#it’s really humbling too which I think it’s an important quality to have

[chikahoshi]

.

[jthealien]

I was going to do a quick analysis on the comic’s title in relation to Buddy and uh. here I am now 900 words later. hope at least one person enjoys this,,

TLDR: Maybe the real Cinderella Boy was the weird goth friends we made along the way.

So I was doing my routine pondering of Dreams by Night (because symbolism and parallels are like crack to me) and this line right here might my favorite piece of dialogue in the whole comic:

Really this scene as a whole might be my favorite moment, but that line in particular — and its implications — are so fascinating to me.

Chase yet again breaks the conventions of a story, but this time it's the story of Cinderella Boy itself. In this case, Chase relinquishes his title of The Hero — or more accurately — The Protagonist. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that right after this moment is our first glimpse of Buddy outside of Chase’s perspective. Outside of the narrative up to that point of him being a villain.

I also don’t think it's a coincidence this is something as unreliable as a dream: a (quite literal) look inside Buddy’s head and thought process. Again, further establishing the unreliability of the story’s narrative as we know it.

I’ll stop before I go full blown analysis mode on the comic’s meta themes of narrative and conventions (saving that for another time). But I do bring up all this stuff about changing the view of the narrative, because I want to talk about another implication of ”This can be your story too.”

Which is that the title of Cinderella Boy actually refers to Buddy (or at least also refers to him).

Chase does fit a lot of the qualities of Cinderella and that story. I mean, it’s the very first story we see him in. But, I also think the Cinderella story fits Buddy even more.

List:

—A young person trapped in a horrible situation, stuck wearing rags and being treated as a pawn for a higher authority’s bidding. (Cinderella being a servant for her “family” and Buddy being a servant for Ex Libris).

—Said higher authority being cruel (The Evil Stepmother and the Old Man)

—The young person is assisted by a lady who gives her nice clothes and an avenue to escape reality. (Violet acting as a fairy godmother-like figure).

—Young person falls in love with a man who can rescue them from their troubles (the Prince and Chase), but doesn’t reveal their identity to the man

—Both Cinderella and Buddy are just nicknames, but that’s how everybody refers to them.

So yeah, lots of parallels to Cinderella with Buddy, at least based on the little we know about him.

I also want to bring up something we see in the very beginning of Cinderella Boy. In the first episode, we get a cliff notes version of Cinderella’s story. Colors (especially background colors) are really important in the comic, representing emotions and characters. And what is the main color that reappears again and again in this episode?

Purple.

The petals and roses that surround the snippets of story and the revealing of the main character, all Buddy’s signature color. The petals only turn pink — Chase’s color — when Chase actually appears.

Side note: The inclusion of both purple and pink side by side in this episode also alludes to the fact that, from the start, this is both Buddy and Chase’s story. (Seriously, go check it out, there’s so many instances it’s hard to unsee when looking for them).

Also, where else have we seen purple roses? Oh yeah, Chase’s dream in Dreams by Night. I’ve already rambled about its importance to shifting the narrative. Granted that’s not the only place purple roses appear, but it’s the most relevant.

Beyond just the colors, the actual descriptions of the heroine in the first episode should sound pretty familiar. A person “unknown to all” and “dressed in humble rags.” Sounds a lot like Buddy, from what we see in his dream at least.

Ok, so having discussed all of Buddy’s connections to Cinderella and the comic’s title maybe being about him, this is the part where I start speculating and jumping fifty different sharks. I want to make some predictions about Buddy based on the Cinderella story.

List (the sequel):

1- Buddy is an orphan. (Not far-fetched of an assumption to make about him in general, since in Beach Boys VI he expresses what seems to be confusion about the idea of having a family).

2- The palace’s clock is important in Cinderella, and Buddy’s dream heavily features a clock. So, Buddy’s likely running out of time for something. To find the keys or just being able to see Chase, either/or. What’s going to happen when that time is up? Well…

3- Mimicking Cinderella running away at midnight, Buddy’s going to be forced to leave the stories for good, likely as the season finale.

4- I think Buddy’s going to leave behind a metaphorical glass slipper, an identifier. What do I think it’ll be? His name. (Considering the current relationship between Buddy and Chase. And the fact we’re getting close to the end of the season and therefore a Buddy name reveal, I don’t think this is too improbable).

4.5- This is the most out there one, but Buddy’s name might be related to the name Ella, which is Cinderella’s original name in many interations. Maybe Ellis, Elliot, or Elijah.

It’ll be fun to see if any of these are actually close to what’ll happen. And with that, I’ll end my red string board session for now. :]

[thesensteawitch]

MESSAGE FROM YOUR HIGHER SELF 🍀💫

Pick A Pile Reading

(Left To Right- Pile 1, Pile 2, Pile 3)

Hello, Senstea Souls! 🩷

I am back with another collective reading! Take a deep breath and pick a pile intuitively.

In case you wish to book a personal tarot reading with me feel free to DM me on Tumblr.

I am sharing the links to my rate card and booking form below:

🌷 Rate Card

🌷 Booking Form

Here is your reading:

Pile 1

Hello, my beautiful pile 1. Your cards came out in pairs. What I felt instantly was that your higher self is talking about two paths. So I thought maybe you've got two paths in front of you, and the one you choose will define who you become. But reading more into the cards, I realized that one path leads you to your future and the other to your past. So take how it resonates for you, pile 1. For the very first time, it seems you're seeing someone in a totally different light. You're surprised. How could you overlook this person's great qualities? Your higher self is asking you to heal the past by being loving toward yourself and toward someone else. Your past is not holding you back at all, you are. So to move forward, you must learn to handle your emotions. Perhaps that was your lesson that you needed to learn from the path of the past. It seems that you've done enough for the people around you. It's time you start doing things for yourself. You were so attached to being a good friend, son/daughter, father, mother, or partner that you forgot yourself in the process. Your higher self wants you to release the past with love and forgiveness.

Now moving toward the second path, which is toward your future, I see that some people are coming in the way. This is what your higher self wants to say to you: “My love, it's time that we start pursuing our dreams. It's time to search for our inner artist. Create something of your own. You may think what you want may be impossible, but I am asking you to believe in the impossible. This full moon shows your first artwork to the world. Don't dim your light. You have all the things you need to get started. With one strech of a hand, you can grab a star. Trust me, it just seems worlds apart, but truly it's not. Ask yourself: What are you afraid of? Where does your resistance come from? Someone has always been there for you, supports you, and is rooting for you. They too are transitioning with you. They are practically rowing the boat. And if you can't think of anyone, then know that the universe is rowing your boat. You've got your loved ones with you. SHOW THE WORLD THE REAL YOU. “The Hymn Of The Weekend” is your channeled song. The moment you launch your project, you will enter a new chapter of your life! Hunt down your fears and desires before the next full moon. And show everybody your talent.” If someone here wants to use a stage name, spirit is saying you're free to do so unless you're ready to reveal the artist behind the art.

Pile 2

Hello, my beautiful pile 2. Your higher self is sending you so much love right now. You needed that pain to have a perspective shift. The cards are so blue. I feel those who chose this pile have cried a lot in the recent past. What you went through wasn't easy at all, but you took a stand for yourself. Your higher self is really proud of you to take the lead in a challenging situation. Your higher self wants you to take a break now. There's something that's bothering you because it seems your beliefs have been challenged, so it's time you learn and understand something from a higher perspective. When something challenging happens, it's our ego that breaks first. And it's important for it to break so that you become truly humble. Listen to a Guru or a spiritual teacher. It's time you again become the student of life. Your higher self sees your kind, loving, and protective side. But the guides are saying that you cannot save people from the lessons they are meant to learn. You can't fight God. Recently, you've also communicated what's important to you or about your pain. From next week, each passing day will heal you if you try to upgrade your knowledge and be wise. It's not the time to think you know everything; it's time to learn. Learn why certain situations happen; what's the root cause? Be compassionate toward yourself and others.

This is what your higher self is saying to you: “My love, it's time to find your emotional balance again. It was just a bad day, not a bad life. You're overthinking, trust me. Your life is going to be far better than what you think it is going to look like. In fact, there's a new start coming into your life. Before that, you must learn what this challenging situation was trying to teach you. And you cannot learn it by yourself. You need to look for the deeper wisdom from books or spiritual gurus. What's true to you may not be true to others. So don't fight with yourself. The horror is in your heart, not in your life. Respect the differences. By the next new moon, if you continuously seek wisdom from the right and trusted source, you'll be out of this mental rut. Journey to your better mindset/mental state begins after 3 days.” ‘Just The Way You Are’ by Bruno Mars is the song I've channeled for you.

Pile 3

Hello, my beautiful pile 3. For how long have you been waiting for love? But what I see looking at your cards is that love has always been around you. You were blocked from it because you were not mentally ready for it. Your higher self is saying that love is selfless. It doesn't expect anything in return. There's someone in your life you misunderstood in the past (it can be anyone). Maybe you went through a tough cycle with them. For most of you, I think it was a romantic connection. Your higher self is asking you to show compassion toward yourself and work through your fears. Don't be so indicisive. There are no right or wrong decisions in life. Someone seriously has eyes only for you, pile 3. You're their dream come true. It seems that you worked really hard for this connection or on yourself, and your higher self is saying that your hard work is paying off, though you may not feel so. Your higher self is emphasizing these words: trust, choose, love, and be fearless. All along you were just running away from your patterns and your trauma that needed to be addressed.

This is what your higher self is saying to you: “You have the power to design your destiny! Do you get that? All along, you've painted your life with every stroke as per your wish! Ask yourself: What do you truly want? How can you work on your relationship with yourself and with others? If you really give it your all, you will have the kind of relationship you want. Yes, you did all you could, but there were some patterns being played from your end too in your connection. That did more damage than good. So be kind to yourself and to the other person. You're a warrior. You've come so far in your life. What you're afraid of is just in your head. You can easily defeat your shadows and rise above them. Every time given a chance, you got afraid and walked away thinking you'd done it all. But all these signs that you've been getting were leading you to this moment. You were where you were meant to be, and you're where you're supposed to be. So don't you ever think that you were on the wrong path? The obstacle in the path is the path. It just took you some time to understand the maze and find your way out of it. Open your heart and spread love. The song I am channeling for you is “Firework” by Katy Perry.”

If you're a writer, painter, or any sort of artist, you're being called to heal yourself through expression. Love and let yourself be loved, pile 3. You've built your life brick by brick, and your foundation is strong. Listen to your heart; what do you truly want? The truth is buried in the deepest corners of your heart, and the moment you'll show it in your art, you'll find it coming to the surface.

[iiotic]

Ink sans fluff headcanons

ask: hi in my humble opinion YOU (someone who from an outside perspective seems pretty awesome) should write ink / GN reader fluff headcanons. i feel like you have a good grasp on his character from what i've seen! - anon

tags: Gn reader, really just wholesome Fluff?? Ink being a sweetheart, not proff read.

word count: 0.6k

Okay let me start of with the fact that this guy cannot feel any emotions without his potions!! However I do not think that if he'd drink the pink bootle of paint he'd fall into the first person he sees. You would have to be chosen.

Ink would love a creative partner, who'd go with him on his lil' adventures!! You don't need to be as enthusiastic as he is just make sure to listen to his rambling.

This guy is completely new to this romance thing so you'll have to be patient with him. His love language is probably gift giving and quality time.

He'd ask a lot of question; what? Why? but as I said he's clueless. Of course, he had seen people dating in some of the aus but he never experienced it himself.

As I said if you're more of an artistic person, he'd support every move that you make. Constantly complementing your work. Would be extremely honoured if you'd draw him, paint him, make sculpture of him or give him a gift, like a braselet just for him!! Tears of joy, literally.

This silly would absolutely draw you so he'd sometimes ask if you'd pose for him. If you agree he's pleased, and if you don't? Well he'd draw you in secret. At one point you will find out, but who cares? However even if you'll agree posing for him he'd draw you in secret, just when you're doing normal things, being yourself.

Are you someone who dyes their hair? Amazing!! He'd ask you if he can help, he really wants to help. Don't expect for it to be perfect, though. He doesn't know much, nor anything.. Really. You'd have to teach him but I hope you don't mind? This skeleton would put a shit tone of rainbow in your hair so it that's not what you're into, you'd have to remind him that.

If you like to dye your hair yourself, he's perfectly fine with that too! He can help you with mixing the paint or give you some towels.

He has shit tone of sketchbooks dedicated just for you!!

Since he's really forgetful and has a short term memory he'd write important dates on his scarf. Like your anniversary or your birthday!! Forgive him if he'd forget, he's a bit scary in a silly way.

If you're away from eachothers for some times, he'd give you some little things that remind him of you. Nothing too big, though. Like something that you both only get, an inside joke between you or a really pretty flower.

If you're a cuddler then i must dissapoint you couse this guy can seat still for a long period of time!! The longest he will seat if he'd take a quick nap which is really really rare because I headcanon that he doesn't have to sleep??

The first kiss would be an incident or be really awkward. He's really really trying to be romantic, but can you blame him for ruining such an important moment? He's trying his best + it'd probably a great, funny and wholesome memory. That only you will remember

(a/n) sorry if this is short!! I really need to get used to writing for ink. I KIN HIM A LOT TBH.

[walrus150915]

Since you liked my rambling abt my random Nimona headcanons, here's part 2

- Starting off with the queen (rip), I think her white hair is actually a wig and she has some gorgeous greying tight curls under it

- There was a thingy "the Boldheart project" which was created when Bal got accepted into the Institute's knight program. "The project" followed his progress in training to figure out if commoners were able to train as good as nobles. If he completed the course successfully, the reform would be set (sry I like talking abt fantasy politics- yea, putting responsibility on a literal child to become a figure of "equality" is... Sure a strategy)

Let's stop with the politics amirite

- Ambrosius sings in the shower. First it was like quiet humming n stuff but when him and Bal start living together this guy's shower was akin to opera (hah- soap opera- get it-)

- Ambrosius would be a type of a rich dude who fantasizes about living on his own and providing for himself and having this sweet humble suburban way of life with his husband until he actually starts living this way (he's a literal nepo baby- cmon the habits will be there even if he tries being independent)

Ambrosius: Bal, I don't get why I keep burning my bread! It's the second time I fail!

Ballister: Practice makes perfect, darling

Ambrosius: But these KitKoters make it look so easy😭😭

- He catches up gradually tho. Bal is very understanding, Nimona is having a lot of fun with this

- Does fun include bullying Ambrosius for not knowing how to remove plants to the bigger pots?. Yea kinda

- Nimona's hanging out with the kingdom's kids from time to time. She goes out of her way to make them laugh or make them feel happy in general. It heals her inner child, in a way

- Even though she hangs out with them from a perspective of a cool older shapeshifting punk sibling, she still feels like their peer and can't help but transform into her child form sometimes

- idk I think Nimona shapeshifts into a child pretty often if she feels overwhelmed or emotionally devastated or just wants to be taken care of

- Ballister does take care of her

Wow this got sad fast. Anyway

- Ambrosius is left-handed but was forced to relearn because the perfect descendant of Gloreth cannot be left-handed, it's abnormal🤓

- Ballister can't help but go 😬 when either Ambrosius or Nimona take food with their left hand while eating. Yeah technically eating with his flesh hand would be easier for him. No he won't do that for the life of him (saying hi to all Muslims out there)

- Ballister decides to grow out a real beard and Nimona thinks it's the coolest thing ever to play with during their family quality time. Ambrosius also likes this change in his looks but for rather uh... gay different reasons😁

If we're talking about gay stuff I might just as well talk abt some Goldenheart hcs

- When they've only started dating Ballister had a really difficult time with the eye contact bc Ambrosius's loving gaze was too much to handle for him. He'd see how gentle and soft his eyes are and how they're filled with complete adoration to the top and just look away all blushy and smitten

- I think we as a fandom agree that Ambrosius's love language is arm chopping physical touch. Have you considered how important kisses can be to him in expressing his love tho

- Ambrosius LOVES kissing Ballister. He's probably kissed him everywhere if you think about it-

- But yea. He steals kisses from Bal as often as he can. Boo goes to work? Kiss him goodbye. Boo gets back? Kiss him goodhi - doesn't matter where😉

- His favorite place to kiss is probably Bal's neck bc he just likes nuzzling into it and making him all flustered

- Ballister loves kissing Ambrosius as well. His favorite thing ever is press kisses into Ambrosius's hair while they're lying down on the couch, Ambrosius's head on Ballister's chest n his arms around Ballister's torso. It makes them both feel very soft and warm and safe❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

- (teenage years) You know this type thing when kittens playfully fight each other and jump onto each other and bite and stuff? Yea that's teenage Goldenheart

- (a little older than teenage years) current sparring trend in the writer part of the fandom. That's it. You know damn well what I'm talking about

- At some point their private training sessions became the reason they succeeded in combat and got the highest of marks

Okay gay stuff is over

- Nimona has some pretty dark humor but draws the line at the things that could really trigger her or other people. Joking about burning everything down? Of course. Joking about... Well... The act 3 of the movie? Nope, never

- Nate Knight (do ya remember him?) does drag in his off-duty time haha RuPaul hi

- Ballister snores in his sleep bc he's a dad like that

- Ballister also is a type of dad to sleep on the couch while watching TV, and when you turn it off he wakes up and tells you he's been watching it this whole time

- Both Nimona and Ambrosius encourage Ballister to speak his mother tongue more often bc he used to hide it at the Institute

- Nimona scrunches her nose when she tries to remember things

- Ballister snaps his fingers while remembering stuff, especially in "Huh... What's the word for..." situations (he just like me fr)

- Nimona loves biting pencils and pens but sometimes she bites too hard and they break in half or something

- I feel like her stomach is iron. This punk can eat an eraser or swallow a knife or drink lava-hot water and all she'll do is burp maybe

- After leaving the Institute Ambrosius would have one hell of existential crisis. All he's dedicated his life to for all these years were lies and propaganda, what's the purpose of his life now? He tries out as many new things as he can - baking, painting, singing, playing musical instruments, photography, even science (with Bal's help ofc) my dude has tried it all. He sometimes felt worthless bc his life had no greater purpose but Bal and Nimona would reassure him that living happily with people who love him is more than enough and that you don't have to be the greatest person ever to live the best life. Find joy in the smallest of things n stuff😌

- Ballister has found ways to renovate his arm and made a bunch of new prosthetics for different purposes. I feel like he'd use a hook as well sometimes (as I've heard from the disabled community, hook is a very comfortable aid). No I'm not talking about that one post about his prosthetic's... renovations (😳) from the fan acc I follow

On this quite interesting note I'll end the post😁

Gn!!

[johaerys-writes]

hey its the anon who was asking about achilles’ characterisation in the iliad! thank you so much for your answer, it was super informative and helpful. i think i very much had the wrong interpretation because i had a classics teacher for a year before my school scrapped the subject and they basically rambled about how achilles was a rapist and awful and went against the gods etc. without really going into the nuance of everything or explaining the context of heroes. i was kind of curious about your mention of hubris though? i thought that was a Big Thing in ancient greece because placing yourself on a pedestal above the gods was a guaranteed way to get yourself smote. sorry for acting like a student bugging their favourite teacher for an answer but you really do explain things so well 😅

Hubris is a big thing in ancient greece, you're right; there are so many myths where someone does something stupid and gets their ass whooped by the gods (e.g. Perseus and Andromeda, among many others). But it isn't exclusive to Ancient Greece. In fact, the idea of hubris may have started there, but it changed throughout the years and took different forms in literary tradition. In ancient greek mythos, hubris is usually violent or dangerous behaviours, such as extreme boasting, that are ultimately punished by the gods. In that sense, hubris is external, that means the punishment comes from outside. As cultures changed and the focus shifted more on the individual, hubris started being used to denote a personality quality of excessive pride and arrogance, which are big no-no's in Christianity. So hubris gradually became more of an internal thing, a cautionary tale to make sure the faithful stay humble and are rewarded in the afterlife. In the context of stories, that often comes with personal development of some kind, such as the protagonist seeing the error of their ways and changing their behaviour, which isn't really an integral part of ancient greek mythos as a whole.

Ancient greek hubris and christian hubris often become confused, and because we are taught that hubris is SO important to greek mythos, people try all the time to fit the Homeric works into these neat little boxes. The thing is that Homer does not fit into that; Homer was strange even when the works were written. The Iliad doesn't follow the traditional formulae of stories and myths that were popular at the time, especially oral poetry: it includes emotional change but isn't a story about personal empowerment; there is complexity and nuance in all of the characters but the characters are not idealised; it is a meditation on complex social and human themes such as the connection between rage and grief; it puts mortality, not morality, at the center of the story.

It shows how vulnerable the characters are through their rage or their grief or their passions in general, but the story isn't at all about characters being punished for their hubris or wrong-doings. For example, Agamemnon technically commits hubris in the very first book of the Iliad, when he refuses to give Chryseis back to her father and Apollo gets pissed off about it. This could be considered dangerous behaviour by ancient greek standards, and the Achaeans are indeed punished for it with the plague that Apollo sends their way. However, at the end of the day Agamemnon himself does not get punished for his transgression in any way. He gets everything he wants: Achilles rejoins the fight eventually, Hector is killed, Troy is sacked, he returns to Argos a victor.

Achilles, too, could be said to have committed hubris through excessive violence, when he killed so many people he clogged up the river and then fought the god Scamander himself; and yet he isn't punished by the gods or by the narrative, he is one of the few characters (perhaps the only?) that gets a redemption arc of sorts, by returning Hector's body to Priam and treating the old man with respect, thus showing us his generosity, his integrity, and the nobility of his character once again. And that's where the Iliad ends for him. Not with his death or with him killing even more Trojans or whatever, but with a poignant and moving scene between two people on opposite sides of a war, who have lost everything and yet still find this point of connection between them.

So Homer, and especially the Iliad, breaks all of those norms when it comes to traditional storytelling, and that's why I think it's a work that still baffles and intrigues so many classicists. That's why in my previous answer I said that it's important to keep an open mind, and to try to avoid blindly applying literary criticism devices such as cause-and-effect analyses or importing modern moral judgement and anachronistic theories in works like Homer.

I hope this helped! I love talking about the Iliad so if you have any more questions I'd gladly answer them <3

P.S. WOW that professor really needs to get their facts straight lmao, I'm sorry your first contact with the Iliad and Achilles was through a lens like that. It always astounds me how little some people actually know about the subjects they're supposed to be experts in, like to talk about Achilles, a character from the ILIAD, and to refer to him as a "rapist", a thing that only appears in later Roman works which were basically ILIAD FANFIC LMAO, and BAD fanfic at that because it was essentially anti-Greek propaganda......... wow wow wow

P.S.2 unless the "rapist" thing refers to him sleeping with Briseis/a slave, which WOW once again extremely myopic take, very culturally and contextually tone deaf, I wish they actually do their research and stop spreading slander, that's slander, like come ON

[adelarsims]

Anonymous OC question of the day!

If you could make a character real, which of your OCs would be:

your bestie

your spouse/partner

your secret lover!

your friendly rival

your enemy

BONUS: do this for other people’s OCs too!

Pass the game along (anonymously or not)

bold of you to assume that most of my OCs would give a fraction of a fuck about my existence, let alone being my secret lovers. they're so out of my league, it's kinda sad

but if we imagine that they would

my bestie: Saeran De Winter, my old MC with whom i played multiple choice games and visual novels for years. they're cheeky, sassy, not above being petty if you get on their nerves, but really understanding and supportive when it's important. they're also a good team player.

spouse/partner: it would be Leslie. he's quiet and introverted, just the kind of person i'm the most comfortable around, our hobbies and homebody lifestyles match, we value similar qualities in people and both like some alone time without our partner being glued to us 24/7.

secret lover: i think Katze is the closest to that. he wouldn't be my lover in a traditional sense because neither of us want sex, but we could have a fulfilling d/s relationship, we're pretty much into the same stuff, he wants to get what i want to give and vice versa. plus his primary need when it comes to genuine intimacy is for his partner to take things slow, and i'm always willing to move at a glacial pace for a person i care about.

friendly rival: Zach! i love the dude to death, but we'd roast each other relentlessly and lowkey try to humble brag and one-up each other on so many occasions.

enemy: hard to imagine myself making enemies, but if someone could become my enemy rather than others, that would be Kain, one of my oldest OCs (with black hair on the picture). i love him to pieces, and over many many years he's developed into a very multifaceted and morally gray person, but our ethics don't match at all most of the time. he solves problems and saves the world (at least a part of it that he cares about) on a planetary scale, and collateral damage is of little concern to him, even if it's people's lives. i would probably try to stop him and demand to change his approach, an interference with his efficiency that he won't take kindly, plus he's not the most flexible person and has a few other qualities that don't sit well with me. for example he can be uh... let's say biased against some groups of lgbt community (groups that i also belong to), i won't elaborate because he's more than that and i don't want him to be labeled as all around awful person for one shitty quality.

[denimbex1986]

"I loved what you were wearing at the Irish premiere, like the kind of like Teddy Boys, like the jacket with the vest and the black pants. And also like the Golden Globes look was *chef's kiss* Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"I look a bit like mother of the bride."

"I don't think so."

"You were in a bit of Simone Rusha, right? She's one of our most amazing Irish designers."

"No, the problem is what you do on set actually is you eat. Yeah, you start off and you think you're healthy and then - you eat more on a set. There's more food available on a set than is necessary and then you're -"

"But I don't want that to change. Don't change it."

"You've come out with some like, like just great lines about like, what is it? 'Prejudice is not surviving proximity.' You also say that beautiful thing about like 'The only thing left after love is grief' - I think that's a beautiful statement. Because I think - the thing about Andrew is like, he is wonderfully eloquent but he lives by the things that he says, which I think is; it's all well and good sounding smart but you have to live by it, and he does that in spades."

"And I think about Paul - I think there's something that's very forthright about you that's really wonderful. It's a really, really good quality; I think you sort of, you don't, you don't; you're not backwards in coming forwards about things you believe in, but some people really are, you know? I think there's a real difference between somebody being nice and somebody being good. You know what I mean? Like, it's all very well to be nice, which of course you are - we're all capable of being nice - but to be a good person, sometimes you've got to be able to say: 'No that's not right' or that's; to be forthright, and to sort of risk, um, you know, risk having a difficult conversation. And, uh, I think that, I think Paul, Paul is an essentially, a really, really good person. And uh, yeah, that's what I love about him."

"That's nice."

"Andrew's a innately funny man. Like you - he's such humor I think they'd call him funny, loyal, and I think you're quite protective of people that you love. Yeah."

"Yeah, that's, that's really true. Paul is really, really generous, fun, uh, very emotionally intelligent, sensitive and wild. That right?"

"I think that's absolutely fair, yeah."

"I don't really - I actually don't. I think I need - "

"You can't put that in practice."

"It's hard to do that; I think sometimes I need to go the opposite way - I'm always putting my feet in; you know what I mean? I think you've got to like - having your feet on the ground means what? Means like not being - "

" - being humble."

"Coming from Ireland, I do think that's a cultural thing. You don't - I don't think, I don't think that's in the culture where you have to have notions about yourself. So I think sometimes it's important to have, you know, be proud of the stuff that you've achieved and not be too self - yeah, exactly. But, but I know what you mean; to keep your feet on the ground in this crazy scenario that we're in now; I think it's about the relationships - "

"It's about the relationships that you have inside and outside of work, and trying to hold onto a consistency with that."

"Yeah."

"But other than that, I think it's like - like if you're not from London, New York, LA; if you're not from those places, it always feels like a miracle that somebody kind of breaks into mainstream media from the outside."

"Yeah. Yeah."

"So, like keeping your feet on the ground is always like - look, Irish people have a wonderful capacity of, and also something that I don't like sometimes, of keeping you - they'd be like: 'Ah don't get too big for your boots.' Like, I have no intention of that happening."

"Yeah, exactly."

"But I'm also going to celebrate the wins as much as mourning the losses - keeping that balance."

"Yeah, exactly."

"Yeah."

"The guilt, the guilt!"

"Yeah, the shame and the guilt."

"The shame and the guilt. It is true when you go to Ireland, people are friendly there and one of the things I find difficult in the bigger cities is the kind of anonymity. Like, if you go into your local supermarket, your Tesco or whatever the hell it is, you know, that you - you don't get to know your people; you don't say hello to people in the same way."

"Well just kind of anon - like, because sometimes that anonymity is like fun and enjoyable, but like; I think the most distinctly Irish thing about us is how easy it is for us as Irish people to like, like you get a shorthand -"

"Oh, you mean between us?"

"Yeah, I think so, like straight away. And also like, if we need to like cha - chat about people that are annoying us, we can still speak -"

"We can, we've got - we've got a whole language that we can go: 'You dirty little *beep*"

"Don't be a dick."

"Yeah, don't be a dick."

"It's a good - good, simple, to the point piece of advice."

"Yeah. Oh, there's a great piece of advice that someone - I think it's Tony Morrison, says which is: 'When someone tells you who they are, believe them.' I think that's -"

"Oh yeah."

"So if someone says: 'Oh you know, I'm just a bit - "

"What was the thing you said earlier about parents? Uh - "

"That they're - oh yeah, it was incredible. I read that the other day. 'Be kind to your parents, they're living life for the first time too.'"

"I love that."

"Incredible. Yeah. Because that is what our film is so much about - it's about, you know, our relationship with our parents and how we can't really see them for who they are."

"Yeah."

"We were in Dublin recently - "

"I felt so nostalgic like, for the first time in a while, going back to Dublin."

"I know, yeah."

"We had this amazing, um, uh, screening of our film and in, in Dublin; it was absolutely magical. We were totally gobsmacked because so many people came out to see it and, and it was amazing to bring this home. I think when you've travelled the world, you're - you become more aware of your Irishness - "

"Oh, absolutely."

"Um, but in Dublin, what - okay, what do we tell people to go to do in Dublin?"

"I'd go to Phoenix Park for a walk in the morning. Beautiful."

"Yeah. Bring a coat."

"Bring a coat, bring a rain jacket."

"Rain jacket."

"One of the great sadnesses for me is that the Bernard Shaw closed. Do you remember that pub?"

"Yes, of course. I didn't know it'd closed."

"Closed a couple like - big old corporations came in and knocked it to the ground."

"That's the thing. But there are loads of pubs left in Dublin that are - "

"Yeah, loads of pubs left in Dublin."

"Probably the most - I suppose you do have to have a little pint of the Guinness. And the great thing about Dublin is that it's very, um, walkable, um; you know, it's a city but you can kind of walk pretty much everywhere, you know?"

"And then end up in Workmans."

"Yeah, the Workmans."

"I can do a handstand."

"Can you really?"

"Yeah."

"I don't have a party trick. Just, just - "

"He's great at parties."

"Yeah, I'm good at a party. Party tricks though - "

"Yeah."

"I would be um, a painter or art - drawing."

"Yeah, your like - your drawings are beautiful."

"Thank you, yeah."

"I think I'd probably be a teacher of some sort. I loved history in school; I'd probably play a bit of a game of football. I could do both as a teacher."

[madara-fate]

Hello Maddie! Congratulations on your marriage and i wish you the very best for all of your endeavours in life.

In my couple years of knowing you, I've come to really respect you and look up to you as a person.

Since you have a decade more experience than me in life, and have gone through what phase I'm in, I'd like for you to share your advice on how to approach life in general.

What are some of the things/qualities/advice that you'd consider are most important for people to keep in mind?

You also seem to be a very confident person, so I wanted to ask how does one maintain the balance between humbleness and confidence and not become too cocky or overconfident?

I also believe confidence is very much dependent on external validation and positive reinforcement, so what if one does not get too much of it when they're doing something? Should they give up on it completely? Because otherwise they'd come off as unpleasant and cocky to other people.

How does one know if they're good at something in the first place? I mean friends and family will always say you're good at something or you look good, or you sing well etc.

Secondly, how does one cope with things that are completely out of their control? There are many people with genetic diseases/conditions which make them objectively worse than the average person.

It could also be that their financial circumstances prevent them from doing something. Should they ignore/overlook their flaws completely? Won't that make them seem obnoxious and overconfident?

How can one be mindful of their flaws and not let it affect them negatively and make them feel down? Feelings of envy, jealousy and frustration are bound to occur if one compares themselves with other people. But comparison is the only way to remain competitive and driven otherwise they'll become relaxed and idle and get left behind by most people.

Hey buddy, many thanks for the well wishes ^_^

What are some of the things/qualities/advice that you'd consider are most important for people to keep in mind?

Life doesn't end once you receive some bad news. Sleep on it, and think about how to move forward. Time heals all wounds.

When you're trying to improve on something, slow consistency is always better than making drastic changes for quick results, because more often than not, those changes won't be sustainable.

Doing something that you love for a living is great, but not necessary. As long as it's something that you can tolerate, that's good enough. If someone had a choice between doing something they love vs doing something they tolerate for 1.5x the money, I'd advise they don't be so quick to discard the latter.

This links to the previous point - a lot of the time, people say that money can't buy happiness because they think that's the "right" thing to say, but that's just idealistic. Money may not be able to bring happiness to someone who is already suffering from clinical depression, but for the regular person who struggles financially between pay checks, money can definitely buy happiness. Not just for what you can do for yourself, but also for how you can use it to help those who you love as well.

You also seem to be a very confident person, so I wanted to ask how does one maintain the balance between humbleness and confidence and not become too cocky or overconfident?

I'm confident only in what you see me talk about, because I know those topics very well. If I was in a conversation about a topic that I knew relatively little about, I'd keep my mouth shut and listen. Overconfidence stems from the overestimation of one's own skills and abilities, and in this case, it would be thinking you know more than you actually do. And even when some people know that their knowledge of the topic isn't that great, they'd still like to argue their point because they just want to be right. Avoiding this incessant need to always be right is key to maintaining that balance between humbleness and confidence, without crossing the threshold of arrogance. Listen, and learn, so that in the future, you'll be the one explaining the topic with all of the confidence, but none of the arrogance, because you were once in the position of ignorance.

I also believe confidence is very much dependent on external validation and positive reinforcement, so what if one does not get too much of it when they're doing something? Should they give up on it completely? Because otherwise they'd come off as unpleasant and cocky to other people.

Confidence can be built from external validation and positive reinforcement, but that's not the only way. If you know the benchmark for being "good" at something, and you meet that standard, confidence can be obtained in that manner as well. For instance, if only 20% of people were able to speed through a video game level in under 5 minutes, and you were also able to do so, you'd know you were in the top 20% of players for that level, regardless of whether you received any external positive feedback. That knowledge alone would give you a confidence boost.

How does one know if they're good at something in the first place? I mean friends and family will always say you're good at something or you look good, or you sing well etc.

My point above can also be applied here. Positive reinforcement from friends and family should only be supplementary motivators. What truly matters, is for you yourself to know how to gauge the threshold between good and average.

Secondly, how does one cope with things that are completely out of their control? There are many people with genetic diseases/conditions which make them objectively worse than the average person.

I always say to just not fuss about things that are out of your control, because there's literally no point in fussing about them. They're not gonna change, so don't waste your time. Focus your time on things which you can actually improve. You can't change your height, but you can change your physique. You can't change the fact that you have Tourette syndrome, but that doesn't stop you from being the life of the party and everyone loving you.

It could also be that their financial circumstances prevent them from doing something. Should they ignore/overlook their flaws completely? Won't that make them seem obnoxious and overconfident?

You should never ignore or overlook your flaws, not least because yes, that can have the potential to make you seem obnoxious. Your flaws and weaknesses should always be acknowledged so that they can be accounted for. Ignoring them doesn't mean they don't exist, and if they're not acknowledged, then those weaknesses will be very apparent in whatever it is that you're trying to do.

How can one be mindful of their flaws and not let it affect them negatively and make them feel down? Feelings of envy, jealousy and frustration are bound to occur if one compares themselves with other people. But comparison is the only way to remain competitive and driven otherwise they'll become relaxed and idle and get left behind by most people.

Everyone has flaws. You acknowledging that you have flaws is part of acknowledging your humanity. Sure, you may look at someone else and wish you could be as good as they are in a particular subject, but yet you don't even realise that someone is probably thinking the exact same thing about you. You also have talents that someone else heavily desires, that's just natural. But as you rightfully indicated, envy can often be a very good motivator for people to self improve.

[ecargmura]

Pokemon: Path to the Peak Episode 4 Review - The Finale

This is the finale of Path to the Peak is here! These past four weeks have been an amazing ride! Let’s hop onto this review for the last time, shall we?

Ava’s loss at Internationals caused her to be in a slump for weeks. Thanks to her mother, Ava realized that what’s most important wasn’t winning, but having fun; she had been constantly winning to the point that it got to her when she failed. What’s most important to her are the friends she made along the way. Because of this newfound resolution, she decides to head off to Worlds to challenge Edgar Troy once and for all.

My hunch of Ava’s mother being a TCG player was right on the nose! Ava’s old deck was what she had used in the past; she lost to a trainer who used a Pikachu which caused her to stop playing. I do wonder if that Pikachu player was Ava’s father. I do like that Ava’s mother finally played a role after being the backseat for the entire show. She was the one who gave Ava the pep talk she needed to rekindle her friendships and to win Worlds without stressing too much about winning.

I think that’s why Edgar and Ava are opposites. Edgar has been a long time competitive player, so all he knows is winning and the glory of that feeling. Ava wanted to dip her toes into that feeling, but it didn’t end so well. That was why she decided to play the game how she wanted to like how she did in the beginning—for fun. Fortunately, her words did get through to Edgar and Edgar finally humbles in a way. Also, while Edgar summoning Groudon was a good way to end the series, I do wonder why he didn’t attack straight away? Can anyone who’s familiar with TCG answer this?

I do like animated battles for this episode! It was so fluid! The way the Falinks were animated were good! My favorite part of the episode was Ava was summoning her side for the last round; all she had was Oddish and no bench Pokemon. Oddish’s expression killed me; it looked like it was in despair. I really liked how Ava and the writers made it so that Ava isn’t exclusively using one branch of the Oddish line, but both. Her Oddish evolves into Bellossom for the finale. The best part of this final battle was Bellossom’s kamehameha with that smug look. Also, the fact that the Pokemon card spirits were with their human partners truly made it a finale to remember. Kudos to Ava’s little fangirl for hanging out with a Darkrai. It felt like Pokemon and humans were united like how it was in other Pokemon media.

While this isn’t a true one-for-one adaptation of the Trading Card Game, I think that it’s a fantastic series that shows off how capable the card game can be as an adaptation. It doesn’t have to be Yugioh or Cardfight Vanguard-levels in drama and quality; it’s a good start to what Pokemon can do more with card game animes. I can tell the animators had so much fun with this with how animated and alive the Pokemon felt. I can’t wait to see what these animators have in store next. What are your thoughts on the finale and all four episodes as a whole?

[ilovejoyjessie]

“Self Care 2022″ - self-shot on Google Pixel

I was so thrilled to find out that this piece I sent off to the Tucson Erotic Arts Show got a home. It’s always an incredible feeling to know someone resonated with your art so much that they wanted to take it home with them - and every piece you make has part of you, your soul in it. But it’s especially touching when the piece they take home means so much to you on so many levels.

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In the TEAS piece, I only included two photos from this 3 photo set I took in my humble apartment’s bathroom (the 2nd and 3rd photo from the set of three in this post), but I had originally intended on framing all 3 (and I still might, so keep an eye out for that). But each photo tells a different part of the story:

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After a long day of being human - working, running errands, feeling overworked and overwhelmed, I drew myself a bath. But not one of those “ahh, yes, I am luxuriating” baths. More like the kind of bath you take when you just want to melt the whole day off of you. The kind of bath where you sink deep into the tub and just feel your existence, suspended in time and small waves. No real thoughts or concerns passing through your mind...just existing. I took deep heavy sighs; I let the water wash over me. I sank to the bottom and felt my weight, along with the weight of everything else hanging over me...

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And as this feeling permeated my bathroom, I felt the need to capture it. Because the feeling is so universal, isn’t it? That feeling of shedding your skin at the end of a long day or the feeling of trying to find and reclaim time for yourself in a world constantly demanding your performance and attention. But we never really see those moments - we assume people have them, but usually, all we see is someone before and after those moments come and pass. But I wanted to share that moment via these photos - a reminder that  it’s normal to feel them/you aren’t the only one who does.

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So I grabbed my phone, paused the moody jam I had been playing, and set up my timer to capture my feelings in the moment. You know artists: every kind of moment or emotion is ripe for creating with or from. And whatever you create doesn’t have to be made with the most expensive, highest quality materials or dramatic set-ups and planning....sometimes spontaneously seeing or feeling a moment and using what you have can make a piece that speaks volumes. I think the fact that these were taken on my phone add another layer of realness and genuineness, which I didn’t think about or realize until later.

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Not too long ago, someone asked me the question, “When did you decide you were just going to take dope photos with your tatas out?” And I had a chuckle before explaining that a lot of the time, when I appear nu.de or partially nu.de in photos, it isn’t just for a sexual gaze. I think that’s part of the importance of art spaces that allow for artists to use their bodies to tell stories or just be themselves. Because there is more to the naked body than just sex.

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A lot of the time, my nudity speaks to the  strength or vulnerability of the subject I’m portraying. And in “Self-Care 2022″, vulnerability was the main theme in more ways than one. These were photos of me feeling, exactly what they portray: A worn-out, tired, overwhelmed individual doing their best to “self-care” their worries away. As important as self-care is, it can be hard for some of us to actually engage in it. Or when we do, we aren’t necessarily doing it joyfully as much as we’re doing it as a last resort. “I don’t know man. I’m overwhelmed as hell. Guess I’ll just...take a bath.” 

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Along with that emotional vulnerability, these photos are also real photos of *me*: Jessie Lovejoy, the person, not just a character she created. They’re photos of a real artist in a real moment, in a real place, feeling real things. And as I said previously, it means a lot any time someone chooses to take your work home with them. But this piece in particular is the closest I’ve come to showing who I “really am” on camera and is genuinely a piece of my soul behind a couple planes of glass. So I’m honored, am grateful, and give all my love to the person who saw something in this piece and resonated with it, maybe even saw themselves in it - so much so, they decided they needed it in their home. 

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Thank you for seeing me, understanding me, and validating me and the feelings I had that created this piece. And as always, thank you to TEAS for allowing me to share pieces of myself with your gallery. And if you want to see this photo unscribbled and all that, head to my Gallery/Dance Site to see it raw and in all its grumpy glory.

[lucysarah-c]

Lucy

I need urgent help!!!

I am doing a rebrand of my fashion style, and I would like your help. I am aiming for a girly type of style. Lana del ray aesthetic, dark/light academia, plaid skirt, dollycore. If you know other names tell me about them please.

You seem like that type of girl, which lead me to ask you about this. Could you help me with how to build a closet and where to find brands that are targeted to this style.

To be honest, please just share all the brands you know. Or how to find these types of clothes.

Hope you are having a wonderful day.

Hi Love! What's been in your heart lately?

I tried to reply to this as fast as I "adult-ly" could and I highlight the part of "adult-ly" because I had to be an adult today and it sucks.

OMG! Just the single thought of you thinking in me about style already brings tears to my eyes. Thank you so so much!

I adore ... that my style can even transfer the physical barrier of me not posting pictures about me but yet all of you know my style hahaha I adore it. I'm 100% an "old money/dark/light academia/preppy/cottagecore" girl.

But I'm also a student with a budget so hear me out hahaha my dream is one day open a "fashion/makeup" youtube or instagram but AFFORDABLE. People dream of running for president, I dream of helping other poor students to look fashionable. It's not much but it's a humble job.

Ok I don't know much about "brands" but I adore the style, the vibes and some of the pics they put together in this brand called "Miss Patina". Look it's quite expensive BUT BUT heard me out. I think it's expensive because "western" fashion isn't about dark academia, preppy, sweet dolly style. Therefore you should look into a certain country that basically their style is about that. Yes, I'm talking about Korea. Even if you don't speak "korean" like me, you can try to translate "dark academia style haul" really badly in google, search in youtube and look for videos of online-shopping. Even if you don't understand what they are saying, you can use "Miss patina" and other "expensive" brands for inspiration and then search for affordable options online with this method. I don’t know where you are from but Koreans, sadly, have a lot of economical problems and their appearance is quite important in the society. So they usually have more affordable nice looking clothes that fit this style.  I do this a lot, Korean clothes aren't maybe "the best" in quality but the style is "chef kiss" and usually they are quite good.

Also, adding to this. If you're going to "redo" your wardrobe, think about what you would wear EACH DAY EVERYDAY. And maybe it is worth investing in some better quality, better reviewed pieces. For example, I've 4 pairs of good quality shoes (I can't recommend the brand because it's from Argentina but) 2 oxfords (brown and deep purple), 1 loafer in black  (a classic) and one pair of mary janes in a nude colour. I've had them for like 4 years, the loafers for example, and since they are good quality they look really good. Then I've 2 coats, one black and one deep red and I adore it lol. One french coat in a nude is water resistant for more autumn/spring vibes when it's not too cold. These are more what I consider ... basics in my style so I am happy I spend money on them. Other stuff like button-up shirts, turtle neck shirts, sweaters etc. I know that I'll be running to take the train to my classes, etc. I don't want to "care" if I sweat them on a day that gets hotter or I use them and the wood kinda loses its quality. Plus, I think that replacing certain pieces of your wardrobe to fit maybe a trend of the winter that you like etc is good.

Also, think about what colours you like. There was a year I was obsessed with "stripes" and I brought a couple of sweaters with stripes. You can always buy some fun pieces that you like even if it doesn't fit "the style" you're going for. I have a sweater with KITTENS on it AND I ADORE IT. I don't care if it doesn't fit my "dead muse of a depressed poet", I love my kittens. It makes me feel good, I like it, it's enough for me. It's important that you feel yourself in your clothes.

With all that said and done, if you're still struggling to find maybe inspiration pages for outfits or even explore new brands... search in google a couple of times "preppy style, dark academia style," or send a couple of whatsapp about it and believe me that the algorithm will do it's thing LMAO I always do that when I can't find what I want.

Fashion recommendations? This is 100% MY personal opinion, I don't hold the truth... less is more (ESPECIALLY in jewellery), there's no such thing as too much black and, as my nona (grandma) would say "you carry the clothes don't let the clothes carry you," Own what you wear, own your worth and you could be wearing sweatpants and make the world turn heads for you. "make your daily life your own runway"

Hope this help! Kisses!

[barbellos]

HOO Niall Horan

you know, when it comes to venting about niall, i always find it hard to find the right words... but i guess i'll give it a go.. okay, from the moment i met him, he's always been the kind of guy who would drop everything for the people he cares about. i remember when we first started dating, back when i was still figuring out life as a teenager. whenever we went out, he was constantly checking in to make sure i was alright, like a protective shield around me. and it wasn't just with me—he treated his friends the same way, always putting their needs before his own. sometimes, i think he gave so much of himself that people started to take him for granted, including me, i'll admit. but as he's grown older and more independent, he's learned the importance of putting himself first—a quality that i find incredibly attractive, by the way. you can see it in everything he does, especially in his career. every step he takes is for himself, and it's honestly so inspiring to watch.

niall and i became best friends a few years back. we've always been close, but things really took off when zoom calls became a thing. it was around that time i realized that the guy who'd always drop everything for everyone had transformed into someone who understood the power of saying no. i'm sure it wasn't easy, and there are still times when he struggles to turn down a call for help. but babe, you're where you are today because you realized that your own needs matter too.

and then there's his spirit, which honestly deserves an award for lighting up every room he walks into. he's incredibly funny—his humor might have that rough-around-the-edges Irish charm—but the way he can make me laugh, even when i'm just venting about my day, is one of the things i love most about him. he has this way of drawing you in, you know? i could listen to him talk for hours, and it wouldn't be enough.

i just... i really love everything about him. always have.. @nihcrn

once upon a time in the heart of the kingdom of los angeles, where the digital realm intersected with the whispers of destiny, two souls collided in a wonderful encounter. prince niall, with his charismatic smile and golden locks, found himself drawn to the beautiful princess barbara, whose grace and charm shone like the morning sun. (roll with it..)

it was the year 2013 when their paths crossed, sparked by a simple yet daring gesture as prince niall ventured into princess barbara's dm's with a single "hello." little did they know, this humble greeting would ignite a flame that would brighten their lives with the brilliance of a thousand stars.

as their love story unfolded, in the middle of their demanding royal duties, prince niall's voice echoed through concert halls while princess barbara graced the pages of fashion magazines and runways. despite their fame and fortune, they found solace in each other's company, their bond deepening with each passing day.

but like all great tales, their romance was not without its challenges. the pressures of their royal responsibilities threatened to tear them apart, forcing them to part ways with heavy hearts and unspoken promises. princess barbara, in a twist of fate, found herself betrothed to another prince in a lavish ceremony (covered by vogue, might i add) that masked the ache of her unfulfilled love for niall.

meanwhile, prince niall, surrounded by the adoration of his devoted fans and the demands of his princely duties, carried the weight of his unspoken love for barbara like a burden upon his soul. memories of their stolen moments together lingered in his mind, a bittersweet reminder of the love he had lost.

yet, despite the passage of time and the trials they faced, the flame of their love never died. it flickered, perhaps, but never extinguished, burning brightly in the depths of their hearts.

and so, as fate would have it, they found their way back to each other, guided by the invisible hand of destiny. through a series of events and chance encounters, prince niall and princess barbara were reunited, their love stronger and more resilient than ever before.

for theirs was a fairytale of love—a tale of two souls bound together by the threads of destiny, destined to live happily ever after in each other's arms.

[meditatewithfernando]

Sleep well helps you stay well. I give you 7 steps to achieve it.

You too can sleep well even if you don't believe it. I give you 7 steps that will help you. Hey, hey! How are you doing this week? Last week we talked about a difficult topic for some people. If you are breaking spiritual barriers and you have not seen the entrance yet, I advise you to do so, it will help you a lot. This week we are going to talk about sleeping well, something natural, something that every being on this planet does. Something that costs much more for human beings, and of course, with many more errors. The goal is to find healing and be able to enjoy life a little more. This also means being able to sleep well and feel rested. We have talked several times about these topics, advice on what to do and not do before going to sleep. But I want to touch on some new things, review others very well, and well, bring another entry where I give my humble advice so that you can sleep better and enjoy life more. Don't downplay the importance of sleeping well, it is something that is increasingly scarce in our society. Chronic fatigue, not being able to focus as you would like, and brain and cardiovascular diseases are some of the many bad results obtained during the night. So it's time to change it! 7 easy steps to sleep well. So, let's cut to the chase with the topic of sleeping well and soundly. I invite you to question these guidelines, and really think about them and how they add to your life. Contribute everything you see that will help you, and feel the freedom to leave behind what doesn't. But it is important that you be honest with yourself, and not discard the first guideline, which I know you are not going to like. Now, it's about making a change, whether you like it or not, but you will see that you can achieve it too, and you will have results. #1: Don't take your cell phone to bed. Yes, yes, I know... I start at the maximum, perhaps taking out one of the things that you like the most before going to sleep, but you want to sleep well, right? But I'm going to be direct: using your cell phone in bed is the worst thing you can do before going to sleep. In fact, for some people, this is much worse than if you had a cup of coffee before going to bed (don't do it!) And one of the reasons I put this topic first is so that you can at least focus. in achieving this. I can almost promise you that if you make a decent effort to not use your cell phone when you are already in bed, you will have better results. Starting with the fact that it will be much easier for you to fall asleep simply because you are not stimulating your brain with the million things you can do on your phone. The quality of your dreams will also improve, but if you don't care about this third of your life, at least focus on waking up completely rested. Falling asleep with your cell phone is terrible! So let's make an effort and try not to bring your cell phone into the room. You probably don't live in a castle, so you don't have to travel to the East Wing to get your phone back. You can leave it in the living room or your office if you work from home. I don't care what you do but try not to let that cell phone touch the room. If you set your mind to it, you can achieve it, and you will feel very good about yourself, and above all, you will sleep well, or at least better. #2 Don't eat heavy dinners and avoid caffeine. The coffee thing before going to bed is a joke, although it's almost worse to use your cell phone already in bed... but come on, I'm very serious about the caffeine thing. Maybe the fact that caffeine has never worked for me helps me downplay coffee. However, I know perfectly well that coffee is a drug, the most popular drug next to sugar, even surpassing alcohol. Don't be fooled, not only master plants are dragons. Coffee is not only a drug, but also a very powerful one that practically the entire society is hooked on. I'm not going to tell you to give up coffee, this is not the goal of this article. Plus, you probably won't be able to function without a coffee or two, which wouldn't be necessary when you can sleep well. However, I am going to ask that if you drink coffee in the afternoon, you leave it for a good six to eight hours without putting caffeine into your body. This will help you a lot to eliminate the caffeine of the day, therefore, increasing your chances of sleeping well. And well, something more obvious depending on the country, is missing. For example, in Spain this becomes fatal: They eat dinner late and a lot. Your body will be busy with digestion, especially if it is heavy, and you will not be able to rest well. Sleeping well with a very full belly is a myth, something completely false and no doctor recommends it. A good tip is not to eat anything two or three hours before going to sleep. #3 Don't think about work, no matter how much you like it, for an hour before going to sleep. Perhaps this point is one of the easiest for you, although I humbly hope not. It may seem strange to you that I say this, but it is true since this point is especially addressed if you work from home, and this is always better than going to the office, right? Furthermore, the people who should pay attention to this point are people who are happy and love their work. This is all great, but not when you're already thinking about going to sleep. If you want to sleep well, you can't have excitement in your head. I know this on my own, from thinking about work, such as new ideas, or how to improve something before going to sleep. The emotions I had at that moment were for the morning of the next day to arrive. That is, in my head, I already wanted to skip the night, and this affects our subconscious more than we imagine. Before sleeping, you have to be calm and have a relaxed mind. Especially if you like your job, avoid thinking about it and this way you won't feel excited before going to sleep. If for whatever reason you don't like it, but it flows a lot through your head, make an effort to think about something different and positive, but focus on relaxation and sleeping well. #4 Be careful with what you do and see on TV. TV has always been a great enemy of conscience, as they call it, "The Silly Box." However, I feel that cell phone is much more harmful. However, it depends on what things, TV is not good for before going to sleep. One thing I do tell you is it is better that you watch TV in the living room, and when you get sleepy, go to bed. I think that the bed should only be for sex and sleeping. Apart from not watching TV in bed, if you can leave about 15-30 minutes of mental relaxation between watching TV and going to bed, much better. If you want to sleep well, this will help you bring a relaxed mind to bed, which will lead to deeper rest. If you are looking to have lucid dreams, then you should definitely not watch TV for an hour or two before going to sleep. The reason: TV programs your mind accept what it sees, to have lucid dreams, you have to question your reality, so TV wouldn't help much here. And well, what you see also matters. Make sure you watch something that maybe brings you peace of mind, and that doesn't excite you, or leave you thinking, "Oh, what's going to happen now," because you won't fall asleep as pleasantly. A note about video games. The topic of video games also affects your sleep. However, here it is to each their own. It is possible to play video games and not be excited, and if that is the case and it is something you like, you can do this, especially if you are interested in dream control, since video games help with this. Of course, I repeat, be careful with the game you choose to play, remember that it is late and you don't want to increase your heart rate, so video games yes, but with conscience. #5 Don't do sports two or three hours before going to bed. Sometimes it is easy to make the mistake of wanting to get very tired to sleep well. But it is common knowledge that being very, very tired does not help you sleep well. What's more, it is possible to even sleep worse if this is the case. Therefore, if you have had a slow day, and feel like you have to burn off extra energy, avoid doing it two or three hours before going to bed if you want to sleep well. When you do sports, your body produces chemicals that are antagonistic to falling asleep. Although playing sports is very healthy, like everything there are good and bad times and moments to do it. Doing tasks that require a lot of effort, whether physical or mental, is also bad because it speeds up your body too much, and it will take you a while to relax and fall asleep. Therefore, be careful with this to sleep well, especially with household chores. #6 Add 10 or 15 minutes before going to sleep to reflect. We all know that one of the main functions of the brain during sleep is its organization. Everything we have been doing during the day, the good and bad experiences, and countless other things have to be managed in our heads. Therefore, why not lend a hand? You can't imagine how much it will help you if you do this, in addition to feeling much more at peace and in balance. I explain this a lot in my course "Path to Success", but it also helps to sleep well. If you spend this time before going to bed, you will be doing your brain a big favor. Surely it has happened to you that you go to bed, and suddenly you remember important things or have new ideas. This will not let you sleep well, plus you may lose good ideas because you cannot write them down, for example. Therefore, investing a little time to reflect will help you a lot. If you need to have an idea or realization, you will have it, and you can also write it down. This is very good, not only for the idea itself but because the brain will have the opportunity to disconnect from this topic. That is, one less topic for your head to process while you're trying to sleep well and soundly. #7 A little meditation before sleeping helps a lot. Maybe you want to follow this list to the letter and take all the advice it has. If you can do something like this, you will realize that sleeping well is not that difficult and is much more in your hands than you imagine. Therefore, I am going to give you one more guideline that you can do instead of watching TV before going to sleep, for example, or ideally, a mobile phone. In the "gap" that you might be watching TV, or especially, using your cell phone at home, fill it with meditation. At first, it's strange, and you probably don't feel like it that much, but seriously, if you want to start sleeping well, you have to make an effort. You won't just be able to sleep well because you want it to be that way, you have to help yourself achieve it, and meditation is the best advisor, since meditation brings multiple benefits to your brain and your life in general. It doesn't have to be a long time, with about 15-20 minutes of meditation you will make astronomical changes and you will be one of those who say, "I can sleep well." And just because of this, it will be much easier for you to navigate your day-to-day life and be present in the now. In fact, I have a post that will help you meditate in bed. This will help you overcome insomnia if it is present in your life. So I invite you to read this entry and follow all the advice I explain if this is your case. This way, you will see the change come. Some final advice. The issue of sleeping is something that is a problem in our society today. One of the reasons many people work and live from coffee to coffee. A lot of it is because we increasingly demand more from ourselves, and in a certain way, our society is increasingly saturated. Not only is it doing more than we can, but a lot of it is not sleeping well. This has been ignored for many years, but it is making more and more noise because the density deficit is growing more and more. So, try not to dismiss this list. As I said at the beginning, you don't have to do all the steps exactly (although if you do, they will help you a lot) I advise you to start with one or two of these steps. I'm going to ask you the most difficult one (which isn't that difficult either, everything is based on intentions), and that you at least try not to take your cell phone to bed, because in this entire list, doing that is the worst, with a abysmal difference. And don't get overwhelmed, the point is to sleep and to be able to sleep well, not to get overwhelmed and make your life more difficult, since this could harm the quality of your sleep as well. FAQs Q: Do I have to make major changes in my life to sleep well? A: While you do not have to make abrupt changes, keep in mind that you will need to improve your schedule and organize a little better your time management for certain actions and behaviors. Q: How soon will I witness the benefits of sleeping well? A: If you follow at least the two first points, you will notice results quite quickly. After a few days, you will realize that your bedtime is much more peaceful. Q: Do I need additional or external aids to sleep well? A: Your best aids are focusing and doing things with a little bit of strategy to improve the results. A significant aid you can have to sleep well is meditation. Q: Do I have to follow all seven points to sleep well? A: The more you follow, the better you will improve your sleep. However, you do not need to apply all seven right from the start. Choose two (ideally #1 and another), and focus on those two first. Q: How can I sleep better at night naturally? A: With some mindfulness and strategy, you will be making better decisions throughout the day where you will easily fall asleep at night. Q: What is the 10 3 2 1 0 rule for sleep? A: We advise the following before bed: No caffeine for 10 hours, no food or alcohol for 3 hours, no more work for two hours, and no more screen time for the last hour. Q: How can I fall asleep fast right now? A:  To fall asleep right now you may choose to use a guided meditation that aids sleeping. Breathing exercises while comfortable in bed will also help. Q: How can I improve my deep sleep? A: Make sure your room is pitch black, or as dark as possible. Assuming you have a comfortable bed, remove any stimulating aspects from your bedroom, including your phone. See also: Guided Meditations to Sleep Well. Now it's your turn. I understand that some of these steps are not ideal, and you may not feel much like sacrificing depending on what things. But ask yourself a question, what would you rather sacrifice? Think about your answer intelligently. The fact you Sleep well is an essential foundation in your life, anything else is much less important, please keep this in mind. Your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health will thank you very much. Next week we have the December Forecast, already the last one of the year. But all this in one week. See you next Wednesday! I hope you have a great week! I'll be back next week. So, If you do not want to miss a single update, click below to join our weekly newsletter, and you will gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe now! I invite you to check earlier posts: seventh year, sixth year, fifth year, fourth year, third year, second year, first year. Love & Light, Lots of blessings and abundance your way! (Home) Rev. Fernando Albert Read the full article

[iamfloryan]

Don't be too good

Learn to express what you are feeling

without agonizing over it.

It is a life skill every bit as important as 

learning how to read. Without, 

dissatisfaction build up, arguments break out, 

and relationships can blow up like volcanoes.

Does it make you feel frustrated

to be the only one doing the work?

If so, don’t just swallow the feeling; speak up:

“It’s difficult for me to do it on my own.

Could you please help me out?”

Little by little, expressing your feelings will become easier.

Just on a plane

you are told to put

the emergency breathing mask on a child

only after you have put one on yourself, 

there is nothing selfish about looking after yourself first.

Only if you are happy will you able to 

make those around you happy.

When you care for yourself first,

the world will also find you worthy of care.

In the same way that when you’re in love and 

you want to spend time with only that person,

try spending time on yourself —

you deserve your care and attention.

Treat yourself to a delicious meal, 

a good book, a nice walk with a lovely view. 

As you would invest in yourself.

My dear friend:

Because there is some part of you

that is imperfect or broken, 

it can motivate you to work hard

to overcome it, and can ultimately bring you success in life.

It can also help you relate to others 

and become more compassionate.

Do not despair over what is imperfect in yourself.

Instead, look at your flaws with love.

It’s okay that you have flaws. 

How could our lives be as clean and white 

as a blank sheet of paper?

Life naturally takes a toll

on our bodies, our minds, and our relationships.

Rather than choosing a life in which you do nothing

for fear of making a mistake,

choose a life that improves through failure and pain.

In our hearts we all carry secrets

that we cannot easily share with others.

They can be about illness, money, sexuality, relationships or family.

They can evoke deep sense of 

inferiority, shame, anxiety, or guilt.

But because of the weight of the secrets

we become more humble and understanding.

Don’t judge people based on how they are appear,

as they may have difficulties that nobody can see.

Seeing on social media how your friends are enjoying themselves,

have you ever felt envious?

One of our common mistakes is 

to compare how we feel inside with how are friends appear outside.

We don’t know what is going on inside of our friends, 

but we are well aware of what is going on inside ourselves.

Your friends might be envying you based on your social media posts,

without knowing what is really going on in your life.

Have you ever felt a sense of inferiority 

because of a cousin who is doing better than you?

She may be smarter than you, attend a better school,

work at a better company. But remember that

none of us can know our lives will turn out in the end.

Though school and work might be measures of success, 

the older you get, the less important they will be.

You may appear unattractive

not because you have many unattractive qualities

but because you think you do  and look uncomfortable.

Even if you have unattractive qualities,

if you are confident and at ease with yourself, 

you won’t have such a problem.

Remember that the most attractive quality is your confidence.

It’s okay not to be ranked

first, second, or even third.

Compare yourself not with other,

but with the old you.

Like yourself for making an honest effort.

And continue to have faith in yourself.

If you keep letting criticism upset you,

then you will gradually wither,

and in the end you will not be able to do anything.

And that is exactly what your critics are hoping for.

Do not let those who criticize you determine your destiny.

Every time you hear from your critics, shout more loudly:

“No matter what you say, I won’t give up, 

Let’s see who is the right in the end.

“Why should you life be destroyed

by the easy criticism of those 

who do not know you or care about you?

—Seok-cheon Hong

[jordanincambodia]

September: ខែកញ្ញា!

Pronounced khae kenyah, or month September, in English. So much learned this month, and I'm not just talking about the baby duck egg I tried last night. I am super excited to update y'all on everything that's going on here in Phnom Penh. I have been posting a lot on food and travel which has been only a small part of my adventure here, so this update will touch a little more on other experiences. Let's get to it!

Flooded streets in Phnom Penh are a pretty common site in the rainy season, which is from June to October typically. Tuk tuks, cars, and motos just drive through these mini rivers and spray anyone who is silly enough to be standing or riding nearby. It's also really important to remember where the deep potholes are, since they are almost always hidden under the murky brown water, can be more than a foot deep, and have rebar sticking out. My tuk tuk driver ran into a huge pothole a few weeks ago and I thought the vehicle was going to shatter into bite-sized pieces from the force of our stop, but thankfully we dusted ourselves off (figuratively speaking) and the tuk tuk still worked. Also, to conclude my warning about Phnom Penh stormwater, it is very often that flooding can cause stormwater to mix with septic systems. If you don't know what that is, just repeat after me: n a s t y.

Here's me checking out a medical center under construction with my buddy and construction manager, Visal (you may remember him from the great speech he made about Koi boba in one of my earlier posts). It was a great experience for me to see EMI building plans in action, as well as seeing construction workers referring to EMI drawings and instructions as they worked. While I hadn't worked on any drawings or designs for the site I visited in the picture above, I now have a much better idea of how drawings and design are implemented out in construction later on. So cool!

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity of visiting the Killing Fields at Choeng Ek. Choeng Ek is another memorial commemorating the genocide that happened during the reign of the Khmer Rouge, and there is no word to describe what happened here. That said, I don't mind never going back to that museum. Onwards!

Here are a few water filters that we observed at a local Christian school that are currently in action. Phnom Penh piped water is actually fairly high quality most of the time, the exception being when floodwaters are high. These filter set-ups are another level of defense for water quality and are similar to what I worked on in California Baptist University for my Capstone project, utilizing cartridge filters, ultra filters, activated carbon, and some post-filtration minerals/taste treatment. While these filters are incredibly effective and can produce good-tasting water, they are typically too expensive for remote villages to afford. I am praying for and researching several different methods for inexpensive, sustainable filtration. I would love your prayer for this as well!

Last night, I went to the riverside with several church friends and was able to get this photo. Across the river is the heavily tourist-y part of town with attractions, restaurants, and hotels, so beautiful. Near, you can see boats used by the homeless to sleep in and live. Seeing this really made me think.

Overall, the past few months have been an incredibly humbling learning experience. Spiritually, I've been talking and thinking and processing so much through guidance of a mentor and friends at EMI and church. I think I've memorized over 10 Bible verses now while in Cambodia, as well- no small feat for someone like me that hates memorizing things. Either way, I have so much to be thankful for, and so excited for what the next half of this time in Cambodia will bring. Thanks for tuning in and I'll see y'all very soon ;)

Jord