#SO MANY books that i haven't read yet. it doesn't help i just keep buying more

[jaysgirlx]

"Need help sweetheart?" Bookstore Customer!Jason Todd helps you reach the books on the higher shelves. You were his favorite employee and he wanted to make your day easier. He'd been coming here for a while but you always forgot how tall he was and how good his body felt pressed against yours. You only knew how to mumble out a couple words because you didn't know what else to say to a man like that. "Uh sir, you don't need to-"

"Please call me anything but sir sweetheart, you know I'm not new here"

Bookstore Customer!Jason enjoyed teasing his favorite employee aka you of course. He teases you about working at the bookstore even though he's constantly there and he'll always be flirting with you even if you're working the counter that day. He knows he's holding up the line but he's a paying customer so he doesn't care.

"How's my favorite pretty girl doing?"

"M'tired today Jay, I can't handle your nonsense right now"

"Okay that was mean- wait, Jay? that's a first"

"Buy a book or get out Jason"

You could easily tell Jason liked classics and poetry but for some reason he was willing to read your favorites even if they were a smut-filled mess. One time, he backed you up into a corner, after reading one of those books you liked, "Hmm, you like this kind of shit baby? cause I can do all that to you and so much more"

Over time, you learned that Jason also likes to follow you to the store, whispering to you about all the things he could do to you if you'd let him. His hand is always on your hips, pressing his body fully into you. He knows you like it especially when you roll your hips into his when nobody's looking. He wishes you'd use your words and just say you were his but he knew he wasn't even close to getting that, at least not yet.

Jason tried to buy a new book every week, sometimes not even to read. He needed an excuse to be there since your boss has never been fond of him ever since he had caught him feeling you up near the back shelves once. He learned his lesso so now he purposefully buys the books you like, just so he can watch you ramble on and on about them without getting kicked out of the store.

Bookstore Customer!Jason thrived on the feeling he got from watching you go from being so nonchalant around him to the most talkative girl in the world. he wants you comfortable if he's going to fuck you. You find yourself shutting up one time because you thought you had bored him but he quickly gets rid of that thought for you, "Keep talking sweetheart, I'm just wondering how pretty your mouth would look with my cock stuffed down your throat"

"Jay I don't- I can't- I haven't-"

"Don't worry, you will and I'm sure you're a fast learner"

It wasn't that hard for you to notice that Jason got a little jealous when his brother Dick hits on you the first and last time he brings him to the bookstore. Dick easily chats you up and Jason watches the two become a bit too friendly for his liking but it wasn't his place to speak, "Now I see why my little brother brings home so many books"

"It's good he does, I like guys who read"

"I actually quite the fan of classic literature-"

"Oh shut up Dick"

Bookstore Customer!Jason had all your coworkers wondering if you'll ever let the poor guy hit. They weren't sure if Jason was interested in you or your body, regardless they couldn't ignore the smile you got whenever he walk in. Or the way you'd laugh at his dumb jokes. You had him on a leash and you didn't even know what to do with him. He's begging to take you out or just even spent a night with you. He didn't just want you, he needed you. "C'mon I promise to take care of you princess, I'll even take you to that little coffee shop in Bludhaven"

"Who told you about that?!"

"…Dick"

When he finally manages to convince you to let him kiss you, you're nervous as fuck. You thought this was just another one of his antics but no, this was real. He'd promised to stop hitting on you if you felt nothing and you should've know it was bad idea when you could hear your own heartbeat still your let his lips touch yours. It was such a bad idea because before you knew it, he's got you pushed up against the wall, leg parting your thighs with your hands gripping at his shirt. "Jay, more please" Suddenly after all this time, you're pleading for him. Oh how the tables have turned. You're begging for all he's got, and you know he has so much more to give.

"Just give me a moment baby, got be patient" Within a matter of minutes your pants are discarded on the floor, and your panties are still on but being pushed aside while two fingers are being pumped in and out of your pussy. He's got one hand on your hips holding you down while one of your legs is wrapped around his waist. "Didn't I tell you I could do some much for you baby?"

You nod quickly while he's sucking on your poor neck, that would definitely be red all tomorrow. you feel his teeth sink into your skin, not too hard but rough enough to leave a mark. "Now keep quiet, I don't want any of your coworkers hearing us back here" The next thing you know you're cumming on the boy's fingers and he wants you to do it again. and again. and possibly 50 more times if you're willing.

The next time Jason comes, he's holding what you think is flowers and you know he'll be your victim today.

"So I thought real flowers would be cheesy and you'd probably not want to take care of em, so my brothers taught me how to make these paper flowers and…here just take them"

"Wow, I'm getting hand-crafted flowers from THE Jason Todd? Someone must have a really big crush on me huh? Are those bandaids on your fingers? Want me to kiss your boo-boos? "

"Are you going to finally go out with me or do I have to make you cum-"

"Yes yes! Just do not finish that sentence out loud"

"You are soooooooooo in love me"

"Jay, get out"

[alexusonfire]

Rose Petal Cheeks

Gwen Characters x Reader with rosacea

A/n: Hi everyone! I know it's been a hot minute, so I figured I'd attempt to get back in the saddle with a little self-indulgent piece. For those of you that don't know, I have severe rosacea on my entire face, and for the past couple months especially my self-esteem has really been taking a hit because of it. I thought a little pick-me-up would be nice, and if you have rosacea or any other skin condition that gets you down some days, this one is for you too! 🩷 Characters are Larissa Weems, Brienne of Tarth, Jane Murdstone, Jane Stevens, and Lucifer.

Larissa Weems:

Larissa is a pro when it comes to skin and beauty care, even has a few personal connections in the industry so she can set you up with Jericho's Top Dermatologist at a much lower price than usual. She's always looking into new cleansers and moisturizers; she's very knowledgable about ingredients and won't let you near certain ones as she knows they're not good for your sensitive skin

Will absolutely give you mini-facials in the comfort of your own home, laying you back on her lap while she gently massages serums and creams into your skin. She creates an entire atmosphere with lowered lights and relaxing music, even setting up some aromatherapy to really set the vibe for you

If you decide you want some coverage during the day, she'll also help you pick a good foundation and color correcting primers that won't irritate your skin further

Constantly has a humidifier going in your bedroom, so your face won't dry out at night, and even buys you a mini face mister to carry with you in case you're feeling a bit dry throughout the day. She also makes sure you drink water to stay hydrated, as she knows that dryness will flare up your red

She loves to pepper your nose and cheeks with kisses, and constantly reassures you that you are still beautiful, and that your skin doesn't make you any less worthy of love or affection. On the harder days, she'll simply keep you curled up beside her, distracted with your favorite movie or game, as she knows you won't be much for going out in the public eye

Brienne of Tarth:

Brienne knows what it's like to be whispered about, to have people stare and sometimes even outright comment about her appearance, so it infuriates her when she sees the townsfolk doing the same to you

You've been asked it all; is it a disease? What illness do you have? What's wrong with your face? Are you hot? Are you burnt? Is it contagious?- Brienne will come to your defense every time without fail, either simply pulling you away from the offending person, or loudly telling/scaring them off with her arm still wrapped around you

One time she even went so far as to almost get in a physical altercation, squaring up with a drunk man before you dragged her away and kissed her silly for standing up for you

She's not always the greatest with her words, but she'll bring you flowers and call you beautiful on your rough days, and never hesitates to gently hold your face; she doesn't realize just how big that is for you, as most people shy away from touching you simply because of the red tinge to your skin

Jane Murdstone:

Jane will admitedly be a little rude at first. She just simply Does Not Know what rosacea is, and therefore is a bit of a snob about it, outright asking you what it is and why you haven't treated it yet

Then she becomes curious, in a slightly less-offensive, more academic way. She reads up on it, coming across many salves and tinctures that have been said to "heal". Of course, once you explain that it's not something you can exactly get rid of, she becomes much more invested in finding things that will simply soothe it

She can be a little overwhelming some days, shoving books and creams at you, and won't always understand why you don't just cover it up if it bothers you so much. It will take some time, and many conversations, but at the end of the day she's only so intense about it because she cares, and doesn't like seeing you upset about it

Will also Cut A Bitch if they dare make a nasty comment to you. Everyone in town knows not to mess with the Murdstones, and once it's made clear that you're "with her", people tend to steer clear of you regardless of your appearance

Jan Stevens:

While other Gwen characters find you attractive despite your rosacea, Jan is the only one to find you attractive because of it. She is more or less delighted by your appearance, as she's never been one for modern beauty standards. The first time she lays eyes on your rosy face her very breath is taken away, and she is instantly enamoured

She's delicate with her questions, making sure to never ask you too much too quickly. She does go a little overboard with the compliments, so much so that in the beginning you think she might be making fun of you. You're also not sure you like so much attention to be drawn to your redness, so some of it is also a bit of defensiveness. Jan pays little mind to it, and simply keeps up with telling you how pretty your particular shade of red is today

She takes to calling you her "sweet rose", and you really can't help liking it. She's just so genuine when she says it, while pressing a tender kiss to your cheek or running her finger softly along your chin

She encourages you not to cover up if you don't want to, completely understanding that it only irritates your skin further. Oddly you also feel less beautiful under concealer and foundation, once telling Jan you felt like it was "putting lipstick on a pig". Jan of course was not pleased with this comparison, and immediately took to overzealously pampering you for the next few days

Lucifer Morningstar:

Lucifer, at the end of the day, genuinely does not care about your rosacea. They've seen, and frequently deal with, the most grotesque beings to ever exist... and you're worried that they're worried about a little redness? Please. Get over there and kiss them, they don't like to be kept waiting.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Tbh, timeline is the least of my problem with Miraculous. I was born around the time Detective Conan released and 20 smt years later the he's still first grade elementary, so yeah, I'm so used to the whole comic book timeline. My problem is with how fast he "fell in love" with Marinette, the girl who he rarely talk to because she always got tongue tied in front of him, the girl who he think is hated him in pupetter 2. Which also the episode the writers claimed to be the episode when Adrien fell in love with her.

Anyway, Adrien get over Emilie's death in less than a year is weird yet he's also a character who tend to keep everything bottled inside and also an "actor". I think many people already write about how good of an actor he is. The fact that we rarely get his POV also doesn't help in grasping his thought about his mother's death.

In special (I watch FR dub) though, we got an implication that he hasn't truly move on but he tried to. When asked by Griffe Noir about why he never try to get the wish despite knowing it could revive his (our) mother, he admitted that he has thought about it. It's the price that he wouldn't want to put to anyone. Life for a life.

“I resumed my life, trying to be happy just like what she would've wanted. I have friends who support me. I'm alright now. ...well, as alright as possible anyway."

I read the line as Adrien being "fake it till I make it" and he haven't fully move on, he's just good at hiding it. Which is pretty in character for him imo. The thing about being "easy children" is that everyone tend to think you're always alright, that you have no problem and with a parent with emotional immaturity like Gabriel being an easy children is a must, or punishment awaits him. So the combination of "what Emilie would like him to do" and Gabriel parenting who hates when Adrien being emotional, we got this child who tried to be okay and griefing alone.

I agree that the timeline isn't a huge deal, it's just kinda fun to point out how nuts it is. Adrien falling in love with Marinette is far less fun to talk about because I don't buy it for a second. Especially since it's literally the episode after Jubilation. You know, that episode where Chat Noir and Ladybug got married and had a bunch of kids? That's the thing that makes him give up on Ladybug? REALLY???

And then they have the audacity to claim that Marinette is the one who is lying to herself about her crush flip:

Alya: You're lying to yourself anyway, you’re in love with Adrien. (Elation, S5E9)

Because Marinette giving up on a guy she barely talks to after her crush lost her all of the miraculouses is totally ridiculous, but Adrien giving up on his partner who he's closer to than ever before makes perfect sense. Right.

I mean, I know crushes don't have to make sense, but this is a story not real life! This is not how you tell a convincing love story!

Re Emilie, you make a fair point about the special actually acknowledging Adrien's pain. It was a nice moment and I agree with how you say Adrien should be played. I just don't think that's actually what the writers are going for since season five has Adrien never talk about Emilie and ends with her statue destroyed so that Adrienette can have a new makeout spot. I really think we're supposed to read Adrien as fully moved on, possibly from both of his parents. It's really gross. Unless season six surprises us and Emilie is back, which might actually be enough to make me watch it. I really doubt it, though.

[bookishphysicsgirl]

Hello, I have a genuine question, especially for trans people since you are the most affected, regarding Harry Potter fan fiction.

I'll try to tag this appropriately so that anyone who doesn't wish to see any content regarding to this doesn't, but if it accidentally slipped through I'm sorry, just tell me what else to tag it as so it will be better blocked and I will.

Obviously Joanne is a delusional b**** and I will never be touching anything she writes or sells ever again, since it would be giving her funds to actively harm trans lives.

The only question I have is regarding fanfiction because I've been seeing many arguments about this and still can't quite make my mind up about what side is right, but the thing is none of the people I saw making statements about this were trans, so I would very much appreciate your opinion since I believe that your thoughts are the most valid in this situation.

The first argument is that HP fanfiction while not directly supporting J.K. and oftentimes going directly against her beliefs is still giving visibility to her work and ultimately attracting people to the world of HP that normally wouldn't have exactly because of the effort put in to fix the mistakes of the original text.

I think the way they put it was that she is "profiting off the free labor of the folk she despises".

I actually see how this can be true and it makes a lot of sense to me since, for example, when All The Young Dudes blew up on tik tok a lot of people who might otherwise not have done so started buying HP merch and getting it farther up in the trends, even though ATYD by itself is a very queer-positive work.

The second argument is that fanfiction is not directly supporting her and it is incredibly healing and supporting for many people struggling. Not only that it can be a platform to expose her wrongdoings and stop the fandom from becoming a home ground for hate groups.

The argument went somewhere along the lines of if a child receives the HP books from a relative unaware of all the issues and likes it and then goes looking for more content, if the fan content made by the queer community isn't there to receive them all they will be met with is people who reaffirm Joanne's toxic opinions and it could be extremely harmful to those children, especially if they are queer themselves and aren't aware yet.

I myself have gone to HP fanfiction when I was questioning my sexuality and when I was depressed and it helped me immensely to understand what was happening to me and that it was ok and normal.

Trans protagonists in HP fanfiction also helped me understand gender theory better and what might be going on in trans lives and how to be more respectful (disclaimer: I am a cis woman so I cannot speak for trans people, I am merely stating that it helped me understand).

Both of these arguments make a lot of sense to me, and I can't see which one would be more correct. On the one hand I think that stopping everyone from even interacting with fandom might be a bit extreme, on the other I can't help but worry whether that is just me creating an excuse to keep enjoying things I like.

I don't feel like I enjoy HP fanfiction for nostalgia, especially since I openly recognize that both the books and the movies were actually a bit boring and not that well written and haven't been able to re-read them since I was 12. I think it has a lot more to do with the healing factor of being able to disassociate to another world and see stories that reflect mine and see people feeling the same things I do. But I am more than willing to stop if it is in fact causing more harm than good, especially since the last thing I want is for Joanne to receive clout she does not deserve.

Either way, I just wanted to know your opinions in all of this, since as I mentioned before I've only ever seen cis people arguing about it (mostly on tik tok).

Thank you so much for reading all of this and thank you if you reply.

(note: I will not be tagging this with trans tags because I know that a lot of people can feel unsafe when met with content regarding Harry Potter)

[semper-legens]

4. Bookshops and Bonedust, by Travis Baldree

Owned: No, library Page count: 332 My summary: Viv is an adventurer, a fighter with a local band of ruffians led by a man named Rackam. They're on the trail of a necromancer - but when Viv is injured in the fight, she's left to recuperate in a town called Murk, where little ever happens. Bored, Viv finds herself drawn to the local bookshop; which is strange, given that she's hardly a reader. But the adventure she seeks finds her nonetheless. There's a strange man in grey, a creature made of bone, and a mysterious book that Viv has to tackle. Could it be that all she was searching for was here after all? My rating: 5/5 My commentary:

Legends and Lattes! I found the original book to be incredibly charming when I read it, to the point that I immediately went out to buy it from my local leftist bookshop. This is a prequel, focusing on Viv's past adventuring career before she had her heart set on running a coffee shop. As with Legends and Lattes, this isn't focused on the high fantasy adventure and combat kind of narrative that your traditional fantasy novel might be. It's about weirdos finding each other in cosy little shops and the relationships between them; the nature of the work they do, and the services they provide to their community. And honestly, as someone who works in a library, this one hit so much closer to home for me. Because it's about books! Books in fantasy-historical settings are seen as luxuries for the rich, and many characters will be illiterate - books are a waste of time to them. But here, books play a vital part in this community, and are a key means of the relationships that blossom over the town.

Let's talk about Viv, first. Our protagonist, Viv here is a lot younger than the Viv we eventually see in Legends and Lattes. She's focused on her career as an adventurer, focused on strength and healing even when her actions don't make a lot of sense in that regard. She's constantly stretching what she can do on her injured leg, and asks the town doctor to give her a particular remedy that will help her heal faster, but cause her immense pain. She tries to keep her body strong and limber for when the mercenary crew respond, even when this is counterproductive for her. Her stay at the tavern is paid for, so she doesn't need to earn money really. She's trying so hard to fit the mould of what an orc and a fighter should be, which is of course setting up for Legends and Lattes, when she ends up running the coffee shop. This is a much less certain Viv, but she's still recognisable as herself, just an earlier version, which is nice.

Speaking of, let's talk a little about prequels! This book is an interesting one, mostly because of the ways in which it sets up Viv's arc in Legends and Lattes. A huge theme of this book is not quite being the right person yet, not quite being cooked yet. Viv and Maylee almost have a romance, but both of them come to the conclusion that they haven't quite met each other at the right time. They're going up a mountain - Viv is coming up, Maylee is coming down, and they're meeting in the middle, just for a moment. It's bittersweet, but the character stuff going on with Viv serves to highlight it. We know Viv's not quite matured yet, because we've seen her mature self and she's a lot more settled in herself as a person. We know the end of this path. Or, at least, its destination. And that's a really interesting piece of metacommentary to make in a prequel like this!

But primarily, this is a book about found family. Viv finds a circle of people who she becomes very close to during her short time in Murk - friends and lovers alike, from all kinds of backgrounds. Something that's a theme both here and in Legends and Lattes is that the people Viv surrounds herself with are generally not humans, and often tend not to be humanoids. Viv herself is an orc, and that is something that causes friction between herself and humans a lot of the time. They assume she's dumb muscle, but while she's beefy as hell she has other interests - like reading, for one. Dwarvern Maylee, ratkin Fern, homonculus Satchel, gnome Gallina - they're all really fun and engaging characters, and none of them really falling under any stereotypes of their race and profession like you often see in this style of D&D-esque fantasy. Were I to talk about each of them individually, we'd be here forever. Suffice it to say that I love them with all my heart, especially pottymouthed Fern who just loves books so much, but is an absolutely hopeless saleswoman. She can pick the perfect book for you, but you have to walk through the door first! I relate, is all.

Next, more books…but this time, they're being eaten.

[thusatlas]

Okay, after spending what feels like 5 hours to try to send a longer message on tumblr – as the comments would only let me send a short paragraph and I didn't want to spam (to my shame I have to admit I’m not here very often and don't know how to tumblr) – I might finally be able to send this (or accidentally make a post or start a new cult instead, who knows, I'm talented like that). 🙈

First of, hello 😊

You have no idea how relieved I am to have found this information on The Fuckening. I just wanted to reread it (again 😅 because it's one of my go-tos for comfort reading) and was shocked to see it gone. I had feared that it would be lost forever, but knowing now that it will be back – no matter in which form – I’m glad. And you can bet that I will buy the hell out of your books when they arrive ❤

Do you have a rough estimate when I will be able to give you all my money in exchange for the best entertainment of my life? I will wait forever if I have to, of course, I’m just curious (and as you can guess eager to see how the story continues) 😅

And I don’t know if you want to give away any kind of information, but will Taliesin still be in it? I have kind of (read: completely) fallen in love with his character. And if I wouldn’t already ship him with Agent Jay like I (maybe too often) mentioned in the comments on the story (because I can’t help to be like that and obsess over minor characters and tiny side characters – just like with Theo and Blaise in the original books... and someone who almost no one understands, Zacharias Smith... but I'm repeating myself), I would want him for myself. 😅

I wish you the best of luck with your project and much inspiration 🍀❤

P.S.: Sorry for the many paranthesis 😅

Hello, my dearest! I have missed hearing from you! Kudos to you for figuring out the ask system - ngl, it all remains a mystery to me and I end up spamming people because I haven't the foggiest where to begin on fandangling the website to bend to my will. So well done! You're doing better than me! (But also, I will always endorse the creation of any cult, so I feel like you should do that anyway).

The only reticence I had about pulling the Fuckening was losing contact with the regulars who weren't necessarily in contact on Tumblr, so I am relieved to see you here. And I am really pleased you're still invested in the story despite it shifting universe - it's actually a huge relief. I hope you like where it ends up!

As for a rough estimate of when it'll be available? Not a clue. Not this year. I'll aim for an optimistic soft deadline of it being available in some form or another in 2024, but this is dependent on a million different variables that I don't really have control over. I'm going to try the traditional publishing route first, so this is going to eat into a lot of time, and then, in the miracle that I'm successful at securing the various buy-ins, the timeline will be dependent on a whole host of other things, so it may not even be in that year at all.

Failing all of that, I'll just self-publish, which shortens the timeline substantially. But even still, got to at least give the trad publishing route a go first before writing it off.

And this doesn't include the inevitable periods of writer's block and lack of will.

Either way, I'll keep you all updated with news, etc.

Alternatively, I've launched a (rough) author website and a Twitter where I'll be posting short stories and probably looking at newsletters, etc: Regan Atlas Website, Twitter

(I hate the whole marketing side of this business. My roommate is trying to convince me to start a Tiktok... I don't know if I can bring myself to that yet). For now, Tumblr will be my main source of coms because I am comfortable with hiding in this hellsite.

(( Also, spot the author name))

As for details, I love that you appreciate Tal and Agent Jay. I loved them very much too, so, of course, they will be appearing in the adaptation. The relationship between Tal and Hermione was something so tender that I think this new world is going to need to offset from the rest of the fuckery. And Jay and Kilmore are essential for the whole worldbuilding shenanigans so they'll def stay for the ride.

Thank you so much for your kindness, and I hope you know how much I have and continue to appreciate you. Stay in touch!! <3

[ilkajanka]

10 Brain Health and Fitness New Year's Resolutions: Train Your Brain

Let me suggest 10 New Year's Resolutions that will help you make 2024 a year of visit site here Brain Health and Fitness, based on three key guidelines for brain health: the need for novelty, variety and challenge.

You have survived the 2023 shopping and eating season. Congratulations! Now it's time to shift gears and focus on 2024…whether you write down some New Year resolutions or contemplate some things that you want to let go of from last year and set intentions and goals for this year - as is a friend's tradition on the winter solstice.

To summarize the key findings of the last 20 years of neuroscience research on how to "exercise our brains", there are three things that we can strive for: novelty, variety and challenge. If we do these three things, we will build new connections in our brains, be mindful and pay attention to our environment, improve cognitive abilities such as pattern-recognition, and in general contribute to our lifelong brain health.

With these three principles of brain health in mind - novelty, variety and challenge - let me suggest a few potential New Years resolutions, perhaps some unexpected, that will help you make 2024 a year of Brain Health and Fitness:

2024 Primaries and Elections: If you haven't yet done so, register to vote - active participation is good for your brain health. But, before rushing out to vote, take some time to think through the criteria you want to set up to evaluate who deserves your vote. Don't let politicians and their spin doctors set your agenda. Ask yourself, what matters most to me? What type of President do I think we need? Why? I personally find it quite intriguing that no candidate so far is resurrecting the "It is the economy, stupid" mantra, and proposing solid plans to get our economy back on track.

Next time out shopping: Don't let advertisers treat you as if you were Pavlov's Dog - remember the dog that was trained to salivate automatically every time a bell rang. There is a whole industry out there trying to make you buy stuff on impulse. Notice your reactions to a movie trailer or a TV ad Resist. Be the true "Decider". For bonus points, once you learn to identify and manage your own buying impulses, try explaining this to your kids…

Reading habits: If you usually read non-fiction, try something new this season. Pick up a good fiction book. Or vice versa. For bonus points, subscribe to or simply read a new magazine, perhaps one that your partner craves? It will help you understand another perspective.

Learn about the Brain: Pick up one of the books in the Science section in your bookstore. In the unlikely scenario that you read as many brain-related books as I do, pick up some Russian poetry book and let's discuss this instead.

At work: Find, or create, an intellectually and socially stimulating new job for yourself at your current workplace or a new one. Engaging work has been shown to contribute to lifelong cognitive performance. At the very least, go out of your way to make whatever job you have more stimulating: try talking to a new colleague or client everyday and learn a new thing about them. You will not remember everything, but surely more than if you don't even try.

Gratitude vs. the Subprime mess: With increasing coverage of economic woes, the subprime mess, recession risk, the falling dollar and a ballooning deficit, it is easy to lose perspective and become depressed. Which doesn't help anyone, much less our brains. To put things in perspective, it pays off to devote some time to keep a Gratitude Journal and simply scribble a few notes a day. For bonus points: do this while you are watching TV news and share your notes with your partner.

Cultivate your Critical-thinking abilities: Ask yourself, "Where is the evidence?" at least once a day - see points 1&2 above. Don't just believe this article. Even if it had been endorsed by 20 Harvard Medical School researchers and doctors, nothing substitutes your own brain in action. And the more you practice, the more you refine your judgment.

Participate in creating a better environment. Our planet, our families, our communities, our schools, all can benefit from our help. What project do you care enough to commit some of your time to in 2024? If you have school age kids, have you considered joining the school board?.

Computer-based programs: With the growing number of "brain training" products, you may be thinking of giving one a try, either for you or for a loved one. As mentioned in point number 2 above, it makes sense to do some research before making a purchase.

Where to start? OK, now you have read many suggestions, resolve to keep at least one of them…which one will you choose?.

[comicreliefmorlock]

I do read more than a book a week and I've been doing it for most of my life because I just... can't not read.

No, it has nothing to do with being Intelligent™ or the like. Books are just the most easily accessible and enjoyable form of entertainment for me, and my ADHD generously DOESN'T ruin reading for me. (If anything, it improves it because I can't stand around waiting for coffee if I'm not reading, I HAVE to be entertained CONSTANTLY.)

And I do actually enjoy all the reading I do! (Even if I end up hating some of the books and/or authors. Fuck you, Danielle Steel.) I can't say that I run across many 'groundbreaking' books because when you read a LOT, you're reading mostly 'eh, this was okay' fiction.

However, in this year alone I've found some really great books that I hadn't read before. (I only have first initials for authors b/c that's how I jotted 'em down, oops.)

Swordspoint - E. Kushner [I should've read this two decades ago] The High Crusade - P. Anderson [Fun!] The Bone Orchard - S. Mueller [Such a COOL concept!] Hell Followed With Us - A. White [AMAZING] Briar Rose - J. Yolen [I should've read this decades ago] Fairy Tale - S. King [I just enjoy Stephen King] The Library of Fates - A. Khorana [rich prose] Amygdala - S. Fennah [REALLY long but hella worldbuilding] A House with Good Bones - T. Kingfisher [AMAZING] Gideon the Ninth - T. Muir [This entire series took me by the throat] Blaze - S. King [I hadn't read this... it's so SAD] How to Sell a Haunted House - G. Hendrix [I will buy everything he writes] Nettle & Bone - T. Kingfisher [Same with this author, just SO good] Mr. Humble and Dr. Butcher - B. Schillace [nonfiction] Lavinia - U. LeGuin [I shouldn't have to explain a LeGuin novel being good :D] Camp Damascus - C. Tingle [deserves every bit of hype] Dr. Mutter's Marvels - C. Aptowicz [nonfiction] {Also literally everything by Tanith Lee is amazing and I will never back down from that opinion.}

From January to September, those are the books that really stood out to me. I might have more by the end of the year because there's always just... SO many more books I haven't read yet.

[I started keeping track of books I'd read because it's a lot easier to tell someone 'oh I read this amazing book in April' if I can flip through my 'books read' notebook and find the title/author and how I coded it. ADHD = memory issues so ... writing it down helps!]

And sometimes I can't tell books apart (especially masses of thrillers because the mid-level 'eh they're fine to pass the time' thrillers are very formulaic) which is also why I write them down. That way if I see a title is vaguely familiar, I can check my list and be like "okay I read that author's OTHER book in March, that's why the NAME is familiar, let's give this a shot."

[intolerancecare]

My demise

I'm not sure if it was March 9 when I was informed by a rumour monger that you are already in relationship with that C_rr_. Or it was the day that A_j_n asked me.

Like what I said, he asked me a couple of weeks before if I want to buy a phone, he said I can come with him in Avenues. I asked him to do so after being hurt with the news of the rumour monger. When He asked me, he cried. I thought he asked me because he likes me. I thought maybe I should try. Then he cried and said his girlfriend is coming. So that means my answer is null and void. While I was walking with Mina on the way home, I thought it's a sad situation, so I also cried. But of course, I know, that the story is close. The answer is thrown in the air. But he keeps on befriending me. I have so many friends so definitely I am not the type of person who approach him.

Days after my birthday, April 26, he told me that he and ate Melojane will throw a party for me. We had it at Melojane's flat. Mina gave me a wine. I brought it in the party. They served it, I took a sip not so satisfied with the fact that it was a home-made concuction. They served a powder mix beer. I am used to drinking in college but I never liked beer. I drink to socialize with my friends. I can only drink a few, less than a glass if it's not a rotational group shot. I know that I haven't finish a glass but i got tipsy. I slumped at the sofa, I was sitting with two other girls in a sofa/couch. Far from Arjun, CJ and Monatus. While lying on the sofa, Arjun pulled me to a room in that flat. I was dizzy. He didn't turn on the light. He hugged me tightly while sitting on a bed. He was like a boa. Then he said "hindi pwede" (not allowed or not possible). Me who doesn't know anything said why? It was just a follow up question to that kind of question. He was like a boa. Then he keeps on repeating that "hindi pwede, hindi pwed.". I was so dizzy. I just asked why. I saw melojane peeking. Then Rey. I suddenly felt the need to vomit. Next thing that I remember I was already vomiting inside the comfort room. He was watching. Was I saved by my vomit?

Weeks after that, A_j_n and I accompanied Mommy Juliet to her old flat. We helped her moved out and settle to a new flat in Salmiya. She was just renting a room then. Mommy Juliet left us, she said she'll be back after a while. I was clownishly laughing while talking near her table when I realize that Arjun is not responding anymore. I turned around and look for him. I saw him lying on bed. Staring at the ceiling. Not moving or talking. I thought, "Is he calling me to join him? because he is not responding to me when I called him. I don't know what I need to do. What happens? What usually happens next? So, I approached him, he is still not moving or talking. I know that he is waiting for me to move. I joined him, I did stroke his hair. Still not moving then I realize, Nah... Then I moved away and laugh. Laugh really, really loud. The situation is very unglamourous, not the kind that I dreamed of. Everything around him is so unglamourous end unromantic.

I love romance. Real romance is what I wanted. I've read a lot of books, Pinoy pocketbooks included (learned to read one through my best friend's nanny) It really makes you cheap. I accepted and considered the situation with him because of my orientation with those cheap books. My English books are really different. I knew it. I never allowed my siters to read any of those books. I even screamed at Len for trying.

I just wanted to try what I thought he offered to me with tears. Maybe this just what's left for me. To try with someone who offered. He wasn't married yet. And he is really a poser. He has this deceiving and denying facial expression when melojane mentioned his girlfriend. For me it's fine. He's just a friend (because he's a Filipino). I thought being a friend with a Filipino is a play safe decision because we mixed. Culture wise, Kabayan of opposite genders mix. No malice. Maybe there are hints but it's the kind that you ignore. He is cunning.

[peachscribe]

peach’s winter booklist 2021-22

it’s the end of winter break for me you know what that means!! and if you don’t, here’s the gist: over my break, i try to read as many of the books i own but have not read yet as possible, and then i compile them in a list that includes the book, a spoiler-free summary, my thoughts on it, and the rating i give that book out of ten

winter 20-21 // summer 21

without further ado, let’s get into it!

1. Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink

the guy behind notorious podcast welcome to nightvale brings you this! a book following the protagonist keisha, who, after her wife mysteriously disappears and then mysteriously reappears in the background of tragedies broadcast on the news, takes up a job as a truck driver in order to search for her wife. however, as keisha dives deeper into her search, she begins to become hunted by monstrous beings determined to stop her from uncovering the conspiracy that corrupts the system as she knows it. i started this book during the semester and got about halfway through before becoming too busy to return to it, but, boy, am i glad to have finished it. this is a fantastic book that features lesbians, people with anxiety, people of color, and so many other marginalized people as heroes and as people who deserve to live happy lives. this book is the epitome of americana to me: it has the long drives, the beautiful and terrible freedom, the community banding together, the corruption, the ugly and hardly hidden underbelly. this is a book that knew what it wanted to say and said it.

9/10 had me at the lesbians, kept me at the wonderfully done horror-social-commentary

2. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes

one of my all time favorites (the arsonist) was also by stephanie oakes, so obviously i had to check this one out (and coincidentally was sold to buy it the same way i was sold to buy the arsonist - telling myself not to buy it, reading the first page, and being inevitably drawn in). this book follows minnow bly as she awaits parole in juvie for assaulting a man and attempts to reconstruct the world in her own terms after the cult she grew up in went down in flames. an fbi investigator propositions minnow with a deal: he can help her get parole if she’ll spill the secrets of what really happened the night the cult burned and the prophet mysteriously died - however, minnow may not be so ready to part with those secrets just yet. this is oakes’s debut novel and goddamn what debut novel - it’s an absolutely riveting read; i read it all in one sitting with only one break. it’s sad and it’s angry and it’s hopeful and it’s loving and it’s about growth and love and violence and anger and growth and love, etc etc. stephanie oakes just has a wonderful knack for writing complicated stories that leave you wanting to see the world in a new way.

11/10 it left me feeling just a bit empty and that’s just how i like it

3. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

good god where to begin. ive read two of wein’s novels before (the pearl thief and code name verity) and thoroughly enjoyed them both so i knew this one would have me too. rose under fire is a novel that takes place during world war II and follows the story of american ata pilot and budding poet rose justice. ambitious and passionate, rose gets captured by nazi airmen during a routine cargo transport gone wrong and is imprisoned in the infamous concentration camp in ravensbrück. just like code name verity, rose under fire is an epistolary novel told mainly through rose’s journal entries, which are sprinkled with poems she writes about her experiences. wein writes in the afterword that this is a fictional story but only the little things are not true - all the atrocities rose witnesses, experiences, and hears about from her found family in the camp are real, documented things that happened in the war. this is a raw and real story determined to tell the world about the women in the camp - the starving, angry, loving, stubborn, heroic, human women - and the violent cruelty committed against them that even still could not beat out all the hope. i will admit the beginning of the novel read a bit slow to me, but it was nice to see familiar faces from code name verity and pearl thief, and by the time the novel hits its second section, it moved and gripped me hard without letting go.

9/10 i love wein’s knack of writing unique women and their powerful friendships

4. Verity by Colleen Hoover

hm. okay so verity is about struggling writer lowen ashleigh who gets hired to finish a book series written by a successful woman named verity crawford who got into a debilitating car accident and is unable to continue writing. jeremy crawford, verity’s husband and a grieving father, invites lowen to stay at the crawford home to sort through the mess of verity’s home office to work on the series, but things get complicated when lowen finds a disturbing manuscript written by verity about her and jeremy’s life and the deaths of their children and begins suspecting that verity may not be as deep in a vegetative state as everyone thinks. also, of course lowen and jeremy have some chemistry, so that complicates some stuff. now. okay. let’s address the elephant in the room that is how awful it is to have a thriller-esque novel have a main plot point revolve around an ‘evil’ person possibly faking a disability. it’s clear to me that the main voice in the text acknowledges, like, basic human decency on how to treat people with disabilities, but i personally feel it’s not clear/apparent enough and i honestly feel the entire premise is just icky. now. onto my non-elephant: i was under the impression this book was a very intense thriller but, uh, it’s not really. it’s definitely creepy and messed up for sure, but if you’re looking for a super bone chilling thriller, this may not be for you. also, i never found myself liking lowen. there were times where i almost did, but she read very ‘quirky different introverted not-like-the-other-girls’ at times and also she sucks at making rational decisions which may be on purpose due to the nature of the novel - everyone in the book is fucked up (except for the kids, probably) and is terrible at making good decisions. the end twist was pretty interesting but i think i was just expecting more from this book than it was willing to give.

2/10 it read like a lifetime movie to me. kind of terrible but interesting enough to finish

5. The Martian by Andy Weir

yes, like the movie the martian starring matt damon. it’s a great movie, so ive always wanted to get my hands on the book, and now i have! if you haven’t heard of the martian, basically it’s the story of astronaut mark watney who, through a series of unfortunate events, ends up alone on the surface of mars with no way of contacting his crew or nasa who all believe him to be dead. with limited resources in an environment where anything that can go wrong will go wrong, mark fights to survive using his skills as a botanist, his natural “fix-it” attitude, his talent in engineering, and his gallows humor coping mechanism. if you really enjoy the down and dirty of hypothetical space problem solving, this book is chock full of it. it tries its best to explain in layman’s terms but there was honestly just so much information and not enough STEM understanding in my brain to comprehend a lot of it. that being said, in between the extremely realistic (im assuming - all the science jargon could’ve been absolutely meaningless and i would be none the wiser) problem solving explanations, there are pockets of humor and very real depictions of grief, compassion, and the innate human urge to try to help someone out, and i really liked that.

6/10 good experience but i personally would much rather watch the movie that read the book again

6. D: A Tale of Two Worlds by Michel Faber

what a weird, charming little story to kick of my new year. D is about the sudden and strange disappearance of the letter ‘d’ from the world - conversation, street signs, you name it. dhikilo, our main character, is the only one who seems to notice or care about the absence of the letter, even when the absence of the letter leads to other more concerning disappearances, such as the neighbor’s dalmation and even the local dentist. in search of answers, dhikilo ends up at the home of her old history teacher, professor dodderfield, and his faithful dog, nelly robinson, who inform her that she may be able to stop the dastardly theft of ‘d’s if she travels with nelly to the mysterious world of liminus and faces the ruthless dictator gamp, who is using the ‘d’s for his own selfish purposes. this story is a wonderland of satire told in the inviting and warm tones of a child’s bed time story and nods to a bunch of other notable literature - most prominently the narnia series and the works of charles dickens.

7/10 creative, witty, and heartfelt

7. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

if you’ve read my other book lists you may recall me reviewing a queer historical fiction novel that i absolutely abhorred with every ounce of my being due to how much i hated the main character. well, i am so pleased to inform you that this queer historical fiction novel is everything that book isn’t, and therefore im in love with it. the gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue follows main character monty as he attempts to tour europe in one last hedonistic hurrah with his best friend (who he is secretly in love with) percy before percy leaves to go to law school in holland. however, the tour kicks off to a rocky start and is quickly derailed as monty, percy, and monty’s sister felicity find themselves stranded in france and hunted by highway men. separated from their resources and on the run, the three must figure out what exactly they’re being hunted for, how to go about solving that particular crisis, and what exactly may be waiting for them on their dreaded return to england. as i stated before, i absolutely love this book - it gave me everything i wanted from genre-defying surprises, pirates, and romance, as well as nuanced and thoughtful depictions of race, disability, and sexuality during the time period.

10/10 this is one hell of an adventure novel

and that’s all for the 21-22 winter break! i know i didn’t read as much as i have in past breaks, but i will admit this break has been trying in a multitude of ways and im still proud of myself for reading this much. im also very proud of myself for really experimenting with genres this break! i feel like i got a really wide variety of taste testers for a lot of different kinds of books, and even though i may not have enjoyed all of them the same amount, i still think the experience of reading and trying new genres is still very valuable to me.

i hope everyone had a great holiday season, and i hope everyone has a fantastic year!! check out one of these books if they sound interesting and let me know what you think<3<3

[ladylannisterxo]

(1/3) WA: Exactly! Have you ever read the book Runaway Max? I've never read the book. I know the book is more loosely canon rather than more official canon based on season two. When I was searching through the tags, I saw some people posting their notes on the book. And just too many of my own personal canons were also mentioned in this book. All great mind think alike? I don't know. But that's eerie to me. Because I'd never knew about the book until recently. But some details are different.

(2/3) Apparently Max was excited to have a cool older brother who has some similar interests as her. Originally he was a jerk in the sense he's an older brother teasing his sister before certain incidents. Max always loved riding in his car. Sometimes hang out with his friends. Billy was the one to nickname her Mad Max. Protected her from Neil, before she knew Neil was abusive. She tried defending Billy from Neil's abuse which led to Billy starting to hate her even though she tried helping him.

(3/3) Billy started becoming meaner towards Max any time she tried defending him from Neil - so she knew why Billy was the person he is because his abusive father, which is why he took is anger out on Max and her friends. Because Neil humiliated Billy, in front of Max while he abused him, saying a little girl shouldn't have to fight his battles for him at all. That's why he hated Max. Billy scares away any of her friends. And the one friend she had, Billy broke his arm. Which led to them moving.

=====

I haven't read "Runaway Max" yet but I've been meaning to. It's currently sitting pretty in one of my wish lists so I'll probably snag it in the next couple weeks or so. I know that it's loosely based on canon and focuses more on Max's life in California before the move to Hawkins (as you mentioned). One of the things that really annoyed me about S2 is that we never learn anything about Max and Billy's time in California; it's pretty much glossed over at best. I mean, there is the implication that something happened when they're driving in his car after school and she mentions that they're "stuck here" and he's all "who's fault is that?" and she immediately says "yours" so mans did something which if it came down to him breaking the arm of a friend of hers, I can see why they packed it all up and moved out to Indiana. Max's friend would have been, what, 12/13 and Billy is right at the cusp of 18 so that's uhhh not good. Big yikes.

I don't know, it's interesting that "Runaway Max" seems to imply that Max is at least aware of how Neil treats Billy because how I always saw it was that if anyone didn't know what was going on, it was Max. Neil has obviously let Susan see what he's capable of and I'm positive she's been on the receiving end of his anger a few times but Neil strikes me as the type that would keep it hidden from Max - do his best to not display it in front of her because from the way she talks about Billy in S2, it doesn't seem like she knows. But, then again, maybe she does and she treats it as a "it's not my story to tell" type situation. I don't know.

Hmm... I'll definitely have to buy the book and see how it all plays out.

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2022-09-26

Putting the Reading section at the end because it's Nona the Ninth discussion hour if you want to skip that.

Listening: I've had Friends At The Table in my podcast rotation these past few weeks. I asked noted blogger and Tuesdaypost Originator girlfriendsofthegalaxy for a good start point so I've been in the Partizan arc, which is a Beamsaber game.

I like stylistically constrained game systems, I think they help keep everyone on the same page for how the game is meant to go and what the stakes are. Forged in the Dark provides the tools to do this well, so do Powered by the Apocalypse games.

At some point I'll go back and listen to their session Zero to learn more setting stuff but I love factions in TTRPG design. They're a great way to establish tensions and conflicts without having to deal with personal grudges too much, which are good but can sometimes be too easy to solve in the realm of stabbing someone with a sword. Guilds and polities function well as hard-to-kill machines made up of many individuals.

I've just got to the part where the Rapid Evening extract the Prophet and Clementine gets her Obsessed scar, which is a turning point for her character. I am having a hard time keeping characters straight in my head all the time but they're distinctive enough that I'm usually fine. The other half of the story has more distinctive characters I think? I like the separate halves for different reasons.

Watching: Death on the Nile, the second of the new Poirot movies. The mystery in Death on the Nile is kind of just annoying but if you ignore that the actual movie is gorgeously done, lots of big moving scenes with lots happening.

Playing: Hades! I bounced off Hades after I got my first full clear, I succeeded and then remembered oh wait it's a roguelight, I gotta do that dozens of times to build up the necessary resource to finish the story and romance the NPC's and whatever.

This time I'm approaching combat more as an engine building exercise and it's more enjoyable, I was treating it too much like other Supergiant games which are a) very narrative-forward and b) usually based on figuring out the quirks of a predictable mechanistic weapon and ability selection. Still haven't made a full clear but I only did like four runs, I'm still getting back into the controls and patterns. Got all the way to the final boss twice though.

Making: More quilting, ever onward. Cut a ton more fabric so we can keep going without stopping for a while.

Reading: Finished Nona the Ninth.

A lot of the sci-fi I've been reading does the thing where it takes literally half or more of the book to get to the first major inciting incident. The Left Hand of Darkness did this. The Diamond Age kind of does this although that's just Stephenson. Every single locked tomb book does this. You're like halfway through Gideon when the Fourths get got by Cytherea. You spend most of Harrow fucking around in Jod's magic space house. You are fully halfway through Nona before her secret slips. You meet Kiriona like 65% of the way through the book.

Every character here has intense motivations. Everyone has some existential threat bearing down on them and yet none of them are in an active war zone. Everyone is hanging out under the intense gaze of a resurrection beast and trying to decide which groceries to buy. There's a war going on but because we're with Nona, we never see it up close. I don't know if we're going to see the Cohort at work in Alecto, but maybe you don't really need to see them in the first place, you know what smiling imperialism looks like.

Kiriona and Ianthe work well together. They're damaged products of the empire that still feel like they need to be loyal to it. Gideon is way less friendly when you aren't inside her head, she's mean and she's content to align herself with power. The perspective change to Nona gives you new eyes on everyone.

There's so many gender and identity games being played and because Nona doesn't know who anyone is she passed that on to you. It's infuriating because you're meeting familiar characters and you can't quite figure out who they are because we keep talking about Crown.

Nona is good because she's not an asshole. She's a child, she's a little impulsive, but she likes and trusts Cam and Pal and Pyrrha which is even funnier when you know what she looks like.

It's impressive how easily it managed to make Jod a hugely sympathetic character. Yes he's still an asshole but you'd also be an asshole if you were just some guy who got the key to unlimited power only to use it too late to actually achieve the one thing you cared about but just in time to destroy the thing you wanted to protect.

Cam and Pal's arc is brutal. They've always been tightly linked but it's clear that they go far beyond the other Necromancer and Cav pairs. It looks like they flipped the script but in the end Cam is still sacrificing herself even if what comes out of it looks like her.

[iamthenightcolormeblack]

Impressions of Bride and Prejudice (2004)

I finally watched this movie as it is currently free on YouTube! It's a really interesting "modern-day" adaptation (specifically a Bollywood musical) of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice which takes place in Amritsar, India, London, England and California, USA instead of the English countryside. It stars Aishwarya Rai as Elizabeth Bennet (now Lalita Bakshi) and Martin Henderson as Mr. Darcy (William Darcy).

Names:

Bakshis = Bennets

Jaya Bakshi = Jane Bennet

Lalita Bakshi = Elizabeth Bennet

Maya Bakshi = Mary Bennet

Lakhi Bakshi = Lydia Bennet (Kitty isn't included here)

Kholi Saab = Mr. Collins

Balraj = Bingley

Chandra Lamba = Charlotte Lucas

Kiran = Caroline Bingley

Darcy's mother (Catherine Darcy) = Lady Catherine de Bourgh

The Casting:

Aishwarya Rai as Lalita Bakshi. She's captivating and beautiful as Lalita, with intelligence and wits to match. The film understands why Elizabeth Bennet is one of literature's greatest heroines: she has a lot of self-respect, speaks her mind, and refuses to compromise on her values. What's most important is that she achieves the balance between the two clashing cultures: she cares about her family and respects Indian traditions yet is also a strong individual who keeps her dignity.

Martin Henderson as William Darcy. I don't like that Darcy is an American in this movie because (in general) Americans are usually less reserved than British people, so it takes away a key part of Darcy's character (his repressed emotions). He's much more sympathetic than book Darcy because he seems to be more open-minded towards Indian culture the more he learns about it (unlike book Darcy, who is stubborn and insists that his "good opinion once lost is lost forever"). In the book, Darcy's pride has several characteristics (belief in the correctness of his opinions, belief in his social superiority, bad treatment of others he thinks is beneath him). I don't like how the film simplified his pride into imperialism/ethnocentrism, which he lets go of pretty quickly. Plus his "rudeness" can easily be perceived as discomfort in a new cultural environment because he hasn't been exposed to Indian culture, whereas in the book it seems to be intentional (and Darcy acknowledges to Elizabeth that he was taught to treat others beyond his own social circle meanly). Overall I had rather too much sympathy for him because he's too easy to read; he's experiencing a lot of culture shocks which he isn't prepared for, and his imperialistic beliefs (which come from his mother) don't help. One of the reasons book Darcy is interesting is because he's mysterious; his emotions remain hidden and the only sign of his growing love for Elizabeth is his staring at her. This Darcy is just a typical white American boy who is in love with a woman far superior to him in terms of intellect and cultural awareness.

Nitin Ganatra as Kohli Saab. Mr. Collins is one of my favorite cringe characters ever and never fails to disappoint. In this movie, he's an accountant who lives in the Beverly Hills area in Southern California and is very arrogant because he thinks he's a big shot living close to celebrities in a one-of-a-kind colonial home (when in actuality he lives in a cookie-cutter house in a suburb). He peppers his speech with Western slang to show off how "American" (and thus wealthy) he is, yet still clings to outmoded beliefs that women should be submissive housewives. He represents the very worst of Western culture in that he's materialistic and looks down on Indian culture as beneath him. In his quest for riches he has lost his Indian identity and become greedy.

Notable Scenes:

The first dance. Balraj is happy to have fun and show off his awesome dancing skills. Darcy, meanwhile, observes that the mothers are eyeing Balraj for the marriage market and is worried that his friend may be trapped by gold-diggers. He's clearly uncomfortable and out of his element here, so Kiran helps translate the songs for him. It's interesting seeing Kiran as a translator here because it would explain why she's one of the few people Darcy hangs out with; she's a cultural intermediary here to help him acclimate to a strange new environment.

Darcy snubs Lalita. This part in the book where Darcy insults Elizabeth by proclaiming her "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me" is significant in forming Elizabeth's hatred of Darcy. Not only is he impolite in refusing to dance with Elizabeth, he also shames her by criticizing her looks. In the movie, Darcy excuses himself from dancing with Lalita by saying that he's busy preparing for a conference (in this version, he's a rich businessman who operates luxury hotels). I wish they had kept the original insult in because without it, Lalita's dislike of Darcy has less merit. While it was impolite of him to not dance, he did use a proper excuse and didn't insult Lalita, so unlike in the book, it doesn't make sense why she would hate him so intensely after that one meeting.

A Marriage Has Come to Town song. In this song-and-dance number, Lalita and Jaya are preparing for the wedding to Balraj. The whole town is excited for the wedding and Lalita wonders if life for a woman is all about getting married to be a mere wife: "It seems they had nothing in their lives before today / and why are they so happy to give a daughter away."

Darcy and Lalita conversation #1: Lalita points out most Amritsar residents can't afford to stay at Darcy's luxury hotels; Darcy says standards are necessary, justifying the high price. Darcy says he finds arranged marriages strange and "backwards," hinting at an affinity with Lalita as they are both "romantics." Lalita, still thinking that Darcy is attempting to insult Indian culture, says that arranged marriages have evolved and may not be so evil as he thinks it is.

Lalita and Darcy "accomplished woman" scene. So they have the part from the book where they have Darcy's unrealistic list of the characteristics of his perfect woman and then it becomes a culture clash. Lalita says Darcy's whole hotel business is imperialism (the tourists visit without appreciating Indian culture and the jobs created only benefit the well-off). Darcy replies: "But I'm not British" ("American exceptionalism" is just another form of imperialism).

Dinner with Kohli Saab. I love watching all the "Dinner with Mr. Collins" scenes from all Pride and Prejudice adaptations because it reveals Collins' great arrogance in assuming himself to be of greater importance than he is, as well as his bad manners. This movie does not disappoint; Kohli Saab literally eats with his fingers, shoving rice into his mouth while talking at the same time. Meanwhile, he spews out misogynistic views of women, stating that he came to India to find a "traditional" wife who will serve and obey him; after all, there is "no life without wife." He notes that the Indian-American girls have "a conceited sort of independence" (not what he actually said in the movie, this is a quote from the book which really fits here) and that some of the Indian-American girls "have turned into the lesbian." Lalita later recalls that watching Kohli Saab eat is like observing "a Jackson Pollock painting."

"No Life Without Wife" song. An accurate reading of Kholi Saab: he's "crude and loud" and came to find a wife by flashing his "green card, new house, and big cash." The song reveals what a hypocrite he is; he's lonely and pathetic because there is "no life without wife" yet he won't respect his wife as his equal. I love the "Kohliwood" fantasy sequence where Lalita pictures herself unhappily serving Kohli as a submissive wife. After the song ends Lalita imagines herself marrying Wickham in the English countryside before it turns out Darcy is the groom; she runs away from him.

The Cobra dance. Maya shows off her dancing skills in an awkward dance. Kholi criticizes Indians for being "unsophisticated" (what an arrogant person) while Darcy, in a change of heart, praises how highly they value family.

Kholi's proposal. I love how he tries to train himself to power walk because it's trendy and before proposing stretches himself clumsily, knocking over a pot (he definitely isn't husband material). Lalita mocks Kholi's obsession with physical health, pointing out that many people are physically healthy but don't exercise their minds.

Visiting Kiran. Kiran is arrogant and takes the Bakshis over to her fancy apartment where the mother tries and fails to show some cultural knowledge. I find it interesting that the movie made Lalita and Kiran foils of each other. They are both intelligent women who are "multicultural" in that they can navigate both Indian and Western culture, but they use their cultural knowledge in different ways. Kiran uses it to belittle others and demonstrate her own superiority, while Lalita uses it as a means of gaining respect for herself and others.

Darcy ends up on the same airplane flight as Lalita. This is a cute scene where he gives the first class seat to Mrs. Bakshi just so he can sit with Lalita in economy class (he's totally in love with her!).

Kohli Saab's epic house tour. Love how he pays great attention to the jet tubs and the closets.

Meeting Darcy's mom. She's totally ethnocentric and possibly racist. The first thing she asks Lalita is "tell me about India" and she expresses her disappointment at Darcy's decision (because of Lalita, it's so obvious he's in love) not to buy the hotel in India because "everybody has their hand on India these days" (brings to mind spheres of influence/colonialism since the mother sees India as a place to make a profit). Then the mother reveals that she really isn't interested in India and only knows about its stereotypes: "well, with yoga, and spices, and...wonderful Eastern things here there's no point in traveling there anymore." Meanwhile Lalita retorts that "people haven't stopped going to Italy because Pizza Hut's around the corner."

The first proposal. Darcy's conflicted feelings for Lalita are effectively summed up (perhaps better than in the book, where he begins well but ends with a long account of the inferiority of Elizabeth's connections): "he loves her in spite of the fact that he tried to forget about her, he still wants to marry her in spite of the fact that his family (specifically his mom) will disapprove." Unfortunately, the emphasis on the social inferiority of Lalita's family is left out; Darcy doesn't say anything else until Lalita claims that he thinks her family is inferior and blames him for separating Jaya and Balraj. I don't like this because it seems like the separation of Jaya and Balraj was the only reason Elizabeth rejected Darcy. Also Elizabeth's admission that she did try to overlook her prejudice of Darcy doesn't make sense, because only after the first proposal does she do so.

Plot Changes. The major plot points are all included but the "order of events" has changed:

Lalita and Darcy become friends and she meets his family before his disastrous first proposal. There's a montage where they are traveling alone together, visiting the Grand Canyon and sharing a moment on the beach. I don't like this change because Darcy's separating Jane and Bingley wasn't the only reason Elizabeth rejected him, it was because she hated him (arrogant, proud, doesn't treat others nicely). By showing early on that Darcy is a good person, Lalita's prejudice against Darcy makes less sense because she now has a glimpse of Darcy's true character which in the book doesn't happen until the Pemberley visit.

Their early friendship disrupts Darcy's character journey because it reduces the significance of the first proposal to his character development. In the book, he doesn't start to reform himself until Elizabeth tells him that he needs to behave in a "more gentleman-like manner."

The first proposal is the consequence of all the miscommunication and false perceptions affecting Elizabeth and Darcy, and it motivates both characters to change. Elizabeth rightly scolds Darcy for being inconsiderate; he did the proposal for the selfish reason of purging his feelings so that he wouldn't have to suffer anymore and assumed that she would say yes. Elizabeth rejects him because of his rude manners and lack of consideration, and his defensiveness (where he portrays himself as the victim of feelings and implies he's such a good boy for wanting to marry her in spite of her horrid family) doesn't help. After realizing the extent to which Elizabeth hates him, Darcy writes The Letter to set things right, and Elizabeth realizes that she is not the best judge of character. Thus, giving us a fuller picture of Darcy's character and letting him charm Lalita before the first proposal reduces the significance of the event to the plot and character development.

Wickham and Lakhi have a connection early on, making Lakhi's attempted elopement inevitable. Right after the failed first proposal, Lakhi runs off with Wickham and Lalita and Darcy find out about it at the same time that Darcy comes to apologize and tell Lalita that Wickham is bad. I love that Wickham was punished really badly; after Darcy fights him, he gets slapped twice, once by Lalita and the second time by Lakhi. Even better is that Lakhi doesn't end up with Wickham.

Themes

The film uses the culture clash between India (Eastern) and Western cultures to examine what makes a good marriage.

Indian culture as presented by the film is more collectivist ("we" over "I"). It also promotes traditional gender roles, with women expected to be "meek and submissive" wives. In contrast, Western culture in the film is more individualistic and aspirational (careers and love are possible). But at its worst it condones exploitation of others for profit and cultural intolerance.

In the book, there are different kinds of "culture clashes:" traditional nobility versus new money (the Bingleys made their fortune in trade and Caroline is hoping to be an accomplished woman to make up for this), country versus city (Darcy offending Mrs. Bennet by claiming that the society is "confined and unvarying") and arranged versus romantic marriages.

The misunderstandings that propel the story (Darcy's dismissing of Elizabeth as "tolerable," him falling in love with her even though she still hates him, her belief in the legitimacy of "first impressions") are emphasized through the culture clash. Many of the conflicts in the film are a result of cultural stereotypes and conflicting beliefs.

Interestingly the film doesn't resolve the question it raises of how best to appreciate India and its culture. Lalita raises a lot of points about not oversimplifying Indian culture to a few stereotypes, but one could argue that India as represented by the film might be stereotypical. With the exception of the resort scenes and Goa beaches (which are tourist traps according to the film), the scenes in India heavily emphasize the "developing country" aspects of India with lots of pastoral scenes (cows crossing the road unharmed, farmland, dirt, shacks, dirty motorcycles fighting each other in traffic). Plus the "culture" as represented by the film's dance sequences seems to be the dominant Hindu culture with lots of elephants and saris and curry. Yes, I know this film is a romantic comedy, but the assertion that India is a complex, diverse country is contradicted by what we are presented. Presenting the rustic aspects of India would explain why the characters want to get out of India and go to the richer Western nations, but it harms the premise of the story that we shouldn't judge based on first impressions because the India scenes seem to confirm a Westerner's stereotypes of India (exotic people living in a primitive land).

Changing views on marriage: In the film, as in the book, we are presented with traditional and modern views on what makes a good marriage. Mr. Collins' marriage represents the traditional view in which marriage is a practical "economic proposition," much like a business deal where the marriage is made for the securing of material wealth and happiness comes last. Lady Catherine and other members of the aristocracy view marriage as a means of producing heirs (and bringing large amounts of money through dowries) to keep the property (source of power and wealth) in the family. The modern view of marriage is a partnership of equals who love and respect each other; happiness rather than material wealth/power is the priority. It threatens the power of the traditional nobles as it provides the potential for social climbing. Finally, it becomes another part of the culture clash, as it also ties in with the Western value of individualism, putting it at odds with the more collectivist Indian culture as presented by the film.

Elizabeth and Darcy in the book and in the film are united by their belief in a marriage based on love (the modern view). In the film, Darcy says he wants to look forward to starting each day with his wife, while Lalita says she wants a man who is a romantic and respects her for her mind. For instance, Elizabeth states that "only the deepest love will induce me into matrimony" and that Jane and Bingley should have some time to get to know each other before being rushed into marriage. To Elizabeth, mutual love and respect are essential for a marriage to succeed.

As for book Darcy, when Caroline catches him admiring Elizabeth and asks if he will marry her right away, he jokingly rebuffs her for making that assumption: "A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy." Significantly, he mentions love needing to come before marriage, hinting that he shares the same belief about respect (admiration) and love being necessary for a good marriage. In fact, a big reason he separated Jane from Bingley was because he feared that Jane did not love Bingley in return. In short, love in marriage is just as important to Darcy as it is to Elizabeth.

Conclusion:

Bride and Prejudice, as shown by the title, focuses heavily on the theme of marriage and uses the culture clash between India and the West to emphasize the importance of first impressions in our treatment of others.

Even if you aren't into Pride and Prejudice, the movie is worth watching for the Bollywood dance sequences. I also liked the songs because they effectively developed the marriage theme.

The characters are mostly true to the book, except for Darcy, who isn't proud enough and is quick to reform his character.

Last but not least, the real villains of the story were imperialism and ethnocentrism.

Tags: @thatvermilionflycatcher @appleinducedsleep @princesssarisa

[swordofpevensie]

Random Peter Pevensie Headcanons

warnings: peter x you (i'm trying to say these include love), england!peter, fluff.

a/n: omg i haven't written anything for so long. i miss my baby, so there are some headcanons for you. hope you like them! gifs are mine, they are from the movie the little mermaid (2018). he looks fine. ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ

• Tease, tease, tease. Peter likes to tease you and watch your reaction. He doesn't do extra things to tease you though. He just reads your favorite book on purpose and makes sure that you see him reading it, or he wears the shirt you like, again making sure you see him. If you mentioned your favorite colour is green, then he'll probably wear something green and will make sure that you notice him. He likes showing that he is interested in you and thinks it is the best way to let you know he listens to you and cares everything you say.

• He is the big spoon. But sometimes, if he feels really bad, he lets you hug him. You two just lay down there and even if you don't say anything, he feels better in time. Your existence, slow heartbeats, silent breaths, fingers caressing his hair; they are enough to make him feel good again.

• He has this habit of always checking how you feel, what you do, if you are comfortable. He casually asks if you dried your hair, took your jacket, locked the door before leaving your house, or brought your book. You generally like it but sometimes when you feel overwhelmed, you tell him stop worrying because you can take care of yourself. He says he won't ask again but he can't help it. He sometimes blushes after realizing he did it again, but you can't be angry at him anymore, because he is so cute.

• His favorite date activity is taking you to drive-in theathers. He enjoys watching movies, he feels like he leaves reality. And watching movies with you in his car that he absolutely adores? It is perfect. His hand is on your shoulder most of the time. He kisses your cheek randomly. And he forgets about the movie when you react with your body language while watching. He likes watching your facial expressions changing in a second according to the incidents in the movie. He ends up looking at you, with a soft smile on his face. Sometimes you see his eyes on you, you look at him. You say “What?” while frowning. He shrugs his shoulders and says “Nothing.” If you ask again, he puts his fingers to your chin and makes you turn your head to the screen. “We are here to enjoy the movie, sweetheart.” He says, then kisses your cheek. You let it go, really. It can be hard to keep up with him.

• Because he is an energetic person. You never understand how he can be so lively and quick. He doesn't like sitting. He must do something. He keeps learning new physcial things to spend time. He works in the neighbours' gardens on his free times. Or one day you find him in the harbour, helping the sailors carry whatever they've brought. He has a widowed neighbour, and he helps her by babysitting her twins. He enjoys doing those things. He never complains. As long as he helps others somehow, he never complains. And you love him for that, very much. He is such a selfless, giving person that it sometimes makes you emotional and angry at the same time. You scold him, telling that he must take care of himself too. He smiles at you, says, “I have you, it's fine.”

• He doesn't take care of himself that much, yes, he is aware of that, because you are there to do it. You don't even realize what you are doing but Peter does. He knows and sees everything you do for him and he is beyond grateful. He likes it when you bring food to him and people in the harbour. He likes it when you knit tiny cardigans for the twins. He likes that you buy presents for his siblings from every new place you visit. When you iron his clothes, tidy his hair, fill his glass of water on his desk, bring him tea while he is studying, help him tie up, he melts. He loves how kind and caring you are.

• When you are at home at night, drinking something and sitting (he finally manages to sit down because no matter how hard he denies, in the end he is tired), he tells you stories. You don't know how he knows such stories or how he comes up with them, but they are magical and you enjoy listening. You feel like you leave this world, visit and explore a new universe. You like the way he tells the stories. He says, “I learned from a friend of mine, however I am never as skilled as her.” when you mention it.

• He is a good dancer. When you are invited somewhere, he attracts attention with his moves. But he is too busy with looking at you, talking with you and just holding you in his arms, so he doesn't really care, or even notice others. If you haven't seen each other before the invitation, he casually talks with you about his day. He asks you about yours too, and always listens carefully.

• After the party is over, you and he walk together in the streets, sometimes holding hands, sometimes running, or playing. Some people look at you with judgement and disapproval, meanwhile some people smile when they see you two are completely in love. When you arrive at home, your heels are on your hand, you both are breathing heavily but never stop laughing. Sometimes you do, yet when you look at each other, you start laughing again, for no reason at all.

• He always makes sure that he gets his goodbye kiss. It can be very hard to leave you and go back to home for him. He just wants to stay and spend the night with you. After many kisses he steals, he can finally leave. He walks home with a soft smile on his face. He feels ensorcelled and so in love.

[chicoriii]

Season 4, Episode 4 - Mr Pigeon 72

I have no idea where to start. This episode has some good things and some extremely stupid.

Marinette isn't still completely fine, but I prefer when she deals with it through being hyperactive than being a whining crybaby.

I know people don't agree with me, but personally I don't buy the whole revealing identity to Alya. It's not a problem with Alya herself, I would say the same about every single character who is not named Alix Kubdel at this point of the story. I haven't written anything in my post about Gang of Secrets, because I thought it would be undone in some way at the start of the next episode. The creators did nothing to explain why revealing identity of Ladybug to anyone was super dangerous and would result in a catastrophe in seasons 1-3 and the first two episodes of S4, but it's magically fine in episode 3. Only Alix made sense to me, as she will be the rabbit Miraculous holder, so she is destined to discover identities of everyone sooner or later and Marinette is aware of that. While it's not necessary to learn identity of anyone to other temporary Miraculous wielders, including Alya. Also that reveal hasn't been foreshadowed in season 3, while the show usually does it, especially if it's about something as important as that! More, in late S3, it's been shown that Alya still can't resist to not talking about Marinette's love life with Nino, despite she asked her to not do it. Now the girl, who is overly excited about superhero stuff, has no problems with even accidental revealing anything to Nino or someone else. She's even "stealing" Bunnix line that she's great at keeping secrets (sorry but you, the creators, haven't shown us that she's indeed is before!). This is why I think that reveal hasn't been planned before they started writing season 4.

But okay, I can deal with it, even if I don't buy it, but things these happened in Mr. Pigeon 72 are even more inconsistent with previous seasons. I have been worried about it, so it doesn't surprised me. For some reason Guardian related-things that have been kept in a secret before from everyone minus current Guardian and the future Guardian, are now fine being done in front of Kwamis (remember, they haven't been allowed to learn about making potions before!) and a civilian who is just a temporal Miraculous holder, not someone who is supposed to be trained to be a new Guardian. You can say - new Guardian, new rules, but why? Marinette has been portrayed as someone who respect authorities, she has never questioned any Fu's rules. It wasn't even said in the episode that she's going to change the rules. I hate that the writers don't even bother to explain us what's going on. Probably they don't bother about consistency, they think the audience is going to be too excited about Alya knowing Ladybug's identity and helping Marinette to question anything about it? How Alya could be allowed to learn the Guardian secrets? She is just best friend of the protagonist, she is not one of the main characters to get that special treatment. I makes zero sense to me. Especially since Su-Han will be introduced in episode 6 and he should help Marinette with understanding the Grimoire, Alya isn't necessary here for any other reason than fanservice.

In my opinion the way how they discovering how to make charms that protects from akumasitation was the most stupid thing that happened this season and one of the most in the whole show. Marinette who is the new Guardiand and portrayed as someone extreme intelligent and creative couldn't find the solution for days, but Alya with zero training magically discovered it in a few hours at worst. And when she told her the solution in not even very clear way, Ladybug did it immediately with no effort. That was so anticlimactic. At least the animation was fine, but other aspects of it was just a big disappointment, and I was looking forward for it. Thank goodness it's just the beginning of the season, I hope later important events of the season will be better written and portrayed.

Also I find it absurd that Rena Rough is walking with a page from the Grimoire like it's just an ordinary book and she's talking about it in front of a random civilian, like things that are written there are nothing special. She or Ladybug are not careful about Miraculous lore anymore. Not to mention that they are giving hints that Rena is very close to Ladybug in public, suspiciously close. And now with them being too careless, that's not hard to suspect that Rena Rouge is someone very close to Ladybug, maybe even as a civilian. Shadow Moth knows Rena Rouge's identity, and it's easy to him to learn who is Alya Cesaire's best friend if he doesn't know it yet, after all his son is in the class with her. Marinette has always been super careful and serious about her duties before, why that sudden change with zero explanation? It's just very out of character to her in my opinion.

I didn't like the akuma battle either, it's now the worst fight of the season in my opinion. It was so short and felt very lazy. I only liked that Plagg got some action and interaction with Ladybug (though it should be suspicious for her that he managed to reach to her that fast). He should be aware now that Alya knows Ladybug's identity but he acts like nothing happened. Not a word about it being unfair towards his kid or something, weird.

Thankfully the rest of the episode is generally more or less fun to me. It was nice to see Marinette and Kagami interacting again. I loved Kagami in the episode, although it was a bit weird to me that she isn't seemed to be affected by her breaking up with Adrien. Like her crush was very shallow, so she managed to recover herself from it very quickly. While it's been shown that Luka is hurt, despite Lukanette always seemed to be much more shallow than Adrigami in my opinion. But maybe it's because she's so down to earth, so being less emotional makes sense for her character. I liked how her attitude was opposite to Marinette's hyperactive: "No, I don't want to be in a relationship with Adrien again, he disappointed me, just let me live!!!". And she's another character who said that Marinette and Adrien are made for each other. I'm not surprised that Kagami sees it now when she tried to be with him and that didn't work. She's observant, sees more than many other characters. It seems she's an Adrienette shipper now. It's also good that her issue with Adrien wasn't resolved that easily and too fast. They need more time, but I'm sure they will be friends again.

So, we've gotten shirtless Adrien. I remember seeing a tweet of Thomas in which he answered to a question if there will be a beach episode and he said we will get something similar. I wonder if he meant this episode. Oh, they just remembered that Adrien is supposed to be allergic to feathers. It seems Adrien has allergic reactions only when it's somewhat related to the plot. When it's not, he's completely fine.

The reference to the famous Umbrella Scene™ out of nowhere in a random episode? It probably means something. I can see "reverse crush" supporters interpreting it as a proof to their theory, especially since this time Adrien did something clumsy and Marinette is laughing because of it (actually both of them). Or maybe because it's the first episode of season 4 with Marinette and Adrien interactions, they decided to be that much gracious for Adrienette fans, to compensate lack of it in the first three episodes. Oh wow, Marinette managed to propose spending more time together to Adrien without stuttering. Probably because she has done it spontaneously. Marinette is the most nervous when she's planning and thinking what could go wrong too much. This time she had no time to it, so it went more smoothly. It's like they building development of their relationship, but it didn't seem in Guiltrip (that's episode 11 chronologically) that something changed.

Seeing screenshot above, you can easily imagine how great friends they could be, being very comfortable around each other and laughing together, if not Marinette's anxiety. We need Adrienette development so much to get more moments like this.

Oh and I just realized that it's also one of the veeeeery few episodes with no real Ladynoir at all (the only other one I remember is Style Queen). So if there was no Adrienette it would be an episode without interactions of two main characters at all (although we almost got Ladrien). It could be another reason why this episode is that nice for Adrien and Marinette ship.

After seeing overly excited Marinette dancing in the rain, I can't believe she can manage completely give up on Adrien. It doesn't look like this at all.

Also we've seen three photos of Adrien wearing THAT scarf. It could not mean nothing different that foreshadowing that he's going to discover the truth about it somewhere this season. But I have no idea what Ladybug's mask with shining eyes could mean.

I don't know what to think about the episode. Despite absurd Guardian-related things, I still liked it much more than Gang of Secrets, but I have no idea if I generally enjoyed it more than other episodes of this season or not. At least it's an episode without stupid drama, which is amazing.

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I'm currently less active on social media, because my internet connection is very unstable, it often works very slowly to the point I'm not patient enough to visit Tumblr. Also I block spoiler tags again, because I don't want to see spoilers from the episodes those are going to be released very soon, as I feel that they reveal too much to me once more. We're currently in a marathon of the new episodes and since watching them is the more more enjoyable, the less I know about them, I decided to try avoid spoilers as much as I can. The only bad thing is that I can't be read discussions about the new episodes, reblog them and adding something from me until Optigami will be aired.

[my-mt-heart]

Hello, wonderful person! I feel like you are always answering questions about ship rumors, drama, and putting out ship related fires so often that we never get to hear your opinions on fun shippy things anymore! As such, I have some questions for you!

1) What are some of your favorite Caryl headcanons?(Example: Daryl is an absolute bookworm & has been since he was a kid. The man will read anything you put in front of him, from instruction manuals to sci-fi novels. Carol knows this & would bring him books to keep him company while he was off being a hermit in the woods.)

2) What is an overused trope that you wouldn't mind Caryl stumbling into on the way to them going canon during the remainder of the show?

3) What is one(or some?!) thing (conversation, event, or item) that helped build Caryl's relationship that you felt like was underutilized that you'd like to see as a callback either before the end of TWD or in the spinoff?(besides what happened to Lizzie and Mika, cuz I feel like we all want them to acknowledge that and have Carol try to heal that wound)?

Sorry if the questions were stale or have been answered before. I just value your brain so much & feel like so many people are wrapped up in the negatives lately! I appreciate you!

Aww, babe. I appreciate you too and I love these questions. Okay here it goes.

1. I've decided that Carol and Daryl did not meet for the first time at the quarry. Oh, no. Actually, they had a random cross as teenagers where one of them did something nice for the other. For example, Teenage Daryl was at the grocery store when he noticed Teenage Carol at the next register, unable to purchase something because she didn't have enough money. Her family was pretty poor too. About to be turned away, Teenage Daryl kindly gave her the crumpled dollar bills he was going to use to buy his dad a pack of smokes and beer (fake ID). Merle was right. Daryl's always been the sweet one. Teenage Carol is grateful. They share a charged look. Outside the store, Teenage Carol thanks a bashful teenage Daryl again and they have a short, but sweet conversation, though they never reveal their names to each other. Boom. Fate sealed.

P.S. I'm so with you on the book thing. I think Daryl probably learned a lot of what he knows from reading. Aside from instruction manuals, I bet his favorite stuff to read includes historical fiction and non-fiction, plus mythology and folklore. Also, anything that would impress Carol i.e. The Golden Age of Piracy ;)

2. The thing is, they're already stumbling through several overused tropes which is fine if they're nuanced. For example, explicitly stating that they're best friends (the A side of the best friends to lovers trope), establishing Ezekiel and Connie as foils to make them feel less worthy of each other, tearing down their relationship so it can be built back up, one of them (Carol) thinking they're too broken and the other one (Daryl) having to tell them otherwise, a nightmarish ex-gf, Leah, who shares qualities with the endgame gf. I could go on.

A couple tropes we haven't seen from them yet, but could work really well are confessing in the middle of a heated argument and/or sealing the relationship with a big, emotional kiss after a grueling battle where they almost lost each other.

3. Definitely the grove convo because, like you said, it's critical to Carol's healing process. Another obvious one, though not underutilized, is the Cherokee rose. That symbolizes the very thing that bound Daryl and Carol in the first place, which is hope. It just has to come up again somehow.

"Man of honor" would be an interesting callback since S11 is dealing with Daryl's hero complex. I want him to admit to Carol that he's been trying to live by it ever since she said it, and then she can reassure him he doesn't have to save anyone. He's already the most honorable man she knows.

S7/S8 totally skipped over a conversation where they address the lie Daryl told Carol about defeating the Saviors before they had a chance to hurt anyone. It probably has no relevance now, but I still wish we would've gotten that. I know a lot of people also wanted Daryl to tell Carol about Negan torturing him. For some reason, that doesn't bother me so much. I imagine he did tell her off screen.

I'm not holding my breath but it'd be great if the double capper and Leah's knife came up again at some point too. I know the jasper stone also never got any payoff, though I've never been sure if that relates to Caryl or not (someone convince me!!)

Anyways, this was super fun and refreshing. Let's do it again soon.