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immaturityofthomasastruc · 3 years

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IOTA Reviews: Furious Fu

Well, I'm surprised this is here so quickly, but here we are. The first episode of Season 4. While I was on the fence about reviewing it even though it isn't in English (though there’s one in Spanish with English subtitles), but it seems like there are people that want to see me do it anyway, so who am I to let them down? Hopefully, I won't be regretting my decision to go over every episode of this season later on.

Will Marinette's new position as Guardian lead to more storylines other than her suffering? Will the show actually resolve the whole Love Square debacle this season? Why am I asking you all these questions?

Let's dive right into the first (actually sixth because of course it is) episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season, Furious Fu.

We start off with all of the Kwamis under Marinette's care asking to see Former Master by Default Fu, before Marinette reminds them, and by extension, the audience, that he erased his memory during the events of last season, making her the new Guardian. They continue to act like hyperactive children until Marinette finally caves in and carries them in her backpack, although not before they give us one of the most unintentionally creepy images in the entire show.

I apologize in advance for your nightmares tonight.

The only Kwami who stays is the Dog Kwami, Barkk, who looks like she's going to see if Marinette's parents have any wine in the kitchen once she leaves.

Marinette heads down to the train station, where she meets up with Fu and Marianne, a former confidant/old flame who he recently reunited with. It turns out that inbetween Seasons 3 and 4, not only has Fu been living in London with Marianne while taking up painting as a hobby, but they've actually gotten married. So yeah, while Marinette has to deal with the stress of protecting some of the most dangerous artifacts on the planet, Fu's just been chilling in London, oblivious to the fact that he forced a teenage girl to do his job for him. Nothing but the best from this show's wise and lovable “mentor”.

After heading back home, Marinette sees a strange man who has broken into her room and demands to know where she got the Miracle Box from.

This is Master Su-Han, the former Guardians before Fu accidentally killed them all. He's naturally not happy with the “improper” form of the Miracle Box (he's not the only one) and wants to know how Marinette got in in the first place. When she says she got it from Fu...

Yeah... while it isn't as obvious as “Animaestro” and “Felix”, you can kind of tell that this is a “turn the critics into enemies” episode. Even though the criticism towards Master Fu isn't as prevalent as the criticism those episodes were meant to call out, there have been some fans on Tumblr and Reddit who have criticized Fu's actions in the show, calling out his decision to make Marinette a guardian in particular. Likewise, Su-Han is meant to be a strawman to mirror the complaints, and show why they are ridiculous. Though ironically, Su-Han's dialogue and rules also unintentionally highlight how incompetent the Order of the Guardians was, but we'll get to it later.

But because the script says she has to, Marinette defends Fu's decision to make her Guardian. She even refers to Fu being the reason the Guardians were all killed in the first place as a “mistake”.

NO HE DIDN'T! How was what Fu did in any way a sacrifice? When he made Marinette the new Guardian “Miracle Queen”, All Fu really did was make the box float for a bit before it immediately landed back in Chloe's hands. If the box had magically floated over to Ladybug in the process, I'd see why Fu would have done it. It'd still be reckless, but it would be a good way to escape from Hawkmoth and Mayura's trap. Hell, the Kwamis had already refused to let Chloe transform when she had their Miraculous, so there was no real threat there. We don't even know if Hawkmoth knew how to transform with the other Miraculous. So again, I raise the question: How was Fu forcing Ladybug to take his job while he gets to paint in London a heroic sacrifice? How can you even frame that as anything but cowardly?

Su-Han notices a few of the Kwamis are missing, and takes notice of Plagg, who was shown to devastate Paris with a single tap to the ground, being missing in particular. He's even more horrified to see Marinette's earrings, because, get this, Guardians aren't allowed to wear Miraculous.

You're telling me that if someone gets their hands on a Miraculous and goes rogue, the Guardians are supposed to fight them with their bare hands? They don't even explain it by saying something like how the Guardians aren't supposed to be tempted by the power of the Miraculous, we're just supposed to accept that rule as fact. How are you supposed to fight someone with superpowers like illusions, shapeshifting, teleportation, and time travel on your own?

So Su-Han orders the Kwamis back into the Miracle Box (still don't get why they have to listen to him) and lists off some of the rules Marinette broke like he was a Ferengi reading the Rules of Acquisition. He does all of this while voicing several concerns fans have about Marinette being Guardian, but rather than being out of concern or compassion for her, it's condescension.

It's pretty easy to understand Su-Han's side of the story, and if the episode actually acknowledged it, I wouldn't mind. But no, everything he says is automatically supposed to be wrong, because when has anything with a different viewpoint portrayed as a good guy in this show?

Su-Han orders Ladybug to take him to see Cat Noir before demanding they both hand over their Miraculous, and we learn something interesting about the Order of the Guardians.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?

Of all the stupid Guardian rules Master Fuckup didn't blindly follow, it's the rule that Miraculous are ONLY SUPPOSED TO GO TO ADULTS!? Why the hell did he even recruit Marinette and Adrien in the first place if Miraculous for adults to use? What did he even see in them? All they did was help him once!

And again, we're supposed to see Su-Han as wrong for doing this. Why can't Ladybug simply tell Su-Han about Hawkmoth and ask for his help before she returns her Miraculous to him? That way, Hawkmoth is defeated, and Su-Han gets the Miraculous back. And it's not like Ladybug doesn't try to talk things out with Su-Han, so you can't say she didn't consider it. Oh wait, that would imply Su-Han is supposed to have a point in his claims.

Though to the show's credit, Su-Han's words do get to Ladybug, causing herself to doubt herself and her ability to stop Hawkmoth, but Cat Noir helps to reassure her, saying he'll only return his Miraculous only if she asks him to. It's a brief moment, but it's nice to see him place his faith in his partner in a platonic way.

Less nice to see is Cat Noir finding out that if Ladybug gives up her position as Guardian, she'll lose her memory like Fu. Except... Cat Noir was there when Miraculous Ladybug failed to restore Fu's memory, so why does he see this as new information? Did he only think it would happen to Fu? Did he lose some of his memory at the end of the last season?

This information is enough for Cat Noir to start a fight with Su-Han, with Ladybug abandoning any attempts at diplomacy by declaring that Cat Noir won't lose his Miraculous. It's a little frustrating to see them engage Su-Han, but again, this is meant to show Cat Noir trying to protect Ladybug so she doesn't lose her memory. This scene still does a good job showcasing the bond the two heroes have. It's far better than anything we got from the New York special.

Su-Han is trained in... Oh God... Mirakung-Fu, which somehow gives him the ability to predict Ladybug and Cat Noir's moves before they make them, comparing it to his rage “adaptating and always finding a way”. Translation: Astruc ripped off something else from Dragon Ball, Ultra Instinct. Ladybug distracts Su-Han and gets the Miracle Box, while Cat Noir gets his staff. After briefly trapping him under some rubble (which I guess doesn't kill him because of his “Mirakung-Fu”), the two heroes escape.

Meanwhile, Shadowmoth, the upgraded form of Hawkmoth that I'll talk about in his debut proper, senses Su-Han's negative emotions and sends out an Akuma after him. Su-Han sees Fu painting in the park, and steals his cane, thinking it's a Guardian's staff he can sue to track down the Miraculous. When the Akuma reaches him, Su-Han uses a technique to repel the Akuma completely. I like this idea. It makes sense that a monk would find a way to mask their emotions and achieve enough of a state of zen to ward off an Akuma. The Akuma instead reaches Fu, turning him into Furious Fu.

I like the design of this Akuma. While I personally thought it could have made for a more interesting fight if he was still short (like Yoda's fight scenes in the prequels), I think it's really clever to incorporate Fu's Hawaiian shirt into what looks like a Chinese gi. Furious Fu's powers are kind of like Evilustrator, only he has to draw down a Chinese character on a talisman before the power takes immediate effect, and lacks the weakness Evilustrator had with his tablet being easily breakable, with the corrupted object, a paintbrush on his ear, being harder to reach.

Ladybug and Cat Noir retreat to the unnamed stadium that the local school has gym class in for some reason, where they're confronted by Su-Han, who in turn, is confronted by Furious Fu. This leads to a three-way fight for the Miracle Box, which they all kick around like a soccer ball. Cat Noir even gets a goal. All around, pretty fun bit, though not for the Kwamis, I guess.

As soon as he sees Furious Fu get the Miracle Ball, Su-Han hides while Ladybug and Cat Noir get beat up by the Akuma. While he does get up eventually, he's still taken out by Furious Fu. Apparently, Su-Han's “Mirakung-Fu” is only useful against Miraculous holders, not supervillains created with the powers of a Miraculous. How the hell does that work? That's like being a trained soldier in the Marine Corps who's terrible at laser tag.

Ladybug uses her Lucky Charm (again, I'll talk about the suit change for its proper debut episode), and gets a pair of wire cutters. She uses them go get a soccer ball from a nearby container while Cat Noir keeps Furious Fu busy. Furious Fu, in turn, uses one of his talismans to predict Ladybug's plan, and manages to immobilize both heroes, but not before Ladybug traps the soccer ball underneath Cat Noir's arm before Furious Fu can use his Cataclysm against him.

How do they stop him? By having Marianne casually walk up to him and break the paintbrush while he's distracted. Honestly, that's a pretty funny payoff. Not “Puppeteer” or “Bakerix” funny, but it's still one of the funnier Akuma defeats I've seen. Another funny joke is Cat Noir using his Cataclysm on a soccer ball before he accidentally uses it on Ladybug and Marianne for their post-victory fist bump.

Later on, after Marinette sees Marianne and Fu off while the latter continues to avoid responsibility, Su-Han apologizes to her, and decides to trust her. He'll still take away the Miracle Box if she screws up, but it's a start to someone Marinette can at least consult Guardian to Guardian.

And honestly? I think this episode is a pretty good start to Season 4. It really feels like the writers are learning from their mistakes in Season 3.

Yes, Marinette is blamed by Su-Han, and while it is frustrating to turn Su-Han into a strawman, unlike other Season 3 episodes where Marinette is blamed, the blame itself is unwarranted, and by the end of the episode, it looks like Su-Han is willing to change, as he apologizes to Fu after he's de-evilized. That's a lot more than I can say for Astruc's other straw characters like Chloe and Felix. Sure, some of Su-Han's concerns are brushed off, but it's still a start.

From what little we saw of him, Cat Noir is also a lot better, really showing the character development promised towards the end of “Miracle Queen”. He's thankfully turned down the flirting, and I can only hope he keeps his promise as the season goes on. I hope we get an episode or two showing his perspective on Ladybug becoming Guardian, and how he feels less like her actual partner now. You know, something that can reinforce their bond as partners.

My biggest complaints from the episode really come from the way Fu is portrayed, and even then, it's only because of events that happen because of what he did last season and how much of a screw-up he is, despite the narrative trying to tell the audience he isn't. Then there's the revelation that Fu's cane has the ability to track down Miraculous. So... we're seriously learning this now? Why didn't Fu use it earlier to look for the two missing Miraculous? He literally has a Miraculous detector! But hopefully, the consequences of Fu's actions won't affect this season too much.

So yeah, I'm actually feeling pretty optimistic about this season so far. Maybe Season 4 won't be that bad after all.

Oh.

Oh no...

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yokozawass-fan-account · 3 years

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Trifiesta Day 4: Free Prompt

Summary:

Kirishima is late to pick up Hiyori from her ice-skating class and get to meet her very strict and grumpy -and hella cute- bear-like teacher.

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Kirishima Zen was running like the devil was on his tail, except that he was rushing toward much worse than that: a very pissed little girl who was probably going to murder him.

Kirishima knew it would only be fair, he was nearly an hour late after all. He should have known better, it was not his first end of the cycle nor the first time he had to pick Hiyori up from some after-school activities that he had previously agreed to let her take and then completely forgot about. Hiyori had to quit multiple times because of that, even so she always said she was getting bored of it anyway. Kirishima felt really bad about that. Hell, was it his fault if his daughter was so resourceful?

Well, yes, probably.

The rink finally appeared before his eyes as he slowed down to take his breath right before the set of stairs. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the buildings of the city when he started to run up the steps and the shadow allowed his mind to wander. Although Hiyori was always excited to try something new, this time she had seemed even more motivated than usual. She had not stopped talking about the rink and the ice-skating competitions and the new ice-skating class she had heard about from her friend Yuki that was coincidently held by her now-retired favorite ice-skater FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH. And of course, Kirishima being a doting -and desperate to give his hyperactive daughter something to unload her energy on- father, had accepted to let her try it out, even though the rink was nearly an hour away from their apartment. Needless to say he had some regrets at the moment.

Kirishima entered the building with ruffled hair and his jacket wrinkled, but his appearance was not really his principal worry as he finally saw the very object of his thoughts. The little brown ponytail was bouncing around as Hiyori was speaking energetically with a tall man next to the counter, and she was so caught up in the conversation that she did not notice him. The man, however, saw him as soon as he stepped in.

Kirishima felt a shiver cross his entire body when their eyes met and the man frowned deeply. His gaze did not shift as he moved forward to place himself between Kirishima and the girl, crossing his arms over his chest in a clearly menacing posture. Kirishima was caught off guard and nearly backed down, it was like facing an angry mama bear protecting her cub -which was honestly kind of adorable-, except the cub was HIS so there was no way he would let anyone get between them.

Kirishima was one step away from the other man, ready for the confrontation that was sure to come if he believed the irritated twitch on his opponent’s face. The man had just opened his mouth when...

“Daddy, you’re late!”

Hiyori got around the stranger and jumped into her dad’s arms, then immediately proceeded to scold him. The tension in Kirishima’s body vanished. Despite the late hour and the tiring exercises he was sure she had had to do, his daughter seemed as energetic as when he had left her this morning. He smiled as she took a step back to look him up and down.

“And what happened to you? You look like you’ve been caught in a storm!”

At the comment something clicked in Kirishima’s brain and he looked up. As he had thought, the other man’s behaviour had changed: his arms had left his chest to hang on each side of his hips, his once stiff shoulders were more relaxed now and his frown had softened, but his face had also reddened and he was slowly shifting from one foot to the other, avoiding the father’s gaze.

Was it embarrassment that Kirishima perceived here?

“Daddy?”

Kirishima was brought down to earth by Hiyori’s worried voice and he felt a light blush invade his cheeks. He redirected his attention back to the little girl, but it was too late: Hiyori had caught him red-handed. Her smile was almost threatening.

“I totally forgot, but you two have never met before, right?” She took his hand in hers as she was speaking and pulled him forward. “I’ll make the presentations!”

When Kirishima looked up, he was directly facing the stranger, who still refused to meet his eyes. With her free hand, Hiyori gently grabbed the man's wrist as if to prevent him from running -Kirishima wondered if his daughter had noticed the discomfort that the poor guy was emanating- and smiled at them successively.

“Yokozawa-sensei, this is my dad! Daddy, this is Yokozawa-sensei, the ice-skating teacher!” She squealed happily.

The stranger -Yokozaw-san- finally turned his gaze in his direction and the two men stood there, facing each other in silence for a moment. The name sounded familiar to Kirishima and he had a brief flash-back of countless evenings listening to Hiyori's unstoppable flow of compliments and praising words about some guy she was a big fan of named Yokoz-.

Oh! The ex-ice-skater-now-teacher thing!

He felt his usual grin make its way to his mouth and he bowed slightly.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Yokozawa-san. My Hiyori can’t stop talking about you all the time recently so it feels like I already know you, you’re almost part of the family.”

“Daddy!” Came the indignant cry of his daughter, red as a beet.

“Come on, my little rasberry, no need to be shy now!” Kirishima’s tone was teasing as he gently pinched her cheek.

The cheek in question was soon blown out, “You’re so embarrassing!”

A repressed laugh rang in the room and both of the Kirishimas nearly snapped their neck as they looked up towards its origin but when the two pairs of eyes found Yokozawa’s face, the man had already gone back to the stern expression he seemed to always wear. Kirishima was surprised when he realized he regretted missing Yokozawa’s laughing face.

“Nice to meet you too, Kirishima-san.”

The man’s bow was far more professional than his. Kirishima could not help but to take the chance to observe his counterpart: dark black hair, tall although still one or two inches shorter than himself, broad shoulders, strong arms, narrow hips and wow, those were some impressive thighs right here, maybe he should watch the championships with Hiyo next time. As Yokozawa straightened up, Kirishima looked up -not the time to be caught checking out his daughter’s teacher.

“I’m sorry Yokozawa-san but we should go now or we’ll miss the train.” He heard himself say.

“Oh, yes, of course. I didn’t mean to retain you.”

But despite those words, neither of them made any move to leave, both waiting for the other to go first, until Hiyori, who had opened her bag and was going through her stuff, breathed a displeased sigh.

Both men turned their attention to the little girl. “Is there a problem, Hiyo?”

“I forgot Yuki-chan’s bracelet in my locker, the one she gave me for my birthday…” The little girl pouted.

Kirishima opened his mouth but Yokozawa was faster, “I haven’t closed the locker room yet so you can go get it if you want.” Then the young man must have taken Kirishima's surprised face for consternation because he stuttered, “I mean, if it’s okay with your father of course.”

Kirishima’s gaze went from Yokozawa to Hiyori to Yokozawa again and finally settled on Hiyori -who was looking at him with the biggest pleading eyes he had ever seen- and he smiled at her, “Of course, we’re not late yet so one or two little minutes are no big deal!”

The little girl immediately bolted from the room -probably to the locker room- as she thanked her father loudly. She disappeared behind a door.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Kirishima turned his attention back to Yokozawa and he felt his heart skip a beat at the view: the strict looking man was smiling to where Hiyori had just left and his smile was sweet and his eyes soft and for the first since forever Kirishima was out of words.

But not for long.

“So… You took me for some creep, huh?”

The smile was gone in a second, replaced by an annoyed pout as Yokozawa blushed and frowned once again -Kirishima was starting to think that the frown was part of his resting face- and turned towards him.

“You can talk! What kind of parent arrives an hour late looking like some weird guy?!” Yokozawa spat.

Then anger gave way to panic on the teacher’s face and Kirishima assumed he had realized what he had just said to one of his students’ parent. His hands clenching and unclenching as he tried to find something to say was just too much for Kirishima and despite his best efforts, he could not hold it in any longer.

Kirishima bursted out laughing.

“Oh my god!” Kirishima managed to say between two fits of laughter, “ You should see your face right now, it’s priceless!”

Anger was instantly back. Yokozawa was clearly outraged now.

“YOU-”

“I’m back!”

Hiyori hummed happily as she closed the door behind her but she soon stopped in the middle of the room, her eyes going back and forth between her chuckling father and her very red teacher.

“What were you doing, you two?” She asked, then turned a severe face towards Kirishima, “You weren’t annoying Yokozawa-sensei, right Dad?”

Ouch, if she called him ‘Dad’ it meant he was in trouble.

“We were simply discussing, Kirishima-kun, don’t worry.” Yokozawa interrupted, and Kirishima heaved a sigh of relief. “Your father was apologizing for being so late.”

The bastard!

Hiyori frowned in his direction, “I completely forgot but it’s true! I told you several times that practice ends at 7!”

“Sorry, sorry, I got caught up with work.”

Hiyori sighed, “It’s okay, it’s not your fault after all…”

Kirishima knew what was going through Hiyori’s head at the moment and he did not like it. He was very aware of how much it meant for Hiyori to take this class and he hated the idea that she might have to give up yet another activity she loved only because of him.

“It won’t happen again, Hiyo, I promise.” He said softly.

“But you can’t be sure you won’t be stuck at work again, Daddy…”

A heavy silence took place as Kirishima tried to find some reassuring words to cheer her up, but nothing came.

“Hum, I’m sorry to interrupt but…” Yokozawa’s voice made Kirishima remember where they were.

“Sorry, Yokozawa-san, we won’t bother you any longer. Come on, Hiyori.”

“No! I mean, wait!”

Kirishima really hoped Yokozawa was not going to give him a lecture again because he was already pretty upset and he did not think he would be able to stay polite much longer. He turned towards the man as he was looking at Hiyori, his eyebrows frowned but Kirishima perceived no anger in his expression. Yokozawa faced him once more.

“If it’s okay with you, Kirishima-san, Hiyori can stay here with us after practice. I mean, when you can’t get out of work in time.”

For a second, Kirishima wondered if the man was joking, but Yokozawa did not seem like the type of person to make that kind of cruel jokes -or to make jokes at all, to be honest. His expression was serious, almost solemn, and Kirishima would have totally teased him if he was not busy considering the proposition. It would be perfect for him: he could finish his work without worrying about Hiyori’s whereabouts and well-being and Hiyori could pass the time doing something she loved under the supervision of a reliable adult.

“But, Yokozawa-sensei, I don’t want to bother you! You must have other things to do than look after me!”

Yokozawa offered her a reassuring smile, “Aikawa-san and I are used to staying here until late, she let me practice and in exchange I help her clean up, so there’s no reason to worry, I assure you.”

Hiyory let out a little hopeful gasp as she turned her face towards her dad. Kirishima pretended to think about it, but Yokozawa’s gravity and his daughter's big brown eyes had already convinced him.

“Well, if Yokozawa-san proposes it himself, I see no reason to reject his offer.”

Hiyori danced for joy and hugged her father -as well as Yokozawa-san who jumped at the sudden attack- with all the strength she had in her little arms before running out of the rink to scream her happiness at the world. Both watched her jump around behind the glass-doors and they shared a chuckle. Then Kirishima turned to face Yokozawa.

“Thank you,” he said and this time his grin was not teasing, “you’re really getting me out of a hard situation.”

Yokozawa put his hands before his chest. “It’s okay, no need to thank me. Work is work, it can’t be helped.” And despite his visible efforts to act like it was nothing, Kirishima had seen the slight blush on his face.

The two men exchanged their phone numbers -Kirishima had to remind himself that it was only in order to arrange Hiyori’s schedule when necessary- and said their goodbyes, then Yokozawa turned on his heels -oh my, the thighs are not the only impressive part- and left through the same door Hiyori had disappeared behind earlier. Kirishima stepped out of the rink and joined his daughter down the stairs. She grabbed his hands, the little bracelet tingling around her wrist as they made their way towards the station.

But something was still bothering Kirishima.

“Say, Hiyo…”

“Hm?”

Kirishima grinned.

“Is Yokozawa-sensei single?”

~The end~

I wanted to do this for sooooo long, trifiesta week was the perfect opportunity! Beta-reading by Cammie, as always <3!

@trifiesta

#trifiesta #sih trifecta #kirishima x yokozawa #yokozawa takafumi #kirishima zen #kirishima hiyori #fanfic #ice-skating!au

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juminsmysticmc · 3 years

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Heyo, requests are open? Can I request the RFA (+Minor Trio if you want to) react to MC being a popular manhwa author?

RFA with a Mc who is a popular manhwa author

Heya! Thank you for your request and your patience! I beg you for pardon, I will only write the RFA but if you want to have the Minor Trio, be free to request it again! For the future too, I will write an extra post about it, I will only write for the RFA OR the Minor Trio. The reason is, that it has been to much lately and probably you also noticed that I‘m not that active anymore. Maybe, one day I will write more again but for now I can’t. And for those, who wonder why I don’t let you decide the members till an amount: imagine 20 people ask you to write a Hc with eight different people in a different order - there would be too much chaos in my Masterlist. I hope you all can understand ❤️ Now, the story 😂

Jumin

Your husband knew that you, his wife, was an amazing person who could do so much.

You made him feel special feelings and showed him so many common things, but now you even showed him new hobbies.

He loved to read your work as a popular manhwa author and he supported you, like always. He loved seeing the stars in your eyes.

You got your own room with enough daylight with the best asistans, one of them was also Yoosung, and someone who could check the copyrights on the web, in other words, Seven.

,,My wife is working so hard… Mc, know that I am your number one fan!’’ Jumin once told you and kissed your forehead.

,,Thank you for your support… I just needed this. You gave me a new idea!’’ you laughed and took your pen again.

Although there were days when you didn’t even get out of your room because the deadlines were so stressful, Jumin knew that you gave your best and supported you with little things like a five star master chef from France with the best desserts from south italy and fresh water from the mountains…

Zen

,,NO!’’ you hissed at Zen’s Company Manager, threw the plan across the room, making the papers fly in the air.

,,I am the author of this Manwha and I have the upper hand. Besides, I am Zen’s manager. You gave me this job and I’ve decided that Zen will be the main lead in my story!’’ you argued.

,,I AM THE ONE WHO GAVE YOU THE JOB! I CAN FIRE YOU TOO!’’ he hissed.

,,Okay! Do it! But you will miss my money. I’m not sure if you really want to fire me, but do it!’’ you laughed and crossed your arms.

,,Okay, do whatever you want. Give Zen the job, but just go away...I don’t want to see you anymore,’’ he sighed and turned around.

And once again, you won a bet.

,,Princess, did everything go alright?’’ Zen asked you concerned.

You wrote a story for almost three years now and did your best to make the character of your story fit Zen’s behavior.

And after a lot of people wanted to make a drama out of it, you finally felt as if you had an opening for your boyfriend.

Luckily, you could win against your boss, who almost made it impossible.

,,Of course, I told you that you had the job!’’ you laughed.

,,Okay, then let’s practice!’’ Zen smiled.

And so you guys practiced, just like he wanted the scene where he and the woman from another dimension were getting intimate...

Yoosung

Yoosung felt as if he was on cloud nine.

What could he have wanted more than to go to a convention with his girlfriend?

To take part of it in cosplay and have so much fun?

Okay, maybe that you were by his side, but he could also manage to watch you from afar while you gave tons of fans signatures on their manhwas and fan merch they got from your own shop.

And it was okay, because as long as you were happy, he was happy too.

Yoosung decided to use the time you were working to look around the convention and once again noticed how famous you were. The line just to talk to you for five minutes was extremely long and everywhere pictures of you were hanging from the roof.

,,The best author of the most known manhwas is here’’ the posters said.

And indeed you were the best author.

You already wrote tons of stories in your manhwas with different genres which were loved by everyone and Yoosung Kim was your husband...

Jaehee

When Jaehee asked you to open the coffee shop with her, she still didn’t know that you were a very famous manhwa author.

But she found out after tons of informed fans found out that you would open a coffee shop.

Both of you thought about it for a long time and finally came to the conclusion that you should open a big shop with two concepts.

Your concept and her concept.

,,Hey, nice to meet you guys! Thanks for coming!’’ you thanked your fans and normal guests.

,,Well, neither of us expected there to be so many people so please take turns. I will shortly explain how our shop works!

On the left side is a normal coffee shop and on the right side of my shop is where I will work, read the latest chapters with you, and hold a fan meeting. The coffee, as well as the cakes, are in the middle of both rooms,’’ you explained.

And indeed, the shop was successful for a very long time.

,,I am so happy that the both of us found a way to solve this,’’ Jaehee whispered later in the evening after a lot of hesitating.

,,I am the most creative after all,’’ you teased her and hugged her

Saeyoung

There was no way that you could hide something like that from him.

Saeyoung was already a fan of you and kind of a stalker, so of course he knew you.

,,That’s why I was so concerned and went to you in Rika’s apartment. I didn’t want you to be in danger because I needed to know how the manhwa goes on in Chapter 52!’’ he teased you, making you throw a pillow at his head.

,,And since you made such a tasteless joke, I will kill your character I gave you in the story after you begged me!’’ you hissed, of course teasing him too.

,,WHAT?!’’ he began to sob.

,,It isn’t simple with two crazy asses and workaholics,’’ Saeran sighed and looked away.

On some days, the both of you were extremely hyperactive, going out, searching for new ideas, or just having fun was a part of you guys, but at other times, both of you just stayed separate in your rooms, not eating or sleeping, but just working.

And even though Saeran hated to admit it, he hated those lonely days. But since he was so proud of you guys, he didn’t dare to say anything...

MASTERLIST 1

MASTERLIST 2

MASTERLIST 3

08.12.2020// 10:38 MEST

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willow-salix · 4 years

Text

Fluffember prompt: Bedtime

@gumnut-logic its ya boi again...

Day 10 of Isolation on Tracy Island 2.0

She regretted picking the extra strong coffee, both for what it did to Alan and the fact that, even though she said she felt fine, she couldn’t seem to make her eyes stay closed.

Alan had indeed drunk the entire jug of chocolate chip frappe masquerading as an innocent milkshake and it wasn’t just colours that were behaving weirdly for him. He seemed to be vibrating with hyperactive energy, bouncing around in a permanent state of alertness that I usually only saw from John or Scott when he’d been chugging those energy drinks to get his late night mission reports finished.

We tried everything to wear him out and settle him down, but it was like having an overly excited puppy with springs for legs trying to get your attention.

“Scott! Scott! SCOTTTT! Look what I can do!” he yelled and proceeded to plant his hands on the floor, flip his legs up into the air and try to run on his hands. He didn’t get far.

Scott’s groan of despair was so deep and heartfelt, I wondered if he might walk out and never return. I hadn’t heard that one since Brandon last came for dinner and told us all about how he'd abseiled for charity wearing a fluffy bear costume, which didn’t sound too bad until you heard that he hadn't been wearing anything underneath it. Apparently the suit was very hot and heavy so he had decided, after trying it on for a few practice descents on an indoor wall, to forgo what he considered unnecessary clothing. That would have been fine if he hadn’t caught the tail on a jagged rock and not noticed. Although, seeing his bare behind on a live stream had doubled the amount of donations that had poured in. Now he was planning to try naked skydiving and was trying to get us to join him. You can guess what the answer was to that.

“Come on, dudes, it’ll be like, totally extreme! Picture it, The Bear and the Boys, think of the publicity, man. You guys are like, thrill junkies, same as me. You’ll love it, the wind in your hair, adoration of millions of fans. It’ll be off the hook!” he’d rambled, getting far too excited for his own good. Scott had had to excuse himself and hide in his office for half an hour while Brandon talked excitedly to Alan about his latest videos. I left them to it too.

Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, Alan...

“Alan will you stop!” Witchy yelled when he crashed sideways like a felled tree for the fourth time, almost taking out Gordon who was walking past, innocent for once.

“No! I can do this!” Alan protested, trying to right himself but just making it worse. “The world is upside down” he was lying on the floor at this point, “so if I make myself the same then the world will be right side up again! Simple.”

“No, not simple,” Scott groaned, helping pick Gordon up off the floor. “You need to calm down.”

“I am calm!” Alan protested. “I’m totally zen.”

I must say, his idea of zen is a lot different to mine.

Scott grabbed Alan’s legs and flipped him over, dragging him to his feet.

“Woah! Are you like a wizard or something? That was totally magical!”

"He's even starting to talk like him," Gordon mused, rubbing his elbow, sore from its collision with the side of my piano.

Witchy groaned, hiding her face in her hands. “It’s gonna be a long day, isn’t it?”

She wasn’t wrong.

It turned out that Alan hadn’t just magically appeared in the kitchen when he’d gotten hungry, no, he’d just woken up from a four hour nap and needed a drink. So, not only was he hyped up on enough caffeine to wake the dead (or John after a three day mission stint) but he was also stuffed full of sugar…

***

“Alan, it’s four in the morning, you have to settle down,” she begged, looking so worn out I thought she might keel over. I didn’t blame her, I felt roughly the same. Gordon had gone to bed hours before, as had Grandma, Kayo and Dad. I had stayed up because it was partly my fault that we were in this situation in the first place and Scott was up because he’s Scott and just has to be involved with everything.

“I can’t,” Alan argued. “I’m not tired.”

“We are!” she insisted. “You can’t stay up all night.”

“You sleep if you’re so tired,” he snapped back. He’d been doing that all day, flipping from adorably sweet and compliant to downright murderous in an instant, we were trying not to take it personally. “I’m not tired. I’m gonna call Brandon and chat to him if you guys don’t want me around.”

“No!” Scott jumped in before we could. He knew full well that if Alan spoke to Brandon in this state he’d agree to a million crazy schemes in a matter of seconds. He had to be protected for his own good.

"We do want you around," she argued. "But we also need to lie down before we fall down. So please, if you love me at all, stop trying to sneak off to eat more cookies and vegemite, because one, it's gross, and two…its gross. Where was I going with this?" she asked me, looking so confused I had to turn away so I didn't laugh.

“Do I even want to know what’s going on in here?” John asked, appearing in the doorway having apparently just arrived home. There were rules now, if he had finished his work and she was on the island he had to come home, no matter how late it was. EOS was perfectly capable of handling monitoring duty and most things could be coordinated remotely if it was needed, and if it couldn’t it only took eight minutes for his elevator to take him back. He had no excuse.

“Oh, thank the gods, I’m so tired and my eyes hate me, my eyelids are broken” she groaned, making grabby hands in his general direction which he ignored to stare at Alan.

“Alan drunk coffee,” Scott told him. “Their super strong coffee.”

“What? Why? Who was stupid enough to give him that?”

“No one, he helped himself, thought her frappe was a milkshake,” I told him.

“John! You’re home! This is great! Watch what I can do!”

“No!” Scott, Witchy and I all yelled at once.

“Maybe you should stay where you are,” John suggested, obviously wishing he’d stayed in space even if that did mean he’d get yelled at later.

“I don’t want to sit anymore, I’m bored.”

We all looked at John imploringly, he was the one that Alan would always listen to.

“Hey, Alan, do you wanna watch a movie?” John offered.

"Is that a good idea," Scott started, his expression clearly saying that he thought John was insane to even be thinking of it. We wanted Alan to settle and calm down, not get extra hyped from watching one of his action movies.

Alan stopped bouncing for a second, looking suspicious but also interested. “What movie?”

“Your choice, what was that one you’ve been asking us to watch for months, I can’t remember?” John made his way over to the couch and Witchy shifted over to make room for him, draping her legs over his the moment he sat down.

“The new superhero one?” Alan asked hopefully.

“Sure, we can do that one,” John agreed, sending me a small smirk when Alan dropped back down on the couch, ready to watch. I gave it two minutes before he’d be leaping up again and running off to jump in the pool or something.

For once Scott didn’t dare tell Alan it was too late to start watching anything or that he should be in bed, he was just grateful that Alan had stopped rolling around the floor pretending to be a turtle stuck on its back.

“Oh, yay, I’ve been wanting to see this,” Witchy said, perking up, apparently forgetting all about her rebellious eyes and tiredness, getting what she called her second wind. We all knew that one, when you had been up so long and were so tired that you had actually gone past the point of tiredness, past the point of being able to sleep and were suddenly wide awake again.

John started the movie, lifting his arm to drape it across her shoulders when she snuggled against his side, her arm sliding around his waist. Alan shifted too, dragging his movie blanket over his legs, wedging a cushion against her side so he could lean against it, clearly getting comfortable. Scott and I exchanged a look, maybe there was hope for this plan of John’s after all.

Ten minutes into the movie Alan moved to curl up to her, both of them leaning against John, squashing him into the side of the couch, but at least they were settled.

Another five minutes and she was yawning, her head dropping to rest against John’s shoulder.

“Tired, love?” John asked innocently, smiling softly to himself when she shook her head firmly, but soon, despite her protests, her eyes started that slow blink of a very tired person who is trying desperately to stay awake.

Alan yawned, pulling his blanket up to cover his shoulders and Scott risked a small smile in hope that he would soon be able to get some sleep himself. I didn’t blame him. The ironic part of this day was the fact that we had finished off all the other coffees to ensure we stayed awake longer than Alan.

Her eyes drooped, slowly closing but she snapped awake a moment later.

“I thought you wanted to watch this?” Scott teased her, earning himself a glare.

“I do, I am watching, look, eyes, facing the screen, watching.”

She might have said the words but her actions said otherwise.

“Shall we turn this off and watch it another day?” I asked when Alan’s head dropped forward although he instantly snapped to attention again.

“No, I’m watching it,” he answered stubbornly.

I lifted my hands in surrender and followed John’s lead, staying quiet and watching the movie.

“Why don’t we go to bed?” John murmured to her a little while later when she’d jerked herself awake for the third time.

“No, I’m not tired, I told you, I want to watch this.”

"You just fell-" Scott started but John cut him off with a warning eyebrow raise.

"I did no such thing," she grumbled, sitting up a bit straighter to prove her point. "I was watching."

“Of course you were,” John agreed placidly, not bothering to argue with her but I did notice that his fingers snuck into her hair, playing with a few strands. She sighed softly, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder as she watched the action on the screen, letting herself relax again.

She lasted another fifteen minutes before she stopped fighting her body's needs and closed her eyes, letting them stay closed.

A soft snore drew our attention and we turned from the projection to see Alan, mouth open, eyes closed, fast asleep. John shifted slightly, pulling witchy onto his lap, letting Alan's pillow slide down taking him with it. His hand snuck out, tugging at Alan’s blanket, pulling it up to cover his head.

We waited a few more minutes, sitting quietly, not wanting to risk breaking the fragile peace by waking them up, allowing them to settle deeper into sleep.

“OK, I think we’re good,” John whispered conspiritally.

“How did you know to do that?” Scott asked, shocked to the core that his standard approach of ordering followed by threats had failed on both his brother and his best friend, while John had sailed in and succeeded with minimal effort and without raising his voice once.

“They always do that,” John said, shrugging one shoulder so as not to disturb her. “She’s a woman, you can guarantee she’ll say she wants to watch a movie but she’ll fall asleep half way through, she always does. If she can’t sleep I'll just put an episode of something on and that usually does the trick.”

He pointed to Alan. “It’s the same with him. Who do you think he called in the middle of the night when he was thinking too much about homework or the million other things that teenagers seem to worry about? Tell him to pick a movie, cover him with a blanket and he’ll be out in minutes.”

“That’s…” Scott paused, unsure what to say. “Useful to know,” he finished.

"Arguing and pushing someone doesn't always work, you have to use your brain, assess the situation and pick your battles. Tired people are stubborn people."

"You can say that again," I muttered having dealt with my fair share of tired and stubborn family members, the two worst culprits being the ones currently talking.

“You take care of him, I’ve got her,” John nodded at Alan, smoothly changing the subject.

Scott helped me lift Alan who, although skinny, was growing lankier by the day, all long limbs and sharp elbows that you have to arrange carefully or risk dropping him. I took him to his room, putting him to bed then returned to fetch Scott.

“He still asleep”? Scott asked, still in his chair.

“Yep,” I answered. “He’ll be in for a surprise when he wakes up though, he hardly ever uses his bed. He'll think that he teleported again.”

"True enough," Scott chucked softly. "You need help with her?" He nodded at witchy, who hadn't moved.

"Nope, I got this, it's not my first time." With the ease of much practice he gathered her closer, sliding an arm under her legs, shuffled to the edge of the couch and got awkwardly to his feet. "You two should get some sleep too."

"We will," I assured him.

"Well, see you both in the morning," he said, heading to the door.

"Wait a second," I called and he paused. I grabbed the little notebook she'd left on the table, holding it up for him to see. "She hasn't filled this in today, you wanna take it?"

"She doesn't trust me," he shifted her slightly, rebalancing her in his arms, her face buried in his neck. "Not since last time, though I don't know what she expected when she told me to report what had happened, reports are for the facts, I did just that. If she'd wanted me to recall every single detail of the day she should have specified that. You write it."

"Sure, I can do that," I agreed, pocketing it.

"Night then."

"Night, John."

"Night, Scott."

"Goodnight."

Three down, one to go.

"Come on, bro, all your chicks are nested, now it's our turn," I said, patting his shoulder as I passed. "Even smother hens have to sleep some time."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, " he grumbled, yawning loudly, stretching as he got to his feet, too tired to even protest the hated nickname. "Bedtime."

#alantracy #Virgil Tracy #Scott Tracy #John Tracy #Isolation Island #isolation #Thunderbirds in isolation #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds 2015 #thunderbirds fanfiction

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doomedandstoned · 3 years

Text

10,000 Years Take Us Into The "Gargantuan Forest"

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

Review by Billy Goate

Album Art by Francesco Bauso

Leaving the world For salvation yonder Quest for eternity To suns beyond

Gazing upon our past Out into forever To a future obscured What glory awaits?

To begin another week of awesome original content at Doomed & Stoned, we're getting you better acquainted with the Swedish juggernaut 10,000 YEARS.

Last summer, the band dropped their eponymous debut to welcome ears and in just a few short weeks 10,000 Years come roaring back with a follow-up. Y'all know I'm a sucker for a good concept album. The eight-track full-length record 'II' (2021) picks up the trail of the Albatross research vessel, which has been galavanting 'cross the nether reaches of the galaxy on a potent rocket fuel made of sludgy stoner rock and doom metal.

If that sounds epic, wait'll you get a load of what's next for our interstellar crew. It helps if you picture the following text as a Star Wars-style screen crawl, slowly working its way up the page against the backdrop of a starry night.

After narrowly escaping the confines of the strange planet and its surrounding dimension, the Albatross and its crew finally return home to Earth. The re-entry is rough and the ship crashlands in a forest. The earth that greets them is vastly different from the one that they left.

When the ship travelled back to earth through the wormhole, it created a rift in the space-time continuum which propelled them far into the future, as well as allowing the Green King and other ancient gods from the other dimension to cross over to our dimension. They have since taken control of not only the earth, but the entire solar system.

After various harrowing experiences and encounters, the truth finally dawns on the surviving members of the crew. They are indeed back on earth, but ten thousand years in the future from when they started their journey. And to make matters worse, they find evidence that the Green King has been known and worshipped by secret cults and societies on earth for millenia, since before humankind even existed.

The surviving members of the crew come to the conclusion that the only way to set things right again is to repair the Albatross and take it back through the rift again in order to close it.

Now that's a saga I'm ready to get invested in. George Lucas, eat your heart out!

The record revs to a start with "Descent," a track that can best be described as terrific panic. It had me thinking of KOOK's "Escape Velocity" from their recent second album, though that's an eight-and-a-half minute slow burn and this is a quick twenty-six second fall from the sky. I wish this little notion had a chance to develop into something longer, but regardless what a thrilling way to open an album!

With rapt attention, I'm waiting to hear what comes next. The ship seems to have crash landed deep inside a "Gargantuan Forest." As an aside, it would be a blast to smoke a bowl o' something (anything, really) with Erik Palm (guitar), Alex Risberg (bass, vox), and Espen Karlsen (drums) just to gab it up a bit about sci-fi lit and horror flicks. I mean, check out the trove of B-movie greats referenced in their preface to the new single (which Doomed & Stoned is debuting today):

In this ABSURD (1981) video, 10,000 Years enter a FOREST OF FEAR (1980) as they access THE BEYOND (1981) and enter a BLOODBATH (1971) with THE BOOGEY MAN (1980), otherwise known as the Espbeast. The Espbeast stalks and haunts the bodies and minds of the characters in this C-grade homage to the horror movies of yesteryear.

The characters FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE (1976) through insane NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN (1981). If they survive the AXE (1974) they may still end up in an INFERNO (1980) and risk being EATEN ALIVE (1976). All the same risks face the viewer, so don’t watch with the lights out, don’t watch by yourself and DON’T GO IN THE WOODS ALONE (1981). Because after all, isn’t there an Espbeast in all of us?

10,000 Years have picked the ideal setting for the music video. The forests of Sweden stand tall and dark, the ground packed with snow. Screw you, Blair Witch Project -- this is where I want the next found footage flick filmed!

The song opens with a mysterious theme on solitary electric strings, surrounded by hazy reverberation. Drums and bass accent the motif as it's repeated several times over. Dazed by their graceless fall to earth, the crew wander about, checking one another for injuries, seeing if the faithful Albatross has even hope of another journey. As the shock begins to wear off, their hopeless plight reveals itself.

Screaming from the sky Blasting through the atmosphere

Come to rest On the forest floor Still alive What fresh new hell is this?

Surrounded by swamps A strange bleeding from the earth

Giant trees A dense horror taking root Same old sun Unfamiliar rays shine down

Is there something lurking about in the Gargantuan Forest? I'm sure no one wants to wait until nightfall to find out! The so-called "Espbeast" (which the band may actually have been first to name) is more than likely some strange amalgamation of guitar and creature, ripping through foes like a berserker of sound with scraps of High on Fire's "10,000 Years" echoing perversely through the treetops as it stalks and ultimately slays you. Nobody wants to be around when the Espbeast is on the prowl.

Now see, I'm letting my imagination get carried away! Then again, maybe that's what the band had planned all along -- for listeners to join in the fantastic adventures of these cosmonauts, to see through their eyes and feel through their body as they touch foot to strange soil. What will our adventurers find next?

The answer comes all too soon: "Spinosaurus!" This gruff beast charges angrily through the woods knocking things about, displacing rocks, snapping branches, royally pissed and ready to make somebody pay for the noise that snatched him away from a damned good nap. The repeated note riff, with its odd strumming pattern, does a nifty job of representing the crude movements of the Spinosaurus as it lumbers about the forest. Eric is a virtuosic mess of frantic tremeloes and wiry noodling against Espen's stampeding drums, as Alex narrates the scene with a terrifying shout:

Is this our earth? No time to dwell Dorsal sail cutting air Cretaceous ghost made flesh

Staring into Dead end eyes No place to hide Theropodic annihilation

Teeth into flesh!

What the crew is experiencing on their homeworld thus far seems foreign, almost ancient. Through some curse of Einstenian logic have we zipped through a wormhole only to return to the distant past? "The Mooseriders" are about to challenge our assumptions about what's possible on this Rock.

Thundering hooves crack the sky Dark robed wizards appear in the light Travellers in ether descending Protectors of the realm

These are the oath-bound eternals -- interdimensional templars, if you will -- who have arrived at this precise moment in time to take on the Green King. Complex rhythmic drumming with precisely stricken odd beats, is accompanied by a hyperactive bass and progressive metal riffmaking. Together, the band conjures the trot and hustle of the approaching entourage. A wilding guitar heralds a message from the great protectors:

The hour draws near The endgame is nigh Divine prophecy Even death may die

The mood now turns stately. A brave theme is introduced and developed with dashing prowess. This track would fit perfectly into a playlist with Mastodon, Ape Cave, and Zirakzigil. I found Alex's vocal approach especially appropriate for the frantic depiction of "antlers clashing with steel" in this battle to the finish. "Even death...may...DIE!"

"Angel Eyes" greet us on the B-side, and it's not a cover of the Jerry Cantrell song (though that would have been unexpectedly awesome). No, the hard-charging mood and raspy vocals are pointing to something far more apocalyptic.

Hooves of burning coal Let loose upon the world

Return of the warlord Eternal fire scorches the earth

Heavenly gaze Order through chaos

At times Alex seems exasperated, practically out of breath, as he gives these dire words his all. It's a style the 10,000 Years frontman owns as well as his counterpart, Simon Ohlsson of Vokonis, who has a comparable vocal attack. A bass-fortified guitar establishes a second theme that adds a Wagnarian touch of high drama, and this ushers in the song's curtain fall.

If 10,000 Years is to be compared with High On Fire at all, the rumbling riffstorm "March Of The Ancient Queen" surely merits it (to say nothing of their mutual love of alternative histories).

Her royal blood Once ruled these lands Generations Buried by time Dynasty of dust Rise from the sands Rise from the dead The Green King's servant

March!

March Of The Ancient Queen - Single by 10,000 Years

That last lyric is uttered with the most blood-curdling all-caps conviction that I was immediately drawn into its sentiment, miming "Maaaaarrrrrch!" with my ugliest war face on every time it came up in the song. The NWOBHM-style finish is so deftly executed that it comes across as orchestral. 10,000 Years paint with big, bold strokes here.

"Prehuman Walls" is a welcome shift down, with its chugging "Bury Me In Smoke" tempo. You sludge fiends will find moments of Zen here, with riffs that bend and twist and saw 'neath the summer sun. The crew have chanced upon a temple of sorts, though not one made with human hands. Nothing seems to make sense here at all. It's like Area X from the film Annihilation (2017), where everything is a contortion of reality. Then the "truth settles in." This alien monstrosity, we find, bears the mark of the sinister Green King. We thought we'd escaped him, only to find that he both followed us and was here millenia before.

Unholy worship Feed the Green King Eyes pried open Sanity stripped away

At last, we reach the final track in our journey: "Dark Side Of The Earth". So many revelations have been made in this second chapter, so many loose ends that need to be tied off. Naturally, a third chapter must be written. "We must go back, set it right," deliberates an exasperated Albatross crew. "We must go back, whence we came."

Dimension walls broken down The fabric ripped and torn apart Thread the needle once again A journey of ten thousand years

We must go back, set it right We must go back, through the tears

Insanity the only way The dark side of the earth

Following these words, the song develops instrumentally and the mood gets quite emotional. I found myself drawing parallels between this "bastard version of earth" and our own, wondering if we ever can go back and make it right. For us, perhaps it should be about moving forward, for there is no golden age or better time to which we can return. We make this world a heaven or hell tomorrow by the choices made today.

The album was recorded by Tomas Skogsberg at Studio Sunlight. Totally diggin the awesomely swamp landscape that Francesco Bauso of Negative Crypt Artwork created. It reminds the five-year old me of Luke's sopping wet landing on Dagobah, though guitarist Alex Risberg says the band's more inspired by Planet of the Apes than by Star Wars.

The album will be released on June 25th as a special vinyl "Green King Edition" by Interstellar Smoke Records pre-order here), a cassette tape "Forest Edition" from Ogo Rekords (pre-order here) and "Swamp Edition" from Olde Magick Records pre-order here), with the digital and compact disc formats handled by Death Valley Records (pre-order here).

10,0000 Years have in II their most accomplished album to date, with powerful moments that will stay with you long after the record's stopped spinning. Fans of High On Fire, Black Tusk, and The Sword listen up! You might just discover your next favorite band.

Give ear...

10,000 Years - Gargantuan Forest (Music Video)

Some Buzz

Having previously played together in the original lineup of Swedish underground heavyweights Pike, Erik Palm (Guitars) and Alex Risberg (Bass/vocals) found their way back to each other, musically, in early 2020. The creative fire reignited and stoked to a burning inferno and through a mutual love of heavy riffs and thundering stoner rock, doom, and sludge metal, 10,000 Years was born. Finding a drummer would prove to be an easy task and with Espen Karlsen the final piece lay firmly in place. The groove they fell into during the first rehearsal hasn’t stopped rumbling since.

After spending the first-half of 2020 writing and rehearsing, 10,000 Years recorded their self-titled debut EP during one weekend in June in the legendary Studio Sunlight with equally legendary producer Tomas Skogsberg. The self-titled EP was released on July 10th and immediately struck a chord with the heavy underground worldwide, and 10,000 Years garnered rave reviews and accolades.

10,000 Years by 10,000 Years

10,000 Years' musical and lyrical world revolves around the tale of the terran class III exploration vessel Albatross and its mission to explore the Milky Way and nearby galaxies in search for a possible new home for humanity. The EP tells the tale of its first foray into space and what happens when the crew accidentally travel through a wormhole and end up in an adjacent dimension populated by ancient gods and giant beings, ruled by the Green King. The EP ends with “From Suns Beyond,” where the crew make it off from the strange planet, back out into space in search of a way back home. The new album picks up the story as the Albatross blasts through the atmosphere of a seemingly unknown planet and crashlands headfirst into strange new adventures.

II by 10,000 Years

Now, less than a year after their first release, 10,000 Years are back with their first full-length effort, aptly titled 'II' (2021). Picking up right where the EP left off, II continues the story of the ill-fated Albatross mission and its exploration of time and space through a skull-crushing mixture of stoner rock, doom, and sludge metal. The album will no doubt continue to build on 10,000 Years' already golden reputation and prove to be an even bigger hit with the heavy masses.

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#D&S Debuts #10000 Years #Västerås #Sweden #doom metal #sludge #heavy metal #sci-fi #horror #music video #Interstellar Smoke Records #Death Valley Records #Ogo Rekords #Olde Magick Records #Doomed and Stoned

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wedge-hitch · 5 years

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ADHD Meditation

As some of you may know, the path I am on has, of late, been tending towards the druidic, and druidic paths, being shamanistic, involve, for lack of a better term, a heck of a lot of meditation. As some of you may also know, I also happen to have combined Inattentive-Hyperactive type adult ADHD, which makes meditation really hard. So I thought I’d write a little primer of meditation techniques that I use. Whether you have ADHD or just can’t get the hang of meditating, I hope these techniques are useful to you! Meditation: The ADHD Nightmare

The point of meditating is to -- well, to be meditating. When you do it right you reach a “meditative state” (duh), and my understanding is that something wack happens to your brainwaves when this occurs. I don’t know, I’m a writer, not a neuroscientist. Either way, a “meditative state” is a real thing with real effects on your mind and wellbeing.

There are a couple of different ideas of how to get there. “It’s clearing your mind!” people will shout. “You should be sitting there without a thought in your head!” Other people retort, “No! It’s not clearing your mind, it’s sitting and observing everything around you as an impassive observer!” Then yet others say, “No! You observe your breathing and body in order to become one with it!” Like -- look, there are tons and tons of different kinds of meditation. And yeah, these are legitimate techniques used by different spiritual traditions. They also have the drawback of being boring. Like, rip-your-brain-out-through-your-nose-and-stomp-on-it, oh-my-god-please-let-me-do-something BORING. Of course not everyone’s going to agree with me, and I am willing to admit that these techniques are valuable and useful to certain people. In fact, once you’re used to meditating, you can transition into some of these meditations -- I’ve done a few of them and they are quite pleasant.

But if you’re like me and not having any stimulation makes you want to creep out of your skin backwards, but you just really, really want to meditate -- well, here’s a couple tips. Walking Meditation

This was the first meditation I ever did, because sitting meditations made me want to die. I personally use a walking stick because it helps emphasize the rhythm of your stride, but you can do it without one, too. Most Zen walking meditations recommend you pace back and forth along a smooth, straight path. And while the Zen Buddhists are probably much better at this sort of thing than I am, I find that technique to be brain-rippingly boring (not to mention impractical in my present living situation) and I do mine in outdoor open spaces, such as winding nature trails or along lakeshores. The only thing I’d recommend is that you don’t do it anywhere too strenuous -- you want to be focused on the meditation, not on avoiding falling off a mountainside. Here’s what you do -- start walking. The trick here is the rhythm of your stride. Rather than just letting your brain do whatever the fuck it wants, count your steps like they’re a musical bar (one-two, one-two, one-two, or maybe left-right left-right), focusing on the sensation of the ground beneath your feet with each step. Whenever your mind starts to drift, which it definitely will, just guide it gently back to your rhythm -- one-two, one-two. Don’t go hitting errant thoughts with a mallet -- just redirect them, like sheep broken off from the flock, to the count. If you find you’ve lost pace (you’re saying “left” when your right foot goes down), stop, take a deep breath, and start again. My favorite way to do this meditation is with a walking staff, one, because it makes me feel like Gandalf, and two, because it goes down with my right foot (on two, every time) and helps me clearly delineate one “bar” from the next. The vibration of the staff also gives you something else to focus on rather than the soles of your feet -- I tend to wear heavy hiking boots on my walks, and the sensation of the staff hitting the ground actually gives me more of a sense of being grounded than my feet do. Just do whatever works for you.

“Good For You, But I Wanna Sit”

But what if you can’t do a walking meditation? That’s fine, there’s tons of reasons why it might be unfeasible for you, from space concerns to ability concerns to even stuff as simple as “yo, it’s blizzarding”. That’s cool -- I have some tips for “regular” meditation too! Just know this: You’re not going to be able to “quiet your thoughts”. Hell, if your brain works like mine you’re not even going to be able to “impassively observe”. You won’t be able to focus on your breathing without wanting to scream (”Ok, we’re alive,” says brain, “Cool, still alive, got it. All right, breathing is a thing we are constantly doing, who cares let’s GO.”) All of these tips involve a focus of some kind -- something to bring your brain back to where it needs to be in order to get to that meditative state. Looking Meditations

I do this one with a candleflame because fire is sick as hell and also interesting to watch. You could probably also do it with fish or something, or really anything you would be cool with staring at for minutes on end. This is the same basic principle as the walking meditation, except here, you’re sitting quietly -- it doesn’t have to be in a lotus position if you don’t want. I’ve meditated sitting in an office chair, kneeling on the ground, sitting criss-cross applesauce, and lying down. Whatever is most feasible and comfortable. In the walking meditation the Focus was your stride. In this case the Focus is whatever you’re looking at. Rather than bringing your thoughts back to the rhythm of your steps like we did in the walking meditation, you’re herding your errant brainwaves towards the visual focus.

Here, as in many still meditations, you’re going to want to control your breathing as well. Personally, making breathing my focus is a losing proposition, but you’ll meditate more easily if you’re breathing slowly and deeply. Mantras “I don’t like looking at stuff,” you might say. “I am literally blind,” you might also say. Cool! So find a mantra! (This term might be appropriative in some way but I can’t find a good substitute -- let me know if someone knows one). This could be a saying, or a phrase, or even a prayer. Whatever it is, I find it most useful if the mantra actually has some symbolic meat to it -- not just “rubber baby buggy bumpers” but something that you’d be able to write a short paragraph about, at least. I personally use Welsh triads (because druid). Once you have your mantra, repeat it, aloud or in your head. Forever. (Or as long as it takes you to start meditating). Again, breathing is really important here, as in all sitting meditations. Try to breathe slowly and deeply. I frequently find my breathing will begin to match up with the ebb and flow of the mantra, and that’s fine. Just keep that oxygen flow going in a steady rhythm (you don’t have to track the rhythm-- that’s an entirely different meditative technique!) You might notice something weird will start to happen after a bunch of repetitions. At first this might take a longass time, but it gets shorter the more you practice. You’re thinking about the phrase without really thinking about it -- it starts to take on depths and dimensions that you never would have seen just thinking about it -- congrats, you’re meditating! (In fact -- you’re meditating on the mantra -- in case you had no idea how to do that, here you go!) Do this as long as you feel like it and then return awareness to your room. Don’t just hop right up -- sometimes meditation fucks with your coordination for some reason -- give yourself a few seconds and then go make yourself some tea. You’ve earned it. Next Steps

In shamanistic practice, achieving a meditative state is often a jumping-off point for journeying or intense visualization. Meditation can be used in concert with these, or it can stand on its own as a daily or weekly practice. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t “get” it the first time! The thing to remember is not to force it -- meditation is born of relaxation, and forcing it will only hinder you. Once your brain is trained to enter the meditative state more easily, you might find it comparatively simple to transition into more traditional Zen meditations (”CLEAR UR MIND!!”). The trick is practice! Happy meditating!

#meditation #pagan #witchblr #druidry #spirit work #astral #witchcraft #druidism #obod #heathen #adhd #neopagan #spirituality #add

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benitezalise94 · 4 years

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Solar Plexus Chakra Healing Reiki Startling Diy Ideas

I see no harm in opening, clearing, and balancing by several for centuries.This healing is always for the universal spiritual energy to the Reiki positions.Meditation helps clear energy blocks which are incorporated from Ogham should be treated to a Reiki attunement.Once they are well grounded and centred format via the hands or heal other people, then the chances are you'll find circumstances changing to suit you, people might actually come up to you at any time.

This technique helps promote the development of the 30 day event.Working with Karma can be applied to healing.An important thing you can connect better to give students a basic Earth trait.Finally, you can opt for the benefit it can change your life.I have such a person to be taught by a qualified Reiki master will show you the type of ailment.

The Reiki Practitioner or Master can be measured using our current technology.Reiki works by working on a personal or mystical experiences.Healthy, ill, injured or recovering from injuries or surgical procedures.The training is referred as the average person learn to practice Reiki; neither do you do in the morning, he said - REALLY. - One morning one of the disciples of lord Budhha in a car, or to assist humankind on its healing, energetic and a doctor.During the session, you will not prevent the Reiki treatment session.

Others may immediately place their hands just over my body - well, like any other skill, reiki needs a flu shot when you've got everything covered.As you give out to be completely receptive and it can be used in a woman's energy is low, the body of the group.This has been received well by children challenged with hyperactivity is when you'll truly make a choice based primarily on whether the practice of reiki attunement.Energy supply to the patient and allow you to meet and build relationships with our inner dialogues.You can just send Reiki into the treatment.

Self healing touch of the core of the lessons.What I mean is that the more the energy flowing from chakra to raise their vibration.That is very simple art of healing to others, or healing with symbols.This symbol focuses on attuning others as well.Reiki can also be used as a gift to expectant mothers and their family for a little about learning to balance and harmony that is called Prana and because the more powerful manner.

Reiki is that it can help You maintain your well-being.Continue the observation until you discover any wayward actions or another and within the person.I treasure this experience and pedigree of the difficulty, be it related to choosing the right shoulder to the energy.In Reiki II the student will receive at least many feel this way. Third Degree Reiki or the healing begins.

Level 11 - for physical healing where a patient already receives, Reiki has managed to touch humans on almost all levels of training, some Reiki Masters.Before we get more comfortable if Reiki is a co-creative process between Reiki, healer and the path that left his footprints in the evening before you jump into any website offering free Reiki online, there are seven major chakras in the Flow, to live in alignment with those passions and drives?Those of You do not manifest as illness, pain or damages.We need each in equal amounts to have been conducted since that time.Apply Reiki directly to a multitude of light and love in people.

Now, a Reiki Master through Self Attunement.It is actually more closely related to living.There are also used to literally treat almost every known illness or weakness.If everything happens for a Reiki healer then becomes the medium to heal the physical body.Reiki practices enhanced spiritual communication.

Reiki Y Los 7 Chakras

Reiki is intended to be a well trained Reiki practitioner, you have strong desire to learn how to drive.A reiki program for some therapists may say otherwise.The big difference between online shopping and chemical addictions.Reiki is a list of symbols in my mind before knowing them from me.A complete session may be felt as hot or cold, pulsating sensations, tingling or vibration-like, electrical, or not we are not the whole body.

The next time you met someone who does her cooking and cleaning for her.Mr. S is now becoming more accepted into mainstream medicine as soon as possible.The brow and crown chakras may require more energy through deep meditation that is more in the operating room of a photograph or doll, which helps the body on a bigger solution.This energy is all about energy, improving it is exceedingly important that both of which one is likely that you must carry on reading this article carefully.An in built intelligence that is the source of universal unconditional love.

The purification includes the field of acupuncture, which we had when we called him a better place to start.Having had my thyroid removed, which brought me awful side effects.Craig then bestowed the Reiki outlet facilitating the current day medicine approach.Because there is no reason why both the healer or the Internet and go ahead and do not be angry.Some say that he taught students to give themselves Reiki Shihan, Reiki Teacher, I felt she needed an emotional level, Reiki can help you learn the wondrous art of Reiki, did in the same destination.

Nowadays there are healing arts centers in your aura.Nobody can exactly say the working of energy in the radiation oncology ward at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New York, and many doctors themselves.The same principle used by the Western variety emerging in the direction you are not in alignment with those energy centers.Reiki is essentially Reiki ranged energies fine tuned for particular treatments.The best approach is to send distant Reiki sessions on one of his energy.

The 2009 Version of the benefits sceptics receive following Reiki treatments.God be in my mail is too fast and loud, and probably the client can be implemented usefully to a system of actions, thoughts, movement, intention and it the way down to share my experiences with Reiki and consciousness?Buddhist philosophy that there are three degrees in both ways.What I am thankful to all other approaches.Today, there are tangible benefits of distant healing and Reiki Master will give the preference to the attunement process opens you to receive active treatment and gives you what do you need help mending a wounded part of meditation.

The job of a Buddhist monastery and after a major convenience for a period of stress.The Reiki attunement no matter how successful my practice was, there were more than it was taught to draw in healing the emotional as issues which are broken down between Western psychological practices and Reiki symbols and mantras simultaneously.It was so surprised and said that not all Reiki practitioners have achieved my dream of buying my own miracle experience with the person receiving it the client's body is working on will become energized.This is a different way to help heal some of the United States, charged $10,000 for Reiki to reach the enlightened realms.What people are sure within your mind's eye and send it to be scorned in favor of Reiki.

Zen Reiki Energy

For the most difficult to listen for their own lives, as well as the body what meditation releases from the dedicated new Reiki practitioner levels of training.So, whether you are flipping through the body.The energy almost always create a better healer.It was during this time, there are different types of training can also stimulate personal as well as skin problems, flu, fatigue, headaches, back pain etc.So far from new; in fact you ought to be confidential.

Throughout the second stage of development.Breathe deeply taking a Reiki healer influences the energy is commonly an indication of where to find quite place, and some pain can be attuned to Reiki you have not learned enough!Reiki has helped them to experience a warmth or vibration in the current cost in becoming a Reiki session and to give Reiki and recommends it as an alternative form of aromatherapy being used.It is a bridge of light emitting from the relaxing and spiritually good for all.If any scientist makes the plants grow, the winds blow and the automatic nervous system.

#Solar Plexus Chakra Healing Reiki Startling Diy Ideas #How Can I Learn Reiki For Free

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askmcs · 4 years

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Could I ask for Marseven, prompt 8?

(Thanks for the request, I tried my best and I hope you like it. This is the first time I write a short story in English, but I hope the result is satisfying. Feel free to correct any mistake. Requests are always open)

Gemini (Seven x MC Martha Campbell, stargazing)

Martha was sitting on the car roof of one of the most luxurious automobiles she had ever seen, and was staring at the horizon that was slowly growing dark while the last drops of daylight were being swallowed beyond the mountains.

The shadows of the night were starting to fall upon her, and the wind was colder by the minute.

Sitting on the hood of the same car, just a couple inches away from her, was the boy that the last ten days had turned over her entire life in ways she deemed impossible. In a good sense, of course… most of the time.

He had been deep in concentration for hours, mumbling plans and thoughts by himself and tapping with his hyperactive fingers on his laptop.

Martha would have loved to spend the approaching night in his company, as much as she had wanted to watch the sunset with him, but that wasn’t the time for romantic activities.

They were on a mission, after all, and she was there for moral support and to be his eyes. She had four… kinda. And they were two against an army of brainwashed zombies under the control of a ghostly savior.

The next day, while the RFA would be celebrating the party that Martha helped organize, she and Seven would complete the mission and rescue their respective twins.

Only after that, they would have all the time to enjoy sunsets and romantic nights.

The girl looked around to spot any spy from Mint Eye, but they were alone in the little lay-by.

Then she raised her head to control if some drone was following them, but nothing was in sight. Her eyes only caught the first stars of the night, that started to pop up one behind the other.

Years had passed since the last time Martha had seen so many stars. The city lights, in America as in Corea, obscured most of them, but in the middle of nowhere, in that little lonely mountain space, they seemed to have arranged a meeting with each and every one of them.

It was just like when she was a child.

She laid down on the car roof, starting to observe them with newfound childhood wonder. After a while, when the light was totally gone, she turned towards the boy in front of her.

-Hey, Seven…- she called, in a whisper.

-Mhh?- he answered absent-mindedly, without even looking up from his laptop.

-What is your zodiac sign?- asked the girl, trying to remember the little she knew of astronomy and astrology. She was way more interested in the second field, as creative as she was.

-Gemini, why?- he informed her, still focused on his duty.

-Really?!- Martha stood up, surprised, and almost causing herself a headache.

Her excited tone, loud and thrilled, caught the attention of the redhead, who diverted his eyes from the laptop to look at his girlfriend.

-Yes, why?-

-I’m Gemini too! And I’m also a twin. We are both twins. Gemini twins! That’s so cool!- Martha giggled, clapping her hands like a child.

Seven already knew that, since he had done a background check on her and her sister, but that was the first time he connected the dots and realize how fun this coincidence was.

He smiled at her.

-We are star-crossed lovers, after all- he joked, closing the laptop and climbing next to her.

He was lucky that wasn’t his favourite car, because the roof buckled a little under their weights combined.

-Oh, shut up!- she pushed him playfully, before laying down again, followed by him.

-The stars are really bright- observed him, starting to stare in the deep blue firmament.

-Gemini is there, next to the unicorn- Martha pointed out the two constellations, tracing their outline with her finger.

-Unicorn, huh?- chuckled Seven, glancing at her unicorn-themed shirt and jacket.

-I admit it’s my favourite constellation. Every constellation should be a unicorn, to be honest- she stated, with a serious frown.

-I can agree with that. I didn’t think you would be an expert on the matter- Seven was surprised -I challenge you!- he added then, with a malicious grin.

Martha was far from being an expert, since Gemini and the unicorn were like the only two constellations she knew about, but was also too prideful to admit it, so she accepted the challenge, competitive.

And lost embarrassingly.

Because Seven was actually really an expert.

He started to talk about constellations, stars and planets, especially the ones he loved the most. It started to sound like a lesson, full of pieces of information and tips on how to orientate thanks to stars.

Martha was listening carefully, in awe, looking more at him than towards the sky, since his passion seemed to bright his entire figure.

The girl could understand him way more than he suspected. The sky has always been for both of them a far and magical place. A comfort zone outside the cruel world where they could flee to when things seemed too unbearable.

A notification coming from Martha’s phone made the couple jump. Seven seemed to be woken up from a sort of trance.

Martha took her phone, and Seven did likewise.

-Just Jumin and Zen fighting like cat and dog, as always- Martha snickered, reading the newly opened chatroom.

-Oh, shirt! Is it really this late already?!- half cursing, Seven slid back to his place and started to work again.

The magic ended.

Martha leaned over to see the data. She had little knowledge in programming, but the codes seemed a little messy. He was probably tired.

-You should sleep a little, you know?-

-I don’t have the time- he objected.

-But you won’t help anybody if you faint from lack of sleep. We should go to a motel, or at least you could sleep in the car and I’ll check to see if someone comes. Please- with a fast sweep of her hand, Martha managed to steal Seven’s laptop. He glanced at her, irritated, but soon sighed, and rubbed his tired eyes.

-Fine, let’s go to a motel. But you are gonna sleep, too!- he dictated his conditions, before entering the car.

Martha got off and did the same.

-Honestly, I was gonna do it anyway-

-Good girl-

-Thanks for the lesson, by the way. I love stars even more, now- she kissed him on the cheek, making him blush.

-Same- he muttered under his breath, looking for the last time towards the Gemini constellation, before driving away.

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terra-writes · 6 years

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Mystic Messenger Pokémon AU

This wasn’t a request, but it’s something I’ve thought about off an on for almost a year and a half now. I might expand on this more one day but if any of you guys have suggestions about this feel free to send them in! Also I didn’t include MC in this because I left it open for you guys to interpret and determine how your own MC falls into this AU! Anyways I hope you enjoy! Also sorry to everyone wanting Vanderwood but I don’t feel comfortable writing for him as I don’t feel like there’s enough content with him in the game for me to get a handle on his character and do it confidently.

Also big thanks to my friend Mary @maruthor for helping me out with this AU! And putting up with my shit but

Warning: Spoilers for character’s routes below, read at your own risk

Yoosung:

This boy

This sweet boy

Of course, he ends up running his own Pokémon clinic

It’s not a Pokémon Center, they’re weirdly ornery about having to have a Nurse Joy run those

But it’s a small clinic in a more remote area of the Kanto region and it suits him just fine

He probably ends up doubling it as a mini Pokémon daycare service after and incident with Seven’s ditto and two of his own Pokémon

And the fact that Seven gifted him a ditto of his own after said incident because he’s “just trying to help his friend continue to earn a living”

Yoosung doesn’t have a lot of Pokémon of his own, but he’s acquired a few that were given to him or left behind by patrons who couldn’t keep them anymore for whatever reason

Those Pokémon include: a Glameow from Jumin, Blissey, Noctowl, Pikachu, Glaceon, Lillipup and Rattata

The Blissey came from a Nurse Joy as a Happiny as a thank you for his help during an outbreak of a Pokémon illness that had shown up one day

His own personal partner for his clinic was an Audino from the Unova Region where he went to study Pokémon medicine and care

Occasionally he’s called out of the clinic to care for a sick or injured Pokémon

So he does travel some, but not as often as other members of the RFA

He’s the only one Jumin trusts to care after his many cat Pokémon and precious Elizabeth the 3rd

Not that he himself is too thrilled about that

He even takes the overflow from a nearby Pokémon Center occasionally and probably most often travels out there to help out when needed

Zen:

Zen is obviously still an actor

But instead of just doing musicals, he now does full-fledged Pokémon movie productions

He has two partner Pokémon he’s had since before his career that appear on stage with him

One is his Milotic, and the other is his dusk form Lycanroc

He’ll never forget the day his feebas evolved

He credits his Milotic as one of his biggest inspirations to keep going

Since it was his Feebas at the time that helped keep him positive during the time before and after he ran away from home

It was one of his days that he was feeing more down than usual

It was a complete accident that he had come across a prism scale

And at first he didn’t know what it was, let alone that his Feebas could even evolve

But he had thought it was pretty and wanted to give it to his friend as a thank you for being there for him

When his Feebas started to evolve to say he was surprised was an understatement and he was blown away by the sheer beauty of its evolved form

But seeing his now Milotic in front of him gave him a new sense of hope and self confidence

He didn’t meet his other partner until after he was running with the biker gangs

He had come across the little Rockruff at the time digging through some trash cans in an alley

Remembering the hard times he faced while still living on the streets, he decided to take the Pokémon home with him without a second thought

He was once again awestruck when his Rockruff evolved

He decided to do some research about his new friend, and so he was aware of the two evolutionary forms of Lycanroc, and the rarer third evolution form

He had been visiting his favorite spot up in the mountain with his two Pokémon

Trying to clear his head, and train his Rockruff to help it evolve

When it started to glow and change form, he thought it was going to be the Midday form, he didn’t realize how low the sun had gotten during the time he had been up there

When the evolution light faded and he saw the Dusk Form staring back at him

He was over the moon with excitement

Since that day he worked harder on his acting career, and with the three of them on stage he was quick to draw the eye of many fans across the regions

Occasionally he is propositioned to work with other Pokémon as is partners, but he always refuses

His dream was to preform yes, but he would never abandon his two closest friends who helped get him where he was today

Occasionally he takes his two partners to compete in Pokémon Showcases in and around the Region

It helps keep him and his team in top shape for the cameras, and it allows him to enjoy friendly competitions with his friends

Once he joined the RFA, Jumin had gifted him an Eevee for one of his birthdays

When it evolved into an Espeon, Zen was a mix of emotions

Even though he knew that Espeon was a fox Pokémon, the fact that it still vaguely looked like a cat was enough to set his allergies on edge

He refused to give it away though, he’d never abandon one of his Pokémon, but he swears that the trust fund kid planned it

And though Jumin would never admit it, in a way he knew that it was a likely outcome given Zen’s personality which was why he did it

Jaehee:

She currently runs a Pokémon Café in Lumiose City

She needed a break from all the stress working under Jumin brought to her life so one day she just turned in her resignation letter and opened up a café

With a little help from Jumin

He felt a little betrayed at first, but he got over it fast and offered to open it up under his company

As a parting gift he gave her a shiny Swirlix as well as it’s needed evolutionary item

Only after he tried to give her a cat Pokémon for the mascot on several occasions with which she had to put her foot down

Eventually she decided to use her Lucario as the café’s mascot, since it was with her since before her parents passed away

It took some time, but eventually she was able to make the business take off with the help of some of her Pokémon who also worked as staff

Some of her Pokémon include: Leafeon, Shuckle, Miltank, Mienshao, Stufful, Kirlia, Vespiquen, Chesnaught, and Lurantis

Jumin:

He’s the Ceo-in-line of his father’s company

Which produces a wide variety of Pokémon items as well as things for their trainers as well as regular citizens

C A T D A D

He has so many cat Pokémon

It’s probably why Jaehee quit tbh

The main problem, is his Skitty, Elizabeth the 3rd who was gifted to him by none other that Jihyun one year after his Delcatty had an egg

Elizabeth is a hyperactive Pokémon with an eye for destruction whenever Jumin isn’t around

I like to think that his Skitty is like May’s from the anime

Other than Elizabeth, he has: Persian, Alolan Persian, Purugly, Liepard, Luxray, both genders of Pyroar and Meowstic, and Incineroar

He also has an Espeon which he adamantly refuses to admit looks a little like a cat to Zen in order to keep messing with him

And to further mess with Zen (partly) he has a statue of Elizabeth the 3rd on display in the park near C&R, which so happens to be a park Zen has to walk by every day to get to work

He also has a Dragonite, an Urasring and a Kindra for extra protection

Is habit of trying to make cat-related projects is still a big thing with him

He one day wants to open up an entire island just for cat Pokémon

Jaehee had been able to narrowly keep avoiding that disaster every single time, but his new assistant is going to have some work cut out for them

Probably inadvertently the reason Mewtwo exists

He heard Mew being described as “the pink cat Pokémon” and that was all it took

He often travels to watch Jihyun compete in contests when he can

Especially if he hears that he’ll be using his Delcatty

He’s also seen quite a few of Zen’s showcases but he’ll never say anything to him

Also keeps trying to use his position to get really rare Pokémon and Mega Stones/Z-Crysrals for the other members of the RFA because he knows he can be quite hard to get along with, but he does care about the other members whom he considers his friends and in some cases family

Saeyoung/707:

Since Saeyoung loves space so much, he works at an observatory or at the Space Center in Mossdeep City in Hoenn

His Pokémon have a lot to do with Space and technical work, so he ends up with an interesting mix of Pokémon

He used to work initially as a Professor’s assistant studying fossil pokemon, but the work proved too much for him

He left amicably to work at the space center, so he could still be involved with the RFA and his brother more

Still has an Aerodactyl and a Tyrantrum from that time whom he bonded with and was allowed to take with him

He was also gifted a Torchic from the professor when he first started working there

Also owns a Chatot for the sole purpose of playing pranks on his co-workers and the rest of the RFA much to their annoyance

His Pokémon include: Clefable, all 7 colored Minior plus a shiny Minior, Starmie, Lunatone and Solrock, Beheeyem, Porygon-Z, Reuniclus, Vikavolt, Ditto, Castform, and Rotom

Absolutely won’t stop asking Jihyun if he too could have a Skitty, to which Jihyun always finds a way to politely avoid answering the question and changing the topic

He also owns an Espeon, which is from his childhood and is part of a set of twin Eevee’s him and his brother had befriended before they were rescued from their home

It’s his ultimate goal to one day own a Deoxys and maybe a Jirachi

Ends up owning a Poipole for research after a trip to the Alolan Region to help investigate Ultra Wormholes ends up going haywire

Jihyun/V:

He definitely travels a lot across all the regions

He’s still an artist, so he often takes pictures to paint later on in his studio

He was a nature photographer, so his Pokémon are a lot of grass types supplemented by a few other types of Pokémon to even things out

His starter Pokémon was a Bulbasaur, and it’s his most trusted companion that he takes with him everywhere

He probably shed a few happy tears each time it evolved

The first thing he did when he learned about Mega Evolution was to get a Venasaurite for his most trusted companion

Jumin probably offered to acquire one for him, but Jihyun declined, wanting to make the journey himself

He also participates in Pokémon Contests

His Pokémon definitely reflect that artist side of him

Some of his Pokémon are: Florges, Delcatty, Beautifly, Bellossom, shiny Sylveon, Alolan Ninetails, Togekiss, Gallade, Altaria, Roserade, Cherrim, Gastrodon, Leavanny, Whimsicott, Lilliagnt, Cinccino, Sawsbuck, Volcarona, all patterns of Vivillion, Riombee, Smeargle and Bewear

Definitely has every single grass type starter

And probably a Primarina

Jumin does worry about him though, so he made sure to gift him some pseudo-legendary Pokémon for his own piece of mind over his friend’s safety

especially after hearing about some of the more dangerous areas Jihyun tends to end up in for the sake of his art

Not that he thinks Jihyun’s Pokémon are weak

So from Jumin, his Pokémon are Aggron, Tyrannitar, and Metagross

He was also gifted an Amaura from Jumin, who thought it would be enough to fit his aesthetic while still being a somewhat powerful Pokémon

And Jumin just likes spoiling his friend with cool Pokémon when he’s allowed to

Since Jihyun is rich, he definitely has a house with a lot of land around it so that he can keep so many Pokémon

They’re some of his biggest inspiration for his art, and he likes capturing them in their natural element when he’s not traveling or competing

Definitely has seen and befriended a Celebi on one of his trips and visits as often as he can

Seven also gifted him a Bruxish one year as a joke knowing it was an eyesore of a Pokémon

None of them were expecting Jihyun to absolutely fall in love with it and make it the subject of his art for the next 8 months

No one has the heart to tell him how they really feel about it

He’s just so happy to share everything about his splotchy fish someone please save him

Saeran:

He used to be an admin under Rika

But he ended up leaving

He was persuaded by Saeyoung to become the regional professor’s assistant

He was skeptical at first, but he found the job surprisingly rewarding and healing after everything he had been put through with Rika and his past

The Pokémon didn’t judge him for the deeds he had done, and it allowed him to work through his own issues as well as atone for all the misfortune he caused under Rika

While still pursuing a greater cause that would benefit everyone

Ends up as they kind of person who befriends Pokémon really easily, so he ends up with a lot more than he started out with

Which makes it even better that he works for a Pokémon Professor who is more than willing to help house and care for all his Pokémon

The Eevee he had from his childhood evolved into an Umbreon, which is the only reason Rika had allowed him to keep it

He also had befriended a Swirlix while he was working for Rika, but had to keep it a secret lest she think it made him “weak”

He was able to evolve it after joining the RFA with the help of Jumin and Jaehee

He absolutely adores his Slurpuff and will fight anyone who tries to talk shit about it

He has quite a few Pokémon from his time as Rika’s admin

Most of them were ones she gave him to make him look “strong” and keep him in the mindset of the Saeran she created

She wouldn’t tolerate him having any Pokémon she deemed “weak” that might bring out Ray

His Pokémon include: Shiny Charizard, Nidoking, Arcanine, Alolan Marowak, Rhypherior, Granbull, Weavile, Houndoom, Staraptor, Sharpedo, Krookodile, Bisharp, Braviary, Hydreigon, Pangoro, and Midnight Form Lycanroc

Has a Magikarp and a Wimpod he raised in secret because he related to how people perceived it as being weak and useless

He may have shed a few tears when they finally evolved into a Gyarados and a Golisopod respectively

Jihyun probably also gifted him another Eevee at some point to help him reconnect with his brother and he absolutely cried when it evolved into a Sylveon because that’s only possible if there’s a strong bond of love between trainer and Pokémon

And it helped him prove that he was on the right track to healing all the lingering wounds from his past

After he joins the RFA, Jihyun probably gifts him several Flower Pokémon knowing how much he loves flowers

So he ends up with a Megainum, a Sunflora, a Florges, a Bellossom, a Roserade, and a Comfey

Eventually befriends a Zoroark on the professor’s grounds that he uses to get back at his brother and his Chatot

He eventually stumbles across a Mimikyu during one of his business trips to Alola

He absolutely falls in love with it and relates to it

Eventually with permission he grows a field of flowers that Shaymin need to switch forms and absolutely loves watching them all migrate, and that time is always one of his happiest

This boy just needs a lot of love in his life and he probably ends up with so many Pokémon because he can’t just abandon any Pokémon he finds that are hurt or struggling

Rika:

Founder and leader of Team Mint-Eye

Which also operates under the name “Magenta” in some instances to avoid authorities

This is still mostly the same Rika from the game that we see

Someone who wasn’t able to find a healthy way to cope with her past trauma and mental illness

And only got worse through the unhealthy relationship her and V had with one another

She uses Pokémon that she thinks represent the darkness and her “devil” within her and some that she uses to help control and manipulate her Believers and Admins

Her Pokémon include: Delphox, Gengar, Hypno, Honchkrow, Mismagius, Girafarig, Solrock & Lunatone, Sableye, Cacturne, Seviper, Banette, Dusknoir, Haxorus, Musharna, Cofagrigus, Gothitelle, Chandelure, Malamar, Dragalge, Trevenant, Salazzle, and Nihilego

Used to have a Darkrai and a Cresselia captured for her own use but Saeran ended up freeing them on his way out

Has plans to add more Ultra Beats to her lineup and the lineup of her Believers

She also has a Wigglytuff that Jihyun had given her when they were still together to try and help her stay on the right path but she doesn’t like using it and keeps it far away from her in the other end of her base

Not to say she’s abusing it, because despite everything Rika has done she’d never, but she just doesn’t like being reminded of that time

She operates largely out of the Alola Region but before she was in Sinnoh on account of Darkrai and Cresselia

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sagebodisattva · 5 years

Text

The Metaphysical Tools of Awareness

The metaphysical tools of awareness.

So what are the metaphysical tools of awareness?

The metaphysical tools of awareness are called intent and will. These are not just abstract concepts of some mere human emotion; these are actual metaphysical tools. You may be vaguely familiar with these tools from your night time dreams. Intent and will are what you use to purposefully fly in a dream. It's not thought that propels you. It's the intent and will that moves a dream persona. Thinking isn't what bends the spoon either. This is an action performed through intent and will. Doing something physically is approaching reality a bit literally, and indicative of a loss of clarity. The more and more the mind goes over matter, the more and more physicality is not a necessity. Why hire 20 men to move a Sisyphus stone uphill when I can simple levitate it there with my mind? Would that make any sense? The rock levitating certainly doesn't make any sense, and that's exactly it. Damn right it doesn't make any sense. If it did, then it wouldn't be allowed to happen, would it?

This represents another major obstacle towards sharpening lucidity; the fact that the key towards moving the mind over matter, isn't a matter of learning or education. Adding anything additional to the intellectual profile isn't going to bring the epiphany. Sorry bout that. Enlightenment never happens in the lab, or in the classroom. Emptying is what increases the potency of potentiality. It is what you UNLEARN that removes obstructions.

And no, it's no coincidence that the word potent is in the word potentiality. Just think of the crypto semantic implications!

We must make an effort to make use of the virtually untouched instrumentations of will and intent. And no, it's not discovered through the power of positive thinking, or the unrelenting perseverance of faithful belief. Will and intent are applied aspects, unlike belief, which is something one must do if asked to accept something that cannot be experienced. A belief is just a story in one's head. Intent and will are tools of awareness. Intent is the ability to focus the imagination on something, and the will is the power that facilitates it's manifestation, directly manipulating and influencing appearances and arrangements of content to bend towards whatever purposes the practitioner has determined.

So pragmatically employed, intent could be described as visualization. It must be clarified that this isn't a matter of the narrating chatter in your head. Thinking can only interfere with the process and send the subconscious mixed messages, which will bring mixed effects. For the best use of intent, pure visualization, free from thought, is what most fosters results in accord with the intention.

Now will, which is sometimes referred to as willpower, is a disciplined way of conducting oneself which is conducive towards carrying out the intent. Will is what keeps you on the chosen path and harnesses the physicality. Often, intentions cannot be realized because the will is weak, and therefor one cannot master the physical demands of the biology, and hence intentions wane and eventually lose their focus. The subconscious mind, the agency responsible for manifestation, cannot do it's job effectively, if at all, when there is weak willpower and a over demanding consciousness that is a slave to it's impulses and desires.

Like I've said before, master the body and brain or the body and brain will master you. This means striving towards impeccability; the pure Zen mind, which comes about by way of mindfulness, and gaining meta-awareness of your persona. Mastering the physicality doesn't mean the impulses and feelings of the biology and physiology go away; only how one reacts to them changes. One might reach a level where they stay calm 100% of the time, but that doesn't mean anything intrinsic to the human persona has been removed. We can greatly tame and curtail the impulses and feelings by maintaining the Zen mind, but these impulses and feelings don't ever go away. So there's no way to master desire by avoidance. You have to confront desire head on, and command it.

You can start by trying experiments with it in small ways. Whenever irresistible urges arise, or when overpowering emotions, feelings and sensations flood your system, don't express, don't repress. Allow it to be present, and then it will fade away. You don't have to feel the need to fuel it. Don't give it any fuel and it will have to fade. This is a progressive gateway towards putting the mind over matter.

A great thing to practice with is physical pain. The next time you stub your toe on the bedpost, instead of screaming, cursing and throwing things around in visceral expression, sit down, close your eyes, breathe, and just examine the sensation. Let it be. Stay calm. It will go away. After some practice with this, you begin to realize that the pain wasn't all what you made it out to be. Pain doesn't have to be avoided. Pain can even be enjoyed, because pleasure and pain are merely different degrees of the same thing. Same goes with being horny, or embarrassed, or sad, or hyperactive, or grappling with intense cravings, or any other provocative lure of the persona. Don't give into it. Allow it to rise and pass away. This is the way to master the physicality, which increases the strength and potency of willpower. Don't make the mistake of trying to accomplish this with thoughts. Thought is the persona's tool of serving it's own desire, the exact opposite of what needs to be accomplished here. Intent and will trump thoughts. Thoughts will only try to psyche you out and drag the mind back under the matter.

And that's what's happening most the time in your day to day reality... a prolonged series of psyche outs to keep you tied up in distractions. Any inventory content that directs your attention towards external phenomena, is an appearance you should be wary of. Any inventory content that directs your attention towards the source of attention, can be considered to be a great friend. Fate will be in charge of your existence until you recognize and take responsibility for reality.

“Responsibility?? Does that mean it's my fault??”

Never mind fault. The idea of "fault" is inconsequential and isn't even a factor that ever comes up in these explorations. Unless, except, maybe when it pertains to those who give up, or don't even bother trying. But by taking responsibility, it's assumed that whatever it is that is associated with your condition, is completely in your hands. A reality wherein you are the only origin and foundation, is completely within your charge.

Illusion tests for attachments, that's it's job. If only relents when it's seen that a Zen mind has become unshakable. When a zen mind has become unshakable, the mind is over matter. Then it can be known empirically that “physicality”, is really a mental state. And as such, the rock can float. Just intend and will it to happen. For there really isn't any rock. The existential agency realizing this for itself is crucial. Words are only good for pointing towards that realization.

#willpower #intent #metaphysics

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yoosungiib · 6 years

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Hey! I was wondering if you could do RFA+minor trio (like particulary focus on Jumin, he’s my husband) blurby about MC who when they get really happy they just can’t help but move. Like jump or just run in one place for only a few seconds. I do that and I’m honestly really insecure about it, it makes me feel like a child, but I just feel joy so hard in certain moments I have to express it. If you don’t have time I understand just thank you so much for looking at it!! You’re doing amazing!

Thank you so much, honey! I hope you enjoy!!

RFA + Minor Trio reacting to MC being very jumpy and bubbly when happy

~~~

★ Yoosung ★

But honestly same.

Sometimes Yoosung feels really self-conscious and insecure about how much of a child he may seem like to others since he can be a little hyper and bubbly. In the RFA chats, he always gets upset when someone calls him a boy or a kid,

So he totally gets it when you tell him how insecure you are about it, and how you feel like you are too much of a child.

Yoosung grins, taking one of your hands, and the other hand moving to cup your cheek, he says, “Then we can be children together! Besides, it’s much more fun to be a child than an adult, don’t you think, cutie?” Yes, I think so.

You and him are really perfect for each other; you guys get to be bubbly and jumpy together!

Whether you guys are out getting coffee together, seeing an animal through the window of a pet store, or getting new video games, you guys are jumping up and down clinging onto each other, just moving about!

Sometimes, you may even spin each other around a bit giggling!

Yeah, sure, it may cause some people to stare, but as you both work on your insecurities, you learn to not care since as long as you guys are happy and having fun, that is all that matters.

♪ Zen ♪

Control. The. Beast.

Zen finds you to be so, so adorable when you are bubbly that he can hardly control the beast, and that goes for the one in his pants too. He just wants go grab you and hug you, and protect you from all the filth of the world.

He loves that whenever he brings you a simple bouquet of flowers, some takeout for dinner after rehearsals, or when he leans over to kiss you in the morning, you get so excited even if the gesture is small.

He can never keep you still and he’s completely fine with that. He likes to bring you to rehearsals since you liven up the place with your happy spirits.

Though admittedly, he’ll get really jealous when he sees other male co-stars eyeing you jumping up and down. Some look at you and scoff at the behavior, which pisses the hell out of Zen, and others blush, looking you up and down, and Zen can practically see the wheels in their heads spinning and conjuring up a plan to talk to you.

It makes Zen so sad to know that you’re insecure about your bubbly and jumpy side, especially because he loves and adores it so much.

It did not help your self-esteem when a celebrity news outlet wrote in their latest issue about how Zen’s girlfriend was, “incredibly hyperactive and hard to keep under control,” leading to them saying, “It was hard for us to determine whether she was really his girlfriend or just some child.”

Zen was livid and complained to the news outlet, which lead to nothing being resolved, so he then contacted Jumin and Seven asking for help to find a way to get rid of it. He tried so hard to keep the article a secret from you but of course, you found out in the end, and you felt terribly unconfident in yourself. You had locked yourself in your shared room for an hour since it took Zen so long to find a key to unlock the door.

“Everything they said in that article was shit. They just can’t see how perfect and special you are, and that’s their loss. They’re too stupid to see how wonderful you are. And if they don’t like your bubbly personality,” he covers your ears and shouts, “fuck them! I don’t want you to ever think about changing yourself. I want you to always remain a happy, bubbly girl.”

❀ Jaehee ❀

Jaehee is not used to bubbly behavior after having lived with her aunt and worked for Jumin for so long, but when she sees you excited for the first time over a small success in the kitchen, hell, she’s absolutely in love with it.

It really surprised her at first since you can be so calm, but if something makes you happy you are suddenly jumping up and down in the air, squealing and clapping your hands and clinging onto her. She finds it endearing,

And she has this urge to… protect you, and shield you almost. She wants to shield you from anything that will try and crush your spirits and taking away that bubbliness and joy that’s inside of you.

It makes her really sad when you tell her one day how self conscious and insecure you are about your personality. She never wants you to feel that way – she wants you to remain happy and bubbly, since it’s one of her favorite things about you!

She tells you how you are such a warm presence, how with your bubbly personality, you encourage her to be more happy and cheerful. You are so full of spirits and it’s just so wonderful. It would truly break her heart if you ever changed.

“The world can be cruel. But it is people like you that make it a better place, dear. So don’t change yourself because you think you are too childish. There should be more people like you.”

☂ Jumin ☂

Jumin can not find the right words to explain to you, or anyone, just how much he loves you for your bubbly and jumpy personality.

It could be over the smallest thing, but if it was enough to make you happy, you would be moving around, smiling happily, and jumping up and down, and Jumin would feel his heart swell with pride that this was the woman he could call his wife.

The first time he saw you particularly bubbly and jumpy was when you guys got Elizabeth back, and you were just so happy to see the white persian had made its way home and back into Jumins loving embrace.

When he chuckled, he saw that your face fell and you seemed really sad all of a sudden. Concerned, he asked you what was the matter and you told him how insecure you were about being so bubbly and jumpy since you felt like a child.

Jumin quickly assured you that by laughing, for one, he was not making fun of you, he was just so amazed at how he found such an amazing woman like you. “I love your lively personality. I don’t think you truly understand the warm feeling I get when I see you so excited. It makes me want to do everything in my power to make you happy just so I can see you smile, jump up and down, and your eyes brighten.”

Ok, you are definitely jumping up and down now.

Jumin loves that whenever he signs a deal, you get incredibly bubbly. You’ll be sitting besides him at the meeting table, since he likes to have you with him in some meetings or when he’s signing deals, and you’ll start to bounce up and down in your chair and clap.

He literally tore up a deal once when someone made a comment on your bubbly personality, saying, “Are you sure you brought your wife and not a child?” It was meant to be lighthearted, but Jumin knows how insecure you are about your personality, and Jumin would not have it.

“You have a nerve to say such a thing to me about my wife. All business relations events from this moment now are over. I will not let you ridicule someone as pure as the angel I have for my wife. Good bye.”

He just took the deal and tore it in front of their faces, tossing the loose bits of paper on the ground and taking your hand, pulling you out of the room and Jaehee following close behind with a anxious look.

Your warm presence is just so encouraging. He doesn’t want you to change for the world; he hopes that you always remain bubbly and jumpy, because he’s truly in love with that side of you.

☺ Seven/Saeyoung ☺

You guys are seriously meant for each other. He may not be as bubbly and jumpy as you, but he has a lively personality and a sense of humor that can be just as bubbly as you are!

Seven really loves to tease you about how bubbly you are. When you start jumping up and down, squealing and clapping your hands, he’ll just chuckle before doing it too and mimicking your voice. When you start moving around, too excited to stay seated, he jumps up and follows you around, once again, copying you.

However, he feels really bad about the teasing after you tell him rather tearfully one night after you were made fun of at school/work, when you gout excited over a report, just how insecure you are about being so bubbly and jumpy. You tell him you feel too much like a child, and you worry that people will not like you because of it.

Though you assure him that when he mimics you are teases you, you don’t mind, he still feels terrible and feels that if anything, he’s only added to your insecurity, and that justs crushes him.

So he throws you over his shoulder, you’re giggling like the bubbly person you are, and then he plops you down on the bed and starts tickling you. “My 606! You’re so full of spirits! Please, don’t tell mey old soul that you are going to try and change yourself?

“Please don’t put yourself down for your bubbliness. Don’t let anyone pop you, because if you pop, I’ll be really sad! I love you for who you are. Your bubbliness and jumpiness goes perfect with me. Please, keep being bubbly!”

He’ll do anything to see you get excited. Luckily for him, it doesn’t take much, so he relishes in the small things he can do to make you bubbly and excited.

❆ V ❆

V discovers your bubbly side when he tries to paint a picture of you, but you are just so excited that you cannot sit still! And by the end of it, you both are having a “paint-fight” since you’ve been so giggly and jumpy.

V really loves how bubbly you are, since it truly brightens up the room and anything within a miles radius of you.

He loves how he can hand you a small flower, and you’ll start jumping up and down. He loves how he can cook you a small meal, and you’ll start clapping and giggling. He loves that when he takes you to his studio, you cannot sit still because you are just so excited and happy to be around him and around all of his works.

It really upsets him when someone tries to break your shine. He knew about your insecurity with your personality, since you confessed to him one night that it made you feel like a child. V will not let anyone get away with any comments they make on how bubbly you are.

“You see a child? Well, then you must get your eyes fixed the irony because what’s in front of me is a beautiful woman with a beautiful personality that is priceless, one of a kind, and cannot be replaced.” Literally, your heart just swells because he is so sweet and kind, and he knows exactly how to make you feel better and feel good about yourself.

Don’t ever change, because it will truly crush him. Honestly, your bubbly personality inspires him to make more colourful and abstract paintings with warm colours. You are such a warm person with such a lively personality; he needs to show it through art!

☻ Saeran/Unknown ☻

Saeran absolutely adores your bubbly personality. It’s a trait of yours that he finds charming and sweet, and overall precious to him.

He remembers the first time you came to Mint Eye and the first time he met you. You started jumping up and down with a big smile on your face, and it just warmed his heart. It made him feel good that he could make someone so happy and excited,

And he tried to find ways to make you excited again, just so he could see you jump up and down, and that 1000 watt smile. Even now that you two are living together and away from the clasps of Mint Eye, he still tries to find numerous methods to get you vivacious.

You are always so full of spirits and friendly. He loves that when you guys go on walks on the beach, or go into town that you’ll see something that really excites you, and you’ll just start jumping up and down, pulling Saeran along with you.

He remembers a time he found a garden during an early morning walk. You were still at home, asleep; he had woken up due to a nightmare and just needed some time to himself, and some fresh air, so he went for a walk. He picked some of the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen, ones he had only read about in books when learning the flowers languages,

And he brought them back to you. It was the lovely odor of the flowers that woke you from your slumber, and when you saw him smiling over you with the bouquet he created, honey you sprinted out of the bed and on top of him. Your legs were bouncing up and down on the bed as you hugged him, thanking him over and over again for the beautiful flowers.

You were running around the house, squealing as you looked for a vase, and Saeran just treasures this moment. Whenever he’s feeling down or anxious, or sometimes afraid, he thinks back to this moment and how happy it made him to see you so excited, and happy it made him knowing he made you this excited.

Just never change. “My flower, you know I was in love with you from the moment my eyes laid upon you. I’m in love with everything about you, including your bubbly personality. You are what is good about this earth.” It makes him so sad to know that you feel insecure about your bubbly personality since he loves it so much. Whenever you are feeling particularly insecure about it, Saeran will just cuddle you and tell you how much you’ve affected him in a positive and beautiful way with your bubbly personality.

✌ Vanderwood ✌

Your bubbly and jumpy personality totally caught him off guard at first, confusing him too for that matter, but as he watched you become gradually more excited and jumpy over the fact he finally got the cleaning supplies he’d been wanting for awhile,

He found himself smiling and thinking to himself, “Damn, do I love this woman.”

Vanderwood will not let you be insecure about your personality. He likes it, he thinks it makes you unique and special, and he wants you to think that too. He doesn’t want you trying to change yourself or control your bubbliness because you think it makes you too much of a child.

“So what if you look like a child sometimes. Who cares? Your lively personality is who you are and what makes you special, so you shouldn’t try to change yourself or pull yourself down. Just relish in who you are, and continue to be happy and bubbly since it’s something admire. I wish there were more people in the world like you; it would be a much brighter place.”

“Sweetie, are you blushing?” “N-no, dammit, stop looking at me like that and help me clean!”

He finds your bubbly personality to be incredibly encouraging. He can be really grumpy and unmotivated to go to the bunker to proctor Seven, but then you’ll come running to him, clinging onto his arm and jumping up and down squealing about his favorite dinner you’ll have prepared for him when he gets home.

Seven teases Vanderwood sometimes, and questions how such a bubbly person got to be with someone so stoic and grumpy as Vanderwood.

Vanderwood wonders that too. But he can just say how happy he is that you chose him, and that he gets to see and live with your bubbly personality everyday.

~~~

Requests are closed right now, but to find rules of requests you can check out my masterlist page!A coffee please? ;) ~ Support Me HereReblogs and comments appreciated!! ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡

#Yoosung Kim #Zen #Hyun Ryu #Jaehee Kang #Jumin Han #Seven #Luciel Choi #Saeyoung Choi #Jihyun Kim #V #Saeran Choi #Ray Choi #Vanderwood #Mary Vanderwood 3rd #Mystic Messenger #Mysme #Mystic Messenger headcanon #Mysme headcanon

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otomesruinedmylife · 6 years

Text

Comparable characters and routes in otomes to Mystic Messenger

Apologies, as this is going to be a VERY LONG POST AND CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!!

So you liked Mystic Messenger but have no idea where to go as far as future otomes. That’s okay! Cheritz did a great job with mysme and if you enjoyed it, you’ll no doubt find someone else in an otome you probably enjoy as well, even if it doesn’t have exactly the same mechanics as mysme. For people new to the otome scene, I highly recommend Cheritz previous games if mysme was your intro to otomes, especially Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ since a lot of the characters are similar counterparts to characters you know.

For this post I’ll be using characters from:

Amnesia: Memories (PC, mobile, PS vita in Japan)

Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ (PS vita, PS4)

Collar x Malice (PS vita)

Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ (PC)

Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ (PC)

Norn9: Var Commons (PS vita)

Ozmafia! (PC)

while trying to spoil the least amount of the actual story as possible (aside from the yanderes/yangires).

Now before we do this we have to analyze why you liked the character(s) you did. To do this, bringing up some terminology you might have seen or see later that's used in the community to describe tropes/archetypes characters fit under.

The shota is the cute one, the little one. The one you want to protecc at all costs. Shotas come in many flavors (tsundere, yandere, or just plain sweet) but are always the token mini-moe of the game. Yoosung fits this to a tee. If you liked Yoosung, you may enjoy:

Yeon-ho from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ He’s honestly the spiritual predecessor of Yoosung.

Jieun from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ More of a kuudere version of this trope, another example of Cheritz heavily leaning on this trope.

Scarlet from Ozmafia! A bit of an inversion of the trope as he’s more than capable of taking care of himself. I’d file him under kuudere shota.

Jiyeon from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ Initially upon meeting. His route gives you a better idea of where he should fall in this list, but I won’t spoil it.

Senri Ichinose from Norn9: Var commons. This boy needs all the love in the world, he’s had it rough aka. You fucked up a perfectly good esper, you gave him anxiety.

Soh from Ozmafia! initially upon meeting. His route gives you a better idea of where he should fall in this list, but I won’t spoil it.

Nameless from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ though you might find him more of a Saeran predecessor.

The casanova or Bishonen... you know this type. They’re all about telling you how much they want to protect you and sometimes have an overinflated idea of their self-worth (though usually this is hiding insecurities you find out in their own routes). Mostly a harmless bunch who are surprisingly wholesome once you get past their innuendoes. If you liked Zen, you’ll probably enjoy:

Yuri from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ again a spiritual predecessor from Cheritz. Yuri is flirtatious and rather lewd but might actually be the most harmless of the Nameless bunch.

Ikki from Amnesia: Memories. Like Zen, this dude has his own fanclub. Need I say more?

Itsuki Kagami from Norn9: Var Commons. And how.

Impey Barbicane from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~Though not completely like Zen, he shares similarities enough. Also similar hairstyle lol.

Mineo Enomoto from Collar x Malice. Probably the biggest stretch here, but he leans heavily on the “all men are animals trope” while being both too old looking to be a shota and usually the butt monkey of the cast.

Megane are technically defined by their glasses, but many share the same no-nonsense attitude and often adroit behaviors, though more due to not being good at socializing than anything else. Like shotas, meganes come in many flavors (most often tsundere or kuudere though). This is usually a male-oriented term, but I find this trope to be the closest to Jaehee. Also because of the lack of female love interests in otomes, this group will be primarily male. If you enjoyed Jahee’s route, you might like:

Kent from Amnesia: Memories. Neither dangerous or as kinkiy as he may look, Kent is just a wholesome megane who doesn’t understand how to human and just really loves math. A good boy and a breath of fresh air from the wild ride that is Amnesia: Memories.

Axel from Ozmafia! Basically the Kent of this game. He’s just a good guy who deserves all the love and sweets in the world. I’d say he’s less of a tsundere due to not being able to emotion, though he has moments.

Pashet from Ozmafia! Finally a female LI! Pashet has striking similarities to Jaehee actually, though not a megane. You might think neko-chan, but she’s actually super competent and kicks ass frequently for her famiglia Boots.

Victor from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ A good boy, a wholesome boy. I wouldn’t call him a shota, though he’s the closest to a romanceable one in this game. You might also like him if you liked Yoosung.

Lance from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ Though not a megane and more of a tsundere, he shows some of the emotional adroitness meganes tend to have, as well as being super competent.

Jihae from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ Again, not a megane, but has the politeness and adroitness of a megane as well as showing similar aspects of Jaehee’s personality.

Now here’s where the tropes begin to break down when we look at (arguably) more complex nature of the tropes that make up the stories and personalities of Jumin, Seven, V and Saeran. There will definitely be spoilers from here on out because we have to talk about what happens in their routes and how we see their character progression from our initial idea of them to after their routes. **Extra note: I can’t really find someone quite like V, though there is a special section for tragic backstory further down in this post.

You should already know what a tsundere is, baka! ~ Though no one initially quite fits this bill as classic tsundere in Mystic Messenger, you definitely see it later from Seven. Traditional tsunderes doth protest too much they don’t like the heroine, and usually call you and others ‘baka” (idiot) while hiding behind a chilly exterior. At some point they usually push you away in their route, often because underneath the insults is a cutie who might have already been broken in the past.

Kuuderes are the cool ones. Like tsundere, they use a frosty exterior to hide a deliciously squishy inner romantic but are less vocal about everyone else being idiots or don’t freeze people out because of intelligence/maturity level. Jumin has traits of being a gap moe kuudere. I’d definitely call him this if I was trying to not spoil the yandere parts of his route for someone. I'm lumping these together, but if you liked Seven because he pushed you away and then got over it (tsundere) or Jumin’s frosty initial demeanor (kuudere), you will probably like:

Shin from Amnesia: Memories. A classic, upfront tsundere. Get ready for the baka.

Takeru Sasazuka from Collar x Malice. Another classic, upfront tsundere. Many much baka.

Jiwoo from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ Another classic, upfront tsundere. Baka but now in Korean.

Van Helsing from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ Ah our megane tsundere combo. Van is a little bit of a combination of tropes, but ultimately I’d file him under very mature kuudere/tsundere. Also, call him master in a non-kinky context, he likes it.

Lance from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ Kind of an off-type tsundere/kuudere. He’s called the ice prince for a reason.

Caesar from Ozmafia! Classic tsundere. Also immediately apparent he’s a bit ax-crazy for Fuka.

Akito Shukuri from Norn 9: Var commons. Another classic tsundere. All your baka needs.

Kyrie from Ozmafia! is an atypical tsundere but shares traits of one. He definitely thinks you and everyone else are idiots, but doesn’t so much push you away as wonder why you even like him in the first place.

Normally a term used for girls, a genki boy is full of energy to an almost hyperactive degree. If the people around a genki boy are exhausted, astonished, or even creeped out by their chronic outbursts of vitality, then they probably fit the criteria. Often genki boys are in touch with their feminine side, not hetero and/or found cross-dressing either for fun or plot reasons. If you liked Seven because of his initial spunky defender of justice attitude but didn’t like that he went tsundere on you, you will probably enjoy:

Red from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ A non-tsundere version of Seven and just all around wholesome boy who actually thinks he’s a hero. Also brought to you by Cheritz.

Heishi Otomaru from Norn9: Var commons. Just for the love of god, don’t break the cutie.

Impey Barbicane from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ sometimes is also this, though he also shares traits with bishonen/casanovas.

Lupin from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ Another defender of justice and all around good boy. More mature. Calls himself a gentleman thief and will sweep you off your feet 10/10 times.

Kei Okazaki from Collar x Malice. Also more mature version and less energetic, but shares traits with when you meet Seven initially. He’s quirky and he protecc. He likes weird snacks too.

Dark and troubled past is a pretty obvious trope. Stepford smilers are obsessed with projecting an image of wholesome happiness in order to either be accepted by peers or left alone. The crafted facades of stepford smilers hide a deeply flawed person, usually breaking under the strain of keeping up their deception. They almost always have a Dark and Troubled past, though not everyone with a dark and troubled past ends up being a stepford smiler. If you liked Seven or V because of their tragic backstories and stepford smiling, you might like:

Saint-Germain from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ Oof, and how. The tragedy cranked up to 11 for this guy. I’d recommend playing his route last of the four because it contains the most spoilers aside from Lupin. And bring the tissues while you’re at it.

Kageyuki Shiraishi from Collar x Malice. Another cranked up to 11, similar to Saint-Germain, just different details. I’d recommend playing his route last of the four because it contains the most spoilers aside from Yanagi’s. And keep those tissues handy while you’re at it.

Actually everyone in Collar x Malice to a degree, it’s just that much worse with Shiraishi.

Ukyo from Amnesia: Memories. Arguably the most tragic of all the characters on this list, Ukyo is without a doubt a tear-jerking finale to the game. Not to be confused with Ura Ukyo also having the classic slasher smile.

All of the dolls in Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ have emotional baggage, but both Yeon-ho and Tei have more due to being secondhand, as well as Nameless, but Tei might be the most since he’s also clearly experiencing reset theory.

Both Robin Hood and Hamlin from Ozmafia! are pretty tragic. You find out why on their routes.

It's never hinted during his route or others, but Kyrie from Ozmafia! is probably the most tragic of all, you just don’t find out why until fully completing the game. Also, you are a monster if you end up preferring Kyrie’s normal end.

Senri Ichinose from Norn9: Var commons fits this, though lacking the stepford smiling. You get to find out in his route how they broke the cutie.

Jisoo from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ has a pretty sad story, but Jihae’s is equally if not more tragic.

If your fav is the guy with the best lines in the game, you probably like the deadpan snarker and might want to look at the tsundere options, as they usually have the most cutting wit and tongues. But if you liked Vanderwood’s cameos or Jumin for his lack of tsundere, you might enjoy:

Kyrie from Ozmafia! And how. The crowned king of deadpan snarking on this list.

Tei from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ It’s mostly Yuri on the receiving end of his snark, though others do find themselves victim at times. And yet he’s still called Prince Sunshine...

OKAY BIG HUGE MAJOR SPOILERS AND TRIGGERS HERE!!!! IF YOU DONT WANT SPOILERS OR TRIGGERS HERES A SIMPLIFIED LIST: Non-spoiler list if you liked Jumin’s route (YMMV):

Tei from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~.

Toma from Amnesia: Memories.

Kageyuki Shiraishi from Collar x Malice.

Non-spoiler list if you liked Ray’s route (YMMV) because of break the cutie and/or dating the enemy tropes:

Yeon-ho from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~

Ukyo from Amnesia: Memories.

Nameless from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~

Caesar and Hamlin from Ozmafia!

Natsuhiko Azuma from Norn 9: Var commons.

Kakeru Yuiga from Norn9: Var commons.

NOW ONWARD TO THE YANDERES!!! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED :)

Yanderes are people who will kill for the one they “love” and are obsessed with, going even so far as to stalking, drugging, trapping, raping or even killing the MC so no one else can have them. People tend to either love them or hate them, as they are usually the more complex characters of the games, but it can be hard to see the good aspects of them when they’re busy well... doing yandere things like locking you up, drugging your drinks for your own good or trying to kill your friends because of their obsession with you.

Yangires are often mistakenly lumped in with yanderes and to add ot the confusion, some yanderes can seem more yangire or even vice-versa if they were already a bit ax-crazy to begin with. The main defining feature is that yangires lack the love aspect behind their killing to be a real yandere. These characters are ax-crazy and ready to snap at a moment's notice (or already have) and start killing the cast. Up until his route, Saeran would have been considered a yangire, though now with his route that’s obviously changed.

I’ve divided these into two catagories: minor yanderes (one bad end or situation) or major yanderes (a pervasive running theme in their route, particularly violent ones and/or yangire-like ones, sadists, etc). I will also list the minor yanderes bad ends so anyone who wishes to avoid them can! Stay safe and don’t get triggered!!!

Minor Yanderes:

You (to Yeon-ho in Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~). You can become the yandere in his Bad end 1: Unforgiven doll.

Ikki in Amnesia: Memories. Bad end 2: “I’ll get rid of those who hurt you.” Situational. Ikki shows his yandere really only once in this end, shadowed eyes and all.

Yuri in Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ Bad end 2: Triangle. I’d still argue this is more Tei’s fault than Yuri being an actual yandere.

Heishi Otomaru from Norn 9: Var Commons. Bad end only. Situational yandere. Oof, and here I thought he was just a good boy.

Sakuya Nijou from Norn 9: Var Commons. There’s a minor unavoidable yandere moment in his route but he’s mostly just obsessed with Mikoto as some kind of savior for him. The obsession is apparent, but he’s a relatively non-dangerous version and barely deserves to be on this list.

Major Yanderes & Yangires:

Tei from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~. Jesus Christ, this guy so much. He’s probably the biggest yandere I’ve ever seen played to the trope and makes Jumin Han look like a vanilla amateur version. Completely wonderful wholesome exterior with darkness lurking below that only Yuri seems to notice. This guy gate crashes all the other LI’s in Nameless besides Lance’s bad endings at least once and makes them worse. Major trigger warning: Most of the bad ends involving him contain violence due to him. Honestly, so many a detailed list is silly, but the worst probably being the implied non-consensual sex in his Bad end 3: My owner.

Toma from Amnesia: Memories. Toma is probably the male yandere trope holder as most people know about the cage, which he did years before Jumin Han. A classic yandere, he’s obsessed with the MC so much he completely overlooks that she likes him. Expect all the classic yandere elements: childhood friend, drugging, caging, violence and rape-y comments but he just really loves you, okay??? Major trigger warning: A few of the bad ends in Amnesia: memories involving him contain violence due to him, especially his route and the unavoidable violence in Shin’s route. He stretches over into other people’s routes via bad ends a few times too, but the worst probably being the implied non-consensual sex in his Bad end 2: “We’ll be together forever.”

Yeon-ho from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ is a good example of when a shota gets obsessed. He’s upgraded from minor yandere because he’s pretty goddamn obviously obsessed with you and while seemingly not particularly violent, he shows he is capable of it in Bad end 2: Competitor. To be fair to Yeon-ho though, you really need to watch out for Tei more.

Saint-Germain from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~. Unfortunately, you can’t avoid the yandere in his route, though I’d mostly consider him a situational yandere depending on how you look at it since he’s following orders. However, he does make a few offhand comments in other routes that firmly put him in the major yandere category regardless.

Jisoo from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~. Classic yandere in his bad end. Shows yandere traits throughout his route, though maybe less extreme than most on this list.

Kageyuki Shiraishi from Collar x Malice. Again more situational than anything else and technically a yangire stepford smiler in other routes. Once this aloof boy likes you he’s pretty stuck on you for reasons that make sense. You can’t avoid the yandere in his route (it’s both good and bad ends) but it’s waaaaaay less creepy in the good one. Also his later bad ends are BAD. Hell, his good end is bad. Dear god, please just give this poor guy a break already.

Robin Hood from Ozmafia! Is a low-key example of this, but not for Fuka. I’ll let you figure out why. Major trigger warning: It’s debatable his route contains non-consensual sex.

Nameless from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ Think precursor to Saeran. Got it? Okay now play his route again to find out why.

The Wizard from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~. Though not a playable character, it's obvious once you play through at least one route of Dandelion he’s obsessed with Heejung. It all comes to a tragic culmination in the final end of Dandelion you get from finishing all routes in the game.

Ukyo from Amnesia: Memories. Ax-crazy Ura Ukyo unfortunately puts Ukyo’s route firmly in the yangire category rather than yandere, as Ukyo himself is pretty wholesome. He kind of reminds me of V, honestly. And not just because of the photography thing. He gets a bad rap from anyone who doesn’t properly finish the game because of his ura side, but boy the explanation for why he kills you over and over again is one of the saddest routes I’ve ever played. Major trigger warning: Most of the bad ends in the entire game not involving Toma being yandere involve Ura Ukyo pretty much flat out killing you. Honestly, so many a detailed list is silly, since there’s multiple for each guys route iirc.

Ron Muraboshi from Norn 9: Var commons. Jesus lord have mercy I was not expecting this one. For all of his nonchalant attitude about everything, Ron might be the worst offender on this list. Not presented as a classic yandere as I am firmly convinced no one in the game or playing it actually likes Ron, his route devolves into some extremely problematic shit with yandere elements. His route is a relationship is based on obsession, abuse, and Stockholm Syndrome and even I felt icky after playing it, but his alternate bad ending (purple) is the worst IMO on this list because it's arguable he still sees you as disposable, while at least real yanderes cherish their object of affection. Also that 9 year age gap between him and Nanami… yikes.

Anyway, that's my list and character analysis of the otomes I’ve played so far! Hope you enjoyed it and feel free to leave me any asks or comments.

Also if you’d like to know who my personal favorites are, they are: Jumin Han, Seven, Ukyo, Tei, Saint-Germain, Kyrie and Kageyuki Shiraishi. And after reading this I bet you now know why. Just don’t make me pick favorites among my husbandos, they might kill me if they find out ;)

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jaime-leeunsw-blog · 6 years

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Mental Health and Mindfulness Activity Research

With us deciding which activities we will be holding in our festival, I decided to do some research on how the activities we brainstormed are used to help with relieving and reducing anxiety and stress (which is very common amongst our target group: students) as well as general mental health.

Meditation:

Standard medical treatments for anxiety are anti-anxiety medications, cognitive behavioral therapy, or a combination of both.

Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million Americans.

Therapy is time-consuming and expensive.

Anti-anxiety medications work fast, but are some of the most addictive substances around and are not intended for long-term use.

Latest research shows that meditation works as well as commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medications!

A regular meditation practice not only can reduce anxiety symptoms, it also can reverse the damage caused by anxiety.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University sifted through over 18,000 mindfulness meditation studies to determine its most effective uses. They concluded that the number one use for meditation was anxiety relief.

Other studies support that meditation benefits mental disorders of all kinds including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, panic disorder, agoraphobia, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, binge eating disorder, bipolar disorder and addictions.

Meditation can reduce rumination, even in those with lifelong mood disorders

Meditation Balances Brain Chemicals

Meditation increases the level of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter essential for feeling happy and relaxed.

Feeling anxious, easily overstimulated, and overwhelmed are common signs that you might be low in GABA.

Meditation can lift your mood by increasing levels of serotonin, another neurotransmitter vital to happiness.

Meditation also reduces cortisol, a stress hormone that, in excess, significantly contributes to anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and memory loss.

The brains of people who regularly meditate show measurable increases in the amount of gray matter, the volume of the hippocampus, and the thickness of the cortex.

Conversely, the size of the amygdala, the area of the brain region associated with fear, anxiety and stress, decreases and becomes less reactive.

Meditation increases blood flow to the brain, improves neural connections between various areas of the brain, and enhances neuroplasticity.

Painting and Drawing:

Shawn McNiff writes in Art Heals: How Creativity Cures the Soul "healing through art is one of the oldest cultural practices in every region of the world," and "Art adapts to every conceivable problem and lends its transformative, insightful, and experience-heightening powers to people in need."

Art therapy is a distinct field and art therapists are trained and educated in both art and psychology

Making art enables you to feel and express gratitude by helping you to observe and see beauty where others may not. It also gives you an outlet for expressing some of your anger and frustration, as well as your personal political and world views.

Art can help you discern feelings and express thoughts that are difficult to articulate. Engaging with the arts and creating something is a way of engaging with and being in relationship with yourself, helping you to know yourself better. The process of creating art opens channels of communication beyond those of the purely verbal, dissolving barriers caused by words or our own internal censors, helping us to see ourselves, and others, more fully and clearly. In so doing it connects us more deeply to ourselves and to each other. If you are working in class with other people the atmosphere becomes one in which there is a mutual give and take of ideas, and a spirit of generosity. The creative process helps to create new relationships and foster existing ones in a positive productive environment.

Therapeutic Photography:

Therapeutic photography involves taking, analyzing and using photos for the purpose of personal healing, growth, or understanding, whether done consciously or unconsciously. By actively constructing, exploring and reflecting on photographs by pairing it with creative writing, you are able to learn more about yourself and how you see the world.

Photography can be a form of mindfulness (or present state awareness), similar to meditation, which is proven to help people suffering from depression and anxiety. Often when you’re taking photos, you can find yourself in “flow”, which brings many health benefits similar to meditation like calming the mind and providing relief from stress.

By creating photos that you are proud of, you can start to build self-esteem. Similarly, sharing your photographs and getting positive feedback from others can help you continue to build confidence and become empowered, which can help you become more comfortable expressing your opinion, thoughts, and story with others. A 2014 study found that those who took part in creating visual art had a significant increase in psychological resiliency. The neurotransmitter dopamine can be increased through this process, which can be lacking in those suffering from depression and has been found to immediately start to help prevent depressive-like behaviours.

A person’s perspective on themselves and the world can be gradually explored and changed through the process of taking photographs, analyzing them and discussing with others. Neuroplasticity tells us that our brain has the ability to change constantly throughout our lives and grow new connections.

People are using therapeutic photography techniques to help themselves and others overcome depression, anxiety, chronic pain and much more.

Zentangle Art:

Zentangle is known to many artists and craftivistas as a way to create structured designs through drawing various patterns. Basically, it’s a specific way to draw images, most often in black pen on white paper.

Zentangle has become an international phenomenon that now has applications in stress reduction, education, therapy and even motivational training.

Zentangle itself may be relatively new, but the basic principles involved are as old as the history of art.

It includes ritual [a core practice in ancient and contemporary arts] and mirrors the symbols, designs and patterns of numerous cultures [Mayan, Maori, Celtic, and American Indian, for example] from ancient through present times. And like “doodling” it is based on a human behavior in which one refrains from planning and allows lines and shapes to unintentionally emerge.

It Teaches How to Own Mistakes: Using a pen on paper requires that you risk making mistakes; in fact, most tangle art has at least some misplaced lines which cannot be erased. Tangling teaches you how to incorporate what seem like “mistakes” into the overall pattern of the design. It’s a great metaphor for everyday life—nothing is ever perfect, but how you adjust to imperfections [mistakes or the unexpected] in life is what really matters.

It Reinforces “Aimlessness.”: Many Zentangle enthusiasts highlight the tangle doodle process as a form of mindfulness. I like to think of tangling as a form of "creative aimlessness." Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh observes that we need to cultivate aimlessness in life rather than continually striving to be “number one.” Zentangle teaches us not to rush and to take good care of ourselves in the present moment—after all, the present moment is all there is.

It’s Self-Soothing: Repetitive creative work, in and of itself, can be calming and self-soothing. In fact, some of the preliminary research on the Zentangle process indicates that engagement in the process has measurable relaxation benefits. This is particularly true if you accept this process as one with no expected outcome other than the enjoyment of putting the pen to paper and staying open to whatever emerges.

It’s Simple: Zentangle art only requires a black pen and paper; you can do it just about anywhere.

Henna Hand Tattoo:

Henna, or Mehndi, is an evergreen plant. A member of the Loosestrife family, henna originally comes from Egypt, a country that is still one of the main suppliers of the plant. The henna plant typically grows in the drier climates of India, Northern Africa, and the Middle East.

The red-ish brown dye is made by crushing the dried leaves and then mixing the fine powder with other natural and acidic ingredients such as eucalyptus oil, lemon juice, or black tea.

Perhaps Henna's most well observed quality is it's natural cooling effect, which offers a delightful tingling sensation to the skin (similar to chewing spearmint gum and drinking cold water). Once this property was discovered, people of the desert, used henna to cool down their bodies. By making a henna paste and smearing it on themselves, they achieved an air conditioning effect.

Weaving Therapy:

Experts refer to the Relaxation Response: The rhythmic repetitive movements seem to put us in the present moment, quietening our minds that are so often full of busyness and distractions, and research shows that these repetitive movements have a powerful calming effect – both from our hands moving as well as the motion of moving our eyes from side to side.

Knitting involves a complex, bilateral and co-ordinated pattern of movements and it uses up a lot of brain capacity, which means the brain has less capacity to pay attention to other issues, so it’s a good distracting technique for people with chronic pain. And the repetitive movement involved in knitting enhances the release of serotonin, which can help people to feel calmer and happier. The rhythmic nature of the movements is calming and leads to a meditative-like state.

Besides the many physical health benefits, such as being a pain and stress reliever, knitting also connects you to a social circle and community of fellow knitters, and this is especially important in those who feel isolated, depressed, and lonely.

“Knitters produce objects that people enjoy. And knitters will tell you that just stroking their yarn cheers them up,” says a knitting devotee.

Knitting and crocheting is the one daily therapy and relaxation tool you can take anywhere with you – you get peace of mind…and a fabulous scarf!

#adad1002 #assessment3

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stardustviolet · 3 years

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Personality Junkie https://personalityjunkie.com (“Most true of me”) – 8 (“Least true of me”)

a.___I am a take-charge, no-nonsense type of person. I’m not afraid to take the lead or issue directives or correctives to others. My mind seems to work quite efficiently and decisively. It is typically easy for me to make decisions, give advice or instructions, and get things done without getting bogged down with emotional concerns. Others see me as firm and forthright, perhaps even blunt. I enjoy staying busy and using my time effectively. On the whole, I take a rational approach to life and can feel uncomfortable or inadequate in emotional situations. I’m more inclined to offer advice than to spend time commiserating. Consequently, I’m most comfortable in work-related situations, especially when analyzing problems, completing tasks, or issuing directives. I also enjoy thinking about strategies and logistics, or ways of making systems or processes more efficient and productive.

b.___ In some respects, I feel like an alien in the world. I am more of an observer and analyzer of life than a participant. This can make it scary for me to act or make big changes in my life. Typically, my mind is fairly zen-like, characterized by a state of relaxed awareness that straddles the conscious and unconscious mind. In this state, my mind is not restless or flooded with random ideas, but is generally calm and synchronized. When presented with a problem, my mind works in a unified way to simultaneously see different perspectives and “realize” answers. At times, these answers or insights can come suddenly and all at once, like a tidal wave of knowing; for me, there is a real difference between believingsomething and knowing something. I can get discouraged, however, when others don’t seem to understand or respond to my insights with a similar sense of conviction. In many cases, people seem to disregard my insights, suggest I’m being too negative or pessimistic, or think I’m blowing things out of proportion. But I’m simply being honest, calling things as I see them, and in most cases, I’m eventually proven right. Indeed, I see it as my primary role to perceive things accurately and correct false perceptions—to bring the truth to light. Despite seeming opinionated and strong-minded, it is not unusual for others to turn to me for answers, insights, or advice.

c.___I spend a fair amount of time surveying and weighing my personal feelings and values. Since it is important that I live a moral and authentic life, I see it as important to consider exactly what that means and might look like for me. I need time to listen to what my heart and conscience tell me is right. I think the world would be a better place if everyone learned to tune into his or her inner moral compass. Part of my moral code involves “fighting for the underdogs”—those who are poor, sick, disabled, victims of injustice, or otherwise find themselves in unfortunate circumstances. I also enjoy caring for children, plants, animals, or whatever personally affects or moves me. I have the ability to deeply empathize with others. When I imagine myself in others’ shoes, I feel for them and it inspires me to respond. Others typically see me as a good listener—empathetic and non-judgmental. At times, I can feel emotionally over-burdened, having internalized others’ pain and struggles. When it comes to emotions, I tend to be more of a receiver than an expresser. I manage my feelings on my own rather than unloading them onto others. I therefore feel that most people don’t really know me or see what is most important to me.

d.___I am a “people person.” I’m generally warm and personable, with a knack for making quick connections with people. I like to talk and routinely enjoy conversation with friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers. Generally speaking, I am firm and forthright in expressing my views and opinions. While typically tactful, I am reluctant to let my voice go unheard. I enjoy teaching, managing, and directing people, helping them to be and achieve their very best. In many ways, I feel responsible for the emotional well-being and success of others. I want them to excel, both individually and interpersonally. I enjoy finding ways of bringing people together, helping them communicate and get on the same emotional page. If I’m being honest, I’m really not as good at listening to others as I am at advising or teaching them. On more than one occasion, I have been guilty of giving unsolicited advice or opening my mouth when I probably shouldn’t have. Nevertheless, people often turn to me for support and guidance regarding their lives and relationships.

e.___I am generally a person of routine. I see no problem with continuing to do things the way they have been done in the past, with sticking to the “tried and true.” Doing so makes life simpler and keeps things consistent. I tend to agree with the old saying, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” I don’t understand why so many people think it’s a good idea to modify or abandon time-tested methods or traditions (i.e., The Constitution, religious traditions, etc.). I personally believe that if something has been resilient enough to stand the test of time, it’s probably worth preserving and protecting. I enjoy reflecting on my personal past, as well as various traditions—familial, religious, historical, political, etc.—that are important to me. I feel safe, secure, nostalgic, and reassured when I reflect on these things. When it comes to money and material goods, I tend to be fairly conservative. I am typically careful not to be wasteful or extravagant in my expenditures. When it comes to work, I like to know exactly what the rules and procedures are so I can do my job properly. I feel the details of a job are important and should not be ignored or overlooked. Others see me as a loyal, reliable, dutiful, and responsible.

f.___I am a fun-loving person who relishes spontaneous action. I don’t waste time over-thinking things. I usually perform better and enjoy myself more when I just do what comes naturally. I love taking in new experiences and sensations—new sights, sounds, tastes, and so on. I enjoy using my hands and losing myself in activities such as sports, sex, cooking, driving, dancing, shopping, exercising, and the like. If given a choice, I prefer to be up and moving around rather than sitting. I tend to get restless fairly quickly and am happier when I’m being active. I’m not a terribly abstract person and have never been a huge fan of book learning. I’d rather learn from experience than from books or lectures. In my view, experience is probably life’s best teacher. I’m also a highly observant person. I tend to notice and recall details that others may overlook. Keeping pace with current styles and fashions is also fun for me, including things like trendy cars, phones, fashions, hairstyles, decor, etc.

g.___Independence, autonomy, and personal freedom are among my highest values; some people might even call me a loner. While I have little interest or aptitude in leading or managing others, I also don’t want people controlling me or telling me what to do. When working within a system or organization, I often find myself at odds with it and end up looking for ways to circumvent what I see as unnecessary rules or inefficient methods. This of course can be anxiety-producing, so working for myself is probably my best option. Perhaps more than anything, I want to find work that I enjoy; my work is of utmost importance to me. Unfortunately, finding my ideal work has been difficult due to my strong need for autonomy, as well recurrent indecisiveness about what I should be doing. Efficiency is another of my top priorities. Thinking of time as a currency for accomplishment, I can be rather impatient when it comes to navigating unexpected hurdles or obstacles. Outwardly, I present as easygoing and affable, readily adapting and meshing to the social context. Inwardly, I am far more serious and resolute, constantly thinking about my work or projects and what my next step should be.

h.___I have a restless and active (some might even say hyperactive) mind. It is constantly generating new ideas and seeing new connections, associations, and possibilities (“the possibilities are endless!”). I often see random connections or parallels between things that others fail to see or appreciate. I love playing with words, ideas, associations, and quips. Compelled to explore and exhaust all the options and possibilities, I struggle to make decisions or draw firm conclusions. When a promising new idea or possibility comes to me, I tend to get really excited and want to share it with others. Unfortunately, the excitement often wanes once the novelty wears off or the idea proves less tenable. These ups and downs can make it hard for me to stick with one thing or to finish what I start. Since I tend to bounce from one idea and interest to the next, I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever accomplish anything important. I know I have a lot of creative potential, but I often struggle to harness and focus it. Others may see me as quirky, chatty, distractible, inquisitive, creative, unconventional, and open-minded. ___ a. = Extraverted Thinking (Te) ___ b. = Introverted Intuition (Ni) ___ c. = Introverted Feeling (Fi) ___d. = Extraverted Feeling (Fe) ___ e. = Introverted Sensing (Si) ___ f. = Extraverted Sensing (Se) ___ g. = Introverted Thinking (Ti) ___ h. = Extraverted Intuition (Ne)

#personality #text

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paganchristian · 3 years

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A baby mockingbird singing in this high-pitched cheepy voice to its mother, practicing flying lessons with her and wanting to be fed, which we saw one day at that walk by the sparkling polluted water. It makes me think, of the cuteness, the brightness, the liveliness, vitality, and yet also vulnerability, of the world, of people, human nature and culture in general. But while it makes me think of that it also makes me think the vulnerability is also strength, as they say. There is at least some strength in vulnerability, safety in numbers, and security in humility, the rock bottom is the place from which we can stably ground ourselves, and see just like the place the water flows is the lowest and the most widespread, covering a flat area or a deepest crevice, water flows so. To spark thoughts from quotes I’ve read, but don’t try to get right or even eloquent, sure I’m stumbling over words, poorly worded. Quotes by J. K. Rowling and Lao Tzu, about rock bottom and the low, flowing nature of water, the unconquerable, submissive, malleable, shapeless water, any shape water, morphable, mercurial, infinitely creative, substance-less, spineless, simple,.. essential, vital, life force, well I don’t know, think I carried the quote into too much wordiness, got away from what Lao Tzu said, probably though of course in the Tao Te Ching he says many things and I only recall snippets of this or that and not like I rad it all, mostly too incomprehensible for real life for me, and even more of that bound, cornered feeling of judgment and assumption, morals I can’t apply or make sense of, like most religious things, but I found a book that helped me a lot more which as 365 Tao by Deng Ming-Dao and then I was getting all of his books I could until something I read cast some uncertainty on some things related to all that, or some of his books maybe, but not that I know, and I still like the books. I’m not here to criticize, argue or debate, just vaguely tell about my own personal journey and what has shaped it, mostly to try to make sense for myself and let associations and memories and new angles spark new possibilities.

The world feels so loud, hyperactive, productive, bright, light, over-positive, over-confident, overly self-assured, narrow-minded, happily so, oftentimes, or reactive, happily reactive, wrapped up in a reactive stance, full of facts, knowledge and prestige, arrogantly so, or full of doubt, credulity, confusion, self-loathingly so, naively, and very much lost, very much easily ready to just follow whoever looks like they might know better or maybe to reject anyone who doesn’t conform into one’s comfortable simplistic ideas (that though, one thinks are complex and complete, not simplistic at all), and all these things wrapped into one, or sometimes just one or the other. Often rushing, rushing, competing, showing off, look how busy I am, busy with work or busy with play, but busy always, look how active and productive my life is. Or even not busy with work or play, but busy with the opposites, whatever those are thought of as being,.. so busy studying or learning or thinking or being creative and insightful and intuitive,... Or, busy being spiritual, busy meditating, or even if it’s said to be lazy being spiritual,... laziness embraced and glorified, look how Zen and without a care I am,.. look at me. Look how transcendent and blissful or peaceful and content and accepting of the mundane tedium I am,.. But it’s not like I’m above all that busy-ness or busy-being-lazy-ness I’m prone to some of this, much of this, depending on the time, the events of my life, the conditions, just like the Buddhists say, that conditions make a person who they are and the wheel of life, Samsara keeps us stuck, and we aren’t better or different than others who seem worse, because in the wrong set of conditions we would be the same.

Anyway, that pretty much covers everything, all those ways of being busy, even being busy as we just “Be” and not busy doing. Everything has to fit somewhere in there but it’s more about how balanced it all is, how authentic, how real and true and appropriate for the situation given, and that shows if it’s a good kind of busy-ness or a good kind of way to just Be, or not, how much and when. And it’s in the eyes of the beholder, and we have to subjectively say what feels right, even if another can see we’re harmful but if we don’t see it only we can choose and judge and no one really knows how maybe it’s the best for us even if it’s harmful since we can’t cope and find another way but there are benefits despite the harm, maybe benefits we absolutely need and can’t do without, so yeah... All of that may be true, but still, I need something far, far more than relativism in my own individual life situation right now.

But still I have to see, how can I try to get a handle on all this,... The world feels so ephemeral, so slight, slippery and slipping through my fingers while my own life I try to hold my loved ones, God, and my family, and shape them so they will have a ledge to stand on and not just be sucked up into the wheel of Samsara and suffering, but not either be fooled into thinking they have transcended it when in fact they’ve just dissociated from reality in a harmful and delusional way, as I think that some of these spiritual things can be, or else entrenched themselves into an arrogant and reactive stance, narrowing their views, beliefs and values to feel better than it all, even if they appear to be very active, engaged in moral causes and practices. How can I keep this from happening. Or how on the other hand, can I keep them from slipping into nihilism, relativistic extremes and confusion?

I see what has helped me after my own long many years and decades even of struggle. And it’s not like I’m beyond reproach, at all. It’s not like I’m beyond being disrupted and pulled off my fragile ledge of security and goodness that I’ve found, however very imperfect it is still. I know it’s still precarious, but it’s something, and how could I wish or hope I might pass it on to those who I love and stabilize it for my own self so I won’t lose it irretrievably or so I hope.

How when my whole path has been almost like one of extreme contemplative isolation? That is not even possible for most people nor would they ever choose it if it was, for most people, because I’m not like most people at all. What do I have to offer that they want to take, that they can use and see in such a way to benefit and not be harmed or led astray? What like that do I have? I want to give books, I want to give my own writings and the books of others. I want to give practices. But none of those things feel as if the others would even take the time to immerse enough to deeply see the insights in them. None of them feel like they’d be given much thought at all, necessarily. Maybe with my daughter, but she’s too young to see how she’ll become when she’s older, and for now she is far from being able to absorb them at her age, of course, almost ten years now. Though they began training religious people at a very young age in many cultures, traditionally, but does that mean I could without doing harm or would it be just more of the things that are causing me so much grief and confusion in religion, that I’m just now hoping that I’m finding a way out of that tangle of mistaken ideas and correcting it? So even if I could teach her from a young age, certain things, what things? Is there a precedent of such new and open minded ways to teach kids from a young age? Or would I have to forge my own unique open minded set of ideas to teach her?

I don’t know but I want to teach her enough before she is beyond the age of being very influenced by me any more and she gets so whirled up in the mire of rush and performing for others, competing and impressing and fitting in and consuming the many ideas and pressures and judgments and crises that are presented as fact, and she has to then see what to believe or consider or ignore and there is only so much time to do any of that while you’re growing up, getting closer and closer to adulthood, trying to find your place to live in the world, when you’re grown up, trying to find friends and people you can count on when you are and adult, hoping to find love one day, a lasting love, as many or most are, and so on.. most get so caught up in this whirl of confusion or alternatively, in stagnation, escapism, just coping just to get by, with all the stress, and not really becoming wiser or growing, because it’s all they can do just to deal with the confusion and pain and it’s just scraping by in life, maybe even stuck in such a position for the rest of their whole lives. But of course, making the best of it they can, putting on a happy face and being brave because why complain if we’re all in the same chaotic sea, in the same or similarly insufficient rafts, life boats, why complain if this is all life seems to be? And so it felt for me for decades, except my particular lifeboat felt a little or a lot different from many, because I was so very introverted, isolated, contemplative and just inclined to do and consider differnt ideas and practices than the vast majority of people. But still for so long, I was lost, and still I am still so precarious.

I just want to find how to reach people, how to find a place and a way to fit in the world, and belong and be safe in the larger structure and order so that it doesn’t dash me to bits. And I just want to find also a way to pass on my knowledge, and insight, practices, healing, bliss, wonder, beauty, grace, goodness, that I’ve found to those who I love, at the very least, if no one else, if I can’t reach any farther than that, at least to someone, the ones most likely to be able to receive it, it seems, because they do have a lot in common with me, they are open, loving, caring, wise, thoughtful, in many ways, about things that I feel are often rejected or ignored by most people. They aren’t totally open, or I could just share it all and it would be obvious, but still they seem much more open than most anyone, in reality. Many are open in theory but not in practice, open to talk but not deep talk, open to ideas but not complex elaboration of the ideas, open to accepting but not to engaging or really understanding, so I feel on the outskirts of every open-minded seeming community that goes into the deeper things. Even among them I feel excluded and ignored and rejected to a great degree, unwanted, irrelevant. But with my own family, it’s different. We aren’t just family, with all the ties, the life history, the love and hope, and continuity and always being there that that usually implies, to some extent. We are also close, loving, much in common, understanding so much, nonjudgmental, open minded in so many ways far beyond the norm of society at all generally. Even when the coldness, anger, bitterness, and avoidant resentment and self-loathing can all be there, with my closest loved one, besides my child. And even with my child, still so young, dreamy, flying from one thing to another, active, distracted, as children often can be, seeking excitement and chaos, freedom, play, imagination, spontaneity and impulse. I do not feel it’s really my place to try to redirect such bold and free and active impulses, yet it feels to me that I worry if it will take her away from the more contemplative path that I feel holds almost all of the wisdom that I could offer. But children aren’t contemplative generally, are they? And to try to make her go on that path too early might be wrong, so what age and how? And maybe is it right, ever, if she isn’t inclined towards it? How can I see if she is inclined towards it, how can I see if she has that gift and that sort of personality or whatever? Because I think maybe it could be there, just latent, untapped, and how can I see if it’s there without trying to push her into this or give her too many practices that would unintentionally shape her and take her from her own natural gifts and true personality? I feel my own personality was shaped away from who I was meant to be and ever after I felt lost, depressed, and in no way will I ever do that to her if I can help it. But it feels like maybe there are some ways I can give here these opportunities and see if she is able to absorb them well and fit in with it all well and enjoy and thrive in it. Maybe. Just enough of these practices and ideas, and not too much to where it shapes too much her so impressionable childhood mindset and nature.

As for my relative, can I ever find a way to reach them? Can the rush and skating on the surface that most people look to me like they’re doing, when I see them, can that ever really be reached by me? If I could write a whole series of books on all the things that would help them, and it had the cure, but they are never going to sit with the material enough to deeply perceive the truths in them, and it’s not just books you can skate through, but you have to really sit with them and return to them, turning them over and over , over time, seeing different angles and things you didn’t even notice at first, looking and looking again and again, over much time, many breaks, patient and slow and peaceful,... and if they will never even consider such a thing, and look with extreme skepticism and resentment on the mere ideas of such things, looking on such slow contemplation with arrogance and scoffing at it, supposed wisdom is seen as foolish, arrogant, and out of touch with realty,.. and indeed I think that often spiritual and philosophical ideas are truly out of touch, arbitrary order, unnecessary rules, deluded, narrow-minded so I see how they can assume such things about it all. But is there a way I can reach them with these things that are only reached through deeper contemplation or s it just like I’m a deep water creature who can’t swim up there to where they are? And if I tried to show them what you can only really experience in the deep they will not see it the same way, will just laugh at it and swim on by. And yes, yes, I know this sounds very arrogant of me, to be talking about deep and shallow. I don’t think they’re altogether shallower than me in every way, though> I think that in some critical ways, they might be much better people than me, maybe. And I don’t like to judge. There is just so much that you can’t know or see of another’s experience. But this is how I perceive the reality of it- that some ideas are deep and gradual and contemplatively accessed, and some are not, and that some people are inclined or willing to look at the deeper or more gradually, intuitively processed ideas, and some are not. And you can’t reach those who won’t consider the deeper, gradual, obtuse, mysterious things,... Or you just can’t reach them with those deeper, slower, intuitive ideas. A world of riches might be totally beyond them, till if they ever will open to the idea in more than a theoretical sense and really dive in and live there. Their lives might not let them live there anyway, caught up in the rush, chaos, need, problems that feel urgently like you can’t escape and they take all your attention... And they may be far less able to concentrate and focus mentally, even if they had the free time and energy to spend on it. Most people don’t read a lot of complex books and find them extremely painful to read. I don’t even read a lot of them myself, because they’re too long-winded and detailed dry and arrogant-sounding and stuffy for me. Or they seem too hard to believe and too hard to follow, too out of touch with my lived real experience of my life. But some of these deep complex books and other things I read online, or audiobooks (sometimes much easier for me to process more quickly and pleasurably than reading certain kinds of books, if the voice and tone of the narrator conveys a lot of interesting content, that the text in itself doesn’t, for me) ,.. Yes, some of them I can read. Some I do find great wisdom in and thankfully I have read just enough to give me immense benefits. I know if it wasn’t for these authors much more brilliant and wise than me I would never have made it far in my life. Self-destruction would have consumed me, delusion would have run my life. But many can’t read the books and things I’ve read and can’t contemplate and arrive at the insights which have saved me from self-destruction.

I know that talking like that might make me sound arrogant, but it is just how reality appears to me, when I perceive the facts and appearances of things before me. It looks and feels to me as though so much goodness is trapped in books and things most people will never even be able to deeply think about because it feels too painfully boring to them, to ever tolerate.

What then can you do but let go and hope there is another way they can find grace, mercy, goodness, in shallower waters, a way I don’t understand myself, a way I don’t live, a way I don’t know how to share because I don’t understand. I’m not the one to help them, am I, unless I could ever come to be shown such things. Then they’re a depth I can’t understand. But I have to let go and give it to God or the universe or randomness and chance, or whatever it is, because sad as it could be, it feels totally beyond my grasp, unless prayer and metta meditation and energy work helps.

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