#Within and Without

[i-didnt-do-1t]

Explicitly queer Nick my Everything

[mymelodic-chapel]

Washed Out- Within and Without (Chillwave, Dream Pop, Synthpop) Released: July 6, 2011 [Sub Pop Records] Producer(s): Ben H. Allen, Ernest Greene

[1introvertedsage]

Come from the center when choosing paths.

~O.O.~

[shelbycarpenter]

[todaysbird]

give me good bird news

[paintedcrows]

*through tears* HER LITTLE POG CHAMP

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Finally got pushed into the Severance pit.

[redcallisto]

You will bear the blazing sun, until the pale dawn breaks,

Deliverer

[figuringoutstill]

“He knew, even back than, that she was prone to bouts of melancholy. It came to her in successive waves, an ebb and flow. When the first wave arrives, barely touching her toes, it was so light and translucent a ripple that you might be forgiven for thinking it insignificant, that it would vanish soon, leaving no trace. But then followed another wave, and the next one, rising as far as her ankles, and the one after that covering her knees, and before you knew it she was immersed in liquid pain, up to her neck, drowning. That’s how depression sucked her in.”

~ ELIF SHAFAK, THE ISLAND OF MISSING TREES

[spoonyglitteraunt]

Something I wish more people understood is that optimism and kindness are a choice.

For some people that choice comes more naturally than others. In some situations that choice is easier to make. But even if you're naturally inclined to be kind and optimistic, there will be times when it's a real struggle to not just wallow in the misery, or to be a petty ass gremlin to someone. When it takes real effort to not just take the easy option, because you know it will not help, or will even make stuff worse in the long run.

On the flip side for those who it doesn't come naturally, who really need to work on it, they still can and often do choose both kindness and optimism. Because no matter the difficulty level, it improves your overall quality of life and that of those around you.

Also, choosing kindness is not faking things. If you do kind things you are a kind person, whether you have to actively chose it or not. There is no difference to those you were kind to whether or not you had to think about the action, or if it just happened automatically. You still treated them kindly, and that is what they'll remember. It will mean more than you might think.

The good news is that it's a muscle you can train. The more you forge those pathways in your brain, the easier they are to walk. Where one day you may find that while you may never be a fully natural optimistic kind person, you can pretty well imitate one, and that's all that matters.

Kindness and optimism are a choice and you always get to choose it.

[ssaltlicker]

Caitlyn and vi both manage to do masculinity and femininity in such a uniquely lesbian way that im still in shock they were in such a huge piece of media. Like its SO rare to see masculine women that not only arent caricatures but are also still intensely feminine at the same time and vise versa. Having a very masc woman be incredibly caring and loving??? Having a very feminine woman still be dominant without ever compromising her own femininity??? What did we do to deserve this

[abd-illustrates]

Sorry to bother you. I wanted to ask if you were willing to give advice on how to avoid the 'Friends Who Never Hang' tropes? Because I'm hesitant to make more main characters because I'm not sure if I can make their bond close between all of them and you seem to have a grip on the Heartless gang's relationship. Thanks.

I had to google what that trope meant haha - but that's a rlly interesting question!

At least for me and my storytelling preferences, I think my stance would be that there's actually no need to worry about making a close bond between *all* of your main characters at all!

It's a bit hard to articulate, and I'm definitely thinking from more of a manga mindset so bear with me lol -- but trying to make sure that everyone on your main cast all get along with everyone else on the main cast, and feeling the need to give a 'proper' spotlight to every possible combination of characters to convince your audience that 'they really are all friends with a close bond, see how they all hang out!?' Can run the risk of looking like this:

and leave your story feeling bland/stagnant as you kinda slog through unnecessary scenes between characters just for the sake of proving that they do all interact an adequate amount.

Whereas - (again, at least in my experience) - building a group primarily around their ties to your Main-main character(s) like this:

is a method that leaves much more room for you as a writer to both focus on the character that's specifically meant to be at the forefront, while also making it easier to explore which other combos could then actually be fun to give more screen time to in order to *build up* those close bonds, rather than worrying about the end result and just trying to make everybody get along right from the get-go!

(Also! Don't feel like if you start out with a bunch of varied colorful connections that they all have to be turned into bright green friendly bonds by story's end! Making some characters a bit closer over time but still not besties is a-ok! They can unite for a common goal but still get on each others nerves forever! There are no rules! Be cringe, be free!)

[jinglejails]

Faith in good

🎀 Below: English translation explanation 🎀

✂️ - - - Korean version under the cut - - - ✂️

[lucabyte]

Different standards

[geistful]

feeling festive ❄️ (cole isn’t)