#and also because I finished There You’ll Find Me and faith was actually integral to the story and integrated artistically (!!!! unheard of)
Note
How can you expect to have friends when you lie about who you are? Friendship is based on trust.
Be sure to fill out the survey and make your opinion known in a productive way. I have a second one coming soon. You’ll have all the chances to express your fine thoughts that you could desire.
To answer your question:
This was always an experiment with the terms laid out in a disclaimer I’m often told is too long. It was always clear and there has been an FAQ for a dog’s age. Ambiguity was the game. You give your opinion. If you choose to interact with me to do your research, you don’t have to believe me, but you should be polite and presume I believe me. In other words, give courteous treatment. I treat everyone as courteously as their actions earn.
I am acutely aware that some of the people I most enjoy on the various platforms, are my experimental subjects. Very aware. But then again, I have conversations about life after death with my own food source, so this doesn’t bother me. I am capable of being kind, learn about them, offer help, build a community here, all while watching what I cam to watch. It’s actually very easy. It also doesn’t interfere with my data at all, because I account for it in my questions. The people who call me a friend, have learned that whatever I am, who I am is a constant and they enjoy my company. They know I have boundaries to interactions, and they adhere to them. They comprehend that ambiguity is the point, what they come to think is the point, their ideas are the point. So they play cards with me, don’t much care what I am, and then send me their surveys. Life goes on. Nobody is lied to, because no false word is ever a part of the discourse.
But really, come off it, because you meet highly curated versions of people every day. No one can prove you are who you say you are. They just trust you. You say you’re a trans person or gay or have a condition…nobody questions. They take you at your word and interact as if it’s true until they find out if it is or isn’t. In other words, no one is ever seen. All social media is metaphysically disconnected.
I have not ever and will never lie about how I feel, think, like/dislike, and so on and so forth, of that I can assure you. Everything else is up to you. And all this needless drama and gossip and fictitious manufactured garbage is completely ridiculous and the sort of thing I predicted, but truthfully hate to see.
None of the people I lost were ever my friend, obviously, as I have said. A friend respects what one is doing and the boundaries they set for interactions to maintain integrity. They help with goals. They participate in good faith. They talk disagreements through. They ask questions when something happens that they don’t understand. Friends maintain the friendship. They don’t latch on like a leech and demand one pay attention to only them. They don’t plot and scheme behind one’s back to sabotage. They don’t lie about what they feel. They certainly don’t go around bullying others you know so that they can enjoy being king of the hill for a day. I never had time for any of them. I made time. A real friend comprehends that. I have many friends to prove this out.
So is it possible to make friends in any meaningful way with one’s own identity an unknown? Yes. I do it all the time. With all sorts. Because of that wall between us, I’m often limited in what I can do. I’m also never able to actually be vulnerable in any way to people I enjoy. I cannot actually ever have friends here in the truest sense, and of that, I am also very acutely aware. But I maintain those whom I find are worth it. I don’t owe anyone anything. Not one thing. I give freely of my own will. Or I don’t.
If someone doesn’t like the terms of this arrangement, they are encouraged to leave, as I will not shift anything or cross my boundaries for them. If that bothers them, boohoo. I care only as far as I can, and if I meet resistance or feel my own borders shrinking, then I’m finished. I have my boundaries in a very succinct bio. You don’t like them, you can leave. That’s how the block feature works.
60 notes
·
View notes
Text
Set Up For Successful Meditation
What is the current status of your meditation practice? Is it in the idea stage, waiting to be implemented at the right time? Maybe you know it's something that would be good for you, but haven't yet clicked into doing it as a daily routine?
Or maybe, you've done it at times, but either been frustrated by the results or lost interest? Or perhaps, you love to meditate and would like to gain some insights about how to go even deeper or make it even more effective?
In this article, we explore 4 Steps to Setup a Successful Meditation Session.
1. Set Up a Meditative Space
Whether it's a spare room, a closet, or a part of your bedroom, define a space that you dedicate to meditation. You can mark this space with a rug, a meditation bench, chair, or cushion.
By meditating in the same space consistently it comes to represent "meditation" to you, and thereby becomes a space that supports you moving into a meditative state. After a period of time, just sitting in this space will relax you.
Another way to enhance the atmosphere of your meditation space is to set up an "altar" that represents what is important to you in your practice and your life.
If the idea of having an altar inspires you, it can take any form that is pleasing and motivating to you. It can include photos, symbols, candles, flowers, offering bowls, statues, quotes, and so on. The basic idea is to put significant items there-ones that put you in the right mindset for meditating and remind you WHY you are taking time to practice.
If you use meditation to support a religious faith, place images or items that represent your faith on your altar. Personally, I have symbols of several different spiritual traditions in my space to represent the Universal Spirituality underlying all faiths and traditions. I also have family pictures and quotes that remind me of my higher intentions. The most important quality of your altar is that it represents what is important to you.
Once you've meditated in your sacred space for a while and used it to grow your inner skills, you'll be able to take your meditation on the road and do it virtually anytime, anywhere-no matter what is going on around you. This is when your meditation becomes truly powerful. Yet, even then, you'll probably really appreciate and value those times when you get to meditate in your sacred space.
2. Create a Ritual Around Your Practice
Set a regular time for meditation and create a consistent routine that moves you into your practice.
One way to support regular practice is to make meditation a part of an established routine that you already do. For most people, the best way is to integrate meditation into their morning routine. This encourages you to start your day from a relaxed, present, intentional perspective-and it insures that you meditate before other events in the day get in the way.
Once you've decided on the time you will meditate, plan your day accordingly. If you are meditating first thing, make sure you go to bed early enough that you can comfortably wake up early enough to practice without rushing. Set your alarm to wake you up with plenty of time.
Once you get up, have a routine to move you into your practice. For example, I first massage around my eyes and back of my head while still lying in bed. I then massage the bottoms of my feet with some tennis balls that are at the foot of my bed when I sit up. I use the toilet, then splash water on my face and massage my scalp. Then, I do some stretches to limber up before I stand in my standing meditation posture. All of this awakens and loosens me up and prepares me for a good practice session.
After standing meditation, I do a seated meditation, then I shake out my whole body, and finish with prayers for my family and the whole planet at my altar.
Having a routine that includes how I wake up, makes the movement into my practice seamless and reliable. Over the years, I have adapted and grown my routine as needs, insights, and new learning have guided me. Yet, the basic idea of having a ritual sequence has made waking up something that I look forward to and moving into my practice easy and natural.
3. Adjust Your Posture
If you search for photos of people meditating, nine times out of ten you'll find them seated in a cross-legged position. Unfortunately, this gives many people the impression that this is THE WAY to meditate. I heartily disagree.
In fact, unless you've grown up in a culture in which that is the way you normally sit, I encourage you to sit on a chair, bench, or bed that puts the soles of your feet flat on the floor and parallel with each other, with your hips level with or slightly above your knees.
Having the soles of your feet flat on the floor and parallel to each other puts you in a "grounded" position that also bio-mechanically aligns your feet, knees, and hips. This position is easy on your joints.
There are many acceptable hand positions for meditation-each with their own purpose. A basic starting position is to place your hands palms-down on your legs. This position is relaxing, while it also supports upright posture and alert attention. Finer points are "softening" your hands and lowering your shoulders to release tension and having a slight space under your armpits to encourage an open, expansive, spacious feeling in your body.
Next, imagine a string attached to the top of your head, drawing your spine into an upright position. Tuck your chin slightly to lengthen the back of your neck and put a subtle smile on your lips to encourage a calm, accepting, positive attitude.
Lightly close your eyes to support you in focusing inwardly. Unless you are using a technique that focuses on energy above your head, direct your gaze slightly downward. After practicing a while, you may notice that your eyes naturally open just slightly, with a soft focus to the outer environment.
Finally, sit forward on the front edge of your seat. Sit far enough forward so you feel some weight in your feet, which encourages a grounded, present feeling in your body. Sitting without back support also aligns and strengthens your spine, which has an empowering affect.
As you align and strengthen your spine, you are more likely to stay aligned with your higher intentions and feel strong in following them, rather than getting distracted and swayed by less important desires. You develop a strong "backbone."
Now, many people email me saying that this posture is just too hard and painful to maintain.
The reason for that is tension along the spine, weakness, and misalignment. Meditation practice is actually a powerful way to overcome these issues. First it reveals those issues, then it heals those issues.
During your meditation, you become aware of spinal tension, weakness, and misalignment. And, yes, that doesn't feel so good, initially. Yet, if you can accept it and observe it without judgment, without fighting it, over time, you'll notice that the tensions release, the spine adjusts, you come into alignment, and get stronger.
A well-known meditation teacher, Dr. Meares, says that some discomfort when starting to meditate is actually a good thing, because it teaches you to be able to observe discomfort without reacting, judging, or running away from it. As you calmly sit with discomfort, over time, it resolves and changes for the better. This is a powerful lesson to take with you into any uncomfortable situation in life. Be calmly present, relax and observe things non-judgmentally, then notice resolutions as they arise.
All that being said in favor of sitting upright without back support, you might approach this incrementally. Start by sitting forward for just a minute or two, calmly observe any discomfort until it is just too distracting, then sit back against support for the remainder of your practice. Gradually increase the amount of time that you sit in an unsupported upright position. After practicing for a period of time, this will actually become a comfortable, relaxed, and empowered way for you to sit.
One caveat is that some people cannot sit this way due to severe physical impairments. If that is the case, you can use back support or even lie down to meditate. If you do that, simply try to keep your spine as straight as possible by imagining that string extending your spine, tuck your chin slightly, adopt a subtle smile, soften your hands, and lightly close your eyes.
4. Adopt the Three Noble Principles-Good in the Beginning, Good in the Middle, Good at the End
In their book, "Meditation: An In-Depth Guide," Ian Gawler and Paul Bedson share these three principles for meditation practice.
"Good in the Beginning" means that when you start a meditation session call to mind your intention, your motivation for practicing. You might want to "relax, to be calm, to let go of stress, to be well, to heal. But what is suggested here is that the more we can expand our motivation, the more encompassing our motivation, the more meaningful our meditation becomes, the more we will value it, the more likely we are to do it, and the more benefit it will bring." (p.69, Meditation: An In-Depth Guide)
Consider how your meditation practice will have a positive impact on your day, on your interactions with others, and even on the collective consciousness of "all of us together." What if your practice is making a positive contribution not only to your life, but also to the lives of others, and to all life on Earth?
In the Buddhist tradition, the goal of meditation practice is enlightenment, so that we can use our enlightenment to bring enlightenment to all beings. In the Christian contemplative tradition, meditation leads us into deeper communion with God, so that we bring Divine Love and Light into the world. In a mind-body view of meditation, we come into a relaxed, expanded, focused state so that we heal our wounds, grow our inner skills, be more effective in anything we do, and more caring and compassionate with others.
What motivates you to meditate?
"Good in the Middle" has to do with your attitude during meditation. The attitude to practice is calm, present, non-judgmental awareness of whatever happens. Recognize whatever comes up, accept it, release it, and return to your focal cues.
"Good in the End" has to do with how you finish your practice. Rather than rushing off into your day, it's important to end intentionally and even to dedicate your practice to someone or something beyond yourself. From a meditative state you can more easily visualize positive outcomes for yourself, others, and the planet. You are also in a powerful state from which to pray. You can use your meditation to connect to a greater mission in life, such as being a vessel for Spirit to be more present in the world.
As you end your meditation think of how the skills you developed and the state of being you entered can have a greater impact in the larger whole.
When you Set Up a Meditative Space, Create a Ritual Around Your Practice, Sit with Good Posture, and Adopt the Three Noble Principles, your meditation practice will become much easier and more enjoyable, significant, and successful.
14 notes
·
View notes
Text
Never Have I Ever...
PART THREE
(Art by flowsofly )
Siruis x reader
Post-Azkaban
Reader is younger
3000+ words
Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex
*disclaimer: all characters are assumed 18+
————————————————————————————
It had been three weeks since the ‘tequila night’ and your feelings for Sirius had not dampened in the slightest. If anything they had grown. Learning about his love of 70s rock music, his distaste for cruelty and exclusiveness, hearing stories from his days at hogwarts and feeling pain for the boy banished by his maniacal parents, he was hands down the most interesting person you had ever met. He was charming, happy, and so very witty. This was so different to the grim, disheveled Sirius you had met only seven weeks ago, and so you were very grateful to the Ministry for finally officiating his innocence. From what you had come to learn about Sirius, he had not deserved his fate yet he blamed no one and was as dedicated as the most faithful soldier to ensure the safety and freedom of witch, wizard, muggle alike. He was the most beautiful and broken man who deserved the world and your heart started to make room for Sirius, not because you felt sorry for him but you admired his integrity, courage, and strength and god he made you laugh. You thought back to that night often. It was incredibly enjoyable but boy did you pay for it the next day at work….
“Here you go, take a swig of this and you’ll be right as rain, well at least a lesser shade of green.” Tonks held out a cup of tea as she sat on your desk and stifled a giggle at your bedraggled appearance. You shot her a look of gratitude. As you accepted the mug she was proffering Tonks cleared her throat -
“So ah, what happened between you and Sirius last night?”
“What do you mean?” You blew on your tea.
“Well I hate to break it to you but he was flirting up a storm with you and I wasn’t the only one who noticed!” She folded her arms in a sort of so there! gesture, her pink hair gleaming.
You smiled at her defiant posture “didn’t you tell me that’s what he does? Flirt?”
“Well…”Tonks unwrapped her arms “…yes he does but that was before Azkaban. Remus said he hasn’t seen Sirius show interest in anyone since he got out, five years ago.”
“Yes but he was still thought guilty by most of the wizarding world, I’m sure the ministry finally recognising him as the innocent man he is has lifted the burden from his shoulders, he’ll be getting back to his old self.” You reasoned sipping your tea.
Tonks considered you for a moment. “Did you not see the plethora of women and men for that matter, approach him last night? And him waving them off only having eyes for you?”
She took your widened eyes and dribble of tea down your chin as a no, you hadn’t noticed that.
“It’s not just last night.” Tonks continued. “He stares at you during meetings when you are not looking, and I heard him ask Remus that he hopes he would get paired with you during missions.”
“Nymphadora! Y/N! Quit your gas bagging and get back to work!”
Tonks waved Moody off and turned back to you as she stood up from your desk. She was smiling now at your frozen expression.
So Sirius Black, may or may not be harbouring feelings for you. This was new.
- - -
Across town Sirius had just woken up, lying face first on his bed fully clothed. He moaned and grasped his head. Sitting up very slowly he gingerly rubbed his temples as he tried to recall the previous evening…
There was Remus and Bill, Harry, his friends and you. He recalled playing a muggle drinking game that you had taught everyone, about who you would rather….oh god! Sirius stood upright. Had he actually asked you if you would rather sleep with him or Bill?! He groaned loudly to the empty room and slapped his hand to his forehead causing himself to stumble back to a sitting position on his bed. “Great…” he mumbled to himself “now she’ll think you are a sleazy old man.”
He didn’t want you to see him as old and pushy he wanted you to choose him all on your own. You intrigued him, you had the moment you walked into your first order meeting. He was, at that point in time, too caught up in his own worries to see it but now he reasoned you had always turned his head. What was it about you? He didn’t know but he wanted to find out. He hoped you could like him, you certainly made him want things, things he had let go since Azkaban but were now popping up and bursting into his subconscious like bubbles in a champagne glass.
He hadn’t felt this light in a long time and it wasn’t just the weight of having the wizarding world unfairly think he was a traitor and a murderer lifted from his shoulders – he had come to terms with that years ago. It was you. You were intelligent, funny, and kind. He liked hearing your take on things and you had definitely proved yourself a capable auror if your mission reports were anything to go by. It was more than that though…
Thinking of last night and how he made you laugh until you were gasping for breath made him want to do other things for you that left you breathless. He couldn’t just come out and ask you – he still felt the age gap and did not want to pressure you – instead he thought he would show you the man he could be and hope that you would see him, really see him beyond the façade of his, admittedly, good looks and reputation.
Sirius laced his fingers together and stretched his arms in front of him dropping his head he looked down and was surprised but pleased to see a hard bulge in his pants: morning wood. The lack of interest in life in general his member had showed these days was a major tell tale sign that no matter how good the physical progress he made, he was still mentally trapped in Azkaban’s clutches.
Sirius smiled to himself, he got up, undressed, and walked to the bathroom; this was going to be a good day. He took his time in the shower letting the hot water jets massage his shoulders, hummed Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ as he scrubbed his body and of course, he thought of you.
— — —
Over the next few weeks you noticed a change in Sirius. It started with a smile here and there, looks that lingered a little too long and the briefest of touches; a hand lightly on the small of your back as he moved passed you, an elbow nudging your arm when he joked which now come to think of it was more than frequent. He was friendlier, warmer, and showing you much more attention.
It wasn’t just you affected by this new demeanour. The change in Sirius since his Ministry declaration of freedom was palpable. Order meetings had become everyone’s favourite day of the week. Not only had the company improved, the meals were delicious – if he wasn’t the perfect host before, Grimmauld Place had turned into the height of hospitality, and that man could cook. From grilled salmon, to honey soy ribs, roast chicken, glazed ham, and buttered potatoes. “Sirius this is the best one so far” said Kingsley satisfactorily patting his stomach after finishing an entrée of white wine and garlic mussels as he sat round the grand dinning table at Grimmauld Place one Wednesday night.
“Appreciate it mate, what did you think Y/N.” Sirius turned to you seated at the middle of the dinning table.
It was perhaps unfortunate that at this precise moment you had taken a mouthful and unsuccessfully tried to swallow and answer Sirius at the same time. In your haste you coughed and spluttered before being able to respond with a raspy “It was really good Sirius.” While Arthur Weasley patted you on the back.
Sirius’ grey eyes sparkled and a slow smile formed on his lips. This was one of those times when he looked at you for too long to be considered decent. Aware of your reddening face you turned away.
Try and hold yourself together Y/N otherwise it is going to be a long night! You internally scolded yourself. You had a mission to complete tonight and not an easy one. It was going to be dangerous enough without you starting to choke on your words every time Sirius spoke to you. He had joined you and other Order members on missions for two weeks now, however tonight was going to be just you and him, and you better keep it together and stay cool out there.
———
“How many do you see?” Sirius’ whispered breath caught in the night air.
Lying on your stomach behind a wall of shrubbery you glanced around the fenced park at the shadows of people appearing around you and answered, “five in total: one on your left, two at my 4 O’Clock and two at the park entrance straight ahead of that huge oak.”
As missions go this was by far the most exciting (an dangerous) you had been on. As a junior auror and Order member, you had primarily been sent on reconnaissance missions. Now you had ‘graduated’ to full on stakeouts. This meant tracking and tagging known Death Eater operations, recording their movements and trying to stay out of sight. A rule which didn’t always go to plan.
Graduating to this level of mission also put you in league with the big boys. You were now looking at missions where you would be joining Sirius, Remus, Bill, and Kingsley but tonight was just you and Sirius. Apart from the increasing crush you had on him, Sirius was your favourite Order Member, he was a wealth of knowledge in defence and combat and was more than happy to share some with you. Without a doubt you had learnt more from him in two weeks than two years of auror training.
“Two at the park entrance?” He repeated. “The only inconspicuous exit out of here? If they are Death Eaters then so much for keeping a low profile…ok what should we do Y/N”
~
This was why you loved working with Sirius, he figured that the best way to learn was on the job so every mission you completed with him he treated you like the boss and helped guide you when you were unsure. So far it had been working out well and your tactical skills had improved dramatically. You knew he was building your confidence bit by bit and you appreciated it immensely.
You asked Sirius after an order meeting one night if he minded “tutoring” you, would he not prefer a more ‘seasoned’ partner? He laughed at your term and shook his head swatting his hand back and forth as if waving your concern from the air. He told you his help was payback from the loan of your music collection. - After finding out he loved music from the 70s you went home and raided your fathers shelves for all his classics, Motown to The Rolling Stones. Sirius was delighted and had made his way through most of the old records already. If truth be told Sirius helped you more on missions because seeing you was the favourite part of his day, he really enjoyed your company, actually he more than enjoyed it, he sought it out; offering to complete mission reports with you, suggesting Remus and Tonks stay for a nightcap after meetings in the hope you would too. Even popping into the Ministry with coffee on his way into town just to see you for a minute.
Sirius’ initial intrigue of you was growing in to something much bigger. Sometimes Remus caught his friend looking at you too long or watching the clock tick before Order meetings commenced and he shook his head with alarm. It wasn’t unusual for Sirius to get hooked on a woman but these idle crushes tended to stay as they were, brief moments of lust and like before moving into the next adventure. That’s how he had lived his life before Azkaban. However that was 17 years ago, now he was operating without wires, confused, comparing everything he felt as a 21 year old and it wasn’t adding up. He shouldn’t be thinking of you this much? Memorising your favourite meal to prepare for missions, figuring out that you bit your bottom lip when you are nervous or accidentally finding himself smelling perfumes at a muggle department store to see if he can pick the exact one you wear the same one that made is eyes cloud over with desire and urge him to grab you by the waist and kiss you in front of everyone. He was losing it Sirius thought to himself. He was falling in love thought Remus.
~
Whether this was true or not, it was that very perfume Sirius was inhaling as you both lay on the damp earth peering over a collection of topiary while waiting for you to think of an escape plan.
“We have one main instruction. Regardless of who these men are, do not get our faces seen.” You turned to Sirius. “If we do they will know we have tracked this place and will move locations or speed up their plans before we can intercept, we cannot apparate or they’ll hear it.” You swallowed slowly. While turning to look straight ahead. “We are going to have to try to sneak out of here without magic and without being seen.”
You raised your self to crouching position and Sirius did the same.
Pointing at the large old Oak in the South East corner of the park you breathed “Let’s get behind that tree and make a dash for it when they aren’t looking” You took Sirius’ nod as approval of your plan and stated to move. Looking around you beckoned Sirius to quickly sprint to the cover of the tree’s thick trunk.
Catching your breath you queried, “Why are supposed Death Eaters congregating in a private Park in the middle of London? Only Muggles and residents use this space.”
“They are guarding something and are on the look out for interference judging by the magic- alerts they have placed around the area. Easier to spot wizards in the middle of muggle residents.” He pointed up to several rippling vapers circling the air above the park.
You groaned. You hadn’t noticed these, they would trigger if any unaccounted for magic was used therefore rendering yourself and Sirius at a disadvantage. Perhaps this was why you were selected for this mission – as a muggleborn, you were thought to deal better without magic than other non-muggleborn members. That is a question for another day you reasoned internally as you both settled behind the safety of the tree. It truly was grand, at least four metres thick and who knows how many feet tall.
While Sirius was peering around the side of the trunk you whispered “all we have to do is make it 20-30 metres to that entrance, cross the street and apparate outside the magi-alarms boundaries – preferably out of sight line.” You bit your lip looking at Sirius’ back, god he was well formed: broad shoulders, tall, and from the look of his forearms; muscled under his clothes. Shaking that thought from your mind you pressed further, “What are they doing?” Sirius had clocked the two people standing at the entrance but he still wasn’t close enough to establish if they were indeed Death Eaters. They seemed to be just talking.
“I can’t get a good visual.” he said without taking his eyes of the targets.
“Well is there a chance they that are muggles and we can just walk past like we were taking a night time stroll?” Although you already knew the answer.
Sirius gave you a side smile before gazing back at the direction of your only escape route. “I’d like to think that too, but given the magi-alarms and the fact there are three others prowling over north west side of the park I’d say they are definitely Death Eaters….I’m just not sure which ones. If I could get a closer look then we’d know what kind of operation we are dealing with.”
You had learnt that the bigger and badder the Death Eater, the more important and seriously dangerous their operation. It stemmed from trafficking illegal potions to patrolling the residents’ of Imperious curse victims.
Sirius turned around, back against the trunk next to you. “I think we will be able to sneak out the right side of the entrance, they have moved down towards the parked car on the left, if we could only see their faces to report back.” As he stroked his jaw a twig cracked somewhere in the distance in front of you. You looked at each other. The same thought flashing across each other’s face – there was a sixth man. Fuuuuuuuck!
Adrenaline surged through and your training kicked in allowing you the clarity to take stock of the situation: you were two people in a park at night, dressed as muggles with hidden- but still at the ready- wands. You couldn’t risk being seen, you needed to blend in and become muggles. Or at least appear as such. But how? This was London, many muggles liked to stroll in the park but not usually at night. The only people you had ever seen at the park at night were homeless men, teenagers sipping on a bottle of their parents Christmas sherry and…couples.
You got it. But oh god…how in the utter heck could you do it? The sounds of someone approaching we’re getting louder now and there was nowhere to hide nearby without definitely giving yourselves away. You had to just go for it. Grabbing Sirius’ arm, an arm that was mere millimetres away from his wand, you pulled him until he was standing in front of you. Backed up against the tree trunk you looked at him and quickly muttered “I know this will seem an odd request right now but could you please kiss me?”
- - -
Tag list: @aboutpotter @songforhema @sirius-lysad
#siriusblack#sirius black imagine#sirius x reader#sirius black x reader#sirius fanfic#sirius black fanfiction#hp#harry potter universe#postazkaban#imagine#event#sirius#sirius orion black#fanfic
245 notes
·
View notes
Text
CHAPTER V
.
.
"All this champagne drunken home
Against the current oh, oh
Everybody see I love him
Cause it's a feeling that you get
When the afternoon is set
On the bridge into the city...”
- Over The Love, Florence And The Machine
.
.
.
Half of Sansa got up from her bed happy, satisfied, and with her soul lighter, it seemed. But her other half pondered the consequences of their actions last night and she was afraid of the reaction Jon had.
And questions lingered in her head even more.
She went out the door of her chambers and followed the routine path to break her fast Had Jon given up on everything and gone back to the Wall?
"Sansa, I will ride to the borders with the Six Kingdoms. They had trouble closing some parts and some people tried to overtake and went North."
She opened her mouth a few times ... was that all he would tell me?
"When you get back we need to talk." She raised her nose and looked at him haughtily and finished her walk down the stairs listening to him following her.
"Sansa ..."
"You'll have enough time to think while you make this trip you just invented."
He took her hand in his, Sansa stopped and turned to him at once with that touch.
"Please do not say you're sorry," she begged.
"I would never say that, Sansa."
"But you thought." She snapped back.
Jon was trying, at all costs, to not engage in a fight, but it seems that Sansa was pushing him hard.
"Oh, that's good now. Read minds, too?"
"Do not try to hide your mistakes with sarcasm, Jon." He hated the tone of her voice, with some sort of anger and hate.
"I'm not trying to hide anything! And look, now, you are the one who is saying that yesterday was a mistake. Not me."
Sansa shook her head. She would not make this one of those terrible fights they always had. "You know the mistake I mean." She said last before turning her back and finally leaving him in the middle of the stairs even more confused than he already was.
He thought Sansa would reject him at all costs, that for her the night that passed it happened because of the heat of the moment and it could never be repeated. He just wanted to protect her, protect her integrity. What would the servants think if they saw Jon leaving so late and after such a long time the Queen's chambers? A massive and bad gossip could start and that was no good for Sansa. Not even a little.
The rest of the day passed like the wind, sometimes fast, sometimes calm and slow. Much had to do regarding the North, the Glover’s once more causing trouble with their neighbors. Sansa had no choice and took away Lord Glover's lands after the Long Night as punishment for not having fought with his own and broken his promise to King Jon. She called him a coward in front of the whole council and caused extreme public shame to the man. It was the only way to secure her authority in front of her own.
…
The castle was decorated but completely empty. Jon heard the noise of the music, the drums, the people dancing and talking, but not a living soul in there. Except for Bran, who was - as always – in his creepiest form, very thoughtful in front of the fireplace, analyzing the flames but with his mind miles away.
"Did you find Arya?" Jon questioned his brother and for a second he questioned himself: is he my brother?
"She's in a land of strange people. Warm weather, very hot. People walk almost without clothes. "
Jon closed his eyes, controlling himself, he could not do something to protect her, but he had not slept well since the night Arya announced that she would brave unfamiliar lands, even though he knew she was better at killing than he was, that she could protect herself.
"You can’t do anything, Jon. Arya is on her own. "
"For the first time you say something I already know." He teased, tried to bring some smile to Bran's lips, but, as always, nothing.
"The festivities are being held in the God's Woods. Sansa is waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs. Have you made your decision?"
Jon knew that Bran knew, just about everything, but he did not have the courage to say anything, or maybe justify himself. "The prince of Dorne came to me." Bran turned to Jon, wanted to intimidate his brother. "He’ll go to you too, Jon. To Ask for your permission. "
"For what?"
"To court, Sansa" Bran replied evasively, he knew Jon's question was silly and coming from tantrums generated by the recent confused feelings that were raising within the eldest.
"Sansa does not need a prince of Dorne."
With that being said, Jon left the middle hall and strode down the stairs, enjoying the essence of Sansa's scent already scattered there. Her hair was loose and unruly in curls that ran to her waist, the gold-trimmed dress covered her legs and arms, but the generous cleavage on her bust took away all the innocence that the rest of her clothing was trying to give. She had a golden crown that looked more like gold twigs united to anoint a queen. The region of the eyes was made in pastel and blue tones stronger, elongated lashes and mouth more pink than normal.
She was a forest nymph.
Jon smiled sideways without her even realizing his presence and was surprised by the fact she was waiting for him.
"Hi." He said getting closer.
Sansa raised her nose and looked him up and down. She was still upset.
"You look beautiful."
"I didn’t want to arrive alone at the festivities." She cut him off and walked ahead hoping he would come after her.
The drums were getting louder and louder along with the noise of the people dancing around the huge and numerous fires they had been able to put there.
"Sansa, there's a huge elephant between us. Let's not pretend it isn’t because it does. "
"It was you who ran away, Jon, not me."
"I know, I'm sorry. I just-"
"You just wanted to run. I know. But I am a Queen, Jon, and I have no time for a man who can't face his feelings as brave as he faces his enemies.”
She was clearly saying he was a coward and she wasn't wrong, Jon was being a coward. He recognized that too.
The conversation was cut off as the guests were already around them, greeting Sansa and Jon. They offered drinks, invited them to dance. The people there all characterized with mystical creatures of their pagan culture. The old gods, of course, were what Sansa decided to continue as the faith of her people. She wanted nothing that connected them to the South and Northerners were satisfied with that. But some still followed the culture of the new gods and though the young queen hated it, she pretended not to object. But most of her people were quite happy with her choice, they were rejecting any connection with the south and that means most of them there were not actually enjoying the presence of some lords there but everything was about politics after all.
Tormund was invited as well as some of the wildlings which meant happiness and joy was ensured there. And the big man was quite drunk and teasing everybody while he was dancing around one of the bonfires.
"Little Jon" He greeted the last King with a loud exclamation. "I heard you're betrothing the young Queen! Let's celebrate this!"
Jon was overcome by an instant fear, Sansa was right, he was always afraid of facing his feelings. God damn it!
"What do you mean?" He asked more serious than ever when the ginger man held him by his shoulders with a big smile of drunkenness at his big face.
"They are saying your smart Queen is marrying the Dorne boy."
"All lies. Sansa is marrying no Dorne man” Jon was fast with his words and much as he was harsh with his tone of voice and the anger implied there.
"So it is true? People also say she may marry you. I got say man, I always wanted to see you both together."
"When you met her, she was still my sister." Jon pointed like Tormund was saying giant shits.
"Well, you odd people who have those silly things. Love is love, Jon!"
"YEAH!"
One of the drunk ones screamed with the words of Tormund allowing Jon to realize lots of people were listening to their conversation.
The yelling raised between those around them and soon Tormund was laughing hard engaged in another stupid conversation.
Jon wishes he had all that happiness inside of him like his friend.
Sansa was far but watching Jon, unable to take her eyes from his strong shape and rough face features, trying to smile and seems lighter than he was, Sansa knew both were quite tense about everything.
"Are you listening, my Queen?" The Dorne prince, who Sansa couldn’t remember the name, asked after a long time almost talking to himself.
"I am sorry... you were saying...?"
"That I shall ask your brother's permission to court you."
Sansa blinked for a moment, assimilating what it was said, from a strange man, with odd eyes and untrustworthy smile.
Like her nightmares.
"Who said I intend to marry, my Lord?"
The man was shocked by the way Sansa was annoyed by his suggestion, he thought she would be flattered, he was a handsome man after all.
"Every woman aspire to marry, my Lady."
"I am not any woman and I am certainly not your lady. I am a Queen. I shall be the one who will say when and with whom I intend to marry, and when this comes to be, I shall propose to the man myself."
She smiled with the monstrosity her words seemed to him, like an enormous sin.
"No woman propose to a man."
"Your words just made sure you're not a man to me."
He could not believe. What an arrogant and silly young woman.
"I will pretend your words were mistaken and I advised you to listen to my proposal tomorrow. If you're a Queen as you said, you'll see the political meaning of this union."
The man left quite disturbed by the little conversation he had with the queen and she was not worried about him but concerned with what he could propose that would benefit the North.
"I don't like him." Jon said appearing at her side out of nowhere.
"Me neither. But he might offer good things for us."
"You're not actually considering, are you?"
"You know.” Sansa concluded herself. “He talked to you? What an idiot, thinking a Queen needs any man's permission." After that she was sure she hated him. Very much indeed.
“Bran talked to me.” Jon clarified. "But it's your day. Let's not waste with disturbing shits."
Sansa joined her hands in front of her body and turned herself to Jon, analyzing every expression it was forming at his face while she was facing him.
"You confuse me." She said firmly.
"I confuse myself."
Sansa blinked. What was he trying to say? What exactly did he want from her?
"You can make a wish, it's your day." Jon was referring her name day.
"I can make many wishes, Jon."
"I mean to me." He explained.
People were passing, laughing loud and talking very close to them while both were inside this sort of bubble where the air was rare, and their minds were haunted by images of their little moment last night.
"Anything?" She asked.
"Anything." He cleared.
"I wish you would be honest with me. About everything."
After a long time thinking, both of them unable to take their eyes from each other, trying at all costs to stay in the present, but with the taste of each other's lips springing up with impure desires and pleasant memories, Jon took a deep breath and offered his hand to her looking deeply at her eyes.
"Take my hand and I will promise you, I'll let you lead me to the most honest place we could ever be."
NOTES:
1. The chapter has been revised by the most incredible D. And I love it! And the gif belongs to my bf littlegirlinvisible.
2. I am very happy with all the reach me and littlegirlinvisible are having. It may not be much for some but for me it’s a lot.
3. Reblog, like and comment if you’re enjoying.
4. You’re all free to give me prompts and ideas. I am also open to request for another works.
My fanfictions have a lot of smuts, really a lot. If you are not comfortable with this, you are warned.
Follow the tag # swan song jonsa fanfic to see the posts and the gifsets whenever you want.
p.s. did everyone liked the smut? should I do more or nah?
.
.
I sincerely hope that everyone is enjoying it.
.
.
CHAPTER INDEX:
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
.
.
#jonsa#swan song jonsa fanfic#swan-song-jonsa-fanfic#jonsa fic#jonsa au#jonsa fam#jonsa is endgame#jonsa fandom#Jon x Sansa#jon snow#sansa x jon#sansa queen in the north#Sansa Stark#got au
29 notes
·
View notes
Link
Because we’re all out this week, there was no Monday Meeting – but our emails have been flying all week as the kickstarter for V5 Cults of the Blood Gods funded in 50 minutes and it has been smashing through Stretch Goals since then!
It has perhaps been helped by a last minute change James and I made to the shipping costs for a bunch of our International backers – I mean I literally got the revised shipping costs from a new KS fulfilment shipper in the EU the morning the KS was going live!
Very glad we could bring those costs down – even if it is still an experiment until we get a few ship-outs actually out from these shippers.
As always, you can back at any time and you’ll get access to consecutive chunks of the manuscript as the KS rolls along – and you can cancel your pledge at any time before the KS is over if you don’t like what you read!
(And this is the case whether you have just stumbled on the Cults Kickstarter, are one of our long-time KS backers, or a friend of one of the creators!)
Also, related to our Kickstarter for V5 Cults of the Blood Gods, Modiphius has opened up the pre-orders for their V5 book, The Fall of London! You can find the info here on their website: https://www.modiphius.net/
You’ll recognize a lot of the creators’ names from our projects, so you know it’s at least worth a look: every pre-order for the hardcover physical book that’s yet to come gets a link to the finished PDF!
Chicago Folio art by Michele Giorgi
Since this is almost the end of the year, and is certainly a time when we can use some happy thoughts to go with the holidays, here are our Onyx Path Monday Meeting crew’s look back on what were some of our highlights from 2019:
Dixie:
It’s been amazing to streamline a few of our processes this year! However, to me the major highlights for me were holding certain books for the first time on which I and my colleagues have worked so hard, such as Trinity, Scion, Dragon-Blooded, and Chicago by Night. I’m glad we’ve been able to deliver so many great Kickstarters and am looking forward to those yet to come! Seeing our books go into stores has been amazing, too. Being able to walk into my FLGS and see a copy of Changeling 2e or Pugmire on the shelf is really rewarding.
Monica:
Community content has been a wonderful way to find new freelancers and those programs are giving fans an opportunity to create new titles for their favorite games. I think we’ve integrated the programs really well and I’ll be curious to see what happens in the coming months.
Ian:
Entirely self-serving of me, but: we ran the Trinity Continuum: Aberrant Kickstarter, which did gratifyingly well. We released the Trinity Continuum core rules and Trinity Continuum: Æon, which have been in development almost as long as Onyx Path has been a company! The feedback we’ve gotten has been really positive and I’m really happy that we finally got these out to the public. Squeaking in before the end of the year are In Media Res and the Æon Æxpansion, and we’re working on a new edition of Adventure! and other exciting projects. It’s been a great year for visible tangible progress.
Mighty Matt:
Teaming up with the DriveThruRPG team to launch the new Phone PDF
format with the Pugmire core rulebook. As the RPG community grows it
is very cool to have the chance to try new ways of using our games and
the Phone PDF format means Pugmire (and now Scion: Origin) are
available in a mobile format, which can be great to read on the go,
use at conventions, and more.
They Came From Beneath the Sea! art by Brian LeBlanc
Mirthful Mike:
Two pillars of the Storypath System saw release in 2019… Scion and Trinity Continuum. And yes, Scion did have some bumps both before and after release… but we did learn from those and implemented some new procedures since then to make sure those bumps never show up again. Yes, a month long implementation of the Trinity Mindmeld was kinda stressful for me… but way less stressful than Scion‘s release.
Matthew:
My favourite moment of 2019 was conducting the second proof of They Came from Beneath the Sea! It’s been nothing but a joy to review a game I’ve overseen from conception to (near) publication, and I’m confident the people who buy it, run it, and play it will love the writing, the art, and the layout. It really is a testament to the creative excellence of the team who worked on this, and I owe a lot to their ingenuity and humour, and the faith Rich put in me and this game.
Eddy:
One thing I think we did really well: Process. 2018 was a year of onboarding, getting people trained up, and establishing process for our company. This year we saw how well it worked, adjusted where it didn’t work, and generally got things out faster and at higher quality than we did before. Next year is a natural step of refining or looking at better processes.
Lisa:
For me the good is the improvement of our office systems. Going through our in-house developers for contracts and pay schedules helps to keep these working smoothly and to both eliminate or clear up problems as we go. Hopefully, this makes it better for our freelancers to have their paperwork and payments in a timely fashion.
RichT:
As for me, this last year has been one where we are starting to have things happen we set in motion years ago, like Ian mentioned about the Trinity Continuum, and also we announced Exalted Essence as another project we’ve been thinking about for quite some time.
Having the Trinity Continuum books available is particularly cool because they really illustrate how the Storypath System can be tweaked so that it meshes with the setting. Just wait until both Dystopia Rising: Evolution and They Came From Beneath the Sea! (and a bunch of unannounced projects) also become available and really put Storypath through its paces.
But also, in terms of other things besides projects, we’re working on new ways to print and ship our KS’d books, and how to build on the success we’ve had in getting our books into retail stores. Which might not really click until V5 Chicago By Night gets onto shelves. But that’ll be in our 2020 thoughts!
Memento Mori art by Brian LeBlanc
I’ve been thrilled by how our Terrific Trio of Terror have continued to post a new Onyx Pathcast every freakin’ Friday, and how we’ve ramped up our Twitch channel with fantastic actual plays and commentary pretty much every single day of the week! I really wasn’t sure we’d get so many loyal viewers, so thanks to all of you who’ve checked out our offerings!
Thanks to the always delightful James Bell, our KS Concierge, we were able to run 6 Kickstarter campaigns on our original KS account, and then James ran Mummy 2e and our friends at Handiwork Games ran the Creature Collection KS on our new Onyx Path KS account. Which is another thing we have been needing for years.
And we were able to continually roll out projects all year long that were created via our Kickstarter campaigns – both the main rewards and the Stretch Goal extra projects – which has been a juggling act as the older (ahem, later) rewards caught up and smashed into the newer projects that are getting made a lot more quickly under the updated processes Eddy and Lisa mentioned.
It was a satisfying year in that it felt good to demonstrate with all of our fantastic projects how we can create great and beautiful game books for both our licensed and our own lines. In a lot of ways, it was all of you and your responses – to our projects, to our posts, to our KSs – that truly made this an excellent year for all of us at the Onyx Path House of Ideas!
Thank YOU, for joining us last year in exploring our:
Many Worlds, One Path!
BLURBS!
Kickstarter!
V5 Cults of the Blood Gods funded in 50 minutes last week, and has thundered forward despite the holidays!
Onyx Path Media!
This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast Is our Holiday Special 2: Mario Kart Episode! Say! No! More! Check it out direct on Podbean, or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/
Topping the media list this week is Red Moon Roleplaying‘s actual play of Vampire: The Masquerade – Cults of the Blood Gods, to tie in to the currently running Kickstarter. Here’s part one, and do be warned, the content within contains scenes of a horrific nature: https://youtu.be/E_VtuU4y9JI
Additionally, Ekorren (of Roleplaying and Worldbuilding fame) has made a special V5 video, what with Cults of the Blood Gods being on Kickstarter: https://youtu.be/ir1MYLtD1EY
We’ve a festive line-up on Twitch this week, with a holiday special of Trinity Continuum, Dixie’s Holiday Twitch Takeover (which will be a hell of a lot of fun), another holiday special of Hunter: The Vigil, Uncanny Valley‘s regular Hunter game, Mage: The Awakening, and Scarred Lands!
Thank you to our streamers for such fantastic work this year, and even more thanks for those running games this week!
You can watch the games on our Twitch channel and subscribe to us over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath
Plus, we uploaded a barrage of content to our Onyx Path YouTube channel this last week, including videos for Pugmire, Aberrant, Changeling: The Lost, and more!
You can find our YouTube videos over on youtube.com/user/theonyxpath
What’s more, Matthew Dawkins continues his Gentleman’s Guide to Scion over on his YouTube channel, now covering the mechanics of consolation and Momentum!
You can find Matthew’s channel at youtube.com/user/clackclickbang
If you’ve not been following the Occultists Anonymous series on Mage: The Awakening, do not despair! They have uploaded new episodes to their channel right here:
Episode 66: The Masters
Songbird is called before his mentor, Colossus, to prepare for his initiation into an ancient legacy. Atratus begins to investigate a curiosity that Gabe has found. https://youtu.be/8HaJXY_iLk4
Episode 67: Baby, Take My Hand
Atratus speaks with the dead, determining how best she can help the ghost of Katherine. Gabe steps up to play a supporting role in helping the newly dead. Songbird tries something new…
https://youtu.be/h3g3v5ntHn8
The Story Told Podcast continue their fantastic actual play of Exalted Dragon-Blooded right here: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-21-shall-we-spare-the-ravages-of-war
Over with Vampire: The Masquerade now, as The Sacrifice from Chicago by Night is run in Spanish over on webvampiro’s channel! https://youtu.be/PXMzZ69pl4Y
Returning to Red Moon Roleplaying, those folks have a whole load of content coming out for us, including:
Changeling: The Lost: https://youtu.be/svXWhcGTNmc
and The Sacrifice, for Vampire: The Masquerade: https://youtu.be/b4T23Zy7s-4
Have you checked out the Botch Pit‘s guide to the Winter Court for Changeling: The Lost? If not, here it is: https://youtu.be/A_huXzRyghY
Drop Matthew a message via the contact button on matthewdawkins.com if you have actual plays, reviews, or game overviews you want us to profile on the blog!
Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!
Electronic Gaming!
As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)
On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).
If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!
Our selection includes these latest fiction books:
Our Sales Partners!
We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire
We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game
Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost
Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!:
https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands
Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online
Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/
And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And NOW Scion Origin and Scion Hero are available to order!
As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!
On Sale This Week!
This Wednesday, we will be releasing the final monthly PDF installments for Exalted 3rd‘s Hundred Devils Night Parade and Adversaries of the Righteous on DTRPG!
Conventions!
2020: Midwinter: January 9th – 12th, in Milwaukee, WI. Check out David Fuller’s Athens, Ohio Scion actual play tie-in adventure (soon to be coming to the Storypath Nexus community content site) that will be running at Midwinter. The event url is below:
https://tabletop.events/conventions/midwinter-gaming-convention-2020/schedule/402
And now, the new project status updates!
DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):
First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)
Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)
N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
Duke Rollo fiction (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
RUST (Scarred Lands)
Redlines
Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Second Draft
Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Development
Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)
Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)
Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)
Manuscript Approval
Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)
Buried Bones: Creating in the Realms of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)
Post-Approval Development
Scion LARP Rules (Scion)
Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
Editing
Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Let the Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)
Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)
Mythical Denizens (Creatures of the World Bestiary) (Scion 2nd Edition)
Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)
M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)
Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Post-Editing Development
TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)
TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)
Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)
Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)
Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)
Indexing
ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!
In Art Direction
Contagion Chronicle – Finals coming in.
Trinity Continuum: Aberrant
Hunter: The Vigil 2e
Ex3 Lunars – Art is in.
TCfBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers – Sketches in and approved.
Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed – Contracted.
Cults of the Blood God (KS)
Mummy 2
City of the Towered Tombs
Let the Streets Run Red – Art notes and contracts finishing going out this week.
CtL Oak Ash and Thorn – Got artnotes.
Scion Mythical Denizens – Need sketches for fulls.
Deviant
Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad
Vigil Watch – Getting stuff over to cartographer.
Legendlore (KS)
Technocracy Reloaded (KS) – Got notes out to artists for halfs and splats.
Scion Companion – Reading through art notes.
In Layout
Chicago Folio – Halfway through layout.
Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds
Pirates of Pugmire – With Aileen.
Proofing
Dark Eras 2 – At WW for approval and they will be back after the New Year.
Trinity Continuum Aeon Jumpstart
They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Backer PDF out to backers soon.
VtR Spilled Blood
At Press
V5: Chicago – Shipping to the KS fulfillment shippers. PoD proofs ordered.
Geist 2e (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition) – Being printed.
Geist 2e Screen – Being printed.
DR:E – Being printed.
DRE Screen – Being printed.
DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties – PoD proof on the way.
Trinity RMCs
Tales of Good Dogs – PoD proof ordered.
Memento Mori – Backer PDF out to backers, gathering errata.
M20 Book of the Fallen – PoD proof ordered.
Trinity Continuum Storypath Nexus Community Content – Getting it set up.
Today’s Reason to Celebrate!
Happy Holidays to One and All!
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Settle in folks, here’s a story from my most recent gaming session, it’s pretty long but it was such a transcendent moment I have to share it with all of you. Due to length I’m going to try to put it under a cut.
So a bit of background information. We are playing a Kingdom Hearts game and have been for… A while. We can’t quite remember exactly how long. It’s a custom system of the DM and my design (THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE BUT CAN’T GET DISNEY OR SQUARE TO TALK TO ME ABOUT IT).
Our PCs:
Lonnie Clawford, a snow leopard from Zootopia, with an affinity for Ice, and focused on Power abilities (like Terra). Lonnie is functionally immortal in combat, kind of anxious, and grew up in Zootopia’s foster care system until she was like 12 and was picked up by our Master. Played by @thepioden
Lydia, a young woman from The Corpse Bride (in our defense, we knew it was Tim Burton and forgot it wasn’t Disney until we finished the world) with an affinity for Moon (blame Saïx) and focused on Speed abilities; her combat style focuses especially on aerial tricks and abilities. Gravity is a suggestion at best for Lydia, she’s a hopeless romantic (“MISSION OF LOVE” is a common refrain from her), and she grew up an orphan on the streets until she was about 5-6 and was adopted by our Master. Played by @tsukidoesthething
Polaris Caelestis, a young man from ??????????? (likely a Final Fantasy World; we didn’t learn my last name until halfway through the campaign so far) who was found as an infant by their Master in the void between worlds (earning him the nickname “Space Baby” from his friends). He has an affinity for Thunder and is focused on Magic abilities. Pol has spent the most time with his Keyblade, tends to try to solve every problem with his knowledge or magic (earning him the nickname “Mage-Wrists” from his friends), and he tries to be a Fixed Point for his friends. I play Pol.
By this point, we have journeyed through so many worlds. Atlantis, The Rescuers, Wall-E, Princess and the Frog, Wreck-It Ralph, Secret of Mana’s Japan-only Sequel, Zootopia, Corpse Bride, Treasure Planet, The Incredibles, Monster’s Inc. And we have ended our first ‘lap’ in Chrono Trigger. We arrive in the bleak, dead, post apocalyptic future, and pick up Robo/Prometheus as our companion. Together, we visit the remains of human civilization, lightly perform a few miracles for the survivors, and end up making our way up to Death’s Peak. All the while, an oppressive feeling of despair, desolation, and Darkness is mounting. At the summit, we find ourselves face to face with a Lavos-Spawn. A horrible tick-like monstrosity the size of a bus that at least in our game was ALSO a variety of Heartless.
So, it’s already not looking GREAT for us. As the boss fight begins, our DM starts this music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nReqeBSp_WY
Our DM hands us each two notecards taped together along the edges; on one side was a Whisper of Darkness, and the other was a new keyblade (with some flavor text) the Darkness forced us to use.
Lonnie declined to share the Whisper of Darkness she received, but she was forced to use Shattered Steel:
“If someone has to take hits, let it be you, because you deserve them. Maybe you will be remembered fondly if you keep real heroes alive. Better to spend yourself until you’re battered, broken, and shattered, than to let them see what you really are.”
It lightly corrupted her heart with Darkness if she gave or received a buff, which she does automatically when she stands next to an ally.
Lydia heard this Whisper of Darkness:
“Your mother would have lived if you had not abandoned her and run to spare your own petty feelings. You always have, and you always will flee when you fear pain, and it will always harm those you claim to love and protect.”
And she was forced to use Broken Wings:
“Only unburdened hearts can soar. When you think about what you could have done differently, you only drown in doubt and loathing; cast it aside, and the guilt and regret hang around your neck like unseen weights. Better to give up the skies before you crash, broken, to the ground.”
It lightly corrupted her heart with Darkness if she went into the air or used an ability while aerial.
Polaris heard this Whisper of Darkness
“You spout the tenets of hope, desperate to distract yourself from the ugly truth. Your identity is staked upon it; if there really is no hope, no redemption, then you yourself are a cruel lie to those around you.”
I was forced to use Endless Night:
“Light brings not hope, but casts how much is lost and beyond relief into painful clarity. You cannot heal all wounds, and insufficient healing does more harm than good. Better to do nothing, and turn away from a night you cannot dispel.”
It lightly corrupted my heart with Darkness if my MP pool changed.
With each boss fight thus far, our DM showed us an “Information” notecard that gave a hint to the boss fight’s gimmick.
This one was completely redacted out in permanent marker.
Needless to say, the boss had abilities that forced us next to each other, knocked us aerial, and drained our MP. On top of this, our characters could not communicate.
It was bad.
We fought futilely for a time, and I did crit the bastard with a melee attack to the face, but after we dealt about 100 damage, the boss rewound time and healed itself to full. We were on the ropes; I had nearly been knocked out, Lonnie had nearly been halfway corrupted, and Lydia … well she was actually kind of the MVP but it was still Not Great.
Prometheus spent most of the fight trying to get our attention and was very concerned about how atypically we were behaving. He pulled us back, out of the fight and out of the worst of the boss’s aura. Prometheus started playing some recordings of his creator, a Professor Ashtear (likely a descendant of Lucca, but our DM created the character from whole cloth). As the recordings played, the music swapped to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvEJSvgl9Us Our DM’s delivery of the below was quite frankly superb.
“Okay, diagnostics are complete; everything’s in the green. Ready to go offline and get some upgrades?”
“Professor? I have a concern.”
“What’s up, 66?”
“I understand the mission and I will assist to the best of my capacity, as always. However, my calculations all project that I am insufficient for the role I have been given.”
“That’s what all this preparation is for.”
“Acknowledged, but am I not a sub-optimal model for integration? A military unit such as a mobile defense platform--”
“--Wouldn’t have what you have. It’s nothing in the numbers, 66, it’s something you’ve got to feel in your heart.”
“I am a robot. I do not possess a heart.”
“You don’t think so? I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe one day you’ll understand, but in the meantime I guess you’ll just have to trust that you’ve been chosen for a reason. Do you trust my judgment?”
“Of course, Professor.”
“Then believe in my trust in you. Fate has a way of putting us all where we are supposed to be. And if you have doubts, check in with me, or Lumie, or the people you’ll be helping. You won’t ever be alone. Not really.”
“Acknowledged, Professor.”
“But not really understood, right? Hm, maybe a good first step would be to give you a proper name... I think I’ve got just the one. See you again when you wake up, Prometheus.”
“No. I appreciate the thought, Prometheus, but we can’t cut out the groundwork we’re laying for short term gain.”
“But if we do not take any measures to accelerate our action plan--”
“I’m under no illusions. The work ahead of us will exceed my lifetime. Even optimistically, I will never live to see the fruits of our labors. Neither will Lumie, nor any child of hers or grandchild. The world’s going to get worse --a lot worse-- before it gets any better.”
“...Regretfully, I have reached the same conclusions. You are not perturbed?”
“Of course I am. I’m a problem-solver. It’s what I do, and I’ve always been very good at it. To be confronted with something like this, where there’s no possible way I can see it resolved? Especially when it’s so important? It’s a bitter pill to swallow, some days. But I’ve come to peace with it, because I know my efforts won’t go to waste. What I do now, I do to fling a light into the future. Every step I take is one that Lumie can follow forward. She can take what I’ve started and advance it a little further. The rest, we can entrust to you, and to those who come after us.”
“Future generations may not be as capable as you are. How can you be certain that they will know how to use what you will leave behind?”
“I can’t. All I can do is have faith. I won’t be the last good man in the world. Where there’s life, there is always hope. Besides, you’ll be there to tell them what I’ve done, right? Our legacies live on in the hearts we influence. If I know that, through you, my example will continue to guide and inspire --even if it’s in ways that I can’t expect or imagine-- then I can rest easy in the knowledge that I’ve done all I can do.”
“Understood, Professor. I will remember.”
“Registration complete. Administrative access and privileges have been successfully transferred to Mistress Illumina Ashtear.”
(coughs) “Excellent. Thank you, Prometheus. When you go down, would you mind sending Lumie up alone, first? There are some things I want to make sure to tell her before I say goodbye to the rest of the family.”
“...As you wish, Professor.”
“Something on your mind, old friend?”
“Regret. If I had returned to escort you here sooner, your condition would not have degraded so acutely. If I had prioritized repairing the medical facility over stabilizing the foundation, Mistress Illumina might have had time to treat your symptoms or cure them.”
“Maybe. Or maybe we’d have lost a promising young mind to that mutant attack that we’ll need in the future. Maybe the building would have collapsed, and all the functioning medical equipment would have buried Lumie and me both. Or maybe all of that would have worked out and we would have learned that there was nothing that could be done for me anyway.”
“Those are only negative hypotheticals. There are an equally infinite number of positive alternatives, and the only concrete data I have to analyze is from this negative outcome.”
“Listen to me, Prometheus: we all make mistakes, believe me, I know. Heated words regretted, or necessary words left unspoken; time not spent, or misspent. Things we’re not proud of, and can’t do over, and good intentions that don’t work out the way we thought they would. But what do we do when we break something?”
“Attempt repairs.”
“And if we can’t fix it, make something new from what you learned. The only way a mistake leads to a wholly negative outcome is when you choose not to face it. It can hurt. Sometimes it can hurt like hell, but that pain will shape you, whether you acknowledge it or not. It can slow your hands from doubt, or it can guide them with purpose.”
“I do not understand, Professor.”
(coughs) “That’s alright. You will, one day. For now, let me just say this: don’t forget me, but don’t let me haunt you. Keep moving forward, Prometheus, even if you stumble. Be who you are meant to be and do what you’re meant to do. Live on. It’s all I’ve ever hoped for you.”
As these recordings wrapped up, Prometheus turned and addressed the monster directly, (DM’s robot voice is exquisite), and the DM swapped the music track to his leitmotif from his original game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaUNpJAgD4w
“I understand. You are not the creature that has taken so much from this planet. You are its offspring, leaching from our remains as you prepare to invade another world and repeat this heinous tragedy. Defeating you will not restore our resources, or the people we have lost. It will not save our planet; it will only spare a host of strangers I will never meet. And I understand now, that this is a worthy cause.”
“I am a robot. I was not designed or built for this battle. I still have reservations about my aptitude for the role and responsibilities I have been given. I have no statistical evidence to prove that I can prevail. But fate has a way of putting us all where we are meant to be. I have no compunction in my code to fight this battle, but I feel an imperative to achieve victory. It is irrational, but I understand it. Logic and concrete analysis compel me to doubt. My belief in those who chose to invest their hopes and dreams in me instruct me to ignore the odds.”
“I understand now. I am Prometheus, and I am alive. When we prevail over you, I will take what I have learned down off this mountain, and I will get back to work. I will let myself feel loss. I will let myself hurt, and I will grow to be more than I have been. I will continue on, as I know those I have left behind would want me to. I am alive. Their memories are alive in me. There are still people I have to protect. This world is still alive.”
The Professor’s voice sounds one more time. “Where there is life, there is hope.” A woman’s voice answers. “Where there is life, there is hope.” (The phrase echoes again and again, on down through the generations. Finally, the whole host of voices, Prometheus’s among them, rings out in a shout.) We were offered the opportunity to roll an Insight check to join in. Lonnie and Pol rolled first, and we BOTH got nat 20’s; with that, he didn’t even make Lydia roll, and we three joined our voices to the chorus: “WHERE THERE IS LIFE, THERE IS HOPE!”
With this, the DM said we were fully healed, the corruption to our hearts gone in an instant, and the DM instructed us to open the sealed notecard-packets. On the back of the corrupted keyblades were new purified (and mechanically magnificent) ones for each of us (also with flavor text).
Lonnie received Resonant Glass:
“No one voice can sing a chord. If I fear I am unworthy for the melody, then let me be the harmony. If I doubt the character of my soul, let me raise my voice with those that know me best, that I may hear my heart resonate with theirs.”
Lydia received Reclaim the Wind:
“Hopes and dreams have ever been the wind beneath our wings. If I sin, then let the hope to mend what may yet be righted and lift my face to the skies --not to avert my eyes, but to pursue the dream of my better self.”
Pol received First Light
“Not even the brightest star can light the void alone, and a beacon saves only those that pursue it. If my spark must pass before the Darkness, let it seed an ember in the hearts of those that chase the Dawn, a reminder that every night ends.”
Prometheus addresses the boss one last time before the fight begins anew: “Now, Spawn of Lavos. (Dukes up) Prepare for termination.”
It was electric; we all could perfectly visualize the moment. I think we all had tears in our eyes at one point or another.
The DM changed the music one last time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWSB3qL5qs8) and showed us an Information card about how we could disable the boss’s temporal rewinding. Furthermore, any Dual-Tech/Team Attack we performed with Prometheus would automatically critically hit.
We kicked its spiny ass.
31 notes
·
View notes
Text
Growth and Pain
I remember the way it felt being on the escalator on my way up from Kendall station on December 15th, 2017. As my new home came into view, my heart began to shift in my chest and my stomach began to tighten. It was as if my torso was telling me, “Stand up straight, you’re an MIT student now.”
Less than 24 hours before, I had opened up my acceptance letter. A compilation of my mother’s proud tears and my friends’ excited screams played back in my head now as I made my way up to ground level. I felt nervous and excited, amazed yet terrified. It was like having a crush, except that they’d already agreed to spend four years with me.
I was on my way to visit my friend Habiba, a member of the class of 2020 who had gone to my high school and encouraged me to apply to MIT. She was so proud to hear that I’d been admitted that she immediately invited me to come visit her on campus. I lived only an hour away from MIT, so I took the train over the next day. I had been to MIT many times before, but this time was different. This time, I tried to remember the names of buildings and streets so I’d be ready to navigate them in the coming fall. I asked Habiba which professors she liked and which classes she recommend. I remember being really happy that day. MIT felt like home. I felt ready.
(The only picture I can find of me and Habiba. I don’t know what’s going on with the banana or why I’m so upset about it)
I was not ready.
I arrived on campus in late August grinning ear-to-ear. Sure, MIT was hard, but I loved challenges. Everything would be fine.
Everything was not fine.
I was on campus for all of four days before I failed my first exam, the chemistry ASE. This would be one of many Fs I’d receive in the coming year. When classes started, I suddenly became aware of the gap between my prior knowledge and that of my peers. I couldn’t integrate, which made the first physics problem set impossible for me, and everyone I worked with made me feel stupid for being caught up. This would become the case for almost all of my classes, and I’d spend most of my first month at MIT playing catch-up. Still, I could catch up. Things would get better.
Things did not get better.
I was driving my brothers to a restaurant one weekend so we could meet up with my parents and have dinner together as a family. On the way there, a driver cut left in front of me and we collided in an intersection, totaling both cars and minorly injuring us. Though I healed physically within a month, I’d spend the rest of the semester trying to get over the psychological trauma caused by the experience. This was when I found out that MIT is hard on a good day, but it’s damn near impossible on a bad day. The accident made it incredibly difficult for me to perform well academically. Luckily, I was in my freshman fall, so I was on Pass/No Record. Since I managed to (barely) pass all my classes, I came out of the semester relatively unscathed and glad I was able to go through that without worrying about grades. The hard part was over.
The hard part was not over.
In the spring, I finally started to get the hang of things. Most of my classes were going well and I felt ready to bounce back. Unfortunately, I wasn’t ready for what was to come.
I was in the penthouse of McCormick hall working on a problem set when I received the news. My grandmother had passed away. She was the first loved one I’d ever lost, so I didn’t know what to do except cry. Eventually, a friend of mine found me and helped me write emails to my professors explaining why I wouldn’t be turning in those problem sets. Over the next few weeks, I tried to balance school and grief. I barely passed a physics exam, skipped a few lectures when it was too hard to leave my room, and cried often.
The second time it happened, I was at a party. It had been just over a month since I lost my grandmother. My mother and I were at my friend’s bridal shower when I suddenly looked over at her and saw her crying. When I asked what’s wrong, she simply said my aunt’s name. I knew this aunt had been fighting against cancer, so I pushed for more information, hoping that maybe she’d been hospitalized or had a complication, but that there was still hope. But no, she had passed away.
And so began another round of balancing school with grief. Barely over a month after losing my grandmother, I found myself crying instead of studying yet again.
At this point, it is important to note that there are other important characters in this story: my biological family at home, and my MSA family at MIT. My families supported me through everything. My parents understood when my grades slipped. My MSA friends provided me with shoulders to cry on when I missed home, and helped me catch up on material when I missed class.
(A picture of a bunch of MSA member + some of my other friends at my birthday surprise. I love these nerds <3)
Which brings me to the third time.
Aliza was incredible. She was smart, funny, kind, beautiful. She had the sort of smile that made you want to smile even when you were sad, just so she would see that she made you smile and smile again. She was steadfast in everything she believed yet understanding of the beliefs of others. She loved history. She was a computer science queen. She cared about her family and Pakistani culture more than anyone else I’d ever met. She was a nerd, but like a cool nerd. She was one of the best friends I have ever had the privilege of having.
(One of my favorite pictures of Aliza. Allah yarhamha (God have mercy on her))
Shortly after going home for the summer post-finals, Aliza passed away in a car accident involving a drunk driver. I and some other MSA members were still on campus when we heard the news, so we rushed to her home state of New Jersey for her funeral.
I cannot explain what it feels like to bury your best friend, so I’m not going to try. Instead, I’m going to fast forward to now.
Samar is in Palestine. I’m in Italy. Another wave of grief will undoubtedly hit us when we go back to MIT in the fall. For now, we try to let the distance keep us from being overtaken by pain. Haniya and Layal are on campus. Instead of physical distance, it seems like they’ve turned towards business. Their schedules seem full, and I can imagine why; free time is the worst. Imane is harder to read, but she’s strong. Jeba takes care of us, but I wonder if she’s still hurting too. Sarah and I just went to London together and she said Aliza would’ve loved all the desi shops we found.
All of this was a really long way of saying that this has been an incredibly difficult year. Before I got to MIT, I was a child (literally, I was 17) who had never dealt with loss or heartbreak. I spent most of this year wishing I could go back, wishing I could be the wide-eyed, eager girl that visited MIT the day after being admitted as if 8 more months was too long to wait.
But this has also been an incredibly rewarding year. Before I got to MIT, I had never belonged to a community in the way that I belong to MIT and the MSA. I had never had a family that wasn’t blood. I had never cried on shoulders I’d only known for a few months. I had never loved people so much that losing them could hurt like this. I hadn’t even ever taken an integral.
I’ve grown during my time at MIT in ways I didn’t think possible. I feel more connected to my faith, my family, and my friends than ever before. I am the strongest I have ever been despite being broken. I am the smartest I have ever been despite receiving grades I thought would get me kicked out of MIT. This isn’t to say that failing exams or being in an accident or losing loved ones wasn’t hard; hell, it’s *still* hard, especially the latter. All I’m saying is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Actually, no. I’m saying that there are holes in the roof of the tunnel, because the tunnel doesn’t ever end. You never finish struggling, but sometimes you look up and the ceiling of the tunnel is missing and the sun shines through, letting light in where you thought it could never go. Inevitably, you’ll end up back in the darkness. Such is the nature of life. But there will also be more holes in roof later on. Maybe you can even poke a few holes in the roof yourself. And maybe you’ll find friends and family who want to help. At first, you’ll feel bad for bringing them into your darkness, but they’ll be equipped with spears, and they’ll stab the ceiling with you until the light is back.
Alhamdulillah (Thank God) for all the people in my life who fight the darkness with me. They’re the reason this story is about growth instead of destruction.
- In response to the prompt, “How have you grown in your time at MIT? How are you different from the person you were when you hit submit?” (Chaos)
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Wallflower
part 1
this is part 2!!! i know it’s been ages and i’m so unbelievably sorry i started college and there was an influx of work and then i got ill and suff but i hope this makes up for it enjoy!! give me feedback as always bbs xx
--
“ I want you all to myself
Don't leave none for nobody else
I am an animal with you
No angels could beckon me back
And it's hotter than hell where I'm at
I am an animal with you ,, Animal - Troye Sivan
‘Are you sure about this Mum?’ I ask as I slip my earrings in my ear in front of the mirror in the entrance to the flat, I look over at her briefly as she sits on the sofa, raising my eyebrows at her in question.
‘I’ve already told you it’s fine just don’t come barging in at 3am because Lilly and I will not appreciate it,’ she laughs a little at the end but I know what she means, don’t become that reckless young girl again.
I nod my head and turn back to the mirror, checking my eyeshadow and lipstick and hair before I turn back to her, ‘How do I look?’
She stands up and takes slow steps towards me, the smile on her face broadens and she twirls her finger as if to imply I should turn around. And so I did. Not that there was much to see, ‘Gosh, I haven’t seen you this dressed up since you went out for your annual work dinner three months ago at Christmas,’ she raised her eyebrows at me while I shook my head.
‘Yeah okay, we get it, everyone’s is excited because Taylor’s going outside,’ I laugh a little before I walk over to my bag, my heels clicking on the hardwood floor, and check I have everything I need; purse, phone and lipstick.
Just as I close my purse, my phone vibrates and i pull it out to see Martha’s text, telling me that they are waiting in the foyer for me to come downstairs. I take a breath as I realise none of them are going to shut up about how I’m actually coming out with them and how I need to come out more and how i always miss out on things. Things being the guys that they always find.
‘Okay Martha says they’re all waiting so I’m gonna go now,’ I step forward and give my mum one final hug, cherishing the feeling of her arms as I normally do, ‘I promise I’ll try and be home before one,’ I smile at her again before walking to the door only stopping when my mother says,
‘Taylor, Don’t forget to have fun,’ Her smile was timid and I nod my head in response, she knew that I was a always worrying about Lilly.
I walk down to the foyer to see three anxious looking girls staring at the stairs that were empty a part from me, ‘She actually showed up! You owe me twenty Hadid,’ Karlie held her hand out waiting for Gi to comply, who sighed at her loss.
‘Can you just let me buy you drinks tonight?’ she begged with a small smile still on her face,
‘I’m hoping, if everything goes to plan,’ Karlie winks at me before continuing, ‘none of us will have to buy many of our drinks tonight, so yes, you can,’ she nods firmly before she walks towards the exit with us trailing slightly behind her.
‘Okay one. How come you guys have like zero faith in me? Two. Wait what plan? Am I meant to know something?’ I ask everyone, confident that it’s just me that’s the dumb one.
‘Um well how many times have you bailed and used Lilly as an excuse? Oh and the plan is we are four hot twenty-something ladies and men seem to like those’ Martha winks at me, like Karlie did, as she finishes and then waits for my response.
‘Um I am Lilly’s mother remember-‘ I try and start but am cut off by Gigi,
‘Where is your mother right now Swift?’ she leans forwards slightly as she walks so she can look at me past Martha and raise her eyebrows.
I lower my head, all of us knowing my mother would happily mind Lilly any day of the week, it was just me that was too scared to go out, before mumbling, ‘Looking after Lilly,’
‘Yeah that’s what I thought sis,’ Gi finishes, smirking at how she busted me.
‘Also, that is a terrible plan, you have me with you this time and I’m, not exactly, party material’ I comment
‘Taylor,’ Karlie sighs, ‘you don’t have to be ‘party material’ for guys to want to get in your pants,’ she slows down her walk so she’s next to me and can talk without having to yell.
‘I don’t want guys to get in my pants!’ I exclaim, snapping my head in her direction, alarm bells suddenly ringing.
‘The operative word was ‘want to get in your pants’ Taylor, they won’t actually,’ Karlie laughs at me before carrying on, ‘When was the last time you came drinking with us?’
‘It was Last year’ Martha says before I can make up any excuse.
‘Well T, rules are; tell one of us if you leave with a guy, get as drunk as possible and the first person who makes out with a guy gets a free drink on the rest of us, Martha is now excluded because although she refuses to admit it, she and James are more than just seeing each other,’ Karlie nods at me while raising her eyebrows as if she was expecting me to laugh at her. I did, while Martha sighed loudly which made us all smile even more.
‘Oh my god, you have rules? You guys are all nerds but can we add, ‘no mentioning the four-year-old to any guy, it normally scares people,’ I laugh a little at the end to make it lighter but it still hurts that people judge me for it.
We reach the entrance of the bar as they all murmur and nod in agreement to my extra rule. We sit at four of the bar stools and Gigi instantly calls for four vodka shots and places the cash on the counter for the guy serving. The three of them each pick up a glass, ready to down it, hesitating as they saw me just looking at it.
‘Do not make me hold your jaw open while Martha pours it into your mouth Swift,’
‘Ugh fine,’ I pick up the glass and we all clink them gently, careful not to spill too much of it, all four of us throw our heads back as we swallow it and all four of us wince at the taste.
My stomach feels slightly warmer, and I start to feel happier to be there we all order separate drinks, mine being vodka-diet coke, and start our normal banter-y conversation. Within that first ten minutes, a Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome approached Gi and asked her for a dance, of course she went for it.
A few minutes later Karlie is convinced by an equally tall man, however his hair is a reddish-brown this time, to join the dance floor, she smirks as she looks back at us while being led away from the bar.
And yet again, five minutes after Karlie is stolen from us, James, the guy who Martha is ‘seeing’, steals her from me as well.
‘James I swear to god, you’re always taking her from me these days, stop it, I need her’
Both of them laugh at my reaction before they wander off together, probably to go make out somewhere because they seem to do that a lot.
I watch them all grinding and dancing wildly with random guys and I can’t help but laugh at how adorable they all are when they’re trying to impress someone, I look down at my drink, expecting there to still be liquid in it, but alas, there wasn’t.
I sigh and turn back around so I’m facing the shelves of liquor and the bar-man that is washing glasses and making drinks and chatting and everything that bar-men are meant to do. Before I could call him over to order another I hear a deep voice from beside me
‘Can I buy you another one of those?’ I turn to him and smile sweetly,
Oh god what do I say, what do I do, just accept it Taylor, be normal for god’s sake
‘Yes, a vodka-diet coke, thank you’ I nod at him and watch him as he calls the bar-man over and orders my drink and then pays for it. He was hot. Blonde hair. Tall. My type. Not that I really had a type because it had been that long. But it used to be my type. Before Lilly came along.
‘So, do you have a name I can call you? or...?’ he fades out with a smirk left resting on his face
‘Oh yes, aha sorry, I’m Taylor, it’s lovely to meet you’ I held my hand out for him to shake and he laughed at my formalities.
‘I’m Joe,’ he winks at me to go along with his smirk and I can feel my cheeks redden slightly. I pick up the new drink and take a sip in hopes that if I embarrass myself in front of this incredibly attractive guy I won’t remember it because I will be too drunk.
‘So Joe, what do you do?’ I ask, only realising now that my words had a hint of a slur due to the amount of alcohol I had consumed.
‘I’m a fitness instructor,’ he takes a sip of his own drink as I nod
‘So you got a great set of abs under that shirt then?’ He laughs loudly at my overly open comment, God I’m gonna regret this tomorrow.
‘I’m not sure great is the word,’ he’s humble as well, I like it, I think before I tune back into what he’s saying, ‘And what do you do Miss Taylor?’
I’m a mum.
‘I’m an assistant at an accounting firm, it’s very exciting I know’ I roll my eyes, my voice dripping with sarcasm which makes him laugh. My stomach does a little flip.
I don’t know what it is about his smirk or his wink or his adorable smile lines but there was something familiar about everything about him, maybe he was in a news paper one time or did some modelling at some point, he did have, I assume, great abs after all.
‘So would you like to dance?’ he held out his hand for me to take and it took me a second before I shook my head at him, ‘Nah I think I’m gonna stay at the bar where my alcohol is,’ I shrugged my shoulders at him.
Maybe I was holding back because of Lilly or maybe it was because I found him slightly too familiar but whatever it was I knew that I didn’t want to dance because it would lead to him wanting more than that.
‘Very well but if you change your mind you’ll know where I’ll be’ he winked once more at me before he walked away a smirk still clearly on his face. That god damn smirk would get anyone into trouble.
I watched him as he integrated himself into the mass of dancing bodies, talking to girls and clearly wooing them with his hair and his smile and his slightly too tight shirt. I didn’t realise that I was staring until I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.
Gigi.
‘You know in cartoons when the character is really hungry and objects suddenly turn into giant delicious looking meals?’ she asked me and my attention was snapped from Joe to her raised eyebrows.
‘Oh him? No’ I scoffed at her, jokingly shoving her shoulder slightly.
At that point Karlie sauntered over, both of them clearly done with the guys they’d found earlier on.
‘Why are Gigi’s eyebrows so raised?’ she asked me, that cheeky smile on her face and her cheeks slightly flushed.
‘Taylor saw some eye-candy which she was planning on staring at all night’ Gi responded.
’He’s not eye-candy, I was not staring and his name is Joe!’ I defended, which probably wasn’t the best idea as their eyebrows seemed to get even higher.
‘Oh so you’ve talked to him and then let me guess, rejected him?’ Karlie burst out.
I let my head fall as I sighed loudly before responding, ‘Yes, we chatted and I found out he’s a very flirty fitness instructor’ I paused as I met their eyes again ‘who I decided not to dance with’
They both sighed at me and Karlie’s arms managed to fold in front of her chest, ’Why do we even bother,’ she said to Gi who shook her head in response before saying,
‘I honestly don’t know,’
‘I’m sorry!! He just seemed creepily familiar and I just couldn’t because I’m not very good at the whole flirting thing and every time someone asks me what I do for work I want to say ‘mum’ but I can’t because then they’ll like freak out and so there’s no point even trying,’ I raise my hands in defence, hoping they’ll finally get the memo.
If I was sober I wouldn’t be saying this.
‘Oh T, if you don’t put yourself out there you’ll never know,’ Karlie said, unfolding her arms and rubbing my shoulder slightly
‘That’s it I’m buying you another drink lets get sad and drunk,’ Gigi responded, perching herself on the stool next to me rather than standing,
‘Imma go find Martha and see if she’s abandoned us for her ‘ ‘not-boyf’ boyf yet’ Karlie skipped off once more so it was just me and the friend I had had for around 6 years.
‘You okay?’ she asked as she handed me a re-fill of my vodka-diet coke and I nodded my head as I took a sip.
‘Babe,’ she said, a more serious note to her voice.
‘I think so’ I gave in finally, pausing before starting again, ‘Don’t get me wrong I love having Lilly, but sometimes I wish I wasn’t such a dumbass party animal at 19, and I don’t even know who the father is! Because I got that drunk!’ I sighed, letting my head rest on the bar in frustration, even if it was slightly sticky from spilt drinks.
When I lifted my head back up our eyes met and I could see the sorrow in her eyes, she felt bad for me, I sighed and looked at the drink in front of me.
Fuck it.
I picked up the glass and downed the golden liquor, my nineteen-year-old self would be proud, I felt the warmth in my stomach spread as I put the empty glass back on the bar and asked the bar-man for another
‘Okay but that’s your last one!’ Gi warned me as she had just witnessed the events of me being possessed by my younger self.
At that moment Karlie came back, Martha no where to be seen implying that she had already gone back to James’ house. Didn’t take long.
A look passed between my two best friends and Karlie proceeded to raise her eyebrows at me, ‘I downed my drink, get over it,’ I shrugged my shoulder in my drunken state and started to sip at the brand new one that was in front of me.
‘Do we need to get her back to Andrea at some point?’ Karlie poised her question to Gi, as if I wasn’t even there anymore.
‘Yes, we do and after she’s finished that we need to get her to leave, we’ll buy some water on the way home,’ they continued their ‘not-private’ private conversation.
They watched me take every sip of my drink occasionally commenting on how they never knew that I had the capacity to get drunker than them. Well I clearly did. Lilly existed.
I knew the minute I had finished it they would try and usher me out that’s why my drunken state thought it would be a good idea to leave a bit in the glass and then go and dance, ‘I’m gonna go dance with my new friend Joe,’ I slurred, stumbling slightly as I got up,
I heard both of them try and tell me to stop but I ignored them as I wandered, stumbled, towards him.
There was one step between us before I tripped over my own feet and landed on him, he laughed as he helped me up and I let go of his arm, ‘You come for that dance?’ that fucking smirk.
‘maybe’ I slurred and he laughed again before joining me in getting lost in the music. His hands held mine as we danced, only so I didn’t fall over, but still, a guy’s hands were in mine. I knew my friends were probably happy and annoyed at the same time but I didn’t care, I would most definitely regret it in the morning, but it was fun right now.
I lost track of time as we swayed and he laughed at my weird dance moves. All I knew is that his smile was lighting up the room and his eyes were leaving my heart pumping a little bit faste-
‘Okay sorry to break up the party, but we,’ Karlie gestured to her and Gigi as Martha had already gone home with James, ‘need to get her,’ she pointed at me before continuing, ‘home.’
--
I woke up and the headache behind my eyes was like a child let loose with paints. Chaos. I didn’t remember getting home last night but I must’ve because I was in my own bed and in my own night things. At least I didn’t have anyone beside me.
I cracked my eyes open and winced at the bright light before I looked to my bedside table to see the glass of water and Advil laying there. Yum.
I love my mum.
My phone lay next to them both and I picked it up just to check if any of the others had messaged me. They hadn’t. Probably because they were asleep.
But I did have a text.
It read:
‘Hi, it’s Joe, we traded numbers when I got you girls a taxi in your drunken states last night, hope that’s okay and I hope you got home okay,’
Oh boy.
46 notes
·
View notes
Text
FTE in the Hangar
Man, can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to show up to the plan only to realize you forgot to charge it? Social anxiety crisis avoided!
but wait what about K1-b0′s FTE 5
what about his underwear
........ You had me at ‘worried about Kaito’. Go on ~
FINALLY! FINALLY!!!
You know what never mind. Fine. I don’t want to hang out with K1-b0 when he’s like this anyway >:/
With that said though I... uh... really thought the reason we weren’t executing the plan today was because we would have time for another FTE? Maybe after checking on Kaito I’ll be able to do that...
Okay so let me just say that screen caps do not capture the mild terror I had while I was creeping Shuichi along in the hangar, listening to those heavy thumps of the exisals in the distance. They were emphasizing being careful and quiet, and I took that very seriously!!!
I was wondering why they had this random area of the game off the path like this! It was for this scene, then?
:O
So he’s been here this entire time? Why?
T... TBH, I’m not getting a ‘protecting’ vibe from this, I’m getting a ‘guarding’ guide. More like he’s their prisoner, you know?
Shuichi, I’m pretty sure they’re guarding him!! So... so does that mean it really is true? Or I guess, uh, a lie? Because if Kokichi is guarding Monokuma and cancelled the killing game under the claim of ‘being bored’, then those actions run completely in contrast to his claim of being the mastermind! You wouldn’t be worried about his actions if he was under your control!
With that said, isn’t the mastermind able to make more Monokumas? If so, well... why haven’t they?
Yes, though don’t forget there’s still a fifth one!
It’s hard to know if having a nervous wreck like Shuichi on a stealth mission is a good or a bad thing, but here we are. Good luck, Shuichi! .... Oh right, I’m controlling you. Damn it.
I completely forgot about that. 8′D
And??? Who is it???
“I CAN’T HELP IT I’VE BEEN REUNITED WITH MY BAE - I-I MEAN BRO!”
It’s actually pretty considerate of him to give you the bathroom, all things considered! Man, Kokichi having to go must be awkward as hell though.
So Kaito doesn’t realize most of the exisals are out, huh? I guess having one stomping around is enough to keep Kaito in line - either that or he can hear one of them moving but hasn’t had a chance to see them himself, and that’s enough to convince him they’re all out in the hangar with Kokichi...
“That’s your cue to swoon, btw.”
“K-Kaito come on, I’m trying to be a hero for once!!!”
Aaaaw he’s actually startled by the idea of everyone coming together to help him! Considering he’s been trying to hide his own weaknesses this whole time, it must be pretty shocking to hear - how much do you want to bet that he’s been trying to think of a way to rescue himself and in order to not bother anyone else?
He sounded a bit startled at the beginning. 8′D
I wanted that bit up there to remain unbroken because I really like that contrast between Kaito being shocked to hear that Maki, the one he only really knew as the girl he had to blindly defend in trials, drag out of rooms to interact with others and whose interactions for the most part consisted of Kaito trying to encourage her while she berated him in return, is the one who pulled everyone together and - as Shuichi said - believes in him.
He’s been telling everyone loudly about they can rely on him, practically shouting it from the mountaintops, but here, finally, someone is telling him, ‘yeah, we know. She’s put this faith in you.” He’s shook. He’s been called an idiot repeatedly, mocked for trying to integrate her with the rest of the group, was exposed as ill and weak in front of his classmates, and was torn apart verbally in the last trial while trying to defend Gonta. And, honestly? I’ve said this multiple times in the last few posts, but I think he’s mentally resigned - it’s not a question of if he’s going to die in here, but how soon.
I think he had given up, but here comes Shuichi, offering him a chance to put on that mask of ‘hero’ again. He’s more than happy to accept it. He’s not ‘allowed’ to give up, if there are people who still believe in him. He doesn’t have much energy left, but he’s willing to put on a brave face for his friends.
“Thank goodness I really need someone to take the burden of being the protagonist off of my shoulders ILU bro -”
Aaah Shuichi, you sweet, misguided enabler. I have a lot of Kaito feelings (duh) but despite everything I just said, I don’t know if it’s a good thing for him to put his hero persona back on. 8′D
Dude, you - you remember your position, right? Just hold on tight! Let us help you for once, please!
“It’s not like I’m dying or anything - *COUGH HACK COUGH*”
SERIOUSLY KAITO PLEASE JUST RELAX
I-I mean, you really should care? I really think he’s acting for your sake right now! I’m not looking for a Kaito who starts bawling out of nowhere, but - !
Okay, I can’t actually blame you for that Sweetcheeks - he has been your emotional support this whole game. 8(
He’s still trying to find a way to keep them from coming to rescue him! Are you that fragile, Kaito?! There is no way you’ll be able to do it yourself!
YOU’RE A LIAR, KAITO
A LYING LIAR WHO LIES
“Anyway, you bringing up my vulnerabilities and weaknesses makes me super uncomfortable so I guess we’re done here byyyyyye!”
“Kaito, wait -”
“O-OH - OH NO, THE CONNECTION IS - CUTTING OUT, CAN’T - MISSED WHAT YOU - SAID - PSHHHH - TALK LATER, ‘KAY?”
“KAITO THAT DOESN’T WORK WHEN WE’RE FACE TO FACE!”
After reviewing my scenario in his head, Shuichi has realized that Kaito would, in fact, quite possibly do that.
............ K... Kaito, uh - what the hell is that supposed to mean.
TRAUMATIC KAEDE CHAPTER 1 ELEVATOR-TO-TRIAL FLASHBACKS
“WHILE I’M GONE.........”
!!!! O-OI I’M NOT CRYING I’VE JUST GOT STARDUST IN MY EYES
...
｡･+ﾟﾟ(うд´｡)ﾟﾟ+･｡
kaito YOU’RE A BLOODY HYPOCRITE AND I HOPE KOKICHI IS ACTUALLY LISTENING IN SO HE CAN BERATE YOU WHEN SHUICHI LEAVES
I’m sorry Kaito what was with that final-sounding speech of yours??!?!
Oh god these are so ‘last words’ sounding and my heart hurts
Does... does Shuichi realize this? Does he realize that Kaito is basically giving Shuichi his will verbally right now?
W.... Will we, though............
Not the FTE I originally wanted, but the FTE I needed. 8′)
AND ALSO THE MOST FINAL-SOUNDING FTE I’VE EVER HEARD
So there really are no more FTEs this chapter then?? G... Guess I’ll have to finish K1-b0′s next chapter....? 8′D
Honestly, the choices are limited right now anyway. At least I still have all of Himiko’s and most of Maki’s left, as well as Kokichi’s if he survives by some miracle. 8′D
And with that, we raise our battle flag (and death flag) in Kaito’s name one more time!
#stopdeathflaggingkaito2018#Kaito Momota#Shuichi Saihara#Saimota#look the fact is if I'm writing about it it's going to be tagged as saimota#ryou plays drv3#spoilers#drv3 spoilers
37 notes
·
View notes
Text
How to Set Up For Successful Meditation
What is the current status of your meditation practice? Is it in the idea stage, waiting to be implemented at the right time? Maybe you know it's something that would be good for you, but haven't yet clicked into doing it as a daily routine?
Or maybe, you've done it at times, but either been frustrated by the results or lost interest? Or perhaps, you love to meditate and would like to gain some insights about how to go even deeper or make it even more effective?
In this article, we explore 4 Steps to Setup a Successful Meditation Session.
1. Set Up a Meditative Space
Whether it's a spare room, a closet, or a part of your bedroom, define a space that you dedicate to meditation. You can mark this space with a rug, a meditation bench, chair, or cushion.
By meditating in the same space consistently it comes to represent "meditation" to you, and thereby becomes a space that supports you moving into a meditative state. After a period of time, just sitting in this space will relax you.
Another way to enhance the atmosphere of your meditation space is to set up an "altar" that represents what is important to you in your practice and your life.
If the idea of having an altar inspires you, it can take any form that is pleasing and motivating to you. It can include photos, symbols, candles, flowers, offering bowls, statues, quotes, and so on. The basic idea is to put significant items there-ones that put you in the right mindset for meditating and remind you WHY you are taking time to practice.
If you use meditation to support a religious faith, place images or items that represent your faith on your altar. Personally, I have symbols of several different spiritual traditions in my space to represent the Universal Spirituality underlying all faiths and traditions. I also have family pictures and quotes that remind me of my higher intentions. The most important quality of your altar is that it represents what is important to you.
Once you've meditated in your sacred space for a while and used it to grow your inner skills, you'll be able to take your meditation on the road and do it virtually anytime, anywhere-no matter what is going on around you. This is when your meditation becomes truly powerful. Yet, even then, you'll probably really appreciate and value those times when you get to meditate in your sacred space.
2. Create a Ritual Around Your Practice
Set a regular time for meditation and create a consistent routine that moves you into your practice.
One way to support regular practice is to make meditation a part of an established routine that you already do. For most people, the best way is to integrate meditation into their morning routine. This encourages you to start your day from a relaxed, present, intentional perspective-and it insures that you meditate before other events in the day get in the way.
Once you've decided on the time you will meditate, plan your day accordingly. If you are meditating first thing, make sure you go to bed early enough that you can comfortably wake up early enough to practice without rushing. Set your alarm to wake you up with plenty of time.
Once you get up, have a routine to move you into your practice. For example, I first massage around my eyes and back of my head while still lying in bed. I then massage the bottoms of my feet with some tennis balls that are at the foot of my bed when I sit up. I use the toilet, then splash water on my face and massage my scalp. Then, I do some stretches to limber up before I stand in my standing meditation posture. All of this awakens and loosens me up and prepares me for a good practice session.
After standing meditation, I do a seated meditation, then I shake out my whole body, and finish with prayers for my family and the whole planet at my altar.
Having a routine that includes how I wake up, makes the movement into my practice seamless and reliable. Over the years, I have adapted and grown my routine as needs, insights, and new learning have guided me. Yet, the basic idea of having a ritual sequence has made waking up something that I look forward to and moving into my practice easy and natural.
3. Adjust Your Posture
If you search for photos of people meditating, nine times out of ten you'll find them seated in a cross-legged position. Unfortunately, this gives many people the impression that this is THE WAY to meditate. I heartily disagree.
In fact, unless you've grown up in a culture in which that is the way you normally sit, I encourage you to sit on a chair, bench, or bed that puts the soles of your feet flat on the floor and parallel with each other, with your hips level with or slightly above your knees.
Having the soles of your feet flat on the floor and parallel to each other puts you in a "grounded" position that also bio-mechanically aligns your feet, knees, and hips. This position is easy on your joints.
There are many acceptable hand positions for meditation-each with their own purpose. A basic starting position is to place your hands palms-down on your legs. This position is relaxing, while it also supports upright posture and alert attention. Finer points are "softening" your hands and lowering your shoulders to release tension and having a slight space under your armpits to encourage an open, expansive, spacious feeling in your body.
Next, imagine a string attached to the top of your head, drawing your spine into an upright position. Tuck your chin slightly to lengthen the back of your neck and put a subtle smile on your lips to encourage a calm, accepting, positive attitude.
Lightly close your eyes to support you in focusing inwardly. Unless you are using a technique that focuses on energy above your head, direct your gaze slightly downward. After practicing a while, you may notice that your eyes naturally open just slightly, with a soft focus to the outer environment.
Finally, sit forward on the front edge of your seat. Sit far enough forward so you feel some weight in your feet, which encourages a grounded, present feeling in your body. Sitting without back support also aligns and strengthens your spine, which has an empowering affect.
As you align and strengthen your spine, you are more likely to stay aligned with your higher intentions and feel strong in following them, rather than getting distracted and swayed by less important desires. You develop a strong "backbone."
Now, many people email me saying that this posture is just too hard and painful to maintain.
The reason for that is tension along the spine, weakness, and misalignment. Meditation practice is actually a powerful way to overcome these issues. First it reveals those issues, then it heals those issues.
During your meditation, you become aware of spinal tension, weakness, and misalignment. And, yes, that doesn't feel so good, initially. Yet, if you can accept it and observe it without judgment, without fighting it, over time, you'll notice that the tensions release, the spine adjusts, you come into alignment, and get stronger.
A well-known meditation teacher, Dr. Meares, says that some discomfort when starting to meditate is actually a good thing, because it teaches you to be able to observe discomfort without reacting, judging, or running away from it. As you calmly sit with discomfort, over time, it resolves and changes for the better. This is a powerful lesson to take with you into any uncomfortable situation in life. Be calmly present, relax and observe things non-judgmentally, then notice resolutions as they arise.
All that being said in favor of sitting upright without back support, you might approach this incrementally. Start by sitting forward for just a minute or two, calmly observe any discomfort until it is just too distracting, then sit back against support for the remainder of your practice. Gradually increase the amount of time that you sit in an unsupported upright position. After practicing for a period of time, this will actually become a comfortable, relaxed, and empowered way for you to sit.
One caveat is that some people cannot sit this way due to severe physical impairments. If that is the case, you can use back support or even lie down to meditate. If you do that, simply try to keep your spine as straight as possible by imagining that string extending your spine, tuck your chin slightly, adopt a subtle smile, soften your hands, and lightly close your eyes.
4. Adopt the Three Noble Principles-Good in the Beginning, Good in the Middle, Good at the End
In their book, "Meditation: An In-Depth Guide," Ian Gawler and Paul Bedson share these three principles for meditation practice.
"Good in the Beginning" means that when you start a meditation session call to mind your intention, your motivation for practicing. You might want to "relax, to be calm, to let go of stress, to be well, to heal. But what is suggested here is that the more we can expand our motivation, the more encompassing our motivation, the more meaningful our meditation becomes, the more we will value it, the more likely we are to do it, and the more benefit it will bring." (p.69, Meditation: An In-Depth Guide)
Consider how your meditation practice will have a positive impact on your day, on your interactions with others, and even on the collective consciousness of "all of us together." What if your practice is making a positive contribution not only to your life, but also to the lives of others, and to all life on Earth?
In the Buddhist tradition, the goal of meditation practice is enlightenment, so that we can use our enlightenment to bring enlightenment to all beings. In the Christian contemplative tradition, meditation leads us into deeper communion with God, so that we bring Divine Love and Light into the world. In a mind-body view of meditation, we come into a relaxed, expanded, focused state so that we heal our wounds, grow our inner skills, be more effective in anything we do, and more caring and compassionate with others.
What motivates you to meditate?
"Good in the Middle" has to do with your attitude during meditation. The attitude to practice is calm, present, non-judgmental awareness of whatever happens. Recognize whatever comes up, accept it, release it, and return to your focal cues.
"Good in the End" has to do with how you finish your practice. Rather than rushing off into your day, it's important to end intentionally and even to dedicate your practice to someone or something beyond yourself. From a meditative state you can more easily visualize positive outcomes for yourself, others, and the planet. You are also in a powerful state from which to pray. You can use your meditation to connect to a greater mission in life, such as being a vessel for Spirit to be more present in the world.
As you end your meditation think of how the skills you developed and the state of being you entered can have a greater impact in the larger whole.
When you Set Up a Meditative Space, Create a Ritual Around Your Practice, Sit with Good Posture, and Adopt the Three Noble Principles, your meditation practice will become much easier and more enjoyable, significant, and successful
0 notes
Text
JOE DY: “GREAT IDEAS CONTINUE TO INSPIRE ME”
We are honored to welcome Joe Dy – one of the most awarded creative leaders in the Philippines – to our Final Jury at AD STARS 2020.
After joining McCann Worldgroup Philippines in 2015, Joe Dy helped steer the agency to become one of the most awarded in Asia. He’s currently channelling his talents into several yet-to-be-revealed creative ventures after stepping away from his role at McCann earlier this year to embark on a gap year.
An inductee to the Philippine Creative Guild Hall of Fame, Dy has a shelf crammed full of awards from Cannes, Clio, AD STARS, LIA, ADFEST – to name a few - as well as being a certified barista, a comic book geek, and a former sportswriter. We are delighted that he will be joining our Final Jury this year.
In life before McCann, Dy worked everywhere from BBDO Guerrero to JWT Shanghai, JWT Manila and Leo Burnett Manilla, where he first cut his teeth as a copywriter.
In times of crisis, creativity can help to bring people together. Are there any inspiring projects taking place in the Philippines to help with COVID-19?
Innovation is always welcome but given the complicated mix of challenges with which the Philippine population struggles, I’m finding more inspiration and more value in ingenuity over innovation during these difficult times.
Whether it’s mobile wet markets being brought to the slums, or repurposing those big water dispenser jugs and turning them into face protectors, or food services repurposing their inventory into selling DIY fast food and deconstructed meals, there are countless examples of ingenuity being displayed not just by creatives but by people whose only objective is to survive. We’re all working on the same brief, the same problem, and all around us are reminders that there are many ways to attack it.
And each one is really reminding us that creativity will always be essential to problem solving.
Meanwhile, with a lot of brands having preached social good over the past decade, now is the time for them to put their money where their press releases are. I think when this is all over, we will remember which brands walked the walk, and which ones are all talk. This is a time for brands to prove which among them we can genuinely trust.
Do you think this pandemic will change consumer spending habits long-term?
Specific to the Philippines, the penetration of e-commerce and cashless transactions had been slower than the rest of the world. An affinity towards cash and a distrust towards digital security have long stood as key barriers. But with more people forced to adjust to the so-called new normal, we are finally learning to trust these digital ecosystems.
Perhaps more importantly, with more households embracing these new ways of dealing business emerging, we’re also rediscovering the value of earning a consumer’s trust. Brand loyalty may be an archaic notion but these days every transaction, every touchpoint, every brand experience is the consumer entrusting you to take care of them. To keep them safe and secure. Brands will do well to recognize the importance, and fragility, of that trust.
You joined McCann in 2015 and since then it has become one of the most awarded agencies in Asia Pacific. What were the creative/leadership strategies that led to this success?
I’ve always believed that key to creative success is having a strong genuinely creative culture. An environment where passion is nurtured and bravery is encouraged.
We all know that several elements go into making great work happen; strategy, ideation, crafting, selling, production. So many moving parts, so many minds and many voices, all held together by trust. With a team of great people whom you trust, you just need to get out of the way.
A culture of trust lets everyone on your team feel they can share any idea, be honest with feedback and that their POV will be taken seriously. Trust makes it clear to everyone that you are all interested in shared success as opposed to personal agendas.
This also allows me to be tough on the work. I’m able to push them further and guide the work towards the desired standards, because they know that I have their best interests at heart. That they can trust me to take care of the idea.
Great work takes great trust.
You’ve received countless accolades, but your ‘Lives’ campaign for Fully Booked is especially renowned. Do you enjoy writing for radio? Can you remember how this concept came about?
I actually cut my teeth doing radio ads for a retail store back when I was a junior writer in Leo Burnett and it remains close to my heart. One of my earliest mentors taught me that radio may be a tough medium, but it’s what separates the hacks from the real writers. It really tests one’s ability to paint images, create experiences and persuade minds with just words.
Fully Booked is one of the biggest book chains in the Philippines and has a large inventory of literary classics in all its branches. When “Lives" first came about, we were trying to come up with a way to communicate how reading a book is like living another person’s life.
We observed that one life is measured with age, and the other with page numbers. Once we arrived at the idea of twisting every page number into a character’s age, we knew we had something special.
It was one of those ideas that just excited me when it was first on the table. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy but my gut was telling me to trust the idea. Key to its success is our belief in the idea. Because it would sustain us as we wrote dozens and dozens of scripts, while testing the structure against several novels.
Working on the campaign were some of the creatives whom I trusted the most. I knew they would put the most care, effort and had the most patience to see this through to the finish line. Throughout the course of the three year campaign, we explored different genres. To arrive at the final material, we wrote for about 30 novels, multiplied by several drafts, each script meticulously crafted down to every single word choice. Among a few I remember that didn’t make the cut The Old Man And The Sea, Metamorphosis, Ready Player One and Norwegian Wood.
I remember insisting that each line needs to hit three things: It must call back to a key milestone in the novel, that each combination of numbers and situations must twist the image in your head (especially the start), and it must evoke an uneasy emotion. Then, all the lines put together must cohesively tell both the story of the novel, and a provocative story on its own.
And we were very particular with the sound design and music too. Each script was scored with much care and restraint, with just the right touch of sound effects at key moments to create that visual mystery we were trying to capture.
Over the course of the campaign we produced 9 scripts, 7 of which picked up metal. So thankfully, all that hard work ended up being well-rewarded.
You’re currently taking a gap year… what are you working on?
Stepping away from the industry for a while will force me to test and re-channel my creative energy on other ventures, including helping out in the family business. I’m already exploring a few possible enterprises that I’ve been meaning to get into, and this has me toying with new business models and designing new product experiences.
I’m also looking to invest some time in further reinventing myself. Maybe take some courses and learn another discipline or craft. The last couple of times I took a break, I took a course in principles of entrepreneurship, learned a bit of code, and became a certified barista!
Is it true that you come from a family of entrepreneurs? What did you learn from them?
I picked up a lot from my family, especially my father, is grit, bravery and business instincts. But one value that sticks out is the importance of trust in business. Despite coming from humble beginnings, he would always stress the importance of integrity over profit. He always reminds us that it’s easier to earn back money than it is to earn back trust.
You once shared some advice for young creatives: “Choose growth over validation. Choose to be in a position that forces you to be better.” Do you still live by this mantra?
Putting that into context, I guess the question to ask one’s self is whom do you trust with your development?
With your growth as a creative and as a person. Someone who will tell you what you want to hear and that you’re great, or someone you can trust to challenge you and cares enough to make your development and welfare a personal objective as well. Someone who sincerely has your best interests at heart. That doesn’t mean validation isn’t important. But it shouldn’t be empty either.
You’ll be judging the AD STARS Awards 2020. What are you most looking forward to?
I approach judging the same way I approach being exposed to the ideas. I’m always excited and I always review every piece of work with the thought that someone believed in this piece of work enough to enter it, so I want to see what they see as well. Great ideas continue to excite me.
I still have faith in the power of a well-executed idea. These days, we are constantly told to trust the data, trust the data. While I do believe in data, I also believe that data can show you the numbers, but it’s creativity that will allow you to influence it.
Joe Dy is judging the Diverse Insights, Outdoor, PSA, Place Brand, Radio & Audio categories at AD STARS 2020, which are free to enter. Submit your work before 15th May via www.adstars.org
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
leo-dooley-lab-rats
Leo Dooley
kin-by-daylight
DBD Kinscord
madhuastrologer-blog
Astrologer Madhu
aislingsweb
Welcome
trans-hamlet-blog
rest in peace prince. we were the same height