#i very specific want to learn more about Mary for a story idea I have

[wutheringmights]

I desperately want to read some books on Christian theology that are academic and are not trying to convert me and stuff

[glitchy-creations]

Update of this post!

I did all of the sketches for the character pairings I wanted to do for this ship dynamic and decided that I wanted to colour this one first! This one is with my Telemachus design and my oc Pyrrha!

I’m going to include more info about Pyrrha under the cut because it’s gonna be a lot and I don’t want to obscure y’all’s scrolling 👍🏻

Pyrrha info

To start, Pyrrha’s “original” name was also Ambrosia (I liked the irony of a demigod child of Hades having a name that mean “immortality”), I have since given her the nickname Pyrrha (based off her hair colour lol) to help differentiate her from my goddess oc of the name name!

Pyrrha originally started as a Percy Jackson oc from like my middle school days. Every now and again I allow myself one “Mary Sue” type character, and Pyrrha was that character for PJO. I have a hand full of other OC’s and Pyrrha is literally the only one who’s a child of the big three, I don’t even have a Roman demigod who’s one of the big three. Pyrrha was pretty much just an amalgamation of things i thought were cool about the universe; so she’s a demigod child of Hades and is a Hunter of Artemis who’s lived a rather long life. I was still wanting to keep close to canon lore as well even back then, so she’s always been way older than the other characters to adhere to the fact that Hades never broke the pact he made with his brothers about not having more demigod kids after WW2. She has since grown to be a more “Greek mythology media in general” oc like Ambrosia. With that in mind, her lore does tend to change based off the lore of whatever media she’s in!

Her General Lore;

In the past two years I think, I’ve decided that she’s originally from Ancient Greece, Sparta specifically.

Her mother was a mortal and came from a well off family though was a very independent woman. She was a “follows the beat of her own drum” kind of person.

While she never seemed interested in marriage (she actually never married) she was someone who valued fidelity. She was quite upset with Hades when she discovered that he was married while he was seeing her and was very sympathetic towards Persephone.

Despite that, she did love Pyrrha very much and the two were close when Pyrrha was young.

Pyrrha’s mother did, however, die when Pyrrha was young. She didn’t know her father outside of the stories of the gods and her maternal grandfather was always busy so Pyrrha grew up a very isolated and lonely childhood.

Pyrrha did seem to inherit her mother’s independence so she never seems bothered by the loneliness. She would usually keep to herself and entertain herself by learning to hunt and use a bow.

Pyrrha would later be sent to train under Chiron. I haven’t decided how this came to be, but I’d probably go with the idea that Hades had a hand in it. Maybe he saw her talent in archery and thought Chiron could help train her, or maybe he thought Chiron would offer a more stable, fatherly role for her.

She thrived under Chiron’s guidance and would excel in almost anything she did. Chiron would become a fatherly figure to Pyrrha and he was the one who gave her the nickname “Pyrrha” in the first place.

Note: I personally like this Reddit comment when I come to estimates ages of the characters in the Iliad so it’s what I have roughly based Pyrrha’s age on! She’s roughly three years younger than Odysseus.

Pyrrha met a young Achilles while with Chiron. She’s roughly eight years older than Achilles so ngl she thought he was a little bit of a brat (I like the idea of little Achilles having a little bit of an inflated ego because he’s a demigod, had a prophecy about him, or a little bit of both lol). The battiness did mellow out over the years 👍🏻

Despite their little “rivalry”, Pyrrha did see Achilles as something of a little brother for lack of a better word. She did care for him, he just annoyed her more often than not 😅

This is a common occurrence with Pyrrha mostly because she didn’t have a strong family unit before Chiron. She tends to apply familial titles to the people she’s close to and care for.

Pyrrha would train with Chiron for most of her early life, though she would occasionally travel if the urge struck her. This was especially common in her later teen years. She would occasionally travel to Ithaca or other closer city-states.

She met a younger Odysseus a couple of times when she would visit Ithaca, but they weren’t like best friends. It was more like “oh, there’s that quiet girl who’s surprisingly good with a bow who I bump into every once in a while.”

When Pyrrha was roughly 22 she tried twice to join the Trojan War. It was more out of a desire to bring Helen back home to Sparta than for glory or anything. She may not have lived in Sparta for many years, but there was still some loyalty there. Of course she was denied both times primarily because of her gender.

She met Artemis sometime after (perhaps a year or two later when Artemis was not helping Apollo and Troy) and devoted herself to Artemis (the nature of how the hunt works varies depending on the media). I should probably mention that Pyrrha is aroace, so she also has no desire to marry or have any sort of romantic/sexual relationship with anyone.

As I mentioned in the second image, Pyrrha met Telemachus when he was 10. I imagine he was like the embodiment of child like curiosity so when he saw this strange woman with red hair and a bow walking around Ithaca’s marketplace, he just sort of started following her (Telemachus honey….no…)

Long story short, Telemachus ended up growing on Pyrrha and she sort of just started teaching him archery. Of course Penelope knew what was going on (Pyrrha promptly brought back little Telemachus home when she realised she was being followed) and was okay with it as long as Telemachus wasn’t getting in trouble.

Again, as I mentioned in the second image, Pyrrha and Telemachus started to form a “mentor-student” type relationship over the next ten years. He was also the one to decide first that Pyrrha was kind of like a big sister or an aunt figure to him. She also had a very good relationship with Penelope.

Once Odysseus returned to Ithaca Pyrrha would become closer to Odysseus as well. It definitely would prompt her to visit more often.

Everything after that is kind of dependent on what media she’s being included in.

Lore that’s subject to change:

The nature of Artemis and her Hunt is one thing that’s subject to change. This also ties into Pyrrha and her apparent eternal youth or “immortality”.

I think most are familiar with how the hunt works in PJO; young women vow themselves to Artemis, reject romance in all forms, and are given semi-immortality as long as they keep their vows and aren’t killed in battle. As Pyrrha was originally a PJO oc, this was the original reason for her young appearance.

Outside of PJO, I generally think of the hunt as it was depicted in mythology. I think this Reddit post does a good job at kind of summarising/explaining the hunt in mythology. Pyrrha would absolutely devote herself to Artemis for life given she is aroace, it wouldn’t be a big life altering decision for her and would probably provide her another sense of community or familial support in her mind (she would see the other hunters as her sisters as they are sister in arms so to speak.)

This would then bring her semi-immortality into question. I feel like it would probably depend on the media’s lore, or it just wouldn’t be questioned. Perhaps Artemis gave it to her as a gift as she had sworn herself to Artemis for life. Perhaps she’s garnered the favour of another god or maybe her father had something to do with it. Idk, I kind of don’t want to make it too specific to where it can’t be a flexible detail.

Even her demigod status is something that is (very rarely) subject to change. This is mainly in reference to Blood of Zeus and maybe the Hades games when it comes to how/when she was conceived. I’m not sure if either media grants Artemis any kind of group of hunters (BoZ definitely hasn’t shown any evidence of one, though Artemis hasn’t been shown as a main focal character…yet).

This prompted a little discussion with me and a friend where I mentioned that if she was given god status at any point, she’d probably be a goddess of kinship; particularly if non blood related kinship. Obviously, this would be because she had a tendency to form familial bonds with close friends as such.

This point, however, hasn’t been fully fleshed out. BoZ hasn’t really explored the idea of a mortal becoming a god (not sure if it will be touched on in future season) and I’m not super familiar with the detailed lore of the Hades games. My biggest concern is keeping Pyrrha’s lore as close to the media’s canon lore as I can which is why these are flexible detail points.

I think that’s all I have for now! If you made it to the end, thanks for taking the time to at least skim my ramblings lol. I don’t want this to get any longer than it is, so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to ask me!

Also Pyrrha and her lore is not meant to be taken seriously as a part of actual Greek mythology. I have tried to keep as close to mythology as I can while having creative liberties for my of and her “universe”, obviously she’s not a real mythological figure and shouldn’t be treated as such! She was made just for fun! 💕

[arcadekitten]

Alright I have officially caught up on ALL of your games. Firstly, WOW, they were all amazing. You genuinely haven’t missed. I could go on about all of them, but in particular I wanted to highlight how you handle endings. The way you do plot twists is always impressive, and I look forward to them in every game. With that in mind, I have a couple of questions about the endings. Spoilers for basically every arcadekitten game ahead.

1. What’s your favorite ending you’ve made for any of your games? It doesn’t have to be a canon one, just an ending that you particularly love. Personally, I have to give it to Reggie’s good ending in Cemetery Mary, because that twist is perfect. Though huge credit to HFSH, because i genuinely did not expect that

2. Has there ever been an ending you were unsure about? As a writer myself I’ve doubted endings before, so I want to know if you’ve had the same struggles.

3. Which endings do you tend to come up with first? Good, bad, or true?

4. This one isn’t exactly ending related, but I’ve been curious, are any of the games directly canon to each other outside of Cemetery Mary and Holiday Shopping?

Annnd that’s about it for questions, just wanna say again these games are awesome and I’m eagerly awaiting My Wishmaker and any future projects.

Oh my goodness this is one of the sweetest things!! Thank you SO so much you have no idea how overjoyed I am whenever I hear someone enjoy them so! ♡

I will try to answer the best I can!

My favorite ending...it's hard to say! I definitely enjoy Reginald's Good Ending in Cemetery Mary too, which may or may not be influenced by my love for him...I also am still very proud of the Here For Sweethearts ending no matter how controversial it may be! I think I like all the endings of Blackout Hospital too, I think they each add something and I like how I was able to implement them. ---

I'm not sure! It's been a while, and I feel like I only try to put in endings that feel like a natural progression of events. I guess I'd say that while I wasn't unsure I was a bit nervous about the Normal End of My Neighbor Enide? Only because I was worried players would achieve it, think it's the only end, and then stop playing before they could learn the truth. But that's why I specifically labelled it as "Normal" to imply there was more than one and it seems to have worked! I'd also say that sometimes I get a bit...it's not nervous, but like. There's a feeling I get when I know for the story to work it can only have 1 ending, but because of that there's inevitably going to be people saying the game would be "better" if it had more, which I do not always agree with. ---

It's hard to say! In my head it feels like they all kinda...grow together, though I guess I'd say because the true ending is the most important I try to get it sorted first. From that point I can branch out as many times as I'd like for alternative endings. (Especially when a true ending can be good or bad, it just needs to exist) ---

I would say that some games share connections (such as Blackout Hospital and Cemetery Mary), but that so far Cemetery Mary and Holiday Shopping are the only games that take place in the same timeline!

[goodluckclove]

hey clove! i'm taking an ap visual arts class this year and we need to do a "sustained investigation" aka create a series of works connecting to and exploring a theme. one i'm thinking about a lot is relating queer people and the essence of queerness to divinity and also the occult, as a lash-back at christian nationalism and a celebration of queer joy. some examples of this would be comparing the transmasculine experience to the christian creation narrative and gnc/genderfluid people to figures similar to dionysus. i'm still workshopping the concept, do you have any thoughts on this or experiences you'd be willing to share so i can think of specific pieces and ideas to explore?

also i recently bought a binder and i felt so pretty and masculine but at the same time felt this overwhelming freedom to be feminine. it was really cool and i've decided i'm going to grow my hair out long again. i felt a lot like scott, just having this sort of wild feminine whimsy, and it felt really nice

hope you're doing well!! glad you were able to relax a bit :))))

Dude I'm literally planning a short story about a transmasc man who forms a relationship from childhood with the voice of God. This is crazy. I'll tell you about it later but there's so much potential there and it's such a cool idea. The words virgin birth in terms of the virgin Mary herself being Jesus Christ. An idea of a god that arranged for the circumstances of something that has to grow into an intended outcome even if through struggle. A god that like learns from trans people and finds it interesting because it's different and it's the same and now people are making new genders? You made new ones? Why did it take this long for you to think of new ones? I threw up about five minutes ago because I am the child of severe alcoholics and yet if you allow me two cocktails my body will collapse on itself like a dying star.

Also fun fact you can still be Scott-core without your binder if you want. He's got a chest too. His secret is that if anyone tries to question the validity of a man with breasts he gets really, truly, openly bored and politely waits for them to make their point before changing the topic and not acknowledging what they said at all.

The binder sounds very useful though. I miss my old binder. If that's the thing that makes you feel powerful being masculine and feminine that's fucking radical as hell. Wear a pretty skirt and a cool shirt and put like a fucking scrunchie in your hair. There's so many options and if you're a guy or masc leaning person who takes advantage of them you are just objectively more interesting, case closed. Anyone who is locking themselves out of half the amount of baubles and drapery that exists because of gender or body type is at a strategic disadvantage.

I was going to say that if my man Scott saw you on the street he'd be proud, but I know he would be unable to perceive the potential risks or fears. He's so insufferably Non-judgemental that he could bump directly into you by accident and come out with no other thought than "I am the same height as who I believe to be a child".

Edgar, on the other hand, would absolutely stare at you too closely until they felt weird and looked away, but would think about your style and freedom on and off for days afterwards.

I need to sleep for a few hours you people need to stop being interesting and important to me.

[hallowsweenie]

The connection between Angela Orosco & Alessa Gillespie

Content warning: Sexual violence and abuse. Spoilers for Silent Hill 1 - 3

Something I always found interesting is the similarities between these two Silent Hill characters. To me, I see them as two sides of the same coin.

Silent Hill 2 is a self-contained story about a man and his late wife, following his experiences going through a town that wants him to explore his subconscious. We meet other characters in the story that James Sunderland did not know prior to coming to this town, some having to do with the plot and Mary (Maria & Laura) and some that have seemingly nothing to do with his storyline at all (Angela & Eddie). While Eddie Dombrowski is possibly reflective of the cold, callous nature it takes to become a killer, Angela has little to do with James and Mary's relationships and psyche. However, when looking closely, some things can be speculated.

Angela is a victim of abuse. Throughout her life she was sexually assaulted by her alcoholic father and brother repeatedly, with her mother turning a blind eye to the situation, speculated to also be verbally abusive to Angela. She is apparently not even twenty when James meets her in Silent Hill, and is looking for her mother specifically. We later learn through a newspaper clipping that Angela had actually murdered her father and brother, details left unknown, and she is seeking out her mother assumedly for finishing her circle of retribution on her family and cause of her suffering. Angela displays suicidal tendencies and severe mental illness, being detached from reality (If Silent Hill is reality) at times, as well as a kind of childlike-demeanor that switches to a colder, more mature side of herself. When James finds her with a knife when encountering her for the second time, she offers the weapon to him out of fear of her own misuse of it. However, as he reaches for it, she suddenly becomes frightful. Angela is very severely afraid of men. Also in the encounter in the room with the mirror and knife, Angela reveals she finds it "Easier to run" which is how she handled her abuse several times, to no avail as her father had dragged her back to her horrid living situation. She has an escapist mentality until recently, as one can assume now she is confronting her trauma after murdering her father and brother and now seeking her mother. During her journey in Silent Hill we get the idea that she still sees herself weak to her abuse and trauma, as she cowers during the boss fight we, as James, intrude upon. However, once James defeats the Abstract Daddy boss, Angela beats on the dying creature and lashes out at James, accusing him of wanting her sexually. Later, Angela mocks James by asking him rhetorical questions about saving her. Angela struggles with herself, seeing herself as a victim and her own savior at the same time. The last we see of Angela is as she ascends the burning stairs in the hotel on the lake, at the end of the game. She demands James gives her the knife back, but he declines, not giving her a weapon to assumedly commit suicide with. We can assume suicide because she asks him "Saving it for yourself?" and James claims he would never do such a thing. She questions James seeing the flames too, and says, "For me, it's always like this." Angela's end is left ambiguous. We never know how she handles her trauma. We can only hope for the best for one of the more tragic characters in the game. Masahiro Ito, monster artist of the game, did confirm on twitter that Angela dies. But the way she passes is not remembered and left ambiguous.

Alessa Gillespie is another victim of abuse in Silent Hill. She is arguably the most important character in the series, and credited as the 'cause' for Silent Hill being the way it is (However, this is debatable). Her father is left unnamed with nothing known about him - it's speculated that Alessa was the result of a magical ritual performed by her mother in the cult she was a part of, thus Alessa having psychic abilities and destined for the fate that is put upon her. However, it could be just as possible that Alessa is a product of rape, which is implied in the movie adaptation. Her mother, Dahlia Gillespie, physically and emotionally abused Alessa and involved her in the famous cult of the town The Order, which believes in old world magic and a God that will bring them salvation. Alessa, at the very young age of seven, was offered up to be sacrificed by ritual of fire in her own home, by her own mother because Alessa tried to act against her mother's wishes to birth god. The cycle of abuse continues after, as the 'god embryo' Alessa is assumedly born with does not allow her to die in immolation - she is locked away in a hidden room in the hospital, treated for severe burns, unable to interact with the outside world while on the chopping block for birthing a monstrosity at the whims of insane cultists. Lots of other abuse is left unsaid and can only be assumed. Alessa's psychic abilities are very powerful. She eventually musters up the strength to actually sever her soul out of spite to prevent the birth of God, and launched that soul out of Silent Hill as a roadside baby. A baby that is raised by the protagonist of Silent Hill's first game, Harry Mason. Eventually, Harry goes to the town by the request of his young daughter named Cheryl, who unknowingly is following her destiny to be reunited with her other half, Alessa. Harry uncovers the truth about Alessa while searching for his daughter and is misled constantly by Dahlia who does exist within the town, trying to manipulate Harry into helping her with the ritual in thwarting her daughter and bringing about the birth of God. In the end, Harry realizes what he has done and does right by Alessa, who gifts him a new baby that is the whole Alessa reborn with both halves of herself. She gives herself to a man she has deemed worthy of raising her into a better life, a man who has gone through literal hell for his daughter. We never get to know Alessa personally. Everything we know of her is through environmental storytelling in Silent Hill, and she is painted as the true victim of the story. No one in the series has undergone the level of pain, abuse, suffering and tragedy that Alessa has. Her psychic abilities on top of an already cursed land combined with her trauma supposedly created the Otherworld that Silent Hill is known for, the kind that calls to people struggling with guilt of their crimes like James Sunderland. We can maybe get an idea of who Alessa was personality-wise in Silent Hill 3, where you play as that baby Harry is given at the end of the first game, renamed Heather Mason. She's sassy, she's strong, she's so independent already as a teenager. Knowing she went to insane lengths to thwart her mother and the cults plans driven by spite, and considering that she survived everything she went through, we can assume that Alessa was also a very strong-willed girl. If she was given the choice and the room to grow, she wouldn't have been meek in any way.

Angela and Alessa are like two sides of the same coin. Besides the physical similarities and the similar names, they are the same in the way that they are opposite.

Angela is a normal girl with no psychic ability, a survivor with a damaged mental state that renders her, at first, submissive and meek on the surface and fearful of the world. But underneath, she is an angry soul who wants to right what was wronged unto her. She is without a mother, looking for her to (assumedly) kill her and seek retribution and revenge for herself. The men in her life have severely wronged and abused her, thus she hates the gender altogether. She is a victim of rape but also a murderer. She is a victim, but she is also her own savior. She rejects James's help and goes her own path in the end in flames.

Alessa is a supernaturally gifted girl who survives her situation, but not without literally dying. She never actually escapes her situation until she has to rebirth herself magically and start a literal new life as a baby. She is without a father, and while she has no siblings, she did grow up with a girl named Claudia Wolf (Introduced in Silent Hill 3) in the same cult who comes to believe the same brainwashing the rest of the cult undergoes. We can assume Claudia would have unknowingly been complicit in the pressuring of making Alessa birth God. Her mother is the person she seeks to get away from, and while it isn't explicitly said that Alessa is sexually assaulted, she does become supernaturally pregnant and is expected to give birth without her consent. Without any say in the matter, really. She is burned alive and left to suffer with the wounds, and only receives her freedom and salvation in the form of a man she deems worthy of becoming her new father. Her end is not ambiguous; she becomes Heather Mason, and the protagonist of her own game installment.

Family figures between the two girls are opposite. The views on men are opposite. One has turned to killing to resolve her trauma, and the other chose to withstand and send a part of herself away. Both go through horrendous living conditions - but one makes it out renewed with a seemingly happy ending, while the other is fractured, angry, and looks to suicide with a tragic ending. However, both girls have that fiery spirit within them that are angry about what has happened to them.

The spirit of Alessa is still present in Silent Hill 2, a game that is separate from the plot about Alessa and the Order, in the form of Angela. To James, Angela shows that not everyone can be saved, no matter how innocent they are in their own stories. The tragic suffering of a young girl like Alessa was arguably molded into a unique mirror for James once he came to the town, just like everything else in Silent Hill. Alessa's story can be seen in Angela's and one could even think that they might be the same person just in different lives, in different worlds, but there to hold a mirror up to James and his own crimes, no matter how blameless he may see himself.

Video essays maybe worth your time:

[inposterumcumgaudio]

Uncle Jack & Foggy Jack

So if you're asking about both of them, I'm assuming that's because you're into the idea that they are one and the same.

I don't dislike the concept, but I like it much more for that the game seems to push that notion while simultaneously giving you nothing to substantiate it and, at times, even giving you details that seem to contradict it than the idea for its own sake. Good shit!

It's another one of those things you'll never have a canon answer for!

And frankly, I've never really found the question of whether Uncle Jack is Foggy Jack that interesting. It's a little contrived, a little obvious, a very basic bitch story. The most famous man in town has a mental breakdown and becomes a serial killer? And he somehow does this despite being instantly recognizable by everyone? And also he's doing this while he's still filming his show every day and looking all normal and shit?

Too, the whole Foggy Jack thing intrudes on the natural predisposition of fledging fanartists to make serial killer OC's.

Foggy Jack also exists as an urban legend in the town in a way I think predates even the toxic fog (and I was given a separate ask about this as well so I'll save my thots about that for then!)

But suffice to say, because I do not find the whole Uncle vs Foggy Jack thing compelling and I'd never really devoted much thought to it, I struggled to think of something interesting to say about it. The only chapter I ever wrote about the subject was actually about why Ollie's surface-level investigation of the crime scene in "A Pomaceous Puzzle" did not arrive at the correct conclusion. It simply doesn't fit the MO.

However... in reviewing what we know concretely about Foggy Jack from the main game, I actually did arrive at a fascinating new theory.

Because we think of this as a duality, do we not? Uncle Jack is one side of the coin, Foggy Jack the other. That's why you asked about both.

Let us go over what we know for sure about Foggy Jack, that was reported in the game, to separate out the unreliable information given in "Lightbearer". There are only two sources of "solid" information about Foggy Jack in the main game:

In "The "O" COURANT - Article 3", we learn that five Wellie women - Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Jane Kelly, and Mary Anne Nichols - have been found hacked to pieces in the streets. All of these women are named for real-life victims of Jack the Ripper.

Stated in the above and reiterated in "Interrogation Report", these murders seem to take place on particularly foggy nights. "Interrogation Report" also states that the witness, Daniel Dunglass, reported that the apparent murderer's face looked "oddly familiar" to him.

One further piece of information that we learn in Ollie's act is that Foggy Jack apparently kept a hideout in the Gardner House, at least until plague wastrels overtook it. We know this from the suitcase which contains a cleaver and the "Mystery Note" with the only the phrase "I'm afraid you've come to the end of your time" on it.

And here we learn that Foggy Jack has some interest in Margaret. And that makes sense if he's actually Uncle Jack.

But... what it's it's not a duality.

What if it's a triptych?

What if it's not Uncle Jack, but someone who would have us come to that conclusion? Someone who would want us to think Uncle Jack is avenging his murdered daughter, but is in fact trying to frame him for it?

Why, who would have motive to do that?

Who indeed.

But DJ, you say, that's crazy. You play through Ollie's entire act and not once do they ever imply that he could be Foggy Jack.

Yeah, well, there's a lot of stuff they don't imply through his act, ain't there?

And just like with Uncle Jack, the details don't say anything conclusive but consider.

Ollie is said multiple times over his act to have periods of lapsed memory, both due to the Oblivion he took and excessive drinking. Margaret mentions specifically in both "The Camp of Thine Enemies" and "Cache as Cache Can" that Ollie has trouble remembering things due to his drinking. And it's an interesting coincidence that Ollie also "vaguely remembers" leaving himself a cache of supplies in that quest and its the same sort of vague notion that leads him into Gardner House where he finds Foggy Jack's suitcase.

He's also in deep denial about the limits of his morality and how far he'll go to see traitors get theirs. Still, killing innocent women just to make Uncle Jack look bad? Surely not! Maybe Ollie ratted out a little girl and got her chased down and murdered, but he's not a serial killer!

Then again, if there's one thing Ollie hates, it's a collaborator. Deutschland Über Alles special and all. And you know who about the first people to start collaboratin' with an occupying force are?

Prostitutes.

All of Foggy Jack's not-hallucination victims are named for the "Canonical Five" of Jack the Ripper's victims, all known prostitutes. Which, sure, maybe that's just the reference, but we actually meet Elizabeth Stride before her apparent death. As Ollie. At the Jack O Bean Club, where she works as a cook serving a bunch of collaborationist traitor lovers. She has no love for them, calling them toffs and wankers as she does, but she does also muse aloud to herself about it: "Take the job, she says. You'll never have to suck another cock, she says." Which sounds an awful lot like a thing a (former?) prostitute would say, making it two separate issues to Ollie, really. And why else would a fine upstanding Wellette be out on the streets at night anyway? That's how Foggy Jack gets you!

And for my most tenuous point: remember that guy from the Interrogation Report? Daniel Dunglass. I looked his ass up and

Reminiscent!

Dunglass (the character, not the actual guy) also says that the murderer's face is "oddly familiar" to him. Uncle Jack is familiar, but not oddly so. Ollie isn't exactly a nobody in town, but he's definitely odd looking in a world that conformist.

And as long as we're drawing specious connections, Daniel Dunglass (the real guy, not the character) was a Scottish medium famous for levitation and speaking with the dead. You know who else does a lot of that?

But... even if Ollie is Foggy Jack, I don't think he killed the constables at the apple tree. Which means there's copycat killer pretending to be the guy who's pretending to be Uncle Jack pretending be urban legend Foggy Jack.

[ringneckedpheasant]

Hi! I saw your Bible post and if you're interested in doing this, I have a few things you could look into/do which might make the process easier if you have trauma/want to approach it like a set of myths/historical document! I studied theology and religion at uni (particularly queer and eco theology) and came at it from a non-christian angle. Anyway feel free to delete this ask if it's not useful/too much etc. I just thought I'd give some ideas!

Yale has a series of online free lectures on the Old Testament which are super interesting and don't assume any faith! They go into the various myths which inspired the various stories in the bible (such as the flood), and the history of particular parts of the old testament library (they also have one for the new testament but I haven't watched it so don't know how good it is)

Look into apocrypha! The Nag Hammai scriptures, the gospel of Judas etc. Might actually be super interesting to you if you like the myth/history aspect! They're the books which were de-classified as canon (or never were canon), but all were written super early (2nd century) I specifically recommend the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the Gospel of Judas. "Lost scriptures" by Ehrman is a great laymans book explaining the histories/controversies around this and even goes into the controversies surrounding the secret gospel of Mark aka the gospel where Jesus seems to have gay sex. (Ehrman writes a lot of good layman books on the bible which might be worth looking at!)

If you're looking at the NT maybe look at books like Jesus the Jew by Geza Vermes or The Crucified God by moltmamn. They're a bit specialised but it is SUPER important to modern historical studies of jesus to situate him as a Jew because that is who he was! Also Moltmamns book is v leftist and not fundamentalist.

"And man created God" by Selina O'Grady goes into detail about all the OTHER religions around during the 1st century (emperor cults etc.) Which is great for context for the gospels and also learning about cool religious traditions around in the 1st century!

Queer theology? Maybe? Might be fun for ya? Queer readings of the Bible are abundant from Ruth, Judas, David and Jonathan and jesus and there's quite a few books on them (I'm not dropping any here because I've read some Intense Theological Ones which Im not sure would appeal but if you Google you will find)

Look into Song of Songs the Official Sex is Good and Holy Book in the bible! (It's also just beautifully written)

Looking at things like "the Muslim Jesus" might also be interesting? Little collections of how Islam has viewed/interpreted Judaism and Christianity and why is always interesting and often another angle on those myths/historical documents

I'm sure other people could give you more ideas/ways to approach! I approached from a non religious angle but my institution was firmly situated in the Christian tradition so is slightly biased that way. But anyway! I just thought I'd give some starting points you could look at on the myth/history angle?

Have a lovely day!

I AM LOOKING??!!?? gd this is EXACTLY what I didn’t know I needed, all of this sounds very up my alley & like it’ll be great for what I’d be trying to get out of it. like. I have gone from “this is a thing I’ve been idly thinking about” to “this is a thing I could reasonably do and where I could start”!

I’ve done a little bit of looking into queer readings of things in the past (particularly david & jonathan) but then I had a years-long period that I technically still haven’t gotten out of where I physically could not bring myself to open a bible so I haven’t tried to actually read those stories myself while keeping a queer perspective in mind. also have had more years of lit classes that I dropped out of halfway through the semester so I have slightly more knowledge of how to dissect and analyze Texts than I used to

[dann-art]

Hi! I find your post about Anne Rice's inconsistencies regarding Armand's heritage / background incredibly interesting, and this makes me want to ask, if you had the ability to rewrite aspects of it, what are some things you would change the most or have ideas on on how to improve on it?

Well, it's a very hard question. Especially for me. You see I read TVC like I read fanfiction. I don't have literally any expectations. I actually don't mind incontinences or mistakes. I come there for vampire romance, and that's all I care about.

From very basic level I would simply change like absolutely obvious mistakes, like geography, it's not that hard to look at the map after all.

But the point is, it need complete rewriting to make it correct in any aspect.

TVC is not the type of books I usually read, perhaps the interview but later parts? Man I read things like that only on ao3. And I really like it, it gives me a lot of joy, I'm very invested in it, but this books are just bad. The writing is bad, descriptions sometimes lazy. I'm sorry but this is not really quality writing. And that's fine, it's good entertainment.

But If I could rewrite it. I would love to do something I need sooo bad, and this is Vampire story, which is very connected to history, with careful reaserch, and where time and place really shows in charactera actions, thoughts and things he does. Because this books are written like It really doesnt matter if Louis was Turner during French Revolution, or liké hundread years later. You dont get period spirit anyway.

I would love to embrace what Is already there, but Just make It matter. Louis Is a plantator and slave owner, okay, fine, good, but make this affect his actions, thé way he thinks etc.

Lestat Is french? Well okay, actually he's good French représentation (jk)

I'm not a historian i dont knows much, Just what's i learn in school and some more on my few hyperobsessions so i can't say anything very specific rights away, but yeah. Give me something what plays with historical and cultural aspects and does It well. (Plus If the writing style would improve because Lestat i love you being a Mary Sue but how am i supposed to take this seriously)

[ksfoxwald]

Fire and Hemlock Readalong: Part 3 Chapter 2

In which Polly finds Tom again.

This chapter contains the most overt depiction of magic in the entire book, which almost overshadows Polly's magic. She finds Tom by "following a tugging in her head," leading her to the Dumas Quartet rehearsing for a last-minute show. "Knowing things is Polly's heroic gift," Tom says. Later on, too, she's the one who sees through Mr. Leroy's trick with the trash monster.

I have to wonder what Tom told the quartet about Polly. Like, I would be seriously side-eyeing any friend of mine that told me they had a twelve year old RP partner who they met at a funeral. I feel like Ann would have some words to say about that. Also, we later learn that she has some connections to the Perry Leroys as well, though it's not clear if Tom knows; Ann might even know enough to suspect what Tom is using Polly for, even if she doesn't know the how.

Ann alias Tan Audel is the most interesting member of the quartet to me. Her gift, as Polly says, is that she never forgets, and indeed she is the one who writes the story in the new timeline that triggers Polly's memories, even though one of the others wrote the original. But she's also interesting as pretty much the only positive adult female representation in the book (to be fair, adult men are all pretty shady here as well; but there aren't any women in Nowhere except for Hero and Edna until Tan Audel is revealed). And Ann isn't described as heroic or pretty or with anything grand; she is described as having a "frank friendliness," eyes "direct and amused," with a "square, quiet face." She's not the sort of woman who shows up in hero tales but is very much the sort of woman you want in everyday life.

And when Polly asks ("hopefully") if Tom might marry Ann, Tom responds with a laugh and a "Ann has her own ideas about such things."

The "hopefully" is interesting, because Polly's reaction to Mary Fields has strongly resembled jealousy, but perhaps it hasn't quite turned into romantic jealousy yet. Her hopefulness seems to indicate that Tom is a sort of family member to her, and she's hoping he might marry Ann the way a child might hope for a nice stepmother. Ann's "own ideas" seem decidedly queer, though.

The scene with the quartet is so gentle and soft and cozy, one of the happiest moments in the entire book. The way the quartet all immediately take care of Polly and make sure her well-being is a priority is something we haven't seen from anyone except Granny, and even Granny's love has a gruff edge to it. And this is such an important scene because it sets the standard for how people, particularly children, should be treated, and that the way Polly's parents treat her really is horrible. It's hard when you're inside a situation sometimes to see how bad it is when it just feels normal.

In fact, Polly specifically does not read her book here, because she doesn't need the escape. (We also get the call back about not putting books facedown - it's from Tom of course, and it was strong enough to make it into her second set of memories.)

Tom takes Polly to the station (and so much of this book takes place at or going to or coming from train stations, or on roads. The liminal spaces between No Where and Now Here) but the wind that has been threatening for the past two chapters rears its head - literally - becoming a monster made of wind and garbage. The Leroy magic, of course, uses what is already there. But just as Tom tries to run it over with the car, Polly realizes it is actually Sam - or Tan Hanivar, as she shouts, because they are very much in Nowhere at that moment.

This, as Tom notes, is almost exactly what happens in one of the stories he wrote. "What is it about us?" Tom asks. "We make things up, and they go and happen."

Mr. Leroy uses them, Polly wanted to say. But there was more to it than that. She thought of Mr. Piper's shop in Stow-on-the-Water, which seemed to have nothing to do with Mr. Leroy. "I don't know," she said wearily.

Tom is starting to understand his curse, though he hasn't fully accepted it yet. It's interesting because between Tom and Polly, they have a complete picture of what is going on - Tom has the adult knowledge of history and context with the Leroys, while Polly has a child's insight and intuition about magic. But they aren't able to put the pieces together yet.

[brooklynbred-a]

I saw your post about what your biggest strength as rper is shortly before I was about to go to bed yesterday... I will mainly make references about your other character Anya cause she's the only one I've written with so far but I still wanted to send you this.

So yeah here it goes:

Creating an amazing character! I love Anya so much and from the bit we wrote together she's really cool and fun to write with. I just loved the moment when Anya said otherwise Katya would have missed her glowing personality. This made me laugh so bad. I also love Anya's background story and the fact that she has this superpowers because she's a mutant. All of this shows how much work and love you put into your character. Anya isn't just another bog standard character that you have seen 1000 times before and who is clearly mary sue and overpowered etc.

Your writing style! I just love it! I love the way you formulate and explain everything that your character does. That you also write down what your character is thinking and feeling at the moment and about specific things. It gives me so much to work with so that it never happened that I read your replie and was like "Okay and what am I supposed to answer to this now?" Okay it did happen but more because I had so many ideas what to asnwer. And beside all of this I'm learning new words thanks to you. For example I didn't knew the word "scoff" before but now I do.

Your formatting style! I love how you are always formatting everything with the colorfull passages and icons etc. I would do the same but I don't have icons and I have no idea how to make them and tbh I'm also kinda lazy to make them. BUT I really love it how you do it. I even adopted the idea of making some text parts in another color because I loved it so much. I just have to learn how to use other colors because the standard colors of tumblr aren't that great.

Our OOC talk! It's so great for me to be able to talk OOC with the people I rp with. First of all because it makes things easier to plot but also to get to know eachoter better. It also helps so much with my anxiety and my fear to talk to people. AND THE PLOTTING!!! I LOVE PLOTTING!!! AND RANTING ABOUT OUR CHARACTERS!!!

You're personality! You're such a sweet, beautiful and lovely person and I really appriciate how niece you have been so far, for example with reading through my masseges which always tend to be far to long because of all my rambling without telling me to shut up or anything.

Over all I really love to rp with you. You're an amazing person and it's so much fun to build this story together that we are now working on but also to just talk about stuff OOC.

Sending You Lots Of Love

THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH SWEETIE!!! This really warms my heart and I am so glad that you enjoy Anya so much, and I am very much looking forward to the thread with Steve and Katya, he's gonna be such a sweet dad to her! And I really appreciate all of the things you pointed out. I don't have the opportunity to do the things I used to love to do, so writing is my main hobby now. It's nice to see that people love the amount of effort I put into my muses.

[bookwyrminspiration]

I Need Bookrecs but I can’t Just look any up cause all I get is booktok stuff :/

please help

Well I can recommend some things I/people I know personally enjoy! I don't know what you like, so I can't tailor them specifically to you, but hopefully it's still a helpful start :)

(and if anyone would like to reblog with their own additions, that's welcome to!)

A Chorus of Dragons by Jenn Lyons: A series I've talked about a lot recently. High Fantasy with incredibly complex and thorough worldbuilding, following Kihrin, a thief raised in a brothel as he discovers an unwanted royal heritage and the knowledge that he is destined to destroy the world. With an entire cast of engaging, unique characters (several queer in various ways) that drive the story, follow along as past lives are uncovered and these people who want nothing more than to live in peace are forced to fight for that right and figure out how to save humanity from the jealous hubris of people who have lost sight of what horrors can be justified for the greater good.

The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan: A series written like memoirs by Isabella Trent, the most famous and accomplished dragon naturalist ever who redefined the world and how dragons are understood with her accomplishments. But before she can be recognized, she had to establish herself in the field as a young woman in a time when women can't even vote--but she refuses to give up and travels the world for her passion, recounting the places she's been, people she's met, cultures she's glimpsed, and dragons she's studied. Very engaging and grounded, realistic in its depictions, isn't afraid to tackle topics like how harmful the "not like other women" idea is and how gender roles are detrimental to everyone.

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane: I haven't read it, but my partner loves it. In this world, you gain a second shadow when you commit a crime, and Kris has one. And when her wife dies in childbirth, their new baby gains a shadow, too. Told as though Kris is talking to her dead wife, it examines grief, resistance, surveillance and prejudice, and is undoubtedly much better than I'm making it out to be with my vaguely informed knowledge.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd Jones: A standalone about a girl trying to provide for her siblings as a gravedigger, one of the only ones left in her small village who's still cautious of the supposed undead magic on its outskirts. But when a map-maker with an unclear past shows up offering money in exchange for guidance to the fabled locations, she can't turn it down. Explores death and grief and learning to live on without the people you care about, very sweet and introspective.

Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro: The beginning of a new series, following two boys, Marlowe and Charlie, as they're discovered and taken to a mysterious institution for their magical gifts that allow them to access--in their unique ways--the space between life and death. But there are secrets at this institution and misguided ideas of how best to save everyone from the shadowed figure hunting down little Marlowe, driving their new small band of friends to action to try and keep everyone safe. This book is slow and deliberate, but charming; the kids all act their age and there's no romance, but plenty of finding and choosing your family.

The Expanse by James S.A. Corey: Phenomenal sci-fi set hundreds of years in the future; people are colonizing Mars and a marginalized, oppressed class of people live in the Belt. Tensions run high between all of them, but James Holden is just getting by as an ice hauler before his ship is blown up and he and a few others find themselves at the center of a conspiracy. An important woman's gone missing and when she's found, the very foundations of their world are shaken as a physically impossible biohazard rewrites history and science, taking the story to places beyond where the characters ever saw themselves going. I haven't read it myself, but my dad has and I've seen the show (which is incredible) and I really want to read it myself. Cast of distinct characters and the show is one of the most scientifically realistic out there

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto: A short, bittersweet standalone about grief. Following Mikage as she processes the death of her grandmother, she becomes close with one of her grandmother's friends from a flower shop and his mother, finding herself again and learning to live with it. Notable for its casual depiction of a trans character (that mother) in this book from the 1980s. It's a lovely read, introspective and thoughtful.

The Black Witch Chronicles by Laurie Forest: I'm not caught up with this one, but it starts following Elloren Gardner, granddaughter of the last prophesied Black Witch--but she doesn't have a single spark of magic in her blood. So she's starting at a new University to become an apothecary, but there finds her beliefs about the world--and her people's superiority--challenged as she's forced to room with two winged icarals, who she doesn't think even deserve to be here. The world turns out to be much more complicated than she thought and she needs to figure out where she actually stands. A high fantasy with a more in-depth world building, but I've only read the first 2 books so far. And in the first Elloren has a lot to unlearn, so prepare to cringe at her actions and thoughts for a hot minute--but the magic and politics of the world I remember being quite interesting.

Babel by R.F. Kuang: I've spoken about this frequently; a standalone about colonialism and language. About the literal power of words and necessity of violence. Follow young Robin Swift, taken from China as a child and given a new name so England can send him to Oxford, where his language can be used to power magical silver bars and strengthen the empire. But this exploitation of him and the people he's come to think of as family rests heavy on him, and a series of experiences drive his thoughts towards revolution and pain. Warning, this is a heavier book, especially for those who have personal experience with language/culture loss and disconnect, with the effects colonialism.

The Martian by Andy Weir: A standalone about an astronaut who gets stuck as the only person on mars when his crew has to flee the planet when a storm hits. Trying his best to survive alone until someone can hopefully come get him, the story is told through his Log entries--and he is quite the little shit of a narrator. Surviving on humor and fuck it we ball mentality, he's either going to survive and be famous for it, or die on mars and also be famous for that. An incredibly fun read that touches on the bonds of humanity and what we'll do to help others, and how hard people will fight to survive and keep their hope alive. This was also turned into a movie, and not a bad one!

[blissfullybloomed]

Bloom

The hardest part is showing up, and you did just that today.

Welcome, I hope you're ready for a journey- I sure am, so lets go!

It's introduction time for my readers.

Hi, my name is...Victoria Marie Bloom, I'm 35, a massage therapist, a photographer, a well versed business woman, a yoga teacher( in training), and a scuba diver( also in training).

Wow! What an intro....I've worn many hats in my thirty-five years, and I have found that each hat is very specific for where I am currently in life. The hat(s), I'm wearing now...Massage Therapist- yeah, I'm in love. We can talk about how I got there a little later- I want to give you some insight into why I decided to write a blog...online...for everyone to read.

I will be honest with you guys, I have no idea where to actually start. How do you start telling people you've never met , about your life? This isn't a Facebook post, a Instagram reel, or snap story....this is therapeutic healing. This is an outlet I have chosen to use to allow others to follow along, and maybe something I say...will help you or give you a different perspective in life. This will also probably offend you and your beliefs at some point...ill ask you hang in with me, and keep reading. Regardless if you are offended...we can still disagree and love one another. We need more love in this world anyway.

Love and Music are the two universal languages across the globe. You can see love across the aisle at the grocery store, between two people who are fighting over what hot sauce to get for taco night. You see love in how the candle flickers against the wall during date nights. You see love in the unheard smiles on the phone, and the hugs you give your cat. I hope the most precious place you find love, is yourself. Loving yourself is something I personally have won the fight over- I also know there are people who struggle with this currently. Its not easy friend, but trust me , you are not alone. Love is also found in musical lyrics, tones, and even musical silences. The moment in between a decrescendo and crescendo. That small space where things shift in a positive way.

THAT is where you find love for yourself. The in between, the uncomfortable, and the silent.

Remember friend, that space is temporary- you have to go up sometime.

Learn to love yourself in the uncomfortable. That is where you bloom.

Like I said, welcome to a journey. Love yourself the most.

[purpleyoonn]

Hello Mari, how are you? I hope you are doing wonderfully well(;

Anyway, let me ask you a few questions! First of all, out of all the fanfics you've written so far, is there one that you consider your favorite? Are there fanfics that are more difficult to write and others that are relatively easier? Or are they all the same difficulty level? Ever thought about writing a physical book? (In my opinion, you have a lot of potential! I would definitely be one of the first in line at the bookstore, lol!).

And finally, how does your creativity work? Do you think about your stories very often? Or are there specific times for your creativity to kick in?

(OBS: Sorry for the list of questions! Don't feel pressured to answer, and forgive me if my English is bad! I'm still learning🙃).

A big hug for you dear, take care(:

Hello!! I am doing okay! Just normal life stress seeing as my car is now taking a turn for the less good and I might need to start looking around for another one😭

Out of all of my fics, I think baby might be my favorite one. I live the vibe of it and the way that it is going. I have so many ideas for it including different idol interactions and btsxmc interactions. I feel like the love in the bond is so pure that sometimes instincts overwrite normal thoughts or expectations.

I think there are definitely some fics that are more difficult to write than others. The most difficult one for me (because of the headspace I was in) is definitely a hand to hold. I truly think i might discontinue it. Petrichor is also a hard one to write for mainly because I have so much written for it in terms of world building. Im also trying not to take away from the mcs personality and her tenacity as she becomes an omega. I don’t want her to be a stereotypical omega in that right. I want her to have the same fire in her as when the met the boys and that’s kind of harder to maintain than I thought. Also, I find I like steering away from smut, and there is definitely going to be smut or at least mating between namjoon and mc within petrichor. I’ve been building up to it for 17 chs now and I don’t want to take away that build up from you guys.

Baby and tlblw are definitely some of the easier fics for me to write because I am more or less writing about my own experiences with my disabilities and just making them more or less something easier to understand and read about when it comes to an mc. Plus, people relate a lot to those mcs which helps a lot. They are more like self inserts than reader fics but I still write them as a reader fic.

I have actually thought about writing novels before. Last year I started world building for one, but quickly lost interest in it ngl. I think I could like rework some of my fics and publish them but mainly enchanted, dot, and petrichor. I have so many TikTok’s saved about publishing and self publishing. I wanted to be an editor/writer in a publishing house in high school but unfortunately listened to family and pursued teaching instead.

As for my creativity, I think about ideas and world building all the time. Even at work I’m constantly in my head, coming up with different stories or working on ones I’ve already thought up. I do have specific times though, where I absolutely need to write something down and my mind won’t let me do anything else until I do. I am very thankful for my notes app when this happens😂

pls don’t apologize and thank you for the big hug🥰🥰❤️❤️🥹🥹����

[420technoblazeit]

OH? I never thought that he was replacing Crowley and if they wrote it in that way they kinda failed from the beginning

What i liked specifically was the idea behind an international secret society of academics that complement the work done by the hunters and the idea that they never heard of it because they were wiped out before giving an opportunity to the new generation of learn about it [I am kinda iffy about John backstory being so near to the supernatural before Mary gets killed but that's more of my specific grudge with the internal lore of the series] i would have liked they explored the idea of international monster/hunter/secret society relationships more other than British

As for the dub: yes it is weird to switch languages and while some voice actor do a good job to sound similar [dean] there are others who sound really off [chuck]

Also just checked Destiel isn't canon here

-🔷️

ok tbh i dont think they were directly trying to replace crowley it just feels like arthur ketch's role in the story was at least parallel to crowley's

he's like. the british guy who's willing to do what the winchesters aren't. he thinks sam and dean are too weak and emotional, he's willing to play both sides and ally himself with corrupt people to get what he wants. it's the whole the ends justify the means kind of thing, yk? it feels like watered down crowley because he has the guts to make these big plays but not the power or resources to back it up. and he shouldn't because he hasn't been built up enough but it makes him a weaker character nonetheless

idk he wasn't a bad character imo but making him such a frequent guest star in s13 after crowley left was like. eh.

i agree that the men of letters had potential though, it was an interesting concept that wasn't really very well executed. theyre right tbh american hunters are a fucking mess lmao

[stonewallsposts]

Jane's Friendship with Mary Anne Wilson 

Chapter 9: while Helen is laid up sick, Jane makes friends with "one Mary Ann Wilson; a shrewd, observant personage, whose society I took pleasure in, partly because she was witty and original, and partly because she had a manner which set me at ease. Some years older than I, she knew more of the world, and could tell me many things I liked to hear: with her my curiosity found gratification: to my faults also she gave ample indulgence, never imposing curb or rein on anything I said. She had a turn for the narrative, I for analysis; she liked to inform, I to question; so we got on swimmingly together, deriving much entertainment, if not much improvement, from our mutual intercourse." 

I was thinking about this comment "deriving much entertainment, if not much improvement" with regards to my own friendships. Over the years, we have had seasons where we had other couples that were "best friends". Couple with which we just hit it off, and we would spend hours over at their houses just talking and enjoying each other's company. Even today I have people with whom the connection is almost instant. You just relate... and conversations come very easily. I was trying to apply this lens of entertainment/improvement to these friendships: what is it that I enjoy in my relationships with these specific people?  

It seems to me that entertainment is going to be the first thing that draws me to people. I've got to at least enjoy the time, or it's hard to feel like you're getting anywhere. The thing that 'works' in those relationships is the ability to continually converse about things. An enjoyable part of that is the way one person will say something, which leads to me thinking about some story that relates; which will lead to the other person having either a similar experience, or that serves as a launch to another, but related, topic.... and this ability to just keep talking without feeling like things are dragging is perhaps the entertainment part.  

But I also like to have conversations about things I'm learning, or what the other person is learning too. Conversations that are about more than just small talk subjects. If there is an opening to learn something, I definitely want to get into that space. I want to hear what people are in to, and what they're up to, and maybe I can learn something in the process. 

My ideal would be relationships that are both entertaining and improving, but I can also be satisfied with just entertaining... I think. Maybe I'd get bored with that if that's all it were.  

But I was also having a discussion about relationships that "improve". The first thing that came to mind was a mentor/mentee relationship. I have to admit I haven't sought out mentors per se. I have people that I like to talk to because I learn a lot from them; but I also know some people who, it feels to me, see themselves in the role of 'imparters of wisdom'. And as the 'imparters of wisdom', they are there purely to speak, and not listen. And I have that impression of them: they don't really see much value in me, or listening to me. They just want to impart their wisdom. I'm aware that there is a whole 'self-help' idea of finding people you want to be like, and trying to learn from them. Perhaps these people have taken this up, and they actively try to find people they can emulate in order to improve themselves. And perhaps then, as a consequent, they feel they themselves can also act in that role for others, whether those others asked for it or not.... This is all a kind of speculation on my part, and I may be (am probably) way wrong about it. It's just a vibe I've gotten, but if I'm wrong, it wouldn't be the first time. 

But my whole vibe about this kind of relationship is that it's simply using people to get something out of them, rather than trying to appreciate them for who they are. I dunno... that's me. I'm sure there are other opinions that would shed more favorable light on it. 

At the end of this, I guess I do value those relationships that will improve me more than relationships that don't, but to be honest, I also value the entertainment: and for me I guess I'd define that as the sheer joy of being in their company, rather than the content I might get out of it. 

[kvibe-test]

Taking the Leap: Interning Abroad for the First Time

When I first entertained the idea of interning abroad, it felt almost unreal. The prospect of packing up my belongings and moving to a new country for a few months brought with it equal parts excitement and apprehension. At the time, I was finishing up my third year of university, and the thought of stepping out of my comfort zone and diving into a completely different culture was both exhilarating and terrifying.

I remember having long conversations with my friends and family about my intentions. My friend Sarah was particularly supportive. "Just imagine the stories you'll have to tell and the people you’ll meet," she would say, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. I suppose deep down, I knew this was something I wanted—needed—to do. But the overarching question remained: why?

Factors Influencing My Decision

Several factors influenced my decision to seriously consider interning abroad. Firstly, the urge to experience a new culture was stronger than ever. Growing up, I had always been surrounded by stories of my parents' travels and adventures. Now, it seemed like my moment to create my own.

Secondly, career development played a significant role. In today’s globalized world, having international experience on my resume seemed invaluable. "Imagine the edge it will give you in job interviews," my mentor, Mr. Davis, often reminded me. He once mentioned, "Employers are constantly on the lookout for candidates who have demonstrated adaptability and cultural competence."

Moreover, I was drawn by the opportunity to build a global network. Being connected with professionals and fellow interns from around the world could open doors I hadn't even dared to dream of. The thought of attending networking events and learning from industry leaders in another country was tantalizing. I could picture myself exchanging ideas with my peers over coffee in a bustling city cafe.

Excitement and Apprehension

Yet, with all the excitement came a fair share of apprehension. The 'what-ifs' plagued my mind more than I’d care to admit. "What if I can't adjust to the culture?" I wondered late at night. Looking at my sister for support, she assured me, "Every new experience comes with its challenges, but think about how much you'll grow." Her words were a comfort.

Financial concerns were another significant worry. Living in a new country can be expensive, and the idea of managing a budget in an unfamiliar currency was daunting. I remember scouring the internet for scholarships and grants specific to international internships, bookmarking pages for further research. Aunt Marie lent a practical piece of advice: "Start saving now, and look for part-time remote jobs you can do while interning."

Fear of isolation also lingered. The thought of being away from everything I considered familiar was overwhelming at times. How would I make new friends? What if the language barrier was too much to handle? These insecurities were hard to shake, but remembering the excitement kept me going.

The Initial Research

The initial research phase was intense and, at times, overwhelming. I spent countless hours browsing through online forums and blogs of past interns. One blog, in particular, stood out. The author had interned in Tokyo and her vivid descriptions of everyday life there were captivating. Her advice was practical and, most importantly, reassuring. "It's going to be a rollercoaster of emotions," she wrote, "but every moment is worth it."

I also joined Facebook groups related to international internships. These groups were gold mines of information—suggestions on affordable housing, tips on navigating public transport, and even recommendations on where to get the best local cuisine. "People are generally very helpful if you’re willing to ask for it," one member commented when I expressed my concerns about integrating into a new community.

It wasn’t just casual browsing; I started compiling a list of potential countries and companies that appealed to me. London was high on my list—I had always been fascinated by its history and vibrant energy. However, the thought of interning in a city like Berlin, known for its start-up culture, was equally enticing.

To get a head start, I reached out to a few companies directly, inquiring about their internship programs. To my delight, some replied with information on their application process and what they looked for in candidates. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and my email correspondence with them often ended with a hopeful "looking forward to your application."

Talking to alumni from my university who had gone through similar experiences also helped. They shared their stories, from the mundane to the magical, and listening to them made the whole idea less intimidating and more achievable. "It's a leap of faith,” one of them, Mike, said, “but it's one you'll never regret."

By the time I had gathered sufficient information, my mind was made up. I didn't have all the answers, and there were still many uncertainties. Yet, the vision of immersing myself in a different culture and paving the path for future career opportunities was too compelling to ignore.

"The world is so much bigger than you think," my grandma once told me, "and you won't truly understand it until you see it for yourself." Her wisdom gave me the final push I needed. With a heart full of dreams and a mind prepared for challenges, I decided to seriously pursue an internship abroad.

This is just the beginning of my journey. In future posts, I will delve deeper into my application process, the preparations, and the experiences I will gather along the way. For now, I am ready to embark on an adventure that promises to shape not just my career, but my very outlook on life.