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Why I Love Yeong Shin from Kingdom Netflix: a fucking manifesto

Other than him being absolutely off-the-chain hot. I mean, I have eyes.  But I also feel like there are some wrinkles to his character that make him unusual in the vast field of cynical action heroes.

Despite how brutally pragmatic and survivalist he is, he’s incredibly altruistic as well, in ways that can only hurt his own chances of survival.  (He’s always rescuing kids specifically! I cry.)  Yeong Shin is always, from the first episode, focused on bringing everyone that he can up with him.  He doesn’t turn into a zombie because he clearly wasn’t planning to eat until everyone else had what they needed.  It’s interesting, because it’s not an attachment to a particular group of people–he’s not trying to save people he knows personally or feels an affinity to.  He’s just as willing to pull Beom Pal out of reach of the zombies as he is to rescue an infant.

He also doesn’t take a leadership role at all.  Yes he takes initiative, and yes he has solid strategy suggestions, but he’s not a take-charge, bring the group together behind a cause and a plan, type of guy.  We see that when the boat leaves the poorer people behind–he executes Lee Cheng’s plan to get everyone to safety, but he doesn’t come up with it and it’s clear he was out of ideas.

It’s just a very fundamental, simple, truth that if Yeong Shin is there, everyone around him is going to survive.  He has no aspirations and no goals beyond that.  He doesn’t have a cause or a group of people he’s fighting for (outside of revenge for the family he once fought for).  I think it will be interesting to see him find a cause and people that he cares about again, and to see how he changes as he starts to fight to protect them.  But what I love about him, is that at his lowest, most cynical point, he never stops trying to save other people.

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Ashin and Yeong-shin as parallels

I had some thoughts on Ashin of the North that I actually felt like posting so if you don’t want spoilers and haven’t blocked the tag, ignore this post. 

There’s a general consensus, from the people who’ve seen it and posted about it so far, about how Ashin and Yeong-shin parallel each other (something I hope they explore in the next season). This post really put into words what I liked about Yeong-shin as a character which more or less said that despite his cynical exterior, his actions show a commitment to bring up others with him and I feel as though this is a major distinction between him and Ashin and it’s because of a key difference in their similar circumstances.

Both of them, due to the agendas of corrupt powers, are the sole survivors of their communities who were already very low on the social hierarchy of the kingdom. But how they relate to others around them is different. The general consensus is that Sumang village was a leper colony and you can’t get much more ostracized than that. However it’s not like that was the only leper colony in Korea, certainly not the only place with poor people in general, and I feel like Yeong-shin’s experiences in places beyond the village enabled him to have a sense of class solidarity because he sees what other people like him are going through because of corrupt and powerful people. He himself is also still seen as a Korean citizen, belonging to somewhere even if those of high social class dehumanize him. It’s why he helps others within the show.

Ashin on the other hand is coming from a liminal place, not seen as Jurchen or a Korean citizen (the first scene with her father and community, a Korean family getting meat from them refuses to touch him). The only experiences Ashin has had with people outside her community were the worst both sides had to offer, the Jurchen who killed her village and the Korean soldiers/officials who orchestrated it and continued to use and abuse her afterwards just like they used her father as a spy. The only safe place, the only people who she had solidarity with was her own community which was taken from her. It’s a big reason why she still clings onto her family and her past so much even though all that’s left of them are feral corpses. Ashin has seen her worth in the eyes of Jurchen and Koreans and she doesn’t see any worth in them either, hence her plot to let it all burn down. 

But that’s just my two cents on the matter. I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts about this or any other parallels found between these two characters (they’re honestly my faves in the show). Another thing I noticed visually is that despite all Yeong-shin has gone through he’s never had that dead eyed look like Ashin has.

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i am once again thinking about how the central theme of hunger is so deftly portrayed in kingdom

spoilers for ashin of the north under the cut

Keep reading

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UT Mob Main Story Masterpost

This is the masterpost for the UT Mob Main Story, which focuses on young Frisk (Little Pup) and the skelebros.

Original creator of UT Mob AU is @in-sideunder

Below is my version of UT Mob AU inspired by it.

>>LINKS TO UT MOB OTHER STORIES AND CROSSOVERS<<

★ = No Pics

Last updated: July 15

(Now in Korean!) 

♦ Major Storyline

1. “Skelebros meet Little Pup”

2. “Go on a walk”

3. “Is Little Pup from an illegal child trafficking ring?”

4. “Hungry Pup”

5. “Toriel Visits”

6. “Little Pup’s tag?”

(JOKE) “Is Gaster a child trafficker?”

“Grillby is Sans’ go-to intel guy” ★

7. "Sleeping in Three”

8. ���Papyrus and Little Pup meets Undyne”

“Papyrus gets trained by Undyne”

“Where was Little Pup going?”

“Little Pup ‘reminding’ Undyne of someone?”  ★

9. “What does Sans and Little Pup do together?”

10. “Balanced Meal”

(Sequel) “Culinary Torture”

“Are there any alcohol in the house?”

11. “Is Little Pup Mute?”

(JOKE) “Little Pup singing like K.K. Slider”

(JOKE) “Song That Never Ends”

12. “I Won’t Dance”

13. “Does Little Pup get nightmares?”

14. “WHERE IS THE —–?”

15. “=)”

“Doesn’t Sans have 1 HP?”

(JOKE) “Papyrus to the rescue!!!”

16. “You have us.”

(JOKE) “Why was Sans holding his chest?”

“Did it have something to do with his SOUL?”

“Why did Little Pup attack Sans?”  ★

“What if Papyrus arrived late?”  ★

17. “Has Little Pup ever gotten sick?”

“Sans’ response to Toriel.”  ★

“Is it weird between Sans and Little Pup after the incident?”

“Someone’s not sleeping”

“careful there, kid”

“Does Little Pup remember and does Sans know?”  ★

“Will it ever be the same between Little Pup and Sans?”  ★

“Does Sans care for Little Pup?”  ★

“Is Sans angry/afraid?”  ★

“How is Papyrus handling things?”  ★

18. “What are you afraid of, Sans?”

“When will the storm end?”  ★

19. “i’m sorry.”

(Sequel) “Everything is cool now?”

“Extreme responses!”

“Sans is a jerk.”  ★

“Sans’ reaction.”  ★

“Sans just wasn’t ready for the responsibility.”  ★

“Will Sans do more research into Little Pup?”  ★

20. “Clingy”

(Sequel) “Papyrus’ response.”

“What will Little Pup call Toriel?”

(JOKE) “What if Little Pup calls Toriel…”

“Why is Little Pup unable to speak in full sentences?”  ★

21. “Smiles!”

“Toriel will be nagging Sans and Papyrus.”  ★

“How long as Little Pup been staying with the skelebros?”  ★

22. “Like old days.”

“Who was Sans hanging out with?”  ★

“How does Sans know of…?”

(JOKE) “Were they Sans’ glasses?”

“Sans used to work for…?”  ★

“Brothers”  ★

23. “Why is Sans being so cautious?”

“What is with their arm?” ★

“What does Sans think of the marks?”  ★

“Little Pup doesn’t seem traumatized.”  ★

“Wouldn’t Papyrus or Toriel notice?”  ★

“Sans’ Morals”  ★

“Can’t Sans just track the box Little Pup came from?”  ★

24. “Pups”

“Will Undyne & Alphys be important in this arc?”  ★

“Let’s get this story start.”  ★

25. “Greeting a new friend”

(Sequel) “TAKE THIS” (Warning: disturbing scenes)

“What was Undyne about to call Sans?”  ★

“I expected Sans would get hurt when Alphys bumped into him.”  ★

“Was Alphys hiding behind a giant Mettaton?”  ★

“Did Alphys do it?”  ★

“Six children?”  ★

26. “Warning”

27. “sleep tight, kid.”

28. “Knock Knock”

“Does Asgore know of the experiments?”  ★

“What did Alphys mean?”  ★

“Will we find out how…?”  ★

29. “Chara”

“Will Sans abandon Little Pup again after…?”  ★

“How involved was he?”  ★

“Why was the heart upside down?”  ★

“Was Little Pup trying to…back then?”  ★

30. “Save”

31. “here we go.”

“Sans was sweating!” ★

“Did Sans kill?” ★

32. “Fight”

“Why did Little Pup not take…?”  ★

“Who would’ve won?”  ★

“So Undyne gave a chance?”  ★ 

33. “♥”

“Did Little Pup stop themselves?”  ★

“Spoilers from the past”

“Sans stopped his blue attack?”  ★

“How was Sans able to…?”  ★

34. “Two Hearts”

“Extreme responses!” 

“Your name”

“It started with a crate”

35. “Little Pup and the Skelebros” (END)

Side

“Does Sans and Papyrus have fake businesses?”

“Do they know Little Pup’s real name?”  ★

“Does Little Pup go on dangerous missions?”

“Love the scene”

“Can’t Sans escape without Papyrus’ help?”

“Papyrus/Sans ever done anything they regretted?”

“Does Toriel visit often?”

“How often does Little Pup get bathed?”

“How smart is Little Pup?”  ★

“Series of Asks”  ★

“Why does everyone treat Frisk as 'pup’?”  ★

“Does Sans have a background in science?”  ★

“Can Sans teleport?”  ★

“Is Little Pup a boy or a girl?”  ★

“Wouldn’t Frisk be scared of Gaster!Sans?”  ★

“Is Little Pup’s SOUL stronger than normal?”  ★

“Gaster Theory”  ★

“Is Sans a boss monster?”  ★

“Tell me more about Gaster!”

“Do the skeleton bros have a past with Gaster?”  ★

“Sans vs. Toriel: Who would win?”  ★

“Has Little Pup encountered Temmies before?”  ★

“Height Chart”

“Why is Little Pup good at singing?”

“Does the skelebros remind Little Pup of Gaster?”

“Do skelebros bring anything for Lil’ Pup from work? What does Lil’ Pup do when alone?”  ★

“Will Little Pup ever kiss the skelebros?”

“Sans’ breaking point?”  ★

“Is Sans more powerful than Undyne?”  ★

“Does Little Pup give out hugs?”

“Did Toriel meet skelebros before or after splitting with Asgore?”  ★

“Did Little Pup have a mother?”  ★

“Any Soriel?”  ★

“Skelebros’ Home”

“Have they used the trapdoor yet?”  ★

“What do human children do after…?”  ★

“How old is Sans and Papyrus?”  ★

“Little Pup dressed as the skelebros!”

“Sans and Little Pup”

“What causes Little Pup to switch?”  ★

“Munch munch”

“Papyrus and Little Pup”

“Do you miss your home?”

“C-Test for CUTest!”

“Sleeping Papyrus and Little Pup”

UT Mob World

“All the major UT Mob gangs”

“Lord Tem?!”

“Where is Shyren?”  ★

“What is Flowey’s role in UT Mob?”  ★

“Where is Flowey in all this? (after ‘29. Chara’)”  ★

“More about Temmies.”  ★

“What happened to R01 and R02?”  ★

“Asriel & Chara”

“Why are you so good at swordfights?”

“Alphys & Undyne”

“Alphys is reporting to…”  ★

“Monsters vs. Humans, Human Soul, Underground”  ★

“SOUL and Determination”  ★

“Humans are endangered species? Can Asgore recognize a human?”  ★

“How would Grillby act towards Little Pup?”  ★

“Is there a secret lab?”  ★

“How many years do monsters live?”  ★

“Do monsters rely more on physical attacks instead of magic?”  ★

“Does E.X.P. and L.O.V.E. exist?”  ★

“Gaster, Chara, DT?”  ★

WHAT IF?

“How would Toriel react if Little Pup got hurt?”

“How would Sans & Papyrus react if Little Pup got a boy/girlfriend?”

“What would skelebros do if someone hurt/killed Little Pup?”

“What would Papyrus do when Little Pup gets hurt?”  ★

“What would skelebros’ life be when Little Pup gets older?”

(Response to “i’m sorry”) “What would Papyrus’ response be if Sans returned after sending Little Pup?”  ★

“Kitty-Cat vs. Little Pup: Who is cuter?”

(JOKE) “Little Pup at age 30?”

“What if Sans met Kitten?”

(Sequel) “What if Papyrus met Kitten?”

Fanfic

“Balanced meal” (by @elara-moon​ )

(What if) “What if Papyrus got hurt?” (by @elara-moon​ )

“Did Little Pup make the soup?”  ★

“Kisses” (by @tsukithewolf )  ★

“Road Trip AU x UT Mob AU Crossover: A New Gang”  (by @tsukithewolf )

Misc.

“Papyrus”

“Sans Capone”

“Original source of UT Mob AU?”  ★

(JOKE) “Godfather of UT Mob?”

“SPOILERS GALORE”

“Name of UT Mob”  ★

“Can I write a fanfic based on UT Mob?”  ★

“Fanfic based on UT Mob AU”  ★

“How can these skelebros look so hot??”

“ALL GASTER!SANS IN UT MOB FASHION”

“How does Pap get his shirt puffy?”  ★

“SO F-ING ADORABLE”

“Will Little Pup romance?”  ★

“Infamous Skeleton Bros.”

“Any romance in UT Mob?”  ★

“Difference between Little Pup and Kitty-Cat?”

“Can we make self-inserts?”  ★

“Can we send you our head-canons?”  ★

“I’ll keep Little Pup and Kitty-Cat all to myself!”

“Who do you like more? Little Pup or Kitty-Cat?”  ★

“Sans is more composed than Gaster!Sans.”  ★

“Sans is OOC.”  ★

“SO F-ING ADORABLE #2″

“What is Little Pup/Kitty-Cat/Kitten’s gender? What happens if I hug Kitten?”  ★

“(Almost) Every Frisk/Chara in UT Mob”

“It’s hard to keep up with all the AUs.”  ★

“Someone made a blog with the same UT Mob AU.”  ★

“One Dog and two Skele-Papas”

“What will they do if Little Pup/Kitty-Cat/Ham Ham/Bunny cries?”

“Sleepy Little Pup”

“Underworld!Sans & UTMob!Sans”

“Do all Frisks have potential to become violent?”  ★

“What do you plan to do next after main story is done?”  ★

“I’m new to UT Mob AU. Can you explain?”

“Can I make a crossover with UT Mob?”  ★

“How many parts are there left in the story? (May 15th)”  ★

“Smoking”

“Mafiatale? Mobstertale?”  ★

“Can I create OCs?”  ★

“Will other gangs appear in the main story?”  ★

“Double bump!”

“Was UT Mob originally called Mafiatale?”  ★

“What inspired you to make UT Mob?”  ★

“Can all Frisks sing?”  ★

“Cheers to you, Sans”

“What year are their outfits based on?”  ★

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If someone has adhd and uses they/them pronouns...theydhd

theydhd

[redacted-alien-entity]

I see all the Klance, Plance, can’t say Shance since they’re still mourning the lack of Shiro in the trailer, Kallura, etc. shippers bemoaning that Allurance has to be canon now since this clearly looks like a date, and you know what? I hope it is a date, even though I don’t ship Allurance. Why? Because both Lance and Allura need to confront these feelings. I’m still endgame Klance, but regardless who he ends up with, if he does at all, I think this final date will be the catalyst he needs to get over Allura.

Look at his stance: it’s relaxed and subdued. I’m assuming he and Allura were discussing something before she goes to heal(?) the tree, then wouldn’t he be by her side, holding her hand, or the animators simply pan to his smiling/smitten face as he gazes at her if these two were endgame? Really, it would only take one or two more seconds. Instead, we have him slouching slightly, hands in pockets, and shadowed by Allura’s light. You can argue time restraints as to why they didn’t pan to his face, but I think it’s because it would have revealed a major spoiler: Lance’s forlorn yet happy face as he finally learns to let Allura go. His body language is not of someone in love. If anything, he looks relaxed. And not the “I’m trying to play it cool since I’m on a date with Allura” relaxed, but as if everything weighing him down has lifted, if only for a moment, and he can sit back and enjoy life. Lance has continually stated how he is awed by Allura, but he seems awfully withdrawn while watching her do this amazing feat. And these same feelings have also instilled within him a crippling sense of inferiority. Remember the scene when he was talking with the mice?

“I’m pathetic. I used to make fun of people who would get their hearts broken. Heck, I was the one breaking hearts! I guess I never knew what it meant to like someone the way I like Allura. Allura’s not like any other girl I’ve ever met before. Probably because she’s an alien, but still. She’s smart, courageous, and makes me want to be a better person. That is so weird to say. And I can’t tell her how I feel. She wouldn’t take me seriously anyway. I don’t have anything to offer. I’m just a boy from Cuba, not a space prince like Lotor.”

Lance’s feelings for Allura always made him feel lesser in comparison, and that’s why I loved how he seemed to be maturing when he finally admitted that Allura might not love him back. And I won’t lie that I think his, and Allura’s, character regressed with the sudden romantic moments in season 7, reducing (in my eyes) Lance closer to his old girl-obsessed persona, and Allura towards the cliched “pining princess before the knight.” This is why I’m glad this date is happening, because if the animators felt that this scene was important enough to be in the trailer, then this scene is obviously a turning point in their relationship. And I truly believe that he took her on this date so he could 1.) relinquish his crush on Allura, and 2.) make her see that, while she cares deeply for him, she does not love him romantically. I do not think Allura meant for Lance to be a rebound. But the feelings of betrayal and heartbreak were clouding her vision, and the hatred she felt towards herself for falling for Lotor was looking for someone to correct it. And the best person was Lance: the sweet, flirtatious boy who has openly crushed on her for ages, been there to support her since the beginning, and, most importantly, is on her side. I do think Allura does love Lance, but not in the way she think she does. This date can be the healing both characters need, with Lance finally realizing that he is more than his play boy persona and is just as important as Allura, and with Allura learning that it’s ok that she fell for Lotor and that it’s time to forgive herself.

And who knows, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this is the scene just before Lance steps into the light to stand side by side with Allura, but his body language just doesn’t seem to match this. And for Allurance shippers, kudos for you for shipping these two amazing characters. I’ll be there right beside you if someone tries to shame you for shipping these two. Personally, I just see this relationship as a stepping stone for Lance and Allura to continue growing into the people they want to be. So is my multishipping heart worried? No. In fact, I welcome this date with open arms. And to all my other shippers out there who fear this scene will spell a canon endgame for their ship? Don’t be. Why?

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Please help me move out of my abusive home or my mum will likely k*ll me

It hurts to make this but I have no other choice. My only source of income is my Etsy store which I have only opened yesterday so as such, I don’t have much money at all (besides what I’ve saved over the years)

If you could donate just $1 I would be a step closer to freedom

Ko-fi / PayPal

I also do art commissions and I have an Etsy store

If you can’t donate please reblog this thank you so so much!!

[redacted-alien-entity]

You go to school and for what, learn? Die

[redacted-alien-entity]

Someone commented that they don't experience breaking down but rather, anger.

I'd argue that's two sides of the same coin.

Something goes wrong and we implode inwards or explode outwards.

[here's the link to the thread for those who can't read the picture]

[redacted-alien-entity]

my head is full of noise

the melody of a song i heard in a tiktok last week

the scene i watched in a movie three years ago

my english assignment due friday and

two things i need to add to the grocery list

sometimes its like a radio skipping channels, thoughts jarred and broken and talking over each other like announcers competing for a single microphone

sometimes its a single train, chugging on, going in circles and backwards and sideways and upside down, riding old and new tracks, random but never lost and never found

my head is a box full of shiny trinkets, tidbits of my life that clutter every corner, and every so often i stumble upon something i’d forgotten but still remember

my head is a mess

but i like it that way

note: reposting my poetry at quiet-eyes-quiet-hands

[redacted-alien-entity]

In fifth grade a boy tried to impress me by swallowing a whole tadpole live and I punched him so hard that he puked and the tadpole was fine.

[redacted-alien-entity]

cinderella marries the prince

and it’s… fine. The prince is great! They’re in love, he’s very sweet and passionate, writing her poems and songs, giving her anything she wants. The time she spends with her husband is great.

but cinderella is not royalty, her family was noble but she never spent time in those circles. She’s used to being busy, she’s used to cooking and cleaning and mending. There are hours, days, where she has nothing to do.

time passes. cinderella learns the fancy lady type of needlework. Learns to ride horses. Reads a lot.

as is normal for royalty at the time, they travel and are hosted by nobles or stay at castles owned by the king. But even that variety begins to become routine. The prince is distracted, there’s a lot of young women living and working on their route. Daughters of nobles. Younger and prettier with soft hands that have never done a day’s work.

cinderella needs something to spend her time on, and there’s a part of her thinking a couple-only trip might get her husband’s attention again, so she suggests making an old castle that’s fallen into disrepair their “project.” It was built in the time when castles were made to be defensible, so it’s quite sturdy, but it’s overgrown and secluded. The prince doesn’t know why his family stopped living there either. A hundred years ago it was their summer home.

so they go. And they work. And for a while it’s great! But when they leave for winter cinderella’s husband forgets her once again. cinderella resolves to make the best of her life and stop worrying about a man who has gotten what he wanted from her.

summer comes again and this time cinderella goes alone to the old castle (minus staff, of course, but cinderella manages to narrow it down to only repair workers and one maid). She can cook and clean and mend again, but this time it’s her own choice. She is happy.

this summer they make more progress on repairs. The workers say that most of it can be salvaged, except one tower that’s been completely overgrown with vines and briars. It will have to come down, eventually, but for now it can be safely ignored.

cinderella has more free time now. The old castle has a surprisingly untouched library, though time and moisture have damaged many of the books. Behind a collection of greek poetry cinderella finds an old diary. Very old, in fact, at least a hundred years. It’s rude to read a diary, of course, but whoever wrote this is long dead, and cinderella is bored, so…

from the description of activities the author looks to have been nobility. Maybe even a princess. She’s sensitive and sweet and smarter than she seems to realize. If circumstances had been different cinderella wishes they could have been friends…

after the summer ends cinderella returns to her husband. He’s spending a lot of time with a young musician and cinderella can’t even work up the energy to care. She does some research about the castle and the family she’s married into, finds out the name of the princess who wrote the diary.

aurora. Cursed and forgotten. She died young, they say, in a plague that also took out the castle staff and her own parents. Luckily they avoided a succession crisis, but not so lucky for the dead.

time passes. cinderella goes to the old castle again and again, even out of season. Soon enough all that remains to be done is the old tower, and the builders say they should tear it down and fill the gaps before it gets cold.

one night cinderella is restless. The princess from the diary had been fond of that tower, and cinderella is far more attached to a dead woman than she ought to be. She gets out of bed, reads by candlelight, and finally goes to walk the empty halls.

she finds herself going to the tower. Pushing past the vines that don’t seem so troublesome really. They almost part before her. The stairs are perfectly intact, the door at the top is already cracked open. As if she should have done this years ago, cinderella steps into aurora’s bedroom.

she’s as beautiful as the stories say. And sitting under her hands, crossed across her stomach as it rises and falls, is a book of greek poetry.

years later, people will tell the story of cinderella as a cautionary one. Don’t seek above your station. Don’t marry for prestige. After all, a girl who grew up as a servant once married the crown prince, and disappeared after only three years. She ran away, they say, she couldn’t handle the lifestyle.

two old women who run a bookshop together agree with the lesson. Marrying for the wrong reasons never ends well. It’s best to wait for someone you have things in common with, shared interests.

or, failing that, the more linguistic of the two says, wait a decade or ten for someone to fall in love with you from your diary.

her partner laughs and hits her with the socks she is mending.

[redacted-alien-entity]

getting the validation i need from my education prof saying good morning and waving at the camera and telling us that he’s happy to see us every class........................i wouldnt be here dragging my menstruating ass out of bed if it wasnt for david

[redacted-alien-entity]

Oh you look down others for being attracted to men wow that sounds shallow and exhausting I’m gonna go suck a dick

[redacted-alien-entity]

She did THAT

[redacted-alien-entity]

i heard green day when i was 12 and never went back to pop music. my soul is punk and i breathe guitar solos

if you have adhd reblog/reply with your opinion on punk music i think im onto something

[redacted-alien-entity]

“Maybe you should just fall,

And leave the world and lose it all.

Maybe that’s what you need

To finally see

I’ll be with you through it all.”

It may sound cheesy, but these lines have seriously changed the way I thought about love. Loving others, being loved, and loving myself.

I used to get frustrated when my friends made bad decisions or when my siblings acted out. I used to hate myself for falling back into cycles of depression and procrastination.

And largely due to generalized ‘self-help’ tips online, I always thought that preventative measures were key. But no matter how much advice I gave or how many habits I tried to build, it wouldn’t work. It left me feeling empty and helpless, like I was destined to fail.

But I came to realize that preventative measures aren’t the only way to cope. Some of them help, but piling on more and more won’t solve the problem. And when things come crashing down, you need reactive measures.

This means assessing the damage and responding accordingly. I listen to my friends as they rant and validate their pain. I force myself out of bed to get a drink of water after crying all night. Sometimes you need to brace yourself for the storm and pick up the pieces when it’s over.

I used to think of my mind and heart as glass cups, cracked and leaking in a dozen places. I had to patch them up as quickly as possible or I’d be left empty. But that isn’t accurate.

They’re like vines, growing and twisting and adjusting to the framework I lay out for them. Sometimes they grow in ways I don’t want them to, and I hurry to untangle them before they set. Sometimes I have to cut off parts that are diseased and rotten to preserve the rest.

There is only so much you can control. That’s alright. Do what you can, and when you can’t stop the fall, be ready to deal with the aftermath. Love yourself and others enough to weather a storm. It gets easier. I promise.