#and i love that i can highlight stuff i like but it's not a commitment bc i can just delete them

[moonlightfilly]

getting addicted to how easy it is to highlight (+colour code) and leave little notes on my ebooks, i fear

[deepestdelulu]

How to study like Rory Gilmore

A guide on romanticizing school, studying like Rory Gilmore, and effective study methods. <3

Create a schedule. Rory is well-known for her strict schedule and commitment to sticking to it. To study like Rory, you should first make a timetable outlining your study time, reading time, and free time. Include breaks in your schedule and follow it as strictly as possible! :)

Lots of reading. Rory is an avid reader who always carries a book with her. Pick books that interest you and make reading a daily habit. Reading will help you develop your vocabulary and critical thinking skills.

Take notes. Rory is well-known for her detailed notes and ability to retain information. Take notes in class and annotate your books. Make your notes more structured by using highlighters and different colours, and review them daily. (goodnotes and notion are great for digital note taking!)

Make use of flashcards. Rory memorises stuff through flashcards. Flashcards can be used for vocabulary terms, key concepts, and other relevant information. Use them to test yourself and review regularly.

Define your goals. Rory has a set goal, what are you working towards? Make a vision board, write down your goals, visualize. This will help you stay motivated and not loose focus!

Stay organised. Rory is well-organised, and her study space is always neat and tidy. Keep your study area nice and free from distractions. Use folders, binders, and other tools to keep your notes and supplies organised, and make sure your workspace is clean and clutter-free.

Seek help when needed. Rory is not afraid to ask for help when she needs it. Don't hesitate to ask for help from your teachers, tutors, or classmates if you need it. To enhance your learning, ask questions and seek out extra resources such as textbooks, youtube videos, and study guides.

Atmosphere. Don't forget to make the atmosphere cosy, light a candle, prepare yourself a cup of tea or coffee, and wear a comfy sweater. Create an environment in which you can stay focused for hours. <3

Studying like Rory Gilmore requires dedication, discipline, and a love for learning. By following these tips and strategies, you can create a study routine that works for you and helps you achieve your academic goals.

Who else feels they are more like Paris Geller? I do :)

Next post: How to study like Paris Geller.

As always, Please feel free to add more suggestions or questions in the comments!

✩‧₊*:・love ya ･:*₊‧✩

[daydream-reblog]

I love how @jenumarts and I became friends JUST because of this.

Spamton Headcanons?

Mine:

Spamton texts like a scammer. Bad English and grammar.

If Spamton calls anybody, it's "Scam Likely."

Handwriting? Ass. So skribly.

He's 3 feet and 6 inches because ventriloquist dummy height.

His email is still something like SpamtonGAddison@email.com because he was one of the Addisons.

Might add more, but what are your guy's headcanons?

[ghostpetalss]

can you write a sub Jeff the killer like at first he’s all dom and stuff but then we lowkey overpower him and break down his whole dominant character and turn him submissive?🙏🙏🙏♥️

¡Sub! Jeff The Killer x ¡Dom! Male Reader

I LOVED writing this, the more specific the message the more my ideas open up. I really didn't know if you meant an Fem or an Male since part of me was saying "I want to ride that bitch." and another part was saying "I want to open that bitch's legs." and finally I decided to take him as an Male reader to make him more submissive than with an Fem reader haha.

¡WARNING! : Smut,Mention of murder, Alcoholism, Knife game, Skin cuts,Boy x Boy,Mutual masturbation,Explicit content, Homosexual.

¡English is not my first language! So it's possible that the writing sucks.

It was Christmas, you didn't celebrate Christmas and it wasn't like you cared what happened that day, since to you it was like just another day.

Even so, the holidays were perfect targets to murder entire families, an opportunity that Jeff did not waste.

After 1 in the morning the man arrived covered in blood and with his hands busy with two bags of beer that he left next to the living room sofa where he was sitting.

- "Hard work?" - you asked without taking your eyes off the television that was broadcasting the news of the recent murders committed by your partner. He only grunted in response as he discarded his stained sweatshirt to the floor, leaving him in a thin tank top and his black jeans that were still stained with blood. He plopped down on the couch next to you as he grabbed two bottles of alcohol. to open them and extend one to you, which you accepted.

After many drinks and some unconscious flirtations thanks to drunkenness, they ended up running up the stairs to his room between hungry kisses, clumsily opening the door out of desperation, Jeff squeezed your waist with his pale hands while his tongue explored your oral cavity and you responded to his touch by resting your hands on the sides of his shoulders and trying to keep up with his kisses.

When you got to the bed, he let you fall on top of the sheets while you smiled flirtatiously, holding your forearms to see how Jeff removed his tank top to reveal his thin and pale frame.

You, on your part, did the same, you unbuttoned the buttons of the shirt you were wearing and got rid of your belt to lower your pants until you finally took them off along with your shoes.

Jeffrey just licked his trimmed lips at the sight of you half naked, without asking permission he jumped on you to kiss your neck. You hummed low in your throat while the tips of your fingers caressed the ribs that stood out in your boyfriend's thin skin, causing him to shiver.

Lowering his hips a little, he rubbed his clothed erection against your bulge in your boxers, making you both sigh. You lowered your hands from his sides to his lower back, where you lightly squeezed his hips just as he had done minutes before.

- "Don't play with me like that." -I was serious when I noticed your intentions, you just smiled calmly, raising your shoulders a little to massage his belly with your thumbs - "I'm not playing..." -.

The took off his remaining clothes and settled on top of you. You agilely took his arms and turned him around so that he was under your body, while you imprisoned his arms against the mattress.

- "Don't play with me." - You ordered, wanting to highlight your authority. Jeff opened his eyes in surprise but then relaxed his frown while a small blush ran across his sensitive skin and the color rose in his face.

You lovingly kissed every part of his body, sometimes leaving small hickeys in sensitive areas where you knew they would drive him crazy in a short time.

- "Come on…I don't have your time." - The blue-eyed one growled. - "You mean you don't have my patience, because there is plenty of time" -.

You let out a small laugh to get to the point and settle between the murderer's legs, lowering your boxers slightly so that your member would jump out.

They began with mutual masturbation which in a matter of minutes caused the room to be filled with obscene noises from both of them until they reached climax. Then you began to prepare Jeff so as not to suffer consequences later, when they managed to enter his narrow entrance they could only grunt, him for the intrusion into their privacy and you for how tight it was.

- "G-God a-ah" - the one with cut cheeks complained slightly at the overwhelming sensation. - "Relax… you're choking me down there." -.

They continued at a slow pace until the youngest got used to the size until they became wilder, enjoying the ecstasy of the moment.

- "¡More! ¡More! ¡More!" - You followed your partner's wishes until your eyes rested for a moment on the nightstand where Jeff's knife was found. You just smiled and took it to pass the cold, thin, sharp blade across your boyfriend's chest to delicately cross out a heart with the cuts you caused, something that only excited them more.

You rested the blade against Jeffrey's neck, without wanting to cut him but close enough to feel the cold of the steel, your thrusts were increasingly erratic while you felt that you were close to your second orgasm just like Jeff.

Releasing a loud gasp you came out from inside his hole to let out the strings of semen on his stomach and belly just as he did with his own.

You let your head fall into the side of Jeffrey's neck as he breathed heavily. He just caressed your hair and then grabbed it tightly to lift your face and kiss it roughly.

- "I'm still not satisfied." -.

God, this would be a long night.

[zhuoyichenpretty]

Eps 28-29 Speedrun...

I'm trying to play catch up after falling behind a bit, so here's just a highlight reel/speedrun (as much as I can speed...which is not very much tbh). The meta has dwindled down to nothing; I do apologize. This is very much just reaction-based. Also, I'll probably have to stay out of the tag once the express episodes come out, unless the site I'm watching on uploads those eps too.

Spoilers incoming!

Ep 28

Heh. ZYC's plausibly deniable jealousy is back and boy have I ever needed it. His cursing better be more intense now that he's basically confessed to ZYZ several times over lmao. And oh how precious he is, taking Ying Lei's ice marks comment seriously enough to double check his neck.

Ah. Watching WX's convo with Princess Longyu while knowing what happens in ep 29, the irony of her lie about being poisoned...Good (and terrible) stuff...

Oh god oh dear I was watching the whole acting ordeal through my fingers with preemptive second-hand embarrassment for ZYC. The moment WX pulled out her little booklet but we were cut off from seeing the msg, I knew, esp given the very pointed shots of the fish right before their whole convo haha. Not bad of a set-up imo, more subtly natural than usual which I like since I prefer explanatory flashbacks to have a bit more premeditation baked into the original scene for viewers to pick up on in real-time, which this show doesn't always do.

But oh my. I have to say this. I apologize in advance but it's in my damn handle so forgive me but—ZYC is so fucking lovely when sulky and embarrassed. I'm smitten. I had seen the director post those shots of TJR all dramatically lit and beautifully framed months ago and I had no idea it was going to be used for this. And this is coming off the heels of the previous episode's mpreg joke, which I'm still not over. This show's commitment to flustering ZYC's character needs to be studied and replicated in fanfics. Who said that? Not me. Anyway.

I've seen mixed reactions to ZYC not being in on the acting, but just for me personally, I like that it wasn't intentional for them to leave him out, and I really am glad to have heard his honest feelings in that moment. It felt significant to see him make that decision against even the rest of their family, and I'd personally rather it come out while the rest of them are playing at discord than actually seeing them fight internally just to witness ZYC draw his ultimatum so genuinely and seriously. It feels like yet another moment where the narrative is creatively committing subtext into text for us and for ZYZ to hear, without having to torment us with somehow worsening the stakes within their group to the extent that would elicit such a reaction.

WZY and Chongwu Camp really invest in a lot of latex skin huh?

Oh my god I love that PSJ sucks at acting too. Her panic at having to pretend lmfaooo. Also, this gets at something I really should have realized much earlier on, but the way ZYC and PSJ have so many similarities in disposition and belief, and also how WX and ZYZ overlap a lot in their inclination for acting and playful tricks and teasing—I love that. WX and ZYC each gravitating towards respectively familiar personalities in romantic partners, which actually very much happens irl. Basically seeking out personalities similar to their comforting (pseudo-)familial bonds. Also explains why I love both ZYC and PSJ so much.

Lmfao Ying Lei's theme song kicking in as he volunteers to hold onto the dragon scale really does get me. His song captures his character so well.

Any day I get to watch TJR inception-act as Ao Yin acting as ZYC is a good day for me. That little snarl of a reaction after Ying Lei pulled out his weapon is some good shit. I love that even the texture of his voice and the cadence of his line delivery is different (the stark contrast when actual ZYC shows up in the next scene is *chef's kiss*). And he is uniquely suited for batting his eyelashes, I must say.

Okay! Onto Ep 29:

First ZYC forgets how to count when he calls them a group of five...now ZYZ tricks Ying Lei into giving his all to protect an empty box...when will the grievances against Ying Lei end?

My live reaction to finding out WX's been fatally poisoned: ZYZ, ZYC, Bai Jiu, and WX passing around the hot potato of mortality.

I'm glad for some more emotional development on the Li Lun!Bai Jiu front! I feel like he's been on the back burner for a bit with the ZYC demonizing (which he caused anyway, lol). I am certainly intrigued by Ying Lei being around to hear Li Lun!Bai Jiu's monologue and what this may lead to. And it's been said but LZY (Bai Jiu's actor) does soooo well here it's such a great watch.

Also...Li Lun wants a roof (well, technically, eaves) to shelter from the rain and a lamplight in the dark? Sounds like a throuple with ZYC and ZYZ really might fix him tbh.

Justice for WX in ZYC's flashback from two years ago. She does not say "Are you stupid?" but more along the vibe of "Don't be silly" as she and ZYC discuss his snake bite. The subs are too literal here it makes her sound so out of pocket lmao

God I'm so glad PSJ slapped all of WX's will to live back into her in ep 27 because yes girl!!! Fight for your right to live!! Also, speaking of, where tf is PSJ ): Her girl is dying, why doesn't she get any screen time to react? Do I assume she knows or not?

But yay! The contract ripping was cute. As an aside, I do wish I personally felt enough of a spark between ZYZ and WX to ship them on my own because the writing is there for their pairing to be pretty solid. Like I've said before, they're sweet and good together but they just don't rot my brain. I wonder what's missing for me because I honestly like their acting much more than I expected to. Perhaps it could also be a matter of contrast, as some dynamics in the web of relationships stand out to me in terms of chemistry more than others, even if we're not talking strictly romantic (I mean, I'm of the belief that TJR could have chemistry with a brick wall if he wanted to). Anyway though, I'm going off topic. ZYZ and WX cute (and tragic)!

I gasped at ZYC going to meet WZY. That's what I call desperate measures.

Ha, ZYZ asking ZYC to protect him while he's weakened from the Ever-Burning Wood reminds me of CQL c:

Yooooooo ZYC grabbing the newly reforged Cloud Light Sword and all that gorgeous light. What a hero. Smitten, I say.

Ohhhh the Li Lun/ZYC superimposed images, the way I was holding my breath and worried for a second that ZYZ would call ZYC by the wrong name !!!! That's some legit ex-vs-current-lover storytelling like whew. But I needed ZYC to catch ZYZ a little better than that when he fell like embrace the man already pls

The cave scene!!!!! I'm looking through my fingers. I feel like I'm intruding. How many jade pendants does ZYC have on his person for ZYZ to drink at any given moment? And oh wow something about the framing of ZYC's hand on the wine bottle as he mixes it—what an intimate ritual. Feels like I watched ZYC make three separate confessions just seeing him pull out the jade, mix the drink for ZYZ, and hold it out to him with his eyes averted...And then he goes and lays his heart bare (again! once more on top of the conversation in ep 26 like he is really not letting any chance of misunderstanding arise he is trying to show his hand as much as possible wow). But yeah who's gonna gif the wine mixing for me?

Fuckkkk, they're zhiji, they said it, I'm going insane.

I love ZYZ's pause right before he drinks the first cup. Watching the gravity of this moment and ZYC's absolute sincerity hit him, settle on him. Such a meaningful and significant breath between actions. Like, we are allll aware of how serious this is.

ZYC holding intense eye contact while drinking the second cup??? Uh??? I really should be turning away now right? And ZYZ's stare back is truly indistinguishable from his openly loving looks at WX. I am on the floor.

All of ZYC's toasts are about ZYZ being a savior of some kind ;-;

Another live reaction: WHEN DID ZYC BECOME A SURGEON THEY JUST DID SURGERY ON ZYZ'S CORE IM CRYING.

ZYC most dramatic surgeon I've ever seen did you see the way his hair caught the wind? God but his nonchalance is killing me. Yes why not bare your heart and soul over some wine you mixed specifically for ZYZ and then operate on ZYZ's core in one sitting? All in a night's work I guess. Also ZYZ's still recovering from the Ever-Burning Wood oh my god someone take ZYC's license away what is this medical malpractice. Bai Jiu is out of commission for a little bit and all of a sudden everyone thinks they're a doctor smh.

All I have to say about the WZY meeting is sometimes I get so distracted by ZYC's eyelashes. Also goodbye and good riddance WZY! Unless the drama decides to pull a fast one on us, which is never beyond the realm of possibility here. But at least he burned.

PSJ is back :D Head empty except for how pretty her red cape is.

Ouuugh Li Lun who is constantly possessing people and obsessively making others look at the real him and Ao Yin who is constantly impersonating people and now asking to be remembered for how she actually looks. What a pair, I can see why they stuck together all this time. Also Ao Yin's true form is so pretty. Girl I know you killed a bunch of people and continuously framed our heroes and caused so so so much heartache for them but I'll remember your true form dw )-:

The borrowed sympathy Li Lun gets while in Bai Jiu's body is quite poignant and so complicated and tbh I want more of it. As someone who doesn't want him to go down this unfortunate path any further, I have hopes about the potential there, but it's probably safer to expect the worst.

Not sure if this more surface-level commentary is still fun to read, but this will probably be all I have time for from now til the end. And since I'll be staying out of the tag soon, it'll just be me shouting into the void for the next few days. Thanks to anyone still sticking around and reading these!

Also sorry I don't add more photos on the regular, I'm watching the show in pretty shitty resolution and on a player than is awful to screenshot from (-:

[scrumptiousstuffs]

hi scrumptious! (back in the days when your name wasn’t displayed i always remembered you as scrumptious so im just calling you that way, sorry sueee lolol)

let’s go to delulu land! im building this opinion since khaotung said he loved first as kant, and how he always says that. Sometimes i think is just his way of trying to say to first to act more like kant, i don’t know how kant is but just by the trailer i can say he is very into physical touch and maybe khaotung is just craving this. First already said that khaotung never let go of his hand when they were filming, holding even when were screamed “cut”. At the same time, i think first is afraid to be much touchy with his bestie and casually fall in love (they already are) he seems like someone who will hold his feelings and never do anything about it (when it comes to liking his bestie friend who is also his coworker). And khaotung, by saying all this stuff waits to first do something so he can react and loose himself in him.

im really delulu, i feel like they are just like akkayan in some aspects but maybe thats just me. tell me your insights about all of this!!!

Hello anon!!!! I see we are becoming even more delulu 😂.

But I don’t blame you, THK era has highlight even more how our boys are so sticky with each other (for the lack of better term).

From the boys casually sitting on top of each other (as evident by the many BTS videos/photos taken by others) to their Polycat concert shenanigans plus Jojo pretty much giving up and saying “I don't know what to tease you two about anymore” during the THK wrap up party; clearly these 2 are no longer as shy in displaying their close relationship (and I'm all here for it!) - so, I'm not exactly sure what you meant by KT craving more touch (from First) because it seems they are already all over each other (highlighted even more so with the recent THK Press Tour! - so adorable!!!!).

I also mentioned in a previous ask that when these 2 are excited/can't control their emotions/feel comfortable with their surroundings, they really do treat each other bodies like an extension of their own. The casual touch and gesture with the other party just accepting it is so fascinating to me (cause I'll tell you now, I don't even like my own family members touching me most of the time). I am also taking the opportunity to shout out to Joong/Dunk being FK adopted sons (or if in Dunk/Khao case, the latter being everyone's sunshine baby to the point even the THK admin pointed this out...🤭)

We already know KT adores First as Kant (he has said countless of time he finds Kant the best character so far out of their series, which I still find funny, cause I think the interviewers/host from KT party was actually asking him what's his fav role to date and he just goes off tangent and promote his soulmate instead hehe). Is it because Kant is meant to be this flirtatious, suave tattooist who pulls all the move to make sure Bison (and by default KT as well hehe) trapped in his allure? Who knows? Maybe! But, we all know, it is Bison who really holds the power in their relationship (at least in the bedroom anyway, 😆). I get the impression though, while Kant may have fallen for Bison first - once Bison commits to a person, he will be fiercely protective (and murderous, 😅) on behalf of his loves ones (so, when Bison finds out of Kant's deception, all hell will break loose)

Either way, since both boys are method actors, I have no doubt that there are some element of their characters seeping into their real life persona a little bit (especially KT, where FK admits KT always take longer to come out of character) - so, him clingy to First and refuse to let his hands go even after they finish filming, oh yes? This tracks nicely! Also that recent comment by First saying the KT he has to deal with at 6am is very different with the KT he deals with at 7pm??? (which ahem, also tells me, these 2 are TOGETHER pretty much 24/7. I mean we all expected this but its nice to have confirmation).

Look, I truly don't know whether these 2 are in a romantic relationship (in my delulu world, these 2 are in a comfortable spot where they know themselves what they meant for each other but is just letting everyone else make assumptions 😏). Either way though, I am eagerly waiting for Khaotung (or First) to casually drop a bombshell they are now cohabiting in KT's brand new house (whenever that will be completed) - because you just wait, they will drop this random fact suddenly or might pull a EarthMix move 😉

You have no idea how much this ask meant to me. Cause not only has it not been a shitty day in general from the news we have at present (why America? 😭), but also I am still getting asks from anti-CPs or solo F/K stans who are (for god knows why) trying to convince me of their narrative (like the fact I’m no longer answering those asks mean something?)

So, your delightful ask about FK and us being delulu - I’M ALL FOR IT. Let’s all stay in delulu land forever 🤍🧡💫.

(source of pictures/gifs in the pictures)

07/11/2024

[skrunksthatwunk]

some other adventures from this have been

three CONSECUTIVE scenes of kuwabara going "you're NOT gonna die on me again urameshi :((" during genkai's tournament. they JUST cut to him for that and then cut away it's SICKENING. like heyy reminder that kuwabara was traumatized a bit by yusuke's death teehee and then back to like. exploding shuriken fights

realizing how much they lean into the "fight me fight me fight me" stuff in the rando arc and how much less that's the case with time because like. they actually become friends who have other stuff to talk about now :)

great beasts/maze castle/saint beasts/WHATEVER arc (and genkai's tourny) has just. they're telling each other to shut up Constantly like even more than i thought

i think i mentioned this a while back but im working on an "every kuwameshi" video right (yes it's ridiculous i know somebody take them away from me) and i just need to say im so fucking sick of editing the saint beasts arc </3 pls i love that one normally but this section of the video is like. 70% silent group shots it's so bad and not fun to watch or edit and i hate it :[

[binaural-histolog]

Zotoro, Scihub, and more Cool Hypnosis Papers

CW: severe nerdery

I don't have an academic background, and while I've been poking around at hypnosis nerdery for a while, I was limited to an extent by what I could get my hands on.

This is especially important when it comes to the academic texts. There's only so many books out there on theory, and a bunch of it doesn't make sense until you go back and read the actual papers.

For example, I knew that Kirsch had something to do with placebo and expectations, but I only had a vague understanding of what and how. A paragraph critique in Theories of Hypnosis wasn't enough to give me the proper context.

Until I decided I was going to rewrite the newbie guide to explain hypnosis from a modern neuroscience perspective and then I was committed to pulling the citations and digging up the actual papers.

At first I was doing it by hand by pasting things into Scihub and downloading the PDFs. This sort of worked, but at some point there are just too many PDFs and it's work to keep them consistent.

This is where Zotero comes in. It's a PDF database that is set up to scan for academic fields and give you a UI for finding, reading and annotating the PDFs. It syncs between MacOS, Windows, and iOS and keeps the annotations and highlights. And even better, it's got plugins.

Specifically, it's got a plugin for Scihub. You can add a DOI number and it'll pull the abstract data for the paper, and then you can right click and it'll download the paper from Scihub automatically.

It doesn't cover everything. Some stuff is too new for Scihub, and I've had to fallback to https://reddit.com/r/scholar to request articles, but there's so much stuff.

In particular, you get the sense of how academic papers can be a conversation, an argument, or a lawsuit. You get to see the most brutal putdowns phrased as passing comments. And the grudges and ego can go on for decades.

There are a couple of papers that I recommend everyone read, because they're just great at summarizing the field and current thinking.

The response set theory of hypnosis reconsidered: toward an integrative model

I love this paper not just because it goes over response expectancy theory from the inception to the general whittling down from "Once expectancy effects are eliminated, there may be nothing left" to response expectancy as 25%-35% of suggestibility and the addition of a "readiness response set" to cover the rest of it... but also because despite Kirsch's hand in response set theory and response expectancies and being in a journal issue devoted to Kirsch's career and achievements, he is not an author to this paper that is reconsidering his work. Instead, he gets a hand clap.

In closing, Irving Kirsch has greatly advanced our understanding of hypnosis. The construct of expectancies that he articulated and championed for decades has well withstood the test of time and replication. We extend our personal gratitude to him for his shaping influence on our personal views of hypnosis and for his many contributions to the field of hypnosis that he so immensely enriched.

I'm not sure what I'm looking at, but I love it.

How Hypnotic Suggestions Work – A Systematic Review of Prominent Theories of Hypnosis

This is a preprint, but it's comprehensive not just in how it picks out theories of hypnosis that are more recent than the book, but also in how it pokes holes and points out weak points in the various theories. It's also recent enough to talk about fun new things like predictive coding and interoception and somatosensory feedback.

Hypnosis and top-down regulation of consciousness

Devin Terhune's papers are always good to read. His papers read like a story where every chapter builds on the last one. This one is a "synthesis of current knowledge regarding the characteristics and neurocognitive mechanisms of hypnosis" and I can't tell you how many times I've read through this paper by accident because I wanted to pick a point out of it and got sucked into it all over again.

[burntlikethesun]

For Russell, writing a trans regular character into Doctor Who highlights the show’s commitment to telling diverse, inclusive stories. “You know me, I’m going to make my stuff as modern and as progressive as it can be,” he says, “and I thought it was joyous, to get a trans character in there. I thought that’d be a lovely 2023 thing to do. A blast of 2023! It makes you better, makes life richer, and makes the viewing experience better. And we were so lucky, because that was a tough piece of casting: a trans person of mixed race, who can play 15 and is from London. But that’s where Andy Pryor is a genius, because all of this was before Heartstopper had even aired.” Importantly for Yaz, Russell’s scripts “definitely, definitely don’t sugarcoat” what the trans experience is like. “Rose gets some stick from kids at school – when she and Donna are walking home, boys shout some stuff – and that’s a part of being trans, especially in high school,” says Yaz. “Well, not just in high school. It’s the stick we get from everybody. People see an opportunity and take it and love to degrade and embarrass us. But Donna’s having none of it, and neither is Rose. I’m proud of that. That’s such great writing. And I love the fact that, with both Rose and Elle, it’s not like being trans is all there is. There’s so much more to Rose than being trans. It’s more about family – in Heartstopper, it’s more chosen family – and, in Doctor Who, survival. And saving the world!

[ashesandhackles]

what are your thoughts on the Harry/Dumbledore relationship?

hello! so most of my feelings about harry-dumbledore equation are captured in these metas:

A cold blooded walk to destruction

the lightning struck tower

my favourite moment of Harry and Dumbledore's relationship though is captured in the Life and Lies chapter in Deathly Hallows. I am obsessed with that chapter and obsessed with Harry's feelings in those chapters:

here are my notes from the chapter, cutting it down to Harry-Dumbledore stuff:

The chapter opens with the smallness of Harry against the vast sky, a bird's eye view shot to really highlight how vulnerable he feels. On the heels of the chapters where he sees himself and his family immortalised in statues and have their old home preserved, it feels so stark.

The throughline of connection Harry makes from "People don't like being locked up! You did it to me last summer" to Dumbledore's apparent confinement of Ariana. Unresolved abandonment issues from OOTP, Sirius grief all coming to the surface here.

I am especially struck by the image of Harry's angry shouting making blackbirds fly into the pearly sky, and spiral over him. Blackbirds are associated with mystery, secrets and are seen as messengers to netherworld - this combined with the image of pearly white sky (heavens/God) seems intentional.

Harry and Hermione throughout Dh have oppositional positions: faith vs rationalist (hallows vs horcruxes), acceptance vs fear of death, and here Rita's book lies between them, a line on the ground.

"Look at what he has asked from me!: :The image of Harry, arms flung over his head - "trying to hold in his anger" or "protect himself from the weight of his disillusionment" is the thing that stays with me from this chapter. (it is reminiscent of Snape's "you have used me! I have spied for you, lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you" - basically, "why have you forsaken me?" moment. The chapter being set in whiteness and emptiness, reminiscent of King's Cross chapter where Harry does get his answers from Dumbledore is very striking)

Hermione, who has modified her parents memories, can confidently assert that "He loved you, I know he loved you", because her love for her parents, for Ron can also be sacrificed at the altar of greater good, even if it means doing things that would hurt them and dismiss their agency (as is with her parents). It doesn't mean she doesn't love them. Harry dropping his arms when she says this - he wants to believe it, he hopes to believe it but doesn't. But with Ron's return in Silver Doe, Harry will be on his path to be Dumbledore's man again.

From the Silver doe chapter: The discussion on Dumbledore with Ron shows the nature of faith Harry has in the moment: "Dumbledore's dead. He's definitely gone" vs in Chamber of Secrets where he says, "he will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him". With the faith in Cos, he was rewarded with Fawkes and Sorting Hat. Further illustration of where Harry is - Ron not thinking the Grindelwald stuff was a big deal ("he was really young") vs Harry ("he was our age").

Malfoy Manor chapters: In keeping with the faith aspect of the book, when Harry is at his most helpless- he asks the shard of mirror, where he kept thinking he is seeing Dumbledore's eye -for help. Dobby comes through.

Shell Cottage chapters: Harry understands the path Dumbledore laid out for him, but wishes he could understand Dumbledore himself. ( Ron and Harry's conversation about Voldemort - "You really understand him." "Bits of him -- I wish I understood Dumbledore as much.")

By the chapters where Harry meets Aberforth, Harry gains an understanding of Dumbledore's emotionality - "He was never free... never. The night your brother died - he took a potion that drove him mad. 'Don't hurt them-please, hurt me instead' " Harry points out how watching Aberforth and Ariana being hurt was torture to him, and emphasises his commitment to Dumbledore's cause, "Because sometimes you've got to think of the Greater Good! This is war!"

King's Cross chapter - Harry gets his answers. :)

Harry's journey to understand Dumbledore is extremely profound, and Harry's forgiveness of what Dumbledore put him through (with regards to his agency - which is Harry's main issue) comes from a very reflective, thoughtful space. Therefore, he names his second son after the two men riddled by guilt, seeking to atone for the harmful things they had done by committing to a greater cause.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

What do you think about Nathalie's original plotline of wanting to betray Gabriel after getting the Miraculous from the heroes so she can use the Wish herself in order to make Gabriel fall in love with her (according to the leaked Bible this used to be her motivation for helping Gabriel all along but it got scrapped from the show before it ever came up). Do you think this would've been a better plot for Nathalie than what we've got ?

I have extremely mixed feelings about that concept, so let's talk through them!

On the one hand, I am here for Nathalie having a motivation beyond, "I love Gabriel so much that I will do everything to make him happy, even if it means committing terrorism, supporting child abuse, and forfeiting my life!" While that kind of selfless motivation can make for an interesting character - or at least an interesting character arc - it requires a lot more character development than Nathalie was given. The way they did it in the show is just another entry in the show's troubling trend of making characters (and notably mainly female characters) do stupid stuff in the name of love.

Love making people do stupid things is a very real phenomena, so I'm not against that happening from time to time. But love can also make you do wonderful things and miraculous rarely shows us those moments. All the big, dramatic, love-based choices have been ones that lead to dire consequences and personal suffering even if the choice was framed as a loving and/or selfless act. Because of that, I'm okay with Nathalie's "sacrifice" being re-framed as a selfish act done because she thinks that she'll be able to get the miraculous and make herself healthy again.

This alternate motivation would pair well with Gabriel's motivation. I like that because they're co-conspirators, so having them share a theme of selfish love would allow for some interesting ideas. For example, what if we did something crazy and let the villains selfish love continually hurt them while the heroes' selfless love continually led to victory? I know, I'm crazy! Who would want that kind of nonsense in a show that's supposed to be all about love and friendship? (Btw, that was sarcasm)

At the same time, I'm really tired of characters being defined by their romantic interests and little else. It makes sense for Gabriel since he's our big bad who is doing everything out of love for his wife, but all of the other characters should be allowed to have more interesting, rich lives in which romance is just one of the many things that they have going on. It would make for a more interesting cast AND really highlight that Gabriel's love is unhealthy while the "true love" of our teens is healthy. A very important theme that has been painfully absent from the show even though it seemed like it was going to be a thing back in the early seasons!

Nino made movies. Marinette was super into fashion and helping her friends. Adrien liked video games and seemed to be into fencing, too. But as time has gone on, the story has become more and more focused on the romantic relationships, pushing aside plots that focus on other things and I'm not a fan.

I'm a big fan of the idea that the foundations of a good romance are a strong friendship and all members of the romantic relationship having personal lives separate from their romantic partner(s). As such, I want a show that gives friendship and romance equal billing. It can even be the friendship between the romantic leads! Episodes like Gamer and Horrificator were excellent in those regards as they allowed for some nice romantic tension while also developing the characters' interests and backstories.

In summary, if we fix canon so that the teen characters all have more healthy romantic relationships, then I'm pretty open to Nathalie keeping her original motivation as it certainly has potential. However, I'd only give it to her if Nathalie and Gabriel were going to get a lot more screen time and development as it adds a lot of complexity to their dynamic and - as I said in another recent post - you shouldn't add complexity to your story unless you're going to actually explore it.

Personally, I don't see myself ever adding this to Nathalie's character since I generally don't have much interest in developing her and Gabriel. Instead, I usually just switch Nathalie's motivation from love of Gabriel to love of Emilie and no, I don't mean romantic love. While I'm totally cool with lesbian Nathalie, I'm a massive fan of her being motivated out of platonic love simply because we don't see that often enough. It's always romance, romance, romance with a little familial love thrown in here and there for diversity and that's fine. Those are strong motivators. But platonic love can be just as powerful and Miraculous is supposed to be about romantic love AND friendship and I don't see why we need to limit the friendship angle to the teen characters. If Gabriel is our example of selfish romantic love, then let Nathalie be our example of selfish friendship.

Assuming that Emilie is some flavor of decent parent, do you really think that she's going to look at Gabriel and Nathalie's actions and be pleased by how they treated Adrien? No! She's going to be furious with both of them! Gabriel for hatching this crazy plot and Nathalie for going along with it. (Btw, this is yet another reason why I like good Emilie. Gabriel and Nathalie are so freaking selfish that I don't really see them caring if the law, the heroes, or the guardians find them guilty. They'd only care about Emilie's judgement and maybe Adrien's. I can see Gabriel going to jail unphased, but melting into a puddle when Emilie serves him with divorce papers while refusing to speak to him. I want him to get his wish - though ideally not via his own actions - but have it be a total monkey's paw!)

[jackwhiteprophetic]

Hello ! Hope I'm not bothering you but I just wanted to share something you can ignore it if you want. It's regarding buddie, a lot of people (and rightfully so) have been scared and frustrated that we didn't get at least a smidge of hint towards canon, but I think they can't ever give us that because if they even hint it as there is no going back it would be like a train going full speed and breaking down everything in it's path. Everyone will know this is it no stopping and im pretty sure if (when) they do buddie they either gonna use a full season to build it or surprise us in the best way possible. So while I was also sad and frustrated I'm holding on to that.

Sorry I saw a lot of people thinking since we didn't get a hint it was doomed and with all the drama and all the hurt in the fandom as of late I wanted to share a but of light :)

Have a wonderful Sunday and thank you for being you :)

Thank you so much!!! This is such lovely message and don't apologise for 'bothering me' with anything or sharing your opinions ever!!! Even if I disagreed with you you are allowed to have a voice and discuss things with people, I'm sorry that sometimes these spaces can be hostile.

I COMPLETELY agree with you, I didn't really think they would do buddie canon this season or ever before S7, and now it feels wayyy closer than it's ever been. We barely got hints for bi buck (in a canonical and acknowledged way, like in interviews and stuff. I mean we have had bi buck hints for seasons but that didn't mean they were going to canonise it).

Sometimes I have to step back and look at what was done this season:

- Buck was confirmed to be bisexual

- it was established that Buck's main concern with having kissed a man was what Eddie would think, and what it would mean for them, and that Eddie and Chris are more important to Buck than other romantic interests

- Buck and Eddie were all over each other when drunk and Buck ripped off Eddie's shirt and they danced with drag queens and dressed as a queer coded couple, and argued over who was Crockett, the heavily bi coded character (if I remember correctly?)

- the Buckley parents AND Diaz parents are aware of Buck and Eddie's closeness

- Eddie goes to Buck with problems with Chris, relationship problems, and Eddie corrects Buck when he is self-deprecating

- Eddie and Buck do karaoke together in a Madney centred episode.

- OS confirmed in an interview that Buck was probably attracted to Eddie in 2x01.

- Maddie is massively aware of Buck's confusion about Eddie, and how important they are to each other.

- Eddie calls Buck when he can't communicate with Chris. Or when he thinks Buck can be something for Chris that Eddie can't, but he's not threatened by it. This is a cyclical plot in the season, so it's been massively highlighted to the GA.

- Eddie is self-destructive and Buck stays.

- more metaphors through lasagne, kitchens, doors.

- Eddie has not processed his relationship with Shannon and has to evaluate who he is without Chris and the Diaz parents now, who represent Eddie having built himself into a person for his family and who he's expected to be, rather than who he wants to be.

- Eddie's inability to recognise how shit he is at dating women is literally damaging his soul.

- Eddie knows can't have Shannon back, he can't get another version of Shannon, he has to stop hiding in the shadow of a life he never had

- Bobby/Eddie parallels are heavily shown, and we had Athena/Buck parallels in 704, when both of them had to explore their identity and commitments to the people around them.

Not sure if this is all coherent sorry but I hope some of it makes sense!!! Tysm for your message, have a great day!!!

[songbird-at-the-fireside-chat]

Browsing the World Wide Web

Browsing the World Wide Web

One of my favorite passions is creating/finding ways to navigate the web that are healthy, authentic, and fun! Here are some resources I use to guide my internet usage. Some language has been slightly adapted for tone and accessibility. For more in-depth reading, follow the links! (taken with permission from https://yair.garden/browsing). Shared Ideals

MelonKing has an excellent list of shared ideals which I try to keep in mind as I browse the web. It's a great starting point!

Creativity is First: We see the ability to design, decorate, and graffiti digital spaces as essential and powerful.

The Internet is Fun: We want the Web to be a playground that's free to explore and enjoy.

Corporations are Boring: We are tired of the monetization, data abuse, and endless breaches of trust in corporate culture.

The Web is Friendly: We believe the Web should be friendly and supportive; caring is a radical act.

Right to Repair: We value the freedom to make, break, and repair our stuff - tinkering is a form of debate and protest.

One World Wide Web: We want free open knowledge and global connectivity, without paywalls, bubbles, or borders.

Chaotic Effort: We believe that value comes from the time and effort put into projects they love for no reason other than love.

No to Web3: In many (but not all) situations, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, unfairly trained AIs, and buzzword tech are unwelcome and uncool.

Manifesto for a New Web

The YesterWeb is an organization seeking to progressively transform internet culture and beyond. After two years, they created three core commitments and three social behavior guidelines to benefit everyone.

A commitment to social responsibility and partisanship.

A commitment to collective well-being and personal growth.

A commitment to rehumanizing social relations and reversing social alienation.

50 additional manifestos can be found here Social Etiquette

Engage in good faith.

Engage in constructive conflict.

Be mindful of participating in a shared, public space.

Why say no to Web 3.0?

One of the shared ideas of our community of web surfers is to push back against "Web 3.0". Here's why:

It's driven by predatory marketing tactics.

It requires complex technological and financial knowledge to fully understand.

It is actively harming the environment.

It caters to early adopters and whales.

It profits off artificial scarcity.

Investors are banking on Web3, and they really don't want to be wrong.

Personalized Web Surfing Guide

Make your web surfing personal and adventurous, away from corporate influences. Here's a simple guide for a unique browsing experience.

Configure your browser

Remove Ads and Clean up Privacy:

Ublock Origin for removing ads

ClearURLs for removing tracking elements from URLs

SponsorBlock for skipping sponsorships on YouTube

Make it a Safer Space:

ShinigamiEyes for highlighting transphobic/anti-LGBTQ sites

TriggerRemover for removing trigger-inducing content from pages

Clean up UI for Beauty and Minimalism:

CleanerReads for a muted Goodreads experience

Minimal; for a minimal and less attention-grabbing internet

Bonuses for a Cool Experience:

Library Extension: Check book availability at local libraries

Translate Web Pages: Translate pages in real-time

Return YouTube Dislike: Bring back the YouTube dislike feature

How to Browse and Surf the Web

Explore Beyond Corporate Sites: While the internet is vast, the majority of users only see a small fraction dominated by large corporate sites. These sites often prioritize shock value and extreme content, overshadowing the richness of the wider web. Explore alternative avenues to discover the internet's diversity.

Search Engines: Avoid corporate search engines like Google. Instead, consider using alternatives like Kagi, which focuses on privacy and doesn't sell your data. While it costs around $10/month, Kagi offers a diverse mix of web content, making it a worthwhile investment for varied search results. Other niche or non-commercial search engines can also provide unique content. While they may not be sustainable for daily use, they're great for discovering new sites. Find them here.

Webrings: Webrings are collections of websites united by a common theme or topic. They offer a unique way to explore sites created by real people, spanning a wide range of interests. Here are some of my favorite webrings:

Hotline Webring

Retro Webring

Low Tech Webring

Geek Webring

Soft Heart Clinic Mental Health Circle ...and here are some list of webring databases to explore!

Curated List of 64 Webrings

Neocities Webrings

Curated List of Active Webrings

Comprehensive List of 210 Webrings

Cliques/Fanlistings Web Cliques/Cliques are groups which you can join usually if you fulfill a certain task such as choosing an animal or listing your astrological sign. Fanlistings do the same for fans of various topics! You can then be linked on the clique's/fan group's site for further website discovery! Here are some web clique directories:

Project Clique

Cliqued

Fanlistings Network

5. Link Directories

Many sites have smaller link directories of buttons where you can find sites that they are "mutuals" (both creators follow each other) and "friends/neighbors" — sites they follow. It's a great way to build community. There are also larger link directories of sites which someone finds cool, and it's a great way to intentionally explore the web. Here are some of my favorites:

SadGrl Links

Melonland Surf Club

Neocities Sites

Onio.Cafe

Though there are many more! 6. Random Site Generators

Finally, there are random site generators which allow you to randomly stumble upon websites. While not very practical, they are a lot of fun and offer a unique way to discover new corners of the web.

A list can be found here

What now?

The next question you have is probably how can you become an active member/contribute in this world of the underground web? I unfortunately don't have the energy to write a guide right now but it will come soon! In broad strokes, consider making a site on Neocities. If you do make a site, remember to include a robots.txt file to get AI and bots out of there and don't forget to rate your site so we can know who it's for. If you'd like to transition off social media I recommend an RSS Reader such as the one at 32bit.cafe or on Fraidycat (guide on this to come soon as well!). For your twitter-fix you can always post a status at Status Cafe and your mood at imood. There is a whole world out there full of passionate and friendly people who are ready to reclaim the web. Excited to see you there!

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S05E20 - One for the Road - Part D

That's not encouraging at all, Doctor.

Wrong car. That's embarrassing. But nice look.

Not the right moment to goad him, when Rex is missing.

Also, not that smart of Charlie to let her know that Rex was in the actual bait car.

Fucking badass.

What I don't get is how the criminals knew it was a bait car in the first place, in order to make the switch so that Charlie would chase the wrong car? They just randomly picked the "right" one?

"Charlie didn't say I'd waste my whole night in here."

See? Now, he's actually fine. Or, well, as fine as he can be with two bullet holes and after a brain operation. I'm happy with how they planted hints on how Jesse wasn't actually fine at first and now the way they show that he is okay.

Liar. Just kidding, this is definitely not the time to upset Jesse.

Be serious, Charlie, you don't even have the budget to leave Canada.

Could have done without the grandpa hat. Knit caps and beanies exist.

Like that. Sorta. He does look like he's going to commit a crime instead of stopping it.

"There you go. Now, find me, I need to pee."

Rex seriously managed to pop the trunk.

"Charlie, I love you, but I have to pee."

"I'm staying here. For a while. You're not moving without my permission."

And you seem heartbroken about it.

Charlie is probably thinking when it's going to be his turn.

Charlie is so supportive. And I focus on his reaction because usually this dynamic in crime shows is very different and mostly comes off as light bullying, at least in my opinion. We don't have that on Hudson and Rex.

Yeah, in case you haven't realized, Rex has adopted all of you and he says there can be no pets. Rex is not a dog, he's a police officer (actually, he's a cat in disguise).

That was a proper finale with high stakes. Looking at you S6 switcheroo(s). Why there's so much self-sabotaging in this show, I'll never understand. Or maybe not self-sabotaging, because CityTV does not produce this show.

S5 was... long. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but there really was no point to all these episodes aside for the fact that they suddenly found more money so they made more episodes. Compared to S4, it was less cohesive, but there were still some small arcs in it. By the end, we set up Jesse's detective thing which will take way less screentime than I initially thought. Still, it's an effort.

The highlight of the season for me has to be Charlie and Sarah's relationship development. Although at certain points it was too stable. No arguments, no fights. I'm not a fan of creating friction just for the hell of it but there were points where they could have arguments because they sure didn't agree on everything.

I feel like Charlie's development mostly happened off screen, because early on in S5 you can tell he's a bit different and that he's more keen to share stuff with Sarah. He's allowed her to grow closer to him, something that I'd expected we'd see develop on screen. I think I'd used the term "new season, new Charlie" before. I stand by it. I'd have wanted this to be on screen, and it was disappointing for them to chalk up all his issues to pining.

Sarah did have more screentime this season, although a lot of it was tied to Charlie. There were the two episodes of the two parter in which she shone on her own, as well as the episode with the court and the one where she uncovered the injustices of the prison system (off the top of my head). I was a bit worried that their relationship would be all that they'd write for her that season, but she had her moments. Still missing the Truong family. Sarah's bond with Rex also deepened, it was visible in their scenes together.

Joe had so many women surrounding him and somehow he ended up solo again. And promoted and demoted in the same day. Yikes. But it's not easy to keep the team together and have all of them grow professionally at the same time. I liked the arc with the job and the not-so-friendly competition with Vanessa.

Jesse became more confident and grew in this season. He's no longer the funny kid, he's someone who is ready to seek more from life, although I detest the idea that working in a tech job is somehow inferior to hitting the streets as a field cop.

As for Rex, he did what he does best. He upstaged everyone lol. They always work hard to get Rex to have new tricks every season, and I appreaciate that.

[glassprism]

Opinion on chumisa? She’s gorgeous but haven’t heard much of her

So, keeping in mind that I tend to just skim over reviews and I don't really get hyped over actors a lot...

I really liked her. Like, she was very, very good.

And it's pretty incredible considering the video I have of her that she's only barely started the role, but there we are: Chumisa Dornford-May feels like she came into the production already having a good idea of exactly how she wanted to play Christine and how she wanted to act certain scenes and string it all together to show her character's arc, and she went and did it. Now all that's left is for her to refine it.

Some highlights: from the get-go I loved how she played 'Think of Me'; I think it's very tempting to go the happy, joyful route a la Gina Beck, and I like that interpretation! But she acted the song in a way that was more appropriate to the lyrics she was singing, sometimes nostalgic, sometimes wistful, sometimes distant and grieving. It gave me a great sense of Christine as not only a good singer but a good performer too.

In terms of whether she was a Phantom or Raoul girlie, I'd honestly say neither, though if pushed I'd say she maybe leans a little more towards Raoul. Her Christine in the lair scenes was not necessarily afraid or angry at the Phantom, but she did feel rather resistant to him, especially compared to some of the other Christines in the role right now (e.g. Lily Kerhoas and Colleen Rose Curran). There were moment where she would melt a little, seemingly going, "Oh, this is kind of nice", but much of the time, she appeared more wary than anything else, unsure of what the Phantom was up to.

I also say she's not quite a Raoul girlie because she acts similarly in the rooftop scenes. In particular, her 'Why Have You Brought Me Here' was played like she was trying very hard to convince Raoul of what she saw and was angered that he kept trying to calm her down rather than actually attempting to understand her. Her Christine doesn't just want to tell Raoul what's going on, she wants him to believe her. She was also noticeably less giggly than other Christines during 'All I Ask of You', at least in this performance, and I liked how it kind of flips the dynamic between them: whereas earlier it was Christine trying to convince Raoul, now he has to be the one to convince her that all is goodness and light, and I'm not fully sure she bought into it.

What else? Oh, in 'Twisted Every Way', she did something that I first saw Yang Chen Xiuyi do in the Chinese production, which was to turn very hopefully towards Raoul when he says, "Christine, Christine, don't think that I don't care..." It's like she thinks, or wants to think, that Raoul is going to back down and call off his plan, which makes it all the more devastating when he doesn't.

And finally, by 'Point of No Return' and 'Final Lair', her Christine had definitely reached her limit with the Phantom. I really enjoyed how you can see Christine working out that it's the Phantom onstage with her during 'Point of No Return', slowly drawing out her phrases as the wheels in her head spin and then committing to continuing the show to catch him. (Never mind about the stuff after.) She delivered a truly contemptuous, "Please, Raoul, it's useless" in the 'Final Lair', and I think she gave a truly angry kiss to the Phantom. It felt very similar, interestingly, to her dynamic with Raoul on the rooftop; she seemed to be using the kiss to desperately try to convince the Phantom away from his current path (using the power of making out to stop the cycle of abuse and trauma!). Such was the quality of the video that I'm pretty sure I saw tears on her face during the kiss, and Chumisa Dornford-May played it, I feel, like it was due to the overwhelming catharsis of emotions she was experiencing: anger, grief, betrayal, terror, all of it being released into this one grand moment.

The only flaws I really noticed had to do with her singing. Most reviews have pointed out she belts some of the score; I didn't notice it too much, but I definitely heard it during 'Wishing'. It wasn't the worst place to belt - she did it during the last stanza, where Christine is usually singing pretty loudly anyway, likely to add volume to her singing - and I didn't mind it too much, but it was jarring. There were also a few parts where her voice was a little quiet, and small scenes where Christine was not the focal point but she could done a little more in her acting, or just paused and let the scene "breathe" a little (which, in fairness, is something most actors new to a role will do, rush through the show).

But honestly, those were minor nitpicks in what was otherwise a really great performance. And this is her early in her run? I can only imagine what she'll be like with a few more months under her belt!

[lazy-universes]

Hey, it's been a while. I hope you and Buttons are okay. 💙

every once in a while i get asks like this and please don't worry!! here's some highlights of the past couple of months:

we're thoroughly sickly sweetly in love

all of our friends think we're disgusting

buttons decided to get another degree (why not)

i got promoted at my job and now oversee the entire public law department at the firm

we have two cats together

we are planning on getting married by next year or so

i came home from work one day to find out buttons had placed a PIANO IN MY LIVING ROOM. we live in an old apartment complex with no elevator. she had a piano brought up THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS

every 2/3 weeks or so i have religious commitments and have to buy flowers for offerings so i also buy her different flowers until she figures out which one is her favorite and i can buy those instead

buttons derives great pleasure from buying what she calls "food waste lootboxes". it's this system we have of buying near expiration or aesthetically unpleasant foods for cheaper. so far this has yielded: 16 beetroots, too many potatoes to count, 6 cabbages, 120 eggs (organic!), 72 strawberry yoghurts (buttons hates strawberries) and a whole lot of weird ass imported groceries that just pile up in my pantry

i learned to cook many new dishes to get rid of all that food. my gyoza dumplings have become quite sought after at the office

buttons ditched medicine practice but remains a registered doctor to file my prescriptions when i forget them

when i leave for the office in the morning i put on red lipstick and leave a kiss mark on hidden parts of her that won't show on her zoom meetings

she says i take up too much space in the bed but this is a LIE i keep chasing after her at night and she keeps evading me slippery bastard

every day i wake up in the morning and she has left notes on the refrigerator. the other day she informed me a candidate broke a chair on another candidate's back during a debate in são paulo. often enough she just says cutesy stuff to make me smile

anyways life's been good!! she says the energy to write fanfiction and to mess around with her robots is one and the same and she's quite hyperfocused on the robots atm. but we've never been happier!!