#And I still have questions over how many of this author's choices are intentional

[amtrak12]

When this fic included S6 events in this S4 setting, I assumed it was a purposeful AU choice because they wanted Niles to already be divorced. But now the fic just casually mentioned the use of webcams for online therapy and I... my brain is broken, I just don't understand.

No one was using webcams in 1997.

[crepezinhos]

A quick story of my most recent experience about how this image literally JUST repeats itself infinitely.

Long time ago I read this cool Kazuha smut where he was drunk and was absolutely in-love with reader’s pussy. Ok, right? Yeah, it was fine with me, that’s why I opened the comments to leave my own opinion and read others�� too, until I found this person questioning the validity of that fanfiction, arguing that Kazuha couldn’t have consented because he was drunk.

Totally fine argument… if we were talking about a non/dub-con fic or a real actuation.

The fanfiction was literally just Kazuha praising reader over and over. The tags didn’t imply assault, the fic didn’t imply it too. It was just fluff. The author even argued that they never had the intention of making an assault fic too. After all, I personally didn’t see anything malicious in it until this person pointed, and you probably didn’t see it too until I mentioned it.

I responded that person and we begun arguing because she got mad at me when I said drunk people can still make conscious (or good) choices in the early stages of being drunk, but that person (who I later found out to be a minor, which explains her lack of experience) just… told me this in response:

Yes, an accusation of me being a potential assaulter because I defended an author.

If it isn’t enough that she’s treating Kazuha like a real person who genuinely went through a traumatic experience, she also treated me like a fictional character. How, you may ask? By straight ironizing with what would be a scenario of me being assaulted.

It is soooo disgusting that people go this far to defend a fictional character but also so interesting to see how that tweet above is so… real.

We basically went over and over the argument and they eventually got mad enough and blocked me because they couldn’t understand what I was trying to tell them the entire time.

I couldn’t print it but they also mentioned that the person liking it doesn’t make less abusive but personally (and probably you too) I’ve never seen a victim of assault treat their experiences like it wasn’t a trauma or something that they liked, like “Yeah I was drunk and he abused me but I was ok with it but I reported them to the police.” Like no? There are so many more layers in assault, consent is just the tip of the iceberg.

People like this are soooo funny to watch. They try making a point about assault, but minutes later are ironizing with what would be a scenario of it just because she doesn’t like the person she’s arguing with.

Remember! You can’t solve war with more war, folks!

And to clarify myself in case my argument isn’t really clear, I don’t think having sex with drunk is overall something “ok”. I personally wouldn’t do it with anyone unless I was drunk too and I think it might be a red flag depending on the situation and person, but that fanfiction was literally the fluffiest thing ever and I never said anything harmful to that person that could’ve triggered them into saying those to me (nor did I say anything harmful back to them after it). I don’t think it’s anywhere ok to ironize with someone’s possible experience of assault at any point of an argument. It is genuinely dehumanizing and in this case it was literally useless because Kazuha is totally ok.

Anyway, the author already deleted it all and thanked me for trying to reason with that person, so you can’t go and look at it yourself, but I had to share this somewhere, it was just too funny lol. 😭

Hope this feels like a lecture or a funny story too in a way.

See you soon ❤️

[liketolaugh-writes]

I know I've talked about this before, but God, I'm never going to stop resenting the hold that Harry Potter has on me.

As an autistic person, special interests never really leave you, and that's more true for longer-standing ones. I really can't explain how all-consuming they are, how much time and energy and love you pour into them, how much joy and comfort you get from them. I'm kind of between special interests right now, after finishing both Constellations and Blue Food Project, and it's unsettling. Makes me restless, leaves a lot of time in my day. (Time I can use to look for jobs! Positives.)

Anyway. Harry Potter was definitely my longest-standing special interest to date. It was my SI through most of elementary school, and given the choice, I would do nothing except reread them, over and over and over and over again. My parents had to institute a rule where every time I finished the series, I had to wait a certain amount of time before I read it again, and I always did as soon as the time was up. There are parts of it, useless stupid lines, that I can still recite from memory. ("And he was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one that turned out to be pepper" has always been my favorite example.) I don't engage much with the Harry Potter fandom, because it's a mutant factioned thing that kind of scares me, but the story stays with me nonetheless.

Like many other fans, this letter broke my heart; I'm sure you know the one even without clicking the link. She's only gotten worse since then (every so often I still look at her Twitter account and mourn) but this was the beginning of the end. Most authors, I can forgive their transgressions; I can trust that they've grown, I can accept that their work is flawed, and I can enjoy what I read despite that.

Every since that letter, and plenty of the subsequent scandals besides, I've been unable to do that. I read any part of Harry Potter and I can see nothing but flaws. I see sexism, and ableism, and cultural appropriation and colonialism and hypocrisy. I think, why are there so many crowds of tittering girls? and why does everyone hate Fleur seemingly just for being French and pretty? and why did she design the Slug Club without any acknowledgement of 'this is literally how to break into a career field?' There is nothing there for me but frustration and hurt.

I've seen people in the trans community complain about cis folk asking if they can 'still enjoy' Harry Potter, which I understand. (I consider myself nonbinary, but my gender identity is so unimportant to me that I still consider my place in that community tenuous.) But this isn't that. This is frustration. Harry Potter was carved into me years ago, and I can't seem to dig it out, and I have yet to decide what to do with that.

But the story stays with me. The memory of it is inescapable. I don't even really need to reread the books to write fanfics, most of the time; I know every plot point by heart. How could I not? And every unanswered question, every point of shoddy worldbuilding that drives me nuts about that world - I can fix those. I do it all the time in other fandoms. It's really not that hard to create the answers to the plot holes that bother you.

Most of the Harry Potter fics I write are crossovers - Harry Potter goes well with just about any world, kind of like Avengers does. But there's one I've been playing with that bugs me in a special way.

I mentioned finishing 'Constellations,' my two part series where Percy Jackson goes to therapy for everything he goes through in the PJO and HoO books. That was a love letter to Percy Jackson, to Rick Riordan's writing. Like any writer, he has his flaws and weak points, but I love it nonetheless, every part of it. I wrote it with the intent to supplement and highlight canon for everything I love about it.

Now, I find myself writing a similar fic for Harry Potter, with Harry Potter going through therapy. It's in the beginning stages yet (such stories are obviously difficult) but it's such a fascinating topic that I can't shake it. What happens when a survivor of such vicious neglect suddenly is accused of seeking attention at every turn? How can someone so victimized by the Ministry come to trust them enough to work as an Auror? Did Dumbledore truly understand what he subjected Harry to with the Dursleys?

But with Constellations, I had respect for Riordan's writing that I don't have for Rowling's. Such a story would come from a completely different place. And that's fascinating, too. It's just complicated.

I'm not going anywhere with this, I guess. It's just- frustrating, to so thoroughly resent a story and a cast that I also love so much.

[essayofthoughts]

If you're still interested in taking asks for the games you reblogged how about 4, 21, 22 and 🔥 for Percy?

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

Book. Book. Give me a book. I want to know Percy's internal monologue if possible, or at least how he was with his family prior to the Briarwoods, and I think a book would be a great way of showing the fun nuances of that given we won't get anything like that on stream.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I mean I think the obvious choice is that I love to poke at his trauma but also like...

I like to provide a small change and try to figure out how it'd affect him? Partly because small points of divergence are fun for me, but also partly because Percy is an overthinker and also someone who comes to conclusions and then rationalises them to himself, not always realising the inconsistency between his emotional conclusion and the actual facts. Percy loves to portray himself as rational and reasonable and he almost never is! He has reasons for what he does and what he thinks is best, but he's also a lot more emotional than he wants to think he is, and I think that's interesting. Percy's brain is a big old thorny mess and I like to really get into the weeds with that, to pick apart how he thinks and why he thinks it, where his logical errors are and where he remains consistent.

I don't think there's anything in particularly I dislike? I mean, I don't tend to write crack, but that's more because crack isn't where my skills lie, it's not to do with Percy. When it's to do with Percy... I mean my goal is to write a good story and sometimes that means geode method-ing it - to find out what a character is made of, first you must break them. Which I think leads on to the next question-

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

Because something I don't like is stories which deny Percy's capacity for awful. I dislike the fandom propensity for woobiefication and how many fics just have him simp for Vex and ignore the ways he can be kind of awful, and neglectful of his sister and just generally kind of a mess. I also hate just...

Okay this is layered but, there's this habit in fandom, largely by people who I think are either inexperienced writers or just inexperienced with trauma to... flatten it. To make the ability to relay a narrative easy, to make triggers simple and obvious and the reactions similarly clear cut.

But the thing is... it isn't? It's way more fucked up and messy? We see Percy in canon try to relay events and it's choppy and erratic and disordered - trauma messes with your memory! And yet I see fics which have Percy just blandly exposit his trauma to Vex, no ums or ahs, no pauses, no hesitation, no chewing over his words or trailing off to silence as the memories overtake the present. There's ones where they have Percy perform anxiety and trauma when encountering people a part of things, and yet it's nothing like what we see in canon - his seething anger with Stonefell, his razor's edge calm at Ripley (that's barely concealing screaming terror within). There's none of his capacity for total irrationality (again, Ripley) and it's...

I don't think it's intentional on the part of these authors. I don't think they realise just how much of a shit job they're doing. But at least to me, with my own trauma - it doesn't feel remotely reflective of 1. My own experiences with trauma and that kind of shit and 2. With what we see in canon.

Instead it feels like someone playacting something they don't remotely understand - like a child. And that's fine for the people learning about it, but for people who've got their own experiences and who like to read about similar experiences for the catharsis of seeing a character overcome it or the relatability factor or anything else - it can feel weirdly mocking? Dismissive? Like the author doesn't care enough to actually think about how those kinds of events affect someone. It's like they think our stories make good stories - but they don't care enough to portray it accurately.

And, again, I don't think most authors do this with malice, I think it's pure ignorance, but that doesn't stop me hating it.

On the flipside, I really love stories which actually tackle Percy's trauma and bullshit well.

I also... and this is much more petty, but I dislike the portions of fandom that like to make Percy some kind of sex god, or even overtly horny. Percy is very restrained and very internal that we see, and he's easily flustered. When Scanlan makes a joke about him having syphilis when he has his cough early in the Briarwood Arc Percy's flustered response is along the lines of once! Vex makes a point that Percy has improved because he's good at learning and knows when to listen. He was a nerd who explicitly had nothing to do with court - he's not the kind of person who was likely to go fucking around before the Briarwoods and after the Briarwoods he had awful, personal, visceral trauma and violation from being tortured, as well as dissociating to shit! I highly doubt he fucked around after! It seems likely to me that he has very limited sexual experience and also was someone who was deeply flustered by a lot of sexuality for some time - he notably relaxes once he's getting some on a regular basis which very much suggests to me that if he had more experience, he'd be less flustered!

There's also that Percy is very much someone who overthinks. Who hates himself for his own terrible thoughts and ideas. I'm sorry, but I can't see him easily fantasising about someone he knows - Percy strikes me as the kind of person who'd think even a wet dream about someone to be terribly rude and an imposition. He hates his reflexive awful bad ideas, the Ripley of his brain, he was raised posh and noble with rigid etiquette expectations - I think Percy's sense of propriety probably extends even that far. Repression is a hell of a thing.

Send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion.

Percy's a dick, no not a dick like that, no, not a misunderstood woobie, Percy's kind of an arrogant rich wanker and that's half the fun of his character. As I say above, there's a lot of people in fandom who just want Percy to be cool and kind of ignore his capacity for awfulness or petty bullshit, and also who ignore his capacity to be a dork or a fucked up uni kid! He's a traumatised man in his early 20s, he's basically a fucked up uni student! Percy wants people to think he's cool, but this man is a nerd! He invented guns! Don't make him cool! Make him a dork!

A huge swath of fandom is wrong about Percy and I remain narky about it.

Character Ask Game | Send “🔥“ for an unpopular opinion | Ask Box

[cosmicjoke]

I feel like, when people talk about Levi’s choices, particularly in regard to his choice to let Erwin die and to give Armin the serum, they always frame their arguments in this sort of black and white, all or nothing perspective that completely ignores Levi’s nuanced thinking as a character.  They’ll say shit like “Levi chose Erwin over humanity” or “Levi cares more about humanity than any, single life”, and it’s not either. 

Levi always chooses to do, in any given situation, whatever his heart tells him is right.  He isn’t weighing ideologies when he makes a choice, or moral questions, or thinking of abstract concepts like “the greater good” or worrying over impossible to know ramifications or consequences or questions of ‘what if’.  He bases his decisions off of what his instinct tells him, whatever choice will sit most right in his heart.  He never approaches any situation with a black and white view, but rather adapts to and acknowledges that each situation will present different circumstances that call for a unique approach and thinking.  He knows that you can’t treat everything with the same solution, or with the idea of any kind of uncompromising moral certainty, and that not every situation is as simple as “the greater good” vs “the individual good” .  What Levi shows us through this sort of approach is that he’s actually an incredibly intelligent and sensitive person, capable of nuanced and critical thinking, and that when you go at every situation with a rigid, unmovable view of how things should be, or what you should do, morally or otherwise, you fail to acknowledge the complexity of the world and of people, you fail to acknowledge the ever shifting realities of questions of what’s right and wrong, how at any given time, one thing can take priority over another, and it can even be an individual life over multiple lives and still be right, and how, when you end up going at things with such a rigid uncompromising view, though your intentions might be well meaning,  you end up doing more harm than good.  We see this happen with, for example, Jean, when he refuses to kill, and ends up nearly getting the entire Special Operations Squad killed in the process, and saddling Armin with a burden that should have been his own.  And on a bigger scale, Eren, who is unable to approach his need for freedom with anything but a wholesale, all or nothing solution. 

This is why Levi tells people all the time to make the choice they’ll least regret, not the choice they think will gain them success, or victory.  This is why he never tries to impose any moral view or certainty on anyone, or tries to convince them to his side.  Why he lets everyone choose for themselves.  He doesn’t deign to present himself as the authority on anything.  Every choice Levi makes is a personal choice, guided by his own feeling and heart, and he lets everyone else do the same in turn. 

So when Levi made the choice to let Erwin die and to give Armin the serum, it wasn’t some basic question of Levi choosing Erwin over humanity, or handing the future over to Armin.  Levi made the choice he did, like he does with every choice, based off of what he knew in his heart was the right thing to do.  It’s why Levi doesn’t give in to his desire to kill Zeke right away, or why he follows Erwin so loyally, even when he at times disagrees with his approach to things, or why he saves Eren as many times as he does, etc, etc...  In that way, poetically, Levi is actually the character who most retains his moral center, and doesn’t compromise or betray his own morals, precisely because he understands that not every problem can be approached with moralistic, black and white thinking, or questions of absolutes.  He maintains his moral center better than anyone in the series because he never betrays his own heart. 

[funbirdnest]

Atlantis - Below the surface chapter 2

Eichi: It's called Project-ATLANTIS.

Also known as PA. It's a colonization project that ES, which now has its sights set on national domination, put into motion after SS.

Tori: Colonization?

Eichi: Yuzuru, Tori... What do you suppose SS is in the first place?

Yuzuru: It is a historic annual idol festival with a long-standing tradition—It is the largest, most important festival in the idol industry.

... Is how I would answer—But I doubt that you'll be satisfied with such a generic textbook response, correct?

Eichi: Yes. I'm not asking for a formal definition of SS, but rather about its impact on the industry.

Yuzuru: Can you give him an answer, Bocchama?

Tori: Eep! D-Don't put me on the spot like that?! Rather, you should be concerned with demonstrating your worth in front of your master!

Hmm. The SS that was held a few days ago was unprecedentedly large-scale, wasn't it?

It spanned the whole country, and we were able to get local and underground idols to actively participate. Thanks to that, the total number of participating idols was higher than ever before.

But, as a result, almost no local idols made it past the qualifying rounds. The final round was completely monopolized by ES, or more accurately, by Yumenosaki.

Yuzuru: Yes. Some local idols made brief appearances in collaboration with Mikejima-sama. But they were the exception.

Eichi: That's right... SS was held with the pretense of an energizing collaboration with local idols all across the country.

In reality, however, it turned out to be more of a farce that only served to flaunt the strength and authority of ES, which in many ways has become the center of the country.

Ultimately, you can say that was ES's intent all along.

The local idols were mere foils—nothing more than casualties positioned to highlight our—the "main idols'"—brilliance.

Naturally, the local idols found this dissatisfying.

The most radical among them have formed what one might call an anti-ES organization, and are now rioting across the country.

Project-ATLANTIS is one measure with which to pacify these hostile anti-ES forces gathered in such places.

Yuzuru: This is quite the belated response.

Eichi: It's certainly better than doing nothing.

When ES was first established, it was falsely advertised as a "utopia for all idols." For that reason, those who did not directly benefit became quite dissatisfied.

ES was supposed to be an ideal world where "all idols" are able to shine. Then, if we really are idols, why can't we shine?

Yuzuru: It's a natural question and a natural complaint.

Eichi: Fufu. In my opinion, people just navely put their faith in ES' exaggerated advertising

Anyway, if this was the Sengoku period, it would be standard practice to suppress such criminal forces with military power.

Tori: I-Isn't it kind of mean to call them criminals...?

Eichi: I consider it an appropiate expression. ES is a nation, and the forces that oppose it are nothing more than bandits and pirates.

However, although ES continues to make strides like Oda Nobunaga, we still haven't conquered the entire country like Tokugawa Ieyasu (*).

Yuzuru: I think that's a good analogy.

Eichi: Thank you. Right now, ES is in the era of Oda Nobunaga. More precisely, around the time that the anti-Nobunaga network (**) was established.

Yuzuru: I see. That makes it easy to understand.

Tori: Er, I'm sorry, but I don't really get it.

Eichi: You studied history in school, right?

Fools learn from experience; wise men learn from history. Be sure to take your studies seriously while you still have the chance, Tori.

Because, once you grow up, you'll have no choice but to learn things on your own.

Tori: Yeah~ I know this is gonna sound like an excuse... but I haven't been able to study much at school lately.

Eichi: Is something happening at Yumenosaki?

I entrusted all matters over there to Mao, my successor. I don't think it's appropriate for graduates to intervene, so I've generally been staying away.

Yuzuru: Fufu. At present, Yumenosaki Academy is holding an election to determine the next student council president.

Bocchama is running for the student council presidency as well, of course.

Combined with idol work, this is too many irons in the fire. As such, this is a very busy point in time.

Eichi: The student council elections? Huh, this is the first time they've been properly carried out.

We—or rather, mainly Keito—created a model for the student council and then passed it down to Mao, who inherited it.

Tori: As the new president, Isara said that we should actually hold an election.

He said, "I could appoint you, but I don't have much authority, so it'd seem really forced."

If I win the election properly, then I'll be able to attain that kind of authority.

Eichi: That sounds really modern. And it feels like a natural progression.

I like Mao's way of thinking. He understands the limitations of his position—I mean that in a good way.

(*) Eichi is referring to the reunification of Japan at the end of the Sengoku Period (1467-1600). Oda Nobunaga was a feudal lord who raised war against different clans during one of the most tumultous eras of conflict in Japan. Oda set the stage for the reunification of Japan, which was achieved later by Hideyoshi and Ieyasu—the latter becoming the ruler during the beginning of a peaceful period in Japan that lasted until the arrival of Perry and the US Navy.

(**) At the end of the Sengoku era, a group of forces led by Shogun Yoshiaki Ashikaga formed an alliance to rebel against Nobunaga and his allies. The conflict ended with the defeat of the anti-Nobunaga alliance and the expulsion of Yoshiaki from Kyoto.

[miatsai]

I want to be an editor someday! What are the most important qualities or skills you think an editor can have? Both from an editor perspective and an author perspective?

Hi Anon!

This is a great question that has lots of answers because it really depends on the kind of editing you do and what the expectations are. But in general, I think that having an understanding of authorial intent and voice is super important. Authors make choices in their art, and any editor who believes rules supersede those artistic choices in every situation possible is not taking into account that writing is art.

There are copyeditors (or copy editors, I know some of you like seeing this term open) who hew strictly to their style guide of choice, the dictionary (Merriam-Webster Collegiate is the gold standard in trade publishing), and/or the house style guide, even when the author demonstrates a clear preference for something that's contra the guides or the dictionary. Sometimes it's for a very good reason. For example, I know that "accouterment" is the American spelling and therefore the "correct" spelling in the US, but you can pry "accoutrement" from my bare hands only after I am dead. Sometimes the author simply does not know about the rule, and that's where your discretion comes in when writing a global query.

Hand in hand with understanding authorial intent and voice is the ability to query without being harsh. No one likes having a mean editor. It's tempting to snark or fuss at an author, especially when passages are egregious, but a gentle correction with the right tone of voice works much, much better than a comment that will result in your author thinking you hate them. Being a mean editor (I'm sorry, "brutally honest" if you're a man) is not a badge of honor. I'll say that again: Being a mean editor is not a badge of honor. Editors are there to help clarify and shape a document, all under the aegis of the author's vision. They are not there to cackle maniacally and go on power trips. It's a skill to write queries and letters with gentle but direct language and provide examples where they are needed, and it's something that's only developed over time.

What do I mean by gentle but direct language? Well, that's hard to define as well; authors take feedback in so many different ways, so what may seem gentle to you may not feel gentle to the author. As an author, I have received edit letters that made me spiral for two months. My editor was not mean. She was complimentary. It's just that she asked a lot of questions and I needed to break my manuscript apart to address them in the scope I think they needed to be addressed in, and then I ran into a block, and thus, a spiral ensued. And that's for a letter that was short and kind! Her language was great, though.

Overall, I think that language such as "Echo here intentional?" or "AU: I noticed that this chapter and the previous seem to be out of sync with the rest of the timeline. OK, or should that be changed?" and comments in that tenor are professional and will not be met with accusations of being mean. This goes for developmental edit letters too; you have to find the tone that suits you as an editor as you deliver news that amounts to "scrap the following and rebuild," which no one wants to hear even when we say we want to hear it! No, we want to have written it perfectly on the first try.

And lastly--this one may feel the most controversial, but it isn't if you're an editor, and is if you aren't--when you're on a job, take your sentimentality out of your editing. You'll definitely find manuscripts or papers or whatever you're editing that you're a fan of, and when that happens, it's really wonderful. The jobs go by so much quicker when you're enjoying the material. But you still have to be able to look at a work as objectively as you can and analyze it without regard to your personal feelings. People have asked me how I feel about things I've edited when I was editing them, and the real truth is, aside from a few manuscripts I really adored (but still took the magnifying glass to), I don't have particular attachments to them. I don't have opinions on them. It's work, and it's a sign of respect for your profession and your author that you give them your best, regardless of your feelings for the manuscript.

I know, I know, it sounds cruel. But it's also one of those things where you don't want to be overly harsh to an author because you really, really don't like the way they write, or miss things because you were so caught up in the book that you just could not stop reading it. In those cases, when you send the manuscript back to the author, you can include a little note about how much you loved it, how much you're looking forward to seeing it on the shelf or on your device, etc. There are exceptions, of course, and I try to sniff those out before I accept manuscripts so that I don't read something that hits all my triggers. And that's the last-last piece of advice I'll give on becoming a good editor. Learn what your boundaries are and how to say no. Sometimes, it feels like you can't say no because you need the cash or you want desperately to get word of mouth out, but editing is taxing on the mind and body and the only one who suffers the consequences of that work is you.

Hope that answered your question!

[katyspersonal]

3, 4, 6 for some VIOLENCE please

Yeah don't worry, I always default to Bloodborne when not specificed, it is my main qualification in the series after all! (Ask from this ( x ) meme)

3) screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

They're kind of becoming a blur, and usually come down to the same complains and topics, but one of them particularly stood out! Granted I should not have been exposed to it because OP blocked me over that time I talked back at a Gehrman-hater that went as far as bullying other fans (oh how rude of me... :/ ) , but I have been anyway because a new mutual shown it to me over featuring "theory that Fauxsefka got pregnant like Arianna is MiSoGyNiStIc uwu" bit because they wanted and explanation!

Basically, a lot of bashing Bloodborne as misogynistic piece of garbage for featuring themes of motherhood, portraying motherhood as a good thing, something about how it was a bad thing that "even" Maria ended up having compassionate side and that "we as fans had the power to change that", Fauxsefka bit I've mentioned and so on. Ending with the "well but don't think that I dislike Bloodborne, it is still one of my favourite games" that gave me severe abusive talk vibe for some reason. "Yes you are so ugly and stupid and useless but don't worry, I love and accept you and will fix you :3".

Like... it requires a whole separate essay to disagree with that logic, but that is not even relevant! Because even under assumption that Miyazaki is a misogynistic freak for putting emphasis on themes of motherhood in his work, I absolutely abhor the logic of "We as a fandom have the power to disrespect the author's intention (that I made up btw because I am eager for reasons to be mad) and make our own ecosystem of headcanons and interpretations that is better". Of course not everyone will accept the creation unconditionally, especially if it has problems or bigotry, but that is on them, and making it a problem of the fandom is just terrible! Spreading that attitude creates that clique/fandom leaders dynamic, which brings me DIRECTLY to one of the questions, so I'll skip ahead:

6) which ship fans are the most annoying?

Mariadeline fans.

^ Lmao ya'll probably fsdgsdf But it is not just because of how they generally treat characters or other fans, but even how they treat other Mariadeline shippers! I've noticed that whenever there is a Mariadeline shipper who is very nice, level-headed and quiet, a type to 'just enjoy their thing', they get obnoxiously neglected.

Look, I WANT to give it benefit of the doubt and say that maybe it is coincidental, but it doesn't seem like it. Mariadeline shippers are a clique of very popular artists and writers that always support each other's creativity and instantly pull in new Mariadeline shippers into a hug, regardless of art skill. ....EXCEPT for the times when the fellow fan doesn't constantly bitch about "wrong" interpretations of Maria or Adeline, doesn't start Maria's masculinity disco horse every other weak, doesn't put a focus on how Adeline had no agency over her choices and was 'groomed' (even though everyone already knows that 'grooming' of Blood Saints was a translational mistake but okay fine), doesn't portray is as perfect lovely cottage core fluff while only faking the possible problem(atic moments), doesn't-

Like, it can only happen so many times before I start to see the trend of the "leaders"/chosen spokespeople/whatever conveniently excluding fans who sees the characters and the ship the "wrong" way. They've decided that this dynamic can only work like this and the characters in it can only be like this, and any varied take is not celebrated as refreshing with the novelty but passively-aggressively side-eyed as disturbance of their peace of rinsing the same exact thing over and over for years, unaltered. Heck, not even novel takes. Novel approach of the person. I swear, they GOTTA be side-eyeing fellow fans that don't constantly start discourse, because why else the 'chill' Mariadeline fans are left in the dust? It feels like hatred is the part of the requirement for the clique, the 'cool kids' and only those they've 'blessed' with their approval, and this ship never SHOULD have gotten into claws of the clique in the first place!

In other words, making the groups of 'cool kids' to look up to is one way to ruin a dynamic/ship for everyone else, and ruin fandoms in general. Like, one of my mutuals ended up disliking the ship because of its prevalent association with the most toxic fans, and I kinda helped them to like it again, on their own terms and with their own (based) headcanons! The illusion of "supportive wholesome community" falls at the seams here and there if you just stand aside and watch for 2 minutes, and how this ship is supported and perpetuated is one of the biggest examples.

4) what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?

To be honest, it is ridiculously hard to make me block someone. Usually people whose stuff I don't really want to see coincidentally block me first because, again, there is always a big chance that I pick a very strong language to disagree, so the problem solves itself! Even when I do block someone, in 90% I unblock later for this or that reason!

But yeah, there were a couple of exceptions. Only one of them qualifies as 'annoying' to begin with, though 'petty, smug and insecure in the worst way' fits more? They already gave me enough signs of the mean girl (gender neutral!), and what really sealed it was when they acted as though I grossly disrespected them over pointing out a piece of dialogue from the canon when in NO way I was rude or Redditor brand of condescending. Even told me that I "baited" them. They didn't block me, but I blocked them. Not instantly, but the next time I saw their art on my dashboard. The thing is, earlier during that mess of a "conversation" they've admitted on not actually caring about Bloodborne lore but just collecting prompts from it to create their own thing. It just changed my perception of their creativity and it felt empty all of a sudden, like just a lot of glitter and lights without any actual substance within. I can be unhappy with someone while still liking their creativity, but I decided it was better to not invest any admiration for works that had no real care and passion for the source material within. Normally when I realise the gap between me and another fan's level of investment I simply don't follow, but they were frequient presence on the dashboard, so..

[summersnow82]

The Scent of Roses - Part 8

Fanfiction_X-Men

Fictober 2023_Prompt 31: “It’s not your fault.”

Author's note: A kind anon let me know my posts weren't showing up in the tags recently. Here's hoping that'll change. Thanks for sticking with me.

.....

Sabrina had been right: her class was not ready to discuss And Then There Were None – which was a shame because it’s a phenomenal read. Instead they had questions, concerns, fears to address, and a nasty rumor about Rogue Sabrina intended to nip in the bud immediately.

“Quiet down, quiet down!” She called, gaining her students attention. “Now let’s be clear here – there’s enough bickering outside these mansion walls. It will not happen in my classroom, understood?” The students all reluctantly nodded. “And further more,” she looked directly at Rogue who was staring at her desk a bit too intently. “Rogue did nothing wrong. Rogue.” The young woman looked up, surprised she was being called out so directly. “It’s not your fault. I made a choice, and some of my team were unhappy about it.” She turned to look at the other students, taking the time to meet their eyes. “I made the choice. Me. So if you want someone to blame look right here.”

Sabrina sighed, raking a hand through her hair. She hadn’t had time to put it in a French twist or a high ponytail like she preferred. She’d barely had time to grab a suitable outfit, but the blue and white polka dot midi dress with a flared skirt, short white gloves, a pale pink cardigan, and navvy ballet flats would have to do for now. She’d deal with her hair later. She moved to the front of her desk, perching on the edge to survey her class. “We’re going to use this class to talk about your concerns with this cure. Your hopes, your fears, all of it. So,” she stood, flashing them a smile, “let’s move these desks into a circle, shall we?”

….

His political appointment as Secretary of Mutant Affairs left Hank with little free time, and for this reason he’d resigned as a full time teacher at Xavier’s school. Still, when he was home he would often take three or four students under his wing for mentoring and academic expansion. Charles had also given him a small drama class to conduct, which oftentimes paired with Jean’s public speaking class. He’d yet to speak to Charles about his news from the President, and to his credit, the older man had let Hank marinate in his thoughts without prompting. But he’d had his cup of coffee – more than one, actually – and time to mull over a number of rising concerns and issues, and now he needed to find his old friend.

And probably take care of some hygiene issues on the way. He glanced down at his rumpled clothes and grimaced.

Xavier’s school had a number of classrooms, but not all of them were presently being used. Several teachers had resigned or left, which wasn’t uncommon. Hank and Sabrina had both left at one point or another, as had Warren and Kurt. Logan consistently behaved as if the front door were a revolving door. Their staff numbers were currently lower than ever, and many teachers were taking on several classes to make sure the students educational needs were being met. Logan was tackling history and shop class; Jean had genetics and public speaking; Sabrina was teaching English while acting as the guidance counselor; Storm had environmental sciences and art; Scott had mathematics and physical education; and the Professor was teaching ethics and psychology. Each adult was part of a rotation for the Danger Room training for the older students, and they were always paired up differently. Hank would need to check his schedule again and see if he needed to trade shifts.

His thoughts consumed him as he headed towards his room, and he didn’t realize he was passing Sabrina’s classroom until he was walking by the doorway. His eyes tracked the way her hair fell around her shoulders, how her eyes lit up as she spoke to her students, and how her lips always seemed to have a touch of a smile as she engaged with them. “All these feelings and thoughts are completely valid, guys,” she said, looking around the room. “We’re in uncharted waters, but I promise you there’s no one better to navigate this than Professor Xavier and Dr. McCoy. You have the best of the best looking out for you.”

Hank couldn’t help himself. He turned on his heel, propped himself up in the classroom doorway, and crossed his arms across his broad chest. “Do you really think so, Professor Snow?” His deep baritone made everyone look his way, but none looked more startled than Sabrina herself. She hadn’t realized she had an audience for her class. A chorus of cheers went up from the students – Hank was arguably one of the more popular teachers at Xavier’s school – and with his political position he was currently a hot topic on campus. Hank regarded the students warmly before turning his attention back to Sabrina. “I apologize, Professor Snow. I didn’t mean to crash your class.” He held her gaze as he spoke, watched her take a deep breath before she forced a smile.

“Nonsense. You’re always welcome here.” Her tone told him he was actually not welcome at all, and a few of the students exchanged glances.

“Professor Snow, can Dr. McCoy join our conversation, too?” Kitty Pryde asked, glancing between the two of them. The younger woman was notably observant and direct.

Sabrina faltered for a moment, but then her mouth quirked up in a small smile. “Of course, Kitty. But I’m sure Dr. McCoy has many pressing items on his schedule. He probably doesn’t have the time.” She shot him a look that expressly told him to take the out she was offering. Instead, he all but smirked, pushing away from the door jamb and striding into the classroom like the cat who ate the canary. With amazing ease and grace he leapt in the air, somersaulted over the students heads, and came to stand next to Sabrina who was perched on her own desk.

“I’m never too busy for you,” he said to the class, but his eyes were on Sabrina’s. There wasn’t much she could do in front of the students without causing a scene; Hank knew it, she knew it, and he intended to take full advantage. “Now,” he said, projecting his voice and turning to face the kids. “What would you like to know?”

A number of hands shot up, and Hank chuckled. “What about you, Bobby?”

The younger man lowered his hand almost reluctantly, then said, “Are you going to get the cure, sir?”

Hank should’ve expected it, but he’d been too busy showboating and teasing Sabrina to consider the ramifications of this very serious topic. He probably looked as stunned as he felt, and for just a ghost of a moment Sabrina placed her gloved hand on his arm. “Bobby, that’s a very personal question,” she said gently.

“Yeah, but it kind of matters, right?” Kitty said. “I mean, if the teachers we’re learning from are considering getting it then maybe there’s some merit to it.”

Hank drew his mouth in a tight, firm line, and glanced over at Sabrina. “That’s a very good point, Kitty,” he said, rubbing his jaw. “If I’m being honest, I’ve thought of it, yes. I suppose every mutant with a visible mutation has considered it. It can be difficult when you can’t pass for a human. However,” he raised a finger. “There is still much we do not know about this so called cure. Will it last? Are there side effects? What else might it do to us?” He stepped away from the desk into the center of the desk-formed circle. “This cure has been released without – to our knowledge – long term testing, and perhaps questionable methods. I have been tasked with answering these questions, and more, and I will be leaving in a few days time to do just that.” He turned back to Sabrina, all seriousness and sincerity now. “I was hoping you might accompany me, Miss Snow. A talent like yours could prove invaluable to our team, and you have the credentials to back you up.” Sabrina’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open for a moment before she clamped it shut. He gave her a small, genuine smile. “Something to consider, of course.”

More hands shot up in the air. Hank took his time answering a number of them, some technical, some incredibly simple, but all important to the students before him.

“What if they come for us here?” A young girl by the name of Jenna asked. Jenna was relatively new to the school, and still finding her voice, figuratively and literally.

The room got very quiet, and Hank rose to his full height. “Then I assure you, dear girl, that would be a most grave error on their part.”

“Professor Snow?” Rogue had been quiet for most of the class, but now she raised her eyes and looked Sabrina in the eye. “Are you going to get the cure?”

Hank turned to see Sabrina take a deep breath, let it loose, and hop down from her perch. She moved around the desk to the black board and began writing. “Anthony Smalls. Three years old. Taken from his home for a million dollar ransom.” Her hand moved quickly as she spoke, the clack-clack of the chalk the only sound other than her voice. “Violet Henries. Six years old. Taken from her school to sway a jury. Jonathan Edwards. Three months old. Taken by a jealous ex-wife. Julietta Gonzalez. Twelve years old. Taken for trafficking. Robert Sweat. Thirteen years old. Also taken for trafficking.” She continued on with a list of names and ages accompanying them with a reason for the kidnapping. The class was quiet as she worked, and Hank watched her as a new level of comprehension descended upon him.

Sabrina didn’t stop talking until the chalkboard – at least what she could reach of it – was filled with names. She turned back to the class. “These aren’t even half of the children I’ve been able to return to their homes and families alive because of my abilities. Another dozen were found postmortem, and the ability to bring their loved ones home offered the families a sense of closure.” She put the chalk down, dusted off her hands, and walked around her desk. She removed her gloves as she did so, securing them in her dress pockets. “I cannot touch anything or anyone,” her finger trailed over a desk causing her eyes to faintly glow. “Without taking something away. Memories, thoughts, emotions. In some cases, even talents and abilities. This makes relationships difficult.” She brushed by Hank as she spoke, and he tracked her path with curious eyes. “I walk into a room and I immediately can sense the atmosphere. This makes crowds difficult. I can’t go to concerts or movies on opening night or many special events. But I can assess danger quickly, read a person’s intentions, and bring children home to their families. Our lives as mutants are not easy ones; I know Professor Xavier has drilled this into you in his Ethics class. Oftentimes what we think is a curse is actually a gift. Maybe not for us, but for someone else.” She pointed at the chalkboard. “If I can do that, what can you do?” She turned to Rogue. “I won’t be getting the cure, no matter how much I might be tempted. Someone has to keep the real monsters at bay.”

[ganseysglasses]

I’ve had boygenius brain rot since The Record was released so let me tell you what song goes to which of the raven cycle characters.

Starting with the obvious, Ronan is SO revolution 0 are you kidding?? “i don’t wanna die / that’s a lie / but i’m afraid to get sick / i don’t know what that is” so so so Ronan. ALSO “i used to think if i just closed my eyes / i would disappear” ?? enough said. revolution 0 is questioning the world you’re in and your purpose in it and if that isn’t the epitome of Ronan Lynch idk what it.

Adam is definitely Letter To An Old Poet to me. This was a really hard choice because Adam Parrish is incredibly boygenius coded but i have evidence. “you’re not special, you’re evil / you don’t get to tell me to calm down / you made me feel like an equal / but i’m better than you / and you should know that by now” it’s Adam Parrish learning who he is and that he’s more than his background, more than what he’s been told he is by his father, the other students at aglionby, and even himself. Letter To An Old Poet makes me feel like reflecting on what used to be and realizing how much time has changed everything around me. That’s just so Adam!!

I’m not SUPER confident on this one, but Noah is Anti-Curse. First of all, Noah Czerny just seems like a Julien Baker fan idk. Also kind of obvious text evidence “making peace with my inevitable death.” now i KNOW that could also be Gansey, but hear me out. Noah knew from the beginning that he was going to be gone and leave his friends over and over again (poor guy :( ) and he still MOURNED and resisted his inevitable undoing. I feel like Gansey didn’t even actually come to terms with his death. All of the Raven King was spent searching for a solution, and even though Gansey had proof he would die, he didn’t quit searching for a solution. Noah on the other hand embodies Anti-Curse and the theme of making peace with where you are. It’s really heartbreaking honesty.

Gansey boy himself is OBVIOUSLY True Blue. I have authority on this because i AM Gansey. He’s me. Anyways, i realized Gansey was true blue when i heard the line “but it feels good to be known so well / i can’t hide from you like i hide from myself” which is also when i had the idea for this post (before taking many weeks to write it out). Additionally just think about Gansey’s relationship with his friends with this verse “you’ve never done me wrong except for that one time / that we don’t talk about / because it doesn’t matter anymore / who won the fight? / I don’t know” Gansey being so willing to do anything for his friends, and ignore any fights or disagreements just to get them to stay. True Blue embodies the longing to be seen. to be known and understood and loved in despite of people seeing. And that’s a very clear character trait of Gansey’s throughout the books.

Finally, Blue Sargent herself. She’s Satanist, which i feel might be a bit of an obvious choice but it fits. Blue makes it known where she stands on everything, is very independent, and has a lot to prove, which really suits this song. The verse “will you be an anarchist with me? / sleep in cars and kill the bourgeoisie / at least until you find out what a fake i am” says it best. Blue is so desperate to be sure of herself and achieve what she wants, but there’s so much she’s not sure of. (her principles after finding her raven boys, college, careers, their quest, etc) Satanist is a song that takes a stand so confidently while having no real intention of acting upon the decisions made. Not because it doesn’t believe in the decisions or the principles behind it, but because it doesn’t believe in itself.

Anyways that’s my interpretation of the raven cycle with special guests Boygenius!

[azeez-unv]

WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR ME TO IMPROVE?

Growth must be intentional— nobody improves by accident.

The poet Robert Browning wrote, “Why to stay we on the earth except to grow?” Just about anyone would agree that growth is a good thing, but relatively few people dedicate themselves to the process.

Why? Because it requires change, and most people are reluctant to change. But the truth is that without change, growth is impossible. Author Gail Sheehy asserted:

If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we are not really living. Growth demands a temporary surrender of security. It may mean giving up familiar but limiting patterns, safe but unrewarding work, and values no longer believed in, that have lost their meaning. As Dostoevsky put it, “taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what most people fear most.” The real fear should be the opposite course.

I can’t think of anything worse than living a stagnant life, devoid of change and improvement.

GROWTH IS A CHOICE

Most people fight against change, especially when it affects them personally. As novelist Leo Tolstoy said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” The ironic thing is that change is inevitable. Everybody has to deal with it. On the other hand, growth is optional.

You can choose to grow or fight it. But know this: people unwilling to grow will never reach their potential. In one of his books, my friend Howard Hendricks asks the question, “How have you changed . . . lately?

In the last week, let’s say? Or the last month? The last year? Can you be very specific?” He knows how people tend to get into a rut when it comes to growth and change. Growth is a choice, a decision that can really make a difference in a person’s life.

Most people don’t realize that unsuccessful and successful people do not differ substantially in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential. And nothing is more effective when it comes to reaching potential than the commitment to personal growth.

PRINCIPLES FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Making the change from being an occasional learner to becoming someone dedicated to personal growth goes against the grain of the way most people live.

If you asked one hundred people how many books they have read on their own since leaving school (college or high school), I bet only a handful would say they have read more than one or two books.

If you asked how many listen to audio lessons and voluntarily attend conferences and seminars to grow personally, there would be even fewer. Most people celebrate when they receive their diplomas or degrees and say to themselves, “Thank goodness that’s over. Just let me have a good job.

I’m finished with studying.” But such thinking doesn’t take you any higher than average. If you want to be successful, you have to keep growing. As someone who has dedicated his life to personal growth and development, I’d like to help you make the leap to becoming a dedicated self-developer.

It’s the way you need to go if you want to reach your potential. Besides that, it also has another benefit: it brings contentment. The happiest people I know are growing every day. Take a look at the following eight principles. They’ll help you develop into a person dedicated to personal growth:

1.CHOOSE A LIFE OF GROWTH

It’s said that when Spanish composer-cellist Pablo Casals was in the final years of his life, a young reporter asked him, “Mr. Casals, you are ninety-five years old and the greatest cellist that ever lived. Why do you still practice for six hours a day?”What was Casals’s answer?

“Because I think I’m making progress.” That’s the kind of dedication to continual growth that you should have. The people who reach their potential, no matter what their profession or background, think in terms of improvement. If you think you can “hold your ground” and still make a successful journey, you are mistaken. You need to have an attitude like that of General George Patton.

It’s said that he told his troops, “There is one thing I want you to remember. I don’t want to get any messages saying we are holding our position. We are advancing constantly.” Patton’s motto was, “Always take the offensive. Never dig in.” The only way to improve the quality of your life is to improve yourself.

If you want to grow your organization, you must grow a leader. If you want better children, you must become a better person. If you want others to treat you more kindly, you must develop better people skills. There is no sure way to make other people in your environment improve.

The only thing you truly can improve is yourself. And the amazing thing is that when you do, everything else around you suddenly gets better. So the bottom line is that if you want to take the success journey, you must live a life of growth. And the only way you will grow is if you choose to grow.

2.START GROWING TODAY

Napoleon Hill said, “It’s not what you are going to do, but it’s what you are doing now that counts.” Many unsuccessful people have what I call “someday sickness” because they could do some things to bring value to their lives right now. But they put them off and say they’ll do them someday.

Their motto is “One of these days.” But as the old English proverb says, “One of these days means none of these days.” The best way to ensure success is to start growing today. No matter where you may be starting from, don’t be discouraged; everyone who got where he is started where he was.

Why do you need to determine to start growing today? There are several reasons: Growth is not automatic. In a book that I read "Breakthrough Parenting", it's mentioned there that you can be young only once, but you can be immature indefinitely. That is because growth is not automatic.

Just because you grow older doesn’t mean you keep growing. That’s how it is with some creatures, such as crustaceans. As a crab or a lobster ages, it grows and has to shed its shell. But that’s not the trend for people. The road to the next level is uphill, and it takes effort to keep growing. The sooner you start, the closer to reaching your potential you’ll be.

Growth today will provide a better tomorrow. Everything you do today builds on what you did yesterday. And altogether, those things determine what will happen tomorrow. That’s especially true regarding growth. Oliver Wendell Holmes offered this insight: “Man’s mind, once stretched by new ideas, never regains its original dimensions.”

Growth today is an investment for tomorrow. Growth is your responsibility. When you were a small child, your parents were responsible for you—even for your growth and education. But as an adult, you bear that responsibility entirely.

If you don’t make growth your responsibility, it will never happen. There is no time like right now to get started. Recognize the importance that personal growth plays in success, and commit yourself to developing your potential today.

3.FOCUS ON SELF-DEVELOPMENT, NOT SELF-FULFILLMENT

There has been a change in focus over the last thirty years in the area of personal growth. Beginning in the late sixties and early seventies, people began talking about “finding themselves,” meaning that they were searching for a way to become self-fulfilled. It’s like making happiness a goal because self-fulfilment is about feeling good.

But self-development is different. Sure, much of the time it will make you feel good, but that’s a by-product, not the goal. Self-development is a higher calling; it is the development of your potential so that you can attain the purpose for which you were created. There are times when that’s fulfilling, but other times it's not.

But no matter how it makes you feel, self-development always has one effect: It draws you toward your destiny. Rabbi Samuel M. Silver taught that “the greatest of all miracles is that we need not be tomorrow what we are today, but we can improve if we make use of the potential implanted in us by God.”

4.NEVER STAY SATISFIED WITH CURRENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

My friend Rick Warren says, “The greatest enemy of tomorrow’s success is today’s success.” And he is right. Thinking that you have “arrived” when you accomplish a goal has the same effect as believing you know it all. It takes away your desire to learn. It’s another characteristic of destination disease. But successful people don’t sit back and rest on their laurels.

They know that wins— like losses—are temporary, and they have to keep growing if they want to continue being successful. Charles Handy remarked, “It is one of the paradoxes of success that the things and ways which got you there are seldom those things that keep you there.”

No matter how successful you are today, don’t get complacent. Stay hungry. Sydney Harris insisted that “a winner knows how much he still has to learn, even when he is considered an expert by others; a loser wants to be considered an expert by others before he has learned enough to know how little he knows.” Don’t settle into a comfort zone, and don’t let success go to your head. Enjoy your success briefly, and then move on to greater growth.

5.BE A CONTINUAL LEARNER

The best way to keep from becoming satisfied with your current achievements is to make yourself a continual learner. That kind of commitment may be rarer than you realize. For example, a study performed by the University of Michigan several years ago found that one-third of all physicians in the United States are so busy working that they’re two years behind the breakthroughs in their own fields.

If you want to be a continual learner and keep growing throughout your life, you’ll have to carve out the time to do it. You’ll have to do what you can wherever you are. As Henry Ford said, “It’s been my observation that most successful people get ahead during the time other people waste.”

That’s one reason I carry books and magazines with me whenever I travel. During the downtimes, such as waiting for a connection in an airport, I can go through a stack of magazines, reading and cutting out articles. Or I can skim through a book, learning the major concepts and pulling out quotes I’ll be able to use later.

And when I’m in town, I maximize my learning time by continually listening to instructive tapes in the car. Frank A. Clark stated, “Most of us must learn a great deal every day to keep ahead of what we forget.”

Learning something every day is the essence of being a continual learner. You must keep improving yourself, not only acquiring knowledge to replace what you forget or what’s out-of-date but also building on what you learned yesterday.

6.DEVELOP A PLAN FOR GROWTH

The key to a life of continual learning and improvement lies in developing a specific plan for growth and following through with it. I recommend a plan that requires an hour a day, five days a week. I use that as the pattern because of a statement by Earl Nightingale, which says,

“If a person will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, that person will be an expert on that subject.” Isn’t that an incredible promise? It shows how far we are capable of going when we have the discipline to make growth in our daily practice. When I teach leadership conferences,

I recommend the following growth plan to participants:

MONDAY: Spend one hour with a devotional to develop your spiritual life.

TUESDAY: Spend one hour listening to a leadership podcast or audio lesson.

WEDNESDAY: Spend one-hour filing quotes and reflecting on the content of Tuesday’s tape.

THURSDAY: Spend one hour reading a book on leadership.

Friday: Spend half the hour reading the book and the other half filling and reflecting. As you develop your growth plan, start by identifying the three to five areas in which you desire to grow. Then look for useful materials—books, magazines, audiotapes, videos—and incorporate them into your plan.

I recommend that you make it your goal to read twelve books and listen to fifty-two tapes (or read fifty-two articles) each year. Exactly how you go about it doesn’t matter, but do it daily. That way you’re more likely to follow through and get it done than if you periodically put it off and then try to catch up.

7.PAY THE PRICE

I mentioned before that self-fulfilment focuses on making a person happy, whereas self-development proposes helping a person reach potential. A trade-off of growth is that it is sometimes uncomfortable. It requires discipline. It takes time that you could spend on leisure activities.

It costs money to buy materials. You have to face constant change and take risks. And sometimes it’s just plain lonely. That’s why many people stop growing when the price gets high. But growth is always worth the price you pay because the alternative is a limited life with unfulfilled potential.

Success takes effort, and you can’t make the journey if you’re sitting back waiting for life to come along and improve you. President Theodore Roosevelt boldly stated, “There has not yet been a person in our history who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering.” Those words were true when he spoke them almost a century ago, and they still apply today.

8.FIND A WAY TO APPLY WHAT YOU LEARN

Jim Rohn urged, “Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action.” The bottom line when it comes to personal development is action. If your life doesn’t begin to change as a result of what you’re learning, you’re experiencing one of these problems:

You’re not giving your growth plan enough time and attention; you’re focusing too much time on the wrong areas, or you’re not applying what you learn. Successful people develop positive daily habits that help them to grow and learn.

One of the things I do to make sure I don’t lose what I learn is to file it. In my office, I have more than twelve hundred files full of articles and information, and I have thousands upon thousands of quotes. But I also make an effort to apply information as soon as I learn it. I do that by asking myself these questions anytime I learn something new:

Where can I use it?

When can I use it?

Who else needs to know it?

These questions take my focus off simply acquiring knowledge and put it onto applying what I learn to my life.

Try using them. I think they’ll do the same for you. Author and leadership expert Fred Smith made a statement that summarizes what committing to personal growth is really all about. He said: Something in human nature tempts us to stay where we’re comfortable.

We try to find a plateau, a resting place, where we have comfortable stress and adequate finances. Where we have comfortable associations with people, without the intimidation of meeting new people and entering strange situations. Of course, all of us need to plateau for a time.

We climb and then plateau for assimilation. But once we’ve assimilated what we’ve learned, we climb again. It’s unfortunate when we’ve done our last climb. When we have made our last climb, we are old, whether forty or eighty. Whatever you do, don’t allow yourself to stay on a plateau.

Commit yourself to climbing the mountain of personal potential—a little at a time—throughout your life. It’s one journey you’ll never regret having made. According to novelist George Eliot, “It is never too late to be what you might have become.”

[justineps]

“To the most quiet but biggest hearted teacher assistant any teacher could ask for,

Justin Santos, write.

If there is any farewell advice I could give to you, please write, write, write. I have graded your essays for two years, and I have been observant in your ability to speak your thoughts through debates or even presentations and they just do not correlate whatsoever. But did you know? Some of the best writers and also my favorite authors are unable to speak what is on their mind. When I asked the class to write which book they enjoyed the most out of all our assigned readings, many chose The Great Gatsby, East of Eden, but you were the only one to choose, Into the Wild. This book was not part of the school’s academic curriculum and actually a personal recommendation I chose to insert to entertain the spirits who wish to wander and feel like they have no direct path in life. Your major for CSUF is Business Administration but I believe this is just a choice based on your academic gradings. There may be some daunted trauma that lies within you that prevents your nerves from flowing free into the air allowing your mind to be in synchronization with your verbal thoughts, but on paper, I felt as if there were so many to you that you wanted to let out but you were always one to do the minimum in order to get through the next stage. You may have not noticed but I observed how quickly you graded my students’ papers, used the red pen to correct any grammatical errors and fixate them without any doubt that I would reprimand you for doing so. One day, I wish to hopefully see some article, book, paper, written by Justin Santos so that I would be able to gleefully be proud of myself that my intuition about your mind was rightfully so. Thank you for being modest and shy and always smiling if you made a mistake, I could not have asked for a better student assistant to have observed over the past two years. Please keep in touch, and remember the memories our AP English homeroom has shared.

P.S. I know you did not read East of Eden, but have no clue how you managed to receive a passing grade, let alone for the written test questions, which is why I hope to see a book by Justin Santos before our time together passes.

Always with a “plethora” of love,

Ms. Linda Bush.”

My mother had kept this and after years gave it back to me. What did Ms. Bush see in me? Should I reach out to her? Or should I let her know I actually have been writing in a journal everyday. I’ve died two years ago, figuratively, and semi-literally. I say semi-literally because I believe I had a heart failure for about 3 hours, I went outside to get air and I woke up on the floor 3 hours later, thinking I was on my bed. If that was the closest thing to what death feels like, its a bit surreal. There’s no last few seconds, no “wait, I want to say..” it just.. kind of happens. You lose consciousness. And the reason I woke up 3 hours later? I still dont know why. I’m too stubborn to get it checked up. I’m too .. myself to feel like a bother to anyone and think that no one would really care because in the end, no one really does. And I’ve learned to grow completely fine with this over the two years. It has been the loneliest two two years of my life, but I needed it. i dont have any animosity in my heart towards anyone, I dont think i am nearly the same person I was two years ago and as cliche as that sounds, only those that wish to find out and meet me once again will be the judge of that. Theres so many hatred and malicious intentions that humans bear out there in the world, that I really aim to spread the opposite.

I turn 32 in a week, and although my name is still the same, I would gladly like to meet anyone in my past and reintroduce myself.

My name is Justin Santos, and for some reason through the thick of it all, and lonely countless crying nights, am still here.

I am someone who dreams with his eyes open.

[tears-of-boredom]

ok finished life is strange true colors. probably gonna be spoilers in this. so, i dont know if its because i was expecting to not like the ending, but i didnt like it. ended up really angry at the ending. tbh the whole vibe of the story was weird. my vibes didnt match its vibes. reminds me a lot of tell me why in a sense. with the siblings being reunited after both were separated when young and so the foster care system fucked them up even worse. and they can only begin to heal once they get out of it. and they investigate a family member's death. and the character models never seem to actually be touching anything around them. kind of like trying to get your barbie to hold something that didnt have that small finger ring. but the difference is that i like tell me why. maybe its just because the emotions matched mine more. idk. i wish we got to meet izzy. oh and yeah im not gonna even do the bisexual thing.

idk just left me angry and feeling shitty. but ig something happened outside of the game at the same time so that might contribute to my mood too. but man. i didnt even get to cry. and no one even went after someone in a fit of unbridled rage.... i mean,, of their own choosing you know? i wanted alex to walk into the black horse and just charge jed with a knife. and it is so fucking annoying because everytime i saw jed, i was thinking about how happy i am that for once the old man who the community trusts didnt do some horrible shit. like oh my god, i wasnt even fucking surprised when he pulled the gun, i was just so disappointed. i fucking hate that trope. so much. let old people be fucking good people for once, who arent trying to hide their past at all costs. like oh my god, let a main character actually get a father figure into their lives without them being a liar and a coward. and sorry but why the fuck did the game even give you an option on whether or not to forgive him?? like, yeah i could've fucking forgave him for being a bit too proud and making a horrible mistake because of that, but who the fuck fucking is forgiving him for all the shit he did to keep the secret. he didnt intentionally kill those miners, but by creating this lie about being a hero, and putting everything on keeping it up, he killed someone. and to be honest, i would not be surprised if there were more. and why the fuck did they make alex see herself in him? whatever her "gift" canonically is, she did not choose it. the monster she is ashamed of was something she did not choose. but jed made a decision. he hates himself because of a choice he made. neither of those things are less real or,, anything. they are just different. pretty fundamentally. hating yourself for something you cant change, and hating yourself over something you can change. oh my god i hated the ending. and hated how unlike me alex was. despite there being so many similarities between us. that flashback about the guitar, when shes imagining gabe and her at the orphanage. it hit me quite hard. i wonder how many kids have thought that. because i sure have. i wasnt even there for that long. but everynight, when i wasn't allowed to do anything but lay in my bed,, i think i thought "they cannot be so stupid to do this to me with sincere intentions." but,, i wasnt stupid myself. i knew that they were genuinely trying to help with all the restrictions. so eventually i concluded that they're stupid as fuck and know nothing. but they think they know better. the worst fucking combination ever. impossible to argue against people like that. usually they are like cops too. if you make them question the rules, they just fall back on "well thats still how it is (and there's no changing that)". adults love to obey authority and not question anything. and i would understand that if it was just a choice for an individual, but they affect a lot of other people by being like this. young people. but thats just how it is right. adults fuck up kids because they dont want to challenge anything, and then those kids grow up to be afraid of challenges too.

im really tired. i cant really tell if im even making sense. im gonna shut of my pc now.

[scretladyspider]

Hey @fite-club — I’ve written about this multiple times and I think it’s another reminder of why education on the asexual spectrum is very important.

Your question is worded in a way that comes across as already having made up your mind, and defensive, which I’m admittedly not a fan of, but, maybe you’ll do the reading you need to for what you say here you want to understand. Or, maybe you’re committed to misunderstanding. Only you can make that choice.

Okay so: I purposely pointing out in the post that treating asexual as a binary is bad actually™️, which you also seem to agree with. However you immediately contradict yourself by saying the criteria for being asexual is “not wanting to have sex with anyone”, when it’s “a spectrum of little to no sexual attraction”, not “a spectrum of little to no sexual action”.

Ace is an orientation, an umbrella that houses a lot of experiences that are tied together by little to no sexual attraction, whereas celibacy and abstinence are choices anyone of any orientation can make. Aces feel a lot of different ways about participating in sex. There’s names for all of it — there’s sex favorable (enjoys participating in sex), sex neutral (neutral towards having sex, may do it for a partner), sex averse (averse to the idea of having sex) and sex repulsed (repulsed by the idea of having sex).

Libido and sexual attraction also aren’t the same thing. You can have a libido but not sexual attraction. I explain that far more in depth here.

Just a few good reasons someone might have sex besides sexual attraction:

To experience physical intimacy with a partner

To satisfy libido (the drive for sexual pleasure itself, which can be separate from sexual attraction)

Because of physical arousal/liking how something feels when it’s happening

Curiosity

To try and get pregnant (this would only really apply to penis in vagina sex but still)

Enjoying an orgasm

Enjoying giving someone else an orgasm

And many many more

I’ve written also about the confiding experience of figuring out I am ace and also that I’m sex favorable, and wishing I’d had stuff to read about that when I was younger.

I also wrote about the doubt that I’ve experienced from other aces and the effect it’s had.

Whether intentional or not, to state that aces can’t consent to sex without sexual attraction reflects both a lot of misinformation about asexuality as a whole and acephobic arguments which don’t reflect the variety that exists within the spectrum and community housed under the asexual umbrella.

Or as @zanygamer25 succinctly commented:

Not being the perfect ace while other aces hold you up as an example of asexuality as a spectrum is tough. I imagine you’ll perceive my reply here as being targeted, or mean, but that’s actually not the intention. Unlearning old information is difficult.

But you can unlearn things, if you’re willing to put up with the discomfort of it and recognize that it’s not a threat or harmful to you.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: no matter what you think about asexuality and the asexual spectrum, you are not the authority on my or any other ace experience. It’s okay to not completely understand asexuality, but it isn’t okay to decide that because someone’s experience doesn’t reflect an idea in your head that it can’t be real. I’m not lying to myself or anyone else, and learning — really learning, really understanding what exists within asexuality and what sex favorable means — was me taking my life back and no longer pretending to be who I’m not. You don’t get to take that from me or any other ace, period.

From here, you have two choices. You can commit to your current misconceptions and misunderstandings about asexuality as a whole, or you can try and better understand the variety that exists under the spectrum of asexuality. You don’t have to make that choice right now. But I hope— I really do — that over time you will take steps to unlearn your misunderstandings about asexuality, and learn about the variety of real ace experience that don’t fit the mold in your head right now. I can promise I’m not the only ace who doesn’t fit that mold.

I know what I’ll hope you do.

saying that the aces who are sex favorable/neutral/have sex are treated like the only “valid” aces is just

wow

…no

I have thoughts and experiences and thoughts based on those experiences

here I go

sex repulsed and averse aces treat sex favorable/neutral aces like we’re just trying to appeal to allosexuals, like talking about our experiences is inherently harmful, like our very existence is harmful because they get told that somethings wrong with them and as a result become very defensive of their aceness — but instead of taking that anger at being constantly dismissed out on dismantling allonormativity and compulsory heterosexuality, the framework and expectations that harm them… they say that if you say “hey I’m an ace and I have sex, we all have different relationships with having sex, some of us don’t, some of us do”, that we’re saying that we’re the better aces and are going out of our way to appeal to allosexuals at the cost of how our sexuality intertwines with our personhood, that we’re trying to appeal to allosexuals, and it might make allosexuals think maybe they can have sex with any ace actually, even tho we never told them that and specified it was just our experience (because we all know all allosexuals are mindless sex machines who only think about sex and are never capable of respecting boundaries or asexuality, no sexless relationship between an allo and an ace could or has ever healthily existed) (that in parentheses was sarcasm)

allosexuals treat sex favorable/neutral aces like we’re not really ace, like by having, or god forbid, enjoying sex, we are invalidating our sexuality, like asexuality and celibacy are the same thing and therefore we’re not really ace, and any acceptance comes at the price of respect and understanding of who we actually are, and (often) don’t accept us for who we are because “you’re not like those other people”, so to be acceptable means again paying the price of constant insults, invalidation, and depending on the situation, much worse stuff actually

so we’re left in this weird place where we know personally it’s important to talk about it because we didn’t know what was wrong with us for so long but then when we do, our own community acts like saying “I exist too” out loud is purposely harmful to them, like we’re trying to hurt them, like it’s personal and vindictive and not just “I also exist, just differently from how you exist”

we go to allosexuals and say “hey I exist” and are met with “no you don’t” “not really” “oh, you just want to invade the queer community” “you wanna be oppressed” “you need to stop taking antidepressants” “you’re just a woman/feminine” etc etc, and depending on who/where we come out it may not be safe, and may even be traumatizing if it goes badly, a risk that is always taken when coming out, but surely our sex favorability is just to try to appeal to allos, that couldn’t be who we are

but if allosexuals who are acephobic start to loudly say “oh asexuals just want the right to not have sex, that’s not a sexuality”, THEN all of the sudden it’s “that’s not what asexuality is, some aces have sex!” and the same it’s sex repulsed/averse aces saying it when the community is being put down, all of the sudden we’re important and our stories matter and our perspectives matter and help challenge misconceptions about asexuality

which is it?

Why are we only allowed to say we exist when asexuality as a whole is being put down?

why is the rest of the time if we say “hey some aces have sex, we exist too” harming you, but then when acephobes take a swing at all of us, we’re suddenly important and it’s good to acknowledge the spectrum of asexuality and then it’s okay to say there’s a spectrum of sexual attraction and of sex favorability

why are you mad at us, not the structures and people and sex Ed and purity culture that says none of us are allowed to exist?

if we can’t fit in with other aces and are only valid in the eyes of sex repulsed/averse aces when we can be used to prove a point, and we can’t fit in with allos because we’re invalidated and treated like we don’t exist while still having an ace experience

where the fuck are we supposed to go?

you’re mad at the wrong thing; you’re mad at the wrong people

aces who have sex, aces who like sex, aces who rarely/conditionally experience sexual attraction, are not out to hurt you by saying “I do also exist”

we are here with you trying to find a place to fit in

I’d like to think you’d understand that but it seems like there’s a part of the sex repulsed/averse ace community determined to lock the door on a part of your own community

and I dunno

it just puts a bad taste in my mouth

[bi-bard]

She Moved with Shameless Wonder; The Perfect Creature Rarely Seen - Sandie Collins Imagine [Last Night in Soho]

Title: She Moved with Shameless Wonder; The Perfect Creature Rarely Seen

Pairing: Sandie Collins X Reader

Based On: Foreigner's God

Word Count: 1,087 words

Warning(s): murder (self-defense), violence

Summary: Sandie meets an unexpected kind soul. Little did she know how protective and stubborn that kind soul could become when they saw something wrong.

Author's Note: This is the second story I've written where Matt Smith just gets decked. And they've been different characters.

HOZIER [2014] WRITING CHALLENGE MASTERLIST

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Meeting Sandie for the first time was more of a coincidence than anything.

It started with me trying to simply be kind. To show an act of good faith to whatever new neighbors opened the door.

I had knocked on her door, only hearing muttering voices going back and forth on the other side of the door. I carefully balanced the plate I was carrying in one hand.

I almost felt shoved backward when the door opened.

There was no arguing that Sandie was gorgeous. She was easily the most beautiful person that I had ever laid eyes on. It was like a siren song. I had no choice other than to keep my focus solely on her.

I wasn't one to entertain the concept of fate, but I questioned it less harshly in that moment.

I tried to make it seem like I wasn't completely entranced by her. "H-Hi."

"Hi," she replied. Her voice was more inquisitive than mine. But I wasn't shocked by that.

"Sorry, I just... I moved in recently. Across the street," I vaguely motioned in that direction. "I wanted to introduce myself. Make a good impression."

She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Honestly, you've been the only person to answer."

I forced an awkward laugh as silence filled the space around us.

"Well, I made brownies," I continued. I awkwardly offered them to her. "I'm (Y/n)."

She took the plate from me. "Sandie."

"Nice to meet you."

That was when a man stepped out from behind the door.

"Oh, hello," I waved at him. "I'm (Y/n)."

He reached out to shake my hand. "Jack."

He made me uneasy.

Something about him seemed off. His smile seemed false. It felt like the charm he showed would cause some kind of light in his eyes. But they were... dark. Strangely dark. Like any kindness he showed was merely a shell hiding something much worse underneath.

I tried to hide the nervousness with a smile.

"I'll leave you both to enjoy those," I said. "If you ever need anything, then I'm just across the street. I'll usually answer."

They both nodded to me.

I walked away with one more wave.

I didn't have many conversations with Sandie or Jack after that day.

I saw Sandie quite often. She would be coming or going around the same time that I was. We would wave to each other. A small sign of good nature.

At first, she seemed to only do it out of politeness. I could tell by the tightness of her grin and the abruptness of her movements. I never took it personally. She may have had more to her story than I knew. I had no right to assume that I understood all of her thoughts.

Over time, she seemed to warm to me more.

Her smile softened. Her eyes too. Her waves would be far less stiff and awkward. An act of politeness turned into that of friendship and some kind of shared respect.

I never intended to interfere with Sandie's personal life.

I had all intention to keep to myself and allow her to make her own choices.

But everyone had personal limits for things like that.

My limit was met one night.

I had gotten home later than usual. I was about to go inside when I heard yelling across the street. It made me stop.

I had heard couples bickering before. But this just seemed... different. Something was pushing me to go over there. To do something.

It was so out of character for me. But I still did it.

No one would answer when I knocked. I moved and slammed my shoulder into it. I was alarmed at how easy it was for the door to open.

The yelling seemed to get even louder.

I recognized Sandie's voice first.

I panicked, running up the stairs to find her. The door to her room wasn't locked.

I opened it to find Jack and Sandie yelling in each other's faces. He had his hands wrapped around her wrists. They both paused, looking at me.

"What the hell are you doing," I asked.

"Get out," he snapped at me. He only let go of one of Sandie's arms, twisting it a bit as he stepped over to me. "This is none of your business."

"It became my business when you grabbed her," I replied.

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, it is!"

Sandie took the distraction as her chance to yank her arm out of his hand. That's when I spotted the knife nearby. My mind felt like it was going at the speed of light. What had he been planning that night?

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he muttered.

He stepped closer to me.

I don't know what convinced me to do this, but I lifted my fist and punched him. It wasn't going to do much damage because I had never properly punched someone before, but it was enough to force him to stumble back a bit. I stepped forward, grabbing Sandie's hand.

"Come on," I told her.

Jack had already pulled himself back together, ignoring the blood running from his nostrils. He moved to grab at me.

I only managed to push him back. It felt like slow motion after that. All I truly saw was Sandie stabbing the knife into Jack's chest.

I went into shock after that.

She continued stabbing him. Over and over.

I didn't get my body to move for a moment. Not until I realized that Sandie was coated in blood and Jack was left on the floor. If he wasn't dead, then he would be soon.

I grabbed her arm. "Sandie, stop!"

She stopped moving when she felt my hand. She looked at me. Tears were built along the bottom of her eyes. She was shaking.

"It's over," I promised.

A sob escaped her. I carefully pulled her away from the body as I hugged her tightly.

"It's over, it's over," I kept repeating. "It's all done. You're okay."

I pressed a kiss to her head.

"Come on," I guided her to stand up. "We should get you cleaned up."

"What about him," she asked as we walked to the door.

I glared at him. "No one will miss him. Not really."

She took a deep breath.

"We'll take care of this," I continued. "I swear. We'll handle this. I'll protect you. As long as you're safe, I'll do anything."

She slowly nodded. "Thank you."

I let a grin pull at my lips. "Anything for you."

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Author's Note: I was trying to kind of hint that Eloise was there for this and had a hand in getting the reader over there for the fight. How'd I do?

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Navigation Guide

What I Write For

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[marlenacantswim]

the recent discussions of "ai art" have had me thinking about Lieutenant Commander Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and his attempts at being an artist and creating in various mediums.

In an episode there is a direct discussion about how, despite how when Data plays the violin, he is piecing together the different playing styles of different violinists' interpretations of a piece, he still has his own style because he made the ARTISTIC DECISION to take from those specific recordings and in what ways he would incorporate them. He has something to say with the "collage" he's created for that performance.

And his poetry, that for sure is art! "Ode to Spot" has a message and intent! It conveys a connection between two living creatures through not only its closing stanza, but its mere existence alone! Data wrote a poem about his cat because he finds Spot significant enough to write about!

I think AI art (as AI exists now) is art the way that natural phenomena is art, the way that random chance can create art. It's emergent; it doesn't need to have an artist making it with a goal in mind to be considered art. HOWEVER, in this same vein, I don't believe that "ai artists" (the ones punching words into generators) are artists at all. I think they are people exploiting ai's capacity to create emergent artwork, and in the process devaluing that type of art by removing the rarity and randomness of emergence.

With this logic, I think it's more accurate to classify "AI Artists" as customers commissioning the real ai artists (the ai program itself) to make art for them, except any fees are minimal, and in many cases they feel a larger sense of creative ownership than they really should. Furthermore, unlike in Star Trek, we in the current day operate under the system of capitalism to such an extent that allowing every human the right to survive needs to be the foremost concerning factor on any discussion like this. The foremost truth is that there is an entire class of profession that will see their craft and product and SOUL exploited without ever gaining a cent from it.

AI art as it stands today is only valuable for its cheapness and speed. Without the restraints placed upon the zeitgeist by capitalism, there's no question that the vast majority of people would still see the inherent artistic and esoteric value in human-made art over ai generated art and would still happily engage with it as a first choice. Once ai gains sentience though, there's an entirely different debate to be had over what art they decide to create and what merit it has in that sphere.

That's the great thing about Data, honestly: You want to call the things he makes "art" because he has reasons for making it. Every piece he crafts, word he writes, note he plays, it's all in service of his journey to become human, to understand humanity, to gain from expression. "Ode to Spot" illicits in one the same feelings as that child's poem about the tiger escaping its enclosure, or the mother cat eating a ball of yarn and birthing kittens all wearing sweaters, because much like a child, Data too is exploring what it means to express and the methods one can use to do so. "Ode to Spot" and those oddly sublime child-authored poems are both examples of emergent artwork, even though the artists had intent when making them, because that intent is so new and undefinable, that oftentimes it doesn't create that profound response we're used to. This is responsible for the childlike-quality the works possess.

If you haven't already, I recommend watching Kurtis Conner's video about artificial intelligence: he's engaging and funny, so you don't have to be an intellectual to understand what he's saying or doing, and throughout the video he reflects upon the ai's ability to unintentionally convey humor, which I think ties into what I'm saying about ai's ability to create quality through emergence, just in terms of effective humor instead of meaningful art.

I'd love to engage in further discussion about this topic! If you come across this, happen to read it, and have thoughts, please! Feel free to share them!