sherpasunshine

[sherpasunshine]

Thoughts from the Tempest

I’ve had several teachers say it before: “Stop overthinking it.” Stop trying to think outside the box so much. Stop overanalyzing everything. But I can’t turn it off. I’ve committed to decisions with little discretion to subvert my habit, I’ve compared pros and cons, I’ve executed well-thought-out decisions. But doubt is my companion and while I fight it every day, and sometimes stave it off temporarily, it always returns because there’s simply too much to consider and I can’t accept “going with the flow” because that’s how I’ve made foolish, foolish mistakes and I then I have to look back on myself as what I am, which is so much less than I want to be, and I can’t forgive myself because this life has no breathing room for mediocrity. “You did not wake up to be mediocre,” say the signs in front of the college, and instead of motivation I feel rage and vexation because how dare you? How dare you force so many warring decisions on me and then pretend aspiring for more has nothing to do with it?

I’ve read every piece of advice, every opinion, every statistic relative to the decisions I could make. I turn to forums and articles even though I am wary of the internet’s noise because counselors aren’t really available on demand, and if they are, they’re not free or cheap and even when they are, having to start a discussion with someone scrambles my brain and I won’t be able to articulate things, won’t be able to express the tempest in my head because we don’t do that with language unless we are very practiced in spilling our deepest emotions and feelings—which I am not, as I only listen to those of others and advise and touch the surface of my own—and I have been weathering the storm inside, alone, for many years and I can’t show anyone that because how could I? How does one articulate a maelstrom? Through art of course; writing, drawing, singing, dancing, playing, strumming, sculpting, building. But if I choose this course, will I suffer everlong? Will I continue to cry for my abysmally low accounts, for the strain of never having enough, for never knowing if I can weather what comes next and how badly it will hurt me? Fall down seven times, stand up eight, tumble down the mountain, wonder if I’ll ever see the top, curse it and tell it I will best it one day, one day. An endless cycle of hope and misery. 

I could commit to the formal education, go into communications because I have been praised all my life for my writing and analytical prowess, have begun trying to bridge the canyon poisonous rhetoric has carved into the minds of many, have learned to look men in the eye and tell them what they don’t want to hear because I dare you to stand against me. And I know I could reap great success and find happiness in all those I will meet and fulfillment in my achievements, but there is still eating well and exercising that is expected of me and I want that, I try every day, but what’s missing? Will I ever have time for my dreams? Will the tales in my head ever come to fruition, comic or book? Will my creativity ever be appreciated? Will my heroine ever slay the villain? Will the readers ever live through her? Will they ever know the stories I’ve wanted to put to paper? Will I regret no matter what I do?

In a life of so many wrong turns, will I ever make the right one?

[sherpasunshine]

So I’ve noticed a bunch of medical errors in fics I read, so I decided to post this handy guide to some of the most common errors and some background on basic medical things.

ps- they are not medical treatment or first aid advice. I’m not actually a doctor. yet. but I am certified in first aid. this is just so your writing can be more realistic.

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rolly kitty

(via)

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What the actual fu

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Thank you, water Hashira.

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rare character quirks that the tiny humans i work with have

obsessed with the number 540

likes to tackle and wrestle people as a way of bonding??

Responds to most things with a ‘what’

always trying to get people to play uno with them by (not so subtly) sneaking it into conversations and having a pack at the ready

Attack hugger

Randomly makes snippets of conversations into jingles

always look like they’re up to something devious

laughs hysterically when no one else laughs at a joke, because they feel bad 

wants to join things but doesn’t know how and always manages to screw things up

but its okay their plan b is to charm their way out of trouble

overshares but only at the most inopportune times

afraid of flies

says hi to everyone they ever cross

Absolutely loses their mind whenever someone makes weird faces

notorious for their eye-rolling

tries to be badass but is too much of a sweetheart to convince anybody

Repeats the joke because they find them that funny they need to be said again

Loves to annoy people 24/7

Their expressions are just naturally over exaggerated, at all times. You don’t even know why they sometimes make faces

Horrible liar yet lies all the time

passionately wants to become batman

their jokes always fail horribly

Will act as their friends dad, even though they’re the same age

Can’t do things without the proper shoes. (Raining? Boots. Soccer? Soccer shoes. Indoors? Indoor shoes)

Will not, ever, go outside.

Will politely remind you in the midst of chaos of how good they’re being

so i’ve recently got a job working in an elementary school and kids have the best personalities, my favorite being the uno kid.

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Not Sleeping

Lying awake thinking about life and the economics that promote happiness and food gardens in neighborhoods and hope and changing poverty in America and community and equity and sustainability and cycles and nurturing and

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SHOUT OUT TO MY WRITER HOMIES WITH MUSLIM OCS/CHARACTERS;

1. WEARING A SHAWL TO BATTLE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF HAVING GIRLS FIGHT IN STILLETTOS. 

Just so you know, this is what I’m talking about;

-Is it bad-ass? Abso-fucking-lutely. Is it Practical? Not a chance in hell. Especially not if it’s silk. If it’s cotton, you are skating on thin fucking ice. That bitch will NOT stay on. It barely stays on with me just walking down the street to Walmart. Wielding axes and rifles and swords and daggers? I PROMISE you it will not do the job it’s expected to-WHICH IS TO COVER THE HAIR. (Some muslim girls dont wear them-and that’s fine. But those who DO do it to completely cover the hair in public. Is it ~Aesthetic~ to see the flyaway hairs in battle? Sure, but those aren’t usually practical either. )Consider instead; 

sport shawls 

-For one thing, it’s actually DESIGNED to be worn to atheletic activities. Archers tuck hems into the collar of their shirts so they don’t get in the way, and track runners pins (ill get to this bit later) them down into the shirts to prevent flyaway bits and to stop them from getting slapped in the face. It’s breathable, stretchy, presentable without being attention seeking. 

Bawals 

In a pinch, bawals work just as well-as long as you specify that they are COTTON. Unlike the shawl, which are rectangular, bawals are SQUARE, and thus easier to manipulate, fold and pin down. If you wear it right, they carry an equal aesthetic value to shawls, and come in plenty of pretty patterns as well. 

2. I’m not sure about the USA, but the girls I know wear this underneath the headscarf;

Does it kinda look like a beanie? It sort of works like a beanie too. Hair is slippery. It tucks in any extra hair you might miss just by wearing the headscarf, its harder to pull down and on the event the shawl DOES fall down, your hair is still not exposed. It protects the ears-which is important even on a daily basis, because pins, headphones and any other headgear that might pinch them. It comes in plenty of designs, including ones that has open backs to allow long hair and ponytails. 

3.SPEAKING OF PINS; I’M TALKING ABOUT THESE BAD BOYS;

BROOCHES 

though , i suppose most of y’all are most familiar with safety pins, right?

what’s the difference? Well, if your oc/character is an athlete, it’s actually LEAST likely they’ll be wearing SAFETY PINS. They’re cheap and super easy to buy in bulk, true, but they also SUPER easy to wear out even with the smallest amount of strenuous activity. Between the three of ‘em, I’d put the brooches as the best option to wear in battle because 1) it has a large surface area, thus hurts less when pressed on with heavy items, which includes bag straps and weapons, (pins are sharp and can poke you painfully);  and 2) more secure-the latch is covered by the gaudy jewellery above, and theyre usually smaller and tighter. Stays on the stubbornnest, even when headscarf is pulled. very roughly. I’m saying that even the cheapest brooches will allow the shawl to be ripped apart before even letting it go. 

3. They probably ponytail their hair. Because Come On, guys.

Anyway it’s been bothering me and I just thought if yall could bother knowing the difference between skin tones for POC you could bother with muslim practicalities too. Or something 

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the show narrative will have to keep Kaz in Ketterdam because if they add him to the events of the original trilogy he’d just kill The Darkling in like 10 minutes

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Broke: Hades is the villain, because he’s ruler of the underworld and therefore eViL!

Woke: Hades is a misunderstood introvert who loves his wife and his dog who has to put up with the endless nonsense of the other Olympians and the monotonous work of the underworld

[sherpasunshine]

On Netflix’s “Blood of Zeus”

Okay, but as amazing this Castlevania-quality anime is, I have some qualms.

First of all,

we are usually glorifying or condemning Zeus, King of the Gods. In most cases these days, condemning. Blood of Zeus portrays Zeus as the patriarchal, womanizing god he is accused of being, but not quite enough. For all Zeus’ (seriously fucking massive) blunders, Hera is made the villain and yeah, that’s great plot and all, but I’m over the almost-woman-bashing and manipulative, jealous wife stereotypes. We literally don’t get the slightest good out of Hera until the literal end and, seriously? Crows? Where’s the damn peacocks people???

Second,

Alexia is, thus far, the only real female representation besides Hera. PLEASE FIX THAT. All the men are great and badass but Hera’s crazy and jealous and possessive! Here’s Apollo! Being a badass! But Artemis gets barely any screen time! Not like she’s also the Goddess of the Hunt! But no! Manlihood! HOW CAN YOU DO ATHENA LIKE THAT SHE’S LITERALLY THE GODDESS OF WISDOM AND WARFARE THIS LADY SHOULD BE FRONT AND CENTER KICKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES BEFORE APOLLO OR HERMÈS OR POSEIDON SHSJDKDLAJHHDK

Third,

We all knew that was Hades’ bident from the get-go (or maybe that’s just me because I was already considering the conspiracy when I saw it), but can we just not make him any more evil and cliché as all the other Greek films? I’m over it, man. I stan Hades. Don’t make him jealous and evil. Make him morally grey, sure, a nuanced character, that’s great, but please gods don’t beat the dead horse.

Now,

I’m off to read Lore Olympus (where there is admittedly a culture of Zeus and Apollo bashing) now so I can feel better about gender representation and Hades being the King of the Underworld I want him to be.

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Kaz Brekker is literally the Grishaverse’s Tommy Shelby

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dark academic YA + adult books, for the reader who doesn’t enjoy the old classics:

the raven cycle — maggie stiefvater (YA)

welsh kings, magic forests, obsessive research, private schools.

wilder girls — rory power (YA)

lord of the flies retelling, all-girls boarding school, remote island.

six of crows — leigh bardugo (YA)

murder, crime, heists, magic.

truly devious — maureen johnson (YA)

murder mystery, eccentric students, elite boarding school, 1900s

the night circus — erin morgenstern (A)

magical circus, mysterious psychics, mind games, star crossed love.

the diviners — libba bray (YA)

1920s new york city, wlw + mlm rep, ace rep, occult magic, mysterious museums

vicious — v.e. schwab (A)

an experiment gone wrong, blackout poetry, rivals, strange powers

the cruel prince — holly black (YA)

FAERIES, enemies to lovers, political power struggles, another magic forest

station eleven — emily st. john mandel (A)

shakespeare, thespians, post-apocalyptic wasteland

serpent & dove — shelby mahurin (YA)

witches, french backdrop, 1880s, enemies to lovers, WITCHES

feel free to add on!

[sherpasunshine]

sorry i don’t take criticism