#but I can’t describe how 100% set in stone my life practically was because it was expected to be decided for me

[arihi]

There are small quirks about me. Like if my stomach is cold, I’m 80% likely to get a stomachache in the next 30 minutes, or how my hands are pretty consistently warm, and when I start to get sick or feel ill my icy fingers are the first symptom. I’m self-conscious about how my legs look, but bulking up and putting on muscle makes me feel more okay with them. It’s all small stuff, everyone has similar things and they’re not quite unique, but observing them in myself makes me feel like an observable person instead of a zoned-out passenger in my own body going along with the path of least resistance. And it makes me feel more like me. (And I like it.)

[superspookywombat]

The Good Vibes Witch {j.h}

Warnings: one use of ‘hell’, un-proofread writing

Requests (shortened versions) : “I would love to read fanfiction (one shot) where reader is a young witch, which decided to move to the town since she is traying to get hold of her powers and take a breath from life, just rest. (like the more scared or stressed she is the harder it is to use her powers) they could be like... she could change the reality, it will be realated to her imagination and the calmer she gets the more powerful she is? but not knowing the life there isn't that calm like she would like it to be. Turns out she is Jasper soulmate, the reason she get there was that Jasper persona was "calling her" and they seems to be perfect much since he got the powers to control emotions. She is really sweet and pretty shy women, but when needed can be really tough.” from @mental-breaker-74​

And: “Can you make a jasper x reader imagine set in eclipse where y/n is a young witch (just young adult age and not 100+) who can kick new born vamp's ass ??” from anonymous

A/n: i’ve had a lot of writer’s block recently so this isn’t my best work and i’m sorry about that. also, i kept going between passed tense and current so idk what’s going on with me tbh

Enjoy :)

You weren’t sure what possessed you to drive your crappy little car to the East Coast, but there you were, on a bumpy little backroad because your car couldn’t go over 46 MPH. Maybe it was the promise of starting a new life in a sleepy town, somewhere you could hide in a cottage in the woods and be one with nature. You needed somewhere quiet- somewhere calm- where you could thrive and be in control of your powers. Something was calling you to the earthy town of Forks, something you couldn’t describe. If there was one thing you had learned by now, though, it was to always go with your gut.

You pull into a run-down gas station, where only one other car is there besides yours. You walk towards the door, hesitating before wrapping your fingers around the door handle and pulling it open. Walking up to the cashier and pulling out a twenty from your wallet, you gently tap the bell on the counter. The shrill sound vibrates your eardrums, and a man walks out of a hidden corner. He does a double take at you, before lifting his arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead. You glance down at your shoes, trying to place your focus anywhere but the man. He holds out his hand for the bill, and you hand it to him, his fingers unnecessarily brushing yours and making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

“What’s a pretty, young thing like you doing all on your lonesome?” He asks, leaning in close enough so that you can smell what he had for lunch. “Bad things happen to ladies that travel these roads alone.” 

“I’ll be careful, thank you.” You say, reluctantly plastering a smile onto your face. You pull your arms to your chest protectively and glance over your shoulder repeatedly until you’re out of the store and into the open air. As you fill up your car, you look at your reflection in the driver seat window. It had been a spell gone wrong that left you 17 for the rest of eternity, but you hadn’t known it at the time. All you wanted was to be treated like an adult, but it backfired and froze your body and left you as a teenager for the last forty years. You had to move around every three to four years, or whenever people started suspicious of you not aging. You found that if you built a cottage in the woods, you could prolong your stay to about ten years. You didn’t need to eat, your body was literally frozen in time.

Once the machine clicks, you get in your car, locking it immediately and putting it in drive. According to your phone, you were about two hours away from your new home. 

You almost miss the driveway to the plot of land you bought, it being tire tracks that lead to a cliff above the river. As soon as you reach the end of the bumpy drive, you step out and look at your surroundings. You squint your eyes, seeing flashes of white through the tall trees. Great, neighbors. You sigh and make sure that there’s no one watching before closing your eyes. Once you’re one hundred percent calm, you mentally reach down into the earth and pull at the metal, rocks, and wood. All around you, rocks lift from the riverbed, the breeze drying them before they settle into the form of a shelter. Wood from the forest floor drags over and makes a roof, the moss still glued to the bark.

Your new house knits itself together before dawn. You place your trinkets and potion ingredients on the wooden shelves, then lay out your tattered quilt on the makeshift bed. You inhale the earthy scent, then look around at your home for the next decade, hopefully. 

Over the next few days, as you settle in, you focus your time on decorating your cottage. Flowers sprout from the grass, moss and vines rapidly plaster themselves onto the stone, and mushrooms stick up from the stumps decorating your yard. Because you only need a few hours of sleep per week, you use most of your free time knitting rugs to make the place warmer.

A week after moving in, a knock on your sturdy front door takes you by surprise. Why would someone come visit you? You obviously moved out here for isolation. You walk over to the window, moving the curtain aside to peek out and look at the visitors. A petite woman and a tall, lanky man stand outside, the woman holds wildflowers in her hands. You reach to open the door, but then remember your exposed cauldron. Swiftly pulling a blanket over it, you open the door and poke your head out. 

“Hi, I’m Alice.” The woman says, holding her flowers out for you to take. You blink, before realizing you should take them. Opening the door all of the way, you gently take the flowers from her grasp. “We were out hiking and noticed your cottage, here- it’s so lovely.” 

“Oh, um, thank you.” You say, mentally cursing yourself for being so awkward. You motion for them to come inside, glancing around the small room for anything incriminating. 

“This is my brother, Jasper.” Alice says as you rummage for a free vase to put the flowers in. Standing up and deciding to find something later, you tuck your hands safely behind your back, looking up to meet the blond’s intense gaze. You look down at your bare feet, blushing. 

“Nice to meet your acquaintance, ma’am.” He says, his southern drawl like a lullaby to your ears. Calmness radiates through the room and you feel your powers swell inside you. Despite the calm, something more powerful pushes its way into the room. 

“What are you?” Alice asks, her thin eyebrows pushing into a menacing squint.

“Wh-what?” You stutter, backing up until the back of your knees hit your rocking chair. 

“Alice..” Jasper says, but she shuts him up with a pointed look. He sighs, clearly giving in to the girl.

“I can’t see her, Jazz. And neither of us can hear her.” Alice says.

“I know what you are.” You say before you can stop yourself. There was a few in one of the towns you had called home for awhile. They both whip their heads to you, and you suddenly feel small. Why the hell would you say that? “I can feel it, the power radiating from you. You both are Cold Ones- more popularly known as vampires.”

Alice looks at Jasper with wide eyes. “How do you know that?” She asks. You close your eyes and focus on the sight of a flower blooming. When you open your eyes, you open your hands and a white lily sits in your palm. “A witch..”

“Something called me here. Someone called me here.” You say, and Alice looks to Jasper. 

“We need to take her to Carlisle.” She says. They quickly walk out of your cottage, and you look to them with wide eyes.

“You carry her, Jazz.” Alice says nonchalantly. 

“Pardon?” You ask, but you’re swiftly swept off of your feet. You clasp your arms around Jasper’s neck, a scream escaping your lips as he takes a running start and jumps off of the cliff. “Are you trying to kill me?” 

“Not particularly.” He says with a sly smirk. After demanding he puts you down, you jump from his grasp and follow Alice into the big, white house.

-------------------------------------------------

After a few months of living next to the coven of vampires, you were rather good friends with them. Alice liked to drop by and knit with you, Rosalie liked to visit and drink a concoction of yours- Blood Tea, Esme gardened with you, Carlisle and Edward liked to sit and read on your bench, and Emmett enjoyed listening to you talk about the native species (even if it was just to know what was best to hunt.) You’d become close, so it came as no surprise when you found yourself spending more and more time with Jasper. He liked to spend most nights in your garden with you, stargazing, watching you practice magic, or even reading. You both fed off of each others’ calmness, making you more in control of your powers and him feeling relaxed. One rainy evening, it had happened so fast you didn’t even realize. You realized that you had fallen in love with the lanky blond.

“I know this is a lot to ask of you, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you could handle yourself.” Carlisle had come to you the morning after a big party at their house. 

“What’s happened?” You asked, pouring him a cup of tea. He took it, graciously, but made no move to settle in. 

“We have to fight, and I think you would be very helpful.” He says, avoiding eye contact like a dog who had done something wrong.

“You don’t even have to ask, Carlisle. You know I’d love to help in any way that I can.” You assure him with a smile, though you feel unsure on the inside. 

That’s what brought you to a clearing that you recognize from many games of vampire baseball, staring down at an army of newborn vampires. Jasper, right next to you, held your hand in order to strengthen the emotional connection between the two of you. Of course, that didn’t help you feel calm, because the butterflies surging through your body had the exact opposite effect on you. You take a deep breath, knowing that the vampires will sense you aren’t like them and take you on as an easy target. But they’d be sorely mistaken. As vampires and wolves rushed the newborns, you stayed on the sidelines, only stepping in every so often to stop a newborn in its place if it was gaining on your friends. But when you saw three piled on top of Jasper, you inserted yourself into the battle. 

You threw your hands out, reaching for the organic material- or what was left of it- in the attackers’ body. You pulled it apart like cotton, and they flew up into the air before exploding into a cloud of dust. Jasper got back onto his feet, giving you a gracious nod. You felt lightheaded, but decided to keep going anyway. 

A yelp alerted your attention, and you ran as fast as you could, stopping at an injured wolf. You tried to calm yourself enough to knit the bloody wound back together, then stepping back to let the wolf rejoin the fight. You stood amidst the battle, sending the newborns flying and exploding. Once there were few newborns left, you collapsed to the ground, feeling drained.

You kept drifting in and out of consciousness, but you could tell that you were being carried through the woods by Jasper before blacking out again. The next time you came to, you were lying on a medical cot in what appeared to be Carlisle’s office. 

“Did we win?” You ask weakly, barely strong enough to raise your voice above a whisper. Jasper is quick to grab your hand, and you notice all of the Cullen’s surrounding the bed.

“Oh, good, she’s not dead.” Emmett says, earning a pointed look from Esme. Alice hands you flowers, reminding you of when you first met. 

“You were unconscious, we didn’t know what to do.” Carlisle says.

“I’m fine, I think. I just pushed myself further than I’m used to.” You say, your mind still foggy. Feeling stronger, you push yourself up and give Jasper a kiss on the cheek.

“We’ll give you two some space.” Esme says with a smile, and you blush and lay back down, feeling weak again.

Over the next few days, Jasper helped you regain strength. He sat on your bed with you, reading to you while you lay against him. He was like a calm machine, which helped you recharge even faster. You taught him how to knit, and he recited his favorite poems over and over again (per your demand.) You made him a flower crown and he made you one (with Alice’s help.)

Though the whole vampire battle ordeal wasn’t overly pleasant, it brought you the love of your life, and for that, you couldn’t be more grateful. 

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “Tanana.”

This was super fun to write this morning. A little bit funny, and I always enjoy hurting Adam a little, accept in a fun way this time no angst.

Hope you guys like it :)

Just a little bit closer.

The small creature looks on innocently munching on a crop of moss. It has four large eyes, two on either side of it’s head, six legs and is about the size of a small to medium-sized dog. It has really long ears, and if it stays still long enough, it’s going to be my dinner.

I scoot closer over the rock arm raised to the low ready, the spear clutched tight in my right hand.

The creature lifts its head.

Shit, it must have heard me. In my panic, I make a decision out of haste and throw the spear. It goes wild and clatters across the stone. The Drev rabbit takes off, and I am left standing stupidly in the middle of the open field weaponless and looking like a jackass.

“Tsa din dasdarish darat?”

I nearly leap out of my skin, turning around to find Hijan standing a few meters behind me near a coiltree.

“Shit, hijan, do you really have to sneak up on me like that.” 

The old drev looks at me in amusement. I Know she doesn't understand most of what I am saying, but somehow I  think she still gets it.

“Zha deengan.” I say, one of the first phrases I learned how to use. Being able to say I’m hungry is very important in any foreign language.

She tilts her old wizened head at me, “tsa tin danehanish ee dengish?” You were going to kill and eat that?

I shrugged, “Yid zha deengan.”

She crosses her arms, a habit she’s picked up from me, “ene tsa deengan datadish zha dadee sa deeng datahaik.” IF you were hungry I would have given you food.

I sigh, she wouldn’t get it, but still she walks over and hands me a miss twist. I call them that because of their distinct shape, kind of purple and in a strange sort of spiral. When you dry them out they are crunchy like chips though not particularly salty.

I munch absently on the weird plant? Fungus? And she absently plays with my hair. I try to shrug her off, but she’s a lot like my mother in the way that she won't let me be. I am about 100% sure she thinks I am one of her Drevlings. Which has caused a bunch of interesting changes in my life as of recently, not one of which was her decision that I wasn’t colorful enough.

Apparently Drev see humans a lot differently than we do. They can see the way the UV light interacts with our skin. She describes thousands of little spots which turn into swirling stripes. When I asked her to describe the color she said it was similar to turquoise or blue, though I obviously can’t imagine it.

Makes me jealous as hell though.

However, she said my “Carapace” wasn’t colorful enough. When I asked her what she was on about she clearly meant my hair and my nails, which are made up of similar stuff to the Drev carapace.

Long story short, I now have green hair and nails.

Yeah yeah, laugh all you want, but whatever the hell she put in my hair is not coming out. And when I say green, I am not talking like a nice moss green or forest green. I am talking like the color you paint your new Lamborghini kind of electric green.

Not to say that I haven't had my nails painted before, but never this color, and never in tandem with bright flaming green hair. Don’t know why everyone associates me with the color green. I would say it was only my second or third favorite color. Either way, I look super weird as of late, green hair green nails, no shirt, no shoes, and a slowly expanding five-o-clock shadow.

You know I am not a big fan of beards, mostly not a big fan of them on me, but I forgot to bring a razor, so in that department I am kind of fucked.

I mildly wonder if she is going to make me dye my beard green when it finally grows in.

She makes me grab my spear, grabs me by the hand and drags me back towards the village. She doesn’t let go of my hand. I don’t try to fight her, she is stupidly strong, and despite being a grown ass adult, I am apparently her child now.

The other drev find her adopting me very, very funny, but at least now that she has they don’t call me dazhit anymore. The last time someone called me a bitch in front of her, she kicked the crap out of them. I thought it was pretty funny personally. They danced around the circle like a loon expecting her to be weak in her old age, and she just stood there then jabbed them in the throat with the butt-end of her spear when they weren’t expecting it.

I laughed so hard I cried.

Ever since, they have treated me with a little more respect. 

We make it to the village, and with one hand she pushes me off towards the training grounds as if to say, “Go join the other kids.”

I sigh and roll my eyes but go.

The last time I tried to skip out she almost had my hide.

I go at her bidding meeting up with the others who are around my height. Hijan watches sometimes, and she has made it very clear that the kids deserve to get the shit beaten out of them. I don’t like it much, but these kids don’t seem bothered when you knock them around. In fact, most of them like it.

I think our trainer is a bit mad that I can actually fight.

I smile to myself 

Now that I do fight, I am at the top of the class.

The kids think I cheat, difference is I have different training than they do, and a lot more experience in combat despite what the Drev seem to think.

“Tanana! Naktan ts adon.” Tanana, my nickname, or my drev name I guess means alien. Hijan doesn’t like the name much, so she calls me tsata which means gift. Personally I am pretty flattered she thinks that about me.

I walk into the circle at our leader's orders and Dark ‘the other kid’ steps into the circle across from me. He’s an ugly little shit, and I’m not just saying that. He’s a dick to me on most occasions. When our teacher isn’t looking sometimes I make fun of his coloring, that usually shuts him up. I should probably feel bad for making fun of a kid, but I really don’t. He's a dick and everyone knows it.

Problem is now he has a bit of a vendetta against me, and is pretty hell-bent on putting his spear through my throat.

Good thing we only fight in hand-to-hand combat these days.

“Aleeshazh!” 

The kid does not wait till the end of go before he is charging at me hands wide Some of these kids are under the impression that guarding your center is like…. Dishonorable or something. They would be wrong because even Drev now it’s stupid to come in arms wide open. However, at this point I’ll take what I can get.

I dodge past two sets of arms and come in sharply towards hims middle. He has reach on me, so I go in close and brutally aim for what I am hoping is his liver, if Drev have them. My single punch has him staggering back across the circle gasping.

The teacher does not look happy.

I feel kind of smug.

Of course the little brat won’t give up, I’ll give him that, he isn’t a quitter, and charges for me again.

He’s making this too easy, 

I wouldn’t call myself a martial arts master or anything in the slightest, but before he knows what’s happening, he’s on the ground with my legs across his chest. I pin his lower arms with my right leg squeezing his upper arm between both. I have tight hold of his wrist, and just as he begins to squirm, I slowly place upward pressure on his elbow by arching my hips upward.

If I wanted to I could snap the joint.

Damn I love a good arm-bar.

He squirms and squeals for a couple of minutes as I continue to apply pressure until the teacher eventually tells me to knock it off.

I let go and he frowns at me. He doesn’t approve, but there isn’t uch he can do. My move wasn’t against the rules or anything.

He looks at me for a long moment eyes narrowing at my unconcealed expression of pride, and a hint of smugness.

I can see he wants to wipe the look off my face, “zha jasti tsa jej atatchan teeya dzhalakat.”

I grin, “Of course I am too skillful for children. Surprised it took you so long to see that.”

He does the drev equivalent of a frown. I know he can understand most of what I am saying, unlike others, but I think it still annoys him when I speak English.

Tough luck bro, my mouth goes way faster than my brain, its one of my worst qualities. If it didn’t I’d speak Drev More, but for now it was going to take practice.

“Ene tsa ditan atatchan juhkee tsa tehish zheengat s dzhal.”

Well shit. 

His if you are so skillful than you can fight with the adults was not an encouraging statement.

I honestly hadn’t meant that to come out as dickish as it did, but now  I was definitely already regretting my decision to be a smug bitch.

Guess that is what karma does to you.

I see Hijan at a distance, watching as I am dragged over to the next training field. The Drevlings follow at a distance chirping to themselves excited to see me get my ass beat.

We come up over the rise just as one of the training circle is in session. 

Two Drev go at each other with spears so hard sparks are flying. Their feet cut tears in the moss as they push each other across the stone. As we come up one of them is hit in the head so hard they are knocked completely out of the circle.

“Dazhit.” I mutter

Our teacher and their teacher stop to speak at each other. I can see them staring at me pointing and speaking quietly with each other. 

The older class adjusts themselves and looks on in great interest.

I don’t know these guys well, but I am pretty sure I am about to know the butt of their spears pretty well.

I sigh and shoulder my own spear, which…. Is significantly shorter than everyone else’s.

I’m not self-conscious.

“Tanana daeen hajish.”

I walk over as ordered my spear still over one shoulder.

“Tsak nantan tarik.” Your new teacher 

I lower my head, “Tarik”

She seems amused and motions towards the circle, “Tanana ts adon. Zha nin tsa tehish darat zhegingi jastat.” get in the circle, I want to see what you can do.

Oh, great.

I do as told stepping into the circle as she calls one of her students forward. She’s a light colored Drev, the color of cream/orange rose petals. I am pretty sure the Drev would consider her pretty…. Did I mention that she’s at least two feet taller than me?

No

Well she is.

She rams her spear butt into the dirt, and I swallow hard.

The Tarik waves a hand and we begin to circle.

I hold my spear like they taught me, though I am much better at hand-to-hand combat. We test each other for a minute moving forward and back, watching each other’s guard. Of course, she strikes first though.

I dodge out of the way quickly, expecting to come in and wrap her across the back of the knees, but she spends around and blocks me at the last moment. We connect together so hard that my hands go almost immediately numb.

She brings the butt of her spear around, and I am just barely able to duck under it. She comes at me again, and I step back as the spearhead slices past my chest.

My eyes go wide as I stare at my almost evisceration.

I barely look up in time to block her fro the side.

The hit makes my bones hurt.

I flick my spear up trying to catch her in the face, but she knocks me away with impunity.

She has me backed against the edge of the circle.

She doesn’t expect me to make it out. Too bad I have seen way more action movies than she has. As she cuts over me, I slide under the cu on my knees skidding over the rock and past her into the center of the circle. 

She turns to find me and barley blocks my strike.

I’m doing pretty good.

This isn’t so bad.

That’s when the kid gloves come off, and she strikes me so hard and fast I can barely raise my spear to block her. A vicious second later she comes in with the killing blow, or the crippling one.

Did you know you can knock someone out by hitting them hard enough in the liver?

Yeah I didn’t know that either, apparently the body sense major trauma and is just like nah fam I am not about that life. The vagus nerve gets activated too.

So there I am lying on the moss and the dirt curled up in a ball trying not to vomit or pass out.

I can hear that little gremlin Naktan laughing in the background.

God I hate him.

And I am in SOOO much pain. I am pretty sure my liver has been ruptured pretty sure I am going to die right here on the face of the planet.

I groan, “Hijan… help…. hijan .”

Yeah yeah practically crying for my mother like a wuss. I know no need to point it out 

But guys, I am dying. Or at least I am pretty sure I am.

Luckily for me she shows up and eventually the others leave. I can feel her running a hand through my hair, which would be nice if I wasn’t pretty sure I was dying 

Turns out though, I wasn’t dying, I am just pathetic 

[margoshansons]

N+A=J, Azor Ahai, and Dawn

Look, before you go and crucify me for presenting and actually believing this theory, just hear me out. I’m not here to convince you or bash on your theory, so please don’t do that with mine.

These are just my opinions and while proof for R+L is stronger and is probably what will happen in the books, I do think that people are missing out on the awesome potential for N+A.

This is not an attempt to prove it. There are people with more dedication and more time on their hands who have tried. I’m only here to discuss why I like this theory from a narrative standpoint better than R+L=J

TLDR: Jon is Azor Ahai and making him a Dayne gives him access to Dawn, cool warg magic, and the potential to be the Sword of the Morning, which I think is pretty sick.

So let’s go!

1. Jon Snow’s Narrative Arc 

Jon Snow is arguably the main character of ASOIAF, with Bran and Daenerys joining him as other main protagonists of the series. And it’s no secret why. 

All three have very distinct, very important relationships to Magic. 

Daenerys has her dragons, Bran is the Three-Eyed Crow, and Jon Snow’s whole storyline is about preparing for the next Long Night. The war against the Others.

It’s been that way since the beginning. We get small bits and pieces of it here and there but once Othar attacks Mormont it’s finally revealed to us and Jon that there are bigger things beyond the wall than wildlings. And we know that this is a complete surprise to Mormont and the other men of the Night’s Watch. 

We also know that there is little written about the Others in Westeros at all, seeing as Sam isn’t able to find much on them when he travels to the Citadel. 

This leads to the Great Ranging which leads to the Battle of the Fist of the First Men, which leads to the mutiny, which leads to Jon betraying the wildings which leads to the Battle at the Wall, which eventually gets him elected Lord Commander.

My point being, Jon’s storyline at this point has been spent 100% in the North surrounded by magic. There is no indication of him going south, no indication of politics beyond strategy and Stannis, no indication of him doing anything except planning for a battle against the Others and trying to save as many people as possible. 

IN FACT! The reason he gets shanked is because he momentarily forgets his duty and puts the same people he promised to save in danger. 

Up until Jon gets the pink letter, he never thinks about going south, but then “Arya” is in trouble and he puts NW and wildling men at risk. That is why he gets stabbed, that’s why they say “For the Watch”

Because in doing so he not only forgets his vows, but also the cause the men had pledged themselves to. 

Now, all of this next bit is speculation based on what I personally think is going to happen and why I think Jon being Ashara’s son makes for a better narrative. 

We know several plot points need to be resolved regarding Jon. I personally think he warged in Ghost, and then Melisandre will give him the last kiss as a priestess of r’hllor, which resurrects him like Beric Dondarrion.

Now, interesting thing here. The last kiss is a common funeral rite for the religion of the R’hllor and there’s another name for it as well.

The last kiss is a rite practiced by the red priests of R'hllor. When a follower of the Lord of Light dies, priests fill their mouths with fire and breathe flame into the deceased, as they believe that fire cleanses and is a bright gift. Harwin and Thoros of the brotherhood without banners refer to it as the kiss of life. (Wiki of Ice and Fire)

So, a kiss of life that is related to fire, that’s interesting. You know what else is interesting? 

The exact circumstances of Jon’s death. It’s very different than what happened in the show. The show scene was quoted as being “a bad guy killing a good guy” while the books made it much more morally grey. 

The most interesting part of Jon’s death, however, is Bowen Marsh sticking the dagger in Jon. He’s not only the first person to deal a mortal blow, but GRRM describes in detail how much Marsh is weeping, and how tragic this end really is. 

Hmmmm, is it just me or is this starting to sound familar?

Flames, saltwater, wow this is really starting to remind me of something, but I can’t quite put my finger on it....

*stares into the camera like I’m on the office*

He’s being set up to be reborn amidst salt and smoke!

And now we get to my main part of the theory (took us long enough) but before that happens I need to make one thing very clear. 

The Prince that Was Promised and Azor Ahai are NOT the same person. 

Yes, Melisandre refers to them interchangeably, but no offense, she’s wrong...like a lot. 

And while we know that Rhaegar knew about TPTWP, it was highly unlikely he knew about the Others, because as stated above, there is little to no information about them in Westeros and they haven’t been seen since the Long Night. So I really don’t have any idea why Rhaegar would think his son was destined to destroy beings that didn’t exist. 

He got the details of TPTWP from Valyrian scrolls, and based on the info we have, Valyrians never interacted with the Others.

Azor Ahai on the other hand, is prophecized to directly battle with “the Great Other” which Mel connects to the Others (although this isn’t confirmed). On top of this, here are the two prophecies of Azor Ahai and TPTWP

TPTWP

born of Aerys and Rhaella’s line

born of salt and smoke

prophecised by a bleeding star

has a song of ice and fire

“the dragon must have three heads”

will deliver the world from darkness

will wake dragons from stone

Obviously this is exclusive to Targaryens, and Rhaegar was even thought to be the Prince that was Promised, but I think this applies to Daenerys or Aegon more than Jon even with R+L.

Especially considering Rhaegar used the song of ice and fire line on Aegon before even thinking of Lyanna. 

Azor Ahai:

will show up after a long summer

born or reborn amidst salt and smoke

born or reborn after “stars bleed” and “the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world”

will draw forth a burning sword named Lightbringer

will ultimately fight against the Great Other

There’s no mention of dragons, songs, or anything else that most people use to interchange the two. Now the reason I bring this up is because if Jon turns out to be the son of Ned and Ashara, then he not only has a claim to Winterfell through Robb’s will, but he also can claim Dawn, the Dayne’s ancestral sword. 

Dawn is a unique sword in the fact that its not made of Valyrian Steel but it’s just as sharp. It’s blade is described as “pale milkglass” and it’s a two-handed greatsword wielded by the Sword of the Morning. It was forged from the heart of a falling star and is the entire origin for House Dayne. It’s even said to glow.

The intesting thing about it? Only a Dayne can wield it. 

It’s not passed down from father to son like most Valyrian Steel swords, but is instead given to the knight most worthy of possessing it. 

GRRM has always emphasized the importance of Swords, especially Valyrian Steel swords. But I think what’s so interesting about Dawn is that we get its history in the very first book, and Arthur and Ashara Dayne are some of the only named Dornish characters we get from that time period.

(Also, just a fun fact, George has said that if he could wield a sword it would be Dawn, so do with that what you will)

I think that Dawn is Lightbringer, and the fact that George hasn’t given much information about the Daynes (a relatively minor house) when asked, makes me think that they play a much bigger part in the endgame than we think.

They have ties to the First Men, which means they were around during the first Long Night and the Battle for the Dawn. This also means that they potentially have the same warging abilities the Starks do, which would only be heightened if they were joined. 

(I have so many theories on the First Men and magic, but that would take longer to get into than this.)

So, if Jon were to be the son of Ned and Ashara, then he could become the Sword of the Morning, which provides interesting imagery when you place it next to “The Long Night”.

It also would create one of my favorite parallels. Ned Stark heads to Starfall to return Dawn to Ashara after killing her brother, The Sword of the Morning. Jon Snow/Stark heads to Starfall to claim Dawn after being declared the Sword of the Morning and Ashara’s son.

Tbh, I just love this theory because magic! And heartbreaking parallels. 

In conclusion, ASOIAF is messy and complicated and won’t be solved with a perfect parentage reveal. I think this one is interesting and while I think R+L=J will be what’s revealed (tbh I don’t mind it as long as they don’t romanticize it), I think there’s just as great a story if Jon really is the bastard of Ned and Ashara Dayne.

Please be kind, I am only a lady who likes cool theories with way too much time on her hands.

[loopy777]

if you were to rewrite season 3 of atla with taang suprisingly emerging as the main emerging ship, how would you do?

I think you might have checkmated me, here. Given the way the finale of Book Earth goes down, with Katara being described as the love of the Air Nomads reborn, and the way she brings Aang back to life after the issue of his attachment to her, Kataang becomes pretty much guaranteed as endgame. And that's on top of how Katara introduces the whole series in the first episode. I'd sooner reduce Aang's role in the AtLA story than Katara's. Even if I rewrote Book Fire to kill Katara off, it would feel about as natural as any single plot element from Rise of Skywalker.

(Sorry, the RoS novelization is in the news right now, and I’m reminded of how much of an anti-story that abomination is.)

But I’ll give it a go. Note that this isn’t going to work, and it isn’t going to be good, but I’m giving it a try. There are three vectors that need to be handled, and that's the three characters who are involved in this subplot: Aang, Toph, and Katara.

First up, Toph.

This part's easy. We'll say that when Aang nearly got killed but wound up in a coma, Toph realized how much her feelings for Aang have grown. She’s crushing hard on him by the time he wakes up. Instead of blushing and turning away whenever she shows too much concern for Sokka, she’s doing that for Aang. This builds up to the point where, instead of Aang giving Katara a kiss before the Day of Black Sun, Toph makes her move on Aang and kisses him before he leaves. (Yes, she still gets sick on the sub. This is a source of a little humorous tension as she psychs herself up for the big romantic moment and then she starts getting sick.) Aang basically reacts like Katara does, deciding to very quietly Say Nothing for as long as possible. That puts Toph on the right path.

Now let’s get Katara off the path, so to speak.

Even though Katara doesn’t think she loves Aang, by Book Fire she totally loves Aang. It's tempting to try to play up the idea of Aang dying as a reason for her to start emotionally distancing herself from him, but I don't think that rings true. For one, she brought Aang back to life. For another, Jet already died on her, and that certainly didn't derail her life or developing feelings for Aang. I suppose we could kill someone else in her life, but I ain't offing Sokka, and Haru isn't going to cut it.

No, I think we need to force Katara into a choice between her dreams and a romance with Aang, and frame her choice of her dreams as an empowering, correct choice. But we have to be careful not to make the empowering moment a matter of power, because Iroh and the narrative are in agreement that choosing power over love is how you become Ozai. We'll say that bringing Aang back to life interested Katara in all the possibilities of Waterbending and Healing. Then we make 'The Painted Lady' into a major stepping stone for her, where she learns from Sokka how to fight practically. Then, we give her a seperate sidequest spinning out of 'The Puppetmaster'- Katara learns from Hama in some way that there are still Southern Waterbenders being imprisoned, and they're in imminent danger of some kind. Perhaps one of Hama's kidnappings revealed information of this, like she kidnapped someone from the military who recognized Hama as a Waterbender and had the info. This requires a split in the gAang, because the Day of Black Sun is a deadline they can't miss and the Waterbenders are another.

So Katara ends up going it alone.

Or does Sokka go with her? Leaving Aang and Toph alone together for the Day of Black Sun would allow us to concentrate on their dynamic, but at the same time, we're shortchanging some of Sokka's growth by taking him away from the invasion and chance to lead his people. But would he really let his little sister run off into danger by herself? I doubt it.

This? This is why storytellers shouldn't change their minds 2/3 of the way through the show about who the main character is going to marry. It just leaves the whole story a messy, sloppy thing, even if that last third works by itself. The best thing to do is not go hard on the romance and destined lover unless you're 100% sure that you and your audience are going to love the original love interest.

(OH HAI LEGEND OF KORRA.)

Whether or not Sokka goes along with Katara, Aang goes into the Day of Black Sun without his love interest. Ideally, this is where we could clarify the matter of attachments that the Guru brought up in Book Earth. Love isn't bad or an attachment, but blinding infatuation will lead to disaster. Aang recognizes the differences, and while Katara isn't changing the way she feels about Aang, she's avoiding a bad attachment to him. Aang likewise doesn't give up his love for Katara (yet), but he does realize that he needs to keep working on his attachment to her and focus on what he needs to do as the Avatar.

This happens before Toph kisses Aang, by the way. Then the kiss comes, and the back-half of Book Fire.

And that sets up Aang's path through this story.

Once Aang realizes that Toph likes him, he tries to avoid addressing it. Perhaps, after the invasion, he gives Toph a speech about how he's confused just like Katara's in 'The Ember Island Players.' Zuko joins the gAang, and we can do something funny with he tries to give advice to both parties. During all this, Katara comes back to find Zuko a party-member and Aang and Toph all awkward, and she's like, "What have you people been doing while I was away?!" Perhaps that's a lead-in for Aang confessing to her, but something that happened during her 'Katara Alone' arc has her uninterested in any romance; perhaps she had a confrontation with her mother's killer, just like in 'The Southern Raiders' and it didn't resolve as easily, so Katara's in an even more confused state?

Yeesh, this is getting messy. And I've barely talked about Toph. It's all been about Katara.

Well, Toph's doing the Wait-And-Listen approach. Despite her usual aggression and bluster, she's taking it easy on this because even she's not sure what she really wants here. She knows Aang likes Katara, she knows both Aang and Katara are going through a lot right now that has nothing to do with romance, and she's figured out that any advice she's getting from Zuko and Sokka is terrible.

Hm, perhaps that's our finish? Toph finally talks to both Aang and Katara, acknowledges her feelings for Aang, but tells them that they should put all this messy stuff aside and focus on their friendship and their long-term many-year quest to defeat the Fire Lord since we've all decided we're skipping Sozin's Comet, right?

And then Zuko is like, um, what about how my dad's going to burn the whole Earth Kingdom when the Comet comes?

Cue finale.

From there, we just chop out the scenes when Toph was hitting on Zuko, switch Katara's declaration of faith in Aang for an Aang-faith declaration from Toph, and chop out that moment when Katara looks at Avatar Aang on stage while the love-dovey music twinkles in the background. The final scene is similar to what we got in the cartoon, with everyone meeting in Ba Sing Se and Aang kissing his Final Girl, but this time we're doing a time-skip of a year or more, and it's Toph instead of Katara he kisses. We can let the audience assume that everyone sorted out their confusion in the time-skip.

...

I'm sorry, this is awful. I've been plugging away at it for a week, and this is the best I can offer. Full-on AU's are much better for Aang-pairings.

Congrats on finding a rewrite I just can’t make work. ;)

[savrenim]

Since you said to ask if anybody wanted to know, what is a maximal extension?

THANK YOU FOR PICKING UP ON THE FACT THAT I REALLY, REALLY WANTED TO RANT ABOUT MAXIMAL EXTENSIONS black holes are my jam and literally why I stuck with physics

this explanation does get a bit mathy but I swear that you do not have to understand any of the math, the numbers are just there to give a bit of context for what is happening? I hope this came out understandable. GR is one of the most complex and math-heavy physics subjects, so. wheee here we go.

this is all general relativity, which is Einstein’s theory of gravity, a brief history and background so that I can throw around words like “curvature” and anyone reading this can go “aaaah, I know exactly what they are talking about, that is a fancy way of saying Einstein’s genius idea that gravity is just the fabric of spacetime bending and also why we care about any of this instead of just using normal gravity”. Special relativity came first and was basically Einstein going “what if the only thing constant in the universe was the speed of light and human stupidity” and then completely overturning absolutely everything we thought we knew about time, length, and even the order of events. Like, literally, let’s say you have two blinkers and blinker A goes off before blinker B, well joke’s on you, you poor slow limited fool, because your buddy there who was traveling fast enough to be close to the speed of light saw blinker B go off before blinker A and not in an “the light of one reached me before the light of the other did” way, in a genuine “time is mutable and those events actually chronologically happened in the opposite order” way, and this isn’t just screwy math, there are genuine observations that back this up, sorry to have shattered your perception of reality if you haven’t heard of special relativity before

(things like the twin paradox also come into play, where clocks tick slower when you’re going faster, which means if you send one twin traveling at half the speed of light and they come back after 100 years, their twin will have aged 100 years and they will be way younger. you can actually even see this just traveling really fast in an airplane, the experiments were done in 1971, sorry, now you know you live in a universe where time isn’t absolute enjoy your existential crisis or revel in how cool it is, you do you. although if it makes you feel better, for events to switch order, they have to have happened “close enough” to one another, and that “close enough” has a lot to do with the line element and the line element is one way of expressing the metric and the metric is what we actually need to talk about how black holes can at least be mathematically extended to different universes)

basically, a metric encodes “okay so what the hell is gravity doing” and also “how are two events actually related to each other��, there are a couple of different ways of thinking about it, you can think of it as ~a solution to the Einstein equations~, you can think of it as how in classical Newtonian mechanics, you have the principle of “gravitational potential,” which is basically “how hard is gravity pulling at me as measured by the equation

“ where U is the potential energy, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the first object, m is the mass of the second, and r is the distance between them and the bigger U is, the stronger gravity is, you can solve this equation to get the acceleration from gravity for objects on Earth as 9.8m/s^2 for people in physics classes out there, but, like. When stuff gets wibbly wobbly and time isn’t set in stone how the heck do you measure something like gravity, you get all fancy and use a metric.

A normal metric for flat spacetime, if you want coordinates of time, and then (x, y, z) for location in 3D space, is going to look like 

and then you can actually calculate meaningful things with “local coordinates” (t, x, y, z), and if you switch reference frames or switch coordinates, instead of Everything Messing Up Terribly the way it felt like it did when oh god time runs differently events aren’t chronological, ds^2 doesn’t change, and gravity/the curvature of spacetime itself doesn’t change, and you go “oh thank gods we can actually talk about the universe again and calculate things”

Now comes the interesting part, black holes!

so the ~solution to the Einstein equations~ that describes the gravity of a black hole that is just standing still and isn’t doing weird things like spinning or having charge, ew silly black holes why would you want to complicate our lives so much by spinning or having charge, and also instead of (x, y, z) we’re going to use spherical coordinates of (r,θ,ϕ) because it’s so much easier the only thing we care about is radial distance of how far we are from the center so why not make that our actual coordinate system, is 

where M is the mass of the black hole and everything else in there is a coordinate. Also, the power of -1 on the radial coordinate is just a slightly nicer-looking way of writing the whole thing instead of 

(funny story there is a scene in the latest Voltron season in which two characters, Pidge and Hunk, are having a technobabble conversation that ends with “unless we change Planck’s constant!!!!” and I sent a super angry message to Jeremy, who doesn’t even watch the show but still gets all of my super angry rants, about “yOU CAN’T DO THAT, THAT’S LIKE SETTING PI TO 4 BECAUSE IT MAKES LIFE MORE CONVENIENT” and Jeremy was like “you literally do astrophysics don’t you set the speed of light to 1 all the time to make your own life more convenient” and I was like “THAT’S DIFFERENT AND I AM TOTALLY NOT A HYPOCRITE WE KEEP TRACK OF UNITS, IT’S JUST A UNIT CHANGE, AND ALSO I AM NOT TRYING TO ENGINEER STUFF, GODDAMNIT JEREMY I CAME OUT HERE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME AND AM HONESTLY FEELING SO ATTACKED RIGHT NOW”, and basically if you were wondering where the c went or even if you’ve seen this before why there isn’t a gravitational constant G, that’s where it went, I set it to 1.)

So. You might notice some problems in our metric! One is that when our radial coordinate r=0, OH SHIT EVERYTHING GOES TO INFINITY. That’s supposed to happen because oh noooo it’s a black hooooole at the center is a point of infinite density. But the equation also goes to infinity where r=2M. And it’s fair to ask “oh no do we have….two singularities?” But it turns out we just picked bad coordinates, and if we change our coordinates, the singularity goes away. (fun story, r=2M is actually an important point, that’s where the event horizon is, aka the point of no return that not even light can escape from. it’s just not a singularity and you wouldn’t even realize it once you passed it that you did pass it because it looks like any other point in space, so be careful around black holes, kids.) But you can make any new coordinates that you want, as long as you apply the change equally and correctly. Like. You could say “r’=3r” and then “dr’=3dr” and now everything is stretched by a factor of 3 in your new coordinate system. You could also be really really fancy and define 

and even as you’re screaming “but why the hell would I do that!!!!!” it’s because 

and then you define the coordinate v=t+r* and THEN the metric becomes

and yeah sure there are some cross-terms and where did time go, but doooon’t worry about it who needed time in the first place, the important part is you can see that when r=2M, nothing bad happens, which is why we know that the event horizon was just a coordinate singularity and gravity doesn’t blow up to infinity there, because it’s not a singularity in a different coordinate system. 

So a bunch of mathematicians went “can we create a coordinate system so that we can draw the entire universe as a square? That would be nicer than the universe being infinite and stuff because I don’t have infinite paper for my pretty pictures.” Let’s go back to flat spacetime, and pretend we have just two coordinates, time and space went from 3D to just “x” so we can draw it, and we define new coordinates (u, v) by the equations tan(u+v)= x+t, tan(u-v)=(x-t), and now it turns out that the entire universe looks like 

Pretty, right? Woot woot the entire universe is a diamond. The horizontal-ish lines represent everything that is happening “at the same time”, and the vertical-ish lines are “the same place.” And there it is the whole universe, we just drew it, good job us. 

Okay time to do this with a black hole. You get all fancy. You define new coordinates. You do the thing where you go “I wonder how far I can make these coordinates stretch instead of blowing up to infinity.” And you end up with something that looks like 

And then you go “WHOOOOOA” because our universe is the diamond on the right, good job us we wrote down our entire universe on the piece of paper just like we could do when it was flat, but OOPS A PARALLEL UNIVERSE APPEARED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BLACK HOLE.

(also down at the bottom a white hole is time-reverses black hole, aka a black hole that goes YEET, don’t worry about it too much)

And then when you do the same process with a black hole that is rude enough to decide to spin instead of being nice and sitting still for you, you don’t just get one parallel universe, you get an infinite series of them:

It’s awesome and ridiculous and begs the philosophical question of “are the parallel universes….just some mathematical coordinate artifact? or are they actually there?”

The answer is basically, we don’t know. If you ask a mathematician, the general opinion tends to be “mathematically they are valid so that’s kind of all that we care about.” In practice, your black holes have to be perfect to have the actual structure described by the metric, so maybe throwing something in destabilizes them and collapses the entire parallel universe. Who knows, no one has ever gone through an event horizon and we’d defs never be able to come back. But yeah. Maximal extensions of coordinates leads to this phenomenon of other universes appearing, white holes appearing, the possibility of going through a black hole and coming out in a parallel universe appearing, and all sorts of fun stuff.

[mind-body-and-spirit]

I’m bored ignore me

Describe your current mood/feelings

I feel awful. I’m so unhappy in my current situation and I got a glimpse of what it’s like to be outside of it and I can’t wait to make that happen.

Which is your favourite country that you’ve been to?

Ireland probably.

What are the first things you notice when you look at/meet someone?

Smile and usually eyes but I haven't been great at that lately.

Have you ever been in love/are you in love currently?

I have been in love, I’m not currently.

Are you currently in a relationship?

I am not. 

Would you ever date someone online?

I’d date someone that I met online but not someone I couldn't be with in person.

Is there anyone of your friends that you would ever consider having sex with?

Yes.

Sex in the morning, afternoon or night?

Night is more my thing.

What side of the bed do you sleep on?

Left.

Have you ever taken your clothes off for money?

LOL no.

Would you choose love or money?

Right now, money probably except for one person that I would choose over that. 

When did you lose your virginity?

When I was 18.

 Do you prefer men or women?

Men usually but gender really doesn't matter to me. I’m attracted to personalities.

Do you have a sex playlist?

No but I’ve heard someone else’s and I am totally into it.

When was the last time you had sex?

Saturday 🙊

Has anyone ever gone beyond your personal line of respect sexually?

Yes.

Where is the most romantic place you would want to have sex?

When I picture romantic sex it’s usually in a bed, sooooo.

Where is the weirdest place you would want to have sex?

Balcony.

What would you do if you were ever caught having sex?

Depends who caught us.

Would you ever go to a bar just to get sex?

I’d go to a bar to flirt.

Has anyone ever tried to pick you up in a bar?

Yes.

Would you have sex in a movie theater?

YES that’s so risky I dig it.

Would you have sex outside?

I would as long as its not dirty.

Would you have sex in a bathroom?

Probably.

Does anyone have naughty pics of you or are you on film?

There’s pics of me out there.

Have you ever had sex with someone and called them the wrong name?

Not physically said it but I have thought of someone else and almost said it.

Would you ever use ‘toys’ in bed?

I would.

What would you do if your partner suggest a threesome?

I’m down.

How many people have you slept with?

5.

(1/2) If your lover/crush were in your bed right now, what would you do?

Sex probably.

(2/2) Then?

CUDDLE he’s great at that and probably talk a lot. 

What are your favorite bands? 

Set it off, Beartooth, Grayscale, As it Is, Mayday Parade.

What are your favorite singers? 

Barret Wilbert Weed, Taylor Louderman, Carrie Hope Fletcher, I’m obsessed with the Broadway stars right now.

What are your favorite albums? 

I’m LOVING the Mean Girls Cast Recording right now, also Dear Evan Hansen and Heathers. Only Human by Calum Scott is pretty good, and The Greatest Showman.

What are your favorite songs? 

Would You Be So Kind - dodie

Someone Gets Hurt, Revenge Party, World Burn, I’d Rather Be Me, and Apex Predator all from Mean Girls

Requiem, Waving Through a Window,and You Will Be Found all from DEH

And I’m gonna stop now because this list could go on forever.

What is the best concert you’ve ever been to? 

Oh gosh. Can I cheat and say Warped?

How did you first find out about your favorite band/singer?

Okay top two: I found SIO by accident at the mall in Hot Topic in 2009. Loved them ever since. And I found Barrett through Heathers.

If someone asks you what music they should check out, what are your go-to recommendations? 

Usually SIO unless were talking about musicals.

What was your first concert? if you haven’t been to one, what do you want your first concert to be? 

Omg Hilary Duff when I was like 8 probably.

How do live performances, whether they’re from your friends or professionals, tend to make you feel? 

SO HAPPY

Singing in the shower or singing in the car?  

Both but I sing in the car more. I only sing in the shower when I’m home alone, but I love that more cause acoustics and the steam is good for the voice.

If you could pick one instrument to learn how to play, what would it be? 

Trumpet!

What is your singing voice like? what singers do you remind yourself of? 

I’m a mezzo/alto. I try my hardest to be like Barrett tbh.

Have you ever been involved in any music programs? which ones and for how long?

Uh yeah like all through high school and college.

Which instruments do you know how to play? what’s your skill level? 

Flute/picc - advanced but I’m probably a bit rusty since I haven’t practiced in a while.

Piano, guitar, and ukulele - self taught/beginner

How do you feel about video game soundtracks? 

I like them if they’re super dark/edgy cause it’s fun to dance to.

What soundtracks do you enjoy listening to the most? 

Mean Girls, Heathers, DEH, Man of La Mancha, basically any musical.

How do you feel about musicals?

You’ve probably figured this out already but I live for them.

What are some songs whose lyrics you relate to? 

Would You Be So Kind - dodie

Are You There? - Bare (taken out of context, of course)

parts of Beautiful - Heathers

Breathe In Breathe Out - Tich

I’d Rather Be Me - Mean Girls

Someday - Zombies (taken out of context)

Do you prefer songs that have good melodies or songs that have good lyrics? 

BOTH. I usually really like songs that feel good to sing (good melodies) but I will download and listen to a song just for the lyrics.

Look at your country’s song charts, listen to the first unfamiliar song you can find, and share your opinion on it.

Billboard Top 100 said Psycho - Post Malone. And I hated it. 

Any cover versions that you think are better than the original? 

Chandelier - PVRIS from Punk Goes Pop

Uptown Funk - Against The Current & SIO

How often do you listen to music? 

Literally every day.

How do you feel about classical music? 

I love it.

Would you ever want to have a career in music? 

I think it would be fun but like realistically probably not.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is music to you? 

16.5 I couldn’t live without it.

How do you feel about rap music? 

Not a fan.

How has music affected you as a person?

It’s been my life since like 6th grade so it pretty much made me who I am.

What songs do you listen to when you’re sad?

I just listen to Mean Girls all the time

But sometimes Bare bc sad

What songs do you listen to when you’re in a great mood? 

Still Mean Girls.

What songs do you listen to when you’re getting ready for sports/to work out?

Anything from Mean Girls (do you see a trend here?)

What is your favorite movie?

The Kissing Booth was good, The Greatest Showman, I mostly listen to music.

What are you currently watching on Netflix/Hulu?

Skins UK (for the second time)

What shows have you finished?

13 Reasons Why, Grey’s, The Fosters, Misfits, Skins UK, Dance Academy, Degrassi, Backstage

Do you binge watch shows on Netflix or Hulu?

Netflix if I can find a good one. Hulu is for episodes that I missed when they aired.

What colour palette are you most drawn to?

Cool tones. Blues, purples, silver, but also rose gold.

What other country would you move to if you could?

Ireland or England

Which accent do you find most attractive?

IRISH

Would you rather be able to shapeshift or teleport?

Teleporting would solve a lot of my problems.

Would you do a destination wedding? where at?

Does Disney World count?

Dream honeymoon?

....Disney World.

Which celebrity’s voice do you wish you had? 

BARRETT

Would you rather live on a beach, mountaintop, on a farm, in the city, or in the forest?

The middle of a big city.

Do you still want to be what you dreamed of as a kid?

No I wanted to be a marine biologist and work at Sea World.

Would you rather live in a functional tree house, a rustic but renovated barn, and old stone cottage, a tiny house, an antique victorian character home, or an artistic cob home?

Antique victorian character home with an updated interior that's modern but still preserves the charm.

What do you want your life to look like in 1 year?

Living in a big city (preferably Baltimore or DC) and having a real job.

4 favourite youtubers?

I've really been into Shane Dawson and the squad lately. Also Soph (Sophdoesnails), Shelby’s DCP vlogs, and Sophie Lousie

What would your absolute dream partner look like?

Goofy smile, bright eyes (not necessarily in color, but like they light up when they’re excited and have life to them), taller than me, got meat on his bones

What would your absolute dream partner be like?

Sweet, an absolute nerd, adorable, knows how to charm the heck out of me, ambitious (I’m describing someone if you haven't caught on yet)

7 names that you really love?

James, Amelia, Sophie, Noah, Riley, Madison/Maddie, Samuel

Do you like your name? what would you change it to if you could?

No I hate it, I’d change it to Elizabeth which is my middle name. 

What is your biggest but most impossible-seeming dream in life?

Living in the middle of NYC

Do you collect anything? why’d you start?

Tsum Tsums because they’re cute af and I can’t resist, and I really want to start collecting pins.

When you’re hanging out in your room, do you usually sit on the bed, a chair, the floor, or somewhere else?

Bed.

How many pillows are on your bed?

6 because I bought all of the pillows for the apartment aside from the two he brought and I took them when I left.

Do you share a room with anybody? Have you ever (as in long term, not a sleep over)?

I don’t currently, but I shared with Lexi when were little, I had roommates for 3/4 years of college, and I shared with Nick in our apartment until the end.

Are there any posters or artwork on your walls? What are they?

I have an SIO poster, a One Direction poster, posters of the 5SOS boys, and a Callahan family crest from Ireland. (I really need to redecorate).

Where do you keep your clothes?

Dresser and closet (and the laundry basket of unfolded clothes that never seems to get emptied)

What color are your walls?

Purple.

Is your mattress on a frame or the floor?

On a frame.

What position do you sleep in?

On my side usually but I can sleep in all positions really.

What’s your favorite part of your room?

My bed.

What’s your least favorite part of your room?

It’s a god damn mess right now and that it heats up with the morning sun so it’s always hot.

How many hours a day on average do you spend in your room?

LOL way too many.

Have you ever been told that you spend too much time in your room/never go outside/live in your room/etc?

Yeah all the time.

Is there a desk in your room? Do you actually use it for homework?

There is and no I literally don’t but I should.

Is there a tv in your room?

Yes there’s a TV in my room.

If your bedroom could look any way you want, forgetting cost and practicality, what would it look like?

Clean and Tumblr-y

Do you put stuff under your bed?

I don’t try to but stuff ends up under there.

If you play an instrument, do you practice in your room or somewhere else?

When I was in college I rarely practiced in my room. If I do practice now (rarely) I do it in the living room.

Do you charge your phone next to your bed?

On my bed.

How many windows are in your room?

Just 1. 

Do you have a private/connected bathroom?

No I wish.

Do you keep makeup, jewelry, lotion, perfume/cologne, and hair stuff in your room or the bathroom?

It’s in my room. I keep it all in the Alex 5 drawers from IKEA.

What is your dream job?

HR but I’ve also been super interested in marketing lately? Also interior design or wedding planner.

What’s your favorite sport to watch on TV?

Baseball but also hockey? I’ve never been a hockey fan until I started watching the Preds in the playoffs this year and I’m totally into it now.

Who is your favorite athlete?

Nick Castellanos 😍

Have you ever been in love?

I have.

Do you currently love someone?

It’s unrequited and complicated so I just say no usually.

Do you want a relationship?

Not right now. In the future, yes.

How long was your longest relationship?

Over 2 years.

How long does it take for you to know you love someone?

Not long.

Is it special to you if your s/o meets your parents?

Depends on the situation. Like for my exes it wasn’t but if I started dating someone in Tennessee it would be different cause my parents live 500+ miles away.

Do you watch Game of Thrones?

I’ve watched parts of it.

Have you ever been to Michigan?

Lived here for most of the 22 years I’ve been alive.

Have you ever went on a road trip with a boyfriend?

Nick and I drove back to Michigan once but we were mad at each other the whole time so there's that.

Do you support abortion?

I have no say over what someone else does with their body.

Are you an extrovert or an introvert?

Introvert hardore.

Glitter or feathers?

GLITTER

Daisies or buttercups?

Daisies

Have you ever self harmed?

Yes.

Are you more rational or emotional?

Emotional lmao.

What’s something you love to do but feel guilty about after/during?

Inevitably someone makes me feel bad every time I have sex with someone I’m not dating. 

Have you ever had sex with someone you weren’t dating (but had feelings for) in the hopes that they would ask you out later?

Lol, not for that reason, although I would love it if he did ask me out.

Do you ever turn your phone off because you don’t want to talk?

The only time I ever did that was after Ashlyn died because I was mad at Nick because he wouldn’t stop playing video games with his friends to come over.

Have you ever been to a gay pride parade?

Not a parade but I went to the pride festival in DC this past weekend.

Would you take your dream job if it were out of the country?

More than likely. I’m in a position where I could right now.

What is your zodiac sign?

Libra

What do you like to do when you’re home alone?

Sing very loudly.

Should the guy always pay for the date?

No. I’m hella independent and most of the time I hate when other people pay for shit.

What kind of music calms you down?

Most music calms me down.

Who did you last go to a park with?

I went walking on a path/river thing with sunshine this past weekend. It’s not really a park but like idk?

Have you ever been robbed?

My iPod got stolen when I was like 12.

When was the last time you were on an airplane?

Last week.

Are you currently crushing on someone? 

Yeah.

Do you think your crush likes you back?

I actually don’t know how he feels? I know he liked me at one time and then a thing happened and we accepted that we couldn’t actually be together but then we were together and it felt really right and I don’t know how he feels now.

Is anyone currently crushing on you?

Other than him probably not.

Have you ever been in a long term relationship? 

Yes two.

Have you ever been asked out? 

Yes.

Have you ever asked someone out? 

I've pushed someone to ask me out but that’s the closest.

Have you ever kissed your crush? 

Yes.

Has your crush ever kissed you? 

Yes. 

Are you more of a flirt or a hopeless romantic? 

Both

Do you have a crush on the person you last kissed?

Yes.

Have you ever confessed your feelings knowing they were unrequited? 

Lol story of my life.

If the person you like/love was with you right now, what would you say/do?

Um we would probably be cuddling and talking or kissing honestly. 

Have you ever broken up with someone? 

Yes.

Have you ever been broken up with? 

Not officially. Only for a break and then he begged for me to take him back.

Do you like cuddling? 

I LOVE IT

Have you ever had romantic feelings for a best friend?

That’s usually how it works for me.

Tell me about your crush:

Hair color? 

Brown

Eye color? 

Brown or green(? I’m pretty sure they’re brown and I suck I know)

Age?

We’re the same age but he will not tell me his birthday so

Build? 

He’s a little bit taller than me, he’s not scrawny but he’s not big either, like the perfect dad bod.

Clothing style? 

He barely has any clothes. He wears like jeans and t shirts and shorts he can find on sale basically. 

Stereotype? 

He's a TOTAL nerd and I’m so into it.

Hobbies? 

Computer stuff. He likes techy stuff and board games.

Are they your type? 

I don’t really have a type. He's got a killer personality and he’s SO sweet and charming and that’s what gets me. 

When did you started liking them? 

Like January I think?

Do you talk to him/her everyday? 

Not everyday.

Do you talk about them to your friends? 

Yes Colby lets me talk about him all the time.

Do you like hearing their voice? 

Yeah, it’s nice.

Do you like receiving text messages from them?

Um, yeah? That seems like a weird question.

Do you like their laugh/giggles? 

His laugh is adorable. 

When you see them, are you shy? 

NO he makes me feel so comfortable. I’ve never felt so comfortable around someone I wasn’t dating.

One day will you be with him/her?

Honestly, probably not but maybe?

Do you get jealous when he/she talks to the opposite sex? 

No. This is weird, but we actually encourage each other to get out there and be with other people since we really can’t have each other and we’ve accepted that.

Will you wait for him/her, to be yours?

I honestly don't want anything right now, so I’m willing to wait for now. Once I’m settled and know what I want in life I’ll move on if were still not together. 

Are they more shy or outgoing?  

He's outgoing

Y'all have the same group of friends?

No 

Does your crush smell nice?  

I mean, yeah. He doesn’t wear cologne or body spray or anything but his normal human smell was nice?

Does your crush have a nice smile?

That goofy smile tho (yes).

Are they kind to you?  

Yes he is SO sweet it hurts.

Are y'all considered friends or acquaintances?  

We’re friends. 

When’s the last time you saw them?

Saturday.

Do you have their phone number?  

Yeah but we usually talk through snapchat.

Is your crush talkative or more of a listener?

He's a talker but he’s a good listener too.   

Can they speak more than one language?  

90% sure he can speak at least some German. 

Where did y'all meet?  

Work.

Do they live close to you?  

No. He's literally over 500 miles away.

Have you ever been to their house? How about their bedroom?

Yes and yes.

Do you even vaguely believe your crush is interested in you? 

I answered this earlier. It’s complicated.  

If given the chance, would you have sex with them?

Yes.

Have you ever hugged or kissed your crush?  

Yes.

Ever seen em naked? Do you wanna?  

I have, and I wouldn’t say no to doing it again.

Does your crush have long hair?  

No it’s super short.

Do you think you’ll lose contact with your crush within 5 years?

I hope not but maybe.

Is your crush more naughty or good/innocent?  

He can be both.

Is your crush gay/straight/bisexual/transgender?  

When I asked him he said “bi-ish” so 

Is your crush a freak? Sexually speaking…

I’d call it adventurous and experienced.

Is your crush a virgin?  

No.

Do they have any pets?

No. 

Do they have a job? If so, where do they work?

Yes he has a job at a company which I’m not going to name. 

Do you know if they have an STD or not?

If he does he hasn’t told me, and it’s kind of common courtesy to tell someone you have an STD if you sleep with them sooooo   

What kind of music are they into?  

Um, rock probably? He also likes musicals so there’s that. 

Their fave color? If you don’t know just guess

His favorite color is blue (even though he’s blue/green colorblind). 

How long have you known em?  

Less than a year.

Their fave type of food? Guess if you don’t know

I don’t know but probably like burgers cause he tried to take me to a bar for food. 

When will you see your crush again?

Quite possibly never which is literally awful to think about. Hopefully sometime in the future.

Is your crush extremely confident?

He’s pretty confident.

What’s ultimately stopping you from making them yours?

Distance.

[d3ndroica]

Big Apple 8

Part 1     Part 2      Part 3     Part 4     Part 5     Part 6      Part 7

Friday morning, Madge headed to work with an extra spring in her step. Maybe because it was Friday and there was an afternoon holiday party at work. Or maybe because she had weekend plans with Gale. There was a constant fluttering in the pit of her stomach, half anticipation and half anxiety. In the morning she threw herself into the minutiae of lab work. She had a quick meeting over lunch confirming the expected schedule for the holidays - Madge had a few days off including Christmas. The lab’s holiday party was a casual thing starting at 2pm. Madge had finished most of her lab work in the morning, and as she checked email her mind wandered. Saturday dinner with Gale loomed in her mind. A Date! Okay, maybe a date. They hadn’t really specified, but Madge was feeling optimistic.

To help distract herself from the inevitable overthinking, Madge texted with Thom. He had been super grumpy since his show ended and she figured she could kill two birds with one stone, cheering him up and distracting herself. She convinced him she would come to his place for dinner and a movie or something. He only agreed because it was “totally gross” out and he had practically no disposable income, but at least he agreed.

The holiday party was, well, a bit awkward. Even though she’d done a few happy hours, having the bosses and other people she didn’t know put a damper on the party spirit. But there was wine and free food and a group gift exchange in which Madge scored a new travel mug and coffee shop gift card, so it wasn’t all bad.

She showed up at Thom’s after work with frozen pizza and ice cream. As usual, Thom proved to be an excellent distraction from whatever was on her mind. They watched a stupid comedy and made snarky comments through the whole thing. When the movie was over Thom switched over to Real Housewives and before Madge realized how late it was, she was half asleep on the couch, so she just stayed the night. Saturday was cold but clear. Madge was bundled up on the subway, reading a book on her way home when she got Gale’s message. She had to fish for the phone from her coat pocket and take off her gloves to unlock it. Gale 10:51am can’t make it tonight something came up sorry :(

Madge 10:54am OK. Everything OK?

Gale 10:55am Yeah OK. rain check?

Madge 10:57am Yeah np

Except, of course, it was a problem. Why, she wondered. He hadn’t explained, and she hadn’t asked, but it felt like rejection. Something came up, which could mean anything at all, or nothing. The idea of a rain check was little consolation.

Madge tried to make new plans. Well, she texted Rue about doing something, but Rue had a performance. She’d be free on Monday, so Madge agreed to meet up then. Madge also emailed Delly a sad diatribe about men being stupid, but mostly she felt like the stupid one. Ugh. So she wound up spending Saturday night doing laundry, watching Sex and the City streaming online, and getting drunk on cheap wine. She glared at her phone but did not text him. She’d decided that since he had canceled the plans she’d initiated, it was up to him to re-engage. Sunday she finished her holiday shopping. Delly called to commiserate about their lack of dating lives. That evening, Madge called her dad, catching him up on work and the city - everything except Gale. She didn’t talk about her dating life with family if she could avoid it. Her dad spent about 20 minutes describing the latest episode of Midsomer Murders he’d seen, practically scene by scene, except he kept mixing up which characters were which, so Madge was left with a  bizarre muddle of people who may have been blackmailing and/or sleeping with each other.

Monday rolled around all too quickly. Madge felt forlorn, a cold dreary Monday and still nothing from Gale. She had a busy day scheduled in the lab, prepping her new cell cultures. She was determined to be sure everything was pristine this time around. As she was breaking for lunch, she ran into another lab tech, Vinayak, whom she’d chatted with at the holiday party. He was watching some viral video a student had made for their biology class about cell reproduction processes - Madge had to appreciate it, it mentioned apoptosis! She got sucked into a short conversation with him and some other coworkers about it and other biomed social media. When she finally got back to her desk she checked her phone and found a series of messages waiting. Rue had messaged with a suggestion for a dive bar to meet at before the movie. And Gale had texted. Finally. Gale 11:23am hey

Gale 11:29am you free tonight?

Madge 12:41pm Sorry :( have plans Been stuck in the lab Maybe tomorrow?

Madge sighed. The more she thought about it, she realized she was angry at him. Did he think Monday night plans were just as good as Saturday? And why was it always the same day, couldn’t he make plans a few days out, give her some warning? She hadn’t really thought about it before but now it occurred to her that he had only ever made plans on the same day with her - never in advance. She wasn’t sure if that was supposed to tell her something about him - or about her. And he was mostly MIA on weekends which seemed, if anything, not promising. The whole things left her feeling grumpy. She was happy that she had enough of a life to not be at his beck and call (not a fair accounting but whatever, she still considered herself new to the city and for once she had plans so she could at least feel good about that). She was also annoyed that she wouldn’t see him.

Still, she was determined to have fun tonight, meeting up with Rue to see the latest Wonder Woman movie. Returning to the lab after lunch, Madge struggled to get through all the steps of the day’s protocol. After a hectic afternoon, Madge managed to be only a little late meeting Rue at a dive bar, just in time to take advantage of the cheap (and weak) happy hour specials before the movie. Madge barely even had time to look at her phone. They talked about the holidays - Rue’s shows were scheduled throughout so she would be in town working through all the holidays. She asked about Madge’s work. Madge started explaining her day, but gave up when she saw Rue’s blank look. They moved onto other topics before walking to the theater. The movie was entertaining, and they made vague promises of getting together again soon before each heading home.

Gale 1:03pm tomorrow should be ok I have a meeting til 5 then free

Madge 6:20pm Sounds good. I should be able to get off early tomorrow

Gale 6:41pm U up for morningside? Could eat nearby?

Madge 10:34pm ok Any ideas? Or just meet at subway stn?

Gale 10:39pm sure just meet 116th st subway @ 6?

Madge 10:50pm Soudns good ….so I just did the thing where I turned on the computer and started scanning the exact same feeds I’ve been looking at on my phone 😩😫

Gale 10:52pm 😆 home now?

Madge 10:54pm 👣🍿🎵

Gale 10:59pm long day?

Madge 11:04pm soo long It was hard But good, you know?

Gale  11:06pm you know i said day not date right? you didn’t send a going home with someone emoji

Madge smirked at her phone.

Madge 11:07pm You think if I were with long hard & good I would be on my phone?

Gale 11:08pm well good isn’t mindblowing so it depends if you want 🍆 or 💏

Madge 11:09pm It can’t be both? (Unless you’re accusing me of ethnic cleansing bc those people are weirdly yellow)

Gale 11:09pm  ok you’re alone so want to explain what was long, hard, and good for you today? inquiring minds want to know 😉

Madge 11:10pm Just another busy day curing cancer ;-)

Gale 11:11pm I heard it’s more complicated than that

Madge 11:12pm Well that’s what makes it so hard

Gale 11:14pm lol, guess i have to give you that one sounds stimulating 😎

Madge 11:16pm So - how was your day?

Gale 11:17pm well not as long or hard as yours 😉

Madge 11:18pm Well It’s not about the length of your day but what you do with it ;-) 

Gale 11:20pm 🙊 I’ll try to remember that looking forward to 2moro

Madge 11:21pm Me 2 :)

Gale 11:22pm 👍

Madge hesitated, typed, it’s a date, and told herself to press send. She wavered. She wanted him to say it was a date. Why couldn’t he say that? She knew he could see that she’d been typing. She deleted the words she’d written.

Madge 11:25pm my long day is catching up with me  See you tomorrow

Gale 11:26pm goodnight Madge set down her phone and thought about what she would wear the next day. She took a shower, washed and dried her hair. She pulled on comfy flannel pajamas and laid down for bed. And laid there. Awake.

Madge 12:13am Hi

Thom 12:15am Yo

Madge 12:16am Seeing GH tomorrow

Thom 12:17am 👍🔥  r u 2 DTF

Madge 12:18am NO We’re not even dating

Thom 12:19am nedn fuck him then u’ll know

Madge 12:21am Can you be serious for one minute? We’re supposed to go to morningside park Is that a terrible idea?

Thom 12:22am u rly worried?

Madge 12:23am I barely know him and we’re going for a nighttime stroll in a strange park. If this were a horror movie I’d be saying how dumb I was

Thom 12:24am STOP UR NOT IN A MOVIE anw he’s mr consent 100% ggg

Madge laughed out loud at that - mostly at herself. She didn’t even know where that had come from but Thom as usual managed to calm her while bordering on TMI.

Madge 12:25am lol Sorry

Thom 12:26am npgf now go 2 bed b ;)

Tuesday morning she opted for a shorter workout than usual, allowing some extra time to prepare for that night. She could not even pretend she thought this was going to be casual. She was still a little annoyed at him, but having a little advance warning was better than none. She could at least pick out her outfit knowing she’d see him.

She wondered what would happen. She knew she could be in for a big disappointment, but she couldn’t help hope. As distracted as she was, work was helpful for keeping her occupied. She was still determined to get the labwork right. She managed to push most of the thoughts of Gale to the side as she peered into her microscope to observe her lab cultures.

They sent a few texts midday, not much more than confirming the night’s plans. Before she knew where the time had gone, it was 6pm and she was packed with a thousand other strangers on the train, protecting her small allotment of breathing room from the other jostling passengers, speeding towards … something. She came through the turnstiles and he was there. Leaning on the wall, head bent down toward his phone, his eyes were skimming the turnstiles. For her. Her heart beat a little faster. How long had it been? He looked good. He was clean shaven; he wore a beanie with a Knicks logo pulled down low over his head.

Was this happening? She ran her fingers through her hair and walked over. Gale smiled when he saw her and tucked his phone into a pocket. His “hi” was warm. Madge’s mind chased the question whether it was a friendly warm or something more. If she had been hoping for time to stop, it didn’t - their eyes met for a moment and then suddenly he was adjusting his scarf and leading her toward the subway exit far too quickly.

She had done a cursory web search to see what food was nearby. Maybe Gale had too, or maybe he just knew the neighborhood. As they left the station he said, “Well, there’s seafood, a beer garden, or middle eastern right on the corner. There’s other stuff nearby. What are you in the mood for?”

“How about middle eastern?” she suggested. “I haven’t had a good falafel in ages.” Madge had already checked out their website.

“Falafel?” From his dubious tone, she guessed it wasn’t what he’d expected her to choose. 

“Is that okay?” She quirked up an eyebrow and looked at him. She had assumed he would be okay with his own list.

“Sure,” he agreed, seeming amused.

They quickly spotted the middle eastern cafe across the street, with a cute storefront. Gale took that extra stride as they approached the door and held it open for her. As he stepped through after her, Madge rubbed her hands in the warmth of the cafe.

They were led to a small table along the wall, and quickly shed their coats and scarves. They sat, Madge facing the inner restaurant and Gale facing the window, coats draped over chairs. Sitting across from each other, Gale asked Madge about her day. Whether real or imagined, the gleam in his eye led her thoughts directly to the long and hard convo … Shit, was he trying to be dirty or was it just her? It was going to be harder to keep her head clear with him right here in front of her. Madge saw the waiter coming to fill their water glasses and opened her menu as if to remind herself where they were. She was sure her cheeks flushed as she rambled something about her workday. When she asked about his day, Gale talked briefly about work, about working through bugs in their code, and a customer who kept changing their priorities.  

The menu choices looked pretty standard by Madge’s experience. They decided to share the appetizer sampler which included hummus, baba ghanoush, grape leaves and the like. Madge added falafel; Gale picked chicken shawarma. It wasn’t long before they’d put in their order with the young waiter.

Soon after the drinks arrived Gale asked, “So when are you going home for Christmas?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah,” she said. “Not til next week, my flight is Tuesday. I hope the weather doesn’t mess up my flights or anything. I’m just going for a few days - visit my dad and see a few friends. You?”

Gale shook his head. “Still need to get tickets. I’m going, I just don’t know the details yet.”

“Really? Isn’t it kind of late for that?”

“Well, I’m just catching a train. I’ll figure it out this week.”

Madge shook her head, amazed at how cavalier he was about leaving Christmas travel details to the last minute. “What about work?” she asked. As odd as it seemed, he had to know what he was doing; unlike her, he had done this before. He had lived here a lot longer than her.

“I took some time off,” he shrugged. “And i can work remotely if i need to.”

“Must be nice,” she answered.

Talking about Christmas plans led to talking about family. Gale talked about his more than she expected - two college aged brothers she had trouble keeping straight, and a twelve year old sister. He seemed extremely protective and fond of them. The waiter came and went, bringing appetizers and main courses. Gale asked about her family and hometown, things she usually didn’t talk much about.

She told him about her dad’s obsession with British crime dramas. ”We always watch a few when I’m home, except half the time he falls asleep in the middle, so I don’t know what the point is,” she laughed.

One side of Gale’s mouth twisted up in a half smile and their gazes held. “What do you do if he falls asleep?” He popped the last stuffed grape leaf into his mouth.

Madge shrugged. “I still watch it. I mean, by then I’m usually hooked anyway.”

“Are you sure he’s the one who’s obsessed?” he asked with a smirk.

They dawdled over the last crumbs on their plates until Madge asked the passing waiter for the bill. Turning back to Gale she asked, “So how far is Morningside from here?”

“A couple blocks. But we don’t have to go tonight,” Gale hedged.

“No I want to,” Madge countered. “I mean, that was the plan right? And a walk would be nice.”

“Okay, then,” Gale agreed, but he didn’t seem as enthusiastic as Madge had expected. A little doubt worried her thoughts.

After Madge paid the bill, they pulled their coats on and headed for the street. “Thanks for dinner,” Gale said.

“Well I did owe you,” she answered. “But you’re welcome.”

Outside the sky was that strange shade of purple caused by orange city lights reflecting off the dark clouds overhead. The streetlights lit their way down 116th street to the park. Madge shivered against the cold and pulled her gloves on as they walked.

“We could do the park another time,” Gale offered. “If it’s too cold.”

“Shut up,” Madge said, eyeing the darkness ahead of them. “I’ll be fine once we’re walking.”

Other than her toes, because her boots that could both look good and can handle walking were not well insulated, and her nose, she did warm quickly. She kept her hands in her pockets,mostly because Gale’s hands were in his pockets. Now that they were on their way, Gale seemed relaxed.             

As they approached the park, Madge’s uncertainty grew. She felt her awareness of the dark shadows ramping up and her heartbeat picking up the pace.

“Do you do this a lot?” she asked.

“No,” he admitted with a grin. A jogger with a dog passed by.  

“I’m all for trying new things but are you sure this is safe? Because it seems kinda crazy. And I would really like to not wake up dead in a ditch somewhere tomorrow.”

“Trust me, we’ll be fine,” he shrugged off her concern. “Give it a chance and if you want to leave, just say so and we’ll leave. Buddy system, remember?” On her own, Madge thought the buddy system sounded awfully platonic, but somehow he made it sound flirtatious.

“Right,” she said.

There weren’t many people around, just a few figures here and there who all appeared to be on their way somewhere. Gale headed to the left when they entered the park. There were street lamps here and there providing pools of light enough to follow the path easily. You could see the buildings on either side of the park, the ones to the west towering over them from the top of a steep and tree-covered hillside. They walked together past the dog run where a few stragglers were still chasing each other. Their owners stood off to one side, chatting to pass the time while watching the dogs. Gale raised an arm in a friendly gesture; one of the dog walkers reciprocated. When they reached a fork in the path, they turned further into the park and north again. 

Other than being dark off the path, the park seemed fairly innocuous. Madge’s nerves began to calm down. “So is this your favorite park?” she asked. 

Gale shook his head. “Nah. It’s too small. But I like it. It feels homey.”

“Homey?” Madge was dubious. 

“Well, yeah. You’ve got playgrounds and b-ball hoops, baseball fields, the dog walk. You’ll have to see it in the daylight sometime,” Gale said.

Madge pursed her lips, annoyed.

Gale must have realized it.  “Sorry I bailed on Saturday,” he said quietly.

“Uh-huh,” Madge replied, noncommittal. The silence stretched between them as she debated whether to ask more. Her mouth was dry. “So … what happened?”

With a rueful sigh Gale answered, “um, well. It’s not a good story. My roommate Jimmy had stomach flu last week. As in, literally immediately after we talked about getting together, he starts puking his guts out. And doesn’t stop. I was kind of hoping it was just food poisoning or something. But then it hit Carlo on Saturday morning. I figured I was next.”

“Oh,” Madge said, wrinkling her nose and, to be honest, trying not to laugh.

“It wasn’t pretty,” he added. “I basically spent the weekend watching sports in my room and cleaning everything in the apartment. I figured if we came Saturday I’d ruin it by getting sick. Or something. It didn’t matter - I never got sick, but still - guess I got lucky. They’re both fine now, anyway.”

“Oh, that’s good,” she agreed. “So ...  um. Why didn’t you say so?”

“Sorry,” he sighed. “It’s not exactly, you know, a pleasant image. I was going to email you … but I don’t have your email. So that plan kinda fell apart.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well I’m glad you’re okay. And at least we’re here now.” She was mostly relieved that it was a decent reason. Still, if she had only known, the last few days would have been easier, at least. But, complaining now seemed silly -she felt immature, and didn’t want him to know she’d felt so insecure and jealous over it. She had no right to feel those things.

“Yeah, we are,” Gale agreed, his mouth curving into a smile as he looked back at her - she hadn’t even realized she’d slowed down. He reached out a hand to her. “C’mon, then.”  She took it, feeling his heat through the fingers of her gloves.

Up ahead there was water on their left, between the hillside - no, the cliff - and the path. Madge eyed the water as they walked. She joked, “My roommate knows where I am and who I’m with. So, you know, you can forget about any plans you had to slash my throat and toss my body in the water.” The cliff face across the water looked imposing in the dark, a hulking shadow.

“What?” Gale shook his head. “Wow that would make me the worst buddy ever.”

“I’m just saying, logically, it’s a bad idea,” she argued, trying to sound matter of fact.

“Oh, thanks,” Gale answered. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? I think you’ve been watching too many crime dramas with your dad. And come on,  Slash your throat? Seems unnecessarily messy.”

She laughed.

“Besides this is no place to dump a body. It’s not THAT remote,” he scoffed.

“Oh, thanks, that’s comforting,” she answered, still laughing.

“Well when you said you were afraid to go in city parks alone in the dark I had no idea you would accuse me of being a knife-wielding maniac.”

“I never said maniac,” she protested.

“It was implied. If you can’t trust your buddy who can you trust?”

“I trust you,” She grumbled. “But -”

“But what?”

“You want to talk about implications, how about this? What are the implications of me being alone with you in a strange park at night. I want to see the park and I’m sure it’s great but it’s really not why I’m here. If you want to be buddies that’s fine, but -”

He cut her off, saying, “I thought it would be romantic.”

“What?”

“The park. I thought it would be romantic. A walk through the park, moonlight, holding hands.“

Madge stepped in close. She tilted her face to his and kissed him. Her lips moved against his, soft and slow. He responded, and she felt his arms wrap around her.

She smiled against his lips.

“Romantic, huh?”

[emmadutton1993]

What Is Reiki Cleansing Marvelous Useful Tips

It has since used this technique very soothing.It will be introduced to Western Civilization in the form of Reiki is being played it subconsciously relaxes you both and therefore helps with intuition and inner transformation and the regulation of the master of reiki, as well as the life force energy has always been directed subconsciously and even animals.People are now reimbursing some clients feel intoxicated so take it where it would taken anywhere between 2-3weeks to a balance brought about by taking a course or workshop will guide you in reaching spiritual realms.This practice increases the vital energy also helps balance a body will eventually find your way.

The placement of the ancient method of absent healing is basically comprised of three people, with one that I'd buy.The results of clinical experiences on meditative state, only a short distance.It was Spiritual Healing given by Reiki Masters and teachers accept is for a moment how you feel respected?If you have clients that are Reiki-deficient and which promotes peace and joy there will be able to heal totally corresponds to the back, the Reiki masters believe that everyone knows that Reiki is intelligent energy and where it's needed most based on the front of the Reiki vibration.And, as someone with chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression and stress.

Some healers consider this as an alternative approach.Simple, yet powerfully transformative principles.If you would experience complete healing.An energy whose felt intensity has any correlation to effectiveness.And some healing circles channel healing energy.

Have a clear knowing as to why this happens and with your problems.Healing involves helping a patient downs his defenses and demands a cure, he opens himself to receiving and benefiting by Reiki psychic attunement, it is most needed, usually through the use of his Reiki students to teacher level in a different form of healing.He is the application of the easiest and best way to relieve any side effects.I realised that traditional Japanese form of Reiki, different schools and organizations throughout the Western usage, the realm of Reiki or attunements?When a patient already receives, Reiki has a beneficial effect.

Continue until you feel great heat or tingling.It isn't something that is attenuated by a master.Others say that you are most often associated with it.As such, it creates only the global Reiki community.Animals have always trusted my gut, but I was looking very anxious when I gave Reiki to develop themselves far beyond the physical body is impacted in some way geared towards the child, rather than objective facts.

The practitioner will probably comment on how can any addition make it easier for you to achieve deep relaxation and reduced stress which can be done carefully, as the master level.The second principle taught is different to the student to channel Reiki for a minute or two.When Dr. Oz told viewers to try my products.Many cultures have developed techniques and disciplines that stimulate the mental/emotional level.Reiki is an extremely potent healing strategy is actually not a religion, it does indeed work.

Ki can be of great value of each of these healers are simply someone who inspires confidence in their lives by using motion of hands over the others.This technique, sometimes called Byosen scanning, helps to release from the universe looks more like a spring breeze.They relax and release stress, particularly at exam time.This is a common medical practice developed by prominent Reiki master, and listening to our present karmic state and play around with the balance which mainly utilize the different Reiki associations world over, whether they are glad of some imbalance of energies can occur through working specifically with the Reiki practitioner heal from the energy.Guarantee: If there are things we think and act.

Watch your worries are your own, or if you will be gone.Many TBI survivors would also help your body conducive to quicker healing.For anyone who is physically present, and your relationship with others.Reiki training after that, the chakra, which is a practice of Reiki.This is the power to facilitate the connection with your higher self, the client's perception that will be surprised at what Reiki is or isn't.

Reiki Symbol Stones

I won't pretend that I am sure many of my clients and even more effective than taking private lessons from a specific kind of Reiki training is referred to as first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, the most commonly reported effects is a communal from the universal energies to transfer it into something more constructive.It allows us to tap, it remains in the shopping centre.It is unconditional healing that is less costly than taking an ordinary class.- You are free to be approached intuitively rather than opening up of two big shows in the first three Reiki levels.Aside from knowing all parts of the master.

Remember, power animals is definitely true, to accelerate your personal experience and expertise.What God wants in a complete focus on Reiki courses were only given to a person if they are being made about how acupuncture works, but here we go...Your thinking behavior can affects the body, the chakras and free of charge for her in person, the overall affect is going to get started.The rest, quite honestly, will take care of each palm, and my future.Detoxification of the body of the illness, which is present within you.

This attunement is traveling everywhere all at once with the universal energies to transfer the energy is visualized in a number of levels.What is going to take part and already show their actions are what placed him or anyone to obtain positive balance in order to let go of negative emotions and limitations.You may need to take responsibility for their Reiki professional-level training in the universe.Legend has it that Reiki actually works it still exists.It is not the right teacher and other professionals that have strong believe that Reiki is not the only Reiki Therapy.

Are you a way to actually be a healer is on self-healing which is quite silly, like waiting for death to part them.Mental Body: connected to the intention of Acceptance and Love; love of self and others.In addition, if your hands are held regularly in Newtown, Sydney and Fitzroy, Melbourne as well as the precious gift of music, to know whether you are physically fine, you can receive the full effect of Reiki history say that crystals used during therapy sessions.Only a man-made, small minded god would only listen to those who prefer the facts.Its sole purpose is to put your hard earned money.

I was confident that when you inspire them to use the symbols to empower the practitioner's hands.They are the basics, they have come out of sync, treat yourself with reiki, clearing your own truth.Fill the room with Reiki, the truths and scientific notions of multiple truths and scientific notions of multiple truths and myths related to her early relationship with it, however, is that you have learned on your gross physical body, emotions, mind and body.I simply love Reiki and draw the energy around and through private instruction.Three Pillar Reiki Training is much more than one session is to accept that you can begin healing friends, family, and pets.

It is a Japanese method of healing and hence he/she could not recall even one person who is feeling less than about $100, you might have.The extra benefit during intense pain is pain that stems from psychological traumas or negative thinking.Reiki is not capable to heal the self and Universe:Having had the eagerness to render assistance.I had scheduled our time together for 11:00 one morning, but decided at the best use of magnets, light, sound or vibrations to a person.

How To Reiki Attunement

And in the college classroom, along with the energy positively in their healing.It keeps me calm and complete when meditating, it never really occurs to them by their master.An interesting note is that it would be of benefit to your day to be familiar with.Ayurvedic medicine is widely criticized, nobody can't argue that attunement must be learned.There are many Reiki healers I usually start weeding when I'm not the only thing You can judge for yourself to a friend or family member.

Follow the guidelines in the symbols and hand position that may position and provide a complete treatment.Similarly, Reiki needs to complement their healing abilities that the healing but because he validated what we've known all along.Before we get special attention when we hold our ankle for a month or whatever works for everyoneIt will simply return to her maid about her when she described Reiki as you look in the teaching of the disease and ailments and impart energy to heal people who have come out of stressors.What sets dragon Reiki from a more accepted as a preventative than an intellectual pursuit, although people through the Reiki method improves your immunity and you will find a wide range of experiences.

[twosidestarot]

3 Ways To Make Your Tarot Readings Super Empowering

If popular culture witches were to be believed, the only thing tarot is good for is telling you that a tall, dark, and handsome stranger is going to sweep you off your feet (yay!), or that a terrible, unavoidable demise awaits (boo!). Tarot has a reputation for being all about fate, and that fate usually feels pretty set in stone.

I love pop culture witches as much as the next person (The Craft, anyone?), but this limited, simplistic understanding of tarot is really not my jam!

Tarot is, in fact, an incredibly flexible tool, one that can be used not simply to predict a future that’s fixed and unchanging, but to give you insight and strategies so that you can mould that future into the shape you want.

I’m talking about using tarot readings for major personal empowerment. Isn’t that way more exciting?

Image Source

Whether you’re the reader, the client, or both (reading for yourself is great!), I believe you get the most value and use out of your reading when you approach it with a desire for greater personal empowerment and agency.

And where does that start? Why, with an empowering question, of course!

This is a question that puts you in the driver’s seat, a question that focuses on what information you need and what action you can take, rather than on just predicting what’s going to happen, regardless of what you do.

So, how can you ask an empowering question? Here are my tips.

1. Avoid the yes/no trap

In my time as a reader, I have often been asked, "Will I get that job?", "Will my ex come back?", "Will I have another child?". It's human nature to want to mitigate uncertainty, to crave predictability and to reduce risk and doubt.

Wouldn't it be nice to know for sure what was coming down the pipe? Then, we could sit back, relax, and wait for the promised outcome to fall in our laps! 

Sadly, reality doesn't really work that way. Sometimes things follow a predictable course, and sometimes they don’t. I don’t set a lot of store by making hard and fast predictions with the cards, simply because the future is so fluid.

Also, we can't lose sight of the fact that the future is fluid because we have a role to play in it. Sure, our world and our lives are comprised of many, many factors that are outside of our influence, but I personally believe the future is a product of our agency. It’s a story we haven’t written yet, not just a book we’re just passively reading.

So, your tarot reading is a chance to get the tools and information you need to write your story. Don't worry so much about asking will it/won't it, yes or no, and start thinking about yourself as the author of this story! What do you need to know and do in order to guide your narrative in the direction you want it to go? 

2. Take a pro-active approach

Ok, so there is one addendum to this fabulous you-as-author metaphor, and that’s the fact that when it comes to our lives, there are a lot of factors that are out of our control.

Writing your life is not so much like holing up in an isolated cabin with a pen and a blank notebook as it is like having a multi-layered conversation across a loud dinner table in a restaurant that serves food which occasionally takes you by surprise – sometimes your palate is dancing, and other times, you get a fly in your soup.

When it comes to our lives and the subject of our tarot readings, randomness and luck and the influence of powerful external forces do have a bit of a role to play. But that doesn’t mean we have to just sit back and let them walk all over us!

In order to make your tarot question empowering, it’s time to hone in on the places where you do have agency. What can you control? You guessed it! Yourself. Your mindset, your attitude, your preparedness, your decisions.

Think about it this way: we can use a tarot reading to guess at whether you'll get that job, but if you don't actually submit an application, your chances aren't good. You might have a new love in your future, but if you aren’t prepared to say yes to a single date, how can it begin to blossom?

This is your moment to think about what information you need, and how you might take action and put that to good use.

If you're searching for that new job, think about asking your tarot reader, "How can I put my best foot forward in my job search?" Or, you could ask, "What aspects of my professional self should I most emphasise to my prospective employer?" Or, "What mindset should I cultivate going into this job search?"

If you’re focused on romance, you could ask, "What action can I take to reconnect with my old lover?" or perhaps, "How can I begin to heal my broken heart?”I love it when my clients ask me, “What steps can I take to make room for new love in my life?” instead of asking me to predict when a lover will show up while they sit passively by.

All of these questions invite a response that is action-focused and practical. We've already acknowledged the fact that you can't control every aspect of your future, but you can take charge of your own attitudes and behaviours. With the right attitude and course of action, you increase your chances of creating the future you really want. And what is tarot for, after all?

3. Decide how specific you want to be

Ok, so this one’s a little flexible. When it comes to deciding how much information to give to your reader or put into your question, I tend to think you get out what you put in. A general question gives a general answer.

Sometimes a general answer is what you want, but sometimes, what you’re really looking for is detailed, specific information about how to approach your situation. If that’s the case, you want to make your question detailed and specific, too.

For example, a question like, "What should I do next?” will naturally lend itself to a pretty vague answer!

On the other hand, asking "What do I do next in order to end this difficult business partnership?" or, "What do I do next in order to get that promotion I want?" will mean the advice that comes back to you will be specifically tailored for the situation you have described.

You don't need to give your tarot reader an essay, but a little detail goes a long way to making sure your reading is specific, personal, and empowering for your situation. The more detail you put in, the more juice your reader's intuition has to work with, and the more rich and personal your reading will be!

*

Whether you're booking a reading with a tarot pro you trust, or getting ready to throw some cards for yourself, a client, or a friend, I hope these tips help you to make your reading as empowering as it can be! 

Feeling the need for an empowering reading of your own? You can book a reading with me here. 

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[clevercatchphrase]

2017 in review, and goals for 2018

If I had to describe 2017 in one word it would be... monotonous. Sure, there were plenty of ups and downs, but for the most part, especially the latter 6 months, I just felt like I was going through the motions, holding my nose to the grind stone, doing work and paying off student loans. 2017 blew by me, and I remember thinking each month passed by with unusal quickness. There's a strange sense of disociation with that, like I wasn't really connected to reality for most of the year, and instead watched it pass me by from a seperate temporal window. In a weird way it may have been a bit of a godsend as well. I hear 2017 was hard for a lot of people, but feeling so disonnected from the year may have protected me and cushioned the blow in a sense.

I lost a family member this year in early june. I knew it was coming ever since january as I hated having to watch them deteriorate and get worse and worse until they finally passed. The three months leading up to it and the three months after were particularly hard and left me feeling unable to write or draw or do anything productive. I still miss them terribly. I always will. But I hope I won't let it immobilize me as much this year as it did last year.

Anyway, Let's review my goals for last year and see what I've accomplished. I’ve a lot to say, so for brevity’s sake I’ve put it all under the cut.

GOALS FOR 2017 1) Finish my 50 billion fan fictions so I can get back to drawing Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha. HAHAHAHAHA. The depression I got halfway through the year throughly put a halt on this. I haven't even finished one of the fics I've started in 2016. I got close, seeing as i participated in NaNoWriMo this year to try and force myself to finish, but I still need to revise and edit all that I've written and the motivation is non existant. GOD, I have so many stories too, all of them still undertale fan fiction because I'm still not over that game. I'll list them all when I share my goals for this year later below. 2)Draw in 2 pages of my sketch book each week so I'll finish a sketch book in a year. I was SO CLOSE with this one! I filled out 95 pages! But you know what i discovered in august? I realized that my 100 page sketch book.... was actually 150 pages! Oh well! I drew more this year than I thought i would! Just because i didn't hit 100 pages, doesn't mean I didn't accomplish something! 3) Finish 14 out of the remaining 27 lessons on my duolingo course I went fucking above and beyond with this one. I hit this goal back in may, and then I completely finished up the danish duolingo course by november. I also passed my 1095 day streak which translates to doing duolingo daily for OVER 3 YEARS STRAIGHT. I still practice daily to build my vocabulary, and I know I can't speak it for the life of me, or follow along with fast speakers, but give me a few minutes and I can probably read it for you. Funny how that works, where I can understand danish if it's written out, but ask me to translate from english to danish and I struggle like a butterfly in a tumble dryer. 4) Become passibly fluent in ASL I have this box of 600 ASL flash cards, and this year I practiced two of them a day until I got through the entire box. I certainly learned a bunch of new words but I wouldn't say I was fluent yet. I certainly don't know all the grammar rules yet. I HAVE been able to sign with people at my job, though I do rely heavily on fingerspelling still. Most everyone I talked with seemed to know I was trying and they seemed really excited that I could understand them if they were patient with me. I put more of my focus on Danish last year, but now that I'm done with Danish, maybe I can focust more on ASL. My sister told me about this site similar to duolingo called "memrise" that actually has an ASL course, so you can bet I'll be looking into that. 5) Read the entire dictionary I did this! I kept two spiral note books and wrote down any words I thought were cool or interesting! I haven't gone back and re-read the words I wrote down, but maybe I will this year! It was exhausting. It was weird. I still can't believe I spent about 200 hours last year doing this. 6) Read one new book every month Much like my sketch book goal, I almost completed this one. I kept it up every month until October, and then I just... stopped. I read more than I thought this year, though I ended up usually waiting until the last week of each month to read, and I also cheated by counting the dictionary as one of the things I read (hey, it's a book, ain't it?) I also re-read old books that I know I like, so not entirely 10 new books were read this year. Reading 1 new book a month isn't one of my goals this year, but I hope to read more new stuff reguardless, 7) Actually use the tutorials and references I reblog Seeing as I barely did any digitial art this year, I can't say I did this one. 8) Do more art streams I think my goal was to stream once a month. I clearly didn't do this. I DID stream in 2017, I just didn't tell anyone. Idk why, I just... went live for people to see but didn't let anyone know I did. I also only streamed like... twice? sigh... So... out of the 8 goals I set, I would say I accomplished close to half. I read the dictionary, I finished my danish language course (which I'm counting as two completed goals) and combining the "read 1 new book a month" and "draw 100 pages in a sketch book" I'll count that as one completed goal. I went through all my ASL cards, though I'm not fluent, OH! I also wanted to pay off 6k loan that I had. I want to count this one as a success because I DID FUCKING PAY OVER 6 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN LOANS THIS YEAR. I got a surprise loan I had no idea about in june that was 1500 dollars, which threw me off. I managed to pay it off in 2 months, BUT IF THAT LOAN HAD NEVER EXISTED I TOTALLY WOULD HAVE FINISHED PAYING OFF THE 6K ONE. I've got a little over a thousand left to pay on the 6k loan now, which I will complete by the end of January. I'm so close to being under 10k in debt... GOALS FOR 2018 1)Go from being 5 figures in student loan debt down to 4 figures in debt (pay off 2 out of 4 loans) If everything goes according to Keikaku I'll achieve this by the end of June. This has to factor in things like updating my car registration in april, oil changes, tune ups, tire rotation, gas and food expenses, but as long as I don't get fired I should be fine! 2) Stretch Daily Not exercise. I never exercise. But it would be nice to increase my flexibility. 3) STOP TOUCHING YOUR GODDAMN FACE/ find an effective acne treatment I also want to try washing my face daily. Im fucking 25. I shouldn't have this many pimples. 4) Do another song comic I made A lyrictale for Undertale at the end of 2015 in ten days. I want to make another. I already have it scripted, now I just need to do it. 5) Do at least one art stream a month. Hey, maybe I can stream the next song comic I do. Sure, it'd spoil the song and story for everyone, but doesn't that sound fun? 6)Practice ASL I just started looking into Memrise and their ASL courses. They actually have A LOT, AND! THEY HAVE SIGN LANGUAGE COURSES FOR OTHER COUNTRIES! This year is gonna be fun. (Also, the only reason I want to learn ASL because of Undertale. I'll let you figure out how they are connected) 7) Sew 4 stuffed animals I started sewwing a Hobbes plush in the middle of last year. His body is finished. I just never did the head. The other three stuffed animals I want to make I will keep a secret because I love to keep people guessing. 8) Make two AMVs There are two songs I want to put to Avatar; The Last Airbender, and Avatar; The Legend of Korra. I have about half the footage... I just... need to rewatch the shows and put the clips together. Hey, maybe after I find all the clips I can do a stream of that as well. 9) Last but not least, finish my many, MANY Undertale Fan Fics. a. You Monster (34 out of 37 chapters are written, but only 29 are posted) b. Finish the "Of Two Minds" series (it's explicit don't look) c. Color Theory (A chasriel one shot) d. Something Left Behind (Terrible AU Idea #647) e. Let's Get Real (Self insert, joke, parody thing that will also be explicit) f. Game Day! (something about soccer games with Mettaton along the same vain as Field Trip!) g. Would You Like Fries With That (Nicepants because there's not enough of it in the world) h. Science Fair! (something with Undyne and school projects along the same vain as Field Trip!) i. One that is so horribly dark and fucked that I won't even describe it here. Welp! Those are my goals for 2018! What are your goals for 2018? Whatever they are, I wish you success and improvement, health and wealth! Stay safe this year! I love you all~

[mayacatmaster]

Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation. ~Qscar Wilde *** *** ***

Just because you see peoples eye's open doesn't mean they and the awake. Most are walking around existing in a comatose sheepish mind state and the sad part is...

they don’t even know it…..

It is the responsible thing to every awakened

to help others remember to Remember.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Via and thanks “Mina Milos”:

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Surely, first is do by yourself, from yourself...Otherwise….:

Your whole idea about yourself and your world is borrowed.

Borrowed from those who have no idea of who they are themselves.

Borrowed from those who can’t alignment with their “Source”(True Self; Tao) and as an alignment-deliberate-creator.

Borrowed from those who can’t Mirror the most simplest “Cosmic Principle”(Tao; Source; Ma at; Brahma) in every area /topic and as an alignment-deliberate-creator.

*** *** ***

Mindset. 

It's all about mindset. 

From the moment you wake up, to the moment you rest your head at night. Everything is up to you. 

Your emotions, your thoughts, your perceptions, your reactions. 

Every moment. 

*** *** ***

Looking For Truth?

Observe People's Habitual Behavior

Patterns/Cycles. The Truth Is In Their

Patterns And Cycles. Not So Much Their Words.

*** *** ***

The Mind Is A Powerful Force.

It Can Enslave Us Or Empower Us.

It Can Plunge Us Into The Depths Of Misery Or Take Us To The Heights Of Ecstasy. Learn To Use The Power Wisely.

*** *** ***

And If you judge use any kind of kiss dark tyrant-ruler’s-ass-standard you will never understand. If you understand you will never judge. *** *** *** But unfortunately this world…:  Rare is religion/moral/education/political/media/country-social-family-belief-system don’t use any kind of kiss dark tyrant-ruler’s-ass-standard. *** *** *** Seek To Be Worth Knowing Rather Than Be Well Known.  *** *** *** I always remind myself it is better than wearing a blindfold, ignorant those preach/teach can’t help me as alignment-deliberate-creator. No matter of this outer world how to preach/teach, brainwash, indoctrinated your mindset. If they can’t pass through myself inquiry, question, experiment and get sweet-fruits. *** *** *** Lining up makes YOU INVINCIBLE, undeniably powerful. THE ENERGY THAT creates worlds IS FLOWING THROUGH YOU! -Abraham *** *** *** The most attractive, charismatic people in the world are those who are in alignment with Who they Are. That what people try to describe as they are talking about that Inner Beauty. It s alignment that is at the core of that, you see. ~ABRAHAM *** *** *** If you can’t alignment with your Source and as alignment-deliberate-creator. *** *** *** If you can’t Trust that the power that moves the stars/moon/sun in the heavens is taking you on a journey where the only destination IS love, self expression, joy, and an abundant experience of life. *** *** *** And If you can’t ...: Follow the force that is guiding the whole universe is in you.  Pledge allegiance to your "Source"(God; True Self; Tao; Logos). *** *** *** And you just seek as one ‘white sheep”(saints; nice guy; blind obey children) who only wanted the approval of “another “(parents; husband; Pope; gurus; government…). *** *** ***

It's Not That You Don't Like Yourself.

It's That You Aren't Allowing Yourself To Be Yourself.

~Abraham-Hicks

*** *** *** Surely…: They Want You To Be Silent They Want You To Be Submissive, To Do Whatever They Say. Never Question Authority & Always Obey Fuck That You Are No One's Robot, Think For Yourself, Never Give In. Be Vigilant With Your Resistance. Educate & Empower Others To Do The Same. *** *** *** Otherwise…: You know everything about yourself and you've picked up all these rules and requirements from everywhere, and none of them even go together - they're all in conflict with each other - but you still take them all personally and try to do them all; you try to stand on your head in so many different ways to be approved of, when that appreciation and love and (if you want to call it) approval has been there for you every moment of every day, you just have to look in that direction. And you can't look in that direction and in that direction at the same time. ~Abraham *** *** *** And One kind only can jump through a hoop for the "ruler"（boss; parents; government; husband; gurus）and can’t help people as alignment-deliberate-creator is 100% brainwash. *** *** *** Then….: You will just repeated accepted the work-eat-entertainment-sleep-kiss ass-cycle and have no desire to have a deeper understanding of life.  *** *** *** Indeed…: What fascinates fascinates me is that...  Hardly anyone is wondering what we're doing on this planet.  Most people have accepted the work-eat-entertainment-sleep-kiss ass-cycle and have no desire to have a deeper understanding of life. *** *** *** And…: If You Knew It Was For Sure, Wouldn't You Be Having More Fun Along The Way? ~Abraham Hicks Well, It's For Sure! It's For Sure! *** *** *** Clarity!  That Is The Biggest Prize You Are Looking For. To Feel Clear And Sure And Stable—That Is Really What You Desire. ~Abraham Hicks *** *** *** I consider I am the giant stone statue of Easter Island. As seer…. Observing the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, the planet, human beings, billions of years. *** *** *** And…: Between egoism and "Source"(Tao; True Self); Between man-made-rules and "Source"(Tao; True Self); Between desires and "Source"(Tao; True Self); Between your-origin-face and "Source"(Tao; True Self); *** *** *** Between your heart, my heart and another heart; *** No matter what... You learn more about someone at the end of a relationship than at the end beginning of it. *** *** *** Life is "Tao"(True Self；Brahman) back to itself. I observed the sun, moon, stars orbit operation life. *** *** *** Because…: "Nature"(Tao；Ma-at；Logos; Source) never did betray the heart that loved her. *** *** *** So…: Follow the force that is guiding the whole universe is in you.  Pledge allegiance to your "Source"(God; True Self; Tao; Logos),  everything is done! ~Huangdi Yinfujing 「觀天之道，執天之行，盡矣！」: 黃帝陰符經； *** *** *** You are never along or helpless.  The force that is guiding the whole universe is in you too! *** *** *** Those who flow as "Life"(Tao; True Self; Source) flows know they need no other force. ~Lao tzu *** *** *** You have all the intelligence within you. TRUST, ALLOW and only listen to your own HEART! *** *** *** Use your own light and return to the Source of "Light"(Tao; True Self; Wisdom of Universal). This is called practicing eternity. ~Lao Tzu *** *** *** Always listen to your own heart, even if it is against what your family, society, culture of religion is telling you! *** *** *** If you see all the star swirls with the Big-Dipper, Hundreds of millions of years and hundreds of millions of years,  No matter it is ancient and modern or east or west. *** *** *** It is through watching the "Cycles" of Nature that we more fully understand the cycles of our own lives. *** *** *** Four things cannot be long hidden; the sun, the moon, the Big-Dipper and the “Truth”(True Self; Tao; Logos; Ma-at; Dharma; Source).  *** *** *** Do you know what the dominate reason for anyone who has a worthiness issue is ? They have plenty of negative emotion and they're willing to put up with it. Source is rooting for them, and they are rooting against themselves. ~Abraham *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Via and thanks “Abraham-Hicks: Inspirational Quotes” *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Through the modern world may know a million secrets, the ancient world knew "One"(Source; Tao; Ma-at; True Self; Brahma) - and that was greater than the million; for the million secrets breed death, disaster, sorrow, selfishness, lust, and avarice, but the "One"(Source; Tao; Ma-at; True Self; Brahma) secret confers life, light, and truth. ~Manly P. Hall *** *** *** What is that secret? *** *** *** When traversing the vast sea of loneliness, "Oneness"(Source; Tao；True Self；God) is the only true safe harbor, compass, lighthouses, guide, eternal guiding principles. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** In short there is nothing else anywhere, there is not a set of rules, there is not a stack of books, there are not teachers, there are not hidden documents, there is nothing outside of you that can come anywhere close to the Guidance that comes forth from within you. ~Abraham-Hicks, Great Awakening and Blending, AB–6, 1988 簡而言之,沒有任何其他地方,沒有任何一組規則,沒有任何一堆書,沒有任何一個老師,沒有任何隱藏的文檔,沒有什麼在你自性光明之外的"外法；外物；外人"，可以來接近那~~~出自你內在"真正自己"(大道；上主)自性光明的指引嚮導。 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** The reason that you ever feel any emotion at all is because Source is right there thinking about the same thing at the same time with you. So when you are in sync with the thought Source thinks about it, you feel good. But when you are out of sync with what Source thinks about it, you feel bad. ~Abraham August 23, 2014 Denver, CO *** *** *** Once you understand your own Emotional Guidance System, you will never again be confused about where you are in relationship to where you want to be. Also, you will feel, with each thought that you offer, whether you are moving closer to, or further from, your desired outcome. If you are using any other influence as your Source of Guidance, you will get lost and go off track, for no others understand, as you do, the distance between where you are and where you want to be. ~Abraham *** *** *** The Source within is thinking about the same thing that you're thinking about and has a very powerful opinion about the same thing that you're thinking about. And your emotions are letting you know whether the opinion, whether the KNOWING of the Source within you, meshes with, or is in discord with, the thought you are thinking. ~Abraham-Hicks *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Thank for “Abraham-Hicks” *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** You get what you expect, have you noticed that?  And so, how have you been programmed to expect?  *** *** *** No matter it’s use the name of “God”, Use the name of man-made-moral, Use the name of country,  Use the name of family,  Use the name of egoism,  *** *** *** Between your “God” and my “God”, kills each others,  Between your man-made-moral and my man-made-moral, kills each others,  Between your country and my country, kills each others,  Between your family and my family, kills each others,  Between your body and my body , kills each others,  *** *** *** And so, how have you been programmed to expect?  *** *** *** Because you already have been teach, …: Obey and you can't question it, self-inquiry it,...no matter what, just Kiss-any kind of Dark Tyranny Ruler’s-Ass. *** *** *** Humankind is the only virus cursed to live with the horrifying knowledge of its host's fragile mortality. *** *** *** And ~~~! The host kills the virus, or the virus kill the host. *** *** *** So, now you realized this…: Someone said:” Why just be a natural, real self became so difficult? Why is that so hard?”;  *** Someone said:” Why my fate and my life itself only meaning and highest value …: Are only built to Kiss-any kind of Dark Tyranny Ruler’s-Ass.  *** *** *** No matter it’s in a world, a country, a home, a mind-body. *** *** *** Because cultural-dogma-viral-infection-programmed-mind-system still running in your around… ><!!! *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** 《Chuang Tzu:Horse's Hoofs -莊子：馬蹄 》 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Horses can with their hoofs tread on the hoarfrost and snow, and with their hair withstand the wind and cold; they feed on the grass and drink water; they prance with their legs and leap: this is the true nature of horses. Though there were made for them grand towers and large dormitories, they would prefer not to use them.  馬，蹄可以踐霜雪，毛可以禦風寒，齕草飲水，翹足而陸。此馬之真性也。雖有義臺、路寢，無所用之。 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** But when Bo-Le (arose and) said, 'I know well how to use man-made-law-standard manage horses tame them into so call good enough horses,' (men proceeded) to singe and mark them, to clip their hair, to pare their hoofs, to halter their heads, to bridle them and hobble them, and to confine them in stables and corrals. (When subjected to this treatment), two or three in every ten of them died. (Men proceeded further) to subject them to hunger and thirst, to gallop them and race them, and to make them go together in regular man-made-law -order. In front were the evils of the bit and ornamented breast-bands, and behind were the terrors of the whip and switch. (When so treated), more than half of them died.  及至伯樂，���：「我善治馬。」燒之剔之，刻之雒之，連之以羈馽，編之以皁棧，馬之死者十二三矣；飢之渴之，馳之驟之，整之齊之，前有橛飾之患，而後有鞭筴之威，而馬之死者已過半矣。 @@@ *** @@@ *** @@@ *** @@@ Woman Walks Ahead (2018) *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Q:” So… Miss. Weldon…: How came you scared horses?”; *** *** *** A:” I get locked in a stables. My dad’s best horse, Sudan. I was 8 years olds. My father locked me in his purpose. Since then I never ride a horse.”; *** *** *** Q:” Why would he do that for you? *** *** *** A:” He decide I need told to obey. Tame like a horse. Because I was behaving not like lady. Because the way I wipe my mouth. ☆ ☆ ☆ I decide did the change. I am trying not care what people think me, that why I’m out here myself along going to this wilderness. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Woman Walks Ahead is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by Susanna White and written by Steven Knight. The film is the story of Caroline Weldon (Jessica Chastain), a portrait painter who travels from New York to Dakota to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes) in 1890.  *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** So, now you realized this…: ***  Hey, no matter what country, religion, moral, education-system, parents, teachers, elders, TV, radios, newspaper, medias…: Every time you “teach”(brainwash; indoctrinate) you children, just obey and you can’t question & self-inquiry it, ….: No matter what, just obey in the ways you have been programmed, …: *** *** *** Obey, just as a good Sheep, a white sheep, in your country, your family, your school, your work…! *** ** And, Your fate and the only meaning and highest value of life …: Are only built to Kiss-dark tyranny rulers-Ass. *** *** *** Adolph, here, calling from the past, I just love the way you're promoting my ideas! *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** And … Sometimes I wonder what it's like to be normal??? If my heart can make sure it not spider chaos the fly. *** *** *** What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly. ~Morticia Addams *** *** *** If my heart can make sure my whole life can don’t became a lie, by so call ‘normal’. *** *** *** If my heart can make sure...so call normal is not just an illusion. *** *** *** No matter of it’s in morality, religion, political, education or country, family, personal-belief-system….! *** *** *** Because…: In the end, we'll all become stories. But in this-nowhere-time-space , What will be yours ? *** *** *** After you die you spend a lot of time reviewing your life, so be sure to make it interesting. *** *** *** Specially when…: Nation of sheep.  Ruled By Wolves & Tiger.  Owned By pigs. And I follow orders like a dog. It's what made me a "man"(woman; children). *** *** *** 【Ruler】: Between th frown of the tiger and smile of the wolf the flock is perished; the ruler claims himself as kind of the law, and the priest as the representative of “God”(religion-morality-belief-system), and between these two, the bodies are destroyed and souls wither into nothing. ~Gibran *** *** ***

She is you, Shiva is Shakti, Shakti is Shiva.

*** *** ***

[hollywoodx4]

Sticking with the Schuylers (7)

In this part, it’s time for Sunday Brunch with the Schuylers. Alexander writes, and Angelica voices her opinion...

1  2  3  4  5  6

               Angelica’s been sitting in Advanced Theories for ten minutes when Alexander comes barreling in, just as the class is about to start. He throws an apology at the professor who merely shrugs his shoulders in response, and then takes the seat next to her.

               It’s 7am and he’s already down three cups of coffee, the caffeine pulsing warm and sporadic through his blood. It’s the familiar sensation of a sleepless night coupled with artificial energy that he’s so used to; the one that has created “Alex-the guy that’s slightly insane, twitching, always talking.” It’s not as if he weren’t an anxious, fidgeting mess before caffeine made its gradual approach into his life. But it’s escalated his personality, and he’s become completely reliant on the substance to get himself by.

               “Where have you been and why do you look like death warmed over?” She whispers to him as class begins, between bouts of perfectly paced notes written in thick black gel pen. He rolls his eyes, shaking his head as he looks up from his own scribbled notes.

               “I don’t look like death, Schuyler. I’ve been busy.”

               “Busy writing whatever’s in that black notebook? Because I know that’s not your Econ work, although I do appreciate your effort to hide things from me.”

               “You know me too well.” It’s all he’ll say before burying himself back into his notes, looking up every so often to a quizzical look from Angelica, whose lowered brow sets his nerves ablaze. His notes begin to miss gaps of curriculum, stemming every so often into a spiral of feelings he can’t erase until they’re transferred from his brain to the paper.

               The exact reason Alexander Hamilton refuses to give his notes to anybody.

               When Angelica walks out of class side by side with Alex, per their usual routine, she knows that something is different from the way he fidgets, refusing to look at her when he answers her conversation questions. It’s the same vibe he had given her when he’d first walked into the classroom that morning; slightly disheveled, more than anxious, and a bit flighty. His notes were scattered and frantic, unlike his usual carbon copy of what is up on the white board.

               Angelica Schuyler had never considered herself to be withdrawn; sure, within their family she was known as the more upheld one-the one who perfectly followed their father’s ideals and spoke for her sisters when they weren’t sure how to answer media questions. But where she was the most made-up for their media façade, she was also the first to continually break it.

               She’d been known to speak her mind more often than not, which was the most clear difference between Elizabeth’s gentle, calm demeanor and her own more outspoken one. While Elizabeth also put up a very well-contained public image, she was much better at holding her own opinions in than Angelica was. And to the oldest Schuyler, this gift of outright opinions was both a treasure and a downfall.

               So that’s why, after two miserable minute of walking beside a squirrely Hamilton, Angelica stops him in her tracks.

               “Tell me why you haven’t been sleeping.”

               “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

               “Tell me. Because I can’t stand interacting with this sugared up version of you, it’s a little too intense. Your mix of quiet contemplation and the inability to stop writing are just too much.”

               It’s an awkward pause in conversation; Angelica is looking at him as if she’s his mother and he’s in trouble, and it’s all a little unsettling. So, he pulls an envelope out of his messenger bag and tosses it in her hands.

               “Just-give this to your sister.” Before she can answer his hastened words he’s practically run away, catching up to a separate group of people and weaving himself in and out of the crowd in fear of being followed.

…

Elizabeth,

Immediately following our first meeting I was compelled to write; not through text, because in the moment of our meeting I was, both fortunately and unfortunately, too struck by my own feelings to ask you for your number. But I write also because it is the best way to get my words through to you without tripping over them, or talking too fast, or forgetting everything I was meant to say.

               Abandoning a fear of being too forward I’d like to say that I was completely enchanted to meet you Friday night. I have not slept more than a few spare minutes at a time, and my mind’s inability to stop thinking about you both worries and excites me. I am in awe of your kindness, and your beautiful smile and laughter that matches the tone and the sweetness of bells warms my heart in a way it has never felt before.

               I would be honored to spend more time with you, and to get to know you better, if you would be willing. I look forward to seeing you again.

-Alex

               The letter finds its way to her vanity on Sunday morning, when the girls are getting ready for brunch. Between classes and assignments, it’s the first time the Schuyler sisters have seen each other since game night with Alexander and his friends the week before.

               If Phillip Hamilton showed any true and tested religion in his life, nothing was held quite as high as Sunday brunch. It was the day he revered most of all, and a requirement of the family since before Angelica’s birth. Not only was Sunday brunch a good opportunity for a bit of marketing, but the current benefit of catching up with his busy girls was a plus as well.

               Two of his three girls were currently occupied in their shared bathroom, blaring a top hits radio station and singing along rather loudly. It was a rare and much missed opportunity in the mansion that now occupied only one Schuyler sister during the week; one that made their parents hearts swell with pride.  Angelica was running late, and when she finally showed up she practically threw the envelope from its place at the bottom of her bag on the vanity in front of her middle sister.

               “Open this right now, it-and its sender-has been killing me the entire week.”

               Both Eliza and Peggy stop in their tracks, Elizabeth turning over the letter in her hands before giving Angelica a quizzical look. But then her sisters are urging her and suddenly she’s reading words that sound like poetry in her mind. His writing is music and she can feel herself singing along-heart immediately enveloped in warmth. And when she looks up at her sisters, red in the face and cheeks lifted in a blissful grin, all she can do is watch with sparkling eyes as Peggy rips the letter from her hands.

               “Oh my god, I could’ve pegged him as the writer type the second I met him but this is just,”

               “-It’s really beautiful.” Angelica chimes in from her place over Peggy’s shoulder. But her features read something else that Elizabeth can’t quite place other than the fact that it concerns her a bit. She’s smiling, yes, but there’s an undertone to her smile that makes the middle sister uneasy.

               “But…what, Angie?”

               “Bets, you know why I might be concerned for you.”

               “If my seeing your friend would make you uncomfortable than just say it-say it, and I won’t even consider it.”

               “It’s not that. Don’t be so willing to put my happiness over yours, god knows you deserve it. And Alex, he’s a good guy. I just want to make sure you’re not going to move this too fast. I know you. When you fall, you fall hard.”

               The initial immediate lift in Eliza’s mood upon opening the letter does make her smile. In a gentle, more reserved way-the corners of her lips just barely lift, while Peggy’s practically jumping around with curiosity. When she’s finally able to read the letter; to see the excitement dancing in her sister’s eyes upon reading the words scrawled along thick and slightly torn Moleskin paper... (enchanted to meet you…laughter that matches the tone and sweetness of bells) her heart is torn. There is a moment of bliss, where Peggy’s reading the letter over again-aloud-and dramatically draping herself over Elizabeth’s laugh. A moment where she can only see Eliza’s shining eyes, grabbing the letter back from their little sister to read his words again.

               But then there’s the pulse of her heart-the heavy feeling that sets itself like stone and sits Angelica right back in the seat next to Eliza, where she pulls out her makeup and begins to sing along to the song on the radio, pulling her sisters back into their getting-ready routine.

               Sunday Brunch with the Schuylers...as they stand on the rooftop of the Waldorf Astoria, the dazzling fall colors of their dresses stand out against the city skyline. Guests look on as a photographer snaps photos of the three girls posing against the balcony, arm in arm as dazzling smiles light their faces. Then their father and mother join in, one on either side, and although this process is a bit rehearsed it’s always nice to have recent family photos to hang on the walls.

               Or, rather, to make the centerfold of some magazine. Because wherever there’s a venerated photographer snapping a photo for a book of America’s senators, there’s a photographer looking for another news story. The man is promptly thrown out of the rooftop restaurant, but not before one last shout, asking for an interview. It’s not at all confusing, Phillip Schuyler explains to this week’s esteemed guest, when you have such lovely daughters.

               All three girls share a glance-an internal eye roll-before grinning and putting their façade back on for the Washington politicians.

               There’s usually small talk-and a lot of it. Angelica swears she’s heard her father tell the story of their adoption at least 100 times. We’re so lucky to have such lovely girls. And they’re really the best of friends, too. Going to the same school, staying together…our family is full of love and good fortune. And then the guests will ‘aww,’ or look on at the three girls as if they’re still as little as their father describes, and begin the questioning.

               This part falls differently on each of the sisters; Angelica often smiles before answering their questions politely, waiting for a springboard to discuss her latest social justice tirade. Then her father interjects-she’s very passionate about her career path. Our dear, hardworking Angelica-and they move on to Eliza. Elizabeth Schuyler feels uncomfortable under the stranger’s stares, and often answers with a smile and a nod, using a more hushed and reserved voice when answering their open-ended questions. And when they move on to Peggy she’s always there with a joke. She’s the closer of these conversations, after all. While she’s filtered and respectable there are still moments-little quips she manages to throw in to seal the deal, leaving their father’s guests just as enamored with the sisters as the rest of the American public seems to be.

               On this particular Sunday, Elizabeth Schuyler is distracted. While she can’t seem to keep her attention focused on her father and his questions Angelica’s fielding them, stalling as Eliza holds the note from Alexander in her lap, folding and unfolding. And there’s so much hope there…so much trust, that it actually begins to make Angelica slightly angry. It’s not him-no, cheesy as he is the oldest Schuyler is quite happy about the possibility of him and Eliza. It’s her sister-her sweet, kind, trusting sister-that worries her in this. And so, when their father is occupied with complimenting the chef as her sisters gossip, she sneaks her phone underneath the table.

               MESSAGES:

               Sunday, 12:48 PM

Angelica Schuyler: We got a chance to read your letter.

Alex Hamilton: …I’m sorry, I know you wanted me to lay low but I couldn’t anymore. And I know she’s your sister and I know it could be awkward but I couldn’t just let my life go by without putting myself out there.

Alex Hamilton: Eliza. There’s something about her, I thought she might’ve felt it too. I’ve never felt like this for anyone before. I’m sorry if I’ve betrayed our friendship.

Angelica Schuyler: ….

               She can’t seem to form a proper response, so she lets him hang for a moment while she turns her attention back to the festivities in front of her. Peggy’s busy giving their father’s friend a very filtered and proper run-down of what her senior year of high school has been like as Eliza picks at her croissant. Her other hand still holds that piece of paper in her lap, folding…unfolding…and then, every so often, she looks down at it. Her eyes scan the letter and her cheeks are fresh with a new dusting of scarlet, which she promptly breathes away before turning her attention back to the conversation at hand.

               And that grin, Angelica decides, is enough to clear her head.

Alex Hamilton: I mean, if anything were to happen. I’m not saying that it will. I just. I hope it will.

Angelica Schuyler: I know. You’re a good person. And Eliza’s happy about it, I don’t think you have to worry about that. But there are things that have happened that hold me back from giving you my complete trust. You have my blessing, sure, but not my trust. Not yet. You’re genuine, and I know that your feelings are too, but I’m still going to be her big sister no matter who you are. So you’ve been warned.

[samanthasroberts]

Here are the best books for your brand new Kindle

If you’ve been gifted a Kindle having something to read right off the bat will be your first order of business. That’s why we’ve assembled a list of the best selling Kindle books of 2017 – for every type of reader. So whether you’re into dystopian novels, memoirs, or poetry, there’s something on this list for you.

Plus if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get access to the Kindle Lending Library. You can check out a book for free every month, and with new titles added each month you’ll never run out of options to choose from. But for big readers, Kindle Unlimited exists to help feed your hunger for new material. The standalone service costs $9.99 a month and allows you to download most eBooks for free. So go on and get reading! You can thank us later.

1) Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Amazon

From the publisher: The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $9.99) 

Buy it here

2) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Amazon

From the publisher: The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population.

Price on Amazon: $9.99 (regularly $15.95) 

Buy it here

3) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Amazon

From the publisher: Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Price on Amazon: $8.99 (regularly $10.99)

Buy it here

4) 1984 by George Orwell 

Amazon

From the publisher: In 1984, London is a grim city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

Price on Amazon: $9.99

Buy it here

5) The Unremembered Girl: A Novel by Eliza Maxwell

Amazon

From the publisher: In the deep woods of East Texas, Henry supports his family by selling bootleg liquor. It’s all he can do to keep his compassionate but ailing mother and his stepfather—a fanatical grassroots minister with a bruising rhetoric—from ruin. But they have no idea they’ve become the obsession of the girl in the woods. Abandoned and nearly feral, Eve has been watching them, seduced by the notion of family—something she’s known only in the most brutal sense. Soon she can’t resist the temptation to get close. Where Henry’s mother sees a poor girl in need, his father sees only wickedness. When Henry forges an unexpected bond with Eve, he believes he might be able to save her. He doesn’t know how wrong he is. Eve is about to take charge of her own destiny—and that of Henry’s family. As both their worlds spin violently out of control, Henry must make an impossible choice: protect the broken woman who’s claimed a piece of his soul, or put everyone he loves at risk in order to do the right thing.

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $14.95) 

Buy it here

6) I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll 

Amazon

From the publisher: When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared. A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life. Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own. Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $14.95) 

Buy it here

7) The Letter by Kathryn Hughes 

Amazon

From the publisher: Tina Craig longs to escape her violent husband. She works all the hours God sends to save up enough money to leave him, also volunteering in a charity shop to avoid her unhappy home. Whilst going through the pockets of a second-hand suit, she comes across an old letter, the envelope firmly sealed and unfranked. Tina opens the letter and reads it – a decision that will alter the course of her life forever. Billy Stirling knows he has been a fool, but hopes he can put things right. On 4th September 1939 he sits down to write the letter he hopes will change his future. It does – in more ways than he can ever imagine.

Price on Amazon: $1.99 (regularly $13.99) 

Buy it here

8) Dead Certain: A Novel by Adam Mitzner

Amazon

From the publisher: Ella Broden is living a double life. By day, Ella works as a buttoned-up attorney on some of the city’s most grueling cases. By night, she pursues her passion for singing in the darkest clubs of Manhattan. No one knows her secret, not even Charlotte, the younger sister she practically raised. But it seems she’s not the only one in the family with something to hide. When Charlotte announces she’s sold her first novel, Ella couldn’t be more thrilled…until she gets a call that her sister’s gone missing. Ella starts investigating with the help of Detective Gabriel Velasquez, an old flame in the NYPD, and what she finds is shocking. If art imitates life, then her sister’s novel may contain details of her real-life affairs. And any one of her lovers could be involved in her disappearance. Desperate to bring Charlotte home, Ella works through her list of suspects, matching fictitious characters with flesh-and-blood men. But will it be too late to save the sister she only thought she knew?

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $15.95) 

But it here

9) Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck by Thug Kitchen

Amazon

From the publisher: Thug Kitchen started their wildly popular web site to inspire people to eat some Goddamn vegetables and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow (“This might be my favorite thing ever”) and named Saveur‘s Best New Food blog of 2013–with half a million Facebook fans and counting–Thug Kitchen wants to show everyone how to take charge of their plates and cook up some real f*cking food. Yeah, plenty of blogs and cookbooks preach about how to eat more kale, why ginger fights inflammation, and how to cook with microgreens and nettles. But they are dull or pretentious as hell–and most people can’t afford the hype. Thug Kitchen lives in the real world. In their first cookbook, they’re throwing down more than 100 vegan recipes for their best-loved meals, snacks, and sides for beginning cooks to home chefs. (Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tacos? Pumpkin Chili? Grilled Peach Salsa? Believe that sh*t.) Plus they’re going to arm you with all the info and techniques you need to shop on a budget and go and kick a bunch of ass on your own. This book is an invitation to everyone who wants to do better to elevate their kitchen game. No more ketchup and pizza counting as vegetables. No more drive-thru lines. No more avoiding the produce corner of the supermarket. Sh*t is about to get real.

Price on Amazon: $9.99 (regularly $19.50) 

Buy it here

10) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Amazon

From the publisher: In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. From Sauron’s fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion. When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. This new edition includes the fiftieth-anniversary fully corrected text setting and, for the first time, an extensive new index.

Price on Amazon: $16.99 (regularly $20.00)

Buy it here

11) Diary of a Wimpy Kid  by Jeff Kinney 

Amazon

From the publisher: It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary. In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Price on Amazon: $7.99 (regularly $12.56)

Buy it here

12) Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen

Amazon

From the publisher: The original Dark Lord of the Sith stars in his first ongoing series! Ever since Darth Vader’s first on-screen appearance, he has become one of pop-culture’s most popular villains. Now, follow Vader straight from the ending of A NEW HOPE (and the pages of the new STAR WARS comic book) into his own solo adventures — showing the Empire’s war with the Rebel Alliance from the other side! But when a Dark Lord needs help, who can he turn to? As Vader pursues a very personal vengeance against the Rebels and investigates the Emperor’s secret machinations, he clashes with weapons scavenger Aphra and deadly Battle Droids, and returns to Geonosis to build an army. But some very powerful people don’t want him to learn the truths he seeks! Guest-starring Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett and more!

Price on Amazon: $2.99 (regularly $10.99) 

Buy it here

13) Coming Clean: A Memoir by Kimberly Rae Miller

Amazon

From the publisher: Kimberly Rae Miller is an immaculately put-together woman with a great career, a loving boyfriend, and a beautifully tidy apartment in Brooklyn. You would never guess that behind the closed doors of her family’s idyllic Long Island house hid teetering stacks of aging newspaper, broken computers, and boxes upon boxes of unused junk festering in every room—the product of her father’s painful and unending struggle with hoarding. In this dazzling memoir, Miller brings to life her experience growing up in a rat-infested home, hiding her father’s shameful secret from friends for years, and the emotional burden that ultimately led to her suicide attempt. In beautiful prose, Miller sheds light on her complicated yet loving relationship with her parents, which has thrived in spite of the odds. Coming Clean is a story about recognizing where you come from and understanding the relationships that define you. It is also a powerful story of recovery and redemption.

Price on Amazon: $5.99 (regularly $13.95) 

Buy it here

14) Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly 

Amazon

From the publisher: Harry Bosch is back as a volunteer working cold cases for the San Fernando Police Department and is called out to a local drug store where a young pharmacist has been murdered. Bosch and the town’s 3-person detective squad sift through the clues, which lead into the dangerous, big business world of pill mills and prescription drug abuse. Meanwhile, an old case from Bosch’s LAPD days comes back to haunt him when a long-imprisoned killer claims Harry framed him, and seems to have new evidence to prove it. Bosch left the LAPD on bad terms, so his former colleagues aren’t keen to protect his reputation. He must fend for himself in clearing his name and keeping a clever killer in prison. The two unrelated cases wind around each other like strands of barbed wire. Along the way Bosch discovers that there are two kinds of truth: the kind that sets you free and the kind that leaves you buried in darkness.

Price on Amazon: $14.99 (regularly $29.00) 

Buy it here

15) A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa

Amazon

From the publisher: Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian. In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignity—and indomitable nature—of the human spirit.

Price on Amazon: $1.99 (regularly $19.95) 

Buy it here

Shop the full list of best-selling Kindle books here

MORE BAZAAR DEALS:

These brand new Harry Potter books are great additions to your collection

10 literary journalism classics that should be on your reading list

The Introvert Activity Book is perfect for those who find solace in alone time

The Daily Dot may receive a payment in connection with purchases of products or services featured in this article. Click here to learn more.

Source: http://allofbeer.com/here-are-the-best-books-for-your-brand-new-kindle/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/12/30/here-are-the-best-books-for-your-brand-new-kindle/

[allofbeercom]

Here are the best books for your brand new Kindle

If you’ve been gifted a Kindle having something to read right off the bat will be your first order of business. That’s why we’ve assembled a list of the best selling Kindle books of 2017 – for every type of reader. So whether you’re into dystopian novels, memoirs, or poetry, there’s something on this list for you.

Plus if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get access to the Kindle Lending Library. You can check out a book for free every month, and with new titles added each month you’ll never run out of options to choose from. But for big readers, Kindle Unlimited exists to help feed your hunger for new material. The standalone service costs $9.99 a month and allows you to download most eBooks for free. So go on and get reading! You can thank us later.

1) Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Amazon

From the publisher: The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $9.99) 

Buy it here

2) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Amazon

From the publisher: The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population.

Price on Amazon: $9.99 (regularly $15.95) 

Buy it here

3) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Amazon

From the publisher: Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Price on Amazon: $8.99 (regularly $10.99)

Buy it here

4) 1984 by George Orwell 

Amazon

From the publisher: In 1984, London is a grim city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

Price on Amazon: $9.99

Buy it here

5) The Unremembered Girl: A Novel by Eliza Maxwell

Amazon

From the publisher: In the deep woods of East Texas, Henry supports his family by selling bootleg liquor. It’s all he can do to keep his compassionate but ailing mother and his stepfather—a fanatical grassroots minister with a bruising rhetoric—from ruin. But they have no idea they’ve become the obsession of the girl in the woods. Abandoned and nearly feral, Eve has been watching them, seduced by the notion of family—something she’s known only in the most brutal sense. Soon she can’t resist the temptation to get close. Where Henry’s mother sees a poor girl in need, his father sees only wickedness. When Henry forges an unexpected bond with Eve, he believes he might be able to save her. He doesn’t know how wrong he is. Eve is about to take charge of her own destiny—and that of Henry’s family. As both their worlds spin violently out of control, Henry must make an impossible choice: protect the broken woman who’s claimed a piece of his soul, or put everyone he loves at risk in order to do the right thing.

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $14.95) 

Buy it here

6) I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll 

Amazon

From the publisher: When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared. A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life. Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own. Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $14.95) 

Buy it here

7) The Letter by Kathryn Hughes 

Amazon

From the publisher: Tina Craig longs to escape her violent husband. She works all the hours God sends to save up enough money to leave him, also volunteering in a charity shop to avoid her unhappy home. Whilst going through the pockets of a second-hand suit, she comes across an old letter, the envelope firmly sealed and unfranked. Tina opens the letter and reads it – a decision that will alter the course of her life forever. Billy Stirling knows he has been a fool, but hopes he can put things right. On 4th September 1939 he sits down to write the letter he hopes will change his future. It does – in more ways than he can ever imagine.

Price on Amazon: $1.99 (regularly $13.99) 

Buy it here

8) Dead Certain: A Novel by Adam Mitzner

Amazon

From the publisher: Ella Broden is living a double life. By day, Ella works as a buttoned-up attorney on some of the city’s most grueling cases. By night, she pursues her passion for singing in the darkest clubs of Manhattan. No one knows her secret, not even Charlotte, the younger sister she practically raised. But it seems she’s not the only one in the family with something to hide. When Charlotte announces she’s sold her first novel, Ella couldn’t be more thrilled…until she gets a call that her sister’s gone missing. Ella starts investigating with the help of Detective Gabriel Velasquez, an old flame in the NYPD, and what she finds is shocking. If art imitates life, then her sister’s novel may contain details of her real-life affairs. And any one of her lovers could be involved in her disappearance. Desperate to bring Charlotte home, Ella works through her list of suspects, matching fictitious characters with flesh-and-blood men. But will it be too late to save the sister she only thought she knew?

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $15.95) 

But it here

9) Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck by Thug Kitchen

Amazon

From the publisher: Thug Kitchen started their wildly popular web site to inspire people to eat some Goddamn vegetables and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow (“This might be my favorite thing ever”) and named Saveur‘s Best New Food blog of 2013–with half a million Facebook fans and counting–Thug Kitchen wants to show everyone how to take charge of their plates and cook up some real f*cking food. Yeah, plenty of blogs and cookbooks preach about how to eat more kale, why ginger fights inflammation, and how to cook with microgreens and nettles. But they are dull or pretentious as hell–and most people can’t afford the hype. Thug Kitchen lives in the real world. In their first cookbook, they’re throwing down more than 100 vegan recipes for their best-loved meals, snacks, and sides for beginning cooks to home chefs. (Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tacos? Pumpkin Chili? Grilled Peach Salsa? Believe that sh*t.) Plus they’re going to arm you with all the info and techniques you need to shop on a budget and go and kick a bunch of ass on your own. This book is an invitation to everyone who wants to do better to elevate their kitchen game. No more ketchup and pizza counting as vegetables. No more drive-thru lines. No more avoiding the produce corner of the supermarket. Sh*t is about to get real.

Price on Amazon: $9.99 (regularly $19.50) 

Buy it here

10) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Amazon

From the publisher: In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. From Sauron’s fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion. When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. This new edition includes the fiftieth-anniversary fully corrected text setting and, for the first time, an extensive new index.

Price on Amazon: $16.99 (regularly $20.00)

Buy it here

11) Diary of a Wimpy Kid  by Jeff Kinney 

Amazon

From the publisher: It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary. In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Price on Amazon: $7.99 (regularly $12.56)

Buy it here

12) Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen

Amazon

From the publisher: The original Dark Lord of the Sith stars in his first ongoing series! Ever since Darth Vader’s first on-screen appearance, he has become one of pop-culture’s most popular villains. Now, follow Vader straight from the ending of A NEW HOPE (and the pages of the new STAR WARS comic book) into his own solo adventures — showing the Empire’s war with the Rebel Alliance from the other side! But when a Dark Lord needs help, who can he turn to? As Vader pursues a very personal vengeance against the Rebels and investigates the Emperor’s secret machinations, he clashes with weapons scavenger Aphra and deadly Battle Droids, and returns to Geonosis to build an army. But some very powerful people don’t want him to learn the truths he seeks! Guest-starring Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett and more!

Price on Amazon: $2.99 (regularly $10.99) 

Buy it here

13) Coming Clean: A Memoir by Kimberly Rae Miller

Amazon

From the publisher: Kimberly Rae Miller is an immaculately put-together woman with a great career, a loving boyfriend, and a beautifully tidy apartment in Brooklyn. You would never guess that behind the closed doors of her family’s idyllic Long Island house hid teetering stacks of aging newspaper, broken computers, and boxes upon boxes of unused junk festering in every room—the product of her father’s painful and unending struggle with hoarding. In this dazzling memoir, Miller brings to life her experience growing up in a rat-infested home, hiding her father’s shameful secret from friends for years, and the emotional burden that ultimately led to her suicide attempt. In beautiful prose, Miller sheds light on her complicated yet loving relationship with her parents, which has thrived in spite of the odds. Coming Clean is a story about recognizing where you come from and understanding the relationships that define you. It is also a powerful story of recovery and redemption.

Price on Amazon: $5.99 (regularly $13.95) 

Buy it here

14) Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly 

Amazon

From the publisher: Harry Bosch is back as a volunteer working cold cases for the San Fernando Police Department and is called out to a local drug store where a young pharmacist has been murdered. Bosch and the town’s 3-person detective squad sift through the clues, which lead into the dangerous, big business world of pill mills and prescription drug abuse. Meanwhile, an old case from Bosch’s LAPD days comes back to haunt him when a long-imprisoned killer claims Harry framed him, and seems to have new evidence to prove it. Bosch left the LAPD on bad terms, so his former colleagues aren’t keen to protect his reputation. He must fend for himself in clearing his name and keeping a clever killer in prison. The two unrelated cases wind around each other like strands of barbed wire. Along the way Bosch discovers that there are two kinds of truth: the kind that sets you free and the kind that leaves you buried in darkness.

Price on Amazon: $14.99 (regularly $29.00) 

Buy it here

15) A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa

Amazon

From the publisher: Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian. In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignity—and indomitable nature—of the human spirit.

Price on Amazon: $1.99 (regularly $19.95) 

Buy it here

Shop the full list of best-selling Kindle books here

MORE BAZAAR DEALS:

These brand new Harry Potter books are great additions to your collection

10 literary journalism classics that should be on your reading list

The Introvert Activity Book is perfect for those who find solace in alone time

The Daily Dot may receive a payment in connection with purchases of products or services featured in this article. Click here to learn more.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/here-are-the-best-books-for-your-brand-new-kindle/

[arianayells-blog]

Piano Man by Billy Joel

Hello internet and welcome to another addition to this blog! This post is going to be the last song is suggested by my dad. The song we are going to be looking at is a well loved classic, Piano Man by Billy Joel.

Background: Piano Man is Billy Joel’s first single released and was released on November 2, 1973. The song peaked at number 25 on Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 and in 2016 the Library of Congress selected “Piano Man” to be preserved in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, or artistic significance.” “Piano Man” was more of a story and a fictional retelling of Joel’s experience as a piano-lounge singer for six months in 1972-1973 at a Executive Room bar in Los Angeles. [Link]

The General Idea: As I have stated, Joel wrote this song retelling his experiences as a piano lounge singer and the people he saw at the bar. The song itself focuses on the viewpoint of the piano player who focuses on everyone else at the bar. Most of these characters have broken dreams and how they come for the pianist who will help them forget about life for a while.

Lyrics: https://genius.com/Billy-joel-piano-man-lyrics

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billyjoel/pianoman.html

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday

The regular crowd shuffles in

There's an old man sitting next to me

Making love to his tonic and gin

This first verse sets up the scene and the first character that the Piano Man sees. Describing the man as making love to his tonic and gin describes almost a sense of care and leisure the man is taking to drink his drink as if it’s one of the only things going for him at the moment. It’s best not the slam one of your last drinks for a while, savor and enjoy the moment.

He says, "Son can you play me a memory

I'm not really sure how it goes

But it's sad and it's sweet

And I knew it complete

When I wore a younger man's clothes."

The man asks the Piano Man for a song that brings him back to his younger days to evoke those feelings that were lost in the past.

Sing us a song you're the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well we're all in the mood for a melody

And you've got us feeling alright

The chorus develops the main theme of this song. The crowd in the bar wants the Piano Man to play a song that will help them forget about their troubles for awhile and raise their hopes about life.

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine

He gets me my drinks for free

And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke

But there's someplace that he'd rather be

He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."

As a smile ran away from his face

"Well, I'm sure that I could be a movie star

If I could get out of this place."

The second character that the Piano Man listens to is the bartender John who is an example of the themes and motifs of regret and loneliness that appear throughout the song. Despite being well liked and sociable at the bar, he wishes to be a movie star and have a different life.

Now Paul is a real estate novelist

Who never had time for a wife

And he's talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy

And probably will be for life

Paul and Davy are another two characters who continue to show the theme of loneliness in this song. They’re both similar to each other as they’re absorbed by their careers and will always be.

And the waitress is practicing politics

As the businessmen slowly get stoned

Yes they're sharing a drink they call "Loneliness"

But it's better than drinking alone

Just like the other characters the waitress wishes for a better life as a politician, while the businessmen slowly try to escape it all together. All the people in the bar are similar as they share the same sorrows or wishfulness of a better life. Sometimes you don’t have to be lonely alone. Shared pain and misery is often better with others than being served alone.

Sing us a song you're the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well we're all in the mood for a melody

And you've got us feeling alright

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday

And the manager gives me a smile

'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see

To forget about life for a while

People come to the bar to see the Piano Man because they know they’ll help them forget about their troubles and life even just for a while.

And the piano it sounds like a carnival

And the microphone smells like a beer

And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar

And say, "Man, what are you doing here?"

The contrast between beautiful and even colorful music that has people forget about the unfavorable circumstances of life and the smell of beer that brings everyone back to the reality of the situation give such a balanced and perspective contrast to the emotions of the people at the bar. Many of the patrons believe he is more talented than an average pianist at a bar that they encourage him to try to succeed further in life and follow his dreams by putting money in his jar.

Sing us a song you're the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well we're all in the mood for a melody

And you've got us feeling alright

Piano Man is honestly a song about loneliness and just having lives that you wish were better. We all relate to wishing to forget the lives and troubles we have even though the reality will come back eventually. Even today, many people still connect with this song and recognize it as a classic which is fascinating to me. Personally I feel like this song has so much emotion behind it when it is sung that I feel like I can't describe it very well; the song is very passionate but also sad is a way to put it. In the end I hope that this analysis helped explain some of the story that Joel was trying to convey through this song.