#isn't it cool seeing the diversity of our writing styles. i love DID

[detrasystem]

Thread The Needle and Fantasy Romcom Buddy Trip 👀

OOGH ok so Thread the Needle is Linkaan's old baby from NaNoWriMo 2020. she didn't quite make it to 50k words but the first draft is basically finished and tbh it's pretty decent all things considered. we've gone back and forth with whether or not to salvage it but i think with enough polish and passion we can really turn it into something good. here's an excerpt (blows a kiss up to the sky for Linkaan and her little journalist writing):

Orlando unlocked a drawer in the side of his desk, producing a ball of yarn. It was mostly blue, with silvery threads interwoven throughout the strands. He handled it like it was alive, gently setting it down on the desk before him. “This is a universe,” he said. “Or…it’s going to be one. If everything goes well.” Trin squinted at it. It was pretty, for yarn. But you can’t just throw around phrases like “this is a universe” and expect it to make sense. She turned her squinting glare to the scientist before her. “So…how has it been going? Well?” “So far, it hasn’t been going at all,” Orlando said. “I’m stumped. But that’s why I invited you here. Because you…you see the world differently.”

Fantasy Romcom Buddy Trip is...exactly what it sounds like. so far it's a short story that Dimitri is working on because he likes writing swoony romance stuff. the premise is that these two friends are tasked with delivering a peace treaty to the country they're at war with, and along the way they fall in love :) and also the peace treaty isn't everything it seems. anyway. here's some sap

The ship bobbed over the icy waves, all creaking wood and straining ropes as the water lapped against the sand. The night was quiet, the breath of the ocean slow and constant in its endless slumber, and Lin’s head was tipped up, the northern lights shifting and reflecting on the lenses of his glasses. By all accounts, Émeric should have been cold. The sea breeze was no more willing to relent despite the winter chill; it would have been smart of them to stay belowdecks, where at least the wind was not a factor, but Lin was right—the sky was beautiful. Though, Émeric would be lying if he said he was looking at the sky.

[foxwitchaine]

How would you rank the seasons of Miraculous Ladybug?

Buckle up, everyone. Let's do this:

Season 1 - 8/10

I won't lie. The show actually started out pretty good in Season 1. We had unique ideas, a fresh take on the typical love interests you see in these shows, and a whole range of diverse and interesting characters who got their own spotlight episodes. It was where the show shined the best with what it had, so to speak. It did fumble toward the end with Lila's rather messy entrance. But again, I can't blame Ladybug for blowing up like she did.

Could she have handled it better? Of course. Heck, this could have been a plot line where Ladybug has to address the issue of lying through someone who doesn't have any problem lying through her teeth.

Unfortunately, that's not what we got.

Season 2 - 7.5/10

One less half-point for underdelivering on their promises. In our defense, we had no idea what we were in for past Season 2. We got new characters like Luka, who gave characters like Juleka more beyond their archetype. The reveal that Gabriel was Hawk Moth was something we all saw coming, but it set up an amazing conflict for later down the road.

It was also the season where the earliest red flags were being flown.

To be fair, since the show was still, in a sense, "starting out", we gave it the benefit of the doubt. The biggest contention was, naturally, how they handled Chloé Bourgeois.

Put simply, Chloé had potential for an incredible Zuko-style redemption story. Between her mother Audrey abandoning her to pursue her career, along with virtually every adult figure in her life failing her, we could have had an amazing drama where the school bully was forced to confront her worst self and aim to become better. To deserve the Bee Miraculous.

What we got instead was the showrunners sabotaging themselves with how they handled her.

Season 3 - 5/10

The season where it all started to go downhill, starting with the infamous opening episode Chameleon.

There's... no polite way to put it. Season 3 of the show was where the entire foundation, whatever little there was, started falling apart. Marinette suffered so much for so little in this season, it wasn't funny. Add onto other infamous episodes like Ladybug, Chat Blanc, Puppeteer 2, Reflekdoll, and Miracle Queen, it's become crystal clear the show is nothing more than a vanity project for the creator. And that was before we got the news they were underpaying their staff (take this with a grain of salt, it's been a while since I read that article).

It was also the season where we started to see the faults in the writing show. From Adrien/Chat Noir refusing to see anything past his nose to the frankly rather illegal handling of Marinette's expulsion to the Lila-centric episodes requiring brain-bending leaps of nonexistent logic. Aside from some rare cool moments (Nathalie fighting three akumas, anyone?), this season was more painful to watch.

Especially with that season finale where Marinette lost Fu.

Seasons 4 & 5 - 2/10

I'm just gonna say it. I stopped watching anything from Miraculous Ladybug when I heard they were gonna akumatize Master Fu in Season 4. So my rating here is based mostly on hearsay from what happened in these two seasons lumped together.

Yes. These seasons pissed me off so much I just lumped them together and called it a day. The writing here is just painful to hear about. Who proofreads the scripts before sending it to the animation team? We have these things called quality checks for a reason.

Ranting aside, we've got more infamous episodes like Gang of Secrets and Derision. I've stated before that I will forever hate that first mentioned episode for how entitled everyone was towards Marinette's secrets. And Derision has to be one of the biggest cases of character assassination by the writing team I've ever seen. Kim isn't one of my favorites, I will admit. But even he didn't deserve the frankly awful backstory ruining what was once a fun (if something of a feather-brained bully) jock character.

Back on the topic of the first mentioned episode, Gang of Secrets was also the point of no return for me regarding Alya's character. Which is a huge shame since Marinette is in dire need of an actual support system instead of shouldering everything on her own. Anyone with half a brain after that would have figured out on their own the lying liar who lies was a lying liar who lies, pardon the repetition. Everything she did afterwards, such as her stint as Rena Furtive, just killed any chances of her undergoing redemption.

Phew, that ended up being more longwinded than I intended. Hope that answers your question.

[themuse-if]

Another 20 (or so) Questions with Maxine Matthews

Interviewer: Welcome to another installment of our character interviews, where we dive deep into the lives and minds of our favorite cast members of The Muse. Today, we have Maxine Matthews with us, an aspiring dramatic writer who creates new worlds through her imaginative point of view. Max, thank you for joining us. Could you start by telling us what made you want to pursue dramatic writing?

Maxine: I've always been drawn to storytelling, whether through film, TV, or theater. Writing allows me to create worlds and characters that resonate with people, and I love the idea of evoking emotions and sparking thoughts through my work.

Interviewer: Could you describe your writing style in more detail?

Maxine: My writing is a reflection of my observations and insights into human nature. I can't say that I have a specific genre that I prefer because I want to try and be really well rounded as a writer, I still have a lot to learn after all. I do have a genre that I'm interested in exploring though. You know films like Labyrinth, The Never Ending Story, and Legend, 80's dark fantasy. I actually really enjoy those but I feel like they could be done even better with more diverse casts, better graphics, and more complex storylines. Honestly I think it's something that a lot of people would enjoy seeing in theatres again.

Interviewer: Interesting, isn't that a little niche? How do you think your work will be received by others? Better yet how do you want your work to be received?

Maxine: Personally I like the dark ethereal nature of those films, but I feel like now we could take them several steps forward. I think people would appreciate that same energy with richer plot and visuals. I think that audiences today are actually craving a more dynamic hero's journey.

Interviewer: And what about you? How do want people to see you outside of your work?

Maxine: I'm not really sure. Honestly I don't really care how people see me unless it's someone who's actually important to me. In general I would hope that people just see me as honest and unwavering, but besides that I can't say I really care.

Interviewer: I've been asking everyone else to describe their ideal best friend, but I think I want to switch it up for you. Could you instead describe how you feel about your best friend, MC?

Maxine: *immediately shifts her gaze away* I mean they're my best friend so I really care about them. They're like family you know...but not...actually family...thank god. Uh yeah honestly I just feel most like myself when we're together. We've been friends our whole lives and I can't imagine not having them around. I'm not really sure that I could have this kind of connection with anyone else.

Interviewer: Hmm, sounds like you feel very deeply towards MC. Would you say that you want a similar connection with your ideal partner.

Maxine: *shifts nervously* Probably...right? I mean obviously I want to have that really deep meaningful connection with someone...romantically. It would be nice if they were at least half as attractive as MC too.*covers her mouth*...fuck...did I say that out loud...

Interviewer: *tries to stifle a chuckle* Yeah you did. Alright next question? What was your first kiss like? Was it with MC?

Maxine: No! I mean, no, it wasn't. I was dating this girl, Jade, during sophomore year. She was great, super cool, but it just sort of fizzled out. It was nice...the kiss. We were just hanging out, studying together. One second we're talking about A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the next she's sucking on my bottom lip. Yeah it was a good kiss...she was a good kisser.

Interviewer: So I'm guessing you weren't in love with her. Have you ever been in love?

Maxine: Yeah you're right, I wasn't in love with Jade. I haven't really tried dating anyone since. I just haven't really felt that spark, that undeniable connection.

Interviewer: *leans in* Like the one you have with MC?

Maxine: I... I mean. *takes a deep breath* I know what your trying to do.

Interviewer: *raises their hands in surrender* I'm just asking you a simple question. After hearing what you've had to say so far I think it's a very valid observation.

Maxine: *rolls her eyes* You want me to say that I'm secretly in love with MC. And I don't know, maybe I am, but they are to important to me for me to risk exploring those feelings. What if they don't feel the same? What if they do and we try being together but it doesn't work out? I love how we are now. Even if I have these other...feelings.

Interviewer: Alright, I won't press you any further...for now. What’s your ideal Friday night?

Maxine: Well I love a good theme almost as much as I love a good movie. I like to plan these movie nights where we do a double feature and have a movie themed dress code and snacks related to the movies we're watching.

Interviewer: That sounds like a lot of fun, make sure to invite me next time. Ok have you heard any good music lately? What’s the last song you listened to?

Maxine: "Ego" by Kennedy Ryon. I heard it the other day and I've had it on repeat ever since.

Interviewer: I'll have to give it a listen sometime. So what is your latest obsession?

Maxine: I just finished this really good book, The Star and The Strange Moon, by Constance Sayers. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I finished it. Annoyingly enough I don't know anyone else who's read it, so I can't discuss it with someone who gets it and it's killing me.

Interviewer: I'll make sure to give it a read, then we can chat about all the little details. Ok next question. How do you behave in a relationship?

Maxine: Mmm I don't know. I mean I've only been in one and that only lasted about 3 months. I think I was pretty...chill. It honestly just felt like we were friends who would make-out sometimes. If I was with someone that I had strong feelings for, I think I would be a bit more serious and maybe a bit territorial.

Interviewer: That makes sense. What about your approach? Do you go in first towards those you’re interested in or let them come to you?

Maxine: If it's just making friends then yeah I would say I'm pretty outgoing. And if we're talking about something more than that I think I'm probably a bit more cautious. It's nice knowing that someone wants me before I make a move.

Interviewer: Yeah taking that step first is quite the bold move. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Maxine: I can't stand arrogance. Like it's fine to be proud and confident but when you start to make others out to be less than, it's just really off putting.

Interviewer: I couldn't agree more. So, what do you notice first about a person?

Maxine: Their style, not in a judgey way. The way people dress tells you a lot about them. What they value, their hobbies, yeah it's just really interesting.

Interviewer: That's really true. A lot can be learned from how people choose to present themselves. Alright this is our final question. What did you dream about last night?

Maxine: Honestly I couldn't sleep I've been packing and getting ready for this big road trip. I'm riding with MC and Cameron to move in at NYU. It'll be a bit of a drive, but I'm pretty excited.

Interviewer: Well that sound like a side story just waiting to happen. Honestly Maxine this has been an absolute pleasure, but I believe that’s all the time we have for today. I hope that you find success on you journey through university. Thank you so much for coming in and sharing more about yourself with us!

[the-lincyclopedia]

I feel this so hard. School fucked me up badly--I got my autism diagnosis a week after graduating college, so I never had an educational accommodation, and my literal interpretation of assignments combined with my slow processing speed meant I did basically nothing but homework from ages 10 to 21, which unsurprisingly meant I was suicidal on and off throughout all of high school and college.

And. The school I attended for first through eighth grades was a beautiful haven in a lot of ways. It was a public magnet school for kids who had tested as gifted and talented, and there were so many twice-exceptional (gifted + disabled) kids that a lot of the teachers were doing universal design before it was cool.

We had really interesting creative projects/festivals in almost every grade--the Frog Olympics in second grade, concluding a unit on frogs with competitions involving origami frogs we made; a play in third grade about the history of our city (somewhat white-washed, unfortunately, but still); also in third grade, the Unidentified Flying Bug unit and the Animal Research Unit (the former involved learning about insects and then making up our own imaginary insects, which we then made physical models of and pretended to be experts on, and the latter involved doing a bunch of research on a specific animal of our choosing and making a book about them); the Wax Museum (research project on a famous person of our choosing) and Medieval Feast (festival at the end of our unit on the Middle Ages, with everyone in costume) in fourth grade; the Greek Gods and Goddesses Fashion Show in sixth grade; etc.

I felt loved and cared for in the eight years I attended that school, and moving to a significantly larger high school where I felt like a number rather than a person was a shock to the system. But even in high school, I got a world-class education despite being at an inner-city Title I public school on a shoe-string budget. I did the full International Baccalaureate diploma program in high school, in addition to taking nine AP tests, with all my tests subsidized heavily by the school because they subsidized everyone's standardized tests. And yeah, going that hard in high school almost killed me, but I also learned so much.

The International Baccalaureate cohort in particular felt like a group of 22 of us who were majoring in everything at once, together--we could discuss the philosophical implications of mathematical axioms and point out incorrect scientific assumptions in the poetry we read in English, because we were all studying all of the subjects pretty intensely. I missed that intellectual community so much when I went to college and found that people basically only cared about the one subject they were majoring in, if even that.

My sixth grade writing teacher changed my life forever, both by getting me into creative writing and by teaching me basically all the grammar and punctuation rules in the Chicago Manual of Style. My tenth grade English teacher created a community in her class that helped me learn to appreciate my peers, even those who were less academically inclined than I was. My high school econ teacher was the best adult in my life at a time when I deeply needed non-parent adults to care about me, and we're still friends.

Now my sister is a high school English teacher, and I'm so impressed by her. She pushes back against the racism in her department's curriculum. She purchases diverse YA books for her students to read so that they can see themselves in literature. She stands up for students who need accommodations, even when her colleagues advocate "tough love." Students confide in her to the point where she helped a pregnant student call Planned Parenthood when this student couldn't trust her parents for support.

I know my sister isn't perfect, and I know most teachers aren't doing as much to support and care for students as she is. I know many of us had some horrible experiences in the education system, and I know there exist teachers who should absolutely be fired but haven't been. But it's a messy and complicated and multi-faceted world out there, and there exist things that don't suck.

"the public education system is intently evil and all teachers are abusive because it was the worst experience ever for me personally"

guys, look, I'm legitimately sorry that happened to you. that's fucked up. it shouldn't have happened, and it shouldn't be allowed to happen again to you or anyone else. I'm sorry.

public school was hard for me too, at times, and I'm still suffering the consequences for the harsh grading, the arbitrary deadlines, the hours of completely useless-to-me homework. I could name a few teachers who have been pretty fucking terrible. the fact that nobody considered getting me evaluated for ADHD has had an impact on my self image and academic success that I can't erase.

and also.

I grew up in an area where education, in particular, is incredibly progressive-leaning. educators are working really hard to create and try out education philosophies and practices that prioritize kids and their learning, rather than teachers and what they think kids should learn.

My sex ed was comprehensive, and came entirely from school. My gay sixth grade teacher taught me about HIV/AIDs in a useful, accurate way. In high school, I learned about the way orgasms work & I was prepared not to feel shame for normal stuff.

I learned that Communism was not what the USSR actually practiced, and what it really means. I learned about atrocities and, specifically, the genocide of indigenous people committed in/by the US. I learned about the military industrial complex, the school-to-prison pipeline, and I learned about manifestations of racism specific to my local area. I learned about Stonewall, and the intersection of the civil rights movement with gay rights and disability justice.

My creative writing teacher taught us about LSD, and the real reasons we shouldn't do it, after a hilariously ineffective assembly run by some local cops. He spoke gently, carefully, and emphatically about his friends and his own experiences. Later in the semester, he read us a story he wrote about two gay men finding each other in a deeply homophobic environment.

My sci-fi teacher made me feel safe & seen as a kid with "weird" interests. My US History teacher helped me research and put together a 10-page paper on the modern relevance and mission of Feminism. My government teacher made me feel appreciated for the work I put into the class, and the thought I put into what I said in it, even though he disagreed with a lot of it. My sixth grade teacher bought me books to read with his personal money, whichever ones I asked for. My third grade teacher made me feel safe. My science teacher in middle school made me excited for and passionate about science, and saw and nurtured the effort I put into her class.

A lot of stuff sucks, absolutely. But I am seeing new teaching methods being tried out all the time, and I am watching teachers get really excited when I teach their students about the roots of modern graffiti in US black history & to question property laws, and just...

There's hope. there are so many people doing so much work to make things better. so many people agree with you on what education should be, and are trying so fucking hard to put that into action, and so many public schools- not just teachers, but whole schools and even districts- are really doing that work. so much is getting better.

I had more to say, about necessary childcare and trusted adults and outside contacts and time away from abusive family. But like. Please just sit down and listen to more people on this, and please talk to educators and education professionals about what's really going on in this big huge world of philosophy, science, and practice.

[hlmowrer]

Week 11: A day with Grandpa

Hey everybody!  I'm sorry for not writing to you last week...it was a very overfilled day and I simply ran out of both time and energy.  It was a really cool week this week though!  Over the weekend was General Conference, which is a big biannual televised event that the Church airs in which leaders of the Church provide counsel, spiritual thoughts, and other interesting messages.  We spent much of the week inviting people to watch, which presented some fun diversity in the way we approach people.  The conference is always something I enjoy, and this time was no different.  I especially enjoyed the address from the prophet President Nelson, who spoke about the need to eliminate contention in ourselves and our relationships.  We were able to watch some of the conference with our friend Andrew, and it sparked some really interesting conversations!  Andrew is rapidly working towards baptism and is also presently bedridden, so we've been seeing a lot of him.  He's a really nice guy, and seeing him is a nice boost every day.  

A headline event of the week was our other friend Dennis deciding to work towards a baptismal date!  We've been meeting with him the last couple weeks, and his faith and commitment has grown far faster than I anticipated, which is an awesome miracle!  Helping Dennis through his faith challenges is a bit more difficult than Andrew, but it's always an interesting challenge and his growth has brought much joy for both him and us.

An interesting challenge for my personal growth came on Thursday, when I had an exchange with my Zone Leader, Elder Stoner.  (Yes, that is his real name.)  Elder Stoner is also my "grandfather", as he trained Elder Wilchek, who is currently training me.  Elder Stoner normally works in Saginaw, which is a MUCH faster paced place in terms of missionary work, so it was a little rough having him come over to my area because right off the bat he wanted to keep a very tight schedule and cram as much as possible into the day, which really isn't my style and frankly isn't necessary in Midland.  But once we got past planning, I had a good time with him.  Observing how he works was good for me, and we bonded over our suffering as the service project we did that day involved cutting several bags of onions...pictures are below for your entertainment.

I'm sure much more happened, but once again I find myself out of time to tell you about it.  I also forgot to bring my journal to the computer lab, so I'm probably forgetting a lot.  Perhaps one of these weeks I'll do a "deleted/forgotten scenes" letter.  Until then though, my love goes out to you all.

-Elder Beren Mowrer

[rosireads]

Review of Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Lady Midnight has to unexpectedly be one of the most wholesome stories I've come to read in a while. Still, the mystery and drama and angst were without the shadow of a doubt *insert chef's kiss*. The characters were such an incredible surprise! I found them to be so real and interesting. I loved to notice how far Cassandra Clare's writing style has come, letting us understand each character and their deepnesses better. I think it's necessary that I state how much I loved Emma Carstairs, she was beautiful! I loved how she was like the best fighter and the warrior and like a fantastic badass girl who still had a heart of gold for all those she loved. I loved her! Then, there was Julian, who earned my heart and respect. My poor baby, he deserved so much better, but at the same time I was so happy to see that he wasn't anyone's fool, and how clever and cunning he was when it was needed. The Blackthorns deserve happiness as a whole, I just wanna protect them; all the time I read I could feel the love they had for each other. For me, it's pretty obvious that the main theme of TDA is the importance of family. The representation and diversity made me so happy. I smiled when I read the nods and references to the other sagas, like when Emma said that parabatais should be ready to throw their hands into the fire for each other, aka my pure Will! And Jem & Tessa! Everytime I read their names I just smiled. The plot was simple but still allowed space to whimsical stories, fun moments packed with action, cool locations and a surprisingly strong villain, which I did not see coming. Political speaking, it was what our generation needed. The Clave isn't fair, its politics aren't fair, it is corrupt and most of the time to do the right thing you have to go against it and I loved how the characters in this book didn't even blink and were aware of this all the damn time! Like "Lex malla, lex nulla". Lady Midnight somehow managed to be funny, cute, wholesome, full of mystery and everything I didn't know I wanted, all at once.