#it's such a complicated situation and we have to look at it realistically

[adollwritesblog]

The trolley problem is an excellent representation of the difficult situation American voters find themselves in! However, can we consider what it would look like if we changed the viewpoint around, showing the voters who pull the lever to change the course to the one person? Would the representation in that scenario be celebrating, knowing that they took a life by participating in a fucked up system that forces them to do so? Wouldn't they be in a similar situation as the person who refuses to participate? "This isn't my fault, I took the moral high ground..." Do people who vote not recognize that they too are taking a moral high ground? Let's just keep in mind that the entire point of the trolley problem is to complicate the idea of a "moral high ground".

Like yes, I see that OP seems to have a utilitarian point of view of the situation in which driving the trolley is obligatory. However, we live in a society in which not all people are utilitarian and may take the equally valid stance of approaching the problem so (from Wikipedia): "moral wrongs are already in place in the situation, moving to another track constitutes a participation in the moral wrong, making one partially responsible for the death when otherwise no one would be responsible. An opponent of action may also point to the incommensurability of human lives."

For the record, I voted, and I'm glad I did, and I am of the opinion that people should vote. But I'm tired of the way people dismiss the opinions of those who have elected to not vote, especially when these people still promote social good. I'm tired of the flattening of their perspective just because those with a utilitarian point of view can't comprehend that perspectives outside of their world view are valid and should be respected, even when we find them to be controversial (not saying this for Trump voters; fuck Trump voters).

The people who vote are taking as much of a moral stance as those who chose not to vote, and both must suffer the consequences of the situation they find themselves in. The people who vote are just as idealistic as the people who choose not to vote. The people who vote are just as realistic about the situation as those who chose not to vote. Americans are stuck in an incredibly tricky moral dilemma. This is why the trolley problem has been of fierce debate for over half a century.

All y'all fuckers when you say you ain't gonna vote

[anim-ttrpgs]

Yo. Been really getting interested in Eureka recently, cause it looks cool as hell from what I've read, and also I ran a police procedural campaign a few years back that I'd like to bring back, but my choice of system back then for the type of game was bad (Savage Worlds). Likely gonna give Eureka a shot with it anyway, but does the game separate out the urban fantasy elements from the more realistic/mundane elements by how much? Like, do traits have seperate sections for non/fantasy and fantasy traits, or is it all just together? Is there anything else in the game that complicates running a campaign with no fantasy elements?

You can download Eureka from this link for free (we’d really appreciate it if you paid but payment is optional) and check it out for yourself, just in case you didn’t know!

But to answer your question, the urban fantasy stuff and the mundane stuff actually are quite separate in the book. You’ll find a few references to the existence of vampires and stuff in the mundane rules, but all of the rules for supernatural characters are found in the very back of the book, not mixed in with the other character creation stuff.

As for other complications, this isn’t exactly a complication with running a fully mundane no-fantasy game, but there might be a few small complications with running a police procedural game. Don’t get me wrong, I actually still think that Eureka is probably your best option for a police investigation campaign, but there will need to be a little tinkering. But that’s what I’m here for.

By default, Eureka assumes that the PCs are not cops, so it assumes that they don’t have access to all of the resources cops have when investigating crimes. Eureka assumes that the PCs don’t have the institutional power to make an arrest, to take someone in for official interrogation, to call for backup if they get into a bad situation, or to send forensic evidence back to the lab for analysis.

Now, the only one of these that I can think of actually causing any friction with the game itself is the part about sending forensic evidence back to the lab.

Making an arrest and interrogating someone would be easily handled by the rules as they are with no changes. For calling for backup, you could take a look at the “Heat” section in Chapter 7. That section is normally used for what happens if the cops get called *on* the PCs, but since it has mechanics to tell you how long it takes the cops to show up, you could just use those same rules to determine how long it takes for backup to arrive.

Sending forensic evidence back to the lab, well, we don’t have anything for that. If I had to make something up on the fly, realistically it would probably be like, the PCs bag the evidence and send it to the lab and then in 1D6 days they get the information back.

Of course if I were writing this into the rules for real, I’d probably spend hours or days on it coming up with some kind of system that determines the reliability of that evidence and how likely it is to be a false positive or false negative (because IRL forensic evidence is not nearly as reliable as cop shows make it look or as reliable as police would like you to believe), but i have Silk&Dagger to write right now.

And here's another link

[alicentflorent]

I feel like Alicent “realizing she’s in a patriarchy” council scene isn’t bad like you’re saying. Alicent knows she’s in a patriarchy, yes, but like Rhaenys said in s1- Alicent is trying to carve out a small window in her prison, she frankly doesn’t have much of an opportunity to break out of her prison, but if she had never put Aegon on the throne then life under Rhaenyra’s rule WITH her friendship would have put Alicent in a better position. Alicent knows it’s a patriarchy, but she realized that small window she made (when she ruled in Viserys’ place, when her sons listened to her) is now completely closed.

"I sent an ask about Alicent and the patriarchy and I want to add that I don’t think it’s alicent’s fault that Rhaenyra got supplanted, alicent’s support might not have mattered much since they were scheming against Rhaenyra without her, but Alicent herself probably feels like if she had at least not aided in her own destruction it would be better. But bc Alicent herself supported Aegon, she now sees that she has no place anywhere with no one listening to her, I mean Aegon would listen to her but she has grown distant from him for many reasons"

I think the idea that Alicent would have a better life under Rhaenyra's rule with her friendship isn't as likely as we would like to think. She might be trying to carve a window in her prison but unfortunately this is a reality for most westerosi women. All they can do is hope that they are able to make their lives better, hope that their fathers. husbands and sons allow them a certain level of privilege and power which they can just as easily take away and this is what happened to Alicent. Rhaenys herself spent her life only having power because of her Targaryen blood and because Corlys allowed her to have a voice.

Alicent is in a very complicated position. She could have stayed loyal to Rhaenyra but what happens if they have a falling out again? Alicent can't lose Rhaenyra's loyalty because she would need Rhaenyra to protect her children. Otto wasn't wrong when he told her she could remain loyal to Rhaenyra and beg for her to have mercy on her children when/if the time comes. Is that really a better life? Alicent would still fear for her children's lives and have to always stay on Rhaenyra's good side. Rhaenyra also had no bond with her half siblings even before Alicent turned on her.

This is how I think it likely would have went: Alicent stays loyal to Rhaenyra for the duration of the ten year time jump then the whispers of Rhaenyra's childre's parentage get louder. They are protected by Viserys and Rhaenyra of course but this gives people who plan to overthrow Rhaenyra another reason why Aegon is the better choice. Westeros would never accept a bastard being passed off as legitimate on the throne. Rebellions throughout history break out over the littlest things so it would be easy for rebels to push the misogynistic idea that Rhaenyra is unfit as woman and that she is a whore who bore bastards while Viserys has three legitimate sons. What if Aemond, for example still wanted the throne? Sure he may have turned out differently but Viserys had no interest in preparing him for any kind of future and if he had bonded with any other men who put ideas into his head he could end up rebelling. Then there is the issue of Daemon - he was always the real threat to Alicent's children because he hates them and Alicent, Rhaenyra marrying Daemon after Laenor's mysterious death might also cause a rift between them because Alicent might fear what daemon will do. The best scenario might have been sending Aemond and Aegon to the wall and Daeron to be a Septon or Maester but that doesn't protect them from scheming politicians or rebels who will push their claims regardless. If not during Rhaenyra's reign, it could happen during Jace's.

Basically, there was no good outcome in Alicent's situation and in an ideal world as someone who shipped young rhaenicent I would like to them presenting as united front as a family but unfortunately that isn't how life in Westeros works. In every scenario, Viserys dies leaving a succession crisis in his wake because he decided to remarry and have more children without considering the potential problems all because he was weak and attracted to a teenager. There was no stopping the Dance, All Alicent could do was try to make the best of an impossible situation. She was thrown into the lions den by Otto, and birthed four children who were a threat to Rhaenyra simply by existing. .

[cherry-treelane]

everytime i feel bad and stressed about my life i remember that i might be in a troubling situation and having a bad time but im not season 4 fiona gallagher in the clink after leaving crack on the counter which my 3 year old baby brother happened to ingest resulting in a fatal near-death experience thats wracked me with never-ending guilt and forever altered my life

[animezinglife]

@goforth-ladymidnight, I recently read one that was excessively Fae in nature called The Thorns Remain.

It's a slower-paced story and won't be for everyone, but if you want the true tricksters, weird magic, mind games, and riddled speech, that might be a good option. J.J.A. Harwood is the author. The Fae isn't necessarily a love interest, but the situation is...sadistically intriguing.

I've never understood why SJM doesn't lean more into iron. It would even the playing field and raise stakes quite a bit more in general, and it would add intensity and depth to the fact Elain wears an iron engagement ring.

I obviously don't want anything to happen to Rhys and consider his and Feyre's story to be wrapped up with a nice little bow on top, but how interesting could that have been to have the "most powerful High Lord in history" at risk of being taken out by something that's so prevalent in his mate's/wife's world?

What about ballistas and "modern" war equipment from the human world being heavily armed and guarded with iron?

Maybe that could be a wicked advantage of Autumn: their fire burns so hot (so fast) that it poses a massive risk to the integrity of these arms. Or Winter, perhaps, could throw enough ice around the iron to either cease its function altogether or defend against iron's effects.

The biggest problem in my opinion with the series is we have no worldbuilding or grounding whatsoever. We've been in Night for how many years and still have no sense of what technologies they have or don't have (Toilets? Electricity? I'm so confused), modern clubbing mixed in with this all somehow, and fashion could either be something very Fae or a sweater and leggings from 2006.

Anything goes in fantasy, but only if you keep it consistent and ground it.

My biggest issue above all else with the Fae?

With the exception of Lucien, Eris, and perhaps Helion, none of them seem smarter than humans. I don't know if their brains just develop much more slowly or what (which, again, would be a contradiction given how young Lucien is for their world), but it's a little concerning.

My continuous complaint about ACOTAR and SJM in general is that she never rolls up her sleeves and digs deep. She doesn't get her hands dirty, and everything stays at a surface level.

Instead of ancient bad blood, political intrigue, and trickery among rivaling courts, I feel like I'm reading a Real Housewives recap.

Instead of having any sense of the very real (I'm assuming) turmoil within the Night Court between Illyrian dissenters, the Court of Nightmares, and Velaris, we get, "Yeah, growth takes time and we'll throw Azriel/Cassian/etc. at it and see if that works." Velaris is great for the people living in it.

Is life great for the lesser Fae living in the CoN? Illyrian women? Young males pushed a little too far? It IS realistic that Rhys wouldn't be able to solve every issue---it's one of his wiser moments to recognize that and not push too hard---yet I also wish there was more on this.

That, and the fact that we're supposed to assume these centuries-old Fae are A-okay with a human woman born yesterday now being their High Lady.

If we brought in more worldbuilding with the tensions between humans and Fae, the threat of iron, faebane, etc., then that could add some interesting, complicated layers.

You truly cannot compare the two, but if you value depth and were to read both The War of Lost Hearts and ACOTAR...there is absolutely no comparison.

You're emotionally exhausted and fulfilled throughout the former for good reason, and you have a nearly perfect sense of what their world looks like, the powers at play, and even worse, you're attached to most of them. There are no saints in that series, and even the more clear-cut heroes face significant, meaningful, grounded backlash.

That series also has Fae, though they're not your traditional sorts either. They're more warlike and hardened.

Sorry this is a long post, I had to rant a bit.

The thing that bothers me the most about the ACOTAR series is the fae. I love fae, I love stories with fae in them, there are so many interesting things you can do with them. So many ways you can make them unique and yet still retain the basis of what fae are. And yet Sarah J Maas just... doesn't.

SJM really just took everything interesting about the fae and threw it in the bin. The fae to me have always been fantastical, "other", they just don't feel human, they feel different, they feel strange. But ACOTAR's fae are just so bland and boring. They don't feel different to the humans. In fact they feel like humans but with magic and pointy ears. It genuinely pains me how SJM threw everything interesting about the fae away.

I personally love the concept of the fae not being able to lie. There is so much fun and interest in that concept. It is something that is challenging to navigate. Every fae character cannot directly tell a lie therefore you have to get creative with what they say, you have to twist words around so that they can lie without actually lying.

That idea is initially presented to us but Feyre learns pretty early on that that isn't true. That the fae in ACOTAR can lie. Even if SJM wanted to take away the concept that fae can't lie, she didn't even play around with Feyre's misconception about them. Feyre could've gone through part of the first book believing everything that the fae said to her to be true. To me, that sounds like an interesting concept and i would've loved to read about it. I can't remember exactly how quickly Feyre is told the fae can lie but it's not even slightly an issue.

Another thing about the fae is that they're mischievous. They love playing tricks, whether it's something mild or completely cruel. But ACOTAR's characters lack that mischievousness, the cunning. They aren't tricksters like fae usually are. Correct me if I'm wrong but I can't seem to remember a time when someone attempted to trick Feyre. Amarantha made a deal with Feyre, but it was straightforward, there was no trick to it. Rhysand didn't trick her into the bargain either. It would've been interesting to see the fae attempting to trick Feyre, to get her to enter into a bargain that seems good but they worded it in a way that it is actually bad.

Instead the ACOTAR characters, specifically the males, are all presented as your typical "alpha male". Rhysand is presented to us as cunning but to me he doesn't feel like that of a cunning fae but a cunning human. Tamlin can literally shapeshift and yet SJM doesn't do anything of interest with that. Luicen was slightly mischievous in Book 1 but even then it is how you expect any normal character to be, he does not play tricks like that of the fae. I might be nitpicking with these but i truly wish we had gotten more trickster like characters.

As much as everyone likes to hate on Book 1, there were interesting fae in that book. The Bogge, the Naga, the Puca (I suppose this one did trick Feyre), the Suriel. Alis was interesting, she was described as having bark like skin. I want more diversity in the characters looks. Our main cast and most of the major side characters all look normal, human but with pointy ears or wings.

Their appearance isn't necessarily the issue. It's the fact that the fae are meant to be seen as difderent to the humans and yet they barely are.

So many interesting things about the Fae, from their behaviour to their culture and magic and rituals, all the funky little things humans do to ward off or stop the fae, down the drain. And if I'm being completely honest, I believe SJM isn't a competent enough writer to pull off the complexities that make the fae, fae. It feels almost disrespectful to call these characters fae.

(I am no expert in fae mythology. But from all that I've seen and read, these characters just aren't it.)

[moe-broey]

Also @ my it takes Sharena to break free from the "Gustav was a good man/Father" Askr family unreliable narrator hivemind. That the Main Reason she can't/doesn't is because it's the One Thing that's protecting her. That's stopping her from having a catastrophic world/life fucking breakdown about it. Heavily influenced by her brother and mother's feelings about it.

There's something else, I think Sharena is specifically protecting herself from too. She was Triandra's sister, too.

[starpros-sunshine]

You know. I'm part of the fraction "to each their own and let people handle their lives however they see best fit". But I do feel the need to say that I have seldom seen such an idiotic assumption as that breaking up with someone four days before someone's birthday when you also want that someone to do something for their birthday even though you know you and your soon-to-be-ex will both have to be there won't end with that person just not doing anything with anyone for their birthday. Partially because nobody wants that kind of awkwardness after a fresh breakup and also because the soon-to-be-ex has the lovely habit of wallowing in self pity and making everything about how they have it so bad. You know I just think in such cases you should've waited a week with the breakup. I don't care how much you want to fuck that other guy but I really think you should've waited a week.

[thehmn]

I wanted to make this post because we don’t see a lot of asexual characters in western media and despite him being from a hugely popular show (Seaside Hotel) you’re unlikely to know of his existence if you’re not from Denmark.

His name is Hjalmar Aurland and he’s one of the more sympathetic and realistic asexual characters I’ve seen. He lives in a time and place where asexuality as a concept doesn’t exist yet so he’s never labeled as such but rewatching the show made me realize that he acts exactly like the asexual people I personally know. Asexuality can mean a lot of things but his specific brand isn’t naive to sex nor is he repulsed by sex, sexual desire or thoughts simply doesn’t come naturally to him.

He can be convinced to have sex with his wife Helene but only if she appeals to their emotional bond. Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, he’s not being forced or emotionally blackmailed to sleep with her. It’s simply that he understands sex is a way to show emotional love too and he wants to express that love for Helene when it’s important to her, and seeing as sex isn’t unpleasant to him, just kinda boring, he’s willing to do that for her.

Unfortunately that isn’t enough for Helene and despite her love for Hjalmar she starts an affair with the dramatic and emotional actor Edward Weyse. He has a string of relationships, marriages and divorces behind him because despite what it may look like from the outside Edward doesn’t really want shallow sexual relationships. He just can’t help himself and keep falling in love with women left and right, fully and wholeheartedly, only to be dumped or dump them once the initial excitement has passed.

So Helene and Edward’s affair that was only meant to satisfy their carnal desires quickly becomes romantic. Helene feels torn between him and Hjalmar who she still loves and Edward understands the difficult situation they’re both in while also feeling jealous of Hjalmar. And Hjalmar? He doesn’t catch on for years. He’s not stupid but his brain just doesn’t jump to sex. He just assumes they’re good friends and why shouldn’t his wife be allowed to have friends, even male ones? Things get really complicated when Helene gets pregnant and she has to have sex with Hjalmar so he won’t wonder how it happened. Edward even has to join in on the seduction, reminding Hjalmar how much Helene loves him, even though it breaks Edward’s heart to do so.

But like I’ve said Hjalmar isn’t stupid. He saw the signs but chose to ignore them until one night when Helene accidentally says Edward’s name. It breaks the dam in Hjalmar’s denial and he has to face that deep down he always knew. Overcome by sadness and betrayal he wanders off into the night in nothing but his nightgown and gets a room at a different hotel where he can think in peace. Eventually he agrees to return to the first hotel with Helene and Edward and decides to take control of the situation.

He sits them both down and tells them that he understands that the three of them share a bond and that there are things he can’t really do for Helene so from now on he wants their relationship to be open and honest. He wants Helene and Edward to keep seeing each other and Edward is welcome in their house, but Hjalmar wants to be allowed to call Edward by his first name and makes it very clear that Helene and Edward’s children “belong to him” because he still thinks of himself as their dad and loves them as his own children. Both Helene and Edward agrees to it, though the emotional Edward is very flustered and confused by the acceptance and love he’s being shown by Hjalmar.

This is obviously a very tv drama situation but I was so stuck by how much Hjalmar acts like my asexual friends. Having a lover for your partner isn’t the most common solution but it’s an idea I’ve heard a lot of asexual people be open to under the right circumstances and of course that’s the most dramatic solution for a romantic tv drama.

Hjalmar is defined by so much more than his sexuality though. His main characteristic is his passion for social justice and equality, and other than some early show weirdness before they really cemented the characters, Hjamler is the only character who floats freely between the men and women. He’s just as likely to sit with the men as he is the women, often appearing in otherwise entirely female spaces. It’s never questioned or even brought up, not because he’s a “safe asexual” but because he cares and think their worries are as important as the men’s. He’s often called a pessimist by the other men when in reality he is determined to be hopeful and compassionate and spread the love he feels the world is lacking as WWII draws closer.

So yeah, I just wanted to share this sweet ace guy with you because you probably wouldn’t have known about him otherwise.

[3hks]

How to Write REALISTIC and SMOOTH Dialogue

In a story, dialogue is quite important, it helps the readers paint a picture of what's happening and the characters themselves. However, it can be difficult to avoid the unnaturalness and choppiness that comes with a lack of experience. But luckily, I have put together A LOT of advice on how you can get over that rockiness and improve!

*** KEEPING YOUR DIALOGUE REALISTIC, AND PACING ***

>> Keep your characters in character:

Dialogue is a remarkably quick way for readers to determine your character's personality. Thus, you want their speech patterns to remain fairly consistent so the audience won't get confused. If your character is more serious, then they will use less slang and perhaps a more impressive vocabulary. If your character is more relaxed, they will use more slang and compress the words. (such as "dunno," "kay," "y'know," etc.)

Basically, you want their tone to match their traits so the way that they talk is more realistic and personlized to themselves. If the way all your characters speak is the same, there's something wrong. A strong tip is to put yourself in your character's shoes and imagine how they would respond!

>> Take the situation into consideration:

This is another part of keeping your characters in, well, character. Different emotional situations will have a different effect on separate people, so make sure that you have an idea of how your character will act during stressful, irritating, and sad times.

If your character is normally cold, they will struggle if it comes to comforting other people because they have less experience in that field.

>> Don't take too long with their words:

Unlike when narrating something, most people talk just to get the idea across. They will be more specific and quicker with what they say. (This excludes any character who likes to talk a lot.) Unless it's on purpose, they won't dance around the topic. Think of when you casually chat with your friends; you're pretty unlikely to use certain words and/or phrases that might be common to use while narrating.

If you want to explain something complicated, instead of writing out a paragraph of just one person talking, use a question-and-answer prompt! This is where another character continuously asks related questions that get answered by another person, so you can indirectly reveal your explanation.

*** HOW TO WRITE A SMOOTHER CONVERSATION AND DIALOGUE TAGS***

>> Having a variety of dialogue tags:

This is a pretty basic thing to look out for if you're new to writing conversations. Using words like "said," every other sentence can easily make it feel choppy and robotic. Instead, use words like "murmured," "smirked," etc. to paint some emotion into their words. Additionally, vary the location of the dialogue tags! They don't all have to go after the statement, you can include something in the beginning or even the middle, too!

Examples:

Beginning - She tilted her head, "What are you talking about?"

Middle - "Oh," he blinked, "I actually never thought about that."

End - "Wait up!" She exclaimed loudly, waving her hands around.

>> Using no dialogue tags to create a smooth conversation:

Having too many tags can also overwhelm your reader--remember, sentence variety is a crucial part of writing--so you can always drop them if they're unneeded. This applies when your characters (two is the suggested amount) are talking back and forth in a pattern straightforward enough for the reader to understand who's talking without it having to be labeled.

Dropping dialogue tags in these moments can create a smoother atmosphere during the conversation because the reader only has to focus on the talking present.

*** USING SLANG, STUTTERS, FILLER WORDS, AND PAUSES ***

Human speech is often not perfect; when talking, we often make mistakes such as filler words, grammatically incorrect phrases, etc. Hence, for more natural-sounding dialogue, it's important to incorporate some of these.

>> Pauses and stutters:

When reading dialogue, we read it at a steady pace unless it's written otherwise. However, that steady pace can soon get too robotic and too smooth. Luckily, there are several ways to change this! You can use dialogue tags, (ex: she quickly spoke) commas, and ellipsis (...). These are often integrated when the character is hesitant, nervous, answering something, or when they need to admit something. The same idea applies to stutters--they're mainly used to demonstrate anxiousness, which can be found in varying situations.

>> Filler words and slang:

Filler words can really just be used where you see fit. They may be used in the situations I previously mentioned (because it shows someone stumbling over their words) but it's ultimately up to you!

Slang, just like everything else, should not be used too often, or it will seem forced and exaggerated. The point is to sound natural, and increasing amounts of repetitiveness can ruin it. It's also important to remember that in real life, our conversations move slower; when someone speaks, another person usually doesn't respond quite literally, right after. However, in writing, dialogue can actually often seem that way, which is why using tags and these imperfections of speech is pivotal for building a realistic conversation!

*** CONCLUSION ***

Lastly, a key point when writing dialogue is to ALWAYS read the conversations! Whether it be in your head or out loud, it can often help you catch anything that seems off! Additionally, like I mentioned at the very beginning, write dialogue from your character's perspective! Imagine yourself as them and how they/you would talk. Try to keep your dialogue tags, sentences, and word use varied to create a natural conversation!

If you were struggling before, I hope that this (extra) long guide was able to really offer you some insight and useful tips! If you read this far, thank you!

Happy writing~

3hks <3

[copperbadge]

https://www.wired.com/story/therapy-broken-mental-health-challenges/

I came across this (old) article and it made me think of what you shared about your therapy experience. Would you say your therapy experience worked? It almost feels like you were telling us about how you were A/B testing your way through it.

Yeah, I remember reading that article at some point either before therapy or early on. I don't remember what I thought overall but I do remember being astonished that people expected therapy to help them in six sessions, and that most people report improvement in only 15-20. Not because I think either of those things are unrealistic based on any kind of evidence, but because that's not the expectation I was ever handed when I was in therapy. I was in therapy for nine years as a kid, until I turned eighteen and could legally refuse to go. Not for anything I did, like it wasn't a court order, I was simply put into therapy and wasn't allowed to leave by the adults in my life.

The thing is, because it was mandatory, because at least one of those therapists broke ethical constraints, and because across nine years and three separate therapists nobody caught my ADHD, I have a more complicated relationship to therapy than a lot of people. I still catch myself thinking of things I can't tell my therapist because then she'll have leverage on me. Which is absurd, but it took me a long time to start saying those things to her. I am difficult and private and smart enough to make that a real problem, so it's been a slow process for me.

I also think that article is complicated, because it makes a lot of good points but it also seems at times to confuse therapy itself with the abusive nature of the American healthcare system. So while it's a useful article particularly when it speaks to marginalized peoples' experiences, it may discourage people who could benefit from therapy from doing the work to find a therapist. It's a good article to learn from, but I wouldn't advise people to decide for or against therapy based on it.

(My thoughts on my own therapy under the cut)

I'm still in therapy. It's difficult to measure results. I think I handle interpersonal stress better than I used to, but I haven't been able to find much to help with some of the emotional volatility I experience, and while I've set some good boundaries with family, the process of doing that was and continues to be stressful and upsetting, in some ways harder than simply not having them, so I'm still assessing that. Part of the problem for me is that I don't find cognitive-behavioral therapy useful for what I need, and while I understand there are differences, like 90% of all therapeutic systems boil back down to those techniques. Reality checking, visualizing, physical stimulus responses, mindfulness, as I said once to Therapist, "It's CBT all the way down." I don't respond to many of them and others I was already doing, so *shrug emoji*

At that point, when I realized there was no system that was going to help with my specific problems -- in part because the problems are ADHD related in a way that you can't train your way out of -- we also agreed it was time to try medication. Which felt like a failure, but I know that realistically I looked at the situation as it is, assessed my options, and made an appropriate choice, which is after all what therapy is often about.

So I've been on Clonidine for a couple of weeks. And it's doing fuck-all so far, but it's the lowest dose and there are other options too, so it's an ongoing process.

Outside of frustration with trying to fix problems that I honestly don't think anything but medication will fix, therapy's ok. If nothing else the expectation of it helps me identify actual problems in my life. And like most people I enjoy talking about myself but I also have a lot of struggle around asking for that kind of indulgence from friends, so doing that for an hour in a structured transactional kind of way is easier for me.

Ultimately, there's no real one-size solution that's called "Therapy", so whether or not I have found it useful isn't really material to whether someone else would. Some people use it as maintenance stress-relief, some people need to do deep emotional work, some people are in crisis and need an objective commentator. Sometimes you move from one need to another. Right now I'm in a liminal space because we're trying something new, so it's tough to say. But I'm finding it worth the cost in time, energy, and money, so I'll keep on until I don't anymore.

[judesmoonbeauty]

Black Wedding: The True Vow For A Jet-Black Bride - Jude Jazza

This is a repost. Due to the original being deleted, CGs will not be uploaded per my announcement. This is a fan translation only, so please expect grammatical errors and lack of nuance. While I appreciate your support and welcome re-blogs, please do not repost my translations elsewhere. Thank you for you support! ☾.

Jude: ….A woman with bad taste.

Flash of light

As I was taking deep breaths, I suddenly remembered the dream I had this morning.

(I dreamed that someone with a grudge against Jude came to my wedding….)

It seemed terribly realistic because he was always incurring grudges wherever he went.

(The only reason I think it might really happen is because of this situation….)

Standing in the deserted hallway, I exhale again and remember how it all began.

It was only a week ago that he suddenly decided to hold a wedding ceremony.

Flashback -

Jude: Oi, We’re gettin’ hitched.

Kate: What?

Jude: A weddin’. Want one dontcha.

Kate: We’re having……a wedding?!

I can’t help but raise my voice in at the unexpected statement.

(I had always dreamed of a wedding, but I thought Jude wouldn’t like it.)

Jude: What, don’t want it?

Kate: …….If I could, I would like to.

He raised his finger as he spoke.

Jude: In a week, no attendees, ‘n I bought a few dresses, so pick whatever ya like.

Kate: …..In a week?!

Flashback Ends -

(I know it’s nighttime and he said no attendees, but Crown wasn’t even present…..)

(I wonder why he suddenly said he was going to have a ceremony.)

I open the heavy door with my hands.

Kate: Ah…..

Through the veil I see him in an unusual outfit.

Jude’s eyes widened when he saw me.

Jude: Suits ya.

He takes my hand and the corners of his mouth soften slightly.

Kate: Um, Jude…..you look good too.

Old Pastor: Then we will begin the ceremony.

As the pastor was speaking, Jude muttered under his breath.

Jude: You’re goin’ to hell, too.

I was elated to see the somewhat complicated expression on his face.

Kate: Bring it on.

Jude: …..Ha.

Old Pastor: Now let’s exchange the rings…

I feel a sense of tension as I look at two boxes held out in front of me.

(As it goes, I put the ring onto Jude’s finger first…..)

The shiny silver was small but had a strong presence, and seemed to speak to the weight of the promise.

Jude: What a nervous look. Ya scared now?

Kate: You’re wrong! It just, feels very heavy and….

With trembling fingertips, I put the vow on his left ring finger, and for some reason Ellis appeared….

Kate: Huh?

Jude: Enough, just take him with ya.

Ellis: Kate, your dress is lovely. I was just telling everyone how nice it looks on you.

Jude: ….Don’t say anythin' unnecessary ‘n just go.

He walked out of the church with the pastor, who was confused as to what was happening.

Kate: Is everyone…..from Crown here!?

I instinctively grabbed him by the arm, and he gave me a nasty look.

Jude: …..They’re guardin' the venue.

Kate: Why is there security at the venue?

Suddenly remembering this morning’s dream, I choked on my words.

(Maybe they’re standing guard to ensure no one tries to attack Jude?)

Jude: ……Heard ya told Ellis ya wanted a weddin’ ceremony.

Kate: How did you know that….

I didn’t think that my honest feelings I’d blurted out would reach him.

Jude: Seems like ya didn’t say anything ‘bout it ‘cuz you thought I wasn’t interested, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested.

Jude: I just didn’t do it ‘cuz I knew those idiots would sniff out the ceremony and cause trouble.

Kate: …..My wish, you made it come true.

He burst out laughing, took a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the altar.

Jude: I’m sure ya understand, this kind of thing happens everyday.

Jude: I can’t have a normal life, and I can’t have the married life you’re thinkin’ of.

Jude: If ya wanna turn back - do it now.

On the altar, was an open box and a quill.

— And one contract.

Jude: If the pastor was here then we couldn’t do this.

Kate: 1) I don’t object to this marriage. 2) Infidelity is strictly forbidden. 3) The transfer of money…

Kate: Did you make this, Jude?

Jude: Got complaints?

Kate: It’s not like that…..

(A contract for an occasion like this is so typical of you, Jude.)

I already know that he will not break his promise.

(And how much this marriage means to Jude.)

He was probably the person who tried to bring me back to my normal world the most when I came to Crown.

(He’s got a foul mouth, but he’s kind and compassionate…….)

(That’s the kind of person I fell in love with.)

He was taken aback when I signed it so easily.

Jude: …..Don’tcha want time to think about it’?

Kate: No. Isn’t this for you Jude?

Jude: ….hopeless.

The signed contract was placed from the altar into his pocket.

Jude: It’s lifetime employment.

Jude: Even if you cry or runaway, I’ll never let you go.

What awaits us ahead will be thorny, the destination to the deepest hell.

(But you’d laugh if I told you that my joy outweighed that.)

Kate: Even if hell awaits me, I won’t run away.

Kate: Even if I go to the end of the sky……as long as you’re there, that’s all I need.

He bit my finger sweetly and laughed as my nose grew stuffy and I felt like I was about to cry.

Kate: What are you doing….?

His expression was somewhat tender, and tears of joy flowed from my eyes.

Jude: Whatta ya mean, if ya look you’ll see. I put a curse on your ring finger.

Jude: Ha, whatcha cry even when you’re happy? I learned somethin’ good.

When the veil was lifted and I closed my eyes to his approaching lips, I thought I heard gentle laughter and tears started flowing again.

I’m sure that when the last day of my life comes, I will be happy that the curse on my ring finger was not broken.

[Master List] Dividers: @.natimiles

[starry-nights-garden]

K ✧ Too Tall

✧ &Team K x gn!reader ✧ words: ~900 ✧ genre: fluff, humor (reader is a bit shy, reader is significantly shorter than him) ✧ warnings: none

Desc.: You're mad at your boyfriend for being too tall to give him surprise kisses.

"You're too tall."

"Huh?" Your boyfriend, caught completely off guard by your comment, turns around to give you a highly confused look. And then as soon as he sees your offended expression, a soft laugh escapes him. With a jerk of his eyebrow he walks over to you from the other side of the living room, fists placed on his sides, and as he puffs out his chest he asks, "Why? Cause you can't reach me?"

"Yeah..." you grumble a response, slightly annoyed with his demeanor, but when he shows you a boyish grin next second, you just don't find it in you to stay upset.

"That's too bad..." Yudai says, now capturing his own chin between his thumb and index finger of one hand, as if he was seriously pondering on the matter. You know he's not. You know he's messing with you like he so often does, and you know it's no more than playful banter. Still, as you glance up at his face that's just out of reach, you feel frustrated again.

"Forget it..." you mutter eventually, turning on your heels in order to walk away. "This is stupid anyway."

"What is?" Your boyfriend is quick to respond, and when you've taken a few steps in the opposite direction you bite your lip, deciding to gather the courage to say it anyway.

"Just... you're tall so it's... complicated..."

"What?" you hear Yudai snort behind you, not quite following you.

"Your height!" 

"I got that, yeah."

"Like..." You turn back around, the flustered expression on your face making him raise his eyebrows. It's clear he can't accurately estimate the seriousness of the situation, and as he tenses up slightly, straightening his back you remind yourself to relax. "Like... you know... when you just steal a kiss from me or stuff like that..."

"Yeah?" Another short laugh escapes him, and he raises the corners of his mouth into a lopsided grin.

"I can't do that to you whenever I want... and that's..."

"Too bad?" he finishes your sentence.

"Annoying," you correct him. 

"...that's it?" he then asks. "That's what you got so worked up over?"

"Yeah..." you quietly respond, avoiding to look him in the eye because you find that you are highly embarrassed over being upset because of such an insignificant thing after all. However, Yudai walks over to you, and when he's standing right in front of you he leans down so he's now on eye level with you. Hands in the pockets of his jeans, he starts talking again.

"Then we're just gonna have to make up some sort of signal for when you need me to lean in real quick so you can kiss me." Your face heating up at his ridiculous suggestion, you stutter an answer,

"Th-that's stupid!" And while keeping your voice down, you add, somewhat shyly, "Also it's not gonna be a surprise like that..."

"I'll act surprised?" he retorts.

"That's not the same!"

"Try it! I can make it seem very realistic - I'm a good actor!" Yudai insists.

"But-"

"Are you trying to tell me you're questioning my acting skills?"

"It's not satisfying if you're acting! Forget it..."

"Y/N..." he calls out your name as he's standing up straight again. "I think you're failing to consider one option here..."

"Wh-what?" you stammer, your embarrassment about to take you out right then and there. "Can we just end this already? I know it's stupid..."

"It's not stupid... come here." You watch as your boyfriends pulls over one of the chairs by the dinner table, patting it once to signal to you what he wants. Slightly confused, you take a step towards him, and with him holding your hand for support, he assists you in stepping up onto the chair. Once you're in position, now significantly taller than your boyfriend, he places his other hand onto your waist so as to steady you.

"So...?" you ask, still not being able to connect the dots and figure out what the point of all this is. And then, catching you completely off guard, Yudai lets go of your hand, grabbing you by the collar of your shirt instead and pulling you down towards him, his lips smashing against yours somewhat ungently. Your heart skips a beat at his action, and you grab onto his wrist instinctively as he kisses you. Quite in contrast to the initial impact, his lips are moving against yours at a slow pace. There's the faint taste of vanilla from the chapstick he uses these days, mixed in with the sweetness of his warm kiss, and when he finally releases you, you both have to catch your breath for a few moments.

"This," he says, barely an inch apart from you. "You can always do that when you wanna surprise me with a kiss."

"Right..." You words are merely coming out as a whisper. "I didn't... think of that..."

"And besides..." your boyfriend adds, "that's gonna make my heart race like crazy." You nod, telling yourself to remember that piece of information properly, but when he closes the distance between you two again your train of thought is cut off instantly. His lips melting against yours leaves you unable to think, and so you simply wrap your arms around his shoulders, fingers of one hand combing through the short hair at the back of his neck as he continues kissing you.

[ceasarslegion]

By the wishes of a few people, here's my advice post about living alone. Keep in mind I'm speaking from the perspective of a canadian urbanite, so this will not apply to absolutely everybody in every kind of culture, economy, living situation, those in rural areas, etc. This also is not assuming wealth disparities are a matter of personal attitude, i KNOW it's complicated. Get back with that shit right now, you know damn well this advice assumes you are able to achieve the financial means to live on your own and is not disparaging anyone who legitimately can't.

Let's cover the basics first.

Source of income:

This seems rather obvious, but your income should be regular and reliably the same or similar on a monthly basis. The most obvious way to achieve this is with a job, and I'm sorry but minimum wage is not going to cut it on your own anymore, which means you're going to have to swallow your pride and accept that you'll likely have to work for some industry or corporation with a dodgy moral record. Get used to it. There is no point in self-flagellation, the world is complicated, just take the 50-60k a year office job, no one actually expects you not to and nobody will hold it against you when the "moral" option is soul-crushing retail. The real world really doesn't give a shit what you have to do to afford a comfortable lifestyle as long as you do what good you can within your abilities, no one in the real world expects you to sacrifice your own wellbeing for a cause.

Salaried positions are your most reliable because you'll always pull the same amount, while hourly pay comes with the ability to pull overtime pay in exchange for more shifts, but if you run out of sick days you'll have to spend the rest of the year taking unpaid time off when you need to call in. Whichever one you choose depends on what's available to you and what's right for you physically and mentally, I can't make that call for you.

You also need a credit card. That is non-negotiable. If you don't have a credit score, you can't sign a lease. Bad credit is better than no credit. We can argue until the cows come home whether or not credit scores are good or bad, but it's just reality that you're going to need one. The good news is it's fairly easy to build credit from no credit: you just have to pay off your credit card in full on time every time. The bad news is it's equally as easy to tank your credit score, you just have to miss one or pay it too late, and it's very hard to build good credit back from bad credit. So don't see it as free money, only spend as much as you can pay back, and if you don't have credit right now, start with small things like lunch and little treats that you immediately pay off.

Looking for a place to live:

Once you have your regular and reliable source of income, you can start looking for your place. There's a few things you should keep in mind:

-Draw up a budget for how much you can spend on rent and bills. That includes all basic living expenses: rent, utilities, food, internet, phone, hygiene. Compare how much you make per month to what you can spend. 1/3 to 1/2 of your salary is a bit more realistic to expect to spend on rent alone nowadays, so work within that range when you apartment hunt. Think of everything when you're budgeting, like how much do you spend on haircuts per month? You probably didn't think of that, because I didn't either at first.

-Apartment buildings with some/all utilities included often have higher base rents. You have to keep in mind that this is so the landlord can balance out the utility bills of the whole building, which are unpredictable expenses and on them to pay every month. If you don't know how to budget yet or don't know how to do so with unpredictable bills, I highly recommend trying to find a place with utilities included so you know EXACTLY how much you'll need to pay every month and can plan in advance

-Older buildings tend to be both cheaper and more likely to have centralized utility systems, which means they have to include it in the price of rent because there's no way to tell who used how much of something. If it's your first place alone, you'll probably be tempted to get the brand new, expensive building down the road, but it won't actually make much of a difference when you move in. You will love it regardless.

-Never ever sign a lease until you've either seen THE unit you're considering, or one of the show units that is exactly the same layout. The last thing you want is to go off online photos only to move in and find out the building has a mold problem. You can arrange personal tours by contacting the building manager or the landlord directly. Phone calls are the best way to do this.

-If you want the unit after seeing it, you know you can afford it, there's nothing funny about the place, apply IMMEDIATELY. Places are usually on the market for a few days before they're snapped up by a new tenant, you have to strike while the iron's hot.

-If you've decided on the place you want and had your application accepted, read the lease carefully before you sign. Many places require tenant insurance that meet specific policy requirements, have registration rules about long-term guests, outline how the parking works, quiet hours, smoking rules, mail, laundry, all the way down to what kind of barbecues are allowed on your deck in the case of mine (I am in a wildfire danger zone, so any types that produce embers are strictly prohibited for fire safety reasons). Ask any question that comes to mind about the lease. Not everything in a lease is some human rights violation just because you don't like landlords, keep in mind you're living in the same building as dozens of other people, so there has to be ground rules established for everyone's sanity.

-Internet is often not considered a utility so you'll have a hard time finding any place that includes it. You can arrange to have your wifi set up in advance of a moving date on a specific time and date, do this right after you sign a lease so you don't forget. They won't charge you until you're actually hooked up to the network.

-If your utilities are NOT included, get those set up in advance too. The main ones are HVAC, water, and electricity. The companies that do this vary depending on where you live and what's available, so shop around online once you've signed your lease and sign up as soon as possible. The last thing you want is to forget this and then move into a dark freezing apartment with no water.

Budgeting:

After your living expenses are covered, you should have a comfortable amount of financial wiggle room leftover. If you wouldn't, the place you're looking at is either too expensive, or you're being overcharged elsewhere. It's completely normal for living expenses to take up most of your budget these days, you're doing just fine in the same boat as everybody else if that's the case, so don't panic yet. If you have absolutely NOTHING leftover though, then you're out of your price range.

You also need to set money aside for fun and saving. Do not forego fun money, your brain will try to kill you with hammers and knives if you never get or do things for yourself. And if you're on your own, you're the only one providing that for yourself now. And a solid building base of savings will only help you in the future, whether you lose your job, have an emergency, or even need a down payment on a house later in life. Don't be a doomer about your circumstances or the socioeconomic and generational cards that were dealt to you, chip away at it a little at a time. And don't fall for social media's insistence that anybody with anything at all is some bourgeois degenerate or that being fortunate enough to be able to have upward mobility makes you some ultra wealthy shithead, working towards a comfortable standard of living for yourself does not make you a rich elite or a bad person. You're working towards the standard we should all live as, not exploiting the poor or being a class traitor. I feel the need to add that last part since we're on the website of "struggling art students in NYC are bourgeois that are just bad with money and having a gaming computer makes you upper middle class." Don't listen to a word any of those people say, I know it comes from a place of very real hurt and pain for them but that doesn't make it grounded in absolute reality for absolutely everybody.

Social needs:

If you're by yourself, there's gonna be a lot more work you have to put in for your social and entertainment needs. I can not stress enough how important it is to give this the time and work it needs, do not neglect this.

Lots of libraries have clubs you can join that will get you out of the house and meeting new people regularly. They're either free or very inexpensive. This is a great place to start.

Take advantage of technology we have now. Hop on discord calls more frequently, make sure you're talking to your friends on the regular and try to make plans as much as you can.

Also, I advise finding lots of things you can do by yourself. You will be spending way more time alone than you ever have before, so find single-person hobbies. Go thrifting, get into knitting, go explore the city, read lots of books, do puzzles, just don't lock yourself inside all day in your free time. Even if you're doing it alone, going out and seeing that the world is bigger than your apartment and your workplace is very good for you.

Misc advice:

You don't need a conventional coffee pot maker. Single serving will suit you just fine.

Cleaning is easier when you have a routine. It doesn't all have to be done on the same day of the week, but having a regular schedule of what gets cleaned when for non-daily chores will help you keep on top of it. And please, god, don't neglect your cleaning and hygiene just because no one lives with you to see it. On that note, spray bottle all purpose cleaners are your best friend for daily spot cleaning and you should deep clean your washroom around every 2 weeks in my experience since that's where you'll be doing most of your personal hygiene. Also make your damn bed, yes you'll just get back into it at the end of the day but having a major part of your space neat and tidy will do wonders for your mental health.

Don't buy the cheap garbage bags. Some things you really do want the expensive shit for.

If you don't have a car, delivery service/rideshare subscriptions ARE worth it and legitimately economical in the long run. I do wanna circle back to square one and say that yes, most of them like prime and uber do have dodgy moral records, but sometimes you just gotta swallow your pride and accept that. Once again, no one in the real world expects you to spend your entire day on public transit looking for toilet paper that isnt 30 dollars a pack or lugging 50 pounds of groceries back on a bus just for a cause. It's not the fault of someone who needs these services for their quality of life that they do the things they do, don't put that responsibility on your or other's shoulders when the fault lies at the top of the corporate ladder.

When you're budgeting for living expenses, expect your income to be at the lowest and your expenses to be at the highest. I expect 2 call ins per month and to need to spend the max amount i have on groceries every time, that way I never fall short and never have to cut into my savings that I've dubbed my "oh shit, I'm broke" money. Your emergency reserve may look tempting to you, but as someone who has been in a position where they had to drain it to nothing in the past because of an unforeseen financial emergency, you REALLY are gonna want that untouched if and when shit hits the fan. Life is unpredictable, prepare to roll with the punches so they don't knock you out.

A few people wanted to be tagged in this, so here you go @lilsnatch and @kisstheashes <3

[novlr]

okay, this is complicated, but I'm trying to write a scene that features two characters that have the same gender but neither of their names are revealed yet. so it's getting really weird. do you have any advice on how to possibly do this?

There are definitely ways to describe unrevealed characters (or a character without the use of their names). You’ll find it among classic literature, poetry, and even shorter fiction–all dependent on the author.

What makes your character notable?

When thinking about how to describe and/or narrate your character without using their name, ask yourself what makes them stand out the most. This isn’t just asking “who” your character is; this is asking what makes them who they are. And there are multiple ways to do this.

Personality

To start, maybe your character has a very distinctive personality. Are they extra grumpy or happy? Usually, that’s one of the first things we notice when interacting with other people. We notice first if our family member seems grouchy one particular morning or if a friend looks like they’re about to share the best news of the world during lunch hour.

When telling a story, narrating about a woman being mean to another can be as simple as dubbing her “the mean woman” or “the mean lady.” That’s just as we would start describing someone in real life without knowing who they are. The same can be said about “a nice man” who enters the story and tries to calmly interact with the mean woman who’s making a fuss.

Narrate a character without using their name, but use their personality, mannerisms, or even mood. And this works with using different pronouns, genders, and/or identities; as well as whether the POV of your character (or narrator) knows the other character in question or not.

Appearance

Something else we notice as people while first interacting with others is their appearance. And this involves more than simply what they’re wearing. Again, it must be notable enough as a feature.

Rather than writing a laundry list of what a character is wearing in prose, focus on what pieces of their attire make them stand out in a scene or situation. Take, for example, someone wearing winter layers in the middle of summer and vice versa. Or someone with neon pink hair. Or a really tall person among the crowd.

If you have two characters speaking with each other, such as two women, it can be as simple as a difference in hair color. “The blonde spoke to the brunette.” Yet there are ways to be more creative with your descriptors. Maybe one of them is “the lady in pink” (or “pink lady” for easier word flow) because their entire outfit is pink from head to toe. Sit down and truly consider all attributes of your character(s).

Utilizing appearance and personality to form monikers also works in a setting where all characters dress the same. In The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, the story takes place during the U.S. Civil War and follows the main character on his journey of being a soldier. Therefore, he and the other characters are all in uniform. Per Crane’s writing style, their names are only utilized in dialogue.

Henry, the main character, is dubbed as “the youth.” Then, other characters are further named as the tall soldier, the loud soldier, the blatant soldier, the sergeant, and even the fat soldier.

Profession/Activity

Consider what your character does, or is currently doing, in your scene. Addressing them as part of their profession is another option for creating a moniker.

Here's an example for a more realistic setting: You have a character walking inside a big corporate building for a job interview–maybe the CEO themself. If the CEO’s name isn’t revealed yet for any reason, or you prefer not to use their name in narrative at a particular moment, referring to the person as “the CEO” is still a way to give them a moniker in narrative.

Or, perhaps you have a character meeting an artist, such as a painter, to collect a piece for their home. In this case, “the painter” or “the artist” also works in prose.

Use other senses

You may have noticed that we discussed a lot of visual attributes of a character that would make great monikers in narration. But don’t forget about the other senses! It is just as efficient to come across a smelly boy or a loud girl and dub them as such. For touch, perhaps a character emerged from a sewer covered in grime, and they feel extra slimy!

Once again, think about how you notice and interact with others during day-to-day life. We may first notice things about other people like “messy hair,” “dressed formally,” or “weirdest outfit ever,” but all your senses are put to work when you are present in any situation. A girl sings off-key in the distance, or the new date your character meets smells like they haven’t showered in a week. These are all great descriptors to use in creating monikers!

Consider point of view and narrator

By now, you should have ideas on how to tackle narrating your characters without using their names, but I do want to add a final note! Keep in mind your character’s POV (or narrator) when writing about another character. Does your character/narrator know this person? Monikers like “the stranger” work just as well in prose, and even add some mystery or tension to the mix!

First person can make it simple with prose like, “I stared at the tall stranger. I never met him before, but this is now the second time he’s shown up. Just who is he? Will I ever find out?”

Third person could be, “The figure standing before the boy turned to face him, a complete stranger. Yet the boy did notice the colors on the figure’s uniform–a captain. He stiffened to attention.”

This accomplishes a fun way to introduce characters, where the reader is meeting a new character at the same time the character POV/narrator is. This also allows you to control the pace of bringing in new characters to your story too, versus dumping a list of names and descriptions all at once to overwhelm your reader. From a total stranger in one chapter to realizing a military uniform in another, and eventually learning the new character’s name via dialogue later.

You can read the full post with additional examples at the link below!

[bubbipond]

OK but why am I seeing on Twitter and Tumblr people saying that Tonkla did not love Korn as much as Korn loved him?? Did we watch the same show? Let’s not act like Korn was boyfriend of the year. Tonkla didn’t just wake up one morning and decided to be a murderer. He also didn’t force Korn to also cheat on him??? Korn was choosing his family and the life he lived his whole life over love the entire time. You can argue that love wasn’t more important than revenge to Kla but you can’t argue that he didn’t love and care about Korn or vice versa.

He literally took a bullet for him. He did not have to do that. He knew his time was running out. You don’t do things that Tonkla did in this show and expect to live happily ever after. In my opinion, they had the most realistic end to a dark series. You can love someone and want to be with them, but fate not be in your corner. They were both in retrospect too deep into their individual lives to not die and I find that extremely heartbreaking. To be honest if two people deserve a happy ending it was probably them because their issues were not entirely made by them. Their situations were directly influenced by other people (technically so was Greats but he ended up happy so).

But I feel like deducing everything between Korn and Kla to just a revenge plot is a lack of critical thinking. I know that’s a buzz word and I’m not just saying that because throughout the airing of the series I have been like, “I support Kla’s wrongs and his rights”. But instead, I am saying this because he and Korn are not their actions. They are who they are because of other peoples actions. Kla couldn’t move on with his life after his brother died because there was no justice. He definitely needed therapy and he should not have been going around murdering people or attempting to. But that was a direct Issue stemming from his brother’s death. Korn didn’t want to be the head of the family. He didn’t want to be a crappy brother or a crappy boyfriend. He didn’t want to marry that girl whose name escapes me.

And at the end of it, they were both willing to look at each other and be like you know what!? We are Thelma and Louise, we are Bonnie and Clyde. In the most tragic ways possible. I think that’s the reason they kind of stole the last episode. All of their shit was out there. Neither one of them were cowards and neither one of them were good people. Maybe they were at one time but life and the choices they made changed that. I think their end was perfect because they both succeeded and failed at their motives at the end of the day. Neither one was where they were in the beginning at the end of it all.

Marrying that woman wasn’t going to miraculously make Korns life easier. In the end, she cut her losses anyway. The marriage didn’t help her at that point. So where did he have to go? The revelation that Kla was the one to shoot Great and that Great was part of his brother’s murder didn’t diminish how they felt about each other. It just complicated everything. Attempting to murder the people responsible for his brother’s death didn’t bring Kla solace. It didn’t bring his brother back and if anything it just made life shittier. At the end of the day, there was no out for either of them. They would both still have to pay for things they did and did not do. So even though their story ended, they still had a better ending. They still love each other despite the tough situation they were in.

My favorite part of that last scene is Bas’ facial expressions when he hears everything from Kla. He’s not heartbroken, or angry, he’s not bewildered, Or jealous. He’s all of the above and you can see it written on his face so perfectly. Bas really knows how to show emotion on his face and I love him for that; especially the mix of feelings between the revelation and him pointing that gun. He wasn’t questioning whether or not Kla loved him because what did Kla have to gain from keeping him around at the point of him running? This man was exhausted. He was tired of everything and everyone he was tired of the cards that they all have been dealt up until that point. He knew pointing that gun was a bad idea. But their backs were against the wall and there was nothing left to lose. Until there was. He had to watch the love of his life take a bullet for him. So I will not sit here and let people act like Kla was this master manipulator who only wanted revenge.

Because the saddest part about all of this is, it was just a very unfortunate circumstance that intertwined Great and Dome.

[morlao]

Manipulation

Fem!reader x Isaac Garcia

Summary:

You're struggeling to find a date for the summer ball

♡ ♡ ♡

When the teachers first announced the summer ball, you didn’t think it would be such a big deal to you.

School dances are never really that cool after all.

Especially with the teachers around who always find a way to destroy the mood: Either by constantly keeping an eye on the drinks to make sure nobody manages to slip some alcohol in, or by trying to make (really awkward) conversations with their students.

At least, that were your experiences in your former high school.

Maybe here in Colorado things are different, because somehow all of your friends are super excited.

And it´s really contagious!

To your own surprise - a few days later you are pretty excited, too.

One of the major topics among the students (other than which dress would be the perfect fit) is, of course, who will go together.

There are quite a few cute boys in your school and some of them are also very popular among the girls.

Of course most of the girls are all over Cole Walter, the cool guy, the bad boy.

This is going to be really interesting, especially because of the tension between him and Jackie. You can almost bet that he'll ask her, not caring if this will break both Erin's and Alex' heart.

In the meantime, you are secretly hoping for being asked by Isaac.

In school the both of you don't really cross paths, but whenever you visit Jackie, you always end up playing at least one video game with him. He just always seems to be there, whether you and Jackie hang out in the living room or grab some snacks from the kitchen. He appears out of nowhere and always jokes around with you.

While Jackie reacts really annoyed most of the times, you enjoy his company.

"Why is he always there? Katherine promised that we can have the living room this afternoon!"

Most of the time you just shrug. "I don't mind him staying. Maybe our movie choice will scare him away anyways."

Well, most of the time it didn't. No matter what kind of film you chose, Isaac stayed. To your surprise he didn't even play games on his smartphone but actually paid attention.

"That's the kind of films you like?" He asked you once after you and Jackie watched a sappy love story.

"Among other things, yes."

He seemed surprised but didn't say anything about it.

 

♡ ♡ ♡

The weeks pass by pretty fast and most of the handsome boys are already taken.

As far as you heard, Isaac doesn't have a date yet but with his good looks it's only a matter of time until he is taken, too.

You start to get really nervous, as you don't know what to do. Should you wait until he makes the first move - if he even plans on asking you - or should you take action yourself?

Do you even have the courage to ask someone out?

God, why does it have to be so complicated?

You think about asking your friends for their opinion, but first of all this would mean admitting your crush on Isaac to Jackie - and since she basically lives with him this would be very weird.

Second, all your friends were busy preparing their own dates. All they talk about are dresses, high heels and how their perfect evening at the ball would look like.

To be honest, they had pretty high expectations, but for them it was at least realistic.

Unlike you, Jackie doesn't give up that easily when it comes to your date.

"Someone will ask you, you'll see!", she smiles at you as you and your friends enter the ball gown shop. “You´ll regret it when someone asks you and you don´t have a dress. Trust me, the best ones will be taken in a few days.”

Damn, she can be really convincing and she knows it!

♡ ♡ ♡

Three days until the ball and still nobody even seems to think about asking you out.

Slowly you start to get really nervous.

Why does no one ask you?

You have never been insecure about your looks but this situation really makes you doubt. Are you that unattractive? Or is it your personality? Do you annoy people?

Your excitement for buying a beautiful dress and having a wonderful night slowly fades and turns into anxiety.

Why did you even buy a dress… was is arrogant to buy one without having a date, because you thought of course someone would ask you?

Jackie really tries her best to cheer you up, but nothing she says makes you feel better.

You curl up in her bed, hugging her pillow tight to your chest. “I´m not going to the ball… it´s embarrassing to show up alone…”

“I´m sure somebody will ask you. Maybe he´s just nervous.”

"Don't be ridiculous! There are only three days left. All the guys who don't have a date yet, are not going."

"Don't lose hope! Somebody will ask you for sure!"

Jackie and your other friends have been telling you the exact same thing for almost two weeks now.

In the beginning you were very confident and believed them, but with every day and as everyone else in your friend group got a date, you slowly start to lose hope.

And now you are convinced that nobody is gonna ask you.

“Maybe I´m just ugly.”

Jackie lies down next to you and pulls you into a comforting hug. “Y/N L/N, don´t you dare to even think that!”

For a while you stay quiet, trying to find comfort in Jackys words… until your thoughts mess with your head again.

But what if it´s true? What if you´re really ugly?

“I know it´s stupid”, you start again, repeating what you already said several times, “It´s just a ball, maybe I shouldn´t make such a big deal out of it.”

Jackie hugs you a little tighter, her chin resting on your shoulder. “It´s not stupid… I totally understand how you feel.”

Does she really? From what you know, Alex and Cole almost started a fight about who´s going to be her date. You can´t help but feel jealous off her. She has boys fighting over her and no one even thinks about asking you. It is like you are invisible.

Damn, seems like all your favorite high school movies lied! Just because you moved here at the beginning of the school year, it doesn´t make you more interesting among the boys.

But on the other hand… for Jacky the new girl fantasy is true.

“Hey, we can go together if you want”, Jacky starts another attempt and grabs your hand, pulling you to your feet.

A broad smile spreads across her face as she intertwines your fingers and whirls you around, pretending to be on the dance floor already. “We would definitely make the prettiest couple!”

You can´t help but laugh as you pretend to bow and place a quick kiss on her hand. “Mylady!”

This is again one of those moments, in which you realize how much you love Jackie. She is an amazing friend and probably the only one who always knows how to cheer you up.

With a grin she rises an eyebrow. “So we have a date?”

The smile disappears from your face as you sit back down on her bed. “No, I don´t want to crash your date with Alex.”

“Don´t worry about him, I´m sure, he´ll understand. I can go out with him another time.”

“No, it´s… it´s fine. Maybe I don´t even have time to go to the ball…”

Lies and excuses. You don´t really think about your words as you babble on about what you plan to do instead. Maybe you could call your old friends from your hometown. Maybe you could watch a movie with your siblings. Maybe… you stop mid thought.

Are you trying to convince Jacky that you´ll be just fine or are you trying to convince yourself?

You feel the tears welling up in your eyes.

Quickly you jump to your feet again. The last thing you want is to cry in front of Jacky. It would make her feel even worse. Besides, you really hated crying in front of others.

Murmuring something about having to go to the bathroom, you rush out of her room and almost bump into Lee.

“Y/N!” He sounds surprised but happy to see you. The two of you aren´t close enough that you would call him your friend, but you always enjoy talking to him whenever you see him in school or at the Walters´ house.

“Hi, Lee”, you murmur, your voice sounding way too high and on the edge of breaking. Quickly you turn away from him, trying to hide your tears, but he still seems to notice.

His smile fades. “Hey, what´s wrong?”

“It´s nothing…” You try to walk past him, but he blocks your way.

“It´s not nothing! You can tell me, you know?”

“It´s stupid… it´s just…” You sigh heavily. “It´s about the ball… nobody has asked me yet and that really messes with my head. I just don´t understand it. Do boys really hate me that much?”

You do not really expect an answer, but then you see Lee´s face. His eyes widen, as if he just came to a realization. “Em… I don´t…”

“You know what´s up!” You stare at him in disbelief. “Tell me!”

“I´m not sure if I…”

“TELL ME!”

Lee sighs heavily. “Okay, maybe I know something…”

You cross your arms in front of your chest and give him a suspicious look. “What is it? Oh come one, spit it out!”

His hesitation annoys you deeply, as you were never the calm and patient type.

Lee avoids to look you in the eye and stares at his shoes instead. “Maybe it´s just a rumor but… I heard that Isaac tells boys to not ask you to the ball.”

Your jaw drops. “He what?”

Lee couldn´t look more uncomfortable. “Well… I heard Dylan telling his friends, that he wants to ask you to the ball and... when Isaac heard that, he told him that you definitely didn´t want to go with him. He said that you were really picky when it came to boys and… that you always made fun of the boys that you rejected… saying how pathetic they are and that you are totally out of their league.”

Your heart clenches inside your chest and the feeling of betrayal rises inside you. It hurts to hear how Isaac talks about you behind your back.

You´ve always thought he was cool and the two of you always got along well, damn it, you even have a crush on him.

“Thank you, Lee, and if you excuse me now, I have to talk to your brother!” Your voice trembles with anger.

Before Lee can stop you or talk you out of it – which he desperately tries – you stomp down the stairs. “ISAAC GARCIA!”

Damn, you didn´t know you could sound so scary.

Isaac hesitantly comes out of the living room and as he sees you he immediately runs a hand through his hair. He always does that when you´re around, but you never really paid much attention to it until today.

His face freezes as he sees you angrily making your way towards him. “Y/N, what´s up?”

This question finally breaks the camel´s back.

He knows exactly what´s up! Why is he acting so innocent?

Without even considering to greet him or to answer his question, you glare at him. “I hate you!”

He looks at you in shock, his coolness falling off him like a mask. You´ve never seen him this flabbergasted before. With a deep frown, he opens his mouth, about to say something, but you don´t plan to give him the opportunity for questions and excuses.

You turn around and storm out of the room.

“Y/N!” He rushes after you and before you can reach the stairs, he grabs your wrist and forces you to turn towards him. “What´s wrong? What did I do?”

“What you did?!” You break free from his grip and step back, away from him. “You told guys not to ask me to the ball! Can you even imagine how that made me feel? What the hell is wrong with you?”

You try not to shout but the pent-up-anger makes that impossible. If his cousins are home, they definitely heard that. You also wouldn't be surprised if Jackie came downstairs to check on you. Luckily, in that moment you couldn´t care less.

Isaac clearly looks caught. He rises his hands in a defensive gesture. “Okay, you can hate me but please let me explain.”

Does he really think there was a good explanation for this messed up stuff he did? You never thought he could be so manipulative.

“I already know the reason! You´re an idiot!”

“Yes…” He avoids looking at you and stares at the floor instead. “But there´s also another reason.” Again, he runs a hand through his hair and you are surprised to see his fingers trembling. “I told the boys not to ask you, because… I wanted to ask you.”

You feel like you´ve just been hit by a train. Before you realize it, an incredulous laugh escapes your lips.

What did he just say?

You wait for him to laugh too and say it was just a joke – a mean one, but after what Lee just told you, exactly the type of joke you´d expect from him – but instead he lowers his gaze to the ground, clearly hurt by your reaction.

You freeze in your spot, anger slowly turning into confusion. “Why didn´t you just ask me then?”

Your voice sounds much softer now, almost like a whisper, but Isaac still can´t look at you.

“I wanted to but… I got nervous and…” He sighs deeply as he runs out of words to say. “I heard Steve say that he wanted to ask you and I panicked so… I told him not to do it.”

“You´re such an idiot” You barely realize the words that escape your lips.

It just doesn´t make sense! Isaac is not someone who gets nervous or jealous – at least that´s what you always thought. He is way too cool for that – or is that just him pretending?

“Yeah, because I´m in love with you.”

It takes you a few seconds to realize what he just said.

Isaac Garcia confessing his feelings for you had been your dream for almost a year now. A few weeks ago you would have been floating on clouds, but now you don't know what to answer.

Isaac steps closer, looking at you desperately. "I know I messed up but I'm really really sorry. If you want, I can talk to the boys again and tell them the truth."

"You're in love with me?" You repeat his words, still not being able to believe it.

He looks taken aback, clearly not expecting this to be your focus. "Yes, I am."

Slowly you step closer and grab his hand. "Ever since the teachers announced the ball, I was hoping you'd ask me to go with you."

His eyes widen in surprise. "Really?"

Another laugh escapes your mouth. Was he really that oblivious? "Yes! To be honest, I was pretty sure you knew about my crush on you."

"You have a crush on me?" He can't help it, his face lights up like a Christmas tree.

"Wasn't that obvious?"

"No! Damn, if I knew, I would have asked you to be my date for the ball on the very first day."

"You can ask me now." You lift your chin and look at him with a playful smile.

He clears his throat, trying to be formal and keep a straight face. "Y/N L/N, do you want to be my date for the ball?"

"I'd love to."

A huge smile on his face, he steps closer, placing his hands on your hips as he pulls you in for a kiss.

You've been waiting for this moment for so long, you can't wait to feel his lips against yours. And when your lips finally meet, it feels like a fairy tale come true.

His kiss is soft but passionate, sending a pleasant tingling sensation through your body.

His grip gets more firm, almost as if he is afraid you'd change your mind and back away.

To reassure him, you wrap your arms around him, one of your hands softly stroking his hair.

Time stands still. You don't know for sure how long the kiss lasts, but finally you let go of him slowly and look at him, shaking your head with a smile. "I love you, Isaac Garcia, but you're still an idiot!"

"I'm your idiot"