#idk i think we should bring back life manuals back
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sandinthepipes · 1 year ago
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Friendly reminder that this thing where you're supposed to know how to do stuff simply by virtue of livin is wrong and is fairly recent.
There were manuals before.
I was going through some old books left by my grandma and I found a, literally translated, "home cookbook" from 1911, which isn't a cookbook at all, it's a manual that explains to you in details how to do literally anything, from how to make the bed, to how to do the laundry and dry and store them, how to make the laundry soap, to how to tell what the weather is going to be, to how to make glue and ink for a tag on a jar.
I haven't read it all, I just skimmed really quickly, so I don't know if it contains even social skills, but in other booklet I found the instructions of how to be a host, how you should invite people over, how to prepare, what to do when they're there.
And sure you could argue they're all outdated good housewife skills, but I have a newsflash for you, you are now your own housewife. You need to do all those things and bring the money home all on your own. Sure, maybe your house won't be neat when you have people coming over and the table won't be set for kings, but you still need to to the dishes
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orthodoxadventure · 8 months ago
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how can we align our free will with his will? I find this so difficult because idk what im doing hahah :,)
I think it's important to remember that if everyone would just easily and happily align themselves with His world, we would already be living in a perfect society. The fact that we don't, is because it is hard through our own weaknesses as a consequence of the fall. We are still attached to material things, we fixate on the people in our lives. Our minds wander during prayer to think about what we're going to have to eat or what we're going to do once we 'get through' this prayer.
It is something that needs to be cultivated. We need to build up our genuine belief that God is in control. That His plan is perfect. That in all situations, in all times, we should be turning to Him in thanksgiving. That we need to detach ourselves from the material attachments of the world, and turn our entire being towards God. How we can best go about this, would probably involve you speaking with your Priest and developing a genuine relationship with him as your spiritual advisor. Who can advise you on cultivating your spiritual life. Having obedience to a spiritual advisor, who is either your Priest or someone that your Priest would find appropriate, can ultimately guide us in being obedient to God.
In all aspects of our life, we need to learn to turn to God. We need to transform every thing we do into prayer. Every task being commenced for God. This was our natural way of being, before the fall. Man was a Eucharistic creature, and the fall was a turning away from that. Our life, ultimately, is about learning how to get back to that original state. We should not despair of the great work ahead of us, we have the examples of the Saints that this can be worked towards. That any steps towards gaining virtue are beneficial to us.
I'm not sure how often you do, but look towards the books about the Saints and by the Saints. A particular book that I would recommend for you would be 'The Path to Salvation: A Manual of Spiritual Transformation' by Saint Theophan the Recluse (there's some chapters about bringing children up in the faith, that you could skip if it's not relevant to you right now. But the other chapters are immensely valuable). But in general, reading about the Saints would be beneficial immensely as they so very often speak about how to conform ourselves to God's will. How to work towards knowing God's will, and how to work to genuinely want to conform to God's will.
Every Saint has a history, every Saint had stumbling blocks in their life. Turn to them, and you will find them to be so greatly beneficial to you. Turn also, always, to the Most Holy Theotokos. Who ever points the way to her Son, and always prays for us to Him.
But in short:
Find yourself a Spiritual father or mother, and submit to the suggestions that they have for you. Ask them for a prayer rule, and recommendations for particular spiritual readings.
Pray often; Have a prayer rule that you do each day. If you're just starting out then I would personally recommend the prayer rule of Saint Seraphim of Sarov . You could start by just saying the Prayers in the morning and before you go to bed each night.
Turn to the Saints for guidance through their intercessions and the works they have left for us to read
Turn to Scripture often
Every step that we take towards God, God takes many more steps towards us. And any sincere effort to work to know His will for your life and to submit to it, will be recognised and responded to.
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likeabxrdinflight · 7 months ago
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get 2 know me meme
tagged by: @crithir said if you see it, you're tagged. And I saw it, so...
tagging: In the spirit of the boops, boop! you're tagged now.
Do you make your bed?
Only if someone's coming over.
What’s your favorite number?
7 because it was usually my assigned number in elementary school. There was a whole system where we all had numbers after our names that we had to put on the top of our assignments, and because it went in alphabetical order, and because my school was small and the class configuration rarely changed, I was writing "Cora - 7"* at the top of my assignments for years. So a fondness for the number 7 kinda stuck.
*Cora is not my real name but wouldn't you like to know.
What is your job?
Technically the things I am currently employed to do and receive financial compensation for are administering neuropsych assessments to children and then a second part time job as a care aid for a disabled woman.
Arguably my dissertation is my real full time job, except no one pays me to do that. Actually, I pay them so that I can do that. So...
If you could go back to school, would you?
Absolutely not, I'm still trying to get out of school! (one more year one more year one more year...).
Can you parallel park?
Technically, yes. Skillfully? Eh...
A job you had that would surprise people?
None of my past jobs have been all that surprising, I think...human services and customer service, haven't we all been there? Maybe the day camp for disabled kids was a little bit unique.
Do you think aliens are real?
I think it's incredibly arrogant to assume we're the only planet in an ever-expanding universe to have developed life, so yes. What that life looks like, however, is up for debate.
Can you drive a manual car?
I cannot, but more than one person has threatened to teach me.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
British period dramas. And recently, Taylor Swift. I got caught up in the cultural moment of the Eras tour and it turns out when you're not just listening to the pop radio hits, she's a helluva writer. "Would've, Could've, Should've" did unfortunately alter my brain chemistry. I refuse to call myself a swiftie though, I will not be associated with...any of that.
Tattoos?
None yet, but I have a couple ideas- I want "she rules her life like a bird in flight" with some little birds next to it, possibly on my shoulder? Then I want a monarch butterfly on one of my forearms, probably the left, and finally a latin phrase that's connected to my family, I'm thinking on the underside of one my upper arms, again probably the left arm. Undecided on that though, because if I do the butterfly on the left arm maybe I should do the lettering on the right? Or vice versa?
...this is why I haven't committed to anything yet on top of them being expensive.
Favorite color?
Historically, yellow, but more recently blues and purples.
Favorite type of music?
Usually I go for a rock/pop punk sound. But also showtunes. And sometimes just regular pop. I'm kinda basic idk.
Do you like puzzles?
...in video games, sure. Actual table top puzzles? Eh.
Any phobias?
Wasps. Heights. The general concept of death.
Favorite childhood sport?
Ballet and tae kwon do (I almost made it to black belt but then college happened).
Do you talk to yourself?
Constantly. Often as if I'm talking to other people. Sometimes to my snake, Sammy.
What movies do you adore?
Kiki's Delivery Service, Mary Poppins, Anastasia, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, and I have a soft spot for 2000s teen movies (think Mean Girls, Freaky Friday, Bring It On). Also, unfortunately, the Harry Potter movies are permanently imprinted on my brain and I cannot disentangle them from some of the most special parts of my childhood. Azkaban in particular is strongly linked to my relationship with my best friend/sister in spirit.
Coffee or tea?
Tea but coffee is growing on me.
First thing you wanted to be growing up?
I think it was veterinarian? That's the first thing I remember anyway.
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untouchabyeolman · 3 years ago
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DFTF & the gist of everything; a theory
(warning: long post, no cut)
*cracks knuckles* OKAY. so i’m about to give my two cents on the theories surrounding the comeback but this is gonna be a long one so strap in and enjoy the ride i guess??
but before i get started on the DFTF stuff i just want to do a bit of recap on the members’ powers and their counterparts back in mama era (yes i’m going all the way back bear with me). from the beginning, we are shown that each member has a special power and those from exo-k have a counterpart in exo-m and the pairings went like this:
xiumin (frost) - suho (water manipulation)
luhan (telekinesis) - kai (teleportation)
kris (dragon’s flight) - chanyeol (phoenix’s fire)
lay (healing) - baekhyun (light)
chen (lightning) - kyungsoo (enhanced strength/earth?)
tao (time control) - sehun (wind manipulation)
i think these parings are fine but for me a couple of changes could have been made to make more sense to their powers. in my opinion, i think it should be:
xiumin - suho
luhan - sehun
kris - chanyeol
lay - baekhyun
chen - kyungsoo
tao - kai
obviously, xiumin/suho make sense bc their powers are related to each other where suho’s is the foundation of xiumin’s more refined control of the element. kris/chanyeol also makes sense for the same reason. for lay/baekhyun, healing powers can reconstruct damages from wounds and even bring dying flowers (maybe even people) back to their full health. basically, lay restores a living thing’s energy. but light is a form of energy too. flowers need light to survive and so does the rest of the planet for that matter. but i think baekhyun uses that light to be able to concentrate the energy into his hands to form a beam powerful enough to blast anything in its path (who are u? tony stark??). 
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tbh, i’m still kind of unclear about ksoo’s power on whether he can actually manipulate earth (like an earthbender) or if he has enhanced strength. either way, he can shake the earth and obviously he’s more powerful on the ground. with lightning, it can travel three ways: cloud to cloud, cloud to air, and cloud to the ground. you can think of their powers as being related by how the fissures in earthquakes are similar to the patterns of lightning. kyungsoo causes the rumbling in the earth, while chen causes rumbling (thunder) in the sky (hence why they are parallels of each other in mama mv)
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for those i think should be switched, we’ll start with luhan/sehun. sehun has the power of wind but throughout the history of their powers i don’t think we’ve actually seen him have full control of his ability? in mama, he’s in the desert (this is gonna come up again later!!) with a raging tornado behind him. i mean, i guess he could be doing that intentionally but for the sake of this entry i’m going to assume he can summon the wind but he can’t fully control it. meanwhile, luhan can easily manipulate objects and we could think of this as him just actually manipulating the air around that object. luhan’s control of the air is more stable whilst sehun’s is the opposite. 
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for tao/kai i think it makes more sense for them to be counterparts since kai travels through space and while tao’s power is to stop/start time, he has the to potential to travel through time as well. these two go hand in hand because if they’re together, they’d be even stronger as traveling through time could be faulty since the time you might want to go back or forward to isn’t going to be in the same exact location as you are now. 
BUT WAIT! we’re left with 9 members so what happens now?? 
i actually made a “theory” about exo having new counterparts back in 2016 but i’m scrapping the main idea from it and will just be referring to particular points going forward. so for now, let’s go with the assumption that their counterparts are as they are in my version. this means that sehun, chanyeol, and kai no longer have their counterparts. now what?
let’s first make two assumptions: 
their powers become stronger when they are with their counterparts: like i’ve mentioned above, they’re stronger together than they are apart. but additionally, it’s a bit safer for them to be separated since they are much more easily located by the red force if they are all in one place.
if one loses their counterpart (i mean for good and not just separated by distance) then eventually, the power of the one who was lost will manifest itself in the one who is left
for (2), it would make sense then as to why in sehun’s pathcode teaser, he finds the toys floating in mid-air. at this point, he’s unaware that he’s actually the one doing this. (@raven-rin​ points out the similarities between luhan’s scene in mama with the orbs and sehun’s “planet” in the DFTF teaser photo which supports my theory that they are connected in this way). 
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in chanyeol’s pathcode teaser, he seems to have lost some control of his power whereas in mama mv, he was able to keep a small flame in his hand under control. 
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for kai, we’ve mainly see him teleporting on earth and he’s had quite a good control on his power since the beginning. but i think now, with tao’s power manifesting itself in him, he’s now able to teleport beyond just earth. we can take his mmmh mv for example too where he’s teleporting between worlds and currently, his power symbol is that of a hexagon with a keyhole in the center; he is the door between worlds and the main connection between the others. 
SO THE POINT TO ALL THIS IS there was a theory posted by @vampwrrr​ and pointed out by @loeyarc on twitter about how the members are not in their own planets but they actually landed in someone else’s. i think this could be true since xiumin is in a planet with aurora’s (baekhyun’s planet), kyungsoo is in a red planet that could possibly be chanyeol’s. kai’s might be in kyungsoo’s and baekhyun’s in a planet where there’s ice which could mean he’s in xiumin’s planet. i’m not sure about the power swapping (tho i absolutely love the idea) but i think they might have just landed in planets they were closest to. 
but i want to point out how chanyeol is in a planet that looks like a desert 
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now, this could actually be sehun’s planet in parallel to where he was in mama. sehun, on the other hand, is actually in luhan’s planet (going back to the reference @raven-rin​ made). 
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i think here, he’ll finally realize why his powers have been glitching (from pathcode) and how he now has the ability to move objects like luhan did (disclaimer 1: since not all members are present for this comeback, who’s to say they can only land in the planets of the active members’ planets??. disclaimer 2: not saying luhan is still member, he clearly isn’t. i meant for members who are enl*sted. for all we know, one or two of those planets could be chen’s or lay’s, etc.)
idk if DFTF is a pre-quel to power or a follow up but *if* the latter was the case, then the end of power makes sense. throughout the mv, we see suho, xiumin, kai, chen, chanyeol, sehun, and kyungsoo fighting the giant red force robot in possibly a different planet (i’m thinking the exos actually banded together to track down the red force themselves to get their powers back and in every planet they encounter these RF bots who keep destroying the planets they occupy) but for most it, baekhyun isn’t there fighting with them. he does show up near the end which confirms that he’s in the same place as the others but why isn’t he fighting?
let’s recall that their powers are stronger when they’re with their counterparts. if we go by the theory from lucky one that some members lost their powers, then it makes sense why none of them were able to fight off the bot with their powers alone (which they regained by defeating it in the end). i do think they are still strong at this point but their powers are weak. as for baekhyun, his counterpart is far away. lay hasn’t really been with them since monster era so he was probably playing it safe by not actively fighting alongside the others. (if he’s powerless and separated from lay then he’s the most vulnerable compared to the others)
at the end of power, we see baekhyun falling into the water/ocean. how did this happen? if exo left the planet they were in in power, it’s possible that after defeating the bot, it triggered the red force of their location. the red force then proceeds to destroy that planet in an attempt to kill exo once and for all
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(disclaimer 3:��screencap is meant to show an example, not that this is exactly in the same timeline as power)
but the exos manage to escape in their ship in time but their ship malfunctions (could be hit by debris from the planet’s explosion) and they have no choice but to leave the ship. i think their ship has “escape pods” meant for each one of them as a way to escape safely in case of an emergency. but let’s say these pods will immediately head for the planet they were set to (again, kind of like a safety protocol type thing where they get sent to different locations to avoid detection from the red force). to add, say that in the chaos, the exos just went into whatever pod they got to first which is how they end up landing in different planets. 
maybe something happens to baekhyun’s pod and he has to manually eject himself from it. but we see he lands in the middle of an ocean 
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and in his DFTF photo teaser, we see he’s in a planet with ice caps and water
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you still with me? i’m about to tie everything together and finish i promise!
remember the second assumption we made? “the power of the one who was lost will manifest itself in the one who is left”. what if the red force know this? what if the reason they’ve been after exo is because of this fact? but if that were the case, where would the powers manifest in if the exos are gone? i know the lot of us skip the intro of mama but it states that an eye of red force “coveted the heart of the tree of life and the heart slowly grew dry” which meant that the tree of life is the source of the twelve force’s powers. 
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everything started with the tree of life and in an attempt to save its remaining powers, they split it in half and hid the halves from the red force. the power of the tree of life is what connects exo. but as mentioned, if one is lost, the power will continue to live inside another. if the red force destroys all of exo, the powers they possess will be returned to the tree of life and if the tree of life is whole again, the red force will in no doubt abuse its power and continue their plans from the very beginning. 
then we can say that in lucky one, it was another tactic used by the red force to extract their powers. those extracted powers were then used to create x-exo. since x-exo are under the red force’s orders, if they manage to destroy exo, their powers will undoubtedly go to their x-counterparts. but as the red force control’s x-exo they still have the upper hand once this plan is set in stone. i mention this to get us back on the current timeline seeing as DFTF may be strongly connected to power which precedes obsession. but then again, i’m not even sure about the exact order of the timeline but this is just my theory so it’s just for fun!
/end. 
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icedteaandoldlace · 4 years ago
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So there’s this “101 Reasons to Ship Snowbarry” video that keeps coming up on my YouTube suggestions. Idgaf about Snowbarry, and I’ve already hit the “not interested” button on similar videos before, but since I can’t seem to get away from video suggestions like this, I’m just gonna watch it and liveblog it, and bet that for every entry on the list, I can come up with a corresponding rebuttal for why Barrisco would make an even better couple. (I’m not gonna comment this ON the video ofc, this is just for my own amusement.)
Click the link above if you want to see the stuff I’ll be responding to, but be forewarned, that video is like, way long, so naturally it follows that this post is gonna be, too.
Additional note: If you are a Snowbarry shipper who has stumbled across this post somehow, now would be the time to stop reading, and also to add the “anti Snowbarry” tag to your filters if you wish to avoid running into posts like this in the future, ‘cause I ain’t interested in engaging in shipping wars.
Anyways, let’s go:
1. "How they met." Cisco woke Barry out of a coma by playing/singing a song about bisexuality, 'nuff said. (Also, part of the purpose of that scene was to introduce Caitlin as the serious, “down to business” one, and Cisco as the warmer, more easygoing one who’s trying to make Barry feel more comfortable.)
2. "They're both scientists." What is Cisco, an Instagram influencer?
3. If Caitlin being Barry’s personal doctor gets her romantic points, then the same should go for Cisco being his personal tailor. Actually, he should get more points, because there’s no moratorium on romantic relationships between tailors and their clients.
4. The way Barry and Cisco gaze into each other's eyes for non-medical purposes. This is too easy.
5. Uh. Cisco being the voice in Barry's ear while he's running, and often the first person he calls out to for help solving a problem.
6. They frequently take hold of each other's hands and shoulders.
7. Cisco comforts Barry while Caitlin tends to his wounds.
8 through 12 is literally just stuff about Caitlin being a doctor, and I don't find this stuff relevant enough to rebut because there's nothing inherently romantic about any of it.
13. "They both have fun together." Yes, Cisco also, the fun having, it happens, lots. Even more, actually.
14. Not really sure what to say for this one. Barry and Cisco noticing when each other is sad and then checking on each other (at Cecile’s baby shower and Barry’s bachelor party, respectively, and also on other occasions), comes to mind. That doesn’t have to do with noticing each other’s lips, per se, but I’ve never thought of either of these SB scenes as moments where Barry was staring at Caitlin’s lips, just as moments where he’s noticing her expression/overall mood, which is something he does with Cisco (and vice versa), too.
15. They all have nerdy hobbies, dude, they're nerds.
16. This one for SB is "she makes Barry drunk on purpose", which, y'know, she did because he wanted to be able to get buzzed, which Cisco has succeeded in helping him do, too (and the drink he made was more effective and longer lasting), but the way this is phrased is kind of suggestive, like Caitlin was doing it to lower his inhibitions (which she totally wasn’t), and uuuuhhhh, don't romanticize that maybe???
17. Cisco put all that tech into Barry's suit, including delivery menus from his favorite restaurants + wrote him an instruction manual, and sped up all his favorite shows so he could catch up on what he missed while he was in the speed force.
18. Barry makes Cisco's (and everyone's) hair fly everywhere when he speeds out of a room, too. Like, this is just basic physics, fam, wyd?
19. Barry also uses his powers to help Cisco. And...literally everyone who needs his help, this is basic superhero stuff, wyd?
20. He is impressed with Cisco, frequently.
21. Just having nicknames? He calls him "bud", "dude", etc., and one time he called him "Cis". (Bonus: Iris and Cisco have called Caitlin "Cait", too, so it’s not just a Ronnie and Barry thing.)
22. Cisco can make anything to help Barry. They're literally top-notch genius scientists, I don't even
23. Obviously they think each other makes great company, they're best friends. All of them.
24. They comfort each other. Again, best friends + Team Flash pep talks are a major staple of the show.
25. He needs Cisco, too.
26. They...they care about...my god, it's like you people have never heard of FRIENDS.
27. Honestly, how many times have we heard Barry tell Cisco he believes in him, or heard Cisco gush about what a great hero Barry is?
28. Helping each other conquer their fears. Yep, that's another one that applies to like, everyone on this show.
29. "They both have experienced loss" IT'S A SUPERHERO SHOW! Also, that's just life. Name one main character on this show who hasn't experienced loss. Nash and Wally have both experienced loss, and I have yet to see anyone ship them.
30. "They both can sing really well." Okay now. This one is true for Barry and Cisco, but uh...Caitlin is literally tone deaf. I'm not being mean, Danielle Panabaker knows good and well that she can't sing, and she has talked about Carlos side-eyeing her when she gets going because she's not good at it. THAT'S OKAY! There's nothing wrong with not being able to sing, but--WHY would you claim that she's good at something that she clearly is not? She wasn't on pitch for a single line of Summer Nights, and she straight up changes keys mid-line in the mockingbird song in that other clip, and just...what even is this entry?!
31. Watching over each other, yeah, another basic staple of being friends and superheroes.
32. "He is always standing behind Caitlin" AND LOOK WHO'S STANDING BESIDE HIM!
33. Remember that time fake Jay "died" and Cisco stayed with Caitlin until she fell asleep? Remember when Dante died and Caitlin slept on Cisco's couch to keep him company? Remember all those times Barry or Cisco were rendered unconscious, and the other stayed by their bedside until they woke up?
34. Basically just a continuation of 33. See above.
35. "Maybe 'okay' will be our 'always'." Hmm, what WOULD Barry and Cisco's "always/okay" be? Probably just calling out each other's names tbh, they do that a lot. Or perhaps, "For real?"
36. Is2g. Being only one call or text away is, again, a staple of the show, considering everyone in it is a close-knit found family and knows there's a very good chance that that call or text might be saying, "I'm in mortal danger, please come save my life at once."
37. Funny, I already pointed out once before (in a different post) the fun parallel of how Caitlin will sometimes go running to whoever her love interest is at the moment, or she'll call out his name, while Cisco is at the same moment running to Barry/calling out for Barry.
Side note: did they really think including Barry's proposal song to Iris would give more weight to their why-to-ship-Snowbarry argument?
38. I mean...Barry kind of carries everyone everywhere. You don't really get to see it, but how the heck else do you explain all the times he whooshes people in and out of places? He can't just drag them, otherwise the soles of their shoes would either wear down fast or catch on fire.
39. Okay, no shade to Barry and Caitlin's friendship, and some of these moments are really great, but generally speaking, their hugs do not compare to the ones that either of them has with Cisco. Also, note the group hug scene, conveniently cut off before Cisco joins in, because unlike the Romione + Harry hug in the Prisoner of Azkaban movie, there's no way to interpret it as a third wheel/cockblocking moment, because the moment Cisco declares it a group hug moment, Barry and Caitlin both agree, and you can see it on their faces that they are delighted, and think that Cisco joining in their hug has just made it even BETTER.
40. Henry gladly accepts a hug from Caitlin, immediately after laughing at Cisco's awkward moment and giving him a fatherly reassuring pat on the shoulder. I think it's safe to say he approves of all of Team Flash.
41. Oh look, another thing Barry and Cisco and multiple other characters do.
Good god, I'm not even halfway through this yet. This is like that time I tried to climb Diamond Head.
42. Ah, superhero poses, yes. That thing that...superheroes...do. Like, all of the ones on this show. And in general.
43.  "They begin to resemble each other." They're just white, fam. OH MY GOD, I SOMETIMES TAKE MY SUNGLASSES OFF WITH ONE HAND, TOO! OT3 MUCH????? 😱 Lol what even??
44. How many times throughout this video am I gonna have to repeat that everyone on this show has these moments? Also, speaking in unison with someone because you had prior knowledge of what they were going to say due to yourself or someone else time traveling, is not the same as being in sync with them because you’re close. (He said “Weather Wizard” at the same time as Cisco, too.)
45. Idk what to even say to this one. Like, Iris is obviously the love of Barry's life, and Cisco is obviously his favorite best friend and the person he would be with if he didn’t have Iris.
46. *John Mulaney voice* AND THEN THEY DIDN'T! Seriously, though, both of the people they were trying to get over were perfect for them. I don't have a Barrisco specific rebuttal for this one though.
47. So by this video's logic, that one scene from 4x03 means that Barry, Harry, and Cisco should be a threesome, huh?
48. "I did it because it gave me an excuse to bring him back."
49. .................is this even an argument?
50. They're both good looking people, darling.
51. Wrong, sir. They fight like siblings. Trust me on this one, I have six of them.
52. Trauma response. I'm moving away from Barrisco arguments and just saying the first thing that pops into my head now. But seriously, this is a normal reaction to trauma/loss.
53. *Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh* I'm not even gonna say it this time, you already know.
54. Again, have you people ever had anyone in your life that you cared about, ever? I'm starting to get concerned, honestly. But for the sake of bringing Barrisco back into this, hey, remember that time Barry and Caitlin both got kidnapped on the same night and Cisco was completely beside himself?
55. This is getting out of hand.
56. Pretty sure dating Caitlin didn't even make the list for Barry's reasons to dislike Jay and Julian (also, he liked Ronnie, the guy she loved the most, so...)
57. Judging Barry for being a dumbass + helping an exposed girl out =/= jealousy. Granted, there was some jealousy in that last clip, but not because Iris got the man; it was because Barry was all set to live happily ever after while Caitlin was, y'know, struggling with powers she didn't want and another person living in her head that kept fighting her for control of her body.
58. Refer to season 1 episode 2, wherein Cisco is the person helping Barry from the beginning, and Caitlin asserts that she is on Joe's side when he tells Barry what a stupid and reckless idea trying to be a superhero is.
59 + 60. "Let's bring our boy home." / "Let's go get our girl." Do I need to cite either quote?
61. Again I ask, did a human make this list?
62. Don't make me tap the sign.
63. One word: Elseworlds.
64. If you'll scroll waaaaaaaaaaay up there, I already covered that Barry and Cisco hold hands A LOT.
65. Oooh, I made a meme about this one! Not after watching this video, I just see SBers say this all the time, and it drives me crazy.
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I used this in my Snowbarry fandom drama presentation for my squad’s presentation party a while back.
Side note: ~INTERESTING~ how Caitlin being a doctor is ““romantic”” when she’s treating Barry but ““motherly”” when she’s treating Cisco. I can’t even.
66. ......I’m sorry, I’m just not seeing how the dramatic irony of them stating that Killer Frost will never be a problem on Earth-1 is pertinent to shipping them as a couple.
67. Hannibal Bates and Caitlin are perfect for each other? Weird take, but okay. Oh, and there Caitlin is trying to freeze Barry to death. Wasn’t there a point somewhere up there about her never wanting him to get hurt?
Side note: Hey, what’s the name of that guy who saved Barry in this scene?
68. Bruh, that’s just her dynamic with everyone that season.
69. Barry and Iris, Barry and Cisco, Cisco and Caitlin, Cisco and Harry, Caitlin and Killer Frost, Cisco and Killer Frost--just naming some duos that are more iconic than Barry and Caitlin. Again, no shade to their friendship--I really like them as friends!--but the shippers stay making it out to be more than it really is.
I also just have to point out that although Killer Frost was the one who willingly teamed up with Savitar/whom Savitar sought out first, when she comments on their team up and says it’s “Barry and Caitlin together again”, his response is to point out that she’s not Caitlin and he’s not Barry. In contrast, when he takes Cisco against his will and forces him to modify the speed force bazooka, he still refers to Cisco as his best friend.
70. Make up your mind, does Savitar count as Barry in this or not? Because he totally grabbed Caitlin by the throat once.
71. I don’t know how to break this to you, but not enjoying it when someone is in pain is just being normal. (Do I even need to point out Cisco’s empathetic cringing compared to Barry’s looks of mild discomfort, or...?)
At some point this went from being about Barrisco to being about Cisco being the favorite friend to both of them, idk.
72. He. Is. Literally. A. Superhero.
73. Man, what did I JUST say? Also, can we just acknowledge the build up to Crisis on Infinite Earths for a second, wherein Frost very quickly accepts that Barry is supposed to die in order to save everyone else, while Cisco has infinite crises of his own at the idea of having to accept Barry’s death--which, I might add, he never actually does? Neither does Iris, for that matter. They tried to accept it, and they thought they did, but they didn’t really.
74. Oh fuck it, just read 73 again.
75. Okay, what even is this one? Two scenes where they are not present for each other’s “deaths” and thus don’t react to them, meanwhile Cisco is devastated in both of them?
76. Same thing I’ve already said several times before.
77. How many times do I gotta point out that this is a superhero show?
78. Just really trying hard to find enough reasons to make this list 101, huh? (What is Firestorm, chopped liver?)
79. Because violence = chemistry apparently. Wasn’t there another entry about how they can never hurt each other or something?
80. I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over the vibrating hand that shredded Cisco’s heart before either of those scenes happened.
81. It’s like SBers think they’re the only two characters on the entire show.
82. I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over all the other vibrating hands triggering Cisco at least once per season. But sure, Barry and Caitlin are the only two who know suffering.
83. Two words: Flashpoint. Dante. Also, not seeing how this one is romantic.
84. That’s just a Caitlin/Frost thing, fam, it only happened to Barry because he got whammied by Prism, who caused the same effect in everyone else he whammied. (Cisco’s eyes turned purple once when he got hypnotized.)
85. Please. I beg of you. Get friends. Interact with a human person.
Side note: “I trust you�� was almost what I put for Barrisco’s “always/okay”.
86. “Don’t call me that. I don’t know you, string bean.” / “I don’t know who you think you are, but around here, people call me Mr. Ramon.” / “The name is Vibe.” (Again, romance where?)
87. Kinda like how Mirror Iris and Mirror Kamilla have slightly dressier tastes than Real Iris and Real Kamilla.
88. ....Anyways, Vibe........
89. The first time because Cisco saved him, the second time because she froze him just enough to fool Grodd, not enough to actually kill him. (Again I say, what is Firestorm?)
90. So romance. Very love. Much relationship.
91. ANYWAYS, CISCO. (And uh, hello, IRIS???? Joe? Harry?)
92. See 88.
93. This one might be a fun ship parallel if Caitlin had actually been involved in Barry’s brain zapping, but instead it’s just like, “here’s two random scenes that are kinda similar in completely insignificant ways”, like the evil clothes thing a few entries back.
94. Another entry that just demonstrates that their one-on-one moments together, while good, just don’t compare to either of their one-on-one moments with Cisco. I can’t be the only person who sees this.
95 + 96 + 97. I can’t muster up enough interest in any of these shows to watch them all the way through. Is this supposed to impress me?
98 + 99 + 100. The only point this proves is that they have multiple ship names. (I thought their evil ship name was Savifrost?)
101. Mm, sorry, sweetheart, Westallen, Barrisco, and Snowstorm all have them beat in this category.
This post really got away from me, at this point idk what I’m even doing, but I went on too long to stop now.
Oh, shit, there’s a bonus round.
Honestly, I fail to see how a lot of these supposedly “match”? But as for the ones that do, that’s just your basic TV aesthetics, I forget the official name for it. They’re matchy-matchy with Cisco in some of those shots, too, because TV matchy color psychology whatever. It’s a whole thing, every TV show and movie does it.
If anyone actually followed along this far, congratulations on your attention span, my brain could never. Idk how to end this post because it strayed so far from my original intent and basically just turned into a Snowbarry Fandom Doesn’t Make Sense Presentation 2.0
You know, I like to try not to generalize and stuff, and I’d like to think that maybe not all SBers are racist and that some people genuinely just like the ship because they think that makes sense or something, but then I look at their reasons for shipping it, and it’s just the dang blandest thing I ever did see, and they have to reach so far when they try to explain why they think they’re the best “couple” on the show and just??? I am the queen of shipping friends who never get together romantically, but Barry and Caitlin just don’t got it, son. Tbh part of the show’s appeal to me is the fact that there’s no threat of Caitlin ever getting with either of her male bffs in that way, because Cisco is like her brother, and getting with Barry just wouldn’t make sense. It just befuddles me to no end that they are such a wildly popular ship and not a rare pair, because the way their relationship is in canon is just exactly the way it should be.
That’s it, I guess. I’ve already invested this much time in this, so I might as well post it.
Also, please don’t anybody try to start anything in the comments section of this video, this fandom has enough drama as it is.
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surveys-at-your-service · 4 years ago
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Survey #365
“i’m numb to the pleasure, but still feel the pain”
Are there palm trees where you live? No. Do you own any Hello Kitty stuff? If so, what? No. What’s your favorite flavor of ice pop? Blue raspberry. Do you like animal print? What’s your favorite print? Not really. I think animal "print" only really looks nice on, well, animals. Does your dad have any facial hair? Yes. What do you think of foot tattoos? They're not my favorite, but some look nice. I myself wanna get "11121" (a Silent Hill 4 reference) "carved" onto the top of my feet. Do you like bugs or do they scare you? Some do. I've gotten more into them though as my passion for tarantulas expanded to other inverts, like mantises. Ever seen the movie Chernobyl Diaries? If so, did you like it? If not, do you want to see it? I haven't, but I'd be willing to watch it. I find the whole Chernobyl incident to be extremely fascinating, so I'd probably like it. Did your senior class in high school have a class trip? Where did you go? Bitch I wish. :/ Do you have an instagram account? What’s your username? Yeah, two: brittanymphotography and eldritch_obscura. Do you like Gir from Invader Zim? I think he's cute. Do you or would you ever own a gun? Why or why not? No thanks. If I'm not mistaken, I can't legally obtain one anyway because of my suicidal history. I'm fine with having like, pepper spray and a bat handy by the bed, lol. If it was offered for free by a professional, would you get your hair dyed platinum blonde? For FREE? Fuck yeah I'd try it. What do you normally order at Dunkin Donuts? A chocolate frosted donut, and sometimes a plain/cake one. Do you watch football? Favorite teams? No. What about WWE? Favorite wrestler? That's an even bigger no. Funniest thing you’ve ever heard a teacher say? Okay so this is hard to actually explain and it be funny. I had this amazing, kinda charismatically awkward history teacher in high school, and when talking about some legal stuff I can't remember, she deadass quoted "Without Me" by Eminem ("if the FCC won't let me be...") like so casually and everyone fucking died, just from knowing her and her personality. It was just very unexpected. Do you wear a lot of makeup? What do you think of girls who do? No. Girls can wear however much makeup they please. Do you have a savings account? Are you good at saving money? No. I can't really answer the second question because of me never having a steady flow of money. Would you rather have a relationship or casual flings? Relationship, 100%. I would never have a casual fling. Do you know anyone that’s part Native American? Yes. Who was your favorite Spice Girl? I remember none of them. Have you ever tried to poison someone? Yikes, no. Have you ever saved anyone from a fire? No. Have you ever had a seizure? No. I've had sudden spasms, but never a full-on seizure. Have you ever had an out-of-body experience? No. Have you ever had a black eye? No. Have you ever had a tooth pulled? No. Have you ever had pneumonia? I have not. Have you ever had tubes put in your ears? Yes, as a baby. Have you ever been shot with an arrow or bullet? Thank god no. Have you ever had kidney stones? No. Have you even been bitten by an venomous animal? No. Have you ever thought about being in the military? Fuck no. I wouldn't qualify, anyway. Have you ever been sedated or put under anesthesia? Yeah. Have you ever used shrooms or any other hallucinogen? No. What upcoming event are you most looking forward to? I can barely believe my tat appointment is almost here lakjsd;ajwlej;rwe What was the last song you heard? I'm currently listening to Motionless In White's synthwave edit of "Voices" they just put out. I looooove it. What time did you wake up today? Maybe like, 5:20? Is there a vase in the room you’re in? No. Have you recently been insulted? Yes. Compared to someone else of your age and gender; do you feel that you have a lot to offer someone? N O P E How many days a week do you work? I'm unemployed. Is there ONE person you feel more connected to than others? Yes. What is your worst relationship quality? I obsess over the person probably leaving, so especially at the beginning, I'm paranoid and distrustful. I want to emphasize that I'm not the asshole that snoops through her partner's phone out of distrust, but still, the fear is just there. What was your most recent serious injury? A serious one? Man idk. I've had a lot or negligible and smaller ones, but a big one... *shrug* What were you most recently happy about? I was happy to see "synthwave" in this video title, haha. Are you a fan of cake? Oh yes. What is your favorite insect? Butterflies. Is your town beautiful? Ew, no. Do you prefer the city or the country? THE COUNTRY. Have you ever witnessed an eclipse? Lots of lunar eclipses. Do you wear lipstick often? No. You’re going on a date with someone you like. What would you like to do? Considering the pandemic, probably just like... grab fast food and sit and eat at a park. That'd be cute. You’re hanging out with your best friend. What would you like to do? It'd be nice to get back to Avatar: The Last Airbender while hanging out with Doris (her beardie that I adore), too. Have you ever written or considered writing a play? No. Who is considered the “black sheep” of your family? Why? Ha, me. To begin, I like all the "dark" stuff, I'm the unreligious one, the one with political beliefs unlike most of my family, I'm not doing what I should be... Why is your favorite movie your favorite movie? It's just a masterpiece. I love love love animals, African one especially, and I find it to be an amazing story of courage and dedication to family. Plus I shamelessly love all the songs, haha. What’s an odor you hate? GASOLINE. FUCK. What’s a sound you hate? Fingernails on a chalkboard. Or screech-y noises in general. If money was no issue, what would you like to do right now? I was initially gonna say go to Yellowstone, but fuck that hot weather this time of year. So, this brings us back to Venus' terrarium; I'd want to get a new one and better materials. What’s something you’re so good at that you take pride in your skill? I wouldn't say I'm "so good" at it, but I do take pride in my writing. What’s something you’d never ever dare to ask another person? Hm. Under ANY circumstance, I guess "are you pregnant?" There's almost like... no situation where I'd be comfortable asking somebody that. What’s the worst/best thing you’ve done without your parents knowing? We're not getting into that lmao. Do you know anyone who has a hearing deficit? No. What is one thing stopping you from becoming a veterinarian? I could never stand seeing so many hurt and dying animals and still be okay at the end of the day. Are there any opinions you used to have even a few years ago that you look back on and think, “I can’t believe I ever thought that way”? THERE ARE!!!!!!!!!!! A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The last time you cried, what was wrong? I fell and skinned my knees when stepping over this barrier Mom made to keep the damn dog out of the hallway and thus my room to fuck with the cat and eat his food. I previously twisted my ankle, fell backwards, and had one other accident with it despite moving stuff, and I didn't cry from pain, just massive frustration. I want this dog GONE. Do you like multi-choice tests or tests you have to write out? Multiple choice. Who last called you ‘beautiful’? Couldn't tell ya, bud. Have you ever caught a firefly? Yeah, I did that lots as a kid. Do you own any camouflage? No. What’s the stinkiest pet you’ve ever had? Uhhh I dunno. Have you ever been on the news? For what? No. Have you ever seen one of your friends get arrested? No. Do you put sprinkles on anything? No, I hate sprinkles. How do you like your steak? Medium well. Long hair on guys: yes or no? Yaaaaaaaas. Is there a basement in your house? If so, what is it used for? No. When was the last time you started a new medication? It's been a while. What is your favourite type of nut? Cashews, I think. Where did you eat the best pizza you’ve ever eaten in your life? I'm so fuckin basic, like my genuine answer is Domino's lmaooo. Did you ever watch The Rugrats when you were a kid? Yeah, I loved that show. I even had the two video games; I was obsessed with the first one in particular. Do you know anyone who was adopted? Yes. Do your parents’ professions match their college degrees? No. Do you write shopping lists on paper or just remember it in your head? I don't do the shopping, so. But I would definitely need to write it down. Have you ever used a lawnmower? No. Have you ever consumed so much alcohol that you vomited? No. Can you tie balloons? No, actually. My hands are just too shaky. When was the last time you were at a pet store? A few weeks ago when we got rats for Venus. Ugh, it is SO overpriced; they come in a box of two, and as I feed her twice a month, it's honestly quite a bit of money. Like if I remember correctly, it's around $16. FOR TWO. SMALL. RATS. I've recommended we just buy them in bulk NOT from an overpriced chain pet store, but the problem with that is then we have *too* many, and the nutritional value of frozen rats apparently does degrade with time, so I don't want to feed my snake poor food. So it's just an annoying thing we have to do. Have you ever taken a pregnancy test? Not like, an at-home one. I've been tested before surgery, but that was just a safety protocol. Does your ex still think about you? "The" ex, probably not. Honestly, who is the last person to tell you that they love you? My mom. What is the last state you were in besides your own? Virginia. Would you go down to see the Titanic if given the chance? Man, that's kinda tempting. Maybe. It'd be super cool. Have you ever seen the Hollywood sign in real life? No. Did you ever see a scorpion in the wild? No, they don't live here. Do you type the proper way? Have you ever typed on a manual typewriter? Yes to both. What was your maternal grandmother’s first name? Cecelia. Name a word that people use locally that outsiders probably can’t pronounce. Conetoe. You said it wrong.
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imaginaryelle · 5 years ago
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Meta: Luminaries and Power in MDZS
Apparently I’m doing meta for the Untamed Winterfest “star” prompt (day 14) because I keep thinking about “rising stars” and “falling stars” and supernovas and the sun and guiding stars, which makes me think a lot (a lot a lot) about Wei Wuxian, and the Wens, and Jin Guangyao, and Lan Wangji.
Like, we have the Wens here, right?
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And the Wens are basically the cautionary tale for the whole rest of the plot. “Do Not Covet Power” the story tells us over, and over and over, “Power Will Turn Against You,” but the Wens come (chronologically) first. They wear the sun, and the phoenix. They stand triumphant, the brightest star in the sky, and they start thinking that means they are the sun, the source from which all other power flows, the unkillable generator of life. And so the sun turns scorching—there are too many suns in the sky, shoot them down or all life will burn—and the rest of the world snuffs them out, one by one (until one single sun is left, excuse me while I cry over A-Yuan; okay, we’re good).
Pretty blatant, in-your-face cautionary tale for a whole generation, right? Maybe even two generations? “Hey, look, those people over there, they tried to gather up all the power and they died horribly, maybe we should not do that.” Except none of them learn anything. Anything. They still all think it’s about who’s right, completely ignoring the fact that they’re all operating under a “might makes right” mentality, the lot of them (Especially Jin Guangshaun, of course).
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Wei Wuxian starts out as a rising star—the child who came from nothing, but he has so much talent and he shines so bright that no one can ignore him. Even when they hate him, they can’t look away. (He’s also pretty much the only cultivator who regularly talks to the everyday people of the world as if they’re equals, but that’s a whole other thing.) He freely gives power away when he gives Jiang Cheng his golden core. It doesn’t define him, it’s just a tool, which has been very useful but which he can do without.
Honestly, I think if Wen Chao hadn’t found him and dropped him in the Burial Mounds he would have found something else to do. He’d likely stay with Jiang Cheng (who would have to know about him not having a core, once he found Wei Wuxian basically half-dead in that town, I don’t think Wei Wuxian was originally planning to hide that part once it was finished), and still be part of the Jiang sect and consult on tactics and do work that you don’t have to be a cultivator to do (which is a lot, really). He’d still have all the competent-gentleman-skills: archery, riding, calligraphy, etiquette and math, as well as all the general knowledge he’s collected from a truly rarefied education. He can’t use a cultivator’s sword, and he’ll never attain immortality, but there are plenty of other cultivators whose sword skills and quest for a longer lifespan are suspect. Maybe he’d still go on night hunts. Maybe he’d write excellent training manuals or mentor Jiang-sect kids. Maybe he’d make lots of talismans and just wave that in everyone’s faces, idk, it’s really hard to say how talismans work in this universe. Point is, I think he would’ve made things work in a less drastic way than what he ended up with, because at the time the power didn’t matter to him.
But instead Wen Chao does find him and does drop him into the Burial Mound, and whatever happens there (I really, really want to know what happens there), he comes out of it with TOO MUCH power. Power no one has ever seen before. It’s the only way he can survive there. He hoards power for good reasons, for his own survival and (later) to ensure the survival of others, but he is absolutely biting off more than he can actually deal with, and it immediately starts fucking up his life. He’s a supernova in the making. That bottomless source of power not based on his own physical limits + the Tiger Seal + his apparently endless well of traumatic life events means that he is absolutely going to collapse in on himself at some point. He loses reputation, and standing, and then people. He is almost universally reviled, with multiple actions both correctly and falsely attributed to his name. He knows it’s happening—Who can tell me what I’m supposed to do now?—he’s lost every reason he had for hoarding the power in the first place, he’s having uncontrolled explosions of power where thousands of people die, and so he tries to give the power back by destroying the seal so no one can have that power, but power doesn’t work that way: it has to go somewhere, and it goes through him in an event that people are still talking about over a decade later.
And yet. Does anyone learn anything? “Hey, that seal seems like a super dangerous tool there, maybe it should … not be used ever again? Be destroyed? It made that guy incredibly unstable and then he exploded over the whole cultivation world, maybe we should… not?”
No, of course not. (Aside from Lan Wangji, the Nie sect and Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji seems to have developed this knowledge early. Wei Wuxian learns the lesson; it goes hand-in-hand with his (novel) daydreams of leaving the life of a cultivator to be a farmer with Lan Wangji. I think Nie Mingjue knew it too, because the Nie sect has some themes going on with the damage power can do, but he didn’t get a chance to talk about it much. Nie Huaisang, in addition to Nie sect things, is very observant and doesn’t have strong ambition at all until he starts getting fucked with, so he has less to figure out on this front.)
Everyone else still thinks it was about the Wens, and “corruption” and that Wei Wuxian was just wrong, even though they were the ones you know… killing children and elderly people in a culture that supposedly values both quite highly. Power is just power, right? Nothing wrong with power, in fact, maybe we should expand that power even more, with a centralized system of control. Supervisor posts? No, no, these are watchtowers. They’re for your benefit too, I promise. Also blackmail, lets use lots of blackmail and some really deep dungeons, but it’s totally okay because it’s us doing it, right.
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Jin Guanyao is Hou Yi, the archer who shot down the sun (that link again), and rose to become an imperial tyrant—whose cruelty led his wife to abandon him (I’ve read multiple versions of Hou Yi, but this one fits here) and cut short his quest for immortality. His whole life is about gathering power, and justifiably so given how aware he is of the precarious nature of his position for most of it. Anytime someone feels like it, they can cut him down with a single reference to his mother. It doesn’t matter what his talents are, or how clever or well-spoken he is. Everything he’s built up for himself can be taken away in an instant, because he’s the son of a prostitute and that means he doesn’t matter. This is not to say that he doesn’t deserve Nie Mingjue’s reprisal or Nie Huaisang’s revenge, of course. He absolutely does horrific, terrible things every step of the way, and for entirely selfish reasons. But he’s Wie Wuxian’s closest foil: here’s what happens when someone of merit, rather than bloodline, seeks power: they’re creative, and innovative, and oh boy are they going to shake the world. This is what happens when cruelty and manipulation take the place of love and affection in a child’s life: each perpetuates itself on a larger scale—I will kill even those closest to me vs. I will die to protect a stranger. This is how the quest for power plays out when the motivation is selfishness, rather than selflessness. In the end, both are inherently flawed, because the power itself is the root of the problem.
Unlike Wei Wuxian, Jin Guanyao holds onto his power until the very last second. Literally, any scrap, even just Lan Xichen’s affection for him. His fall is fast, and guttering—so fast that it’s over before most of the world even knows it’s started. He’s a meteorite, his origins worse than obscure, growing ever brighter in the sky until he crashes to earth, leaving devastation in his wake. And I mean that literally, the power-structure of the world is shattered by the dual events of his exposure and his death. It’s so completely broken that in their rush to consolidate power once more, the person all these leaders turn to is Lan Wangji, who just happens to be the most reputable guy still standing at the end.
So, let’s look at Hanguang-jun, the Light-Bearer.
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Lan Wangji is the lodestar. He’s a constant that rarely, if ever, wavers in his convictions, and for the purpose of the plot he’s effectively the example of what an “ideal” cultivator should be (I know other people have written about LWJ and the Confucian ideal, especially @rustycol so I’m not going far into that here). He’s arguably the most successful character in the canon. He has both bloodline and merit working in his favor, and he’s pretty much the most respected cultivator in the world by the time he’s 35 (ages in this canon are a mess). He can disobey or even betray his clan and not be uprooted, which is a luxury literally no one else has (yes, he’s punished, yes, there are consequences, but he attacked 33 elders and didn’t get kicked out or killed! He’s still respected and part of the clan! Don’t tell me that’s not because he’s the clan leader’s bloodline—there are a lot of things that can be said about LWJ and his clan and morality but they’re for yet another post).
The protagonist thinks highly of him. The next generation looks up to him, pretty much universally. He is respected even by people who don’t like him, and has almost zero actual enemies (Su She isn’t even a luminary in this meta analogy, Su She is a dude with a lantern trying to blame the stars for the fact that he can’t fly). Lan Wangji is the guiding light that goes into dark places where chaos reigns and brings clarity, and calm, and (often unforgiving) justice. He doesn’t seek power, and he doesn’t hoard it. In the novel, the only prize he takes away from Jin Guanyao’s fall is the certain knowledge of Wei Wuxian’s love. He doesn’t want anything else, and that’s why he gets to walk off into the sunset with the love of his life and keep his peerless reputation, even in a culture as steeped in homophobia as the novel’s world. Obviously the drama has a different ending, but I think the point still stands: Lan Wangji is so well-respected and utterly reliable that I doubt anyone even thinks twice about offering him the position of Chief Cultivator. Who else could they choose, shocked and appalled as they are in Jun Guanyao’s wake, but the star that never moves no matter how the heavens turn?
It’s been a rough 15 years. Between Lan Wangji, Nie Huaisang and that last Wen child, maybe they’ll finally get that lesson about hoarding power to stick in a few more people’s minds. We can only hope.
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theclownandtheflame · 5 years ago
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AIGHT FELLAS it's me ya slut writing a Gaius x MC fic so if you don't like Gaius or feel grossed out by the idea of a ship then DON'T READ IT haaaa no seriously don't read it. Also don't shame those who like it. PEACE! 🧚🏻‍♀️
Btw I didn't quite finish it bc idk my imagination gets dry sometimes and stuff. BUT if any of you want me to keep writing, then ask so and I'll do it! I'll do it either way but oh well ksksksks here we go!
Victim, Victim, Monster
A Gaius Augustine x MC drabble/fic
Written by @theclownandtheflame
DISCLAIMER: Some NSFW, slight mentions of PTSD (not romanticized tho!! ew!!)
Characters used &/or mentioned belong to Pixelberry!!! All rights to them even if they take ours on a daily basis
My mother language is Portuguese so please excuse my grammar should it be necessary!
MC's name is Athena because,, :)
Final warning for Gaius' haters: don't. read. below. the line !!!!!!!!
_________________________________________
"Athena, I did terrible things to you. I abducted you. I raided your mind. I tortured your friends. I killed you."
Funny how stating the obvious got him stuck in her mind the whole night. Fragile, the bloodkeeper clutched her pillow and busied herself with happier thoughts. As if there were any at times like these.
They had just escaped the island when its effects fully wore out. She couldn't blame "grandpa" for her restlessness, as much as she wanted to. So much to consider after trekking across the ugly truth and all she could think about was Gaius. Gaius Augustine.
She heaved a dramatic sigh before changing positions. Now, laying on her back, Athena realized this was probably the best night of sleep she's had in a while. Even if there was, like, absolutely no sleeping involved.
What kept her up wasn't the nightmares this time. Something about their talk, as eerie as it went, helped her conceal the fact his face would haunt her forever. Because, oh, it would.
"You can't sleep, can you?"
The agony, crawling under her skin, hit so deep she could hear his voice at any given time. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she stared at the ceiling, counting sheeps for a change. No nightmares, no daydreams, but absolutely not a hint of tranquility.
"... Athena."
She huffed. If she knew coming to good terms with the enemy would bring him inside her head, she wouldn't have taken the high road. Her lips still tingled from the kiss she pressed to his cheek. The electric warmth shared upon breaking a boundary she would've never have crossed days prior.
If only her friends could see her now. Touching her lips with her fingertips. Thinking fondly of a monster they swore to kill.
"Are you asleep? Do you actually sleep with your eyes open? You are one strange woman."
"Leave, demon!" She hissed, forcing herself up to sit by the edge of the bed. Both hands rubbed at her temples as she whispered words of discouragement, praying to have her brain raided by better thoughts. A psych vampire who can't watch after her own mind was most likely a joke.
Until she glanced towards the door, slowly, blushing deeply at the owner of her inner voices who simply stared back in awe. So it wasn't her imagination playing tricks, huh?
He blinked. Fast.
"... Did you think I—"
"Shut up." She lisped. Her hands continued to cradle her head even as he walked in, eyebrows arched.
"I was hoping you'd be less fussy after our conversation."
Without expecting an invitation, he crossed the distance between them and leaned into the wall across from her.
Surprisingly she didn't budge. Not until her body flinched at the cold breeze that entered freely from the gap he left by keeping the door open.
"Yeah, so was I." The woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep herself from shaking.
Once aware of the situation, Gaius snatched her pillow and tossed it on the door. It slammed closed from the impact, but it wasn't loud enough to startle the others.
"Hey!" She gasped, watching the scene with eyes wide. "Couldn't you just go and close it manually? Like, running for it? You're a powerful vampire, dude."
Entertained by her fright, he smirked.
"I'm also way too comfortable standing right here... dude."
Gaius Augustine was a monster. Is a monster. She couldn't really tell. Decades of cruelty couldn't be wiped out so easily, as Kamilah strongly suggested whenever she mentioned his name. Yet, the way he looked at her with a mixture of sorrow and regret proved it true: Rheya broke him whole.
He stood still, stiffening once their eyes met, and suddenly all she could see was a wounded hound looking for shelter.
"Why are you here?" She asked at last. A simple question that sent him looking for scrappers of answers he couldn't quite provide.
Why was he there, really? Because she's the only one who didn't give him a hard time? Because she knew how his mind worked, and therefore they had a reliable bond?
Because she's the only good thing left of the Rheya he once loved?
He needn't consider any further. That last possibility drained all colors from his face. Staring blankly ahead, his mouth slightly ajar, Gaius ignored her altogether and hurried towards the door.
"Wait!" She called out. Without further ado, Athena leaped to her feet and approached the man to lay a hand on his as it reached for the knob.
The look he gave her was a haunting one. Desperate. He couldn't bear looking at her face without feeling himself break further.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
He was terrified of her.
"I must leave." He blurted out, but his body remained unmoving. The gentle touch he felt on his hand moved on to his cheek, and suddenly he found himself leaning into it.
What the hell, Athena? What are you doing?, She thought. He abducted you, raided your mind, tortured your friends, killed you!
Their eyes met once more, and this time they didn't go astray. They glared at each other's hues while their heads swirmed with questions of where they stood and what they meant.
Victim, victim, monster.
Both experiencing a strong attraction that most likely came to life due to their shared fear:
To lose a purpose without making it right.
Pulling away out of a sudden, Athena turned on her heels and walked in front of a mirror. He followed short after, magnetized, his hands yearning to grasp her hips but resting on his belt instead. His towering figure could be easily seen behind her as a smile crept on her rosy lips.
"What?" He frowned. "What's so amusing to you that clearly isn't to me?"
Biting on her bottom lip, she gestured towards their reflections, believing it would be enough. By the way his lips puckered, it wasn't.
"We're vampires. Yet we can see ourselves on the mirror. Hollywood's fishy, isn't it?"
Sighing sharply not to roll his eyes at her foolishness, he leaned into her to touch the mirror's surface. The way his chest pressed into her back so that his palm could reach the glass made her heartbeats quicken.
The funny look he gave her through a squint was enough to say he heard them loud and clear. And enjoyed being the cause of it.
"You don't believe Vlad's tales, do you? It's outrageous. The man is a buffoon." He quirked an eyebrow. Looking at the mirror at the same time, the two shot each other challenging glares until she burst into laughter.
"Nah. He's not that great, by the way. I don't see the appeal... and I've certainly had better."
Wiggling her eyebrows, Athena fist-bumped the air upon spotting a crimson shade spread on his cheeks. He'd have pulled away to adjust his posture if she hadn't laid her hand upon his.
Her fingers grazed his until curling around them, her touch so gentle he could barely feel it. He closed his eyes when she laid her head back on his shoulder, and his arm slowly slithered around her waist in return.
Humming to herself, Athena shrunk into his arms and cherished the warmth of his hold. Then, the touch of his lips on her ear, of his breath tickling her skin.
"I do see the appeal in this." He growled, softly, making her body shiver from goosebumps. "Of holding you close to me instead of hunting you down. Of saving you instead of dragging you to harm's way."
The hand he had holding on her waist moved up to her breasts, hovering over her cleavage as he reached for a necklace as an excuse to his gestures. Her heart was entirely out of control at this point, beating faster by the minute – but she didn't care. She wanted him to be aware of his effects. Tilting her head, she brushed her lips across his jawline and smirked at the hiss she got in response.
"Well, there is a saying for that, y'know? Make love, not war."
Having distracted him with an array of kisses on his jaw, she reached back around her neck to unclip the necklace and toss it away. He needn't an excuse. Not anymore.
"So which one's gonna be? I'm warning you though, I'm great at waging war."
"You are infuriating." Without further notice, his hands clutched her hips to flip her around.
Once she could face him properly, Athena inched forth to try his lips for the first time, but he made sure to keep her at arm's length. His eyes, dark with lust, studied her frame before locking on her features. It's like he was seeing her for the first time, savoring the sight of something he craved despite unaware.
He took it in without a wish to kill but to touch, appraise, caress. Taste.
"Kiss me." She ordered, her voice but a whisper as his thumbs drew circles around her hips.
"No, Bloodkeeper..." He hummed, his nose brushing hers as he fought the urge to give it in. "I'm not so sure I am worthy of your lips."
Dodging temptation, he pressed a kiss to her cheek instead. A warm reminder that there's still good in this world as much as there could be in him.
"Goodnight, Athena."
She shook her head. He couldn't leave now, not when she found a way around the sharp edges of his heart. However, he was too determined to cut it short before it was too late. Even if something told him they were way past that.
Averting his gaze not to meet her hungry eyes, he planted one last kiss on her forehead and left with haste.
"Great..." She mumbled, more restless than ever. "Now I definitely can't sleep."
-//-
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purplesurveys · 4 years ago
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1093
survey by pinkchocolate
Hi there! This list is based on some things I've done recently. Let's say, within the last few days. Have you done any of these things in the last few days?
Worn make-up? I never wear makeup. I’ve never felt the need to.
Worn perfume? Sure. I went out last Sunday to bring Cooper to the vet and to take myself out to a coffee shop for a few hours, so I wanted to make sure I smelled decent.
Taken selfies? I think I may have, but I’m sure I deleted them almost immediately.
Shared some photos on social media? Yes, I posted a couple photos of Cooper because he was being super smiley the other day. I also shared a photo of my laptop, which was playing Friends, beside my Friends mug the other night.
Woken up to the sound of your phone vibrating? Technically. But this usually happens when I’m trying to fall asleep in the evening, i.e. someone sending a late-night message, and not in the morning.
Heard the rain outside your window? Yes. It’s literally happening right now haha it just started raining.
Added sugar to a mug of tea/coffee? No. I use 3-in-1 coffee packets, which are already pre-mixed and all I have to do is add hot water. I’m terrible with measurements and starting from scratch and I doubt I’ll ever get the hang of manually combining coffee + sugar + milk + creamer + whatever else goes into coffee haha.
Refilled your drinks bottle? I don’t use a tumbler. I’m at home nearly every day of the week so I always have access to our glasses.
Felt emotionally involved while reading a book? This has happened before for sure, but not in the last few days.
Chuckled/laughed while reading a book? Uhhh I guess. My employer recently lent me this book on PR that they thought would help me gain a richer appreciation of the industry and I guess I did lightly chuckle at a few humorous anecdotes in it.
Spilled a drink? I don’t think so.
Eaten something that was sprinkled with sugar? Nope. I’ve eaten sweets here and there but nothing sprinkled with sugar.
Googled the definition of a word? At least a few times a day.
Read a Wikipedia article? Yes, I love Wikipedia. The last entry I read was a list on notable last words.
Laughed at a video you watched online? So many times. The main reason I watch videos is to be entertained and to laugh, to be honest; so it’s nice that a lot of creators make great, funny content.
Craved a savoury snack of some description? I’ve been craving gourmet donuts for weeks now. Nothing sweet; I’m looking for those with creative, out-of-the-box flavors.
Cursed after dropping an item on the floor? Probably.
Been amused by your pet's behaviour? I am always amused at their behavior. Kimi’s approaching 13 years but he still makes me laugh every single day.
Recognized an actor in a TV show, from another show you'd seen? I’ve only been watching Friends, soooo nothing to compare it to.
Seen an actor on TV that you thought attractive? Courteney Cox, always.
Typed something in a word processor? I had to look this up lol, but I guess I have if Google Docs counts as one? I use it a lot for work.
Been asked a question that you found awkward or difficult to answer? Sure. My grandma called up when I was stuck in a particularly tough period of my shift and she was asking how it’s been. I didn’t want to worry her or overshare, so I paused for a bit and just said “it’s going great!”
Smelled a pleasant food aroma? Yeah, my dad cooks up some great stuff al the time.
Dipped your food in ketchup, mayonnaise or another sauce? Tartar sauce.
Forgotten a hot beverage, then found it had gone cold? I don’t make hot beverages, so.
--
survey by kellyburnsred
What music video do you wish you were in? I don’t watch music videos a lot, mostly because they’re usually not at all related to the song it corresponds to and I never saw the point. Buttt idk, the one I had some of the most fun watching was One Direction’s Best Song Ever because it was hilarious. It’d be cool to fuck around with the characters there.
Who makes you laugh the most? I’d say it’s either Andi or Hans. JM and Kate are good runners-up.
You only can eat three things the rest of your life, what do choose? That would make me sick of those foods so fast...but if it were a legit life-and-death situation, I would go with surf and turf (so that I at least have a bit of variety), rice (because I can’t live without rice), and macarons (for something sweet).
What's one thing you wish you had in your life right now? Macarons. I recently liked a slew of local macaron shops on Facebook and even though I know it’s my fault, I hateeee that my feed is filled with macarons now haha.
If you had to give up your style, what other style would you choose? I’m not really sure. I can think of more styles I’m not willing to adopt, than those that can be my back-up.
What's your favorite ice cream topping? Hot fudge.
What is the bare minimum of sleep you could function on? I guess 3 or 4, but that’s the barest of the bare minimum. I would still be cranky if I was only able to sleep for that few hours.
When you drive, do you generally speed? Yeah, if I can. You’re always stuck in traffic in Manila so if you have the chance to press harder on the gas, you typically wouldn’t want to miss out on it.
Are you an animal lover? Yes, except for pests and insects I don’t like, like cockroaches.
What's the dumbest thing you've done because someone dared you? I once ate a piece of siomai that already fell to the ground; when I ate it I felt a lot of tiny pebbles and other debris so I promptly spat it out in a nearby bin.
What is the most disgusting trait that you have? Idk...typical disgusting habits make me wince myself. The worst thing I can think of is that I tend to keep my nails super long just out of neglect; and I usually only clip them once dirt starts getting trapped under the nails, or once it starts to become hard to type.
What was the last thing you talked to your friends about? Angela had made this really cute, DIY foldable collage for Hans for his birthday yesterday and I just checked in on her earlier to ask if he loved it.
What part of your day do you look forward to the most? The moment my shift ends.
What are your favorite song lyrics? This week, it’s probably “It isn’t the same, but it is enough.” It’s oddly calming no matter how sad the actual context is.
Who are your closest friends? Angela and Andi.
What profession do you admire the most? All are worthy of admiration. I don’t really have a ~favorite~
Do you believe in karma? Not strictly in the spiritual sense; but it can be comforting to think that the people who have hurt me will have their ass handed back to them someday.
What do you think is the funniest show on TV? Ooh, I don’t watch a lot of TV anymore...I have a sitcom in mind but it ended 17 years ago and it’s still pretty polarizing to this day, lol.
Are you an organ donor? No.
Did you have imaginary friends when you were younger? Just one, but I didn’t get the point of it and I got bored very quickly.
Have you ever smoked weed? No but a friend knows a supplier should I ever want to start getting into it.
Who do you look up to for your style? Idk, whatever girls my age are wearing these days.
What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought? With my own money, probably the hotel accommodation I purchased for my dad’s birthday this weekend. I’m super stingy with my money and I can’t imagine spending 4 or 5 figures on something just for myself.
What's your favorite amusement park ride? Not too big on rides.
Who was the craziest teacher you've ever had? Ironically, it was my Christianity/religion teacher from 5th grade. We bumped into each other a few weeks after I graduated high school and his first remark towards me was about my breasts. He did a lot of stupid shit too when I was in 5th grade but I don’t feel like getting into them because he was just one big headache of a man.
Where would you like to travel that you have not been? Thailand, if within Asia; Spain if outside.
If you could be any musician for a day, who would you be and why? No thanks.
Do you have any tattoos? No.
What are your favorite scary movies? Some favorites are Carrie, The Shining, and Scream.
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war-sword · 5 years ago
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the ilvermorny exchange (6)
Part 6 | index | masterlist
summary: you’re an Ilvermorny student, and you’ve applied to the International Magic Student Exchange Program to attend your sixth year at Hogwarts instead. You and your friends are excited to go to school overseas, but a certain blonde prefect has decided to personally make your exchange year suck. You decide to give him a taste of his own medicine. (draco x reader, enemies to lovers, female reader) words: 7,699 A/N: Hi guys! Welcome back! So many people asked me to continue this fic so I decided fuck it lets go. And here we are!!! Hope you all enjoy. Small side note, when I was writing the first 5 chapters of this story I did originally have a side-plot of Alex having a crush on Ginny Weasley. I took those parts out because for some reason I thought it might be distracting?? Or people would think it was weird?? Idk but now I'm putting it back in because the person irl who Alex is modeled after asked me to lmfao. So I've gone back and added those into the past chapters, in case you wanna go back and refresh yourself anyway! taglist: @tragically-cordelia @mhftrs @2pumpkin-pasty @gingerlouisgirl @seriouslynotfunny @clockworkherondale @cherrie511 @songforhema @marvelrose @acciodracoo @eltanin-malfoy​
◈◈◈
“Fucking finally.” Alex smirks at you good-naturedly as you meet her in the corridors between the Horned Serpent and Thunderbird dorms.
“Ms. Angeles had to pin my skirt! It was an emergency!” You reply.
Alex just rolls her eyes, and you head off in the direction of the center of the Ilvermorny castle. “Ugh. I wish Mr. Foxbrair had let me wear the boys outfit,” she pulls at the suspenders of her pale blue skirt irritably.
“At least we have pockets!” You say, digging your hands into them for emphasis. “I think they’re cute.” You spin as you walk, letting the skirt flare out. You and Alex, like all the rest of the last years, are dressed in your formal Ilvermorny uniforms. Blue suspender skirts and white long-sleeve button downs for the girls, while the boys wear cranberry pants and white button-downs. Everyone wears ties with their house emblem.
As last years, you’ve arrived at Ilvermorny a few hours early to change into your uniforms and prepare for the lower years to arrive. You get perform the opening dance at the First Feast tonight, and help younger students find their way as they settle in. But first– you want your wand.
There’s a bit of a line at the counter, which has multiple windows. You and Alex join the shortest one, and you peer over the shoulder of the person in front of you to watch the slender wand boxes fly around as the teachers working the counter summon them from the safe behind.
“I’m so glad this is the last time we ever have to do this. I can’t wait to do magic at home,” Alex sighs.
“Same. It’s so hard having to go from cleaning my room here and then having to do it manually all summer,” you agree.
You and Alex are both startled by a hand clapping down on your shoulders. You both turn to see Chris behind you, laughing.
“Chris! Hey!” You say, grabbing him around the middle in a tight hug. Alex piles on top and the three of you giggle, swaying unsteadily.
“What’s up?” He asks as you all separate.
“Not much,” Alex says. “You look good in those pants.”
Chris poses. “I think pink and red are my colors. Too bad I’m going to look like a giant idiot when we have to dance.”
“Chris, literally all we do is weave between the tables and shoot the streamers out of our wands. We’ve watched it happen for the past six years, do you not know how it goes?” You ask, incredulous.
“You think I pay attention?” He responds. You just laugh and move forward in the line.
 Alex gets her wand first and cradles it like a newborn. “Ohhhhh, my sweet baby, I missed you.” She kisses it gently for dramatic effect. You don’t even laugh though, because the second you have yours in your hand, you feel like you could do the same. Holding your wand for the first time in three months makes your nerves come alive and you feel like you could burst at the seams with happiness. Being reunited with your wand feels like being reconnected with a part of your soul.
You flick your wand and gentle wisps of glittery mist come out of the tip and dissipate into the air, making you grin. “I love magic.”
The three of you mill around in the entryway afterwards, greeting all your other friends you hadn’t seen over the holidays. Some of your friends from last year’s exchange trip come over, too.
“What’s up, Y/n?” Kenny asks as he sweeps you into a hug.
“Hey!” You and Alex take turns giving him a hug, and he goes in for a handshake with Chris.
“How was Taiwan?”
“Oh, so cool.” Chris’s eyes glitter.
“Whoa, I forgot you were going there!” You exclaim. “You were meeting family, right?”
“Yeah. So many cousins, so many family meals. I’ve never eaten so much zong zi in my life, dude.”
“Did you go anywhere else?” Kenny elbows him, a sly smile on his face. “England, perhaps?”
Chris just rolls his eyes. “No. Emi only ever sent me three letters, but she was in China visiting her family like I was in Taiwan. What about you guys?” He turns to you and Alex. “Either of you go to Europe?”
“Hell no, Portkeys overseas are expensive!” Alex says. Chris was, of course, referring to her visiting the Weasley’s. Alex had started dating Ginny towards the end of the term in May, shortly after the last Quidditch match. Ron was of course angry Ginny kept dating his friends, but the rest of you thought it was cute. Chris and Kenny look at you expectantly.
You shake your head. “Me neither. Draco was traveling, and we agreed against meeting the parents anyway. It was never that serious.” You give a shrug. It was true, though. Still, when you’d left Hogwarts in June, it had obviously been a sad departure. You’d been a little teary as you hugged goodbye.
“Are you crying?” Draco had asked, sounding both shocked and concerned for you.
“No,” you said grumpily, rubbing your eyes fiercely on the edge of your sleeve.
His eyes had softened and he brushed your hair out of your face. “Come on, you know you can’t lie to me. Why?”
You’d just buried your head into his chest, too embarrassed about being so emotional. “‘Cuz we’re breaking up and I can’t handle it like an adult. Ugh.” You’d mumbled.
Draco pulled you away from him a little so he could whisper in your ear. “Who said we’re breaking up?”
“We’re not?” You’d sniffed.
He’d had that stupid smile on his face that made you want to deck him but also make your heart jump into your throat. “Last I checked, I didn’t break up with you, so, unless you’re the one doing the breaking up…” 
“Oh, I hate you!” You’d groaned, but also smiling at the same time. Draco had picked you up off the ground to make you giggle.
“I hate you, too. So stop crying!” He’d put you down and pressed a few kisses on your cheek and your forehead. “Write to me, okay? I promise we’ll see each other again.”
“Okay, we better. Wait, I need your address!”
“Oh, shit. Do you have parchment?”
“No.”
“Uh, okay stick out your arm.”
You’d both been a giggling mess as Draco scratched out his address onto your forearm with one of his fancy Always-Inked Quills, your laughing interspersed with him begging you to be more still and not smudge.
“We’re such idiots.” Your tears of sadness had turned to ones of laughter.
“Speak for yourself!” He’d exclaimed. You kissed one last time.
“Bye, Y/n.”
“Bye, Draco.”
“Uh, ‘not that serious’ my ass.” Alex says, bringing you back out of your memories. “You were both crying.”
“We were laughing!” You defended. “And it’s true, we only exchanged a few letters. We were both busy and international owl post takes a while.”
“Damn, we all got the shaft from our British wifeys!” Chris complains.
“Aha, not me!” Alex does a little dance. “Ginny is coming for the Exchange this year.”
Chris and Kenny ooh’d. You already knew this, of course. Alex was lucky that Ginny was in the year below. It was unlikely you’d see any of your Hogwarts friends until you graduated, but Alex and Ginny would get a whole other year together.
“Who’s coming for the Exchange?” Sarah had appeared, walking up with Alice.
“Ginny Weasley,” you answer.
“Ooh, fun. Who else is coming?” Sarah asks.
You all exchange glances. “I dunno, I guess we didn’t really know many other people in the year below us while we were there,” Kenny says.
“I don’t think any of Gin’s friends are coming, she probably would’ve mentioned it,” adds Alex.
“Anyone want to go to the inner courtyard to go do some spells?” Chris suggests, changing the subject.
You all agree readily, and head outside. You take turns messing around– levitating rocks, each other, and you and Chris have a mini-duel, ending with his dress uniform completely ruined. Sarah expertly Scourgifies it clean again. Alex and Kenny work together to enlarge a small patch of mushrooms so you can all climb on them. Chris has just discovered they’re great slides when you hear a voice ring across the courtyard.
“WHAT DO YOU YOU ALL THINK YOU’RE DOING?”
Everyone freezes, your first instinct being fear. You turn your head, gazing down from the mushroom to see Ms. Bell standing a few feet off, watching you with a smile on your face.
“Uh, nothing!” Kenny calls.
“Hey Ms. Bell!” You, Sarah and Alice chorus.“We’ll put it back, don’t worry!” You slide down off the mushroom and run over to her to give your favorite teacher a hug.
“How was your summer? You need to come visit me and tell me about your Exchange year!” She asks, giving you a gentle squeeze.
“Great!I’ll definitely come by to tell you about Hogwarts.”
“Awesome!” She beams.  “Ready for your last year?”
“Yes! But also no, I’ll be so sad to leave.” You say, as the rest of the group comes over to say hello. “I’m going to sign up for your new class! the History of Magical Painting and Photography, right?”
“Yes, I’m excited for it,” she says, giving Sarah a side hug. “You should all sign up if you like art, I think it’s going to be lots of fun. I’ve been planning for it all summer.” Sarah and Alice nod, and the others politely say they’ll consider it.
“Alright, I’ve got to go. I’m on Exchange Student duty again.” Ms. Bell brandishes a scroll of parchment, her own dress cloak swishing as she moves.  “Fix those mushrooms back before you all leave, please!”
“Wait, which Exchange?” You ask.
“Hogwarts, same as last time.”
“Can we see the list?” Alex asks. “My girlfriend is coming, we just want to see if there’s anyone else we know.”
Ms. Bell unrolls the parchment and you all gather around to read it. Your eyes scan the paper and you don’t recognize anyone else except Ginny– Wait! Your heart skips a beat, and you blink your eyes and grasp the edge of the parchment next to Ms. Bell’s hand, making sure you read it correctly.
Draco Malfoy.
“See anyone else you know?” Ms. Bell asks.
Alex catches sight of your shocked expression and laughs. “We know him!” She points to Draco’s name.
“But… but he’s in our year. He isn’t eligible for the Exchange,” you say softly. “It must be a mistake.”
“Hm, I don’t think so. I remember he was a later addition.”
You’re still staring off into space while Ms. Bell rolls up the parchment. “I really have to go. Would you guys like to come along to greet your friends?”
You and Alex follow Ms. Bell out of the courtyard, still slightly in a haze. Was Draco really coming? He’d never mentioned it to you, while you were at Hogwarts or in any of his letters. And besides, IMSEP rules were really strict; He was too old for Exchange. Alex elbowed you and broke you from your stupor.
“You didn’t know he was coming?” She asks.
“No! I had no idea! Is that like, allowed?” Even as you say it, thoughts are already bubbling into your mind. Draco, here, at Ilvermorny. With you. You’ll get to show him around, go to classes again, you can go on dates on weekends out… You were getting excited. Alex is smiling like crazy and clutching your hand. You can’t help but grin also.
When you get to the front lawn, the afternoon sun is getting lower as the last of the Portkeys come in. Students are arriving in descending order of their grade, so they can get settled into their dorms before dinner. First year’s arrive last, as well as Exchange students, so they can be sorted before the First Feast. You watch a group of eleven year olds go by, led by a teacher and another last year. Ms. Bell leads you over to an open patch of grass where the Hogwarts Portkey will let out, and checks her watch. “They should be here any moment.”
A moment later, there’s a whooshing sound and a group of almost twenty people land on the lawn pretty far away, some of who you can see toppling over as they land hard. “Oh no, we’re too far away!” Ms. Bell begins walking at a brisk pace towards the group.
Alex starts running, obviously already honed in on Ginny. You walk along with Ms. Bell, still not sure Draco will be there. As you draw closer, you spot his bright hair in the mass of people. You start running too.
Draco spots you coming, and looks slightly surprised, but still smiling. He lets go of his trunk and bag to open his arms, and you launch yourself into them.
“Hey baby!” He laughs into your ear as he spins you around. “Are you surprised?"
“You. Are. The biggest. Bastard!” You cry once he puts you down, hitting on his chest with your fists to punctuate your words.
“Ouch! Okay, enough with the hitting!” He’s still laughing though, pulling your fists away. You put up a tiny fight, but he’s much stronger than you. When he lets go you wrap your arms around him in another hug.
“Yes I’m surprised!” You say, pulling back again. You’re not sure if you want to hug him again, kiss him, hit him some more or just look into his eyes. There’s so much you want to do at once. “And wow, I think you got tan when you went to Italy.”
Draco chuckles. “It won’t last long. And look at you! You’ve cut your hair!” He takes his hands off your waist to brush through the strands.
“Yes! It’s a little shorter now. You like?”
“I love it.” His eyes keep flicking across your face and the rest of you like he can’t get enough, and you’re glad to know he feels the same way. He leans down and finally places a gentle kiss on your lips, and you feel like you could explode from happiness.
Ms. Bell finally reaches the group. “Hi Everyone! Welcome to Ilvermorny. Please look around and make sure the person you were standing next to is here, sometimes people do go missing… all good?” She retrieves the used Portkey, an umbrella, from the ground, and waves her wand. Everyone’s luggage vanishes, off to be kept until after the sorting. “Alright, let's go!” We don’t want to get behind schedule, we’ve got lots to do tonight before we get to eat!”
You grab Draco’s hand as you all start the walk back towards the castle. “So how were you allowed to come here? You’re too old for Exchange! How did you convince your parents? How long will you be here?” All the questions that were buzzing around in your head came spilling out all at once.
“I’ll be here all year,” Draco said. “I transferred, I’m not on Exchange. And lots and lots of convincing.”
You really didn’t have anything to say, you were just in happy shock. You smiled to yourself as you looked back at the castle and thought about Draco living there, too.
“I hope you’re not mad,” he said, looking over at you. “Should I have told you?”
“No! I’m not mad, just surprised is all!” You say. “Wow, I can’t wait for you to get sorted!”
“Should be interesting,” Draco muses. “I’ve been wondering how it will go.” The group had reached the castle, and Draco gives your hand a squeeze. “We’ll talk after, okay? You can show me around.”
Ms. Bell marches up the steps and stops in between the large statues of Isolt Sayre and James Steward, where the large group of first years are gathered. She motions for you and Alex to follow her, and you leave Draco behind with a wink. The three of you go around the set of big front doors and enter through a side corridor.
You part from Ms. Bell, and head quickly up the stairs to the balcony under the glass dome on the main rotunda. Alex spots your friends, and you both hurry to join them, muttering apologies as you make your way to the railing– last years get to sit at the front to watch the sorting.
“Hey,” you mutter, sitting down just behind your roommates, Stella and Grace. You hadn’t seen them since you moved in earlier that afternoon. “Guess what?”
“What?” Grace asks. Chris shifts back to be next to you so Alex can sit near the railing and dangle her feet off the edge.
“Y/N’s boyfriend is here.” Alex answers before you can.
“What?” Stella gasps. Grace’s mouth drops open in surprise. “You didn’t tell us!”
“I literally found out ten minutes ago! Sneaky asshole.” You look between Alex and Chris. “He’s transferred.”
“Oh, shit.” Chris looked impressed. “Because of you?”
“Maybe? I don’t know! We didn’t get to talk too much, we were coming in here.”
“Point him out to us when he comes in.” Grace says, looking towards the big double doors. Stella nods in agreement.
A hush falls over the rotunda as your Principal, Joan Rittler, sweeps into view below to stand on the golden knot on the floor, surrounded by the four statues of Ilvermorny. She’s wearing dress robes also, long black ones with intricate navy, cranberry and gold embroidery that swirl gently. Her long dreadlocks are piled on her head in a complicated knot that also has gold accents decorating it. She raises her ring covered hands for complete silence. “Hello, everyone,” she begins. “We are about to start our age old tradition of Sorting our new students. Please remember to remain quiet until the student has chosen their House.”
 She turns and raises her hands toward the double doors, and they swing open. The group of first years all shuffle in uncertainty, the older group of exchange students sticking out at the back because they’re so much taller. Principal Rittler ushers them to come further inside with a welcoming smile on her face. Once the blob of kids has made a rough semicircular shape at the edge of the room, the doors close back. You spot Draco near the wall, his eyes scanning the balcony for you, but you’re probably just a bit too far back. You elbow Grace and point to Draco’s blonde head.
“I didn’t know you were dating an albino,” Grace murmurs over the sound of the footsteps below.
You can’t even argue with her. “He’s actually tan right now, if you can believe it.”
“Merlin.”
Principal Rittler’s voice fills the rotunda without her even trying. “Welcome, students. You are all about to be sorted into your Houses. You will come up, one at a time, and stand on this knot–” she gestures to her feet– “and your House will be announced by the movement of the statues. You may then go over and join your new House mates behind the statue.”
“We have Thunderbird, for those with powerful and adventurous souls. Puckwudgie, for the strong and healing of heart. Wampus, for the brave warriors of body, and Horned Serpent for those engaged and scholarly minds. If more than once House wants you, it is up to you to choose, so think carefully.”
You felt a tiny twinge in your stomach at Principal Rittler’s words as you did every year.
“May the sorting begin.” Principal Rittler pulls her wand from inside her robes and conjures a scroll. She steps back off the knot and outside the circle of statues, and lets the long scroll fall open. “Acworth, Ames.”
A tiny girl with thin hair scurries from the middle of the blob and goes to stand on the knot. A few tense moments pass, and then the Thunderbird comes to life and beats it’s huge wooden wings. Thunderbirds all around the balcony burst into cheers as Ames beams and walks over to stand behind the statue.
It goes on like this, down the list. Ilvermorny is a huge school, and between first years and Exchange students there are at least eighty people to be sorted. You lean over and whisper in Chris’s ear. “Kinda makes you miss the fifteen minute Hogwarts sorting, doesn’t it?”
Chris’s eyes go wide as he gives you a deep nod.
You watch as the light changes from yellow to orange through the top of the dome. Two children have more than one statue offer them a place in their House, which always livens up the sorting. One girl immediately chooses Puckwudgie, while the other boy starts to cry before finally choosing Horned Serpent. You hope he’s not wrong, and make a mental note to try and find him at some point during the first week. 
Finally, all the first years are done, and it’s time for the Exchange students. Principal Rittler turns her scroll over to the back side. “Álvarez, Jose!” A tan boy steps onto the knot and is immediately made a Wampus.
When Principal Rittler calls out “Malfoy, Draco,” your heart starts to go double time, like it’s you getting sorted all over again. You lean forwards to look between the bars of the railing, and you can feel Chris, Alex, Grace and Stella all watching you as much as they watch him.
Draco steps out onto the knot. There is no movement for a second, and then, three statues come alive at once. The Puckwudgie raises his arrow up, while the Thunderbird beats its wings. The crystal set into the forehead of the Horned Serpent glows, and it twists its neck around.
Murmurs are heard across the rotunda. You’ve seen threes happen only twice more in your years at Ilvermorny. Twos are much more common, and fours almost unheard of. Everyone is watching with bated breath to see which house Draco will choose, but you have a feeling you already know.
When Draco walks over to join the group behind the Horned Serpent statue, you scream along with Stella and Grace. The rest of your House is the loudest it’s been all night.
Several other students go, and then it’s Ginny’s turn. Alex is gripped by the same anticipation as you as Ginny strides out of the group and onto the knot. She’s made a Thunderbird, and Alex whistles loudly for her.
You grab Alex’s shoulder. “Did you guess right, too?” You yell over the other Thunderbird’s raucous applause.
“Uh-huh!”
You and Alex high-five hard.
Finally, the sorting comes to an end. Another set of double doors opposite the main ones open into Ilvermony’s Great Hall, and the newly sorted first years rush inside to receive their first wands. While the wand choosing doesn’t take nearly as long as the sorting, it’s another round of waiting the upper years have to endure. There’s lots of traffic going down the two staircases from the balcony to the main floor.
“Aw, guys, that was our last sorting!” Stella pulls a face and puts her hand on her heart.
“So many lasts,” Chris adds.
“Hey, look on the bright side,” you interject. “This gets to be our first time leading the dance and the songs!”
“True.”
You finally emerge at the bottom of the stairs. You intend to try and find Draco, so he can know where to sit, but your Head of House, Ms. Angeles, is collecting last years at the back of the rotunda. You and Alex exchange an annoyed glance as you make your way over.
Ms. Angeles is attempting to count everyone, but gives up. She rests the tip of her wand on her neck and clears her throat. Everyone stops talking, lower years still filing into the Great Hall peer over at you all as they walk. “I sincerely hope that after six years you know how this is going to work!” Ms. Angeles’s voice sounds extra loud.
Next to you, Chris grimaces.
“If you don’t, stand behind someone who does and follow them. Four lines, please! And do not stand next to your house mates!”
Alex grabs you, and you in turn grab Chris. Grace and Stella follow you anyway as you make your way to one of the four lines forming. “Think again if you thought I’d listen to a single order Angeles tells me this year,” Grace mumbles.
Ms. Angeles evens up the lines until she’s satisfied. Through the open doors you can see that most everyone has taken a seat at the many tables, first years closest to the walls, with a cluster of empty tables in the center of the room for the last years to sit at. The edges of the room are fraught with excited conversations as eleven year old’s hold and compare wands for the first time, unable to contain their excitement. Ms. Angeles leaves you to take her seat at the staff table, and you all wait as the last few people sort themselves out. It’s then you notice Draco sitting all alone at one of the empty tables. He’s picked one on the edge so he blends in with the sixth years at the tables nearest to him, but it’s still a sad sight. You cover your mouth with your hands, not sure if you want to laugh or cry.
“Aw, Draco!” Alex notices, too.
“That’s literally the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Stella comments.
“We have to go over there after, oh my God,” you giggle, tearing up. All your emotions from the past hour– seeing your friends again after summer, Draco suddenly appearing, and remembering you’re doing this all for the last time– are coming to the surface in a weird mix.
“Babe! Are you crying?” Alex turns around and puts a hand on your shoulder.
“No! I mean, yes, but… I don’t know, there’s too much happening right now!” You sniff, flicking away the tears that cling to your lashes. “Ugh! Okay, let’s go.” You pull out your wand and bounce on the balls of your feet, ready to get the dance started.
There is some whisper-arguing amongst the four leaders of the lines, and then they set off skipping, starting to clap in time. The two center lines wind their way back and forth between the tables through middle, while the outer lines go along the wall.
 “We stand as one united,
Against the Puritan.
We draw our inspiration,
From good witch Morrigan.”
 The students sitting down continue clapping while you all sing. Your line turns when you reach the staff table, and you begin to skip in the opposite direction of the other lines. Most of the first years sit at their tables and listen to the song, watching with excitement. Older students reach out their hands and you give them all high fives as you pass. Across the hall, Draco catches your eye, smiling as he watches you dance. You grin back as your classmates sing about Ilvermorny, the supreme wizard school, and green streamers come out of your wand as you twirl around.
After a long and satisfying First Feast, you jump up from your table to go find Draco. After the dance, you hadn’t been able to make your way to sit with him. Alex was also unable to find a seat near Ginny, and so you’d both suffered through the meal away from your partners. But now that it was time to go back to your dorms, you had the chance to find Draco and not be separated again.
As everyone exited from the hall, you squeeze your way over through the crowd. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He grabs your hand to keep you together.
“I knew you’d be Horned Serpent” you say, following your House mates out of the hall and towards the west staircase. “Did you pick it to be with me, or because you felt it fit?
“Many reasons,” he says. “But I will have you know I read up on Ilvermorny this summer and did think about it before I got here.”
“Really?” You’re impressed, but also that’s such a thing he would do. Draco doesn’t like unknowns.
“Of course. Got to be prepared, right?”
You don’t say anything, and instead just enjoy a moment to yourself gazing at his face. “Wait ‘till you see our common room, it’s so fun.”
You climb up several flights of stairs until you reach a large wooden door that’s covered in a grid of carvings. The door is already open, letting the steady stream of students through. “You get in my tapping certain squares in a pattern,” you say as you pass. “We’ll find it out from someone before tomorrow. And I want to take you around.”
As you enter the Horned Serpent common room, you turn to Draco to see his reaction. The Horned Serpent dorms are located in one of the five big turrets of the castle, meaning the construction leads vertically rather than horizontally. The common room is a the bottom, a large circular room with chairs, couches, and three fireplaces on the walls. Piles of books are all over the floor, separating clusters of chairs near the fires or windows, so people can study or talk in groups. Your favorite part of the common room though is the ceiling– perhaps hundreds of chandeliers, ranging from the largest one in the center to tiny ones the size of cups cover the room in a soft glow. On opposite sides of the room are entrances to the different dormitories, and you drag Draco over to the left one.
“This is to the girl’s rooms, I want you to meet my cats!”
“Can I go in there?” Draco says, unsure.
“Duh.” You roll your eyes. “I wouldn’t be taking you if I couldn’t”
You lead the way up a spiral staircase. You stop on the second landing, which is semicircular, and lead Draco to the second door.
“Hey.” You poke your head inside. Grace is already laying on her bed, reading, while Stella is at her desk struggling to open an ink bottle.
“Hey,” Stella and Grace answer in unison. “Did you bring him?” Grace asks, marking her place and closing her book. 
You nod. You step into the room and pull Draco in behind you. “These are my friends, Stella and Grace.” 
Draco looks back and forth between the three of you for a moment. “Are you guys… sure you aren’t related?”
Grace laughs and you sigh. “People get us mixed up all the time. Our hair looks the same from the back. But other than that we all look different, I’d say.” Your first year at Ilvermorny had been a tough one for teachers. Stella and Grace being your roommates, they were also your first friends, so you all had to endure lots of “Grace! No, er- Y/N!” “Actually, I’m Stella,” in any class and around the hallways. As you’d gotten older and the three of you had changed around your haircuts, it had gotten easier.
“Congratulations on Horned Serpent, Draco,” Grace says as Stella continues to struggle with her ink bottle. “It’s lucky you got to pick. So did Y/N.”
“Yes, she’s told me about it. And you all, too. Er, do you want a hand with that?” Draco asks as Stella slams the ink back onto the desk in defeat.
“Please.” Stella grabs the bottle and silently offers to toss it. Draco nods and catches it deftly with one hand, cracks it open in one go, and throws it back to a bewildered Stella.
“Show off,” you mutter, bending down to look under your bed.
“Hot,” Grace corrects. “You picked a better one this time, Y/N.”
You choose to ignore this comment. From under your bed, you pull a fat grey cat. “Draco, this is Benedict, one of my cats.” With Benedict’s massive body balanced against your chest, you reach onto your bed and scoop up a much smaller black cat with huge green eyes with your other hand. “And this is Sophie.” Now that you’ve woken the cats up, their voices start to filter into your head.
‘Who’s this?’ Sophie questions, sniffing the air.
‘Mom, I don’t like it, he smells different!’ Benny starts to squirm in your arms.
“Settle down,” you say, clutching Benny tighter to you. “And be nice! This is Draco, I’ve told you about him.”
“Ahem, your cats?” Grace interrupts. “They’re my kids too now, I looked after them for you while you were gone.”
“Fine, our cats.” You hold Sophie out to Draco. “Here, she wants to see you.”
Draco takes Sophie from you with some hesitation. You wrangle Benny in more securely now that you have both hands. ‘Oh, he’s warm!’ Sophie closes her eyes and starts to purr. ‘I see why you chose this one.’
‘Mom NO! Sophie don’t, he seems strange! Don’t trust him!’
“Don’t be rude!” You scold. Benny continues to writhe in your arms so you put him down, and he runs over and jumps onto Grace’s bed.
“Hah!” She says triumphantly.
“He’ll come around,” you assure Draco. “But for now Sophie really seems to like you, she’s always been the friendlier one.”
‘More like reckless!’ Benny meows allowed, but only you understand what it means.
“Be nicer to your sister!” You say to him. He sulks back and hides behind Grace.
“What are they saying?” Draco asks, intrigued. He scratches Sophie under her chin and she purrs even more.
“Benny says you smell and Sophie says you’re warm and I made a good choice.”
Draco laughs, which disturbs Sophie a bit. ‘Ah, he can be loud though! I’m too hot now. I want to keep napping.’ She leaps from Draco’s arms and back onto her little hollow in your blankets.
“It seems like they’re done. Let’s go on a castle tour.” You move around Draco to go back out the door. Stella and Grace chorus goodbye as you whisk Draco out again.
As you re-enter the common room, Draco stops you. “Can I find my room first? I want us to be able to take our time and I want to know where I’m going when we get back.”
“Oh, yeah, of course. My bad.” You start to blush with embarrassment that you’d forgotten. “Want me to go up there with you?”
“I think I can manage.” He gives you that stupid crooked smile and you immediately realize you’ve been a little clingy.                                                                                                        
“I’ll wait down here for you when you’re ready,” you say as Draco disappears up the stairs. You settle into one of the chairs to wait, swinging your feet over the side. Several more of your House mates pass, including Alice, who gives you the pattern for the door. After what feels like an eternity, Draco reemerges from the boys dormitories looking pleased.
You close the book you’d pulled out to pass the time. “Are you with anyone you know?”
Draco shook his head. “No. You know Gao and Will very well?”
“Which Will?” You chuckle as you get up. “There’s at least 5. And Gao’s real name is Will too, by the way. We just all call him Gao.”
“Brilliant,” Draco sighs. “Also no. He’s got brown hair and green eyes if that helps.”
“Nope, two of them look like that.”
“I give up.”
“I’ll find out tomorrow and give you my opinion.”
You lead the way out of the common room and into the halls. “Where do you wanna go first?”
“I don’t care.” Draco takes up your hand. “Your favorite spots.”
So you take Draco around the castle. Ilvermorny is massive, and you show him little shortcuts along the way when you can. You take him to the halls where all the seventh year classes are located, and down to the hallway where Ms. Bell’s new history classes are taking place and halfway convince Draco to sign up with you. As you go through the halls, you greet all the statues you’ve come to know over the years. Ilvermony’s corridors are filled with enchanted sculpture, some small, some lifesize, and others so massive they require their own small rounded spaces and are situated in the middle of hallways. You take him to see your favorite, called Lady Lightfoot, whom everyone affectionately calls Lucy.
You pull Draco into her rounded hallway room, one side of which has huge windows that look out onto the East Lawn of Ilvermorny. Linda has long locks of flowing hair and is sculpted in a sheer dress. She’s in her true sculpted position, resting against a rock, when you enter.
“Hi, Lucy!” Your words echo in the empty room.
Lucy turns away from gazing out the window at the sound of your voice. “Y/n! What a lovely surprise, I should expect one of my favorite students to come and visit on the first night! And after such a long time, too.” The two of you walk to stand in front of her, and Lucy’s pale marble face beams down at you. Her stone locks fall about her face as though they were as soft as real hair. “Who’s this?”
“Lucy, this is my boyfriend, Draco. He’s from Hogwarts.”
Lucy gasps so loudly both you and Draco jump. “Boyfriend! My, you leave me for a year and come back with an English beau? And he’s handsome too!” She leans down to get a better look.
You laugh, and start to blush again. “I’m just showing him around.”
“How lovely,” she sighs, clasping her hands together. “I’m so glad you’ve opened your heart up again, Y/n.”
You draw in a short breath. This was not a subject you wanted to broach tonight, and take this as a cue to get out before Lucy spills anything else about your embarrassing lower year self. And why did everyone keep bringing it up?
“We’ve still got lots to see, but we’ll be by tomorrow. Bye!” You drag Draco to the exit and keep going down the hall. “Okay, I’ve saved the best for last. Come this way.”
At the end of the hall, you find a wooden door to the left of another big window. You tug on the door–it’s always a bit sticky– while Draco gazes out across the lawn.
“The Quidditch pitch here is huge,” he says, sounding impressed. “Much bigger than Hogwarts’.”
“Oh, yeah definitely,” you grunt, giving the door one last hard pull and it finally comes open. “That’s what we’re going to look at, but the view is better from up here.” You usher for Draco to follow you into the door.
It leads to a short set of stairs which have a trapdoor at the top. Draco closes the door at the bottom at your instruction, and you light your wand to see in the darkness. The trapdoor is easier to open, and you climb up and out.
You come out on a small landing, a circular balcony with a roof just big enough for four people to sit or stand. Draco emerges from the trapdoor and you firmly shut it behind him. “So this is what those tiny little turrets are,” Draco says.
“Yep, there’s little places like this all over the castle.” You use your wand to blow a few leaves and dust off the floor of the balcony. “Some are permanently closed, but others you can get to. This is the one my friends and I use. Mostly people use it for smoking, but I like the view.”
You join Draco in leaning against the railing. “You can see the pitch, and that building is the creatures barn, where all the magical animals live.”
You watch the sunset over the trees for a few moments before you feel Draco staring at you. “What?” You say, looking over.
Draco pushes off the railing and leans back against one of the pillars holding up the roof. “I don’t know what you’re waiting for.”
“I’m the one waiting?” You put a hand to your chest in disbelief. “I brought you up here.”
Draco opens his arms up. “Come on.”
“No.” You smirk.
Draco’s mouth drops open. “Stop being difficult, Y/n!” He pretends to sound aghast.
“I’ve never been difficult in my life,” you say airily, turning back to look out across the trees. Draco comes up behind you, wrapping his arms around your torso and resting his chin on top of your head. Your heart flutters in your chest with excitement. Draco reaches a hand up to brush your hair away from the side of your face, and you feel his breath on your ear when he dips his head down. There’s nothing you can do to stop the involuntary curl of your toes when he presses his mouth to the sensitive part of your neck, and your resolve is immediately broken.
You twist around in his arms, and your noses brush together as your lips meet in a much anticipated kiss. An entire summer of waiting comes to the surface immediately, and you’re pulling each other close with an almost desperate need. You hadn’t forgotten how well you fit together and the wonderful ways Draco could touch you that made you dizzy with desire, but it was nice to have a refresher.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” you say unevenly between kisses.
“Me too,” he responds, just as breathless.
After several long minutes of heated kissing, you end sitting on the floor in Draco’s lap, his fingers tracing patterns along the sides of your thighs while you catch your breath.
“I know how much you like Ms. Bell, but Merlin if I wasn’t angry I couldn’t kiss you like that when I first caught sight of you.”
You let out a soft laugh, and press a kiss to his forehead. “So tell me, I want to know the story of how you ‘go here now’.”
He lets out a sigh and looks off to the side, fingers still trailing across your legs absentmindedly. “I was so tired of Hogwarts. My father always wanted to send me to another European wizarding school, but mum wanted me closer to home. I told them about how all the Exchange students from America took much more useful and interesting classes and how schooling abroad looks impressive, and after a few weeks I had them convinced. Mother was annoyed I didn’t just apply for Exchange last year, but this way I won’t get behind in classes like everyone, because I’ll graduate with you all here.
Obviously I chose Ilvermorny because you’re here. But if you’re worried about this being some grand romantic gesture I was expecting you to return, that’s not it.”
You nod, taking in everything he’s said. You brush a finger down the line of his neck to his partially unbuttoned shirt collar. “I did wonder about that. But those are good reasons. Ilvermorny is superior, anyway,” you smirk.
“Good,” he says, running his entire hand over your leg now. “I thought you might be mad that I came without telling you, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I know you do like a little romantic gesture.”
“Thanks. I really think you’ll like it here, too. I meant it when I said I’m glad you’re– hey, stop that! I’m trying to talk!”
Draco’s slid both his hands under you skirt, making you gasp. You grab his wrists and put his hands back near your knees while he laughs.
“You know, it won’t be as convenient as it was at Hogwarts. We both have roommates now, it won’t be like when we could have your Prefect’s room all to ourselves all the time,”  you say.
“Yes I know, which is why I’m trying to get a head start.” He grabs one of your hands, brushing his fingers across your open palm.
Suddenly you feel a bit shy. “I hope you don’t regret transferring. It’s a lot different here than Hogwarts, and my friends can sometimes be a lot sometimes.”
“So I’ve gathered from Alex and Grace.” Draco flips your hand over and your fingers intertwine together. “I’m sure it will be fine, darling. I’ll make my own friends too, some of yours are bound to be obnoxious.”
That makes you laugh again. “I’m sure, especially since Ginny will be hanging around.”
Draco seemed to have genuinely forgotten this because he leans his head back against the railing and makes a face. “God, I forgot about her.”
“Come on, Ginny isn’t that bad! She’s less annoying than Ron.”
“They’re all annoying,” he scowls.
“Now who’s being difficult?”
He reaches out and pinches your sides, making you squeal. “No tickling! Or no kisses!” You warn.
“How about I get both?” He wraps his arms around you and pulls you against his chest, kissing you repeatedly on your cheek while he digs his fingers into your sides again.
“Nooooo!” You cry, wiggling around like your cat had earlier. You sucessfully pin one of his arms against the railings and grab his other wrist, your free hand groping at your side for your wand. He’s strong, though, and twists his arm around in your grasp to keep you from reaching it.
You wrestle for a minute, which unfortunately ends with you against the ground under Draco’s iron grip. The two of you never fully grew out of the fighting phase of your relationship.
“At least you can’t tickle me now,” you pant, blowing a wisp of hair out of your face.
Draco eyes are flirting all across your face and down your neck, just like when he saw you when he first arrived. Except it’s different now that you’re alone and pinned beneath him.
“Let me go,” you say, narrowing your eyes.
Draco stays silent and loosens his grip experimentally. You slip your arms out from his hold and instead rest them across his back, inviting him to come closer again.
You might not have Draco’s single bedroom this year, but you suppose the balcony isn’t too bad either.
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yasmeensh · 5 years ago
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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - The lore
I know this is an art blog but i can’t contain myself and I need to talk about zelda2 lore. Why? You all heard about the botw sequel being darker, much darker. And people made connections to Majora’s mask, because it was a dark sequel. But you know what? Zelda 2 was also a dark sequel. Nintendo are doing it for a THIRD time and I'm proud. Sit tight and maybe grab a snack because this will probably be a long passion essay. Here we go.
Most of you MIGHT be familiar with the storyline of Zelda2, but in summary, here is how it goes: Princess Zelda from an ancient time has been put to spell by a curse. Only the power of the full triforce touched by a pure heart can wake her. Finally after hundreds of years, the chosen one came along (Link). Link must place 6 crystals in 6 palaces to break the spell on the Great palace where the Triforce of courage is enclosed. Once there, he takes the triforce, completes it with the other two pieces, and wakes zelda up. The End.
And Here is the story in MORE detail (unless you are in a hurry , I recommend you read it. The top summary is just for people who have no clue what the story is:
    The king of hyrule always passes down the power of the triforce to his son next-to-be-king. This time however, he wants to give it to his daughter, Zelda, because he believes she is wiser and more considerate than the son. The son was very upset about it and has summoned a wizard to scare the princess and give up the triforce to him. The wizard however, overcome with hatred towards zelda, uses all his magic to put her to an eternal sleep, and he dies (only recently in the hyrule historia has the identity of the wizard been revealed: he is a follower of Ganon, or an embodiment of ganon himself (sort of like ghost ganon in oot or blight ganons in botw. So in this case he might have not died but just extinguished all his powers)). The son, overcome with grief for his sister, promises that every girl born into the Royal family henceforth will be named Zelda. He locks the triforce of courage far away, so only those worthy of it will be able to access it, and leaving the remaining two in the castle, unable to use its full power.
Hundreds of years have passed by and no worthy hero came by, until now. On his 16th birthday, Link noticed that a mark resembling the triforce glowed on his left hand. Worried and Confused, he goes to seek information on it from Impa. She tells him that he is the hero chosen to save the sleeping princess Zelda. She gave Link a scroll written in ancient text that only the true hero can read to ensure that he is in fact the chosen one. Link was able to read it despite never seeing that language before. The Great Palace where the triforce of courage lies is locked with a spell. The spell comes from 6 different temples, and he must break part of the spell at each temple so he can open the gates of the Palace. To do that, A crystal must be placed in each, and that is exactly what he does.
While Link is going on his journey, the minions of Ganon are going after him, trying to capture him and use his blood to revive Ganon (It’s unclear if they want him alive or dead, or simply his blood. All we know is they want to use Link’s blood in a sacrifice to bring Ganon back from the dead). If Link dies, Ganon will be revived, so he must remain alive. At the end of the trial to the triforce of courage, Link was made to fight his own shadow by the triforce keeper. After defeating his shadow, he made the triforce whole again, wished for the curse on Princess Zelda to break, and she woke. The End.
Now that is my extensive summary on the official story. Obviously I will fill in now MY theories on some points. My biggest point is Link fighting his shadow. Why did Link have to fight his shadow? Why was Link not ready to touch the triforce? He already went through ALL the trials, so why this now? My theory is that Link’s heart was not pure. Only a pure heart must touch the triforce. A corrupted heart will corrupt the world when the triforce is touched, no matter what the wish is. Link was most likely the chosen hero, but he is not completely pure. I believe Link was made to fight his shadow as a final step to touching the triforce; to cleanse his heart from any evils that are in it. Why would Link be evil and corrupt? I don’t know, but that’s hella dark.     Another point, that can be connected to BoTW, is Link’s death, and the revival of Ganon. If you played AoL before, then you are familiar with the red screen of death and Ganon’s evil laughter. Well, if Link dies, that means Ganon will return. That means Link should NEVER die. But he is not a god or eternal deity. He will die at some point during his journey after the events of the game or simply from old age, or whatever. He will die. At this point, if the people of Hyrule really want Ganon to remain dead, then Link should simply disappear once he dies. If he were to be buried, they have to hide his body somewhere the monsters will NEVER reach. I have no idea where that could be: the dungeons of hyrule castle? Something similar to the Great Palace? Maybe. The better option is to burn him, but I don’t know if people in Hyrule do that (they probably should in this case because yikes Ganon)
Where am I going with this? I’m not sure, but It vaguely reminded me of Ganon(dorf) coming back to life in the new BoTW trailer. Who was he even? A new ganondorf? Or one we already know?
Lets go back… what about AoL Link’s death? Another option for keeping Link out of the hands of Ganon’s minions is for him to never die. To be absolutely safe, protected, and strong enough to protect himself, and to live eternally. And I know the people of hyrule (at some point) will have that technology available, because BoTW Link was revived after his death. Link can probably die countless of times and still continue to live because of that shiekah tech. Now about the tech, AoL seems too middle ages, right? WELL… this is going to sound dumb but the temples in AoL have elevator thingies in them. Shiekah technology? Maybe. It could be a manual pulley system. Or pure magic. We don’t know, but we are a step closer at least.
BASICALLY i see a lot of similar points between these two games and idk if nintendo accidentally did that or took inspiration from aol but its cool that these two games share the concept of the kind of tragedy hyrule will go through if link dies and the idea of Ganom coming back to life.     Why am I even getting into BoTW… let’s get back to AoL lore! If you played AoL, you might be familiar with the Link dolls. Dolls that save Link from death (i.e extra lives) those dolls are pretty creepy and they look like a tiny hunched over limb Link. They are scattered throughout all of hyrule, and you find them in random weird places, like at the beach, in a swamp, inside a temple, in a cave, near a graveyard, forest, etc. They are everywhere. Who put these dolls there? No one knows. But someone is totally trying to save Link from dying on his journey. If he dies, Hyrule is screwed. Could it be Goddess Hylia? The fairies? A magician? Link Dolls are extremely strange and Nintendo could have gone more in depth on them because they provide some super cool dark lore.
Also we can’t forget about Kasuto Town. All the inhabitants of the town went to camp in the forest because their town was destroyed. Why? No one knows, again (everything in this game is shrouded in mystery). There is only a single man living there in old Kasuto. Kasuto town is entirely destroyed, all the buildings are decaying and crumbling, the air looks nasty and the sky is purple. There are ghosts EVERYWHERE. And if Link didn’t acquire the cross before entering, he will not see the ghosts at all and will just die from being hit by what looks like air. Now the civilians! The civilians are hiding in the forest! In-game, you will never be able to find them unless you hit a random block of grass with the hammer, and then it will appear. They are well hidden. Something must have destroyed their town, something terrifying, and they are hiding from it. The entire population has gone to hide in the depths of the forest. Now I have a theory that these people COULD be related to the shiekah. Those people are magic experts. You learn something called The Spell in old kasuto. And in new kasuto, you use this spell to raise a small temple from the GROUND to get the key in it (idk man but reminds me of the shrines) You also receive the final magic container there. So, yeah, those people definitely have a magic obsession or *super powers*. (i’m hinting at it but these people could be the shiekah). Also one more thing, these people are begging Link to save hyrule. They are the only people who are begging him to do something. They know HE will save hyrule. In all other towns, it only seems like Link is asking for advice and they answer Link is a random nobody. However, the people of Kasuto are AWARE. (shiekah much? idk)
This is not too lore-y but it’s about how dark this game is: there is so much red in it. Game over screen is red. The lining of the triforce on Link’s hand is red. The windows in the temples are stained red (blood?). The Tinsuit sprites have fresh blood dripping down their swords. Also, sleeping Zelda’s dress is red. I can’t brush that off. Whenever I think of AoL I think of the colour red. There is so much to say about AoL... But what I want to say is that this game is HELLA dark. I hope Nintendo uses its lore in future games, and adds references, because it can totally work if they try to. This game has a lot of lore material to work with. Nintnedo should consider expanding on it (and botw was inspired by loz1, it would only make sense if the sequel will mirror the original loz sequel too :3)
PLEASe share your ideas! I’d love to hear what you all think! There are many ideas to go around so share your thoughts! And one last thing, AoL is very difficult. If you want to try it, be prepared to see the colour red a lot, cry a lot, and rage quit a lot.
Thank you for reading my very long post! Enjoy your day <3 <3 <3
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momo-de-avis · 5 years ago
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The life of the Infamous Banana Art work is honestly fucking hilarious because it’s an exact reflex of what happens when someone fucks with the art world and incites passionate responses both for and against it.
The art's initial price was at 120.000$, and has bid up to 150.000$. Two museums have so far acquired a banana each.
There are also 3 editions of the same work.
According to the gallery (Perrotin) representing Cattelan, 
"Back then, Cattelan was thinking of a sculpture that was shaped like a banana," it reads. "Every time he traveled, he brought a banana with him and hung it in his hotel room to find inspiration. He made several models: first in resin, then in bronze and in painted bronze (before) finally coming back to the initial idea of a real banana."
(remember, this is the guy who made a fucking toilet out of 18-carat gold and it got fucking stolen).
Recently, a performance artist just straight up walked up to the wall, peeled the duct-tape, peeled the banana and ate it. He does not regret it, claims he was hungry (and, in fact, did not eat prior to this action, so he could experience maximum potassium enjoyment) and that the banana was, in fact, delicious.
after that, the banana had to be removed from Art Basel because people were going absolutely bonkers over it, and lines were so long and the space around it so crowded, security had to just remove the art work. This was all for a chance at a cool instagram photo.
And like, yall remember when the Berlin Dada group made an exhibition basically insulting the bourgeoisie, got roasted by the whole city, then did a second one, tripled the price of the tickets, and when people got there it was basically Hueselbeck saying “why the fuck did you idiots spend triple the money if you hated it so much”?
Or when Tristan Tzara, at the Cabaret Voltaire, along with Hugo Ball, made such a bonkers show that people (again, high-society folk) showed up with bags of rotten fruit---prepared beforehand, after having been there several times, since they had apparently developed a passion for just to going there again to feel angry---and started wrecking the shit out of Cabaret Voltaire, to the point where they destroyed figurines and props? And Tzara calling it “the final victory of Dada”?
Or like, this whole ‘the travelling banana was an inspiration for me’ just sounds a whole lot like when Jasper Johns heard someone say that famous art marchand Leo Castelli “could sell two beer cans if you had them” (or something to that effect), and Jasper Johns dead ass said “it’s on”, and the mad man actually did a bronze cast of two beer cans and Castelli actually sold them?
We can even go way back, to Manet. The moment Olympia was presented at the Salon, it was so infamously known across Paris, people flocked to it to see it in person, so much the Salon had an influx of attendees like it never had before. And the sole reason was to make fun of it lmao even fucking Courbet was there daily, pointing at laughing at ‘nakey girl staring right at me’.
Or like, when Kienholz displayed his walk-ins, in which one of them was a car with a teenage couple engaged in sex in the back seat, and the gallery had the audacity of forcing the artist to close the door and plant two body guards there not to shock the audience? And despite being outraged by this, people still went there en masse.
And I’m not even going back to the obvious influence here, papa Duchamp with his urinals, but I’ll say this: I don’t remember his name, but the dude who smashed one of Duchamp’s urinals and peed on the other is pretty on par with the guy who just ate the banana, albeit for different reasons (and, well, dude who peed in a Duchamp was arrested both times lmao).
Every single one of these instances, which caused so much outrage across the art world, appeared at a crossing point in history, somehow, and they are there for a conspicous objective: to bring out its own hypocrisy. And like papa Duchamp (who every single critic immediately establish a connection with), they are being assimilated, though faster than they were back in the day. The dude who peed on the urinal did so because he contests The Fountain being on a museum, defeating the art work’s initial purpose and proclaiming the first avant-garde’s movements ultimate failure. It should be noted that Duchamp signed 14 urinals and authenticated them as authentic reproductions (one of them smashed, another peed on lmao. Idk if the others are fully intact). And this dude with the banana is no different.
One article states something very interesting about Art Basel:
Mary Rozell, the global head of art collection at UBS Group, said the works she wanted were all snapped up. Pieces under US$1 million were going especially quickly.
"Half the stuff is sold before you get here," she said.
Amoako Boafo's portraits were all gone within seconds, and hundreds of collectors put their names on a waiting list, with prices for the artist du jour ranging from US$25,000 to US$50,000.
(...)
Mnuchin Gallery, which had an exhibition by Mr Clark last year, sold several smaller works, with prices ranging from US$150,000 to US$300,000. Michael McGinnis, a partner, said he sold one of the works during his flight to Miami. "I could have sold it five times," he said.
Ms Rozell said she finally managed to buy some art. One was a painting by Jeffrey Gibson. Another, a sculpture by Shinique Smith, whose works were on view at the UBS collectors' lounge at the fair.
"You've got to take your time," she said. "But then act quickly."
Act fast.
There’s a lot that could be said about this, and I’m not writing an essay, just rambling with the knowledge I have, and we all know how art fairs across the world serve as 1) a place to See and Be Seen, and the pruchase of expensive art works is a Thing of Status, and 2) it’s money laundering. It’s blind investment by random private auctioneers who need to put that dirty money fast onto an object they can quickly transform into an asset should they need to get rid of it---etc, etc. But like, think about the ludicrous implication here: you gotta buy fast, otherwise you’ll just get there and come out empty-handed, which for some reason, for these folks, it’s the worst that could happen. So like, it’s no wonder a guy who taped a banana onto a wall sold this shit for such a high price. I can’t point out the reason why this person bought the art work, because honestly being either money laundering or just rich person trying to invest fast into something they don’t know the value of---both sound incredibly plausible to me (in my country, there was an influx into the art market in the 80s, where people rushed to buy EVERYTHING, and it inflated the art market---and keep in mind, Portugal is a small country with barely any market at all---to the point where some of the artists who sold the most back then have fallen into oblivion, and the people who bought their works have been desperately trying to get rid of them for decades, but they are worth nothing and they refuse to get the full price back lmaooo).
This shit is mostly why I nurture a profound hatred for art fairs. Like, on paper, they’re a nice concept, but as of today, worldwide, we have over 500 art fairs everywhere, and couple this with the art market inflation and all the nasty shit we know about (take the fucking Sacklers, for example), it’s the perfect playground for us to have a French Salon multiplied by 500 where contemporary art is transformed into an Appearance Thing. 
But every so often, a dude shows up and pulls some really bizarre shit and I am again reminded that there are still a lot of not exatctly Duchamps, but people like Jasper Johns or Tristan Tzara or even Robert Rauchenberg, which somehow manage to create a really poignant moment of hypocrisy. The really atrocious downside to this is that these artists exist in a fast-pacing scenario and they’re being assimilated at the speed of light. While neo-dada appeared in the 60s to confront the assimilation (thus, failure) of the first avant-garde movements, today it happens in real time. 
This is where I tell you guys the banana was apparently sold with a 14-page manual, which states shit like:
It should be hung about 175 centimeters from the ground, fixed to the wall at a 37-degree angle and the banana should be changed, "depending on its aesthetic appearance", about every seven or 10 days. About the only specification omitted is the optimum length or bendiness of said banana.
(the bendiness of the banana lmao)
Also, funny correlation: Duchamp’s work was called The Fountain, but we all call it ‘the urinal’, in the same way this work is called The Comedian, but we call it ‘the banana’. Make with that information what you will lol
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nikatyler · 6 years ago
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When you’re reading this, it’s already after my prom. However, when I’m writing this, it’s the night before my prom, I’m freaking out and I’m listening to some Christmas music to calm down. Don’t judge me, okay? I’m not one of those “November = Christmas” people but I like to listen to Christmas songs early. I’ll start decorating by the end of this month. And buying gifts, too. End of November sounds nice.
Anyway, my prom. I’m freaking out. Long dress, high heels, makeup...aaaand I still don’t know what my hair will look like and that freaks me out as well. I’m a mess. When you’re reading this, I’m already at home, it’s all done, I have survived. Hopefully I don’t have a hangover.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON RONNIE HERE! If this wasn’t the best evening of my life then I don’t know what was. I didn’t make a fool of myself, I had a great time, I drank responsibly, I’m just a little tired and sad that it’s over.
It’s actually Monday afternoon now. Oops. I was going to post it yesterday but then I didn’t because anxiety. Basically. I hate myself. (take a shot every time I say something along these lines)
Replies now. Just a warning, it got really long this time and also, technically I spoil something even though at this point it’s obvious anyway so...yeah just thought I’d let you know :D
For some reason I couldn’t get a few of these replies straight out of my activity feed so I went and just did it manually because I knew they were there somewhere. Just saying in case you were wondering why the format is different.
(x)
jackssims:  “Forget her” woooow Ross
elisabettasims:  Ross, you don't deserve to be turned and live forever after that remark.
This goes on the list of the worst things he’s ever said. Not that I have a list like that, but I could start one.
(x)
riversong331:  I swear to god if she dies I’m going to start a revolt
I’m not ready
Well then...you better start getting ready. Just saying.
jackssims replied to your photoset “Sunset: “Daddy gone again?” December: “Oh yeah, he is. It would be...”
It would be nice if he was there /at all/ for Sunset lbr
Yeah. He needs to work on that.
jackssims replied to your photoset “Hottub is no fun when you’re alone. Once again, the conversation I had...”
Yeeeeesssssssss
pxelatedtrash replied to your photoset “Hottub is no fun when you’re alone. Once again, the conversation I had...”
Yesyesyesyesyesyes xD
tiny-tany-thaanos replied to your photoset “Hottub is no fun when you’re alone. Once again, the conversation I had...”
*incoherent screaming*
but this doesn't excuse lack of interest in your daughter, Ross!
The ship may sail now.
By the way, at this point I was kinda scared everyone would just be excited about this revelation and forget Ross is still a bad person who sees his daughter as a minor inconvenience his parents can take care of. I’m glad that didn’t happen, he can’t be forgiven just yet, thankyouthankyouthankyou. I never should’ve doubted you, honestly :D
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “Sunset: “Daddyyyy wake up!” Ross: pretend you don’t hear her, pretend...”
It's really, really difficult for me to like Ross. To be fair to him in this case, a lot of parents have done this.
Ah, yes, sadly...I know people whose parenting is very similar to Ross. :/
tiny-tany-thaanos replied to your photoset “Sunset: “Daddy gone again?” December: “Oh yeah, he is. It would be...”
I`m soooo close to calling Ross an a-hole
Sorry!��
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tiny-tany-thaanos replied to your photoset “Ross: “Sunny, you can’t do this. Your dad - as in me - is a very busy...”
And when is your free time scheduled? When you have grandchildren?
Good question...guess we’ll find out when he actually has grandchildren in the game :D
jackssims replied to your photoset “Ross: “Sunny, you can’t do this. Your dad - as in me - is a very busy...”
Every time Ross says something like this to Sunset I die a little inside
You’re not the only one. I felt so bad writing these lines
jackssims replied to your photoset “Valentine: “Are you feeling a little unwell, brother? Is Sunset...”
Valentine pls
She’s trying to bring my alien jokes back leave her alone everyone
jackssims replied to your photoset “Ooh boy. It was one hell of a nausea.”
*eyes emoji*
I didn’t think anyone would think this was important but then again...we know how I feel about aliens  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “WHAT WERE YOU TWO DOING THERE THAT’S YOUR SON’S CLOSET”
It's the small little revenges that are the best.
I wonder how he would feel if he found out. Buuuut I think he didn’t find out, considering...well, let’s just say that closet has seen things. I’m not responsible for that, he did it on his own. I swear.
davidmont replied to your photoset “Look Ross. You’ve made mistakes and we all know that. We all hate you...”
Yikes
Yikes indeed. Deal with your problems, Ross! Don’t just set yourself on fire!
Wait..
Did I just call Sunset “a problem”?
I am officially as bad as our dear buddy Ross. I hate myself.
tiny-tany-thaanos replied to your post “I love Ross as a character but I hate him as a person (if that makes...”
I like him as a character, too! Contraversional characters are the best
Ahhh yes! He was fun and interesting to write and think about. But he’s the worst. I’m not saying he doesn’t have any good character traits, I mean he’s hardworking for sure...but yeah he’s showing his bad side more
wizardofweather1 replied to your post “I love Ross as a character but I hate him as a person (if that makes...”
I Feel Like If His Parents Let Him Be With Caleb Then He Would Be Open About The Alien Baby Then Ross Would Never Have Went And Attempted To Seduce Everyone In Sight And Happier Ending But This Challenge Is This Way
My “theory”/”explanation”/idk how to call it because I’m tired is similar to yours. I’ll try to explain it somehow because honestly...would I miss the opportunity to talk about my characters? Watch out for a super long essay! :D
Let’s take it from the beginning. At first Ross was just kind of this child obsessed with his “cool vampire friend”. He adored him. When he aged up into a teenager, he went and started dating Carol, his classmate and a good friend. They were the same age and knew each other for a while so...yeah. It wasn’t that hard. I don’t think Ross had any romantic feelings for Caleb at that point just yet. Strong feelings, definitely, but not romantic.
Anyway, fast forward to Caleb getting abducted by aliens because I have no self control. I think that even though Caleb liked Ross a lot, they were best friends, they always had a great time and everything, he knew Ross can be shallow and bit of a dick. Which is why he decided to avoid him for a while. That however almost ruined their friendship, as we’ve also seen.
The feelings most likely started changing at the beginning of gen 2 when they started hanging out again - before drifting apart once more when Ross found out about Stella. During those dark high school times, Ross had this mindset that he wanted to date someone, find the “one true love” as one may call it. He didn’t know who exactly he wanted so he just went and tried all his options...but he was looking for something, someone specific. He was missing Caleb, even though he was also mad at him for keeping secrets and not trusting him. Now, I’m not trying to defend Ross. I would never defend him for this. He was confused and he missed Caleb, okay, cool. Well Ross, guess what, you can miss someone but that doesn’t give you the right to date a million people at once.
Ross then tried to move on when things got more serious with Jordan, but something still didn’t feel right, and then there was Marika who only made this indecisivity worse, and then things turned out the way they did. (I actually believe Ross and Jordan could have been in a happy relationship if it wasn’t for her.) And then Ross started talking to Caleb again and boom the feelings were back and even stronger and it was just a matter of time until he finally realized. Basically. As for Caleb’s point of view, well, I think it’s still too soon to talk about that and this is getting long anyway.
I wouldn’t necessarily blame Ross’s parents for all of this, though they obviously play some role in it as well. Let’s be real, Ross was an only child for a long time and a pretty spoiled one...hadn’t he been so spoiled, he would’ve probably grown up to be a better person, Caleb would’ve trusted him et cetera.
Wow, this turned into quite a rambling, I’m sorry. These are the kind of things I think but at the same time don’t think about, it’s more like a feeling, and writing it down, it gets long. Aaand now I definitely didn’t make sense. I hate myself. Don’t let me do this when I should go to bed, I’m really really tired. Why do I do this to myself. 
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “Love gets so much more confusing when you actually mean it. I...”
Everybody but you knew, Ross.
Everybody but him...and me. Yeah. I started shipping them around this scene. I didn’t really think about it before that, in fact at that point I didn’t even know what I wanted to do next romance-wise for Ross. Once I was sure I wanted them to get together, I went back to edit the dialogue a little bit, throw a hint here and there...and I realized that I didn’t even have to edit it too much. I already wrote him pretty much like he’s kind of crushing on him without knowing he’s crushing on him. So like...I hate to say it but I’m just as oblivious as him. That’s concerning. Or maybe I just got so into his character, which is just as concerning.
jackssims replied to your photoset “Love gets so much more confusing when you actually mean it. I...”
Idk, Ross, you’re entire life perhaps?
You’re not wrong
I mean, like I said above, those feelings weren’t always romantic but he has always loved him in some way.
jackssims replied to your photoset “Hey. Why did you place that down. You eat that right now.”
I see that frowny face in the tags it better not be what I think it is
Sorry
tiny-tany-thaanos replied to your photoset “nononononono December please can you like maybe go away? Thank you.”
Gosh this is... Unexpected((
jackssims replied to your photoset “December: “Okay what are you trying to do.” Kieran: “I’m trying to say...”
CALLED IT ��
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “December: “Okay what are you trying to do.” Kieran: “I’m trying to say...”
Nooooooooo.
I remember this clearly. I was going to leave the game soon and go to bed and he was like “oh you wanna sleep? me too but I won’t wake up. bye”
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “Oh, yeah. Glad you noticed your husband really is dead.”
It's sadly hilarious sometimes how long it takes it to jump in the queue if they're in the middle of something already.
I hate that. I feel like ts3 is quite the opposite, if something is supposed to cancel everything in the queue, it happens fast. Sims 4 though...
tiny-tany-thaanos replied to your photoset “Persephone made a new friend.”
"Give my best regards to Hades"
This moment was perfect thanks to her name
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “Persephone made a new friend.”
I guess the Grim Reaper is still an animal lover. I loved that about him in TS3. It was one of the few things that made pets dying bearable, the way Grim greeted them with open arms and hugs.
Yes, that was cute! Still though, none of my sims animals has ever died because, well, it’s too sad for me to handle.
Well, actually, spoiler alert - Persephone died, but that was off screen, so that wasn’t as bad.
pxelatedtrash replied to your photoset “December: “I’ll take you to bed, Sunny. I’m so sorry you had to...”
I'm not crying! You're crying! These damn onions
Oh I am crying. I have very sensitive eyes, I cry all the time. (I’m not kidding btw and I hate it)
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “Valentine: “Now he’ll never know…anything. He won’t see me graduate....”
He wouldn't be proud of how you treat your daughter. :D
Of course! Too bad Ross doesn’t see it...yet :D
jackssims replied to your photoset “Watch out Sun- Nevermind.”
The routing in this game really is something else
ikr? It’s like...in TS3, even a minor thing ruins the routing, sim gets stuck, screams, we all know how that goes, but this one...I’m not sure what I prefer to be fair. TS4 makes it all easier but it’s weird
alfalfalegacy replied to your photoset “Why didn’t she come to me for a hug? I mean, I’m her dad after all -...”
Be a better parent for starters, Ross
jackssims replied to your photoset “Why didn’t she come to me for a hug? I mean, I’m her dad after all -...”
Be a better parent? Spend time with your daughter?
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “Why didn’t she come to me for a hug? I mean, I’m her dad after all -...”
Make it up to her!
What a shocker, he now finally sees he sucks, but he doesn’t quite know how to become this “better parent”. Even if it’s so obvious. But then again, this is Ross so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “Today is a very special day. A promotion is just around the corner, I...”
Ugh.
jackssims replied to your photoset “Today is a very special day. A promotion is just around the corner, I...”
/Ross/
At least he understands that he should be here for his daughter’s birthday so there’s that I guess...even though he’s clearly not happy about it so...yeah Ross, you’re doing great, this will definitely make you a better parent.
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “Ahh yes, no more crying, she’s growing up. Maybe we’ll get along now....”
Maybe if you weren't such a jerk, Ross.
*Selfish jerk.
jackssims replied to your photoset “Ahh yes, no more crying, she’s growing up. Maybe we’ll get along now....”
//ROSS//
Someone should explain to him that the change won’t happen on its own, he’ll have to take the first step. 
tiny-tany-thaanos replied to your photoset
I thought it was Sharon. Pretty indeed!
I’m so obsessed with her even though I don’t really talk about it. She’s fun to write, she looks awesome, I love her relationship with Tyler, the way they tease each other, I could go on forever but that could potentionally mean spoilers so I’ll shut up now. I hate spoiling things.
tiny-tany-thaanos replied to your photoset “She’s beautiful.”
She truly is ❤️❤️❤️
elisabettasims replied to your photoset “She’s beautiful.”
Oh I love her.
Those Breeze genes never fail.
simmering-pancakes replied to your photoset “Today is a very special day. A promotion is just around the corner, I...”
I might fight this boi
Let me help you with that
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sloanesmortuary · 6 years ago
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Predecessor: Prologue
Hi!! This is my first ever fic!! I apologize in advance if there's any mistakes from grammar (I mostly learn English from the internet pls forgive) to how innacurate I could've written the characters compared to the canon (excluding OCs)
Connor/RK700!M!Reader (I think? Idk that's what I'm going for)
1711 words
"Meet RK800. The more advanced model. Stronger, faster, and more resilient."
Your eyes went wide. You knew you're just a prototype, you knew this ought to happen, but you felt as if your heart just dropped. You opened your mouth to say something. Amanda cut you just before you get the chance to. She's not allowing you to talk. "You accomplished your mission and I am pleased with your work. Because of this, now we know that your programs works well and we are ready to take the next step with RK800." Amanda glanced at your successor, "Hi, my name is Connor. I will be replacing you in the DPD," the RK800 introduced himself.
"You will be deactivated by tommorow," said Amanda.
"...deactivated..."
"No... Why can't I just stay? I can still help Detective Reynolds!" You protested to no avail, obviously. Amanda's usual stoic expression turned into a frown. "I am not here to answer your question." You've never felt this troubled in your short life. "Please, I beg you! I-I'm scared." Your LED turned to yellow, flashing back and forth to red. Connor's LED also turned to yellow, but it quickly changed to blue. "You're giving a reason why you must be replaced. Aside from the fact that Connor is more advanced than you."
"Hey, hey, [y/n] the hell? You okay?" your partner had her hand on your shoulder, she was looking at you with a worried look on her face. You were crying and you didn't realize it. "They're going to replace me, Detective Reynolds." She looks rather surprised from what you just said. You've grown to her and so had she in the past months. It's against your programming, but you don't want to lose her friendship. "What? Does that mean you'll get deactivated? Where would you go after that? Stored away at some warehouse? Can you do anything about that? Fuck- that's not right," she muttered the last bit of what she just said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes. I will get deactivated and be stored away for further study, and I'm afraid that there's nothing I can do to prevent it. I'll be sent back to CyberLife tommorow." Leila walked back to her desk- that's infront of yours- and sighed, "What if... You don't go? I know someone who can do magic." Your LED immediately turned yellow. "What?"
---
"Are you sure about this? You'll lose your job!" She didn't respond to you and kept on driving on her old manual car. You were scared for her. Anything you see and hear are recorded and will be sent to CyberLife, though you're not sure whether they will use the footage to do anything later. She pulled over infront of an apartment building. She rushed you in and to the elevator and pressed on the button for the 4th floor. "You do know that removing trackers on androids is illegal, right?" She waved you off, "Do you wanna live or nah?" You blinked several times then nodded. "Well, then shut it."
Leila set you free. You're a true deviant. They said trackers stopped working on deviants, but who knows what sort of enhancements they put in yours?
You couldn't bear with the fact that you are actually feeling emotions. You've always thought of it as an error in one's system. Knowing that now you experience emotions like humans does made you go through everything you've learned.
---
Days passed after your disappearance (thanks to Detective Leila Reynolds who risked her job for you.) You lived in an abandoned house Leila found. You even got a friend there, his name's Ralph. A jolly kind, though a little menacing. Ralph was on edge when they trespassed the old outgrown building. He pointed his knife to your partner, but she didn't point her gun at him. She kept her hand ready for it, though. "Easy... I just wanted to find a place for him to stay. We don't want to hurt you and he just need a place to lay down for a while." Ralph looked at you. You and Leila noticed the overly large scar on his face. This guy has been through a lot of shit. "Can I stay? If you don't want a company we will find another place. It's okay," you said. "Ralph is sorry. He doesn't like trespassers- especially humans- they're nasty. They'll hurt Ralph," he lowered his knife and gestured to the house's front door. "You can stay. Ralph thinks getting a friend wouldn't hurt." You smiled and thanked him. "Succulent!" He exclaimed. "Ralph is excited to get to know his new friend!"
Leila means the world to you. She's the first person to be your friend. Others (like Detective Reed) pushes you around to do pointless tasks as if you're an android designed to do domestic works. You were the most advanced android a little while back until you met Connor. Those people didn't seem to understand how advanced you are by making you do those tasks and they might seem to think that you're just a stupid piece of plastic stealing their jobs, though you get where their thoughts come from but you're only doing what you're programmed to: helping the DPD. To Leila, you're more than you ever think you are. She thought of you as a perfect being. She thought letting you become deviant would ruin the perfection in your design, but she didn't want you to have to obey every single commands you receive even if they're wrong. She interacted with you from the very start as if you're human. She's the main reason you're feeling emotions now. She made you feel alive, more than just a machine designed to follow orders no matter what.
Obviously, the office started panicking after your disappearance. CyberLife contacted the DPD about the absence of the successful RK700 model. This resulted in Fowler screaming to Leila.
"Well, how am I supposed to know where it went?!”
"It's your partner, Reynolds!"
"So what? I gotta keep it around like a poodle so I'll know wherever it went?"
"Don't give me that attitude! Now just go fuckin find that thing. Start wherever you last saw it. If you don't find anything I'll send a search party. This is so stupid, how could they lost track of their own damn fancy property. Don't forget to close the door on your way out."
Shivers went down Leila's spine. "They won't find him," she said to herself determined. "I'll make this search pointless. Ha. Cool. I'm a criminal now," she chuckled on her way back to her desk. She passed by Gavin on the way, he shot her a glare and stopped her. She knew he's suspicious of her. He talked about how she's always nice to you and to him, that's a solid motive for her to hide you when you're going to be replaced. She just shrugged it off and left Gavin be.
---
Your place was eventually replaced by the RK800. He's partnered with Lt. Anderson. He was paired with him to see if his skills could be compared to someone more advanced than Leila. The upgrades on RK800 weren't perfect because they couldn't bring you in in time to do a further study. "Another one of those damn things and this one is partnered with ME? Why can't it just be Reynolds again? She's more of an android person!" Fowler sighed, "This one is more advanced and it should be partnered with someone with more experience. Which happens to be you, Hank." Hank looked at Connor and squinted. "At least it look different. Still doesn't change the fact that I can't stand these things, Jeff!" They kept on shouting to each other for a good minute until the Lieutenant's defeat.
Their first case together went down smoothly. Hank is glad about that. "It ain't useless. That's good. It couldn't stop licking stuff from the ground though. I probably need to bring a puke bag around whenever I gotta be around it," Hank said in his head, making a mental note. Now, they're investigating an AX400 who attacked its owner and ran away. It's also said that the RK700, you might be around the place where the AX400 was last seen.
"Mother, father, uncle, and little girl!" Ralph jumped around excitedly. You could see that Alice and Kara are extremely uncomfortable, but Kara's even more uncomfortable. You knew she also saw the police coming. Good thing that she managed to talk to Ralph that they need to hide.
Connor went inside the house. You hid with Kara and Alice under the stairs. You held on to an old, yet sturdy baseball bat you found upstairs, ready to defend them. Connor questioned Ralph and he won't budge. He continued to search the house from the living room to the kitchen but he didn't go upstairs. He knew the three of you were hiding there. He approached your hiding spot and- CLANK! You hit him in the face as Ralph held him back while Kara and Alice ran. Your successor fell on his knees from the hit. Thirium ran down from his nose and mouth, that's how strong your hit was. "Connor, what the hell are you doing there?!" You kneeled down to face him and he looked up to meet your eyes. "Don't say a word about us or I'll take out your pump regulator," you threatened him. Your hand was on the spot just below his chest, ready to take out his regulator. "I don't care if you take it out. I'm not alive." You stared at him as if he's some sort of an anomaly. Having emotions really does change you. "I'm not alive." That creeps the living hell out of you. "They're here!" He shouted. "Ralph, let's go!" The both of you sprinted to the back door as you hear people barging into the house. Shots were fired. You caught some bullets but it didn't hit any major biocomponents, though you could die from the lack of thirium. You heard Connor shout, "we need the RK700 alive!" before you feel a weight over you. An officer tackled and handcuffed you before you could do anything due to the ever decreasing thirium flowing in your systems.
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alia15 · 6 years ago
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I Love Me.
A Short Story:
Two bridesmaids in their late 20s gather around a mirror in a fancy bridal suite. They have just gotten their hair and makeup done by professionals.
Bridesmaid 1: “I need to just wear fake eyelashes all the time. I literally don’t have eyelashes. They are non-existent.”
Bridesmaid 2: “Tell me about it. Ugh, I hate this lip color on me; it’s drawing too much attention to my pencil-thin lips. I need lip injections. How much do those cost?”
A third bridesmaid enters the room and lets out a heavy sigh while looking in the mirror.
Bridesmaids 1 & 2, in unison: “OHMYGOD, you look gorgeous!”
Bridesmaid 3: *scoffs*  “Um, OK, I literally look 6 months pregnant. This dress is NOT flattering on me and is really highlighting my flabby stomach.”
Bridesmaid 2:��“At least you have boobs to fill this thing out; I have the tits of a 9 year old girl.”
Everyone laughs. At that moment, Bridesmaid 4 walks in the room and catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror and smiles.
Bridesmaid 3: “Aww, you look so good!”
Bridesmaid 4: “Thanks! I actually feel really pretty. I LOVE my hair like this!”
Bridesmaids 1, 2 and 3 are perplexed. Shook. Kind of even repulsed to be honest? Hearing a woman speak highly of herself just...does not compute.
Bridesmaid 1, under her breath: “Full of ourselves much...” 
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This ain’t right. But sadly, it’s reality. As a society, seeing women being self-loathing and self-deprecating is acceptable; welcomed, even. Listening to a woman berate herself might bother us and we might not agree with what they’re saying, but we are OK with them saying it. Why? Because WE say it. We talk about our flaws -- in our appearance AND personality -- but wouldn't dream of doing the opposite. 
But I don’t think it’s a matter of women not loving things about themselves. Rather, it’s about the stigma attached to announcing it. We’re comfortable talking about our cellulite, our big foreheads and bad skin, but wouldn’t DARE say we think we have pretty amazing arms. 
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YES GURL.
So, I got an idea. I reached out to a few of my favorite female bloggers and posed a challenge: tell me what you love about yourself. Don’t hold back, don’t use negative terminology, don’t downplay. Don’t think in order to say something nice, you need to also say something negative (no “My nose is crooked but I still like it!”).  THIS ISN’T AN EASY EXERCISE, but we doin’ the damn thing.
It’s important.
I now present you, 6 beautiful, intelligent & amazing women -- and what they love about themselves. 
Who: Stephanie, from the blog Life According to Steph
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I am fierce with myself and allow myself to be who I am, warts and all. I know my strengths, I’m not afraid to acknowledge my weaknesses, and I’m not interested in perfection.
I encourage and empower others, especially women. There’s room for all of us to shine.
I do what makes me happy, not what society tells me I should do.
I am an excellent nail painter (my own, not yours).
I work hard at being a good and contributing member of my community.
Who: Emma, from the blog Emma’s Thing
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I love that I have no filter. I think life is too short to not speak your truth, tell it like it is, ask awkward questions, or tell someone they have a booger in their nose. I love that I'm upfront and let almost whatever's in my head come out of my mouth. Sure, it's caused some heartache but it also makes life interesting IMO. 
I love my facial skin. I get compliments on it all the time and, even when I'm having a bad week with random acne or some weird, non-descript rash, I know I still have it very good. I thank my mom for the good genes.
I love my hair! It took me forever to love it, truly. My hair is very very curly naturally and, for years, I had no idea how TF to handle it. But once I figured it out, I finally learned to love it. At this point, IDK how I would fare if my hair suddenly changed on me. I wouldn't know WTF to do. I also love that its natural curl lends itself to not having to be washed very often, and I can wear it in crazy, messy ways without being questioned. 
I love that I'm good at so many things. I can get sheepish about the fact that I can write, act, dance, sing, do comedy, have a good photography eye, etc. I'm not sure why — probably because it feels like bragging and showing off. But the fact of the matter is, yah girl has talent! I'm a Jill of all trades, if you will. 
Who: Christine, from the blog Simply Stine
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I am a giver and I always have been. Nothing makes me happier in life than doing random acts of kindness for others. I am in a position where I'm able to bring joy to other people and nothing makes me happier. It could be sending random packages in the mail to friends and family or sending flowers out of the blue. Doing things for other people is just something I've always done and loved doing.
I love my eyes. They're this beautiful blue and they just pop in the right lighting. I've always loved them.
I love that people come to me for all kinds of advice and support.  I love listening and helping people, no matter what the situation involves. I want my friends and family to know that I'm always there for them and I'm always willing to sit down and listen to them. I think we all need that person in our life that we can go to, right?!?
I love that I'm finally happy with myself as a person. It took me a long time to understand that being "different" isn't a bad thing and that it's so much more of a positive than I ever realized. I am ok with being me and everything that comes along with accepting myself. Why did it take me over 30 years to realize this?!?
I'm a full-time Blogger and I love it. People don't always understand what it is that I do, but it's the best job. It's hard as hell some days and it isn't always fair, but it's so rewarding being able to have something that I'm in charge of come together and be a source of positivity and inspiration for others!
Who: Lindsay, from the blog Bourbon & Lipstick
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I love my desire help others - be it those less needy, or something as simple as helping another blogger or blog reader.
I love that I don't take bullshit.  
I love my big butt.
I love my work ethic and that I consistently strive to do/be better.
I love how I'm not afraid to speak up.
Who: Emelia, from the blog Dream Big & Buy the Shoes
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I'm extremely goofy. I make up songs and rhymes and make a lot of weird noises. I enjoy it- my kids laugh and it keeps life interesting. One of my favorite things I say every day at some point...to my daughter is "Are you ready? Ready spaghetti? Is my little Betty spaghetti ready?" Not sure where I came up with it- but she smiles, and so do I.
I love my eyes. They're green- but sometimes look hazel, sometimes look grey. I get compliments on my eyes a lot, and it makes me happy because I feel that eyes are an interesting part of a person. Someone's eyes can tell a story- and maybe mine do that for people.
Determination- I have lots of it. I've been through some rough stuff in the past 34 years and I always come out the other side. I'm determined to make sure that my family is taken care of and that we are the happiest we can be so I persevere as much as I can in every situation.
I will do anything for my children. It's hard to be a parent- there's no clear cut instruction manual. There's a lot of judgements and opinions- but you need to figure out the path on your own. I'm extremely proud of the Mom I am to Ethan and Bella. Every day isn't perfect, but we make it the best we can.
I can multi-task and love being productive. I am someone who can not sit down to relax until everything is done- but hell if I can't get it all done in like 20 minutes. I will be sweeping the kitchen floor, starting laundry and loading the dishwasher while entertaining the baby and checking Instagram- HA. But for real, I have always had very busy jobs that require me doing a lot at once and I think that helped me as a person be very productive. Being busy and productive and getting things done is a great personality trait in my opinion- work work work work work!
Who: Allison, from the blog AA (ya know, the one you’re reading right now?)
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I have a good eye. Whether I’m putting an outfit together, decorating a room or taking a photo, I love that I just know what looks good. If you see me in action doing any of those aforementioned things (especially photography; my second love after writing), you know I’m serious about it.
I have long, naturally muscular legs. I was born with long legs (thanks mom) which makes me appear taller than my actual 5 feet 4 inch stature, but years of walking in heels is likely responsible for some serious calf definition that I’ve always loved having.
I love my sense of humor and quick wit. It comes across in my writing, but in “real life” it’s there, too. I’ve always said I’d rather be the funniest person in the room instead of the smartest or prettiest, and I stand by that. Humor is SO important to me. AND I’M A FUNNY BITCH.
I’m true to who I am, always. I’ve never adapted, changed or downplayed anything about myself to appeal to or appease anyone else. I stand by my convictions and I’m proud of the woman I am and will stand up for what I believe in any day of the week.
My one dimple. One is better than none, and I have a pretty big one on the left side of my face that enhances my smile and normally causes someone to poke their finger in it when they see it, which sounds weird when I type it. I love that it’s kind of a “trademark” thing I have.
OK ladies (& gents, of course!) -- your turn! Leave what thing(s) you love about yourself in the comments. I’d love to hear!
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kururisa · 7 years ago
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Making a modern AU w/ Kisame, do you have career recs.!? Please!?
I’vE bEEN WaiTING tO MAkE ThIS pOST
Kisame’s a walking utility belt, so I’ll break the jobs down by their connection to his canon traits/skills.STIPULATION: If the job doesn’t normally involve a boss/manager/coach, assume he’s working with at least one partner/bff who makes the plans and totes him around, unless this AU addresses his… subordinate complex.
Samehada: Animal HandlerCaring for Samehada was his hobby, and while he didn’t babytalk it (a la Killer B or the average pet owner), he was masterfully versed in Samehada’s capacities and limitations. From what we saw on screen, he had a relatively professional relationship with the dogsword, and whether that was still true off-screen, the point stands that he can train, feed, exercise, and bond with creatures at a career-appropriate level.Specific jobs: Wildlife Rehabilitator, Guide Dog Trainer, Animal Control Worker, Zoo Keeper, Vet Assistant
Sharks: AquaristFrom summons to awkward monologues, Kisame is both knowledgeable and passionate about sharks. They’re even the way he wanted to die, apparently. I don’t know how he feels about the rest of fishkind, but assuming he doesn’t *hate* them, or at least sees their value in relation to sharks, his career choices are vast. Just keep his active, physical nature in mind and any job will do.Specific jobs: Ecotourism Guide, Marine Research Technician, Divemaster, Aquarium Husbandry Professional
Swords: Well…I’ve not seen evidence to suggest that Kisame can *make* swords (though it’s a fair headcanon), and their non-decorative uses are in sharp decline, but a few reasonable options remain, particularly if his swordsmanship is played as a hobby or part-time gig.Specific jobs: Sword Dancer, Kenjutsu Instructor,  Historical Reenactor, that guy everyone on tv calls for sword advice.
Fighting: Instructor/PerformerI know, I know, I’m giving him a ­­lot of jobs that involve mentoring and public interaction. While it’s true that his human contacts were limited, he was open, talkative, and if I may say *charming as hell* when he DID engage people. Of course, his face-to-face charisma was more fully explored than his teaching abilities, but it would be particularly odd if his introduction to Itachi was the first and last time he ever tried to Learn Someone A Thing.­­ Besides, the fighting job you’re thinking of gets its own category.Specific jobs: Martial Arts Choreographer, Stunt Double, Assistant Dojo Instructor, any fighting sport with a weapon-emphasis
Water: These suggestions are all over the place so I don’t have an encompassing title, butIt’s kind of his element.Specific jobs: Oceanographer, Pro Surfer, Firefighter, Swim Instructor, Aquatic Performer, Water Slide Tester
Government: Guard/SoldierIt only took five career paths to get to the stuff he’s been doing since he was old enough to hold a kunai 👀tsk tsk. Granted, he did LEAVE these lines of work to join a rogue organization, but his skills were still thoroughly employed. That, and switch Obito’s mob out for another military and you’ve probably got yourself a Soldier 4 Life.Specific Jobs: Bodyguard, Escort, Marine/Navy/Coast Guard, definitely give him a manhunting-emphasis where possible
Strength: 5/5 score. Basically, he’s hiredWhile most of the jobs above engage his physical prowess, they also fulfill some other aspect of his personality. But hey, so long as it’s an AU, why not stick him with dead-end grunt work!? :D Sufferringggg. Or a way to keep him coming back to the coffee shop, idk, whichever explanations work best for your AU. The primary reason I bring this up is because there’s a chance Kisame’s shinobi career began for similar reasons as buff guys’ construction careers. They were tough, they looked the part, it was there, they were there… In a world without magic ninjas, maybe Kisame would have been funneled into the next-nearest manual labor position? Just an idea; I’m rambling at this point.Specific Jobs: Roofer/Mason/Carpenter, Warehouse Worker/Truck Loader/Shelf Stocker
YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY FEEL FREE TO EXPAND/ELABORATE ON THIS LIST. LET’S GET MODERN AU KISAME A JOB.
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