#my main love language tends to be quality time which is where the confusion I think came in

[e-6000]

•

[justanothercloudinthesky]

hello !! i’m not sure if you have all 12 requests for your match ups but i’d really like one if they are still available !!

i’d like a match up with a haikyuu male if that’s okay.

some physical attributes about me! ∑(ﾟДﾟ)

• i’m afab (assigned female at birth) and my pronouns are she/they. i’m pretty insecure about how i look but i am asian american (chinese) with my black hair down to my back (it’s recently dyed pastel purple underneath). my eyes are a dark brown with eye bags cause i’m often a night owl (my glasses help hide them a bit ;;;) !! i think my most confident feature is my shoulders (i just like how they look)!

• most people like to note how short i am (4’10) and that kind of has lead to me being a bit down about myself from many times others have pointed it out as a flaw.

• i wear glasses cause i’m extremely blind (honestly to the point that the glasses aren’t helping cause i haven’t updated them in..forever) so it’s sometimes easy to catch me squinting because i can’t read-

• i’m pretty casual with my appearance. i don’t really dabble in make up (too confusing) and when i’m lazy, i default to jeans, t-shirt and a jacket (basically comfy attire). i do adore dressing up to impress though! skirts with thigh highs, dresses with sandals and tight-form fitting clothes are my favorites in my explorative wardrobe right now.

personal attributes about me! ( •⌄• ू )✧

• i am a libra (september 25th) and a infp! i can very much seem like a extrovert at times but around strangers, i get very shy and i am a indoors person. my hobbies include gaming, hanging out with my friends, reading manga, sleeping (this sometimes can be my horrible coping mechanism when i’m upset), and scrolling online to adore the arts (writing, illustrations, music, etc.) !! art is often my outlet for expression which is why i love it! my music genre can be very expansive as i am open to many suggestions. my main genre is mostly pop (english, c-pop, j-pop, k-pop, i like them all!), video game soundtracks and some classical music!

• my love language is quality time (second and third is probably physical touch and words of affirmation)! my giving love language however is probably physical touch with how much my friends like to comment about how touchy i am.

• my pet peeves are usually people who are confrontational and arrogant. i also may be a tiny bit germaphobic so i get protective of my personal living space. i am a huge scared-y cat too (a list of my fears are: the dark, heights, spiders, doctors, storms, the horror genre, gore, and jumpscares/loud noises) so i don’t appreciate when people force me into those kinds of things.

• first things i tend to notice is probably how talkative someone is. i often times like to be the jokester in the group, either making myself or someone else into a funny comment or just tell funny stories so i can sense if someone is actively present or not. i also can notice physical boundaries (like how they hug someone) they may have since i am also a very affectionate person.

• my outlook on life is usually optimistic but i can also become heavily pessimistic easily. i struggle with a lot of self esteem issues and can be very quick to self-blame or self-sabotage. i’m a very daydream-y person and love living in my imagination (basically with rose colored glasses-), so i love believing in the good of people. i used to have a philosophy of giving love to everyone but that’s recently changed from some traumatic events i’ve gone through. i still want to be open-minded and care for people whenever i can assist because that’s just where i’ve found myself to be happy and useful. i’m very curious and unaware because i can be a bit ignorant to my surroundings, i’ve been told that it’s allowed many people to make assumptions off of my actions regardless of my intentions.

• lastly !! i love love love romance tropes and some of my top favorites are love at first sight, soulmates, mutual pining, love in school settings, friends to lovers and maybe a bit of enemies to lovers. i’d honestly love and adore the idea of being in love with someone fluffily !! i’d probably fall for someone from just the first few meetings, if they made me laugh, comments on small things that they notice about me or they just have interest in things i like! ( ๑॔˃̶◡ ˂̶๑॓)◞♡

i hope this list did okay in summing me up. if not, you’re always welcome to peek into my dms! thank you so much and i hope you’re doing well! take breaks and drink water whenever you can! - nami ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭*☆

Thank you for Checking the Weather your forecast is...

Daichi Sawamura!

So, It was incredibly hard to decide between this and second place, I genuinely thing that there's an equally matched amount of compatibility, I had my reasons for picking Daichi, but honestly, 2nd place would adore you just as much. Daichi is the strong-willed and rock-solid base of Karasuno. His level-headed plays and easy-going nature lead him to really connect with his teammates and earn their trust. He commands respect, but never abuses his power, proving himself loyal and kind. He's not afraid to keep people in line, yet has enough compassion to not be too harsh with them.

I genuinely think Daichi adores you as a partner. He'd really think you were out of his league, but would still attempt to befriend you. I don't believe he's incredibly talkative, especially while flustered (which he easily gets around you), but he often makes casual conversation. I think you'd begin to notice the small things, like him increasing the font on his notes or moving things to lower shelves intentionally.

I think that Daichi's love language is a mixture of acts of service and quality time. He is very thankful for you, and is a respectful king. I really think that he likes talking with you over a cup of tea or coffee. If you're comfortable with it, he adores giving you forehead kisses, piggyback rides or just pulling you into his arms. I very much imagine it's like the feeling of putting on fluffy socks right out of the dryer when your feet are cold.

In this relationship, I think that Daichi has a gift of grounding and encouraging you. Anytime you begin to spiral, Daichi's right there to help. You also help him with his own struggles, You calm him when he's about ready to snap and bring such a light of passion he never would've thought he deserved his lifetime. he melts if you ever hug him out of the blue. He gets so flustered when you dress up he once ran into the doorway. Sugawara laughed.

I headcanon Daichi's quite protective of you, especaily because of your optimistic nature and kind heart. He doesn't want you to be hurt while you're around him, and I imagine he sends his death-glare if anyone says anything. He protects you from anything you're scared of and if you have to face it, he holds your hand the entire time. he's honestly a sweetheart though and I genuinely believe that he just wants the absolute best for you.  

All and all, this is a super wholesome relationship, I have a feeling that Daichi will encourage you to advocate for yourself and set up boundaries, and you'll help him let loose a little. I see many dates, including ice skating and netflix w/ gummy bears. I think he'd love to surprise you, and would always give you his hoodie. He adores you, and will do absolutely anything to make you happy. 

Second: Oikawa would also absolutely adore you, I have a feeling there was a rivalry for a bit. I do think he might get on your nerves with his insensitive comments, arrogant nature (despite being insecure) and busy schedule. It's an extremely close second but He might be a little neglectful, as why I chose Daichi. However, I do think he'd treasure you as a friend, maybe never fully get over it, but he'd also want you to be happy. 

Third: Akaashi, this man. He's attentive, sweet, and would be an excellent pairing for you, I don't think that he'd make any moves though and might struggle to not be harsh. He'd genuinely care about you, and I think you and him would be some really close friends.

(on a side note, I thought it was super cool, I'm an infp too and we have similar outlooks. Even though I considered most of the cast as I always do, I was surprised how much this matchup lined up with previous ones I, myself, have gotten.)

[itfitsitshipsart]

Hi there, just doing my part by enabling you to talk about your dearest Raven some more!!! I'd love if you could answer all asks for the ice cream game for him please (unless that's wayy too much, which I get lol, so then if so pick your faves)!!!! Forgive my eagerness but your s/i and him are like my fave tov otp, I love hearing more about them 😊💞

( @pixelselfships )

Aw, ya making me blush saying that~ >3< and please, don't apologize!

Vanilla- What's something you do with your f/o that makes you feel at peace?

Long walks in the woods and picnics, especially if they're paired together! There's just something so wonderful about walking through a forest holding the hand of the one you love, talking with them and listening to the birds and everything.

2. Chocolate- How long have you known your f/o?

irl its been... 2 and a half years now? As for my S/I, it depends on where in the timeline, as I've already got 3 fan kids (4 total because Karol is our son whether he likes it or not! XD)

3. Strawberry- What's a memory you two share that makes you smile no matter what?

First kiss and sweet love confessions. It was right after the events of the game and the world was saved, and that night there were just so many stars in the sky. (I have a partially written fic... I should fix that up and post it sometime )

4. Mint Chip- What's something that you disagree with your f/o on?

fashion. Now I will say his style has grown on me, and he can pick his own ensembles sometimes quite well. But... his scruffy appearance and brash color and pattern choices he goes for at times. He loves it XD and I... well I love him. I have to say though that when he dresses up and it's not so garish, oh I melt in his arms.

5. Cookie Dough- What's yours and your f/os' love languages?

My love languages are very much quality time and touch, and a bit of verbal expression as well. As for Raven, he is also big on touch, as well as verbal expression and gift giving. He's learned though that I feel very awkward about unprompted gifts, unless they're something like pretty flowers or a cool rock from off the ground.

6. Moose Tracks- What does a typical night in look like for you two?

lots and lots of snuggling! Raven might have a little something to drink, or I'll have some tea and he'll join me, and we'll just cuddle in bed and talk.

7. Cherry- Who does the cooking and who does the cleaning?

we both cook, I tend to do it a bit more because I enjoy it more. That leaves Raven with cleanup (and Karol I have to note helps with both if he's home)

8. Salted Caramel- How long did it take for you to realize you liked your f/o? Or vice versa, how long did it take them to say something if they spoke up first?

in irl, it took a few weeks I believe, though surprisingly I felt no attraction upon first seeing him (usually I feel some sort of aesthetic attraction first meeting). I actually though that, by appearances, I'd possibly fall for a totally different character. But when he joined the party, and I started to main as him, I started to think he was really funny and then cute, and before i knew it, he swept the rug out from under me.

as for my S/I, it took a month or so as well of being around Schwann. Several months into knowing him she tried to initiate a kiss that he turned down. Not because he didnt like her, but he felt he couldn't and shouldn't kiss her. She chased him for a good year (some confusing feelings for some time because the whole Schwann is Raven thing) and waited for him so she could confess once more. And that time he was in a better place and happily accepted and reciprocated.

[talesofafangirlwithadvr]

April 2021 Picks

And we’re back with the end to another month. April! Wow! Lots more great picks to talk about this time. Lots of new ones to the list too. So, let’s dive in!

Spoiler territory ahead!

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER

or should I say Captain America and the Winter Soldier

I just finished the finale last night, so it felt right to start off with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I really enjoyed it and I feel the episodes got stronger as the series went on. Each one felt like a mini-movie and I was upset it was over and had to wait another week for another one. I think the finale was my favorite. Especially the reveal of Sam as Captain America. I love his suit, his speech and the montage of everyone watching him. The last part of the episode was definitely my favorite and one I can watch on repeat. I loved seeing happy Bucky and him goofing off with the kids in Louisiana. He deserves so much happiness as he has now accepted he’s no longer who he once was. Bucky and Sam’s relationship is fantastic and I can’t wait to see it more. I know there’s a possibility of a second season and they have to be in a future MCU movie. Regarding the villain, I feel I was confused for most of the show as to what their objective was. I’m curious if this is because they had to reshoot parts during the pandemic. I also am mad with Sharon. Like what happened with her? She is definitely the true villain of the show. I also don’t love that we haven’t seen the end of Walker (but Wyatt Russell did a fantastic job). I also loved Torres and I hope he becomes the next Falcon. Definitely so different vibes from Wandavision, but just as good!

THE IRREGULARS

This is a show that more people need to be talking about! It was SO GOOD! I feel like I heard some buzz about it when it first came out, but not much after. It follows the teens featured about who live on the streets during Victorian London. The leader of their group, Bea gets approached by Dr. John Watson (that’s right...as in Sherlock and Watson) to take on a case that has more supernatural qualities. The story takes off from there. I think the group dynamic was fantastic. There wasn’t a character I didn’t like and each one brought something else important to the group (which they even bring up towards the end of the show). [I’ve watched a few cast interviews since finishing the finale and they seem like they get along really well in real life too.] There is a kind of love triangle, but it didn’t bother me and was over fast. I did like both combinations though. Lots of twists and turns along the journey. I have no idea if there will be another season, but there should be. It didn’t end on a major cliffhanger, but definitely ended in a way where it could continue nicely. Come on Netflix. 

HBO’S THE NEVERS

From one show set in Victorian times to the next. The Nevers just premiered on HBO and HBO Max earlier this month. It follows an ensemble of characters, similar to other HBO shows, ranging from characters who are called “the touched” to men in government who are against them. Being “touched” means they have a special talent or power, which can range from healing to speaking other languages, being extremely tall, or being an expectational inventor (I seriously love Penance. I just don’t know how to explain her ability). Amalia True and Penance Adair are two of the main characters and they help bring in others who are touched to a remodeled orphanage that is a safe haven for people like them. Of course there are those who are against them existing. This seems to be at least two groups as someone is abducting and experimenting on some of the touched, but we don’t know who they are...yet. I love the fusion of a historical setting with a fantasy element. I am very excited to see where the show is headed. I also love seeing so many of my favorite British actors on the screen together.      

ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND

Time for a throw back. Fans of ABC’s Once Upon a Time might remember the short lived spin off following Alice in Wonderland (and some of Aladdin). It only lasted for one season of 13 episodes, but I remember loving it and I am so happy I can rewatch it on Disney Plus. It reminds me of why I enjoyed OUAT so much and I think this show deserved another season or more crossover with the original show. (Luckily the Knave got that opportunity.) I think it should have aired as a summer show or when OUAT was on hiatus, this way more fans would have tuned in. It is something I’ll believe forever. 

Anyway, I’ll stop ranting now... I love Alice. I think she’s a badass and a fierce warrior. If you follow some of my posts on my other blog, Lydia-yougowith-Stiles, you’ll know that I love a warrior romance and Cyrus and Alice fit that perfectly (even if they are apart for much of the series). I also love Alice’s hair and outfits. Everything about her is cool. Her relationship with the Knave is one of my favorite friendships ever. I think they balance each other out so well and how they spend most of the journey together. Back in the day, I totally shipped them, but now I definitely don’t. (Even though I don’t love Anastasia.) This is definitely worth the watch if you’ve ever heard of Once Upon a Time or not. There is very cheesy CGI especially for 2013, but once you get pass that you’ll love it. 

ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST

It was on a longer break than I expected, and I didn’t miss it as much as I thought I would (which I know doesn’t sound good for a show), but I am still loving all the episodes this season. It feels like there are more musical numbers, which I love. Mandy Moore is killing it with the choreography. There are so many amazing moments. I also was a big fan of the newest glitch episode. Everyone is so talented and I also like that we’ve started to hear from more like Jenna and Tobin. Leif has become one of my favorites. I don’t love the new neighbor next door, but I think we’re done with his storyline. I’m not loving the Zoey love triangle, but I do like her with either Simon or Max. She seems really happy with Simon now. (FYI: I haven’t watched the most recent episode yet. The glitch one was my latest.) Can’t wait for more!    

KUNG FU

CW’s newest show this month was Kung Fu, which I just learned was a reboot. It follows Nicky who returns after 3 years to her home in San Francisco. Her family has mixed feelings as she has had no contact with them for the last 3 years. She is now a Kung Fu master and warrior, out to avenge her mentor’s death and stop a villain from acquiring mythical weapons. The show gives me Arrow vibes every time I watch it. It has similar flashbacks each episode to an earlier time in Nicky’s life. While Nicky’s mission is different, the style just gives me early seasons of Arrow vibes, which I am not complaining about. It stars Legacies’ Alyssa Chen, who I didn’t love on Legacies, but instantly fell in love with Nicky. I think she’s a bad ass character and love how she’s fighting for the underdogs on the streets of San Fran, while also taking down a bigger evil. The love triangle is heating up and I’m definitely team Henry (even though there’s some mystery there). I think he’s great and once again we have an awesome warrior romance. They balance each other so well and it’s only been like 3 episodes. Now they’ve also been sleuthing together and it’s just amazing. 

NANCY DREW

Are you sick of hearing me talk about CW’s Nancy Drew? I hope not because I’m going to fangirl again. I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH! I can’t wait till Wednesday comes and I tune in a little after it starts, so then I can fast forward on my DVR. Then when the episode is over I basically start it all over again and watch select scenes that were awesome. (More specifically, they tend to be Nancy and Ace scenes because I love them and we’re entering so much angst I don’t know if my heart will be able to handle it!!!) 

I’ll say it a thousand times: THIS CAST IS EVERYTHING! Their dynamic is amazing. You can have any match ups and it’ll be a great time. There is not one person I don’t like. I was so upset that there wasn’t a new episode last week (especially because it was my birthday). I loved the last one with the Hardy Boys and that Nace reveal! OMG! I’m so sad that Grant has left again because we barely had him, but I feel he’ll eventually come back. He has to. I loved the ending when he spoke to Thom by signing to him. (My heart!) I seriously can’t say enough great things about this show. It is not your typical CW show and deserves more love and views. So happy a third season has already been confirmed!! 

LAST NOTES

Just started Shadow and Bone on Netflix and am loving it! I’m sure I’ll have an entire post dedicated to it when I’m done. (Currently going to start episode 6.) I have no background on the universe or the books (just what my sister is filling me in with as we watch). I definitely plan on reading Six of Crows after this!

So what are you enjoying? Let me know. I’m always looking for more shows to add to the list! Can never have enough. 

[hayjeon]

Practical Tips on getting your fics out there!

I’ve gotten an influx of these types of questions here recently, and the more i thought about what i was gonna add, it became really long :(  

disclaimer: a lot of the things i bring up are just from personal experience as a writer on this site, what my followers have told me they appreciate, and what i tend to look for when im looking for fics to read! If you don’t like these tips then pls move on :) 

although i’ll mention them, i’m also not going to be focusing on cliche tips like “write for yourself” or “grammar issues” cause those are pretty obvious!

1. accessibility of your blog 

when you’re trying to get your name out there, make sure that you’re creating an inviting experience for any potential followers! this includes:

a memorable url! be creative!

have some fun designing your blog’s aesthetic! (i love cute blogs because it reflects a bit of the writer’s personality), and (i prefer blogs with white backgrounds because it’s easier to look through/read, say, in contrast to a pitch black one where the words need to be white!) 

put your masterlist link in your bio (even better if you can link most recent fic! found this most helpful when i revisit authors that i like and can easily see if they’ve updated or not)

an organized and easy-to-navigate masterlist (personally, i prefer masterlists organized by band, instead of types of fics ie. i hate when i have to choose between drabbles, oneshots, and series masterlists; i really prefer to see them altogether!) --> see section 3 

organized tags (if you’re going to be posting a lot of non-fic-related content like pictures or videos, tag them properly so followers can sort through and find your fics easily!), or (if you’re going to be writing in different mediums like drabbles, or answering asks, make sure to use a unified #mine or #writing or #fics to centralize your content) 

2. get your name out there!

write write write! once you have some fics that show your talent, don’t be shy! 

join writing groups: when i first started out, I joined a bunch of groups that would reblog my fics in the midst of the content of much bigger writers; these blogs developed a following, and as a result of my content mixing in with bigger blogs’ content, so did my own tumblr! there’s been a stigma recently with these groups, but im sure you can find one thats supportive and not clique-y! 

send your fics to rec pages: what’s the harm? the only bad thing that can happen is that they ignore you! who cares! get out there! 

if you can do the above, i really encourage you to ask your fave writers for advice/to read your fic: again, the worst that can happen is that they say no or don’t respond or don’t have enough time, but it’ll be a good opportunity to get some feedback! i for one read (or try to read) every single rec that falls into my inbox. if i like it, i’ll #rec it, and if i don’t, unless the writer asks me for feedback, i move on!! 

utilize your tags!!: i’m not entirely sure if this is still the same or not, but from my memory, it’s the first 3-5 tags that matter the most? so utilize them well; push back the tags that aren’t really relevant (ie. #writing, #fics) and push more the main subject line of what you wrote (ie. jungkook fluff, bts smut, namjoon angst). these will populate your fics into the tags better!

headers!: when i’m scrolling through an infinite page of fics, the headers catch my eye the most; try being creative! you can find a lot of info out there on how to make ur headers super aesthetic, but i can share my tips too! --> see section 3

3. your masterlist 

here are some practical tips! 

organize by band, not type of fic/member/centralize your masterlist: i went onto a blog recently and clicked their bio mlist link to find a page full of 20~ish “JUNGKOOK MASTERLIST”/ “JAEHYUN MASTERLIST” and when i clicked on each one, they only had like 2 or 3 fics per member. i think it would’ve been better if she’d centralized all her fics! that keeps whoever is looking interested and more likely to click on another fic while browsing

add info about the fics!: when scrolling through a masterlist, it’s easy to get lost; try to add some snippets of info (ie. a short sentence you liked from the fic, a quick summary, a description of the au/scenario, or even a header!) this all gives some info about the fics you have tagged! 

headers: this isn’t a requirement, but i personally love a good header on fics i read and i love making them myself as i finish up a fic and get ready to upload it; here are free sources: unsplash for HQ stock pics, crop/edit/filter in VSCO, and then add aesthetic script with fontcandy) 

try to fill it up!: after i visit a blog after reading one good fic, i usually browse through their mlist to see if there are any more that i’d be interested in. if there’s a lot to look forward to, i’ll almost always follow; try to write as much as you can in the first few months to try and fill up your mlist and give blog viewers a reason to visit your blog again, follow, or even reblog your content!) 

4. try not to reproduce cliche fics: 

honestly tumblr’s writing community (and armys) has grown insanely these past few years and, unfortunately, even from my perspective, in the past 3-4 years, all the writers have sort of become blended together in my brain. but, i can say that the ones who consistently stand out are the ones who produce consistent content and think outside of the box! 

i tend to gravitate towards fics that have really interesting plotlines (ex. btssavedmylifeblr’s VOID is always a surprise to read because it’s sO unique! i usually don’t read ot7 fics but this one is legit my fave) 

I know it’s tempting to try and just write typical smut fics to try and gain some traction, but tumblr is already too overloaded by that kind of content; try to write something that’s special and unique! this will set u apart from the thousands of other writers here --> see next section

5. create unique fics: 

this is also personal to my writing style, but i get so bored writing just casual fics about the members, and it affects the fics i choose to read too; i prefer unique fics which you can achieve through: 

circumstance/au: create a fun au!; don’t just create an arranged marriage, create an arranged marriage in joseon dynasty, or between a werewolf and a hunter! (shameless self plug); don’t just give me friends to lovers, but give me spiderman!jungkook friends to lovers! (ie. cupofteaguk’s exchanges)

jobs: give them out-of-the-ordinary jobs; don’t just give me enemies to lovers, but give me rival!anchors who end up loving eachother! (ie. jimlingss The Newscasters)

fun dialogue: create good back-and-forth, (something i’m still working on!)! this will help your characters develop personality, and that way, readers will start to develop that themselves as well (ie. dad!yoongi from insemination wars by prolixitae is such a specific character that i love so much!, or obiwrites’ garden characters were so memorable!)

create memorable personalities: don’t give me a flat character, try to develop 4d personalities in all of your characters! (im still working on this too!) this way you can really make an impression on your followers! a great way to practice/recognize this is: “Ask my Character.” Can your followers ask a specific character a specific question, and would you be able to deliver an answer that is very specific to that character’s tone/voice/personality? If yes, then ur doing well! If not, try to think of ways that you can make tht specific character from a specific story, really unique and separate from your other characters.

6. some practical writing tips

be yourself, write for your own pleasure, blah blah blah; yeah you know already haha but here are a few more practical tips! 

grammar check: if you can, try and hone your grammar! makes for an easier read 

write like you: i personally LOVE this by obiwrites, but even the way she writes exudes her personality and is so specific; try not to be caught up in adding hundreds of synonyms and exquisite language; in fact, simpling it down and being more concise and honest with your writing is better than a superfluous sentence; this will also give ur characters so much more dimension and funk

use those commas/sentence variation: try to use more commas; this will feel like you’re the narrator to your own story; it also makes it more fluid to read in my opinion, over those short. clipped. sentences. (ie. “he came over, sitting down on the corner of your bed with an expression you’d never seen before” over “he walked over. he sat down, looking sad.”) 

half-half dialogue/narration: a fic with too much dialogue can get confusing, and a fic with too much narration can get dry; try to balance them out, and weave in and out of each! 

quality over quantity: don’t feel burdened to write a 30k word fic. in fact, i think some of the shorter fics (ie. any of versigny’s stuff) made a bigger impression on me over the longer fics because they were short, left me wanting more, and were just so high-quality in such small quantities. try out your hand at drabbles and one-shots, and don’t feel too burdened to try and develop a series right off the bat! 

abandon pigeon-holes: i’m guilty of this; i start series and then end up with no vision for the stories and they end up giving me writers block. its okay. just stop or discontinue them or leave them on a hiatus; it’s okay. your priority is yourself, and if abandoning certain works are part of that, then go ahead. it’ll help you progress more. 

and finally.......

i’ll add more as they come up! but if you liked this, then pls lmk! i’d love to give more tips and tricks; i think i started this blog 3-4 years ago when there weren’t as many writers here, but im glad you’re thinking of starting out/wanting to grow more! don’t feel intimidated! it’s not all about the notes/followers but creating a blog you’re proud of. 

so write what you’re proud of, or interested in, and keep going. i truly thoroughly had so much fun writing this post. if there are any writers who read through this and have some more advice, pls msg me! 

all the best to you! 

[linskywords]

criminal-minds-fanfiction wrote a bunch of questions for authors that you’re supposed to let people ask you, buuuut I felt like answering all of them instead of doing my actual job this afternoon. 😄 Here we go:

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fanfiction?

Like 25 maybe? I started writing about a year after I started reading it. I had a fanfiction-deprived adolescence, y’all.

2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one?

The hockey boys pulled me in years ago and they haven’t let me go. I do sometimes write other things: I almost always participate in Yuletide, and I’ve actually written a bunch of Animorphs fic under a different name (ask me if you want to see it!). Mostly hockey RPF, though.

3) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.

Haha neither. Well, I guess OC’s, if I had to choose -- I don’t read or write reader inserts. But I tend to keep OC’s for original fiction.

4) What is your favourite genre to write for?

I was very confused about fic having genres before I realized this was probably referring to the genre of the canon works. Um...sports. :D

5) If you had to choose a favourite out of all of your multi chaptered stories, which would it be and why?

Don’t make me choose my favorite child. Um, probably the first wolfverse story -- I don’t know if it’s the best one, but I’m very grateful to it for starting the ‘verse!

6) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why?

None of them, if that’s an option. If I really had to choose...probably the Kirk/Spock fic I never finished even after uploading it to AO3 and promising to finish it this time. I still want to finish it!! But it would be the first to go.

7) When is your preferred time to write?

I don’t have a strong preference. Afternoon/evening. I like having multi-hour blocks, and I use the Forest app to keep me off my phone while I do it.

8) Where do you take your inspiration from?

Plot bunnies come from all over the place: random thoughts, memes, real-life conversations, suggestions from other fandom people. I tend to have a pretty strong “THIS IS A STORY I WANT TO WRITE” response when something grabs me the right way.

9) In your xxx fic, what’s your favourite scene that you wrote?

Haha this is probably why I’m not supposed to just answer all of these in order. XD I’ll answer for my current WIP: the scene where Geno kisses Sid for the first time. So soft. So angsty. 😈 (My own story has cursed me to love Geno. I am doomed.)

10) In your xxx fic, why did you decide to end it like that? Did you have an alternative ending in mind?

In general: I know how my stories are going to end when they start. Sometimes it does evolve a bit as I write. One thing I’d like to play with is including more of the main characters being together at the end of the story, instead of ending it at the moment when they get together; the latter makes sense from a tension perspective, but I’ve been finding when I read lately that I want more of the happy times at the end, so I’m going to try to move in that direction.

11) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?

Only for typos, I think.

12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why?

Ooooh. Either Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews. There’s something so compelling to me about Patrick’s fanon voice. And every love interest in every original story I try to write is Jonny.

13) Who is your least favourite character to write for? Why?

I...don’t really write about characters I don’t like? I wish Auston Matthews would shave his mustache.

14) How did you come up with the title for the xxx? - You can ask about multiple stories.

About fifty percent of the titles I come up with are desperate scrambles because I’ve got nothing. The other fifty percent I have a perfect song lyric for from the start.

15) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names?

I only write OC’s in original fiction, but: I’ve been phonebanking lately, and I’ve been writing down all the good names I come across. The best so far is someone with the last name Quackenboss.

16) How did you come up with the idea for xxx?

MAGIC.

17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.

Oh...oh no. Um.

“It doesn’t matter what he was thinking about. His knot popped; that’s the important thing.”

Some of you can probably guess what that’s about. :)

18) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

Mostly on my computer. I have a lot of beginnings of stories I haven’t finished yet; many of them I’ll probably go back to. I tend not to post things until I’m done or close to done with them. (That one Star Trek fic being an exception. Mea culpa.)

19) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?

YES. The 1988 timer one and the 1988 story where Patrick’s a girl who sneaks onto the Blackhawks in disguise. I’d love to do a Bennguin version of both of those.

20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?

Hm. Some of them I think I rushed a little. More Than I Could Ever Promise, I think it needs a good old-fashioned battle scene in the mountains at the end to really round out the plot.

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

Have I mentioned astolat? What, only two or three hundred times? I should mention her again, then. Give me that woman’s ability to plot. Inject it into my veins.

22) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?

Haha. I often have slightly cringy moments in my old stories. You Made My Life an Adventure, I definitely didn’t really know what I was doing yet...

23) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?

I usually listen to music.

24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes?

Turned on.

25) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?

Yes. The sequel to My Heart Forgets to Beat.

26) Which part of your xxx fic was the hardest to write?

The Sid/Geno wolfverse story I’m working on now is maybe the hardest thing I’ve ever written. The language barrier is such a new challenge for me.

27) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?

I don’t formally outline, but I tend to have a sense of the major plot beats. One reason I love writing fic is that the plot and world tend to be straightforward enough for that. I have a lot more trouble doing that with original fiction.

28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?

This will radically reduce the amount of time I spend writing original fiction.

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

Like You Have a Secret I think is less read than some of the others because it’s het, but I really love it. Similarly, some of my stories that are inspired by other works (Tangled, Doctor Who, The Giver) tend to be read less because people think they need to know the source material, when really I deviate from the source material so much it’s not important.

30) In contrast to 29 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

Huh. Probably not. I’m definitely surprised when some stories take off -- Kinda Narrows It Down I wrote pretty quickly, on a whim, and I was surprised by the extent to which it resonated with people. Turns out lots of people think Tyler was coming out in that tweet. XD

31) Send me a fic recommendation and I’ll post it for my followers to see! (The asker is to send the rec not the answerer)

Ooh. Ignoring the terms of this question, but: I just read this TK/Patty story and loooved it. It’s a different take on werewolves than the one I use in wolfverse, and it’s super compelling:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24029188

32) Are any of your characters based on real people?

Hahahahahaha. (I mean...less so than you might think.)

33) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?

I absolutely love it when people write screaming flaily responses to my fic. Also anytime anyone says that they’ve been having a tough time and my story was exactly what they needed. Maybe my favorite was the responses to More Than I Could Ever Promise that told me it read like a novel; that meant a lot to me right then.

34) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?

Fandom is amazing; people almost never give me concrit. I did have someone ask once if I randomly chose when to stop writing and just ended my stories there. I was pretty offended, since of course that’s not true at all, but I can see where they were coming from: my stories tend to wrap up after the characters get together, and sometimes there’s a lot of potential story left to tell at that point. But stories have to end sometime.

35) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?

I tend to share them! I find other people’s enthusiasm to be strongly motivating, and sometimes people have awesome suggestions I wouldn’t have thought of.

36) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s?

Well, I only have the one. XD Sid...is about to have an important conversation with Mario.

37) What’s the funniest story you’ve written?

Ooh, I’m not sure I’m the write person to answer! No idea, really. My recent TK/Patty is probably pretty funny. Or maybe Quality Time, where Patrick doesn’t understand why he keeps losing track of time when he’s cuddling with Jonny. Anything with a super dumb protagonist, probably.

38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it.

Wow, I have no idea. I’ve never really written a story with someone, so I’m not sure how that would work. I want to say astolat again but honestly I’d be too intimidated.

...no, I’m gonna say astolat. Even if I made a fool of myself I think I would learn a ton.

39) Do you prefer first, second or third person?

Third. For some original stuff I like first person, but third feels right for the hockey boys.

40) Do people know you write fanfiction?

My close friends do. Most of my friends have the vague idea I write fic, but they don’t know my username or anything.

41) What’s you favourite minor character you’ve written?

Patrick Sharp. No question.

42) Song fic - What made you decide to use the song xxx for xxx.

I will legit listen to a new album with a doc open to write down promising lyrics. Titles are HARD, y’all.

43) Has anyone ever guessed the plot twist of one of your fics before you posted it?

I think people guessed where the Tangled fic was going. Though I also liked the guesses that it would be about Patrick’s mullet. XD I don’t really mind when people guess twists -- in the kind of story I write, it’s more about the experience of reading it than about surprise!

44) What is the last line you wrote?

“His parents have always been very respectful of any choices Sid’s wanted to make. They haven’t pried into his private life when he’s tried to set boundaries. But they’re wolves, and they know him a lot better than Jordy does. Sid isn’t going to be able to keep it a secret from them what he’s going through.”

...no guarantee it survives in that form. :D

45) What spurs you on during the writing process?

Getting the story out of my head and into reality! Spoon out that lake, baby.

I also do love the prospect of posting it for people to enjoy and respond to. It’s one of the reasons I find fic so much more rewarding than original fiction, where the timeline to a readership is so much longer.

46) I really loved your xxx fic. If you were ever to do a sequel, what do you think might happen in it?

Things, probably.

47) Here’s a fic title - insert a made up title. What would this story be about?

This exercise might be going off the rails a bit. (If anyone does want to pose this to me, feel free!)

48) What’s your favourite trope to write?

Ooh. Mutual pining. Friends to lovers. Werewolves. :D

49) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?

The first fic I ever, ever read was a random Kirk/Spock one I found through google, and I was like “OMG IS THIS WHAT AROUSAL FEELS LIKE”

50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Oh man. Angst, as long as it can have a happy ending. But it just wouldn’t be the same without the smut.

[monochrome-in-madness]

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My Top 10 Favourite Horrors

Within this top 10 list, some will include the prequels, sequels and any other follow ups as 1 ranking number. Some may be considered thriller, sci-fi, suspence etc, however, I do regard these as horrors myself.

I have take many aspects into account, such as videography, actor quality, SFX makeup quality, soundtrack, directors, CGI etc.

Note : this is my personal opinion. You do not have to agree with it, though if you haven't seen these, I highly reccomend them.

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1. The Conjuring

(1 & 2)

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The Conjuring 1 :

The Perron family moves into a farmhouse where they experience paranormal phenomena. They consult demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren, to help them get rid of the evil entity haunting them.

The Conjuring Trailer :

The Conjuring 2 :

Peggy, a single mother of four children, seeks the help of occult investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren when she and her children witness strange, paranormal events in their house

The Conjuring 2 Trailer :

My Opinion :

The Conjuring was the start of an incredible series of horrors that beat any other horror to the ground. It is absolutely fantastic and I basically worship these films. James Wan is my favourite director and he never ceases to amaze me.

Paranormal horror is my favourite and as someone who actually believes in the paranormal and who has had paranormal experiences, I can confirm that The Conjuring is much more realistic than any other paranormal films, which just makes it extra spooky.

The actors, camera angles, music, sfx makeup and storyline is just - chefs kiss -. I've been waiting for the 3rd one for so long, but they keep extending the release date. (R. I. P)

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2. Annabelle

(all of them)

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Annabelle :

John and Mia Form are attacked by a Satan worshipping couple, who uses their doll as a conduit to make their life miserable. This unleashes a string of paranormal events in the Forms' residence.

Annabelle Trailer :

Annabelle Creation :

Samuel and Elle embed their daughter's spirit into a doll, only to realise it is a demon. Years later, they open their home to a nun and six orphan girls, one of whom finds the doll.

Annabelle Creation Trailer :

Annabelle Comes Home :

Judy and her babysitter are left alone in her house after her parents leave to investigate a case. However, an unexpected guest sets Annabelle free, unleashing demonic activity in the house.

Annabelle Comes Home Trailer :

My Opinion :

Another great film series that was birthed form The Conjuring. Definitely less realistic, with many more jumpscares and spooky characters, which is appreciated in the horror world. Many people find dolls far more creepy than ghosts, myself included, so that's another perfect aspect that adds to the suspense.

I prefer Annabelle 3 over the others, mainly because I found that one to be more scary overall, even though Daniela is an idiot and she makes me so frustrated 😂

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3. Saw

(all of them)

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For the totally unindoctrinated, the Saw movie franchise revolves around the Jigsaw Killer (a.k.a. John Kramer), who tortures victims he believes are complacent or guilty, in order to make them appreciate their time on Earth.

All Saw Trailers :

Obviously I'm not going to list every Saw movie, because there are 7 (Jigsaw aka number 8, does NOT count. It is a disgrace).

My Opinion :

A classic for horror and gore lovers of all kinds. Of course I need to list this as number 3. I simply adore these movies. I even have the DVD set, so I am definitely a long term fan haha.

The obstacles and creativity regarding Saw as a whole needed a lot of thought put into it, plus it has a happy little side note of "make sure you don't cause harm to others in life and don't take anything for granted" which some may have not even noticed while being overwhelmed by the amount of fake blood.

Yes, a lot of characters are annoying, but that just makes us enjoy seeing them tortured even more (shh it's not real). Some of the blood doesn't look very realistic, the sfx can lack attention, BUT... It's still great and I can overlook these few flaws to appreciate the movies to the max.

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4. Blair Witch

(2016)

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A young man and his friends venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mystery surrounding his missing sister. Many believe her disappearance 17 years earlier is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch.

At first the group is hopeful, especially when two locals act as guides through the dark and winding woods. As the night wears on, a visit from a menacing presence soon makes them realize that the legend is all too real, and more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

Blair Witch Trailer :

My Opinion :

I love the camerawork. Not because it's perfect, because it's the opposite. It's a documentary style and this makes it feel more realistic, as if you are within the film yourself. I enjoy how they skip to the action at just the right time after a mild buildup.

The visuals are great as well and there were definitely some parts where I was disgusted and claustrophobic, which is good to experience while enjoying these types of films.

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5. Under The Skin

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Disguising itself as a human female, an extraterrestrial drives around Scotland attempting to lure unsuspecting men into her van. Once there, she seduces and sends them into another dimension where they are nothing more than meat.

Under The Skin Trailer :

My Opinion :

I would classify this as horror, but many won't. Either way, this is an amazingly artistic film with beautiful imagery and silent awe. It definitely makes you feel the suspense in a calming manner and it has some really dark moments. Without reading the description, one might be confused as to what is going on, but how art is supposed to be interpretated is by the imagination of individuals.

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6. Veronica

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During a solar eclipse, young Verónica and her friends want to summon the spirit of Verónica's father using an Ouija board. However, during the session she loses consciousness and soon it becomes clear that evil demons have arrived.

Veronica Trailer :

My Opinion :

A Spanish masterpiece, to put it simply. It's hard to find proper horrors like this in English. I really enjoyed this one and I watched it subbed not dubbed, because I feel like voiceovers tend to ruin the art of the original film. The buildup is perfect and unlike many horrors, it barely shows you the face of the "monster". That leaves it to the imagination, which in general makes it far more scary.

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7. Underwater

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Disaster strikes more than six miles below the ocean surface when water crashes through the walls of a drilling station. Led by their captain, the survivors realize that their only hope is to walk across the sea floor to reach the main part of the facility. But they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they come under attack from mysterious and deadly creatures that no one has ever seen.

Underwater Trailer :

My Opinion :

This movie was released quite recently and I didn't know what to expect. I was definitely blown away by how good it was. Being trapped underwater gives most people a sense of anxiety. Add being trapped underwater and being hunted by creepy sea monsters and you've got yourself a good horror. Kristen Stewarts general anxious personality definitely suits this film well.

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8. Split

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Kevin, who is suffering from dissociative identity disorder and has 23 alter egos, kidnaps three teenagers. They must figure out his friendly personas before he unleashes his 24th personality.

Split Trailer :

https://youtu.be/84TouqfIsiI

My Opinion :

An incredible film with phenomenal acting on the part of James McAvoy. You can get lost within his character and almost feel as if you are the character itself. Suspense is built up slowly and the climax of the film is released rapidly. People I know who do not enjoy horror, love this film themselves, which is saying something. It's definitely one of the best modern films that draws you in from the start. 

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9. A Quiet Place

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A family struggles for survival in a world where most humans have been killed by blind but noise-sensitive creatures. They are forced to communicate in sign language to keep the creatures at bay.

A Quiet Place Trailer :

https://youtu.be/WR7cc5t7tv8

My Opinion :

As you can tell by now, I love anything alien related. This film has some of the most amazing looking aliens I've seen, I was honestly in awe by how great they looked. Another silent film, but in a different sense to the previous one. Instead of being the hunter, this family is being hunted and this adds more to the fear factor.

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10. Unfriended - Dark Web

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When a teen finds a laptop with a cache of hidden files, he and his friend discover that the previous owner has access to the dark web and is watching over them.

Unfriended - Dark Web Trailer :

https://youtu.be/XenTM_C9fxM

My Opinion :

A modern take on horror. Involving the actual dangers of the dark web and the use of technology and turning it into a horror was a magnificent idea. It definitely had me at the edge of my seat.

Due to another film type that is not often explored (thus being that most of the movie is equal to what it would be like to look at your computer and video chat), it makes it different and therefore more compelling than the usual videography styles.

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Thank you for reading, if you've made it this far! Feel free to share your top 10 in the comment section, I am definitely interested in your opinions and finding new movies to watch myself. Any questions are also welcome.

Until next time, take care and stay spooky!

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[satan-chillin]

Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM)

Summary: You’re the homeroom teacher of nine students, four of which happened to share the same family name of Winchester. You dubbed them as the Winchester Four, two pairs of siblings and paternal cousins. You were pretty interested to find out the kind of parents they have.  

Pairings: Established Destiel & SamWena/SamWitch

Characters: Reader (female), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel, Rowena MacLeod (mentioned)

Note: Non-pairing reader, children drawings inside ;) 

Also available in Ao3

You straightened your skirt for what seemed like the tenth time within five minutes. 

 Not that you could be blamed for your nerves. It was the PTM, of course, and your first since becoming a kindergarten teacher. With the children, you were exactly in your element with their energeticness and rambunctiousness. The parents, however, were the uncharted territories. 

 Your first parent for the day was a nice young woman who happened to be a single parent of two boys, Connor and Marcus. You thanked her for her time and gave your appreciation after knowing she was also juggling three part-time jobs. Her kids were often the ones to be picked up a little past the dismissal, and after finding out her situation, you offered to keep watch for them until she could pick them up. She was delighted and was grateful while you didn’t mind the suggestion one bit since you tend to extend your stay after classes. Besides, it was also a chance for you to focus on improving her sons’ reading comprehension since it was your main concern.  

 You met both the parents of Alita, the quiet girl you have in class. You often found her sitting and coloring books in one corner and would encourage her to join the others during playtime. You would smile whenever she decided to join the rest on occasion and also understood that she was someone who frequently wanted time for herself. As a compromise, you often have her sit beside you while she was doing her coloring and the others playing. Her parents were alright, you supposed. A little snobbish, maybe, and clearly wanted Alita to be a more physically active child, but you did say you were doing your best and assured them Alita was outstanding the way she was.

 Your next parents were the lovely father and mother of the twin girls Lara and Mara. They were the oldest in your class and nigh inseparable which was a given, you thought. With their age, they were the maturest thinkers of the bunch and would help out with keeping the others in line. They were treated as the eldest sisters of most of the kids, and they both get along well with everyone. You told their parents that their daughters showed promising leadership qualities at their young age and pointed out their strongest points and the ones that needed improvements: Lara still struggled with the arithmetic while Mara was having problems with symbolic concepts. Both, however, were impressive with their grasp of the English language for their age. 

 You only have nine students in your class and after counting, you realized you already met the parents of five of them so far. The parents of the other four were yet to arrive and when you reviewed your list, you confirmed the students left. 

 The Winchester Four. 

 It was unexpected, but you recognized the eagerness in wanting to meet their parents. They were two pairs of siblings and both were paternal cousins, and, frankly, the oddest of the bunch. 

 Now, it wasn’t that they were weird, per se, though they did display peculiar qualities that could have been picked up from home. Nothing alarming, mind, and if anything, it made you curious as to what kind of people were raising the children—you were already leaning on the hipster-ish type of parents and given that it was already the 21st century, you weren’t certain if that should be impressive. 

 You have different backstories in your head like maybe they were kids of uber smart parents because heck, they have rudimentary knowledge in Latin, for god’s sake, while you struggled hard with that dead language during your college years; or maybe they were the nomad kind who would uproot the whole family to move on to the next location, which could explain the expansive knowledge on the geography the kids seemed to naturally have; or maybe they were absentee parents who just let their kids do their thing, making them—

 You blinked behind the window, your musing interrupted when you spotted a black ‘67 Impala in front of the school. You might have whistled there under your breath at what appeared to be a well-kept vehicle, though what made your eyebrow rise was the three men who exited it. 

 Were they… Were they law enforcement?

 You followed the three men with your eyes, thinking they were to walk to the building next to the school when they entered the school grounds instead. You quickly arranged your table and repositioned the chairs by the desk, and by the time you were done, there was a knock on the classroom door. 

 Oh, god, they were taller up close. 

 “Hi, how can I help you, officers?” you asked, trying not to sound nervous which you (and you thought most people as well) usually were around authorities. 

 The blond man smiled charmingly. “Sorry about the confusion, ma’am. We’re not here for work, we’re actually here for the PTM.” 

 “Oh. Oh! The PTM. Right,” you muttered, fumbling. “So, uh, for which students?” 

 “Winchesters,” the three of them simultaneously said. 

 All of them together. Wow. “Ookay. Have a seat here, sirs.” 

 There were only two chairs in front, and when you moved in to push another one, the man with the trenchcoat offered to do it instead and sat on it. 

 He was also the first one to ask, “Are Jimmy and John doing alright in school?”

 Straight to the point, this guy, you thought wryly as you adjusted your glasses. “Uh, yeah. Yeah. They’re great, actually. So you’re the parent of James and John then, Mr… Sorry, I think there will be a confusion here if I call you three Mr. Winchesters.”

 “Call me Cas,” said the man in the trenchcoat. 

 “Dean here,” said the blond one with a grin. “Cas and I are for the BJ brothers.”

 “I’m Sam,” said the tallest of the three as if the other two weren’t towering enough on their own. “I’m here for my kids Marybeth and Anthony.”

 “Well, I’m Y/N, their homeroom teacher,” you formally said once you wrapped your mind that, yes, these were the parents of the Winchester Four, and, yep, they were from law enforcement or something along that line of job. “The four kids are fast learners, by the way, and they’re friendly with the other children so we don’t really have an issue there, though there are some concerns that I personally want to bring up to you.”

 You reached for a drawer and pulled out a bunch of papers with drawings during the art time. You placed them face down on the desk and had the sudden urge to laugh at their seemingly curious and nervous reaction at the papers. 

 “Oh, no, don’t tell me they started drawing something disturbing. Like the serial killers did when they were young,” Dean said worriedly, frowning and the grin gone from his face. 

 “Did they draw a dead body, Ms. Y/N?” Cas asked grimly. 

 You sighed. “Nobody drew a dead body, sirs.” You pushed the drawings away for a moment. “Actually, before that, I have to ask something first. Jimmy told me once that he and John live in a cave with their older brother and their two dads. I don’t want to make assumptions here, Mr. Dean and Cas, but is it a metaphor for your living arrangements?”

 Dean looked rather affronted to have their home be called a cave. He opened his mouth to make a protest though Cas had beaten him to it. 

 “It is a cave in a child’s perspective,” Cas said. “It is not a cave. It is a bunker,” he said, addressing you. 

 “A large bunker with soft beds and a wide kitchen. If it’s going to be a cave, it better be the friggin’ Batcave!”

 You have no idea why Dean was defensive about his bunker, but you attributed it to the typical territorialism of men, something which you would probably never understand with your flaming lesbian flag. 

 “I’m sorry about him,” Sam interrupted with a sigh. “But, yeah, I think what my nephews called the cave is the bunker where they live in. It’s been with the family for generations and we inherited it from our grandfather. My wife and I moved out of the place so it’s just my brother there, Cas, and Jack during his sem breaks.”

 “I see,” you replied, unsure what to say to that further. You pushed the glasses up your nose once more. You cleared your throat. “I’m not asking to pry on where you decide to raise them. I guess I just want to resolve the mystery of this cave or something,” you admitted, assuring them with a slight smile. “There is also another question that I want to raise out of curiosity: where did they learn Latin?”

 “I think they might have got it from Cas and, often, from my wife.” Sam appeared to be positively glowing at the question.

 You knew it. Smart parents. “Oh. Cool. I mean, I guess it’s nice to encourage them at a young age. Might be handy in the future.” There were other non-dead languages the kids could learn, but to each their own, you supposed. 

 You pulled the eight drawings across the table. “As you know, we spend most of our day in art class. It’s to encourage kids to bring out their creativity and I gotta say, Bobby John and Benny James are… creative. So are Marybeth and Anthony,” you began positively. 

 There were plenty of drawings from the kids. First month in, your students already filled up the shelves. To remedy the lack of storage, you either post some of them or send them with the student once graded so they could showcase them at home. They were usually the drawings of sceneries, home life, their favorite holidays, and of family. Some showed promise in the pen and paper artistry, and the drawings helped you in figuring out their present state at home. 

 The drawings from the Winchester Four, barring the typical imagination exclusive of children, as usual, left you baffled. 

 You laid out the first paper from Marybeth Winchester. 

“I believe this is Mrs. Winchester, yes?” you asked, eyeing Sam. “What is she doing exactly?” 

 “Cooking,” Sam said simply as if that explained it. 

 Cas leaned close to study the drawing. “I think that is Rowena levitating the pans.” You stared at him. “She said she finds it tedious to cook and make the table without magic.”

 “Magic tricks!” Sam suddenly exclaimed. “Yeah, she often, uh, shows the kids what she learns from Youtube. I helped her set up this one with invisible strings. The kids like it.” 

 Dean rolled his eyes faintly at that as if saying ‘Really?’.

 “Right,” you deadpanned when you thought that was the best you could get. You believed that if you mentioned that Anthony and Marybeth told you that their Mom was a former queen—you thought there might be an instance before that they said she was a queen of Hell before she had them—you would get a completely unbelievable answer. “Magic. Cool.”

 The next drawing was from Marybeth’s brother, Anthony, and you have to admit, this one made you double-take. “This is from Anthony, and—is that a gun?” 

You pretended not to notice Sam paling a bit. Dean looked like he was stifling a laugh behind a cough. For some reason, he found it pretty funny. 

 You heard Sam sigh defeatedly. “Okay, that one’s my fault,” he said regretfully that you almost felt bad that you were interrogating him, but, hey, your student’s welfare first and foremost. If it has to do with Anthony witnessing his Dad at fieldwork, then it was something to be discussed. “I let him spend a night watching me play.”

 “Sorry?”

 “There’s this shooting game on PS4. I modeled my character after me—on-the-job me, I mean, with uniform and all. I kinda got addicted to it briefly and… you know.” 

 “And I thought I’m the irresponsible one,” Dean commented unhelpfully.

 “So it’s not Anthony watching you at work? I mean, you guys work at the side of the law, right? I understand your job isn't easy, but you know how it can also impact the children,” you said, expressing your concern. 

 For sure, they knew how it would be before they entered the family life, and they seemed to have taken your reminder quite well judging by the solemn nods you received in return. 

 To lighten the mood a bit, you showed Sam a joint drawing by Marybeth and Anthony. This one you intended for him to take home. It seemed that something he would like pinned up on the refrigerator. 

“Anthony and Marybeth shared in the class that their Papa is strong enough to lift them both at the same time,” you told Sam. “Marybeth insisted that they include their Mom since she said that Mrs. Winchester was actually behind the camera for this picture. Anthony eventually won the argument when he pointed out that they wouldn’t be any space for the message at the bottom,” you added fondly. “They said that they would just make their Mom a different drawing.”

 Sam seemed to have melted at the image, reverently staring at the drawing when you handed it to him. Dean and Cas simply smiled at Sam’s tender expression.  

 “Actually, there’s also a drawing here made by the four of them together,” you said, searching through the papers. “Bobby John and Benny James told me it’s their older brother Jack, which Anthony and Marybeth claimed their favorite cousin.”

 Dean huffed out a laugh. “Very minimal choices there.” 

You blinked. You remembered this one when you graded it. “Mr. Jack has… quite the set of eyes when angry,” you commented. 

 You just hoped that Jack wasn’t actually high with those red, blood-shot eyes. 

 “They captured Jack’s impressive set of eyes here,” Cas said with a small smile. “Jack got his expressive eyes from Kelly, his mother.”

 You didn’t mean to, but that Harry Potter meme about Snape telling Harry he had his mother’s eyes when the movie hardly bothered with the contact lenses entered your mind, unbidden. You suppressed a grin that nobody noticed. 

 “Jack’s a good kid,” Sam said. “He doesn’t get angry with the kids no matter how stubborn they are. He spoils them whenever he can.” He pointed at the ‘Angry Jack’. “That’s actually Jack being protective of them.”

 Well, nice to know the kids were looking up to a young adult as a good role model. 

 “You can keep it. Mr. Jack might want to take it as a gift,” you told them. Cas folded the paper and kept it. 

 Only four more drawings were left, and for the next one, you picked the one that made you curious about the way it was drawn. 

 “This was from Bobby John,” you told them, showing the drawing the boy told you what happened on his last birthday. 

“Bobby John told me this was you,” you said to Cas. “Um, what happened here? If you don’t mind me asking.”

 Cas’s eyes softened imperceptibly at the memory. “This was when we visited Japan to banish an old curse and put the vengeful spirit at peace.”

 You blinked once… twice… thrice. 

 ... Did you hear that right? 

 “He’s talking about that Japanese horror movie that we watched in Tokyo,” Dean explained hastily, much to Sam’s amusement and Cas’s confusion. “It’s uh—It’s about that cursed well where some girl was dumped in and she became a ghost wanting revenge.” 

 “Oh,” you said dumbly. “And she could walk through the walls?”

 “It’s a television,” Cas answered. For a moment, Dean looked nervous when he spoke. “Her death was caught on tape. The tape was a cursed object that anyone who watched it would die after the seventh day.” 

 “Wow.” You were a horror movie nut yourself, more so of Asian horror films. You haven’t heard of this movie until now. “Was this released last year?”

 “Last year,” Sam confirmed. “It was an entry for the annual Japanese Horror Festival so it was exclusively shown that day.” 

 “That’s too bad. I would have watched it,” you muttered. You hoped they would release it on DVD with enough funding. “Okay. So if this longhaired girl here was the ghost in that movie, what was Mr. Cas doing here then?”

 “Vanquishing the vengeful ghost,” Cas said grimly. Dean nudged him subtly. “Bobby John and Benny James were scared after watching the film, which was a mistake in our part. I had to assure them that Sadako wouldn’t get them, not when I’m alive.”

 Your impression of Cas so far was that he was a man who took things too seriously and literally. You guessed they were just part of his character as the loving Papa. You found it adorable. 

 “Ah, kids,” you chuckled affectionately, moving on to the next drawing from Benny James. 

“I think I get it now why Benny James called you an angel in this one,” you said. “Complete with a set of wings and all.” 

 “That’s a pretty accurate image of my angel wings,” Cas said cryptically, clearly liking the drawing. 

 Dean squinted. “Is that me being carried by Cas?” 

 “Your son said so, yes.” 

 “I mean, he ain’t wrong,” Dean allowed. “Cas is our ride often,” he murmured. 

 You didn’t catch it, but his brother Sam did, prompting a “Yeah, I bet he’s always your ride” under his breath. 

 Dean kicked him at the back of his leg and claimed that Sam’s wife was infecting his innocence bit by bit.  

 You cleared your throat when you thought a childish brawl would break out between them. Cas merely glanced at you apologetically at their behavior. “They’re not always like that,” Cas told you. 

 You waved off the apology with a wry smile. You suddenly missed your younger brother back at your home. 

 “Oh, yeah.” You picked out the other drawing by Bobby John. “There’s another from Bobby John. I think this might be about a movie too.” You tilted your head. “It’s… interesting,” you said, for the lack of a better word. 

You heard Sam’s snort before catching the way Dean’s face fell. 

 “I think this is Rowena burning Dean that one time he called her fa—”

 “Okay, don’t listen to Cas,” Dean interrupted, covering Cas’s mouth with his palm. “That’s—That’s from a show. Okay, so that’s me and Rowena. I was watching the show with the kids, I irritated her for whatever reason, and she threatened to burn me the same way that guy in the show was burned,” he explained. He gave an uncertain chuckle at your reaction. “You know, typical in-laws stuff.”

 Yeesh. You were sure darn lucky you didn’t have any in-laws. Not yet, anyway. 

 “Pretty sure you were watching Tom and Jerry that time, Dean,” Sam cut in. 

 “And Tom got burned there,” Dean protested. “He was still alive, of course. Unlike me if Rowena went through with her threat,” he retorted, petulantly crossing his arms. At Sam’s bitch face, Dean sighed. “Look, man, I’m not demonizing Rowena. Just saying she has quite a temper. For me. Never the kids. I’m saying you could have done worse, Sam, and either way, I’d take her as my sister-in-law anytime.” 

 Sam looked like he wasn’t expecting the honest statement. He was warned by his brother not to tell her, and while Sam didn’t look like he was going to keep it a secret from his wife with that knowing grin, he nodded nonetheless. 

 There was a single drawing left, and when you saw what it was, you knew that like his brother, Dean would love the one intended for him. 

“Bobby John and Benny James both drew it,” you said, smiling at how Dean went silent in awe. “They told me that their Number One Papa is Cas and you're the Number One Dad.” 

 “Can I keep this?” 

 After the previous depictions of Dean being carried on air and being burned, you thought he deserved the drawing. “Feel free to.”

 Dean was beaming with pride. “Cas, we should frame this.”

 Sam shook his head amusedly. You weren’t fooled; you knew he would also do the same with his. 

***

The rest of the meeting was quick. The kids’ grades were impressive for their age, and it helped that they have good foundations from home as well. The three of them—yes, even Dean— commended Mrs. Winchester’s patience reserved for teaching them how to read and write and getting them to be interested in books the same way Sam also was.    

 “Hopefully, she’ll come with us next PTM,” Sam said. “I’m sure she’d like to know you.” 

 Mrs. Winchester seemed like a force to reckon with, but, frankly, you were also excited to meet her in person. 

 “Thank you, Ms. Y/N,” Cas said. You shook his hand. “You’ve given us helpful insights on how they’re doing at school. You’re a good teacher to them.”  

 “Yep. Nice to know they’ll be fine in school.” Dean mock-saluted you. “Until next PTM, ma’am.” 

 You weren’t expecting your first PTM to go smoothly as this, and you certainly didn’t expect that the parents that initially made you anxious (and interested) the most would be the most entertaining. 

 “Until next time then,” you said with a smile. 

 You gave a slight wave after you saw them out of the classroom when they stopped on their way and seemingly remembered something.  

 “You know what, before we go, we might as well give you this.” Dean reached for his jacket pocket and handed you a business card. 

It didn’t look like a precinct calling card, and at your apparent confusion, it was Sam who answered you. 

 “It’s our other job,” he said. “A family business.”

 “Hit us up, ma’am, if ever you need help.” 

 “With what exactly?” you asked. 

 “If you noticed anything strange,” Cas said. 

 “Like cold spots,” Sam added

 “Or weird smells,” Dean said. “Anything that you noticed… unnatural.” 

 “Oh.” Was that the position ‘Hunter’ was for? And what did ‘MoL’ mean? “Thanks?” 

 You remained holding the card even as they drove off in their Impala. Curiously, you pulled out your phone and searched the net for the names Sam and Dean Winchester. 

 Interestingly, the first search result that showed up in Google was a decade-old website named Ghostfacers. Once introduced to the content of the site, however, your reaction was a simple: 

 “Holy shit.”

[rachelreviewspopculture]

Emma. (2020). Directed by Autumn de Wilde

Autumn de Wilde’s Emma. (2020) is unlike any Austen adaptation I’ve ever seen. It’s Austen by way of Wes Anderson.

Emma holds a special place in my heart as my favorite of Jane Austen’s novels, which, if my circle of friends and acquaintances is to be trusted as a decent sample of the population, does not seem to be a popular opinion in the least. Most favor the sparkle and wit of Pride and Prejudice or Anne Elliot’s deeply felt emotional life in Persuasion, but Austen famously wrote that she wanted to create a main character no one would like in Emma, and she seems to have succeeded. One picks up on Austen’s own attitude toward her heroine in the first line of the novel, in which she writes, “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich . . . had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.” On the surface, this could appear as simply an accurate description of our main character (and it is), but if one knows Austen, one also knows there is always much more going on underneath the surface in her writing, and it takes some attention to see this. Here in the first line of the novel she is already making fun of poor Emma.

My appreciation of Austen’s sardonic side is not the only or even the main reason Emma is my favorite of her novels; it is rather the complexity of what Austen does in the novel and the seeming ease with which she accomplishes it. Like all who have genius, Austen makes it all look so effortless, which is one of the reasons her writing is often misinterpreted and misunderstood. When one looks past the surface of her novels, one sees that Austen explores foundational questions of human nature, which of course includes love and marriage, but also questions of being and appearance, and questions of family and community. It seems to me Austen has a particular interest in the question of paternity and authority, as father figures (or the lack thereof) all seem to bear special importance for her heroines.

In any case, in Emma, Austen weaves the novel around the self-important main character and two other supporting actors born in the town of Highbury the same year as Emma, Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax. These latter two are seen relatively sparingly in the novel and instead act as specters of what Emma’s life could have been; the three are connected not just by birth year, but by the early losses each has suffered. Frank, born to the affable Mr. Weston, loses his mother around three years old, and as a result his father ships him off to live with an aunt and uncle, thinking he cannot take care of his young son himself. Jane is an orphan whose only living family are her very poor grandmother and very tiring aunt, Mrs. and Miss Bates, and who, despite her accomplishments and beauty, seems destined to become a governess because of her lack of family and connections. Finally, there is Emma herself, whose mother died when Emma was young, and was raised with her sister by her father. All three children born to gentlemen from the same town, and yet all three with very different fates. Throughout the novel Austen demonstrates just how deeply these familial losses have affected our trio without ever commenting on the situation directly. Frank feels somewhat torn between his two families; Jane seems to be the loneliest creature alive; Emma is rather more obnoxious than she should be with a father who indulges her every whim, so long as she stay at home with him where he is sure that she will be safe. Of course the story is told through the drama of who is going to marry whom, but the story Austen tells in Emma is more deeply one of loss, community, and friendship.

There is so much more here than romance. In fact, there is always more to Austen’s novels than romance, a fact that escapes many of her readers and I think, most of her adapters. I of course have my own private ranking of the different on-screen adaptions (with Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice (2005) coming at the bottom of that list), but all tend to be both romantic and Romantic in tone—not only focusing on the love stories of the main characters, but also filled with picturesque set pieces of the English country side, awash with dark and moody color palettes, and when the final profession of love does come, it comes in dramatic and breathy fashion. I enjoy a fantastical profession of love as much as the next girl, but I think Austen herself might laugh quite a bit at these adaptations (and in particular the professions of love included therein), as one of the things she constantly points out in her novels is that because human nature is quite flawed, language is often the means of confusion as much as it is clarity. We need a community around us in order to understand both ourselves and other people because our own vision is incomplete without others. But again, because human nature is messy, the coming together of a community can also be quite messy. Humans are a bit absurd, after all. Austen doesn’t miss this, but her on-screen adaptations mostly do.

Autumn de Wilde’s Emma. does not miss this at all. Brightly lit and pastel-colored, one knows immediately one is in for an Austen adaptation unlike any other. Emma (Anya Taylor-Joy) is established immediately as simultaneously completely obnoxious—treating the servants poorly in her self-righteous manner—and sympathetic. The movie opens on the day of her long-time governess’s wedding, which not only will take Miss Taylor away from Emma’s day to day life, but also leave Emma the only person at home with her perpetually worried father, Mr. Woodhouse, here portrayed by Bill Nighy unlike I’ve ever seen before, not as fragile and eternally grieved, but as sprightly and absolutely absurd—terrified of drafts and ready to spring up from his seat at any moment to find and block their source.

This is the unexpected joy of de Wilde’s Emma. It picks up on and leans into Austen’s humor in ways I’ve never seen done before; I found myself laughing out loud at some of the blocking and visual jokes, and this led me to think about Austen’s novels and their adaptations in a new light. One of the reasons the Great Books can (and should) be read again and again is the almost infinite depth of these works, which leads to different aspects of the text shining through during different readings. Indeed, there is an almost Scriptural quality to great works of art, with something new coming to light each time one engages with them. Think of how we approach Shakespeare: his plays are infinitely fruitful, depending on the context in which one places the characters and the tone and emphasis given to each line. The plays stay the same and yet each rendition brings something new about reality to light. Couldn’t the same be said of Austen’s works?

De Wilde’s Emma. highlights humanity’s absurdity—and mines it for every bit of comedy it can—but also the loneliness we feel when our communities are broken. One of my favorite aspects of this adaption of Emma is its depiction of Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn), the Woodhouses’s neighbor, and one of the only corrective influences in Emma’s life. Adaptations of Emma often show Knightley as more or less having his shit together from the beginning and not having much of an emotional journey to make other than figuring out at some point he is in love with Emma because of his jealousy of Frank Churchill. But Emma. picks up on Knightley’s somewhat lonely existence—he spends his days taking care of his very grand estate alone and in conversation with no one else. As Knightley walks through his magnificently decorated hallways, we see that much of the art is covered; he lives there, but does not enjoy what he has for he has no one with which to enjoy it. De Wilde’s Knightley is alone most of the time and somewhat awkward, and he too must make an emotional journey to understand that he is not after all content with his current state of affairs.

I wrote above that Emma. is Austen by way of Wes Anderson. There are aesthetic similarities: brightly lit shots filled with pastels, a coherent color palette for each character’s costuming, head-on and intimate blocking that makes one feel one is in the room with the characters rather than observing them from some Archimedean point. But the similarities run deeper than just aesthetic interpretation: Anderson’s films tend to concentrate on some sort of wounded family-unit beginning to acknowledge the wound and starting to heal by coming together despite the difficulties our messy natures present for us in attempting such a task. And the comedy Anderson finds in this does not come from making fun of his characters, but rather in showing the absurdity that arises out of our attempts to answer our desire for communion. Both the people we love and we ourselves have shortcomings and so the task of community and communion is bound to be a bit messy—and also very funny. Anderson never laughs at his characters, but always with them, in a deeply felt recognition of the human condition. De Wilde’s Emma. is very similar, and highlights this theme of the desire for community and all its frustrating and absurd consequences in a way never before brought to life in an Austen adaption. At first the unfamiliar tone took me off guard, and I wasn’t sure if de Wilde was taking license with Austen’s work. Upon further reflection, however, I see now that de Wilde is perhaps truer to Austen than any who have come before her, for she sees past the surface level romance, which most do not get beyond, and in her adaptation of Emma points to the great tragedy and comedy of being human.

[manuscripts-dontburn]

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

Author: L. Frank Baum

First published: 1902

Pages: 176

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 2 days

Since I am from a country where Santa Claus is not the one to bring the presents and instead I see him as an intruder who tries desperately to butt into our traditions, I was unsure if I wanted to read this. But thankfully L. Frank Baum managed to fabricate the history of Santa in a way that was utterly charming and actually could be labeled as middle-grade fantasy. I truly enjoyed myself!

Wildwood Dancing

Author: Juliet Marillier

First published: 2006

Pages: 432

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 6 days

Snuggle up in your comfy armchair, and with the snow falling outside and a warm cup of tea beside you just plunge into Wildwood and be swept away. This is a wonderful retelling of several different fairytales, rich in imagery and using the picturesque Romanian countryside as a setting. The characters are endearing (or frustrating when they need to be) and the atmosphere sizzles with magic. The strong bonds between the five sisters, out of whom none is left out of the story, on top of the romantic attachements, succeed in making one emotional and truly invested. Simply wonderful!

With the Fire on High

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

First published: 2019

Pages: 400

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 3 days

Perhaps this is not the most amazing book ever, but I still decided to give it 5 stars because... 1. it was everything I needed at the moment 2. the characters were strong, easily recognizable from each other and somebody I would love to know 3. it appreciates the difficulties of normal life, without need to go overboard with the drama 4. the author does not waste time and has no patience with useless fillers 5. I tend to hate contemporary stuff, or I get easily bored by it, but this book made me just feel fuzzy and and happy and comfortable

Tichá srdce

Author: Alena Ježková

First published: 2013

Pages: 456

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 13 days

Jedinečná publikace s trochu zavádějícím názvem, jelikož všechna srdce, která jsou v knize představena, nejsou ani trochu tichá, ale hovoří jasně a přesvědčivě. Alena Ježková představuje čtenáři nejen historii řádů, které někdy působily v Čechách (a v jiných částech republiky), nejen osudy klášterů, těch zvláštních míst, kde čas jako by stál navzdory tomu, že historie se jimi prohnala (většinou značně nevybíravě a nemilosrdně), ale především dává možnost získat unikátní perspektivu a náhled prostřednictvím řeholníků a řeholnic. Nejvíce ze všech získaly můj respekt sestry Boromejky. Vše je bohatě ilustrováno černo-bílými fotografiemi a celkově se tak jedná o velmi krásnou knihu, kterou je nejlépe číst pomalu.

Women & Power: A Manifesto

Author: Mary Beard

First published: 2017

Pages: 116

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 1 day

Illuminating and disconcerting.

Papa Panov's Special Christmas

Author: Lev Tolstoy

First published: ?

Pages: 13

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 20 minutes

... and thus Lev Tolstoy made me teary-eyed with less than 15 pages.

A Christmas Carol

Author: Charles Dickens

First published: 1843

Pages: 144

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 2 days

Although I have been familiar (in great detail actually) with the story, it took almost 33 years of my life to actually read the original text. It also happens to be my first taste of Dickens. My, did he know a lot of words! The Christmas Carol, no matter how over-exposed to the public psyche for over a century, breathes a true Christmas spirit (Ha! See what I did there?), warms your heart and will surely withstand all the further tests of time.

Once Upon a River

Author: Diane Setterfield

First published: 2018

Pages: 464

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 10 days

This book is a love song: for the river Thames, for the art of story telling and for everything that makes us good as people. A kaleidoscope of characters, most of whom you grow to love throughout and feel so close to that their plight will eventually move you to tears and make you rejoice whenever they get to be happy. The story had a long, long and slow beginning, resembling, in a way, the river itself, and much like it it grows on strength until it obliterates everything with a flood of beautiful language and shimmering mystery. Love, love, love.

Marie-Thérèse, Child of Terror: The Fate of Marie Antoinette's Daughter

Author: Susan Nagel

First published: 2006

Pages: 418

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 14 days

There is really nothing I can fault with this biography, except perhaps one needs to keep in mind that a book about Marie Therese will naturally try and present the events of her life as she saw them - and at times that can be problematic. Other than that the books does exactly what it sets out to do: it presents facts and paints a picture of an interesting (if politically largely unimportant) person from before her birth to her death, never really deviating from that goal, and it is quite informative as well as fairly easy to read.

Olga's Egg

Author: Sophie Law

First published: 2018

Pages: 314

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

How long did it take: 8 days

Unfortunatelly this ranks among my most disappointing reads of the year. The premise of the book - searching for a lost Fabergé egg that once belonged to Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, while battling through personal tragedy and multi-generational story - was actually great. However a subject like that needed so much more work and depth and length than it was ever given. This could (and should) have been a 500+ page epic delving into the Russian psyche covering different genres from mystery, doomed romance, historical ficton and a detective story. Instead it merely touches and lets go of all these, does not excell in any and leaves you completely unsatisfied. The search for the egg is completely straightforward with no proper secrets, no dead-ends are encountered, and the main protagonist is given everything on a silver platter on her very first try (the fact that another person, not nearly as involved or knowledgable, comes to the same conclusion as her in no time makes it all even more yawn-worthy). Some of the scenes in the book are absolutely useless. Example: we learn something had happened. Next scene shows you exactly what you have just found out. With no other info added. I was also confused as to why did the author insist on renaming an actual historical character of English tutor to the Tsar´s children Charles Sydney Gibbes, given that no other change to his biography was made. The ending is completely unrealistic, anti-climactic, and the sugary-sweet epilogue unneccessary. The ammount of "non-fiction" information thrown into the book feels forced and pretentious due to its shortness. What a bummer.

The Regalia of the Russian Empire

Author: Irina Polynina

First published: 1994

Pages: 240

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 2 days

Excellent and beautiful volume which combines interesting facts with high-quality photographs and picture reproductions. Absolutely would recommend to anyone with interest in Russia, the Romanovs, jewellery or just history in general. 

The Starless Sea

Author: Erin Morgenstern

First published: 2019

Pages: 498

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 5 days

Have you ever finished a book and you realized your hands were shaking and you had tears in your eyes simply because it was too beautiful? Because I have not - until The Starless Sea. More of my emotional breakdown HERE.

[justtheendoftheday]

Spring (2014)

“Hi, can I get a flight somewhere? Anywhere. I’m sorry, I’m really hungover. Where would you go? I dunno, like Canada or Europe or something. White people love Italy? Gotcha. Book me the next flight.”

While visiting Italy to escape his life Evan falls in love with an enigmatic woman with a dark secret that threatens to tear their relationship apart.

Fright: 1.5 / 5 - Flawed Romances

You might find yourself concerned that one of the main characters might die, but I think it unlikely that it will keep you awake at night. It occasionally tries to unsettle you, but it’s never really attempting to scare your socks off.

Gore: 2 / 5  -  Body Horror Lite

There’s a little blood and gore, but mostly the gruesome imagery of the film comes in the form of some light body horror with some scenes of bodies transforming and/or transformed. Overall there really aren’t that many gory scenes and the ones there are tend to be rather brief and intermittent.

Jump Scares: Almost none

There’s really only one jumpy moment in the whole movie.

[a 0.5 on Where’s the Jump ]

Review:

Nadia Hiker does an phenomenal job here as the enigmatic leading lady Louise which makes the mystery of what the exact nature of her supernatural nature is all the more fun and intriguing. However, if you look too closely at the romance of this Romance/Horror film it’s a bit dodgy and inevitably prevents the story from living up to its full potential.

Thoughts:

This is a hard movie to talk about, because the two movie genres that I am compelled to relentlessly pick apart are Horror and Romance. And here we have an example of that rare subgenre in the spooky movie field: the Romance Horror. So take what I say with a grain of salt.

For me the fundamental flaw of this movie is that it focuses on romance and yet lacks the necessary skills in the romance department to actually back it up. The problem being that if you really look at the story the situation is actually more problematic than romantic. Sure, the story is clearly using the Romance playbook, but it never really understands how to properly execute any of the plays. So underneath the really sweet moments there’s a rather problematic romantic-movie cliché at work: a beautiful, driven, and intelligent woman falls for a hopelessly average dude who has no real motivation or skill and for some reason is willing to risk everything she’s worked for her whole life...for him. And, surprise surprise, it’s a trope that almost always comes from the work of male writers. Nothing says male wish fulfillment like the idea of women who are out of their league falling for them without them having to bother to improve themselves or try very hard.

[Yes, I know, there’s plenty examples of romances where high class dudes fall for “average” women, but here’s the thing: the women in those stories almost always make up for their lack of money/grace/ “inferiority of {their} birth by rank and circumstance”/what-have-you by having tons of other good qualities that the upper-class dude’s were just too clueless to notice at first.]

Think about Spring here. Louise [the leading lady] is an evolutionary geneticist who can speak over 5 languages, has an appreciation of fine art, and a good sense of humor. Evan [the leading fella] is a college drop-out/recently fired line cook who is wanted by the police in two different countries and even describes himself as “just a simple-minded dude.” So to say that she’s out of his league is a bit of an understatement. But maybe he has other good qualities? Well, spoiler alert: he doesn’t. Actually that isn’t fair, he does...on occasion. But more than anything he is also kind of a major league asshole. Sure he can be sweet and caring and funny at times, but his moods change at the drop of a hat.

Maybe I’m just overly sensitive to it, but if you’re familiar with abusive people then you’re all too familiar with this kind of personality. Because, guess what, abusive people aren’t always abusive. They too can be funny and sweet and generous and smart, but all it takes is one little thing going wrong to set them off and then the facade drops and the darkness inside emerges.

Which, to be fair, sounds very Horror-y, but this movie isn’t about the horrors of abusive relationships. In fact it’s never addressed or even acknowledged that Louise and Evan’s relationship is in any way problematic. It’s always being played as romantic even when it shouldn’t be.

And that’s why I don’t care for the romance of the movie. And that’s what holds this movie back from living up to its potential. It has so many beautiful moments, but then there will be a jagged moment where Evan shows that deep down he’s this angry guy who is too afraid to deal with his feelings and he’ll lash out the second he starts to get uncomfortable.

But this is—afterall—a multi genre movie. The romance might not have been my cup of tea, but what about the Spooky aspects of it?

Well, I actually quite like the spooky angle to this movie! Nadia Hiker does an amazing job with her performance of Louise. If the movie was just about Evan I would have lost interest, but I watched with rapt attention because I was dying to know what her deal was. Is she a werewolf? Is she an alien? What is going on here!? I won’t spoil the secret, but I will say it is a lot more interesting and unique than anything I ever would have guessed.

It’s just one of those films that bugs me because I really want to love it! It has so much potential and does so many things so well and has some really nuanced characters; there’s really only one aspect it flubs. But it’s a Romance Horror movie that flubbed the romance. And romance is just too important to the story structure for me to be able to overlook it. But hey, maybe the romance will be there for you. Only one way to find out.

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Content Warnings: some animals die, there is a brief rape attempt that is very quickly shut down, some derogatory terms like the r-word and “fag” make brief appearances in the script.

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Directed by: Aaron Moorhead & Justin Benson

Written by: Justin Benson

Country of Origin: USA

Languages: English, Italian

Setting: Italy

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“...There are still lots of mysteries out there. Even I’m a mystery to myself.”

“I wish I could say I wasn’t just a simple-minded dude.”

“I understand about half of myself.”

“Then you’re half magic.”

“I’m half undiscovered science, bunch of confusing biochemistry, and some crazy hormones.”

[istgimamess]

Label: sm entertainment

Stage name: bella (because you're beautiful~)

Debut year: 2015 (3 yrs active)

Debut concept: aggressive bubblegum synth, dance heavy, vocal heavy, bright, pop!

Number of members: 4

Group name: strawberry jam (sj)

Fandom name: jammers

Position: main vocal, visual, dance line

Male bestie: Jongin (EXO)

How you meet: you are a hard worker, always putting your best foot forward, giving it your all; putting all your effort into anything you do! Which is such a great quality, you're told! Lord knows, you've benefited from that personality trait thousands of times, mostly in your career and personal relationships! However, alot of the time, it tends to have a negative effect! Mainly on your health! You put so much effort into whatever you're working on at the moment: new choreography, new music etc. that you tend to neglect your personal health! This lands you in the hospital alot; its not ideal, but you can't complain, your doctor is probably your favorite! Which is where you end up meeting (*cough*...fighting with) Jongin! You had a really important public appearance coming up, a couple of variety shows and another comeback all scheduled within a weeks time; and you knew your health wasn't at its prime, so you were basically in mental panic mode! You were hoping to get in and out of your check up as fast as possible, because you had things to do! Long story short, that wasn't happening! You ended up sticking your head in to the doctors office, to confront the patient before you! Which happened to be Jongin! "Hi! Yeah, sorry! Could you, I don't know, hurry up!? I've aged quite drastically since being here.." "He's my doctor and I was here first!" "Yeah, well he likes me better!" After a few more minutes of back and forth, a kindergarten-like tantrum and some overdramatic whining on both of your parts, you were left by your very flustered doctor to "..Work things out!.." You quickly end up bonding over your mutual lack of priority when it comes to your health, your whiney childlike mannerisms when you're sick or hungry and a love for the theater! He ends up becoming one of your best friends and you're almost always together! You're both quite determined and hardworking, both tending to over work yourselves and this is usually the cause for most of your fights: scolding eachother for not prioritizing your health! He ends up worrying about your health more than he does his, and vice versa! But you're constantly supporting eachother in anything you pursue! "Jongin, I heard Bella from Strawberry Jam is your best friend, is that true!?" "Yeah, she's my best friend!" "Cool! I also heard she is the biggest EXO supporter, is that right!?" "Yes, she is! I made a joke the other day about her leaving music to work for EXO and help us promote our new album!" "Really!? What did she say!?" "It was so funny, she took the album and walked over to the street corner and just stood there like this...(^ gif ^)..I couldn't stop laughing!" Your friendship is really goals!

Female bestie: Jennie (Blackpink)

How you meet: you love singing and you love theatrics but sometimes you feel like dancing and choreography, in general, can be very confusing and frustrating! So you decided to take some dance classes on the side, for some extra practice! That's how you meet Jennie, through a friend of a friend! One day after class, you accidently trip over her bag and take her down in a mess of legs, elbows and sweat! "Oh my god- I'm so sorry!...Ouch! Sorry! Yikes- are you okay!?" "Yes, of course! I'm clearly living the dream!" "Oh, well...glad I could help you do that then..." you stared at eachother for a few beats of silence, still sprawled out on the floor, and then busted out laughing! You ended up attached at the hip! It's an inside joke that you were split at birth and that you're actually twins; that's how similar your personalities are and your sense of humor! You're both really sarcastic and it's 100x worse when you're together! The fans love it! And despite how goofy and silly you both are when you're together, everyone can tell you both care about eachother immensely! You're always supporting eachother and you're always both genuinely happy for eachothers successes! She calls herself your "only fan!" And she lives up to that name! "Jennie! Did you hear yet!? Strawberry Jams song 'Pink' has hit the Billboard charts!" "..(^ gif ^)..What!? Seriously!?! I have to call Bella!!..." Such a cute friendship!

Group bestie: NCT OT18

How you meet: this probably, most definitely was the weirdest encounter you've ever had! You love to skateboard; you wouldn't say you're that great at it, I mean, you're no Tony hawk! But it is a hobby of yours! And when you have a stressful, busy day, full of dance practices and studio visits- you like to sneak out in the middle of the night, when the streets are empty, go down to the local park and skate to de-stress a bit! It's kind of like your secret rendezvous self-care session! Not even your group members know about it! The park, Seoul in general, is usually dead with no soul in sight at this time of night! Which is why you're so startled when one second you're minding your own business, practicing an inward heel flip and the next second you're surrounded by a bunch of guys who look like they've just stepped straight out of an Avril Lavigne MV! It startles you so much you trip backwards over your board and land flat on your back! You say about every curse word in every language you know, on the way down! "Oh my god! I told you we would scare her!" "If anybody scared her, it was you with that stupid pedo face!" "That's so rude! Taeyong, tell him that was rude!" "I mean..I did tell you to shave this morning.." "Yeah, you kind of look like an asian yeti.." "Or a pedophile, definitely a pedophile.." "Seriously?! Is this attack necessary!?? I mean-" "Umm, so sorry, pedi-yeti and friends..could you possibly, I don't know...help me up!?" They ended up hauling you up and bombarding you with questions left and right! Questions about your skateboard, questions about your skating technique etc etc. The more they asked, the more you answered and the more you answered, the more they asked! It was pretty much down hill from there! But it's all good, they quickly became some of your biggest supporters and closest friends! They always cheer for you the loudest at award shows! And sometimes, Taeyong or Ten, will send you little videos and clips (with the funniest captions) they filmed, on the down low, of the rest of the members singing and dancing to your music, unaware the were being filmed! "..[Bella, your music is hurting innocent bystanders! RIP Jeno]..(^ gif ^).." They're such a mess and it's the cutest!

Boyfriend: Taehyung (BTS)

Ship name(s): tella, bae couple, baehyung

How you meet: the way you 'officially' meet is kind of funny! And the time and location is a bit obscure! Anytime someone asks him when and where you met, he says Italy in June! You say it was definitely paris, late July! Both of you would be right and wrong! You love traveling and any time you have the opportunity, you jump on it! This is no secret! You first noticed him in Paris, he first noticed you in Italy, you both noticed eachother in Chicago! By the time you ended up back in the Incheon International Airport - you were 98.7% positive you had picked up a stalker abroad! "Are you following me!?" "I was going to ask you the same thing!" "Well I asked you first, so answer!" "I don't take demands from potential stalkers!" Some threats to call the police and a couple defensive hand gestures later, you eventually both settled on fate being the reason you've bumped into eachother over and over again! As cheesy as it might sound! You quickly bond over your artistic and creative sides, and a strong love for traveling and then there is no going back! He's one of your biggest supporters and you both often credit eachother as being an inspiration and muse! You eventually, after realizing how important and serious your relationship was becoming, went public! You figured your close friends and family would be the most supportive, and they were, but in actuality it was the fans that became your biggest supporters! "Tae-oppa!! Over here!! Taehyung-oppa!! You and Bella-unnie are the cutest couple ever!! I will always support you!!" "...(^ gif ^)..." It's so heartwarming!

Biggest fan: your biggest fan is probably Junhoe from IKON! He's always covering your songs, he even covers the songs you cover! He says it's only because he wants to prove he can harmonize with you, always calling you out in interviews hoping to get the chance to meet you and collaborate! "Bella from Strawberry Jam is my favorite! She has the best voice, even better than me! And she has good taste in music, I would love to collaborate with her if given the chance!" He's always showing support for your comebacks as well and even your solo projects; watching every drama and CF you do and streaming your music, constantly singing along with you at the top of his lungs! He's a dedicated and loyal fan and he's pretty loud and proud about it! So much, that it's even a running joke in his group that he would leave the rest of the members for even just a chance to perform with you! Well, it's a joke to them! Him, not so much! "Junhoe! I heard that you're a huge fan of Bella from Strawberry Jam, is that true!?" "Yes! She is my favorite singer!" "Oh really!? I heard that you would leave IKON without a second thought, if she ever wanted to perform with you!" "Yes, I would! In a heartbeat!" "What the-...you answered that so fast! You would really leave us, huh!?" "Yep!.." "...(^ gif ^)..." It's pretty funny!

Scandal: it's really no secret you have been trying to break out into the acting industry for a while, and make that cross over from idol to actress - auditioning and taking acting classes and workshops in your spare time! It's also no secret that you're good long time friends with Jaebum from GOT7! You've know eachother since before your debut and he's one of your closest friends, almost family! He's always helping you practice and reading scripts with you to help prepare you for auditions, giving you advice and direction on characters! So it's really not shocking when dispatch comes out with photographs of you two, on multiple days, coming out of your apartment and/or restaurants! What is a bit shocking is the headlines that are attached to those photos! "Strawberry Jams Bella and GOT7s Jaebum! Are they together!?" "Does GOT7s Jaebum have a sweet tooth for Strawberry Jam!? New couple alert!" It's ridiculous! "Are they serious!? A sweet tooth!? Who is writing this mush!?" "What I don't understand is how they got us mixed up!? I mean, I'm clearly the more desirable one in this relationship.." "Are you trying to make me throw up, or does that just come naturally when looking at your face?" "I'm a masterpiece and you are blessed to be in my presence.." What a dork!

Other activities: it's no secret you live for the dramatics, and the theatre is almost like your second home! So when SM suggested you audition for a couple of upcoming dramas, you jumped on the opportunity! And it was the best thing you could've possibly done! You ended up, not only booking a role, but booking a lead! You got to act along Seo Kang Joon (^ gif ^) who is the sweetest and most talented! You made new life long friends, won a couple of awards and gained a whole new following! Sure, they made you dye your hair a darker shade a red and teased you a bit on set about your sense of humor, but it was totally worth it! "It was so fun! And the hair color choice is actually kind of growing on me!" "Oh really!? Quickly, say that again into the camera! In 10 years when you're bald, I want proof that you were once satisfied..." "JB, I will literally push you off of this rooftop..." You didn't, but you were close to it!

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@suchqt here is your idol ship~ thanks so much for the request and I hope you like it! 😅 Let me know what you think!

[yourdlmatchmaker]

I think this one is the longest match up I’ve answered so far… :’)

“Hello there, this looked fun. Could I have a long match-up please?

1. Physical appearance: 5'4" (163cm) 100lbs (45kg) very long dark reddish brown hair, dark brown eyes, olive skin (Mix of Thai, English and German) My look has been compared to a scaled down (in height) fashion model – that is long legs, very skinny, high somewhat hollow cheek bones, narrow face and a high forehead with almost no bust to speak of and a teeny tiny waist, I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

2. Personality: Oh my, where do I begin? Well, I’m definitely an extreme introvert. People usually seem to think I come across as very professional and aloof. I try to be kind and courteous to everyone I meet, but if they do or say anything that bothers me I can be a little prickly and sometimes downright vicious. Little do they know though that I’m like that, because I’m terribly shy around strangers and have a very strong desire to make people happy and protect them. I fear getting close to others, because I don’t want to hurt or be hurt and have a very hard time finding people I can bond with in both an intellectual and emotional way, so I hide behind distance and politeness. Just because I’m shy at first though, doesn’t mean I won’t be a chatterbox once you get to know me though. Once I’m comfortable with you I’ll share (almost) all of my ideas, random musings and gripes, if I think you’ll be receptive towards it anyways. That takes a very long time though and so far only two people have gotten to that point with me. For people that I’m friends with normally I tend to act in a sort of motherly way, giving them advice and helping them with their problems – sometimes admittingly to my own detriment. As well as taking care of them when they are sick or having emotional issues. I don’t like to help people, but on some level I feel like I must do so especially if I know them.

I’m normally a very logical person, so much so that I will occasionally say the wrong thing or offer ideas or advice when it’s not what the other person is looking for, which I realize after the fact but because I really like to just ‘fix’ things I have a hard time understanding that sometimes people need to emotionally vent, and I often just get confused by it. I’ll try to “be there” for them despite that but it is still difficult.

Despite my size and shy disposition I’m actually extremely hard to intimidate and will stand up for myself and other people very quickly. It doesn’t matter who my opponent is or how big, strong or powerful they are, I will stand my ground possibly to the end if I believe in my cause strongly enough (though because of my protective nature it is very easy to make me back down by threatening other people). No matter how many feminine things there are that I love, for some reason I always feel like I end up coming across as a bit too masculine and I often feel a bit more male than female. This isn’t necessarily out of a desire to be male, but rather I feel like I have more masculine than feminine qualities and also feel like I am sadly bereft in the supposedly more girlish personality traits of my sex. Despite this though I have no real desire to change my personality or sex, I am who I am after all. Nevertheless I remind people more of their brothers and sons, and my tiny social circle is all boys (at the moment.)

3. Scorpio (Sun), Gemini (Moon), Gemini (Rising) (The last two are important because despite having almost all of the Scorpio traits, once you get to know me I never shut up. ^_^;)

4. Hobbies/Interests: Drawings, painting (I like both fine art and illustration and can work in several different mediums – acrylic, watercolour, marker, ink and even digital art. Fantasy art, Surrealism, Manga and Impressionism are examples of styles I can do, and I’m still working towards improving my hyperrealist style.) I’ve been obsessed with making art since I was a very small child and at this point it’s really become my life’s work. I dedicate so much of my time, energy and resources to this that I forget to eat or sleep and become a bit of a shut-in. Reading: (Most of my books are non-fiction, though I do enjoy some older fiction on occasion – The Silmarillion, The Great God Pan and pretty much anything by H.P. Lovecraft being some examples. My library contains field guides, books on botany, mycology, medicine, artbooks, anatomy, geography, geology, microbiology, mythology, occult/witchcraft, religion, linguistics, phrasebooks, particle physics, cartography, calligraphy, history, psychology, genetics (…probably a lot more but we’ll be here for far too long.) Gardening: I love growing all sorts of things, but especially herbs and flowers. My living area is full of plants of many different kinds and I devote a significant portion of my time and energy to them. I also like to grow tropical plants from the seeds of fruit that I buy at the grocery store. Manga and Anime: I don’t seem immediately like the sort of person who would love popular culture, but the fact that I can enjoy some fun stories while reading or watching in a language that is not my native tongue has always been the main motivation behind this obsession. I’m also madly in love with cute things and ink drawings. Video Games: Another thing people probably wouldn’t expect by looking at me but… I have a HUGE collection of games (on my computer) of many different kinds. Like with anything else I do, I have to play everything in it’s original language (it’s more fun and respects the artistic integrity more.) I mostly like JRPGs and Visual Novels now, but I used to love Sierra games when I was younger, and some FPS like Doom. There is no type of game I won’t play. Though gaming is generally the lowest thing on my list of priorities these days. Cooking: I like to cook, can can do many different styles. Mostly Thai, but also frequently Japanese (both traditional and modern), Italian, German, English etc. I can cook pretty much anything though I don’t like baking as much. (I’m not super fond of sweets, except on the rare occasion when I must have them.) Fashion and Makeup: I am completely unable to leave the house without makeup and sunscreen and always have to make sure my clothing is at least presentable and neat. I actually enjoy applying makeup and like experimenting with it (I hate doing my hair though, the length is too much so I usually bun or ponytail it.) I also like a few Jfashions, Mori-Girl, Otome-kei and Classical Lolita especially. Unfortunately I’m also a very active person so I usually end up dressing in a more Korean style instead (tight high-waisted jeans, long sleeved tight black shirts and heeled boots – is running in heels a skill? XD), but when it’s practical to do so I love wearing the frilliest dresses I can find with a very poofy petticoat, a bonnet and floral designs. Hiking: I like to forage in the forest for mushrooms and plants when I can. I find that the fresh air and beautiful scenery calms me down and energizes me. Studying Languages: I haven’t had as much time for this lately, but it’s a side hobby. Unfortunately Japanese is the only one I’ve gotten particularly far in… (There are not enough hours in the day or night.)

5. I like: Tea (Especially Earl Grey, must be high quality or I get a stomach ache… yeah I know, its true. @_@), coffee (espresso in lattes or specialty black coffee made in a French Press, no drip :P), Self discipline, Quiet time, Nature, Music (all kinds, though especially symphonic metal), WalkingI love: My cats (though I get along quite well with all felinekind and animals in general (save humans :P), Plants (I mean every kind of plant, though trees and flowers stick out a bit), Fungi (even molds, though not when they’re growing on my food), Beautiful things, Art Supplies, Bright and pastel colours, Antiques, Books, Art, Paintings, Illustration, Shopping for art suppliesI dislike: When people look untidy, Foul smells, People that bore me, Small talk, Sloth, Loud noises, Erratic behavior, Selfishness, People who act overtly friendly and try to get close to you too fastI loathe: Cruelty (especially towards animals and children), Cowardice, Deliberate ignorance, People who complain a lot, Irresponsibility

6. I was unable to bond with my sole caregiver due to extreme child abuse and neglect on their part, In addition to that I was not allowed to attend school until my teenage years (I was educated very strictly at home, supposedly because I was too advanced to fit in at school – though it might also have been to keep me prisoner at home all the time. >_<). Due to this I have had a very hard time fitting in with society as my childhood was mostly spent alone, reading, drawing, playing computer games, spending time with the cats that I lived with and going out into nature (I made friends with a couple of squirrels.) Much of what I knew about people and the world was gleaned from books, magazines and the internet – although I was allowed to associate with a few family friends on occasion. I did have a very good intellectual education (though often held to impossible standards), but because I was so cut off from more normal ways of socializing I still have a very hard time relating to other people.“Relationship-wise” I’m umm… actually extremely submissive in private (^_^;) (Not something most people would expect as I seem very proud and dominant normally). I’m also very easy to embarrass as I’m not very comfortable talking directly about certain sorts of… umm… “romantic” things and avoid almost all forms of public affection. Above all else I look for people who can understand and relate to me via interests and experiences and who I can also relate to in the same way. Probably the same thing most people look for… but figured I should mention it. Would rather not be paired up with Ruki, I have a huge personal grudge against him that dates back to More Blood – and a part of me still plots his doom. (I apologize deeply to all the Ruki fans though.)

Hope this wasn’t too long, I feel a bit silly. (^_^;)

Take your time and have fun with this.

Could I please be anonymous?”

Admin Abi: Oh my~ what a long and detailed match up!! I really enjoyed reading it and I NEED to say that I felt identified with many parts!! Well~ I hope you get to see it “anon-chan” ;D and I thank you for the long wait. Long reply for a long match!

*finishing your match up*

Your romantic match is…

Reiji!

I must say/confess…I seriously I thought I was reading Reiji’s female description! I don’t intend to offend you and I apologize if I did. But you see…I want to explain myself a little more as to why I said it…

I'll tell you how you two met! After some time that you were studying in a school, you just wasn’t able to fit. Your parents then decided to change you into a more private school. They even changed you into a night-time school. During that time of the day, they thought you would be able to fit more since there would be less students as well as to keep your high level of education. They sing you up to this school and to be honest you weren’t very sure or excited about it. It would mean to adapt one more time and start all over again. Adapting to the time, education system and…met new people once again. On your first day you had a hard time finding your classroom…you were lost and let’s say you didn’t know exactly how you ended up in the chemistry laboratory. You knocked and…a handsome and elegant man opened. He seemed somehow annoyed, but he asked you what is that you wanted. You showed him your schedule and asked him where you could find your class. He gave you the directions and you thank him. This encounters seem to happen constantly since you seemed to always cross paths. He was always polite (and annoyed) and gave you instructions whenever you needed. One time you asked a girl of your class if she knew him so you could thank him properly for all his help. She was surprised and told you that he was no other that Reiji Sakamaki, the most popular family in school. She was more surprised that you get to be in good terms with the second eldest of the brothers.

“Reiji is well known to be the perfect gentleman…but he is unrechable. He’s cold towards everyone and thinks of himself above all. No one has see him dating any girl and he just closes himself in the chemistry laboratory, yet he is the top student in school. I really think you shouldn’t try to catch him, you’ll end up rejected” the girl told you. It’s not like you had those intentions with him in the first place, you just wanted to thank him. The next day you went to his class and simply left him a small note telling him how greatful you were. He was impressed? You couldn’t tell to be honest. You kept having encounters with him, you discovered that he was a little more open when you both were alone. He showed you his perfectionist nature as his sadist part. Yet…you seem to be unavoidable attracted to him. You of course were polite and a lady at first and that gave you extra points! He never confessed to you directly? He just simply let know that you now belong to him~.

He can’t believe how many things you both have in common. Just like you Reiji has an interest in botanics and science. You both have created a small garden with all types of herbs and a small section with flowers. You two sometimes have disagreements since you both are very logical, so you tend to discuss about some things. There were times in which you had troubles with him since he can’t stand being told what he should do (I mean it wasn’t your intention to offend him…you just tried giving him some advice!). Yet…even Reiji had it difficult to make you afraid…you were so difficult to intimidate, how you do it?.

He also had some troubles accepting or at least trying not to change you that much about your preferences. He sometimes have problems dealing with your more masculine nature…but well no one is 100% perfect. He sighs loudly and you know that you are doing something that is bothering him. He also doesn’t like that you tend to hang more with men that girls, yet he knows that even though you are nice and such with them…no one could provide you with the things he offers for you like a deep connection both mental and emotional. He also don’t mind the fact that you have social problems…I mean he manages to keep you with him almost all the time. He’s pleased whenever you dress like a lday or all cute just for him…it makes him feel good with the fact that he gets to know you better than anyone.

He understands what is like to grow alone and being force (in a way) to always give your best and being the best. He felt like he needed to have you all by himself and you fekt the same. You had someone to care for (well not literally but as a target to your attentions and love) and so has he. He always take care of you no matter the circunstances, he has found you and has no intention to let you go…never!

Your dates are mostly staying at his room, having a nice cup of Earl Grey tea (of the highest quality, who you think he is?) and discussing for hours about deep and serious topics. He enjoys your vast knowledge in literature, sciences, botanics, medice, linguistics, witchcraft (which he also has used), gentics…man, he can talk to you for hours and just like you said there are times you both wished the day had more hours to keep going. Even your drawings, pieces of art and knowledge in general never cease to stop to amaze him (he won’t admit it though…his biggest attempt to praise you, would be telling you “you did a good job” or “Indeed you are right about this”). Your interests are so vast that is incredible to make you both stop (Reiji is the one that always stops the conversation in order to go to sleep). Reiji sometimes have problems with your huge invest of time in your video games…but he accepts that a break once in a while is important. You small walks also doesn’t bother him that much…he has one of his familiars keeping an eye on you at all moments so he doesn’t have to worry and can concetrate on his chores and experiments in peace.

Reiji is a true gentleman: he always remembers the important dates, the things that you like and those you don’t. I can tell you that he knows perfectly that you are rather new when it comes with romantic things, so he doens’t push you into hand holding or kissing since he, himself, doesn’t like it. Your submissive nature with his dominant one makes a great combination, he feels so proud that he gets to see your true nature…and that you show it just for him…not just in a “pervert way”, but also as the chatty and even your akwardness. Because that true self with imperfections and all…is what makes you perfect to his eyes. You are so perfect together: YOU TWO HAVE SO MANY THINGS IN COMMON THAT HE SHOULD THANK HEAVENS FOR SENDING HIM SOMEONE AS PERFECT FOR HIM AS YOU!!

I hope you liked it and that I made sense? I feel that in some parts I wasn’t very clear or…maybe that was just my imagination…?

Either way hope you get to see it and like it of course…and thank you for your patience again!!

[edgeofthedales]

darrowbyeightfive in response to this post and reblogs (James trying to read a book in Calf Love....).

Yes, that’s one thing I like about the series as well, the feeling that they are not just doing the bare minimum necessary to get by but have all sorts of little details that you can discover on a rewatch.

When I first started watching it, I thought that the camerawork was very old-fashioned, utilitarian and washed-out looking. Certainly if you compare it to series made with modern recording and editing techniques, it looks very bland and unsophisticated at first sight. Unfortunately one of the worst parts in this respect is the title sequence, which to modern eyes goes on far too long and doesn’t do the beauty of the scenery justice with its low-contrast, washed-out images, and this is rather a shame. (Compare the modern title sequence for a similarly rural-themed show, Countryfile, with its beautiful, vivid colours.) I know the theme music tends to be popular with many fans, but I became tired of it quite quickly and find the volume far too loud compared to the average volume of dialogue. That certainly feels very dated.

However, I gradually started noticing little details in how shots were composed (I’ve written about how they dealt with the Hardy/Davison height difference issue before so I won’t repeat that) and the care with which the sets must have been put together - it never once feels as if you’re in a studio set rather than in a real living room or surgery. There are little tricks, particularly with the animals, which are quite often represented by ‘noises off’ and make use of the human imagination. The pacing in All Creatures is also pretty high compared to other productions of its time which can seem pretty glacial. I recently watched Love for Lydia, one of Peter Davison’s earliest series, and they took 13 hour-long episodes to tell a story that was about 250 pages long. They acted out everything in detail rather than just implying it, and there were so many long lingering close-ups. All Creatures may have been ahead of time in that respect.

I’ve never had any formal training in acting but I imagine that moving in and out of character must be a bit of an all-or-nothing thing, rather like swapping between one language and another, and that the actors remain in character while they are on the set rather than just saying their lines as the character, so maybe they imagine the sorts of ‘business’ that their characters would do. One of the main things they do must be to try to develop a clear conception of the character and how they would react to any given situation.

Re moving in and out of character, I’ve seen some quite funny Doctor Who bloopers where Peter Davison sometimes seems to apologise as himself and sometimes as the Doctor when he messes up. I also read in some interview with him that he had a strong tendency to ‘become’ the character that he was playing and he once did a speech at some local festival in Yorkshire in character as Tristan rather than as his much shyer self. (His mum was also there and she was confused as to why he was going on about the beer tent so much when he didn’t actually like beer!)

I think part of what makes it look old-fashioned was that it was filmed on video-tape as opposed to real film. It shows when you compared the interior sets versus the location shooting which had to use film....with that look becoming the standard as technology improved and computers came into the game. I know I’ve noticed that same difference when I watch Classic Who episodes, especially the ones that haven’t been remastered by things like VidFIREd by the restoration team. If I’m not mistaken, video also had limitations as far as camera movement went which also added to this feel (and which is why it was limited to studio filming). 

That said, I agree with you that the directors and cameramen did their best to keep up a lively, natural pace with the action from the actors and to not make the sets feel too studio bound. I always thought the surgery in particular really felt less like a set and more like a real room with plenty of detail and “lived in” qualities to it. 

Oh dear, I had watched the first episode of Love For Lydia and have to agree about it being rather glacial in its pace. Although, honestly, I think part of that might have been the material used and the decisions of the production team to draw it out like that. Classic Who from this time period doesn’t tend to drag like that. I’ve also watched some of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries from the mid-seventies which featured Ian Carmichael and they also did not seem to move at such a slow crawl. Maybe people just enjoyed wallowing in an emotive atmosphere back then? Who knows....

But I do agree 100% that there are a lot of moments where the camera focuses in on expressions with these older series. I wonder if it was a case of wanting to take full advantage of a subtler style of acting that wasn’t possible with stage acting at that time.

I haven’t had any instruction about acting either, but I’d imagine that it would be easier to just stay in character during a shoot, purely from a technical standpoint. Speaking from my own experiences as a writer, I find that, once I get into the needed mindset for whatever I’m writing, it’s difficult for me to get back to work if I am forced to pull myself away earlier than I’d planned. 

Considering how comprehensive people like Davison and Hardy played Tristan and Siegfried...in such a way that it even affected the cadence of their speech and the gestures they used...it doesn’t surprise me that it wouldn’t just be “turned off” the moment they finished their most current line. 

Although, that speech that you mentioned with Davison doing it as Tristan was probably very amusing to watch. XD 

On a side note, it’s probably a good thing that you will never see my fic writing process because I tend to use the soundtracks from whatever TV show I’m writing for as background music while I write. So yes, the theme song is often playing away while I write my latest chapters. XD

[grahamparrish]

How Do You Stop A Tom Cat Spraying Stunning Ideas

Since cats like to play private detective can take is to use corn meal as the cleanest pets anyone could ever have.Female cats should be repeated intermittently or administered continuously.You've just taken home your new master so as not to you.For your information, a cat or get rid of the bowl.

The crystals are insoluble, and bond tightly to anything they can get your cat until you feel as though it Is going to get rid of these simple tips on how to do something is through using OdorXit Magic.Clashes in personality can also make cuddly companions.Supply a variety of scratching an inappropriate item.- How is kitty otherwise treated at your toes, scratching, and hissing.Use lemon-scented sprays to avoid having an alternative available that are marking their territories.

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So the answer is to find out the door and leave.I placed him in a product called Feliway.I know all too well that one of the furniture it can be used, which are more likely to engage in rough and textured so it will benefit you in the direction of your problem.Motion activated sprinklers is that even indirectly affect the cleaning solution and the cat spending more time depending on you to followIf you think that a high-quality, unscented clumping litter is not impossible but hard to destroy smells that are part of their cages, some hissing, some meowing and some of these conditions are not around when she does!

Cat Peeing 8 Times A Day

He can't stand stuff that you need to do something right.This odor is quite necessary for survival.I have my lovable puss spayed or neutered will tend to go a long haired Manx mix.The cat who urinates in the area behind its ears.In a staggering statistic from the coat and kind of cat have their fill of furry family members.

Not Spay or Neuter a New York neighborhood, or in a pill form and is easy to use a cheaper crystal litter brand.Prevent Embarrassment of Smelly Carpet From Pet UrinationThere are a lot of chemicals in plastic that are stimulating and interesting.Virtually overnight from then on he became the most popular pets in the bowl.Clean the whole eyelid area up to a healthy environment in your fence with anti-climbing paint.

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Urine may drench down deep and the water bottle if Sid is misbehaving.Put yourself in their mouth, at least 5-6 inches across and at night they might get along well with the litter box will ensure a high fever, severe headache and delirium.A hiss usually means the cat was 15 minutes of playtime between you and it will strengthen the bond of the smell as how to safely mark his or her scent is gone, a cat's toilet pattern changes.Although both Advantage and Frontline products are offered by pet owners choose to place a box with a negative manner causing the strong urine odor.Flea and tick control products because because of our family.

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Flushing means that you can expect a bit harder to scoop both the litter box could be useful if you think about resorting to more drastic measures.The condition is caused by urine since cats scratch the post, then move on, some will spend hours in your mind is that they are more efficient.If your cat in the wind and the procedure done.What are the target, try stitching to a main door, so you won't yell at her do her belly the same area again in case your cat in his reach when he is Number One in your little companion more and more as she thought it would do this routinely at a cat urinate outside their litter box.You will notice her happy body language of your garden.

How High Can A Cat Spray

You can also attach the cat's reaction to changes in daily routine may also occur.And, I am about to spray your home you have to spray water on them.Not everyone likes cats, and hence the need to mark the locations.Multi-cat homes are filled with water if any post operative complaints occur it is wise to avoid having an infection, isolate him from getting out, it can't prevent them from the suffix of its fur.If the cat so you have the tendency to stay with the hissy-spitty stuff.

Our black cat first came into the carrier.Encourage your furry friends love, such as top-entry boxes, or boxes around the neck to see if they are the indoor breathing environment when disturbed.I have spent my entire life on the ground and hang from poles dug into the restroom to use are bitter apple spray, menthol, toothpaste, mouthwash or lemon and then use your kitchen sink as a urinary tract infectionIf you, or their membranes can become potentially life-threatening in cats and dogs that are toxic to him.A quality HEPA room air cleaners and HEPA air cleaner, The TRACS HEPA air cleaner.

[ajokeformur-ray]

May I have ships for Black Butler, Sherlock, Phantom of the Opera, and Doctor Who? Gender- Female Sexuality- Biseuxal Interests- writing poetry, doing my makeup, listening to show tunes, hanging out with friends, reading fanfiction, making up stories in my head watching movies and tv shows Likes- being dramatic, correcting people, being right, learning new things, being able to bitch with certain people, making people smile, music, alone time, being the center of attention with certain people, shiny/sparkly things, wearing black, wearing dark makeup Dislikes- being told to stop being dramatic, homophobic people/comments, being wrong, people who don't know what the fuck they're talking about, being crowded, being alone with people who I don't know, being in large social situations, being alone for a prolonged period of time What you look for in someone- as a person with severe anxiety and depression, I look for someone who will be patient and understanding with me; willing to learn how to help me through anxiety attacks and long bouts of depression. I also look for someone who is dominant. I need someone who can take charge of a situation and make decisions. I need someone who will take care of me when I can't take care of myself. I want someone who is passionate, protective, and sincere. I also look for someone who will understand my love languages, which are quality time and receiving gifts. I am a very shy, quiet person. I don't really talk that much and don't like to socialize. Once I'm comfortable around you, you'll learn I'm also dramatic, creative, analytical, loyal, honest, protective, and a bit of a bitch at times. I tend to be drawn to the people that others are scared of. I always look for the good in people, and am not quick to judge. Although I'm a very kind person, I'm not quick to trust. And once you've broken my trust, it's extremely hard to earn it back. - @bingewatchingmylifegoby

BB ship - Mey-Rin

-  Mey-Rin doesn’t get much free time, though, on the days when Sebastian has had enough of the other household staff members making messes and mistakes, he tells them to take the evening off because he can do it faster and better on his own. On such evenings, Mey-Rin is content to do whatever you’re doing, and if you want to be left alone she’ll go practice her self-defence skills. 

- Mey-Rin would love your flair for the dramatic and would very likely compliment you on these skills. She would have access to the Phantomhive Library and would be able to take out books for you to read when you visit the Manor, and Sebastian would be on hand to make sure you’re met with hospitality befitting of a Phantomhive guest. So you could ask him questions about things you’re curious about. 

- When there’s a large social event at the Manor, you’d be invited as an honorary guest, though attached on the bottom of the expensive and elaborate invitation is a chicken scratched message: Please make yourself comfortable in the kitchen when you’ve had enough, yes-yes! from Mey-Rin. You’re left wondering how she managed to write on it without Sebastian seeing it beforehand.

- Mey-Rin fumbles and falls a lot, but as a Phantomhive servant, she’s a dark horse. She sees, hears, feels, more than she lets on, just like her training. She is badass and knows a lot about the world and its cruelties. She would likely have experience with depression and even anxiety, so would be very patient and know what to say or do to help you when you needed it. She’s used to taking care of Ciel so she’d know how to take care of you when you can’t. She can’t spend much time with you, but whatever is spare at the end of the day is yours.

- She’d watch you flourish as you become more comfortable and open around her, and would love knowing that she sees the parts of you that few get to really see. Mey-Rin would always defend you as fiercely as she defends the Household and everyone in it.

Sherlock - Molly Hooper

-  Molly’s job can get pretty violent even on the best of days and some of the things that she sees coming into the morgue only have a place in the best of horror book and films. When she comes home, she tends to invite you over so that you can watch something together, or just spend a quiet evening together doing your own things. Sometimes you go out together, but for the most part, you’re indoors. Molly loves helping you with your make-up or reading your poetry if you let her.  

-  She is a bit of a wallflower and can often fade into the background, but when you go out together or it’s just the two of you, you’re all she’s focusing on. When you go out together and she dresses up along with you, you do each other's make-up. Sometimes she’ll talk to you about her work and listen to you talk about yours, and she’ll pass along all the office gossip that she picks up on. 

-  Molly wouldn’t ever tell you to stop being dramatic; she loves seeing you when you’re animated and in your own element. When you want to be alone, she gives you the space you need, but she’s also right there when you don’t want to be alone. If you’ve had enough at a party, she takes you out back until you're ready to go back in or she’ll just take you home. 

-  I think Molly has anxiety too so she’d definitely understand. Because of how Sherlock and others treat her, she often doubts herself and her abilities but given the chance, she can really shine and kick ass. So she’d always be there to listen and hear what you have to say because she knows ow it feels to be seen as small and unimportant.  When you can’t look after yourself, Molly will take your best interests into account and look after you until you can look after yourself. Molly is so much more than the show writers let her be and she’d be fiercely protective of you and yours. She would always look out for you and also for herself and would be incredibly loving. 

-  People aren’t scared of her, exactly, but people also don’t really listen to her and she’s often marginalised.  She’s so kind and selfless and would do anything for anyone.  She’d love you for you and all your flaws and would protect you from yourself when it’s called for. 

Phantom of the Opera - Nadir Khan (Daroga)

- You’re incredibly creative and your hobbies are physically relaxing but intellectually stimulating. If you ever wanted to share your poetry or your stories, Nadir would be there to read, listen, compliment and then offer constructive criticism if you wanted it. He’d be proud of your creative pursuits. 

- Nadir is friends with the Phantom so he’s well-accustomed to people having a somewhat dramatic flair. Your dramatic flair would definitely be a more refreshing change as yours is less toxic than the Phantom’s. He has a wealth of culture, languages and stories at his disposal and I think Nadir would enjoy talking with you over a cup of tea and tell you some stories or teach you things you want to learn.  

- He’s very protective of those he loves and is caring and affectionate, loyal to a fault. There’s not much he’d refuse you if you asked him, and you’d always be his main priority. In a large social event, he’ll make sure that you’re either by his side or with someone like Madame Giry, who can keep an eye on you to his standards. When you want to leave, you leave, simple as. He just takes really good care of you. 

-  Nadir is used to dealing with the Phantom’s mood swings, impulsive bad decisions and dry wit, and he’d definitely be empathetic towards you and always listen with his full attention to everything you have to say. He would come up with a solution to any problem you had if you wanted one, and if not then he’d just be there with open arms and two ears to listen. When you can’t look after yourself, he has a firm hand and gets you back to where you need to be, though he doesn’t push and knows when enough is enough.

-   The two of you actually have a lot of common ground in who the two of you are, and you’d get along really well and only be seen as a positive force for each other. In Kay’s version of Phantom, Nadir had a wife and son who both died tragically of illness (if I remember rightly), so he’s been through some of the darkest times in one’s life. You’d only bring some of that light back to him just by being you, and in return, he’d shower you with all the time and gifts in the world.

Doctor Who - Ten

-  You’re very imaginative and Ten would only fuel that by taking you to all your favourite places in the past, present and future, and getting you to tell him some of your stories. If you’re not comfortable with that then he would understand but he would be the most supportive person of your artistic temperament. He would tell you to hang onto your words and never let anyone take them away from you.  Make-up confuses him so when you put it on he’d ask you a gazillion question at such a speed that you have to ask him to slow down and ask you one question at a time.

-  Oh. Oh my goodness, you two are the sassiest couple. You know how Ten often goes on a sarcastic tangent when his enemies demand something of him and he’s chuckling and saying something like, “the Doctor will not”? Yeah, oh my goodness adding you to the mix means that there’s twice the amount of talking and tbh you probably baffle the monsters you’re going up against. You’re always his main priority and he’s always focused on you when he’s not saving a planet or fixing the TARDIS.

-  We all know how protective Ten is of those he loves, so he’s the first person to verbally slam-dunk someone trying to insult you. You won’t even have processed what was said to you before he’s in the face of whoever insulted you, and his insults are so scathing the person’s future grandchildren are going to feel the burn of the Doctor’s words.  When you’re in a large social event, he holds your hand and pulls you through the crowds of people, keeping a close eye on you to make sure that your surroundings are bearable for you. As soon as they’re not, he’s whisking you away to someplace less crowded and won’t hear a word about you apologising.

-  He’s been alive for 900+ years so he’s seen and heard, experienced and witnessed the absolute best and the worst of humanity. He’s so wise, so lonely, that he knows exactly how to comfort you. Sometimes, he’s comforting you before you even know you need to be comforted. He doesn’t alwas have the words you need to hear and that’s okay, but he always has two sympathetic ears, two arms to hold you, two hearts to beat reassuringly when you lay your head on his chest, and a boatload of stories to make you laugh until you’re doubled over and howling with tears pouring down your face. Sometimes he needs comfort and a listening ear, and you support each other through it all.  A lot of the time he’s in charge because you’re literal worlds away from home and he’s the only one you have got to depend on, especially in life and death situations. So he can definitely take care when you need someone to care for you. 

- You’re just so strong and protective together, always looking out for the other and defending each other to the death if it came to that. It’s not always easy because sometimes he has to shut down and internalise and sometimes you don’t feel like talking, but the good days far outweigh the bad days.