how hard it is to understand people when she can literally read their emotions on their bodies? How can she manage to understand and interact with animals if she doesn't even have that? Fuck that, she's staying well away from any animal if not on life or death situations

[sundemonlord]

My ex wife hit me in the head with a 2.5lb weight

This was the only time, out of 8 concussions, that I got a sizeable lump on my head. (Unless I hit a corner and even then they were small in comparison)

She was a black/indigenous woman who had a fucked up upbringing and life.

She didn't get better. She only got worse, especially when I finally called it abuse

...

..

Yall act like men are the only ones who can be oppressors or abusers or fucked up. You hold our emotions against us -- whether anger, sadness, or insecurity etc -- then wonder why WE act fucked up.

And yet: women and other people who are not men are also fully capable of being oppressors and being abusers and being some of the most fucked up people you ever met

I've had a wide variety of experiences in my short 35 years. I'm on my 4th lifetime now ...

Everyone is fucked up. To different extents and intensities depending on what they are.

But it isn't always so cut and dry.

Every dude isn't after just pussy (should be obvious)

Every woman or minority isn't just a victim (should be obvious)

Everyone is capable of perpetuating darkness in the world or internalizing it

Intersectional feminism acknowledges this

But I've seen a HUGE change in demeanor in the last 10 years towards ALL men. Like yall

I should not have to tell you that going the opposite way and doing the same thing that others have done isn't the fucking answer

..

.

Also I've been assaulted and had worse experiences with women (bipoc/queer women) than I've had with other men

But that's just me

Sometimes I do wonder if men actually get sexually assaulted and abused at a similar rate that women do but a lot of them just don’t know that’s what’s happening to them

[genderqueerdykes]

We're appreciating these pro-endo posts as an endogenic, especially the fact you account for traumatized endogenics (we at least notice "usually" and other such words in a lot of posts, and were taught at a young age how to analyze shit because of being autistic) so like...thanks. :)

Hopefully y'all are okay, anti-endos are really showing their asses this time in your asks. And we hope everyone else realizes they have always been that bigoted.

hey of course, thanks for sending this ask!

yeah i don't know why people don't understand that endogenic systems can... also have trauma. like. endogenic doesn't mean 100% free from trauma. anyone can have trauma. trauma doesn't always manifest in the most extreme forms possible like dissociative disorders. like i cannot stress enough that dissociative disorders are a very specific kind of plurality, and should NOT be used as a metric to gauge whether or not someone's plural experience is legitimate or not. the diagnostic criteria for dissociative disorders is so painfully restrictive that a lot of people who probably do have a dissociative disorder don't get the diagnosis because it's so fucking specific

and again, i just want to stress that endogenic systems literally are not hurting anyone. you are not spitting in my face or talking over me as a system with DID. you are being respectful by using a term that suits your experience way better. like idk how that is offensive to people. endogenic systems developed a term to express a specific type of plurality. that's not trying to mock or ape on dissociative plurality. it's not an attempt to talk over dissociatives. it's creating an entirely new conversation that needs to be had

people getting upset about endogenic systems are creating mountains out of mole hills. it is quite literally a nothing burger of a problem. there IS no problem. nothing wrong is even happening. like i cannot overstate how fucking annoying it is when other dissociatives decide its time to get on their high horses and act as if they're suddenly experts on psychology and mental health. like it really pisses me off when other plurals with dissociative disorders decide the entire plural community is about them. the dissociative disorder communities are about plurals with dissociative disorders. specifically. you can still occupy spaces made for people with DID, OSDD and so on and leave endogenics alone and the world will keep turning. the sun will rise tomorrow regardless.

learn to mind your own goddamn business if you can't respect that other people experience the world differently than you do. maybe, just maybe, the dissociatives who are intentionally going out of their way to mock and harass endogenic systems are the fucking problem, here. you don't get to be a fucking bully just because you have trauma. you don't get to attack and hurt people who haven't hurt you just because you were abused. that's literally fucking perpetuating the cycle of abuse. if you think to yourself that because you are traumatized, that it's okay to take your anger out on people who have no trauma, you seriously need to reassess your life. what does that do for you? temporary catharsis? a rush of dopamine that lasts mere seconds? chasing the high of harassing strangers will not undo what was done to you in the past.

as a dissociative- i only understand what dissociative plurality is like. i do not understand other forms of plurality. and you know what? i don't find the fact that other types of plurality existing offensive to me. it's just not. i've been very close friends with so many endogenic, spiritual, natural, etc. systems out there over the years. i have never found it offensive for anyone to say "oh hey i'm plural too!" and then explain a different plural experience than the one i have. thats why the term plural even exists, because it encompasses a broad range of plural experiences, not just dissociative ones.

like, to the dissociatives who are pissed off that endos exist: literally stay in dissociative disorder-centric spaces and tags. they're right there. you HAVE a community that you can interact with who understand exactly what you're going through. if it offends you that you find a VARIETY of plural experiences in the general plural community- that community isn't for you. like seriously. if it offends you that deeply that other types of plurality exist- the general plural community is not for you. it's literally not made for you if you can't except that numerous types of plurality exist. you have spaces you can occupy that ARE made 100% for people just like you. you can quite literally stay in spaces made for dissociative plurals only. like. you can do that. that's an option. and you can stop bullying other people out of spaces that they rightfully belong in.

trauma is never excuse to be a fucking jackass. it's perpetuating the cycle of abuse. that's nothing to be proud of. break the cycle. stop abusing people just because you were abused.

[staroflife]

☆ stop trying, give up! - tough love post ☆

here's a scenario: you learn about the law, and now you decide to "try" to manifest something. you repeat your affirmations endlessly, do all these methods and challenges to help you "try" to manifest instantly, and then a day goes by. you don't see any changes or "movement." you read some posts to see what you're doing "wrong," and then you get motivated and try again. same thing happens: no movement or change in the 3d, so you get discouraged and decide that you don't see anything, so you don't have your manifestation. but you start to enter this endless cycle for days, then months, then years of reading a post on tumblr, getting motivated and excited and hype yourself up about how you are a master manifester, but the moment you tell yourself "oh I don't have my manifestation," you become discouraged and decide that maybe you are an exception to the law. that everyone else on here is getting what they want but you don't see anything in the 3d even though a certain amount of time has passed so you don't have your manifestation.

grow the f*ck up. literally. I'm going to be straightforward with you, as someone who is speaking from experience - yes you did all of this work to manifest what you want, but you decided that you don't have your manifestation, so guess what manifested? you NOT having your manifestation. you did manifest what you decided tho, so congrats!

YOU decide what is happening in your reality. YOU are the one who is deciding what you have and what you do not have. it doesn't matter if its been a week, a month, a year, or even 10+ years. time never matters when it comes to manifestation. if you decide that it takes a long time for you to manifest, it will take a long time for you to manifest. if you think your manifestation is really big and unrealistic and will take a while before you get it, then it will take a while before you get it.

a few months ago I was scrolling through twitter and I came across this account that said to get comfortable with NOT seeing something in the physical world. an assumption, by definition, is a belief that something is true without proof or question. you are working with the law of assumption. let's put 2 and 2 together. you are working with the law of assumption, therefore you do not need to see something in your world in order for it to be true.

you do not need to "try" to manifest something. you never needed to "try" in the first place. you do not need to do anything to get what you want. live your life and do what needs to get done while assuming and deciding that you already have what you want.

the law has no limits. people say the same thing all the f*cking time just in different words. there's literally no reason for me or any other blogger to continue making posts to be honest but here's a summary of the law:

the minute you decide something is true, it simply is. that is an assumption. nothing else matters. time, circumstances, whatever you are experiencing in your life does not matter when it comes to the law. yes you can manifest anything in the world, even if it seems unrealistic or even impossible. you can manifest what you want using whatever techniques or methods you want it does not matter. all you need to do is decide what you want, and assume/accept/know it is true. even if the world tells you no, tell yourself yes.

[cripplecharacters]

Is it fine to write a Deaf character who received a cochlear implant in early childhood if I use it as a plot device for their eventual integration into Deaf culture? I would make it so that the implant fails and they reject any and all further attempts to integrate them into mainstream society with audism.

Hi!

It is fine to make a character who uses hearing aids or CI, full stop. And it is fine for those devices to work in some capacity. That is the lived experience of many d/Deaf individuals. You don't need to justify the character's aids or "offset" it somehow by having them not work.

Hearing assistive devices are not cures and do not make people magically hearing. But just the same, hearing assistive devices not working (or someone not using them) doesn't extra-validate their Deaf identity.

The Deaf pushback against CI (and hearing assistive devices in general) is that hearing parents often treat them as "cures" for their child's deafness and provide no other aids, or only provide support for their child to pass as hearing rather than giving the best access to information. Additionally, CI is an invasive surgery and can be dangerous, though it usually isn't.

There are plenty of Deaf people who use and like their CI or hearing aids. There are plenty who don't. It's such a broad community with so many different lived experiences. You don't need to feel like you must write a d/Deaf character one specific way. The guidelines we give here are to avoid inaccuracies, and things we'd like to see more of.

One thing I would love to see is someone who has CI or hearing aids and uses them when they want but has also had access to Deaf community and sign language from a young age. I know many people like that in real life and yet that's not representation I've ever seen in a story.

Your character's CI doesn't have to be a plot device. It can just be an aspect of their character. Have them involved in the Deaf community, absolutely! But you don't need to "make up for" a Deaf character who uses CI in any way, because hearing assistive devices and Deaf community are not antithetical.

Mod Rock