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i want to know about the extreme outlier opinion on never again!
ooh, thank you for your interest and I hope I don't get myself in trouble with this lol!
So this opinion is in multiple parts.
The first part being the one most unpopular, which is that Ed Jerse was not to only man who was not Mulder that Scully, that Dana had a night or a mini fling with between Jack Willis and/or then getting assigned to the X files and when MSR got together (whenever you believe that might be), and probably not the only dangerous one to some degree.
She's got that thrill seeker side to her, which is to some extent satisfied by chasing Mulder around on the X files. But Mulder keeps her in a sexless box in his perceptions -- IMO this is partially self defense on his part because if he lets himself go there even a bit in thinking of her dating potential/as a potential romantic-sexual partner his already limited ability to hold onto any kind of boundaries would just collapse. And I don't think this sexless view of her is at odds with my belief that Mulder was in love with her within a few months of working with her and knew it, but he doesn't think he deserves a relationship like that and more importantly he doesn't think Scully wants a relationship like that with him, or maybe not with anyone at all because she's given up dating completely after Jersey Devil, and what they talk about is work and theory and science and case notes and things within the kind of fixed shadow of their partnership/the files. Thus he's got this view of her that's completely divorced from her hedonistic, risk taking, rebellious, attention seeking, obsessive side.
I believe her ruthlessly compartmentalized nature and her constant awareness of other people's expectations of her, especially the expectations of people in authority or pseudo authority combined with a need for a release valve and a clear thread of sensualism in her character make it highly likely that there were other times when she picked a near-stranger and acted out a role with him, letting herself act out parts of herself she doesn't often express and using him as a proxy for her conflicted and/or baser feelings towards the Ahabs and 'fathers' in her life in a very limited capacity that is both satisfyingly dangerous (near stranger, almost certainly someone she doesn't really trust or want to get to know, after all she's not looking for a real and lasting relationship) and very safe because she can just stop playing that character and stop seeing that man and he won't even have ever 'met' the person she is the majority of the time.
I don't think she does it a lot, but by 'never again' it had been 4ish very high stress years with Mulder and 5ish years since Jack Willis, which, since Ethan didn't make it into the Pilot, was her last relationship, so yes. Maybe once or twice a year there's a bit of an 'i'm crawling out of my skin i need to tempt fate' ritual. And since we see so little of their personal lives, not hearing about it doesn't rule it out, the reason we saw this time because it was such a disaster and became another X-file -- and because Jerse was so dangerous and violent, and because Mulder found out about it, that particular game stopped being interesting even in a self destructive way. Plus very soon she would realize she had cancer and would take stock of her life in a different way and get closer to Mulder on another level so there was less of a need for a pressure valve rebellion.
And I don't think that this idea cheapens her relationship with Mulder or means she was cheating on him if that did happen, because it would be about simple attraction and being not 'herself' and also a proxy thing for her feelings and frustrations about Mulder that she's too afraid of tarnishing his image of her to let him into directly. And if it would make Scully's jealousy of Mulder interacting closely with other women hypocritical, well, she's certainly allowed to be a flawed character and is shown to have double standards about a number of things.
Part 2 of my outlier opinion is that Ed Jerse isn't out of character for Dana. Going back to Jack again, instead of believing in possession, she thought he'd had a mental break after years of obsessive work and mutilated a cadaver and killed a guy and she was not surprised at all. She had a fairly long relationship with him while believing he had that level of instability and violence in him when pushed. That means Jerse lines up for her.
part 3 of my outlier opinion (I guess it is, I don't see it talked about directly afaik) is that the story is dark as fuck with Jerse and his ergot psychosis but at the same time the tone is not horror-bleak the way Blood is and many s2/s3 with similar types of plots, but more extremely darkly ironic or wry. Between Mulder in Graceland and the extended Rocky and Bullwinkle plot discussion, and the fact that all it takes is a divorce and an Evil!Rosie the Riveter tattoo to push this guy over the edge there's this air of like, pulp noir mundane and ridiculousness. Fandom generally treats it as this like this profound statement about Mulder and Scully's relationship and Mulder's selfishness and thoughtlessness and if he just brought her a bottle of wine and asked about her day a la Van Blunht in Small Potatoes she could've been flinging that fling with him. Except, no, she couldn't use him as his own proxy, so she'd have to crack herself open a lot more than she was ready to. But also it's a story about both of them spinning their wheels and not getting anywhere and ending up feeling dumb, it's absurdist, it's a comment that neither character is smarter than their narrative, it's not a statement about a fractured partnership.
Part 4 is a little more out there and whatever but I do think Mulder's reaction is interesting. He's obviously hurt and completely baffled because he can tell Scully's given him very little of the actual framing of her distress and because 'i'm bored at my job' is both hurtful to him and something he can't conceptualize as leading to 'so i'll have a one night stand with a violent man' -- because that isn't her complaint, it's just what he heard. But in that last scene he doesn't read as angry or jealous, even the hurt doesn't exactly read as sexual jealousy. He's confused, he doesn't know what she wants, and he gets in some cheap shots with his annoyed. But there's an interesting tone to it. Maybe i'm reading too much in. I think there's a combination of trying to laugh it off/brush it off because he can tell she's feeling too exposed, and aside from the 'was the professional dissatisfaction worth all this??' he was curious. He'd caught a glimpse of the barest silhouette of her wild child side.
like a combination of 'so you slipped off your pedestal and bounced a little, so your halo got dented, so what' (paternalistic, dismissive, kidding) (reassuring) and 'oh, so she's a little like that? what else does she like? can a person get her like that without actually being on the verge of snapping?' He knows about Willis and Jerse now. It's more than one, and Willis is now certainly not a fluke. He's got to be sure there's some fascinating things brewing in her subconscious, and he's got the idea that her sexual side is one part girlish wounded bird, one part manic live wire, and one part intellectual 3D chess. He's curious about what that means for him and them. Curious about what she might be willing to do with him now that he's been reminded she'll do it with other people. He's even optimistic, I think, about what he could coax from her.
Probably also reminded to be cautious about what entanglements with him that he could accidentally 'manipulate' her into with some of his more demanding behavior, though. But like, even though they're both feeling bitter at that moment i do feel like there's a 'positive' in the kind of colliding worlds event of the episode in Mulder being reminded of Scully being a human woman with a carnal side.
And that is... I think the bulk of what I wanted to talk about re: NA? I think? My brain feels overcooked now. But I rewatched it to refresh my memory (i'm now in s5) but I stand by this. And also I think I need to break my custom and do post-episode fic about it, honestly.
#character theory: scully#character theory: mulder#txf never again#txf s4#i think this needs my#msr#tag so i can find it later but yes whether or not this belongs in the ship tag is debatable. feels shippy to me though!#i'm sorry this ask took so long it needed some thinking and a rewatch XD#txf#also sorry not sorry but i do Get It about Jerse like yes i agree Scully too bad he turned out to be *that* over the edge lol#also a good reminder to have an interpersonal relationship (no matter how brief and doomed) call her Dana#it'd been a few seasons
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hii! if ur requests are open, can i request a cove holden x gn reader that doesn’t express themselves that well? like to everybody they seem very.. emotionless, when in reality they have a lot of thoughts and definitely feel emotions, they just have difficulties expressing them.
COVE WITH AN INEXPRESSIVE READER
gn!reader | You're Real and so so valid. i get like this a bit actually
after knowing you for years, he's one of the best people to guess what you're feeling accurately. he's had time to figure out emotional cues
^ seriously knows all the ins and outs—the difference between you replying with "that's fine" or "yes please," how you go quiet when you're thinking about what to say or something has upset you, etc
it's a learning curve for step 1 cove—he probably asks outright about it the first time he takes notice, you know how it is o(-( so it takes time but he does his best
^ i can imagine him nonchalantly pointing something out about how he knows you're happy because of so-and-so, and your families being pleasantly surprised :') he takes pride in knowing you well
cove can be,, very visibly emotional himself,, so sometimes your families talk about how you guys are so different, yet seem to understand each other better than anyone else
and like, let's be honest, cove can struggle with a similar thing!! sometimes he can't find the words to express his feelings and he knows how frustrating it can be, as a personal barrier and as something people comment on.
if you ever feel guilty for not being expressive, he frowns and reminds you that you don't have to be; he wants you to be comfortable and yourself, whatever that means for you !!
but if you want to be more expressive and it helps, he'll suggest different things for you to build on—like starting the conversation you know? asking how you feel about the situation, if something's made you upset, how long you've been looking forward to do something, etc etc
^ he takes the time to look up different ways to help and his search history is a bit wonky for a while (like that step 3 dlc moment o)-( )
never takes it personally if you don't react super strong to a gift or compliment. he does it because he wants to make you happy and to let you know he loves you !! he'd actually be more upset if you tried to force a reaction
if something upsetting has happened, it's not uncommon for people to underestimate the impact on you. cove finds the time to talk to you alone to see how you're doing and will do whatever you'd like to feel better (like the step 3 moment where you're split up at the market sort of deal)
the second anyone wants to rudely comments on your "emotionless" attitude cove is there. he won't make a huge scene, especially if you say it's fine, but he will remember and at least tell them that they shouldn't just assume things
cove is happy the times you're expressive because he knows that means you trust and feel comfortable around him !! he'll also take note of what exactly makes you super happy so he can do it in the future
when it's something where your opinion is super important he always takes the extra time to talk with you about it. you can show up late or take a few minutes to think things through—your feelings are the most important thing at the end of the day
all in all he doesn't mind as long as you don't! you're his world and endearing in your own ways. cove would never make you change just to please other people and he'll always remind you of that
@dreamtydraw @lordbugs @xfangirl-trashx @fifteenshadesofpinkk @lotus-sukimono @bakugosgrenade @vhenis @anime-ships-gay
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Monoma headcannons :
— as much as most people think it would be toxic with dating Monoma, they would be wrong. I can see complications but that's all settled if the chance to communicate and set boundaries was given and taken.
— forces you to watch the Lord of the rings franchise and the hobbit but still talks over the movie. ( probably to explain some heavy detailing and differences between the books )
— had a weird style phase, he finds it embarrassing but shoves it off by saying it was a needed canon event to develop such expertise and taste as him. So he finds ways to match your outfits even when your styling and aesthetic is different from each other.
— is more likely to have piercing than tattoos.
— has sticky notes all over his room that contain context from all sorts of quirks and the techniques to use them, mathematics formulas, history notes, lyrics or poems, favourite lines from books he's read or some incoherent affirmation that he's the hottest and the best.
— hated conflict as a child now, now he stirs all the pot that is available to him. And does he give a sht? Not really.
— popular among the girls because of his eyelashes. They're somewhat in love and jealous at the same thing.
— not a dog or cat person but a bugs and snake person. Had hyper fixations on moths and reptilians— he will talk to you about them if he trusts you enough to not make fun of him. But will elaborate with heavy detail if you find either of them disgusting or scary— just to annoy you.
— doesn't like gift giving that much. Prefers forms of affections from physical touch ( secretly ) , acts of service ( high on this) and lowkey quality time. He prefers giving words of affirmation rather than receiving only because he doesn't know how to react.
— but if gift giving is someone's love language who is he to give that person an opinion of his. He's not hellbent on hating it. Truly adores it if the gift is well thought through or handmade— he values the time and soul of others that put into it.
— finds waist beads, belly cabins and belly piercings hot.
— has this concept that pale skinned people and dark skinned people look best under moonlight while tan and brown skins look best under the sun.
— a Swiftie that relates to 🧺🩹🗝🧸🪞🌿 but prefers 🍾💫🫧🎟🥂📸 music
— also listens to chase Atlantic. A blonde arrogant mean cocky guy that we all would know would totally be a flirt? It fits.
— if he would get a tattoo of his significant other, he would get a tattoo of their eyes.
— wants love, affection and attention and receiving it without having the feeling that he asked for it.
— sucks at mobile games, he's not interested in them that much.
— he prefers to not be around children, he thinks he isn't so experienced or good with them but he's literally a toddler magnet. Especially the real ones who spout whatever they think and the ones who're extremely quiet and shy.
— has divorced parents and is thankful for that everyday.
— will let 1-B girls or his significant other do his makeup, much more prefers if it's natural and enhances his features but he doesn't mind douyin or k-beauty makeup. He likes the glitters but hates heavy matte looks.
— amazing time management and is always early to things. That's canon at this point.
— and last but not least, he's the most amazing, spectacular, outstanding, gorgeous, pretty, ethereal, intelligent, showstopping boy. And I'm sad I don't have him 🫠
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Not sure if anyone's asked you this one before, but what are your favorite parts or scenes from the musical? Or just any scene you'd like to gush about :)
oh you bet I'm gonna break this down cause there's SO MUCH I could talk about
act 1 favorite scene: I literally can't choose between popular and defying gravity so I will talk about both!!
popular. I used to think the whole scene was dramatic and too goofy for its own good. As silly as it is, when you have the right people in the roles, it can be a deeply moving scene as well. Of course there's moments of seriousness built into the scene ("my father hates me") but even the silly bits can carry weight when done right. the "miss elphaba, you're beautiful" ALWAYS hits, especially because of the music-- it's the "I'm Not that Girl" motif and if that doesn't describe peak yearning I don't know what does. I could go on more about different takes on the Popular scene but I think I'll just direct you to @dailypopular it's not active anymore but honestly it's your spot for all things Popular
defying gravity: literally I don't even have to do much explaining on this one. it's such a phenomenal showstopper of a song. I would literally give an arm and a leg to be able to see it live. besides the amazing song, the staging is incredible as well. particularly the part where the ensemble is all shielding themselves in fear whilst Glinda is reaching out to Elphaba. I also have a firm belief about the line "kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity" being directed towards Glinda but that's a post for a different day
Act 1 underrated scene: One Short Day
One Short Day does NOT get enough love cause it's always overshadowed by the hype of Defying Gravity but it really is one of my favorite scenes. this is really the only time in the musical, besides the Ozdust, that we get to see Elphaba and Glinda genuinely happy at the same time and that just makes me feel things. I wish they could be happy more. Also I love Glinda's dress in this scene the yellow just pops I love it
Act 2 opinions under the cut cause this is getting long haha
Act 2 favorite scene: For Good/Finale
I cannot possibly talk enough about how many Feelings the end of the show gives me. Even casting the shipping lens of everything aside, the sheer force of For Good as an expression of forgiveness and undying friendship and unwavering trust is enough to make me emotional. And then as if I wasn't already emotional enough, Elphaba's faked death and having to keep it a secret from Glinda AND THEN a reprise of For Good, calling out to each other, knowing they'll never see each other again???? oof. That's emotional enough, but then put it through the gelphie lens and I'm an utter crying mess.
Act 2 underrated scene: Thank Goodness/Engagement Ball
Right after the intermission. You're still reeling from Defying Gravity, so Thank Goodness doesn't quite match up in terms of thrilling staging and high energy. but even though the song lacks flash (until the operatic high note at the end, at least), it does an excellent job in terms of storytelling. We get so much more insight into Glinda's character, her wants, her true motivations. Same goes for later in the act when Elphaba shows up again. She's so relieved to see Elphaba alive (katie rose clarke plays this scene wonderfully) but even despite her own emotions she can't bring herself to leave. But then she winds up losing Elphaba again AND Fiyero as well. It sets up the tragedy of her character in such a heartbreakingly marvelous way. Long story short, Glinda's character arc makes me feel things. lots of things.
#thank you for the question#I will gladly take any opportunity to ramble about wicked#ask#answered#gelphie#wicked the musical#galphie
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Hi! I just stumbled onto you two while browsing the Sondheim tag, and it's awesome to see other musical writers on tumblr! I have one that is currently being workshopped, which is super exciting (it's also dark academia coincidentally!)
Anyhow, I was wondering, do you have any advice on letting go? I have a cast and director for the workshop, and they are BRILLIANT, but I still struggle sometimes with them taking my work and running with it. Inherently I know their choices are awesome and will make the work greater than I could make it alone, but it's still really hard to put that in others' hands- even though I'm incredibly thankful for their participation and help, it's this weird dichotomy. I'd appreciate any words of wisdom you have to share!!!
Hi!! Great to see and meet other musical writers on tumblr (I love Frankenstien and Dracula, so your show sounds right up my alley!) This is also a really good question- we'll try to do it justice! I'm also going to be talking mostly about Adamandi, because that process is fresher in my mind and was more akin to a professional rehearsal process (with a longer timeline, bigger budget, etc).
Speaking as Mel, the practice of collaborating on the book and lyrics prepared me a little bit for creative compromises in the rehearsal room (I know you said elsewhere you work better on your own, which is very valid- I just know for sure now that I don't). I had already experienced the joy and excitement of seeing Elliot's ideas enhance my own (and, honestly, seen concrete proof of how much better my work got when I let other people into my work as collaborators!) By the time Georgina Escobar became our director for Adamandi, I was prepared to step back a little bit more- and also knew I would have to, because I totally had that personality trait that makes me put inflection indicators on all my lines and grind my teeth when something is staged differently from how I envisioned it. Adamandi was still a learning process for me in that regard, but I think my couple of tips would be:
Respect other people's skills- AND ask for yours to be respected. Especially as a student writer, I've sometimes experienced people (who aren't the director) giving us unsolicited feedback on the writing of the script, which I hated until I realized I sometimes accidentally did the same to my collaborators- I still cringe thinking about giving really picky notes to our sound designer, or asking our lighting designer to change One Singular Light (tech week is an altered state for us all 😔). It's helped me to remember your director, your actors, and your designers all have specific, highly specialized skills in what they do, so make sure you're not telling your director how to direct, your actors how to act, etc. Vice versa, you are the writer because you have skills in storytelling that they don't (or that they are not being asked to bring to this project)- so own that! Defend the story to your last breath, but let your opinions on how that story is specifically delivered go (e.g. you can't say "make that lighting cue blue because I always imagined it as blue," but you can say "The tone of this scene is really somber because xyz character has to realize y- do you have any ideas on how that could be reflected in the lighting?" or "the pink polka-dotted spinning light cue gave me the impression this scene was really upbeat and cheery- could you walk me through why you chose that one?" Bonus points that the latter two can help you realize something about the work- or how the work is perceived- that you didn't know before!) ~Mel
Everyone has incredibly different lived experiences, and trust in the ability of your collaborators to see and add depth to your work that you had no idea was there. Whether this is an actor coming up with a culturally specific backstory for their character or a director noticing a fun parallel between scenes that you didn't originally intend, it's always exciting to see how others are analyzing your work (to which you can go "Oh, yeah, I totally thought of that!" etc., etc.) It's like adding layers to a painting. For example, I (Elliot) am a Chinese-Canadian gay man. Working with collaborators, I gained valuable insight (and revision fodder) through how actors connected to characters' stories through their nonbinary identity, or how our director as a bisexual woman envisioned a tender moment in our sapphic plotline, or how certain configurations of actors could mirror paintings of Catholic saints -- all things I could've never realized, understood, or articulated as well on my own. - Elliot
Trust your director (and ask your director!) to ask you questions. (For example, on the flip side of #2, your team might not share the lived experiences you brought into your writing, so trust in them to ask for your expertise when they need it!) This really depends on the structure of your rehearsal room- Georgina is also a playwright, so her process was super inclusive of us as the writers. She allowed us to be there every rehearsal and would ask us questions when she wanted our input on a staging choice, an acting choice, or a bit of table work- and not ask us questions when she didn't, which is equally important! Often I discovered something new about a scene (or found out that a bit of writing needed to be edited) when she wanted to try something out that I wasn't quite sure about (the spooky underscoring under the pyre scene was all Georgina's idea, for example!) This dynamic was established before we even entered the rehearsal room, when Georgina asked us about the timeline (fast) and about how much input we would have on the final vision of the show (which ended up being lots). I'm also excited to have future collaborations where I get to step back more, but it was the right thing for the project timeline and a workshop process. Deciding early on what our communication would look like, and really trusting that she would ask us when something could compromise the story, made it easier to sit back and watch everyone play around and experiment in the reho room without biting my nails. - Mel
If you have the chance to be in the rehearsal room, put yourself out there as a resource! You created this world, so you're there to share if someone's confused or curious about your artistic intentions. You're also there to get excited about others' ideas and give them Word of God approval! A good collaboration doesn't have to be wholly relinquishing your writing into others' hands. If you feel a little helpless, talk to your director to see if there's a way y'all can be communicating better, or running rehearsals differently, etc. - Elliot
Use your vetos sparingly. Sometimes something just... doesn't work. The scene is playing as romantic instead of predatory. That really cool extra special costume piece is falling off the actor's head every two seconds. The lighting cue that you personally suggested to create a spooky ambience really just makes it hard to see anything. And everyone else seems to love it! As the writer, IF something is in your lane, IF it is significantly impacting the story, IF it's too important to just let slide for this production, AND people will think it was your choice... you are within your rights to put your foot down. But this should only happen as an absolute last resort, and in my opinion you don't get more than 3 a production, so really think about whether that jacket-that's-a-little-more-red-than-blood-orange is worth wasting one. Having a rule for the maximum number of these helps me be more generous and chill out a little if something's not exactly right. -Mel
As a last resort- hit the bricks! This isn't my ideal collaboration structure, and it depends on what your director wants out of you, but if watching someone take apart your script in rehearsal is too stressful, it's been good to remember I can also leave. Sometimes it's hard (but good) to internalize that once your show is up on its feet, you're not strictly necessary anymore- you're vestigial, or mostly there to collect data, like a scientist. Occasionally some of my own experiences that I wrote into Adamandi would get too intense for me to watch in rehearsal(I might talk about that some other time- wild experience), or struggling to figure out a scene hit me with the good old "am I a good writer" fears. Having a co-writer like Elliot who was comfortable taking over in those moments- as well as a director-SM team who understood this about me and would come find me if something was dire- allowed me to step out for a few moments and recover my sense of perspective. It's just theater. For Princes, we weren't in the rehearsal room very much at all, and it still turned out lovely and very close to our vision- with the added bonus of delightful surprises we hadn't written in! In these moments I like to imagine all the old playwrights revolving in their graves like dynamos over all the productions of their work nowadays that cut it down, rewrite it, and abridge it- and consider reinterpretation a compliment. ~Mel
Hope this helps! Break a leg with your workshop!
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fic ask game 24. rant away.
What’s a trope that you’d like to never hear about as long as you live, let alone write?
so this is actually really hard for me because if someone tells me something is good or if i suspect something might be good, i will read most fics. i don't have very many hard lines at all; a lot of the things i'd rant about are like. they're conditional. i don't like the current stock watcher plot for example but i have seen it done alright before when people do something interesting with it so i'm reluctant to say i never want to hear about it because while it's almost always not to my taste it SOMETIMES is to my taste and also i don't want people to feel bad for liking things that aren't to my taste etc etc etc.
i mean, if i had a thing that makes me back out of a fic fastest, however, it's... oh BOY you better know what you're doing if you want me to read an angst fic, especially heavy angst. which i know is very funny given that i write angst, but often the thing is that the things i like to write are the things that i end up pickiest about because they're the things i have the strongest opinions on how to write. (incidentally side note this is one of my problems with the standard watcher plot: i have very very strong opinions on how mumbo should be written and often the stock version of that has mumbo be WAY too emotionally competent and there to comfort grian and i'm like no mumbo would be lovingly awful at it please. this is also why i just flat-out don't read other people writing techno's chat unless i know i trust the author, lol.)
but like. okay. i don't know how to explain my issue with badly written angst or what the specific trigger is that causes me to hop on out of there because "is it sad for being sad's sake" isn't quite the right line there, i can read things that are definitely written for the angst factor, but i think there's a difference between someone writing something because they're like. oh yeah this is gonna make everyone so sad. and someone writing something that's actually sad. i don't know. it's a vibe. it's a quality. i don't know how to explain it.
that and soulmate aus you need to sell me VERY HARD to get me to read soulmate stuff. oh wait and also hanahaki. i don't understand what it is that draws people to that. i don't understand how it's supposed to work. it just sort of has me like. cool i guess. this is weird i don't like it.
...anyway though as i said in the long paragraph at the beginning i don't want to make people think they can't write things because i personally don't like them though that's like my worst fear please write things even if i do personally don't like them. write things based on my fics that i personally don't like, even. you have my permission
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I do feel like sams expectations are too high. I do edit and have edited for YouTubers in the past. But even then it wasn’t so picky and specific. I do wish Sam could open his eyes a little and see that everything doesn’t need to be perfect. People have lives outside of work and plus. Regardless if the editing is not the greatest doesn’t mean the quality of the video would be bad. I could careless about the editing/how the video is edited. As long as the quality is fine even then I don’t mind. I feel like this is happening because Sam is stressed out on something in his life. I just wish that whatever it is he get sorted out. Same as for Colby. There’s no denying there’s stuff going on in his life. People got to think that these people have lives outside of exploring. I just want them to be okay and know it’s always fine if they take a break. That’s what I mostly miss about them hanging out with TFIL. I loved when they went to Australia with Corey. It was normal and I could tell that they were so happy to take a break from everything. I hope they are okay!
I’m stating this outside of anonymous as I don’t really care who thinks what on my opinion (as in negativity)! But I always listen. Everyone opinions matter so feel free to voice whatever on mine! Ily <3
i wonder if his problem is a mix of both his perfectionist tendencies and being scared that fans will not like a slightly different editing style. bc while most fans wouldn't care overall, i think a decent amount would have something to say about it and would not like it. i know i saw it somewhere (either reddit or twitter) that someone said "snc need to get an editor that knows their style. they have to, otherwise the videos won't be good moving forward" and there were ppl agree with said person so….
but that doesn't negate the fact that sam is too up-tight about this. there's a difference between "i want my video to look like that in the end" vs "i'm gonna hover over you while you work and micromanage everything you do to get the end result i want". like, you want to give notes? that's fine. but if you gotta give a note for every slight change in the edit, then clearly at the point you should just do it yourself. if you can't trust someone you hired to get the job done, don't hire them. especially if it's someone with extensive background in editing.
which again is why i feel like they should just hire someone that has never done editing before, or at the bare minimum knows after effects and that's it, and just teach them everything they want in a video.
both snc are just really stressed, and idk if it's continued stress from last year or what things they have planned this year, but it's clear that they are overworked. i would love for them to take a break this year (maybe not with tfil lol) and just… chill out. i get they need to post and i want them to, but if you're gonna be stressing yourself out, don't do it. take time to relax. no one would fault you for wanting a vacation or time off.
and i'm sure most anons, or anyone else, would agree with your sentiment so no need to worry about negativity haha
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♡ ˚ .What The Calamity Trio do when their jealous.♡ ˚ .
Warings: Manipulation, Gaslighting, abuse, toxic relationships.
🕯️🤍🕊️note: I’m back❤️ and here with a new fic💞please enjoy and should I do some work on Miguel o’hara? Please let me know in my inbox!
Anne Boonchuy◟♡
* Anne is someone who doesn’t really get jealous often.
*but she can get a bit pissed when someone else takes your attention and you completely ignore her, she won’t directly tell you or show it. But she will try and distant you with the person you seem to like so much, she’ll start to constantly ask you to hang out with her more often, and if you're ever near them, she'll just start to make pouty faces and start to cling on you more than ever before, And oh. Did I forget to mention she's EXTREMELY toxic when it comes to you and a new person in your life? Shell try to gaslight you in every way possible, Her being a hero makes her think that she needs to protect you and keep you from harm's way. And if it soons becomes necessary, Anne will just lock you up in Pop Pop's Basement so you won't ever have to Experience the harsh world. But if you do end up listening to her, then none of that will ever have to happen! :) She will also her crying is a way she manipulates you, It's very easy since your so naive. "Y/N its okay. I understand- You clearly like them better than me, so at this point just go! Leave me alone." Yes it's very cruel but she has to make you stay with her one way or ANOTHER.
*Shell make up lies and try to frame your new "friend" out of jealousy and anger, she also has manipulative tactics shell use on you, "How come we don't hang out at all anymore?" "All you do is talk about them, I feel like you don't care about me anymore." Yeah, that type of guilt trip thing.Anne will keep on saying stuff like this until you actually start listening to her and stay away from your new friend she feels Threatened by. At the end of the day She'll make sure your hers and ONLY hers. Other than that, She loves hanging out with you and going on adventures.
Marcy◟♡
*Marcy is someone who gets very jealous and possessive , I mean she trapped her friends in a Fantasy land so she wouldn't have to leave them, She seems innocent on the outside. But she's very possessive and clingy on the inside
*She's not cruel, no not at all she's very gentle and sweet when it comes to you. But when it comes to other people.. She's a bit different, Especially to those who Purposefully try to get close to you. Everytime a new "person" try's to come up in between you and marcy, marcy will make excuses and drag you away from them. And if you dare to ask why she would do all those things, she'll hit you with the "I don't trust them" "They seem really off to me Y/N, you shouldn't be so naive, we don't even know them that well! For all we know they could be a Villain! And try to hurt us." "I care about you." .
*She wants you to think that you need her and only her. IN Marcy's opinion, the only people you should talk to and be friends with whos a non threat is: Anne, Sprig, Polly, Pop Pop, And Sasha. (Yes she limits your communication to 5 people.) Your to scared not to listen to marcy though. She's more Experienced and knows wayy more than you. And without her you would still be trapped in the woods all alone and scared, and of course she constantly reminds you of that if you ever try to doubt her.
Sasha◟♡
Sahsa Is probably the most violent and manipulative one out of all of them. Shes willing to go the extra mile if she doesnt get what she wants.
*If a new person suddenly comes into her way and unexpectedly starts stealing your attention, sasha won’t be afriad to speak up and threaten them. She’ll grab your hand harshly and speak to you privately. Her words spitting venom, you immediately know what she’s gonna say and you turn a blind eye and about to walk away until she painfully grabs your wrist and turns you to her direction . "Y/N, Please stop being difficult and listen to me, You need to stop hanging around them.Their not good for you at all. I know best," "now stay away from them from now on, ok? End of disscussion."
Overall, Sasha is a very controlling/ Manipulative yandere and she’s not afraid to hurt anyone who gets in the way of your relationship with her.
#yandere noncon#yandere Sasha#yandere clamaity trio#yandere Anne boonchuy#yandere Marcy woo#yandere non con
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My Top 5 Mysticons Episodes
Note: This are just purely my opinion, and will be going from worst to best, so my favourite will be number 1 on the list.
5. ALL HAIL NECRAFA: In my opinion, it's rare for the main characters to lose everything, but that's exactly what happened. I found that to be really cool to see, as they are not perfect heroes. The imagery in the episode is also very beautiful, and the idea of them thinking the Codex Pieces will help revive the parents, only to have Nova Terron want to destroy them, is interesting, and everything was done beautifully. The reason this isn't higher on the list isn't the episode itself, as it is a solid episode, but other episodes have things that appeal to me personally, such as favourite characters. So, while this was a solid episode, there are other episodes that appeal to me more due to other factors, which will be discussed with the different episodes up the list.
4. FEAR THE SPECTRAL HAND: This was a really good episode, and the ending scene is absolutely beautiful. This also really helped Dreadbane's character, as he wasn't seen since episode 26. I also really like how we got more background on Necrafa and the Spectral Hand. (while I wish it was discovered slowly, that's not episode-specific, so it still counts as a good point for this episode). This also gave the impression of them still being teens and being over their heads and needing help from adults (the Goldenbraids and Dreadbane) However, there are some things I didn't like in the episode. Arkayna and Zarya would never leave Choko behind (Arkayna at least asked where Gawayne was), and Proxima remembering that she can turn the Spectromancers back to normal right away, though a way to bring Dreadbane into the plot by needing him to undo his spell, felt as though it was thrown in. I'm sure that Proxima would have normally thought of reviving them before. And yes, this are nitpicks, but when you're thinking of favourite episodes from a favourite show, those nitpicks play a role.
3. A WALK IN THE PARK: Considering this episode had a curse and had my top two Mysticons having major roles, this episode was likely going to make the podium for Mysticons episode. I also like how Em has to learn to trust herself, as that's something I have to learn myself (for a bit, I even had the line "or maybe you should believe in yourself!" written with window markers on my mirror). It was also interesting to see them deal with one of them having a deadly curse. However, the Lovesbreath pollen was not the best moments, and could have been spent dealing with the implications of the curse (etc. how dangerous being a Mysticon can be, possibly losing a friend), but instead they made boring ship fodder that was done in many episodes prior.)
2. SISTERS IN ARMS: I know many people think that pilot episodes are bad, but I've always liked them. It's cool to see how a group got together, and Mysticons did that well. I'm especially impressed by how they weren't all friends at the end of the episode, which I find very unique in Magical Girl shows. Even without that, this shows the mix of action, humour, and emotion that Mysticons will have for the entire season.
1. LOST AND FOUND. This one was a very solid episode, other than the inconsistency between how this episode started and the previous episode (I honestly thought Arkayna kicked Zarya out of the Mysticons, so seeing them expect Zarya to be at the stronghold was a little jarring). While the inconsistency would have normally been enough to push this out of the top spot, the characterization of various characters makes up for it. Zarya dealt with difficult feelings of thinking the others are no longer her friends, and Piper had to overcome her fears of being away from Zarya. I also like how we saw Malvaron is seen to truly care for the Mysticons other than Arkayna, which I don't see too often.
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Wanna go for a pizza later???
If you’re worried after reading all of this about professors, you can relax now because at least making friends with other students is very easy! In Italian universities, it is crucial to establish connections with your classmates, because they’re the ones that are going to help you during dark times, as you cannot always count on your professors to give you a hand (hardly ever, to be honest🫣).
So, what are some ways to make new friendships in Italy?
We know it’s very difficult, especially for an international student, to meet new people and break the ice. There are many barriers at first, and language can be one of them, because most of Chinese students coming to Italy are still learning Italian and it’s not common to find Italians who know Chinese. So, the most likely thing to happen is that you will both use English as a lingua franca (a language or way of communicating which is used between people who do not speak one another's native language (Collins Dictionary)) but again, it’s a second if not a third language to both of you so it can be pretty hard and scary to express ourselves in a language which is not our own.
Trust us, we know very well how it feels to live in a foreign country and not having any friends (been there, done that...😬), but if we did it, you can do it! No worries!
A big difference in Chinese academic contexts compared to Italian ones is that the first one can be highly competitive. This is one of the reasons why Chinese students tend to study on their own, rather than together with their classmates and tend to solve problems without asking for help. On the contrary, in Italy it’s totally normal to, for example, make study groups, so don't waste this opportunity! Do not hesitate to ask for notes, or to help in general, or you can even suggest going to a café and prepare that one exam you find extremely difficult🫠.
Let's say you have to do a group project (like we’re doing now😉), this is our piece of advice for you: do not be afraid to share your opinions and try to think about not doing things individually. In this case the more you share, the more useful information you could get in return. And just another thing, a group project is never just a group project, it can be your chance to get to know the other students and their interests and to go for a pizza or an aperitivo when you’ve finally finished or you’re too hungry to keep on working!
So, that’s it! Your future Italian friends will be there for you when you need them or whenever you want to eat out, basically. It’s always about food in the end (and again, this is not just a stereotype).
-Alice, Chiara, Vivi.
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Don't be argumentative!
Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass
Thursday 27th July 2023
'Stop before the argument gets out of control.' Proverbs 17:14 GWT
One bumper sticker reads, 'People who think they know it all are especially annoying to those of us who do.' You will find know-it-alls everywhere. Older people afraid of uselessness struggle to prove they still have some superior amount of knowledge. Religious people use their convictions like a club to beat others over the head. The Bible says, 'Contend earnestly for the faith' (Jude 1:3 NKJV). But there is a difference between contending and being contentious.
Paul writes: 'Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful' (2 Timothy 2:23-24 NIV). Note these four phrases: (1) 'Must not be quarrelsome.' Don't argue, just plant the seeds of God's word and trust the Holy Spirit to work in people's hearts. (2) 'Be kind to everyone.' There is no need to be hostile, demeaning or disagreeable with someone who doesn't share your viewpoint. Proving people mistaken doesn't validate your self-worth. (3) 'Able to teach.' Instead of trying to force your opinions on someone, say, 'Here's what I've discovered in God's word, and this is the difference it's made in my life.' Your experience refutes arguments. (4) 'Not resentful.' Only when your own hurts have been healed can God use you to heal the hurts of others.
So, pray: 'Father, make me an instrument of peace so that people will be open to the truths you reveal to them through me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.'
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Yes i was the one that sent the ask about jjk ending estimation! Thanks for ur thoughts. But when i said characters dying off screen i didn't mean major characteris in particular, i meant more like side characters, especially ones that u would think would have been doing something but no. Since kenjaku is out for blood rn i imagine many will end up dead because what is jjk if not dark to its very core?
Also who knows what will happen to gojo, gege hates him sm but something tells me he will either leave him alive as last or kill him somehow. The alternative is they might never end up freeing him at all! As much as gege said he needs to tell megumi about toji, I don't think ppl should hold onto that statement alone for a belief that gojo can get outta that box. I would love it ofc but as u said, writing changes with different routes the plot takes 🤔
I AM SOOOO SORRY 😭
i thought i posted my response but apparently i didn’t 😭😭😭
anyway anyway here’s the answer:
hmmm yeah i can see side characters getting killed/captured off screen (or maybe only their last moments are shown, like with principal yaga). since the US wants a lot of sorcerers, i doubt every fight will be fully shown.
in one interview gege said that between gojo and the first years, either one will die and everyone else will live or everyone will die except for one person, so there’s a very big possibility that gojo will die at the end of the series. (personally, i think it will end with megumi being the only one alive, but only because i find that interesting).
for the toji thing, i think megumi will become aware of who his father is, especially since he is now the head of the zenin clan. that, however, does not have to be done through gojo. i doubt that—if or when gojo gets out—he and megumi will have time for a long, deep talk about his father and gojos past, as there are more pressing matters to attend to. if both gojo and megumi do happen to survive till the end of the manga, then i can see that talk happening. also, yeah! authors change their minds a lot so there’s a possibility that gege changed his mind about this. (also, just a side note, i think people are making the whole “when megumi finds out about toji” thing way too big of a deal. i don’t think megumi cares all that much about who toji is. so many people are making it out to be a “when gojo tells megumi, megumi will no longer trust him” type situation and i just don’t think that’s true. gojo has been there for megumi way more than toji has. megumi has outright said that he doesn’t care to know where toji is, what he’s doing, or who he is. of course, his opinion may change, but i doubt he’ll get mad at gojo over it).
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Little piece of advice for the night
I know this has likely been oft-repeated, but if someone is expressing worry, anxiety, or pain, please don't try to convince them that everything will be okay, especially if this is the same person who has expressed hope before, that they are still committed to trying something, or that they *understand* the illogic of the current thought process but they are just wanting to express their pain to get it out of them and to just release it and allow it to dissipate.
It's valid to feel frustrated with them, especially if you feel they "want" to stay stuck in a thought pattern or if you have your own vulnerabilities about your opinions or advice being listened to, but please don't get angry with them for trusting you enough to express their pain to you. Please don't assume they *want* to stay stuck or that they want to shoot you down or not believe you. If you don't have the emotional bandwidth to help or support them, that's valid too! Just please make that known. "I'm so sorry you're hurting, and your feelings are valid. But right now I'm just not in a position to listen. I don't have the emotional bandwidth, and you deserve for someone to be able to sit with you through this moment with full presence". Don't get angry every time someone says a "negative" thing; or, if you do, please at least give them a chance to finish their thought and perhaps cancel out the negativity.
Because it really fucking hurts and doesn't solve the problem when people are trying to explain their feelings, explain the mechanism by which their concerns are being driven, and get it out of their system, but people are telling them to trust the process, that they don't like those negative words, and that those people are always trying to negate them or that they just want to stay stuck when they may actually be trying to work it out.
There's a difference between "it will never happen!" and "I *feel* like it will never happen, and here's why. But I know that's just my brain telling me that and my trauma scaring me as well, XYZ has happened and I know it can happen; it's just the way forward is scary when nothing's guaranteed." Please, for the love of G-d, if the venting is sounding like the second, and they ARE open to suggestions of how to fix something, give them a chance to freaking self-regulate instead of just telling them not to think negatively and that they're just being so negative, or that they're thinking too linear. Or that they need to be grateful for all the good things in their lives, or that homeless people have it worse. (Yeah, they do. Doesn't make the situation suck any less.) They fucking KNOW that! They're coming to *you* BECAUSE they know that, and they just need someone to sit with them in the pain, get it out of their system, and let it go. This is especially true for ADHD/Autistic folx due to how our brains are wired (it's not limited to us, though). They trusted you with the pain. Don't drive them away from you.
They don't need a lecture about how of course XYZ can happen, just trust the process, and that they need to not dwell on it. They don't need a lecture about life not being perfect, more or less shaming for being in pain.
They just need someone to sit with them in the pain and say, "Yeah, this does suck, and this is a scary position to be in. I do believe things will get better, but regardless, I'm here for you throughout ups and downs. I've got your back. I'm with you no matter what."
That's all. You don't have to fix the person's pain. Just sit with them and help them come back to midline emotionally. That's all.
This is especially true when the person is known for a sunshiny personality. Else, it comes across "well our little sunshine isn't allowed to feel bad/express negative emotions! If you're not up, what about us?" Little sunshine people are still people and still deserve to honor their full range of emotions.
Also, one final note: You can believe in a divine plan and assert this (I do, myself), but please don't spiritually bypass the pain either. Yes, it's good to trust the divine plan. But it doesn't take away the drawbacks that may come with the fucked up timing of some things, and it's valid to acknowledge that there's a very real risk that it might never come to pass, and it's okay to not be okay with that and to need to grieve that the risk exists. It doesn't take away that there could be an ideal scenario here that some folks get, but the person in question did not.
It's okay to be afraid of the unknown and the real risk that things might not work out or you might be forced to pick one thing or another. It's okay to grieve that, but of course we need to not let it control our actions or assume it will be our future.
You are not owed a "sunshine person's" positivity, and everyone has the right to sit with and process their emotions verbally. Be a friend, sit with them and let them know you're there for them. That's it. That's all that is needed.
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this is another anon that doesn't dislike svt's newer tracks but i decided to share my own opinion because i like talking abt svt i'm sorry this is super long
i think people have been a bit concerned abt the sound of svt's music for a while now but i think that's only bc svt has found what they want to do - they've been changing up their concepts very frequently. and they're good at it! i think one of the advantages of larger groups is that it's easier to use multiple concepts. but one of the disadvantages of being a larger group is that not everyone will like the songs they perform, and i think maybe that's why svt changes things so often, trying not to stick with one thing. because they want to reveal different sides of them that they weren't able to as rookies. it's got to be hard for the leaders, creating music and choreo to share with 12 other people. (i mean, think abt minghao who went from the aww cute quiet baby to the wine and silk robes art hipster.) and i think part of the reason ppl might not like their recent music as much is nostalgia. which is perfectly fine! i'm also nostalgic for their earlier eras.
but maybe carats didn't realize until recently that this has been happening? dwc catches you off guard like - oh! this is mature but in a very refreshing iconic seventeen way. (but maybe that was just them testing out the waters?) and woozi has gotten a lot more experience now, so as svt gets older the more he might want to experiment with music.
and then we start having people conflating personal opinion with the actual techniques and qualities of music. (i don't trust the music opinions of anybody who can't tell the difference bt a sustained note and a high note.) i watch reacttothek and they have so many interesting things to say about some of the more recent releases!
when hybe took over i think ppl started to get even more suspicious over music quality. which. i'm not actually sure either? yeah, hybe does have a certain sound but form of therapy (another reaction channel) was wondering if the change in sound actually symbolizes how svt can became more experimental in their sound bc now that they're under hybe they don't have to worry abt being general public friendly. idk.
but even if their sound did change after the merge, i do agree that svt's b-sides still sound amazingly good. honestly, i love most if not all of svt's songs i'm very biased. also, i'm not particularly angry abt darling's sound or it being in english? it's a pre-release single, so it's job is to just get everyone interested in the next cb. and judging from everyone's reactions, it did its job. darling might not be mindblowing but imagine the outrage if somehow the pre-release was better than the actual cb title track.... idk. maybe darling could have been better. but also svt has dozens of songs so it's not like i can't just skip and be mildly pleased when boomboom comes on.
dude anon i honestly have nothing else to add because you hit the nail in the head. also don't apologize for it being long i truly loved reading your insight on it and again i fully agree with everything you said
#like truly i wanna add something but i don't know what because you put it all so well#especially the not trusting people opinions when they don't know the difference between notes#thank you so much for this ask!#asks#anon
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pick a card: your life as a celebrity
pile 1 -> pile 2 -> pile 3
JOIN MY DISCORD
MASTERLIST
MY KOFI
INSTRUCTIONS: breath in, breath out and choose whatever picture that draws you in the most!
NOTE: it’s completely fine if you are attracted to more than one pile - the universe probably wants you to see some other messages. this is also general reading, not everything may resonate! enjoy!
PILE 1
you'd peacefully live your lavish life. travelling all around the world, having mansions in each favourited countries, non-stop buying branded luxury goods. you're young, rich, famous, and you use it!
people are neutral about you - some hate you, some love you. genuinely, you don't attract any special attention - that makes your life much easier.
however, you'd have lots of various dating rumours; paparazzies can't stop taking pics of you leaving some house, club or car. it'd get tiring, especially, when they don't even stop after you get married. this could cause misunderstandings between you and your spouse. i don't think your marriages would last.
parties would be your thing. especially the ones abroad. to you there's just something charming in meeting foreigners in a foreign land.
your fans would love you for your sense of freedom. you just don't care, having fun is what matters. this could become your trademark - not giving a single fuck. "my panties are flashing somebody? you're lucky to see it. i'm late to an event? well, without me the show isn't starting anyways. my hair is messy, and my makeup is all over my face? i still look stunning." - for you there is just no problem. this is your specialty, your greatest charm! and the reason why people both hate you and love you - for some you just may look a bit too reckless.
but what makes a memorable celebrity? a sprinkle of controversial personality.
celebrities with alike fame: naomi campbell, kendall jenner, lindsay lohan, lil nas x, jennifer lawrence, adriana lima.
PILE 2
ohhh, you'd be considered a bit "unhinged". you just appear different to most people - the air around you is peculiar. you probably wouldn't give any fucks about any opinions - nothing influences you - which is new to the majority. and it bothers many - they just can't stop you! they can't see you crying, they can't see you failing, their words mean nothing - you're absolutely unbothered. and that's very new in the celebrity world.
consequently, there'd be a few rumours about you doing drugs or maybe even being a part of a cult - it's funny how people can't believe that their opinions just simply don't matter to you.
but most people LOVE you. you're their idol. people want to take a picture with you, they want your autograph, they want to meet you, to see you... and they want to copy you. you could become a fashion icon, some could even try to imitate your mannerisms in daily life. but again you don't really care, you're just enjoying life.
you could have some beef with paparazzies. i see it being funny and mostly light-hearted - maybe you having silly little fights with them, maybe a few cameras being slammed to the ground. they're going to annoy you, trust me. they'd gather around your car, causing difficulties to drive. it's amusing till it happens almost every single day. therefore, some bickering could happen. but people will like it, they'd consider it funny - after all, they really enjoy your personality and everything you do and say.
your fame would be sudden and strong from the start. you'd never go out of trend - always relevant.
celebrities with alike fame: paris hilton, kim kardashian, kanye west, nicki minaj, lady gaga.
PILE 3
you'd be THE obsession. oh, and it will get exhausting.
people care to know every single aspect of your life. they'll dig out your address, your favourite meals, your allergies, the list of your friends or neighbours, the colour of your panties - anything they can.
people are obsessed with you, even your haters. they all can't deny how special your aura is - it's something that hasn't been seen in ages, it's intoxicating. you'd be assured to become a legend, your part in history is already written from the start.
i see people becoming obsessed to the point of ignoring your emotions. they could treat you as if you were "unhuman" - completely forgetting that you're a person with feelings and treating you like an alien/entertainment object. on the other hand, you'd have armies of fans that are loyal to you like you're a god.
this affect could cause intense stalking, constant articles about you, various rumours, lack of privacy, etc. even other celebrities would become obsessed with you. once you walk in - all eyes are on you, you're the centre of the world.
people would sleep outside for weeks just to meet you - it's crazy. you're constantly talked about, swooned over. if you're not strong enough - this would be a highly damaging fame, maybe even your death sentence.
celebrities with alike fame: marilyn monroe, britney spears, elvis presley, justin bieber, michael jackson.
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I've been thinking about doing a proper WordPress blog post about this but since my executive functioning hasn't come back from the war for that level of Formality (TM), let's do this, instead.
Basic skills I wish I'd been encouraged to start with as a baby polytheist spiritworker.
My teen nephew has been making noises about learning spiritwork, so here's what I basically told him.
Have a mindfulness practice so that you know where 'you' end and 'other' begins.
The difference may not be so straightforward, depending on a whole variety of spiritual factors, but GENERALLY SPEAKING, you want to have a baseline standard of being able to know what's your internal narrator/intrusive thoughts/mental illness/etc and what's actually other entities. Not all (or even most) random thoughts for most people are actual spirit chatter. Work on your discernment.
If possible, I'd recommend having a supportive but critical third-party support: a therapist you actually trust, for example. Especially in the beginning, it's easy to get sucked into thinking everything is spirit contact, or spiritual damage, or spiritual something. Maybe it is! A lot of it isn't. (Occasionally it's an awkward combo of both.) Having an incredulous (but supportive) sounding board can help you calibrate how your personal brain stuff plays with your spiritual stuff, and also help avoid getting sucked into cultish movements that do harmful stuff like equate PTSD = empathy.
**Note: this third party should preferably have a) some legit knowledge in appropriate peer counseling/therapeutic support and b) isn't someone who's gonna be bringing their personal agenda to you, such as trying to invalidate your spiritual beliefs or, on the other end of the spectrum, undermine your mental health by framing it as magic instead (e.g. equating delusions with spirit contact).
Additionally, if you're familiar with your spiritual body, e.g. how your physical body carries spiritual energy, it can also help you know when you've picked up unwanted Stuff like some curses, spiritual parasites, or other immaterial 'gunk.'
"Mindfulness" can look a bunch of different ways. More conventional mods of meditation are perfectly fine, but other kinds of somatic/embodiment practices can work just as well: experiment to see what's compatible and sustainable for your lifestyle, resources, and cognitive processing style.
Pick an external divination style and get comfortable with it.
Doesn't really matter what kind: what you're looking for is some kind of a system that can become a shared language between you and your own spirits/gods/blessed powers. That can take some negotiation, and you can always change systems, but pick one to start with and get to know it.
You won't always have to rely on another person to act as the messenger between you and your own spirits. (That said, there are times when you shouldn't do your own div, but that's a different post.)
Having an external div option will help you double-check on your own intuition. Not sure if what you saw was a sign from your spirits? Use div to make a more formal check. If we're personally invested in a particular answer to a question we have, that can skew how we interpret our intuition.
Helps deepen personal relationship between you and your spirits, which also makes shit like mediumship or using omens easier.
You can double-check other people's divination for you. For more important/higher stakes stuff (such as a Tarot reader telling you that a specific deity is now claiming you and you have to swear an oath, dear lord, please take don't take that as face value without at least a second opinion!), this can be particularly important in terms of maintaining a sense of autonomy over your own relationships with your blessed powers.
Basic healthy communication skills that frankly most of us aren't ever taught.
All the meditation and div practice in the world isn't gonna do shit if you don't know how to talk to other beings, human or otherwise. You know what made the actual biggest difference for me in transitioning from 'flailing baby pagan practice' to 'devotional polytheist priest'?
Knowing my boundaries AND how to negotiate them safely and healthily. Learning how to do possessory mediumship first started with me getting every single one of my trauma triggers slammed ALL AT ONCE. Nothing healthy would've come out of that experience if I hadn't had been intentionally practicing my boundary-setting skills in my mundane human relationships, AND if my blessed powers hadn't been willing to meet me halfway. It took a LOT of conversation and mistakes were made on both sides, but now possession is something that's become privately sacred and beautiful and wonderful for me, partially because of how hard-earned it was and how it required the development of mutual trust. (Now I get scolded for being TOO trusting with my main lady, oops. 😅)
Conflict management. A lot of people are conflict-avoidant. That's not helpful. It's also not helpful if you dread "getting in trouble" or "being a disappointment" every time you have contact with your blessed powers. Learn how to handle disagreement, misunderstandings, disappointment, and frustration with more intention and skill so that you can move past those inevitable incidents with growth instead of deeper shame, resentment, avoidance, or resignation.
Assertive communication (or your social/cultural equivalent of that, since what's considered 'appropriate communication' might change based on culture, circumstances, etc). Assertive isn't the same as aggressive, either. But basically, this is the kind of communication that's like, "What are your needs, and what are my needs, and how can we collaborate on exploring options to get both our needs met with mutual respect and dignity?" For example: when my blessed powers ask for a daily disciplined routine, my neurospicy ass has learned to ask what the goal is and here are the methods I am neurologically capable of to achieve said goals, how does that sound? So far, we've always been able to come to a mutually satisfying plan that doesn't deepen my old, unhelpful, internalized ableist narrative of being 'too broken to do something that any neurotypical person could do.'
There are lots of other helpful skills, both spiritual and mundane, and not everyone may agree with the ones I picked out here, but these are the most basic ones I find myself returning to most often and being the most thankful for, personally.
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