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darkpoisonouslove · 4 years

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I retaliate/reward you with writer asks 2, 3, 4, 12, 22, 24, 36, 37, 39 and 42 ;D

Sounds good to me. XD

Okay, let's break these down. (I've crammed things that should be separated in different paragraphs in the same paragraph because of the structure of the ask. I just think it is easier to navigate it that way even if more paragraphs would make more sense. That way every opinion is constricted in one paragraph and you can tell which point it refers to easier. (At least imo.))

(I can't put a read more link rn as I'm on mobile. Sorry.)

2. Don't use adverbs

I cannot begin to describe to you how much I LOATHE this. It is, by far, some of the stupidest writing advice I have ever read. No, I don't care Stephen King supports this. Stephen King writes mostly horror and in horror you need to maintain suspense so short and to the point is definitely better and cutting adverbs is certainly a way to do that. However, I don't think this applies to all writing. I think this isn't really a genre thing as much as it is a specific case by case thing. And in most instances I think this advice is bullshit. Think about it. Language was created to allow us to express ourselves. Cut all adverbs out of it and that narrows down your way to express yourself. It's kinda like "Oh, hey, my leading hand serves more purpose. I should probably cut off the other one because it's not that effective." Congrats, you just crippled yourself. It's the same with language. Why would you deny yourself the help of an entire group of "tools" to express yourself? I just don't understand it. I suppose you've seen the posts going around about "good" and "bad" adverbs so I won't go into that as I agree that an adverb is a good idea when it adds some meaning to the word that wasn't there before (eg. "cried happily"). Sometimes it can actually make things faster to just "tell" them rather than show them through the context. I think adverbs are as neat as any other part of language and deserve their place in writing.

3. Write what you know

Yes, you should know what the hell you're writing about. Whether it was something that you were familiar with before you started writing or you did your research on the matter. I might be a little biased on this because I kinda hate doing research so I can be swayed towards write only what you are completely familiar with but that would just make things boring. So I think you can write about stuff that isn't quite your area of expertise as long as you put the effort to research it to the proper level depending on what you need it for. If it's more of a mention, you don't need that much knowledge about it but if you intend to make it the subject of your writing, please make sure you understand what you're going to be talking about in the entirety of your story. I am begging you because when you don't, we end up with stuff like 50 Shades of Grey (and I'm not just talking about the sex parts since this book is full of poorly researched stuff that, shockingly, ends up being unbelievable at best, potentially harmful at worst). However, I think that applies to a greater degree to published fiction rather than to fanfiction but let's not get into that debate since it's a completely different topic and I already veered off course.

4. Avoid repetition

This I mostly agree with but it depends on the purpose of the repetition. If it is done in order to establish a theme or motif or to emphasize a point (without overdoing it, of course), I fully support it. (I do that a lot in my personal writing and it shouldn't be that hard to find examples of it when looking at my fics ("What Is the One Thing That Can Never Break?" is the best example of this but I have done it countless times in most of my fics if not all of them since this is one of my fave techniques).) However, there is a thin line between establishing a theme and making dead herrings aka something that is brought up repeatedly without any point to it other than boosting the word count since it doesn't lead to anything and it was already discussed at a prior point (which I might have done a few times myself in some of my longest fics). If you're bringing another angle to an issue you've already looked at or are furthering the point, you should be fine but this is indeed a thin line to tread so it demands a bit of caution. I do believe repetition can be a valuable technique in specific circumstances, though, so it all depends on how it is used.

12 is already answered here

22. Do not use semicolons

My personal opinion on this isn't very applicable to anything else because I am not really quite sure how to properly use semicolons so I avoid them. I also don't really like them in other people's writings. I'm sure they have their uses but I think a lot of authors also overuse them to make those horrendously long sentences that I hate (but have started becoming guilty of as well even though I think that if you can't remember how the sentence started at the end of it, it is too long and needs to be split in some way). It is why I haven't bothered to learn how to operate them. XD But I think that my point about adverbs should be applied here as well. It is another tool you can use and I am sure it can be helpful. So I am not necessarily against it and wouldn't tell someone to stop using them. Only, maybe try using full stops as well? And I'll try to do the same because, like I said, I have started becoming guilty of paragraph long sentences as well. (Just to be clear, sometimes longer sentences are okay. But not when literally every sentence is over 150 words. You need to break them down, spice it up with shorter sentences thrown in the mix.) Also, I think this is an instance of the trap of "bigger is better" for a lot of writers except that here it is "longer is better". It really isn't. And I can tell you why. My scenes have started getting thousands of words long and if I were to write novel, I could hit 50k words with about ten scenes. Most novels are up to 120k words total. Those would be 24 scenes in my numbers but don't you feel like a novel will need more than 24 scenes? Consice writing is definitely a good idea and it is much harder to cut things rather than to add (at least for me). Fanfiction gives more room with the word count but I still think that it is important to be able to convey your point in as little words as possible. (Btw, this is a tangent but long sentences and semicolons appear a lot in academic writing and I hate it even more there because it makes it more incomprehensible than it needs to be (and in a lot of cases it already is written to be as incomprehensible as possible). Just... start another sentence, I am begging you. This one already is a page long, for the love of everything in the world.)

24. Don't edit as you write

A complicated one. Mostly because I have done this. I used to do it a few years back. I (mostly) don't do it anymore. I might stop to edit a typo or change a sentence that just doesn't read right but nothing bigger than that. And you should, arguably, not do that either. Why? Because you may end up deleting the entire paragraph, page, chapter and all that perfecting will have been for naught. It has happened to me when I spent a ton of time perfecting the first chapters of several of my works and some of them I will never finish while others actually need to start from a different point in time so the whole chapter needs to go. Along with all of my efforts. I would say this is mostly for longer and chaptered projects since the structure of a one shot (depending on the length) is easier to figure out and you probably won't need to rearrange parts of it. And if something is really poking your eyes out, you can fix it real quick. But once you have the whole thing, it will be easier to see what needs to stay, what needs to go and what needs to be changed. Sometimes the temptation is hard to resist and it's fine if you give in as long as you're doing it with the knowledge that "yes, this may be all for nothing but I can't look at it like that for another second". Sometimes I would say that you need to go back and see where everything derailed if you can't move on. There was good advice that if you're stuck, the problem is probably a few paragraphs before the point where you hit a wall and it has helped me get over a block a time or two. However, if you can move on without touching anything, you probably should. That can also save you from deleting something that is actually good. I have felt like the whole thing I was writing was terrible but holding back from deleting or even altering anything and, instead, giving it some time to breathe has saved a few fics along the way from being completely butchered. So I think this is, generally, good advice because of the reasons I listed but just like any other rule, it can be bent and broken. (I would say fixing typos is a form of bending it which I allow myself all the time. Spelling is just really important to me.)

36. Never use a verb other than 'said' to tag dialogue

I hate this specific phrasing of it a lot. Never start any rule with never. Of course, you need to use other verbs as well since they were created to express the wide range in which a person may speak their chosen words. My problem with this is the reason that is usually given for it and that is that it distracts the reader. It has never distracted ME. Not a single time. And while I agree that using said most of the time works since people usually speak in a calm, even, steady manner which to describe as simply "said" works well enough, I think that other dialogue tags have their places too. Because people don't always say things. Sometimes they scream them, sometimes they whisper them, sometimes they hiss them, sometimes they snap and so on. Here I think a better phrasing would be to use Syndrome's lesson again that "when everyone is super, no one will be". Dialogue tags different from said are supposed to direct your attention to the change in tone. They're supposed to stand out. If everything stands out, nothing will. (This philosophy is so applicable to so many things and I think we have to take a minute to appreciate how valuable the lesson of "The Incredibles" is.) So as with every other writing tool, if used accordingly, dialogue tags (all of them, not just "said") can only be of help and will not hinder you in any way. Just don't put more frosting on the cake than there is cake, you know?

37. Do not start a sentence with a conjunction

FUCK THIS RULE so much. This one you have to keep to only in academic writing. The moment you step through the threshold of creative writing this rule should be crushed under your soles. I often start sentences with "and" or "but" because I am looking to emphasize whether this sentence agrees with the previous one or not. Think about it. When you say "I liked him. But I didn't trust him.", it reads very different from "I liked him but I didn't trust him.". It focuses your attention on that contrast and makes you pay more attention to the objection to the first sentence that comes in the second. That can be incredibly valuable and help emphasize what you're saying in a more subtle way than repetition would. This is one of my favorite techniques of focusing the attention on where I want it to be and I will never give it up. Sue me if you want. And see if I care.

39. If there's a story you want to read but it hasn't been written yet, you must write it

Must is too strong a verb. You are not obliged to write anything. I couldn't possibly write everything I want to see written in a single lifetime. Calm down there. I think what people need to understand here is more that "if you want the story done the exact way that you would do it, you will have to do it yourself because no one else will do it the very same way". Doesn't mean that someone can't come close enough (I had that luck once) but it is unlikely that they'll do it in a way that you won't have any complaints about. So, really, "if you want something done right, do it yourself". But this can also mean "you have something fresh that the world needs because no one else has done it yet" (or at least not the same way you would do it). Which is cool but you really don't owe anyone anything. If that story is what you want to read and write (emphasis on that because writing is hard and takes a lot of energy, guys), then great! Go right ahead. But if you don't feel like doing that, you can leave it alone. Someone else might do it in time but with that we loop back to my previous point. I think that you should write whatever you want to write whether no one has written it before or it has been done hundreds and thousands of times.

42. Write your first draft by hand

Very mixed feelings here. I used to do that. The main reason for that is that I didn't trust myself to edit quite as sufficiently if I wrote it directly in a document as I would if I had to transcribe it from paper to the computer. For me personally, it is easier to change sentences when there is only blank space after that sentence since I don't have to worry whether the next sentence I have will still make sense once I'm done rewriting the current one. It was just easier to change things. A way to deal with that is to just press enter a few times before you start editing the sentence so that it looks like there is nothing after it and you're free to change it as you please. However, writing directly in a document is definitely faster and since I was having a lot of things to do in a limited time, I started doing that. It helped get over the fear of a blank page to a degree. It is faster. And I don't think I have noticed a change in the quality of my fics. Not a negative one at least. I just know that if I had had to write the 10k+-word ones by hand before typing them on the computer, I would've lost it. It would've taken way more time and patience than I was willing to give these ideas. Writing the words by hand sometimes helps me feel them better, though, (if that makes sense) and I wouldn't completely give up on it. I like to go with my intuition when deciding whether to write it by hand or type it directly in a document and it has worked out well enough for me so far.

#ask #her-majesty-wears-jeans #writing #writing advice #writing rules #my opinions

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famder-news · 5 years

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Vid Review Wednesday!!

Hi guys! Welcome to another video review!! I know it’s technically not a Wednesday but I wanted to get this out to you guys since Thomas dropped a new video last week - I wanted to share my thoughts with you all!

Mod: Brit (@romanticsanders) Date: 4th July 2019 Topic: Videos and Reviews Warnings: SPOILERS FOR THE NEWEST SANDERS SIDES EPISODE, Remus

Video Review Wednesday: Dealing with INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS | Sanders Sides

Video Length: 41:16

Characters In Order Of Appearance: Thomas, Virgil/Anxiety, Patton/Morality, Roman/Creativity, Logan/Logic, Remus/The Duke

Watch it HERE

So I’ve already seen a ton of discussion about the new video online but I thought that I’d offer my two cents since no one’s opinion is going to be the same from each others!

First of all, I wanna say that as a production, this video was so, so impressive. Like every single person on Thomas’ team worked so hard on this new video to bring us new graphics, new costumes, new characters, a SONG, and new content to play with! That is an amazing feat in itself and it truly speaks to Thomas’ growth as a creator <3

Second of all, I just wanna say this: I was thoroughly entertained and horrified. Throughout the entirety of the video I just kept imagine Virgil, Thomas, Logan, Patton, and Remus all having a casual discussion whilst Roman is just.....passed out face down on the floor. Like, did y’all not wanna try and wake the boy?

The early allusions to Roman and Remus’ brotherly relationship was super interesting to me - not to mention their matching names. As a person with siblings, a writer, AND a Roman stan, giving Roman a whole ass brother was just *kisses hand*.

Now, let’s talk about Logan. Logan...was so good in this episode. He was phenomenal. Whereas Virgil and Patton showed slightly more biased opinions (Something that I thought we also saw in the previous video with Deceit) regarding the ‘Dark Sides’, Logan’s analysis of the situation and his method of helping Thomas was just so amazing to me. He was honestly giving out “Caring schoolteacher who knows you’re going through a hard time and tries his best to genuinely help you” vibes to me.

I noticed that Virgil and Patton have very black and white definitions as to what makes a “good person” which I think makes sense for their characters. Patton is supposed to represent morality, a literal sense of right and wrong and good and bad - so it makes sense to me that he would have very strong opinions about Thomas’ behaviour.

Virgil however has been on the receiving end of such antagonism and, in my opinion, could be overcompensating? Perhaps in his attempt to prove to the others that he’s good now and that he is trying to change and he’s ‘not always the bad guy’, he is pushing Thomas slightly too far in the only definition of “good” that he knows - which is Patton.

And finally: Remus. The glorious trash king rat bastard himself. I think as a character, he is absolutely amazing. There’s so much to unpack when it comes to him, right down to his character aesthetic, his accent, his backstory, and his purpose when it comes to Thomas and how Thomas functions. I also am so intrigued about his relationship with Deceit and just how he thinks in general.

Him giving away his name at their first meeting could’ve been an attempt to antagonise Virgil, especially with the way that he looked at Virgil after saying it, but I thought that it also showed a lot about him. Like Roman, he is desperate for attention (but maybe not validation to the extent that Roman is). Perhaps him revealing his name right from the get-go is him trying to outshine the others and stand out as different and important to Thomas and his wellbeing.

Just a theory!! These are all my opinions on the video - if you have any thoughts, pls reblog or reply bc we’d love to read them!! <3

I haven’t touched base on everything that I could’ve talked about and wanted to talk about but these were my initial thoughts!

End Card

Thomas is attempting to go through his night and get ready to go to sleep but Remus shows up in the darndest places, munching on a stick of deodorant.

I thought it was incredibly well done and tied into the overlying theme and moral of the story completely. With intrusive thoughts, sometimes all you can do is ignore them and hope that they’ll pass - try and distract yourself with tasks so that you don’t think about the glaring thing in the corner eating a stick of deodorant. I loved it and thought it was so poignant.

Stray Thoughts

I’m a slut for Roman and I thought there wasn’t enough Roman in it - although I GUESS I get that his being unconscious is an integral part of the video. I’m very excited for his arc, I can see it coming in the horizon. My body will not be able to handle it.

Quotes of the episode

“Singin’ to myself...because I’m not uncomfortable at all!” - Patton

“You can’t have a bawl without a prince!” - Roman

“What are you ta...What are you talking...What are you talking about?” - Logan

“You guys are acting fishier than the kraken’s crack.” “Alright, so I’m acting fishy. So sushi. I mean...sue me!” “...Don’t act like that was an accident.” - Roman, Virgil, Roman

“Everybody, Virgil...*clap clap*...let’s give it up for the purp-man.” - Thomas

“The very same ‘Just Like Heaven’ that won the teen choice award for best chick flick?!” “You Ruffal-know it!” “...Were there any other ‘Just Like Heaven’ films released in 2005 starring Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon?” - Roman, Patton, Logan

“What’s fruit without the pits?” “...Apples don’t have pits.” - Remus, Logan

“Don’t say juicy in that context!” “Uh...juicy butthole?!” - Virgil, Remus

“I love being given 2 D’s at once!” - Remus

“Look, pleasant metaphors aren’t really my strong suit.” “You have a strong suit?” “Yes! My birthday suit!” - Remus, Virgil, Remus

#ts spoilers #thomas sanders #sanders sides #tw remus #ts remus #roman sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #remus sanders #famders-news #mod brit

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codependentsoulmates · 7 years

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RANKING EVERY SEASON OF SUPERNATURAL

Let’s a-freakin’-go, Mario.

12. Season 7. Leviathans. And Sam’s god-awful wolverine sideburns. ‘Nuff said.

11. Season 6. Soulless Sam was hilariously, sarcastically endearing for a little while, but towards the end of the Soulless Sam arc, just, ugh. I wanted to fast forward so bad. Samuel coming back was unnecessary and anticlimactic, “evil Cas” was an eye roller, I didn’t give a shit about Lisa and Ben, um... EVE??? What the actual fuck was that. She was possibly the single most wasted, ultra-super-anticlimactic use of a story arc that I’ve ever seen. There were a few redeeming episodes (i.e. Clap Your Hands If You Believe).

10. Season 9. Okay, this could be biased just based on how much I truly cannot stand God!Metatron. S10/11 Metatron is great; he’s such a little jerk that you cant help but find him funny. But S9 Metatron... holy shit. It was like being subjected to hours upon hours of having to watch only the Umbridge scenes from Harry Potter on repeat. It felt like legitimate torture trying to force myself to finish the season. Plus, yes, I ended up liking Gadreel later (much later) on, but Gadreel!Sam felt like it went on forever. I was over it and it was like the end of it would never come. Also, I’m just gonna say it: Abaddon was boring and annoying, and the only reason she was even an issue was because Sam and Dean thought, “Hey, wow, let’s experiment on the most powerful demon we know of roaming the Earth right now. We cut off her hands, nothing will go wrong!” Riiiight... okay. Also, Kevin’s death was seriously messed up and unnecessary and I still haven’t forgiven them for it, so. But uh, human!Cas was super endearing though, and even though I really don’t ever want actual human Cas to become a thing, it was cute for awhile.

9. Season 12. Alright. I don’t share the exact same sentiment or level of hatred that a lot of other people seem to for this season, but it had... a lot of issues. So, uh. Buckle up. First of all... Lucifer. While I don’t... hate the idea of him coming back as a villain, just so many things about this were... sigh. Rockstar!Lucifer was - and I’m gonna fucking say it - truly awful. So, so awful. Maybe he could’ve worked on another show, but with Lucifer’s character/personality having already been so established and defined on Supernatural, it just felt out of place. He was not the same character - which is something I often complain about with the Rubys. We had just come from Casifer - which was brilliant and so, so in character - and then we get this... weird, unsnarky, not sarcastic or playful at all version of Lucifer and... pass. Moving on... they finally get to put Luci back in his cage and... then Crowley decides to keep him as a pet? And believe Lucifer - fucking LUCIFER - now bows to him and won’t get away? And assume the demons who have time and time again always helped Lucifer, will now follow him instead? What??? Crowley isn’t that dumb, and he could’ve achieved ruling Hell again with no problems if Lucifer was in the cage. It made no sense to me. And um. Lucifer having a child? Seriously? So much reaching going on. Now to the second issue: The British Men of Letters. Okay. They started off as the enemy this season. The title sequence was the MoL symbol. And yet... they weren’t that relevant or threatening until the last couple of episodes (and those were, well, in nicer terms... questionable.) They either should’ve saved a Lucifer-returning-as-the-enemy storyline for later or saved the BMoL. Together, it was just too much and not enough expansion. Side note: I loathe the BMoL like I loathe God!Metatron. Which brings me to the third - and maybe biggest - issue I had with this season: Mary fucking Winchester. What the fuck. What the actual fuck, were the writers thinking. They legitimately ruined her. Throughout the series you have this wonderful idea built up about her: she was a badass hunter and she sacrificed things for John and she loved her boys so, so much and she gave up hunting for good because that was never the life she wanted and just. Then she’s here and you’re like finally Sam and Dean get to have a fucking parent who is there for them and can nurture them for once in their goddamn lives, and then. Then she’s a different Mary and she’s back to only caring about hunting even though she never liked hunting in the first place and she’s working for the people who tortured her son and she’s leaving her boys who just got her back, who she just got back, and she was going to let them die or get hurt for the goddamn Colt that she didn’t even know was the Colt. And I just. I couldn’t get with it, I’m sorry. Oh, and also everyone fucking DIES this season, so that was just fucking great, too.

8. Season 10. This is an unpopular opinion, I’m sure, but I hated Deanmon and I was glad we didn’t have to see him that long and suffer like we did with Soulless Sam. That being said, they did way overhype Deanmon, which was pretty uncool and unfair. But I honestly hated the Mark of Cain - it went on waaaaay too long - and I really, really dislike seeing Dean be... not Dean... so... Also, I am still pissed the fuck off at Charlie’s death, so I refuse to rank this any higher out of spite, too. But um. They killed fucking DEATH this season. And while I was actually really unhappy about it because Death was cool as hell, that scene with Sam like, just wrecked, and Dean’s “Close your eyes, Sammy” kinda made it really, really almost worth it. (You’ll soon realize I really only care a lot about Sam and Dean’s relationship and their Absolute Best Moments™ that wrench my heart.)

7. Season 8. Unfortunately, the writers decided hey, let’s ruin Sam’s character a little fucking more and write him as OOC as possible by having him not actually give a shit where the fuck Dean was for an entire year because he was too busy fucking some piece of shit girl! Seriously, I didn’t think I could dislike anyone more than I hated Ruby 2.0 or Gordon... and then came Amelia. I have yet to encounter a person in the Spn-verse that is worse than her. No joke. This season ranks above the others though because it was less “meh” or all over the place. And because Mrs. Tran being a complete baller for just a single episode was more entertaining that any of the main story arcs for any of those seasons below. Also, more importantly, it had more of a return to what Supernatural is supposed to be - I’m looking at you S6/7 - and even though trying to close the gates of Hell was pointless and we knew it was never gonna happen, I have a sick love for suffering!Sam at any given time because then Dean goes into overprotective big bro mode and they stop fighting and being jerks to each other for a lil’ while and we get Seasons 1-5 (eh, minus 4) bro’ lovin’ and protectin’ again. Plus, this season holds my favorite quote/speech Dean has ever said to Sam (you know what I’m talking about) and I already said I’m a sucker for heart-wrenching moments between them, so.

6. Season 4. Probably yet another unpopular opinion, but oh well. Ruby 2.0... gag me. Way to ruin a good character. Plus, as much as I love Gen, I loved nothing about her portrayal of Ruby. It wasn’t the same character. That’s the bottom line. Also Sam’s demon blood addiction and him so far up Ruby’s ass all season??? Vomit. Skip. Next. Literally if Sam listened to Dean for legit two seconds, the Apocalypse could’ve been avoided. But Castiel! And the angel arc! The actual saving graces (hah, literally) of the season.

5. Season 1. I feel really weird about placing this season this low because it’s really just as good as the two I’ve ranked above it, but. I suppose that’s cheating. Season 1 holds a very, very special place in my heart, is all. It’s the OG season, monster-of-the-week episodes (which, side note: makes no sense to me when people rank S1 super low because there were “too many monster-of-the-week episodes.” Um, yeah.. that’s kinda... what the show is fucking about? Sam and Dean... hunting monsters? But okay, anyway...) Baby Sam and Dean!!! The world wasn’t fucked yet! Lil’ skulky Sam!! Okay, real talk, S1-3 (and 5) Sam was fucking BALLER. He was the best Sam, and then the writers trashed his character, so. Cool. This season is really only this low because I had to fully rank this and because John was kinda a dick. But I loved Sam fighting with him and Dean getting in between them to protect Sam. (Also, on another note: John was a piece of work but he was a better parent than S12 Mary, jussayin’.) (Also, also, it irritates the shit out of me just how much they ruined John’s character and who they made him out to be post-season 5. He was truly something else and he did some really shitty things, but I don’t think it was fair to do and I don’t think that was ever what Kripke intended for his character, but. Oh well. I digress.)

4. Season 11. Once again, I don’t necessarily rank this fully above S1 or below the next ranking, but. There was a lot of good things going on this season. Casifer was brilliant and delivered some of my favorite one-liners of the series. His interactions with God!Chuck were great. Him helping instead of being a villain, but still being a ridiculous child. God!Chuck was wonderful and handled really, really well. Also, his World’s Best Dad mug? I heart. Freakin’... Baby? Brilliant, incredible, amazing, wonderful, spectacular. Rowena was also bitchin’ this season, the whole flippin’ demons, angels, witches working together (even though it was just one episode) was suh-weeeet, Sam and Dean were vibin’ like early seasons Sam and Dean. I really wasn’t here for the forced Dean/Amara weird as hell relationship/attraction, though. It was... no. Just. No. Also like, Amara was okay and they did mostly show how powerful she was but like. Azazel, Lucifer, the Leviathans, Gordon, or basically... anyone felt like more of a threat than her, even though she was the only actual unstoppable force ever on the show. And while it was kinda nice for the finale to be her and Chuck working it out, it was also... kinda lame. Here’s this dark force that is the most powerful thing in existence, and it’s stopped by God... apologizing and hugging it out with her? Um... okay, I guess.

3. Season 3. Even though this season was short and waiting for Dean to die kinda sucked and put a damper on the whole season, it still is by far one of the best ones, hands down. Not only did we get Katie Cassidy’s badass, savage, cool as hell Ruby 1.0, we got Bela (who had so much wasted potential, sigh) and return of the Trickster, Bobby really becoming the boys’ father figure, and Sam finally getting to kill Actual Piece of Shit™ Gordon Walker. Season 3 also has some of the best episodes of the whole series - Bad Day At Black Rock, Mystery Spot, Ghostfacers - and we got A Very Supernatural Christmas, which gave us the birth of the Samulet, and I swear to god that scene made me actually cry a little bit. (A lotta bit.)

2. Season 2. This is like. THE Supernatural season. All the cool kids are introduced: Ellen, Jo, Ash, the Trickster, Tessa. Bobby becomes more involved, brotherly bonding up the wazoo, total badass, pure monster hunting. Episodes like Tall Tales and Hollywood Babylon. And episodes like Croatoan and Heart (which had one of the best endings to an episode in the series just in terms of emotion and how well it was set up with the song and ugh), and had debatably the best season finale of the whole show with All Hell Breaks Loose Parts 1 & 2. (It killed me.) Great monsters are introduced like shape shifters and djinns. Azazel was annoying but was an actual villain (unlike some of the later big “villains”) and he was that start and end of everything. He was the Winchesters’ reason for hunting, he catapulted everything. And everything was so simple and pure and made fucking sense.

1. Season 5. I mean, there’s really no surprise here. It baffles me when S5 isn’t at the top of everyone’s list. While I don’t necessarily wanna go back and watch S5 episodes like I do with most other seasons, it was just the most well-rounded, well-thought out, well-executed season. No competition. Everything had a purpose and a meaning. Everything was tied up. Ellen and Jo die, which is a downer, but at least they were badass. Lucifer is a total tool, and you love it. It’s also Mark Pellegrino’s Lucifer, which is - quite obviously - the best Lucifer. Death is rad as hell. Cas is in his fucking prime this season. Sam and Dean love each other so fucking much this season. The Trickster/Gabriel is revealed as an archangel!! Crowley!! Bobby in his prime as Sam and Dean’s father figure!! Dark Side of the Moon A.K.A. one of my all-time favorite episodes and also one of the most beautifully shot episodes!! (And Ash in heaven! “Some people share, like soulmates”!!!!!!) The fucking END!!! I honestly would probably rank S5 at the top of this list solely for the scene where Lucifer is beating the crap out of Dean while Dean just keeps saying, “Sammy, it’s okay, I’m here” and then Sam’s montage of memories of him and Dean as he takes back control, and jeez holy shit is that montage beautiful and brilliant. That scene alone is probably the best scene in the whole show and I will defend that opinion until I die. The only bad things really in S5 were how unbelievably annoying Zachariah was and how I still think throwing their random half-brother in there just so Dean didn’t have to be Michael’s vessel was ridiculous and absurd. But really, this is the season. I’m glad the show didn’t end after this season, but holy fucking shit would it have been one of the sickest, best, most baller series finales of all time, and no matter what they do for the series finale now, this finale is so untouchable that it will never even come close to living up to it.

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evamariagarcia-blog · 5 years

Photo

My Survey Lines are Now Closed and the Results are in!!

To start with below are my key stats for the survey:

I was a little disappointed with there being 47 visits and only 28 people filled in my survey. I do feel like I got a good amount fo responses that I can use for my research.

The results are now in...

Question 1 - What age bracket do you fall under?

I was thinking my target audience would just be designers. Which as we know come in all different ages. I assumed I would probably split them into students and then working designers. My results where pretty ranged and fell under my expectations.

There was:

35.7% for 18-24

42.9% for 25-34

14.3% for 35-44

7.1% for 45-54

This fall under my brackets as I assume the audience above 25+ are working designers but now reflecting on this that could have been a question I asked in my survey instead of just assuming.

Question 2 - What tools do you currently use when doing design research?

I listed out a few options of research/inspiration tools that I use myself and had found when doing competitor research.

This list was:

Dribbble

Behance

Design Inspiration

Usepanda

Muzli

Awwwards

Out of these, I was expecting Dribbble to be the most used.

The three top results where:

75% Dribbble with 21 responses

60.7% Behance with 17 responses

25% Awwwards with 7 responses.

A few people have other as an option and suggested something that myself feel silly for not putting down as an option which was BOOKS!! I am thinking now maybe having a section in my web application with books for designers.

Question 3 - If you have any, what would be your main frustrations when doing research?

For this question peoples, biggest frustration was “Having too many tabs open and losing websites”. The other highest result was “Trying to stay organised”. These are answers that I assumed people would answer with but it is what people wrote in the other section that was interesting.

Responses from the other section:

Having a no-show for a user interview

Finding examples that meet my use case

Most available design inspiration is superficial, showing one element or one page of an entire project. This doesn't allow for a deeper UX understanding of how these elements fit together and create a cohesive user experience.

The last point was interesting as I can understand this sometimes with the likes of Dribblbe and Pinterest you don’t see the design thinking behind the design. This is something I could help with my app I think and something I can do more research into. Definitely has given me food for thought.

Question 4 - Do you think we have a responsibility as designers to keep up to date with design news?

I think from a biased perspective this was my biggest question. 82.1% people said “Yes” with 23 responses out of 28. I think this shows that it is important we keep up to date with design news which I knew from the start.

There was one comment I got in the other section that I found interesting it was:

“Design trends don't always = good design. Keeping up with news such as new tools, new techniques, new lines of thinking can be very beneficial however also overwhelming.”

I do agree with the first statement for example when I did my research into light and dark theme which you can see in a previous post. I read that dark theme now is trendy and a lot of people are using it because it is trendy and thats not right as we should be using it based on our user's environment. I also think that design trends help us evolve and grow as designers. This statement has made me think of this from two points of views which is helpful.

Question 5 - What tools/sites do you use to read up on design news?

The three highest results in this question where:

82.1% Medium with 23 responses

25% Designer News with 7 responses

17.9% The Designest with 5 responses

I was expecting Medium to be the highest result. I am starting to realise that the best information is in the other sections of my survey. There is some really interesting suggestions for this question.

They are:

4 people said twitter

UX Collective

UX Collective and Sidebar newsletters

Panda

Designtaxi

A custom feed of various blogs and sites

I have never heard of DesignTaxi so that will be something I can do competitor research into. I also have never used twitter for design news so that is something I can look into for my project and also myself.

Question 6 - If you have any, what would be your main frustrations when keeping up to date on design news?

The three highest frustrations where:

67.9% It is easy to miss things when you are busy with 19 responses

35.7% A lot of different sites with 10 responses

35.7% Not being able to go back and read later with 10 responses

These are interesting as a feature of being able to save back and reading later was something I was thinking about so it is helpful to see this is something designers have frustrations with.

Question 7 - Can you suggest anything that would improve your experience when doing research for a project?

This question was an open question.

Some of the useful suggestion where:

One central platform for everything design research related

Quickly finding examples that suit my use case

Documenting ideas, sources, analysis, images as you go.

Finding resources with more detailed case studies e.g. how a company designed ftux from start to finish, how that evolved over time or as new features/products were introduced. Things that worked and didn’t work and why.

Access to previous research archives from other designers

Getting snippets of information so if I don't have time to read the entire article I can get the highlights. Also if I can get all the sites, inspirations in one location will be super helpful.

Better categorization / easier browsing (i.e., not just search). Something visual skin to Pinterest?

A more diverse range of sources

A place to store and collect inspiration/articles/notes/thoughts easily using an accessible and simple method. Possibly a Chrome plug-in (see Pinterest's plug-in - however, it is all visual, it doesn't really allow for the collection of articles, quotes, concepts etc)

trending/top rated articles appear at the top

For me, the most important thing is the understanding of colour trends, trend styles and several other trends.

Category specification and thematic distribution of art online

A place where I can keep all my bookmarked sites that help with research and design in a visual way. possibly a website that reposted hot topics from other sites into their own so you would only have to go to one place (sorta like how you can have a fb news feed embedded into sites)

There is a lot here that I find useful and will go through each one individually and do research and see if I can think of any features for my application that will help or anything I could use to make my application experience better.

Question 8 - Can you also suggest anything that would improve your experience when keeping up to date on design?

This question was also an open question.

Some of the useful comments where:

One central platform for anything design related

A resource curated by the design community would be nice but it would have to be supported by the whole community and design leaders.

Take notes on ideas, takeaways so that you can refer to them later!

More blog posts or article that show how long it takes to read so that you might be less likely to bookmark to read later (which is what I do a lot)

Having a single source of truth, there are so many views and opinions it's sometimes hard to know what best practice is actually best. Maybe some way to centralise this info and maybe vote among designers

reminders to see latest design inspirations which will be like a min or 2 ...so basically quick view but also relevant to me

Better, curated content. Like design journalism by good writers, rather than just link posting

Time :D

Subscribe to sites like Medium so they are in your inbox

Keeping Information Overload low

A streamlined edited view that wades through all the ideas, "pretty" visuals and egos to show the best work happening in design/UX right now.

quickly get updates, I don't have all-day

Know how much exactly you need time for specific design so you can easily manage multiple projects

Better bookmarking/saving system

A single platform dedicated to such updates.

One platform with multiple feeds

A website that had a list of high rated design articles, other sites, news etc

As you can see there is a good amount of feedback here that I will need to sort through and do research into and figure things out with it. One of the answers was “Time” if only I could give people more time!

Question 8 - What do you think of an app just for designers to help with research and design news?

I then summed up my survey with my idea and if people would find it useful.

I got 23 responses out of 28 saying that they thought it was a great idea this is really encouraging. I hope I am going on the right track with all my research and from this survey I feel like I am.

I was able to generate a report with Typeform so that you can view my results here: https://evagarcia643343.typeform.com/report/xVxzyg/vYfzRJ6MGIL1dcU6

#ixd501 #majorproject #user research

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dropsofletters · 7 years

Text

I was tagged by the jhope to my yixing @byunists and here are the questions she gave me!

Rules:

1. Post the rules.

2. Answer the questions given to you by the tagger.

3. Write 11 questions of your own.

4. Tag 11 people.

1. Do you prefer to stay in a serene and calm place or a busy and loud place?

Serene and calm all the way! I am really not the type to like noise but every once in a while I like to be somewhere where people laugh because sometimes I feel lonely or I isolate myself too much? I don't know if that makes sense but to me it does lol

2. If you want your life to be based on an au, what kind of au would it be and who would be your significant other (bias)?

AU'S THE LOVES OF MY LIFE. Y'know, I love most au's but I think the one that I really want my life to be based in would be a detective!au or maybe a royal!au, everything that has backstory or simply something regarding history akes me really happy. In this sense, I love all my biases but with those two choices that I made I would love to be in a detective!au with seungri and in a royal!au with minseok just because~

3. Any scenario/fics you would recommend for me to read?

From my favorite writers, I would say these:

nyctophilia;; @hitchhikingbabeh (honestly such a good story and it's so nice to read, really interesting, really everything but everything from my darling is good so...) chat log;; @keypea (i crack the fuck up with this thing like it's so good and so well thought out? i love it) the art of falling;; @winneresque (THE BEST FUCKING STORY OF ALL TIME I LOVE OUR WINNER QUEEN, really, such a legend of a story read it pls) island girl;; @byunists (i love nct as you guys know but i don't read much for nct dream just because but this scenario was so well thought out and so fun and so cute omg) tiny little humor thing;; @sunyeols (i was tagged on this and i loved it to no end like how adorably funny?) handmade gold;; @btsxexoxtrash (such a nice story and it was really unique!)

4. Favorite drink?

Iced tea? Maybe? I don't know? Perhaps water?

5. You’re stuck in a room with all of your biases, and each of them turn to each other and was like, “really? this guy?” what is the first thing you’ll do?

Laugh, honestly. If I was stuck in a room with all my biases and they were pointing at one another, I would really laugh because hey? it's not my fault? they are all amazing?

6. Have you ever been to a concert, if yes, what was it like?

Nope, nope, nope.

7. Your best friends here?

There are a few people that I talk to daily and I love all my mutuals, but I have to say @winner-tomyheart, @evhime and @byunists~

8. Give 5 things you love about 3 of your biases.

why don't we had my five biases hehe~

xiumin: his eyes, he is really organized and i think that's so cute about him, how he gets embarrassed whenever he tries to act cute, his cheeks so fluffy omg, how soft his voice is...it really calms me down.

ukwon: tries to be a meme but he always gets embarrassed like that one time he was at weekly idol and tried to dance funnily and his ears were hella red, tHIGHS, he dances really well and he really seems to lighten up the stage whenever he dances, his laugh is adorable i die, can rock any hair and has never looked bad in any comeback like ??? it's a mystery.

seungri: (okay he was my first bias i am going to die) how extra he can be like honestly this man never shuts up, he is also really intelligent don't get mistaken he is really great with planning out things and he is a great actor/singer/soungwriter/dancer like he is really clever in his business (which reminds me love seungri's dance he is so talented), his nose is really cute and wide? it's so beautiful i love it, king of wearing suits also?, he is s e x y with all the sense of the word can't deny it everyone has died with gotta talk to you.

seunghoon: bABY IS SO FUNNY literally i crack up whenever he speaks he is so dang funny, also really hardworking he really tries hard and loves his job and i think winner is honestly his main priority and it's absolutely astonishing, he has super long legs and shit how in the world can he fit pants so nicely?, also dancing king he can be flexible as hell as well, a mother-freaking visual in all the sense of the word like yes?? lee seunghoon?? i love you??

jonghyun: VOCALS FOR DAYS YOU CAN'T LISTEN TO ANY OF HIS/SHINEE SONGS WITHOUT FEELING BETRAYED BY THIS MAN, also looks adorable in sweaters and baggy clothes but then bang! he is shirtless and flexing and making you feel betrayed once again, an intelectual and you can tell from the way he adds metaphors/stories to his songs he is also really deep in thought and i love that so much about him, i find this kinda random but i saw this interview of jonghyun talking about his sister and he was so protective of her and so loving like he loves his mom and his sister so much? i am trash, also the most soothing voice ever!!! hear him speak on radio shows and die.

9. What kind of movie genres are your favorite?

Romantic comedies? Probably? I don't like movies a whole lot!

10. Do you have a pet?

Various dogs in fact! And a cat that brings his friends over to my house!

11. If you were a flower, what would you be?

I have a feeling I would be a skeleton flower? I don't know, I think they are really beautiful and once they are under the rain, they get transparent and it's really beautiful, I love them!

I can’t think fo 11 questions right now or 11 people but it was so fun to do this!

#tags #this was super fun #hehe

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taylie-a-study-mochi · 5 years

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FAQ 🌼

Welcome to my blog! I’m going to answer some basic questions here and if you have any other questions to ask that haven’t been answered here, shoot me an ask and it’ll join this #thetayFAQ #abouttay

What’s your full name? [Taylor Riley. I don’t give out my last name for obvious reasons! 😅]

How old are you? [23, my birthday is June 22nd. I’m a 96 liner 😏]

What are your preferred pronouns/gender and if you’re comfortable sexuality? [ I’m cool with she/her/they/them. My gender isn’t something I particularly label. I usually go with my given gender and don’t mind it, it’s just not exactly I suppose how I feel, however I am content and it’s not something that truly bothers me. So, calling me a woman or genderqueer is honestly fine with me. My sexuality is Queer/Bi. I also believe I’m somewhere on the aromantic spectrum!]

What country are you from? [USA, unfortunately. Midwest...IL, which is even more unfortunate.]

Religion? [I’m a very poor practicing Hellenic Polytheist. I’m an Aphrodite Devotee, but am obviously worshipping all the Gods. I am open to perhaps another devotion in the future. Right now, I need to have a stable somewhat practice. It’s only been two years...*sighs* mental illness man...it’s rough!]

Do you answer questions about Hellenic Polytheism and Religion in general? [Yup! I am more than happy to discuss that! I actually love talking about different religions and philosophies. I don’t tolerate any bashing though of any religion. 😒

Oh! You’re a student? [Hell yeah! Going for my screenwriting degree! I would love to work in television or video games. I also love to write novels/short stories/poems.]

DO YOU WRITE FANFICTION!?!?!? [LOL, yeah my dudes! I can write fan fiction for Supernatural, Harry Potter, and BTS! I’m open to anything with a reader, but if you’d like a romantic pairing the romantic pairings I write are, Destiel, WolfStar, Jily, Blackinnon, YoonMin, NamJin, TaeKook, JiKook, YoonKook. Otherwise, I am able to write bros being bros, chicks being chicks, etc! I also can write headcanons or reactions.

Are there any pairings that you don’t like will not answer questions about or write about? [I don’t write anything involving incest, or a non-legal age gap. Otherwise you’re free to ask but honestly I’m not a huge shipping person, despite the amount of fanfiction I read...I personally read for plot and because I love the “characters” so I’m super lame and don’t really have major hardcore ships besides like Destiel and WolfStar? Maybe Blackinnon? Oh and obviously Jily! Otherwise feel free to ask and I’ll let you know!

You’re an ARMY? [YEAH! Since Danger Era 😭 2014 was a positively changing year for me. BTS has been there for me through a lot of shit and I’m not ashamed to say I’m an ARMY! However, please don’t bash any members. I don’t have a bias. I have members I relate to more some days than others, sometimes always, but I honestly love every single one and I low key think biases can stir trouble if you don’t tread carefully, and that’s for any fandom! I’m always here to gush about them!]

Why is your current username that? [Well heads up, I’ll change it a lot. Currently though, it’s because bapsae is a jam, but also because I relate to the song, and in my way I am a complete and proud bapsae. 🖕🏻]

Favorite album? Song? BTS or otherwise? [DOOOOOOOOOOOOD. I don’t. Honestly picking favorites to me is impossible. So don’t ask, because I’ll end up naming like all the albums and songs of anyone.]

Halsey? [is that even a question? Fan since she started. Fan till the end. Ugh, fan is such an awful word. I got to find a stronger word!]

Languages? Ethnicity? [I technically at one point was fluent in spanish, but then highschool stopped 😂 so sadly very little Spanish, and I’d say I’m pretty decent at English, lol. I’d love to learn Korean but I’m very bad with languages and I’d have to have a very patient teacher. I don’t have the money for classes either. And dudes, I’m a whiter than an igloo. German/Polish descent. I’d be shook if I even had 1% anything else than white European.]

Politics? [ don’t even get me started. I do not talk about politics mostly because it makes me anxious about the state of the world and how ignorant people are but I don’t believe in political parties and I base my thoughts on others morals and beliefs versus red or blue or whatever other color, green? Lol. And no I don’t like fucking Asshole™️ and I don’t even wanna see his name.]

SUPERNATURAL? [ yeahhhhhhh, since ole dad went missing in 05’. I’m happy we’re coming across the last season and the story will finally end. It hasn’t been the same amazing awesome good show since Season 5/6. I mean I don’t mind it, but I honestly read more fanfic then pay attention to the show. And the actors, lol. I went to a con, and it was the time of my life. Supernatural is and was a big part of my life and always will be!]

HARRY POTTER? [ALWAYS! Love Harry Potter. That may be an understatement my room is actually HP themed. Like...I mean honestly Harry Potter themed like my walls are golden and maroon! 😂 and yes I’m a Gryffindor. I lean more towards Marauder Era, but obviously I love the original story as well. If you want pics of my room, shoot me asks.]

I see you speak a lot about mental health? [yupp, huge advocate. In therapy myself, future social worker/therapist whenever I can finally finish my undergrad and apply to grad school! I am super open about my struggles and anything majorly triggering will be tagged but I am real about everything.]

You have ADHD? [yeah was just diagnosed this year! It explains honestly so much and since starting stimulants life has improved. Focus still sucks. Memory still sucks. But hey, I can at least focus and memorize enough to somewhat function! WOOHOO! Also I’m in therapy and I will make you go to therapy ya sad sacks! 😉 but no seriously go to therapy. It’s awesome. Don’t stop till you find the right person. Don’t be afraid of meds. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself!

Woah! That was...explicit...? [MY FAM...I am a very sexual creature. I will totally non ashamedly talk about anything and everything sex related from in general to about BTS to about SPN, to honestly anything and everything. However it will be tagged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly don’t follow unless you’re 18+, but I can’t stop you so just FILTER THE #nsfw #notsafeforwork #smut

Recommend fics? [you can and you may also request :’) I do love to hype talented writers.]

Single? [HAH! Yeah, dudes I’m single and not particularly looking especially online.]

Do you drink? [cant with my meds! And personally I get anxious if I’m high or drunk so it’s not something I’m into but I’m sure I’ll indulge...once or twice a year 😂]

Any other questions shoot me an ask!

Requests? Shoot me an ask!

Just wanna gush? Tell me something awesome?

TALK TO ME! 👑

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eurazia · 7 years

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1) Don't let the hate get to you. They act that way because deep down they're scared and insecure about their own beliefs, while we're enjoying our ship as if it's a given it'll happen. They can't stand our confidence, but can't win against us with arguments, so they resort to hate and name-calling. Our convictions and beliefs are strong and unshakable like Charioce himself. We've got facts on our side, we've got logic, we've got the support of the writers, we've got the official materials and

2) everything points at charinia, while they have nothing other than ‘oh but everything can happen, Nina can still end up with Azaz*l’. They’re mad, because they assumed on their own that Azaz*l was the main hero in VS, so of course he’d get the girl, but then they’ve been constantly proven wrong and people don’t like to be proven wrong. So they cling to their misconceptions and biases, because at this point it’d be humiliating to admit the other side may have been right all along, especially

3) when they consider us cocky and arrogant. So just ignore the hate. Block more toxic people for your own mental safety. Or just let them hate only to drink their tears when every single hope of theirs gets crushed by canon. We have done nothing wrong. We’re just super enthusiastic about our ship, and we have legitimate reasons to be, which is what they can’t stand the most. If they could bring us down in a civili discussion, they would, but the thing is, THEY CAN’T. We’re just too strong.

This, my friend, was needed. Luckly enough I chilled out pretty soon, but I’m glad I have now the chance to express what I feel about all this mess.

Which is, this is tiring. A lot.

I can’t really stand to go into the main tag and see multiple posts about the same topic all over again; we’re getting into a vicious circle of opinions that nobody actually wants to read because what really matter is we disagree with each other.

STOP. WE GET IT. WE DISAGREE. FINE. Let’s move on, pretty please?

I’ll follow your advice, I won’t let the hate get me, but it really sads me when I can’t go look for new s n b material to share, because there’s only bitching here and there.

Now. I can see the point of an az*//nin* shipper (actually only one by now lol but yeah) in which they feel bad to read about their own ship called delusional and such. I can see that. I’m not arguing about defending the ship, because if someone would do the same with my ship and someone did that, not gonna lie I would be upset too. You can delete the posts,but that still hurt. (The thing is tho, I haven’t seen this crude way to spit on ships they were talking about, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that by myself. Besides, this is my reaction based only on what I saw and read.)

That said, I’m here, not properly upset, just sad. Maybe it’s just me not being actually able to argue that well.So, for this time and for all, I’m gonna state something probably useless, that will just let me off steam and nothing else. Because, again, I’m tired of this sensless chaos.

Whatever you think, whoever hurt you, whichever is the reason, calling names is bad and childish. Just do not.No one here is denying anything. Charioce is a killer? Charioce is a tyrant? Charioce is evil, Charioce is soulless? FINE, YOU’RE RIGHT.

Satisfied much? I am. Do I like the man? Yes I do. Does it make you feel disgusted? I’m sorry to hear that, but that’s what it is and nothing else.I personally do not excuse him in any way and I think a lot of other charinina shippers do the same. (and this brings me to the next point)

Whenever there’s a post trying to explain - and not excuse, explain - Charioce’s behaviour in the most civil and placid way, it isn’t overflowed by unrelated comments of any kind. I wish there was more posts of this kind in the main tag. And also about different topics more plot related, but yeah

Last but not the least, two things I really have close to my heart (and here I’m gonna quote my previous tags):

1)Everyone. can. ship. the fuck. they want.Everyone. can. like. the fuck. they want.Az*z*l. and. charioce. are. at the same. level. No one of them is better than the other in the ethical way. Period.2)Karma is not justice. I repeat, karma is not justice. If Az is having his karma in s2, that’s not as he’s been forgiven for what he did. He still did what he did.So, why it’s okay to like him, but liking Charioce isn’t? What makes you think Az wouldn’t kill and slave humans back in s1? He killed Favaro and Kaisar’s fathers, and I believe he’s still not sorry for that (which is definitely as it should be, knowing his character and all. And on a side note, I like him for who he is! Really!)

**TL;DR**: There’s no meaning to all of this. Shit storming on Az or Char is nonsensical, seen that they pretty much resemble each other, and it’s the same with shit storming on ships.

Idek how many times more I have to repeat myself, but letting things flow it’s the solution. Ever. And after this post I’ll probably do so. Black list, black list everything. Block who you should block, let this craziness cease.

**VERY IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE**: I’m intentionally not tagging this with the main tag. I don’t want to spread the nth discussion. I appreciated the anon, it helped me move on from my sadness that’s it. I’m not even try to be “the good one” here, because there’s no need for that. So. No more bulshitting and fighting from both sides, okay?

I completely understand we all (as the whole fandom) get defensive when we feel pushed or mistreated, but if we ourselves don’t want to stop this from the start, it will never end.

Just… let’s think about it. And thank you for reading until now.

#ask #anon #and here i hope my chance to share my opinion will end

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orionsangel86 · 7 years

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Part 2 - Episode Review of 12x15

Part 1 for 12x14 review

Of the past three episodes this one was my favourite, but of course it was, it had Cas in it - however small his part was. I think it was the best structured for the story as well though and for where it left us in terms of speculation and meta. Basically I have a lot to say.

Davy Perez returns for 12x15 and I think he had a lot of fun with this one. Lucille makes an appearance and I am sure that fans of the Walking Dead recoiled in horror watching Dean Winchester carry that horrid bat, I also enjoyed poor suffering Castiel dealing with the crazy “lizard people” man and the Queen making an appearance (much to Misha’s delight I’m sure).

Other smaller moments I liked – the overlapping conversations both Dean and Sam had to Cas and Mary respectively that led to a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment where it was easy to mishear Dean saying “I love you too” to Castiel. In a Perez episode. When his last episode was 12x12. Which was the episode where Cas confessed his undying love? Yeah that ain’t a coincidence guys.

Also Gwen was a totally awesome character of the week who was twice able to fight off a hellhound that she couldn’t see. Please keep giving us these awesome female characters show. We are starved and scramble for this kind of stuff.

Final small point - Winchesters in glasses *drools*.

For the longer meta points however I’ll start with something that grinded my gears on first watch...

Dean Winchester – No longer a Germaphobe?

Yeah this bothered me.. When did DEAN “bathing in purell tonight” Winchester not care about showering after getting covered in monster goop? There is only ONE OTHER time in the whole series that that was the case… Purgatory. Perez sure loves his call backs to previous seasons. I didn’t pick up on it at first and basically huffed a “that’s out of character” at the screen. But I have since thought about this and re-watched the episode a couple of times and well, its clearly a purgatory callback now. I had to kick myself for getting grumpy at first.

So why are we calling back to Purgatory Dean? Where it “felt pure” and his mission was to “find the angel” at all costs? I know Davy Perez is new, but I can’t imagine him getting the characterisation so wrong here, especially after what he has given us so far. Dean is in purgatory mode. He is going from hunt to hunt unknowingly from the BMOL’s leads and thriving in the kill. Could this be because after twice being told “you’re a killer Dean Winchester” he’s decided to accept it? The last time he truly embraced that killer side of him was in purgatory after all (the mark of cain does not count since he fought against it with every fibre of his being). I think the nod to Lucille also kinda comes into this here. Dean with a distinctive weapon, being the thing that the monsters fear most, it’s some very strong imagery. We are being lead to believe that Dean truly IS the “killer”, the “American Ketch” if you like. So of course I fully expect him to defy the BMOL expectations and fight against that eventually. Dean is on a journey of self-acceptance after all. When he realises he is SO MUCH MORE than just a “killer” (no matter how pure he felt in purgatory) his journey will be complete.

Sam and Lying

I have already covered this briefly in part 1, but Dean is our token excellent liar in this show and yet right now he really is on an honesty kick. Sam however, is not. “Oh so we lie?” “Yeah. A lot” The interesting thing about Sam’s lying is that when he does lie, he generally thinks it is for the best. This is the case with their lies to Gwen and it is also the case with his lies to Dean about the BMOL. He thinks it will give his brother “peace” to just keep it to himself for the time being. Then he has this conversation with Gwen where she says:

“If I’d just told him, why couldn’t I just tell him the truth”

“but I didn’t, I lied, I lied to make things easier”

This show does love its character parallels after all. This one was pretty obvious. Marcus is Dean getting ripped to shreds by the hellhound, Gwen is Sam lying to make things easier.

Now aside from the uncomfortable wincest implications of such a mirror this is a good point. Because as I said about 12x14, Sam chooses the objective path rather than the emotional path pretty much all the time, because it is easier for him. He may be emotionally intelligent in how he deals with difficult situations generally, but when it comes to his brother and potentially difficult differences of opinion, he would rather keep things quiet.

(I will talk more about Gwen and Marcus as mirrors a bit later)

It is pretty clear to the audience that this conversation with Gwen is what makes Sam decide to tell Dean the truth about working with the Brits. It is evident of how far the boys have come that we are no longer seeing such a toxic relationship of lying and sacrifice etc etc so much anymore (since it was getting super old). Though he still hasn’t told Dean all the details, and whilst Dean warns that “the minute something feels off we bail” I can’t see Sam actually bailing now. For some reason I reckon Sam has picked his side and is determined to set things right. I expect to see his relationship with Mick develop into almost trust by season end and I ALSO expect that another wedge will be formed between Dean and Sam because of this.

Crowley – rubbing off on everyone

I’m sorry I couldn’t help but make a joke about that line. Which I will never get out of my head! Crowley was really the star of this episode (mainly because Cas only had a small part and even my extremely biased self couldn’t give this one to him and that hot angel dude who was manipulating him). Nope Crowley wins it. He was brilliant. Crowley is still desperately trying to pull his “I don’t care about the Winchesters” act. I’m glad to see that EVERYONE sees through this at this stage.

I was talking to @purplesummer91 after watching this episode (we watched it together with pizza) about how I was so infuriated with Bucklemming for writing Crowley so fucking dumb in 12x13. For choosing to put Lucifer into a purpose built vessel and chain him up in a way that was clearly not going to go well for Crowley. We were both super pissed off about it. Even all the painfully cringe worthy exposition couldn’t save Crowleys character in 12x13. Bucklemming probably had some stupid plan for Lucifer to get out and rape a few more people before finally doing something really stupid and out of character for Lucifer and move to LA to solve crimes… pfft…

Davy Perez however, is now the hero who has saved the script, and Crowley, from their slimy incompetent hands. What he managed to do in this episode was actually have Crowley’s plan make sense again. His “ten steps ahead” speech was really clever of Perez. Giving Crowley the upper hand and putting him right back where his character belongs – as the smartest character in the whole fucking show. Now, I get bored of generic suit wearing demons and angels as much as the next person, and the weakest part of this episode was those two idiots trying to barter with Lucifer and set him free (everyone in hell should really know by now that you stick with Crowley if you actually wanna live at least a little while longer) and whilst I am really bored of Lucifer (and don’t like the season 12 rendition of him at all) I enjoyed watching Crowley beat him down again. It felt like some spiteful revenge on Bucklemming and their idiocy – your next job Davy is to bring Charlie back and have her joke about how terribly stupid her supposed “death” was and how only an idiot would really believe her quick thinking glamour magic from Oz to put the Stines off her trail (if you haven’t noticed already, I’m still super bitter).

Let’s talk about Drowley for a moment though. Because as @purplesummer91 and I discussed after watching, we still can’t believe this is still a thing. I mean, okay, sure. They had their fun together in early season 10, but the fact that the writers continuously bring this back and shove it rather graphically in all of our faces is something else. Never let a hater tell you that Bi!Dean is all in your head, or that you only want it for your ship… because NO ONE ASKED FOR FUCKING DROWLEY. The show chose that. They chose to shove that down our throats and practically make it canon. The fact that it is so fucking obvious in canon is still unbelievable every time we get another Drowley joke.

“Maybe you rubbed off on me, maybe I rubbed off all over you”. Thanks Crowley for that mental image. Where is Sam so I can borrow his brain bleach?

If you are doubting the impact of this line from a shipping perspective, ask yourselves this: would that line have had as much impact if he had said it to Sam?

Yes, Crowley talks in innuendos, and loves to be overly sexual with the boys, BUT since season 10 and Crowley and Dean’s “summer of love” his sexual jokes have been almost exclusively to Dean. Because Crowley, being the intelligent guy he is, knows that they would have far greater effect on Dean – Since they are fucking true and there is nothing Dean can do about that. Crowley has been Dean’s subtextual ex-boyfriend for two and a half seasons now. This is not something we as fangirls wanted or needed, but the show went there. I’m never getting over that. Ever.

The other important Crowley point to talk about is how he was actually validated this episode for the good he has done. Dean’s sincere thank you for saving Cas, even though Crowley tries to brush it off as wanting to spare himself from the man pain, it is obvious at this stage that he cares for Cas (we talked about this in 12x12 anyway so I won’t go into detail). Sam’s thank you was even more heartfelt, and genuine and sincere, and Crowley didn’t even come back with a snarky remark that time, nor did he brush off Gwen’s hug which was extremely heartwarming. Oh Crowley, you big softy. We all know you still just want to be loved.

Castiel – Angel of Earth – Hunter of Lizard People?

Why is it every time Cas graces our screens I grin like an idiot in love. I was a bit sad that Cas’s role in this episode was so small baring in mind we don’t get him for another three episodes (which I’m slightly pissy about FYI) and we didn’t get him for the last two either. But, Perez seems to be becoming the next Robbie Thompson for giving us a lot of info and meta content in a short space of time.

Cas was so freaking adorable in this episode. Who would have thought that it was canon that Cas is a Beyoncé fan to start with – enough that he knows the name of her sister and used it as his alias. Honestly I can see Dean rolling his eyes but still gazing at him with heaps of affection. The upside down FBI badge really has become a running joke. Cas just isn’t quite there yet in his hunter skills. (all this means for me is that I hope by the end of the series we will get an episode where Cas swoops in like a skilled hunter, flashes his badge in sync with Dean and is perfectly able to interview a witness without any issues whatsoever – AND give them a classic flirtatious wink at the end.)

His utter exasperation over the conspiracy theorists lizard people story was hilarious. As was Cas banging his head against the door. Cas was so done with this guy. But at least he got his Kelly Kline lead.

I think it is important to point out that at this stage, Cas is so disillusioned with his siblings that the moment he sees one he pulls out his blade to defend himself. It breaks my heart but the Dean Winchester in me wants to scream out “Damn right you defend yourself sweetheart. You stab that dick with wings!” As hot as Kelvin is I just don’t trust him one bit. Nor do I buy what he is selling here. What I LOVE is that we are getting MORE unanswered questions to Cas too add to the heap we already have.

“You ever miss it? Upstairs?”

“I love Earth, smells like hay, but it’s not home is it?”

“imagine it Castiel, for you to come and go as you please, be part of your family, your true family again”

Castiel doesn’t answer ANY of these questions, he diverts them. And this is so so interesting to see happening in a script written by the same writer who gave us “Knowing you has been the best part of my life, you’re my family, I love you, I love all of you”. We KNOW as an audience that Cas has chosen who his family, his home is, and it’s not heaven. But the fact that the angels don’t know this, that they STILL think they can manipulate Castiel with talk of acceptance and power… I can’t wait for him to turn to them and basically say “fuck you guys. I am going back to my boyfriend because HE LOVES ME.” And honestly this is where all the coming out/non accepting family of a queer kid metaphors come into play and I LOVE THEM.

In fact the ONLY part of Kelvins whole little speech there that perked Castiel’s interest was mentioning Joshua and this:

”the gardeners got a plan, all we ask is that you hear him out for the greater good.” And at that moment we know Cas is done for, because his second biggest weakness (next to a certain Mr Humanity) is doing the right thing – doing it for the “greater good”.

Cas isn’t going back to heaven for acceptance, to get his ‘home’ back, or for power. He is going back because Joshua has a plan that may help ‘the greater good’ and that is a pitch that Cas can’t say no to. His face when Kelvin asked him if he was ready at the end, again, no answer. He didn’t look ready at all, and I HATE seeing Cas in pain. Especially since apparently we ain’t gonna see him again until 12x19 which I am super pissed off about. Urgh.

But I just need to mention that final moment, Dean Winchester looks down at his phone after Cas hung up and says “he sound weird to you?” we don’t get an answer from Sam but I would bet money on that answer being “no?” because only Dean has that connection to Cas that means he can tell if something is wrong over a fucking PHONE CALL. They are such husbands OMG. Dean is gonna be so upset when he finds out Cas has gone back to heaven. This is gonna hurt to watch.

Gwen and Marcus – Parallels?

The last point I wanted to talk about was how Gwen and Marcus appear to be a mirror for Sam and Dean’s relationship in the show. This was obvious when Gwen spoke to Sam in the car and Sam clearly took her experience and advice and was inspired to tell Dean the truth. The show does this A LOT with various MOTW characters being some way mirrored with the boys in order for the boys to learn a lesson of some kind. There are often multiple parallels in place however and the other parallel here was Dean and Cas. Yes, there are both Wincest and Destiel readings in this doomed couple. Am I happy about this? Not really, but the interpretation is there.

Now, obviously the wincest parallel is easily disregarded as a legitimate romantic thing because the show is NEVER gonna go there. Don’t stress people. That’s not what I’m saying. If it was I’d quit watching in a heartbeat. *shudder*. The meaning of the mirror here is that our Sam character Gwen, kept lying to the Dean character Marcus, which ultimately lead to Marcus’s death. Gwen blames herself for his death because she lied about her feelings for him.

There are multiple layers to this reading. Marcus was clearly in love with Gwen, he wanted her by his side and dreaded her leaving him to go to college. (this all plays nicely with the Winchesters history and Sam leaving Dean to go to Stanford). The main point of takeaway here is that Gwen didn’t feel the same way about Marcus that he did about her. Gwen wanted something more in her life, she wanted to pursue a future that she didn’t feel she could have with Marcus by her side. Is this foreshadowing of the Winchesters going their separate ways? Dean always has been the clingier of the two, and I have been saying throughout this entire post that Dean is emotional whereas Sam is logical. The situation matches Gwen and Marcus. Marcus was holding on to a dream ruled by his feelings, whereas Gwen was far more logical and rational about their situation. Is Sam going to break away from Dean? If he doesn’t break away? Could this lead to Dean’s doom?

Ultimately I don’t think this season is gonna end well for Dean – call it a hunch, but with the way Ketch was eyeing him up and the differences between them I dunno, I can just see a clash in the future that I think will involve Cas somehow… but that is pure speculation. I also think that this could foreshadow Sam choosing to go to the UK to learn with the BMOL…

The other parallel is similar. In this episode Cas struggles with choosing to leaving earth and going back to heaven. Leaving Dean. The difference is that unlike Gwen, we KNOW that Cas loves Dean. His feelings have been laid out in the text. But poor self-hating Dean doesn’t know that. Will Cas keep the fact that he went back to heaven/is working with heaven again from Dean? How will that affect their relationship? We know that Dean loves Cas, but we have yet to have the moment where he admits to Cas that he loves him too (which I will put money on happening by season end). Dean could EASILY view Cas’s heartfelt confession as platonic familial love and therefore feel rejected, especially if Cas now leaves him for heaven once again. Dean’s main issue throughout pretty much ALL OF THE SERIES prior to Cas’s break up with heaven in season 11 was that Cas kept leaving him. Ironic since they are now paralleled by a couple where the Cas mirror NOT leaving him and telling him the truth lead the Dean mirror to his death.

Basically this is how I see it. If Cas and Sam chose to stay by Dean’s side and keep secrets from him, then Dean is likely to die. If they are honest with him, and leave him, then he will live. Could this be foreshadowing an ultimatum somewhere along the way? If you leave Earth, return to heaven and stay away from OUR territory, then we won’t kill the man you love.

OR, If you go to London with us, work with us there, then we won’t kill your brother?

This is pure speculation of course, but I liked the parallel, and how it foreshadows Dean ending this season very much alone and feeling like he was rejected by choice.

How very heartbreaking indeed.

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kurrent-news-blog · 6 years

Text

K-Pop Life Struggles: The Lack of R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Writer: Libby Mokrosova

“It’s three in the morning”

“So?”

“Why are you still up?”

Tickets. Exclusive merch. A music video. A debut stage. Streaming for the charts. Award show. Organizing a fan event. Live chat. Pick your poison.

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This K-Pop Life isn’t easy – especially as an international fan facing a thirteen-hour time difference. Sleep becomes unnecessary when we’re fueled with sheer adrenaline from seeing our biases on the screen or from snagging that exclusive copy of that album that will never go back into print again. And yes, we can all agree we’re maybe just a bit in the wrong for going so above and beyond for our favorite artists, but after years of finally feeling accepted into a globally close-knit community of like-minded people, a bit of sleep and sanity can surely be spared.

When talking to anyone genuinely invested in a K-Pop group (or more than just one, let’s be real), they’ll quickly tell you about all of the amazing parts there are to being a fan. But upon closer inspection and a few peeled layers, some real issues tend to crop up. Often times, a major lack of sleep and therefore lack of energy for the day ahead is commonplace. Also extremely common is the occurrence of drained savings accounts, whether it be for travel to another state or even country for a concert, or just from buying every version of every single album ever (plus all of the shipping fees). And then of course not knowing what people are saying when shows go live or when a new episode with your favorite idol comes out without any subs. But the real struggle? Well, that’s the lack of respect we get to begin with.

It’s no secret that Korean entertainment companies need to chart well within their own countries before venturing overseas. Favoritism must be placed on the local fans that can more readily attend events, fill seats, and be marketed to on a grander scale. To further the point, it’s not necessarily the case that entertainment companies see the presence of an international fan base as a sign of “we made it, now no one can deny our group is talented”, because honestly, they don’t need our opinion or validation and we’re not the end all be all. If the Korean audience likes a group and the fandom grows naturally within the country, that’s all the companies truly need- hence the international fans being more an afterthought and additional income than anything else. As a side effect, we’re often faced with a lack of respect, lack of care, and lack of communication.

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Knowing we’ve all gone through this at one point or another, I felt compelled to release my frustrations into a story-time for all you beloved Kurrent News readers. Without naming any group in particular (since I do not believe it was explicitly their fault), I will say that the following instance occurred because of a lack of forethought from a Big-3 company and one of their major suppliers. The story is as follows:

An extremely limited run of a piece of merchandise that was previously only available to fans who attended a concert in Korea or Japan was announced to be available at 3 PM KST within a few days. Gearing up for this, I forced myself to stay awake to get my hands on this piece of pure gold. My brain was in a tizzy; I was so overcome with joy that I would be able to call this piece of an extremely limited release of music my very own that I entered into a heavy and blinding haze of love and happiness.

Here are a few things I missed right off the bat:

-For starters, why was this rare gem (which was also never going to be digitally available, only physical copies were made) only offered to fans who could make it out to a show in Korea and Japan anyways? Why was I to be giddy with excitement that I was finally thought about only after so many complaints from international fans who couldn’t afford to go or just couldn’t go because, you know, life happens and people have jobs and obligations at home? Why were we an afterthought even though we would have enjoyed owning something so special just as much as a fan with close proximity to the group?

-Secondly, 3 PM KST? For me, that was two in the morning on a Sunday. That’s the day I need the most sleep so that I can actually function at work the next day. Who came up with releasing this in the middle of the day in Korea when this release was specifically made for fans who most likely have a completely different time zone (and therefore have to stay up very late or wake up very early to meet this timeframe)? I would understand if this was for a Korean release…but this was literally made for the international fans who weren’t able to get it in person.

Moving on with the story, after grueling hours of trying to keep myself occupied and buzzed on caffeine to stay awake after an already exhausting day, I refreshed the link provided to us international fans only to find that the supplier had not yet listed the item for sale. In fact, it was nowhere to be found on the website at all (or the other two listed for fans from countries other than the USA). “Okay, cool, they just need a few more minutes, maybe something crashed”, I thought to myself. Five, ten, twenty, THIRTY minutes pass with nothing. I could feel my soul leaving my body with every tug at my eye to stay open just a bit longer. After checking all official social media accounts to see if anything had gone awry and seeing nothing, I headed to a fan page on Facebook to find a filled comment section of people all across the globe being just as confused and frustrated as I was. Where was the limited release we all stayed up for? Why was no new time relayed to us? Will we even be getting this on the day it was promised? We were lost and sleepy- a true online hoard of zombies who had been drained of all emotion. Finally, after over an entire hour later of being in the complete darkness (figuratively but also very literally), it was released…. for twice as much the amount than it was available for on Gmarket. And let me tell you, Gmarket was definitely not on the list of links we were given for this release. So, okay, Big-3 company, you want to play it like this. Suddenly, the haze dissipated, and I was seeing clearer than ever.

-International fans were ripped off. The cost on Gmarket was less even when including the cost of shipping.

-The Big-3 company took advantage of this knowing fair well that we didn’t have much of a choice in the matter and that if we really wanted this, we would have to get it through them to ensure safe, on-time delivery.

-I also realized at this point that uhh… we were never told the price this would be sold at. If I had seen that price point earlier, I wouldn’t have drug myself through the mud for this cause ya girl couldn’t afford that, to begin with. And it’s not like this would ever go on sale since it was such a limited run and would be sold out quickly.

-There was no apology for the oversight, lateness, lack of communication or anything else. Ever.

I collected my losses, slammed my laptop shut, and went to sleep (I mean nap). The morning after was a true test of endurance and appetite for bitter strong coffee.

So what did that experience teach me? Honestly, not much. I’ll probably do something like this again or worse. [“Married to the Music” by SHINee plays in the distance]

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But at least I’m not alone. If you’re still here, dear reader, let me entertain you with some more relatable experiences from my fellow K-Pop life friends:

“Having to stay up or wake up at 5 AM to catch live streams and album releases”

“Paying $50 EMS shipping for $5 photocards/stickers, or paying less in shipping and having to wait 2 months for my album to come”

“The first time SHINee came to the US for their fan meet in Chicago, I took a one-day trip to the venue a week before my finals because I didn’t know the next time I’d be able to see them.”

“Buying an iPod solely to buy a MelOn pass so that I could properly support my faves on the Korean charts and also using it to help other fans buy MelOn passes to do the same”

“When SNSD released “The Boys”, the English version was MIA in America. I don’t think they ever officially released the English version for America either, I think it can still be viewed through reuploads” (This was fact checked because I remembered watching it so vividly, but it’s true- the MV was never actually officially released by SM! Mind blown.)

“Back when I was a hardcore Angel, I was super duper excited to hear Chunji’s voice for the song “Wolf is Stupid”. In the album version, his part comes at the very end is beautiful, but in the MV, the title contains “feat. Chunji of Teen Top” but his part was completely cut out.

“I remember back in the day, my cousins and I tried staying up/waking up really early to apply to be featured on an episode of “After School Club” with C-Clown or Teen Top but we eventually gave up because whenever the wifi didn’t work on the show, it got really awkward for the hosts, the idols, and for the fans – so we weren’t about that first or second-hand embarrassment life”.

[PHOTO SOURCE]

#Kurrent #kurrent news #teen top #op-ed #kpop #c-clown #snsd #kpop fandom #SHINee #editorial #editorials #hallyu #Hallyu Wave

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