#benefits of writing google reviews

[rolanslide]

I. need to stop reading user-submitted media reviews :(

[fight-nights-at-freddys]

MASTER POST OF PROSHIP RESOURCES!!! <3<3

this is just for links (bc i just have No Way of formatting this properly), so for more in-depth stuffs and credits, head to the google doc, or the carrd !! :3c

Fiction ≠ Reality

Violent media -

Does Media Violence Predict Societal Violence? It Depends on What You Look at and When

Video Game Violence Use Among “Vulnerable” Populations: The Impact of Violent Games on Delinquency and Bullying Among Children with Clinically Elevated Depression or Attention Deficit Symptoms

Extreme metal music and anger processing

On the Morality of Immoral Fiction: Reading Newgate Novels, 1830–1848

How gamers manage aggression: Situating skills in collaborative computer games

Examining desensitization using facial electromyography:Violent videogames, gender, and affective responding

'Bad' video game behavior increases players' moral sensitivity

Fiction and Morality: Investigating the Associations Between Reading Exposure, Empathy, Morality, and Moral Judgment

Comfortably Numb or Just Yet Another Movie? Media Violence Exposure Does Not Reduce Viewer Empathy for Victims of Real Violence Among Primarily Hispanic Viewers

Fantasy Crime: The Criminalisation of Fantasy Material Under Australia's Child Abuse Material Legislation

Being able to distinguish fiction from reality -

Effects of context on judgments concerning the reality status of novel entities

Children’s Causal Learning from Fiction: Assessing the Proximity Between Real and Fictional Worlds

Reality/Fiction Distinction and Fiction/Fiction Distinction during Sentence Comprehension

Reality = Relevance? Insights from Spontaneous Modulations of the Brain’s Default Network when Telling Apart Reality from Fiction

How does the brain tell the real from imagined?

Meeting George Bush versus Meeting Cinderella: The Neural Response When Telling Apart What is Real from What is Fictional in the Context of Our Reality

loli/shota/kodocon -

If I like lolicon, does it mean I’m a pedophile? A therapist’s view

Virtual Child Pornography, Human Trafficking and Japanese Law: Pop Culture, Harm and Legal Restrains

Lolicon: The Reality of ‘Virtual Child Pornography’ in Japan

Report: cartoon paedophilia harmless

‘The Lolicon Guy:’ Some Observations on Researching Unpopular Topics in Japan

Robot Ghosts And Wired Dreams Japanese Science Fiction From Origins To Anime [pg 227-228]

Australia's "child abuse material' legislation, internet regulation and the juridification of the imaginationjuridification of the imagination [pg 14-15]

Multiple Orientations as Animating Misdelivery: Theoretical Considerations on Sexuality Attracted to Nijigen (Two-Dimensional) Objects

Positive Impact on Mental Health

Art therapy -

The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults: A systematic review of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials

Efficacy of Art Therapy in Individuals With Personality Disorders Cluster B/C: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effectiveness of Art Therapy With Adult Clients in 2018 - What Progress Has Been Made?

Benefits of Art Therapy in People Diagnosed With Personality Disorders: A Quantitative Survey

The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in the Treatment of Traumatized Adults: A Systematic Review on Art Therapy and Trauma

The clinical effectiveness and current practice of art therapy for trauma

Writing therapy -

Optimizing the perceived benefits and health outcomes of writing about traumatic life events

Expressive writing and post-traumatic stress disorder: Effects on trauma symptoms, mood states, and cortisol reactivity

Focused expressive writing as self-help for stress and trauma

Putting Stress into Words: The Impact of Writing on Physiological, Absentee, and Self-Reported Emotional Well-Being Measures

The writing cure: How expressive writing promotes health and emotional well-being

Effects of Writing About Traumatic Experiences: The Necessity for Narrative Structuring

Scriptotherapy: The effects of writing about traumatic events

Emotional and physical benefits of expressive writing

Emotional and Cognitive Processing in Sexual Assault Survivors' Narratives

Finding happiness in negative emotions: An experimental test of a novel expressive writing paradigm

An everyday activity as treatment for depression: The benefits of expressive writing for people diagnosed with major depressive disorder

Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process

Effects of expressive writing on sexual dysfunction, depression, and PTSD in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse: Results from a randomized clinical trial

Written Emotional Disclosure: Testing Whether Social Disclosure Matters

Written emotional disclosure: A controlled study of the benefits of expressive writing homework in outpatient psychotherapy

Misc -

Emotional disclosure about traumas and its relation to health: Effects of previous disclosure and trauma severity

Treating complex trauma in adolescents: A phase-based integrative approach for play therapists

Emotional expression and physical health: Revising traumatic memories or fostering self-regulation?

Disclosure of Sexual Victimization: The Effects of Pennebaker's Emotional Disclosure Paradigm on Physical and Psychological Distress

Kink/Porn/Fantasies

Sexual fantasies -

A Critical Microethnographic Examination of Power Exchange, Role Idenity and Agency with Black BDSM Practitioners

Women's Rape Fantasies: An Empirical Evaluation of the Major Explanations

History, culture and practice of puppy play

What Exactly Is an Unusual Sexual Fantasy?

The Psychology of Kink: a Survey Study into the Relationships of Trauma and Attachment Style with BDSM Interests

Punishing Sexual Fantasy

Women's Erotic Rape Fantasies

Sexual Fantasy and Adult Attunement: Differentiating Preying from Playing

What Is So Appealing About Being Spanked, Flogged, Dominated, or Restrained? Answers from Practitioners of Sexual Masochism/Submission

Dark Fantasies, Part 1 - With Dr. Ian Kerner

Why Do Women Have Rape Fantasies

The 7 Most Common Sexual Fantasies and What to Do About Them

Sexual Fantasies

Pornography -

The Effects of Exposure to Virtual Child Pornography on Viewer Cognitions and Attitudes Toward Deviant Sexual Behavior

American Identities and Consumption of Japanese Homoerotica

The differentiation between consumers of hentai pornography and human pornography

Pornography Use and Holistic Sexual Functioning: A Systematic Review of Recent Research

Claiming Public Health Crisis to Regulate Sexual Outlets: A Critique of the State of Utah's Declaration on Pornography

Pornography and Sexual Dysfunction: Is There Any Relationship?

Reading and Living Yaoi: Male-Male Fantasy Narratives as Women's Sexual Subculture in Japan

Women's Consumption of Pornograpy: Pleasure, Contestation, and Empowerment

Pornography and Sexual Violence

The Sunny Side of Smut

Other -

Fantasy Sexual Material Use by People with Attractions to Children

Fictosexuality, Fictoromance, and Fictophilia: A Qualitative Study of Love and Desire for Fictional Characters

Exploring the Ownership of Child-Like Sex Dolls

Are Sex and Pornograpy Addiction Valid Disorders? Adding a Leisure Science Perspecive to the Sexological Critique

Littles: Affects and Aesthetics in Sexual Age-Play

An Exploratory Study of a New Kink Activity: "Pup Play"

Jaws Effect

The Jaws Effect: How movie narratives are used to influence policy responses to shark bites in Western Australia

The Shark Attacks That Were the Inspiration for Jaws

The Great White Hope (written by Peter Benchley, writer of Jaws)

The Jaws Myth [not a study BUT is an interesting read and provides some links to articles and studies]

Slenderman Stabbings

Out Came the Girls: Adolescent Girlhood, the Occult, and the Slender Man Phenomenon

Jury in Slender Man case finds Anissa Weier was mentally ill, will not go to prison

2nd teen in 'Slender Man' stabbing case to remain in institutional care for 40 years

Negative effects of online harassment

How stressful is online victimization? Effects of victim's personality and properties of the incident

Prevalence, Psychological Impact, and Coping of Cyberbully Victims Among College Students

Offline Consequences of Online Victimization

The Relative Importance of Online Victimization in Understanding Depression, Delinquency, and Substance Use

Internet trolling and everyday sadism: Parallel effects on pain perception and moral judgement

The MAD Model of Moral Contagion: The Role of Motivation, Attention, and Design in the Spread of Moralized Content Online

Morally Motivated Networked Harassment as Normative Reinforcement

When Online Harassment is Perceived as Justified

Violence on Reddit Support Forums Unique to r/NoFap

"It Makes Me, A Minor, Uncomfortable" Media and Morality in Anti-Shippers' Policing of Online Fandom

[nenelonomh]

organization 101

organization is about how we gather stimuli in our environment to complete tasks quickly and more effectively. it's about arranging our surroundings, providing order, and structuring items and activities around us.

this topic can be applied in so many instances - including physical spaces, digital files, schedules, and mental clarity.

staying organized offers several benefits:

★ when you're organized, you waste less time searching for things or figuring out what to do next. this efficiency leads to increased productivity

★ clutter and chaos can contribute to stress. an organized environment promotes a sense of calm and control.

★ organization helps you allocate time effectively. you can prioritize tasks and allocate resources efficiently.

★ a clutter-free workspace (or living space) allows you to concentrate better on the task at hand.

★ organized spaces encourage healthier habits, such as regular exercise, balanced meals, and adequate rest.

but how can you stay organized?

★ start with one area of focus (e.g. closet, desk, documents, ...) and gradually expand. focusing on one area allows you to see tangible progress, and as you declutter or organize, you'll build momentum to tackle other spaces.

trying to organize everything at once can be overwhelming. by narrowing your focus, you can prevent feeling swamped. concentrating on a specific area also allows you to learn effective strategies,, which you can apply to other parts of your life!

★ keep a to-do list. you can use a planner or digital tools to track tasks - and prioritize and sort tasks by urgency. write things down promptly to avoid forgetting them.

by freeing your mind from trying to remember all of your tasks, this mental offloading allows you to focus on the present moment. you can also assign urgency and importance, ensuring you will tackle what matters most.

★ give everything a home. clutter happens when items lack designated spaces. organize your physical and digital spaces intentionally.

★ once organized, maintain order consistently by building habits and systems. regularly review and adjust your systems when needed.

maintaining daily habits can significantly contribute to staying organized.

digital files

personally, the biggest issue i have with organization is building (and maintaining) a good system for digital files. it is crucial for me to learn how to organize these well, however, as a digital creator.

here is the process:

★ create a folder structure,, and design a clear hierarchy of folders that reflect your workflow. organize files logically based on projects, departments, dates, or file types.

at the moment i sort my files as content home < links, content plan, instagram, pinterest, tumblr, youtube < scheduling, post ideas

however, sometimes i find myself with documents that don't fit any of these sections. my plan for the future is to reorganize this to be the most effective it can.

★ use descriptive file names,, and name files clearly and concisely. include relevant keywords to make searching easier

★ consider using tags to categorize files across multiple dimensions. tags enhance searchability and allow flexible organization.

this is something that i am looking to employ!

★ utilize cloud services like google drive or dropbox for easy access from anywhere.

i will forever be a notion girl,, even though it is not quite a cloud service, it allows me a similar experience.

★ make decluttering a routine. delete duplicate or unnecessary files.

★ pin essential folders to your sidebar for quick access.

physical decluttering

writing this, i was reminded of the (horrid) bedrotting trend, especially those videos where people would show their rooms with shit everywhere and mould growing on stuff. i'm aware that some people find it super hard to maintain organization or declutter - hoarding is a very real issue.

the benefits of staying organized were previously mentioned, but decluttering specifically has its own little set of positives. this includes reduced stress, improved focus, enhanced productivity, and more positive overall wellbeing.

here are some essential tips if you are struggling to get started:

choose a small area or category to begin decluttering. set a timer (15-30 minutes) and sort items in that area into 'keep', 'donate', 'trash', or 'unsure' piles.

you could also attempt a room-by-room approach, by tackling one room at a time. focus on completing each room fully before moving on to the next.

try to organize your belongings into categories (keep, donate, sell, discard) to make decisions easier.

remember - progress comes from consistent effort, and small steps lead to a clutter-free space.

further reading

i hope today's post was helpful!

as for further reading, check out these sites: ★ How to Declutter Your Home: 6 Best Room-by-Room Methods (thespruce.com) ★ First Steps to Decluttering - Understanding the Clutter - Being Minimalist ★ Productivity, Organization & Personal-Development | 101 Planners ★ Executive Functioning Skills 101: Organization | Life Skills Advocate ★ How to Be Organized - 10+ Habits - Organized 31 ★ How to Be More Organized & Productive | 10 Habits for Life Organization (youtube.com) ★ How to Be More Organized (verywellmind.com) ★ How to Organize Your Digital Files | Reviews by Wirecutter (nytimes.com) ★ Master How to Organize Digital File Management (riverfy.com)

❤️ nene

image source: pinterest

[wherethewolfsbaneblooms]

** STOLEN ART: STORKCLIPS.NET **

It pains me to have to write a post like this. But I have recently discovered a website trying to illegally sell my artwork without my permission. I found the site by simply googling “Vermithor” in the search bar with the goal of finding new screenshots of him from the recent House of the Dragon Season 2 trailer to use as reference for a new sketch of him. Imagine my surprise when I found my art came up as one of the most popular images of Vermithor! But my elation did not last long. The site in question: storkclips.net appears to steal artwork and photographs from artists and cosplayers to sell for their own benefit. Not only that, but it appears to be a scam website too and I suspect they are also guilty of data mining. I just wanted to make everyone aware of this so no one else falls victim to their crap. When I attempted to file a DMCA infringement complaint through their software, I was immediately denied access from the site. It is likely they have IP address assessing software that block people who try to accuse them of their crimes from accessing the website again. But I know for a fact the website is still active. This is what happened right after I filed the complaint:

I have included below screenshots of the original artwork I posted on tumblr of my updated Vermithor sketch compared to the thief site’s “product”. It is very clearly my art, as they didn’t even bother to remove my signature in the corner at the bottom of his neck. They also used the first portion of my art’s description Updated Vermithor sketch based off new concept from tumblr as their “product’s” title. It is also clear they completely ignored my VERY obvious disclaimer in the worst way possible.

Also, when I googled the website to try a find out information on them what I found gave me reason to believe this website, along with their products, are likely a fake. I’ve posted a screenshot of one of the only reviews I found on storkclips.net that warns people of them being scammers. What this person says is true too, the contact email the site has listed is a fraudulent address and doesn’t work.

To all the creative content makers out there, I suggest taking a look around this website to make sure they haven’t stolen any of your creative property too. I will post a link to my stolen art from the site below. If anyone has any more information, please feel free to reach out to me and I will update this post. Maybe if we can call them out enough on their scams they will shut the site down. Everyone please stay safe.

- Wolf

[tabswrites]

What Is It?

I will assign you another writer’s work and you will have 1 week to read it and write a short review! Someone will do the same for you!

You will sign up through a Google Form (keep reading for the link). I will ask for your writing blog URL, a link to the work you would like reviewed, genre preference, and any content warnings or triggers you would like to avoid.

Submit a piece of writing you would like to be reviewed, but please keep it between 1,500-2000 words max.

You will be randomly assigned a piece of writing (by me!) and will have one week to and write a 250-500 word review. Your review should include:

Three things that you really liked (a quote that grabbed you, a character you enjoyed, the overall story concept, etc.)

Three things that you think can be improved (pacing, openings/closing, descriptions, etc.) This is meant to be constructive criticism of the piece as a whole. Please avoid any criticism of grammar, spelling, sentence structure, formatting, etc.

Your favorite line/excerpt

Anything else you feel will benefit the writer, whether that’s words of encouragement or advice on how to approach a particular topic, for example.

This is meant to be a fun way to get new readers to engage with your writing! Please keep that in mind when writing your reviews. Criticism and feedback is always necessary during the writing process, as long as it is constructive and is intended to help the writer grow. Negative feedback is not always a bad thing, as long as it is respectful!

You can choose to make a public post and tag the author, or send it to them privately. Please let me know what you decide so I can make sure the reviews have been completed! If you do choose to post, tag it with #secretstoryswap!

Deadlines

Anyone who wishes to participate must submit their information through this Google Form by May 30th at midnight (EST). I will PM everyone by midnight the following day with their assigned reading. (I’m going to be a great teacher some day.)

Reviews must be posted or PM’d by June 8th. If you need more time, that’s okay! Just let me know so no one feels left out :)

I really hope we all have fun with this and most importantly, feel supported by our little writing community. If you have any questions, please message me!

[jbuffyangel]

One: Arrow 2x02 Review (Identity)

I often think if I was online in Season 2, and joined the fandom earlier, then my viewing experience would have been completely different. I would've been more confident Oliver and Felicity were going to happen.  But I was not, so I spent the majority of the season flip flopping between confidence and feeling like I was hallucinating the whole thing.

But “Identity” is one of those episodes an Olicity shipper can point to and say, “Yes!!! I AM RIGHT!!! There is something going on with these two.” Oliver and Felicity are nowhere near ready defining what that “something” is, and neither was I, but this episode is a core building block of their relationship and the new direction the writers were taking the show.

And it’s so much damn fun.

Let’s dig in…

Olicity

Oliver is having a rough week. His mother is in prison for “helping” to destroy the Glades which killed many and injured more. It is not a fun time to have the last name Queen. Oliver is trying in earnest to make a difference in the city not only as The Arrow (I’m just calling him that. I don’t care if they’ve done it officially order not), but also as Oliver Queen.

Blood (what a horrifically bad last name), the new Alderman, is not letting the Queens get off that easily and is raking Oliver over the coals in the press. People hate him because Oliver is the poster boy for everything wrong in the city. Since he operates under a secret identity, Oliver can’t really say “Lighten up. I am literally saving your asses on a nightly basis.”

Is this treatment unfair? Yes. We know Oliver did everything he could stop the Undertaking. Is this treatment fair because Oliver’s family were accomplices in the Undertaking? Yes. Sins of the father (and mother).

The good news is Oliver is trying to make a difference not just as The Arrow but as Oliver Queen. Oliver assures Blood he’s his own man and commits to hosting a benefit so all the elites in Starling City can see how the other half live and actually do something about it. Blood balks at Oliver writing a check, but agrees to the benefit – which is just a bunch of rich people writing more checks, so I didn’t really follow him round that logic bend, but whatever. Blood agrees to the benefit because he believes Oliver Queen can be the face of the new rich regime in Starling City – the kind that gives a crap about other people.

Oliver is also embracing his new role as CEO at Queen Consolidated, which means he needs a secretary to schedule the meetings and make all the coffee.

Source: @yet-i-remain-quiet

The whole scene has a snap, crackle and pop that quite frankly Season 1 was severely lacking. I’m all for dark and twisty, but can we inject a little levity once and awhile?

Source: @yet-i-remain-quiet

Felicity is rightfully furious with Oliver for promoting (or demoting) her into a job she absolutely does not want. His reasoning is Felicity needs a secret identity to cover up why they are talking all the time. This pretty much boils down to Oliver not wanting to take an elevator down eighteen floors several times a day. I have lived with a heterosexual man for twenty years and he avoids stairs like the plague, so nothing has ever been more accurate on this show.  

Let’s break this down a little further, shall we? You have a phone, Oliver. You could just call Felicity. Not every conversation has to be in person. Also, to answer the question of why he’s talking to Felicity Smoak all the time, I feel certain people would just assume they are hooking up. I mean… he is Oliver Queen.

But nope, Felicity must be within fifteen feet of him ALL DAY LONG. For business reasons and business reasons only. Absolutely has nothing to do with Felicity’s sexy little dresses. NOPE! Nothing to see here folks.

The blasé way Oliver refuses her resignation only infuriates Felicity more. He offers her a new fancy computer to entice her, but then asks her to make dinner reservations with it. Something Oliver could Google.

I’m not coming down on secretaries and neither is Felicity. I was a secretary or administrative assistant as they like to call it nowadays for many years. You have to be smart, organized, great communication skills… yada yada yada. But asking Felicity Smoak, TECH GENIUS, to be a secretary is tantamount to asking me to be a Tech genius. That math ain’t mathing.

Oliver argues they all have jobs they don’t want. He’s CEO, Felicity is a secretary and Diggle -

Diggle: It could be worse. My secret identity is his black driver.

HA!! The accuracy. Just a healthy reminder of racial inequalities. Oliver’s withering stare only makes it better.

Let’s examine Felicity’s decision a little closer. She could just quit or absolutely refuse and return to her desk in the IT department. Oliver isn’t really going to fire her. Instead, Felicity acquiesces and makes the damn dinner reservation. Oliver is not the only one who prefers closer proximity.

But she is never EVER bringing Oliver Queen coffee.

From a practical standpoint, it would be weird for Oliver to hang out in the IT department and talk shop. A private office where they can CEO & secretary by day to cover up their crime fighting activities does make a lot of sense.  He doesn’t have to explain why Felicity is by his side all the time.

The whole scene has “I want to rip your clothes off” energy, which is just fabulous. But most importantly, this job change moves Felicity into every facet of Oliver’s life – both day and night. The writers don’t need to search for reasons for these two to be in a scene together. There’s only so many bullet ridden computers Felicity can fix. Ultimately, this means more scenes with Stephen Amell for Emily Bett Rickards. She might not be number two on the call sheet, but Emily is clocking more time with Arrow’s lead. That’s all I’m saying.

This is not the end of the Olicity fighting!!!

Oliver has a run in with the cops and Laurel, while he’s trying to stop China White and Bronze Tiger from stealing the FEMA medicine trucks intended for the Glades’ hospital. Oliver is shot in the leg, which just adds to his annoyance that his efforts to save this damn city were thwarted by his ex-girlfriend and Walmart Wolverine.

Diggle: Why because this time it’s Laurel leading the charge?

Diggle makes an unsarcastically snarky remark about Laurel, which sets Oliver off, and he yells at John.

Source: Paige

AND FELICITY YELLS RIGHT BACK.

She refuses to let Oliver take his frustrations out on Diggle, particularly when he’s being an insensitive jackass.

Felicity: You don’t get to jump down his throat just because you happen to be having a lousy week. Ok? You’re pissed he invoked the almighty Laurel. You’re not the only one whose love life is taking it on the chin.

Oliver has been incessantly brining up Carly all episode and Felicity is furious he hasn’t noticed how upset Diggle looks whenever he does. They broke up and Oliver is too self-involved to notice.

There are so many things I love about this moment. Felicity grabs Oliver’s arm to force him to listen and there’s a glorious look of shock on Oliver’s face when she does because nobody, and I do mean nobody, ever talks to him like this. Not even John. But Oliver doesn’t move Felicity’s hand away.

Felicity also makes a snarky comment about Laurel. That “almighty Laurel” not very subtle. Perhaps, we are seeing a little jealousy seep through? It’s true Oliver twists himself into a pretzel for Laurel Lance, often to the detriment of the mission. I’m sure Felicity and Diggle are tired of the off again and on-again rollercoaster of Lauriver – much like the audience. Oliver’s hyperfocus on his weekly soap opera with Laurel must be aggravating at this point – particularly when he’s oblivious to his best friend’s pain.

Finally, I love the way Oliver calls after Felicity, the gentle way he drags out her name syllable by syllable, as she storms off. Between Oliver’s attitude this week and the new job – Felicity needs a break. She holds Oliver accountable and takes the space she needs.

Oliver’s no good, very bad day continues when he’s forced to choose between the benefit with Blood and saving the next FEMA shipment to the hospital. Of course, Oliver chooses the hood and with Diggle & Felicity’s help is able stop China White and Bronze Tiger.

China White: You’ll never be anything but a criminal to them, which means you’ll never be a hero.

Oliver: As long as the city is safe, it doesn’t matter.

Oliver Queen is doing all of this for the right reasons. His heart is in the right place even if his execution isn’t always perfect. As predicated, Blood chews him up in the press for missing the benefit. More proof that Oliver is a selfish elitist no different than his parents. It stings, particularly since Oliver valiantly tried to straddle the line between his two personas. He sullied the Queen family name more by missing the hospital benefit because he was too busy saving the hospital as The Arrow. But nobody will acknowledge the good The Arrow does because he’s a criminal.

Source: @crisistemporal

Oliver doesn’t complain. He just sits at his desk, alone and brooding, taking punch after punch as he watches the news coverage about who he truly is as a person. And it’s all lies.

Source: @yet-i-remain-quiet

But then we hear a “click, click, click” of Felicity’s heels. There are no further discussions. No more arguments. No apologies. She simply sets down a cup of coffee and firmly whispers to Oliver -

Source: @yet-i-remain-quiet

It’s just one cup of coffee, but it says so much. Oliver may drive Felicity crazy with his stubbornness, and he can be an insensitive jackass sometimes, but his heart is in the right place. Felicity knows everything Oliver does for the city. She knows who he truly is, and Felicity knows Oliver doesn’t deserve what’s being said about him. This cup of coffee is more than a peace offering. It’s empathy.

Oliver’s surprise shifts into a soft smile because he knows with that single word from Felicity, he is forgiven for all the ways he’s failed this week. On the surface, it’s a small gesture. A kindness. But on a deeper level, it’s Felicity believing in Oliver. The world may be against him, but he always has one person in his corner – even when he infuriates her. Its why Felicity took the secretary job. She believes in Oliver.

Source: @yet-i-remain-quiet

The smile fades a little as Oliver gazes after Felicity as she walks out. He watches her for longer than necessary, a look of tenderness and, perhaps, concern. One cup of coffee shouldn’t mean so much. But it does. It means everything. Oliver is clearly not oblivious to his feelings for Felicity, but he is far from admitting them. Falling in love with the unattainable is cause for great concern.

Oliver and Diggle

Felicity was more upset about Oliver’s insensitivity than John was, but they are dudes, so it’s not totally surprising. Also, Diggle is just used to Oliver being somewhat self-absorbed in his own pain. For the most part, it doesn’t bother him, but Oliver constantly bringing up Carly was salt in an open wound.

What’s sweet about the whole thing is Oliver was really trying to be a good friend. He was trying to think about John and be supportive of his relationship. His inability to read Diggle’s reaction means Oliver is still very much in the training wheels portion of his emotionally-sensitive-man development.

Does anyone care that Diggle and Carly broke up? I don’t. I’m thrilled. They had the heat of cardboard and I really need Arrow to focus on chemistry in ALL their ships, please and thank you. Plus, the whole dating your sibling’s significant other thing is weird. Please be done with that kind of storyline.

Diggle: I guess I couldn’t hate him and love her at the same time. You are not the only one reconciling two sides of himself.

It’s not just being Oliver Queen’s right hand man that’s interfering with John’s love life. His obsession with killing Deadshot overshadowed whatever it was he felt for Carly. If you care more about killing someone than loving someone that really sums up the relationship. It’s time to be done.

Diggle’s snarky comment about Laurel was said in part to get a rise out of Oliver. Behold his success. It was a completely passive aggressive remark. Oliver is not the only one who can pour salt into an open wound.

I also believe Diggle is not quite over the whole “You always choose Laurel” fight of Season 1. Both Diggle and Felicity’s comments about Laurel in this episode have less to do with her and more to do with Oliver’s reactions to Laurel. Oliver is upset Laurel isn’t panting every time The Arrow shows up and neither Felicity or Diggle have the patience for this toxic train wreck anymore.

Diggle reassures Oliver that he’s not the only person struggling with duality and John doesn’t always get it right either. The breakup is not Oliver’s fault. Being too wrapped up in his own suffering to see Diggle’s is his fault, however and OLIVER APOLOGIZES. The power of Felicity Smoak is real.

Diggle: We’re dangerous close to hug territory.

The boys aren’t ready to hug yet but give it time my friends. Give it time.

Oliver and Roy

This episode has one of my favorite Oliver and Roy scenes. After getting arrested AGAIN, Oliver tries to talk some sense into Roy, but this time he uses a different tactic – personal experience.

It’s rare Oliver gets to emote like this, and Stephen Amell chewed up this scene. Oliver rarely speaks about his feelings and his explanations for wearing the hood often involve other people. Yes, it’s to honor his father. It’s to save the city. It’s to honor Tommy. But what is the emotion fueling Oliver Queen?

Anger. Still waters run deep my friends. Under that calm, seemingly emotionless, demeanor is a man filled with rage. Oliver Queen was born to privilege and his experiences on Lian Yu woke him up to the unfairness of life. He sees the injustices the weak, poor and vulnerable suffer every day. What makes Oliver Queen a hero is he is DOING something about it. He will be the justice in an unjust world. Oliver is not just saving a city. He’s saving himself. The split persona, man and hood, is the only way Oliver is keeping himself a whole person. The hood is an outlet for rage, but it holds Oliver Queen together. Otherwise, he’d lose himself to the darkness.

This is why he confronts Roy. Oliver recognizes himself in Roy Harper and wants to give him direction. A way to channel that anger that’s not going to get him killed. So, The Arrow gives Roy a job – he’s going to be his eyes and ears in The Glades. No more fighting. Just intel.

Unfortunately, Roy chooses to lie to Thea about his deal with The Arrow. So, another break up is probably coming up soon.

Lian Yu

Oliver is reeling from shock after killing someone for the first time. Slade is rightfully concerned.

Slade: I’ve seen men in war with that look in their eyes. The one that says he’s split into someone else. Someone he doesn’t even recognize. If someone doesn’t talk to him, it’ll tear him up.

Oliver is rightfully concerned about his actions. He is questioning the morality behind it. Shado assures him that he was saving her life, but Oliver is not so sure. Was it completely necessary to kill that man? No, it wasn’t and deep-down Oliver knows that. What came out of him was unbridled rage and that has him scared.

Shado takes it upon herself to lead Oliver to the river where she washes off the blood. It feels like a baptism – the split between selves is being anointed and blessed. She argues that an island cannot make Oliver into something he is not.

Shado: Everyone has a demon inside of them… opposing forces inside all of us. The darkness the light. The killer and the hero.              

Oliver may feel he is two people now, but the duality was always there – he’s just more aware of it. Every person has the power for good and evil. Our life is the culmination of choices. The cosmic balance sheet is for God alone to judge.

Oliver is right to be concerned, but the fact that he is concerned, is further proof that he is still a good man. Evil people rarely reflect on right or wrong because they don’t care.

Speaking of duality, how uber creepy was Slade this episode? It completely wigged me out the way he watched Oliver and Shado by the river post coital. Sure, everyone mostly had their clothes on, but it has STALKER written all of over it.

Also, Slade advising Oliver women are a distraction who will get him killed did not feel ultraistic in nature. Slade is clearly in love with Shado and Oliver is completely oblivious to it. There is a darkness lurking underneath Slade and Oliver’s friendship, one that is glaringly obvious when compared to the present-day scenes with John Diggle.

Laurel Lance

Ugh. Laurel. She finally explains why she hates the Vigilante so much. She blames him for Tommy’s death.

Laurel: You didn’t save him. You were too busy fighting a meaningless duel with Malcolm Merlyn. And when people, people you told me you would protect, needed your help you weren’t there. I don’t think you wear that hood because you’re a hero. I think you wear it to hide that you’re a coward.

Yes, Oliver was fighting Malcolm Merlyn on a rooftop while Tommy was saving Laurel’s ass at CNRI, but the duel was hardly meaningless. He was fighting Merlyn for the remote control to the earthquake machine.  

You know what? The details don't even matter. I don’t need to defend Oliver against something this stupid.

The only reason Tommy was in the Glades was to save Laurel. If Laurel just listened to Oliver, then Tommy would be alive today. Laurel is projecting all her guilt onto the Hood because it’s too emotionally devasting to be the reason the love of her life is dead. That part of it I understand and sympathize.  

My main source of frustration is with Oliver because he just CANNOT let it go with this woman. He has a pathological need for her approval. Oliver doesn’t want Laurel to know he’s the Hood, but he absolutely wants her validation. Oliver used the Hood all last season as a mechanism to build a relationship with Laurel that he couldn’t have as Oliver Queen. 

Now that Laurel is good with Oliver again, he’s obsessed with making her buddies with the Hood. She is only going to like one half of you at a time Oliver. It's fine. Who cares?

The Hood even tells Laurel he would have gladly given his life for Tommy. WHY DIDN’T THIS RAISE AN ALARM WITH LAUREL?

I don’t recall Tommy and the Hood being too chummy. In fact, Tommy was adamant Laurel have nothing to do with that guy because he was dangerous. So, the Hood arguing he also lost a friend and would have given his life for Tommy should set off some bells in Ms. Assistant District Attorney. The longer Laurel goes without figuring out who Oliver Queen is the stupider she looks.

She does get something right. Laurel knows telling the Hood to stay away will only make him come around again and Oliver plays right into her hands. Only this time Laurel has the whole precinct waiting for the Hood. We’re supposed to be worried but there will be a trick arrow to get him out of this jam.

Stray Thoughts

How much do you love that Felicity is using a counting method to control her Freudian slips?

I hate China White. I know we’re supposed to love her because COMICS, but every episode with her in it is so stupid from a bad guy perspective.

“I had a secret entrance installed when I ran the club.” Ok, but did Oliver install it himself? Did he pay off the contractor? I have questions.

“He has this way of seducing you. Making you feel like he’s some guardian angel. But he’s not. He causes chaos and death.” Well that went dark rather quickly.

WHY IS LAUREL THERE? (My notes, which we can apply to pretty much any scene with this character). Why was Laurel with the cops out in the field trying to arrest the Hood? That doesn’t feel like a normal Assistant DA duties.

“It seems someone has broken our coffee maker. Violently.” Oliver loves Felicity's sass. Look at that smile. He’s such a fool for this woman.

“It really weirds me out to no end that you refer to yourself in the third person like that.” Diggle had some golden one-liners this episode.

“Crucifixion has such a bad reputation. The Romans used it to punish people who acted against the public good.” A clear sign someone is a total whack job is when they argue the benefits of Crucifixion. IS THIS GUY FOR REAL????!!! See, what we’re not going to do is wax poetically about the way the Romans tortured people.

Diggle wore a mask, but then he took it off in front of China White, which was spectacularly stupid unless she already knows Oliver is the Vigilante. I don't remember if she does.

See? We don’t need to kill. We have trick arrows!

Oliver finds the hozen in cave with the skulls of Japanese soldiers from WWII. That’s super gross. The gift shop story was better.

“You can take a beating. There’s a difference.” But he’s the Parkour Prince!

Ok, enough with the RED arrows. We get it.

Listen to the Watchover podcast reaction to 2x02 (hasn’t posted yet but it will soon!)

If you’d like to support the blog, please buy me a cup of tea!

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me!

[eurydicees]

in need of fanfic/book recs from ya <3

ooooooh okay idk what genre of book or fandom/ship fic you want so here are my general recent favorites! i'm not gonna give a summary, just a small note/review with my thoughts, so ur gonna have to google the books and click the ao3 links--my apologies but this post was getting way too long lmfao

real life books!

gideon the ninth / the locked tomb series by tamsyn muir: i'm really working my way through this series and i loooooove it. the characters make me crazy and every turn in the plot has me screaming a little. there's been a lot of deranged texts to irls about this one.

under the whispering door by t.j. klune: this book DID make me cry. it's a really well woven story about love for your family and your friends and death and finding satisfaction and fulfillment in life (and death) and moving forward. HIGHLY recommend his other book (the house on the cerulean sea) as well!! i read that one first and it's a really gorgeous, satsifying read.

the shell collector by anthony doerr: this is a short story collection technically but i loooooove it. each story individually is really beautifully done and i absolutely LOVE his writing style. i think i take a lot of inspiration from him for my own writing!

on earth we're briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong: top books that, like, make yourself feel seen. another author/poet that i feel i can attribute a lot of inspiration for my style and love of words to in general.

sharks in the rivers by ada limón: poetry collection! but one of my all time favorite poetry collections and i can't let this go unnamed. i absolutely ADORE ada limón (you may know her from "the great blue heron of dunbar road" or "instructions on not giving up", which floats around tumblr pretty regularly). i think i first read this collection for class but it genuinely changed something in me. i actually have a tattoo based on these poems <3

post-colonial love poem by natalie diaz: another poetry collection but this one, like, fucked me up. it's woven together as a collection in an absolutely breathtaking way, but each poem also stands alone really beautifully.

fics - haikyuu!!

a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam by swampdragons (iwaoi, 6911 words): i read this a bit ago and really loved it, though it was also really emotionally difficult for me to personally get through--one of those fics that really drives the emotions home so deeply that it hurts to keep going. part of that might just be my own personal connection to the topic. idk. but either way it's ABSOLUTELY worth it.

The Benefits of Patience by Moami (iwaoi, 3363 words): this one's silly and funny and so much more lighthearted than the prev rec lmfao. it's like. healthy but messy but established but not established but a real relationship but an almost relationship to be iwaoi <3333

The Way He Looks At You by roobtheboob (iwaoi, 3805 words): i think i read too much iwaoi. but this one's really cute i PROMISE. i like the kyoutani POV idea a lot and i think the way kyoutani is written overall is really well done, particularly in the team dynamic and his respect for iwaizumi.

The years shall run like rabbits by ladyoflalaland (ushiten, 7292 words): obsessed w this fic. ushijima's mother is written out to be a REALLY interesting character and her strained relationship with ushijima is fascinating. the passage of time of it all......man.

fics - other fandoms

"Normal" by OnigiriCat4Ever (fruits basket, kyohru, 7140 words): this one's a really cute post-canon character study of sorts and i really love it. i love how the 7yo hajime is written and his relationship with kyo is really sweet.

The act of loving in return by kindokja (bllk, ryusae, 2809 words): this one's both funny and heartwrenching and sweet and painful all at once. beautiful, necessary mix in a fic. i like it a lot.

turn your face (towards the sun) by youareoldfatherwilliam (atla, gen, 5813 words): im normal about fics abt the chit sang and the 41st, in case u were curious!

that's all i got for now? i literally just went through my most recent bookmarks and cherry picked some special highlights lol. feel free to let me know if you want anything more specific!!!!! u already know i loooooove giving recommendations<3

[write143]

✨Reading Master List (PART ONE)

Here's a masterlist of what I have read and/or am reading on AO3! Currently everything I'm reading is primarily SKZ fics (some have referenced TxT or ATEEZ and it's cute) but I'm generally just reading to read and learn what people are writing/passionate about. It's honestly enlightening, in a good way (most times). Reviews are below the cut. ♥

You can find change notes in the QRTs, where I list if anything was added, removed, edited, etc.

Also apparently this post got SO LARGE that I now have to break it up into pieces...will likely make a Google Doc of the Other Finished Fics section.

Number of fics I've finished reading: 114

my ao3: think143 🔖 - unfinished work 📗 - completed work 📖 - currently reading/tracking

My Favorite (Finished) Fics

(In order of completion, not best/worst or anything like that)

hands-on learning 💖 (E) 25.2k Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Porn with Feelings, Friends to Lovers My Notes: I thought I would have more to say about this one but it's just really really good. A nice quick nighttime read before bed. There's just something about the ones with "feelings revelation" that make me sooooo happy. And yes, all of the smut is *chef's kiss*.

MFA (Most Fuckable Ass) 💖 (E) 53.2k Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: Teacher-Student Relationship, Professor Lee Minho, Student Han Jisung, Slow Burn, Daddy Kink My Notes: I burned through this fic in an evening and I am fanning myself like a Southern woman in the heat of summer on her front porch. So incredibly well-written, and I've found a fic author that I'll be following closely for a long time.

don't leave me tongue-tied 💖 (E) 57.5k Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Friends to Lovers, Friends With Benefits, Porn with Feelings, Light Angst, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Slow Burn, Misunderstandings, Fluff My Notes: This was honestly really endearing to read and see actual feelings come to light. Author commented to say that it's based on a manga called "My Quiet Best Friend's Just Tongue-Tied", but without the dub-con elements. Well-written and reads easily; comical when it needs to be!

Haebang 💖 (E) 193.6k Relationship(s): Stray Kids Ensemble/Stray Kids Ensemble Notable Tags: Fluff, Smut, Porn With Plot, Sex Work, Dom/sub Undertones, Daddy Kink, Explicit Consent, Subspace, Porn with Feelings, BDSM, Polyamory, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Possessive Behavior, Feelings Realization, Safewords My Notes: Okay, hear me out; there is a LOT going on in this fic. A lot. The point of the Haebang retreat is that each member specializes in helping you find liberation with one aspect of sex; be it intimacy, dom/sub, etc, and each chapter follows each member at the start before things start to get a bit more involved. However, any time I try to word why I like this fic so much, I simply cannot. Also Seungmin is a nerd and we love him for it.

instinct 💖 (E) 53.4k Relationship(s): Bang Chan/Reader Notable Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Alternate Universe - College/University, Light Dom/sub My Notes:This was the first ABO fic I read and it makes every other one I've read after it pale in comparison. I love how the author describes what's going on in the reader's head without over-explaining or spoon feeding it to us. The relationship between Reader and Chan, plus all of the other housemates, is so so so good.

come on home 💖 (E) 206.7k Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: Angst, Smut, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Violence, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Denial of Feelings, Referenced Homophobia, Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Feelings Realization, POV Alternating, Gangs, Guns, Shitty Exes My Notes: The guns are there for a split second, but this fic is very centered on a incredibly difficult to read domestic abuse situation, and the liberation from said relationship. There's also the orientation realization of another character, but that instills a lot of angst and fear of loss while reading. However, the fic is still incredible, a powerful read, and definitely on the recommended list.

Wannabe Poet 💖 (E) 134.2k Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: Bad Poems, Bullied Han Jisung, Friends with Benefits, Loss of Virginity, Exhibitionism, Smut, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Sexual Assault. My Notes: I'm all about found family and I feel like this fic really hit the nail on the head for it. I loved the concept of this fic from the beginning. Han texts a bad poem to a random number and makes a friend in Minho. Most of this fic seems centered on Han becoming comfortable with his true self and what he wants, not what his family wants for him. I really love the love that he finds not only in Minho, but in everyone around him. ♥

Five Stars 💔 but 💖 (E) 420.7k Relationship(s): Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin, Han Jisung/Lee Minho, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin, Bang Chan/Lee Minho Notable Tags: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE, DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT, Cannibalism, Dismemberment, Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Some Fluff, Explicit Sexual Content, Animal Abuse, Animal Death, Grooming, Murder, Mutual Pining, Minor Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Implied/Referenced Suicide My Notes: I have to stress so so so so much that the writing on this fic is one of the best I've ever read. HOWEVER, it's also one of the most fucked up pieces of fiction I've ever read. Mental health issues are at the center of this bloody, sexy, kinky fic. It would truly be a horror movie if it were put onto screen. Please please please make sure to read ALL OF THE TAGS on this fic before deciding whether to read it or not. I had to take frequent breaks but it was difficult to make myself look away because I wanted to know what the hell was going on. I have never screamed so much at a fic before in my life. I cried at least six times and four of those were in the last 50k words.

Heart Song 💖 (E) 63.1k Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho, Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Hwang Hyunjin/Seo Changbin, Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin Notable Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Physical Disability My Notes: I just...I cried so much during this fic. In this universe, soulmates are identified by a dream that people have on the night of their 16th birthday. They dream about a significant memory from their soulmate's life, and when they awaken, their soulmate's first impression appears on their body written in their handwriting. The only problem is that...Han Jisung is blind, so he has never seen anything. Lee Minho leads his whole life thinking that he doesn't have a soulmate, because he saw nothing in his dream. I LOVE the author's storytelling style, the way they use angst in believable ways, and the way that they bring the characters together.

Speak With Your Eyes 💖 (E) 164k Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: Alternate Universe - Space, Hybrids, Androids, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Space Corps, Miscommunication, Slow Burn, ONLY ONE BED, Found Family, Smut My Notes: A ROMANCE IN SPACE?! Lee Know is an android hybrid, and unfortunately this universe has a lot of not very nice things that are in place regarding people who are not fully human. Lee Know saves Han's life, then Han saves Lee Know's life, then Lee Know saves Han's life again...you get the picture. It's incredibly well-written, a lovely drop into a different setting than I'm used to, and devourable in a day. Will be following this author for a while!

so sweet like chocolate 💖 (T) 71.7k Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Fluff My Notes: I cannot stop gushing about this fic. The mutual pining is written incredibly addictingly and just aaaagh! Lee Know is a librarian, Jisung is a student who has never visited the library before, Jisung may have accidently thrown a pencil at Lee Know...it all becomes very fluffy at just the right pace. I read this so quickly and when it was over, and the author's note popped up saying "and that's the end!" I had to check the % progress on my kindle. I would devour any further stories written about this story, but I am also okay with how it ended, and imagining what happens next.

The Curse of Saturdays (T) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

opposites attract (E) Relationship(s): Bang Chan/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

chances taken (E) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

Let Your Love Walk In (E) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

LMCat_98 has joined the chat (E) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

i need you now, but i don't know you yet (M) Relationship(s): SKZ Ensemble/SKZ Ensemble Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

he ain't heavy, he's ours (M) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/SKZ Ensemble Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

A Beautiful Mess (E) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

strawberry chapstick (E) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

Promises to keep, we won't ever need Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

Loves Me, Loves Me Not Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

After Lust Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

abode of the saints Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Hwang Hyunjin Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

why did we ever meet Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Minho, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

Lonely Street Relationship(s): Lee Felix/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

break in case of emergency Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

Finger Lickin' Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

Poles Apart Relationship(s): Bang Chan/Hwang Hyunjin, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin, Han Jisung/Lee Minho, Han Jisung/Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

boys, biology, and other inconveniences Relationship(s): Lee Minho/Yang Jeongin Notable Tags: TBA My Notes: TBA

To Be Read/Reading List

Charmer 📖🔖 (E) Relationship(s): Stray Kids Ensemble/Reader

Quaver and Storm 📖🔖 (E) Notable Tags: SKZ Member/Reader, Dom/Sub, Fluff, Smut, Polyamory, Non-con elements

Leap of Faith 📖🔖 (M) Relationship(s): Stray Kids Ensemble/Reader

Kerosene 📖🔖 (E) Relationship(s): Bang Chan/Reader

The Stray Kids Gang 📖🔖 (E) Relationship(s): Stray Kids Ensemble/Stray Kids Ensemble

In Too Deep 📖🔖 (M) Relationship(s): SKZ Member/Reader

We'll Be Alright 📖🔖 (E) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Minho

Connected 📖🔖 (E) Relationship(s): Stray Kids Ensemble/Original Female Character

I like the view right now 📖🔖(E) Relationship(s): Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix

The Force that Drives the Flower 📖🔖 (E) Relationship(s): Lee Felix/Lee Minho

Animals Without Direction 📖🔖 (E) Relationship(s): Stray Kids Ensemble/Reader

Everything you Crave 📖🔖 (E) Relationship(s): Stray Kids Ensemble/Reader

A Crack in the Glass 📖🔖(E) Relationship(s): Stray Kids Ensemble/Reader

Sin 📗 (E) Relationship(s): Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix

Boyfriend for Hire 📗 (M) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho

Waiting For Us 📗 (M) Relationship(s): Bang Chan/Yang Jeongin, Han Jisung/Lee Minho, OC/Hwang Hyunjin, OC/Lee Felix

You Are My Safe Space. 📗 (NR) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Reader

Ocean Sounds 📗 (E) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho

I Kiss Boys 📗 (E) Relationship(s): Various ATEEZ/ATEEZ and SKZ/SKZ pairings

The Pink Rose's Promise 📗 (E) Relationship(s): Bang Chan/Lee Felix

Stalking Tiger 📗 (M) Relationship(s): Lee Minho/Yang Jeongin

Wandering Eyes, And Spreading Thighs 📗 (E) Relationship(s): Han Jisung/Lee Minho

Other Fics I've Finished Reading

Due to Tumblr being a general jerk about post size, this is now in a google doc. You can view the list by clicking here. Sorry, I wish I could make this work better!! :(

[alica-tech]

a guide on behavioral interviews💼

ok i've got a behavioral interview coming up so decided to make this quick guide on how i prepare for these if it helps anyone else trying to land internships or full-time jobs in the tech industry!

the process

1. ⭐ Introduction (10-15 min)

The interviewer wants to know more about you, your career goals, skills, and how you align w/ the company's mission.

Like a compelling essay, you want a strong hook or opening statement. The first question asked is often "Tell me about yourself" and this should be a brief elevator pitch (30 seconds) that highlights your current status (student, major, study area), your relevant experience, why you're interested in the company/why you're a good fit for the company, and what you're looking for (in a job). Practice this in front of a mirror if you have to!

Doing company research is really important for the whole interview! You want to look informed and interested. You can use sites such as:

Twitter Linkedin Glassdoor company website (blogs/news/about/careers page) any press releases/news articles to find info about what the company is focused on or what they care about most.

Find things that are genuinely interesting to *you* and write it down on a separate notepad to remember it

Review the job posting you applied to and review where you meet their expectations (your strengths) and be aware of your weaknesses (be ready to answer like "I'm working on improving my..." or "I hope this company can give me more experience in..")

Top questions: Tell me about yourself, why do you want to work for us, what are your strengths? Why should we hire you?

2. ⭐ Situational Questions (15-30 min)

This is where you use the STAR method to craft your responses to questions about your communication, work ethic, and collaboration style

STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result

Here's a guide + sample questions that you can encounter in any type of interview!

Also, prepare 5-6 solid situations that you can use to anchor your STAR responses. These can come from your resume, where each project can be something you can tie back to another soft/technical skill the company is looking for.

For example, for my hackathon experiences, i can relate it to any collaboration / communication / time crunch / meeting deadlines question. for my research experience, i can relate it to analytical skills / experimental / problem-solving questions.

For me, I put all my projects/experiences on a google doc, and then I write additional bullet points on things I did, problems I solved, challenges, skills I gained, etc. It's kind of like a super expanded resume. It's a great reference at a glance! Reflecting on your experiences/projects is very important as well, whether large or small.

3. ⭐ Closing (5 - 10 min)

This is your opportunity to end on a strong note, re-iterating what makes you a good fit for the company and asking questions that show you've done your research on the role/company!

What are good questions? Questions that aren't easily answerable on the company site, questions that will help YOU make a decision if you want to work for them

Here's some good ones: What is your current work from home / hybrid / in-person policies? What are the most exciting challenges facing your company in the next 6 months? What's the next step in the interview process / when can I expect follow-up? Is there support for junior / entry-level developers (such as mentorship)? How does the company support work-life balance? Can you share any recent projects / initiatives the company has taken on that you're excited about?

Here's some to AVOID: Avoid asking about salary / benefits unless you absolutely need this information before moving forward, Avoid asking questions you can google easily or know by reading the job description, avoid questions that are clearly outside of your interviewers area of expertise

phew, maybe i shouldve broken this into multiple posts, for now this is a quick overview, hope this helps!

----

additional (free) resources:

interviewbit - variety of questions listed for behaviorals

tech interview handbook - more details on preparing for STAR and example responses

handshake blog post - list of questions you can ask at the end of any interview

exponent's blog post - FAANG interviewing, focusing on company values, finding peer-to-peer mock interviews

pramp.com - practice mock interviews with peers

[poppypickle]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by mi amor @cfr749, so obvs I gotta do this.

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 29

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 230,379

3. What fandoms do you write for? I've written the most for The Rookie. I've also dabbled in: The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Avengers, Community, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Lots of Chenford up in here...

• Come a Little Closer • I Can’t Help Myself • Want You to Stay • Bang Bang (Look What You Started) • Break Up With Him

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do! It's really important to me to respond to anyone who takes the time to leave a comment. That reciprocal appreciation is a really vital part of fandom for me.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmmm...probably Let Me Tell You a Story About War, which adds further angst to the canonically angsty ending for Clint and Natasha in Avengers: Endgame.

But all of my Gale-centric Hunger Games fics are suitably angsty too. 😅

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I Can’t Help Myself is ooey gooey sweet. Let Me Name the Stars for You isn't sweet in the same way, but giving Gale and Johanna a happy ending still warms my heart.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really. I have found most people in my fandoms to be very kind and considerate.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

"Yup... the horny kind?"

Lana, I LOL'ed. That pretty much sums it up. I had Chenford banging in closets and on tables and in cars and in bar bathrooms! Very satisfying for all, I hope.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No. They aren't really my thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

I think someone asked me if they could translate Let Me Name the Stars for You many years ago, but I'm not sure I ever saw the finished translation.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! Want You to Stay with the amazing @cfr749. The collaboration brought me so much joy, taught me so much about writing with someone else, and helped me push through some major writing block. Lana is an amazing friend and we need to write something together again!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I can never choose a favorite, so I'll say that my favorite ships that I never finished fic for are Dan/Blair and Jonsa. I have quarter-written fics for each pairing somewhere in my notes and google docs.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

The one I currently have rattling around in my brain where Miss Scarlet and the Duke's William and Eliza try out a Victorian friends with benefits thing. 😅

16. What are your writing strengths?

This is too loaded of a question. Hmmm...I think I write humor and banter-laced-with-feelings well.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I don't love writing climactic love confession moments, and I think it shows. I think I could let my characters be sappier sometimes. I also don't write action very well! Muddling my way through the gas station hostage crisis (LOL) in Want You To Stay was a STRUGGLE.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I would want a native speaker to review before publishing.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

First fandom I wrote for (but never published) was General Hospital. Jason & Robin 4eva. 😂

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Let Me Name the Stars for You. It's a quiet little thing that covers a lot of emotional ground in not that many words, and I really love exploring how broken people find ways to put themselves back together again.

I also loved some of the moments I created for Hermione in Could You Leave Me With a Scar?

Tagging @itsoneofthemuses @crose84 @farfarawaygirl - but no pressure!

[thehufflebean]

Seeking Beta Readers!

Hi there!

I'm reaching out because I figure at least some of you are here because you've enjoyed my writing on AO3 over the years! I just finished the first draft of an original fiction novel I've been writing (on and off) since 2017, and it's time to get some fresh eyes on it! It's about a small town witch with a cranky crow Familiar trying to break a curse for a femme fatale. And yes, there is magic, it is gay, and it is even polyamorous!

For those interested, we talk about monetary compensation, but I will say right off the bat I can't offer a lot and I totally understand that not everyone can offer their help for free.

Deets under the read-more:

The deets:

~ I need help detecting any continuity errors, grammatical errors, and areas that would benefit from being expanded or trimmed

~ I am looking for feedback of any kind! Are the characters compelling? Is the world-building working? Are there loose ends I missed? Should it be more spicy/less spicy? Should I add another POV? Is the whole thing a big stinky pile of doodoo?!

~ I would give betas access to comment on the Google doc (the more comments the better!) and would appreciate a short review or response (kinda like a GoodReads style book response?) after you've finished reading, reflecting on what you liked and didn't like, what did or didn't make sense, etc.

~ If it ever gets published, you will be mentioned in the Acknowledgements!

About the book:

Working Title: Magic Touch

Currently weighing in at 62.5k

Blurb:

Down a cozy street of apothecaries and palm readers, is a little shop by the name of Magic Touch Spell Service. It is here that hedge witch April offers her magical services to local townies and summer tourists alike. As big-hearted as she is stubborn, April is simply trying to make it through the slow winter season. Sure, money is tight, her late mentor’s cranky Familiar won’t quit hassling her, and she is no stranger to grief, but it’s not all bad. Her boyfriend Ivan is as sweet as the honey from his apiary, the pair have plenty of friends in the small town of Clement, and even if she struggles to believe in herself, April is damn good at her job.

But when a local man dies of an unexplainable ailment, and a woman as inscrutable as she is gorgeous enters the shop in search of a witch to break a curse, April finds herself at odds with her own principles. Will she be able to protect the town that adopted her after the loss of her parents? What would her mentor Mama Zeta say if she could see how her protégé was running the shop she inherited? And is it even possible to return to ‘normal’ after disturbing the ghosts of the past?

~

If you're interested, slide into those DMs!

[seiwas]

hi sel! can I request 21 and 24 for the ask game? super curious because my other favorite part of your writing is seeing people go feral in the notes lol

iris!!! thank you for sending in 🥹

send me a number from this end of the year fanfic writer ask game!!

#21. most memorable comment/review

omg 🥺 YOUR favourite part of MY writing is seeing the notes??? 😭😭 i am gonna hug you PLS

i think i have been so extremely blessed with such generous readers 🥺 i reblog every memorable comment/review with the tag #shotorus.feedback if you would like to peruse!!! 🥹 but hmm... i'll put this under the cut bc for sure it's going to be long!!

#24. favorite some memorable fics you read this year

i answered this here! but 😼 this just gives me a reason to give ANOTHER set of fics hehehehe 😋 beware!!!! this'll be 15 total recs hehe

and!!! like i mentioned, i have a lot in my tbr so there are a lot i probs haven't gotten to yet + the fics i reblog are more or less ones i recommend anyway!!! 🥹 (will also put this under the cut)

for #21.

niku's and sera's reblogs on 'do you believe in love?' really tickle a spot in my heart!!

niku's because back then, col wasn't even a thing yet!! 'do you believe in love?' was just a silly little one-shot born from me thinking about whether gojo believes in love. in a way, this rlly inspired me to take the story further!! and so col was born 🥺 so really, col is all thanks to @stellamancer 🥺

sera's because sera's gojo is one of my absolute favourites and i've been reading her stuff since way way waaaay before i even started writing!! she's also one of my first moots, and is such an inspiration to me when it comes to writing 🥺 so seeing her comment on this lil fic of mine rlly made me feel so 🥹🥹🥹

midi's reblogs are always hilarious and she takes apart my fics like she's deboning a fish 😭😭 (this is how we became friends!!! i messaged her to thank her for her tags on my earlier works and it was even in her native language ashfbas so i google translated it to understand 😭)

ari's reblog on 'tell me about love (show me how)' had me sobbing last night omg 😭 i swear we're writing NOVELS for each other atp

+ a writer i really love and admire commented so many nice things on my megumi fic the other day, i'm still not over it (i won't link them here bc i don't wanna be exposed LOL)

but!! i am truly!! so thankful for each tag/comment i receive 🥺 i think it's so nice that people are not only taking the time to read, but also taking the time to write smth about how they feel or what they think 🥺

for #24.

hq!!

stoplights by hajimio (iwaizumi hajime x reader) [1k. established relationship.] i think about this fic all the time and remember so vividly how i felt the first time i read it.

no matter what by shibaraki (miya atsumu x reader) [1k. established relationship hurt/comfort.] teared up a little reading this 🥹 clutched my chest too.

a piece of you with me by heich0e (kageyama tobio x reader) [1k. established relationship.] this was the cutest thing and i love how op writes tobio.

jjk

dancing with your ghost by wanderwithme (nanami kento x reader) [9k. kind of exes to lovers.] the concept is so good and so creative. executed so beautifully and achingly.

cantor's paradox by hawnks (gojo satoru x reader) [3k. ambiguous relationship.] one of my favourite gojo fics ever; i reread this all the time.

dawn instinct by lorelune (gojo satoru x reader) [6k. ambiguous relationship.] so tender and raw. really beautiful 🥺

i could fall asleep or stare in your eyes (you’re right by my side) by seoafin (gojo satoru x reader) [2k. ambiguous relationship.] the dialogue hits heavy and there's so much in the unsaid (i am crying).

in between by threadbaresweater (fushiguro megumi x reader) [3k. friends with benefits.] so tender and raw (2). there's such an ache and i love how megumi was portrayed.

the king is but a man by petrichorium (gojo satoru x reader) [series. usurper!gojo] one of my favourite gojo series!

cruel summer by seravphs (gojo satoru x reader) [collection. friends to lovers.] explores dynamics with other characters so wonderfully and really does give off that 'last summer with friends' feeling

bnha

carve it into the soil, carve it into me by gardenofnoah (todoroki shouto x reader) [series. gardener!reader.] puts shouto under a microscope and i love that. so beautifully written.

couldn't utter my love when it counted by c4ssiopeias (bakugo katsuki x reader) [5k. exes to lovers.] so vulnerable and so raw. cried reading this.

it takes a strong hand, and a sound mind by gardenofnoah (bakugo katsuki x reader) [5k. friends to strangers to lovers.] the pacing is beautiful and the there's smth abt it that's just so tender 🥺

on my way (to you) by ofmermaids (bakugo katsuki x reader) [12k. strangers to lovers.] one of my favourite bakugo pieces; i think about it all the time and is such a creative concept executed perfectly too.

you feel like home (you're like a dream come true) by willowser (bakugo katsuki x reader) [3k. ambiguous relationship.] the dialogue is everything omg. i ached so much at this!!!

[h3103re]

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[goshdangronpa]

When I'm not writing Danganronpa fan fiction, I moonlight as a professional content/copywriter. All the fresh discourse about plagiarism is reminding me of some formative experiences in my work life, and certain people I've met ...

My first job was with a fast-paced marketing company. The in-house writing team maintained weekly blogs for a bunch of clients, and each writer had to write two 1000-word blog posts a day. That's tough, especially for someone who was still pretty fresh in the field. We were salaried rather than hourly (!), so there was no incentive to staying late ... but that also meant the company didn't have to fret about overtime pay, so we could stay late if we needed it. I'd regularly be the last one in the office, still pumping out words in the struggle to meet deadlines.

Much of my time was spent on research. I knew little about the subjects at hand, which were sometimes highly technical, so I couldn't just BS my way through assignments. I even requested and received permission to take one client's worker education course, just so I could know what the heck I was writing about. It didn't seem at all remarkable to me. It was a job. My job. Although I could've been better, or at least faster, I simply did what needed to be done.

I learned that others took a ... different approach.

One supervisor was on sabbatical for the first couple of months I worked there. I respected them as my superior. Then I was assigned to peer-edit one of their articles, something we did with everything we wrote. One uncited claim led me to Google ... where I found a nearly identical article already published. Supervisor did the ol' switcheroo of amending sentence structures and swapping words for poorly chosen synonyms. I brought it up with them, saying I wouldn't report the incident but urged them to not do that. I can't recall what happened next, other than not trusting Supervisor anymore.

After three months passed, I was up for employee review. The bosses liked what they've read - yay! And then they said, "Here's why we're not giving you a raise." My stomach dropped. Apparently, they checked how many articles everyone wrote. I was behind on a quota I knew nothing about. If I wanted more money, I should take a page from the writer in the lead. Champ had somehow written 60 articles in the past month. Amazing! My employer set a goal much humbler than what my work friend had surpassed. If Champ could do that much, surely I could do this little.

Reader, I did my best. I stayed at the office later and later, especially as the date of my next employee review drew near. Due to my salaried status, I wasn't even paid for that overtime, but I put in the time anyway. It was all for nothing. Just a week before the next meeting, where they would've decided whether I deserved a raise or not, they laid off virtually the entire writing department. Apparently, underpaying freelancers who don't get benefits was easier.

Only one person from the crew stayed. If it was gonna be anybody, it was golden goose Champ, who maintained their insane pace. I wished them well.

Anyone wanna guess the secret behind Champ's prodigious output? It's the same reason they got fired just a few weeks later.

The reveal was a betrayal. We were friends, Champ and I, getting each other through the grind of the content mill with sarcastic humor and deep conversations. They encouraged and motivated me to keep up, all the while hiding some dirty tricks that eventually helped them stay in the race while I spun out. I was shocked to discover that I had zero empathy for them. But they deserved none, the filthy plagiarist. Haven't spoken to them since finding out.

This may not be as sordid as everything H. Bomberguy discusses in his brilliant new video. My coworkers and I were literally anonymous, with no clout to speak of, let alone abuse. Our clients were small businesses with little platform, which is why they contracted a marketing agency in the first place. Still, it hurt the hell out of me, and I wasn't even the one being copied! Plagiarism is a curse word in my household, lowest of the low (without getting into, like, actual atrocity).

And you know what? Years later, what I wrote for that company still holds up in my eyes. Those old blog posts aren't exactly the Great American Novel, or even on par with what I'd write as I gained more experience, but I put the effort into writing high-quality and original stuff. I worked hard. I still work hard. As self-deprecating and even self-loathing as I can be, I'll always pride myself on this. May you writers out there be able to pride yourselves on this, too.

[paidmediaadvertising]

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[makarovspussy-moving]

cw mention of real life sa and discussion of csa in relation to the sexualization of child characters (talking about that one author. you know the one.)

I was reading the notes of some posts about the sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman and someone suggested looking up the Snow, Glass, Apples comic preview on Google books (16 pages are available to read). the comic, for context, is a dark retelling of Snow White wherein she's a vampire, and is an adaptation of a story he wrote in the 90s. so I went and read it and. um. what was the reason for this six year old child to be sucking the life out of her father's testicles and penis, Gaiman? why was that necessary?

I went and checked out some reviews and it's not the only instance of this happening in the comic. and I don't understand the point of explicitly writing a sexually violent 6 year old (and later in the story, 12 year old) who preys on grown men, including her own father. I understand sometimes the point of dark fiction is "man, isn't that fucked up?" but in the larger context of a rape culture that blames girls for their sexual assaults, where "she seduced me! she preyed on ME!" is the common defense of the men who sexually assault children, including in cases of incest...

someone in the review said they didn't like the rampant sexualization of vampire!Snow but that they'd accepted that Gaiman "back then" was "just like that."

I'm kind of haunted by it all. the allegations against Gaiman are harrowing and his response was to say one of the women of had a memory disorder that caused her to misremember what happened during your relationship. I've seen sexual abusers pull that card before. I personally know one who did. I haven't seen the details but from what I understand Neil has a history of being a creep irl and writing women like shit, especially in his early work, and all I have to say is why? Why did people give this man so much grace and benefit of the doubt and praise and worship if this is his legacy? he's white, he's rich, and he has enough skill to write some books that people like, and that was enough for so many people to overlook his behavior and embrace his writing, red flags and all. he's "just like that." no need to worry. and now two women came out saying that he sexually assaulted them, in real life, and his response in the face of the allegations and the power dynamic implied in those relationships is just "but they consented, and that one has Diseased Memory," and I'm just...

idk where to go with this. I'm not saying any of this as a betrayed fan (nowhere close to one). I'm not saying this from a position of knowing his work with any kind of depth; the only thing Gaiman I ever saw was Coraline, when I was a child.

I don't like that man. I don't like how people will gloss over the more concerning parts of his rhetoric and his behavior. I don't like how deeply he's nestled into Tumblr, interacting with fans like friends. I don't like how people can look at a story about a six year old Snow White (a victim of her (step)mother's violent jealousy in the "original" fairytale) reimagined as a sexually violent man-eating monster who sucked the life out of her father's genitals and go, "oh, that's just Neil being Neil, it's confusing but he's just like that." He's just like that. people don't question that. our culture barely blinks.

I don't think I'm gonna be able to sleep tonight.