#i tried to use semicolons but i am not used to them help

[niyana-the-ambiguous-mobian]

You know my worst enemy right now?

Grammar

The English teachers tried but nothing they did could help me work through my writing process when I can’t help but stress over wondering if I’m using too many commas or if I gotta put a semicolon instead. But then, am I using too many semicolons then or is it “too fancy” for my fanfic?

I’m giving myself a headache over freaking punctuation 🤕

Oof, I feel ya there mate. For me, I tend to look into other posts on here that explain how you can improve on grammar and punctuation for your writing style cause there's SO MANY of them on here.

[starboundfae]

@pastelpixels suggests: > Inspect The Mask

@mindl3ss-kitt3n suggests: > Inspect The Mask (and also your staff)

------

I cross my legs, and pick up the mask from where it lies on my hip, brushing off the last bit of sand clinging to it. 

Two pairs of faintly glowing yellow eyes stare up at me, with the set on the damaged side occasionally flickering and going dim before weakly lighting back up. The other side bears a small horn, curved on the inner side as if it wrapped around an actual horn. This mask, with its damage and its one, singular horn, reminds me of a similar one I had before… though that one I had crafted myself as a crude combination of the tech and magic of the world I was on at the time.

Which, perhaps it is the same mask? Just modified for this world in the same fashion my clothes are? The main body of it seems to be petrified wood, though, with the eye holes being made of light magic rather than being holes at all-- the old mask was more heavy on the tech than the magic aspect, with most of it being metal with a digital interface.

I flip the mask over, finding the inside scratched with a few runes in what looks like my own handwriting-- one for durability; for activation; for translation; for better sight; for harmony with technology; and for energy for the mask. Same as before, solidifying the theory that this is (was?), in fact, my old mask. Why it would show up again now of all times, changed so drastically in look, I can't be sure. 

I press my fingers over the activation rune and slide it on, allowing the magic to "click" it into place over my face. I blink, squinting as my field of view is filled with Very Important Information. At least it still gives important info related to what I'm currently focused on. ...Unfortunately, this version of the mask isn't any smarter than mine used to be, and its idea of important info is to tell me that there is sand on the ground.

Well.

I guess it isn't wrong, at least?

I sigh and bat away the notifications, turning my attention back to my hip, where my staff sits, waiting. I lift it a bit awkwardly from my belt, flipping it around in my hand until it's in a good position, and examine it. It consists of two portions, really-- the "lamp orb", which is made of milky white glass containing a constantly reforming mass of light, not unlike a lava lamp; and the actual staff bit, which curves around the lamp orb, and is made of dark colored wood with a teal grip. As far as I can tell, it is my exact same staff. 

A notification pops up.

"MEGABIRD" my mask informs me, helpfully, pointing to the orb of light inside my staff and a few various other sources of light, like the sky and the water reflections, before changing its mind and telling me that those are actually light.

Okay.

What the fuck is a megabird?

I stare at the notification, puzzled, waiting to see if it changes back-- even jiggling the staff to see if it would catch "megabird" again. It doesn't work, though, much to my disappointment. So, instead, I extend the staff to actual staff length by pressing one of the extension runes on the grip, and then open the storage compartment to see if any of the items in there get labelled weird.

Unfortunately (fortunately??), they do not. All the enhanced space has is some snacks, a container of water, my necklace (how'd that get in there?), and my hairtie. I dig out the hairtie, carelessly warping the opening for a moment while I grab it, and use it to tie most of my hair up and out of the way, before grabbing the necklace and clipping it on as well.

I eye the snacks and water container, contemplating if I'm really that in need of them right now, and close the compartment when I decide I can wait. 

Shoving the staff into the ground, I use it to help lift myself onto my feet and keep steady. Once I'm sure I won't eat shit if I let go of the staff, I dust the sand off of me and take a look around, yoinking the staff back out of its sandy half-grave.

There really isn't much but sand and water around, though. Behind me, there's water, before me, there's sand. Oh, and rocks, I suppose, and what appears to be a good sized one blocking any view of what might be ahead.

I sigh. 

If I'm on a tiny island again I'm not bothering with swimming this time.

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Page 2 < Prev // Next > // Tag for scrolling through!

*note: Trick may now get your asks directly as notifications from their mask. They will reply accordingly, and I will attempt to do mini doodles for any that aren't used for the main story.

[suituuup]

hey, i love your fics! if you have time and are willing to write heavyish angst, i have a prompt idea - beca has a semicolon tattoo (maybe hidden, maybe not) and chloe asks about it one day. beca explains to her what it means (attempted suicide, or self ham, whatever you feel comfortable writing) and that she still struggles. it would mean so much if you could write something :)))

well this took forever! Hope you like it :)

TW: mention of suicide attempt

*

At times, dating Beca feels like walking on eggshells, at least for someone like Chloe; someone who is naturally open to her own emotions. Beca, on the other hand, tends to bottle them all up or build walls around herself so that nobody can get in, which has been a challenge for Chloe. 

She has to remind herself not to push Beca in a corner, sometimes, like the day she first saw the semicolon tattoo nestled against her ribs. Her first impulse had been to ask Beca about it, but she refrained, knowing it was too soon to have that conversation. Her heart felt heavy though, as she knew what that symbol meant. 

As weeks and months passed, Chloe eventually let it slip to the back of her mind; Beca seemed happy, and that’s all that mattered, not the past. 

“What was your first tattoo?” She asked Beca one night as they laid in bed, her pointer finger tracing the equalizer bars etched in her lower back as Beca laid on her stomach, her head turned towards Chloe. 

“My semicolon,” Beca murmured, causing Chloe to look up from her movements. “I know you’ve wanted to ask about it.” 

Chloe licked her lips. “I figured it was maybe too personal.” 

“And I appreciate the fact that you haven’t,” Beca said. “I wasn’t ready to dive into that.” 

Chloe tilted her head up to kiss Beca softly. “It’s okay if you never are.” 

“No, it’s…” She shifted to her side. “I feel okay to. With you. You’re like, the person I’m most comfortable with and I want to tell you so many things and it’s weird because I’m not used to that.” 

Chloe nodded slowly, running her fingers up Beca’s bare arm. “I’m happy you feel comfortable with me.” 

Beca smiled and kissed her gently. A few beats of silence followed. “I tried to kill myself when I was seventeen,” she murmured, glancing down. “I was depressed, felt really uncomfortable in my own skin and I just… I didn’t see any point in life.” 

Chloe swallowed, a frown forming. “I’m sorry you felt that way, baby.” 

“Obviously I failed. My dad found me and took me to the ER where they pumped my stomach. I was admitted to the psych ward for like a month,” she explained. “The meds and therapy helped.” 

“I can’t stress enough how glad I am that you’re still here,” Chloe whispered, feeling tears burn behind her eyes. She sucked in a sharp breath. “Do you… still struggle with depression?” 

“It comes and goes,” Beca replied, her tongue darting out to swipe over her bottom lip. “And it probably always will, but I’m not like, suicidal or anything. I actually like my life now and well, you have a lot to do with that.” Her cheeks reddened, and she cleared her throat. “Ugh, talking about my feelings sucks.” 

Chloe giggled, sobering up a second later. “Thank you for trusting me,” she murmured as she rested her forehead against Beca’s. “It means a lot.” 

Beca closed her eyes. “Thank you for being who you are.” 

[artemis69]

Not the most fun birthday post I've made but. Maybe this could help someone, somewhere.

I am 32 years old today.

I was once exactly half that age, seing no way of going on, knowing I would never reach even my 20. I was 16 the last time I tried to take my life.

I used to feel alone even surrounded by people that loved me, hopeless in a life that looked completely good to outsiders, tired like breathing was not worth it. I tried to end it several times, and nobody around me ever noticed, or asked questions.

This post is not about that (even if I'm OK to talk about it if need be)

This post is about the fact that today, I am 32. I have my own dogs and cats that I love, I have friends that get me and best friends whose door is always opened to me, who are family to me, and a kid is more precious to my life than I could ever imagine. I have colleagues that hug me everyday, a boss I adore and a job that gives me life. I am closer to my family that I was as a 16yo, was able to talk with them about some of this hard stuff.

I am on medication to help on the bad days, and I always have people around me to reach for when I feel myself slipping a bit.

I have the most comfiest bed, I travel alone and sleep under stars, I always have something amazing to read for the quiet days.

I have a tattoo on my right wrist, where a scars nobody used to notice sat for years. It's big and can't be missed, and has a semicolon in it (inspired by the project semicolon).

So today I am 32, and I just want to thanks 16yo me. When she had no strength left, not really much hope left, when she was sad and tired and alone, when she could have just let go, she got up and patched herself up.

She's the one that offered me today all the laughs, the texts, the hugs, the naps, the travels, the smiles, the people, the love and the happiness.

She was very brave, and 16 years later, I am very proud of her.

For those of you that may be living through this journey just. Don't let go.

[te-quiero-verde]

Okay here we go: my answers to ALL of the asks I reblogged 🙄

Thank you SO MUCH @ginny-lily 🙄

This was so fun 🙄

Describe your favourite shirt

Don't care about clothes enough to have one

If you could, would you change your eye colour?

No

Name of an artist you think is underappreciated

Emy Taliana

Favourite flower?

Dandelion

Preferred type of weather?

Storms

A poem you think describes your closest friend?

Hmm let me write one: PURE EVIL. BUT I LOVE HER. THE END.

Do you keep your fingernails long or short?

Short (for climbing)

Favourite sea animal?

Don't have one (it's not sharks. I don't have favourite animals)

Favourite land animal?

Again, I don't have favourites. I have absolutely no preference for birds, moths and shieldbugs. I love all animals equally.

Are you religious? Spiritual?

Religious? No. Spiritual? Not really

Can you fold a fitted sheet?

Umm? I can fold sheets?

Are you part of the lgbt+ community?

You know what? I think I might be xD

What's saved as your phone's lockscreen?

Do you thrift?

That's an American word. I'm skipping this question

What's your natural hair colour?

Brown

Have any pets?

No

Would you ever try going vegetarian or vegan?

Already vegetarian; would consider going vegan one day (but would probably fail)

An animal you wish hadn't gone extinct?

Uhh, all of them?

How many languages do you speak?

English and un-fluent Spanish

Do you care for clothing brands?

Not at all

Favourite scent on a person?

Coconut? Or nothing?

Have you ever been camping?

Yes, many times

Do you play an instrument?

Used to play the piano

Gold or silver jewellery?

Gold

Any piercings or tattoos?

No but I wanna get tattoos! And maybe get my nose pierced as well

How many pairs of sunglasses do you own?

One

Would you ever want to play a game on television?

I'd be too scared of getting things wrong on a quiz game, but things like Total Wipeout (do people know what that is??) look so fun!!

Have you ever lived on a farm?

No

If you had the option, would you choose to move to another country?

Of course! I'd go and live in Rome with my sister!

Relationship status?

Single

What is your best school subject?

Spanish or English

Any unpopular opinions?

As you know, my opinions on food xD

Another name you think would suit you?

I've been told my name suits me very well?? But imagine if I was called Moon or Rain or Ocean...

A subject you enjoy learning about?

Ancient Siberian tribal rituals involving fly agarics 😏

A -core you enjoy?

Is it just me who doesn't understand all this aesthetic stuff?? I don't know 😂 I really don't know

An TV show you used to love? (AN TV SHOW???? WHAT IS THAT???? ARE THERE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO DON'T REALISE THE LETTER 'T' IS A CONSONANT???? IT'S *A* TV SHOW)

My parents never let us watch normal kids' TV when we were little, so all we used to watch were cartoons like Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny 😌

Any interesting family stories?

This is the best I can come up with:

You know those blocks with letters of the alphabet on that you have when you're little to help you learn how to write? Well apparently my dad used to spell rude words out with them 😂😂 and of course I had no idea what they meant so he could get away with it (he is just generally the most immature person ever. 😝 For example, EVERY time we eat melon he makes jokes. Every time anyone mentions buttering toast he makes jokes. Every time anyone says or does anything remotely innuendo-sounding, he makes jokes. And honestly I love him for it 😂)

Do you wear your socks mismatched?

I prefer to walk barefoot everywhere, but yes, when I have to wear socks they're ALWAYS odd

Your thoughts on magic - does it exist?

Maybe... ���

Form of art you enjoy doing?

I can't art 😝

Any sideblogs?

Nope

YouTubers you enjoy watching?

Jonna Jinton, Keara Graves (IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE, YOU MUST WATCH THEIR VIDEOS!!!! THEY'RE AMAZING AND I LOVE THEM SO MUCH), Dan and Phil, Frank James, and my group of cringey American YouTuber friends (the AMP squad)

Do you have a type?

I can have more than one type right? I love people with red hair, goths, weird people...

Twin beds, queen, or king?

Queen? I think?

Do you have strong feelings against the colour pink?

No

A food you've never tried?

I don't think I've ever had steak? And I probably never will

Dogs, cats or fish?

Dogs

Do you collect anything?

Let's just say I went through a phase that I'm not proud of, and I may or may not own about 30-50 lip balms 🙈

Earbuds or headphones?

Headphones

Jean jackets?

I... have nothing against them? But I've never owned one?

Have a job?

Nope, too lazy 😇

Kill the spider or take it outside?

Make cute eyes at them and tell them how adorable they are, then either leave them to it or take them to my room

Do you think you can sing well?

Amazingly 😉

Favourite flavour of gum?

Mint?

Shuffle your playlist, what's the first song that comes up? (that should be a semicolon 😜)

Enter Sandman - Metallica

Icecream or cake? (ice-cream!!! Hyphens exist!!!)

Cake

Can you do your own makeup?

Nope

Ever written fanfiction?

Surprisingly, yes

How many blogs do you follow?

341

Do you brush your teeth before you eat?

You mean before every meal???? I don't do that! But I normally brush my teeth before breakfast

Type of phone you have?

Samsung Galaxy S20 5G apparently

What's your first choice at the vending machine?

BBQ Mini Cheddars (or crisps, to be less specific)

Beach or pool?

BEACH

Least favourite condiment?

I don't know? I think I love them all?

How much sugar in your tea/coffee?

None because I only drink chamomile tea

Ever broken a bone?

No

Rings or necklaces?

Necklaces (but I very rarely wear jewellery because I forget it exists)

Do you still play Minecraft?

I love Minecraft!!!! But I usually only play it at Christmas

Ever ridden a motorcycle? (MOTORBIKE 😡)

No

Favourite holiday?

Christmas ^^

Opinion on 3-in-1 body wash?

What is this question?? 😂

Practical, but I don't trust it

Do you follow politics?

Not really. I like taking online quizzes though so I've done this a few times, and that's as far into the world of politics as I'll go xD (WHY AM I NOT FURTHER LEFT??? I SHOULD BE FURTHER LEFT?? THIS CONCERNS ME??)

Your instagram handle?

I'm not sharing it on here! I've been thinking about giving you my normal insta though, Fransiska (if you want it)

[starbornvalkyrie]

acotar one sentence summary

T-minus four months until the A Court of Silver Flame release! In preparation for this long-awaited book, I will be posting one-sentence-per-chapter summaries of ACOTAR, ACOMAF, ACOWAR, and ACOFAS on the 16th of each month.

Also, if you haven’t seen SJM’s sneak peek, you can find it on insta or on this meme by @illyrianwitchling. it’s a mood. and i am deceased.

**Spoiler Warning** This is NOT a blurb or a review. I literally summarized each chapter in one sentence. Yes, they are some of the longest run-on sentences I have ever written and would definitely be flagged by every English teacher ever. And yes, I definitely over-used the semicolon, conjunctions, lists, and pretty much most syntax in the English language. But no, I did not care if the sentences were better split into two or more. It was more fun this way, and easier to keep track of.

Absolutely everything about this belongs to the queen, Sarah J. Maas.

Without further ado, if you lack the time to read everything again, have no fear! Just keep reading below the cut, and enjoy! [The numbers at the beginning of the paragraphs indicate the chapter numbers if you want to skip to certain parts!]

Final Word Count: 2863

[ 1 ] It’s winter and snowing; Feyre is hunting for food when a wolf--that may or may not be a faerie--kills a deer, but she kills the wolf with an ash arrow, skins it, and takes the pelt and the deer home. When Feyre gets home, her father and older sisters--Nesta and Elain--eat the deer, then Feyre and Nesta argue over pretty much everything, especially Nesta’s imminent engagement to Tomas Mandray. The next day, Feyre sold the wolf pelt and deer hide to a mercenary who warned her about faeries crossing the wall while Nesta and Elain were harassed by the Children of the Blessed--people who worship faeries like gods; their dinner that night was interrupted by a roar.

[ 4 ] A faerie in beast-form demands retribution for his wolf friend who was murdered--a life for a life--so Feyre opts to go with the faerie to live out the rest of her days in Prythian, the faerie realm. Feyre and the beast-faerie travel north on horseback, but Feyre doesn’t remember most of it because the male used magic to render her unconscious until they reached Prythian.

[ 6 ] When they reach the beast’s estate, he shifts back into his Fae form, Feyre meets Lucien--an emissary--and she notices that everyone is wearing a mask; Alis--a servant--takes Feyre to a lavish room where she bathed, groomed, clothed, and warned her to talk less, smile more, and listen. She finally dines with Lucien and the beast-fae--whose name is Tamlin--and decides both of them are assholes; the next day she wanders the estate and admires beautiful paintings until Tamlin finds her and tells are about the blight that has plagued Prythian, which also explains why everyone is stuck in a mask. When Feyre was wandering through the gardens, she heard giggling and felt someone watching her but only noticed a silver shimmer; at dinner it seemed like Lucien and Tamlin were trying to get to know her better, and she told them her mother died of Typhus when she was eight.

[ 9 ] In an attempt to get Lucien to talk to Tamlin about freeing her, Feyre went with him on his patrol of the border, but her attempts were futile, and, instead, he let slip that there was a her related to the magic that forced them to keep their masks on; they kept up their banter until Lucien warned her to do nothing but look straight ahead when Feyre felt it. A cold presence overtook them as the Bogge appeared, and after it left, Lucien explained that once one acknowledges the Bogge, it can kill you; Lucien told Tamlin about it when they got back which urged Tamlin went to go hunt for it, and when Feyre was looking out the window waiting for him to return, she saw her father in the garden.

[ 11 ] Before she could get far, Tamlin finds her and makes her realize that it wasn’t her father, but a puca, and warned her that the wards between territories have weakened and everything has changed; Tamlin hunts the Bogge day and night without help after he tells Feyre that her family is fed and comfortable, while Feyre has nightmares about killing Andras. 

[ 12 ] Though she is illiterate, Feyre walked the halls of the estate trying to make a map until Tamlin returned, injured, from killing the Bogge, so she went to the infirmary to help his wound; Feyre overheard a conversation about Tamlin “running out of time” and Lucien forced Tamlin to spend time with Feyre, leading Feyre to admit she does not like hunting, so Tamlin brought her to the study. 

[ 13 ] In the study, Feyre tried to teach herself to read so that she may send a letter to her family, but on a break, she discovered a mural depicting the story of Prythian--along with the seven courts; after fighting with Tamlin about denying his help in writing the letter, Feyre went to Lucien to ask how to catch a Suriel. In her success with trapping the Suriel, Feyre discovers that Tamlin is the High Lord of the Spring Court, learns about the King of Hybern, is warned to Stay with the High Lord, and is about to learn about one of a disobedient commander from Hybern called The Deceiver, when four naga--terrifying faeries made of shadow and rot--found them in the clearing. Feyre freed the Suriel, killed one naga, ran away, killed a second naga with her knife when it grabbed her, was saved by Tamlin who killed the last two, and was healed by him as well--they shared a moment. 

[ 16 ] After Feyre cleaned up from the attack, she met Lucien and Tamlin for dinner where they told her that faeries can indeed lie and are unharmed by iron and that Feyre’s family know she’s okay and know to run at the first sign of something amiss due to a threat in Prythian; Feyre is so grateful, she opens up to Tamlin a little more and asks for paint which he responds to by offering to show her the gallery--sparks are beginning to fly.

[ 17 ] Feyre woke from a nightmare only to hear shouting from Tamlin as he carried a faerie with his wings cut off, and when Tamlin realized there was no way to save him, Feyre held the faerie’s hand until he died and a little while after that; when Tamlin walked Feyre back upstairs, she expressed her regret and sorrow for killing his friend.

[ 18 ] The next day, Tamlin and Lucien took Feyre to a beautiful landscape where Tamlin showed Feyre a pool of starlight and revealed a bit of Lucien’s background--he is the youngest son of the High Lord of the Autumn Court--and as the swam in starlight, Feyre told Tamlin about her father’s demise and her years in the woods; on the ride back to the manor, Lucien told Feyre he was sorry that he hesitated when he heard her scream from the naga attack and gifted her his jeweled hunting knife.

[ 19 ] When Feyre’s painting supplies arrived, Tamlin showed her the gallery, and she began to paint and paint for weeks and weeks until one day, they shared a moment in the gardens; Tamlin told Feyre about his parents, how he became High Lord when his entire family was killed, and was in the middle of explaining Calanmai--Fire Night--when the Attor, invisible to Feyre, came to confront Tamlin about how much time he has left and to not break his terms with her.

[ 20 ] The day of Calanmai arrived, and Tamlin ordered Feyre to lock herself in her room until morning, so she did--until she didn’t; Feyre followed the drums to find some sort of firelit party filled with High Fae, and when three of them tried to lure her away, the “most beautiful man she’d ever seen” saved her from them. Feyre thanked the stranger then walked away and found Lucien who angrily brought her back to the manor as he explained that magic is going to take over Tamlin and force him to mate with a random female for the good of the land; when the Great Rite is over, Tamlin finds Feyre and expresses how badly he wanted it to be her instead--shows it by biting her neck.

[ 21 ] Feyre and Tamlin tease each other about the night before and apologize for their behaviors at lunch the next day, and for dinner, Feyre asks Alis to dress her up in a gown rather than the tunic she usually wears; Feyre brought Tamlin to the room she’s been painting in, showing him a painting she did of the pool of starlight, as well as various images of her life in the mortal lands, and Tamlin chooses to keep the painting of the woods she used to hunt in. The next day, Feyre and Tamlin were in the enchanted forest where he granted her fae senses that allow her to truly experience Prythian--they have another moment.

[ 23 ] When Feyre wakes up, she finds Alis in her natural form and is able to see all of the fae who were hidden from her initially; she went to go paint in the garden but is startled by a head spiked to the top of the fountain, and Tamlin and Lucien claimed it was the High Lord of the Night Court’s idea of a cruel joke.

[ 24 ] The Summer Solstice came, and although the blight seems to be getting more intense, the denizens of the Spring Court partied; they danced, drank wine, Tamlin played the fiddle, then he took her to a meadow and kissed her and watched the sunrise. Despite the great night they had, Lucien informed them the next day that the blight took out two dozen Winter Court younglings, then a silence came over them, and Tamlin ordered Lucien to glamour Feyre to hide her from the High Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand; Feyre listened as he taunted Tamlin and Lucien, learning about a woman named Amarantha until Rhysand discovers she’s there and seizes control of her mind until she told him her name is Clare Beddor.

[ 26 ] The encounter with Rhysand scared Tamlin so badly, he told Feyre that he was sending her back to the mortal realm; as a send-off, they made love until the morning, and before she drifted to sleep, Tamlin expressed that he loved her, thorns and all. Alis dressed Feyre in wealthy human clothing, Lucien pleaded with Tamlin to let her stay, but Tamlin sent her off with an “I love you” and a promise that he will see her again; when she arrives at her family’s new estate, Elain tells her how they got their fortune back excitedly, while Nesta was a more wary of her return.

[ 28 ] Elain shows Feyre her garden, prattling on about the social season and how Nesta tried to visit Feyre only to have her carriage break down and have to return; Feyre’s father finished counting the gold and jewels that Tamlin sent with Feyre, so she went to the cottage her family used to live in and found the path she took into the forest, longing for Tamlin to call her back to Prythian. Feyre handed out gold and silver coins to villagers, sneered at Tomas Mandray who was talking about a house that burned down with the whole family in it, and wished the best to Isaac and his new wife; back at the estate, Nesta told Feyre that Tamlin’s glamour didn’t work on her and how she tried to cross the wall but couldn’t find a way through, so Feyre told her the story of her time in Prythian, then Nesta asked her to teach her how to paint.

[ 30 ] After the ball Feyre’s father threw in her honor, she finds out that Clare Beddor’s family’s home was burned down and no one survived, so she tells Nesta and Elain to prepare for anything amiss coming from Prythian--she had to go back; it took her days, but Feyre finally found her way through the wall and to the Spring Court, only to find the manor wrecked, Tamlin nowhere to be found. Feyre finds Alis packing to flee the Spring Court, and she tells her the story of Amarantha, Jurian, and Clythia, and about the curse she put on Tamlin and his court for forty-nine years; Feyre finds out all she needed to do was tell Tamlin that she loves him, but it’s too late for that, so she asks Alis how to get Under the Mountain.

[ 32 ] Alis took Feyre all the way to a cave entrance that will take her Under the Mountain, and as Feyre snuck through the cave and tried to figure out where to go, the Attor found her. The Attor took Feyre to Amarantha’s throne room where she saw Tamlin seated next to her and found out they tortured Clare Beddor until she died; Amarantha made a deal with Feyre where she is to complete three trials on the full moon or solve a riddle to break Tamlin’s curse--or die--and then the Attor beat her. 

[ 34 ] Feyre woke in a dungeon with a broken nose and various injuries and waited until Lucien came and healed her a bit while also confirming that Amarantha keeps a hold of Jurian’s’ eye and finger bone; at some point, she is brought before Amarantha again, and the High Queen used Rhysand to trap Lucien’s mind until Feyre gave up her name, then Amarantha gave her the riddle that would free everyone immediately if she answers correctly.

[ 35 ] The first full moon and Feyre’s first trial came: she had to hunt the Middengard Wyrm in a labyrinth of mud, so Feyre set a trap made of bones in its lair and covered herself with the mud to make herself invisible to the blind worm; her plan worked, though she impaled her arm on bone, and when she was faced with Amarantha, she threw a bone in her direction before Amarantha told her only one person bet she would win--it was Rhysand.

[ 36 ] Feyre waited in pain for days until her fever spiked and Rhysand came to her cell to heal her, but at a cost; in return for healing her, Feyre is to spend one week a month in the Night Court with Rhysand after they were freed from Under the Mountain, and since it is apparently custom in his court for bargains to be permanently marked upon flesh, Feyre received a tattoo of dark blue designs on her left hand to her elbow.

[ 37 ] Between trials, the guards instructed Feyre to clean the floor of the hallway or else they will turn her over a fire, but they gave her dirty water that only made the floor dirtier, so she was about to give up when Lucien’s mother came and made the water clean in exchange for Feyre saving Lucien’s life; their next chore was to dig lentils from the ashes in Rhysand’s room, but he used magic again to help her, then used his powers to convince the guards to keep their hands off her and to stop giving her household chores.

[ 38 ] Every night until her next task, Feyre was bathed, painted, and dressed to become Rhysand’s plaything for evening festivities, but he always forced her to drink the wine so that she would not remember--though the paint on her body revealed that Rhysand never touched her anywhere but modest places; Amarantha caught a summer lordling trying to escape, so she used Rhysand to discover why, and, for whatever reason, he lied and said he was alone and gave the faerie a swift death, rather than shattering his mind like Amarantha asked.

[ 39 ] Feyre’s second task came: she had to solve a riddle to pull a lever or else she and Lucien would be crushed by a heated platform of spikes--but Feyre can’t read, so when she went for the wrong lever, pain from Rhysand flared in her hand until she hovered over the correct one; Rhysand--in her mind--instructed her back to her cell with dignity, where she wept until he came to visit her and licked her tears away--effectively keeping her from shattering completely.

[ 40 ] Again, Feyre spent every night after that as Rhysand’s plaything, until there was one night that they overheard the Attor and some other creature talking about the King of Hybern’s disappointment in Amarantha; Feyre almost broke after that until beautiful music entered her cell and took her away, if even for a moment.

[ 41 ] During the last party before her final trial, Feyre and Tamlin finally got a moment to sneak off together, but Rhysand found them and kissed Feyre until Amarantha saw to disguise the paint Tamlin ruined; later, Rhys went to Feyre’s cell and confided in her how unhappy and tired of Amarantha’s games he is, and she finds out he is targeted because it was Rhysand’s father who killed Tamlin’s family.

[ 42 ] Feyre’s final task is to stab three innocent faeries in the heart with an ash dagger, and though the first two kills were easy, something broke inside of her, and then shattered when she beheld Tamlin as the third faerie; Alis had told Feyre to listen, and from that, Feyre remembered that Tamlin’s heart is made of stone, therefore she could not kill him, so she said “I love you” and then stabbed him.

[ 43 ] Amarantha did not free everyone right away, but began to beat Feyre--and also Rhysand when he made moves to help her--trying to force her to say she doesn’t really love Tamlin, but Feyre figured out the answer to her riddle--love--and then Amarantha snapped her neck. Feyre watched from Rhysand’s mind as Lucien and the Spring Court removed their masks before Tamlin’s beast killed Amarantha; each of the Seven High Lords of Prythian came forward to sprinkle a kernel of their powers onto Feyre’s body in exchange for what she did for them--for freeing them.

[ 45 ] The High Lords made Feyre into a High Fae to bring her back to life, and then held meetings to discuss how to move on; before they left, Feyre was pulled to Rhysand so that he could say good-bye, but something startled him into leaving abruptly, so Feyre went back to Tamlin, and Amarantha’s Court was destroyed.

They went home.

To the Spring Court.

---

I wasn’t sure if I should add my tag list to this... but i did anyways. let me know if you don’t want to be tagged in these summaries lol. or send me an ask if you do lol

@maddymelv || @lucy617 || @tillyrubes10 || @faerie-queen-fireheart || @tottenhamboys20 || @the-third-me || @superspiritfestival || @rolltide7 || @courtofjurdan || @sleeping-and-books || @aelinchocolatelover || @julemmaes || @sorrehnotsorryy || @courtofjurdan || @acourtofaelinbryceandfeyre || @darlinminds || @lucieisabooknerd || @queen-of-glass || @jlinez || @abookishfreak || @stardelia || @ladywitchling || @rockgirl321 || @sjmships || @thewayshedreamed || @mamakramer || @meowsekai || @illyrianwitchling || @sanakapoor || @ireallyshouldsleeprn

[simlicious]

I hereby proclaim: I DID THE IMPOSSIBLE! I created a custom HSV-shift pattern with four shifting color channels.

HSV-shift – that is the sophisticated way to create realistic-looking patterns, because they are able to keep the hues (colors) and values (lightness/darkness) of textures intact while recoloring. It is a pattern-creator’s dream. Sooo many possibilities. Theoretically. The known pattern tools do not support HSVshift (not counting EA’s CAP - because they produce stencil-based hsvshift patterns, which is just not enough for me). I experimented for many hours. I tried a lot and I failed and tried again. It was a test of patience... Several cul-de-sacs later and quite some time spent debugging (which in this case means finding tiny mistakes like a missing semicolon in a pattern complate/xml code), I had created a working pattern. But how? I suddenly felt ready to uncover some pattern mysteries. I believed in myself and was confident that I would work it out. Of course, I also needed a lot of black tea to keep me awake and focused through several late nights. I spent hours fiddling in tsr workshop (not with the pattern tool, but with the pattern editor that only can be accessed inside of a "regular” CC project - that one was very helpful in the process). And many more in Photoshop and searching in the fullbuild-folders for usable pattern info, using s3pe to sift through pattern complates in the game’s  content files, comparing, copying, pasting. I started and quit the game again and again to test whether the pattern was working already. Then, FINALLY, I cracked the mystery of custom-made “proper” HSVshift patterns.

I did not have a look at EA’s CAP before (due to the borky nature of converted patterns), but it might have saved me a bit of a headache, since that produces hsvshift-type patterns as well. But the Create-A-Pattern tool is kinda weird and I am not sure if it is really the tool for properly recolorable, complex patterns which are not made out of stickers. I won’t go into more detail here at this point, but I will test some more stuff and see if I can come up with a streamlined process of actually creating them that results in less errors when copying/pasting (because there is a lot of that), and I hope to be able to create a tutorial once I do, but for now I can’t stop recoloring this gorgeous floral wallpaper and am really proud of myself. Once I my brain starts working again, I will attempt to create some more!

[sondepoch]

VII: Neutral Route (Y/N)

Where Futures Begin

Life used to be simple for you. Peaceful. But the Savior had other plans for you, and in moments, she ruined what you thought was your one shot at happiness. Blinded by anger, you escaped the Mint Eye, but that triggered a series of events that would bring you further into the world of brothers Saeran and Saeyoung. And further into the twisted world of your love for them.

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

MASTERLIST

One would think that a person working in the Security Room would know precisely how to infiltrate its alarms and defenses.

You cursed at yourself, wondering why you hadn't thought to create some kind of back door that you could activate, like a god mode that would give you full control over the Mint Eye. Such a thing was definitely possible, yet in your emotional rush to never see Saeran again, you hadn't thought of your plan going awry as it had.

Even if Seven and Mary hadn't been here, my escape still would have been impossible, you thought to yourself, aggravated that you hadn't realized earlier that six stories was not a jumpable distance.

Close...so close, you thought to yourself, fingers flying across Seven's keyboard like birds landing on a cold lake. You were able to find the timer, just not a method to lengthen or pause it. Shit, shit, shit, they have less than a minute left.

You held back tears and worked faster, not even sure of what commands you were inputting but desperately aware that you were trying something.

10...

You tried to run your code, desperately hoping that it would be able to exploit the one weakness you knew existed in the Mint Eye's software security.

8...

There was an error in the code. Your eyes scanned the text, looking to see if you had missed a semicolon or to close a parenthesis.

5...

You began to pray that you had made a mistake writing the original program, that when the timer ran out, no alarm would ring, that some god above would magically whisk you out of the situation you were in.

2...

You stared at the screen helplessly, out of options, out of ideas.

1.

Timer complete.

The alarms began blaring at an agonizing volume, temporarily impeding your ability to think.

You heard the Savior speak over the loudspeakers, her prerecorded voice calm as she instructed believers and disciples alike to please remain calm and to not leave their respective rooms, and that no, this was not a drill.

You let out an angry cry of frustration, irritated at your shortcomings.

When you got out of this, you'd make sure you were a better hacker, that you could break your way into any system well within the time limit. When you escaped, you were going to...

When I escape? You thought to yourself, scoffing. How the hell am I going to escape now?

There was nothing you could do anymore. Nothing. 

Except...

It was a stupid idea, but it was the best idea you had. Better yet, you were already in the system, so you knew exactly how to execute the command.

You glanced down at Seven's computer and saw a small speaker built into the bottom. The audio would be poor, but it would work.

You fiddled with the keyboard for a few moments longer, trying to ignore the blaring alarms that were making this entire process more aggravating. Then, after a moment of hesitation, you hit the record button.

"Believers and disciples of the Mint Eye, this is council member (Y/N) with an urgent message," You said, keenly aware of how you sounded as your voice echoed back to you through the loudspeaker where the Savior's voice had once played.

"There are two intruders in the Mint Eye, dressed in full-black attire. They likely have stolen robes and are dressed as believers, among yourselves. They were last seen heading from the dining hall to the Savior's chambers. Their intentions are to kidnap our Savior and destroy the magenta we have worked hard to build."

You took a breath, trying to figure out what to say to best rile up the believers, "If you are in an open-access hallway, please head for the first floor and prepare to apprehend the fugitives. Thank you. The alarm will continue until the intruders have been captured."

You closed the program, and let out a shaky sigh, petrified for the sake of Seven and Mary.

Your lies should be enough to rid them of all the stranglers wandering around on the sixth floor; no believer would waste an opportunity to protect their precious Savior. Everyone would be rushing down to the first floor...and by confessing that the two had 'likely' stolen believers' robes, the believers would drive themselves mad with suspicion. 

It wouldn't be long before the believers on the sixth floor overrode the locks on the doors themselves.

You closed your eyes and hoped that Seven and Mary would be smart enough to wait until then.

And, strangely enough, you found yourself wishing for Saeran.

Saeran...

He would know that been scheming to escape.

If you hadn't made that announcement, he might have thought that the infiltrators kidnapped you or something, that you hadn't willingly left after promising him you wouldn't.

Then again, those promises were made eons ago, when he was a different person.

A kinder person.

A more loving person.

Saeran thought you had a cold. He'd noticed that your nose had been red and that you'd been sniffling all day, but not for a moment did he consider that you might have been crying.

"Come on, princess, you have to drink soup if you want to feel better," Saeran murmured, pressing the spoon against your closed lips.

"Soup isn't what will make me feel better," You grumbled, grudgingly accepting the hot liquid.

"Hmm? This is what the Savior did for me when I was sick, though, and it helped," Saeran said, scooping up another spoon of soup.

You shook your head. "Saeran, I'm not sick."

The white-haired boy didn't respond, thinking you were lying or that you didn't like the taste of the soup he was feeding you. He pushed your head back down into the pillow you were resting on and dabbed a napkin at the corner of your lip where he had poured a bit too much soup in too little time.

"Saeran, I mean it."

The boy hummed in response, pushing another spoonful of soup to your lips.

"Saera-mmf!"

The stubborn albino shoved the spoon into your mouth mid-sentence, impressively devoted to forcing you to finish the liquid.

"Saeran, I wasn't sniffling earlier," You rolled your eyes and brought a hand up to his, pushing his spoon away from you, "I was crying, okay?"

Finally, Saeran stopped and put the soup down on the floor, and then he was on your bed, pulling you into his lap as he showered you with "Why?" and "What's wrong?" He turned your face toward his so that you couldn't look away and stroked your hair, confused at how you could have been crying when you seemed so happy.

"It's just..." You felt your throat blocking up as you remembered the dark thoughts that had caused you to cry in the first place, "This can't last, can it?"

Saeran cocked his head to the side, as he always did.

"What can't? The soup?"

You let out a light giggle, Saeran's antics never failing to make you smile. "This. Us. The Mint Eye. Being happy."

Saeran sighed when he realized what you were asking.

Too long, you had been miserable. Abused as a child and then brought to an orphanage that you never felt safe in. Life had been nothing but a series of curveballs where happiness was like a home run: brief and rare.

"No," He whispered, stroking your hair, "You and I are forever. We'll always be happy together. For as long as we're in the Mint Eye."

You smiled sadly. Happiness never lasted. You knew that.

But Saeran believed. He was relentless. He spent that whole night convincing you of what a fantastic place the Mint Eye was, and how as long as you and he stayed there, the magenta would keep you happy forever.

That was the first night you two spent together.

It was, without a doubt, one of the happiest nights of your life, and you didn't cry again for a long time afterward.

The second night you two spent together was half a month ago, restless and foreboding as whatever friendship you two shared was crushed later that very day.

Happiness is forever, eh, Saeran? You scoffed. Happiness is a lie. The only variable is how long you can keep lying to yourself.

You stared at the door in front of you, shutting the laptop Seven gave you.

You'd done everything you could from where you stood. Everything else was up to him and Mary. And MC, you added as an afterthought. Because to you, that's all she was. An afterthought.

You began counting the seconds as they passed by.

It wound up being three-hundred and eighty-four seconds before you stopped.

Footsteps outside the door, you realized. Multiple pairs. They were trying to be quiet, but after being abused as a child, your ears had grown used to listening for any indication of something headed your way. Especially if that 'something' could cause you pain.

You slowly shifted to a standing position so that, whoever came in, be it a disciple or Saeran or the Savior herself, you wouldn't go down without a fight.

But the amount of relief you felt at seeing the familiar blob of red as the cautiously opened the door was unlike any comfort you'd ever felt before. At that moment, you could have hugged Seven as he glared daggers at you in a familiar way that you couldn't quite place.

"(Y/N), is it?" Mary asked, looking you up and down, "Good work on the announcement. The believers were in chaos, suspecting each other and practically rioting over getting out of the room we wound up locked in."

You nodded your head, not quite expecting the compliment, and handed Seven's laptop over to him.

He didn't bother acknowledging you and simply set to dropping a ladder down from the window. "We'll go down the ladder in order of importance." He looped one end of the rope around the windowsill, and you winced; it didn't look very stable. "First MC, then me," he looped the other side of the rope ladder around his knot and took a step back, "Then the maid, then you."

You ignored his blatant insult, that you were the least important of the group, and nodded your head. MC was hesitant about traveling down the rope ladder, asking Seven a million questions about what you were doing there and why she had to go first when the rope ladder looked so unsteady. After Mary threatened to push her out of the window, though, she complied and began climbing down.

When it got to your turn to climb down, you tried not to think about the fact that if Mary looked up, he'd see that under your robe you were still wearing your magenta dress which, when looked at from the bottom, gave him a too-perfect view of your underwear.

Still, you didn't want to be like MC, so you didn't complain.

The climb was treacherously long, your heart beating a mile a minute with every step you took. As soon as MC hit the bottom, she began calling for the rest of you to hurry up, her shrill voice disturbingly loud in the quiet night.

You, Mary, and Seven all knew that if she kept yelling, someone would hear.

"Shut up!" Seven hissed, trying to keep his voice low. "You're going to get us caught!"

"Me? I'm not the one going at the speed of a snail! You need to-"

The rest of her voice was muffled when you heard Seven drop from the ladder and start berating her for compromising the mission. Amused, you glanced downward to observe the spectacle and only then realized just how high up you were.

Mary motioned to do the same, his sharp jerk downward shaking the ladder.

With the sudden dizziness you felt at realizing how high you were coupled by Mary's jerk of the ladder, you felt your fingers lose their grip. In your haste to rework your fingers onto the ladder, you barely noticed your feet slipping off their base, and without even realizing what was happening, you found yourself falling.

Mary tried to grip your wrist, but he was too late, his fingers holding you by your arm for a millisecond before gravity pulled you down onto the hard, unforgiving ground.

MASTERLIST

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

Word count: 2.1k

Notes: Ngl my life has gotten so much better between this and my past update it's crazy (and probably directly related to the fact that I haven't had any school) x3 things are looking up, though! 2020 might not be as bad as i initially thought :D

Comment & Like

Next Update: 1/23/20

I do not own the rights to Mystic Messenger or any of the characters within it.

[mebertolini]

Field Notes from 25 years of Teaching Writing

Think like a reader, writer, and teacher.

Fifty years ago this September, I stepped into a high school English class and attempted to teach writing. I am going to tell you a secret that I wish someone had told me 50 years ago when I was so afraid of making a mistake that I carried a pocket dictionary every time I walked into a classroom.  Here is the secret:  You already know more than you think you know.  So, take a deep breath, and concentrate on three main things:  You as a reader, you as a writer, and you as a teacher.

Be a reader.  

Start with yourself. Think about what you value in writing, any writing. Before you are a professional, you are a reader.  Write for about three minutes about what is important to you as a reader. If you are with others, discuss with a few people, and then share with a larger group.  You have just defined some writing goals for your students. You will need to have general writing goals and then particular writing goals for the class you are teaching and for the assignment you are giving. Goals for a first-year class can be more general than goals for a second or third year class, which is going to reflect readings and protocols in your discipline.  Your goals for your first assignment and your second or third papers, also, should be different because you want to increase the difficulty or complexity of your assignments.

None of these goals matter unless you communicate them.  Your students are not on the psychic hotline with you. It is unlikely they will magically sense what you consider important unless you communicate with them. When you convey this information—whether through speaking or writing—and the best approach is through speaking and writing, you are modeling good communication skills.  Writing is communication between one mind and another. Writing is the conduit, which makes the ideas of one mind transparent to another mind.  Whether what is in one of those minds is worth communicating or not is something, we will have to consider.

Be a reader is important when you are setting your goals, and it is important when you read your students’ papers as a reader. When I do not understand what a student has written. I write, “I don’t understand.” “I’ve lost the thread of the argument.” Or, “Do you have evidence to back up this point?” or “What is the point?” I always respond to papers as a reader. I also respond as a writer—“You might try so and so,” and as a teacher “Remember, we discussed xyz in class.” Nevertheless, responding as a reader comes first. Transparency and clarity in writing are two of my biggest goals.  My college acting teacher used to say, “If you are going to make a mistake, make it big enough for me to see it.”  How can I begin to help a student if I do know what the student understands?

Be a writer.  

You know you need to communicate your writing expectations, yes, but you also need to be aware of yourself as a writer—to think about your own process.  In order to teach writing, you need to think about how youwrite.  How you revise. How you move from an idea to publication. How might that process vary from project to project?  Think about your own writing process, and if you are with others, share your thoughts with them. What did you learn about yourself or the process of others?  When you think about your process, you are really thinking about how you manageyourself as a writer.  

How do you help your students have a process? You can talk to your students about your own process—how you manage yourself as a writer. How you break down your process. You can be honest, and admit that writing is messy and hard. Thank about what resources you have. Consider what resources your students have. Do you direct them to the Writing Center to the Library, to other support services?

Teaching your students to manage themselves, as writers, is one of the most important things you can do in helping them become better writers. Not always, but frequently, the paper your students hand you is a first draft—or not even that—what I call a discovery or exploratory draft. They are thinking, “What do I know about this subject?” Rather than thinking, “How do I communicate what I know to another person?” Consider how much time you give your students to write. Is it enough?   Do you budget a week for every 5-7 pages you assign? When I teach a writing course, my students write three drafts of every paper. Along the way, they receive feedback from their peers, peer writing tutors, and from me—a process that spans several weeks. This has worked beautifully, but it may not be realistic for you in your course.  So, I invented the 30-minute writing process, which I will unveil shortly.  

Be a teacher.  

Do you remember the old question, “What are the three most important things in real estate?” The answer, of course, is “Location. Location. Location.” Your location is your classroom, or your office or your desk. Whatever you do, face to face conveys importance. So, use the classroom, or your office to convey your expectations, to share writing management, to discuss the assignment. To say what it is your students need toknow to complete the assignment. Here is the 30-minute writing process: When I give out paper topics, I spend 15 minutes in class discussing the assignment.  I might have three or four possible prompts. I discuss each one, discuss how a student might approach each one, and discuss what the student needs to know to complete each one. Then I ask students to eliminate one right then, to draw a big X through that topic. I ask them to spend another 15 minutes of their own time that day or the next day looking at and thinking about the assignment, and choosing one.  Even if they never look at that assignment again until the night before the paper is due, it has been sloshing around in their brains for a bit, and they will write a better paper.

You have all heard by now of “Flipping the classroom.” It’s hot. It’s the new thing.  Teachers of writing smile “about the “flipped classroom” because we’ve always flipped the classroom.  We have always workshopped student work. We do not ask students just to comment on how they like a student paper, and we do not ask peers to fix semicolons. Instead, we workshop student work in a very directed way.  To write well, students need to read well and perceptively. This can happen in directed workshops, where students learn first to be readers and editors of each other’s work. I’m always frank with students about the benefits of the workshop—that they will, at first, learn more as a reader/editor of someone else’s work, then as a writer, but soon, they will learn to be perceptive readers of their own work. Maybe you do not have time for that. Maybe your class is too big. You can bring in examples of opening paragraphs from a previous class and discuss.  Or before your students hand in their own work, you can ask them to read their own papers silently in class—and make changes.

As a teacher, you should be asking yourself, why you are assigning a paper. What is the point? Is it to know if your students understand the content?  Is it to see if they can use concepts you have taught them on new content? Is it to apply theories to new situations? To recognize and understand the research knowledge in the field?   Is it to use key terms or theories in your disciple? If you cannot answer these questions, or if you are not conveying this—how can your students write well?  As a teacher, you have to answer these questions:  

What do your students have to know or understand before they write?

How well do your students understand your content?

How well have you taught them about this subject matter before they write?

Two experiences molded me as a teacher before I taught writing to college students. First, before Middlebury, I taught in suburban, rural, urban, and inner city high schools, and I attended a private high school—all, vastly different experiences.  When I taught English in a NYC high school, I taught 150-200 students a semester. When I began teaching at Middlebury, I knew my students had had vastly different educational experiences before they arrived at Middlebury. I have tried hard not to make assumptions about what they know or do not know, and I have sought to normalize what they knew or did not know. I often introduced a skill with the words, “As you may have already learned or not.”  

Second, for five years, I was “just” as a stay at home mom. Those five years taught me more about teaching than I learned from any book, or that I learned in the other 45 years of my teaching life. My two same gender children, from the same gene pool, learned completely differently. One remembered most what she saw.  The other remembered most what she heard.  One wanted to learn with me sitting next to her. The other wanted to try things on her own. Because students learn differently, I have tried to teach a variety of ways.  I create opportunities for students to listen, to read, to write, to speak, to act.  I encourage students to share things with others, and to try tasks own their own. I share important instructions in class, on paper, and online on a course website.  Always, I direct students to resources.  What you might change in the way you teach writing? Take a few minutes to write or think about this. For now, keep this information just for you.

Finally, what have I learned most in 25 or 50 years of teaching writing?  

Humility, Patience, and Faith

Humility: You cannot teach everything there is to teach about writing from one paper. You cannot even do it in one course.  You are one stop—one important stop— on a writer’s journey.  Many people set your student on this path, some well, some not so well, but you are not the only one.

Patience: not only with your students but, also, with yourself. Take the time to know what you expect, and spell that out.  Respect where your students are in their writing journeys.  Give your students good directions. Take the time to prepare your students. Give your students enough time to write well and to revise– week for every 5-7 pages, and throw a weekend in there.  Give your students support, and direct them to the Writing Center, Learning Resources, and the Library for more support.

Have Faith: pass your students on to the next stop in their writing journeys, and have faith that the next person on that journey will care as much about your students’ writing lives as you do.  

Mary Ellen Bertolini

[rosalind-of-arden]

Ash and Quill Reread chapter 4

Once again, looking for Morgan, Wolfe, and Santi. Worldbuilding and timeline are distracting.

This part with Jess and Thomas in the workshop is a good example of both Thomas’s difficulty with communication and his way of thinking about designs. He’s awkward talking to Jess, but he has a clear mental image of the press and all of its parts. Not going to try to break it down more now, but it’s a good scene to look at for writing Thomas.

The guards took Morgan’s bird when they searched her. Poor Morgan. And Khalila got it back. Jess isn’t clear about when or why, but I am going to headcanon that Khalila got it for Morgan, who then offered it to Jess as a power source.

Thomas would be “delighted” to see Jess try wearing a dress. Jess thinks Dario would like to see him in a dress. This is intended as sarcasm, of course, but that is not stopping me from thinking about scenarios involving Jess and Dario in dresses.

I can’t work out the time gap here: Thomas said the press and Ray of Apollo would take a week, and they’ll have it done in 3 more days, so 3-4 days would make sense. Khalila has had time to meet with Beck and ask for privacy walls, and to steal the bird. But then here’s Morgan saying that Wolfe sent her away after Santi was moved to the doctor’s house, and that she hasn’t been to see Santi there. That makes it seem like it’s the same day as the previous chapter. And then Jess talks about “the part of the wall they’d strolled past earlier”. Ugh. Could be referring to another walk? Who knows.

Of course, if it has been a couple days, Morgan could be lying about not going to the doctor’s house. She’s conspiring with Wolfe, so it makes sense that she wouldn’t want to tell Jess she’s been there to see him and Santi.

Morgan chose the destination when translating into Philadelphia. So the Translation Chamber’s equipment must be necessary only on the sending end, and an Obscurist can select any destination. How do they find  a place? Some kind of Obscurist sense?

Morgan trusts the doctor and is optimistic about Santi’s healing. Is this coming from what she’s seen with Obscurist sense? Observations while she was there with them?

Another lovely instance of Jess thinking of Wolfe and Santi as relationship role models and immediately being inspired to want to snuggle Morgan. “Santi brought out all the best parts of Wolfe” Jess thinks, and then “Jess, without thinking about it, put his arm around Morgan.” I am never going to get tired of seeing this.

Morgan has figured out how to put people to sleep with her power. That seems like a very useful skill to have.

Jess tells Morgan to slow down. Morgan points out the hypocrisy of that. Morgan does not like being told what to do.

Wolfe has a fairly good plan going here. Jess sees all the separate parts and the risks and thinks it’s too much, but Wolfe has everyone using their own talents to open up several avenues of escape. I suspect he’s limiting how much each kid knows out of a combination of cynicism and experience. Dario only just betrayed the group. Thomas is more fragile than he’s letting on. Either of them might reveal what they know if they were caught and questioned. Jess is protective of Morgan and might interfere with her doing her part. So Wolfe limits what they know, or at least tries to. Who does Wolfe trust with pretty much the whole thing? Morgan. He trusts her not to fall for any of the Burners’ attempts to recruit her, and to manage her own power usage.

Morgan: “We all take risks. [...] This one’s mine.” Wolfe-Morgan parallels, anyone?

How much of Morgan looking weaker here is actually from her use of power? How much is from trauma? How much is Jess’s overprotective imagination?

“Spaniards had helped colonize the American colonies and still claimed Mexico and beyond.” That is very vague. Just how far beyond Mexico? Where are we even drawing the Mexican border?

Here’s a story about Flavia in Pergamum, who was a full Scholar at 14. A very old story, so it’s possible that’s not a normal age anymore, but still. Maybe Wolfe wasn’t that unusual.

Jess expects the Burners to have a problem with two girls kissing. The Burners do not. I think this is the only explicit mention of homophobia even existing in this world.

Here’s Morgan getting more assertive in her pursuit of Jess. She grabs him and kisses him.

If it’s only been a day, and the skin on Santi’s arm already looks “fragile but healthy”, that is some remarkably fast healing. Even for a few days, that would be pretty impressive. Or is this just Jess being clueless?

I just love the image of Wolfe sitting there holding Santi’s hand and reading. So sweet. And of course, as soon as the kids come in, he’s letting go of Nic’s hand, not showing affection in front of them. He won’t even look at Santi’s face; I suspect he couldn’t hide his emotions if he did.

Jess thinks Wolfe looks small without his robe. It’s fairly rare for Jess to think anyone looks small, so that’s interesting. More of a size difference between Wolfe and Santi than I thought? Or just a matter of perception? Wolfe is sitting, Jess is standing.

Wolfe does not have patience for questions about Santi’s health. He has even less patience for questions about his own health. Notice the change in his speech: Snapping at Dario, trailing off when answering Glain, then to Jess: “Not hungry,” he said. “Thomas. Jess. Report.” We’re down to sentence fragments from a man capable of speaking with semicolons. Then when they get back on the topic of escape plans, he’s back to normal. By the bottom of the next page, we get a four-line sentence with a dash and a semicolon.

Another bit of Wolfe avoiding the topic of health. We get the quick acknowledgment that the doctor is doing his best, then “Without Morgan, we’d have lost Nic.” And then a quick lecture on the risks of infected burns and a redirection to concerns about Beck.

Wolfe and Jess argue about what risks Morgan should or shouldn’t take. Morgan’s response? “I can heal Santi more!” Do not try to control Morgan.

What does it take to get Wolfe to express feelings? Make him mad. Jess goes and sticks his foot in his mouth trying to comfort Wolfe, and we get: “Don’t feed me platitudes. I know how bad it is. He protected me. He didn’t hesitate, the second he knew we’d been hit with Greek fire. He pushed me down and took the burns for me.” This is what hits Wolfe the hardest: knowing that Santi was hurt because of him. Wolfe understands exactly how Jess feels about letting Morgan hurt herself because it’s the same way he feels about Santi protecting him.

But after this outburst of emotion, even though he tries to brush it off, Wolfe seems to be more willing to show affection for Santi in front of the kids. Looking at his face. “a gentle hand on Santi’s sweating brow.” He knows they all just saw how worried and how deeply in love he is.

Wolfe giving up his bed for Morgan again. Is Wolfe just saying he’ll stop Morgan from doing too much to reassure Jess? Can Wolfe even tell if Morgan overdoes it on using her power?

Wolfe refuses to sleep until Santi wakes up.

Morgan sees Wolfe and Santi as relationship inspiration too: Says that Wolfe’s “devotion is amazing, though I’m sure he doesn’t want anyone to notice.” Then she winks at Jess.

Morgan and Jess bonding over books. So sweet.

I just love Glain and Morgan talking right over Jess’s objections about making the Codex. Glain is not going to be patronizing with Morgan.

“I’m not going to watch you burn” Jess thinks, walking away from Morgan after she decides to make the Codex. Does that sound an awful lot like what Santi said to Wolfe before the Mesmer? Why, yes, it does.

[theauthorunicorn]

Met You at Met Gala | Shawn Mendes x Reader

One-shot Abstract: Reader is an actress and was invited for the first time at Met Gala and she met Shawn Mendes.

I stepped outside my car with tons of people gathering around the entrance of the ball. Flashes are blinding that I am worried that some of the pictures they'll capture is with my eyes closed in it. Not, my fault, things came naturally like how I hated flashes.

Met Gala's theme for this year is “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” it's a bold and vague theme and since this is the first time I've invited to this prestigious event my team and I worked too hard to design my outfit for this night.

I thought that it would fit beautifully if I can wear a gown, a white gown and a blue cloack with gold details in it. Embroidered. In that sense it's more sophisticated and lying towards the theme. I was inspired by the Virgin Mary itself I wanted to have that pure look and not much of an intrigued attention outfit.

They did it. I am wearing what I have expected.

People with their cameras are shouting my name to get a good photo of me. I smiled sweetly to them acknowledging every single request from them.

I started walking upstairs when a familiar voice called my name, "Y/N." said sweetly by the voice attracting my attention.

It was Ariana. We've been friends for a couple of months since I attended her concert once in New York. We've been in a constant contact to each other updating each others life, gossip if we have something to talk and you know, she's an actual angel.

"Hey babe." her eyes tracked every single details of you.

"Hi." I managed to hold her hands and squeezed here hand.

"So my girl over here," she pouted towards me as she spoke with the interviewer, "it's her first time attending the Met and love, you're killing it." she admired my dress and her hand traces against my cloak.

"First time, so I have to impress." I uttered as I chuckled, "Says the one who is wearing a church ceiling painting." I raised my eyebrows which made her laugh.

"So, you've been good friends for the last couple of months?" the interviewer asks sweetly.

"Yeah, we've been planning to have this bond until we're eighty." Ariana said as she laughed.

It made me laugh too. That I had my head thrown backwards because I am about to embark a great friendship with this babe.

"Y/N, last question for you, if there's an article about you published by tomorrow about this event and you'll be given a chance to give a title on it, what would it be?" I am thinking that it takes a couple of seconds before I answered her question over the microphone.

"Oh," I inhaled, "Met Gala 2018, with semicolon after the eight, Y/N L/N looking pure in her outfit and probably get lost?" it made us laugh three in union. "I'm really looking forward to that article."

We made our goodbyes to the interviewer, "So, you know your man crush is here?" Ariana whispered as her tone is teasing.

I know who is she referring to but I played dead, "Care to elaborate, there's too much of them."

"Okay, so, were standing top of this stairs, we can hear his name being shouted and if we could turn around I can give you the answer. Immediately." it made me chuckled of how my friend is describing the situation. So we did turn our backs and see Shawn. Yes, we see him with Hailey.

"And he got a date." I smiled at her.

"Then, I'll let you meet later. I can do it."

"Okay, I'm not against in that plan. Cause I'm not betting any of my cold hard cash sleeping in my pouch." I insured her as we open the doors to the ball.

Being an actress is great, I love my fans, our meet-up, press conference, convention. But, no, a party is not my type.

I met couple of co-star's in Marvel, Zendaya, Letitia, Scarlet and Chadwick and dammit they're killing it. We chatted for a while and took a picture to sealed our meet up. I lost Ariana and my bad that I need to chat with people I bumped and yet to bumped in this industry.

"Y/N, over here." a familiar pitch shouted my name. Ariana.

She was standing with Troye, Hailey and Shawn. I inhaled deep and smiled as I walk towards them, really glad and relieved that I didn't spend some cash for this utterly awkward situation for me.

"Hi." I greeted them all.

"I lost my best friend earlier," she just referred me as her best friend and no way in heavens I'll complain to that, "guys, meet Y/N." They all smiled.

"I like your dress darling, it's so pure and sophisticated." Troye spoke as he admires my dress.

"That's the goal." I laughed.

"Yeah, so cool that you managed to dress that way." Hailey commented.

"First Met, I just wanted to kill the experience." I said softly as my heart is beating faster, since, dammit Shawn Mendes is looking at me and I think he is impressed to what I have done tonight.

"Yes, you've killed it." Shawn said as he bit his lip and locked his eyes towards mine. And it felt like a fool that I have to cut that connection because I'm falling to it.

We took a picture together, from the right, Troye, Ariana, Hailey, Shawn and then me. Both of his hands are in our backs, mine and Hailey's. I smiled sweetly as we took a picture and let's a deep sigh as we broke off after it was captured.

To be honest, I am about to faint that very moment.

I am enjoying myself with a glass of champagne at the side as Cole and Lili said their goodbyes to me.

"So, you kill bad guys?" a voice of a man asks the question behind my back and as I turned and in my surprise I had to place my left hand against my chest to support my heart from loosing to where it's tangled.

"Oh." was all I managed to answer from Shawn's question.

"I'm sorry did I scare you?" he said as he touch my shoulder.

"No, but, probably yes as per my reaction?" I smiled at him.

"Well, I'm very sorry." he apologized as he nods and tried to smile and for God sake he bit his lips, again.

To break me from watching how he bit his lips, "Yes, I kick ass to save the world. In big screen."

He smiled looking into my eyes and dear Lord help me support my feet to where I am standing.

"And I've heard you got an album to release by this month?" I said with playful words to keep his attention solely mine.

"Well, I loved that you knew about it." he said softly. "I watched your movie last Friday though. It was an utter disaster that it broke my heart but glad to know you're alive." he joked about it.

"If this is the way you're asking for spoilers for the next movie. You're not getting any of it. Since you know, I haven't even read the script." I said as I took a sip from my champagne.

"We'll that's too bad, since, you're not answering any of my questions with regards to that movie and I am taking another step to ask for your number so that you can leak any information to fed my broken heart." Shawn said plainly as I laughed at his actions. "I can't wait for next year's May to answer my questions."

Wait did he just ask for my number.

He handed his phone to me while I'm still in shocked to what's happening at this brief moment.

"You can dictate it or to what is comfortable with you." he said sweetly as he managed to smile.

Wait, what is really happening?

I still looked confused and his phone is on his hand still in my front.

"Oh, if this made you uncomfortable, it's okay don't bother. I looked like a creep." he chuckled nervously shaking his head. I grabbed his phone and scribbled my number.

"Okay, here it is Mr. Mendes, I give you leak, if I have and in return I'll get a VIP ticket in your concert. Deal?" I raised my eyebrow as I returned his phone.

"Okay, that's a deal." he said smiling as he settled his phone in his pocket. "So, I'll see you at the after party."

"No. I'm heading home I'm kinda tired and party is not my genre." I told him as he started walking away from him.

"Nice, meeting you Ms. Y/L/N." he said.

"Sayonara, Mr. Mendes." I replied as I waved my hands pacing forward.

"Leak some good parts for me. The one that says you're still alive." he shouted as a follow up.

[a-struggling-blog]

Suicide.

It’s easier to find the negatives in my life. I struggle with this process everyday of my life. So many things go wrong. I’ve tried to find help but I always get the, “when I was younger I had it worse.”  Had a friend post recently of a tattoo she got involving the semicolon. Raising awareness about suicide. Saying, “Where the author could’ve ended the sentence but chose to keep going.” Then stating how she was happy she never ended the sentence from the many times she’s thought about it. 

Where the lonely, fed up, broken mind comes into place. when I first read the post I thought exactly a “sentence.” Which in mind correlated it to a jail sentence. Not the positive mindset of your life is your message to others. You’re sentence of importance. You’re sentence in the book of life. 

The feeling of being alive and happy is hard to come by. When you have multiple doors slamming in your face. Having the feeling of being stomped on and being taken advantage of let alone taken serious, takes a big tole on the mind. It’s hard to keep your mind going thinking you mean something in this world of overpopulation. 

Many people see suicide as a coward way to go, also a selfish way. But look at it in the way of putting yourself in their shoes. How many times did they used to speak up? How many times were they shot down? How many times did you notice someone not acting like themselves and did nothing? How many times did you try to help someone resolve their issues? How many times did you tell them to just be grateful for what they have instead of hearing them out because, you didn’t think they had anything to complain about? 

A person can only handle so much, it’s no wonder why our hearts start to break and feel trapped. People say, “just go get therapy,” do you know if they could financially afford it? Getting a healthy mindset in today's world is a battle many can’t win. Look at the anger, hate, and sadness in today’s world. I understand suicide. Personally I couldn’t do that to my family so I’ve always sucked it up and slept to wake for the next day. But also isn’t that selfish to the people I live and love? That’s why everyone says it’s selfish, because they’ll be hurt and greaving  from the loss of you. 

Understand the reason why that person took their life. Understand what they tried to handle and what defeated them. I know I feel like I can’t share half of the things that make me upset because of the responses I’ve gotten from sharing. Getting your life compared to someone who doesn’t have as much as you so I should be grateful for what I have. That I complain too much, or too negative. I get that I do have things others don’t have, and others have things I don’t have. That is not an excuse on why I’m not allowed to be unhappy. Living day to day with stress, anxiety, depression, and the thought I’m going nowhere in my life should be a main concern. Here I am just sweeping how I’m feeling under the rug to not inconvenience other lives.

 People say god won’t give them what they can’t handle. That he’s doing these bumps in the road to test your faith. Is that not selfish within itself? I think about this every time something complicating comes into my life, and how consistent it seems to stumble across me. How is me not being able to handle what god keeps throwing at me to the point I take my own life mean I went against his faith? Why would he push someone to the point they wouldn’t want to exist that said persons fault, when he know your breaking point? Food for thought.

I’ll touch up more on this topic later. -ASB

[horanggae]

hi my dear aera! (=^･ｪ･^=)

wow, your major is so cool! what made you decide studying psych sci? aww, yes it was!!<3 a fun fact about me is that my grandparents also have their birthdays on july a few days before and after mine so that’s why we celebrate all together! yes, they mainly serve breakfast dishes (everything related with eggs and bacon) and they’re mainly famous because of their pancakes!! but every time I go there I usually order chicken tenders or burgers because I’m not so keen to eating scramble eggs outside home (i hope this doesn’t sound too weird). oh, may I know when its your birthday? is it soon? I kinda feel your birthday was on spring because you give me warm vibes.

oh really? that sounds so easy, i really thought it was something more complicated (*μ_μ) thanks for the help!! you’re pisces!! (i just googled the dates between this sign and you might be a baby born in spring or late winter!!). I’m glad you don’t know who am I yeeet! (I swear I have pressed the damn follow button around three times already?? instead of your inbox, i’m really clumsy (＞﹏＜) oh, and are you good with handling alcohol? actually I don’t drink any type of alcohol, I only have tasted strawberry soju (it was really good but definitely burned up my throat) and radler’s! (germany’s lemon beer, and it is really good).

I do count this asks as convos! that’s so nice to read!! (I really try to always send you nice asks so I’m really happy that you get to experience some of my feelings and emotions) no way aera!, but I consider you such a good english speaker? I really thought you were from north america or europe because of your way of writing and the use of some words I have never read before! May I ask when did u became so good with english? I bet you’re really good with your mother tongue! thanks for the recommendations! I’ll try to write some drabbles this last vacation days!

oh it’s really cool to read your type of sleeping! for me once I lay down I completely die and wake up until the very next day, so I’m a heavy sleeper (alarms never work for me unless I have something pretty important like an exam or a vacation trip, and when I’m really worried about something).

oh! me too<3 on real life (well not real? just in person lol) I really tend to talk a lot so I’m glad I’m not overwhelming you with all of my questions and writing! thank u for the nice wishes, obviously I wish you to stay safe as well ^^ oh so you’re also fully protected now! did u get any side effects after the two shoots? I couldn’t move my arm for the whole day haha. oh my I have never thought about living the y/n lifestyle?? maybe I am??

this is already so long and I haven’t answered your questions, i’m deeply sorry!

oh I would totally love to see you become part of the performance unit!! and also if you really get to marry hao can I go to your wedding? (･ω<)☆  shipping expenses are really the worst way of spending money (｡╯︵╰｡)

time to reply back!!

what’s in the ihop menu & your favorite item on it? – somehow I already replied to this question at the beginning! ^^ but it is chicken tenders with dip of honey mustard!

astro sign? – i’m leo!

do you like alcohol? if yes, what type and/or brand! – haha, again I already talked about this! I don’t dislike it but I’m also not the greatest fan? and the only one I like drinking is any brand of radler beer! (I don’t have so much experience with alcohol) a small fact: I started to drink alcohol only two years ago when I was studying abroad!

which unit would you like to join? – vocal unit!! I would love to be part of the creating process of writing a song and also would love to learn how to sing (I don’t know how to sing but I would love to learn from any of the members!! specially dk’s!!)

kiss, date, marry: hoshi, jun & dino!! – i see what you have done here      ♡( ◡‿◡ ) i would kiss dino, date hoshi and marry jun. (I think of dino as someone to take care of, for hoshi I think it would be kinda overwhelming because he deserves a lot and also is kinda highly demanding? and for jun, he’s my type! tall, funny, smart and caring<3.)

your fave album? – teen age or you make my dawn! both albums have some of my all time favorite tracks also the special units on teen age are something worth repeating!!

your current stash of svt goods or maybe are you starting collect rn? – I happen to also pay a lot on shipping and I also recently started to like svt, so far I have bought some albums along with my sister who’s also a big fan (we have one of each of this albums: semicolon, director’s cut, an ode, henggarae and for your choice we bought the three versions!) I think I’m only missing their first ver. of lightstick because its the prettiest lightstick I have ever seen! (also my bank account suffers every time I buy something (╥_╥).

how is it working at your sister’s cafe? (any out of the ordinary happening (✷‿✷) – it’s really great! i love spending time there and I also love to work with coffee! I also enjoy preparing food (we sell salads and sandwiches). I think asia’s cafe’s are something from another world? they are so pretty and have such a wide variety of drinking options! i really enjoy bubble tea drinks! do u like milk tea with boba?

this is really long, please take all the time you need to reply and don’t feel obligated to answer all of it (I just wanted to share all my thoughts with you)!! I hope you’re having a great week, wishing you a lot of health and happiness, also a lot of luck with your college homework! (≧◡≦) ♡

–f🐯❤️

hello f🐯❤️ how are you doing!

IHOP sounds like a nice place to chill before classes and probably late into the night... Naw it doesn't weird though, it's your preference! I don't eat prawns outside of home either, I just find it icky(?). You're right!!!! I'm a spring march baby! I swear I never receive notifications from you at all? Only recently the one I saw was tmttxt (?) but I think they changed their username so I can't find out now when I tried searching for them again. (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

I've always wanted to learn and understand the human mind more when I was in high school but my grades didn't allow me to pursue psychology in college (in my country you'll have to be the top percentile to get into courses like psych) so I ended up diverging from what I want, to something that piqued my interest as a child, which was design. Loved it as a pastime and as a getaway but I couldn't churn anything out for assignments. I decided to just follow what I really wanted in uni since I was still set on studying psych even after meeting with a college guide + I had a window of opportunity and now here I am as a year 1! ( ꈍᴗꈍ)

I enjoy alcohol but my tolerance level isn't high :-( so I usually drink with caution unless I'm with the people I trust! I prefer cider more though bc of the crisp and light taste! Talking to you feels like a writing to a penpal; we are living our own respective lives, but we make time for each other to write back!!! I enjoy talking to you sm like there isn't any pressure to immediately reply back and it's really like receiving a letter but in asks form!! ❤️❤️❤️

English is my first language, but i kinda winged it the entire time when I was younger! I learned a lot of English words from reading; I was an avid reader until I was 17 when I started using smartphones, my reading habit disappeared. But when it comes to grammar and sentence structure, embarrassingly, I'm extremely bad at it. (´ . .̫ . `) my vocabulary is pretty strong bc of the books I've read over the years! I just started picking up reading again and have just finished the miracles of namiya general store & the seventh day, both recommended by wonwoo! I'm so happy I managed to read a little everyday and still retaining the same eagerness and anticipation (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Do link me your drabbles if you ever do write, I'd love to read your works!!! ( ◜‿◝ )♡ aw man i wish I was a heavy sleeper like before ㅠ ㅠ feels like growing older made me a light sleeper. The first was worst in terms of soreness, the second was mild— felt like they didn't administer the vaccine at all ahskskdlflr but I did felt a little feverish during the night but everything is fine! How about you, are you feeling better now?? If I ever get married to hao that is (≧ ᴗ ≦) but I'd love for hao to just be a friend who I can speak freely to under the stars hehe.

I realised I haven't asked about your major, also why did you pick that major?

I hope you're doing well in the cafe! Damn, makes me wanna work in a cafe too... There's vacancy at my uni's Starbucks but it's too far of a commute for me to consider </3 ㅠ ㅠI hope interesting things happen at the cafe so that it spice up your vacation break hehe.

[knittedace]

Even numbers in the writers ask and you can yell at me on Discord if I need to be more specific

You’re terrible

2. Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?Not really? I’ve been writing fic for a very long time, I think I’ve tried all the tropes I really want to do!

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?I’m only nurturing one idea seriously and it’s the rather odd loving, consensual, platonic torture fic that I don’t think anyone wants but they’re all getting anyway.

6. Share one of your weaknesses.Do semicolons count? Oh, or, repeating words awkwardly.

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.Uhhm. I’m quite fond of the argument Bill and the Doctor have in Chapter 3 of Happy Endings (I’ll just link because this post is already going to be looong). Mostly because I really liked the little dramatic speech I gave the Doctor about unconditional love, and I also really liked Bill getting to call out the Doctor’s attitude to Missy as being rationally indefensible.

10. Which fic has been the easiest to write?Recently? Looking for Yourself Out There. That one just poured out of me like I was possessed. And it was really fun to write.

12. Is there an episode above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?Anything with the Master in, because OTP, let’s be real.

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?Oh god, so much bad writing advice. I’m gonna say anything which suggests that the One True Secret of good writing is cutting something out of your writing completely. “Remove every single adjective from your story!” how about no.

16. If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?Do you even need to ask you all know I am Here For The Fucked Up Relationship that is the Doctor and the Master.

18. Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?I do write a little description of how each scene is supposed to go before I start it. I don’t have any set format for them, though?

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.Doesn’t really matter as long as it’s reasonably quiet and I’m alone.

22. Choose a passage from one of your earlier fics and edit it into your current writing style. (Person sending the ask is free to make suggestions).… anything old enough to be a notable different writing style is something I don’t want to look back at thanks.

24. Have you ever deleted one of your published fics?Nope. I do just sort of… ignore the places where I posted the older ones, though.

26. Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?I do when my friends ask me. I don’t know what kind of beta I am? I just read the story, point out any spelling/grammar errors, and try to make helpful comments on the rest of it.

28. Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.I don’t really have favourite writers? I just read fics and like them.

30. Do you accept prompts?No one’s ever sent me prompts, but if anyone did and it was a neat idea than sure!

32. How do you feel about smut?It mostly just tends to bore me.

34. What are your thoughts on non-con and dub-con?Not really my cup of tea? I don’t really have any thoughts on it.

36. Which is your favorite site to post fic?AO3!

38. Talk about a review that made your day.Oh, gosh. All of them make my day? I know I’m being horribly vague with some of these but.

40. Write an alternative ending to [insert fic title] (or just the summary of one).This is a hard question. Okay, alternative ending to Happy Endings: Bill decides she doesn’t want to travel with the Doctor any more and just goes to the University and travels with Heather and thinks that’s an end to it. Except that a couple of weeks later, the TARDIS turns up again, with Missy inside, who’s there very unwillingly to ask for help because the Doctor’s in trouble, and Bill and Heather with their watery abilities are the only ones who can help. Which they do.

[submissivejungkook]

About Me Again (Lowkey addicted to questionnaires)

Full name : Alyssa >.>

Zodiac sign : Gemini

3 Fears : Spiders, the dark, heights

3 things I love : BTS, writing, sleeping

4 turns ons : Being called baby girl/princess, someone who smells amazing, butt grabs/slaps, and neck kisses

4 turns offs : Bad odor, huge flirts, bad grammar, and try-hards

My best friend : I have a few best friends~

Sexual orientation : Pansexual

My best first date : My best first REAL date was.. dinner and a movie with @daddyoppa​

How tall am I : 5′4, I think

What do I miss : Being little

What time were I born : Idk

Favourite colour : Black, purple, red, white.. I have so many. 

Do I have a crush: Yep~

Favourite quote: “Love is louder than the pressure to be perfect” but there are others, too. So many amazing quotes~

Favourite place: Disney Woooorld

Favourite food : Sushi, Steak.. Can I have both?

Do I use sarcasm : Plenty

What am I listening to right now : KeemStar’s live

First thing I notice in new person: I usually notice a person’s smile or eyes first

Shoe size : 9 - 9 1/2

Eye colour: Bluuuue

Hair colour : Natural - Med. brown, Dyed - Black

Favourite style of clothing : I love casual, but I also really love dressy clothes~

Ever done a prank call? : Yeah

What colour of underwear I’m wearing now? : Pink

Meaning behind my URL : I’m obsessed with Sub!Jungkook. Need I say more?

Favourite movie: I love so many movies

Favourite song : YOU CAN’T ASK ME THIIIISSSS

Favourite band: BTS

How I feel right now : Sleepy af

Someone I love : I love a lot of people.. @gleamingjimin​ <3  @daddyoppa​ @ya-boy-bambam​ @bangtanprincesss​

My current relationship status : Single but.. hopefully that changes soon?

My relationship with my parents : Eh.. 

Favourite holiday : Either Halloween or Christmas

Tattoos and piercings? : Neither but they’re hot

Tattoos and piercing i want : I want a monroe piercing.. or maybe dimple piercings? (I only have one dimple tho) - Tattoos... I’d like a tattoo on my wrist.. Maybe of a semicolon or a line from a BTS song. 

The reason I joined Tumblr : Well, I wanted to test it out for a while, but I never have until just recently. I don’t really have a big reason tbh

Do I and my last ex hate each other? : No but we don’t speak to each other much anymore.

Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts? : Yes :3

Have I ever kissed the last person you texted? : Nope

When did I last hold hands? : I don’t remember

How long does it take me to get ready in the morning? : If I have to shower that morning then about 45 minutes. If not, then it takes about 15-20 minutes

Have you shaved your legs in the past three days? : Yep~ Shaved them last night!

Where am I right now? : My bedroom

If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me? : Hell.. Idk

Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level? : LOUD. THE LOUDER THE BETTER 

Do I live with my Mom and Dad? : Not technically. I live with my aunt and uncle, but my parents are right next door.

Am I excited for anything? : BTS’ comeback

Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to? : My brother

How often do I wear a fake smile? : Pretty much every single day C:

When was the last time I hugged someone? : 1 hour ago, maybe? I hugged my brother.

What if the last person you kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me? : Eh, I haven’t kissed anyone sooooo

Is there anyone you trust even though you should not? : I don’t think so. I have trust issues so if I trust you, there’s a good reason for that.

What is something I disliked about today? : Finding out I have to write 10-12 pages before next Tuesday

If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? : @gleamingjimin​ and BTS

What do I think about most? : BTS

What’s my strangest talent? : I don’t have any talents

Do I have any strange phobias? : Escalaphobia

Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? : Behind

What was the last lie I told? : “I’ll be fine”

Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? : On the phone

Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens? : Yes and yes

Do I believe in magic? : Yes

Do I believe in luck? : Mhmm

What’s the weather like right now? : Humid and stormy

What was the last book I’ve read? : Well.. Now the Spanish dictionary pfffft

Do I like the smell of gasoline?: Oddly enough I do

Do I have any nicknames? : Lys, Scarlet, baby, baby girl

What was the worst injury I’ve ever had? : Sprained ankle

Do I spend money or save it? : I save it for a while but then.. you know.. BTS. 

Can I touch my nose with a tongue? : No 

Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me? : Well.. my panties are pink

Favourite animal? : PANDA

What was I doing last night at 12 AM? : Watching public freak out videos

What do I think is Satan’s last name is? : Wut

What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it? : Yes I Am by Mamamoo

How can you win my heart? : Wut

What would I want to be written on my tombstone? : Ummm... I really have no idea. Just have BTS lyrics all over it.. or even their faces :D 

What is my favourite word : FUCK

My top 5 blogs on tumblr : Cries I’ve already done this. // i love everyone okokok

If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say? : STOP BEING SUCH FUCKNUGGETS AND USE THE DAMN BRAIN YOU WERE GIVEN. 

Do I have any relatives in jail? : Nope

I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power? : Psychokinesis 

What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on? : I really don’t know

What is my current desktop picture? : I have a slideshow going of BTS

Had sex? : Nope

Bought condoms? : No

Gotten pregnant? : Helllll no 

Failed a class? : Yeah 

Kissed a boy? : Nope

Kissed a girl? : The cheek counts, right? 

Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain? : No

Had job? : Babysitting count?

Left the house without my wallet? : Once and I flipped out

Bullied someone on the internet? : Hell no

Had sex in public? : Nope

Played on a sports team? : Yeah

Smoked weed? : No

Did drugs? : No

Smoked cigarettes? : I tried once when I was little and burnt myself... then threw up.

Drank alcohol? : Yeah

Am I a vegetarian/vegan? : No

Been overweight? : Always been overweight, but that’s due to a medical condition and it’s hereditary. Of course it doesn’t help that I eat away my stress and depression :’)))

Been underweight? : Pft. No. 

Been to a wedding? : Yesss

Been on the computer for 5 hours straight? : ...sadly

Watched TV for 5 hours straight? : Nah

Been outside my home country? : Nope but I plan on traveling

Gotten my heart broken? : Yeah.. 

Been to a professional sports game? : Mhm

Broken a bone? : Not that I recall. KI mean, I sprained my ankle but that’s about it

Cut myself? : Yes.. I advise anyone who is thinking about doing it or currently doing it to get some help. It does NOT solve your problems.. 

Been to prom? : Yeah and it sucked

Been in airplane? : Yep

Fly by helicopter? : Nope

What concerts have I been to? : When I was in like.. 6th grade I went to the Jonas Brothers’ concert and March 29th of this year I saw BTS

Had a crush on someone of the same sex? : Yep and I do currently

Learned another language? : Spanish~ I’m currently trying to teach myself Korean

Wore make up? : Yeah

Lost my virginity before I was 18? : No

Had oral sex? : No

Dyed my hair? : Yessss

Voted in a presidential election? : fuck that

Rode in an ambulance? : No

Had a surgery? : Yes

Met someone famous? : Namjoonie noticed me in a vlive once... Does that count??

Stalked someone on a social network? : Yes XD

Peed outside? : Yeah

Been fishing? : Mhm

Helped with charity? : Mhm

Been rejected by a crush? : Sadly

Broken a mirror? : Yeup.

What do I want for birthday? : BTS merrrcchhhh

How many kids do I want and what will be their names? : At least 2. As for names, I’m undecided.

Was I named after anyone? ; Yeah, you know.. Alyssa Milano?

Do I like my handwriting? : I like my cursive

What was my favourite toy as a child? : Barbies

Favourite Tv Show? : Impractical Jokers

Where do I want to live when older? :Northern United States.. or New Zealand

Play any musical instrument? : Nah

One of my scars, how did I get it? : Bike wreck

Favourite pizza topping? : Pineapples and pepperoni

Am I afraid of the dark? : Yes

Am I afraid of heights? : Yes

Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad? : I got caught watching porn when I was like 14 or so

Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? : MY LIFE

What I’m really bad at : Socializing 

What my greatest achievements are : Idk

The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me : There’s so many.

What I’d do if I won in a lottery : Pay off my brother’s college, buy my parents a new house and car, buy a little something for me, and save the rest (depending on how much we’re talking pffft)

What do I like about myself : I like my eyes and hair

My closest Tumblr friend : @gleamingjimin and @daddyoppa

Something I fantasise about my ex : I don’t

[philly-osopher]

C, H, N, P, U! (I hope you're done working for the day cause I don't think this is what "yelling at you if I see you post" looks like tbh.)

C: Which character do you identify with most?

So here’s a thing that may come as a surprise to readers of this blog: it’s not John Laurens, although I love him very much. I am far more pragmatic and less angry than he is, and I self-flagellate much less. I am also not as stupidly reckless– in fact, I think of myself as very cautious. But I admire his idealism and his bravery a lot, even as I can see where the extremes of those traits lead him to tragedy. That sense of such great potential, along with all the details we have on him due to @john-laurens​‘ fantastic and tireless research, is what draws me in.

Okay so I explained it’s not John. I definitely projected a lot of my mannerisms/ quirks, especially anxiety-related ones (memorizing data, making lists, talking to myself, getting really insistent and precise with words) onto Macaroniverse Alex. That said, musical!Alex doesn’t really have those traits. But in terms of his ambition to Be Somebody in his field and his willingness to work really hard to do it, sometimes to the detriment of… uh… everything else in life? The way he likes to plan? The enjoyment he gets from discussing ideas and constructing arguments? Those things definitely speak to me.

H: How would you describe your style?

Versatile! I try to adjust my style to what I’m writing, and I’m pretty proud of my ability to switch because it’s something I’ve worked on a lot. Even between third person Alex and third person John in Macaroniverse, the voices are different; Alex gets longer sentences and more looping/ leaping, while John is very concrete and linear and pretty bad at noticing his own emotions. For example, John:

The plastic bag inside the box slides out and he spills Cheerios all over the floor. Then he can’t work broom and dustpan at the same time, so he ends up picking up all the spilled Cheerios and throwing them in the trash one by one. Then he can’t get the milk carton open. He almost gives up, because Cheerios without milk are just not fucking worth it, but something in him refuses.

Hemingway might approve, if not of the content, then at least the sentence length and structure. (Actually I kind of like the Hemingway comparison because his is the Stoical Manpain voice and John def has a little Stoical Manpain going on in this story, the silly dear).

Versus Alex:

And even though he trusts Herc to be careful with his pins, and not to judge him for the enormous quantity of free dental dams and condoms he steals from the table outside his door, and to help him discriminate between normal-sick and dangerous-sick… he doesn’t trust him with this yet. He should—he really should.

One, Herc owes him for agreeing to serve as his mannequin after his poor sweet Thimbleina was stolen by a bunch of giggling tri-Delts on a scavenger hunt. (Not that Alex minds getting to model Herc’s edgy, sculptural creations every once in awhile. They make him feel badass. Particularly the poison-green women’s blazer currently taking shape on his shoulders.)

Two, Herc’s also first-gen, he was born in Nigeria, he knows what it’s like to stick out like a sore thumb. Alex frowns. Does that metaphor make sense? Why do sore thumbs stick out? Are they swollen or something? What happened to Herc’s poor sore thumb? In this case, was it sore from the hammer-blow of class, racial, and native-born privilege?

See how he likes to make lists? And starts running with sentences and just kinda… keeps going with them? And how he gets distracted and goes off on mental tangents and has to loop back to the topic? He’s not disorganized to himself, he just has a different system. With his stories sometimes I struggle to get in-voice and sometimes I have the opposite problem of keeping everything from exploding into the confetti shower that is Alex’s inner monologue.

For canon-era stuff I try to use a totally different voice, which isn’t authentically 18th-century but has absorbed approximately that flavor from all the Patrick O’Brian I’ve read. From the rivers/ guns sequel I’m working on:

On the mudded-out track through the endless woods and rolling hills of central Pennsylvania there walks a woman—young, clad in widow’s black, the heavy fabric falling round the gentle swell of her belly. Her black hood is cast down to shield her face from the wind; her head is bowed but her back straight. Before her the sky is clear and blue in all the glory of early fall; behind her it is ink-black and uncanny, and uncanniness clings to her skin like the smell of death clings to men off the battlefield. No band of brigands dares accost her; no friendly washerwoman inquires if she is well, if she needs a bite to eat, what business a woman in her state has on the road. The uncanniness holds them back—well, that, and the creature that scuttles along at her heels: low-slung, many-limbed, panting and coughing and drooling ink from its gibbering mouths.

I count three semicolons, one colon, two em-dashes, and 22 adjectives. Hemingway no longer approves. He’s coming for me with a big knife. If you never hear from me again, you know whose ghost to blame.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

Yes, but thank god @herowndeliverance​ is writing it already.

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?)

Here’s what happens, most of the time. I get an idea for a passage of dialogue or a premise or an ending to a fic. I’m nowhere convenient to write (usually walking somewhere or at work) so I write it down in the notes to my phone and then think on it obsessively for the rest of the day, trying to turn it into something story-shaped. I get home and try to capture what I thought of. Inevitably something isn’t working and I have to talk/ appeal to someone to get the idea loose. Mostly I do this by shouting at my friends in messages and then going back and copy-pasting the whole conversation into the document.

So, I think I end up planning quite a lot, even for shorter stories. Even if I don’t deliberately outline, I’ve at least gone through the story several times in my head before I start typing.

For longer stories, like the rivers/ guns sequel excerpted above, I outline before I get started, but inevitably things will change and evolve as I’m going. Sometimes when I garden too much my inner architect has to tear out the gardens I made because they’re in the wrong places or they don’t match the house, which is always a sad process. In fact, as I’m writing I’ll actually tell myself when something isn’t working, like Philip thinking, this is so dumb, why am I acting like this? when I was trying to take a plot shortcut that unfortunately led to Bad Characterization. That’s a sign more planning needs to happen.

U: A pairing you might like to write for, but haven’t tried yet.

I’m not naturally inclined to do much in the way of shipping, and my Lams obsession is actually very out of character for me. But I’d love to do more of Laurens and Lafayette interacting, because whenever you think about their characters, there’s some very clear compare-and-contrast you could do. @your3fundamentaltruths has also convinced me that there’s a lot of potential with stories featuring John and Angelica, although I can’t ship them because I headcanon John as Kinsey 6 100% Gay.

I also haven’t written any Mariliza, even though I think there could be potential there. Obviously not in the canon timeline, because Eliza would probably rather slap canon!Maria than just about anything else, but in an AU where Maria and Eliza meet before Maria and Alex do? You could see Eliza being the Concerned Mom Friend when James Reynolds is being terrible to Maria, and being moved by how hard Maria tries to protect her little girl (maybe Little Eliza and Susan are friends in preschool and Eliza and Maria start talking when they set up a playdate?), and wanting to help her. Actually, you know what, I don’t really ship this but if somebody wants that premise it’s up for grabs :D