#although i had to simplify matters a bit lol

[beevean]

I think I made a similar post a while ago, but I'm having another thought about how different NFCV and IDW Sonic are in adapting the source material.

I would say the game characters in IDW Sonic are superficially similar to canon, and if you let yourself be swayed by the "vibes" you won't notice anything wrong, but the peel soon comes off if you stop and actually analyze the dialogue and expressions. They're OOC in an uncanny valley way, all while pretending to be canon compliant.

In NFCV, somehow, every character from the games was reversed in personality, to the point that after a while it almost looks intentional:

Game Trevor is a charismatic, friendly man who accepts without hesitation to help humanity against Dracula despite being shunned by fellow humans, although he can be hotheaded and act before thinking, which spells disaster in CoD; nevertheless, he earned his title of Legendary Belmont. N!Trevor is cynical, snarky, antisocial, allegedly rude, and holds no love for humanity at first due to his past, although he reluctantly helps to uphold his family legacy; he also has no real successes under his belt until his encounter with N!Death in the very finale, including not being the one who effectively kills N!Dracula.

While very little was established about Game Sypha, we know she is a witch raised by the Church after he fellow witches were killed (she was reimagined into a cold, aggressive knight templar in Judgment, but while the concept makes sense, I don't consider that game canon). N!Sypha is a "Speaker" who, like everyone else, holds contempt for the Church, she has by far the least amount of trauma in the cast which makes her generally sheltered, and her personality is more or less "peppy braincell holder".

Game Alucard is broody and curt, but cares a lot about his friends (especially Trevor, as shown in GoS), and sees his bloodline as a curse to protect the world from, as per his mother's wish. N!Alucard is sarcastic, antagonistic and outright rude, insulting towards Trevor, and most troubling sees vampires as "his people". To say nothing of what their outfits convey about their personalities...

Game Dracula is the terrifying but worshipped Dark Lord, and also a cold, petty man who became a violent force of nature, whose grief is sympathetic but his actions go too far and harm everyone around him, actually best seen in Lament of Innocence with Elisabetha's death. N!Dracula starts off the same, but by S2 he succumbs to depression and becomes so apathetic and ineffectual that his castle can be conquered by external forces, as no one bar N!Isaac respects him, and he seeks emotional support from his servant; worse, he's painted by the narrative as "not so bad after all", best example being the people in Targoviste who get hit by the Idiot Ball and don't heed his warning, so that they "deserve" what they got. On top of this, while game Dracula is eventually stuck in a cycle of death and rebirth that strips away all humanity in him until Chaos' influence on his soul is severed, N!Dracula simply decides to stop his rampage not even a year after his death because his wife was resurrected.

Game Lisa's last words were begging Alucard to not harm humanity, "for theirs is a hard lot", and she clearly cared about her son and his mental wellbeing. N!Lisa is condescending towards her fellow peasants, and her last words were begging Dracula to not harm humans, urging him "to be better than them"; when revived, she also decides to abandon her son to his grief to "give him closure".

Game Hector is a melancholic, sharp man filled with guilt and self-loathing, prone to emotional outbursts and susceptible to the corrupting effects of the Curse, who nevertheless understands that he can be more than a tool for destruction and learns to appreciate the value of humanity, and that's why he runs away from his cruel Lord and finds love in the human world. N!Hector is stunted, a "manchild" so alienated from mankind that he agrees to the idea of culling humans without thinking much about it and never learns how morally wrong he was, passively going along with any proposal presented in front of him, and constantly stripped away of his agency and dignity to be less than a tool for other people, until his final act is choosing to stay with his latest abuser... who would rather kill herself than stay with him anyway, leaving him in the exact same place he had started from.

Game Isaac is flamboyant and larger than life, clearly reveling in his most evil actions and without pity towards humans, but also embittered by his own inferiority complex and desire to be a good tool for Dracula: his descent into madness due to Hector's betrayal and Dracula's death is tragic and horrifying, but the narrative never justifies his vile revenge, and eventually there is no escape for him. N!Isaac is deadly serious, prone to philosophizing, fully convinced to be a good person surrounded by evil and petty humans despite the atrocities he commits, and eventually decides that he wants to live for himself and have agency, rising to a new position of king. They both start out as simps, but that's the extent of their similarities. In fact, N!Isaac has infamously more in common with Hector than Isaac.

(as further note, in the games Hector was favored over Isaac due to his better abilities, although both of them were relatively respected; in the show, N!Isaac is massively favored over N!Hector, to the point where N!Dracula calls the former his friend and hired the latter through a lie because "he's easy to lie to")

Game Saint Germain is a whimsical, unflappable time traveller who tries his best, with the limitations imposed on him, to stop Dracula from being brought back. N!Saint Germain is certainly eccentric and capable of dimensional travel, but he's also plagued by grief over one woman and through it he's eventually manipulated into reviving N!Dracula instead (insert "god is going to have sex again" line here).

Game Death is Dracula's most loyal servant and confidant, affably polite but unswerving in his desire to bring his Master back over and over. N!Death only cares about feeding on souls and was ready to make Dracula suffer undescribable pain to use him as a pawn, all while infamously talking like a drunk sailor. The few things they have in common are their manipulation skills and ability to assume a disguise to blend in.

Game Carmilla is another vampire devoted to Dracula, responsible for his resurrection in CoTM; N!Carmilla despises Dracula and everything he stands for, more or less hijacking his role as the main antagonist.

Game Richter in RoB starts out as a hotblooded, enthusiastic young man eager to fight and uphold his legacy... which leads him to a dark path later on when he succeeds and has nothing legt going for in his life. N!Richter is just as enthusiastic, but starts his story suffering from the trauma of his mother's death that makes him prone to panic attacks, and has little legacy to uphold.

Game Maria is a bubbly, cheerful, innocent young girl who doesn't even understand Dracula's talk about power. N!Maria is a surly, bitter teenager only concerned with political matters.

Game Annette is a perfectly normal woman in love with Richter, but braver than she lets on, shown in the cutscene where she attempts to slit her own throat to reject Dracula's advances. N!Annette has literal godly powers, is unique in the show's environment as a runaway slave, her bravery is actually rashness that often causes problems, and she's mostly furious at the world and everyone around her, especially N!Richter for being "a child" and "useless as fuck" (though this is set to change as they are bound to fall in love).

Game Juste is shown to be protective towards his loved ones to a fault, best seen in the good ending where he wants to deny the truth of Maxim's actions to Lydie. N!Juste abandoned his family after Maxim and Lydie's death, and has completely given up on fighting evil, having become cynical and despondent (it's possible that this, too, is set to change).

As you can tell, some game characters were deeper than others, but that is no excuse. If the writers wanted to, they could have done what thousands of fans do, and fleshed out the characters starting from the base lines canon offers. The elements are there! It's just a matter of a little effort and respect towards canon! But there weren't. Instead, the characters were more or less flipped on their head, turned into OCs in all but name, because it's easier and allows them to reap the praises from the fans who think the games need to be "fixed".

I'm mostly just amazed by how consistent the pattern is. It's as if no character was deemed good enough as they were. As if the show went into IDW's opposite's direction and strived its best to be as far away as canon as possible... and better, ofc.

[apparentlyaswarmofbees]

Can I request head cannons of the Demon brothers and Undateables with an MC that has a very cute resting face and a beautiful smile? They also have dimples too when they do smile 🥺

Ah dimples, one of the cutests things that can happen in the human body. And I will flex shamelessly: I have dimples and I love the attention people give me because of it and it makes me love my own smile a lot.

I will simplify this request to:

.

MC With Dimples - Featuring All The Boys

.

Lucifer

He dug his own grave by being a prickly peacock which ended up having you frown around him instead of smiling.

So you bet he would either be the last to find out you even had then in the first place or be doomed to only be able to see them from afar, while you were smiling at other people, and he had to do his best to not be seen because if you saw him he knows you would stop smiling.

So honestly, you can't tell me he hasn't experienced the biggest level of serotonym in his system the day he managed to make you smile at him, even better if because of him.

And oh, oh when you smirk.

He's SIMPING.

.

Mammon

I HEADCANON MAMMON WITH DIMPLES AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE MY MIND.

The people he models to are missing the beauty of his smile.

But this is about your dimples, which he actually took notice early on but never found that much interesting other than it just being one more part of you.

You would definetelly have to point it out the same feature on his own face and make a point of saying you liked them for him to actually splurt out that he also liked you- I mean your face- I MEAN YOUR DIMPLES.

Yes selfies of you two smiling, cheeks touching, are now definetelly a thing.

.

Leviathan

Yes first time he saw them he wanted to rip off your cheek muscles and burn them in the deepest parts of hell because who allowed you to have it and be this attractive?!

And yes he actually tells you so while on his fuming rants about how the world is just 'not fair'.

Bring it up much later once you two are close and watch as he dies inside.

He really likes them, he might even develop an habit of poking them when you smile.

Yes you should try biting his finger when he does it, even though he will be screaming if you grab his hand and go for a bite he will actually be having enough fun to try and poke you again.

.

Satan

It will take a bit of a while for him to catch you smiling, mainly because at the start of the exchange program he was actually trying to cause trouble by charming you, and I think it would be hard to fully smile when there is something obviously not quite right with the way he smiles.

He though he was solely intrigued by the presence of dimples on your cheeks but the more he saw them the more he loved them.

How can him, a powerful demon, also be so endeared by what is actually a genetic flaw?

His goal in life is now is to have you smile as much as he can, and he makes sure to tell you so.

.

Asmodeus

He went from 'you're so cute but I am cuter' to 'I am cuter but you are so cute!' really fast. And yes, there is a difference.

Our brains actually focus on the last words of a sentence and it's actually used in media to manipulate news, saying 'he was acomplished but he did mistakes' is different from 'he did mistakes but he was acomplished'.

He always fawns over you and will make sure you smile so much your cheeks will hurt.

Also unless you stop him he will take so many selfies with you it will basically feel like a photoshoot.

Also part of the 'poking you on your dimples' squad.

You may actually catch him editing some pictures of himself with dimples to see if they would look good on him.

.

Beelzebub

ANOTHER BABY I HEADCANON WITH DIMPLES AND I AGAIN WON'T CHANGE MY MIND

Will mention it right away when you smile at him for the first time and will give a smile of his own showing his own dimples.

Honestly he always smiles whenever you smile, but with both of you sharing this one facial trait he smiles wider as if unconsciously showing off his own in response to seeing yours.

You guys are a puppy pair that will be able to kill whoever is around just by smiling.

This is actually really powerful-

.

Belphegor

'Ah, Beel has those too'

+1 affinity point.

For real though, the first time you smiled at him after the whole Lesson 16 ordeal he basically teared up.

Will protect that smile of yours no matter what.

It is said that his smile is rare but he will definetelly be smiling at the sight of yours' and his twin's dimples.

Another one in the 'poke' squad, though sometimes he also pinches your cheeks slightly.

Now whenever he sees someone else with dimples he does not only remember Beel but you too.

.

Solomon

More intrigued by the fact that you are part of a percentage of humanity that has dimples and because it is a irregular dominant trait that though it can be passed through generations it's not obligaroty so he's curious from who you got it from and if you would actually pass it on if you ever have a successor.

And after learning about your blood relations he is now curious if Lilith herself had them.

So yeah he is not exactly endeared by cutenedd but more excitedly intrigued.

And he will poke you too.

Bite him.

.

Simeon

Another one intrigued, he most likelly doesn't know how exactly dimples occur but he knows not all humans have seeing Solomon himself doesn't have them.

Makes him like your smile more, and he will tell you so.

He doesn't poke you but he does develop an habit of carressing your cheek, his thumb running along the exact place where your dimples are located, smiling brightly if his ministrations actually make you smile yourself, allowing what his fingers were searching for to finally feel it.

.

Luke

This kid knows what dimples are but he doesn't know why they happen and that's the first thing he asks you upon seeing them on you.

Definetelly throws a bit of a fit at seeing three demons have dimples too (the third one I won't say here because then I'll spoil my own post lol)

To him demons apparently aren't allowed to share the same facial feature as someone like you.

Surprisingly (and thankfully) he doesn't automatically talk to (human) strangers with a positive judgement just because they have dimples.

.

Diavolo

Here is your third demon I headcanon with dimples and won't change my mind about it.

Immediatelly feels a connection between the two of you because of it.

It is definetelly going to be pretty akward, although endearing, at first seeing you now have the Demon Prince trying to make you smile and telling you how you two share dimples like an excited kid.

He won't poke you unless you are the one to poke him. You should also try to bite him, his reactions are priceless.

And also incredibly adorable-

.

Barbatos

Will never bring it up unless someone points it out with him around or he is flirting with you.

Yes he flirts, and it's intense.

And he doesn't even need to say much, all he would do would be stand relatively close to you, stare you in the eyes while caressing your cheek and in a low voice tell you how 'you should smile more' because 'he is starting to miss seeing your dimples' and proceed to quickly gaze at your lips while saying such before giving a smile a walking away to attent to his duties as a buttler.

This man is dangerous-

[realcube]

soft haikyuu!! boys with a baddie* s/o  😈

characters:  yamaguchi, hinata, suga, akaashi, nishinoya & tendou

tw// swearing

*(a/n): anon requested a kinda sassy, sarcastic reader and verbatim ‘she is basically a salt bag, but she also has like some sugar’  so i simplified that down to baddie :) so the reader isn’t really a delinquent but they are a bit rough around the edges uffabvrslbv 

Tadashi Yamaguchi

he definitely thinks you’re really cool and he wants to be just like you :O

bc you give off ‘bad bitch who doesn’t care about what other ppl think about them’ energy and what he would give tO HAVE THAT!!

so that’s when he knew he needed to be your friend >:) 

so he was like ‘tsukki, go talk to (y/n) for me >:)’ thinking that was his first step to becoming confident pfft

luckily, god was on his side though bc the teacher rearranged the seats and you and him were sitting next to each other 

hence, he got the opportunity to talk to you without it seeming too forced

you both fell for each other so hard

like he would act tough to try impress you but you preferred his natural softness while you tried to act uncharacteristically docile so you wouldn’t scare him off but he liked you for your boldness 

it was a match made in heaven 💞

he eventually worked up the courage to ask you out one day and y’all have just been falling more ever since

although, that doesn’t mean yamaguchi’s forgotten one of the main reasons he wanted to be with you in the first place

‘please teach me your ways, (y/n)!’ he pleaded, his head resting on your lap so you had to cover his puppy-eyes with your phone

‘no, tadashi. firstly, you’re sweet and gentle- you’re just built like that. secondly, i don’t have any ‘ways’ to teach you!’

yamaguchi continued to pry, ‘then how are you just so effortlessly self-assured?’

‘who told you that, tadashi?’

‘no one.’ yamaguchi poked the back of your hand to get you to move it, ‘but remember that time one of the guys in our class tried to make fun of the size of your head and you told him to shut up?’

you rolled your eyes, setting your phone aside before placing a brief kiss on yamaguchi’s forehead, ‘he said he couldn’t see the board because of my ‘big head’, tadashi; that’s hardly an insult. also, what else could i have possibly said other than that?’

but then you remembered this is yamaguchi you’re talking to; if that was him, he’d probably apologise, move his head aside then cry in the bathroom or sumn.

‘i should be the one asking you why you’re so insecure. i mean, i know everyone is a little bit insecure about something but you just take it to a whole other level.’ you mused, absentmindedly massaging his scalp

yamaguchi frowned, ‘exactly! teach me how to stop being insecure.’

‘no please, no thank you?’ you inquired with a snicker, realising that your habits might of accidentally rubbed off on him

bc just a few weeks ago, he’d be thanking you for breathing the same air as him but now he didn’t even say ‘please’ when asking for a favour 

gasp

‘please teach me how to be resilient, (y/n).’

you chuckled, leaning down to whisper in his ear, ‘okay, since you’re so polite, i’ll tell you my secret - but promise not to tell anybody else!.’

‘i promise.’ yamaguchi replied without hesitation

‘okay, first thing you need to do is go to the depths of hell and find satan hims--’ 

yamaguchi let out a sigh as he realised that you weren’t being serious then playfully flicked your forehead away, ‘rude.’

you beamed, pressing another kiss upon his forehead, ‘i know~’

Shōyō Hinata

let’s not pretend hinata wasn’t shitting his pants when he first heard about you from kageyama

‘they called me a shitty setter the other day.’

but kageyama failed to mention the part where he cut you in line for lunch 🙄 mans had it coming

like hinata genuinely thought that if he came within a 5 foot radius of you, you’d literally come for volleyball career

plus, hinata knew he had a lot of things to be insults on (mostly, his height) so he decided to keep his distance at first 

but when he actually saw you - rather than a vague description that kageyama conjured - he kinda fell head over heels

well, not only bc of your looks - he isn’t that shallow

but the same day, you dropped your purse/wallet on the walk home and ,mhsince hinata was walking behind you, he acted as any good Samaritan would; picked it up then handed it to you 

then you said something along the lines of ‘thanks, shorty.’

not shawty. lord- shorty as in short with a y at the end

and whether you meant that as a dig or not was beyond him - but either way, he fkn adored it 

also it doesn’t matter whether you are taller or shorter than hinata- he is still short-stuff >:)

by some miracle he managed to ask you out successfully and he’s kinda been glued to you ever since

like he wants to spend every second that he’s not at volleyball club/school with you 

and if you tell him he’s being clingy, he’s going to cry-

nonono jk jk

he’d probably be a bit offended but then give you your space

also, you noticed how he was really endeared by the tad mean nicknames you gave him like ‘shorty’, ‘short stuff’ and ‘ginger’

the only ones he didn’t like was ‘boke’ or ‘dumbass’ bc it reminded him too much of kageyama + tsukishima

so you started calling him these things - teasingly - more frequently 

and he loves it ngl

as long as you aren’t truly mean to him, he enjoys being called these things by you for some reason

so, his first mistake was assuming that you’d like being called these joking nicknames just as much as he does

you were helping him with english once and it’s definitely not his strong suit

same, hinata

‘look at that! you spelt all your vocabs correctly, for a change.’ you commented, peering over the desk at the paper sitting in front of him

his eyes widened and his lips curled into a hopeful smile, ‘really?!’

‘no.’ you snickered, pointing to the first word on the list. ‘your word was taxis - you wrote ‘texas’, dumbass.’

hinata let out an exasperated sigh, propping his elbow onto the table to rest his cheek on his palm

then, he had an idea ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

‘alright, stupidface, should i rewrite them?’

you gasped, furrowing your brows at what he just called you 

for a moment, you thought you might’ve misheard him but upon observing his smug expression, you realised that he really did just call you a ‘stupidface’ 

so you burst out laughing 

obviously, hinata was rather shocked at your reaction

‘hey! what’s so funny?’

‘di- di- did you just call me a ‘stupidface’?!’ you panted in-between cackles, clutching your stomach to soothe the butterflies

hinata jutted out his bottom lip and folding his arms over his chest, ‘yeah, what about it?’

‘that is so cute!- do it again!’ you demanded, enthusiastically slamming your fist against the desk

‘IT’S NOT CUTE!’ hinata barked, playfully flicking your forehead 

once you caught your breath, you took hinata’s hands and looked him dead in the eyes, ‘you’re fucking adorable, shōyō.’

the hoarseness of your voice making it sound like somewhat of a threat 

‘you’re adorable-er, (y/n).’

‘i know.’

Kōshi Sugawara 

he admires how strong and independent you are/seem 😍

and the fact you don’t go out of your way to suck-up to ppl 

he kinda wants to be like you in that sense but unlike yamaguchi, he accepts that he’s way too much of a people pleaser for that lol

so he sticks to admiring you from afar

then he musters up the courage to ask you out with some chocolate cupcakes; the same kind that you accidentally got on his blazer on the first day of second year :))

and you say yes (╯▽╰ )

also a big part of your relationship is aggressive positivity ✨😡

like if he makes a joke about looking crusty, you’ll promptly respond, ‘shut up, kōshi - you look so hot.’

or if you berate yourself for getting a poor mark on a test, suga will interrupt with no hesitation, ‘fuck off, (y/n), you’re literally so smart and hard working - you’ll probably get 100% on the next test.’

also when he’s around you he switches between canon and fanon suga rapidly 

one second he’s like ‘aww, are you stressed bc of school? i’ll bake you some cookies, baby--’ then you’ll jokingly make a comment about his post-practise B.O and he’ll literally get so defensive

‘WOW I OFFER YOU SOMETHING NICE AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?! STOP BEING SO MEAN TO ME, COMING FOR MY INSECURITES LIKE THAT  - I WAS JUST ABOUT TO GO FOR A SHOWER ANYWAY GEEZ’ ┗|｀O′|┛

ISVBFELIAEA plz he is too much ✋

he just prides himself in smelling like ocean breeze 99% of the time so you really didn’t need to hurt his feelings like that when you caught him lackin c’mon LMAO

‘wait so are we making cookies or not?’ you inquired, stifling a snicker at his little diva moment

‘ofc we are 🥺’  

he’ll probably use red icing on one of the cookies to draw a ‘>:(’ face then hand it to you, saying that he drew you

he’ll also break of bits of his own cookie and feed it to you’re doing something that requires both hands like typing, homework, dishes etc

whether you eat it from his hand happily, decline his offer or bite his fingers off is really up to you 

and over time, he probably picks up on some of your traits too

especially being more straight-forward 

the team will never forget the first time he was chatting about something with the vice principle and ‘sorry, but i don’t remember asking’  fell from his lips 

everyone was shocked :o

tsukishima, tanaka & noya were so impressed tho

and so were you IVBEAOGVRN

‘wow, suga. you wanna be me so bad.’ you gloated, pressing your hand against your chest 

‘GAEIVBSLR leave me alone.’ he growled, toiling over the apology letter he was currently writing to the vice principal

Keiji Akaashi 

he wanted you to be the dark academia to his light academia pfft

it was very much love at first sight btw 

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ soulmates  *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

the embodiment of opposites attract

he’d write you a poem/love letter to ask you out lol

‘you’re so sappy and lame, akaashi’ you scoffed in attempt to hide the smile that was tugging at the corners of your lips as your eyes finally parted from the letter to meet his 

he couldn’t help but chuckle, ‘so is that a no?’

‘-nonono!’ you shook your head rapidly, hastily correcting him, ‘it’s a yes.’

phew 

honestly, he acted all nonchalant on the outside, but akaashi would’ve been devastated if you rejected him

like he constantly tried to remind himself that you would probably say no, i mean he thought you were way out of his league. plus, it didn’t seem as though you were as much of a romantic as him

but fortunately, apart of him stayed hopeful 

now he was cuddled up beside you on a cold winters’ evening, casually drinking is hot cocoa as you both watched a disney movie (❤´艸｀❤)

he’s the type to not even care or retort if you call him stupid or whatever

as long as your context makes it clear that you’re joking 

he’d never call you those names back though ✋

to him, you’re always gonna be ‘love’ or ‘sweetheart’

also, he’s probably equally as sarcastic as you so that’s not an issue 

ngl he probably gets really insecure when you’re hesitant about PDA tho

like he just wants to hold your hand but he doesn’t want to force it upon you and make you uncomfortable 🥺

but also, perhaps you’re too embarrassed by him to kiss him in public 

so please occasionally reassure him that you love him (；′⌒`) that always washes all his worries away 

Yū Nishinoya

it’s literally canon that he likes ppl who show 0 interest in him (kiyoko, tsukki etc)

so it shouldn’t be surprising that he’s all over you after that one time you called him a midget 

to be fair, he had it coming - he stepped on your fkn toe >:(( 

he does everything in his power to impress you and get you to take back what you said 

‘hey, (y/n)!’ he calls out to you in the middle of the bustling lunch hall, ‘could a midget do this?!’ *backflips off the table*

or when he demanded that you come to one of his volleyball games so you could see what he’s capable of and whenever he makes a good receive, he turns to look at you in the stands and winks/ points

or when he actually studies for a test just so he can flaunt his slightly above average grade to you 

‘look, (y/n), i got a 49%!’ he waves a paper in front of your face, which you stare at before lowering your gaze onto your 95%.

but ngl..he really brings out that lil’ bit of sugar in you 

‘well done, noya.’ you choked out feeling your dignity slowly fade in your chest

he’s just so enthusiastic and charming how can you be mean to him 🥺

to his face, at least

as soon as he leaves you beef about him to your friends

‘he is so annoyingly bodacious - audacious! why does he feel the need to show me all of his achievements like i care??? and why does he have to be so cute while doing it???’

‘do you think you maybe have a teeny-tiny crush on him?--’

‘never.’

nishinoya probably asks you out pretty casually like ‘lemme take you bowling this saturday and i can show how good i am at that too!’ he offered with a bright, bold smile

‘sure, whatever.’

‘kay! it’s a date!’

‘wut-’ but before you could question him further, he sped off

nishinoya really likes to fluster and tease you 

you’ll be sitting waiting for him at the park or whatever and he’ll swagger in and shout something like ‘how’s my gorgeous s/o doing today?! i hope you weren’t waiting for me too long!--’

then you’ll have to quickly shush him before everyone with a 7 feet radius is looking at you judgementally 

he also likes to call you the most extra nicknames just to see you blush

‘good morning, my beautiful, divine, radiant god(dess) who i worship every morning of my life!~’ he sung as he waltzed into your classroom to spend lunch with you 

but he only does that bc you are so dismissive of his advances lol

like if you openly adored his kisses and nicknames, he’d probably do them sparingly  

oh and he calls you ‘my hunny bunny’ too - don’t ask why 

Satori Tendō

you gave him your number/snap for a project and he’s one of those ppl that just assumes that y’all are friend now lol

but that wasn’t nessicarily a bad thing bc you thought he was really cool and you were happy that you still got to talk to him even after the project was over 

not that you’d ever admit it tho (╹ڡ╹ )

he’d send you cursed memes at 3AM and you’d reply like ‘mood’  then he’d fall for you 

you’d also have random, deep convos in the middle of the night 

hence he fell for you even harder 

especially bc he basically just shared his whole life story with you 

he’d spill out all his insecurities to you then you’d reply like ‘ok’ then he knew he had to ask you out bc you’re the first person not to have left him on read

so he asked you to meet him in the park and you’d reply ‘no lol  🖕 ‘ 

then he’d just smile at his phone like ‘wow, they’re so in love with me’

he’s just so used to his friends being mean to him jokingly that he can’t even tell if you’re being serious or not

so he goes to the park at the time he put forward, and ofc you’re there even though you said no bc you didn’t want tendō to show up for nothing 🥺

he was ecstatic that you were there and he probably brought you an energy drink or lollipop then asked you out

and ofc you said yes

i mean- you had kinda developed a soft spot for the poor guy 

you’d let him get away with certain things that others couldn’t around you 

for instance, you’d let him borrow your pencils/pens despite usually not allowing others to get ahold of your stuff

but that was just coz like- he’s your trustworthy bf- not some random classmate who had no reason or motive to be kind enough to return your pencils 

also, you’d let him cut in front of you in the lunch line and he did the same for you

oh and please bully anyone who makes fun of him 🙏

[kangaroo-sniper-imagine]

Engineer

Has lots and lots of questions; he is a man of learning and he is determined to fully comprehend every facet of your sexuality. It doesn’t even compute to him that it’s something others would find strange

If his questions make you uncomfortable, he’ll apologize profusely, explaining that he just wants to know everything so that he won’t have to ask you uncomfortable questions later and how he wants you to be comfortable with him about it now

Overall Dell is very understanding and loves you even more for trusting him enough to tell him

Medic

He nods and continues working. Lol but for real, Ludwig has studied just about every facet of the human being, body and mind, sexuality included. He may understand the textbook definitions and you can elaborate how you discovered this about yourself if you want, but Ludwig doesn’t see you exactly different

He’s understanding and plus side is you won't have to elaborate very much and he respects you regardless of what you identify as

To Ludwig it’s not particularly a huge deal, although he appreciates the courage it took to come out to him

Scout

Not gonna lie, it might take a bit for him to get it. He’s kinda like “Both is an option?!” Like you just might lead him to his own Bi awakening. He was raised in Boston, which is like one of the most Catholic places EVER, and whatever feeling he had for the same sex he compansated with trying to get with the opposite.

He respects the hell out of you for being so open about it, and will take a bat (or fish) to anyone who tries to give you shit! You are his badass s/o and you can do whatever you want! Including liking dudes and chicks! (As long as you like him most)

Jeremy needs a bit of time to understand it in full, but after he gets it is like, obnoxiously supportive of you

Spy

You think this frog is straight? Lol. Jacque kinda figures, pulling deductions himself. Honestly was more worried you were going to break up with him when you said you two needed to talk and was hella relieved that you were just coming out to him

He understands that it takes guts to confess something like that, and to someone like him who remains annoyingly vague on where he stands on certain issues. He tells you he is proud of you for telling him and that he sees now as more of a stronger person for being able to be honest to yourself

Jacque is easily the most understanding out of all the mercs and appreciates your company more after coming out to him

Sniper

You say it suddenly and without prompt and spits out his coffee in surprise. After regaining his composer, he asks again for what you said and to elaborate. After you do, he takes a moment to digest all the information. He’s a sniper and a bushman, part of his expertise is being able to think and make decisions quickly

He decided to respond with, “Neat,” and goes back to whatever he was doing. Mick has met loads of people through his line of work, he’s not exactly shy to those who walk a different line. You’re still you, he just knows more about you now.

He’s not put off by it at all, and he tells you he appreciates that you told him. He ensures you that your trust was not misplaced and he thinks that being open with each other like that is going to deepen the bond between you

Soldier

Once it hits him that what you're telling him isn’t something that you tell just anyone, he treats it like the next national secret. He kinda simplifies your confession to “You like men and women but you’re with me” and he accepts it.

If anyone finds out and gives you hassle for it, Jane is NOT afraid to yell at the harasser until he’s blue in the face. There ain’t nothing wrong with liking ALL Americans! Even if Jane isn’t 100% knowledgeable about the complexities of your sexuality, he still respects it cuz he respects you

Best person to tell if you don’t want anyone to know; Jane takes his relationship with you VERY seriously and won’t ever do something on purpose to betray your trust. And if you want to come out to everyone, he’s right behind you! Emotionally, and physically, staring down all the others to make sure no one starts shit with his s/o

Heavy

After you come out, Mikhail is silent for a moment, then pulls you into a bear hug. He’s a little weepy, going over how much he loves you and how all this is is you showing him another wonderful part of yourself, and how it's wonderful because it's a part of you.

He’s read all sorts of books and stories about authors struggling with their sexuality, most of them not ending well, and he wants to let you know that whatever you are is great and that you are loved still. If your parents rejected you or you have bad experiences coming out to other people, Misha is overshadows all their hate with his all encompassing love

He just loves you so much it's adorable and ridiculous. All he wants is for you to be happy and to feel safe around him

Demo

Tavish takes a moment to absorb the information. He gets that your sexuality is important to you, and you telling him is a huge sign of trusting him, and he takes that very seriously. He feels almost bad for not having something as big as that to tell you in return so you’ll be on even ground again

He tells you he understands and he thanks you for telling him, he seems solemn for once and you understand he’s taking this extremely seriously. Tavish values your trust above all and this is like a sign to him that your relationship is now serious

Will straight up explodes anyone who bothers you about your sexuality. He’s earned the right to know by getting to know you and no asshole at the bar gets to belittle you for something you take pride in. He fucking adores you and no one gets to be a dick to you

Pyro

Pyro loves you no matter what! You could be bi, straight, hell, a serial killer for all he cares, all they care about is they you two are together

Doesn’t really understand why you were so worried about telling them. Once you explain that others dislike/hate you just because your bi, they become kinda quiet and have a moment of, “I’m going to protect you with my life now cuz the world is shittier than i even imagined.” You’re his s/o, you could do no wrong. Ergo, being bi isn’t wrong

Loves you regardless of what your sexuality is, but doesn’t understand the importance of it to you. Totally willing to burn some jag off who gives you shit as a symbol of his devotion to you

- I didn’t do the gender fluid because i am not 100% certain upon the semantics of it (not that I don’t respect it) so i just stuck to the bi thing cuz as one, I’m more acquainted with it-

[peninkwrites]

10, 31, 38, 39?

oooh these are some good ones!

10. Top three favorite fic tropes

Hmmm. hurt/comfort is a classic. Even in the saddest of fics, there has to be a tiny bit of comfort. If no one cares, how can you even manifest that hurt? The helplessness of caring not being enough? I mean I also like hurt/comfort for the part where things actually do work out and get better, but I also think comfort makes tragedies a lot more powerful :)

Found family always!! Not just the dynamic of "this person becomes a parent this person becomes a sibling" but the dynamic of "we all care about each other and we are family, why simplify it with the labels we were told mattered?" Like friends living together and learning to grow together, just that type beat.

And angst with a happy ending :') which is basically hurt/comfort but more overarching plot stuff. I will read the grimmest of tragedies as long as I know there's hope on the horizon!! It's always a balancing act.

31. What was the most difficult fic for you to write (but in the end you made it)?

This is hard. Because I've found different fics difficult for different reasons! Writing fics alongside a constantly evolving canon is so hard. like I haven't touched full on aus because that's a lot of worldbuilding work, but now I am instead racing against a clock I have inflicted on myself. Like. Some fics I technically can't finish because it's an ever evolving storyline! My therapy fics I both have so much to catch up on but they're also sort of "finished"? It's a fight.

38. "This never happened" fix-it fics or "this happened but" fix-it fics?

I guess "this never happened" fix-it fics? I prefer to work within canon and make characters TALK TO EACH OTHER DAMNIT ! "this happened but" is what I use for my tragedies :)

39. Wildest AU scenario you have written?

I don't write many aus (although I have Ideas Constantly) but probably a Dirk Gently fic I wrote a while back just because it had its own case and Dirk Gently cases are bonkers. A drug smuggling ring involving a mafia whose heir adores ducks. You know. Typical Douglas Adams plots! Although that was more an alternate timeline than a full on au... Maybe when I start writing aus I'll have a better answer for this one lol.

ty for the ask! :D

[flowerslightning]

Have you heard about PFA and MFA?

or the full name is ‘Psychological First Aid’ (PFA) and ‘Mental Health First Aid’ (MFA)

Can we relate it with Cloud Strife? As we all know, Cloud had mental illness and was struggling alone. Let’s take a quick look on this topic then and see if characters in FF7 ever give PFA/MFA to Cloud or to each other. This is going to be a looooong post although I tried to simplified it, so, yeah. Good luck reading this !

Disclaimer : I’m not a psychologist. I’m still a student and psych is not my major field. During my intern, other than we got exposed a lot about psychiatric disorders and ways to deal with them, we also got trained psychological first aid in emergency department. If it wasnt because of this quarantine, i would have finished my training in emergency field. There might be false interpretation here or there, forgive me for that and pls correct any mistake in this post

This will probably trigger LTD. Sorry, but I had to, Pls read this post with open mind. Keep in mind I like both Tifa and Aerith, i have no grudges agaisnt Barret, Vincent, Nanaki or Cid so I am not being bias with any of them. I forgot a lot of stuff in OG (I played it when I was really really small), so I will be using lots FF7R and AC references here (and a bit from OG, depends whatever I remember)

Good to go? Allow me to rant. Read it slowly and if u skip some of it, u’ll probably mislead my actual words, and u’ll be triggered af. Don’t come at me with madness if u dont read the whole post properly

What is PFA and MFA? Generally speaking, if Basic First Aid is about covering the wound to prevent further bleeding, then PFA (Psychological First Aid) and MFA (Mental Health First Aid) is like applying a bandage on ur mental to avoid u continue being distress. 

Usually, PFA is often associated with disaster event or terrorism, where large number of people got affected. Meanwhile, MFA focus in one person who is developing mental health prob or already in mental crisis due to certain traumas, such as vehicle accident, house burned and etc

 Pls note that, certain people NEED MFA while the others may NOT NEED it. It is important to respect their needs/wants. Some victims may refuse verbally but they ACTUALLY NEED it (CLOUD STRIFE) and maybe some victims look like they dont need it, but they want it, and its super fine to give it

PFA/MFA not only done by the professionals and it is not a professional counselling, although necessarily training is needed if u want to approach deeper in this field. PFA/MFA is also not a psychological ‘debriefing’ - in which MFA/PFA doesnt need to involve a detailed discussion of the trauma event with the victim, but instead, it is an alternative way to psychological debriefing that helps for long-term recovery. (unless if ure a pscyhiatrist, then u have to forget about MFA and ask detailed questions regarding the events to help the patient to recover)

MFA and PFA both almost the same, but I will mention more about MFA here.

MFA (Mental Health First Aid) is not just about comforting “Oh, are u alright. I’m sorry for what u’ve been through”, but it is also about assessing their needs and concerns, protecting them from harm, provide practical support and support them feeling able to help themselves and others.

The main key for these two term is RESPECT - respect victim’s dignity, respect both parties safety and respect victim’s rights to make decision. Even without the PFA, we should respect these three in whatever circumstance we are in. 

A lot of us honestly were born with natural skill of MFA bcause of our own empathy, instinct or experiences and some got trained professionally. Some of them already had MFA due to high common senses they have.  

Some of the Do’s and Dont’s when giving MFA include;

Do’s : 1. Be trustworthy | 2. Respect their decision | 3. Be aware of and set aside ur bias | 4. Make it clear to them u are available for help even they push u away | 5. Respect their privacy and personal space | 6. Do remain calm and soft when the person in distress | 7. Listen and don’t interrupt their talking | 8. Help in terms of basic needs | 9. Create connection the person with others | 10. Give hope to them | 11. Provide private place to talk about the event | 12. Respect their strenght | 13. Advice small necessary matters or give simple words of encouragement | 14. Acknowledge positive features of what victims have done

Dont’s : 1. Rush in whatever the thing theyre doing with u | 2. Be dismissive | 3. Make promises u know can’t keep | 3. Ask anything in return for helping them | 4. Exaggerate ur skills | 5. Force help on people, being pushy | 6. Pressure them to tell their story | 7. Judge that person | 8. Put the person in risk of harm as result of ur actions | 8. Force them to accept ur idea/Listening to ur rant | 9. Talk rough | 10. Being bias with the people | 11. Touching that person too much | 12. Talk with the person in negative terms | 13. Abandon the person’s feeling

To simplify, there are 3 ways for MFA to begin, and I will only talk about one of them, the one that is the hardest to do, that is when u notice someone looks distressed and ure concern about them, and leading u to approach them first without them noticing ur concern. [Am I putting the right words here?]

In Cloud’s case, who do u think the first noticed Cloud behaved oddly and went to help him first ? - yeah Tifa. U probably would say “OFC she went to help him, she met him first at the train station. That guy looked sick af, who wouldnt ask if he was alright. If Aerith/Yuffie/Jessie met him first, they would do the same”. Okay guys, that was not my point. 

Let’s focus one by one characters and see what Do’s and Dont’s MFA (Mental Health First Aid) they’ve done to Cloud and other charas. Keep in mind, none of them know what Cloud had gone through, but Cloud had showed some obvious sign he was unwell and only a few of them noticed that and took action for it. 

The symbol [X] means the Dont’s in MFA and ( ✔) means the Do’s in MFA.

Biggs Jessie Wedge -

I know there’s a thing about man helping man’s psychology and Jessie being flirty with a guy.They [X] thought Cloud was like how they saw Cloud. and they considered it as normal. They didnt see Cloud under distress so they dont have the need to concern his mental status. The good thing about them was, the three of them (✔) respect Cloud’s strenght, giving Cloud the confident to be in action. But, Jessie [X] had zero respect on Cloud’s personal space

I wanna highlight about Biggs. Biggs had an attitude of overthinking stuff, but it wasnt so bad that would cause him harm, he just cared too much about his friends. So I believe Biggs was the type that would notice immediately when his friend being strange and would give MFA (Mental Health First Aid) with his own instinct even without the person asking it.

During the Sector 7 Plate attack, where Biggs was severely injured, when Cloud said he was not a fan of kids and Biggs said Cloud had so much in common (in common of what? Cloud with the kids or Cloud with him?), Cloud gave him ‘a sad look’ and Biggs reached out his hand to Cloud’s head. Biggs (✔) remain calm and soft when dealing with Cloud’s feeling (who faced traumatic event but Biggs didnt know about it) on that moment despite his current physical status. And also he (✔) wished goodluck to Cloud, leading to prevention distress on Cloud

Marle -

Marle [X] judged Cloud for someone who had no skills, but she entrusted Cloud to take care of Tifa’s well being. Not knowing who Cloud was, Marle noticed Cloud looked glum, she (✔) offered her ear for Cloud to rant and knew right away he was not having enough sleep, then (✔) advising him to sleep more . Lol, she was [X] biased with Cloud and Tifa. Not her fault, she only knew Tifa’s story, not Cloud’s. After the Sector 7 plate fall, we saw her being the most active member to help with the remaining citizens there. Marle without a doubt had given the citizens there PFA (Psychological First Aid) , by helping them with their (✔) basic needs, (✔) create connections, (✔) put away bias, (✔) remain calm and soft. 

Barret Wallace -

Barret was the same like Biggs Jessie Wedge. I’m sure Barret thought Cloud was just fine. Barret saw Cloud as a mercenary with stinky attitude,[X] judging him like that causing Barret to gave him the same attitude too. But overall, he (✔) respected Cloud’s strength a lot

However, after the Sector 7 plate fall, Tifa and Barret were the one that hurt (mentally) the most, Tifa as usual locking her emotions, there we could see how Barret comforting Tifa by (✔) giving words of encouragement and proceed on (✔) hugging her to show his empathy. Barret also (✔) remain calm and soft spoken when talking to the survival victims of Sector 7 citizens. He also (✔) acknowledged what the citizens had done to survive

Vincent Valentine - 

Don’t be surprise Vincent was listed here. This guy here was like another version of Cloud but more mature. In addiction, they both kinda share the same pain. So, I personally think Vincent understands Cloud pretty well. In AC, where Cloud was mentally ill, Vincent saved Cloud from Kadaj and brothers and (✔) took him to safer place. That was a common thing to do. But let’s go deeper, Cloud never told him about himself, but Vincent already  (✔) aware of Cloud’s trouble with the geostigma stuff and Cloud’s current mental status. Vincent, (✔) calm and soft like always (✔) didnt hesitate to asked if all of these were just about ‘fighting’ and it made Cloud to ‘re-think’ further about his problem. He (✔) didnt pressure Cloud here, instead he was (✔) helping Cloud to understand the condition he was facing, and this lead Cloud to avoid distress.

Aerith Gainsborough -

I know Aerith was special. She was an important character and devs created her to be ‘loved’ by the fans so that her death would be tragic. Aerith did almost all the things that shouldnt be done when giving MFA to mentally ill person. Some of u may say “Duh, Aerith didnt know anything about Cloud thus she had no intentions of giving him MFA”. Yup, ure right. Aerith didnt know about Cloud’s mental status but so as all the other characters in the series. 

Aerith was [X] being pushy with Cloud, in lots of ways, from making him as a bodyguard for free to forcing him to wear a dress. She [X] forced Cloud to accept her idea about meeting Andrea, dance and gown. She also [X] forced Cloud to help picking the flowers. Aerith [X] didn’t let Cloud to have his own decision [X] neither giving him a chance to talk,  and [X] abandon his feelings (cough..uhm, Aerith resolution). She also had [X] no respect on Cloud’s personal space and [X] too much touching and leaning to him. Aerith also [X] put herself in danger and that worried Cloud.  She [X] looked down on Cloud in someways too

However, at the Sector 5 slum, where the hooded man appeared, Aerith noticed Cloud was having trouble with himself, she (✔) encouraged Cloud to keep himself together. Also, throughout the entire game, Aerith always remind the team to (✔) have hope in everything. Her positive vibrant attitude was what (✔) made everyone able to believe in themselves. She also (✔) ensure Marlene’s safety and protected her. She was able to (✔) remain soft and calm when approaching Marlene. Remember Betty? Aerith took her time to helped her out and she even (✔) respected the little girl’s strength, (✔)slow and steady when saving her and (✔)soft spoken

Tifa Lockhart -

Tifa met Cloud at the train station, saw him being ‘not-so-fine’ state despite Cloud claiming he was completely okay. Tifa didn’t know what Cloud had gone through and  she (✔) didn’t pressure him to talk about it. She even helped him to (✔) find a place to sleep even when Cloud never asked for it. Tifa unconsciously was the first person to give Cloud MFA without knowing what Cloud had faced previously. And Cloud, on that moment, he really needed a help. Tifa also (✔) stated that if Cloud need anything, she would help him with it

Tifa (✔) remain calm everytime Cloud had sudden headache, she didn’t leave him alone and (✔) didnt put any pressure on him by asking question. During the (✔) Alone At Last, they had privacy Tifa asked about what happened after he left Nibelheim. She (✔) listened and didnt interrupt him, (✔) neither pushing him to talk more. Moreover, Tifa (✔) put a distance with Cloud, dunno if she was the one who was being uncomfortable or she actually (✔) respect Cloud’s personal space and privacy. Tifa (✔) didn’t force him to stay at Midgar, she asked him and was glad Cloud would stay for a while. Tifa was no doubt (✔) respect all Cloud’s decisions too. Also, don’t forget, Tifa also helped Cloud to help (✔) make ‘close connection’ with the Avalanche members and people in Sector 7 slums. She also (✔) didn’t do much touching with Cloud (Well, I mean, she didnt touch him in clingy way)

In AC, Tifa (✔) encouraged Cloud to have hope for Geostigma and the family

Tifa did [X] put herself in danger by becoming Corneos bride participant and that gave Cloud trouble (but Tifa ensured him she would be fine on her own previously) And btw, in OG, I read about the fans questioning why Tifa [X] didnt tell Cloud the truth. I would like to argue this matter. TIFA IS A CHARACTER WITH REAL HUMAN FLAWS, she too had her own traumatic event and was not really sure of herself on what to do. However, considering what Tifa had done for him, Tifa had helped with Cloud’s psychology the most.

I know Cloud was putting up a font, and that made him to have condescending attitude, and people couldnt see what Cloud was hiding behind the the bravery face. However, all of us as fans acknowledged the pain Cloud was suffering in the entire FF7 story. Some of the characters like Tifa, Marle, Vincent, Biggs noticed it and they took actions for it, while others, I do personally thing, they were hurting the Real Cloud’s mentality more. 

Long story short, Tifa was the one who gave mental health support the most to Cloud, followed by Vincent (AC), Biggs and Marle. Aerith did the worst with Real Cloud's mentality + she then died, mking Cloud be more miserable,

However, Aerith actually had the best way to give MFA/PFA to children, but maybe the worst to Cloud. While Tifa gave the best MFA to Cloud which helped him to get himself together through out the entire time

Alright thats the end of my talk. Thank you for being with meee

[itsclydebitches]

For the prompt; maybe something like Regis reassuring Geralt of his humanity after some asshat human is "witcher-phobic" towards Geralt?

First prompt complete! I’m sorry that you get the initial “How does writing work again??” offering, anon lol 

Varying Words 

Pairing: None, unless you want to read it as Regis/Geralt ;)

Warnings: One passing mention of rape  

Word Count: 1,504

***

Stand your ground. 

Geralt did, allowing the projectile to hit him square in the back of his head. The attacker's aim wasn't bad and based on the clang he heard as the object fell to the cobblestones, he had strength too. When a second assault didn't immediately follow he turned, expecting a blacksmith or maybe a dock hand. 

It was a woman. Arms sculpted from labor in the fields and sporting an inch more than was common in Novigrad, she hefted another cooking pot, teeth bared. 

Not bad, he thought. Put a knife in her hand and she'd be a formidable foe. Although... knives likely weren't far behind if that dishware was any indication. Geralt held his hands at the level of his hips, well away from his swords. 

"Not here to cause any trouble, ma'am," he said. 

She spit. Geralt watched the yellow wad strike the toe of his boot. "Fuck off! Your kind don't need to want trouble to cause it. Years I worked for that coin! Bastard witcher took it off me, then had the gall to go get his neck ripped open by a bunch a' nekkers. Can't even reach his corpse now and whose fault is that, huh? Not mine!” She inched a little closer, voice shaking. “What's the point of you anyway? Some experts. Some heroes. Come into my kitchen, Witcher. Let me introduce you to the light of our Eternal Fire by smashing you face-first into the oven. It would improve your mug I'll tell you that!" 

He stood impassive as the speech progressed, feet rooted to the ground. It seemed the only thing that kept the woman from leaving the safety of her doorway was her husband's hand curled tight in her sleeve. Compared to her he was a slight thing and he flinched when Geralt met his eyes. His brothers would have scoffed at the fellow's weakness, but Geralt was grateful for whatever strength was keeping his wife at bay. There was no scenario in which Geralt wanted to defend himself from a woman lost in grief. 

The morning had gone so well too. 

What he did want was to make her understand that the man she'd hired had not been a witcher. No son of the Schools would ever accept coin before the job was complete, for just such a reason, and only one who was truly inept would fall to a nekker nest. It had likely been a fool who'd had dreams of bringing back  trophies for a tidier sum. Either that, or a swindler who'd paid someone to come back with news of his supposed demise. Either way, a couple's life savings were gone, monsters still roamed, and his reputation had taken another lash it didn't need. 

"Get out of here!" she screamed. 

Rather than listening, Geralt turned back to the woman who'd been standing beside him when this all began. "You okay?" he asked. he extended his hand to help her up as he would for Yennefer, or Ciri, or Regis, Triss, Jaskier, ZoltanRocheLambertEskel —

She slapped it away, then made a show of cleaning that hand on her dress. "Don’t touch me.” 

Like the first. Skirts still hiked up over her waist. Vomit down the front of her blouse, shrieking her head off... I did that. Not the men who’d raped her. 

Me. 

With a growl Geralt stepped around her and took a vicious satisfaction when they all scuttled back. Within seconds he had the street to himself. The only thing that bothered to followed him was a final insult, shouted once they thought he was too far to do anything about it. 

"You're the monster, freak!" 

Geralt rolled his eyes at the heavens, Eternal Fire included. "Real innovative. Never heard that one before." 

Novigrad was the city of sin though. Each person had a secret and every alleyway its shadows. Within seconds Geralt had crossed into a crowd that didn't care about the shouts from a few feet over. Why would they? They had their own lives to live and provided no one got in their way, everyone was free to do exactly as they pleased. It was comforting in its way and by the time Geralt reached The Kingfisher he'd lost a bit of the tension in his shoulders. 

Head still smarted though. He'd reached up to massage his skull when cold hands batted his away. 

"You're late," Regis admonished. 

"Am not. An' I'm fine, leave it." 

The tutting sounded right beside his ear. A moment later Geralt felt fingers press against a sizable bump with unerring accuracy. He hissed. 

"Two lies in two seconds? Really, Geralt. If you'd like to slip one past me you'll have to do far better than that. Perhaps work first on eliminating that mulish expression?" 

"Oh fuck off." 

"Eloquent as always." 

The banter did little for his mood. It took more than a well-aimed pot to fell a witcher, but that hardly meant he had to enjoy the experience. After a few seconds Regis' movements changed from a surgeon's clinical examination to a friend's, weaving fingers through silver strands merely for the comfort of it. They settled on the low wall outside the inn.

Geralt shook him off. Regis just hummed a low note in the back of his throat. 

"Come now. Don't tell me you bought into that woman's nonsense?" 

"You heard?" 

"Indeed. My hearing is rather more acute than yours, though I confess I only caught the tip of the confrontation. I had assumed that you would leave post-haste as I did, more interested in our lunch than whatever swill she chose to spout. Was I wrong?" 

Regis rarely was. Geralt leaned against the wall of the inn and let his gaze slide over the vampire. An aging face, gray in his hair, brown eyes and a welcoming smiling—provided he kept his lips closed. The irony was that Regis more easily passed for human than Geralt did. 

"Sure you still want to dine with a monster?" he asked. The look he received could have melted a glacier.

"Tell me, Geralt. Why is it that I can repeat the same truths to you for years on end and they apparently fail to pierce your astoundingly stubborn nature, yet a few unfounded remarks from a stranger will sit with you for days?" 

"Don't know. Maybe I respond better to crude truths. Less scholar, more drunkard." 

"Oh? Shall I simplify my language then? Perhaps laden my points with the occasional expletive?" 

"Couldn't hurt." 

"Very well then: Geralt of Rivia you are not a fucking monster." 

Geralt threw his head back and laughed, a short but boisterous exhale that drew looks from the passerby. Regis reached over to pat his knee. 

"Had I known that getting you to listen merely required that I change my speech patterns I would have done so long ago." 

"Now who's lying?" 

Behind them the inn was blaring despite the early hour and Novigrad buzzed with thousands of voices, all clamoring to be heard. Geralt tried to focus on a noise other than the ringing in his ears, swallow the sour taste in his mouth so it didn't ruin their meal. He worked to remember the laugh just seconds after he’d given it. 

"Besides," Regis continued. "You needn't take my word for it." 

"Oh?" 

"Your own actions defy those fools' claims. Or did I not see you deliberately allow yourself to get hit rather than risking that woman's pretty features?" 

Never let it be said that Regis wasn't often right and observant. The two probably went hand-in-hand. Yes, he could have dodged the pan, but that likely would have resulted in a bloodied nose for the woman behind him, gaping at all the drama. The same one who'd fallen when the blow had teetered Geralt too close,  shying from his touch again with the slap of a hand. He understood the point, of course. What monster took a blow for another? Weren't they the real monsters here, driven by indiscriminate hatred? It was a debate he and Regis had engaged in numerous times before, often during lunches just like the one they had planned for today. The one they'd begin if Geralt ever stopped moping about it all. 

He could have said any of this, a coded thank you for his friend's wisdom. 

Or...

"You think she's pretty?" 

"Geralt." 

"No, no, I'm happy for you. You should really get out more. How many years since the Queen of the Night? Two hundred?" 

"Geralt." 

"I didn't catch her name, but I'm sure I'd recognize that look of disgust. We could probably find her, if you're really going to abandon me, that is." 

Regis slipped his arm through Geralt's, easy as you please. "As if I ever would." 

"No?" 

"No. I fear you're stuck with me and I do not care what anyone else might have to say about that. If we are monsters than at least we shall be monsters together." 

Well, who was he to argue with that? For that matter, who were those women? 

Geralt let Regis pull him to his feet. “Lunch with a monster sounds great.” 

[sailingonthelanguagesea]

The Many Ways of Referring to "Mandarin" in… Mandarin

I remember back on the CoL server, when Cantonese and Mandarin had just been separated into separate text channels, that the name of the channel was 官话. All of the Chinese (Mandarin) learners and speakers came to the agreement that we disliked it, but when a mod asked us what we wanted to change the channel name to, we had to discuss for a few days the best name for the channel.

We eventually came to the decision of using 普通話 (普通话) after voting on multiple options.

But! That reminds me of all the different ways of saying "Mandarin" in, well, Mandarin that we discussed, so here's a rundown of all the different ways we talked about!

中文

every Chinese learner learns this one as the first way to say "Chinese" in, well, Chinese, but it's just as broad as "Chinese"

it doesn't refer to Mandarin specifically, but all the different dialects (okay, but Chinese isn't made up of "dialects", but actually different smaller languages. I'll say dialects because that's what people are used to), so even though the most people will know what you're talking about, in writing, it's not specific enough

although if you're speaking, that's a completely different story! people will be able to tell what kind of Chinese you're referring to based on how you speak, such has how 中文 is pronounced differently in Mandarin compared to Cantonese or Hakka or Hokkien, etc.

but even then! 中文 can refer to other Chineses instead of mandarin

普通話 (普通话)

now this is much, much more specific!

also, for a Chinese learner, it's probably the second way you learn to say "Mandarin" (but it depends on where your teacher is from. more about that later)

it literally translates to "ordinary language" or "common language", which is a good description of what Mandarin was supposed to be: a common language that united all Chinese people (and Chinese learners too I guess)

only problem is that the only people who really use 普通話 are people in mainland China (not sure about the SARs though) or from mainland China

I'll admit, this is the way I learned how to call Mandarin after 中文 but because of where my teachers are from, I learned the next one too

國語 (国语)

this literally means "national language"

it's only used in Taiwan

the major problem with 國語 is that since it means "national language", it can only really be used in a place where Chinese is spoken as a majority or official language, which is only in two places of the world: China and Taiwan, even though there are Chinese speakers elsewhere in the world (more about that later)

China already uses 普通話 so only Taiwan uses 國語

in places like Singapore, Malaysia, or even Europe and North America, Chinese isn't a majority language much less an official language, so using 國語 for "Mandarin" doesn't make sense for Chinese speakers living there

it doesn't stop people from referring to Mandarin as 國語 there, though, but it doesn't make as much sense (I learned to say 國語 from my teachers because they were all from Taiwan)

華語 (华语)

(you can really see the effects of simplified script on this one lol)

this literally means "language of Chinese" because 華 (华) is a word that refers to Chinese people as a whole, no matter where they're born

(it's also used in the phrase 華僑 (华侨) which means "overseas Chinese")

this one I've heard is used more with southeast Asia, but I've heard it around where I live sometimes too

unlike 國語, which can be considered politically loaded, 華語 (华语) was what I thought to be the most neutral way of referring to Mandarin, but it was outvoted because it's not a common way of saying Mandarin outside of southeast Asia

漢語 (汉语)

this one is a bit of an odd one because I don't really know who says this where, if anyone really does say this out loud (it might just be a way of referring to Mandarin in writing)

it's on the uncommon side, more so than 華語 (华语) I think

it literally translates to "language of the Han" which is the majority of Chinese people in China (we call ourselves 漢族 (汉族) or "Han people")

it's also what Pinyin is officially called in Chinese: 漢語拼音 (汉语拼音)

yeah, I think this is just a way to refer to Mandarin in writing, not in speaking because no one says 漢語 (汉语) unless they're reading off of something

官話 (官话)

so where did the mods get 官話 (官话) from?

it specifically means "government language" so yes, for all intents and purposes in the Chinese government, the government language is Mandarin

at least in Beijing, but in other provinces, their provincial governments do just fine in their local languages, so instead of using Mandarin as their government language, they just use their local "dialect"

but… no one calls Mandarin 官話 (官话) because that means more of government language that just Mandarin

at least, I didn't recognize it when I first saw it but what do I know lol

I'll throw in a bonus:

現代標準漢語 (现代标准汉语)

absolutely no one says this

but it's about as specific as you can get for referring to Mandarin

it literally means "modern standard Mandarin" if you were really wondering

the 漢語 (汉语) comes back again to refer to Mandarin, but it's more like an official, formal phrase than something like 普通話 (普通话)

don't worry about actually using this; no one says this out loud or even writes it because it's… really long

(six characters is a lot okay! look at the traditional characters!)

[maddieandyou]

Analysis on The Good Doctor episode 8 ‘Stories’

Metaphors and themes of love, forgiveness and betrayal 

Melendaire but could be read as unromantic or romantic also. 

This episode dealt with 3 different couples (both romantic and ‘professional’) dealing with some form of betrayal and throughout the episode the characters receive and resolve their feelings and relationships in different ways, either one doesn't want to talk to the other and they want to split or one comes to forgive the other. Two out of the three stories however are more similar than the third. 

The episode showed 3 couples dealing with betrayal and forgiveness, 2 of which were patients or family of a patient and the other Claire and Neil. The main question that the last few episodes has been building up to is how they are going to resolve their issue and the episode that focuses on that is also surrounded by 2 other couples and how they deal with a form of betrayal.

The car crash couple and Claire and Neil share a very, almost mirrored journey in this episode. And luckily both end positively. However the other side to the resolve between Claire and Neil could have ended up like the anti vax couple as they too shared a few similarities which I will explain below.

So my idea is that the episode purposefully contrasts two different couples dealing with a betrayal and how it is resolved. These resolves get influenced by medical revelations and the other characters putting their help and opinion in. 

However these 2 couples are only here for one episode, they don’t really matter in the grand scheme of the show, but they do add to the narrative themes and putting across to the audience an idea or feeling. Those feelings to name a few are basically betrayal, love and forgiveness.

The one story line that is staying, that is important and is therefore the central progression of the episode is the story line between Claire and Neil that gets tackled within the episode. The story line between Claire and Neil is also about betrayal, love (if u ship it anyway) and forgiveness. 

This is all done on purpose to highlight the and even become a foil for the relationship of Neil and Claire when comparing to the other 2 couples.

In the episode you can see Claire is dealing with something herself whilst also trying to help the husband forgive his wife for her (not really purposeful) betrayal. This is paralleled by Melendez not forgiving Claire for her breach of protocol and in both situations it is putting the relationship at risk of splitting up. 

There is also a lot of symbolic comparisons made between them too, but I’m just taking this from their choice of having certain things be said and then cutting to Claire’s reaction while she herself is going through a similar situation. 

“everything was good” the shot is on Claire, her residency was going really good, she was improving and had progressed her (’professional’) relationship with Melendez, especially in this second season 

“the last few months with todd, it was like our honeymoon” the shot is on Claire, honeymoon works as a metaphor here of course, the honeymoon could mean the good place Claire was in with her career and the same from the above.

(I know those cutaways were also Claire doing her thing and noticing the problem with the patient but its too much a coincidence as well, they could have cut to Shaun more than they did) 

The purpose of these similarities is that Claire relates to it and therefore when she was able to come to her own conclusion with her issues it in turn helped her to say the right things to the husband that convinced him to forgive his wife. The way in which she was also able to say the right things to convince Melendez to let her back on his team, but this time due to her having the control of the situation which I will dive into later.

But overall Claire seemed on edge all episode, even saying things like “sometimes people, even the people you love and trust betray you”, although I think is most likely to do with her experience with her mother than Melendez

(just also wanna throw in the line the wife says “I couldn't imagine living without him”, like lol nice Claire reference)

Now to compare this to the other couple, the anti vaxx, once the husband finds out that their son has been vaccinated at his wife's request he feels betrayed he refuses to talk to her and from what the son says wants to divorce, they refuse to communicate and talk it out through their stubbornness. And for the last few episodes Claire and Neil have not been speaking to each other and communicating about what happened because of both of their stubbornness. And the ‘divorce’ between the two in this episode is represented by Claire looking and being sorted out by different hospitals, they are therefore at risk of splitting up. 

Their is a theme of marriage in this episode using key words such as ‘honeymoon’ and ‘divorce’

This is what I mean by the resolve between Claire and Neil could essentially go either way in parallel to the couples. Luckily however they go for the resolve closest, to the car crash couple. Even some of the scenes and features of their arc are mirrored. As I’ll describe in this simplified format:

(I’m writing this in a more romantic sense but it can also be more as a professional opportunity as well tbh, get ur bread claire)

Claire to the car crash husband right after her scene with Melendez: “She acted on every impulse and temptation she had and was NEVER tempted to leave you...she NEVER stopped loving you”

Also Claire in this episode: Had various options to leave the hospital for a different residency but was willing to put her pride aside to give a cover for Melendez because she never really wanted to leave (him) she was never tempted to, (she never stopped ‘loving’ him)

Another example 

The car crash husband: Isn’t sure he can forgive his wife for the betrayal, but realises it was out of her control and goes to approach her to talk about it and probably apologise, but waits until others leave the room first.

Melendez: Isn’t sure if he’s willing to let the breach of protocol go even though Claire saved the woman’s life. So he goes to approach her to talk and probably apologise (not confirmed  what he was gonna do tho) but waits until the other people leave the room first.

Mirroring like this that is shown in this episode is not done accidentally

It could have ended differently, Claire could have stuck to her resolve and left, and Melendez could have refused her on his team again, or continued to be stubborn. 

Instead though, Claire was able to learn from the car crash couple and she helped them too, helped them deal with the situation.

Yes, there is the question of who was right and wrong but at this point Claire realised it wasn't as important as both of their careers and their relationship to each other, once she realised it was not worth throwing away she found a resolve for her and Melendez and in turn was able to help the car crash couple. 

She needed to think outside of the box and show initiative

Claire when she finds out whats wrong with the car crash wife: “There’s definitely something, I think we were just looking in the wrong place”

Now I know there were a lot of opinions on Claire having to be the one to apologise and people had a lot of issues with Andrews too, but I think he was needed. Someone had to step in and let them know what a ridiculous situation they were in.

What I thought was needed for Claire's development that lead her to her impressive resolve, which I don’t think would have happened if Andrews didn’t say this to her, was to remind her of who she is, a resident. That is why she is being treated this way in this situation. In the past there have been issues with sexism that Claire has had to face in both seasons, but in this case Claire needed a different approach 

In her push for respect and to be taken seriously or she walks, she lost her way a bit. Claire sees her issue with Melendez as if they are equals which is fine when talking about gender, disability or race which have come up before in the show. But in this case it was rank and this needs to be taken seriously when peoples lives are at stake. 

Where I think Claire realises her approach was wrong was when she confronts Andrews for coming to her first, challenging that it’s because he thinks she is easier to push. But then Andrews tells her it’s because she is a resident and not an attending . There is like a look on her face which makes me think she now knows that in order to still stand her ground she has to approach this a different way.

So what does she do? she plays along and lets something as small as the word ‘sorry’ not dictate whether or not she gets to stay in the hospital with the team and get education she wants. But if shes going to have to say sorry to Melendez she gonna sure as hell let him know that shes doing it to save his ass and she doesn't mean the apology because she has the upper hand in this situation, she plays the hierarchy game and wins, I guess we’ll see where this takes us. But she also is happy to have their relationship back to normal too, their cute little smiles made me happy : )

Claire is working from the bottom up by giving in and saying sorry instead of standing her ground but the sacrifice is worth it because in the end she gets her way, lets Melendez know that shes still sticking to her guns but still gets to be back on his team, while also giving a good impression to Andrews, letting him think he got his way. When Melendez walks away she looks so happy, she did it and Melendez understood that and didn't argue it, he in a way ‘forgave her’ because she was able to find a way for it to work for her that stayed in protocol, as opposed to breaking it which he didn’t like, he expects better from her and she delivered.

Claire is just head of surgery material like she just played two of her superiors lol

“the man may be the head but the woman is the neck and can turn the head any way she wants”

But overall when discussing this episode with my friends I feel that this episode proves that we can expect further development between Claire and Neil, but it’s not going to happen quickly or even in this season, but it’s planting the idea. The show will go back to normal now and will have a different relationship to focus on, but they’ve let us know that this isn't the end.

sorry this is so long hope you enjoyed!

[berlynn-wohl]

Freeing Your Fic of Epithets: A Workshop

Not too long ago, I talked on my blog about how epithets (”the taller man,” “the younger man”) are not only bad, but completely unnecessary. I got a couple of responses that were, shall we say, a bit rich in sodium chloride. I was accused of not understanding that some people have to write scenes with two characters of the same gender. LOL well I've only written two hundred M/M fics, so yeah, I guess I wouldn't know anything about those struggles XD I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Epithets are a non-solution to a non-problem. They are speed bumps in prose, forcing a reader to discern which character is being referred to -- just for a fraction of a second, but long enough to be disruptive to the experience. Also, although I love that fan fiction is not bound to the standards of commercial fiction, I do think it's telling that no professional author uses epithets, and any publisher or editor who receives a manuscript with epithets in them will tell the writer to remove the epithets and try again. Nevertheless, some people believe that epithets are a preferable alternative to using a character's name or their pronoun “too much,” on the grounds that this can also be distracting. So I've decided to make this post, wherein I, with the help of two characters of the same gender, will show you some sentences that have epithets, and then demonstrate how and why the epithet is unnecessary.

"Bob shoved his hand down the back of Mike's trousers, cupping the other man's ass."

"The other man" is not needed. Just use "his" instead. In the first half of the sentence, we made it clear who was shoving their hand down whose trousers, so in the second half of the sentence, the reader doesn't need a "hint" about who'll be doing the groping.

"Bob placed his hands on Mike's thighs, which thrilled the taller man."

Okay, I just had to stop reading, go to IMDb, and find out who is taller, the actor who plays Bob, or the actor who plays Mike. Turns out Mike is one inch taller. This could all have been avoided if the sentence had instead read, "It thrilled Mike to feel Bob's hands on his thighs."

"Mike heard a gasp from the brunette, the only sound he could muster."

Super simple: "Bob gasped, the only sound he could muster." In the original sentence, filtering the action through one of the character's senses added nothing to the prose. If you wish to use a filter like this, try something a little more evocative instead, like “Bob gasped, the only sound he could muster, and it was music to Mike’s ears.”

"As Bob entered the taller man, the brunette cried out at being penetrated. The florist was worried that he had hurt the barista, but Mike assured the older man that everything was alright and he could keep moving."

Is this an orgy? How many people are here right now? And why does it matter at this particular moment that one of them is a florist?

Perhaps the above example is a bit exaggerated. But watch as I re-tell this exact action, removing all epithets, without having to use names to an annoying degree: "The penetration was so intense, Mike couldn’t help but cry out. Bob froze, fearing he had proceeded too quickly. With a deep breath, Mike assured him that everything was alright, and to keep moving." Hopefully, Mike and Bob have helped me convince you that, if you feel that you have a problem with using the characters’ names and pronouns too many times, epithets are not the solution. Instead, try changing up your sentence structure. Sometimes things can be simplified by breaking a more complex thought into two sentences. Alternately, sometimes a compound sentence will allow you to retain a continuity of action that eliminates the need for naming the characters over and over. But whatever the case, I always recommend erring on the side of using more pronouns. Once you've completed your first draft, give it a couple days (that is, forget the fic a little bit), then go back and re-read. If you have trouble discerning who is doing what to whom, then it might be a good idea to put the character's name in instead of their pronoun. Names, like the word "said," are pretty much invisible to the reader. Yes, you can use them too much, but it takes a quite a lot to notice the repetition. And if you believe that hating on epithets is just "the new trendy thing that's in vogue right now," I would like to refer you to this amazing post from 2004 about how epithets are bad. Here’s another, undated but from the LiveJournal era. Here’s an LJ post from 2007 about poor epithet choices that writers make. Here’s a Tumblr post from 2012 on the subject.  Also, this essay from 2015 from a professional writer. Happy writing, and feel free to message me if a particular sentence or paragraph is giving you trouble; I’d be glad to take a look at it. :)

[shenmeizhuang-blog]

current standing + ramblings

*I wanted to do a more official, “pretty” post but currently it’s a bit...inconvenient to fully use Tumblr. So, here goes:

The Advisors Alliance (大军师司马懿之军师联盟): I do have some catching up to do, as I’m currently only 22 episodes into the 42-ep Season 1, which just completed its run a few days ago. Admittedly, I’m slightly apprehensive as I’ve read complaints that the latter part of the show becomes a bit...illogical, but time will tell. 

Where I am currently, warlord/king of Wei Kingdom (despite the current “emperor” of Eastern Han still existing) Cao Cao is about to die; with the earlier eps essentially covering protagonist Sima Yi as he assists unfavored son Cao Pi to gain the position of Crown Prince and faces adversary Yang Xiu, the deaths of the recent characters mark a pretty obvious shifting point; while the earlier eps had that whole Nirvana in Fire vibe that came with an advisor placing an unfavored son on the throne (although frankly, I ship just about everything EXCEPT Sima Yi and Cao Pi), as well as Yang Xiu and Cao Cao’s dominating presences that assisted in holding the show together, the latter eps risk being somewhat messy. 

The first episode was somewhat of a challenge to complete, with me having to even reference a dictionary multiple times, but eventually it becomes not that hard. Additionally, I find this show freaking ADORABLE -- there are just so many brief breaks of humor, heartwarming domesticity, and the ridiculously shippy romance between Cao Pi and Guo Zhao. Easily the best thing about this show is simply the cinematography and execution, so even if events become messy/illogical (though this is a considerably smart show), this is an amazing show to dunk my eyes into simply for the pretty. 

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about Three Kingdoms history, except like the super super basic, so I can’t really comment on historical accuracy (the show does utilize historical events such as battles or someone’s ascension for time skips though). I KNOW that apparently Hua Too died way later than in the show, etc., but frankly I would rather see a well thought-out story than a dry retelling of history. 

But I’m also hypocritical, and find that the show wants to emphasize Sima Yi/ everyone’s connections a bit TOO much -- like, what is the point of having to make Guo Zhao related to the Sima family? I ship her with Cao Pi a lot, but so many times it feels like she’s there to assist in saving someone in the Sima family (’tis a time where people’s lives are endangered essentially every 30 seconds). Additionally, since my cousin was watching this on TV, I saw a scene far far later where Zhen Fu 被打入冷宫 and she needed assistance or something and she freaking asked for Sima Yi. Because, of course, EVERYTHING comes back to him. 

Acting-wise, everyone is quite solid, and very surprisingly I actually recognize a lot of the actors, which makes for a very nice viewing experience. (Admittedly Li Chen feels...like Li Chen rather than Cao Pi, though the mustache I think actually helps diminish that a bit. Wang Jinsong’s portrayal of Xun You blew me away, though I’m slightly irritated by the fact that he (among 崔尚书 and other characters) essentially served as sacrifices -- some of the more minor characters tend to serve purposes to push forward the plot or give some advice rather than actually be characters. (Although they do an amazing job portraying this show’s antagonists so far). 

I really do like Yu Hewei as Cao Cao, even if people say he’s essentially channeling Chen Jianbin’s performance in San Guo (which I DIDN’T see). Personally, I can’t shake away the image of Chen Jianbin as Emperor Yongzheng (in Zhen Huan), so if I watch 3K 2010 for whatever reason it’s all going to very peculiar for me.

But, overall: I like it! I love its dramatics, humor, and cuteness rather than find it off-putting, and no matter what’s stored for the future, I will still fondly look back upon the earlier episodes at least. 

Love Lost in Times (醉玲珑): Despite the more peculiar-looking hairstyles, surprisingly one of the biggest perks to this show is the gorgeous cinematography and directing. Everything is just so very pretty -- EVEN compared to The Advisors Alliance, making this a really nice show to just relax my brain with. This is a weekly show (the horror), airing only two days a week, so with me not completely invested yet but still enjoying, I’m not biting my nails and praying for new episodes/for Thursday to come yet can more easily stay on schedule. 

Located in the kingdom of Western Wei, which interestingly is the location of a whole lot of currently airing shows (even AA technically takes place in Wei, though in a much different context), this is a world where the royal family struck a deal with a clan of witches/sorcerers (although I’ve only seen a total of two magical males in the witch clan’s realm hehe). This entire high fantasy/alternate realms is a pretty unique concept, and nicely melds with simple palace politics. But despite all the wonder and pretty, it’s very clear that the main point is the star-crossed (literally, with Qingchen being this 阴星 who is actually fated to meet 阳星) love between our leads. So far the pacing is very nice, and four episodes in, there’s already a very clear set-up . . . that is, leading up to Qingchen resetting the universe, Yuan Ling forgetting like everything, and everything angsty all starting over again. 

Admittedly, if not for the unique high fantasy concept the entire royal-political arc would be very generic. And like...why Fourth Prince AGAIN? LOL. (People say that the original novel is essentially a rehash of BBJX, especially since the original saw our protagonist time traveling from the modern day, but the romance and political events at least in the drama feel WAY TOO DIRECT and simplified for me to even make a slight association. Also, the main point of BBJX is like the freaking time travel aspect . . . erm anyway, I could rant forever about BBJX so I won’t.)

Despite the quick and refreshing pace, the one thing I find difficult is shipping the OTP, and they’re getting married despite all odds like next episode. Because, already? 

My favorite thing about this show, prettiness aside, is actually this show’s main antagonist, the seventh prince Yuan Zhan -- 1) Xu Hai Qiao but 2) unlike the other Evil^TM characters, he feels like the most complex and multifaceted character compared to everyone else (including, and especially our likable but so far typical leads, though I do also enjoy seeing Yuan Ling’s stubbornness and resourcefulness that would’ve resolved all the issues of most star-crossed romances), and is, Yuan Ling aside, someone I would entrust as a ruler. He’s sly and definitely some parts morally dark, but I enjoy seeing his ambition, the facade he creates, as well as his own perspective the justifies his own actions. He isn’t inherently evil or anything, just has a different 立场 and different motives than our leads. It’s just that his headpiece looks like either a cake or a flowerpot XD. 

Acting: both Shi Shi and William Chan are mediocre, though I think nicely compliment each other in prettiness and mediocrity, but side characters such as Liu Yijun as the horrid and corrupt Emperor, Han Dong as Qingchen’s shifu, Han Xue, Xu Hai Qiao as Yuan Zhan, Zhang He as 9th all delivered solid performances. 

It’s still a largely simplistic show that’s largely about the romance (*coughs* the title), but if well-done I’m always here for the angst. Overall, given that I didn’t really anticipate this show or have that many expectations, it’s a good show so far. Okay and randomly the opening theme sounds rather off-putting -- I would suggest skipping over that. 

[nyhne]

Stuffs about the Rosh

Tagged by @lithugraph​ Thanks! I was just thinking about how I was itching to do one of these recently haha

Tagging @erengelion​ @ebooleant​ and @lordsardine​ if ya want c:

01: do you have a good relationship with your parents? Yes which I’m very grateful and lucky for- in my own theory it’s due to the fact that they “had” me when they were older than most parents, and I’m an only child. I think it is in their nature that there’s a lot of mutual respect between us, but I do think that having a kid when older can help with that. 

02: who did you last say “i love you” to? Parents probably, or maybe my friend when we parted ways I can’t remember

03: do you regret anything? Kinda regretting not peeling the celery for this bolognese sauce. In my defense, this is literally my first time actually cooking with celery (don’t really like it on its own so didn’t grow up eating/cooking a lot of it)

04: are you insecure? *finger guns*

05: what is your relationship status? pretty dang single

07: what did you last eat? Just finished dinner- made some simplified bolognese sauce tonight which I thought came out pretty well c: It’s a sauce I’ve been wanting to try for a while and it wasn’t nearly as grueling as I thought it would be which was cool

08: played any sports? haha no I got into athletic activity a bit late in life and even now I’m not really athletic, I more just like to exercise

09: do you bite your nails? Just the skin around them. I recently learned that’s what they mean when they say “biting the cuticles”!

10: when was your last physical fight? oh boy I was raised in a pretty safe childhood

11: do you like someone? Do you mean like, like like someone?

12: have you ever stayed up 48 hours? Yeah lol college

13: do you hate anyone at the moment? nah not really a “hating” person

14: do you miss someone? Absolutely

15: have any pets? My cat Humanity who’s back home with my parents. My friend/near-future roommate and I very nearly adopted a cat on Saturday though lol

16: how exactly are you feeling at the moment? Actually really happy. It was a good day overall, and then my internship supervisor unexpectedly talked to me after everybody else had left in the office and somewhat officially offered me an extension on my internship (since I’ll of course still be in DC for school this year) which, ahhhhhh so this was something I had been a little bummed about, because I knew that they knew I was going to be in the area even after my internship technically ended, but nobody really brought up whether I could do another internship/continue it with them in the fall and I didn’t want to ask because a) I still have my other job so no internship would just mean that I’m working more and b) I have a pretty good relationship with my supervisors/coworkers and so I didn’t want to put them or me into a position of saying “Well we know you’re in DC still but uh we don’t have an internship for you” so I just left it at not asking, and I knew applications for the fall were already in and they had been talking about it so I figured that was that. So this honestly caught me off guard, and then it was extra sweet because apparently the reason they hadn’t said anything thus far was because my two supervisors were apparently trying to figure out if there was a way for me to work and get paid for it which is just ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh wow that was really just so sweet of them and meant so much to me especially that my supervisor kept stressing that she and her co-supervisor were really pleased and impressed with my work ;;o;; So that really REALLY made my day and I honestly went home smiling all the way on the bus C: And then I had a lot of fun preparing the bolognese sauce and I thought it turned out well which also felt good- especially because I’ve gotten a number of compliments on my food when I bring it in for lunch which really means a lot to me 

Sorry lots of self-touting stuff there, been wanting to get that out all day haha

17: ever made out in the bathroom? gonna be frank and say I’m not sure

18: are you scared of spiders? More the “”jump scare”” when you seen one unexpectedly

19: would you go back in time if you were given the chance? Probably not

20: where was the last place you snogged someone? Oh boy that was probably back in Sophomore year :X

21: what are your plans for this weekend? I’ll be moving apartments! I’m really excited about it c:

22: do you want to have kids? how many? If by kids you mean cats then like ten idk 

23: do you have piercings? how many? Just ears right now- three lobe in my right, and one lobe and two cartilage in my left. Honestly would kind of love to get an eyebrow piercing but I don’t think it’s gonna happen. Or the septum piercing I’m still kinda dreaming about :C

24: what is/are/were your best subject(s)? Uh I guess the subjects I put the most effort into are usually foreign languages, writing classes, and history depending on the class

25: do you miss anyone from your past? Of course

26: what are you craving right now? Nothing actually, I’m pretty content with everything for the first time in a while

27: have you ever broken someone’s heart? Idk probably not?

28: have you ever been cheated on? Lol nah

29: have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? Never dated

30: what’s irritating you right now? Nothing actively- the background annoyances right now are still my (current) roommate, one of my internship coworkers, and my last paycheck from the restaurant- although that’s not really an annoyance, more just like wow I really have no idea how this payroll works

31: does somebody love you? My parents probably!

32: what is your favourite colour? You know I keep saying red but to be honest it’s probably blue or yellow/orange more at this point

33: do you have trust issues? To be honest I probably do lol

34: who/what was your last dream about? Honestly no idea- I don’t really dream much

35: who was the last person you cried in front of? Oh boy it uh would have been back when I was in Berlin...  

36: do you give out second chances too easily? Yeah, but I’m not sure if I’d say “too easily.” Like I usually know what I’m getting myself into, but I’ll definitely give out second chances

37: is it easier to forgive or forget? Forgive, ultimately, I think

38: is this year the best year of your life? Probably not, but I value what I’ve learned this year and how much I think I’ve grown

39: how old were you when you had your first kiss? Uh probably like 18/19? Idk

40: have you ever walked outside completely naked? No I think

51: favourite food? Pasta of any variation/combination

52: do you believe everything happens for a reason? Hmm

53: what is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? Let my roommate in because our other roommate lost her keys so this roommate has to message one of us to get into the building

54: is cheating ever okay? Whew

55: are you mean? To be honest I can be pretty petty and nasty, it’s just that I try and rein it in and be conscious of it

56: how many people have you fist fought? Lots (2) of questions about fighting

57: do you believe in true love? Eh maybe?

58: favourite weather? Sunny but not blazingly hot, light breeze, fresh air, can be either spring or fall

59: do you like the snow? Sure

60: do you wanna get married? Lolll no

61: is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? I prefer “babe” to be honest- and I use it as kind of a general term of endearment for people whether or not I’m romantic/actually friends with them lol I’m very much a “babe/darling/sweetheart” person

62: what makes you happy? I like it when others are happy

63: would you change your name? If I could I would

64: would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? Again, pretty sure the last person I kissed on the lips was in Sophomore year so probably would not want to kiss them again lol

65: your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? Depends on who the friend is but to be honest I’m kinda bad at confrontations so I probably would handle it in a Not Ideal way

66: do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? Definitely!

67: who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? Chatted with one of the security guards at the museum on my way out. Honestly the security guards are one of the parts I’m happiest about with staying with this internship for longer because I love talking to them 

68: who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? The guard at the museum! Today’s conversations included Why you stay up at night/can’t fall asleep, What ‘serious’ problems matter to you, and Sending stuff back home to your family. I got into the galleries a lot for my project, so I get to interact with the security guards a lot C: 

69: do you believe in soulmates? Eh

70: is there anyone you would die for? I hope that if anyone was in danger in front of me that I would be willing to die for them, frankly 

[reactingtosomething]

Reacting to Captain America: Civil War (Part 1 of 3)

You Get Your Fave Color As a Name

The Setup: Kris thought it would be cool to bring in Guest Reactors from time to time, so Marchae asked her brother Clint, a superhero comics superfan, if he’d want to do a Reaction with her. Much to her regret, he enthusiastically suggested Captain America: Civil War, which Miri and Kris also love. Marchae, however, was pretty sure she’d only seen the first Iron Man and The Avengers before this, so the first part of this Reaction is mostly just her trying to wrap her head around the admittedly gigantic cast.

Miri and Kris added notes in italics after the fact. As always, you can click on the first appearances of our names to see our creative and critical influences.

MARCHAE: CLINT! Hello 

CLINT: Hey

MARCHAE: K, So first and most importantly thanks for reacting with me Secondly... What exactly is the name of the movie…?  Captain America 3 or Captain American 3 Avengers Civil War... I am still a bit confused there 

CLINT: no prob it was an experience

MARCHAE: (me watching the movie with you?) 

CLINT:  Just Captain America: 3 Civil war. Both

MARCHAE:  Ok so I told you how this works... We watch and we react. As you know I landed with about 8 pages of handwritten notes. I literally am going to start at page one and work my way down... Also, you may indeed ask me all of the questions you have 

CLINT: And me a quarter page

MARCHAE: LOL 

how many times have you watched the movie 

CLINT: I'll go with several

MARCHAE: I want a number 

CLINT: The time in the theater?

MARCHAE: I'll tell you how many times I've watched Seven Pounds and Beyond the Lights

CLINT: Billions

MARCHAE: Same!

more than 20?

CLINT: It's likely. It's a happy place for me

MARCHAE: That movie is your happy place? I feel like I've perhaps failed you as a sibling and a friend

CLINT: It's one of them my inner child goes bananas and it's a good movie

MARCHAE: hmmm.... 

Ok so I want to start with my first question... I still was unclear if Hydra was a place or a person or a combination of both

CLINT: Hydra is an organization age old. It's a way deeper answer than that. But I won't bore you

MARCHAE: OHHHHHHH... I am sure I went through the entire film trying to use context clues. And thank you! 

CLINT: It can turn into an argument about fascism. We will avoid that

MIRI: Hydra is Nazis, pass it on

MARCHAE: **SHAKES HEAD**

CLINT: And you didn't see winter soldier

So yeah

KRIS: I told you to see Winter Soldier, Marchae

MARCHAE: ok... So my next prelim question- Wanda is black panther or Scarlett witch? 

CLINT: Black panther was the black man from Africa

KRIS: and the best part of this movie DON’T @ ME

MARCHAE: like i need their "super people names" 

and Wanda alternate reality girl? 

CLINT: In the black cat suit

MARCHAE: I know who he was now... but who is Wanda? Was there a Wanda

CLINT: No reality warping

K: For non-comics readers: Wanda’s powers are traditionally characterized as “hexes” to alter the probability of weird things happening around her or to her targets. They’re derived from her mutant DNA, and amplified by training in “chaos magic.” 

The movies have simplified this -- partly because of licensing issues with the X-Men -- to telekinesis, force fields, and (though not seen in Civil War) some mind control, derived from experiments with an Infinity Stone.

MARCHAE: same difference 

CLINT: There was a Wanda, Scarlett witch

Big difference

MARCHAE: OK 

CLINT: Bigly

MARCHAE: DO NOT! 

CLINT: Lol

MARCHAE: ok so now I am ready... Why is this not just called Avengers 3? I think it is annoying that this series tries to think it's cool and we talked about this briefly in person but it is confusing. There was an Avengers 1 with the same exact people and this seems like a legit continuation of that same story

CLINT: Well it is but isn't at the same time the avengers deal with the oncoming threat of Thanos where cap is more of a story that goes into his character and journey of being in our time you have to remember he's been frozen since the end of ww2 the only person left alive that he knew is Bucky. His whole world is dead. Cap is a man out of time

I hope that helped

MARCHAE: Yeah.  So he was frozen from part one?  til now? 

CLINT: no…

MARCHAE: so that's my question

CLINT: We start with him being thawed in avengers. Cap one told the story of how he became cap

Two was him finding a role in our time. Three was defining that role

MARCHAE: and three is the curfuffle that find themselves in now! GOTCHA. ok so NOW on with the show 

CLINT: Yes. Cap is the moral compass of the avengers

How did you feel about the big font

MARCHAE: big font? 

CLINT: For locations

MARCHAE: You mean to let us know we'd shifted in time/location? 

CLINT: Yes

MARCHAE: HAHAH. It was delightful and was a great way to keep notes!  BUT

CLINT: But...

MARCHAE: I want to go back a few paces to something you just tried to slide in there like hot butter on a frying pan CAPTAIN AMERICA as the MORAL COMPASS  umm no thank you! that will be a hard pass! I think indeed I said in my notes and to quote myself: "THANK GOD I don't live in this world with these people" 

CLINT: Ok why do you find that hard to believe

MARCHAE: I also said danger follows these people and thank god that General Ross is aware of their shenanigans and has checked their reckless a**es

MIRI: MARCHAE noooooo!

K: I’m with Marchae on this one. Ross is an antagonist, technically, and he’s a dick, obviously, but given the information available to him at any point in this movie (as opposed to in The Incredible Hulk) he’s damn near a voice of reason. And he stays out of T’Challa’s way, which is generally a good policy.

CLINT: But what if they weren't around to stop said danger

MARCHAE: (also you can swear if you'd like... I just usually don't but really it's fine) ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW 

they don't behave with much caution and they blow all the things up (although I will add that if this had just been non stop action movie with fight scenes I would have been super happy!!!)

CLINT: So you'd just leave super villains to be and let the chips handle it

MARCHAE: I felt like honestly, I don't want any of them saving me and found myself wishing that Superman could be called to restore all the order to the world. Also I'd call actual people in who could handle their crap

CLINT: did you see man of steel

MARCHAE: I am a purist when it comes to Superman... I only watch the black and white and the Dean Cain  versions...none of this new stuff BECAUSE (now go with me as I go down the list of my MANY observations (note i capped MANY) about your friends the avengers

CLINT: That's good because he destroyed metropolis and murdered

MARCHAE: and why I do not think that they are the individuals I'd want to protect me... I took notes **BOOM** 

(you may have to help with names)

CLINT: They seem like just regular people

MARCHAE: No…that's not the only reason why...I really did have reasons... 

1. Jarvis/Vision he is a toddler

like literally three years old he does not understand that entrapment and walking through walls when doors are clearly OPENED is a thing that people do...

CLINT: Give or take yes he was an AI then got a body

MARCHAE: right... so sprinkle him with water, we got short circuits and I still die! 

K: He’s not a robot in the old school sense, he’s made of vibranium and artificial muscle. Also, Iron Man’s armor is waterproof. As are a lot of electronic things in real life.

CLINT: Well how many people do you know that can rank through walls

He can get wet

Or just phase through the water

MARCHAE: None! but how does that HELP me in danger...this is legit about why I DON'T think they are qualified 

2. Olsen Sister/alternate reality girl 

PEOPLE HATE HER and she's volatile

MIRI: Other people’s ire does not make her a bad person?? 

KRIS: SHE’S BEEN THROUGH A LOT MARCHAE

CLINT: He had a head canon and can fly

K: I know it’s just a typo but now I’m deeply curious about Vision’s headcanon. Doesn’t matter for what pop culture, just any headcanon. What do you think Vision’s favorite TV shows are?

MARCHAE: which means that in a fight they will kill her iin this film he had one job and one job only ... to keep Olsen Sister in check,  he failed. So no he may not assist in saving my life 

Black Witch is her name I think 

CLINT: Scarlet Witch would be hard to kill if she knew that's what you were trying to do that. And he had a crush on her 

Black Widow

MARCHAE: DAMN ALL THESE NAMES WITH BLACK IN FRONT OF THEM!!! I don't care what he had and also who says “hey I'm gonna try and kill you before that take over the  world with Marchae in it…beware…toodles! no one.. 

CLINT: You get your fave color as a name

MARCHAE: She's on my list of NO DO NOT SAVE ME  what do you mean like they could call me Black Grey? like if that were my superhero name as in my two favorite colors? 

CLINT: You wouldn't let black widow save you

MARCHAE: That's the Olsen Sister

CLINT: It's only one color.

No

MARCHAE: OHHHH I see what you mean

CLINT: Scarlet jojo

MARCHAE: Ok i am so confused can we go back and clear this up.. I am sure this post is getting me kicked out of my group 

1. What is the Olsen Sister's name Black.... 

CLINT: Scarlet Witch

MARCHAE: SHIT! you just made me break my rule 

CLINT: Lol

MARCHAE: SO SCARLET WITCH (who i have been talking about this entire time) COULD NOT SAVE ME!!!! 

CLINT: You did take notes?

MARCHAE: I DID

CLINT: Why not

MARCHAE: She's volatile and PEOPLE HATE HER

ok 3. 

K: Is she “volatile”? Wasn’t Lagos an issue of technical control, as opposed to temperament?

CLINT:  You'd get why if you saw her back story

MARCHAE:  No time out. Go back so explain the name thing . So your favorite colors is part of your name 

you mean to tell me this world gets only two colors  black and scarlet

CLINT:  No not all the time

MIRI: I mean Black Widow is named for the spider. They didn’t actually choose the color for that name arbitrarily.

MARCHAE: ok nevermind this is getting to far off the rails.

CLINT: It is, stay contained

MARCHAE: you asked about Black Widow/ ScarJo… is that her name?

CLINT: Yes

MARCHAE: YAY ME!  here is why. Now while I think she is absolutely EVERYTHING in this movie she may not come near me . 1. if you remember I think I asked you every time she was on screen if she was in a romantic relationship with the person she was engaging in dialogue with to me that is problematic as a superhero  she is absolutely stunning...  she would probably be too busy seducing the criminal, you, me, my momma and my grandmother... 

CLINT: So because she's pretty she can't save you

MARCHAE: NOW she's beyond pretty and I'm not entirely sure what that next step up from beyond pretty is but it is quite confusing why she works so hard to seduce EVERYONE. Its not a dig I just need her to stay focused on saving me. NOW she is also badass and she can fight and this combination of factors is easily why I named her Madam Hot Sauce (also to get the names straight because they all start with black) 

CLINT: She is focused! she flippy kicks bab guys. You gotta focus on that

MIRI: Marchae, I approve of your brother

K: She also tazes them!

MARCHAE: She's hot and I think she's too self-aware of it to be terribly effective.. .NOW  NOW come back

MIRI: DO NOT BLAME NATASHA ROMANOV FOR THE ACTIONS OF THE PATRIARCHY AND WHAT SHE WAS RAISED TO BE SHE IS DOING HER BEST and also remind me to show you her introduction in the first Avengers film where we see how deliberately she uses the way men view her to her advantage in her SUPER SECRET AND IMPORTANT SPY WORK TO SAVE THE DAMN WORLD

K: I TOLD YOU TO SEE WINTER SOLDIER MARCHAE

But seriously, she’s so great in Winter Soldier. The best relationship in the MCU to date is still Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff, Workplace Proximity Acquaintances.

It has Robert Redford in it. I feel like that’s an incentive you’ll care about.

ALSO like half of my final paper in Story Structures was about Winter Soldier.

CLINT: There are only two

MARCHAE: Madam Hot Sauce as I will continue to call her (there were like six blacks- we can cover that in a moment) from here on out with her saucy self DOES NOT HAVE A SUPER POWER 

So her super power is to be sexy and have a raspy voice that I can only dream of achieving when I have a chest cold?  DOES NOT COMPUTE when I am trying to get saved one swift kick to her sternum and she's dead  and so am I

CLINT: She's a highly skilled spy

MARCHAE: so Madam Hot Sauce is off the list of people who can save me.. .

I AM ALSO A HIGHLY SKILLED SPY!!!!! You know what I am I am not? I am NOT A SUPER HERO

CLINT: That's cause your skills aren't that high

MARCHAE: **SIDE EYE*** LOL 

CLINT: Nor are you a spy

MARCHAE: I do a mean job ear hustling!  and I feel like a spy when I take lowkey photos of people 

BOOM

CLINT: And reading upside down

MARCHAE: and backwards! but that isn't enough to save the world. Now moving on from Madam Hot Sauce

CLINT: Nope

MARCHAE: Ok Iron Man , also a hard NO . he's kind of arrogant and that just kind of makes me want to say no thank you for your services to prove a point... and he "tries" to be funny (and he is... but when saving my life that crap isn't cute!!)  now more specifically...  HE GETS HIT IN THE CHEST AND WE'RE OUT

CLINT: He is he is in Drake mode this movie

MARCHAE: Look that man does the most

CLINT: But it's not easy to hit in the chest

MARCHAE: and one should not be able to rip out your chest light and the whole ship go crashing 

but it was easy FOR AN ANT (we are going to address that ant) TO DO IT

HARD FREAKING PASS on IRON MAN!!!

K: EXCUSE YOU (shameless plug for some of my older culture writing), Iron Man is arguably the Avenger with the greatest track record of rigorous self-reflection and aggressive course-correction. I like Clint Barton but he can go fuck himself for his self-righteousness in the Raft.

As for Ant-Man, he got flushed out pretty fast, so no serious harm there.

CLINT: Nobody got it out though

MARCHAE: CAPTAIN AMERICA DID AT THE END 

K: WITH AN UNBREAKABLE SHIELD DESIGNED BY TONY’S FATHER AND FORGED FROM THE SAME METAL THAT BLACK PANTHER’S ARMOR IS MADE OF

CLINT: It's his movie

MARCHAE: I DON'T GIVE A RATS CRACK!!! this is about who can save me in a fight and frankly I don't feel comfortable with any of them!!!  and they've got the nerve to be RECKLESS and INCOMPETENT  ALSO SOME OF THEM HAVE NO POWER!!! 

CLINT:  Their power lies within

MARCHAE: Stop it! LOL! not when I am under fire 

the power needs to lie with...out(???) ok I am not done because i did think about this and I am not kidding 

CLINT: But they are highly trained individuals

MARCHAE: I literally just groaned out loud 

CLINT: #skills

MARCHAE: #callsupermanifimintrouble...#please

CLINT: And here's the thing you don't need powers to be great

MARCHAE: YOU DO NEED POWERS TO LIVE in my SCENARIO of MY LIFE being in DANGER

CLINT: You just have to have a desire to help to be a hero

MARCHAE: I swear next time I  see you I am going to kick you in the ankle.. .I really did fail you when we were youth. So back to my scenario... Black Panther (I think is his name) 

CLINT: Those ladies in that car i helped didn't care if I had powers

MARCHAE: May also NOT save me

OH MY GOD 

CLINT: Why not?!?!?!

MARCHAE: That is truth... you did save the ladies in the car but guess what you don't live in a world (real life) that requires one to have superpowers to save people... the FICTIONAL world we live in where MY life is the Scenario requires that you have them  

and WHY NOT? you told me the man has no superpowers instead he has "enhancements" but can fly and has claws. NOPE

CLINT: He can't fly

MARCHAE: Ok so there we go...  point proven. trotting right along like my name is madam hot sauce jr.

K: But T’Challa A) has armor that can shrug off bullets from a helicopter gunship, and B) does have powers, comparable to Cap’s. We don’t know the MCU’s version of the details yet (February 2018!), but we see that he’s superhuman from his jump in the second-act fight with Bucky, and also just the fact that he goes toe-to-toe with Bucky more successfully than Nat or Sharon.

CLINT: But the thing is although they are super it's not the powers that make them super

Wouldn't he be sir hot sauce

MARCHAE: **Looks around the room in shock***(re: super powers making them super)

I said my name!

K: This is not a very scientific etymology, Marchae. The “super” in superhero applies to the “hero,” not the details of their heroism.

CLINT: Oh

MARCHAE: There are only three more I think 

CLINT: I thought you meant black panther

MARCHAE: Don C's character

CLINT: War machine

MARCHAE: YES! I was typing that one 

CLINT: No powers

MARCHAE: Ok so see all the crap I typed above..he has a suit.. that’s not cute and not entirely useful if a more powerful superhero came along. does not make me feel safe at all  

K: A of all, you keep making it sound like the armor is literally a tin can, but within the power hierarchy so far established by the MCU, Tony’s is the pinnacle of human weapons technology, and Rhodey’s isn’t that far behind. There aren’t like a hundred Visions walking around who make the armor totally obsolete.

Second and more seriously, I really think that at least in this movie Rhodey is the most clear-headed non-android Avenger. Even Nat’s perspective isn’t as grounded as his because she’s spent a lot of time hanging around Thor and the Hulk. That physical therapy scene at the end is one of the best and most important in Civil War. He knows he’s right, but he isn’t bitter about it. Steve’s particular Bucky crisis didn’t fit neatly into the lines drawn by the Accords, but nothing about it changes the hard truths of the policy problem. The world changed. Because the Avengers changed it. And only Team Iron Man was willing to accept the consequences of their own actions and change with it.

Captain America

CLINT: Powers

MARCHAE: Thanks but no thanks... Someone with a single strong arm would come along and it'd all go to crap NOPE. he's not focused and while he seems loyal.. I am gonna take a hard pass on that one 

CLINT: You mean Buck

MARCHAE: I am referring to one named Buckey

CLINT: Lol

His homie

Bff

MARCHAE: I don't care if it is his mother!!!!  NO you may ALSO NOT SAVE ME! YOU AREN"T FOCUSED!!!! 

I think I got the entire team

CLINT: He was

Falcon?

MARCHAE: Yeah on his own issues NOT MINE 

K: Although I love Steve Rogers, and I think (not that this is at all an original position) that he’s one of our most important high-profile pop culture examples of a character who is both virtuous and interesting (contra the conventional wisdom that terrible people or at least assholes are inherently more fascinating in fiction than simply good people), I agree that this movie doesn’t do enough to justify his positions. I guess it’s a testament to the direction and especially the performance, and of course to audience goodwill banked over the course of the MCU, that he still somehow manages to be the default protagonist of Civil War for most people. But as in many things, most people are wrong.

Oh falcon the one with the retractable wings that got shot down? 

CLINT: Ant man

MARCHAE: that guy? himANT MAN SWEET BABY JESUS AND DO NOT SAY THE OTHER ONE 

K: Paul Rudd can’t help but be charming but I’m never going to find Ant-Man’s power set particularly cool, and the best part of Ant-Man, the movie, is far and away Michael Peña.

CLINT: He didn't get shot down

K: Yeah, Falcon dodged Vision’s energy beam, that’s how War Machine got shot down instead

MARCHAE: if you do I swear I will disown you what happened that took his suit ? 

CLINT: Hawkeye?

MARCHAE: HE’S A MALE KATNISS EVERDEEN! NO !!!! What is wrong with you? DUDE HAS AN ARROW There’s only room for one Katniss Everdeen! 

CLINT: Why are you so mean to them.

K: CLINT make your sister read Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye run. If nothing else she’ll appreciate Kate Bishop.

And MARCHAE, if we’re going to talk about important woman archers in YA literature, Katniss Everdeen is preceded by DECADES by Susan Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia. Also, isn’t dismissing Hawkeye because “he’s a male Katniss Everdeen” like saying Katniss is redundant because “she’s a female Robin Hood”?

Spider Man

MARCHAE: I am not mean to them I am just expressing why they do not make me feel safe in my fictitious world. 

I would not feel safe

CLINT: I would

They would die to protect people

MARCHAE: Also I am going to gloss over Spider Man right now because he is MY ALL TIME LEAST FAVORITE SUPERHERO EVER IN THE HISTORY OF ALL SUPER HEROES EVER!!

MIRI: Readers you can expect a post where Marchae and I FIGHT ABOUT THIS A LOT in the future

They wanted to sign a treaty because they weren't doing their jobs properly 

and frankly the Toddler Robot Jarvis and Madam Hot Sauce were the only ones who felt that this was an actual thing to be concerned about

CLINT: They were doing what they set out to do

MARCHAE: so while they may not have superpowers if I just had to have someone save me I would choose them 

CLINT: That was kinda the point

MARCHAE: no they were being reckless general ross said so 

CLINT: So you would pick a spy and baby robot

MARCHAE: yes... 

CLINT: That's cause he hates the hulk

MARCHAE: they are reasonable and aside from the fact that she would eventually seduce everyone around me and he would just walk through walls for no reason.. Yes the hulk was NOT in this film let's not bring outsiders into this discussion… gets too fuzzy 

CLINT: Density shift. Well that's his link to it all/ His daughter is the hulks boo

MARCHAE: The Toddler Robot's daughter is Hulks GF? 

CLINT: No Ross's daughter

MARCHAE: This is worse than a daytime soap opera I swear!!!!!! 

CLINT: #60yearsofstories

MARCHAE: #toomuchplaying

MIRI: They have barely talked about the movie at all. This is basically just Marchae being unnecessarily salty about the quality of the heroes in an arbitrary external situation. I’m so mad and I love it. 

KRIS: AS AM I

Part 2 coming Thursday! In the meantime, you can follow us on Twitter.

[language-obsession]

In Canto how widespread is this "lazy sounds"/懶音 phenomenon & what's your opinion on it e.g. Letting it just happen or trying to "correct" it? I've heard things like "nobody ever says 我 as ngo or 五 as ng anymore" but idk

AHAAAAAA this is a REALLY REALLY good ask !!!!!! I’ve gotten into some heated discussions with Cantonese speakers about “懶音” but as a (baby) descriptive linguist I just sit back and enjoy the show tbh. Humans have been complaining about the deterioration of human language since the beginning of human history, this is nothing new or special LOL. The change is actually very exciting, because it is a fairly recent shift, with a huge wave of pronunciation differences happening sometime after World War 2. Of course, sound shifts, like any other language shift, happen in layers over time, so the majority of speakers who have merged certain sounds together are still within the younger generation. Also, maybe you’d find it interesting to note that an earlier change occurred sometime in the 1800′s to early 1900′s, where sibilants got depalatalized in words like 張, 昌, 傷, in contrast to its non-palatal counterparts 將, 搶, 相; a distinction that still exists in many Northern Mandarin varieties (the classic zh/z, sh/s, ch/c), but in modern HK Cantonese we would pronounce the sets 張/將, 昌/搶, 傷/相 as zoeng1, coeng1 and soeng1 respectively, with no clear distinction within each set. (although some non-HK varieties have maintained the distinctions - older GZ generations still keep some distinctions I believe, but the younger GZ generation would speak similarly to people in HK)

My speech actually has most of the sound changes, because when I was younger I tried to imitate a HK accent in an attempt to make myself sound more native, so the way my brain interpreted “more HK sounding” was to adapt as many of these sound changes as possible LOL (oddly enough, before I even knew “懶音” was a thing). For example, I do find myself:

deleting ng initials a lot while also adding them where they weren’t originally (愛 oi > ngoi, 眼 ngaan > aan, 銀 ngan > an) 

I have the gwo > go, kwo > ko shift (過 gwo > go, 國 gwok > gok)

sometimes i mix up final k/t (like in 特別 dak bit > dat?k? bit or 突然 dat jin > dak jin - funnily enough, i struggled for a second when i typed out 突然 just now in jyutping lollllll)

and i also have the classic n > l merger (你 nei > lei，奶 naai > laai，男 naam > laam) 

The one change that I don’t find myself doing too much is the final ng > n merger, although I’ve heard this particularly in stereotypical 港女 speech (靚 leng > len, 橙色 caang sik > caan sik/sek, 正 zeng > zen).

One “argument” against sound change in Cantonese that I’ve heard time and time again is that we are going against what the Qieyun or Guangyun rime dictionaries have written down, since we’re losing sound distinctions. and for some highly prescriptivist Cantonese linguists, this is extremely disastrous, because once the change has occurred and a large population of people have adapted to the change, it’s very very difficult to change back the way millions of people speak. But of course, I see absolutely no problem with that, because Sinitic varieties have been changing for THOUSANDS of years. The Qieyun and Guangyun were written in 600 AD AND 1000 AD RESPECTIVELY, why are we prescribing how people should be speaking based off of thousand year old records? That being said, the Qieyun/Guangyun dictionaries are EXTREMELY EXTREMELY important in learning about Chinese phonology and to Sinitic linguistics in general, but I think it’s problematic to assume that somehow we are magically going to maintain all sound distinctions with no losses. That’s why I roll my eyes when I see Youtube videos about 粵語正讀 like “pls spare me from ur overly prescriptivist ways i do nut need u to tell me how to do the spek”

On a relevant note, if Old Chinese had never lost its derivational affixes, the Chinese varieties MIGHT (key word: MIGHT) not even have developed tones, although ofc it would be 100% impossible for a language to remain completely frozen in time for thousands of years, especially if people were actively using it on a daily basis. As well, ever since the rime dictionaries were written down, we have been merging a lot of initial consonants, and we actually lost the entire voiced consonant set in some Sinitic varieties (we have no b, d, g initial consonants in Cantonese OR Mandarin, contrary to popular belief - shocking, I know - although there’s still b, d, and g in Taiwanese Hokkien and Shanghainese for example). Some people act as if the “懶音” of today are some kind of new event started by the Youth of Today™ but it’s been happening since the time of Confucius and even way before that. Humans generally use language creatively and efficiently: we may shorten things, simplify articulation, introduce new sounds, mix things up, etc etc., and that’s all a natural part of language development, which is why old Cantonese linguists who can’t get over these so called “懶音” drain the life out of me LOL ;;; 

I assume you’re a Canto speaker as well, so next time someone tells you to stop speaking with lazy sounds, you can rant about natural language change hahahahhaa 

This is more of an afterthought actually, but some non-HK varieties of Cantonese have already undergone initial ng- dropping and certain vowel changes, even faster than some of the changes in HK and GZ Cantonese !!! On the other hand, some other Guangdong varieties have maintained a lot of sounds (even sounds that we don’t pronounce in HK/GZ Cantonese anymore). Like in 中山 and 珠海 Cantonese, they still pronounce words like 魚，驗，研，語 with an ng- initial (which is actually closer to the reconstructed Middle Chinese pronunciations), even though we’ve reduced it to a y- initial in HK/GZ Cantonese, although no one would even try to argue that /ŋ-/ > /j-/ is a detrimental sound change to Cantonese.

tl;dr - im hella salty about extreme cantonese prescriptivists and i’m excited to be part of a modern sound change !!! speak however you want bc it literally doesn’t matter !!! language is cool and dont be afraid to embrace change !!! 

Edit: I have been informed that TW Hokkien does not have a d-initial I AM A GOOF, I should’ve double checked that oop. Thanks @bessely for pointing that out though!! (Also YES I WAS GONNA MENTION THE HAKKA STUFF TOO but I don’t know enough about it to talk about it confidently hehe)

[azanycollectormilkshakeworl-blog]

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Geico's quote was WAY lower than anybody else's. Several hundred dollars lower, in fact. When I asked an Allstate agent about the difference, he said it was mainly due to Allstate offering more types of insurance, investments, better customer service, and that Geico's quote was low just to get you in the door and that it would go up once I appeared interested. After a 10 minute monologue of him explaining this, he quickly printed my quote and rushed me out of his office. Does anyone have experience with Geico? All I need is auto and maybe renter's insurance. I don't need them to manage my retirement! Are they as underhanded about raising quotes as I was told?""

How do I challenge my auto insurance company's appraisal of damages to other car in an at-fault(my) acci ?

I read-ended another car at an intersection. Both of us were stopped at a light. When the light turned green, the other car started moving and immediately slammed on brakes. In the meanwhile, I had taken my foot off brake and hit the car (at < 5mph). The other party has filed claim for $1350 for damages and also for unknown amount of bodily injury. There is not even a mark of any collision on my car (as the speed was low). My insurance company has agreed to their claim related to damages and is waiting for the exact amount for the bodily injury claim. This has been quite unfair to me and will definitely bump up my premium like crazy. Is there any way I can challenge my insurance company's appraisal of the damages ? Are there any other alternatives ? What kind of evidence would I need to furnish for the same ? We had called a Cop to report the accident. I wanted him to note that the impact was at < 5mph. However, he refused to do that saying that this would be left to insurance""

Can I throw away my old insurance card?

I got new insurance. do I need to keep the old card for any records?

Looking for insurance to cover me?

lost my license and to get them back you have to have car that is insured,dont have car so the DMV said that i could insure myself.""

Argument with car insurance company any advice?

recently suffered total loss due to fire of my car and claimed on my insurance policy they came and valued the car after the accident and then took 300 quid off for policy excess however it clearly states in their policy that they cover permanently fitted radio/audio equipment to max of 500 euro , fair enough so i submitted my claim to cover the radio which was destroyed with the car as a result of fire , cost of cd/radio was 149.00 in argos but company now say that their definition of permanently fitted radio is one that has been fitted in the factory when car was made but my car is secondhand and had a sony cd/radio fitted when i bought the car . Now they say this is not covered as is not classed as permanently fitted , to me a permanently fitted radio is one that you cannot take out of the car unless you are replacing it , some cd/mp3 players are easily removed for security and can be taken from the car each evening but this is not the case with mine Anyone else out there been taken for a ride by their insurance company , was thinking of legal action as they should have specified factory fitted radio in their advertising instead of permanently fitted Had arguement with them for 30 mins but they kept saying that the radio/audio had to be factory fitted from new""

Where can I get the cheapest auto insurance?

Im a 16 year old male who lives in new orleans. I have a 3.8 GPA, and my car has a 5-star crash rating (2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid). Where can i get affordable insurance?""

""My friend has been driving for twenty years so many as taxi driver, he cant get cheap insurance?""

why can't he get cheap insurance for being an experienced driver. same as for example myself driving for 19 years no convictions or claims,only down fall being a named driver on spouses insurance. i know to get the no claims bonus i have to get insurance in my name. but wow what a fair wack, for being a careful and honest driver all these years.any info would be appreciated.i think it unfair that we should pay the same as a new and young driver with no experience. many thanx for any help""

How much would it cost to insure a 1995-2000 Ford Mustang?

Something with around 80k-100k miles. Everything stock no mods or tuning. Not convertible. Im 18 so i know itll be a decent amount. Im going to have my dad co sign on the car to help lower the insurance. Itll be used for maybe 3 times a week and ill put maybe 5k a year on it. Im on gieco currently and they wont give me an accurate qoute and i know you wont really be able to but if you give me the same number itll be the set amount ill asume. Thanks

Question with car insurance?

Okay so we have two cars. One 1992 buick and a 2006 civic coupe. I usually drive the coup and my name was on the insurance for it, but recently my parents swapped insurance to save money but it involved switching my name to the buick and their name onto the civic. They tell me i can't drive the civic anymore b/c if i get into an accident then it won't be covered since it's under their name and not mine. Is this really true? I thought that as long as the car is insured it's covered?""

If my auto insurance cancel how much grace period is there after the due date?

If my auto insurance cancel how much grace period is there after the due date?

California Speeding ticket and no proof of insurance?

It was dark and raining. I just came off the bay bridge in SF and am positive I was driving below 40 on the bridge and between 40-60 when I got off the bridge. The cop was on 80E past fremont exit. He said I was at 67 in a 50 zone and also did not give me enough time to look for my proof of insurance. He said lets make this easy and quick and cited me for speeding and the no proof of insurance as non-correctable. It this accurate? I don't think his radar reading is accurate. How can I challenge this?

About how much is car insurance in British Columbia?

About how much is car insurance in British Columbia, particularly Vancouver or nearby? Perhaps if you could share how much it costs you or someone in your family with a good driving record. Perhaps give a hint of what car you have, liability limits, etc. In the U.S., you can get online quotes. For Canada, I've never seen anything like it.""

I need cheap car insurance in New York City?

I need cheap (FULL) coverage for a financed vehicle in the NEw York Area...I've tried the popular sites...any leads?

Dropped from car insurance?

I got dropped from my insurance because i could not afford it.. I have money now to pay for the insurance so what do i do now. Can i go to another company or can i try to be reinstated with my previous company. If i try to be reinstate how would i go about doing that. ps car insurance

Best Place to get a Car Insurance Comparison Free Online?

What sites are best for car insurance comparison? I am trying to find a site that has the widest range of quotes and policies so I can pick insurance cover that is right for me, the plan I have that's due to expire soon is terrible and I feel really ripped off. It's just proving really hard to find something affordable and with good quality cover. Has anyone tried a car insurance comparison site that offers quotes from more than just the usual four or five insurance providers?

Which is cheapest car insurance in new york?

i want to buy a car but i know the insurance of the car is very expensive. I will like to know if there is a car insurance that i can afford.

Pregnant And Can't Get On State Health Insurance!! What Should I Do!?

I'm so pissed off!! I have tons of medical bills stacking up and I am on no health insurance! Because I live with my parents and am under age 21 (I'm 20 and will be til May), and I already have one son. Thankfully he's covered. But I have all these bills that are stacking up and won't be able to be paid off because by the time I get on anything it'll be past the 3 month time limit for back pay!! I live in MN and the problem with getting my parents income is my mom and dad both have new jobs, but my dad was laid off his old job so how the hell am I supposed to get his stop work form filled out by a company that no longer exists!?! I can't get on anything unless I have their income!! Even tho' I'm 4 months pregnant!! This is so f***'d up!!""

Finding information about monthly payments?

I am currently looking to move out of my parents house and get an apartment with a friend of mine that is 45 mins away from my hometown. I am a sophmore in college and I would like to have the experience of living on my own for a couple years near my parents before I move thousands of miles away after college for my career plans. Now I am looking into my costs and spendings on living on my own. But the problem is I really don't want to talk to my parents about this until I get it all planned out. But I need to find out how much my car insurance, health insurance, life insurance, car payments (if there is still any), cellphone bill...and other expenses that I need to find out on a monthly basis to get an idea of what it will cost for me to live on my own because my parents pay majority of everything for me and I just been working and saving money for this opportunity to live on my own with a roommate or two or three (maybe). How can I find out this information when the expenses are not in my name but in my parents name? And without my parents finding out that I am looking at all this? Thank you!""

""Someone else got a speeding ticket in my car, does my insurance rates go up?""

My fianc was driving my car when we were coming home from dinner, he was doing about 17 over I believe and got a ticket, however he's a permit driver.. The car is mine and is insured and registered in my name, I gave my license and registration to the cop when he took my fianc permit, the ticket only had his info on it, my plate number and the date my registration expires. No other information of mine is on there. He didn't ask to see my insurance card. So question is, are my rates going to go up because my fianc was driving and caught speeding?""

Do i need to add extra car insurance?

Hello. My father has a BMW and i am 16. When i am 17 i want to share the BMW with my father. My father has insurance on the car already. Its a full cover insurance. When i am 17 do i need to add extra insurance to the car or do i just leave it as it is? Do i need to add my name along with my dads name to the owner of the car?

How can i get cheap car insurance?

is there anyway i could reduce my insurance costs

How can I get 'cheap' car insurance?!?

I'm going to be 17 in May so I've been trying out some qoutes because I really want to drive ASAP. I can't get a qoute for under 3000!!!! I got a qoute for Rover 25 1.4L iL, third party fire and theft, main driver, and with my mum on it aswell, for 3260. It's ridiculous! Where shall I go to try and get a good cheap? It's so unfair! I just want to be able to drive hahaha!""

Insurance on a Hummer H1?

how much would that cost?

Insurance Rate for a ZX6R !?

anyone know how much insurance would roughly be for a 17 year old 2007 ZX6R Motorcycle Course Completed In Ontario Thanks!!!

""So i have a full coverage on my car insurance, and now this situation, need advice?

The insurance estimator guy told me that i can only take my car to a specific place to be repaired OTHERWISE he is going to tell me that the car being ruined was my fault (it ...show more

What is the best teen driver insurance in California?

Taking driving test tomorrow and need insurance coverage for just me, 18 years old.""

Best health insurance for young single people?

I'm looking for informaiton about health insurance for a single, young man...he is 27. Are there any affordable policies out there that may provide minimal coverage (annual well visit, a couple sick visits, one prescription, some emergency?)""

Insurance on a 2005 premium mustang v6?

hello, my daughter is 17 years old and i am thinking about getting her a 2005 premium mustang v6. she is on the honor roll, hasn't had any problems or accidents as far as driving goes, and really doesn't drive much. we live in a rural area. how much would insurance cost? our insurance company offers some plan where if you're getting good grades, you get a discount. how much would it all be? i have her driving a 2012 volkswagen jetta now and it's very pricey.""

How much will my insurance go uop?

i was in an accident not to long ago. My car was totaled and my insuranced paid it off ($13,000) it wasnt my fault but im 20 and ive been driving for 3 years but recently got my license last year. i was already paying 250 a month, how much more will i have to pay?? my car was an 05 altima. now its a case of he ran a red light, versus she ran a red light""

Question about speeding ticket/insurance?

I had a speeding ticket for going 55 in a 45 mph, would that make my insurance rates go up?""

The cheapest insurance band car my 17 year old son can buy?

My son is going to have driving lessons soon and I'd like to know the type of car to buy which will be the cheapest on insurance for him. Also will it be better for me to buy it and him be the named driver or the other way aound? Thanks

How much is teen auto insurance?

i normally have bs and as and rarely cs for school. About how much would auto insurance be?

What is the cheapest auto insurance company?

looking for a very affordable auto insurance quote/payment per month. Anyone knows? please and thank you.

""Financed car damaged,no insurance.what to do?!?

long story short... my car cost 7000 to fix and i dont have any insurance. i want to have the finance company to get the car.what happens once they get it? will i have to pay off the loan or just pay for the damages done?

How much does car insurance cost for a 17 year old?

I can get my license anytime now. North Carolina doesn't offer good student discount. I'm asian, will be driving my dad's 2000 Ford Windstar with 70,000 miles. My dad says that adding me on to his allstate account would cost 1100 every six months. That sounds a little exaggerated. Is there anywhere else where I can find cheaper insurance?""

What's the best car insurance?

Got a good quote from 21st century insurance. I'm thinking of switching from my Geico. I'd save a little bit but if anyone thinks Geico is a much better company then I'd probably stay. Any advice out there? Should I keep looking? I live in Florida. Thanks!

How can I find affordable health insurance for small business owners?

How can I find affordable health insurance for small business owners?

Current or prospective vehicle insurance?

i was preapproved for financing a used vehicle; they want me to bring in proof of insurance when i close loan. does this mean my current insurance on the vehicle i wont be using anymore or for the new one that i dont own yet

How can life insurance be profitable for insurance companies?

How can personal life insurance actually make a profit for an insurer, when it is universal that any insured person will eventually die? Is it because insurance companies stop offering life insurance cover as soon as the person reaches a certain age, so the vast majority of deaths are not insurable?""

Looking for affordable health insurance for the sefl employed?

i cannot find any affordable insurance and i need assistance

Best Place to get a Car Insurance Comparison Free Online?

What sites are best for car insurance comparison? I am trying to find a site that has the widest range of quotes and policies so I can pick insurance cover that is right for me, the plan I have that's due to expire soon is terrible and I feel really ripped off. It's just proving really hard to find something affordable and with good quality cover. Has anyone tried a car insurance comparison site that offers quotes from more than just the usual four or five insurance providers?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-anyone-know-any-cheap-car-insurance-so-i-can-put-sigrun-sharpe"

[nikihawkes]

My Blog Snapshot!

I tagged myself for this feature after enjoying it on the awesome Bookstooge‘s website (it was originally created by Stuart from Always Trust In Books).

I’m using this tag to express my blogging philosophies (and status quo), and found it very interesting to see how my style has evolved over the years. I wont be tagging anyone, but if you complete it, I’d love it if you’d leave me a link in the comments so I can come check it out. 🙂 You may want to reference the original, as I made a lot of changes.

The Last 5 books you read:

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Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

[June 27, 2017] Legion of Flame by Anthony Ryan

Naamah’s Curse by Jacqueline Carey

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley

All excellent titles. 🙂

Spoilers or Spoiler free?

I really, really hate spoilers. Even a minor one can wreck my enjoyment of a book. As a bookseller for all those years, I can’t tell you how many books were ruined for me by inconsiderate customers (things as blatant as – “oh, you’ll love this book! Although I was a total wreck at the end when the dragon died…”). My aversion is so bad, I won’t even read overviews if I can help it. They always seem to include major plot points I’d rather discover on my own. So it goes without saying, I keep my reviews spoiler free.

How long have you been book blogging?

I started blogging in 2012 to give myself a platform for the novels I was writing. However, by 2013 book blogging became a passion in itself and has brought me a lot more joy than writing ever did.

Your favorite genre?

Anything under the Speculative Fiction umbrella:

A broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements. -dictionary.com

Preferred book size? (novella, tome…etc).

It’s not the size that matters. ;P

Number of books on your TBR pile?

A million. Okay, not that many, but Goodreads tells me I have almost 1500 titles on my to-read shelf, and most are just first in series.

Books you have recently DNFed?

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Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Firstlife by Gena Showalter

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Gilded by Christina Farley

I gave myself permission to be picky lately – best decision I ever made! Life’s too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

Recent awards or milestones?

Reaching my 4th year blogging was a big milestone for me. I noticed most of the bloggers I started out with petered out after about 2 years (I miss all of you). Sustaining my blog for 4 years and to still be having a ball with it feels noteworthy.

Best interaction with an author?

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Dan Wells

Patricia Briggs

Brandon Mull

Mindy McGinnis

Best: Easily my best author interaction was meeting Patricia Briggs. She was so nice – answering all of my questions and signing every hardback I brought along. She definitely made me feel like a valued fan. 🙂

Mindy McGinnis was another awesome experience. She’s such a funny gal, and I loved the answers she gave me for what lay beyond her “Not a Drop to Drink” duology.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes I met while working the Vegas Valley Book Festival a few years ago. I had fangirled to my DM about how much I loved “The Naturals” and she made a point to snag me when Barnes stopped by. I was so excited – I embarrassed myself a bit haha.

Brandon Mull is a Utah native, and it was a total delight to host him at the BN I used to work for. He did a fun Q&A beforehand and, despite having seen a couple hundred people before me, was every bit as enthusiastic about my comments as he was to the first in line. This was when I got the first hint of the now recently released “Dragonwatch.” Awesome!

I’d been wanting to meet Dan Wells for ages – having totally love his Partials Sequence. It was a delight to get to meet him and pick his brain a little bit about his writing process (I had done an e-interview with him before, but still had some questions). The only awkward this was that he was signing with a couple of family members (his wife and brother I think, but don’t quote me) who are also published authors. They made me feel a bit guilty about not being interested in their books at the time, as I’d traveled 4 hours just to see Dan Wells. Oh well, lol.

DJ Machale was also a delight to meet – we got lost on the way to the Vegas bookstore where he was signing, so I missed the Q&A, but we snuck in at the last moment and had a great one-on-one Q&A, so it worked out haha. He signed all of my Pendragon hardcovers and geeked out about that series in general. 🙂

Worst: Richelle Mead, and not because of anything she did. I was battling a huge headache, my row was near the last to meet her, even though I had been one of the first to arrive (poor moderating), and I was so nervous that I kept repeating myself. Overall, not a good impression lol.

For the record, I would still love to meet Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb, Anthony Ryan, Ray Carson, Glenda Larke, Scott Lynch, and Kim Harrison, just to name a few in a very long line of favorites. 🙂

Average number of books you read per month?

7. And no matter what I do, that number seldom changes.

Top three publishers?

TOR, Shadow Mountain, and Berkley!

They always have the best ARCs on Netgalley, but beyond that, they’re also the ones I’m considering sending my manuscripts to (I’m not even close yet).

Social media sites your blog uses?

I think my blog is linked to most social media sites, but I’m only active on Goodreads (are we friends on there yet? If not we should be – find me here).

Average amount of time you spend networking?

All f*cking day. Although I don’t look at it as “networking” so much as just spending time with my online reading friends. I was recently made a moderator for my favorite Goodreads group – Fantasy Buddy Reads – and I noticed my time spent on social media didn’t have to increase to accommodate it lol.

Sum up your blogging style in 5 words?

Recommending Brilliant Speculative Fiction Books.

Next time I’ll try for a Haiku.

18). A blog you looked up to starting out?

I had a few that dazzled me when I was just getting started, but I don’t follow them anymore. One I looked up to because she was a brilliant writer, had an amazing blogging concept, and had over 20,000 followers. She help me find my blogging “identity” as The Obsessive Bookseller because I appreciated how well branded her site was. However, due to infrequent posting and the fact that her and I did not enjoy the same type of books, I’ve since stopped following.

The other blog I’ll admit to unashamed blog-envy. She obviously spent a lot of time and money beyond what I was able to afford, and because of that her blog looks sooo professional. She also attended all of the big book conventions and was practically swimming in ARCs. I was jealous, lol. I eventually stopped following because her reviews always had a lot of negative undertones and I found her somewhat unfriendly.

The best book you have reviewed so far?

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The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan

Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb

Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

Just a few of my favorites from the last few months. Some awesome titles!  

Best piece of blogging advice?

Don’t try to limit yourself by what bloggers “should” and “shouldn’t” do. This is your creative space to express yourself however you please. Blog when it’s fun too. Stop when it’s not. Above all: make your own rules! You’ll gain and lose followers no matter what you do, so you might as well produce content that gives you joy. If I had stuck to what I thought should/shouldn’t be posted on a book blog, I never would have created my Simplifies Life series, which is definitely one of my favorite features I’ve ever done and it’s only partially book-related. I also never would have started doing mini book reviews… as stupid as it sounds, I thought anything short of a full review was against the “rules.” 🙂

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my blogging snapshot. 🙂

by Niki Hawkes

Chronicles of an Obsessive Bookseller: My Blog Snapshot! My Blog Snapshot! I tagged myself for this feature after enjoying it on the awesome Bookstooge…