#i'm sad too but this fictional world really showed us that their reality is just like that

[cosmicjoke]

I don’t like any of the “bad characters” in AOT. However, people can completely understand the themes of a story. As well as have “reading comprehension” which you love to say people lack while also simultaneously enjoying watching a morally bad character. That’s the beauty of fiction. I think yeah, maybe some people take it too far, but I think the whole point of stories like AOT is to show multiple sides and give you multiple points of view on humanity and how everyone thinks they are correct in their views/ideologies. Villians are often the most popular characters is fiction and there’s many reasons for that and people shouldn’t be judge for wanting to enjoy that in a fictional space. It doesn’t mean they carry those same ideologies in real life.

I definitely understand you getting angry because of the idiots in your ask box sending dumb messages but there’s a lot of people that follow you and sometimes you make comments grouping all people together just because they differ from opinion on you/ like certain characters/ view things a certain way (when you say things like “anyone who thinks this”)and that kind of sucks.

Again, nobody should be sending you hate…or arguing about Levi’s popularity those people are sad and in the wrong. And I have zero problems with you being annoyed/angry or what have you…But the way you respond is out there for everyone to see and can sometimes be taken to heart by people who really do like you and your analysis. Just food for thought.

Floch's still a POS, so, whatever.

The person asked my opinion on people who "simp" for Floch and hold him up as some sort of hero, and I gave it. If you don't like it, you're free to unfollow me. I never said anything about people who enjoy Floch's character for what he thematically represents within the story (something for which I just made a post which you didn't bother mentioning, so I assume you didn't read). Floch is of course a complex and integral character to the plot and overarching themes of AoT and there's nothing wrong with admiring his character for that complexity. My point is, he's not a hero, and anyone who thinks he is have completely missed the entire point of AoT, the role of his character within the story, and the story's themes and messages. Therefore, if you think Floch is a hero, if that's your genuine and unironic interpretation of his character, then it rightly calls into question your intelligence and media literacy and also makes me question your morality as a person (not you specifically, the people who praise him as some sort of martyr). I'm sick of the argument that people continually trot out that what you like in fiction doesn't reflect what you believe or condone in real life. Art is a reflection of and representation of reality, through human expression. If you continually go around arguing for exactly the opposite message that a work of art is attempting to convey, and in this case, arguing that Fascism and nationalism and genocide are a justifiable or understandable reaction to anything, then you've completely missed the entire point and are now twisting AoT's themes to push a hateful and, frankly, dangerous political agenda which can, despite what you claim, have very real world consequences. Art can be and IS highly influential, and it wouldn't be the first time in history that bad actors with nefarious goals have twisted a work of art to suit their agenda. In the case of AoT, it's people like that, who hold Floch up as a hero, who have also helped defame Isayama as a person and added fuel to the fire of people bad-mouthing a real life human being and spreading false rumors about his political views and what he was trying to convey with his art, causing very real-life harm to his being and also impacting other people's ability to enjoy the story as a whole.

AoT frames Floch as a bad guy for a reason. Yes, the story is meant to show us multiple views and promote understanding of how certain conclusions and reactions are arrived at when certain conditions are met. You're not telling me anything I don't already understand. That doesn't mean the story intends for the reader to sympathize with or come away from seeing the paths certain characters take with the idea of mimicking them or cheering them on. Characters like Floch and Eren and Zeke and many others are meant to act as a warning against straying down a similar path. When you see people completely miss or ignore that warning and instead run around saying how Floch or Eren or Zeke were "justified" in their actions, or claiming that they were somehow correct in their world view and ideological beliefs, then those people are, in my not at all humble opinion, asking to be raked over the coals.

Also, for real, how many times are you people going to accuse me of the same shit? You always complain that I don't like anyone who "disagrees" with me, and "attack them unfairly" while conveniently ignoring all the many, MANY times I've disagreed with various and numerous people on here over various and numerous topics, and have always kept it cordial and polite. I only get angry at people when they say intentionally inflammatory shit to me, obviously trying to bait me into a fight, or make accusations against me, either directly or implied, kind of like you're doing. It seems to me it's you people that send me this same, whiny complaint time and time again that have just decided you have a particular axe to grind with me because you don't like that I can sometimes be forceful with my opinions and it makes you feel threatened, for some bizarre reason. That's just the way I speak, and again, if you don't like it, and if it really upsets you that much, then unfollow me, because I'm not going to censor myself or soften my language just because it might rub some people the wrong way or hurt your feelings.

I think you people really need to learn to grow a tougher skin and understand that not everyone in the world is going to speak or express themselves in a manner you find palatable, and the world isn't going to conform itself to what you need it to be to feel comfortable.

[skinnytuna]

(i'm anon who replied to your long post about audience validation and art)

thank you for your response, it's very interesting. it's actually kinda funny because I used to be a person who never, ever shared anything I did with other people (online or in person). I wouldn't talk about the media I enjoyed or showed the drawings I made. it always felt too intimate - I was only doing it for myself and so having other people's eyes on it wouldn't add anything to my enjoyment apart from shame from not liking or creating the 'perfect' thing. if I imagined what I would do in the future, it was only from the perspective of what I would actually create, rather than the validation it would give me.

and then my world view flipped, I guess as I became increasingly exposed to online validation. I still dont share anything I make but if I (indulgently) daydream about creating something, it is rarely purely the process of creation that I think about. I cant separate the stuff I do and the response I would get like I could as a kid. this is probably partly because of watching numbers rise online. but maybe it could also just be the sad reality of transitioning into adulthood? when you are young the stuff you make is never going to get you shit. but when you are older, you are expected to view the world with a transactional slant: whatever you give, you must get back in return.

idk how into fandoms you are but I love them because they are a way to remove that dependence on transaction (both monetary and inter-personal validation) we have. obviously, fandoms mostly exist in an online world and so some people are going to be more successful at creating than others (and some people might even manage to make a tiny amount of money) but mostly they are pretty equal. most artists (fic writers/fan artists) are only creating for the sake of creation. they like something, want to improve it or want to explore a world and so they create. some fanfic writers will never get past 100 kudos on a single work, but they still write thousands and thousands of more words. this is because, for them, writing is a hobby and a way to have fun. they are literally unable to monetise it, and the possible size of a response is often limited by the tiny size of a niche fandom.

fan fiction is wholly and unapologetically amateur. it can be a great quality, but writers have the freedom to create imperfect things and learn as they go. there are no critics, book sales or best seller lists - you can just make shit and put it out there if you want.

idk if any of that made sense but yeah

it's funny you say that about adulthood because there are so many like. 13 year old rappers now who are solely in it for the money or dont understand why they are doing it and their parents are encouraging them to do it for the money so like. childhood for us was very different to what childhood currently is, right now this year.

but i personally cant remember a time when i wasn't desperate for validation like when i was playing guitar when i was 8 or 10 i still had that "i hope im good enough i want to be good enough without trying" feeling it's just the people i wanted to impress were like, authority figures. i wanted my guitar teacher to think i was cool. i wanted my moms friends to think i was funny. i'm still afraid of doing anything i haven't already learned how to do, writing is the first New thing i've attempted in maybe my entire adulthood.

it's kind of funny, when i was younger i didn't realize how bad i was at writing music and that's the only reason i stuck to it long enough to learn anything. i was like laughably bad at it in high school and no one really went out of there way to grab me by the shoulders and say "hey! you suck at this! stop!" though a bunch of people did tell me it kinda sucked. i mostly just thought they were wrong. they weren't. but now part of me doesn't believe i could ever be any good at something that isn't that. like when i write fiction i know on a cognitive level if it ends up being good it's not because i worked hard or earned it or anything it's just a complete fluke. and i don't even really believe people when they tell me it's good. even though obviously i'm only posting it so people will tell me it's good.

in a way i feel like i'm sort of shifting back to the way i was in high school... every piece of art i make im like "this is the best shit ever" and then i post it and if people tell me it sucks im like "lol. incorrect. your tastes are Unrefined" and then i keep making more whatever crap whatever. which honestly is the best way to live i think. i have some people in my life who really like, respect and admire that i make whatever the fuck i want without ever really considering whether or not i should. which is funny because i have a lot of people in my life who are like, Normal artists, who Think before they make something, and try to make Good Things and i envy them greatly because it really comes through in the work.

though obviously as an evil bastard communist i am a strong believer that "Bad" Art Is Radical and "Good" Art is Bourgeois Idealism and i find myself constantly torn between, the allure of timesinks and iteration and the mystique of hyperprolific stream of consciousness artists and i feel like i'm the worst of both worlds by not being fully one way or the other! but i guess not everyone can be Lil B and not everyone can be Frank Ocean and some of us need to sit in between those two extremes...

look at all this me talking about how i never stop and think about the art while i'm stopping and thinking about the art... i'm an Olympic level liar rn.

i've never read a fanfiction in my life (outside of like.. homestuck smut when i was fifteen. which i guess Technically Counts.) but as the form is widely derided i'm sure it has the most artistic merit of any thing. i think a lot about what a world would be like where money and art are completely unrelated. and all art exists completely separate from how much dollars it can make a corporation. would being popular even matter? would people still seek fame... complicated questions. Way if we pees form butts

[gyll-yee-haw]

It's not really question, its more just unloading I guess lol

I recently read heartbreakingly yours and first off, it's amazing! You're seriously an amazing writer!

Secondly, I'm old (ish) and I probably should be past this whole reading fanfics and all but this one really broke me in a way.

Sorry to bore you with my life story but, I'm currently in a relationship. Been together for 4 years, he's a much older guy. There's a 12 year difference between us but what attracted me to him was how much he cared in the beginning.

That sense of protection that I got from him really drew me in. How he showed me off to the world and how much he cared about my emotions and effort he made to make me feel like I'm the only one in his world. I loved all of that about him. But of course that did not last. There's been infidelity on his part now for the 4th time it seems and as pathetic as I sound, I was the one fighting for this relationship. I fought, day and night, begged him to change. Begged him to see my worthiness but he hasn't change not one bit. I recently found out yet another affair with a coworker of his. I gave up so much in my life to be able to support him financially and emotionally. 4 years of fighting for something that's is one sided. It sucks to say the least.

I haven't been on tumblr for a very long time but l was scrolling and I happened to cross your page and I read your story and it made me very sad. I miss that feeling of being heard and being seen like if you were to walk away or simply not exist anymore, they would not be able to breathe on this earth that you were no longer walking on. I miss feeling like I'm worth the fight. That I'm not just a dime of dozen. That im not the only one putting in heart and soul to one another.

Idk maybe im rambling but reading it made me very sad. I miss the honeymoon stage. I wish I felt the butterflies in my stomach again, I miss the flirtatious moments and the intimacy of it all. I miss not having to worry all the time of what they are doing behind your back; that sense of peace. I miss my tranquility.

Your story has the happy ending that I'll never get.

But reading it gave a little comfort and distraction from my reality. Thank you. I may sound weird or lame but yeah, just wanted to share that haha.

Hi, honey! Sorry it took a while to reply, I haven't been here much

First of all, there's absolutely no need to apologize for opening up, you're really brave for doing so. Second of all, don't worry because there's no such thing as being too old for fanfics, you only have one life and you should spend it doing things you enjoy!

I'm really really touched by your story. I can't express how extremely sorry I am to hear all of this. I don't know you, but I know you don't deserve to feel the way you do.

As for my story making you sad... well, you shouldn't be. I am a very strong believer that good men only exist in fiction. We use fiction exactly because real life kinda sucks... I am honoured when my stories touch people and resonate with them.

I've been where you are. Years fighting for someone while that someone fucked another someone, among other terrible forms of abuse I've been submitted to. You are not alone and this is a safe space for you to escape reality, okay?

I need you to know that none of this is your fault, okay? And don't talk badly about yourself because no one is stupid for loving, it's very clear to me that the stupid one is always the one who doesn't appreciate the love they receive.

I really hope things get better for you, from the bottom of my heart. I can't give you much, but I know it helps to open up!

Stay safe <3

[greywindys]

Oh please recommend other shows. You have good taste in media hehe

Yeah, of course! I love giving recs. I'm a little biased because most of what I watch is on HBO, but I'm going to try to include as many streaming services as possible. I already posted about the anime I watch, so there won't be an animation recommendations here, because those shows are all that I'm watching. I also watch a lot of reality shows and documentaries, but I'm just going to stick to fiction for now since that's what I assume you're asking about. Please google and heed warnings if you decode to look into any of them further, as many of them are TV MA. A lot of what I like isn't exactly wholesome, but I always read up on critiques as much as I do praise. Anyhow, here are some shows:

True Detective - Season on specifically. This is one of my most re-watched seasons ever. I'm obsessed with the tone, the story, the imagery, the characters, the soundtrack. Well-written and creepy (not a common combination in the realm of horror). This is an anthology series, so there are different characters and settings each season. None of the follow-up seasons have measured up, but the new season is taking place in Alaska, and has a great cast, so I'll be watching.

The Wire: Anything by David Simon, really, I think I've watched enough of his shows to say this confidently. The Wire is probably his most famous, and for a good reason. I love his work for how realistic and well-researched it is. He has no qualms about depicting unflinching realities, even if it's not a crowd-pleasing. It's about the story. This is also one of my favorite series ever.

Severance: I went into this show blind and was blown away! Definitely not what I was expecting from and Apple TV+ show. The concept is new and well-executed. It builds tension and intrigue very well. Hopefully, it can keep control of its pacing (I felt like it moved a little fast, but that's still probably slow for some people lmao).

The White Lotus: Another anthology series, but I think it paired really well with Succession (I watched them around the same time). If you're a fan of scathing satire, I'd check this out. Both season also go completely bonkers at the end in ways you don't see coming.

The Boys: Very entertaining. Maybe not the best from a writing standpoint. It can also get a little preachy (I don't mind messages, but I prefer when they aren't delivered in such a heavy handed manner), BUT I'm never bored. There are certain story lines that they execute very well, too. I also think this is what it would actually be like if superheroes were real. I love you, MHA, but The Boys is the superhero media that I think stays truest to our real world.

Silicon Valley: I started watching this on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. Some may complain that it get repetitive, but I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters as well as learning more about the world of compute programming/tech. It's also brings some levity to the otherwise cynical and/depressing tone of shows I usually watch.

Derry Girls: Another comedy, but also one with a lot of heart. As a Catholic school alumna, I connected with this show's depiction of teen girl friendship. I'm sad it's over.

Other mini-series and shows: Watchmen, The Outside, Sharp Objects, Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon, American Vandal

Shows I'm currently making my way through...slowly lmao: The Last of Us, Barry, Yellow Jackets, Beef

[mirror-to-the-past]

Okay, I finished playing Re:Coded. Went through it pretty quickly; it was a shorter game. Also, very interesting and welcome in concepts. I was hoping for an expansion on the data world since KH2, because the prologue of that game made me extremely intrigued regarding everything with how it affected Roxas (Bonus, was also happy that Roxas, or at least an iteration of him, got some screentime in this game, too. Gives me more hope for a reappearance in the future.), and I'd say it delivered!

Just like the Nobodies, the data version of Sora definitely demonstrated questionably emotional displays for a being that "doesn't have a heart." With similar sentiments to Roxas and Xion, I seriously question whether or not a heart is all that important/necessary for a full scale of emotions if they act that real "without" one. I also question if people can't just create their own hearts out of pure strength of will (I mean, if the Org. XIII Nobodies were very strong willed individuals for coming into being, I don't see why the inverse can't be true- that because they are individuals of strong will, they can't just forge their own way and find their own heart/spirit.)... but I digress.

I joked earlier that "haha, for all of the fiction tropes Kingdom Hearts fully exploits, I'm surprised 'the prophecy' hasn't come up yet." Ding ding, another joke come true for me to add to the books, because Maleficent mentioned a whole damn book of prophecies. I'm strapping myself in, mentally. Hoo boy, here we go, create new worlds from stories, huh? Also once again, such a queen, she highlights the fluid nature of reality KH set ever since "Is this for real, or not?" I love when she chided Pete, with: "Ah, but who's to say a fairy tale's not true?" Hilariously meta, coming from her. Also yeah, Disney/FF game is slowly becoming aware of the fact that it's a Disney/FF game but it's owning it. Another one of the funniest aspects of this series is that, from the characters' perspectives, everything is fantastical in a normal way- there is no precedent set for what is "normal" when multiple worlds have phenomenon like talking animals, magical princesses, spells powered by love, antagonists like evil fairies, or other threats that are very real to them. It's only from us, as the audience, with our cultural awareness of Disney movies and the like that we laugh at the ridiculousness of Mickey Mouse being a plot relevant character. So, it's like the characters, completely and utterly serious about everything they interact with, are slowly learning the magical/fiction nature of their reality. I dunno, a bit of a disjointed ramble there, but it makes sense to me. Sure it's not exactly a groundbreaking sentiment- "woah, fiction is reality to the fictitious," but anywho. Still waiting for it to go the whole nine miles and make Earth canon as contrast to everything else- go full fourth wall breaking. I'll show you how fiction you guys really are, buster!

Anyway... uh... where was I? Oh yes, other Maleficent line that caught my eye (playing games on emulators afford me the opportunity to write things down more... :D):

"You should have stayed inside, boy. There, the worst fate to befall you would have been eternal slumber...

...Such a shame you understand so little of the darkness. The world desires its embrace! There is nothing in darkness. No sadness, no cause for hurt... In darkness, one cannot see ones mistakes, or the dreams that failed to be."

Here, darkness as an element adds a new layer to its characterization throughout the series from just ambition/power, knowledge, or the like. Here, darkness is more of a shield from pain, or an obfuscation. Darkness is more of the gentle lie than I've seen light as being. And that's... something. When someone is dealing with darkness within this series, or trying to gain a mastery over it- has it not been in a futile attempt to puff themselves up and disguise hurt/insecurities/unsteady ground that they walk upon? I can't say for sure for Xehanort, but it has been the case for Riku and Terra, so...

Contrastingly, that would make light the element that demands everything to be pure, honest, and open. It would have no inclination towards unsteady foundations, or soft versions of truths/white lies with good intent. Something something, soft moon versus callous sun. Funnily enough though, with both of these explanations, it's apparent that their respective foundations both lead to some sort of emotional repression, either out of a desire for utter individual control and strength emotionally (darkness) (not possible) or out of a desire for perfect order and lack of duplicity (light) (also not possible). And with that, maybe Xehanort's got something to the whole "balance of light and dark" thing, who woulda thunk extremes would be problematic? Of course, the whole genocidal tendencies is... eh...

Naminé! That was the other thing I wanted to speak on. Am I to understand that with Mickey's letter at the end of the game, Sora finally knows of Naminé and his relation to her, as well as Castle Oblivion, at least a little bit?? Literally on the edge of my seat, guys. Mickey said he'd tell our Sora about the Coded journey, so I hoped that'd be a part of the package. :/ I was happy to see "Thank Naminé" get concluded at least a little bit, even if it was just Data Sora, but pleaseee...

Also, oogh, Sora's consistent character conflict being centered around repression and its various forms continues to pull at my mind a bit. I transcribed part of Naminé and Data Sora's conversation because of how Relevant it was feeling. As well as addressing Sora's own hurt, Ventus' with the "they've been sleeping a long time," the conversation also doubled as serving as an explanation for events such as the Xion fever dream in Days where she/Sora by extension experienced Riku's memory from CoM:

S: "These are my memories?"

N: "No, not yours. These belong to people connected to you."

S: "What? Isn't it weird for someone else's memories to be inside me?"

N: "Right, it's not usually possible. When I first found them while repairing your memory, I thought I'd made a mistake. But all the evidence I found proves they belong in your heart, where they've been sleeping a long... long time. One day, Sora will have to call them to the surface. They're important memories... but very dangerous ones."

M: "Dangerous how?"

N: "These memories are too painful. Handled the wrong way, they could damage Sora's heart- even break it..."

Like when Data Sora told Data Roxas he'd carry his hurt from then on, Sora effectively symbolizes the individual who gives and gives of themselves to such a degree that the pain of others becomes his own- putting his own hurt and individualism eternally aside for the noble cause of "keep on keeping on." Of course, to be affected by the pain of others is to be human, but in such an identity defining way as is the case with Sora, as well as Naminé noting such things aren't typically possible (within this universe's rules) and that the others' memories "belong" with Sora, it's clear what this is doing to him- you can't help but wonder if Naminé's worry about Sora's heart breaking from having to confront internalized hurt and memories might be warranted. I'd dare to say that it makes sense why Xion saw so much of herself in Sora even outside of the memories, considering the way they unwaveringly waver on who they are, all for the sake of being what is perceived as needed for others they deem important. Am I looking way too much into it? Maybe. Do I care? No. I'll pathologize my boy with a case of "chronic people pleaser on a thematic level" all I want. Is he an Empath,™ a teenager being a teenager, or is he losing himself- perhaps all three? Find out... next episode...

(Can't wait to find out whatever the "research" is that Ansem stuck within Sora's sleeping mind. Can't help but assume its importance, given that it's been mentioned twice, now.)

Alright, that's everything on Coded, I'm now gonna hop to dumping some thoughts on Dream Drop Distance that I've started a little bit of, because.... :D

[becausegraf]

Okkkk so I just want to thank you for your ZJ posts and your insight because I, too, relate, and I've been VERY angry about it...and reading your posts genuinely helped me and made me go "...oh" and...be less...resentful? Bitter? Just a little... So thank you, truly, and I hope you find all the peace and happiness you need.

Thank you for this message, anon. I hope it's okay I share it here and give my thoughts, because it certainly got me pondering for a bit. For a while. MaNy WoRDs AleRt

There is something very comforting in people's ability to resonate with fiction, and how through it, we're able to discover and share things with each other, and maybe even not feel so alone and isolated with our woes and joys.

In fiction I found a treasure trove of experiences, jewels and shinies to keep with me even if in 'reality' I wasn't finding much comfort. Diving deep into stories and exploring characters and their world has been something I've found a lot of fulfillment in for as long as I can remember, and I'm proud and grateful to feel like I'm part of the collection of people from all over the world and all throughout history that simply have a passion for sharing stories.

Our real experiences, the emotions we get to feel per proxy through fiction, and the processing and learning that happens when you put it all together is a fascinating alchemy.

It's a little funny in this bittersweet way that I felt immediately curious about Zoraal Ja, and I couldn't but feel compelled to fill in the blanks because it felt just... incorrect, unfair, an oversimplification to leave his story summary as ending on 'whoah, dude sure went craycray, guess he was just a bad egg'. And then a week of pondering later, it clicked. 'Oh...' indeed.

Anger is an 'ugly' emotion that tends to earn scorn in turn, a frown inviting a frown, when other kinds of expressions of suffering are often received with a little more compassion or patience. A character showing fear and uncertainty, grief and depression, seems easier for people to connect to emotionally, as a crude pattern. It's 'approachable'. The same seems to apply to real people.

Frustration, resentment, confusion that furiously demands an explanation, defensiveness that does not ask for space politely but puts up its barbs...

In my experience, it's very easy to end up being painted as 'the bad guy', even if you're just reacting to pain that is caused by others, and all you really want is for things to stop tormenting you.

Anger often gets people to mistakenly assume you can't be hurt, that you don't deserve to be handled with consideration and care in the same way as someone who expresses their hurt as sadness, anxiety, exhausted helplessness. It gets people to assume you're untrustworthy, antisocial, unempathetic. An enemy, a problem, an ego to take down a peg or two.

It's easy enough to start believing that about yourself, too. That your anger is strength, proof that you don't need anything from others. That unlike those that cave in and run for comfort and beg for mercy, you have dignity, you can do it alone, you can endure what they crack under, you are Resilient.

When you're really just suffocating in a bell of isolation, without a mirror to see yourself clearly in, and it's all distorted and it's up to us to help ourselves, and we should be capable of it, we should overcome our own weakness, we should, should, should...

Zoraal Ja keeping people at arm's length? Good lord, I don't need to have anything spelled out to me to *recognize* this phenomenon, this invisible bear trap you can be caught in and if you dare to squeak in pain, all you'll get is people blaming you for being stuck in it in the first place. Like you deserve it, like you could've known better, like you could maybe first try being a little nicer to people, a little more... grovel-y.

The unfairness of it is *maddening*, and it can be so difficult to talk about because showing people these sharp and pointy feelings and letting out the storm of confusion often gets you stunned silence at best.

'I trust only in myself'

Oh, Zoraal Ja, there's no need for that but holy pancakes mate, I get it, I get it so well. It sounds like an obvious absurdity if you look only at the surface layer, but such feelings exist in real people, and real experiences cause such self-defeating beliefs to take root and grow.

The people that should be protecting us, loving us, supporting us... They don't, somehow it looks like they just can't, like we're immune to their help. The fuck are we supposed to do about that, huh?

Why does it happen? Fuck if anyone can tell you. Seems like a you problem...?

If you get rebuked enough times, you just stop trying, you stop expecting it to be worth the drag of trying and failing to explain. You show people that 2+2 = 4 and they keep asking why it's not 5. Fine, be wrong, then, I'm done fishing for understanding. I don't know why I feel the way I do either, but being told 'well you're just emotions-ing all wrong' is useless as hell.

We're in pain, bear it with the most stoic face we can, and when we let people a little closer, they can hurt us more out of sheer lack of empathy, ignorance, missing the signs and having no clue how they're just doing the same things as everyone else that makes us want to slam the door and go back to sulking alone. 'Misunderstood' is an apt term here - people suck at 'reading' it, and what they think they see is not the truth. Ah, but then we're the ungrateful meanieface jerk, eh. 'Yo, I'm just trying to be nice, what is your damn problem'.

People making us feel like I'm some kind of inhuman construction with a forcefield that makes people draw all kinds of conclusions about us *other than the reality as we feel it*. That's the problem tyvm.

But sometimes, through fiction, we get to see ourselves reflected.

We find others who stared and went '...hi there, familiar face', too, and we get to pile up what we've learned along the way about what's going on here, and learn from each other that maybe our experience is hardly universal, but we're not alone, and we're as human with emotions that can be understood as everyone else.

Some kinds of understanding are just trickier to find, and I'm glad that the fruits of my obsessive digging and scratching and biting at the issue have yielded me some insights that stilled my confusion and allowed me to slowly let go of the agitation of having no clue what's going on.

Funny, huh, how 'understanding' really is a fundamental pillar of coping. Once you start seeing the telegraphs, find out where the tooltips have been hiding, and you turn off the dazzle of effects that obscure the source of danger, well...

Let's say I've become a little better at dancing my way through content over time, and it makes me happy to know that some of my tricks are helping someoneone else find their feet a little easier, too.

Stay cool, fren, we'll be alright.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

top 5 tips on getting rich

I'll be honest -- I've never been able to get too rich for my tastes, and I didn't really know what to do about it. My parents weren't particularly rich either, and in any case I wanted to get out of the house and do things at age 11, and it seemed like it just wasn't happening. (On the other hand, it's impossible to remember how to have fun when it's going well.)

Anyway, this didn't come up all that much in my actual life because I was always struggling to eat and pay rent, and I think that's part of what was going on.

On the other hand, I found the book How Not to Be Poor by David Wessel very good. It was very readable, was not very annoying, and I've read a good deal of it already -- my favorite bits are "Why I Don't Let My Son Have an Xbox" and "What You Don't Know About Your Car Could Cost You A Lot." ETA: just looked it up -- one of the bits in that latter section is "This book will not get you laid or help with your job application, but if you have been working 20+ hours per week, you are in a situation very similar to what I went through"

Here are some good books I've read recently (I'll list here rather than the top 10, and I'll just list them by year published, as you can see the list is pretty short)

2007: Cain & Alta Economía: Proposta en Economía, by Víctor Crisci (Vicente Crisx; not to be confused with Víctor Ricardo Crisci) -- I liked this a lot, but there were a lot of small things I didn't like at all (as is standard with non-fiction books for me, I found it hard to really get into them). (ETA: the fact that it was hard for me to get into them isn't particularly surprising, given that the Spanish title literally translates to "Proposal for Economics," which might have been way off -- the book is more focused on the economic theory of "perfect competition," aka "the assumption that competitors are evenly matched and can't charge different prices for different goods," with the idea that this assumption is false in reality because of imperfections in the market).

I liked Cain's history of Argentina well enough, despite a couple of minor problems I thought were minor. I liked it because it showed how "a little bit of socialism and a little bit of libertarianism" is the ideal combination for an economy, although this is something I'm never going to agree with, I guess.

This was written in 1977, and was Cain's doctoral thesis at the University of Buenos Aires. There was a bit about the book's origins that made me kind of sad: Crisci spent some years as a Trotskyite (and had an altercation with Stalin over this) and this had an influence on his later work.

2009: Rise and Fall of a Financial Giant: A History of the World's Most Notorious Bank, by Matt Taibbi (writing as "Matty Taibbi," which I'll use because his full name kind of sounds like that) -- I wanted to like this book a lot, because I have a bit of an obsession with the "Wall Street" -- I also had the fantasy of reading a book about a journalist's adventures as an insider among financial types.

I had mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was really good at some of the things the Wall Street Journal is pretty bad at: namely, showing the actual workings of financial institutions, rather than using the phrase "Wall Street." On the other hand, despite a lot of pages in this book, I found it to be really skim-worthy, and very disinteresting as a result.

2010: Adam &Economa: Finica Ecosmo, by

[queen-of-my-goofball-army]

"What're we gonna do tonite Brain?

NARF!!

Pinky are you pondering what I'm pondering?

I think so Brain, but if they called them Sad Meals, kids wouldn't buy them." (Pinky, Pinky And The Brain.)

When I was in the fourth grade, I was alone so much of the time. I struggled to make friends, people thought that I was "weird", and I was just not having a fun time there. My saving grace was my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. McFarland. She did everything within her power to make sure that I was comfortable in her classroom even if it meant that she had to deal with my over dramatic nature at that age.

During that first week of school she showed our class something that would help me get through both that year and the repeating year of the same grade. When our class was learning geography Mrs McFarland whipped out a video that she warned us was dated but was a great way to introduce us to the idea of the thing. That was, of course, Yakko's Nations Of The World. The second I saw that song start, it changed everything for me. I promised myself that when I got home that day I would watch all the episodes of the cartoon. That was one I came across *one* silly lab mouse that would change my life forever.

My story with Pinky is a rather lonely one if I'm being entirely honest. To put things simply, for years he was my best friend. Now you might ask yourself, how is that possible that your best friend can be a fictional character that doesn't exist in real life? Well I'll tell you. My two "best friends" at the time thought that it would be a smart idea to spread all kinds of rumors about why I had to repeat the fourth grade. They ranged from oh she got into too many fights to she flunked and had to repeat the grade again. In reality what not many were privy to I just wanted to be the same age as everybody else instead of a year younger. But the damage had already been done. I was alone aside from a couple of acquaintances. Which is what led me to relying heavier on my comfort characters. The one who got the most millage was Pinky. He made me laugh when I was at my loneliest and it was through that laughter that I was able to heal and forgive. I don't remember the hurt but I remember the hours upon hours of laughter that Pinky gave to me when I was a kid.

To this day I still have this huge immense fondness for Pinky. He changed everything about my life and fundamentally altered what made me laugh. From the ages of five to ten what made me laugh was mostly slapstick. But after Pinky came into my life I found myself laughing at dialogue for the most part and not when Pinky got hurt. I actually hated whenever Pinky was injured in any way even if it was meant for comedy sake. It hurt my heart because he was just such a pure and innocent soul. Well maybe not "innocent" but you know what I mean. It was the first time that something made me laugh where I looked at something beyond getting smacked for being stupid. In my opinion Pinky is actually really smart it's just that he's not really all there most of the time. But when he has good ideas they usually work or come close to working.

If you didn't know, Pinky is voiced by Rob Paulsen. Otherwise known as my favorite voice actor and the man that singlehandedly changed my life. Whenever I look back at the characters that have changed my childhood Pinky is always the first one I think of. He's the one that's always been there for me. He's become my favorite comfort character that I have in my arsenal because he's just helped me out the most. Throughout my COVID-Con experience I've been lucky enough to have so many opportunity's to talk with my heroes. But, my favorite will always be the very first one that I ever did. When I finally got to tell the voice actor that had helped me out so much over the course of his life it felt like something that had been building for much longer.

Pinky to me is the embodiment of laughter and joy. Every time I watch him I feel more joyful, I smile more, and my heart warms. If I could give any of my comfort characters a big ol' hug it would be Pinky because throughout everything in my life, whether sad or glad he was there.

[echo-three-one]

Whatever It Takes

Sequel to A Forgotten Memory

Now facing an internal battle between her heart and mind, Samantha faces her fears and searches for the truth. Will she accept the past? Will she listen to her heart? Or will she let her memories get the best of her?

Chapter 10 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

Previous Chapter : Roach - A SurPRICE Visit

What is this o.O

The Heart knows what the Brain Doesn't

Samantha Coleman

141's High Value Individual

Task Force 141 Base - General Shepherd's Office

The base was quiet. Everyone else fled off to their mission and all Samantha could think about is Alex. But why? Maxine told her he wanted to meet him, but Alex told her it's because she dropped her pendant. Whose story is she going to believe in? She could feel her heart beat differently ever since she saw him with General Shepherd. Her whole body except for her brain reacted to his presence. She even felt weak after slapping him, it's like her brain commanded it but her hands wanted to disobey. Who is he?

Maxine passed by with an apple she got from the kitchen counter.

"Sam, you okay?" she asked, biting the fruit and sitting in the chair across from her.

"I've been thinking… about how you knew Alex and how she knows me…" she sighed, it was relieving to let out all her bottled thoughts, especially that now they're both alone.

"Well, we met in a bar. Had a few drinks then showed me a photo of you." she said, holding her hand.

"I honestly believed he did know you and tried to lengthen the conversation, just so I know he's good enough and knows a lot. He actually aced the test but he was very drunk when I told her to meet again. After that He showed up the next day and I had to work. Whatever happened after my shift was- ow." she interrupted herself because of a minor pain from recalling her memories. She still hasn't been able to remember all of them, even after a lot of sleep.

"Yeah. That's about it on your side. Mine's just that… He looked creepy, his eyes felt like he was looking for me in a weird way and so I ran. After that life continued. You went on a leave and I resumed working." She supplied, staring at the grey walls of the mess hall.

"I wish I'd remember where I went on that vacation. It'd be cool." Max commented, crunching on another bite.

"My heart… beats differently when he's near. It's like he's really familiar." She whispered.

"Oh. Someone's been struck by the Cupid. He is attractive though. Without those ink, he'd probably be your type." Max teased, winking at her and nudging her. Samantha was serious, though.

"Look. I admit my heart feels something for him. It's a mix of guilt and longing. But why would I long for someone I just met?" She sighed and dropped her head on the table, groaning as her mind and her heart battled against the inconsistencies.

"Look. It's not too crowded here. Maybe we could do some research by their library!" Max suggested, creating finger guns and humming the Mission Impossible theme song as she stood up and went to the library. Samantha chuckled.

"So we're spies now?!" She placed a hand on her forehead as she followed her wacky best friend.

Maxine typed down Alex on the search bar, his public profile appeared and they began reading his file. It was all basic ideas, Nationality, Height, his name was redacted and they couldn't bypass it so they just ignored it and headed to the next term.

"CIA Agent Alex helped locate and detain CIA Mole." Samantha read with her mouth. Maxine quickly clicked the article and photos of her appeared on almost every page.

Unlike Maxine, these notes didn't hurt her mind except it hurt her heart that she treated him that way, after all this time. He was there to save her. He located you through Maxine to save you from the same captors that played with your brain months ago.

"Ooooh. It says here you two were safely housed in a remote safehouse for almost a month. Really Sam? Maybe something happened within that time? Can you please remember how he looked underneath those clothes. For me?" she giggled. Samantha knew she was joking but it was an honest possibility.

Could it be that she fell for the guy that saved her and sat with her for almost a month? Or the two of them fell in love? Her heart was racing as the possibilities overloaded her brain, her cheeks started to blush as her thoughts consumed her. This wasn't her mind talking to her, it was her heart. It's reminding her of Alex.

"Oh. Shit." Maxine muttered and Sam snapped back to reality, putting her hand on Max's shoulders and looked into the screen once again.

Due to a special favor promised by Samantha's father, he has authorized to apply an MK Ultra procedure to her, whose main intention is to Alter her memories of the IP Address along with the events that happened prior to kidnapping.

"You agreed to forget him?" Max looked at her, a frown formed as she started to console her.

"I guess so… Maybe something happened between us." She sobbed. She didn't want to cry, but the realization set in on her. They met, they bonded and she forced herself to forget him. No wonder Alex felt sad after being slapped.

"I want to ask him about us." Sam said with determination. Maxine liked the confidence but was also concerned about her feelings.

"What if you wanted to forget him, that's why you did it? Would you be ready to feel the sadness all over again?" Maxine asked. Samantha paused for a while. She made sense but her gut is telling her to push through her initial plan.

"I'm sorry Max, but I made my choice. I have to know everything about us, Whatever it Takes." she said.

"I'm here to support you. After all, you're the only memory I have left. They took everything. I don't know why but my memory began when I moved in. That's where my story started. Maybe there's a reason for it so, here I am for you. You're my family." she said, hugging her tight.

"Well, you could add a few more people in your family." she smiled.

"Yeah. It's full of tough looking brothers ready to protect us. And one soft Gary." she noted.

"He is a sweetheart, huh?" Samantha asked, getting a hint of something else from her.

"Well, he talks a lot and he gets me sometimes. It's a shame he's always out there saving the world." Max chuckled. Samantha froze.

"I know you want this to work..."

"This is our proposed digital art for our ad…"

"... and I know in my heart that I do too…"

"The colors need to be more vibrant!"

"...but I can't live loving you with worry in my heart..."

"I'm staying a little bit longer, See you tomorrow!"

"... and I don't want to be the reason that you'll stop saving the world. I know you want that. It's your job to. It's what you built your whole life to become..."

Her head started projecting two realities, it confused her. Which was right and which was wrong? She knew the work one was right, but the memories she just made right now while crying in front of Alex made more sense. Which was real? Which was fake?

"Sam! You okay?" Maxine snapped her fingers and Samantha blinked rapidly.

"I'm going crazy Max." she panted.

"What's wrong?" she consoled.

"My memories. They're all wrong. Why did I agree to this?" Samantha continued breathing heavily.

"Well, for starters. It's to forget that IP Address you memorized as a kid."

"But why did they change the recent ones too? Did I decide that my time spent with Alex is worth forgetting? Did he break my heart or did I break his?" She sighed. She knew for herself that she was unable to love again because of her loss, but what if Alex made it right for her? Alex did something that helped her move on? That's why her heart felt yearning for him?

"Sam. I'm no love doctor but if this really bothers you, you should talk to him. I have no idea when they'll get back but I'm looking forward to your resolution." She patted her shoulders and gave her a soft hug. Samantha felt like crying, but why?

~

After a while, Samantha actually had the courage to ask about Alex's whereabouts. Word has it that he's being redeployed to Germany to investigate another alleged Augustus base and that they had no idea when he'll be back.

This worries Samantha because they already heard about a transfer of authority, which in simple words meant : You're leaving the base. And that meant she won't see Alex anymore.

Maxine and Samantha sat on their beds at the infirmary to recover once again, both of them fell quiet as the news they got started to bother them. They already got attached to the people in the base and were sure that they're going to miss them. All they could do is hope that the team gets home before they leave the base.

“You think Alex will be okay?” Samantha shifted her sleeping position to Maxine, who was still awake humming to soothing melodies. Maxine shifted to face her too and smiled.

“You’re worried.” She teased, making her smile and giggle.

“Well, my heart told me I have to worry…”

“That’s normal. And don’t you worry ‘bout a thing… He’s a tough guy, remember? He’s trained to survive such harsh conditions. That’s what his file said, right?” She reminded Samantha, giving her an assuring smile. Samantha shrugged off her worry and closed her eyes. She started to imagine what it felt like being with him, based on information from his file. She can’t help but smile at her crazy idea. She felt like a teenager all over again, obsessing herself on fictional characters she watched on TV, since she could only base his personality on words alone. But she did remember how his cheeks felt, from the slap, and placed her palm on her cheek as well. It felt like he was with her and her heart felt excited as she awaited for his return.

Next Chapter : The Berlin Tower

NOTIFICATION SQUAD MY BELOVED ❤️

@smokeywhalee @enderio @samatedeansbroccoli @whimsywispsblog @beemybee @ricinbach

[torikawa]

Tōru Oikawa FanFiction Part #1

'Mixed Realities' a love story between [F/N] [L/N] and Tōru Oikawa.

This Fanfiction includes the following~

Happy Ending

Sexual Themes

Explicit Words

Kinks

Friends to Lovers

Strangers to Lovers

Sad scenarios in the Middle

Fluff

Comedy

[F/N] = First Name

[L/N] = Last Name

[N/O/S] = Name Of School

[F/N] [L/N], a girl who attends to [N/O/S] was known to be a Huge Otaku and the newest Manager of the Boys Volleyball Team. She's a huge fan of the Anime Haikyuu! Looking up to the Characters especially Oikawa. She thought of him as such an amazing character who deserved the world! She basically Simped for him whenever she could.

"Did you see the new Episode?! Oikawa showed up for less than a second but I think I fell for him all over again" [F/N] said with a grin spreading across her face, her eyes glued onto the Screen Shot she took of him.

"Here she goes again." Julien muttered under his breath, glaring daggers into [F/N]'s smaller figure.

"Oh come on! Hearing her rant about her 2D Boyfriend is honestly funny-" Ace laughed in.

"No wonder she's still single, too busy SIMPING for guys who don't exi-" Interrupted by a sharp smack on the shoulder, Leon choked on his food.

"Oh come on! You can't deny that he's the hottest Character in Haikyuu!!" [F/N] chimed in between the boys Laughter.

"You say that about every guy in Haikyuu." Julien dead panned.

"You're just salty that I don't talk about Sakusa as much!"

"Tch." He looked away, his nose scrunching up along with his mask.

"Pfft, don't be mad Juju!" [F/N] squeezed Julien's cheek through his mask, pink scattering across his cheeks as he swats her hand away.

He muttered a small 'whatever' before he got up and walked away.

"Mmm, I think our own little Sakusa likes you [F/N]" Ace said with a snicker.

"He has a point. Julien's a huge Germaphobe yet he treat you as if you're the only pure/clean thing that exists" Leo added, his words mumbled from him chewing on his food.

[F/N] stared at her 2 Friends, dumbfounded. She slowly looked away before moving a strand of her hair behind her ear. She couldn't bring herself to see Julien looking at her as someone more than just a friend.

He was tall, handsome, smart, and above all the boy who the girls swoon over in the School. But there aren't any proof of him liking her, atleast not yet?

"I still can't believe that, but anyways! It's almost practice, we should probably get going or we'll be late" She got up slowly, slinging her bag over her shoulder right shoulder.

Ace and Leo sighed in anticipation, upset about how stupid their little manager was when it came to romance.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the Gym, Julien and the rest of the Team were already practicing their serves.

"You guys are a bit late" The coach said with a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry we wer-"

"[F/N] ate so much, we had to wait for our little manager to be finished because we didn't want her left alone" Ace said with a snort. Causing Leo to burst out of laughter as he jogged towards the rest of the team.

[F/N] gave Ace a smack on the arm, her face beat red. It caused most of the boys who were practicing their serves to snicker.

Meanwhile, Julien kept his stone cold face. Simply not bothered by the fact the others were basically dying of laughter by now. Though as his eyes landed on his dear Friend, a teasing smile spread across his face.

[F/N] looked away embarrassed, trying her best to avoid Julien's teasing gaze.

After 2 hours of practicing, it finally came to an end. With [F/N] handing out each of the Players water bottles.

For Julien, she had to rub the shit out of his bottle. It was something she had to do before handing it to him. Of course at first, she was kind of offended. But now that she was one of the few people who were actually able to touch him, it made her feel special.

"Here" [F/N] said with a smile on her face, slowly handing Julien his Bottle. He stared down at her, nodding before giving a small 'thanks'

She ended up walking home alone today, Julien had to get home fast to take care of his Nephew, Ace had to go out with his Girlfriend, and Leon as usual walked on a different path since he lived in the opposite direction.

It didn't take long for her to reach her front door. She reached into her pockets and pulled out her keys, professionally sticked it into the keyhole with a turn, causing the door to open.

"I'm home!" [F/N] screamed out, but then a sudden shock hit her. Her parents were off on a vacation, so she'd have to live alone for a few weeks. "Oops- Forgot"

Slowly, she took her shoes off. Placing them ever so gently against the shoe rack before ascending the stairs of her house. But then, that's when she realized. Something felt so off about her surroundings, but why?

[F/N] continued her way towards her bedroom slowly, her legs shaking with each step she took.

Her hand pressed against the door as she pushed it open, revealing her bedroom. She stepped inside cautiously, her eyes scanning her room.

A minute passed with her standing still. And yet nothing happened. 'Huh, I guess it was just my imagination-' Though before she could step forward to enter her room fully, a large hand grasped her mouth, forcefully pinning her against the wall.

"Who the fuck are you and where the Hell am I?" The dark figure yelled out, his hand still dangerously close to choking her. She couldn't tell who this was, and she couldn't have known why the Hell this person was here in the first place!

[F/N] felt a surge of fear flow through her body as she whimpered against the touch.

"Are you gonna talk or stay quiet?"

"P-Please..- I have no idea why you're here just please let me go!"

The boy eventually let go of her neck, stepping back while letting out a sigh.

[F/N] didn't hesitate to flick the lights on, snapping her head back to the boy. Only to have her eyes widen and her mouth open. 'N-No way..-' she thought in her head.

The Boy infront of her stood at over (6'0"), chocolate brown hair, and eyes. The features of his body were all so familiar with her.

"Oi..Oikawa..-?" [F/N] muttered, loud enough for the boy to hear.

"How do you know my name" Oikawa deadpanned, his cold eyes staring down at her smaller figure.

"I...no w-way- this can't be happening I.. this is a d-dream I..-" She stepped forward, causing him to step back in confusion and fear.

He wasn't used to his surroundings, nor was he used to having to look at a mirror with his different yet similar face.

"Stay back, I don't know who you are." Tōru kept his distance from her, he didn't show any fear whatsoever. But deep down he was panicking. Where was he? How did he get here? And why was he here?

[F/N] sighed, calming down a bit to hold herself back from bursting out into tears. She looked into Oikawa's half lidded eyes and began to explain how he was a Fictional character she looked up to, a character who wasn't supposed to exist but yet still ended up being in her room PHYSICALLY. Was this a way of God giving her a Gift? A gift of someone she treasured and looked up to the most? Perhaps.

Tōru's eyes softened, he scanned her room only to look at the merch [F/N] baught of himself. It's crazy to believe, but it's the only logical explanation; How he ended up transferring into a different reality, a different dimension. It all made sense in his head but it was hard to believe. How could this girl look so calm? Was she expecting this? Though, she was caught off guard when she realized who he was. So Oikawa shook off the thought, and eventually let out a smile.

"Is it alright if I stay here until I figure out a way to head back..?" He questioned, his head tilting to the side as his usual yet none genuine smile spread across his cheeks. He wanted to deal with this situation without having to face it alone.

"O-Ofcourse..!" [F/N] quickly looked around, before settling her bag on her [F/C] bean bag.

"Do you live alone?"

"Oh, actually I live with my Parents but they're off on a vacation for 3 weeks"

"I see~" Oikawa hummed, before plopping himself on her bed. He may look and act calm and collected. But inside he was worrying about how his friends and family would act with his sudden disappearance from his own reality.

"Are you okay? Do you feel hungry? I could cook for you if you want" [F/N] said as she sat beside him.

Tōru was caught off guard from her sudden approach, but he paid no mind. He didn't get any harmful nor dangerous vibes from the stranger.

"Actually, I'm not hungry at all. But I do have a question or two that I would like for you to answer"

"Ask awayyyy!" [F/N] said with a huge goofy grin her face, causing the setter to let out a chuckle. She couldn't keep in her excitement with having her idol infront of her.

"Pfft, now, what's your name Stranger?"

"Stra- ah right- I'm [F/N] [L/N]"

"Ah~ what a cute name [F/N]-chan! Is it alright if I call you that or are you uncomfortable with it?" Tōru asked with a tilt of his head.

"A-Actually I don't mind you calling me by my first name.. But, that means I get to call you Tōru-kun then!"

"Tōru, just call me Tōru." He replied softly.

[F/N] could practically feel her heart flutter. Was she really falling for Oikawa for real? Was he really THE Oikawa Tōru..

Little did she know, this was the start of an unbreakable bond. A bond that will soon blossom into romance.

[Original Idea, do not steal]

[soundsaboutrighttumblr]

hey! i agree with everything u said in ur post abt deyi being unhealthy. this past week it's rly been irking me that some ppl are viewing deyi in such a black n white way, refusing to see the nuance in their choices and interactions. so many ppl are talking abt them being ooc, the rship being toxic, etc, which i can understand their pov's but at the same time, like u said - this is fiction, we can separate it from reality, but we can also understand it through a lens of empathy where situations aren't always so easy and we don't always make the "obvious" right choices, for a multitude of reasons. shu yi and shi de have done things to each other which on the surface are not nice at all, but the context and the history and the complex emotions behind these interactions are what allow us to make sense of these things, rather than plainly labelling them "unhealthy". i rly like the example u gave abt choosing to stay in a system that may hurt u. and i think shu yi and shi de are aware of how much they're hurting both themselves and each other with the events that have occurred in the last few eps, but they are staying in these situations and consciously choosing to continue bc they know it can be fixed. they both have this hope within them that whatever they once had can be restored, that they Can find happiness with each other, and they Can learn to be better ppl together. to me, this is what's beautiful abt wbl. they're both extremely real + flawed characters but in the end they are each nurturing this tiny hope that they're right for each other, and that they will work things out. idk if this ramble made much sense but i mainly wanted to say i agree with u!! and i rly enjoy ur other wbl metas/musings too, pls keep them up! now i'm off to read ur fic~

Thank you so much for your words, really. I don’t have much to add, because you worked it out so beautifully, better than I could, because:

“they both have this hope within them that whatever they once had can be restored, that they Can find happiness with each other, and they Can learn to be better ppl together. to me, this is what's beautiful abt wbl. they're both extremely real + flawed characters but in the end they are each nurturing this tiny hope that they're right for each other, and that they will work things out.”

Yes. Agree 100 percent with all you said.

And poeple seeing things black and white irks me a lot too, because it is not what I need. I need nuance. And I am so happy when it is there in a material and show so complex as wbl.

But I tell myself, that people have different needs for processing stuff, some need the black and white to make sense and achieve a sense of clearness for them, to be able to process. For some maybe nuance might be the next step, for other just not something they need to percieve to set their boundaries and interpret what they are shown.

It’s just sad that some voices seem always louder than others, discouraging other’s experiences just by representing systems of thoughts of percieving the world, that others, like me, like you, might not find they belong in.

That’s why it makes me so happy, whenever we are able to find like minds, people with similar needs, through something like this.

Thank you for your words, really. <3

[bobasheebaby]

75 Criminal Minds Prompts

Some of these can easily go very, very dirty, and yes I’m talking about Morgan and Garcia conversations and honestly would it be a list without them?

1 “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you’ve really stopped to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. ― Hotch

2 “Life is a hell of a thing to happen to someone.”― David Rossi

3 “Destroying a book is like…destroying a whole world.” — Diana Reid 

4 “Trust me, kiddo. I’ve been here before.” ― David Rossi

5 “I’ve always heard every ending is also a beginning. We just don’t know it at the time. I’d like to believe that’s true.” — Emily Prentiss 

6 “He is the perfect man. He doesn’t hog the covers, and he poops in a box.” — Emily Prentiss 

7 “Went on a diet last night. Lost 185 pounds.” — Dr. Tara Lewis 

8 “Marital bliss followed by marital diss! Of course. Why didn’t I think of that?” — Penelope Garcia

9 “I don’t take kindly to being blown up. In fact, it kind of pisses me off.” — Derek Morgan 

10 “You know, I've learned that, in the short time I've had the privilege of being a dad... it heals wounds, just being there for your kid.��� — David Rossi

11 “What makes you feel confident?” “Statistics.” — Derek Morgan and Dr Spencer Reid

12 “NAME , believe me when I say this, I've never known a normal day in my entire life.” — Dr Spencer Reid

13 “The number of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering. It's actually safer to kiss.” — Dr Spencer Reid

14 “No one gets therapy these days without a healthy dose of medication.” “What are you implying, NAME?” “That everyone is medicated.” — Dr Spencer Reid and Penelope Garcia

15 “He/She doesn't give a damn about black or white. The only color that son of a bitch cares about is green.” — Dr Spencer Reid

16 “I don't know everything. I mean, despite the fact that you think that I do.” “I never said that. When have I ever said that?” “Every day since I met you!” — Dr Spencer Reid and Derek Morgan

17 “I never have any normal fans.” — Dr Spencer Reid

18 “Hey, Baby Girl, whatever you’re doing, drop it.” — Derek Morgan

19 “Talk to me, Baby Girl.” — Derek Morgan

20 “There you go, Baby Girl, that’s sweet.” — Derek Morgan

21 “Give it to me, doll face.” — Derek Morgan

22 “Hey, doll face. Ready to work some magic for me?” — Derek Morgan

23 “Hey, silly girl. I love you, you know that, right?” — Derek Morgan

24 “Hey girl, you’re on speaker. Behave.” “Or what, you’ll spank me?” — Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia

25 “It was once said that love is giving someone the ability to destroy you, but trusting them not to.” — Derek Morgan

26 “Hey baby girl, I need you to work that magic of yours.” “Rub my lamp, release the Genie.” — Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia

27 “You really are afraid of the dark.” “I'm working on that.” “You should work a little harder.” — Derek Morgan and Dr Spencer Reid

28 “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, pump your brakes. What is this about?” — Derek Morgan

29 “Oh, and if you hate sad stories as much as I do, you should leave the room right now, 'cause this is super sad!” — Penelope Garcia

30 “Enchantress of all things possible, use your imagination.” — Penelope Garcia

31 “My least three favorite words strung together: I don't know.” — Penelope Garcia

32 “Hello, my pretties. I have seen the wizard and he granted my wish.” — Penelope Garcia

33 “She knew where to toe the line between right and raunchy.” — Penelope Garcia

34 “OK, let me get you on a secret: Guys, we don’t do well on subtle clues, OK? You got to be direct, straight up. Just tell him exactly what you want!” — Derek Morgan

35 “It’s who you are, Baby Girl. You see the beauty in everything and everyone no matter where you go. That part of you is never gonna change, and I won’t let it.” — Derek Morgan

36 “NAME, people need to know that they're important and sometimes you forget that.” — Hotch

37 “Don't you have something better to do?” “Than to annoy you for three hours? Hell no.” — Hotch and Derek Morgan

38 “I think, deep down, we're all capable of unspeakable things. Where it starts or what you call it, I don't know.” — Hotch

39 “NAME, this is the job, and I need to know that you can be objective.” “And I need to know that I can be human.” — Hotch and Emily Prentiss

40 “Scars show us where we have been, they do not dictate where we are going.” — Rossi

41 “You don't need to do anything you don't want to. Understand?” — Rossi

42 “Just be careful. That ego of yours is going to get you in trouble." — Rossi

43 “Somewhere along the line, I put myself first. I admit it, but I can't go back and change it." — Rossi

44 “It could be that, after all of these years, I rewrote history." — Rossi

45 “Time will pass and slowly you will find how much it hurts. And, maybe, you'll find something else to fill that empty space." — Rossi

46 “Where you headed?” “Nowhere in particular.” “How will you know when you get there?” — Rose and Gideon

47 “Only a man would waste $50 trying to win back that $3 stuffed animal.” — JJ

48 “This is my favorite part. This is where you hang yourself with your own tongue. So, please keep talking.” — JJ

49 “My father/mother believes that children shouldn't be shielded from the realities of the world. I do! Isn't that why we read them fairy tales in the first place?” — JJ

50 “Oh god, please tell me you don't have a crush on a fictional character.” — JJ

51 “You are the best ever.” “Aw, and you're the most perceptive.” — JJ and Garcia

52 “I once dated a guy/girl who washed his/her car more than he/she washed his/her hair.” — JJ

53 “Don't tell me what I want and don't want.” — JJ

54 “You do what it takes to protect your family.” — JJ

55 “Look, I don't speak smartass.” — Michael Russo

56 “How's it having NAME around?” “You can have him/her back whenever you would like.” Hotch and Garcia

57 “So, NAME, when are you and NAME walking down the aisle?” “Hey, whoa, whoa. Baby steps. Baby steps.” “When NAME says "I do", it'll be a national day of mourning for single men/women everywhere.” — Rossi, Morgan and Reid

58 “Ugh! This heat is brutal!” “You know, it isn't so much the heat as it is the humidity.” “At some point, it doesn't matter how you look at it. It all sucks.” — Derek Morgan and Dr Spencer Reid

59 “Need a minute?” “So, so badly.” — Matt Simmons and Penelope Garcia

60 “Hey. I came as soon as I could. What's wrong?” — Matt Simmons

61 “We ask questions, and we come home.” “No creepy weirdness?” “No weirdness.” “Good, 'cause I'm about full up in the creepy weirdness department for one night.” — Matt Simmons and Penelope Garcia

62 “Ooh, what about this one? Sunny, two-bedroom. It's close to work. And it's in your price range.” “NAME, you're moving? You don't like change.” “That's true. Change is my kryptonite. But the apartment is no longer a sanctuary. I have a new neighbor. Window's right here. He enjoys doing naked kung fu. Some things you cannot unsee.” — JJ, Simmons and Garcia

63 “Thank you.” “For what?” “For being you.” “Aw, thanks. I don't know how to be anyone else.” — Emily Prentiss and Dr Spencer Reid

64 “When a woman tells a man about her feelings, she doesn't want him to fix her. She wants him to shut up and listen.” — Emily Prentiss

65 “I just feel I can't understand others' emotions if I don't deal with my own, you know?” “The best way out is always through.” “Too bad it's not always the easiest one.” “You're not kidding.” — Dr Tara Lewis and Rossi

66 “It helps if they think you're crazy. They don't argue.” — Diana Reid

67 “I don’t hate you ... I’m just not necessarily excited about your existence.” — Dr Spencer Reid

68 “There are many paths to the same place. Trust me.” “Just so you know, you sound like a fortune cookie.” — Hotch

69 “I’m always right. Also, you’re secretly in love with me.” — Penelope Garcia

70 “I just gave the bartender my number in Roman numerals. If he/she figures it out, he’s/she’s worth a shot.” — Dr Spencer Reid

71 “Shh, the adults are talking. When it’s your turn to speak, I’ll give you permission. Okay?” — JJ

72 “Hey, mama, tell me something I don’t know.” — Derek Morgan

73 “Talk dirty to me.” — Penelope Garcia

75 “Hey, don’t make me spank you when I get back.” “Don’t listen time him/her, NAME, he’s/she’s all talk.” — Derek Morgan and Dr Spencer Reid

[ooffies]

gumdropfairy matchup request~

Hello! May I request a matchup? Sorry if it is too long. ><

Synopsis: I come off as distant and awkward. I don’t talk much and if I do, I am agreeable and soft-spoken. I would say I am sensitive, transparent, emotional, understanding, curious, carefree, and clumsy. I am expressive and am not afraid to show my feelings, people would say I am an open book. I always cry at sad movies or scenes where you're supposed to cry. I have 4 siblings and it's fun but tiring at the same time, I'm the butt of every joke and am treated like the youngest. I also like to tease those I am very close with. I am expressive and (sometimes childish) with those I am very close to and agreeable with the general public. In a group work setting, I am diligent and reasonable when doing my job.

Habits/Interests/Dreams: I say 'what the heck' a lot, it's a habit tbh. I rant when I am passionate. A dream of mine is to enjoy life with people I love, to travel, capture beautiful scenery and eat lots of sweets! I like learning about international cultures, languages and funky things like did you know smelling your own fart prevents  Alzhimer's disease because of hydrogen sulfide and egg-smells? LOL.

Travel, psychology, and society-related documentaries interests me. I am currently a (elementary) A2 level Korean, I want to study more of the language because I like Korean music and culture. The concept of time travel, multitudes of reality and isekai worlds intrigue and fascinate me, I like reading fictional stuff about it. I have good knowledge of geography. My siblings always tease me when the number 13 shows because.....I want to always avoid the number and really hate that number. I used to do judo in high school and I have a fascination with martial arts. :D

Likes/Dislikes: I like pastels, sunsets, flowers, photography, sweets, fried foods, skincare, sparkly stuff, lip gloss, memes, dad jokes and games.

I dislike it when people assume things about me like they know me (when they really don't), condescending people, ignorance, waking up early and seafood. I like my freedom and want to be independent, and dislike it immensely being forced to do something I don't want to do. I really don't like listening to lectures (doesn't everyone though?). I'm not academically inclined but I have decent grades. I really don't like math and chemistry T_T

In depth: I am pretty sensitive when people criticize or judge me only if it's constructive but if it is outright just to insult me than I will say something bc that upsets the heck outta me. Because I have such a big immediate family (there's 7 of us) I am family-oriented so playing Obey Me really reminds me a lot of my family(esp siblings I have 4). In fact, I do get irritated easily and I am working on my short-temper. I am understanding and always try my best to not look at things just in my perspective but others as well. I am pessimistic in nature but I do genuinely want to see the good in people and in life. When thinking about my feelings and knowing the why I feel the way I do and how it affects others, you could say there is emotional intelligence. :)

My insecurity without a doubt is caring too much on what people think of me and how content I am with myself. I think this is because of me, my past "friends" who judged me so critically which had a negative effect on how I see myself. Because of that, I have very few friends. In fact, I don't really have any. I kind of just lost my self of self and trust for people. And my insecurity with of how unrefined, incompetent or unlikable I am, I've been told a lot to "grow up" and "stop asking dumb questions."

I want to be loved and not to be judged so harshly. Since I am slowly becoming an adult I have to discard my awkward, playful tendencies in front of others. 

Hobbies: otome games, learning Korean, pilates/ workout videos, eating, and bothering my siblings

My Fangirl self: I am a big fan of Avatar:The Last Airbender and One Punch Man (Genos is husbando material lol). I also really like Free and Haikyuu. Hot 2D men, babies, and puppies are my weaknesses. I read a lot of romance, isekai, and action webtoons/mangas and like watching it too.

Appearance wise, I'm 163 cm, and Asian so I have medium standard straight dark hair, round brown eyes, and I'm slim. 

Thank you!~

♡-------------------------------------------------------♡

Hey hey! Sorry for the really long wait! Let's get right to it!

I match you with......................... Beelzebub!

He loves learning about you and the things you love! Every day he feels that he learns something new about you! He loves listening to you talk about your passions and interests. You two also talk about your families and being the youngest siblings.

You two are fried food buddies, always trying new fried creations and you guys sometimes even fry random things so you can try them! Lets just say that fired toothpaste idea Beel had wasn't his best fried food idea.......

Beel once ate a whole tube of your lip gloss once cause it "smelled good". He felt super bad after that a bought you a bunch of your favorite lip gloss as an apology.

Always gets worried when you cry, even if it's at a sad scene in a movie. He's always there to comfort you when you're angry or stressed. He gives the best hugs in the world.

You actually got hom into Avatar the last Airbender. He enjoyed the show a whole lot and he nows comes to you for show recommendations cause he says you have a good taste in TV shows.

He loves hugging and holding you. When you two are out in public together, he is always holding your hand. His favorite place to kiss you is your lips and his favorite place to be kissed by you is his cheek!

@gumdropfairy I hope you enjoyed it and once again sorry for the wait! This whole pandemic really has me stressed and feeling down, I was really unmotivated. But now I'm feeling better and will try to write at least one match up every day! Thanks for the request have a lovely rest of your day!😊-ooffies💛

Match up requests: closed

Asks: open!

[gracie-p8-officialblog]

Defending Christine Daae

I never thought I'd have to write a post with that title, let me tell you.

Because when I first heard of Phantom of the Opera, I was under the impression that everybody loved Christine just as much as I did. I mean, how could you help it? Well, I was wrong. It would seem that there are, in fact, people out there who don't share my exact opinion (shock of shocks) and who dislike Christine for various stupid reasons.

Now, I'm not here to point fingers at anyone or to belittle anyone's opinions in anyway, and blah-de-blah [fill in the rest of long boring disclaimer any way you wish]. But I AM here to defend one of my favourite female protagonists in a work of fiction! And defend her I WILL! IN THE NAME OF THE MOON!

Um, pardon me. Don't know how that last sentence got in there.

Now, on the internet, I've heard some flak about Christine, and though I'm not here to make anyone feel bad (see above) I do want to refute those points about her, point-by-point. (Hmm. Redundancy.) One of the biggest points against Christine is her choice to be with Raoul instead of the Phantom, who *ahem* TOTALLY needed her because he had a bad life and he taught her to sing! My opinion?

I don't think that means Christine owes him love. Appreciation and thanks, yes. But not love. The only thing he ever did that was worth any kind of love was letting Christine go. And she isn't some sort of consolation prize! It's NOT her job to fix the Phantom, only he could fix himself!

C'mon people! The two pretty much fit the qualities of an abusive relationship (emotional manipulation, throwing her around, restricting her from seeing other people etc.) And it’s kinda disturbing. “BUT!” You cry, “CHRISTINE REJECTED THE PHANTOM FOR A SHALLOW REASON! HE WAS UGLY!”

While I do understand what you’re coming from, I would like to inform you that it was actually his toxic behaviour towards her and murderous qualities that drove her away from him and made her choose Raoul. In “Final Lair”, she said one of the biggest burns in Gothic thriller history “It’s in your SOUL where the TRUE distortion lies...”  The Phantom's problem isn't with his disfigurement. No, the problem is with what he's allowed his disfigurement to make him. He's become so obsessed with the idea that no one loves him and no one will ever really care for him that he believes anyone who stands remotely in his way is just out to get him. So what does he do? He murders people whom he gets annoyed with. First Buquet, then Piangi, and finally (almost) Raoul. And that is DEFINITELY not okay! 

I think Christine saw him as more of a teacher, or a friend, or a... father figure, in a messed up way... which is more evident in the book on how she is both afraid and sympathetic for the Phantom. 

While not condoning his actions,  I do wish the Phantom could have found someone to love him. Good gracious, his final lines “IT’S OVER NOW THE MUSIC OF THE NIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHHTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” makes me tear up every time.  Gah. I'm in danger of sobbing, too, but I really want to get this post done, so I will conquer myself and think of something Funny instead. *thinks* I know! Gerard Butler’s version of the “All I Ask Of You (Reprise)”. That’ll cheer me up and make me laugh XD!

In all seriousness, I know that Erik is unstable and violent. But I also know that he really IS a gentle, misunderstood soul. You can be both, you know. The unstable and violent side of him, unfortunately, triumphed- and his dreams, his desires for love, his castle on a cloud came tumbling down because of it.

And so... onto the next point, another common argument used to bash Christine is that she’s considered to be flat, boring and goes through ZERO development! But in actual fact, there’s so much going on in her head and goes through quite an emotional travesty that it’s almost impossible to call her bland!

She is deeply wounded by the loss of her father, and has this incredible musical talent which stayed in a state of diamond in the rough before being discovered by her “Angel of Music”. He trains her, not realizing that she is becoming the center of an unhealthy obsession, genuinely believing in her naivety that he is some benevolent spirit sent by her father, therefore bringing her a sense of comfort. She is a pious girl, after all, and being religious myself, well, such a reaction from someone who believes like her is believable though naive. Can we blame Christine for that? NO. How is she supposed to guess?

And now, let's talk about "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", aka. The Christine Empowerment™ song! I feel like the difference between a good portrayal of Christine and a great portrayal of Christine, is based on how good their rendition of this song is. It is a crucial part of the plot. One of the reason The Phantom and Raoul appeal to Christine is because of the connection they represent to her dead father. Of course, Raoul actually knew her father and the Phantom uses his memory to manipulate her. At this point in the show, Christine has become disillusioned with Raoul and is afraid of the Phantom. She realizes through the song that the only way she can’t move forward is through letting go of the past, and getting over the death of her father. This fuels her actions through the rest of the show as it makes her realize that if she wants her happy ending, she must take charge of her destiny and earn her own agency! And the Phantom, trying to use her in the moment where she was probably at her most vulnerable since she is questioning herself about her entire life, only catalyses her decision. She performs in Don Juan Triumphant, because she knows that everything is up to her, and that she cannot let the Phantom keep on destroying her life.

As for her unmasking the Phantom in "Point of No Return", Christine did this in a way to show him that she refused to be controlled by him any longer. It is certainly not the most intelligent thing to do, nor the nicest, but again, her behaviour is explainable. But as said above for Erik, it doesn’t excuse her. And it shows how she was beginning to be able to resist his pull/spell/enchantment/whatever you like to call it on her!

I adore and admire Christine Daae as a character so much, and it was her actions and story arc that really started my love for this story. Christine's ability to love unconditionally and selflessly is so profound. Even though the Phantom put her and everyone else through lots of horrors, she still doesn't hesitate to show kindness towards him but makes sure that her abuser NEVER hurts anyone EVER again. She loves Raoul so much that she's pretty much willing to sacrifice her freedom and happiness so Raoul could be free. No matter what circumstances she is given, she will still put the ones she loves before herself no matter what, even if it means giving up a chance to save herself. I know most of us won’t ever be put in such an extreme scenario but Christine is such an inspiration of how to love others and believe in them despite flaws and bad sides. She inspires me to see the good in people. It’s so easy to be cynical and hardened in this world, and I think that Phantom of the Opera reminds us to have kindness and light in our hearts, even in challenging circumstances.

I would also like to add another moment of character. Think what it must have taken to prepare for the female lead role in a 3-act opera. Christine wasn’t even an understudy. In a matter of minutes, she went from member of the ballet corps to the lead role, and she had to rehearse and remember new music, character, blocking, and vocals. Not only did she prepare in time, she performed so well that she became a hit. This reveals, not only the skill and beauty of her voice, but also her concentration, diligence, and acting capability. Everyone hails the Phantom as the ultimate musical genius—and he is—but they overlook the implied extent of Christine’s skill.

She went through the loss of both parents, manipulation, being stalked, and knowing that the person she loves most has his life on the line - because of her. And then she literally gets off of her knees and shows her abuser the first form of kindness he has ever known. Not even the Phantom was strong enough for that; he gave up on the world far too early. Christine is the embodiment of courage and kindness; she teaches us to love and forgive those who have been awful to us, and to protect those we love even if it means our own suffering. But she no longer succumbs to the Phantom and makes sure her abuser never hurts anyone EVER again. Seriously, this girl is AWESOME! And this was in the 18th century! It's really sad that such a great character is overlooked by many...

It seems that Leroux really understood women... That we can be emotional, we are vulnerable but not weak... And emotion really helps us when we keep them in control!

Christine, in a nutshell, is a kind, observant, compassionate, trusting young woman–a too trusting at first–but with a spine of steel and determination once she’s drawn the line. She loves people deeply, but she picks up quickly on the realities of the situation. She has the strongest character arc in the story and makes the choices to grow and to move on. Yet she remains gentle and compassionate, uses her love to bless and not manipulate. She’s a layered character who grows. And there’s so much more to her than meets the eye.

[jormugandrs-and-ladders]

I wanna talk about realism in fiction. Is realism the gold standard? Is escapism? Maybe it varies from moment to moment, work to work. Is realism necessarily depressing? Or is the real world a complex mix of sadness, joy, and everything in between?

I've noticed a tendency among some people to hold up realism as something creators should strive for in their fiction. There is an assumption that fantastical stories are less intellectual, more childish, and thus that serious consumers of media should always avoid them, and that you're silly for taking them seriously.

Really, I think realism is good when used consistently to serve the purpose of the piece. I'm not going to get frustrated with a Marvel movie for having unrealistic superpowers, because it's Marvel and that's their thing. I might be frustrated if a character acted in a way no actual person could conceivably act in their situation, because it's Marvel, and decently realistic psychology is... kinda their thing too.

Realism is often portrayed as making each new show, book, or movie more gritty than the last. People say they want to show the uncomfortable side of reality, but in doing so they forget about the beauty of the world we live in. When I woke up, my dog was curled up on the couch, sound asleep snuggling his favorite pillow. Tomorrow, I get to go watch a bad movie with my brother, and riff it shamelessly. A wonderful older woman walked me to a building on my campus that I couldn't find anywhere, when she could have just pointed and gone on with her day. I was so frustrated, and her simple kindness turned my entire day around. Yeah, reality is messy, but it's also really, really cool. It isn't all death and destruction.

[bookishandthetea]

Birthday Q&A (forgot to post this yesterday)

What’s your favorite series?

THG/ASOUE/AGGGTM

What’s your favorite genre?

My favorite genre would have to be Mystery/Crime/Murder Mystery/Detective/Thriller

How did you get into reading?

I guess because my parents read to me.

Fantasy or sci-fi?

I dont  really read either but Fantasy.

How do you choose your next read?

Lately I have this list cause Im doing the popsugar challenge and ill do a number generator so that but also if I’m just scrolling through bookstagram and ill add a book to the list and do a random number generator to choose.

Reading outside or inside?

Inside most definitely.

Series or standalones?

Series, I like to see how the character’s lives ended. I’m invested.

Hardcover or paperback?

Hardcover maybe? Though I do love paperback books as well.

Where does your current read take place?

I’m reading The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants which takes place in different places. Oia, Greece. Baja California, Mexico. South Carolina, and Bethesda, Maryland.

Favorite book-to-movie adaptations?

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green hands down which is funny cause I’ve only seen scenes from it.

Favorite Harry Potter character (/spell/class/pet, etc.)?

My favorite would have to be Fred & George probably or maybe Sirius. I don’t really know.

When did you join Bookstagram?

June 17.

What do you love about reading?

I love being able to be transported into another world, to live through the character to the point its like I am them. I love living their life, going on adventures I would never go on in real life. I like seeing the interactions, development, and overall life of characters. I like to develop relationships with them because you get to escape reality for just a little while.

Do you DNF books or read all the way through?

There are a few times, once or twice, that I DNFd a book which is ok. Maybe ill come back to it later and love it but it is ok to DNF a book.

Would you rather be a librarian or a bookseller?

Librarian. You get to interact/people watch. It’s peaceful, quiet. People are always coming back. You could witness so many things as well. The start of a friendship, a courtship,a family. The library tells stories. It welcomes all that enter to come back, to check out more books. It is also the safe haven for so many kids.

I

What’s your reading goal for this year?

50 books which I am not pressuring myself to reach.

Do you reread books?

All the time.

Describe how you’re feeling in emojis.

😀🥳👍🤜✍️

Describe your current read in emojis.

👖➡️👧+👦🏻[👴🏼👵🏼👧]➡️👧🏻💼 👧🏼📹➡️👧🏽 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦➡️➡👧🏼💘👦🏕️

What was your last five-star read?

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

What’s your favorite season?

Summer

What’s your favorite non fiction book?

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Do you prefer tea or coffee?

Tea, I don’t like coffee.

Do you like music while reading or silence?

I like listening to music/sound but I also like to read in silence.

Do you prefer books with one POV or multiple POVs?

Multiple povs though one pov is still good because I like seeing what is going on in everyone’s heads.

What is the most quote worthy book?

Well a book I always quote is TFIOS. Book series is ASOUE.

Dream career?

I believe I want to major in English in college, so maybe something to do with that though idk. Not writing as full time though.

Your star sign?

Cancer

Favorite binge-worthy tv shows.

Favorite shows are Psych, Criminal Minds, SVU, and the netflix adaptation of ASOUE. Also HIMYM.

What song is stuck in your head?

Like My Father by Jax.

Favorite Disney Princess?

Tiana most definitely.

Favorite book to show adaptations?

The netflix adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events hands down.

If you owned a book shop what would you call it?

Bookish

 Top Five OTPs?

Everlark- Katniss Everdeen + Peeta Mellark(THG)

Gaze?- Hazel Grace Lancaster + Augustus Waters(TFIOS)

Dunlet- Violet Baudelaire + Duncan Quagmire(ASOUE)

Kladora- Isadora Quagmire + Klaus Baudelaire(ASOUE)

Pavi/Rippa/Sarge?-Pippa Fitz-Amobi + Ravi Singh(AGGGTM)

A book series you deem terribly underrated? 

The Lawless Trilogy by Jeffrey Salane. I’m on the 2nd book and they are awesome.

Do you own a library card? How much do you use it?

Yes. I don’t currently know where it is but yeah. I dont use it too often.

Do you buy bookish merch?

No.

Siblings?

Yes, I’m the youngest of 3 girls. A sister who is 16, 17 on Halloween(2 yrs older)(going to be in junior year of hs) and one who is 18, 19 in August(4 yrs older)(going to be in sophomore year of college)

If you have multiple instagram accounts what are they?

I have this bookstagram @bookishandthetea, my writing instagram @_thatsthetea.books_, and my character’s accounts, @nakhalacarter, @kamleyhernandezz @asaadsanchez and @mahlikwalkerr.

 Did your middle school do reading levels? What was yours?

Yes they did and I was level Z+

What author/s do you love for writing their books but hate for the pain and heartbreak they caused you?

Suzanne Collins and John Green above all.

Do you write in your books?

No, but I may start.

 A tv show(s) that you hate/ just really don’t like?

Attaway General, General Hospital, The Bachelor series

 What are some of your favorite quotes?

“Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.”

“That’s the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind, Hazel Grace. It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.”

“As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”

“But the sad truth is that the truth is sad, and that what you want does not matter. A series of unfortunate events can happen to anyone, no matter what they want.

“The world is quiet here.”

“They're book addicts.”

“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.”

“Never been better.”

“Besides, no one has ever seen the light by being told there are darker places out there.”

“I love you and your broken wings.”

“The hard thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same.”

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.”

“Pip wished she was strong enough, but she’d learned that she wasn’t invincible; she too could break.”

“I'm not sure I'm the good girl i once thought i was . I've lost her along the way”

“I’ve already learned my lesson here: when you catch someone lying about a murdered girl, you go ask them why.”

Do you wear glasses?

Yes.

Do you love to write?

Yes.

What’s your favorite movie?

I don’t really watch movies but maybe the TFIOS movie and the barbie movies which are actually really good.