#literature mixed with numbers

[anghraine]

I know this isn't only an autistic thing or always an autistic thing, but over the least few years, I've realized that a lot of my difficulties with humor are not actually with humor itself. If anything, there are specific kinds of humor that really work for me and I end up laughing so much harder and longer than everyone else that it's uncomfortable or embarrassing.

But a lot of popular humor fundamentally relies on saying things that aren't true. Sometimes this is drastic exaggeration, sometimes it's OTT parody that is far more about Being Funny than about the actual thing being parodied, and often it's flatly false and that's what is supposed to be funny about it. And yes, that's a humorless and ungracious way to describe that kind of humor—I don't mean to say that this is objectively bad or something.

I even understand the jokes intellectually. But in the vast majority of cases, there is something deeply unfunny to me about jokes reliant on something that is either obviously untrue or which I firmly disagree with.

I've seen quite a few posts recently about how, in online fandom, mocking your faves or being amused at other people mocking your faves is an important part of fandom culture. But for me, jokes about my faves based on things they actually said or did, or qualities they clearly possess, can be very funny, while jokes that are based on misrepresentations—even obvious, it's-all-in-good-fun-and-we-all-know-the-truth misrepresentations—are tedious at best.

For an easy example: Anakin and Luke Skywalker are two of my main Star Wars faves. Jokes about sand or Anakin mass-murdering children in his good phase or Luke being far less concerned than Han over the revelation of who his twin is or "it's not faaaaair" can still be really funny to me when told right. Jokes about Anakin obviously mind-tricking Padmé or Luke being obviously an eternally optimistic loser twink are intensely annoying to me regardless of context or delivery, not because they're comparably objectionable or anything but because they're not true.

Functionally this does cut out a lot of humor—especially online humor—but it's not that I literally don't understand it. I get it. I just don't get it.

[kateksmallcuteowl]

June 26: Soulmates/Soulmate Marks AU

Your mark shows how old will your soulmate be when you fall in love with them. (Meaning both romantically and sexually)

For an event by @bagginshieldweek24

More headcanons after the cut. Seriously, there’s a lot, as I developed a whole idea but had no time to write a fic because of exams.

— Dwarfs come of age in around 80 y.o., having a soulmate from another race is a very rare occurrence; throughout the history of Middle-earth, there have been at most a dozen such cases, so most dwarves are unaware of this possibility. Having a mark with a number younger than the age of majority is a lifelong shame, essentially an admission of pedophilia. Unfortunately, this happens more often than having a soulmate from another race.

— Thorin spent his entire adult life, from the moment the mark appeared, wearing an extra layer of bandages under his bracers to prevent anyone from seeing the number. Fortunately, among dwarves, it is not considered inappropriate to hide the marks, as many value their privacy.

— The mark and thoughts about it were the reason why Thorin often appeared especially gloomy when the topic of romance came up.

— He truly tried to compensate for his "defectiveness" with his virtues.

— Of course, Thorin is a virgin.

— Bilbo, on the other hand, didn't think much about this; hobbits don't see anything wrong with living without their soulmate or seeing their soulmate as a friend. They are generally a loving people and don't worry about the concept of "the one and only."

— Although the topic of soulmates is considered highly romantic in hobbit literature, Bilbo was somewhat disappointed when he realized he would likely never meet his soulmate. (Hobbits are also unaware of inter-racial soulmates.)

— I tried to make young Bilbo look more like Frodo, so here he has smaller curls and a different style of shirt.

— Thorin and Bilbo both hid their marks, so when they felt an attraction to each other, especially after the Carrock, both were initially upset, thinking they weren't soulmates. Thorin, of course, was much more upset.

— During the two weeks they stayed with Beorn (yes, I'm mixing the movie and the book, what are you going to do about it? Slow burn needs time to be slow), they managed to reach the point of kissing near the river or something like that. But when Bilbo tried to unlace Thorin's tunic, Thorin stopped him and said that, unlike hobbits, for dwarves, sexual interaction is a very serious step in emotional attachment. It wouldn't be fair not to tell Bilbo what kind of monster he was getting involved with, because after seeing what Thorin had to show him, Bilbo might not even want to look him in the eye. Bilbo was honestly frustrated. (It is implied that Thorin used some term characteristic of a pedo... ahem)

— With a terrifyingly serious face, Thorin unwrapped the bandages on his wrist, and Bilbo, with a sinking heart, prepared to see a number like 5 or 12. Instead, there was a very respectable and completely normal age. Thorin turned away, not wanting to see the disappointment in the hobbit's eyes. Bilbo spent a few seconds calculating how long dwarves live and how old Thorin actually was.

— Thorin thought Bilbo wanted to shame him for having the audacity to enter into a relationship at such an age, knowing his soulmate's extremely young age. With closed eyes, he forced out that he was 195 and knew how disgusting he was because of it.

— Instead of a slap or something worse, which Thorin wouldn't have opposed, thinking any normal person had the right to treat him like that after seeing it, Bilbo reached for his own wrist and, with suspicious enthusiasm, pulled off the leather bracelet he had worn since the Shire. On the pale skin was clearly marked Thorin's age, written in dark ink with characteristic dwarvish notches.

— Some time passed in silence as they both realized that such a coincidence simply couldn't be.

— They were in for a very pleasant evening away from the company🌚🌝

— Later, when the entire company gathered by the fire, Bilbo and Thorin would come to them, holding hands, the hobbit nearly glowing with happiness in front, and a red-to-the-tips-of-his-ears Thorin slightly behind. This would be the first time anyone in the company saw Thorin without bandages, and if not for the matching age on Bilbo's wrist, now also not hidden by a bracelet, they wouldn't have believed Thorin could be normal with such a number on his skin.

— And the dwarves would realize how young Bilbo was by their standards.

— Truly, the ways of the Valar are mysterious.

— At the very end of the night, Fili would nudge Kili with his elbow and hint that since their uncle had an inter-racial mark, he might not be so angry and yell when he finds out that his brother has a four-digit number on his wrist.

[englishsub]

book rec by me

so you want to get back into reading books but have no idea where to start and disdain booktok (if you get me started on this however i will become an unskippable cutscene so that's for another day). understandable. there is so much out there and it is all so overwhelming and you don't even know what you like now that you've been a decade out of the game. again, understandable. it does not have to be scary. i will help you. below i have created some categories that can get you started.

i want to read Literature

literary fiction, with crossover from historical fiction and magical realism

PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING by melissa fu

THE VASTER WILDS by lauren groff

THE FAMILY CHAO by lan samantha chang

OUTER DARK by cormac mccarthy

SEVERANCE by ling ma

LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS by ryka aoki

IDENTITTI by mithu m. sanyal

PIRANESI by susanna clarke

i want to read sci-fi/fantasy that won't break my brain

sci-fi and fantasy that is gentler on the brain cells. easier to grasp magic systems with multiple but not an overwhelming number of overlapping plotlines

EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES by heather fawcett

KINGS OF THE WYLD by nicholas eames

THE JASMINE THRONE by tasha suri

THE CITY OF BRASS by s.a. chakraborty

A RIVER ENCHANTED by rebecca ross

JUNIPER AND THORN by ava reid

BLACK SUN by rebecca roanhorse

THE FINAL STRIFE by saara el-arifi

THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER by andrea stewart

i want to read sci-fi/fantasy that forces me to lock the fuck in

i would not recommend picking these up as your first foray back into books after many years of not reading recreationally, but i'm not your mom.

THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER by simon jimenez

JADE CITY by fonda lee

THE FIFTH SEASON by n.k. jemisin

THE RAGE OF DRAGONS by evan winter

A MEMORY CALLED EMPIRE by arkady martine

GIDEON THE NINTH by tamsyn muir

THE ART OF PROPHECY by wesley chu

THE GRACE OF KINGS by ken liu

horrify me!

there is far more to the horror literary canon than stephen king and dean koontz, i promise. consider looking up warnings for these.

TENDER IS THE FLESH by agustina bazterrica

THE RUINS by scott smith

CONFESSIONS by kanae minato

EPISODE THIRTEEN by craig dilouie

REPRIEVE by james han mattson

MARY by nat cassidy

DEAD SILENCE by s.a. barnes

AUDITION by ryu murakami

THE SALT GROWS HEAVY by cassandra khaw

don't care, i want romance

some of these feature crossover genres, like fantasy and horror.

VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE by isabel cañas

DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS by sue lynn tan

SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE by tia williams

HAPPY PLACE by emily henry

ONE DARK WINDOW by rachel gillig

i want QUEER romance

again, a mix of historical, fantasy, and contemporary crossover genres.

WE COULD BE SO GOOD by cat sebastian

IN MEMORIAM by alice winn

MOST ARDENTLY by gabe cole novoa

A STRANGE AND STUBBORN ENDURANCE by foz meadows

A MARVELLOUS LIGHT by freya marske

THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE by justinian huang

SPELL BOUND by f.t. lukens

SORRY, BRO by taleen voskuni

ONE LAST STOP by casey mcquiston

DELILAH GREEN DOESN'T CARE by ashley herring blake

i haven't felt anything since i read percy jackson/the hunger games in middle school/high school

adventure is still out there.

SCYTHE by neil shusterman

WE HUNT THE FLAME by hafsah faizal

SIX OF CROWS by leigh bardugo

GEARBREAKERS by zoe hana mikuta

i'll read anything that's not straight or white

many books in the above categories fit this, but here's even more, across a variety of genres.

LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB by malinda lo

BABEL by r.f. kuang

WHEN THE RECKONING COMES by latanya mcqueen

THE UNBROKEN by c.l. clark

IF YOU'LL HAVE ME (graphic novel) by eunnie

LEGEND OF THE WHITE SNAKE by sher lee

THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone

SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN by shelley parker-chan

"all ya books suck"

like any other genre or book age group, there are duds and there are standouts. ya is not special in this regard. try some of these!

DIVINE RIVALS by rebecca ross

STRIKE THE ZITHER by joan he

THE RED PALACE by june hur

A STUDY IN DROWNING by ava reid

EMPIRE OF SAND by tasha suri

LEGENDBORN by tracy deonn

i check out and read a lot of these books for free via my local library by using the libby app (you can even add your friends' library cards to gain access to libraries in places you don't live). when i'm feeling like reading via audiobook, i use libro fm!

look, no one HAS TO read diversely. no one is going to be reverse fahrenheit 451'd and locked in a room with no fanfic and only books and not let out until they work their way through the entire literary canon. but reading, and reading widely, and reading diversely, is what teaches people to form their own opinions and question the things they are told. it's why they hang up stuff like "READ READ READ!!" in grade school classrooms.

we live under systems that increasingly benefit from going unquestioned. no, of course reading ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE by robin hobb is not going to dismantle these systems tomorrow, nor probably even in our lifetimes. but doing it will help set up a world capable of doing it in the future. and until further notice, we are all part of this wretched world. might as well read a good story while we're here.

anyway, i'm reading THE WEST PASSAGE by jared pechaček and the new cmq book this week.

[blackbirdswillsing]

On Gothic

a cute helpful guide on the gothic subculture that no one asked for <3

goth music springing from the late 1970s after the post punk movement was a subculture heavily inspired by the themes found in victorian gothic literature

gothic literature:

frankenstein - mary shelley

dracula - bram stoker

jekyll and hyde - robert stevenson

wuthering heights - emily bronte

rebecca - daphne du maurier

edgar allen poe <3

some keywords that come from gothic literature that can help you spot a goth song:

'dark' 'death' 'black' 'cold' 'heaven' 'hell' 'witches 'bats' 'night' 'roses' 'blood' 'church' 'forest' 'jesus' 'grey' 'horror' 'shadow' 'sacrifice' 'tears' 'ghost' 'spells' 'cry' 'love' 'haunted' 'funeral' 'cathedral'

Some other themes in a song that can help you to decide if it goth or not can be:

heavy bass

synth sounds (the song sounds like it was recorded in an empty church)

mysterious and whimsical vocals

deep vocals

lack of a (electric) guitar

The 1980's and 90's were the peak for the gothic subculture, especially in camden market, london, england

Some bands that were prominent at the time were...

Bauhaus

The Cure

Sisters of Mercy

Siouxsie and the Banshees

Christian Death

Clan of Xymox

The Cramps

Depeche Mode

New Order

Joy Division

Alien Sex Fiend

Fields of the Nephilim

Killing Joke

The Damned

Nick Cave

Softcell

Some other goth band recs:

Boy Harsher

Children on Stun

Earth Calling Angela

Molchat Doma

Forever Grey

Horror Vacui

Lebanon Hanover

London After Midnight

Male Tears

The March Violets

The Merry Thoughts

Paradise Lost

Paralysed Age

Plastique Noir

Rendez Vous

Rosetta Stone

Selofan

She Wants Revenge

Skinny Puppy

Specimen

This Cold Night

Tragic Black

Traitrs

Type O Negative

Twin Tribes

ULTRA SUNN

Xmal Deutschland

Your Funeral

The 69 Eyes

Please let me know which ones i've missed because these are just ones that I have taken from my own playlist!

The music is the number one most important part of goth subculture and you don't have to dress goth to be goth... but it sure is fun to do so! Goth fashion holds its roots in thrifting, upcycling and sustainable fashion (buying 'goth' clothes from shein, dollskill and killstar is a big no no).

Anyone can style their gothic outfits however they like but here are some examples of different styles:

Trad(itional) Goth:

Romantic Goth:

Victorian Goth:

The styles can get very similar so let me know if i’ve mixed any up!

I’ve reached the limit on the number of pictures i can add so here are some more examples of goth styles:

Corporate goth

Gothabilly

Mall Goth

Cyber Goth

J-Goth

Baby Bat

Mopey Goth

Vampire Goth

Steam punk

To end the post i'm circling back to gothic literature by listing some films too (which are often based on the books)

Everyone's beloved: Bela Lugosi in the first adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1931

The Crow 1994 which comes with a song from The Cure

Interview with the Vampire 1994

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 1975

Edward Scissor Hands 1990

The Addams family 1991 (if he's not like gomez then i don't want him)

The Craft 1996

That's all I have for now and if you made it this far thank you so much for reading and have a nice day <3

current goth song on repeat:

[ranaibrahim]

Hi everyone, this is my story in a few words!

Fortunately, I still remember my name: Rana. I can also remember that I’m a graduate of the Faculty of English-Frensh literature then I completed my master’s studies in education.

Being from northern Gaza means that I have lived through war, aggression, siege, massacre, pain, loss, torment, and also “death”, which life here forces you to look at with your own eyes.

As October approached, the catastrophic chapters of this story dramatically unfolded. It fills my heart with darkness every moment. I open my phone gallery and scrolling up to that promising life where I no longer belong.

Pursuing my Phd education abroad with a good scholarship was always my goal which I believed would be achieved but due to the complete destruction of the city and continuing displacment from place to another, I couldn’t register in any program and I lost the chance this year.

I was working and training in a company inside “Al Jammal tower”, which is one of the largest towers housing software and languages companies in Gaza, where we were mixing commitment and fun, dreaming of a better future. But once our company became a target and was completely destroyed, my business was shattered as well as my dreams, leaving me heartless and soulless.

We are not numbers. Remember, despite the difficulties I face in Gaza and the challenges I face with courage, I always realise that my story is a small part of the stories of 2.2 million people who face difficulties and struggle to survival in harsh conditions.

🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉

But there is a glimmer of hope amidst this darkness. With your support and generous donations, I can rebuild my life from the ashes and hit my goal. Every donation, no matter the size, will have a significant impact.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your unwavering support in this urgent matter.

@palestinegenocide @queerstudiesnatural @90-ghost @el-shab-hussein @northgazaupdates

@apollos-olives @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @vakarians-babe @90-ghost @fairuzfan

@sar-soor @fallahifag @humanvoicebox @plomegranate @queerstudiesnatural

@commissions4aid-international @international-network @nabulsi @mushroomjar

@palestine @communistchilchuck @northgazaupdates2 @ghost-and-a-half @kyra45

@the-bastard-king @feluka @sayruq @chososhairbuns @commissions4aid-international

@soon-palestine @palestinegenocide @kyra45-helping-others

[deliciousangelfestival]

Curses from Ex-Boyfriend || Oneshot

Character: Artist!Bucky x Reader

Summary: Y/N navigates humorous breakups and manages an art gallery. A reunion with first love, Bucky, at an exhibition ignites a whimsical love story woven with unexpected enchantments.

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more. 

Y/N sunk into the barstool, her eyes telling tales of another failed relationship. Yolanda, the supportive friend, encouraged Y/N to share the latest misadventure in her love life.

Y/N sighed, "Okay, get this. The first one, Mike, broke up with me because he claimed my choice of pizza toppings was a reflection of our incompatibility. Apparently, pineapple lovers and non-pineapple lovers are destined to fail."

"Then there was Mark," Y/N continued, a smirk playing on her lips. "He couldn't stand the fact that I had a more extensive collection of pokemon than he did. He said it was a sign of divergent life goals."

Yolanda raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Tell me more."

"James, number three," Y/N chuckled, "Simple, he doesn't like dog."

"Alex was next in line," Y/N continued her tone a mix of disbelief and amusement. "He called it quits because he believed my excessive use of emojis in texts was a clear indication of a lack of emotional depth. Can you imagine?"

Yolanda laughed, "You can't be serious! What about the fifth one?"

Y/N sighed again, "Oh, Tom. He said my insistence on arranging our bookshelf by color instead of genre was a deal-breaker. Apparently, a good relationship requires organized literature. Can you believe these reasons?"

"Bucky was the longest, wasn't he?" Yolanda mused, a smile playing on her lips.

Y/N nodded, "Yeah, high school sweethearts, you know? We were the classic emo couple, complete with matching black outfits and moody music playlists."

Curiosity flickered in Yolanda's eyes, "So, why did you guys break up?"

Y/N chuckled, "Dead serious. Bucky was deep into it. I remember one day, he used a spell to try and cancel a math quiz."

Y/N grinned, "Oh, maybe because I'm over with emo and I think because Bucky got into magic, like, real magic. He bought this ancient-looking spell book at a flea market."

Yolanda's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, "Magic? Seriously?"

Yolanda burst into laughter, "Wait, what? A spell to cancel a quiz?"

Y/N nodded, "Yeah, he was convinced he could influence the universe with his newfound magical prowess. The thing is, our math teacher did cancel a quiz that week, but I later found out it was because he had a stomachache."

Yolanda's laughter faded into a look of realization, "Wait, are you saying Bucky's spell worked, or was it just a coincidence?"

Y/N shrugged, "Who knows? But I guess that was the beginning of the end. Bucky's magic phase and my inability to take his magical ambitions seriously eventually led to our breakup."

Yolanda winked, still teasing, "Maybe he enchanted you with a love spell, and that's why your relationships have been so... uniquely challenging."

Y/N rolled her eyes, feigning exasperation, "Please, if Bucky had any magical influence, it would've been to summon more black eyeliner or something."

Yolanda joined in the laughter, realizing the absurdity of her own suggestion. "I guess you're right. Love spells and high school relationships don't really go hand in hand."

As they clinked their glasses together, Y/N couldn't help but feel grateful for Yolanda's light-hearted humor.

Y/N groaned as she woke up with a slight headache, the remnants of the drinks from the previous night's escapade still lingering. Despite the throbbing in her head, she dragged herself to work at the prestigious art gallery where she served as the manager.

As Y/N settled into her office, her boss, the eccentric Madam Madeline, swept in with her fur jacket and oversized glasses, an aura of sophistication surrounding her. Madeline, always on the lookout for the next big thing, had an uncanny talent for discovering hidden gems in the art world.

With an air of excitement, Madeline announced, "Y/N, darling, I've found the next big artist during my travels around Europe. A true visionary! Prepare yourself; this is going to be huge for the gallery."

Y/N, still nursing her headache, tried to focus on Madeline's words. "Really? That's fantastic news. Who is this artist?"

Madeline beamed, "Oh, you'll see soon enough. I've arranged for the gallery to showcase their artwork. We need to get everything ready for the grand reveal. This could be a game-changer for us, my dear."

Despite the pounding in her head, Y/N felt a surge of adrenaline at the prospect of introducing a groundbreaking artist to the gallery's patrons. With a nod and a determined smile, she assured Madeline, "Consider it done. I'll make sure everything is prepared for the big showcase. This artist is going to leave a mark on the art world, and our gallery will be at the forefront."

As Madeline left the room, Y/N rubbed her temples, contemplating the exciting challenge ahead.

The day of the grand art exhibition arrived, and the gallery buzzed with anticipation. Y/N couldn't help but be excited about unveiling the mysterious artist's work. The moment Madam Madeline revealed the artwork, gasps of awe echoed through the gallery.

The paintings were truly impressive, capturing the essence of emotion and movement in each stroke. Yet, as Y/N studied the intricate lines, a sense of familiarity tugged at her. It was only when Madeline dramatically unveiled the artist's identity that Y/N's surprise reached its peak.

"Bucky?" Y/N muttered under her breath, disbelief washing over her. She couldn't reconcile the image of the once-emo high school boyfriend with the sophisticated artist standing before her.

Without the signature eyeliner and long hair covering half his face, Bucky had transformed into an entirely different person.

Madeline, reveling in the dramatic revelation, announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the brilliant artist behind these captivating pieces is none other than Bucky!"

Y/N's eyes widened as Bucky approached her with a confident smile. "Hey, Y/N. Long time no see."

It took a moment for Y/N to process the situation. "Bucky? The Bucky from high school?"

He nodded, "The one and only. Surprised?"

Y/N couldn't help but laugh nervously, "More than you can imagine. I didn't know you had this side to you."

Bucky chuckled, "Life is full of surprises. Just like art."

As the reality of the situation sank in, Y/N couldn't help but marvel at the unexpected twist of fate.

Intrigued by the transformation in Bucky's life, Y/N couldn't help but ask, "Bucky, where have you been all these years?"

Bucky grinned, a twinkle in his eyes, "After high school, I decided to pursue art more seriously. I entered art school, but it turned out the formal education wasn't for me. So, I packed my bags and hit the road, traveling around the country to draw inspiration from different landscapes and cultures."

Y/N listened, captivated by the adventurous turn in Bucky's journey. "And then?" she prompted.

Bucky continued, "I found myself in Europe, sketching the beautiful landscapes and immersing myself in the art scene. That's where I crossed paths with Madeline. She saw something in my work, and the next thing I knew, I'm back home."

Y/N couldn't hide her amazement. "That's incredible, Bucky. I had no idea you were out there making a name for yourself in the art world."

Bucky smiled modestly, his eyes reflecting a mixture of pride and gratitude. "Yeah, life has a way of surprising you," he remarked. "Art became my language, and every stroke on the canvas felt like a piece of my soul. Little did I know it would lead me here."

As Y/N continued to admire Bucky's work, a comfortable silence settled between them, punctuated only by the soft background hum of the art gallery. The familiarity of their shared past mingled with the newfound understanding of the paths they had taken.

Bucky broke the silence, "You know, Y/N, seeing you again brings back a flood of memories. The art, the laughter, the quirky moments—some things never change."

Y/N smiled, "Indeed, some things don't. Life has a funny way of circling back, doesn't it?"

As Madeline enthusiastically dragged Bucky away to meet other attendees, Y/N found herself momentarily alone, surrounded by the captivating artwork.

Observing Bucky engage with the crowd, Y/N couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for the once-emo high school boyfriend who had evolved into a renowned artist. The whimsical nature of their teenage years seemed worlds apart from the sophisticated individual now navigating the art world.

Y/N strolled through the gallery, and she noticed a subtle but significant detail in each painting – a delicately drawn flower nestled somewhere within the vibrant strokes. The realization struck her like a soft breeze, and she couldn't help but smile. It was her favorite flower, a subtle signature Bucky had left in each masterpiece.

Bucky, engrossed in conversation with other attendees, glanced in Y/N's direction. Their eyes met, and in that fleeting moment, an unspoken understanding passed between them. Y/N felt a warmth spreading within her, realizing that the flowers in Bucky's art were more than just a visual motif.

The language of art spoke louder than words, and Y/N interpreted the message within those flowers in the quiet exchange of glances. It was a silent acknowledgment, a whispered confession that transcended the boundaries of time and distance. Bucky's subtle gesture conveyed, "I still think of you."

As the art gallery hummed with admiration for Bucky's creations, Y/N couldn't help but feel a connection rekindling.

After the event, the air crackled with anticipation as Y/N mustered the courage to approach Bucky. "Bucky, would you mind grabbing a coffee with me? It's been so long, and I'd really like to catch up," she said, her heart pounding with a mix of nerves and excitement.

Bucky, meeting her gaze with a warm smile, replied, "Absolutely, Y/N. I'd love that."

As they sat in the dimly lit cafe, the atmosphere seemed to thicken with unspoken emotions. Conversations veered into shared memories and life's twists and turns. Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that, perhaps, this was a crucial moment—a juncture where destiny hung in the balance.

Later, in the intimacy of Bucky's hotel room, he opened an old sketchbook. Pages turned with a whisper, revealing an old photo of Y/N. Intriguingly, on the adjacent page, a spell was inscribed—an enchantment woven into the fabric of their shared history. The room seemed to pulse with an energy that felt both familiar and intense.

Bucky's chuckle was dark and enigmatic as he muttered, "Damn, it works."

The revelation left Y/N completely unaware. Little did she know that the seemingly whimsical magic from their teenage years had woven a thread connecting their souls, guiding them back to each other after years of divergent paths. As they continued to share laughter and stories, the magic of the past lingered in the air, creating a subtle but powerful force that bound them together.

Author Note:

Hey friends,

If you've been enjoying the content, I've set up a Ko-fi account. Your support through tips would mean the world and help me keep creating. Only if you feel like it!

Here's the link: Ko-fi

Thanks a bunch for being fabulous followers!

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Hey everyone! 🌟 Your input means the world to me.

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If you've got any cool ideas or prompts, whether for this fluff series or any other series, feel free to share them with me!

Just drop them in my ASK/SEND REQUEST box.

Can't wait to hear your awesome suggestions! 🚀💬

[sosuigeneris]

Socialite series: Manufacturing your Personality

So you want to get into high society. I can give you a guideline as to how you can do that. 

I was born in high society, in India. I know how these systems work. Even across cultures, they’re quite similar. I know some German, Asian, American high society people. Certain things are very similar across continents. 

You can permanently secure your position by two ways: marriage, or by becoming somebody. 

In Indian high society, there’s two kinds of people: those who have lineage, and those who are rich. 

Those who have lineage are those (mostly bankrupt) Maharajas, artists, singers, musicians, poets for generations - it’s an art form or royalty handed down to their children. They have ✨culture, a legacy✨ that can only be obtained by birth. They want to mingle with the business rich so that they get access to the opportunities they need for their livelihoods. 

The business rich can be new or old money. It doesn’t matter. Their businesses are family businesses. They have money, but may lack class. Don’t be mistaken that only new money can be “tacky” - I know plenty of influential, old money families who are equally classless and tacky. 

They want to mingle with the lineage crowd because they need that ✨culture✨ to be seen as someone. They want to be associated with them, to improve their reputations. By connecting to the artistic and musical world, it shows that they have class and persona. 

Both groups, as you see, need each other. You may ask - can’t there be families where there’s both?

Yes there can. But that is not common. 

Let’s say you take the route of dating someone who is of high society, and are hoping to convert that into marriage. I’ll be very honest with you - you have to seriously stand out for Asian and Middle Eastern high society families to accept you if you lack both lineage and money. 

You need to have a strong educational background - you need to go to a great college or masters, or whatever - otherwise this is really not going to happen. This is requirement number 1. If you don’t have this, don’t even bother reading the rest. 

And in Asian and ME families, remember one thing. Marriages are between families, NOT individuals. You have to impress the family, the family’s friends, their maids and barbers and god knows who else. 

And here are Cherry’s insider tips, just for you, to fit right in. If you fit in comfortably, it makes your life and everyone else’s life easier. 

Extrovert tendencies 

don’t be intimidated by people, don’t be shy or awkward 

It’s better to mix in being a combination of “social + slightly bored” like “it’s nice to meet you, but I wouldn’t die to be here.” 

Be open without jumping around like a Disney kid. Being “overexcited” or jumpy, smiling and laughing at just about everything comes across as weird in some cultures, IF that’s not how you genuinely are. That might work in the US, but not everywhere else. 

If I had to very simply define an extrovert - approach new people with ease, learn the art of small talk and be a good listener. 

Confident 

have a sense of self: career, hobbies, likes or dislikes, experiences

Be a multi faceted person. Do things that YOU like. If you like reading Japanese literature and collecting quartz, great! That’s your thing! 

Good communication skills

articulate, small talk abilities, good listener, curious, engaging

be able to tell little stories about yourself without giving everything away 

Well dressed 

do an image consultation for your colours, understand your body shape type and find a style that works for you

Create a capsule wardrobe that is timeless 

Remember - modesty is ALWAYS the best idea for any event. 

Posture - stand up straight, be able to walk in heels, sit without slouching

if you don’t know how to walk in heels, learn to. Practice it. 

Sit up straight, do some yoga or something for good posture 

Maintenance- good skin, hair, fit body, skin, nails, teeth; good hygiene; smell good 

hygiene comes first. Shower regularly, wash your hair as often as needed. 

Put on perfume. 

Find a make up style that works for you. Again, this takes practice. It took me years to figure out what kind of eyeliner works on my eyes and that bronzer doesn’t suit me at all. Crazy make up, unnatural hair colours, visible tattoos or piercings will not sit well in these societies. 

Etiquette 

dining etiquette- learn how to eat properly. This is not just for white culture but for other cultures as well. Understand broadly how popular cultures etiquettes work - Japanese eating etiquettes, European fork and knife etiquette, Korean drinking etiquette, Indian and Middle Eastern etiquette, etc. 

giving appropriate gifts to the host - bottle of wine or flowers 

Learn thank you etiquette- shoot a text message to the host thanking them for the event 

Intelligence

Show that you have some sort of a personality. 

Stay updated with current affairs

know your line of work and the relevant people (top companies, CEOs, etc), trends happening in your industry 

Be open to learning new things  

Put together

have a routine, show some form of discipline. 

This can be done by committing to something long term, such as healthy habits - exercise, reading, waking up early. 

Keep a watch on what you say 

people, especially women, who come across as bratty are seen as a big no no and can come across as exhausting and blood sucking. Zip it. 

Don’t talk about your failures, vulnerabilities, mistakes or mishaps. That’s confidential. 

Don’t complain or be snotty or a potty mouth. 

Do not put other people down in front of people who are not your absolute close friends. 

Poise (this is for your mental health and wellbeing)

Don’t be over eager. Being overly friendly can be seen as submissiveness. 

You’re overly friendly with someone because you want to be accepted by them. Acceptance only happens when you’re familiar with one another. When you become too familiar, it becomes a breeding ground for disrespect. Boundaries get crossed easily. 

Body language

practice practice and practice. 

Video yourself and have a fake conversation with someone. Or maybe FaceTime a friend and record yourself and see how you react to things. 

I used to watch those “try not to laugh/ get angry/ cry” videos to maintain a strong facial expression at all times. Not everyone deserves to see you vulnerable. 

Social media 

Take. Shit. Down. 

Go private if you don’t make money of social media. You’re perceived as more mysterious if you’re a private account. 

Remember, even if you’re private, it doesn’t mean that your pictures aren’t being shared. Someone’s taken a screenshot at some point for SURE or shown your account to someone else. Don’t give anyone anything to talk about. 

Don’t upload every second of every day. 

Don’t upload anything questionable- your break ups, your new boyfriend, girls nights, clubbing, your latest shopping spree etc etc. Keep things halal. Think of it this way - if your boss were to see those photos, how would you feel?

Overexposing yourself on social media comes across as desperate for attention. Limit that.

Cherry 🍒

[cannabiscomrade]

one thing that I have found shocking about the world of enteral nutrition (tube feeding) is that a lot of it is very patient-led. What I mean by this is that a lot of the ways we have learned about bettering tube feeding is via people who rely on it to survive. It is the textbook example of disabled people becoming the experts on our own condition.

While this isn't unique to specific chronic illness/disability communities, I think it is relatively unique in that it's a form of life support where a lot of the literature and techniques for long-term care are created by people with tubes and caregivers

I live in a top 5 city in the US and use multiple major hospital networks for my tube care/gastric care. I have barely learned anything about tube feeding beyond how to administer my feeds, and that I learned from a dietician from my medical supply company, not anyone on my medical team.

The majority of my information about my own care has come from support groups of fellow tubies and caregivers, as well as non-profits like The Oley Foundation, which was created by people on enteral and parenteral nutrition.

There is a huge knowledge gap in the medical community about tube feeding, especially with adult care. I've had multiple medical professionals mislabel my gastro/jejunal tube as a gastric tube- a mistake that can result in significant damage for me with my paralyzed stomach. This is also true with parenteral nutrition- there are cases of people on TPN dying because their TPN was administered in the wrong place, or the care team mixing up TPN and enteral formula and giving them formula intravenously. I don't know if this is true for any other kind of life support- despite there being 400,000 people in the US on home enteral nutrition and 25,000 people on home parenteral nutrition. Those numbers are not insignificant, especially in a populous city.

[ravencincaide]

Someone else to blame 

Summary: Different people deal with grief differently. Some accept it and move on while others suppress the memories. For Chuuya however, an existence without you is simply not an option. 

Pairing Chuuya x Reader, a hint at SKK x Reader

Inspired by Sweetober prompt 16: Familiar scents

Author note: @chuuyaswifeandhoe Darlin your beautiful fic hurt me (in the best angsty way possible), and made me peep out of my vacation to post this. Lets hope this does the same to you! This one is for everyone who loves angst, and especially those who've experienced grief.

Warning: Grief, cursing, alcohol, angst Enjoy~

______________________________________________________________

Chuuya sighed heavily as he stared at the little key with a bright blue tag laying innocently in the palm of his gloved hand. He was leaning his entire body weight against the wall, his hat pulled down over his eyes and his coat zipped all the way up. For once, he was trying to make himself as unapproachable to the people around him as possible. Still he could hear the whispers from the girls in the opposite corner, giggling and urging one of their friends to ask him for his number. Aside from that there was a gentle ticking of the elevator as it crawled higher and higher until it reached the top floor of the skyscraper. A ding and the doors opened. 

Chuuya was the first one to get out. 

Before the girls could grab his attention Chuuya strode through the narrow corridor with simple apartment doors on either side, stopping outside the apartment located at the very end. He pushed the key into the lock, turning it in one swift movement before entering the dark hallway. He heard light steps behind him accompanied with a gentle ‘excuse me sir’. Rather than reply, Chuuya pretended not to hear, shutting the door and locking it. He lingered in the hallway long enough to hear the girls let out a whine of disappointment before finally leaving. Then,only then, did he finally kick off his shoes. Letting the bag of groceries fall to the floor, he picked his shoes up, squeezing them into the stand between your heels and sneakers. 

“ God Y/N you really need to look into your neighbors before picking an apartment.” He called as he picked up the bag and left the small hallway, switching on the lights on his way into the small living room which consisted of a couch, a table, a small tv and small couch-side drawer with a lamp on it. In one end of the corner stood several flat boxes- the unbuilt bookshelf. And by it high stacks of books, course literature mixed together with fantasy and dark romance. “ And we still need to build that bookshelf.” 

His eyes lingered on the dirt on top of the boxes, making a mental note of dusting sometime in the coming days before he headed to the small kitchenette with barely enough space for two people to stand side by side and cook. Opening the fridge door which was positioned awkwardly by the entrance he put in the newly bought groceries before he began folding the plastic bag into a small square. Then he tucked it into the overfilled bottom drawer of one of the cupboards opposite the fridge. 

“ Yes yes I know you hate it when I smoke Y/N” he said with a hint of annoyance in his voice “ Give me a break, work was hell today.” He left the kitchen and headed towards the bathroom- the best part of this entire apartment, turning on all lights in his wake. Opening the door, he could feel the heated floor through his socks as he trott over to the bathroom sink. Beside it stood a bottle of mouthwash, extra strong mint. To his side was the upraised shower cabin with frosted glass and on opposite it another door leading towards the bathtub and Your personal space filled with all sorts of foreign creams and salts half of which he couldn’t understand. But he tried. For you.  

Taking the mouthwash he began rinsing, feeling his mouth growing numb by the second. A minute later he spat it out, wiping away the residue on his lips onto the back of his glove. “ Sweetheart, can you remind me to buy a different mouthwash? Honestly if I gotta wash my mouth out with this after every smoke I may as well quit right now!” 

Leaning against the sink, Chuuya took several deep breaths. He could feel the stinging behind the eyelids but stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. “ We can also get that cream you like too, right love?” his voice shook slightly at the end. He stood with his head bowed for a long moment, doing his absolute best to avoid the mirror in front of him. 

Man was he pathetic.

Growling to himself, Chuuya pushed away from the sink, stomping out of the bathroom. He slammed the door shut behind himself, making the frail wood shake in the frame. “ I’ll see if it's broken tomorrow” he stated bluntly as he made quick way back towards the kitchen. This time his attention was on the liquor standing tucked away in the side of the little bench space. Chuuya eyed the selection quickly, his eyes landing on the barely touched bottle of Sacred Peated. For a change, he picked it over his fancy bottles of wine standing further in. With his other hand he reached into the cupboard in front of him and pulled out a single whiskey glass before he quickly fled back into the living room. 

Chuuya dropped himself onto the couch, salvaging the feeling of soft cushions hugging his body. He leaned back against the animal shaped pillows scattered all over, then opened the bottle of whiskey, pouring a shot. He had to lean quite far forward, over the cushion on the tatami floor and his usual spot in order to place the bottle on the table. Then he leaned back again, out of habit twirling the glass of liquor in his hand. Even without bringing it closer he could smell the smokey-nutty scent. He hesitated only a moment before he brought the glass to his lips and downed it in one go. Chuuya could feel his throat burn and he coughed several times after, until the burning became manageable.

“ God Y/N how can you love this shit?” he gaped, staring down at the now-empty whiskey glass as if it would answer him. It didn’t, but it also didn’t take long until he began feeling a familiar tipsy warmness. He was certain his face was flushed. 

He never could hold his alcohol- not like you. 

Looking to the side, Chuuya picked up the pillow closest to himself. It was in the shape of a cat, Chuuya stared at it for a long moment. Then he brought it to his face and took a deep breath. Nothing. No if anything the little cat smelled more of Dazai than it did of you. No doubt because the mackerel had a habit of hugging it whenever he came over. Letting out a scream, Chuuya tossed the thing across the room before burying his head in his hands. He couldn’t believe how quickly your scent was fading away. He didn’t want it to. 

“ Fuck Y/N.” Chuuya whispered “ Fuck.” 

He stayed seated there until he could feel his cheeks beginning to burn. The stinging in his eyes returned. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, as if begging to tear itself to shreds. God why did it have to hurt so much? 

Getting up he slowly went up to the one room he had yet to visit. Your bedroom. Tucked furthest away into the small apartment, behind the heaviest oak door in the entire place, out-matching even the front door. Chuuya’s hand shook as he put it on the doorknob. He knew he shouldn’t go in too often- not unless he wanted the smell to change there too. However tonight he decided to indulge in the sweet temptation. Opening the door he quickly stepped in before closing it behind himself. The place was the only part of the apartment that never changed- as if you had just rushed out to class that morning. As if you never– left. He still couldn’t bring himself to think about it- let alone say that ugly word. 

Closing his eyes, Chuuya took a deep breath.  His senses filled with the stuffy dusty air and a then a much more faint sweet scent. It was your scent. He’d pick it out anywhere. Shakily he reached out blindly to the side where he knew your clothing rack stood full of autumn and winter accessories, feeling his fingers brush against material he grabbed at it. Then he darted out of the room, closing the door firmly and quickly behind himself, terrified he tainted one of the last fragments he had left of you. 

He returned back to the couch and poured himself another shot of whiskey, downing half before he dared to look at what he had taken. It was a soft white scarf- one he bought for you on one of the dates that ran particularly late. Laying down, Chuuya placed the scarf on his face and took another deep breath. Besides your familiar scent he could make out the light hint of your perfume, a smell you picked up after the two of you started dating more seriously. It was actually a little too mature for you, for your age. He felt his eyes sting and this time he did nothing to stop the tears as he remembered all the times you tried to make yourself appear older, holding back your childish desires as if it would put him off.  Then his mind drifting back to each and every memory he had of you wearing this scarf; the embarrassed look when he bought it for you just because your eyes had lingered a little longer on it than the other items in the shop, then the way you’d wear it whenever he’d pick you up after class, the way you’d cocoon yourself in it whenever it got chilly. The terrified sound of your voice when you called him late one night after having forgotten it in his rental car. The bright smile on your lips when he went out of his way to drive it out to you early the following morning. The way- 

“ God sweetheart I miss you. I miss you so fucking much.” His shoulders began to shake with his sobs, regret and guilt tearing at him “ What I wouldn’t give to have you back. Even for just another hour.” 

Ding-dong. 

Chuuya heard the doorbell ring. He made no move to get up off the couch and just buried his face deeper into the soft material, inhaling your smell. It brought him comfort, like a warm hug that told him everything would be okay- that you forgave him. A fantasy he knew he had no right to even dream about.

Ding-Dong, Diiiing Dong, Diiiiiing dong-

More desperately the doorbell rang. For a moment Chuuya’s heart jumped into his throat as he flew up from the couch, practically jumping over the table and into the hallway. It was impossible but maybe- just maybe his prayers were answered. 

Opening the door, his hopeful smile dropped, his heart clenching painfully as he was once again, painfully reminded that you wouldn’t be coming back through that front door. Ever. 

Outside stood Dazai, almost awkwardly shifting from one leg to the other. The number of bandages on him had significantly increased and he looked as if he had lost both sleep and weight. Perhaps even the last bit of his sanity if he came here of all places. Dazai’s blank eyes shifted from Chuuya’s red ones, then to your scarf in his hand. He could understand the sentiment well, the longing towards the gentle familiar smell. You.  Raising an unopened bottle of Sacred Peated he motioned for Chuuya to step aside and let him in “ I see you’ve already started, you dog” 

“ Who are you calling a dog? Idiot Dazai,” Chuuya replied with malice in his voice as he slumped backwards, dragging his heavy body back towards the couch. There he dropped into the cushions, careful not to wrinkle or damage the scarf. With shaking hands he folded it slowly, salvaging the last seconds of vulnerability as he heard Dazai moving around your kitchen. The sound was not weird or unfamiliar- instead it brought back other memories of the three of you at this very table. Drinking, teasing each other and then the two of them teaching you less than proper games. It started with Strip Rock-paper-scissors that Dazai picked up in a brothel and continued with ‘unbound truth or dare cards’ you got as a joke gift from some friends. 

It only escalated from there. 

Seeming to share those memories Dazai came over and set a deck of cards with hand painted butterfly designs on one side of the table, as if to signify your presence. Neither of them could handle seeing your face or your picture. Not yet at least. 

Then he moved to sit down on the cushion on the floor opposite Chuuya, his usual spot. His hands reached out towards the cat pillow that was lying not too far away. He set it in his lap out of habit. Then he proceeded to fill up the two empty glasses he brought from the kitchen almost to the brim. Before making sure to refill up Chuuyas partially empty glass to match the other three. One he placed on the short side not far from the deck of cards, the place that was between himself and Chuuya- Your usual spot. He took the second one in his hand. 

Just like Chuuya, he didn't bother with ice. 

Suddenly Dazai chuckled as he raised the glass to his lips “ I swear Y/N, I’ve never met anyone who was as bad at strip-poker as you. Even with ten extra layers!” The memory drew a pitiful chuckle out of Chuuya as well, knowing well what Dazai was referring to. 

“ Or someone who was such a sore loser.” Chuuya remembered. Now it was Dazai’s turn to laugh- a sad echo with no real humor behind it.

 “ I think we made it up to Y/N that evening.” Dazai added fondly and Chuuya swallowed heavily, looking down at his drink with newfound guilt. They might have made it up to you for that incident but there were still plenty more that they’d never get the chance to ask your forgiveness for. 

It was something that both men were bitterly aware of. 

After that they continued to drink in silence. After all, what could they say?  It was their selfishness of wanting to keep you in the dark that got you killed in the first place. That tore you so suddenly out of their lives that all that remained were your few possessions,  shared memories and gaping holes in their heart.  And the worst part was that they had no one else they could blame for your death but themselves.

[sexilydrawn]

Tevelyan Looooore

Although not the only noble family in Ostwick the Trevelyans are by far the largest. This is due to their particular ways and traditions regarding marriage. The successful marriages of Trevelyan children are their parents greatest achievements. Mothers go through a detailed process, lasting years to find suitable wives for their sons, likewise fathers to find husbands for their daughters. This process is meticulous and very important as happy couplings result in many children- sons most importantly. It is expected for a man to sire 2-3 sons and any number or daughters. Noble families across the Free Marches keep close contact and maintain tight friendships with each other in order to mix and match their children in the best possible way.

The highest of importance goes to the eldest son. They are limited in career options, bearing most of their fathers expectations. First born Trevelyan males are most always trained as officers and military men and or made to learn their family's trade and must always marry a woman regardless of their preferences.

The second born son keeps the family line insured in case the first born is lost or somehow fails to produce heirs of his own. As second he may marry under his station, but same as the first compelled to marry only women.

The son born third in line enjoys most of his freedoms, he may marry under his station unless both older brothers fail to and may marry to the same gender unless his brothers failed to produce heirs.

Daughters born into Trevelyan families have no expectations to birth children expect to the family they marry into, and are free to and expected to pursue studies in literature and arts.

[actual-changeling]

Aziraphale Does NOT Have Depression

or: Please Have a Look at the ICD

or: This Word Does Not Mean What You Think It Does

I cannot believe I even have to make this post, but here we are. Hi. Hello guys. Maybe I should start a series called "Alex fact-checks meta posts" because I have seen things that should have never been written.

A small excursion before we start: The way things usually work in academic circles is that the person making the claim needs to provide proof for said claim, which is then peer-reviewed by unrelated academic parties. That involves not only making sure that the results they are basing their claim on are replicable—meaning that if someone else were to do the same work, they would receive the same result—but also that their methods were ethical and functional.

If it turns out that their methods or any other part of the process are not replicable, functional, or otherwise waterproof, then the paper is marked as not being correct and that it should be disregarded.

While this is far from academic circles, these rules still apply to any kind of conversation or discussion, especially that last part:

If you make a claim, back it up, or it should be disregarded.

With that, welcome to the peer-review of "Aziraphale has depression" claims. Obligatory note that this is not about fanfiction or headcanons but people claiming that Aziraphale canonically has depression.

You may sit in front of your screen and think Alex, why do you think you can write this post? To which I happily respond that not only am I professionally diagnosed with both Dysthymia and Recurrent Depressive Disorder, I have also a) done my research offline with psychiatrists and psychologists and b) know how to read academic literature because my degree very much requires me to be able to do so.

If you want to go and fact-check what I am about to present—which you are explicitly invited to do in case you want to publicly disagree with me—you can find the entirety of the ICD 11 right here.

No paywall, completely free access.

For those who have never heard of it, ICD stands for "International Classification of Diseases", which is by now on its 11th version and written and maintained by the WHO/World Health Organization. It contains all kinds of relevant information, like diagnostic criteria, about all diseases. As you can see, this includes mental disorders and illnesses:

Let's get into it!

First things first, there is no such thing as "depression", that term is a colloquial reduction of a number of different disorders categorized under Mood Disorders -> Depressive Disorders. Said category also contains any and all diagnoses related to Bipolar Disorders.

"Depression" is nondescript, loose, and can mean a long list of things, and social media has diluted and romanticized its meaning. For the purpose of this post, we will have a look at the criteria for three diagnoses:

Dysthymic disorder (shortened here to dysthymia)

Single episode depressive disorder, mild ( // to single episode)

Recurrent depressive disorder, current episode mild ( // recurrent)

I assume people mean a crude mix of these when they say "depression". Both recurrent and single episode can be diagnosed with dysthymia, but they cannot be diagnosed with each other. Recurrent automatically excludes single episode as a diagnosis, which I think is obvious if you think about it.

Before we look at the symptoms themselves, here is something very important to keep in mind about diagnoses: There are two requirements that pretty much every listed disorder and illness in the ICD has.

The first is that the symptoms are not related to something else—whether that's another mental disorder, a physical illness, or simply a cultural influence. It needs to be clear that they are due to something outside of what is already known and not circumstantial.

The second one is that the present symptoms are causing significant distress and impair a person's functioning in at least two different areas of life.

Or, to put it bluntly, a disorder needs to be disordering or it isn't one.

Additionally, the severity of the displayed symptoms needs to be taken into account. If several of them are not causing any negative impact on someone's life, they are not symptoms and cannot be counted.

Now, I will very much reduce the information the ICD provides us with or we will be here forever, but it is all correct and not partial in its meaning. To keep everything neat and tidy, I created a nice, colour-coded table:

If you disagree with what I marked for Aziraphale, great, please provide me with textual evidence of where exactly he exhibits each criteria, that it is not related to periodical stress or something else, and cannot be attributed to exceptional circumstances (like the end of the world).

The ONLY symptom we ever see Aziraphale consistently show throughout all six thousand thousand years is the one marked in yellow: low self-worth or excessive or inappropriate guilt.

However, if you paid attention to what I explained above, you will notice why this is in no way indicative of a depressive disorder.

Not only is it one symptom out of several required ones, it can also be explained by something else, which is the emotional neglect and abuse heaven subjected and subjects every (former) angel to. The same can be said for any anxious symptoms he exhibits sometimes, emphasis on sometimes.

In conclusion, Aziraphale does not have depression, and I think making a case that he does will be almost entirely built on assumptions and subjective interpretations, not anything that is in any shape or form supported by text or subtext.

Does that mean all of his struggles are somehow invalid? No, of course not. They are simply not due to a disorder but something else, that's literally all this post proves. It makes no moral judgement.

[brooklynbadboys]

A History of Girlsies

After a rise popularity of the 'girlsies' after Newises UK introduced Brooklyn as an all-female group of Newises, I decided to look deeper into the history of newsgirls at the time.

This is only for fun and a way for me to acknowledge the women at the time who until Newsies UK, were rarely given a spotlight in Newsies media.

Late 1800s

In 1868, there were roughly 300 newgirls and 2000 newsboys living in New York, but exact numbers were hard to state as newsies were 'at all hours in all public places’

Prior to mid 1800s, many newsgirls had to dress as boys in order to bypass social prohibitions

There were newsgirls of different backgrounds, education, class and age, but most were age 8-20

Many newsgirls were expert sellers, making names for themselves, having their own territories and gaining devoted customers

Multiple sources state the intelligence of the newsgirls being higher than that of the newsboys, likely having to work more than the newsboys to make the same wage

The media at the time presented newsgirls as pretty, witty and resourceful, whilst the newsgirls described themselves as real people in unfortunate situations

People within society had opposing reports on newsgirls, as some stated them to be stylish, respectable and intelligent, whilst others stated their crudeness, and raggedness and coarseness

There are many more mixed accounts, as others report newsgirls as heroic, behaving far better than the newsboys, respecting the city more and going out of their way to help civilians

The newsgirls were widely disliked as the idea of girls working on the streets was seen as evil and it was believed that the girls would put the newsboys out of business

It was also believed that the girls would be corrupted and lose their innocence and therefore should leave the work to the boys

This led many newgirls to work in less seen areas of the city, as the newsboys ran the city, making their presence known

What was most loved about the newsboys, such as their camaraderie and hardwork, was hated about the newsgirls

The girls often faced injustices and dangers far greater than the boys. Newsgirls as young as eleven were often harassed, robbed by male street workers, abducted and assaulted. This was used in the defence of banning all newsgirls under sixteen

The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

In the late 1880s, the community disliked the newsgirls so deeply that they wanted to get the girls off the street for good. It was passed that girls under 16 were no longer allowed to sell papers

They disguised this cruelty as an act of kindness to protect the girls and guide them to a life of motherhood and domesticity

The girls listened before one day fighting back, all swarming to the streets

A few years later, another attack on the newsgirls occured due to complaints from newsboys, publishers and patrons

Newsgirls were given warnings, and if they were to return to selling papers, then and their parents would be arrested and punished severely

By the end of the 19th century as few as 12 newsgirls under 16 were left in New York City

This ban extended to the newsboys in 1899, but little consequence was given and enforcement was low, unlike the ban on newsgirls

Newsgirls in New York:

Notable New York Newsgirls

Winnie and Sadie Horn (‘the soubrette newsgirls’)

In the late 1800s, they were two of the most famous newsgirls, working from 3pm to 3am everyday

Winnie was blind in one eye and dressed eccentrically, reporting to have spoken in Shakespearean English. She would scribble quotes from literature, such as the bible and Shakespeare, on her newspapers

Winnies loyal customers ranged from the New York City mayor to Theodore Roosevelt

Winnie was known as ‘winsome Winnie’ and ‘queen of the newsies’

They stated that them and their sisters were ‘born newsgirls’

Winnie was notable and had many mentions in the papers up until her death:

Mary Welter

Marywent to school until she was 13 and wanted to continue, but she had to support her family

She sold papers at twenty-third street ferry and upwards of 10 dollars a week ($328)

She would stay focused on business when and the competing newsboys inevitably began to act up throughout the day, she would take their customers

Newsies the musical

Before Newsies UK, there were no newsgirl characters. Despite claims of characters such as Smalls being women, they were dressed as newsboys and the Smalls Broadway actress, Laurie Veldheer, stated that Smalls is a boy.

Smalls in Newsies OBC:

With characters as old as 17 (Jack Kelly), and newsgirls of over 16 being allowed to work at this time, along with evidence of newsgirls taking part in the strike, there is no reason for newsgirls to have been left out of the story. There are arguments that may be made about Brooklyn being all women and the inaccuracies of this, but I pose to that how accurate is it for the newsies to be singing, dancing, and flying.

Brooklyn in Newsies UK:

A final note: This may seem redundant after titling this post ‘the history of girlsies’, but I feel the need to point it out: ‘Newsies’ isn’t a gendered term. Newsgirls throughout history have referred to themselves as ‘newsies’. There is no need to other newsgirls and separate them from the term. They are newsies and their gender doesn’t change that.

I hope this can shed some light on newsgirls and their history, and why their stories should be heard alongside the retellings of the newsboys.

Sources:

Extra: The history of America’s girl newsies

Backstage at “newsies” with Ben fankhauser and Tommy bracco

“The newsgirl question��: competing frames of progressive era girl newsies

Newsies vs. The World

[redgoldsparks]

I did a short interview for an alumni spotlight on the CCA website. You can click through but I'll also just copy my answers below the cut.

Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir) is a nonbinary/queer/trans author and illustrator, a voracious reader, a k-pop fan, and a daydreamer. You can learn an astonishing number of intimate details about em in Gender Queer: A Memoir and in eir other short comics, published by The New Yorker, The Nib, The Washington Post and in many print anthologies. Gender Queer won a Stonewall Honor and an Alex Award from the American Library Association in 2020. It was also the most challenged book in the United States in 2021 and 2022.

Maia shares more about eir life as a full-time artist and activist, fighting to protect diverse literature and the freedom to access information.

1. What is your current practice/business?

I am a full time cartoonist. My job consists of days working at home writing and drawing mixed with days speaking out against book banning and censorship, and in support of the freedom to read, the freedom to teach, and the freedom to access information. I spend a lot of time talking with other authors, teachers, and librarians about protecting diverse and queer books from the current wave of conservative attacks. The first piece I drew for the comics journalism site The Nib was about the rise of fascism in the United States; my later writing about queer, trans, and nonbinary identities has led me into consistently political territory.

2. Why did you choose CCA?

I chose CCA because I was looking for a MFA Comics program, of which there are very few, and I wanted to stay in the Bay Area. Because I'm a local, I was able to meet the majority of the MFA Comics faculty before I applied and felt immediately welcomed into their community. The fact that a majority of my professors for the first year of the program were queer was a huge draw as well.

3. If you could share one piece of advice with current or future students, what would it be?

Every single person has a story only they could tell. No matter what media you are working in, do your best to tell the story which is uniquely yours. If you aren't ready to tell it yet, just keep making art until the time to share that story arrives. No time spent creating is ever wasted.

4. What's your secret to staying inspired and creative?

I realized fairly early in life that my very favorite way to spend the day was drawing while listening to music, a podcast, or an audiobook. I like making things! I would rather be making things than doing almost anything else. I created a life in which I can spend a lot of time creating things and even if I don't particularly know what I am making, I am happy.

5. What do you have coming up?

My second book, Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding, written with Dr Sarah Pietzmeier, is coming out in May 2024 from Dutton. It's a nonfiction comic about chest binding as an aspect of trans healthcare. I'm currently drawing my third book, Saachi's Stories, written with Lucky Srikumar; it's due out from Scholastic Graphix in 2026. I am also working on adapting Gender Queer: A Memoir into an audiobook.

[horangboosadan]

HORANGBOOSADAN MASTERLIST

→  every instance of yn (reader) is gender neutral to the best of my ability unless stated otherwise

→ svt are only faceclaims. the characters are not meant to reflect anyone irl

→ please do not copy, repost, or translate any of my work

→ last updated: 19.05.24

series  ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ DOMINO (completed)

kwon soonyoung (hoshi), smau, university au

A literature student with a procrastination problem and a dancing major who always says yes makes for an interesting combo of neither getting things done. It doesn’t help that there’s a best friend in the mix certain that the two will fall in love and makes sure they spend time together, only the two of them.

Somehow, every deadline is still met. Even the amount of time expected before the start of a developing crush.

↳ ROCK WITH YOU (completed)

lee chan (dino), established relationship, fluff, angst, best friend!jun, actor au, smau, on screen lovers off screen besties

after the release of your most recent drama, the world decides that you and your co-star/best friend would be the perfect couple. the influx of positive reactions are great for your career, his career, and the drama. however, it tears at you to lie to your fans and appear dishonest towards your boyfriend. being a k-pop idol, revealing your relationship can come with unforseen consequences. how do you tackle the onslaught of people who want the inside scoop of you and your co-star, and your boyfriend in denial about his jealousy without compromising either relationship?

↳ US, AGAIN (coming soon/wip)

boo seungkwan, smau, tinder au, childhood friends to lovers

friendships end for many reasons. one of yours ended years ago. when the sudden chance to get reconnected appears--albeit through a dating app--you take it. anything to find your way back to the one person who always knew how to make you laugh.

CHOI SEUNGCHEOL (SCOUPS)  ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ HOME

fluff, established relationship

a lazy morning in the life you share with choi seungcheol.

YOON JEONGHAN ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ AH! LOVE

one shot smau, fluff, 5+1, technically not secret relationship

by accident, you get added to a group chat where people are trying to find out whether jeonghan is in a relationship. five times they see you together and speculate, none the wiser you're in the group chat or whether you are dating or just really good friends.

↳ FALLING FOR YOU

one shot smau, fluff, kind of fake dating, uni!au

helping someone a little goes a long way. when you help someone from an uncomfortable situation by pretending like you're dating, you do it out of the kindness of your heart (and maybe because he's gorgeous). you don't expect anything but a thank you. yet, he slips you his number when he leaves and wants to thank you over lunch. who are you to say no. takes place within domino universe

JOSHUA HONG   ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ 2 MINUS 1 

smau, one shot, post-break up

the one where Joshua wants everyone to think he’s over you but in the end, he can’t even fool himself.

MOON JUNHWI ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ HELLO

crack, fluff, fear of ducks, one shot smau, getting together

terrified of ducks, you're lucky when you finally find your knight in shining armor. not only does he help you once, but he continues be there for you through your fear

JEON WONWOO ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ GAM3 BO1 [VERS TWO]

one shot smau, neighboors au, miscommunication

one: wonwoo tries his best to talk his noisy neighbor into being a little quieter. it just doesn't go exactly how he expected it.

two: when your cute neighbor suddenly texts you about your being noisy, you immediately listen. but when he turns a little ruder than expected, you don’t know what to think

LEE JIHOON (WOOZI) ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ PRETTY U

one-shot smau, fluff, oblivious reader

lee jihoon's trying to confess the only way he knows how, you're just a little too dense.

↳ PRETTY U [2]

one shot smau, established relationship, fluff, 5+1

five times woozi isn't avaliable in person, and one time he is. a sequel to PRETTY U (can be read as a standalone)

XU MINGHAO (THE8) ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ MOONWALKER

one shot smau, established relationship, fluff

it's unlucky that whenever your boyfriend decides to post pictures from his photoshoots that have you go crazy, he's always out of town

↳ HEADLINER

smau one shot, fluff, rags to riches au, poor!reader, domestic

after a client continues to want you back to clean his apartment, you slowly get to know each other

KIM MINGYU ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ I DON'T WANNA CRY

one shot smau, exes back together, kind of fake dating

when mingyu "accidentally" post a photo on instagram revealing a partner, the world goes crazy. everyone assumes he's announcing his relationship, however, things aren't as straighforward as they might seem

LEE SEOKMIN (DOKYEOM)  ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ TO YOU

smau, one shot, fluff,

the one where you’re dating dokyeom.

CHWE HANSOL (VERNON) ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ

↳ I CAN'T RUN AWAY (completed)

mini smau, angst, idol!vernon, small secret relationship, exes back together, second chances

break-ups are never easy. even less so when the one you broke up with is a world wide idol.

[lesserafim-eden]

╰► ⌕ 𓆩 𓆪  ʾ ִֶָ%˓ ᵎ ҂ ࣪˖﹫𓂃⌁. ࣪˖ EDEN NOELIA LEE (LE SSERAFIM) Profile

Eden Noelia Lee (LE SSERAFIM) Profile and Facts:

EDEN NOELIA LEE ( Hangul; 에덴 노엘리아 자오, Mandarin; 赵伊登 born November 11, 2001 ) better known by the mononym EDEN is a Chinese/Korean English model, singer, rapper, Global ambassador, and dancer is a current member of South Korean girl group LE SSERAFIM under HYBE and Source Music. She is a former member of the South Korean-Japanese girl group IZ*ONE.

⌕ ‣     BASIC INFO ׁ⠀ ࣭ ⠀⠀⊹

𖥻★! ︿︿STAGE NAME: Eden

𖥻★! ︿︿BIRTH NAME: Eden Noelia Lee

𖥻★! ︿︿KOREAN NAME: Lee Binna

𖥻★! ︿︿CHINESE NAME: Zhao Meixing

𖥻★! ︿︿BIRTHDAY: August 1, 2003

𖥻★! ︿︿AGE: 21 years old ( Korean age ) 20 years old (int.)

𖥻★! ︿︿ZODIAC SIGN: Leo

𖥻★! ︿︿BIRTHPLACE: London, Uk

𖥻★! ︿︿NATIONALITY: English

𖥻★! ︿︿ETHNICITY: Chinese/Korean

𖥻★! ︿︿HEIGHT: 5'8" (173 cm)

𖥻★! ︿︿WEIGHT: 49kg (100lbs)

𖥻★! ︿︿BLOOD TYPE: AB

𖥻★! ︿︿REPRESENTATIVE EMOJI: 🐨 ( koala  )

𖥻★! ︿︿ REPRESENTATIVE GEMSTONE: Amblygonite

𖥻★! ︿︿ REPRESENTATIVE COLOR: Purple

⌕ ‣     EDEN FACTS...!?

https://Eden-Facts.Com: She was born in London, Uk so her British accent is so strong. Her family includes four grandparents, mom, dad, four older brothers. She was raised in Los Angeles, California, United States.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: She's the global ambassador of vivienne westwood, Alexander Wang, Chanel, HARRY WINSTON, l'Oreal, Fay, CoverGirl U.S, Maybelline, Mikimoto, Panerai, Revlon, Lancôme international, Versace, Puma, Miu Miu, Liu Jo, Prada, Maxim Mooncakes, Comme des Garçons, Clarins, CHOPARD, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, BUCCELLATI, & GRAFF.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: Eden is often called "Man-heart's destroyer" or "Boy crush" as many male idols and actors have a crush on her or have said that she's their ideal type

https://Eden-Facts.Com: Eden is currently in college and majoring in Business (Management ) and minoring literature at Seoul National University online.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: She writes all of her parts. She also produced and wrote a number of songs including WayV 'Love talk', TxT 'cat & dog', 'Anti-Romantic', 'loser=Lover', 'OX1=LOVESONG' Stray Kids 'Back door', Pristin V 'Get it', Twice 'Cry for me', Weekly 'After school' Enhypen  'Drunk-Dazed', 'Polaroid love' Aespa 'Next Level', 'Girls' 'Illusion' IVE 'LOVE DIVE' StayC 'SO BAD', 'ASAP' Itzy 'WANNABE','LOCO', '#Twenty', 'SWIPE' Chungha 'Gotta Go', 'Bicycle' Red Velvet 'Feel My Rhythm' Jeon Somi 'XOXO' BLACKPINK 'Typa Girl' & more. Eden has solidified herself as a genius musician with 155 KOMCA credits.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: She is extremely loved by the public which is why she earned the titles of princess of K-pop, SM/HYBE's Ace, Idol's idol, The Nation's Treasure, The Genius Composer, and The It girl of Asia.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: She is a former IZ*ONE member.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: She trained for 3 years in SM Entertainment before joining Produce 48.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: In Gallup Korea's annual music poll for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Eden was voted the most popular idol in South Korea, making her the highest-ranked individual in that poll.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: Eden is know for endorsements, various photo-shoots, and covers as they sell out in a minute.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: In 2020, She was featured in Harper Bazaar's 'Go To Bed With Me' and went rival for her nighttime skincare routine. It was mostly because of how simply yet in depth it was.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: Eden is really good at math as once she did over 20 fans math problems for fun during her Vlive in 2021.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: In January 2022, Eden purchased a building in Gangnam district's affluent Samseong-dong area, otherwise known as the Samsung neighbourhood. Purchased for approximately US$6.3 million, the mixed-use building has both residential and commercial spaces and spans a total of seven floors. Eden reportedly makes US$830,4000 monthly from rent. 

https://Eden-Facts.Com: In 2014, she performed as one of the upcoming members of SM Entertainment's pre-debut training group SM Rookies on SM Town Live World Tour IV.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: She is a big food lover. She can eat most types of food but likes spicy foods the most.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: Her way of relaxing: A can of pringles and either Netflix, or watching Law & Order: SVU on Hulu.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: She thinks she's pretty talkative especially if the vibes between her and another person match up (Instagram Q&A 2022.08.10).

https://Eden-Facts.Com: When she was younger, Eden frequently performed and sang for house guests and eventually began taking acting/singing classes.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: Her airport fashions always goes viral on Twitter, and fans say that the airport is her runaway.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: Eden once said if she wasn't an singer, she would have been a vet because she really loves working with animals.

https://Eden-Facts.Com: In November 2018, she revealed that she has three citizenships: Chinese, British, and South Korean.

⌕ ‣     EDEN'S IDEAL TYPE: I really don't have an ideal type because if I like you, then I like you as simple as that."

⌕ ‣     Show more Aria fun facts

—HOW MUCH DO YOU LIKE EDEN?

𓋰 I LOVE HER, SHE'S MY ULTIMATE BIAS

𓋰 I LIKE HER, SHE'S OK

𓋰 SHE IS OVERRATED

[suratan-zir]

How to make any territories "originally Russian" in 4 ✨easy steps✨:

First, you need to take the indigenous population of these territories (eg Crimean Tatars or Ukrainians) and deport them to remote areas like Siberia or Kolyma, killing thousands of men, women and children in the process. This way, if years later some of the people come back to their homeland, the number of indigenous population will never return to the previous level.

In the meantime, relocate many Russian families to the now vacant territories. You might also want to build several military bases in those areas, thus resettling many of your military men along with their families. In just a couple of generations, these territories will be populated largely by the descendants of your soldiers (and your new soldiers, of course!).

Establish language control in these territories. You can do this either by banning the local language entirely (i.e. making teaching, literature and songs in that language illegal), or simply by creating such an environment in which it will be possible to achieve any success in any specialty only by using the Russian language. You can mix these two techniques together.

If you still want to reduce the native population, try starting a war and using that population as cannon fodder. Highly effective!

If you did everything right, congratulations! Now the true experts, such as Elon Musk and many other "very intelligent'" people, will call these territories "originally Russian" and will urge the people there to surrender to you so that you can continue to torture, repress and kill them👍 Also you will always have a neat casus belli on your hands!