#if you speak another language you’re off the hook because that’s a whole achievement

[valewritessss]

Okay I understand the confusion of “lose” and “loose”(I don’t) but “YOUR” AND “YOU’RE”???

Are we actually being serious? Is it laziness or did we actually forget first grade spelling class. I’m not talking about non-native speakers but the ones that only know English what are we doing? Same thing with “two”, “too”, and “to”. What kind of epidemic are we living through because there’s no way you’re not understand the difference.

And I tried to be understanding at first because I know a lot of people who aren’t fluent in English or just didn’t grow up with it, my family included. But for my friends that have lived here their whole lives and have never spoken another language this is an issue. Every time one of them writes “your” but they mean “you’re”, a small fragment of my soul fades. “You’re house” am I??? The little blue dots underline the word as I write this.

When I say it’s going to be rare to know how to properly write in the future I was not kidding. Some mistakes are just mistakes but there’s people that never get it right, not even once. Once again, this doesn’t apply to the non native speakers. Although I must say, my mom has very limited English vocabulary but she knows the difference.

Do you know how much I cringed while revising my friend’s final essay. He was complaining that his English teacher scolded him for writing “u” instead of “you” and it was hard to keep my mouth shut— I repeat it was his final essay, and the final draft. And it’s not the way we’ve been taught it, because I know a handful of people that understand grammar and the majority of us have been taught the same thing in the same classroom.

I know people who brag about not knowing multiplication by 4, but that’s a different conversation.

I was born here, but I grew up only speaking Spanish until I started school and I’m thriving, so maybe it’s just me that can’t comprehend how someone who was born and raised here, whose entire family only knows English, who only writes in English can’t understand the difference between “you’re” and “your”. If there’s actually something that prevents you from learning it or understanding it then this isn’t about you either. I am talking about the people who just don’t care to learn or who don’t try at all. No one else other than that.

I’m sorry for this rant but I’m not because it had to be said. I apologize if it’s controversial but I just had to share. I’m not the queen of English grammar either but I know the basics (the bare minimum). For the final time, I am not talking about non-native speakers, or people genuinely have a hard time learning this stuff or remembering it. Take what I said with a grain of salt but my opinion remains and I express it shamelessly.

[thisisallthehattersfault]

Writing Romantic Relationships

I get a lot of compliments on my chemistry and character interactions. A lot of my readers have expressed liking the way I write relationships, so since that’s an aspect of my writing that gets a lot of positive attention, I want to really make sure to hone and refine it as best I can. With that goal in mind, I did some Googling a couple months ago to try to find any articles or videos I could that had advice for writing believable, engaging romantic relationships.

Turns out, there’s not a ton out there.  The results that came up were all focused on the Romance genre, which I’m sure will be very helpful to those who are writing their first bodice ripper, but it’s not for me. There were a few lists of things to avoid when writing romantic relationships, but as with all advice telling people what not to write, they’re really only helpful sometimes.

So, I decided to sit down and try to articulate the way I approach romantic relationships in my writing, in the hopes that it might be helpful to someone, and also in the hopes that other writers would chime in and add some tips of their own. 

Right off the bat, you should ask yourself why you want these characters to get together. A romantic relationship should be an entirely character-driven subplot -- sure, things like an alien invasion or an eldritch cult will push people together through necessity, but if you really want your readers to be hooked on your characters’ relationship, you need to make it believable that these people would fall in love even if the Plot wasn’t happening. Basically, what do they see in each other? What do these people gain by being together? Why them, and not anyone else?

The main way I address this is through character flaws. A good relationship in real life should make you a better person -- within reason. No, getting a girlfriend isn’t going to solve all of your problems, but those problems should seem smaller and more manageable now that you have someone in your corner. A romantic relationship is life’s built-in buddy system, and fiction should reflect that. The two ways characters can help one another deal with their respective flaws are through Overcoming and Compensating.

Overcoming is typically how character growth works -- your character addresses their flaw, and decides to change it in order to become a better person. Having someone around to call them out on their bullshit, or encourage them to do better, or praise them for their progress can be a huge help in achieving that growth. Typically the easiest and most effective way I’ve seen this done is to have one character lead by example. 

An emotionally repressed jerk becomes more open and expressive because their S/O’s strong sense of compassion rubs off on them. A character who’s shy and insecure gains courage by watching their confident, self-assured love interest. These will likely be the first reasons your characters are attracted to each other. They should respect and admire things about each other, and want to emulate those traits -- even if it’s only grudgingly, and even if they never admit it out loud. 

Which brings me to Compensating. The thing is, perfect characters are boring and unrealistic. Even after a whole book’s worth of development, your characters should still be at least a little flawed. They’ll still have hangups, habits, issues that they haven’t worked through and probably never will because if they were cured of Every Single Flaw they’d be… just, unbearably boring. What I’m saying is: Not all character “flaws” need to be fixed. But, depending on what those flaws are, they could maybe stand to have somebody else compensate for them.

An impulsive character held in check by their calculating partner. A trusting character cautioned by their hesitant lover. A passive character with a temperamental s/o who stands up for them. This is the classic opposites attract -- the messy one adds excitement and spontaneity into their lover’s life, while the neat one keeps things reasonable and on-track. There should be a back-and-forth, with each character taking turns to show that neither of them are necessarily wrong, but there’s a time and place for quiet vs loud, aggression vs pacifism, logic vs emotion. Your characters should respect their s/o’s perspective, and be willing to listen and meet them on their level. This creates balance, and gives your readers clear examples of why your characters work as a couple.

These are the most important parts of your relationship to figure out, because they’re how you’ll plot out the romance. The major heavy lifting for your romance will be almost entirely done by showing how your characters help each other grow or come to rely on each other for help. If they don’t make each other better, and they don’t need each other to pick up the slack, then the relationship is shallow, and won’t work. 

Once you’ve got the bones of the relationship figured out, you can start to work on the fun meaty bits. Next up, Affection.

Way, way too often in media, we’re given two characters who are supposed to be madly in love, who… don’t have anything in common. No shared interests, conflicting goals. They barely talk to each other. But we’re supposed to believe they’re happy in their relationship? Look, your characters need to like each other. Yes, even while plot is making their lives crazy! They shouldn’t completely overlap, but they need to have hobbies and interests in common, or at least have complimentary senses of humor and priorities. Your character who has never touched a camera in his life can absolutely still fall for a photographer -- if he appreciates art, or at least appreciates the way his s/o lights up when they talk about their craft. Are your characters both passionate about animals? Do they do the same sports? Play video games? What do they do together? 

Again, they don’t need to share Every Single Aspect Of Their Lives -- in fact, it’s better if they don’t. Much like how you need your love interest to both Overcome and Compensate for a character’s flaws, their hobbies and interests should be a little of both -- things they share, and things they don’t. Hell, have your character who absolutely hates country music take their s/o to a concert anyway. Have your character who couldn’t care less about videography rattle off movie-making trivia because their lover talks about it so often. Show them supporting each other’s interests, even if it’s only to make the other happy. The things they do share should be a way for them to connect and have fun. That’s really what it comes down to. Romance should be fun sometimes.

Next up, I wanna talk about Love Language. I read somewhere that if you need your characters to kiss and say I love you for them to be in a relationship, you didn’t write a strong relationship. I agree with that, but I think it needs to be expanded on -- The Big Kiss and Those Three Words are a very loud way of expressing affection, but typically people say it much quieter, and much more often, than we acknowledge. 

The Five Love Languages are Words Of Affection, Giving/Receiving Gifts, Acts Of Service, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. Understanding your characters’ primary love language and showing them expressing their love in whatever way makes sense for them will make your readers go absolutely fucking hogwild. Your characters don’t need complimentary love languages either -- in fact, if you’re looking to add a little conflict in the relationship, giving them love languages that don’t add up can really help add some believably to the whole mutually pining trope. A character who’s love language is physical touch trying to cuddle up to someone who hates having their space invaded, or a character who’s love language is words of affection coming across as a flatterer to a love interest who’s been manipulated a few too many times, makes way more sense than two people who adore each other but aren’t together because [enter contrived excuse.]

Between your characters having Affection for each other and your characters speaking to each other in their respective Love Languages, you have the groundwork for a lot of really immersive Chemistry! We get why these characters are good for each other from a story-telling perspective, we know why they like each other, and we can see how they express their feelings in small, consistent ways that really sells the idea that they’re in love -- or headed that way. Now what we need is to feel it for ourselves.

Chemistry in writing is all about immersion. When you have a crush, your whole body gets involved. The sweating hands, the pounding heartbeat -- but it also shows in your body language, the way you stand near that person, the way you carry yourself when they’re around. It’s in your thoughts, the language you use to describe them, the way you view them compared to others. There’s really no trick to writing chemistry -- at least none that I’ve found -- other than to really delve into your characters and make your readers feel what they feel. Every quiet thrill when their hands brush, every subtle glance at each others’ lips. These are people who want to get closer like lungs want air. Attraction is a magnet, and both of them should feel it.

I don’t just mean sexually, either. A character hyper-fixating on the collection of freckles on their love-interest’s nose can be as much a method of ratcheting up the tension as a character who can’t tear their eyes away from their love-interest’s rippling abs. Likewise, it doesn’t even need to be physical intimacy at all that your characters are chasing -- the desire to know someone, their deepest thoughts and dreams and fears, can be just as if not more intense than the desire to see them naked. However your characters’ attraction manifests, you need to make your audience feel it. Use all five senses, have them be very aware of each other when they’re in the same room. Show them wanting each other. Make your readers want it, too.

As you’ve probably picked up on from my wording in this, the last big tip I can give you for writing romantic relationships is that they need to be Reciprocated. Loudly, explicitly, consistently. Too often only one half of the pair is fleshed out, while the other is basically cardboard -- a thin, lifeless collection of “attractive” traits with no substance beyond that. The Manic Pixie Dreamgirl is perfect and fun and sexy, and she’s here to drag this unfuckably boring sad sack out of his miserable life. Why? Why is the gorgeous Adonis with every girl in town fawning over him settling for the plain, bitchy protagonist? Wish fulfillment is great and all, but both of your characters need solid reasons to be attracted to each other, or the romance just won’t be good.

[thliahls]

b-b-b-back once again , cldn’t wait can’t be tamed .. as with all my intros .. tis a doozy so feel free to mssg me for a tl;dr if we feelin lazy i will totally understand , or scroll to the wc’s i tried to think of as many as possible bc i wanna plot wit every1 )): !! anyhaps like this n i will come force my heathen of a gurl on u !

⌠ GRACIE ABRAMS, 20, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, THALIA HALL! according to their records, they’re a FIRST year, specializing in AWARENESS TRAINING, BREATH CONTROL, HAND TO HAND COMBAT + THREAT ELIMINATION and they DID go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of dirt under a meticulously painted manicure, the shrill ring of her phone and poorly treated books creased at the spine. when it’s the (scorpio)’s birthday on 11/02/2000, they always request FISH FINGERS from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation. 

biography / pinterest

was born in the states but dad and her moved back to england the year she was born, which was also the year he graduated blackthorne. his mother was ‘never in the picture’ which has left her imagination to go down several paths, discontent with all of them. unfortunately daddy dearest crafts a space where she’d never dare ask ! she has a bit of an obsession with the blackthorne graduation ritual because of it .

was immediately placed under the care of two retired spies, sort of a foster care system within the spy community. dad still visited whenever he wasn’t working and still technically had full custody over her. up until she went to prep school, led a very sheltered life. homeschooled by them, but they were fairly lax. her dad expected a certain amount of training to be done, but her and her foster siblings usually mucked about a fair bit. her training would always be done in the form of games which she discovered early on that she loved to win, it made her fiercely competitive.

was very spoiled by them, grew up in a huge country estate and excelled in her home school classes without trying, which made her extremely entitled. she’d often wrestle with her siblings in the garden , and bring them to tears . biting them, pulling their hair, slapping them around . it would earn her a slap on the wrist , but it was never anything a sorry couldn’t fix . spends her free time laying in the grass reading , and learning the romance languages and was raised speaking cantonese bc that’s her foster parents native language . more invested in the sociology of linguistics and how it can be used to assert and diminish power but only cares for this in a self-serving way .

spy prep rolls around and it’s very exciting ! as predicted ( by herself lmao ) she does well, without even having to try. socially , she drifts through groups , picking up on cues on how to interact , what works well and what doesn’t . doesn’t find anyone particularly interesting and would much rather be reading but by not having any sort of allegiance to one particular group , it ends with her being very well-liked . the top marks is unsurprising, further fuelled by some amusing competition , finding that her desire to earn good grades comes more from wanting to spite others than actually wanting to achieve good grades . finals roll around and she gets the highest grade in her year and in tandem with being well liked, earns her place as valedictorian . she’s very proud of herself, not for earning valedictorian, but for besting aylin . 

in the months prior , on a field trip she meets a boy and for the first time in ever , exudes big dumb energy gets his number , starts texting him , starts sneaking off campus to meet him ... he’s a total casanova , a big romantic and exactly like the protags in the romance novels she reads . it’s a big prep school no-no but as long as no one finds out it’s fine ! then walks in aylin, and destroys her whole career by reporting her ( she doesn’t know for sure it was her , but has her suspicions since their rivalry had run throughout the entirety of prep school ). she’s kicked out , denied graduation , valedictorian and is humiliated . she calls her civilian boyfriend the night of , but his line’s already been disconnected , presumably threatened / beat up by her lovely dad .

her father is livid , but is able to use his connections to get her a place at another , less prestigious prep school and negotiates with the school to take her to and fro every day , like he’s picking her up from daycare . he stops working for a full year to do this , and expects her to feel indebted to him . the monotony of repeating the year makes her irritable, made worse by the snickers she constantly hears in the hallways . but she has gallagher to look forward to , knowing she’ll still be going there because continuing tradition is important to her father , who also decided her majors for her and had a big argument with him when she asked if she could take linguistics ! he makes her call him every single night at 6p.m. if she misses a call , he contacts the school . she hates him . 

personality 

passive aggressive emphasis on the aggressive : is always withholding judgement, but inevitably always lets a comment slip. think, ‘   you’re so confident to wear whatever you want to,   ’ or, ‘   wow ! that colour’s so bright i almost need sunglasses !   ’ petty as hell  in all respects physically too , spots a bruise on your arm ? you bet she’s gonna press it and ask if that hurts, then say sorry when you yelp . 

hypocritical : detests people who don’t try but doesn’t try herself and justifies it by getting really good grades . believes there’s no point sleeping with someone unless you love them , then will drunkenly hook up with someone that very same night . 

hope less romantic : she has no hope for others but remains a romantic . thinks people have given up on courting people and wooing them . expects flowers at her door , good morning texts and candlelit dinners . leaves secret admirer notes under people's door to people she thinks are cute and thinks she might have a crush on in the future , quite creepy but at least she doesn't use magazine clippings anymore ! 

spiteful : life is a game and she wants to win it ! makes everything into a competition , even unconsciously . goes up to the adjacent treadmill and makes the speed and incline several points higher than the person next to her . painting your nails with her ? she’ll make sure hers looks better and point out that you didn’t coat the ends of your nails . board game night with her is fun for no one but her , i’m so sorry if she ever ropes you into one !

bookworm : her disgustingly high standards about love come from her singular past relationships and books . read one too many jane austen’s and now she’s crazy

loyal : her loyalty is hard to earn , but once you’ve got it , you’ve got it .

*think the arrogant exterior of jesse eisenberg as zucc in the social network with emaline addario ( everything sucks ) type dramatics every so often to keep it spicy !

wanted connections

toxic friendship ! a slow burn relationship of passive-aggressiveness and co-dependency, one day they stop taking her shit or say they’re going to but always end up in each other’s company at the end of the day . or maybe one day they don’t come back to her and thalia is forced to admit she may have been too harsh .

hook-ups she has when drunk ! which she will only have when drunk , to follow her unspecified , no rights , belief system . will pretend like she does not know you the next day . oh to be a romantic , but a scorpio . a tough life .

people she has crushes on ! and leaves handwritten poetry under their door or in their notebooks , absolutely humiliating that she acts this way ! bonus points for a note that’s left under the door and the wrong person reads it . 

sparring buddies but make it feral ! no rules sorta deal, out in the woods, scratches from twigs, bloodied rocks, anything to let some of her pent up aggression out . they can go swimming after : )

daddy issues gang ! someone hears her on the phone in the hallway , inquires , proceeds to talk about how much they hate their fathers . thalia tells them how she’s going to kill him one day <3 alternatively , her father may have been the cause or implicated in the death of your chara’s loved one .

roommates ! self-explanatory , but she probably dislikes them and is unfairly harsh on them . sets rules but lets herself be exempt from them stuff like that x also for berlin she requested a room by herself lmao n deluded herself into thinking she wld be accommodated , thus i’m going to leave whoever she rooms with up to fate and she will hate it regardless of whoever she gets roomed with !

someone who hates aylin as much as she does ! yes this is deserving of a whole connection , thalia would probably die for this person . alternatively , aylin’s friends who she hates as a byproduct of hating aylin or tries to get them to hate aylin .

rivals ! because it’s the only thing that motivates her to do well in school .  

encryption major ! who helps her find out about her dad’s past , and present . what he’s done and what he continues to do . also a way for her to maybe switch one of her majors to linguistics and hacking a report that says she’s still in her predetermined majors .

take a chill pill ! someone who gets her to relax , makes her watch reality television which she relentlessly criticizes , but this person won’t give up trying to make her less of an awful human bean .

anything else ! i am , as the kids say , down to clown .

[hcpefulmarshmallow]

I wanted to take some time out of our irregularly scheduled content to talk about something near and dear to my heart: Komaeda’s voice. Specifically, two of his character songs which I have been more eager to dissect than you know. 

A couple of points before we begin:

These songs were not written by the same people who designed, scripted or even localised Komaeda, but rather his Japanese VA, Megumi Ogata. It has, however, been sanctioned as canon material, even released under the Danganronpa brand. Therefore, I will treat it with the same consideration that I do explicitly canon material.

The songs are, of course, in Japanese. I do not speak this language, so I’ll be going off the translations available on the DR wiki. If you do speak Japanese and you realise I’ve missed or misinterpreted something due to the language barrier, please let me know. Otherwise, as an English speaker, I’ll do my best with what I have. 

My goal here is to reconcile his musical characterisation with his canon characterisation, as well as extrapolate whatever new things we can learn from these songs about our beloved boy. And if you’re reading this crazy long post and thinking, “wow, she’s reading way too into this,” ... yeah. That’s sort of the fun of it. My goal isn’t to challenge anybody, or shame anyone’s headcanons. This is just a weird niche hobby of mine.

Apologies for the lack of a cut. This much text, I felt, might be a little hard on some peoples’ eyes on my theme. It is tagged though.

Okay, onto the good stuff.

 Zettai Kibou Birthday is, according to Megumi, a song about how Nagito feels on the “outside”. It contains a literal narrative and a metanarrative which is a word I like to use to sound smart, but in this case, just refers to an overarching interpretation that isn’t necessarily verbatim, but rather is represented, or is provided a structure, or is given meaning by the actual text. 

 In this case, the literal narrative is this: Nagito meets somebody on campus he was “born to meet”, and they have some sort of steamy rendezvous, and in amongst all the smooshing, there are several references to absolute hope. However, the song isn’t supposed to be a literal recount of events, but rather an expression of Nagito’s feelings; about hope, love, intimacy and connection. This is the metanarrative. The plot, if you will, is simply a presentation of that message. 

 While the song functions on a conceptual level and not a physical one, it interests me that sex is the medium through which he allegorises hope, intimacy and interpersonal connection. I think it’s also interesting that hope and intimacy are grouped together, as if to find one is to find the other. To quote Nagito himself, “Now that I’m on the verge of death, I’ve finally realised what I wanted all along: somebody’s love.”

 Again, the song isn’t literal. It captures a feeling, likening that exhilaration and comfort of making a deep and impossible connection to the feeling of finding Ultimate Hope. And for someone who has been so lonely for so long, it makes sense he would find that hope in another person. Someone who isn’t afraid to be close to him in every possible sense of the word. 

 Now let me get it out there - I don’t expect a song like this to have explicit depictions of sex or anything. There is a fine line to walk when using the topic in media lest you be branded with a hard “lewd” rating, but there’s still no shortage of ways to use it without being explicit. Take, for instance, Carla Gugino & Oscar Isaac’s cover of Love Is The Drug. (Why the cover and not the original? Because I actually liked Sucker Punch, fight me.)

Late that night I park my car / Stake my place in the singles' bar / Face to face, toe to toe / Heart to heart as we hit the floor Lumber up, limbo down / The locked embrace, the stumble round / I say go, (and I say yes) / Dim the lights, you can guess the rest

 The words describe literally what is going on, while still invoking the right mood and the emotions the characters in the song were feeling. It’s very well-balanced lyrically, especially with what Oscar and Carla’s performance brings to it. Contrast, if you will, with:

So lock up, mix up, cut up… key up, sex up, wrap up /  I'll let you mess me up and indulge  That's it, break up, use up, end up… hook up—because we're connected / The omen of hope after the worst disaster

 If you look close, you can definitely see what’s happening in the actual narrative of the song. However, the details are more or less obfuscated under this layer of words that don’t really mean anything on their own. It’s more like a flurry of different sensations rather than one, tangible experience. These feelings he’s having during these experience are, in the next breath, directly correlated with connection, and then hope. 

 Nagito is a guy who works on the conceptual and the philosophical more than the literal. Even in canon, he’s heavily into symbolism. He likes to carry around Go stones because of what the colours represent to him. So this use of intimacy and word play to describe a significant bond between two people is remarkably fitting. What’s literally happening isn’t half as important as what is going on beneath the surface, and the way it makes him feel. 

 Like I said, it’s interesting that, of all the ways he could express hope and connection, this is the one he went with. I do believe that this also expresses an underlying attitude towards intimacy; that it’s something he only wishes to share with someone truly special. In many fan circles he is portrayed as a highly sexualised character, even though in the canon media, he is quite chaste, never taking any sexual interest in a situation that isn’t sexual; for instance, any of the many times Mikan falls over herself and winds up in a suggestive pose. (And nor should he, let me stress.) 

 And I can already foresee the counterargument that Nagito is gay, so of course he won’t enjoy seeing a girl’s underwear; and to that, I have two points. One is that, personally, I disagree. This doesn’t have to matter, but I headcanon him as bi or pan, possibly even demi. Either way, I don’t believe gender plays a major role in who he is attracted to. There’s no canon evidence to say who is “right” here (as right as anyone can be regarding fiction), but I don’t judge. If that’s your interpretation, you do you. The second is that, even towards the characters he is shown to be attracted to (namely, Hajime) his expressions of interest tend to be pure, for lack of a better word. Yes, there’s the joke about stripping naked on the beach, but I’m pretty sure that’s just a joke. He does tend to play a lot, after all.

 And let me be clear -- there is nothing wrong with being a sexual person, or expressing one’s desire’s healthily. And certainly, Nagito has that side to him. He absolutely has sexual interest, urges and whatnot. It’s just not a highly key component to his characterisation. The point I want to make is: this song was a really good method to explore his feelings towards intimacy in a natural way, as well as provide more depth and context to attitudes he expressed in canon but couldn’t be explored to their fullest because, you know, it’s a story about murder, not Nagito’s feelings. The way he groups hope, love and sex as this euphoric thing, a singular whirlwind of emotions rather than separate happenings, is telling toward this desire he has for these things, the way he sees them as interconnected, and, with the way the song is so upbeat and uplifting, his hope that he can achieve it. 

 Nagito is someone who strongly believes in the idea that people are born a certain way, either hopeful or hopeless, talented or untalented. In short, destiny. And in this song, he speaks directly to the person he believes he’s destined for.

In the school campus at midnight, my heart throbs as I continue waiting "I was born for the sake of meeting you" I’II think at the moment

 This song puts a tangible goal on this “Absolute Hope”, rather than the vague “overcoming Despair” thing he talks about all the time. Nagito really, truly wants to believe - and seems to believe - that his soulmate is out there, and it isn’t too late to make a deep and meaningful connection with somebody; someone who will be just as eager to reciprocate. Someone he can be unafraid with, captivated with, and with whom, he can experience that Ultimate Hope. It’s even in the title - the moment he meets such a person, is the moment true Hope itself is born. Something far stronger than what already exists in the world. 

 Zansakura, the companion piece to ZKB, is worlds apart in many ways. 

 It is, according to Megumi, how Nagito feels on the “inside”, the other side of the proverbial coin to ZKB being how he feels on the “outside”. Likely, this means that part deep within him he doesn’t let others see. This is present in the overall tone alone. While ZKB embodied in it that uplifting way which Nagito talks about Ultimate Hope, Zansakura is much more somber. ZKB echoes the Nagito we see through Hajime’s eyes; while Zansakura is more congruent with those fleeting moments we experience the game from his perspective, wherein he is even more down on himself. As we play through the Final Dead Room with him, we see that the excessive way which he berates himself out loud is nothing compared to the second-guessing and self-debasement that goes through his mind. It truly is a dark and melancholy place, which shows through in the slow, sad melody of Zansakura. 

 This one takes the imagery to a whole other level, relying primarily on the cultural and symbolic relevancy of cherry blossoms. I’ve written about all this before, so for the sake of those who have been around this blog a while, I’ll try to summarise as best as I can. 

 In Japan, Cherry Blossoms are symbolic of the ephemeral nature of life -- in other words, the fleetingness and impermanence of it all. In no small degree, the connection between the symbolism of Cherry Blossoms and life and death comes from the influence of Buddhist culture, and is embodied specifically in the concept of mono no aware. This can be translated a number of ways that all pretty much come back to the same idea of existing for only a short period of time. It’s used to describe the awareness of impermanence, the transience of things, and a sadness or wistfulness as their passing; and a deeper sadness about this being the reality of things. I know this seems boring and irrelevant, but please keep especially this last bit in mind, as it’s very important to the meaning behind this song. 

 The most popular variety of Cherry Blossom in Japan are the Somei Yoshino, which are almost pure white and tinged with pale pink near the stem. Although this song was written after the fact, I have to wonder if this was always intended to be part of the character’s aesthetic, because these colours are reflected in Nagito’s character design - specifically, his hair. Anyway, the Somei Yoshino typically bloom and fall within a week. Winter Sakura or Fuyuzakura begin blooming in autumn and continue sporadically throughout winter alone. 

 Though Cherry Blossoms are an important, and even iconic image for the country, most people are surprised to learn they don’t last for very long. For Nagito to compare himself to these flowers is to admit that he, too, is here to bloom for a short period of time. It’s also worth noting that Cherry Blossoms are considered their most beautiful, not as they bloom, but rather as they wither and fall. And all of a sudden, I’m reminded of all the times Nagito talks about attaining hope through despair, and how his life has only found meaning as he inches closer to death.

 Yeah, I don’t like remembering this detail because it’s profoundly sad, but our marshmallow boy doesn’t exactly have long to live. He was given a year, at most, before starting at Hope’s Peak - and, at the end of the series, is presumably in his early-to-mid 20s. He’s beaten his own life expectancy, but not his illnesses. 

 The song starts in the most typical Nagito way I can think of:

“We can see again tomorrow", I laughed, short-lived cherry blossoms within my heart

 As he always does, he laughs and is cheerful with others, even though deep down, he’s tremendously sad. 

 The song then takes us through this most beautiful and haunting imagery, of cherry blossoms in bloom after surviving a storm*, preparing to wither and fall; until at last they do, and as the flowers are carried away by the wind and water, a lonely, broken branch is left behind, wanting to bloom again.

 (*The actual word used is ‘struggle’, however further down, the survival of a storm is mentioned, along with the flowers (aka hope) which will bloom after. The whole thing is a metaphor for his hope/luck cycle, is what I’m saying.)

 He talks about this imagery as someone observing it (The storm of flowers, the sudden wind / I halt and open my eyes); again, with this idea of a metanarrative lurking beneath a literal one. He does, however, break the narrative to address (presumably) that same elusive “you” from Zettai Kibou Birthday:

To live an ordinary life, and die together with you / Oh, if that could come true

 This seems so disconnected from the Nagito we know, who seems to have no interest in ‘ordinary’ things, and chases only hope. But as we’ve established, the place he most desires to seek hope is in another person. As he spends more time with Hajime during Island Mode, we know already that he admits to seeing hope in himself, and that he doesn’t necessarily take it as good news. But this line, right here, I feel embodies what this song is about, and what Nagito is all about. 

 Nagito is a very lonely person, desperate by his own admission for love and understanding. He knows he has little time left, and his prospects are...dim. Everyone he’s ever loved has either died or suffered at the hands of his luck, a force far beyond his control. And those who remain - namely, his classmates - either don’t like or don’t understand him. In ZKB - again, how Nagito feels on the “outside” - he expresses a hopefulness that there’s still someone he can love, who can love him, who he can experience that Absolute Hope with. But Zansakura has far more pessimistic expectations. 

 By breaking the metaphor to be straightforward and honest for a line, we get Nagito’s most core desire: to live a life with somebody; to love and be loved. Which, yeah, he’s already admitted to. For someone who’s been through so much, that probably seems like the most unattainable thing. Every time he gets comfortable, something invariably rips all that out from under him. And of that, he is painfully aware. Oh, if only that could come true - in other words, he knows it won’t. 

 Once again, do recall the concept of mono no aware. It’s not just an awareness of transience and impermanence, but also an intense, wistful sadness in the face of it. He knows he’s dying, and he knows he’s dying alone. But he’s not frustrated or angry, or even defiant. He’s not trying to fight it. As much as Nagito wants to hope for the best, deep down, he just can’t. He knows this is the reality, and he doesn’t have it in him to fight back. He’s just completely, deeply, helplessly sad. 

 In this song, Nagito’s life is represented as the petals that bloom for a short time, then fall; while he is the broken branch left behind; forgotten, wounded and unappealing; yearning for more time. Deep down, this is how he feels about himself. He is boring and unextraordinary, and yet (perhaps selfishly) he wishes that brief taste he has of being alive would last if only a little longer. He’s not quite ready to die yet, not until “the day this ordinary life is devoted”.

[type-a-nomad]

IT’S MARCH!

feb 28

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 3 weeks.  I feel like I haven't done anything.  I haven't hiked table mountain.  I haven't gone on Safari.  I haven't seen the penguins.  A lot of this is because I feel like I don't have people to go do them with.  You kind of just have to cross your fingers that the people in your room are cool because that’s kind of your group.  The social scene here is very cliquey.  Nobody really asks you to go out if you aren't already in the group, which is generally sorted by where you live because you see those people the most.  It makes me feel antisocial because I don’t have the energy necessary to join whatever social group I think is “cool” or most appealing.  My room is small on top of that so it’s exhausting to try and force myself into others’ spaces.  At the end of the day, it’s not a big deal.  I am not here to go out or have a huge social circle, but it is limiting when I don’t want to sign up for things alone but no groups ask me to join when they're going.  Dani, the new girl in my room, pointed out the cliquey-ness and it’s really true.  The groups feel fixed and I’m not in any of them.  People know my name and I am closer with some people than others, but I don’t really have friends here.  I haven't clicked with anyone personality-wise, and no group has really absorbed me.  A huge group of Danish girls arrived together and it exacerbates the issue because they only speak Danish to each other (even though they can speak english) so a lot of the volunteers have no idea what’s going on with them.  

          Despite my initial feelings that we wouldn't be close, Dani and I have been hanging out a bit.  We are on the same project and she’s really funny.  Also, I don’t really have anyone else.  I am still under the weather, but feeling better than I was this weekend, which is a low bar but still a bar I have cleared nonetheless.  I went to the doctor on Monday and she diagnosed me with a sinus infection even though my head doesn't hurt that much.  I was so nauseous, which is apparently from a post-nasal drip.  My fever has gone down and I went to work today.  I couldn't just sit around all day while I’m here.  I would rather be at one of the schools.  They have set up a new tutoring system because the principal of the school got mad they we sent different volunteers for tutoring each time.  Now, they assigned 5 volunteers to go every day.  I’m one of them and it feels like a gift from God.  Social stuff and physical stuff is not going that well, but my assignments are so fulfilling and that’s ultimately why I am here, so I still feel quite optimistic when I wake up in the morning.              Because I was so nauseous for so long, I didn't eat much at all.  It’s taken a huge toll on my energy.  I am totally wiped and I still need to go to swim lessons.  For lunch, Danni and I went to my favorite falafel place and I ate my whole pita.  That was really good because it’s my first decent meal since Friday (and it’s Wednesday).  I hate not eating on schedule.  It was so bizarre to have my body just reject food in an extreme like that.  My energy is so low and my mental state is really cloudy.  If I just listened to my body, I would fall asleep right now (3pm) and sleep until tomorrow morning.  However, I have swim lessons to teach so that isn’t an option.  I don’t want to let the kids down, especially because they pair us 1-1 with them.              Swim lessons were just okay.  The girl, Jessica (13), I was paired with was in a bit of a bad mood and was really scared of the water.  It didn't help that the waves were huge and the water down here is freezing.  Also, the wind was blowing which makes the 80-degree weather feel like 70-degree weather.  On top of all of that, my energy levels were way down.  The pre-teen condition is global.  It doesn't matter if you are the daughter of a millionaire in Malibu or living hand-to-mouth in a township in South Africa, there’s a certain kind of attitude that 13 year old girls have that remains unmatched by the rest of the human population.  Jessica was really really not feeling swimming and sometimes would just say she was done and walk up to the beach.  I let her and would just follow her, but it is so much more rewarding when the kid is having a good day and wants to be there.  I understood why she was not feeling it and so I didn't give her a hard time.              On the bright side, I got her to float on her back in the water for about 5 seconds which was a huge achievement given that I couldn't get her to put her body in the water at all for the first 10 minutes.  She doesn't know how to swim (none of the kids do), and the ocean is incredibly terrifying when you can’t swim.  Usually, the program I work with runs the swim lessons in pools, which makes sense because the waves here are wild.  Because of the drought, all the pools in Cape Town have been drained.  I’m not sure if it’s a legal thing but saving water is orthodox here it might as well be.  Teaching kids how to swim in the ocean is as hard as it sounds.  The ocean here is still scary as somebody who is a strong swimmer.  The waves in Cape Town are kind of unbelievable sometimes.  They can get up to 10 feet tall.  When you hear the word “10 ft.” you think of a wall, or maybe a tall sign.  A 10 foot tall wave and a 10 foot tall sign look radically different.  Because the mass and starting point of the wave is already at sea level, which makes it look taller for some reason.  I’ve tried to remember a beach I’ve seen with bigger waves but I don’t think I can.  While the waves are big, they aren’t particularly thick and the undertow isn't horrible, so I don’t feel too threatened by them.  In Spain, the waves would look fine, but they were so thick and powerful you could be hit by a 3-footer and be knocked off of your feet.          When I got back from swim, I took a shower (more like a rinse, you only have 90-seconds of water and I try to use less because I’m a guest in this country).  Then I laid on my bed and thought about my brain and my worldview and how I can shift my mindset to treat myself and the world around me better.  That was nice, and calming.  My mind felt very fluid after such a thorough check-in.  Wednesdays we have Potjie (pOI-kie), which is a braai but instead of just BBQ-ing meat, you use these big cauldrons on the fire to make different kinds of stew and then serve it over rice.  It’s very open and social.  Even though I was tired and not feeling well, Dani asked me to get a drink and hang out in the bar so I joined her.  She had a beer, and I brought my ginger-lemon-honey potion that I sip religiously since I got ill.                Dani has bonded with the other girls from the UK here and they came over and started talking with us.  If I have a group, this is it.  They were so funny and cool.  I love British humor because it’s so dry and nobody takes themselves seriously.  From the people I’ve met, it’s amazing how vain Americans seem in comparison.  It’s a fantastic energy to be around.  We decided we are all going to a music festival in one of the townships on Saturday, and then doing a wine tour Sunday, which is fantastic because Thora cancelled on me on Monday so I still haven't done a wine tour (I was super fricken bummed about that, I hate being cancelled on— it hurts my feelings).  That was all reassuring and warm and fuzzy for me for a bit, then I had veggie stew with rice because I don’t really eat meat here, I don’t know why I just don't like it that much/ want it ever really.             I decided instead of staying up and having tea with the English girls, that I should go to bed and recover so I’m at 100% for the weekend.  Plus, they have tea every night, there will be plenty of tea-time once I’m not physically struggling to make it through the day.  It is such a bummer for your physical state to be out of sync with your mental state, really.  It’s so noticeable and frustrating, because you know what you want to do but you also don’t want to do what you want because you're so tired.  I’m very excited to feel better.  

March 1

I woke up not feeling nauseous which was awesome.  I’m starting to eat at normal meal times which is such a good sign.  I am so happy to not be nauseous anymore.  I ate my usual bowl of dark bran cereal with sugar (lots) and milk (skim).  It is Shannon’s birthday today which is great for her and absolute shît for the rest of us.  Shannon is the only mildly organized person in this entire fûcking program.  She got the day off and the interns surprised her with a whole day planned, which took two of them away too.  So we were down 3 drivers/organizers, something we already don’t have enough of.  Saying this morning was bumpy would be an understatement.  The vans that usually drive us were driven by people who have never driven them.  Further, my project didn't even go in the vans (I don’t know why today they suddenly didn't have the room? Weird? Nothing is ever logical or explained to us ever).  Robyn, another coordinator who is very enthusiastic and optimistic but breathtakingly disorganized, drove us in a tiny blue car.  There are 6 of us and we all piled in.  For some reason, there were two rows of seats in what should probably be a four-person car, so we squeezed and the clown-car took off towards our school, Vissershook (pronounced Vissers- hook, not even the names of the schools really “work” here according to normal rules).  

       Tutoring went well.  It’s very rewarding, but the language gap is still proving to be a problem.  During break these boys got in a really serious fight.  I’ve never seen anything like it in person.  They must have been around 10 or 11 years old.  They were tackling each other and punching and kicking each other in the stomach.  My co-volunteer, Lucas (super tall and super French), and I had to pull them apart.  If Lucas hadn't been there I honestly don't know what would have happened because these are no longer little kids.  They're almost my size, and I probably wouldn't have been able to stop them and could have gotten hurt myself.  One of the boys was bleeding, but nobody got seriously injured as far as I could tell.  Other than that I played with the little girls and let them do my hair.  They LOVE my hair, but they turn it into one huge birds-nest.  Sometimes I feel like I'm going to find half a sandwich in it when I finally get home and wash/brush it.  Theres this one little girl who is so full of love.  Her name is Jaslin and she always comes and finds me during break.  She is 5 is absolutely tiny.  I can pick her up with one hand very easily.  Most days, I have a kid in each arm and maybe one on my back.  It’s the closest thing to a gym I have here.             I was supposed to go surfing this afternoon, but there were no waves, which is a bummer but I think I am going to go to the beach and then continue writing when I get back.  Tonight I’m eating vegetarian again and for lunch I only had pasta, so I need to figure out how to get more protein in my diet.  The yogurt here is just sugar and has very little protein in it so that’s a no-go.  I’m not making meat that’s too much work, and it’s just too hot to want to eat cheese.  Maybe I need to start eating nuts or something..... 

- written later in the afternoon- 

            I switched my dinner to normal instead of vegetarian, which we aren't supposed to do, because Coll let me taste the chicken and it was all white and boneless and tender and nice.  Hopefully that gets me by for protein today.  The beach was really windy so I only stayed for 45 minutes and then went and sat in the sun with an american girl here named Sydney.  She doesn't believe in feminism and likes Trump so that was interesting.  It’s hard for me to not be intensely evangelical about my ideas, especially when I see all the harm the ideologies Trump promotes does to other people.  If it hurts me that’s one thing, but if it hurts people who's lives are already significantly harder than mine, that’s something I’m going to fight tooth and nail against.  I was born into a really fortunate situation that gives me enough comfort and distance from the pain of issues like affordable health care, racism, immigration, poverty, and access to education, that I feel a duty to make those issues better.  I have the time and the resources so there’s a responsibility that comes with that.  Yeah, it would be nice to just be a painter and travel the world and have a family and think about my little circle, but I believe that when you’re born into a situation that allows you to do that, you owe it to everyone else to choose not to.           I’m very excited for this weekend and am feeling much better physically.  My appetite is back and my energy level today was not as awful as yesterday.  Still not at my full capacity but the battery is charging and retaining that charge steadily.  Things are getting better and better each week here.  I love how much time I have to sit and think and need to really use it for sitting and thinking instead of screwing around on my phone or on the internet.  Journaling is one way, laying on my bed and trying to mentally sort my thoughts is a good challenge though. I have such a deep need to externalize what’s going on in my brain (writing, talking, art..) to understand how I’m thinking, learning to fight against it will probably only make my brain that much stronger.  It’s spring time! (and my sinuses feel it) 

- Q

[givegypsy]

The Top 10 Things I Learned in My First Year of College

By: Kristina Moriarti

a hopeless romantic and badass girlboss

1. People DGAF

In high school, a senior can’t speak with a freshman, or let alone be seen with one because of the whole “hierarchy of the classes.” In college, no one cares. If you click with a fourth year, that’s that. No class barriers (well, there is the scenario where you’re both romantically involved and that individual has to go off to graduate, etc.) for the most part. If you do drugs, fine. If you like to dress a particular way, okay. Whatever you choose to do with your life, your body, no one will hold you against it. You are free to chose who comes into your life, what you do with yourself, and everything in between. No one else has a say, except, well, your parents.

2. Laundry takes FOREVER

I would never have known this in high school and during the early stages of life. Now, I have a new appreciation for my mom’s ability to HAUL ASS doing the laundry for our family without complaining. She even has the time and energy to iron all the clothes without complaining. In college, laundry literally takes an eternity, especially if you bring as many articles of clothing as I did. It just takes forever. And it’s expensive. F*ck laundry.

3. Guys are no different than they were in high school

You think they’ll be a bit more mature than they were as high school seniors. This may be true for some, but for many others, they still are the immature, horny, riotous individuals they were in high school. And you will come across many of them during Thirsty Thursday night outings, Tinder sessions, and all that.

4. You’ll find out your alcohol limits the hard way

I found out on my 19th birthday, sitting on the couch in my friend’s apartment. Suddenly I had the urge to hurl and it just happened in the closest cup I could grab. It’s a messy and embarrassing sight, but luckily it was on my birthday, though a handful of people were either witness to it or heard about it through the grapevine. I literally puked my guts out, but how else was I to gauge how much I could take? As if that wasn’t the last time I promised myself I would ever let such a thing happen, I do it again after half-passing out at a frat party. This is also why you need good friends. So they’ll take care of you while you find your limits or forget to take heed of them.

5. Drugs are bad but you’ll try them anyway

It was the night after taking a brutal exam that I decided to take my first puff of the “devil’s lettuce.” It doesn’t work until the fourth try, and it was an interesting experience. The only way I can explain the best highs is through my description of how laughter becomes an all-around feeling. How you can laugh or smile and you’ll feel it through every inch of your body, both physically and emotionally. In general, I’m a pretty happy person. But whoa. If you need to puff some extra happiness and serotonin in you, go ahead. I’m not advocating for it, but wow what a feeling! Don’t do drugs, though. You can still be high off life. For real.

6. You’ll meet some of the greatest people in your life

And they won’t all be the same age as you. Some of them will be older and be able to offer you wisdom. The rest will be relatively the same age as you and offer lots of love, support, and humor that will carry you a long way. And legit, these will be some of the GREATEST individuals you will ever come across – passionate, crazy, energetic, wholesome, and all the goodness in between. And it will be so fucking refreshing because you’re used to bitches who will talk about you behind your back, and you’ll have to hear through the grapevine the shit that they say. Pardon the language, but this stuff gets me so heated. Any fake people that you meet in college you can easily toss. But for the genuine ones you meet, they’re super easy to keep because they’ll treat you the way you want to be treated, and you’ll reciprocate that automatically. And its a BEAUTIFUL. FUCKING. THING.

7. Stop comparing yourself to other people

Yeah, it’s really hard to do this. Yeah, at a place where I go, it’s especially hard because everyone has something incredible to bring to the table. Buuuut, this is a really good thing to practice. You will never be like someone. Just do and be you, if that makes any sense. Sure, it’s great to have role models, but at the end of the day, you need to focus on yourself. Reflect on your accomplishments, and outline your future goals and endeavors within your own definitions. You should not allow others to influence the way you see yourself.

8. Freshman fifteen is high-key real

If it wasn’t for my fast metabolism, I do believe that I would be suffering very bad repercussions. I probably have a really high cholesterol level right now but we’ll see. The freshman fifteen is REAL AF. STAY WOKE. Especially during midterms and finals season, you eat uncontrollably — unless you don’t experience stress-eating (which, in that case, you’re weird). I don’t know. Maybe it’s a self-control thing. But really, you’re going to stop yourself from a donut when you deserve it? After studying six hours straight? Yuh.

9. YOU DON’T NEED ANYONE TO FEEL COMPLETE

This one is so important so please pay attention. Like, for real. Let me repeat it just in case you didn’t get it the first time: YOU DON’T NEED ANYONE TO FEEL COMPLETE. You will go to the frat party (or whatever, sorry not sorry, this is tailored in a girl’s P.O.V so..) and wish for that movie-like encounter where a wholesome guy who’s not like the rest of the frat guys comes up to you and ignites a passionate, genuine relationship with you. But who wants a relationship to start in a frat house? And who wants to make out with a stranger? These are questions you must ask yourself before you end up hooking up with someone you barely know. NOT that I ever did. Or ever had the urge to when the opportunity arose. Maybe in my dreams. But at the end of the day girl, you don’t need ANY guy. You can fill the voids of your heart and soul with other amazing things, and whether you are able to or not, you can still feel complete off the many other blessings in your life. You don’t need a man or a relationship to make you feel like you’re living the best life or feel the most accomplished out of your friend group. The people who show off to their single friends how they’re tied down and ya’ll aren’t are simply banking on the only thing they can do: depend on another person. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!! You don’t need to depend on anyone for your happiness. Stay in control of your own.

10. Dreams do come true.

You’ll witness and experience them. You’ll see the people you care about accomplish their goals and reach their dreams, and it’ll be super inspiring. So, make an effort to create the most daunting of dreams, because YOU WILL achieve them if you set your heart and mind to them, the only question is when they’ll happen. And your dreams will transpire throughout your life when they are meant to. And you’ll learn many things while you wait for them to come to fruition, and also after. Living your dreams is a real, possible thing. This sounds so cheesy, and cliche, but I don’t know how else to explain it. And they’ll occur when you’re in most dire need of inspiration. They’ll heal you, make you feel like new, and make you want to make more dreams come true. And you will.

[team-skull-admin]

My favorite 40 games of all-time

Made an arbitrary list of my favorite games of all-time cause I wanted to figure out where Breath of the Wild is on it. It’s, uh, pretty high. Assload of text below the break.

40: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow I'm not the world's biggest Symphony of the Night fan (outside of the incredible soundtrack) and I think this is where Iga's seamless platformers found their footing.

39: Call of Juarez: Gunslinger I love goofy, experimental games like this and Far Cry: Blood Dragon, but I think the schtick in this (an unreliable narrator bragging about their heroic exploits) works better than Blood Dragon's dorky 80s nostalgia.

38: Rayman Origins A beautiful platformer with incredible level design. The music for the diabolical secret level is seared into my memory.

37: Cibele A short, story-centric indie game that captures the essence of playing MMOs in the mid-2000s and long-distance relationships. The awkward conversations in this game made me think about my WoW years for an entire weekend.

36: Mario Kart Wii It's not technically the "best" Mario Kart, but I actually enjoyed the motorcycles and I have fond memories of crushing my brother while we downed beers and talked shit.

35: Guild of Dungeoneering I'm usually not super into "We made X game, but added CARDS!" even though I love card games, but they nailed the loop here. I vaguely remember one of the decks being super busted, though.

34: Tropico 4 Adding a political slant to Sim City by making you the leader of a banana republic was just the slant to that formula I was looking for, and I lost a weekend circa New Year's '13 just delving into this hard.

33: Gran Turismo 2 My brother bought a PS1 off a friend when they upgraded to a PS2, and I grabbed a copy of this cheaply at the local EB Games. Once I wrapped my mind around the simulation, upgrading cars and havin fun with them here might have more to do with me being somewhat of a car person than anything else.

32: Metal Gear Solid 4 I should really put the whole series on here, but MGS4 deserves special note for making the core stealth actually fun and somehow tying all the loose ends of the insane plot together while dialing up the insanity even further.

31: Sim City 2000 I figured out how to make a 50,000 person city when I was like, 8. I still have no fucking idea how I did this. It took me till my 20s to crack 100k.

30: Pokemon Black/White People are torn on this game, but the contentious design decision to hide the old Pokemon in the postgame made every new encounter incredibly exciting in a way the series hadn't been since the orignals. The writing also shows signs of the maturity that Sun/Moon would follow through with.

29: Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 I think most would deride this series as a soulless Pokemon cash-grab on the surface, but they're actually roguelikes with a crazy monster breeding system and the most rote of stories to get you into the core loop of exploring new keys to breed ever crazier monsters.

28: Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Diablo 3 vanilla's reliance on the auction house created design issues that were hard to look past, but Blizzard abandoning it for the expansion made the game into an incredible dungeon crawler. I never laddered, but had fun for hundreds of hours chasing loot with friends.

27: Fallout 3 I'll never forget the feeling of walking out of the vault for the first time, and feeling like I could go anywhere. I also think this is the only Bethesda game that regularly pays off when exploring - weird shit like the Republic of Dave or the man stuck in the tree are fantastic rewards for poking at the less inhabited edges of the map.

26: Bassin's Black Bass featuring Hank Parker I'm honestly wondering if the rest of the world has picked up on this game's low-key genius since I saw it for 15 bucks at a retro game store recently, but this game's arcadey fishing is incredibly satisfying and snappy. It has some major, obvious, irritating mechanical issues, but the core gameplay loop is so good I don't care.

25: Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor I still remember my nemesis. This motherfucker was right at the beginning of the game, inside the first quest area, and was like level 5 or 6, but had a defensive ability that made it harder for me to gank him easily. So he killed me. Twice. And leveled up each time, becoming a level 12 badass who could literally sniff me out when I hid. But he was weak to fire, and I lured him to a campfire and set him ablaze, getting my revenge.

24: Super Metroid I feel like most people would have this game higher on the list, but I think the controls are floaty and Meridia is overly confusing. The rest of the game is incredible and I can't believe they pulled it off on a Super Nintendo.

23: Pokemon Sun/Moon After XY and ORAS were disapointments I was cool on Pokemon, but Sun/Moon challenged a ton of series conventions and got a lot right in the process. I can't believe how deftly this game handles dysfunctional families.

22: A Link Between Worlds This was Nintendo's hit at what was to come with Zelda - a smart, experimental take on the franchise that's easily its best 2d outing.

21: Muramasa: The Demon Blade Vanillaware's magnum opus, a gorgeous Metroidvania where everything is hand-painted. The combat's loop of mixing launchers with sword management is also incredibly fun, if not particularly deep. But fuck I loved looking at it so much and it felt good.

20: The Walking Dead Only time a video game made me cry.

19: Banjo-Kazooie The only 3d collect-a-thon platformer from that era that still holds up, it combines cheeky humor and an incredible soundtrack to craft a world that's always surprising.

18: Borderlands 2 is better crafted, but I enjoyed the dry wit and more grounded guns of the first. I've replayed this like 4 times and I'm not entirely sure why, but I have a blast each time.

17: Doom (2016) Apparently the secret to making this license work in a modern context is to give Halo combat arenas a healthy dose of cocaine and play Meshuggah riffs over it. It so fucking works.

16: Saints Row: The Third I think the writing in GTA is usually sophomoric at best and its attempts at commentary are eye-roll worthy, but having a game say "FUCK IT" and just Mel Brooks that experience is such a wonderful idea. It's also hard to pull off, and SR3 totally sticks the landing (unlike the sequel).

15: Super Mario World The best traditional Mario game. I replayed it recently, and it struck me how much secret exits add to the level design versus 3, and how freed Koji Kondo is by the new hardware. The castle music's classical overture sticks out.

14: Monster Hunter 4 I liked Monster Hunter 3's various iterations but I hated swimming. Taking out swimming and replacing it  with mounting was enough for me to sink hundreds of hours. I actively avoided getting Generations because I knew it would interfere with school.

13: Mario Golf (GBC) The perfect portable game. Golf works well on the platform, and adding basic RPG hooks was enough to make a rote story totally engaging.

12: Super Mario Maker I think the real triumph of Mario Maker isn't the levels (which are usually terrible), it's how Nintendo imparted the feeling of being creative in such an easily digestible and satisfying way. It's an achievement that ascends past Mario design (which still works here) into something greater and more profound.

11: Hearthstone I fucking hate this game and I keep playing it because the Arena is like literal fucking crack and every time I have an opponent at 1 life and they beat me they can eat fucking dicks.

10: Super Mario RPG Clever writing and a strange world grabbed me way harder than Intelligent System's later Paper Mario games. It's too easy and doesn't look as slick now, but the writing still holds up.

09: Mass Effect Trilogy You can't really separate these, as the experience that makes Mass Effect great was carrying your Shepard and their decisions from one game to the next. Everyone will remember Garrus, Wrex, and co. Shame about the ending.

08: Tetris I am weirdly good at Tetris. I know what a T-Spin is. I sank hundreds of hours into it on Facebook. I don't regret it.

07: Persona 4 Describe a game to me as a mix of a J-RPG and a slice-of-life anime and I'll run to the hills, so the fact this game's sharp, mature writing and "just one more day" calendar mechanic combined into one of my favorite games of all-time is a shock. They also put in Pokemon with fucking demons, how cool is that shit?

06: Ocarina of Time I can't believe this game came out in 1998. The world is still fun to traverse, and the dungeon design (especially as an adult) still holds up at the top of action-adventure puzzle design.

05: Magic: the Gathering I wish it was less expensive otherwise it'd be higher.

04: Breath of the Wild I can't believe Nintendo reinvented the wheel so well that I'm putting the game so high on the list. Every design decision in this game is carefully considered to make exploring this iteration of Hyrule that much more satisfying. And its incredibly clever chemistry engine, where every object in the game has chemical properties that can be manipulated as well as physics, creates a ton of emergent gameplay scenarios where you're constantly asking "Can I do that?" and the game almost never lets you down.

03: World of Warcraft Sometimes I regret the 4000 hours I spent in Azeroth, but I'd have a hard time giving up the friends I made there. I could probably shred and like, speak another language though.

02: Pokemon Red I was the perfect age for Pokemon mania, and the fact that the core game was literally designed to appeal to me didn't help. I still love collecting the things and min/maxing ways to beat the Elite 4 with minimal grinding.

01: Mega Man X I think this is literally the perfect platformer. Moving X feels incredible. There's nothing in any of the levels I think is out of place. The soundtrack is a masterpiece. And the game's hidden secret is so insane you'd probably call bullshit on any kid who told it to you at recess. I'm really glad the rest of the world picked up on it after Arin Hanson did a Sequelitis about it, because I've been beating this drum for decades.

[sarahburness]

3 Atypical Life Hacks To Improve Your Resume

Writing a great resume has always been challenging. It comes as no surprise that people devote their entire careers to properly composing these professional documents.

Knowing how to pen a captivating resume is a sought-after skill. Whole courses, workshop, and books focus on the subject. The takeaway from this is that the world is obsessed with looking good on paper — even though there’s not much paper going around anymore.

With digital platforms and electronic scanning systems dominating the hiring process, finding a job now is very technical. The modern business landscape has changed quite drastically. Your resume might pass through several computers before a person even sees it.

Although that may feel discouraging, it shouldn’t be. In fact, you can use this to your advantage.

By learning how to think like job search engines and scanning systems, you can optimize your resume. When a person finally does read your resume, you will appear to be the perfect candidate. That’s because you will be!

Here are three major life hacks and tips on how to spice up your resume:

Don’t Beat Around the Bush

You may have heard it before; most recruiters don’t look past the first page of resumes.

That’s not necessarily because they’re too busy. It’s because they don’t see what they’re looking for on the first page. Scaling your resume down to size is the first step. One to two pages is ideal.

Now, here is where you can incorporate some social media tactics.

Think of LinkedIn:

It works just like Facebook but for business people. The site utilizes a headline and summary format for each profile. This format gives people viewing profiles to get all the information they need in one glance. Incorporating this style into the beginning of your resume is an easy way to grab a recruiter’s attention.

A killer headline is short and stands out. Once you have hooked your reader, give them an overview of your work in your summary. In both of these areas, the use of keywords is recommendable.

All recruiters have a set of keywords that they look out for. If you sprinkle keywords throughout your headline and summary, you will get their attention from the start.

Generally speaking, you ought to highlight your way with words as much as you can. Avoid overused phrases and dull descriptions. Allow your uniqueness to come to the forefront. Try to describe your skills and capabilities in original ways.

Be precise when providing information about your expertise and even your successes.

See Also: 5 Tips To Making Your Resume Cover Letter Stand Out

Razzle Dazzle ‘Em

Writing a resume isn’t akin to performing in a Broadway show, but there’s something that you can learn from it. Recruiters want to see what makes you so unique and why you are a brilliant candidate.

Make it crystal clear for them. Show what makes you a cut above the rest. Put on your figurative dancing shoes and wow them with your skills.

Focus on situations in which you were the cream of the crop. Elaborate on the most critical thing you achieved in each job position. Mention anything that you have received public recognition for doing.

However, avoid including things that are irrelevant to the job posting. The information you include should always apply to the job you’re trying to secure.

Customizing your resume is another must. You should never send the exact same resume to two completely different jobs. Modifying your resume for each separate job application will mean a higher success rate.

Although it may seem like a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be. You can have templates for different industries or disciplines that you can slightly tweak before applying.

Don’t forget to use a quantitative language. Be explicit when describing just how much you were able to increase sales. If you really need to, don’t shy away from investing in the services of a professional resume writer.

Services like Trust My Paper have writers with a broad spectrum of specializations to assist you in eloquently expressing all the essential aspects of your career, highlighting how you’ve transformed throughout the years, and underlining your qualities, making you an outstanding pick.

Harness Your Inner Marie Kondo

If you haven’t seen the Netflix show about sparking joy and organization, don’t worry. You can still take a page from Kondo’s organizing book.

The moral of her story is to keep what makes you happy and gives you purpose. Say goodbye to everything else. Apply the same idea to your resume.

Cut out all superfluous information. Your resume would benefit from some consolidation. Do your best to avoid repetition. Use a thesaurus if necessary. Stay away from using job description-type language and define your position in another way.

Your content should be concise and your organization of it should be functional. Use bolding and italics to distinguish different areas like job title or dates of employment. Ensure that you are using an appropriate font.

Although you may want to incorporate some visual or design elements, keep your font legible and straightforward. Arrange your sections to be clear and visually pleasing.

The way that your resume looks says a lot about you. Taking the time to design a nice resume will pay off. Including a great headshot at the top corner is a good idea as well.

If you have great content but poor presentation, you may be passed over for a job. Conversely, if you have a beautiful resume but terrible content, the same can happen.

You should have the best of both worlds.

Beautiful resumes will catch a recruiter’s attention and make them want to read. Reading and seeing well-organized content that highlights the skills they are looking for is a recruiter’s dream.

When you can achieve the perfect blend, your resume will benefit from that. Ask a friend or confidant to review your resume and see what they think of your balance.

See Also: 16 Worst Resume Mistakes

Conclusion

Recruiters and hiring managers have plenty of experience finding suitable candidates. The easiest way to show your merit is to polish and showcase your skills. Presenting your abilities in a beautiful, brilliant way will help get them noticed.

When you put effort into writing and organizing your resume, it becomes obvious. No one will appreciate a sad, haphazard resume.

Spend some time developing one or more templates for different industries you’ve worked in over the years. With this strategy, you don’t have to start from scratch every time you see a job posting.

Research the business you are applying to see what kind of language they use on their website. Try to incorporate that language into your resume. Only do this if it’s relevant to your experience, of course.

Businesses will welcome your efforts. The fact that you took the time to do research will say a lot about you. Getting straight to the point is a more efficient use of your first page. Not to mention, it will help recruiters decide if you fit the profile they need. If your descriptions hit the nail on the head, you certainly will.

Presenting all of your best attributes isn’t merely boasting; it’s excellent resume writing.

Don’t be shy. Let your accomplishments speak for themselves. You absolutely want recruiters to be impressed by all the recognition you have received along the way.

If you’re lucky, your track record will be the defining factor that helps you snag the job of your dreams. Fingers crossed and good luck to you.

The post 3 Atypical Life Hacks To Improve Your Resume appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

from Dumb Little Man https://www.dumblittleman.com/how-to-spice-up-your-resume/

[alhianovna-blog]

How to Get More Exposure For Your Music

It takes weeks, and mostly years, of hard work and patience to finally strike everyone.The venues to get one's creations noticed are many and few simultaneously. The artist sends the group on miscellaneous missions (never involving money for the group) and the very best road teamers are rewarded in numerous ways. Being an artist entails a lot of things. Take a couple of days off, enjoy life, and keep coming back refreshed! It brings them exposure and makes supporters a complete part of the artist's achievement. At some point, if you are like me, and work only 14-15 hours a day, you will get burned out.). Another good idea is to design your personal exclusive merchandise (Tshirts, bags, mouse pads, mugs, handmade cards, etc. And to be honest, the royalties are extremely decent. A street team is a group of men and women who are focused on help an artist spread the term about their function. And as a result, I received more exposure in two months than I had managed to achieve in more than three years! SELLING ONLINE AND OFFLINE 95% of poets go the self-publishing way. CREATING A STREET TEAM You can only achieve this much by yourself. This is very easy to do, especially if you are not computer-savvy, and it is free. Finally, frustration and discouragement are section of the job. If you are an amateur photographer, why not sell your images to other artists because of their book/CD covers? UPDATING YOUR STATUS Section of your promotional period should be used to revise your position across different networks you belong to. Always acknowledge your fans and supporters, those who function in the shadows for you personally. Reverbnation lets you do this very easily! Make a list of your entire skills and discover what you have to offer. When you sign up for their site, you obtain access to a personal studio. From there, you can upload your own videos or video clips from YouTube and stream them on a 24/7 basis. NETWORKING Sociable networking sites are essential for promotion nowadays. All you need is a Paypal accounts. Reverbnation offers you the perfect way to accomplish it: once your mission is launched, the site keeps counts for you and all you have to do is check your stats! Finished . I love about this concept is normally that it allows an artist to hook up with their fan base on a different level. Use TweetDeck or Hootsuite. You will find loads of broadcasts each day and the neat thing is that you can even interact in boards. You need to be capable to depend upon others. Do factors YOURSELF! What's more, people can also help spread the term by posting the widgets almost everywhere on the Internet! If you're not camera-shy, you may also host your own show, making use of your webcam. Also, do not hesitate to require tips and advice from those who have a proven successful background in your sector. Sometimes, one little factor will make an enormous difference. Before throwing links at somebody, introduce yourself properly and get to know them just a little. I personally use Reverbnation & Audiolife. You may also promote yourself. This is something that I really do monthly with Livestream (and persons love it! They will print your books, CDs, calendars, photo books, and pictures for you. Print-on-demand or POD is an excellent service and I recommend Lulu. And royalties are truly decent. The great thing about diversification is that it creates it harder for individuals to label you in one category. The very best part is that they are totally free! Therefore, you possess the golden possibility to "match" hosts and listeners who often happen to be hosts or promoters of the artwork themselves. Start by thinking about the following questions: "What is my long-term goal while an artist? If you are a musician or a spoken term artist, you have probably heard about Reverbnation. I utilize it myself and I really like the reality that I can send pre-formatted newsletters to my fan base, build a street team and start missions with the click of a button, and promote my CD and tracks through easy-to-share widgets. It implies that you have to diversify. WEBSITE/PROFILE PAGES Nowadays, if you would like to attract more supporters, you should build a website or in least have a regularly updated profile web page.. They offer you with a free store that you could promote everywhere you desire.) and offer it using services like Zazzle or Cafepress. You can speak about anything, address questions and problems from your enthusiasts, educate them on topics that matter for you, and invite them to be a part of discussions. It is also essential that you be ready to support other performers and causes, and serve as a positive role model. While this is not a bad thought at all, it is also important to recognize that product sales obey the 10-90 rule: 10% creative imagination and 90% promotion/marketing. The best blog services are Wordpress and Blogger." Be extremely honest in your answers, because they will determine your career and how lengthy you may last in the business. I have hooked up with some of the most incredible performers and supporters in THE UNITED STATES and have followed their advice very cautiously. A blog is an extremely nice tool to use. They feel that they can rely on the quality of their work for this to sell itself. And don't wait for others to do it for you. They want to learn about you and what you care for. You need to become professional in your approach, dedicated, and alert to your surroundings and global problems. Both sites possess partnered to permit Reverbnation members to sell their products and music for free. I have already been a guest on many shows, which includes allowed me to promote my books and CD, and tell the globe why I am a poet and spoken term artist. I noticed that CD Baby is great. I used this moderate and got to know great people.. You will end up surprised by how much help and support you will receive in exchange! Open a merchant account, upload your files, fill in the required info, and you also are on your way. I recommend Blog Chat Radio. If you ask me self-publishing is more rewarding than challenging because I must promote all my products myself, and it gives me the possiblity to really become familiar with my readers and listeners. BLOG/COMMUNITY If you want to build your online presence, it is vital that your fans and followers be involved. All you have to is a PayPal account. What is my mission statement? Always keep a laptop and pen helpful, and write any recommendation and idea provided you.-) For a website, use Wix or Weebly. And when you are actually fluent in several languages, you might translate documents. Then, feel absolve to embed the display anywhere you want. On the other hand, street teamers obtain free stuff, which is always nice! You may also join writing communities and forums like Red Space and share some of your stuff there. They're excellent! LAST WORDS Always remember this: treat others how you would like to be treated. This is the first step to get respect from fellow performers, and hence exposure. DIVERSIFICATION I've a motto: the more you need to present, the more exposure you'll get! You will attract even more followers. Use your Paypal account address to receive royalties when persons purchase your products during your personal (free) shop. What do I would like to do with my creation(s)? You need to be in a position to do it in a single convenient place. Setup your shop (in two minutes), upload your files, fill in the information, and start offering your CDs, MP3 albums, individual tracks, Tshirst and tote bags within minutes! However, it could be very time-consuming. I got introduced to numerous new listeners. The visitors to my site provides been large since I started hearing BTR shows!; If you're a poet/writer, you could offer poetry/speech-on-demand or proofreading services. You can even use Internet radio. If you only concentrate on music or spoken term, there are a few nice options out there. Make sure that you check out Facebook, Twitter, Ning, YouTube, and MySpace. You may also sell your music digitally, using major retailers like ITunes or Amazon. Ning is particularly impressive, since it offers tons of options! & most importantly: build romantic relationships before thinking of sales! IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS A lot of independent artists assume that once their CD or book is available for purchase, the work is done. You may expire up attracting a whole lot of different people!

[qeicorey43726-blog]

In case you have An AGP Slot

You’ll have the ability to get probably the most of your net expertise with Samsung’s full HTML net browser. Share Clickfun Casino flash video games with mates and unlock thrilling gaming options once you invite others to affix you in this social gaming expertise. Most of these sports activities followers are very hooked up to the games due to their favorite groups, and a few are connected professionally because they have teams that help them win in their betting actions. When all the balls are gone, a points score will likely be displayed. In case you study Spanish, you will be able to speak in everyday situations with thousands and thousands of people world wide that already converse the language. The number of such people is growing day by day. This could possibly be just about the most fairly necessary rationale powering that extra time variety of gamblers favors online poker. They provide you with a free fax quantity that works similar to with a traditional fax machine number.

Even though you intend to play solely free casino games, you should still be careful whereas choosing an online casino. Learn Holy Quran if you are at house, this can be achieved with the help of on-line quran studying. Broadly talking these games really are stereotype as cooking games for every women however even whereas the civilization develops video games involving gambling must be comprised in only about any cooking fever gems hack. Games are surefire ways to break out of your rut and get the whole household playing collectively. Sunlight and sea vacationer are worrying Egypt assistance Purple Sea holidays. 7. Geylang is Singapore's red gentle area. Like all system, a very powerful factor to do is to comply with the system and not get greedy. Nevertheless choosing an correct site like Purpose fifty five to play judi on-line is crucial because it has varied options and is reliable to play with money. Writer: claudriddle All people has their personal pursuits, like everyone has distinctive taste.

Publisher: okumoto koso Be part of a CPA network team and start earning on-line. Not simply is it way more pleasurable taking part in with other people, but it surely additionally stretches your lotto spending finances. We had been playing in Atlantic Metropolis and in the Bahamas and possibly another islands in the Caribbean. Players will also benefit from casino bonuses and stellar buyer assist services when enjoying online. You'll in fact need to find out a proper product to sell and then make the objects appealing to others. To your time to be, you most certainly is not going to respect the viability of net-based gaming, when you might have experimented with it that we trust you’re going to even know that it on your own. How much time do you spend per day: Locating papers? Recreation participant can have completely free spins as a lot as twenty having a operate set off of three or a lot more Zorro slots with inbuilt set return ranging from ninety two to ninety 5 %. Not plenty of, if any at all. High school steerage counselors and school admissions personnel also needs to take a more real looking strategy to advising college students about their options. The closest one would win and take the opposite guy’s coin.

They are probably the greatest info providers with out even charging me with a penny. There are these web sites which presents 25 dollars per survey. 1. Every online gambling home affords a number of bonuses, particular promotions and even considers native festivals for his or her gamers. You do not know when, or if, you'll reach this level and are gambling with fate. An Insider's Ideas on the Internet Gambling Funding Ban. You merely choose from three icons on the reels to reveal a money prize. You should do this for about three or 4 months together with practising your driving expertise in several terrain. They've several uses. They usually do, whether they have bedrooms or not. A few of them give you different useful options. If the final score ends up tie then there is no such thing as a action and nothing is received or unfastened. Then merely Try the prime of your sneaker. If you wish to earn money then you should try soccer betting. Instead of investing tons of cash for a game, lease it.

The best Western Boise Airport Hotel might be described as lodging facility that allows on quick entrance to all of the many main areas of the town. The best and quickest method to make gold is to be within the auction house. Unusual makes use of of patriotic colors and designs make vintage T shirts just like shirts worn during an earlier war. Demo mode uses the same symbol package and indices, similar bonuses. Everytime you encounter an issue, do not hesitate to ask the customer support after all this is free and actually a part of the publish-registration service. Their encounter has granted them a particular insight into lifetime. The American Bridge Series is designed as a sequential set of bidding programs, suitable for self-study or classroom-model study underneath the steering of an expert bridge teacher. Let's keep issues local. Most motorbike homeowners know that chrome motorbike parts give a special sense of pride to its proprietor. The underside of the deck can be printed with a design by the manufacturer, clean, or decorated by any other means. Supreme Court docket has indicated that anyone can legally dig by way of your trash.