#i remember how much this blog helped me to stay motivated last year

[pumpkinnspicelatte]

TO-DO LIST (30.10.2023)

🌸 start reading a book for school

🌸 work on my english presentation

🌸 try come up with my halloween party costume

🌸 look through my geography notes

🌸 do a course on duolingo

[lustrous-dawn]

Some Positivity

I'm absolutely surprised I do not have an image of my sona with a heart so Zhen will have to do it. Especially given his ‘job’

The start of the year for me has been rough. The folks who know my situation know my words are a severe understatement but I can’t let that hold me down. But it has made it abundantly clear that I am loved. 

Loved.

I genuinely have folks who love me for who am I. 

I couldn't ask for any more words than that today.

I am loved for what I am and what I do and that's all I could ever ask for. And I love myself for it.

So today, lets give out a little bit of love to some folk today. 

Edge; @casteliacityramen

I love how you are incredibly indecisive about reblogging some things on your side account. Something that means a lot to a character that someone may get a free hint on. I mean hell I used to do that all the time in my younger days to keep them on my brain to stay a little consistent on it. But man, I'm sure you've been hearing a lot from other people and honestly I'll be one of them hollering in the back about how we love Rio. 

MepersonallyIwanttoseeRaybutwe’llgetthere. 

The point is your story and characters have managed to grab people by the throat. You have an eloquent way of making them pretty relatable and gripping their attention. 

Hope you're enjoying the day with your significant other :0

Owli; @askvekpa

I always wonder if you be like “THERE GOES THIS GIRL AGAIN ASKING FOR HER DANG LUGIAS TO BE DRAWN AGAIN.” I can't help myself. You're too damn good at your craft and your attention to detail on beasties, dragons and animals alike. It's praiseworthy so I hope you always treat yourself kindly when it comes to what you do. Also, you seem to be doing better in the anxiety department, or I hope so. It's been a pleasure to see you be more interactive as of late with others so I hope you have been able to adequately spread your wings in that environment and get better.

Vega; @pokitsune

MAN I SURELY DO MISS YOU RIGHT. I HAVE SO MANY BRAINWORMS ABOUT YAKO AND ROSHI FIGHTING AND TEA TIME WITH ROSHI. Then I remember you're literally a DM away and my ass is just straight-up forgetful. I remember you chatted away about your Ninetales lore and goddamn I was eating it up. It FUELED ME to be so motivated with my characters, you have no idea. And coupled with your old ask blogs, I am so glad we started to chat last year and I am always grateful you send me images of stuff I can relate with on my characters. 

I hope you're having fun with FFXIV and I hope you and gf are doing something good today or both of you are taking some good ass time to relax.

Skins; @asksavel

I mean there are a lot of words I want to say. Overall it is always overwhelmingly positive. We were both there for each other in a horrible mental down. While mines is a bit still ongoing, you still have been sending me kind words and images to make the day all the more bearable. You noticed I have been withdrawn lately and you consider that when talking with me. 

Communication. It's something I always prized and I really appreciate it when we have chatting. Thank you so much for being the person you are and helping me. It has meant a lot to me.

Kai; @bunnkick

I'm pretty sure you weren't expecting me to do this! But HA I GOT YOU NOW TODAY. 

EVER SINCE YOU TOLD ME YOU CONSIDERED ME A FRIEND I HAVE BEEN LIKE A NERVOUS LITTLE PERSON TO CHAT MORE WITH YOU. I have been doing good to shoot messages your way to check in on you though and I'm proud of that much. Ah, I love your work man. I have been saying this for years as I have been working with you and imma saying it again, your style rocks man. And the chats we have, I love staying up for 3 hours to chat with ya. It's always a great time. 

Now I gotta hit you up for shows. I have been watching some and I always loved your insight ~

[sneakers-and-shakes]

3 Easy Methods to Start Journaling

If you’ve always wanted to start journaling (or just try something new) but don’t know where to start or find it all overwhelming, this blog post is sure to help!

This month I’ll be outlining 3 simple and easy ways you can start journaling and kick off the new year!

To begin let me break down what I believe are the basic concepts of journaling: documentation, goal-setting, and self-reflection.

In this post I’ll be outlining 3 simple ways you can accomplish these basic concepts, with each method covering a different concept.

Let’s start with the easiest and my favorite method to start journaling: buying a calendar.

This method is to tackle the documentation aspect of journaling. If you find that writing things down in a traditional journal is hard, then the calendar method, as I call it, is a much easier way to document your life.

1. Expo Calendar (Exhibition Calendar)

This is exactly what it sounds like, it exhibits your life. Basically you get a calendar (I get mine from the dollar store but you can also print cute templates for free online) and fill it out after you’ve done something. And so you essentially get an archive of your month.

As for what you put on the calendar, it can be anything you consider notable. Whether it’s completing a goal like finishing a book or working out, or fun plans or activities like dinner with friends or painting, just write them down on the calendar the day you did them.

This not only helps you keep track of everything but also makes you feel accomplished when you look back and see just how much you have actually done. Often times we don’t remember the things we do and when we think back it seems like much less than it actually is.

This calendar gives you an at a glance view of everything. It can also motivate you to do something noteworthy, so to speak, if you notice a week looking particularly empty.

Below is an example of how you could fill out an Expo Calendar. (If you want to take it a step further you can color-coordinate by choosing a color for goals or plans/activities.

This is something I’ve been doing since 2019 and I’ve really enjoyed going back through the calendar (especially at the end of the year) and realizing how much I’ve actually done.

-.-

The second method is to address the goal-setting concept of journaling.

2. Monthly Notes

I’ve talked about this on my blog multiple times because it’s something I truly stand by and implement in my life for years now. Basically, the idea is to write down 3 goals you hope to accomplish in a given month.

(I’ve dived deeper into this in these blog posts and I highly recommend checking them out for more information: Different Kinds of Goals and Organization and Goals)

If you’re not sure where to start on the 3 goals then the easiest way is to make one of each type: Fun, Achievable, and Challenging. Essentially, make one goal that is fun for you to do, another goal that you’ve been meaning to do that’s achievable and one goal slightly more challenging.

You can write these in an actual journal, on a post-it note, or even digitally, whatever works best for you. A month, I find, is a good amount of time to try to get things done, not too long and not too short, but it’s good to check in midway to make sure you’re on track to accomplishing these goals.

If you follow the method of setting one of each type of goal, you will likely have at least one or two of them checked off by the end of the month when you re-evaluate. This method is an easy way to make sure you’re staying on top of the things you want to accomplish.

-.-

The last method is to cover the last concept of journaling which is self-reflection.

3. Journal Prompts

I know this may seem obvious, but a bottleneck for a lot of people with journaling is they don’t know what to write. This is where just choosing from a list of journal prompts comes in handy.

If you’re just starting out, I recommend making some time once or twice a week to go through one or two journal prompts and answer them. Doing it daily can be a lot for people who haven’t adjusted but by doing it weekly you can slowly build up the habit. Once you answer a few journal prompts, coming up with what to write might even become easier.

Below is a list of Journal questions I came up with a while ago (also posted on my Instagram highlights).

-.-

I hope these 3 easy and simple journaling methods assist you on your journey! These are all things hat I personally do and work for me and I’d love to hear about your experience with them, so feel free to leave a comment!

Thank you for reading!

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

who's your fave BSD character and why?

what's your fave work of fiction?

Oppenheimer or Barbie?

Do you write OG stories too?

In your fanfictions, would you rather write fluff or angst?

do you have a best friend?

when writing, do you focus on plot first or characters first?

also how do you do such good analyses on characters with barely any screentime JFIRGR is that like a psych major thing? hehe anyways..

laast question: do you have a pet? TT and what's one problem (external or internal) that you want to fix in your life?

(lmao those are two last questions but uhm, yeah.)

(sorry for the rambles, im just bored and rlly curious TT)

Oh hello! It’s cool I don’t mind!

Favourite BSD character: This is really tricky because every time I think I have a favourite I remember something really cool about another character… I don’t think there’s a single character who I don’t find interesting. In terms of writing I really like Kyouka, Mushitarou, and Akutagawa. Atsushi I would actually hang out with and I am prepared to defend as an excellent protagonist. I also really like Yosano, Chuuya, Teruko, Ranpo, and Odasaku! Also my extremely overlooked fave is H. G. Wells from 55 Minutes… I love her so much she’s so cool…

Favourite work of fiction: Hmm… you know I’m honestly not sure I could pick a favourite. I’ve read a lot of stuff and watched a lot of things… however for the purposes of this blog I have been overrun by Trigun emotions and Hatoful Boyfriend had a death grip on me for most of high school.

Barbenheimer: Probably I’ll go see Barbie at some point. I actually don’t watch a lot of movies but this one seems pretty cool!

Do you write OG stories: Ohh how do I answer this…? Yes 100%. I have so many original plots in my head, and I have tried to write them several times. I have one ongoing right now on my side blog called The Capture of Light… I’ve been very slow to update but it’s there. My oldest story that I’ve been working on is a series called the Interworld… I’ve been working on it and revising it since I was 13. I worry it’s too needlessly convoluted though. The problem is that I’m never satisfied so I keep scrapping and restarting it… so can I really say I write them? :/

Fluff or angst: Angst all the way. I like to write suffering, but I generally will write in a bittersweet hopeful ending. :) Depends on what’s tonally appropriate though.

Best friend: Yes I do have a best friend! I’ve known her for 9 years now. She’s actually on here; her account is @doodle-storm. She doesn’t update a lot but I’m sure she’d appreciate it if you checked out her art or said hi. :)

Plot or characters first: I make a rough plot outline with key points I have to get to, then I make detailed character notes and designs. The way I see it, the best way to make sure your plot stays cohesive is to make sure you know your character’s motives at all times. That way, even if the plot winds up changing a bit, I still have a good idea of how the characters will react, no matter what situation I put them into. If I can transplant them into any random scene or situation and know how they’ll respond, I feel comfortable that I know them well enough to write.

Analyses: Hahaha, honestly the psych knowledge helps but… I think that might just be me. I’ve kind of always done stuff like this it’s just now I have people who actually read it instead of telling me to shut up ehehe. I think the key is to isolate the main themes of the story. A good story will have its characters all model or echo these themes in some way. From there, it’s a lot easier to read character motivations, even if they don’t have a lot of screen time. Another important thing to remember is “explanation not justification”. You should be able to explain the motive behind a character’s actions. This does not mean they’re justified. This really helps with analyzing villains or morally grey characters. It also helps you to understand people in real life!

Pets: None unfortunately. 😞 If I weren’t allergic to cats I would have a cat though. I love cats. They also tend to headbutt my legs a lot so I think they tend to like me too. I have to resist the urge to pet them every time. …I fail. Every time. I go home and sneeze for two hours with itchy eyes. It was worth it.

Problem I wish I could fix in my life: Well I have some mental health problems so I guess I wish I could. Not have those. Yeah. I’m looking for support about it. I’m trying. Hehe.

This was fun! Thank you! Can I shoot some of these questions back at you? I’d love to hear your answers! :D

[sugarcherriess]

Uh. Heyyyyy, how y’all doin 🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣

I’M NOT DEAD 😋🥰😘 I just went off the grid for a while just because I have been working constantly since last year and then one day I woke up and was like “I don’t wanna do anything anymore” and didn’t realise two weeks have passed since my last update😭😭😭😭

HOWEVER I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WELL AND HAVING FUN AND LIKE EATUNG FOOD AND DRINKING WATER

A few updates and reviews:

1. I’m a university professor now 👁👄👁

Monday will be my first day. Remember how we used to joke about my students coming across my blog. Yeah 👤

2. TXT COMEBACK

BRO????? STRAIGHT FUCKING FIRE?????? LIKE I HAVE NOT STOPPED LISTENING TO DEVIL BY THE WINDOW BEOMGYUS SEXY PART?????? THE TREMENDOUS BEAT???? TINNITUS???? OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK THEIR OUTFITS ARE SO SO FUCKING GOOD I LOVE THE CHOREO SO MUCH. 100000000000000000/10. Chefs kiss. “Stay you can stay if you’re tempted to leave” i will keep you as my sex slave do Not tempt me.

3. The Boyz comeback teaser

The. I. He. Yeah. High quality movie trailer fs. ♾/10. I’m so excited for it i already want to inject it in my veins.

4. Beomgyu

I want him so bad you don’t understand

5. Hyunjae

I. I can’t seem to stop crying about him to pup every other night so like improvement🤙🏼 im still emotionally constipated bc Hyunjae 🤢🤢🤢 but yk. Also his. Teaser photos for the. Book. Im malfunction every tims I remember bwbsbbdjskqoanan NOBODY LOOK AT HIM HES MINE.

6. Cats&Soup

I love this game so much. Pup introduced me to it and I haven’t stopped playing it. Another reason why I haven’t been on here. I kind of just woke up, played catsnsoup, fell asleep

7. This blog

I put this at the end because I didn’t want you to wanna kill me right off the bat. NO IM NOT CLOSING THE BLOG. I love love love interacting with all of you so much and i wanna keep it going but honestly i have no motivation to write anything. Even though my recent even requests are all so fucking good like i Want to write them but im so tired and im going to be tired after my classes start– both student and prof wise.

I’m not saying I’m gonna stop writing or not do the requests. I WILL. I’m just saying that updates will be real slow and I do hope you guys don’t get too impatient. Writing fics was a big part of my routine last year even though i was so occupied but now it’s going to have to be a hobby instead since i have so many more priorities i need to juggle I KNOW IM SORRY BUT IT CANT BE HELPED 😭😭😭😔😔😔

8. I love you

Im sorry if i worried you guys bc I disappeared out of nowhere but i didnt plan it at all honestly i had no idea its been so long. But thank you so much for still thinkign of me and keeping in touch i love you fr😔💘💘

[lestallion]

Why It Is Important to Think About Saving Money and How Journal Prompts Can Help

Hey there, fellow money-saver! It's no secret that saving money is a crucial part of achieving financial stability and future plans. But often, we don't take the time to deeply think about our financial habits or motivations. This is where journal prompts come in. Let me tell you why it's important to reflect on this and how these prompts can be game-changing.

Understanding Your Financial Goals

First things first, comprehending why you want to save money can provide a stronger sense of purpose. I remember when I started saving for my first car. It wasn't just about putting money aside; it was a dream, an end goal. Journal prompts like "What are my short-term and long-term financial goals?" were invaluable for this.

Answering these made me realize that my goals weren't just numbers on paper. They were tangible things that could change my life! And knowing your goals can help you stay motivated, even when the going gets tough.

Recognizing Spending Patterns

We all have spending habits that we may not be fully aware of. One of my bad habits was impulse buying every other weekend. When I started using prompts like "How do I feel after making an impulse purchase?" or "What triggers my impulsive spending?" I was surprised by what I found.

Writing it down allowed me to see patterns and recognize the emotional factors that led me to buy things I didn't need. Once you identify those triggers, you can work on strategies to avoid them, ultimately saving you more money in the long run.

Creating A Budget That Works

Another amazing benefit of journal prompts is how they can aid in budget creation. Before journaling, my budgeting was, well, non-existent. Prompts such as "How much do I need for my monthly essentials?" or "Where can I cut back on unnecessary expenses?" helped in crafting a budget that actually worked for me.

Having these questions laid out helped me focus and pay attention to where my money was going. It was like setting up a financial road map, one journal prompt at a time.

Monitoring Progress and Celebrating Wins

It's easy to lose sight of how far you've come when you're in the weeds of saving and budgeting. I remember feeling demotivated, thinking my efforts were going unnoticed. Journal prompts like "What are my financial accomplishments this month?" turned that around.

Documenting my wins, however small, gave me a boost of confidence. By writing down and reflecting on the progress, I celebrated my financial milestones, which made the journey all the more rewarding. And trust me, when you look back and see how much you've saved, it's an incredible feeling.

Building Financial Resilience

Journal prompts can also be a tool for building financial resilience. I encountered an unexpected medical expense last year that threatened to wipe out my savings. Using prompts like "How will I handle unexpected financial challenges?" helped me devise a plan before the crises happened.

Journaling didn't just help in saving for the future but also in weathering financial storms with a calm mind. It was my financial therapy, helping me stay composed and resourceful during tough times.

So, grab that journal, and let's start reflecting, learning, and saving together! 🖊️

SEE ALSO

https://www.tumblr.com/lestallion/754634262920216576 https://www.tumblr.com/lestallion/754635133594845184 https://www.tumblr.com/lestallion/754671852895518720

[norwegianfriedokra]

Nursing school and a visit back to my home country...

Earlier this week I completed my written exams for nursing school here in Germany. I still have practical exams and my oral exam, and then I will be done.  

Just a quick rundown of how these exams work, because they are so different from the US. To complete nursing school in Germany, you have to pass all three of your written exams (2 hours each, all essay (mostly, some short response answers), your practical exams (4 hours interacting with your patient, documentation, planning and organizing), and oral exams (30 minutes prep on a example situation, 30 minutes answering any question relevant to the situation). I must pass all of them, and I will not know my results until after the last one is completed. This whole thing takes approximately 3 months (I will be complete with my oral exams in mid July). If I happen to not pass any part I have to repeat the entire 3rd year of school, and I get one more time to attempt taking these exams. 

It's a lot, and so different and stressful. I have studied so much more than I thought possible, and I still couldn't remember all of it. I see how my age has affected my ability to remember, and the difficulties in studying and memorizing it all.   

However the big push is now over. I have completed the written exams and I now have a month until my practical exams. So I thought, why not write a quick blog and let ya'll know how I'm doing across the pond.

Much better. I started studying early, so at the end my stress was ok. I was able to remain mostly calm, dealing with some fear and so on. I had some great classmates that I studied with regularly, and that helped motivate me a ton. Sven had to deal with me studying and being generally much more forgetful than normal, off and on…very stressed and easily irritable, and simply someone not having a lot of time for our relationship. I am sure we all know situations like that in our lives, when the stress of it all impacts those around us. I felt and feel that, and am happy that I am slowly moving in a direction, where the stress is reducing itself. Where the stress is more a question of everyday existence and not existential questions (what if I don't make it, what does that mean for my life in Germany, how can I get a residency permit if I don't pass, how do I get allowance to stay here? What will I do with myself? All of these questions regularly plaguing my mind).

Here I would like to openly acknowledge my partner, family and friends who helped to support me these past couple of years, especially this past year as everything has come to a head. I am very grateful for the love and support I received and will do my best in the time to come, to show that appreciation with words and actions. 

So what else have I been up to? Honestly mostly studying and finishing Nursing school. I have done the occasional short kayak, bouldering and other sport-like things. I also visited Mallorca with Sven back at the end of February, where we generally went hiking, enjoyed the island and tried to relax and recover from normal life. So work, studying, and a little bit of adventure and travel.

Coming up is completing Nursing school (hopefully passing all of my remaining exams), and another reason for this post: visiting the US.

With the successful completion of Nursing school, I will be boarding a plane and coming to Oregon for the first 3 weeks of August. I would love to see you all, and hope we can figure some of that out.  My main focus will be spending time with my mother, as her health is not what it used to be. So to my family who would like to visit, let's get together at my moms house and maybe do some canning or other such activities??

For anyone else who would like to see me, please reach out and let's make some plans together. I miss you all and am looking forward to my visit back to my home country. Much love from across the pond.

[amewinterswriting]

Happy STS!

Looking back, what's your writing-related highlight of this year?

So, I've been thinking about this for a while, and I've been in the middle of a writing/redrafting dry spell while real life has tried to pummel me into submission. (Not to make excuses but just for my own reference: in the last three months there's been my mother's wedding, my aunt has had a serious illness diagnosed, we're currently under a lot of stress over my wife's visa renewal and just the general stress of working in a toy shop at Christmas.) So my initial thoughts were a bit pessimistic, and I don't really want to bring that kind of energy to my writing blog. So I thought about it a bit harder.

I (overly optimistically) wanted to finish the rewrite of Magic's Servant this year; I obviously haven't managed that. But I have achieved about 40% of the rewrite this year alone, and that's honestly good going considering that the 'original' draft is a mess (half script, half prose, some of the prose was in first person, some in third, there's some weird tense shenanigans in places, half of my core characters didn't really have a personality, there are at least three different drafts of some scenes that each convey completely contrasting information...). This has been a top to bottom, utter overhaul of everything, from the very name of the project to the shape of the plot and how everything becomes resolved. It's also likely to be the only project I work on that will need these kinds of big overhauls - my first drafts are now much more consistent and only need minor tweaks due to the years of writing practice I've had since. (The very first draft of anything to do with Magic's Servant was written in 2010 if I remember correctly. At the time, I was pantsing a whole movie script based on vibes and very little else. This story has been written and rewritten piecemeal since then and it's only recently that I feel like my writing skills and life experience are ready to actually tell the whole story in a way that does it any kind of justice. Unfortunately, when your co-writer is yourself from 13 years ago, you have to do a lot of work to get it up to your current writing standards!)

I've also written a lot more non-fiction this year - blog posts, writing advice, Ko-fi updates and a few essays, some of which I haven't shared anywhere yet.

In fandom, I have just finished posting a long-form fanfic (which, admittedly, I've been sitting on for a couple of years in the hopes that I would finish the whole series before posting. Then I realised I keep adding more WIPs to the series and it might never actually be 'done') - it's not fresh writing but it is a great way for me to practice my editing skills and also weed out my worst habits ("really" for emphasis outside of dialogue is now in my sin bin...and now I realise I've used it in this very post already. I am nothing if not consistent!)

And of course, I've managed to keep this blog active and managed to stay at least vaguely connected to this little corner of the Writblr community. Seeing everyone's WIPs develop over time and getting involved in tag and ask games has definitely been a writing highlight of my year, and so very helpful in keeping me motivated.

So while the year might not have been ideal in terms of getting everything I wanted to achieve entirely done, I feel like I've done what I can with the tools and time I've had, and it's a very solid foundation to launch myself into 2024 with.

[iamfindingkatie]

Fighting with myself

I'm stuck in a rut. I lost some sort of schedule with the kiddos getting out of school and now I'm stuck wanting to be this amazing person with my kiddos to working and staying up late watching shows or reading a book. I basically do anything that I can be alone doing. It's my go to when I'm at a low point. My manic days and ideas are evident with starting this blog, committing to fundraising, and being extremely motivated to be an integral part to my children's lives. It's that balance I'm struggling to find currently.

I've made strides in the last few days to pump myself up and let myself know that not everyone can be happy at all times of the day everyday. People aren't going to just blurt out all their internal worries to the first willing ear. It's just knowing that there are so many moments wasted on me being selfish and being alone and struggling alone that could have been my family bonding, growing, and caring more and more for each other. I have to be my own cheerleader, right?

I'm getting in gear and making an effort to really finish this year out with intention, mindfulness, and some sort of structure. I'm glad the kids are going to school, but also not because...kids are mean, am I right? I have to do this though. I have to keep the purpose as my main focus and really do this. The moment I became a mom was the same moment I was no longer doing anything for myself. I need to remember that because obviously I have been forgetting that.

July 1st starts a new journey. Band mom, Band Booster, PTO Member, and so much more can be my label with my right mindset. I am going to really keep this updated on more of a weekly basis or when something comes to mind, BUT you can follow me on FB and interact with me on my page to see me grow and thrive or to even admit defeat. Either way, I'm here as a human who does human things and sometimes not everything will be done the correct way but at least I am aware of my presence and my impact.

Join me on my fundraising journey for To Write Love On Her Arms and swimming 15 miles to support efforts to obtain resources for those who need them. Help me end the stigma, raise funds and get back out there and contribute to society! There's always someone watching you. As creepy as that sounds....years down the road your kids will be talking about how they remembered the little things you did or the special way you said something. You deserve to be everything you want and strive to be.

Also, please check out To Write Love On Her Arms and help us help others.

[shirophantomvox]

Analyzing Kars' Character

Hello everyone! FYI I am not ignoring your requests. I have tried for a week to get them finished and I keep losing motivation. Then I had the brilliant idea of writing something else about an interesting topic and then I’ll be able to finish a few requests! Today’s post is another character analysis. This is still a multi-fandom blog; you will see content related to other shows besides Voltron. Today’s character analysis is on Kars, the 10,000-year-old vampire. That’s funny. He, Allura, and Coran are the same age!

Overview

I watched JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures about a month ago when I became frustrated that there were only 4 seasons of Hunter x Hunter on Netflix. Remember the scene in the election arc when the citizens were casting their votes for chairperson and Hisoka walked up with his arms forming an “S”? Many people were posing the question of it being a “JoJo’s” reference and for the life of me, I never understood what they were talking about. Finally, I watched the show for the first time and by season 2 I could understand what they were saying.

I have to admit that by the second episode I was bored because the nature of season one took place in the 1800s England and nothing exciting happened. Though I worked my way through a few more episodes. I noticed a creepy stone mask on the way and how it never fell unless blood was splattered on it. I concluded the mask was going to play the role of an antagonist or help the antagonist succeed. Although this post is about Kars, I would like to take a moment and say that Jonathan’s death was very heart wrenching and it made me angry. Jonathan was unnecessarily nice to Dio and living in a privileged bubble lead to his demise. Jonathan was stronger than Dio and he should have kicked his ass once and for all. Have you noticed that after Joseph’s father, all JoJo’s (at least until season 5) could beat the antagonist in the show?

Anyway, the mask is a key tool in the bizarre adventures that each protagonist experiences.

Kars is a 10,000-year-old vampire that designed the Stone Mask and is essentially responsible for the horrific events that have happened throughout history. Dio being turned into a merciless vampire and his minions resulted from the Stone Mask. After discovering that he and his people could not be out in the sun, he concluded he needed the Red Stone of Aja to complete his transformation. Lisa-Lisa, a 50-year-old human woman, has possession of the stone given by her foster father Straizo. Kars, along with the 3 remaining Pilar Men (Wamuu, Esidsi, and Santana, can only survive in the sun if they two wear the mask with the Red Stone of Aja. After awakening, it is quite clear that Kars is on a mission to retrieve the stone and will destroy anything in his way. He was the only one wanting to live a life outside of the darkness. This was the driving force of creating so many Stone Masks and later discovering the need for the Red Stone of Aja. Kars understood the mask would only work on him partially because of his larger skull size, aka body manipulation. This created an increase in hunger. The Pillar Men did not like this at all and sought to eliminate him so he could not ruin the flow of nature. Kars retaliated; he murdered 99% of his people only leaving his friend Esidsi, and two children known as Santana and Wamuu.

Kars’ character is very interesting. A dog was about to have its life ended because of drunk drivers. I don’t know if this struck a nerve in his soul, but Kars nearly cut off the driver’s head, causing them to crash their car and the puppy was saved. After being defeated by Joseph the first time, he landed at the end of a snowy cliff, making sure he did not land on a few daisies. Given these unique interactions with nature and secondary species, Kars has some vendetta against humans. What did they do to him or his people for him to care only about flowers and animals but want to wipe out Harmon users? He insists that Lisa-Lisa drink poison instead of fighting her. Fighting women is something he and Wamuu don’t take pleasure in doing. When I heard this for the first time, I didn’t know if that was something to be proud of or if he was being misogynistic (you know the stereotypical view society has about women). Even if he genuinely did not want to lay a finger on Lisa-Lisa or any woman, his intentions are very questionable. He mimics politeness. If Kars offered to pay for dinner or a drink, run. Just run because if you don’t, you’ll probably be turned into a vampire or be eaten alive.

This is off topic but I wanted to pose this scenario. After watching Battle Tendency for the 10th time, I always like to bring out the “soft” side in villains. Being a sucker for Fluff isn’t helpful. I know that’s defeating the purpose of villains and antagonists, but I can’t help and wonder how it would show in Kars. As I’ve previously stated, Kars seems to care for animals and plants more than humans...so there’s a soft spot somewhere in there. I had a rather amusing and odd thought involving Kars and Lisa-Lisa. Since Lisa-Lisa is the leader over Caesar and Joseph and Kars is the leader over the remain few Pillar Men, I can’t help but wonder how they’d react to each other. When Lisa-Lisa is ordered by Kars to stay at their hideout while Joseph retrieved the Stone, I know she didn’t stand there like a statue for nearly 12 hours. I imagine Kars offering a drink, water, or juice just to get her talking. I mean, she has to warm up to him or it’s going to be a horrible 12 hours. Then he’ll try to engage in conversation and will only try to flirt with her to see how she responds. He may make a comment about how clear her skin is, how perfect her makeup stays intact, or how her legs look better than his (well, duh, you’re 9,950 years older than her!). This way, he can exploit anything he deems as a weakness, but she is a smart woman. She would reveal nothing about her that could be used against her. As OOC as this seems, it could be something he’d do. Remember, he mimics politeness; he has a trick up his sleeve. Although that may be true, at the back of his mind, he really admires how young and enchanting she looks.

Although Esidsi, Wamuu, and Santana are Pillar Men, they are ancient humanoid superhuman beings who lived on the American continent. They have supernatural abilities that leave them invincible while the sun is down. They look similar to humans, but they are much bigger and muscular. Among the 3 remaining Pillar Men, I seem to gravitate to Kars than the others. Before you judge me, I’ll explain. Kars, like many male characters in this anime and others, has a unique character design. Contrary to popular belief, I like Kars better in his head wrap or while he is wearing his hat and cape. That outfit reminds me of a ghost/monster from the remastered Scooby-Doo series in the 70s. The one thing in particular that stood out to me was his eye shadow and mascara. The earrings didn’t surprise me as every time I draw my male characters, they automatically get a pair of earrings. While being physically fit, he can make ANYTHING look excellent!

Just like any villain, Kars and Joseph are equally arrogant and can exploit their opponent’s weaknesses against them. Making jokes about Lisa-Lisa while she is unconscious nearly sets him over the edge and while Kars thinks he has defeated Joseph, he is launched into space.

Last but not least, I noticed how the first two protagonists form an unusual bond with their enemies. As many of you have seen, Dio calls Jonathan JoJo but does not acknowledge Joseph or Jotaro in the same way. He does twice towards Jotaro but not after that. Kars refers to Joseph as JoJo and I have to believe that even if he knew his real name, he’d still refer to him as JoJo. Wamuu stated that fighting Jospeh was worth his time as he did not waste it and fight fairly. Throughout their battles, they somehow remind me of childish games with the name-calling and all. I wish Kars was not a “onetime” villain. I wish he could roll over to the next season. This is a preference, as I hate seasonal villains, like Chrollo Lucilfer or anyone similar.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading!

[plsbyallmeans]

For today's shit series called: AC/S: I/mpeachment I just want to give my thought about this scene (where Hillary again just showed how unfeeling she is when Bill is being vulnerable) and because in the previous scenes that they have been trying to paint Bill-Hillary's marriage as loveless/all partnership. I couldn't contain my annoyance at how they have depicted Hillary in this part and this is my last straw; so I'm going to write this long-ass entry. LMAO. First, there's no way that the production/scriptwriter knows what's happening and what conversation Bill and Hillary are having alone together. Therefore, scenes between Bill and Hillary are entirely created by the production. Second, Monica is the producer, and since she believes that Bill and Hillary's marriage is entirely due to political motivation and (because of) Chelsea, (I think) this is the reason why B/H's marriage in this series is very dry. There's no love at all and really business-like. I cringed remembering Episode 8 where Paul Begala and George Stephanopolous talked to Hillary to participate in the 60 minutes interview to show the people "that she's fine" and how Hillary/Edie responded bothered me; she responded to Paul and George as if she couldn't believe them for suggesting such a thing (even looks disgusted to participate in the farce).

So this annoys the shit out of me because they really made Hillary look so unemotional and detached to Bill. Even in the last episode (ep 8) how Hillary threw Bill's past back in his face is something - I don't think - that Hillary would do. Hillary mentioned before how much she detested meanness. It was so unfeeling! Plus how Hillary/Edie delivered the lines is (somehow) effective. So in this episode, I think when the whole ordeal was happening (they were on the brink of proceeding with the impeachment), is the same as what is happening in Hillary's book when she wrote the following (not exactly the same dates but at least happening at the same period - the brink of starting the impeachment)

Privately, I was still working on forgiving Bill, but my fury at those who had deliberately sabotaged him helped me on that score. For weeks Bill had apologized to me, to Chelsea... [...] And we continued with our regular counseling sessions, which forced us to ask and answer hard questions that years of nonstop campaigning had allowed us to postpone. By now, I wanted to save our marriage, if we could. The nights were difficult [...] I didn't avoid him as I had before, but there was still tension between us and not as many shared laughs as I was used to on a daily basis with my husband. [...]I spent some time alone, praying and reading.[...]

So she was going through pain, loneliness, and dejection but not this mean-tough facade that they are trying to depict.

But why am I saying this is because the series has been underscoring how loveless Bill and Hillary's marriage is and it's not (please don't ask me to go through all my resources because it'll be plenty. You can go through my blog and check out tags Billary story, Billary fact, or go through all the master list so you can do your reading and create your own conclusions haha). I would tolerate them lambasting Bill for his behavior or depicting Monica as a victim but for them to show Hillary as this mean-I-don't-give-a-shit-about-Bill is just so annoying.

Hillary could have left Bill if it's all about politics when his term ended, but she didn't. She fought. It was one of her hard choices and it was one of the gutsy decisions that she made (cheesy on my part but hey she said those words), but she stayed. She chose him.

Is it all politics? Hell, no, because she has nothing to gain by staying with him. She is capable to carry out her own torch in the political arena. She didn't even need his interference when she ran for Senator. She stayed because she loved him and this series is just damn so infuriating. This series just adds fuel to the conspiracy theory of how it's all about politics when they just even celebrated their 46 years together. Their marriage wouldn't survive that long if it's not founded by love and mutual respect.

lmao, sorry for the long-ass post, but I am done venting. HAHAHA. Back to normal programming and me stanning Jolie and thirsting Clive.

[honeykaes]

My Year on Tumblr

It's very crazy to say that I've been on this blog for now a year. I have so many positive memories and experiences on here, and for that I am sincerely thankful for each one of you.

I am also very appreciative and thankful for the mutuals I have made on here. I always look forward to your posts, chatting and joking around with you all on the dash and on discord servers.

This post is to help me look through a reflect, both the highs and lows on this blog and to give some insight on my time as a writer on here. If you're interested in learning more, read more under the cut. <3

𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬

In one year I accumulated about 3.5k followers.

However, this number doesn't really matter much to me. The number that does matter is the about 15-30 people that are active on my blog, commenting, interacting, and joking around with me. Interactions from followers are a struggle almost all blogs on here. Many writers leave or stop their craft because of it and there were times I felt like that as well.

I want to urge my followers, both who are active and not, to really try interacting with your favorite writers. It helps. I read every comment and ask I receive, even if I may not answer it. I crack up hearing your thoughts about my headcanons, thirsts, and fics.

So those that did, thank you. You truly helped motivate me to stay writing on this platform and achieve that one year under my belt.

𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 (𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬)

Best Threesome Pairs - 6,499 notes - Aug 23 2021

I remember wanting to experiment a bit with my writing style for this. I wanted to test out different dynamics with two different characters, to see how it would be for the person they would be...doing activities with. I settled with these pairs because I felt like they would have cool dynamics with the reader and I think it paid off.

Looking back, I hate the color block and the theme lol. I was clearly still trying to figure myself out

2. 4NEMO Hc's - 4,772 notes - Aug 15 2021

I literally wrote these as soon as I figured out what 4NEMO was. I love idol/music au's so much so I wanted to try my shot at it. I hate how blocky this was because I didn't make the switch to bullet points yet so it is easier to digest for a reader and think it's pretty generic.

This is actually the last thing I really did for Aether because I started getting some hate for writing him lol. Maybe I'll go back to it in the future.

I also have to update this soon as Heizou is the newest addition!

3. Fantasy Hc's - 4,764 notes - Jun 25 2022

This completely blew up in my surprise. I actually wrote this as individual drabbles, but they weren't getting a lot of attention so I just added them to one post and sent it off.

It makes me think about the issues of thirsts vs headcanons. I really feel for people who write thirsts but they don't get attention because it isn't a "headcanon" as view as tumblr.

4. Creampie Hc's - 4,542 notes - Feb 4 2022

I was also very surprised that this blew up lol. These characters I didn't view as popular, but I still wanted to write because I wanted to do something new. For example, this was one of the first times I wrote about Itto too.

I also worry with creampie stuff because it's oversaturated and I think some of these scenarios are generic looking back, but I did have so much fun writing these. I was grinning like an idiot lol.

5. His Shrine Maiden - 4,265 notes - Feb 20 2022

Also shocked this blew up, especially as a full-length fic. I actually don't write a lot of fics because of the lack of interactions, so I was completely shocked by how this was perceived.

This was also my first yandere fic on this blog. I really enjoy yandere content, but I never feel like I nail it right which is why I avoided it for so long. This was me experimenting and playing around with it and I loved it.

Even when I was writing scenes, I had Genshin pulled up so I could describe it correctly. This fic had a lot of planning around it and took about 3 hours to finish, but I'm very happy with the results. This is also my most popular fic on AO3.

6. How You Know They're Gonna Cum - 4,216 notes - Aug 8 2021

I was really still trying to figure out my style at this point. I had been on this blog for just a week and didn't know how I wanted to format and needed to figure out my style.

I tried doing more characters with less blurbs. I think it worked well for this, but I like getting into descriptions more so this was the only time I really did it like this!

7. Giving Them a BJ - 3,565 notes - Oct 6 2021

I loved these banners. This was the first time I really tried doing cutter banners and I liked them a lot. Besides that, I really think these headcanons are subpar and reading back I think I've grown quite a bit and found my voice.

8. College HC's Part 3 - 3,142 notes - Sep 11 2021

Omg, I remember being so lazy with this. I didn't even add everyone's banner. I was frustrated because I didn't like anything I wrote at this point but would just publish because I knew I was being super hard on myself. It's also unusual that the third part got the most attention as it's usually the first or second that gains the most attention.

9. Losing No Nut November (Liyue) - 2,945 notes - Nov 11 2021

This was one of my most ambitious headcanons. I wrote every male character at the time that I wrote for. Trying to come up with 13+ scenarios, for these different characters really challenged me, but for the better. I am curious why the Liyue one got the most attention as I enjoyed writing Mondstadt the most.

10. Office Harem Part 1 - 2,933 notes - Sep 19 2021

Ah, my first au! I love this au so much. I just loved coming up with how all these characters would be trying to vy for the reader. I'm kinda sad I didn't do more with it, but it did inspire two other popular au's of mine--the tattoo shop au, and the casino harem au!

𝐌𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬

✦ his shrine maiden (ayato) - Feb 20, 2022

✦ basic? of course not! (kaeya +albedo) - Jan 12, 2022

✦ a samurai’s longing (kazuha) - Dec 4, 2021

✦ a golden springtime (zhongli) - April 2, 2022

✦ my heart (scaramouche) - Jan 28, 2022

✦ reunited (thoma) - Jan 12, 2022

✦ casino harem au - Feb 24, 2022

✦ tattoo-shop harem au - Jan 18, 2022

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬

Although I want to highlight every mutual I have, I do want to give a shoutout to my closest ones that have made my tumblr experiences so much better:

@kreideprinzessin @xiaoslxt @scaranya @xialatvs

Thank you guys so much <3 from the bottom of my heart

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐚𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜

The future is bright. I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon! I have so many ideas and am looking forward to the next year with everyone.

Mwah Mwah, may you all have positive and amazing lives. I sincerely hope that myself and my writing can make your days that much better.

Cheers!

-Chai

[blushing-titan]

My thoughts on ch. 139

Some of you may be familiar with my previous writings - I usually try to stay as collected as possible, but today's post will be different. Ever since the chapter came out, I've been reblogging a lot of rants and memes about it. Those of you who follow my blog (thank you so much, really happy to have you here! ❤) know that I didn't really enjoy this ending. I want to elaborate more on that in this post - my only advice is to buckle up, because today we may get a bit heated (I apologize in advance for the sassy approach - I usually try to stray away from that, but guess today's post is more of a stream of conciousness/rant) :'D

1. Ymir

Starting up with one of the most controversial things about this chapter. Up to this point, I felt really bad for Ymir. Her life was terrible - she was a young girl, who was enslaved and abused by king Shitz Fritz. After she was forced to run away from his hounds, she acquired the power of titans and used it to help the king's cause. For that, she was awarded with the king's seed (🤢), and eventually became a mother of three girls. Through her entire life, she was treated as a slave and a lesser-being by the king - she also died while protecting him, and her daughters were forced to eat her remains after that (🤢🤢).

It felt so tragic to see her 2000 years later, still walking blindly in the paths. It wasn't enough that she was hurt so badly when she was still alive - she remained enslaved to the abusive king even after she died. I was rooting for her to finally be freed from this nightmare - hence I was so happy when ch. 122 came out and we got this scene:

I was genuinely emotional when I saw her reaction. Finally, someone expressed some authentic care for her and tried to snap her out of this blind state. She would finally think about what she wants and try to free herself from the paths because, as Eren said, she was never a slave or a goddess - just a regular person. It's just like she finally let out all the pain that she's been suppressing for all these years.

Yeah...except, as it turns out, her awakening here changes nothing. She doesn't come to any conclusions, like, perhaps, that she doesn’t want to let herself be hurt and mistreated any longer...or that she should fight for herself, try to change her fate - because, after all, her life belongs to her - not anyone else.

Nothing like this happens. Why? Because, as it turns out, she's in love with king Fritz and needs to be proven by Mikasa that she can break this bond first.

....

💀💀💀💀

Excuse me, but...what?

Okay, first and foremost...am I supposed to believe that, during these 2000 years, no one else has gone against their unhealthy affection to someone toxic and unworthy of their love? No one? 🤡 Come on, we even saw that happen in the manga. What about Historia, who thought that her own mother hitting her was a sign of love? Who wanted to believe that her father was good, despite wanting to turn her into a titan? Where was Ymir when Historia stood up for herself against her father's wishes? Or when she flew up to him and delivered the final blow against him?

On top of that...what a disappointing conclusion to Ymir's story. I hoped that she would take her fate into her own hands, and - for example - be reborn and experience life as a free person, surrounded by people who actually care about her. Free herself from paths and destroy it - not because someone shows her that she can indeed detach herself from it, but simply because she wants to.

Instead, 80% of the world population is gone, because she needed to see that Mikasa is able to "free" herself from Eren in order to do the same.

🤡🤡🤡

2. Abandoned plotlines and plot-holes

Mikasa being a Hizuru princess? Never heard of that. Hallucigenia's fate? Who cares. Eren directing Dina's titan in Carla's direction in order to save Berthold? Nah, who would want any more info on that - guess he just couldn't direct her anywhere else. The Ackerman's headaches? Pfff. The fact that Mikasa shouldn't be affected by the memory altering, but somehow still is in the ending? "I guess she just forgot that she should be immune to this". Why was Historia's pregnancy implied as relevant if it wasn't in the end? So many precious panels wasted on that, when they could be used to help solve some other "unanswered questions" instead. Ehhh...🤷

3. Blatant character assassination

There, I'm saying it once again. I have no idea what happened in this chapter but the characters are off. What about Eren - the one who has always believed that freedom was his birthright, and has been fighting and moving forward for his goals? Yeah, turns out he has no idea why he was doing all of that. 

Remember Kenny's quote - everyone is a slave to something? I thought that this implication was pretty poetic in context of Eren's character. Through all his life, he sought freedom, but ironically, he was a slave to that dream...

...turns out it may have been a bit too poetic for this story because Eren is a slave to destiny. Literally - he's going on auto-pilot in order to reach that one moment in which Mikasa beheads him, so Ymir can watch and understand that she can do the same.

Nice joke...except not. Here go our main character's motivations 🗑

He casually commits unjustifiable crimes against humanity - not because he wants to be free or because he found the world beyond the walls disappointing, (...as we were led to believe). He did that because he doesn't know why - and then, he cries that he doesn't want Mikasa to ever find another guy.

:'))

Turns out Eren was somehow always in love with her too...? Yeah, weird way of showing it. Or should I say - not showing it at all.

If you read my previous writings, you know that I'm not very fond of Eremika. The way I interpreted it while reading the story: it was unhealthy, suffocating and one-sided. I hoped for Mikasa to move on and start thinking about herself for once.

Right, what about Mikasa? Has she finally moved on? Is she content with her life? Are her dreams coming true? What's her daily life after all this? Sadly, I don't have the answers. The thing we are shown instead, is how she's sitting next to Eren's grave and, once again, thanking him for wraping the scarf around her. The only thing that implies that she may be somehow still seeing other people is one bubble of text. After all 139 chapters of hoping for her character developement, that's it.

Keep in mind that all other characters are shown together - with their spouses, families and friends - yet Mikasa is still separated and alone. That's right - after she disappears with Eren's head, she's not shown with anyone else until the end of the manga.

While we're on the topic of others, too...do I have to talk about the scenes in which everyone shows some level of gratitude to Eren...for wiping 80% humanity for them? Because I have no words for this.

One last note: I found the humor to be slightly out of place, too. Seriously, after all these terrible events, with so many unanswered questions and character developement of these two...Reiner is still weirdly simping for (now married) Historia and Jean is called a horse face :') Idk, but it feels somehow surreal after everything that's happened.

4. Conclusion

What else can I say...the final chapter disappointed me and I'm pretty sad about it. I'm happy for the people who liked it, but also can't help but feel like it was very far from perfect. I've been following SnK ever since 2013 and it's a bittersweet moment for me. The series had a lot of amazing moments that I'll definitely remember forever. Meanwhile, I would like to read some of the author's thoughts about the way he chose to end the story - perhaps it would clear some confusion (...although I can't help the fact that my first opinion is already formed).

Thank you very much for reading my thoughts - as always, it means a lot to me! ❤ The images used in this post are obviously not mine!

[writtenwhalien]

Do you have advice for new fan fic writers wanting to start posting?

hello love! 🥰 absolutely! tbh I still feel like a new writer myself considering I only started writing when I made this tumblr which is a year ago, and especially because my blog hasn’t grown as much as others, I feel like I’m still learning all this stuff myself too! 😊

this might be a little bit long bc I’ll be relating to my own experiences and what I’ve learned :) any writers please add on if you feel I’ve missed something! 😋

firstly, write what you want to write! don’t force ideas/requests.

your best work will come when you’re writing something that you’re excited to write. if someone sends a request, it’s okay to say that nothing is coming to mind, or think on it and come back at a later time (I still have requests in my inbox from like 7 months ago and they’re developing into full length fics (think 20k+) because I liked the idea and wanted to give time to it and now I’m really excited to write them too! that said, sometimes forcing ideas has worked for me (talk slow for example), but it’s how you feel in the moment. (now see how I linked my work just there, that is shameless self promo bc u might decide to check it out — remember this for my last point ;)

take your time! if you’re stuck, come back to it a few hours/days/weeks/more later.

following on from the first point, taking your time can be one of the most valuable things to do. sometimes all you need is a little break to figure out the missing piece from your work. if you’ve got writers block, work on a different wip/take requests, whatever works for you.

if you’re struggling to stay motivated, try: making a playlist/moodboard/banner for your fic or read something instead of writing!

pretty self explanatory, but sometimes we need visual creativity to come into play and help us craft our world so we can write it in words. and reading other fics can help you when you see the way another writer writes — their style/format, and I’ve noticed that almost every writer on this app has something unique in their writing that I can’t always put a finger on, but when I read it, it literally makes me go “yeah, I wanna go and work on my fic now.” — that I can’t explain 😂

make your blog pretty!

this is more to attract followers but it’s also very pleasing for you to see yourself! :) have links in your bio, a header, a theme for desktop tumblr, and most importantly, a masterlist!!!! I wish I’d done this earlier lol, my tumblr was trash for a while 😔

make friends! join networks!

this is a social app — use it to “network”. I can guarantee you’ll meet some amazing people and they can be a great motivation/support when it comes to your writing, whether that’s boosting your fics by reblogging, or encouraging you while you write, or even beta-reading for you. also, discord is always filled with wild conversations lmao.

space out your content!

say you get two fics written in two weeks and you don’t know when your next one will be/it’ll be at least a few weeks until the next one, whatever it is, I’d recommend spacing it out. post one fic first, and when the exposure on that starts going down, then post the second one. and queue your rb’s — remember we’re all on different time/schedules so at 2pm on wednesday you might be asleep while I’m awake, or one week you might be busy on a saturday but another saturday you’re scrolling through tumblr, so, my last point….

reblog your own work without shame! it’s yours, be proud of it! I’m still learning to do this myself but rb’s are important so do it :) + self promo!!! if someone is asking for recs, send your own fic! I have and I’ve been embarrassed to do it but they asked! but don’t do it if they’re not asking bc some authors don’t like it, it can feel forceful/ uncomfortable for them to say no.

I hope this helps somewhat!!!! have a lovely day anon and good luck with your writing! ❤️

[amintyworld]

Goodbye - (SBI Inc.) World War II AU

A/N: Hey guys! So... this is actually part of a bunch of fics I was making for some of my mutuals, and at first, I wanted to post them together, but I soon realized with my own creativity and motivation, not to mention constant burnout, it was more just wishful thinking.

This fic is a gift for my friend and mutual, Cam (@bones-sprouts)! They're an awesome person for me to rant to about AUs or other fic ideas, so if you can check out their awesome blog and give a follow if you'd like. I hope you enjoy it because I'm actually really proud of how this turned out! <3 - Minty

Edit: Forgot Taglist.

Summary: Phil works in the coal factories, his wife Kristen with the sewing machines. No matter how hard they work, there never seems to be enough money. What will happen when a World War rises on the horizon?

TW: Bomb mention, Implied death mention, injury (No blood or gore tho). (Let me know if I need to tag anything else!)

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

Phil remembered when it was all just rumors. After all, one couldn’t help but get bored within the tedious factory jobs. Hauling coal from one place to another, scooping it into the fireplaces - minds always began to drift. Gossip was whispered with bated breath under watchful eyes. Phil had heard it all - some true, most of them, however... complete fibs. He guessed that’s why he didn’t believe it at first when there were talks of war. There were always talks of war, but after the World War a while back, Phil thought it was stupid anyone would dare try to repeat it. The leaders were smarter than that, he thought to himself.

Besides, he had other things to worry about. Wilbur needed a new winter coat for the season. He’d been going through another growth spurt over the summer and had, unfortunately, outgrew his one from last year. They’d been saving to buy a new one, and his old one was given to his younger brother, Tommy. Funnily enough, the coat was extremely big and baggy on the ten-year-old, so much so he kept tripping and falling to the floor. Kristen kept pinning it up, though it never seemed to help much. He remembered one night telling Wilbur with a chuckle he was getting too tall and Tommy was getting too small. Tommy had grumbled angrily in a way only small children could do, puffing his chest out and proclaiming himself a ‘big man’. Kristen had smiled and laughed throughout it all, and when Tommy yawned she picked him up and carried him off to bed.

Money was always a tight issue, but Phil had the wisdom never to bring it up in front of his sons. Instead, he talked about stories of adventure-seeking pirates or brave warriors in hushed tones at night when the roof began to leak and they huddled together in thin blankets during the winter. Phil’s heart always swelled when Tommy’s eyes would light up in curiosity at the stories, at another world full of hope and things that Phil could only wish to provide them. One day, he promised himself, one day he would give them everything they deserved. Everything they’d wished for upon stars or whispered to themselves at night when they thought no one was listening. One day.

Phil remembered once when Wilbur was not much older than Tommy, he’d asked him if he could work with him in the factories. They had barely been able to afford the school fee that year, and Wilbur had started school a month behind his classmates because of it. When Phil had quickly tried to dismiss the idea Wilbur’s mouth had pressed in a thin line.

‘I can do it, Dad. Let me do it. I want to help.’

Phil’s hand had absentmindedly moved to trace around the scar in his calloused palm. When he first started, the manager put him near the machines, with the task to flip the lever and run them when the ribbon was on target. He flipped the switch before realizing it wasn’t on target, and when he moved the ribbon - the machine was merciless. He’d thought about Wil doing that, the machines, hauling pounds of coal up a hill, and he realized that he’d rather die working in the factories than accept the help. The money wouldn’t be worth it, the money would never be worth his life. Never in a million years.

No matter what, he’d always protect them. That was never a question on Phil’s mind.

When the orders came there was never any doubt about what he needed to do. There was never any hesitation. They needed to be safe. They needed to survive. When he told Kristen he held back tears, but his wife knew him better than anyone, cutting him off with a small loving embrace. Emotion welled up in Phil’s throat as he returned the hug, and the two stood in their cramped dining room like that for a while, the opened letter left scattered on the stained wooden table. Phil’s gaze drifted toward the couch where the two boys lay sprawled on top of each other, covered by a single blanket, asleep. For a moment, just a moment, Phil wanted to keep them like that forever - blissfully in that perfect moment of peace. But, Phil couldn’t do anything. A war was coming.

“We’ll get through this together.” Kristen had promised him. Phil hoped she was right.

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

The train howled in the distance. Millions of families rushed to and fro on the platform, volunteers and teachers hoisted the smaller children into the train. Conductors shouted, and the entire train platform was bathed in a large gust of steam. In the middle of all the chaos stood Phil, Kristen, and their two children.

“Okay boys, let’s go through this one more time,” Phil said, getting down more on their level, and trying his best to maintain a smile. “When you get on the train, stay in your seats. Make sure not to lose your bags, and try not to cause any trouble. Listen to the volunteers, yeah?” Wilbur nodded, and Phil noticed Tommy looking around in curiosity at all those passing by. He snapped his fingers, turning the ten-year-old’s attention back on him. “Tommy?”

“Uh-huh?”

“What did I just say?”

“Uhm… don’t pull any pranks?”

“Yes, don’t cause any trouble, Tommy. This is serious. There’s a lot of people, I don’t want you to get lost okay?”

“Okay.”

Phil looked over at his oldest, clutching the suitcase in his hands tightly, a tag around his neck matching his brothers’. He’d been quiet since Phil had told them both the situation a day ago, and rushed off to help Phil get everything they needed from the list - they barely afforded getting the essentials. Money saved up for Wilbur’s new coat went to bars of soap, stockings, slippers, and handkerchiefs. Phil had given Wilbur his own, saying he’d be fine without one for the winter and they’d be able to afford another in no time. “Look out for him, alright?” While the two shared a brief moment together, Kristen was leaning down toward the child, spotting a bit of dirt on his cheek she was determined to get rid of. Tommy protested and squirmed from her grip as she smiled, holding back as laugh and keeping him still. Wilbur looked over at the two, smiling fondly.

“I will, Dad. I promise.”

Phil couldn’t help but be overcome with pride for his eldest, a small smile on his face. He grew up way too fast - where was that small boy who was always propped up on his shoulders and sang beautiful songs deep into the night, eyes shining with happiness? There were still traces of that same glimmer in Wilbur’s eyes, signs that those dreams and that hope were still alive, and to Phil that was all that mattered. He grew and became so responsible, so capable of anything and everything. At that moment, seeing him, he remembered that strong feeling of pride. Phil had every confidence in him, no matter what the future might hold.

He reached into his coat pocket for the letter, before taking in his eldest for what would be the last time for a while. His hand lightly brushed through that curly brown hair that always fell over his eyes, moving down to cup his cheek and look into those dark eyes that were so much like his mother’s - deep pools of infinite. “I hope you know how much I love you, Wilbur.”

“I do… I mean,” Wilbur stumbled, looking down at the ground. “I..I know, Dad.”

Phil nodded, pressing a small kiss to his son’s forehead. “Good.” He handed out the folded piece of paper with a name scribbled on it - Technoblade. “You’ll be staying with an old friend of mine, he knows me well and I trust him. Be on your best behavior.”

“Right,” Wilbur confirmed, looking over the name for a moment before sliding the piece of paper in his bag. “Does he... know we’re coming?”

“Well, uhm… no…?”

“No?”

“Just give him the letter, it’ll explain everything. He owes me.”

Tommy rushed over, seemingly running from Kristen who simply giggled. “Papa!” Phil’s smile widened at the exchange.

“Come here you little squirt!” Phil’s heart lit up as he scooped up the smaller child in his arms, Tommy laughing with a playful shriek as he did so. “What’s wrong, mate?”

“Mama keeps scrubbing my face, it hurts!” Tommy accused, to which Kristen rolled her eyes with a smile.

“You’ve got dirt all over your face, honey-”

The train howled once more, sending all of them to silence. One of the conductors at the train car around ten or so feet from them shouted: “All aboard! All aboard who’s coming aboard!” Phil looked between the two of them.

“Let’s get you two settled, yeah?” They passed through the crowd toward the conductor. At this point many of the parents were already gone or standing a far distance from the track itself, seeing their children off. He slowly lowered Tommy off his hip and into the step. “I’ve got two kids here for the train, they’ve got their cards and items.” Phil gently moved Wilbur in front of him as he spoke. The man, in a bit of a hurry, snatched Tommy’s tag, almost making the child lose his balance as he glanced at it. Phil heaved Tommy’s shoulder bag, packed with things, into the steps with him. “He’s good. You had another?”

“Yes, my oldest, Wilbur. Please make sure, if you can find them a seat together.” The conductor looked Wilbur over before checking his tag as well.

“Will do, but I don’t make any promises.” He nodded at the tag. “He’s a good chap too. Let’s go, we’ve got a schedule.”

Tommy hugged his father around the neck. “Love you Papa. Love you Mama.”

“Love you, Toms.” Phil smiled, as Kristen leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, making the smaller child giggle. Wilbur was already picking up his younger brother’s things and sliding the bag over his shoulder.

“Bye!” Tommy waved as he followed behind the conductor.

“Bye.” Wilbur waved behind him. “I love you.”

And… just like that, they were gone. Phil held Kristen’s hands as they watched their two sons leave in a cloud of steam, chugging away toward the countryside. Going someplace safe. Kristen began to tear up and Phil held her close in comfort. Now, it was a waiting game of fate. A waiting game for the foretold bomb. A waiting game to die.

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General Writing Taglist (LMK if you want to be added/removed):

@bones-sprouts

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[imagine-it-to-be-true]

Fix You - Caius Volturi x FemOC Three Shot: Part 2

Hey guys! So, originally, this story was supposed to be a One-shot. But because of the overwhelming amount of requests I’ve received (thank you so much sweeties, by the way), I’ve decided to make it into a three parter. This is part 2, and the first part can be found on my blog. I’m not sure when I get around to writing part 3 as uni starts back up today, but I’ll try my best not to keep you in suspense for too long. This part is more centred around chaos than romance. Nothing belongs to me (including the GIF) Also, warnings: violence, blood, death.

Andromeda’s POV

The sensations were weird. First, I had been in a lot of pain around my stomach region. I could hardly breathe, let alone express my pain to the handsome-yet-creepy, blonde stranger taking care of me. Though I’m sure he knew. I mean, even I knew I was dying, and he was helpless to save me, so I didn’t bother speaking. I could see the concern in his eyes and hear his sweet whisperings as he stroked my cheeks and wiped away my tears. But these little comforts were not enough to stop the hurt. Then, when I saw him holding a huge syringe, it sent me into panic mode. I never liked needles, not to mention ones which were about to inject unfamiliar liquids into me. But he reassured me it would help, which calmed me down. Not like I could defend myself in that moment anyways. I guess it couldn’t hurt me more. It turned out he was right. After a few minutes, I noticed the pain slowly going away. Maybe it wasn’t the liquid, but the fast-approaching release of death, I wasn’t sure. My cries began to slow, and I could feel more pleasant sensations, such as the pale man stroking my hand with his thumb, gently massaging circles into it. Then, he asked,

“What is your name, omorfiá mou?”

Gasping for air, I attempted to speak,

“Andromeda,” came my whispered reply. With my half-opened eyes, I was able to see his perfect lips draw up in a smile. Focusing on his features, I didn’t even realize that my pain was entirely gone, and I was feeling rather loopy. I watched the man bend down closer to me, brushing my hair back and running his ice-cold knuckles down the side of my neck. Suddenly I felt a sense of vulnerability. I felt his cool breath hitting my ear as he whispered,

“Do not be afraid. You will live forever. You are mine now, and I will never let anything hurt you again.” I was confused and fear began to resurface. I had gotten away from one creep, only to be taken by another. This man scared me to my core. But before I could dwell on my thoughts, I saw him quickly lean down towards my neck, as if he was about to kiss me. That was not what happened.

Indeed, I momentarily felt his cool lips touch the sensitive skin of my neck. But then a sharp pain erupted. Whatever it was that he injected into me was definitely helping. I was aching again, though differently this time. It was a dull, electrifying, fiery sensation, which immediately spread from my neck to my brain, and all the way down to the tips of my toes. My body was on fire, but it was not as intense. If one were to be scratched over and over and over again, pain would increase. This was what I was going through. It was continuous and that was making it worse. An hour had passed, then two, then I lost count. I couldn’t see anything anymore, my vision clouded. Yet I could still hear him. He never seemed to leave. Others would come and go. Time would pass and I would feel needles in my arms. I assume he kept injecting me with whatever it was, which managed my pain; probably morphine. I learned his name was Caius from others who had come in and spoken to him. Caius. What an unusual name. But it fit him.

He had injected so much morphine into me that the dull burning sensation eventually stopped. That, or perhaps I adjusted to it. I could not tell how much time had passed, but by now, it had been a while, for sure. I had given up. If it were not for his constant voice, and feeling of his icy hands touching my own, I would have believed I passed on. But eventually, my vision slowly began to return. I hadn’t felt injections in hours, and no pain returned, which was strange.

The entire time I lay there, presumably dying, I thought of my life. Who would miss me? I had no parents. Both died in a car crash when I was 12. I was in the back seat and miraculously survived. Given no time to adjust to the tragedy, I was immediately placed in a foster home in New Haven, where I experienced endless amounts of bullying. But as with all foster children, my stay was temporary. For the next five years, I bounced from one home to the next. This made me reserved, quiet, and untrusting. I was socially awkward and had very few friends. My main comforts came from the company of animals. Truthfully, I got used to this solitary existence, finding that I expressed myself better through storytelling than the spoken word. In fact, my unfortunate childhood did not impact my standing at school. I was always a good student, and this landed me a fully paid scholarship to NYU where I completed a double degree in journalism and history. The lack of family and friends allowed me to dedicate all my time to my studies and work, which was conducting research for my professor. Then, after graduating, I decided to make a drastic change and start fresh with a move to Europe. For the last two years, I had spent my time travelling several countries and writing articles on historical artifacts, buildings, and churches. I sold my stories to networks as a freelance historical journalist, living alone and moving often from place to place. In fact, Volterra was my last stop in Europe before I planned to relocate to Egypt and focus on Pharaonic history there. Not many of Volterra’s tourists knew about the building I had been photographing, which was off the main street and down an alleyway. It was not glamorous, but historic, which drove me to it. That is where I was and what I was doing when I was suddenly grabbed and dragged into a dark alleyway.

My life had been flashing before my eyes over and over again. I wanted to live. To do better. To be better. I was sick of being alone. So, when my vision began returning, I was filled with motivation to live. Really live. Finally, I could focus my eyes. I stared up at what appeared to be a bed canopy. It was velvet, and dark red in color. To my right, I could sense the smell of burning candles. It was so prominent that it made my nose burn. My hands were balled into fists, grasping the cotton sheets and I could see that I ripped holes in them. How much pain was I in that I ripped a bedsheet with my bare hands? I then noticed something strange. I was not breathing. Since when was I not breathing? This frightened me immensely, and I bolted into an upright sitting position. As I did, the bed violently shook. The canopy swayed as if it would collapse at any second. Did I do this? I’m a weak little girl who couldn’t even fight off a drunk man in an alleyway, how was I doing all this? I heard a sound to my left and immediately snapped my head towards the source. It was a young woman – girl more like it – that I did not recognize. She had strange red eyes, much like my rescuer. But she frightened me more than him. There was a certain evil surrounding her, I could sense it. How, I did not know. All I knew was that she did not wish me well.

“Hello, Andromeda.” She spoke coolly.

I looked at her, suspicion and confusion painted over my face.

“H-how do you know my name?”

“Master Caius told me.”

‘Master?’ that sounded strange. Not something a girl would call a man. What was this, a sex trafficking operation? Before I could speak, she continued.

“He has been by your side. He will return any minute now. He went out hunting for you.” She spoke like an information-giving robot: just spewing facts, unmoving, her expression unchanging.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Hunting… that’s not necessary. I- I don’t eat meat.” Her expression finally changed. Her smirk transformed into a creepy smile, and she let out a laugh.

“Believe me, dear girl. It is not exactly meat he will be returning with.” She turned on her heels and stormed out of the room. Two guards opened the bedroom door for her and shut it as she left. So, they have my room guarded. I guess they aren’t going to let me leave.

I was not in a hurry; I needed to see Caius. Thank him. And ask him how he was able to fix me. Was I remembering correctly that he bit me?! What a strange thing to do. I looked down on my stomach, which was completely injury-free. Then, I reached my hand to the back of my neck, trying to feel any bitemarks there. Nothing. What the hell? I did not understand. I had a lot of questions and needed answers, the most pressing of which was why my throat was on fire. I would have asked the girl, but something in me yelled to keep my distance from her; that she was dangerous. Slowly, I stood up from the bed, noticing that the white dress I had on when I was shot was no longer on me. Instead, I wore a soft, white nightgown, with lace on the collar. It seemed like a typical garment from Tudor England, or something. It was unlike anything I had seen in any mall or shop. Come to think of it, the entire room had a historic, gothic feel to it. The décor resembled a royal palace.

My feet hit the marble floor and I began walking around the room, making my way to the bookshelf. There, a massive assortment of books awaited. However, they were not the typical books one would find in a normal home. These were all historic and ancient. I picked up a copy of the Iliad. Looking at the bindings, I could tell the book was old. More interestingly, it was still written in Homeric Greek – not a language many would be able to read. Whoever this belongs to was most definitely smart.

Suddenly, I felt the burning in my throat worsen. The sensation intensified to the point where I was nearly panicking. Ready to run for the doors and ask the guards for help, I heard footsteps approaching.

The door swung open, and the man… Caius walked in. No longer dying, I could properly admire his features. He looked perfect, truly. Not a single flaw on his face or skin. His nearly white, blonde hair carefully combed back behind his ears. He moved towards where I was sat in an armchair and knelt in front of me. Immediately, I was filled with a calmness. It was like I was home. I cannot describe it completely, but it was as if all problems were erased, and I was safe. This was the second time I managed to judge a person based on feelings, all within the last few minutes. First with the young woman from earlier, and now Caius. Before he could speak, the feeling was gone, and replaced once again with unease and danger, as I watched the young woman reappear, dragging a man by his wrist. Behind her, the guards entered the room and stood on either side of the man. I could feel that he was not dangerous, as the fear was practically radiating off him. The woman stepped behind him and gave him a push towards me.

“Dinner,” she stated coldly. I looked from her to the frightened man, to Caius. I could see annoyance on his face, as he turned to her and spoke.

“Must you, Jane? Do you not know of patience?”

“Forgive me, Master Caius. You were not one to show patience often, and I do learn from you.” She stated simply.

When Caius turned to me, I was grasping my throat, which was burning almost unbearably. “What is happening?!” I choked out.

“I know this will not make sense to you right now, and I will explain everything, I promise. But the only thing that will stop the ache is if you drink blood. You need to drink this man’s blood.” Caius whispered to me, out of earshot of the poor man.

I froze and looked at him with wide eyes, face in complete and utter shock.

“WHAT?! What did you just say?!” I exclaimed, not believing what I heard.

He sighed and leaned in once again, whispering. “In order to save your life from your injuries, I was forced to turn you into a vampire. You need blood, and you need it now. Trust me.” He tried again.

“I WILL NOT! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!” Hastily standing, I pushed him away. My intention was to give him a normal, hard push so that he gets the message. But nothing prepared me for what happened. When I pushed him, he went flying across the room and hitting a marble column, which shattered on impact. Immediately, the room was filled with noise and dust as the column went crashing down around him. I pushed myself into the corner of the room and watched in terror. That impact would have killed an elephant. Yet Caius, simply rose, brushing dust off his blazer and pants. The evil woman – Jane as he called her – appeared emotionless as she turned her attention from Caius to me.

“Fine. More for us then,” she said. What followed, was simply too much for me to handle.

First, I heard Caius yelling, “Jane, NO!” In one swift motion, she tore the frightened man’s throat with her teeth. Blood gushed out from the wound, spilling all over the white marble floor. I screamed in terror. But what was even more terrifying than the poor man’s death, was the smell of his blood. It was driving me crazy. It was like nothing I had ever experienced it. I craved it. Needed it. And was so close to taking it all for myself. But with any remaining strength I had left, I stopped myself. This was not me. I was a vegetarian because I cared for the well-being of animals. There was not a thing in the world which would force me to do anything to harm another living soul. So, I curled up in a ball in my corner and rocked back and forth, trying to focus my senses on anything other than the delicious smell of blood.

“I will deal with you later. Take him and leave, now!” I heard Caius’ voice. “You are not to come here again; you are not to see her! Now go!”

“Yes, Master Caius.” I heard her disgusting, venomous voice once again as she left. The doors closed and the room was filled with silence.

I momentarily thought Caius left too, but then I felt the sensation of safety return to me.

“How did I do that?” I ask with a shaking voice.

“You are a new vampire. For the first few weeks, you will be stronger than the rest of us. This will pass, and you will adjust.” He said gently.

I continued hugging my knees and rocking. Caius continued.

“This is not how a newborn should experience the first moments. But Andromeda…” he hesitated, “You need to feed. If you do not, it will only get worse. Your awareness will seize to function, and you will eventually kill more than you would have otherwise.”

With no response from me, Caius reached for my hands, placing his own over them. This woke a rage inside of me. I grasped his wrists and pushed him backwards. His back hit the wall, not as hard this time. I began speaking.

“You did this to me. You made me this… this… monster. This is on you. You should have let me die. Now, because of your selfish need for heroism, I will murder countless others.”

We both rose to our feet. He gently approached me again, saying my name, but I held my hand up to block him. “Get out. I don’t ever want to see you again. I hate you.”

With that, I pushed him towards the direction of the door. He paused,

“Andromeda-”

“GET OUT!” I picked up a glass vase and threw it in his direction, and he finally left. I sat down on the cold marble tiles, pressing my back against the wall, and screamed in agony.