#quote from volume 7(MY BELOVED)

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Peter Falk (The Great Race, Robin and the 7 Hoods)—let me just quote Frank Capra: "the entire production was agony ... except for Peter Falk. He was my joy, my anchor to reality. Introducing that remarkable talent to the techniques of comedy made me forget pains, tired blood, and maniacal hankerings to murder Glenn Ford (the film's star)." i also just find scrungly little guys to be the peak of attraction.

Conrad Veidt (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Man Who Laughs)—the ultimate goth boy! as well as classics like the cabinet of dr caligari, the man who laughs (which his character in was the visual inspiration for the joker) and casablanca, he starred in the german polemic melodrama different from the others in 1919 in one of the first sympathetic portrayals of gay characters in cinema, co-written by the gay researcher & activist magnus hirschfeld much of whose pioneering research on human sexual diversity was destroyed by the nazis

This is round 3 of the bracket. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage man.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

[editor's note: I received such an enormous volume of propaganda for Veidt I could only include some of it here—and unfortunately Tumblr isn't letting me repost any gifs at all, which I didn't expect! Please don't be offended if something you sent in didn't make the cut.]

"Just look at him your honor. Ich würde"

Submitted: Tumblr thread on Veidt

Submitted: Tumblr post on Veidt

Peter Falk propaganda:

"listen Peter Falk saved the day for me in robin in the 7 hoods. he saved me in it's a mad mad mad mad world. he damn right resuscitated me in the great race. every movie this man is in is made better by his presence and he should eat the competition alive."

Submitted: "1:56:30 on for Peter Falk's ass in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. yes he falls off a building yes he drives a cab yes he hates the cops"

[ofdemonsandangels]

Rules: in a text post, list ten books that have stayed with you in some way. don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard — they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you.

I was tagged by @philosophicalparadox! 

1. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief- It’s the book that started it all for me. I wouldn’t be the reader that I am today if I didn’t pick up the Lightning Thief during my third grade class’ monthly trip to the school library. I love Percy and the world the Rick Riordan created and I’ll continue to love it.

2. The Poppy War- I was in a serious reading slump prior to reading The Poppy War, so devouring it all up in nearly one day and ordering the next book in the trilogy right after was a welcome surprise for me. This book reignited my love for reading and the historical fantasy genre. 

3. The Name of the Wind- If there’s one thing I love, it’s a hard and heavy fantasy book. Reading The Name of the Wind for the first time inspired me to finally open up a Google doc and write my first ever fic. I love its prose and how we’re in and out of Kvothe’s head throughout the book. Whenever I agonize over the fact that the Doors of Stone hasn’t been released, I reread The Name of the Wind to remind me that the wait will be worth it.

4. Mo Dao Zu Shi- You could say that I’m cheating with this choice but it is technically a singular novel broken up into smaller volumes. Where do I even begin with MDZS? I have yet to really fully read the official translation as I’ve already read the “official” fan translation, but I will say, reading that Exiled Rebels translation over the span of three hot and sticky summer night, completely in the darkness of my room, was one of the best reading experiences ever. I adore the rich world that MXTX built, from the sect politics to the admittedly loose laws of demonic cultivation. Wangxian is a couple that I love very dearly and I have yet to read a danmei novel that just grips me by the soul like they do. I was introduced to the danmei genre through this novel as well, and I couldn’t be happier that it was my first.

5. One Last Stop- This is my favorite of Casey McQuiston’s books. It’s a super cute and emotional sapphic book that fell into my lap at the exact same time that I was beginning to explore my sexuality and for that, it holds a very special place in my heart. 

6. Fool’s Fate- This quote and this quote alone is enough reasoning as to why I love this book so much: “I pushed his golden hair back from his tawny forehead. ‘Oh, Beloved’ I said. I bent and kissed his brow in farewell. And then, grasping the rightness of that foreign tradition, I named him as myself. For when I burned him, I knew that I would be ending myself as well.  The man I had been would not survive this loss.”

7. The Silmarillion- Unironically my favorite of Tolkien’s works, partly because the maiar and elves are hella gay and partly because I really like reading a fun history book from The Professor himself. 

8. The Hunger Games- It still stands as the best YA book I’ve ever read and I’ll happily reread it every year

9. The Tombs of Atuan- My favorite book of the Earthsea Cycle and arguably my favorite book from Ursula Le Guin. Tenar is just such a touching protagonist and her relationship with Ged is seriously sweet. I also really liked how Le Guin further built upon the world of Earthsea in this book.

10. The Way of Kings- Everyone has that one book that they wish they could forget about just to reread it again and The Way of Kings is that book for me

Tagging: @abyssalpeach @seaofolives, @beansterpie, and @marley-manson

[homeopathypharmasofficial]

Heartwarming Dog Love Quotes for Your Furry Friend

There's a special kind of bond that exists between humans and their canine companions. The unwavering loyalty, unconditional love, and joyful presence of dogs make them more than just pets; they become beloved members of the family. It's no wonder that throughout history, poets, writers, and thinkers have attempted to capture the essence of this connection through dog love quotes. In this article, we'll explore a collection of heartwarming dog love quotes that perfectly encapsulate the profound relationship between humans and their furry friends.

1. "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." - Josh Billings

This quote by Josh Billings beautifully encapsulates the selfless and genuine nature of a dog's love. Dogs don't judge or hold grudges; their love is pure and unconditional, making them true companions in every sense of the word.

2. "Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen." - Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk's quote reminds us that communication with our dogs goes beyond barks and wagging tails. It's about understanding their body language, expressions, and emotions. When we listen closely, we can truly hear the love and companionship they're offering.

To know more about : -

3. "The world would be a nicer place if everyone had the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog." - M.K. Clinton

M.K. Clinton's quote emphasizes the valuable lesson we can learn from our canine friends – the art of unconditional love. Dogs don't love based on appearances or circumstances; their love knows no bounds, and if we could mirror this kind of love, the world would undoubtedly be a better place.

4. "Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them and filling an emptiness we didn't ever know we had." - Thom Jones

In this quote by Thom Jones, the idea of dogs as healers and comforters is beautifully depicted. Dogs seem to have an innate ability to sense our emotions and offer solace during our times of need, often becoming the glue that holds us together during difficult times.

5. "A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won't be too bad." - Robert Wagner

Robert Wagner's quote is a gentle reminder that the presence of a dog brings an irreplaceable sense of joy and comfort. In a world full of uncertainties, a dog's steadfast affection provides a sense of stability and happiness that can brighten even the darkest days.

6. "The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too." - Samuel Butler

Samuel Butler's quote captures the playful and carefree nature of the human-dog relationship. Dogs don't judge our silliness; instead, they revel in it, creating an environment where we can be our truest selves without fear of criticism.

7. "Happiness is a warm puppy." - Charles M. Schulz

Charles M. Schulz's simple yet profound quote speaks volumes about the joy a dog brings into our lives. The simple act of being in a dog's company can uplift our spirits and bring about a deep sense of contentment.

8. "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." - Roger Caras

Roger Caras' quote encapsulates the idea that while dogs may not be the entirety of our lives, they certainly enrich and complete our existence in ways we may not even realize until they are by our side.

9. "Dogs are like that, I guess. They know how to fix you without saying a word." - Caroline George

Caroline George's quote beautifully illustrates the healing power of dogs. Their presence alone can mend our broken spirits and offer solace during challenging times, even when they don't utter a single word.

10. "My little dog – a heartbeat at my feet." - Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton's quote poetically captures the profound connection between a dog and its owner. The steady and comforting presence of a dog can be likened to a steady heartbeat, offering a sense of companionship that's both soothing and reassuring.

In conclusion

These heartwarming dog love quotes serve as a testament to the deep and meaningful relationships humans share with their furry friends. Dogs are more than just pets; they are sources of unconditional love, joy, and companionship that enrich our lives in immeasurable ways. Whether we're seeking solace, sharing laughter, or finding comfort, our canine companions are always there, ready to offer their unwavering devotion and companionship. So, take a moment to cherish your furry friend and reflect on the beautiful bond that has been celebrated through these poignant quotes.

Read more : -

[scatter-kinnin-patter]

“I am no longer bound by people or laws. I will be reborn in this moment. I have things I want. I have things I want to do. I’ve got to fight here... or they’ll all be for nothing!”

🧡 🧡 🧡/🧡 🧡 🧡/🧡 🧡 🧡

[labarch]

Attempt at a Witch Hat Atelier timeline

We are still missing a lot of backstory for our main cast, but I thought I’d try and write a timeline based on what we know so far, and explore where their storylines might intersect.

I am pulling these numbers out of my hat for convenience sake, but here are some approximate ages for the characters: at the start of the manga, let’s say Coco, Tetia and Agott are all 12, Riche is 11, and Qifrey and Olruggio are 28.

20-23 years ago: Olruggio leaves his birth town Godley and moves to the Great Hall, maybe as young as 5 years old.

While many witches are born in the Great Hall, Olruggio comes from a town called Godley in the North. Yet he doesn’t remember Utowin, who came from the same place. We know that young witches usually start their training between the age of 7 and 10, but since witch society is awfully elitist, Olruggio would have been sent there as soon as his talent for magic became apparent.

Being ripped from his home at an extremely young age could explain his fear of being unwanted and left behind: he overworks himself as a way to feel useful and validated, is defensive about his own feelings, and he gets agitated and sometimes aggressive whenever Qifrey hides things from him.

20 years ago: arrival of Qifrey at the Great Hall at age 8. Olruggio befriends him soon afterwards. The both of them start sneaking out at night to chase Brimhats.

8 year old Qifrey was one fierce little thing, you have to give him that. His abuse at the hands of the Brimhats was brutal enough to break a grown man, but he picks himself up and goes right after them like “Alright jerks, you’ve got some explaining to do and I want my eyeball back!”.

Also it cracks me up that Olruggio was carrying this massive book in their flashback. Gotta love that his reaction to Qifrey’s “Let’s go chase some terrorists!” was “Sure, let me just pack my homework =>”.

Finally, there might be a slightly more selfish motivation for Olruggio’s fast friendship and devotion to Qifrey. Olruggio’s self-esteem lies in his ability to help people, so he would naturally be drawn to someone helpless. It’s unclear how much of Qifrey’s memory was missing: apparently he didn’t know about birthdays. How many other basic concepts was he missing? Did he know how to read? Between that, his lack of knowledge about magic and his injury, he was probably completely dependent on Olruggio at the beginning. Given Olruggio’s wish that they go back to “the good old times” when they were always together, I am wondering whether some hidden part of him misses being essential to someone. It’s well-intentioned, but not entirely healthy, especially if he is using Qifrey as a coping mechanism for his own insecurities.

14 years ago: Olruggio and Qifrey make a pledge of (betrothal) friendship, exchange tassels and attempt the Librarian test at age 14. It is their last adventure together, but Qifrey will continue his investigations on his own, to Olruggio’s disappointment and betrayal. Qifrey starts wearing his half-tinted glasses.

In the pledge flashback, they are wearing their old tassels, but they have swapped them by the time they undertake the third test. Also, when he remembers that pledge, Olruggio says that Qifrey’s investigation “should have ended at the Tower of Books”. The tower is the last likely place where Qifrey could have found answers about his past and a non-forbidden way of getting his eye back. Olruggio probably made him promise that he would stop his search afterwards.

Beldaruit says that he thought Qifrey had given up on his search after the third test, but Olruggio tells a slightly different story. Apparently he thought Qifrey “finally stopped causing trouble” after taking in apprentices, which means he was still behaving suspiciously right up until he became a teacher. Alaira also comments on Qifrey’s interest in the Brimhats in the first volume, so clearly his investigations were common knowledge among his friends, even as an adult.

Olruggio’s anger whenever the Brimhats are mentioned would then be caused not just by his own fear of forbidden magic, but by the reminder that Qifrey broke his promise to him, and refused to leave his past behind. Naturally, Olruggio doesn’t know about Qifrey’s change in circumstances: he is no longer looking to retrieve what he lost, but trying to stop an impending threat.

Qifrey’s discoveries in the Tower of Books also seem to have renewed his disgust towards his own scar: he starts wearing glasses shortly afterwards, even though his eyesight hasn’t yet started deteriorating.

14-5 years ago: in that interval, Coco’s father dies of illness. Olruggio becomes more and more famous for his magical items, and is given the title “Shining Torch” / “Master of Lights”. His glowstone paths become widely popular, and are installed around the castle near Coco’s mom. Both Qifrey and Olruggio pass the fourth test and complete their training.

At this stage, I really doubt that Qifrey intended to become a teacher. Whatever information he found at the Tower of Books convinced him he had to stop the Brimhats’ plan. He was probably planning to complete his training and then go straight on to his quest, not really expecting to return alive.

There are also hints that this was a strained period for Qifrey and Olruggio: Olruggio mentions that he would like them to confide in each other “just like old times”, which implies that they grew more distant after the Librarian test. I’m suspecting that Qifrey was trying to slowly remove himself from Olruggio’s life, hoping Olruggio would be so famous and beloved by the time they graduated that he would forget about Qifrey and barely notice his disappearance. Qifrey’s self-esteem isn’t the best y’all.

5 years ago: Coco receives the magic picture book from Iguin at age 7 at the Silver Night Festival. The Brimhats stop showing signs of activity. Qifrey takes on his first apprentice (probably Tetia, age 7). He interrupts his investigation of the Brimhats and creates the atelier. Olruggio becomes his Watchful Eye.

We don’t know exactly how old Coco was when she got her book, but her tiny chubby face makes me think she was 6-7. Alaira also tells us in the first volume that the incident with Coco’s mother is the first sign of Brimhat activity in five years. I am thinking that after Iguin gave away the book, he instructed the other Brimhats to keep a low profile until his scheme could hatch.

I also wonder whether Coco getting her book might coincide with Qifrey becoming a teacher and creating his atelier. Given that Qifrey is probably tied to Iguin’s schemes, how coincidental is it that Qifrey wandered into Coco’s village and set her fate in motion? Perhaps Iguin contrived for them to live in the same area so that they would meet eventually. Either he somehow influenced Qifrey’s choice of location for his atelier, or he selected Coco as his “child of hope” because of her relative proximity as well as her love for magic.    

7 years old is when we could expect Tetia to have passed the first test. For now we know little about her backstory, but we can guess a few things: she is enthusiastic and ambitious, but gets easily side-tracked by pet projects and struggles to stick to the curriculum. She craves positive feedback and is worried her spells and interests will be condemned as frivolous. It makes me think that she passed her first test early, but was then mistreated by her first teachers for being too childish.

We’ve seen that Qifrey has a compulsive tendency to adopt children in distress. It would fit his character if he became a teacher on impulse. Maybe he had to pass the fifth test in a rush to be allowed to keep Tetia by his side. This also brought Olruggio back into his life, as he was the only one willing to follow him away from the atelier as Watchful Eye.

The complicity between Tetia and Qifrey, and Tetia taking on the role of a big sister for both Riche and Coco, also make me think she was Qifrey’s first apprentice. Tetia is often shown teasing Qifrey, quoting both Qifrey and Olruggio, and imitating Qifrey’s teaching style: I can totally see them as a little family of three at some point in the past.  

4 years ago: Riche starts training under her brother’s master, a creepy asshole, at age 7.

We actually have a clear timestamp for that one in chapter 25, woohoo! Riche’s old teacher can eat a brick.

3-2 years ago: Qifrey and Olruggio learn about Riche’s mistreatment in her old atelier and promptly adopt her. Beldaruit takes on Ririfin as an apprentice. Qifrey’s eyesight starts deteriorating. He adds the light protection glyph to his glasses.

Before that time, Qifrey might have intended to put his quest on hold until after Tetia’s graduation, but now his impending blindness puts him on a time limit. He can’t do a lot about it however, since the Brimhats have been keeping a low profile for years and are not leaving him any clue.

It’s unclear how long Riche stayed at her old atelier, and whether she joined Qifrey before or after Agott. I’m hoping she made it out as soon as possible.

2 years ago: Agott passes the first test at age 10. She gets accused of stealing someone else’s spell, is rejected from her prestigious family’s apprenticeship, and joins Qifrey’s atelier.

Agott has been treated harshly by her family for not being enough of a genius. She mentions passing the first test at 10, the upper end of the normal age range. She was probably given a hard time for starting her apprenticeship so “late”, which explains why she is now adamant about passing the other tests as quickly as possible.

I wonder whether she felt ambivalent about joining Qifrey’s atelier at first. On the one hand, Qifrey was taught by the Sage of Education himself and is clearly very powerful. On the other hand, he has only a couple students and lives in a weird little school in the middle of nowhere, a big fall from grace compared to her prestigious upbringing. I wonder whether Qifrey went to find her after he heard she was the object of nasty rumours (he knows a thing or two about those), and Agott didn’t feel like she had other options.

0 year ago: Coco and Qifrey meet. Iguin goes “F***ing finally, I thought I’d have to watch that humdrum one-eyed twink bake potatoes for another five years. It’s dragon-slaying time now baby!!!”  

[queen-of-dane]

#TheLastKingdom5Spoiler DO NOT READ OR DO NOT WATCH IF YOU DO NOT HAVE WATCHED THE EPISODES YET BUT HERE THERE ARE SOME OF MY CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT STIORRA AND SIGTRYGGR LOVE STORY AND INTERACTION AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT DO YOU THINK.

1) There is absolutly no doubt they are in love and they share a DEEP REAL MUTUAL love, you can see it by the ACTIONS and The DIALOGUES but......

2)but I find a bit weird that they share in 6 episodes just 2 kisses and basically no "I LOVE YOU SCENE". Even when they said goodbye to each othere there was no "I love you" scene : i mean, the entire goodbye and quote about seeing each other again and waiting for each other again in the valalla was poetic and beautiful but no I love you scene? It wasn't so much realistic to me I am sorry

3) actions and the fact they always acted as a couple spoke volumes about how much they trusted each others and how much stiorra's opinion count for stiorra and also about how much she was a support for him but we didn't see and cute or dimestic scene and I found ANY PHYSICALLY CONTACT OR INTERACT between them and even the kisses were few and almost soft. I am not talking about sex scene and I am aware not every actor/actress agrees on filimg sex scene but I exptected they would have interacted a bit more in a physical way and we could have seen some cute romantic moment between them or any more passional moment but we didn't see anything similar and I don't know why

4) i have the feeling we have been robbed by a lots of cute amazing moments could have been written a lots better; we didn't see the wedding, we didn't know when they married, we NEVER saw them truly interact as husband and wife and in the end what we got: 0 i love you scene, 2 kisses in all, no other cute or love scene between them and they killing him off in the worst way possibile in the six episode. Really?

5) what about Stiorra's future and the chance to be reunite with him one day? They didn't say anything in the end, they didn't mention stiorra or sigtryggr anymore, even in the flashback uthred had in the end when he remembered ALL the beloved people he lost and that were gone the only one that was missing was sigtryggr like if he didn't count anything, like if he wasn't important for him or for her daughter and once again i found that really disprectful for sigtryggr

6) it was truly necessary killing sigtryggr in that was and let other pointless character alive? And why let stiorra alive in the end without the love of her life?

7) plus if this was the plan writers had for sigtryggr and I completely dislike to because was a horrible writing, they could have handle the romance between stiorra and sigtryggr in a better way and giving fans much more content cause in the end we go absolutly nothing expecially after have waited more than a year and I feel betrayed and broken and in pain. And as I have already said i won't never recover from the way they treated sigtryggr that was the best character and deserved so much better

8) In the end, it was a waste of potential and a pity because the truth is that even with this poor writing , it was UNDENIABLE that the love between stiorra and sigtryggr was PURE, deep and real, and they, as i have already said, shown with actions that would have died for each others. Even with no romantic or physical interaction between them their love was TOUCHABLE and I am wondering how bright, amazing and magnificent it would have be if only could have written and put into the big screen in a different way

[the-blackdale]

I posted 6,991 times in 2021

566 posts created (8%)

6425 posts reblogged (92%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 11.4 posts.

I added 628 tags in 2021

#ask - 286 posts

#the wicked powers - 93 posts

#kit herondale - 46 posts

#twp - 34 posts

#tsc - 33 posts

#annon - 31 posts

#ire rambles - 31 posts

#ly - 28 posts

#melkeh - 23 posts

#ty blackthorn - 23 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#but omg the moment the shipper invaded the sambucky tag and went apeshit crazy at us fir shipping sambucky and being fetishizers or whatnot

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

𝕳𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖌𝖗𝖆𝖞𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖘 𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖐

All credits for the planning goes to @revvs-trash,I could never have thought a better plan.

♡︎ 𝑑𝑎𝑦 1- 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑚 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑙𝑒 (28/6)

♡︎ 𝑑𝑎𝑦 2- 𝑇𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑦 (29/6)

♡︎ 𝑑𝑎𝑦 3- 𝐽𝑒𝑚 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑠 (30/6)

♡︎ 𝑑𝑎𝑦 4- 𝑊𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎 (01/7)

♡︎ 𝑑𝑎𝑦 5- 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎 (02/7)

♡︎ 𝑑𝑎𝑦 6- 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑠 (03/7)

♡︎𝑑𝑎𝑦 7- 𝐻𝐸𝑅𝑂𝑁𝐺𝑅𝐴𝑌𝑆𝑇𝐴𝐼𝑅𝑆 !! (04/7)

♡︎♥︎♡︎

Any and all type of content is allowed, edits, fics, quotes anything you feel would make the herongraystairs tag more beautiful is appreciated. 💕

Tag your posts as #herongraystairs even if it is about only wessa or jessa and tag me in all your posts pwease 🤗

We can probably trynna get it on trending on the last day ?? Up tp you, no pressure, I just think it would be great to piss off a certain annon 👀

Tagging everyone who responded to my first post about herongraystairs week ,hope the dates and rules are ok with you -

@hardlymatters @clarys-heosphoros @ghafa-dale @coffee-fandoms-and-chaos @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @im-a-sleep-demon @thelastfunctioningbraincell @mauvehedgehogsandrosie @gods-shadowsandcrows @herondalesunsetcurve @kitandtyarelife @clockworkprincess19 @niastormsanctuary-bolastairkanej @the-swordwielding-carstairs @inejghafasupremacy @khaleesiofalicante @alastair-esfandiyar-carstairs1 @pjo-tsc-trc-otherthingstoo @queenlilith43 @theenchanteddreamer @icycoolslushie @shadowhuntingdemigod @willothewhisper @this-beautiful-mess-tonight @22herondale @shadowhunting-hooligans

144 notes • Posted 2021-06-23 08:14:48 GMT

#4

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬

𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚛.

𝙸 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚎𝚏𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜, 𝚙𝚕𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚙 𝚐𝚞𝚢𝚜 ♡´･ᴗ･`♡

Dont repost

Characters belong to @cassandraclare

Tagging some moots @ghafa-dale @niastormbolastairkanejsambucky @jurdan-my-beloved @pink-party-dino @queenlilith43 @blackasmysoul @gabtapia @clarys-heosphoros @autumnangel20 @neo-lightchild-decafineator @fortheloveofthecarstairs @mauvehedgehogsandrosie @fanficreader435 @darkshadowqueensrule @ninacarstairss @kitandtyarelife @hardlymatters @thomas-gaypanic-lightwood @youngreckless @icycoolslushie @willothewhisper

Also guys, I have like no idea if dragons will be there in TWP but a gurl can dream.

176 notes • Posted 2021-07-10 04:06:36 GMT

#3

Not to scare y'all or anything but-

*clears throat*

VILLAINS AND DRAWBACKS IN TWP

All the princes of hell

Cohort

Serial killer Janus

Whatever the hell will go down in Tbvotd

Livvy turning to the dark side

Lily's betrayal

Ty's necromancy's price.

Shadowhunter population is pretty low now.

AND THEN ALL THE LOVE DRAMA

Kit and Ty og angst because "why the hell did u left me !"

"Thule!Kit may want to befriend Ty" my foot, I can see that love triangle coming !!

Also Dru's lil crush on Jaime, we dont know what is the status of that.

Plus jaime checking out Kit or Ty, we have that

Whatever Ash and Dru have going on with "love at first sight" thing.

CC comfirmed that Ty knows about Kit and Livvy's Kiss, so he might draw conclusions from that.

Anush and Ty, no one's sure about Tynush, but we have plenty theories .

LOOSE ENDS

Where is Thule! Simon ?

Manuel has a vial with ash's blood in it, what will he do with it ?

Kit's fairy powers ?

Ash's fairy powers ?

What is Dimmet tarn and what are its mysteries ?

Where is the black volume of the dead ?

Is the seelie queen dying ?

How will shadowhunters protect themselves outside of idris' wards ??

Sister Emilia (from learn about loss) said she was going to make a weapon to kill Belial ?

And this is all before the first book even came out !! In conclution - how in the name of hell is all this supposed to be cover in only 3 books ??

214 notes • Posted 2021-06-07 04:31:18 GMT

#2

Kit Ty

🤝

Just Kit and Ty holding hands :)

250 notes • Posted 2021-06-04 10:21:23 GMT

#1

Beware memes about yesterday, because thats what im gonna do today !!

284 notes • Posted 2021-06-05 04:45:06 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

Ahsga ly @have-a-holly-jolly-angstmas and melkeh @fortheloveofthecarstairs ur my #8 and #9 top tags lmao !! <3

[dreamingoftinystars]

tag nine people to learn about their interests

thank you for the tag @sinterblackwell <3

MUSIC

1. Favorite genre? Indie pop/folk and musicals

2. Favorite artist? dodie

3. Favorite song? that’s too difficult a question sorry lmao

4. Most listened to song lately? Before the Line by dodie

5. Song currently stuck in your head? Cleopatra by the Lumineers

6. 5 Favorite lyrics?

And I don't deserve you // You deserve the world // Though it feels like we were built // From the same dirt - Your Sister Was Right by Wilbur Soot

But I must admit it, that I would marry you in an instant // Damn your wife, I'd be your mistress just to have you around - Cleopatra by the Lumineers

I know I loved the world, but now it's flat to me // Oh, tell me, did someone snatch the light? // Why doesn't it look right? - Before the Line by dodie

My life has lost all porpoise // I lost my hare // I lost my hair // I lost my tortoise - Your Shell of Grief from Alice By Heart (mock turtles my beloved)

City life, apple pie baked just right // Home is wherever you are tonight - Apple Pie by Lizzy McAlpine

radio or your own playlist | solo artists or bands | pop or indie | loud or silent volume | slow or fast songs | music video or lyric video | speakers or headset | riding a bus in silence or while listening to music | driving in silence or with radio on

BOOKS

1. Favorite book genre? Classics or Contemporary

2. Favorite Writer? Virginia Woolf, Casey McQuiston, Gabriel García Márquez, Kurt Vonnegut

3. Favorite Book? There are many but Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

4. Favorite Book Series? I don’t really read that many series but I just finished PJO and liked it

5. Comfort Book? Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston and We Are Okay by Nina LaCour and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

6. Perfect Book to Read on a Rainy Day? We Are Okay by Nina LaCour kind of fits the mood of a rainy day and also like is fairly easy to read structure wise. I also think rainy days are a good time for a good classic piece of literature (like Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, etc) especially if you have a fire going during that time. A fairly easy classic book in my opinion is The Great Gatsby. If you want to be emotionally wrecked on a rainy day so that your face can match the outdoors, read They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera.

7. Favorite Characters? Everyone from Heartstopper, Nora from Red, White, and Royal Blue, (I don’t really focus on characters while reading lmao)

8. 5 Quotes from Your Favorite Book (these will all be from Red, White and Royal Blue)- also there are all from memory so they might be slightly incorrect:

But the truth is, also, simply this: love is indomitable

On purpose. I love him on purpose.

Exploring your sexuality: Healthy, but does it have to be with the Prince of England?

I loved you. And then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back

Two homes side by side

(the entirety of the turkey scene)

hardcover or paperback | buy or rent | standalone novels or book series | ebook or physical copy | read at night or during the day | reading at home or in nature | listening to music while reading or in silence | reading in order or reading the ending first | reliable or unreliable narrator | realism or fantasy | one or multiple POVs | judging by the covers or by summaries | rereading or just once

TV AND MOVIES

1. Favorite tv/movie genre? Cartoons, Contemporary, RomComs, or Documentaries

2. Favorite Movie? Rocky Horror Picture Show, Nightmare Before Christmas, Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, Frozen, Beetlejuice (there are more but those are off of the top of my head)

3. Comfort Movie? Starstruck (and any of the ones above) and almost any animated Disney/Pixar movie

4. Movie You Watch Every Year? RHPS, Nightmare Before Christmas, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas

5. Favorite TV Show? I don’t really have favorite TV shows, I more so have tv shows that I obsessively rewatch which are: One Day at at Time, The Owl House, She-Ra and The Princesses of Power, Julie and The Phantoms, Young Royals, New Girl, Criminal Minds, Legends of Tomorrow, *insert more shows here*

6. Comfort TV Show? One Day at A Time (and any of the others above)

7. Most Rewatched TV Show? Probably JATP, Young Royals, or TOH also ODAAT

8. 5 Favorite Characters? I genuinely don’t really have any off of the top of my head but like Elena from ODAAT is one, Stargirl is one, Entrapta and Perfuma

tv shows or movies | short seasons (8-13 episodes) or full seasons (22 episodes or more) | one episode a week or binging | one season or multiple seasons | one part or saga | half hour or one hour long episodes | subtitles on or off | rewatching or watching just once | downloads or watches online

No Pressure Tagging: @c-nan @spookiest-sapphic @midnight-stereo @fanofthepod @book-and-music-lover @sunsetmolinas and anyone else who would like to

[monarch-sparrowhawk]

Hey you guys, I know there's been quite a bit going on in the Nova fandom for the past like, day and a half. I just wanted to share a few thoughts. It's a bit lengthy so I'm putting it under the cut.

1. Nova is going to be adapted into the MCU. Whether it's next year, or five or ten years from now, it's going to happen. We can't do anything about that.

2. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I love the movies just as much as I love the comics. I grew up with a dad who loves comics, and we collected them together. Spiderman, Fantastic 4, Batman, etc. I like to joke to my dad that he's totally mainstream. When the movies started coming out, my dad would take me to every single one. It was a way to grow this shared hobby we had with each other. So if they go ahead and make a Nova movie or episode series, I'm probably going to call my dad and we'll watch it together while we reminisce about the old days(ugh, I'm making myself sound so ancient). I like to think of the MCU as one giant AU, which my fellow comic fans know is like, one of the staples of the genre. Remember, it's only canon if you accept as such!

3. Sam and Rich deserve better. We haven't had a solo Nova run for years now, and Volume 7 was cut tragically short. If this is a way to get new content for them, then sign me up. I miss my boys.

4. Think about how reading their adventures made you feel. Now think about how there is going to be a whole new audience out there that are going to get to experience that. New fans = more people to love our boys. I am looking forward to all the new fanfiction, fanart, headcanons, and ships(as long as they're appropiate, furries/pedos/incestuals can get the flark out)!

To quote our beloved comics, Nova's don't get to quit, they step up. I can't speak for anyone else, but I know what I'm going to do. When those trailers come out you bet I'm going to be screaming and geeking out. When the new Nova fans(are we Novanauts? I'm going to go with that) start flowing in, I'm going to welcome them with open arms. And if the MCU versions of the characters are written in a way I don't like or even necessarily agree with, I'm going to ignore it. And probably write some fix-it fics in response.

Keep your heads up Novanauts, we got this!

[mscalifornication]

Tag 9 people to learn more about their interests!

@longlive-allthememories thank you so much for tagging me <3

MUSIC

fav genre? pop/pop-rock/rock/pop punk/indie/alternative

fav artist? Casper

fav song? gonna go with Diamond On A Landmine by Billy Talent today

most listened song recently? according to my last.fm my top track of the past 7 days is Pretender by The Maine

song currently stuck in your head? Morirò Da Re by Måneskin

5 fav lyrics? (5 fav lyrics i can think of right now/ ones i can find in my current bujo lol)

i’m not looking to be found, just want to feel unlost — (un)lost by the maine

give me a remedy cause my head wasn’t wired for this world — avalanche by bring me the horizon

i’m growing up but i’m still young at heart, how do i make time stop? cause i’m still waiting to start — still waiting to start by nina nesbitt

and if i’ve done you wrong by not enduring this pain / well, where were you and all your eternal holy grace? — nomoreroses by holding absence

i want the fireworks i want the softest words i want what you deserve and to unlearn my hurt — crying over it all by waterparks

radio or your own playlist | solo artists or bands | pop or indie | loud or silent volume I slow or fast songs | music video or lyrics video | speakers or headset | riding a bus in silence or while listening to music | driving in silence or with radio on

BOOKS

fav book genre? rom-com stuff i guess, and thrillers, sometimes also sci-fi/dystopia stuff

fav writer? i don’t really have one, but so far i’ve enjoyed several books by sebastian fitzek and becky albertalli

fav book? currently still Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall which i’ve read back in January

fav book series? i’ve only read 3 book series in my life, two of them before the age of 16 so i’m not sure if one of them is an actual fav, maybe actually Twilight?! yeah

comfort book? i don’t have one

perfect book to read on a rainy day? boyfriend material??

fav characters? i…don’t have favourite book characters i think? never really thought about it

5 quotes from your fav book that you know by heart? i don’t know any quotes by heart

hardcover or paperback | buy or rent | standalone novels or book series | ebook or physical copy | reading at night or during the day | reading at home or in nature | listening to music while reading or reading in silence | reading in order or reading the ending first | reliable or unreliable narrator (idk? i’ve never paid attention to it) | realism or fantasy | one or multiple POVS | judging by the covers or by the summary | rereading or reading just once

TV AND MOVIES

fav tv/movie genre? (romantic) comedy, drama, thriller, crime

fav movie? idk? i’ve always liked notting hill

comfort movie? spider-man: homecoming and the winter soldier

movie you watch every year? theres no specific movie i watch every year :/

fav tv show? at the moment still 911 and 911 lone star my beloved

comfort tv show? schitt’s creek, full house, 911, 911 lone star, brooklyn nine nine

most rewatched tv show? schitt’s creek

ultimate otp? i don’t have one? Tarlos mayhaps?

5 fav characters? Alexis Rose (Schitt’s Creek), Abby Sciuto (NCIS), Kat Edison (The Bold Type), Travis Montgomery (and Vic Hughes) (Station 19), Bucky Barnes (MCU) this is a very random collection, i literally had to look up previous tag games to make this lol bye

tv shows or movies | short seasons (8-13 episodes) or full seasons (22 episodes or more) | one episode a week or binging |one season or multiple seasons | one part or saga | half hour or one hour long episodes | subtitles on or off | rewatching or watching just once | downloads or watches online

i’m tagging @kaonoppakaos @awayfromsight @briannabaker @quelsentiment @whaleharry @herefortommo @spacerhapsody @holyshit @talkfastcal @counttoinfinityy @plastic--hearts @whatevertearsyou @iamnathanscott @chironmybeloved feel free to ignore this!!

[ponyguru]

Tonight I watched all of He-Man: Revelations and most of Centaurworld (I watched the first three episodes like, a week ago?) and I have ... opinions. (And it’s 4:37am, might as well share them while they’re fresh!)

(Warning, this got very long and ranty, sorry for stretching out your dashboards if that’s even still a thing anymore?)

He-Man was entertaining, but it did feel like (as someone with like, less than a passing knowledge of the characters) someone’s super-angsty fanfiction more than like ... a continuing series. They killed off multiple well-known, beloved characters, to drive home the point of how SERIOUS and how HARDCORE this series is, and instead it felt like being a little kid in the 80s watching Optimus Prime get murdered to sell more toys. Like, WHY DID THEY DIE? Oh right, to show the viewer how SERIOUS the bad guys are! And to give the other characters things to angst over, to show you they’re no longer just shallow 80s muscle man stereotypes to sell toys! But then you gotta wonder, where will they go from here? Who’s even left to continue the storyline? Is it still He-Man if half the supporting cast is dead?

Like I said, I’m not a He-Man fan by trade, but aside from the pointless murder, it did seem like it delved into the backstories that a lot of people have probably wanted since the 80s, and it made some very interesting points. So, hey, maybe it’ll be beloved by its fans! And it was very entertaining, especially as someone who wasn’t a childhood fan so I didn’t have a lot of nostalgia that I had to watch die. It doesn’t end on a happy note, there’s definitely the ‘what if the villains WON’ theme going, so maybe my opinion will be less dour when the next part comes out. (I did like that it focused more on the female characters, which was a very unexpected change, and in that aspect I felt it was very well written; that could explain why I’ve heard other screechingly negative feedback elsewhere online, heh. He-Man fans probably don’t appreciate the heavy preference paid to Teela.)

Centaurworld was ... well, I watched the first episode with my mother, which was a Huge Fucking Mistake. I heard that it was a thrilling combination of something akin to Adventure Time and a more serious cartoon like Avatar, and instead I got 10 minutes of that, and then 16 minutes of continuous ass, fart, and poop jokes, combined with a couple of great tunes and a lot of tuneless recitative style “songs”.

If you follow this blog, you probably know toys; you know the Poopsie Surprise toys? The ones which were so obsessed with uncomfortably sexualized poop/fart/barf references that entire scholarly articles were written about the sexualization of children with scatology-themed toys? Yeah, that’s what Centaurworld felt like, almost the whole time. Like just ... an uncomfortable amount of poop/butt/fart “jokes”, to the point where it felt like it had to be one of the writer’s fetishes. Like, it was clearly not funny, and the main character is clearly uncomfortable with it ... and it just keeps going.

I say jokes in scare quotes because jokes are supposed to be funny, and a lot of Centaurworld just wasn’t funny. You could tell it was meant to have jokes, but it was very much dated early-2000s type humor, I want to guess? The kind where it’s not so much ‘setup-punchline’ but the more ‘awkward reference awkward reference awkward reference drawn out wooooord’ type of “jokes”. And most of those “jokes” were just - you guessed it - drawn out references to butts, or farts, or some combination of the two. I felt like an aged boomer watching it. I like to think I’m hip and with the times, but it felt like it should be aimed at a middle schooler - but like, an oversexualized middle schooler? It was uncomfortable to say the least. (One character talks to his farts, claims they talk back to him, and he addresses them as ‘Daddy,’ while another character expresses how uncomfortable that is, and implies he has “issues” to unpack. Because that’s hilarious, I guess?)

Centaurworld did, beneath the heavy layer of scatology, have an intriguing storyline. A warhorse from a LOTR-style world is thrown into a wacky Adventure Time-type land made up of silly centaurs, and has to try and find her way back home. It was thrilling at times, if you could slog through everything else that beleaguered it. There were some really good jokes! But I couldn’t quite muster up a laugh, because I was still wondering when the next butt reference would sneak in. After ten terrible jokes, the one good joke couldn’t manage to lift me from the depth of despair I’d sunken into. It really only felt like the show got ‘tolerable’ around episode 7 (out of ten!!!!), which was an episode heavily focused on cats. (Which, again; wasn’t the internet very much about LOLCats in the early 2000s?)

If six episodes of a ten-episode series is nigh-intolerable, is it a successful show? Should you bother watching something that is 60%+ garbage? (And DON’T FUCKING WORRY, the poop/butt/fart jokes continued UNTIL THE FUCKING FINAL EPISODE.)

I suspect that, if there was a “goal” for all of the fetish stuff (beyond fetish stuff for fetish sake), it would be to illustrate to the viewer how uncomfortable the main character feels in this strange new land, and for us to share in her discomfort. Which, fine, sure! Secondhand embarrassment is definitely a trope. But the sheer uncomfortable volume of the poop/butt/fart jokes clearly went way beyond mere discomfort, and veered into ‘why is this coming up so much, is someone getting off on this?’ territory, at least for me. A couple butt jokes an episode, fine, okay. Entire five minute bits devoted to farts and butts? Entire songs about butts? I start questioning why it’s such a beloved subject for you to write about.

Plus, and I may be reading into this too much, but several of the only Black-coded characters felt racist. I’m talking neck-snapping, tribal body paint type racism, although only one got the exaggerated “soul” type music to sing, which I guess is a relative win? (Waterbaby and Judge Jacket, if you’re wondering who I’m referencing. One of them is a literal hippo centaur, giving us shades of Madagascar.) It wasn’t obvious, but combined with everything else, it felt ... bad. (There are multiple other nonwhite voice actors who aren’t stereotypes, so maybe it was just a bad case of ‘trying to represent different culture while being clueless white people’, who knows?) There was also some classic fatphobia, with one of the villains being shown as a fat neckbeard collector/nerd. Wasn’t that relevant in - wait for it - the early 2000s? They redeem themselves very slightly by having maybe two other characters who are visibly fat, but one of them is also viewed as an antagonist.

Anyway, I was disappointed enough with the show to feel like I should say something, so - there it is. Centaurworld did have some good moments, some lovely songs, and there was some really heartwarming and tender character development that I liked, sandwiched between huge swaths of discomfort. There might be a season 2 (there shouldn’t be, LOL) and hell, I will probably suffer through it because I want to see what happens to them. But I can’t recommend that anyone else do the same, in all good conscience. It’s not good. It’s just not. But if you have 5 hours to kill, there’s worse stuff out there?

If you want to watch one episode to see the best of the series, I recommend episode seven, “Johnny Teatime's Be Best Competition: A Quest for the Sash.” It’s themed after the CATS musical, and the extended number at the end gave me shades of MLP or Fashion Star Fillies. (I found an official clip of the song posted here.) There’s also other lovely songs in the series, but you’d have to suffer through entire bad episodes to see them. The lovely “You’re Okay” shows up in the very first episode, so if you’re curious give that a watch... just be aware it never gets better, only worse.

This series genuinely upset me, because I wanted it to be something much better, and there were glimpses of it; you just had to try and close your eyes to the obsession with butts and farting to see pieces of what it might have been.

One notable fact that I thought was kind of like ‘wow, oof’ was that Meghan McCarthy, of MLP:FiM fame, was a story editor for Centaurworld. And considering how MLP went downhill in later seasons, I gotta say I’m wondering if there’s a commonality there. Maybe her fetish is bad writing? There’s worse fetishes to have, AS CENTAURWORLD CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES.

[revolutionary-demosthenes]

Louis de Manoël de Végobre (Pt. 2/2)

So, now that I’ve written about De Végobre’s life in general, on to the second part... which I know I should’ve posted like a week ago. (Sorry!)

And as a prelude, let me just say that since there is so little on De Végobre, it is hard to talk definitively about really anything in his life. This post is going by the information that I have at the moment. 

So, was De Végobre likely romantically and/or sexually attracted to men? If so, who was he in a relationship with?

As mentioned before, De Végobre, Kinloch, and Laurens were very close while they all lived in Geneva. Even Gregory Massey, when examining their bond, points out that this was “the beginning of a pattern: he [John Laurens] continually centered his life around homosocial attachments to other men.”*(John Laurens and the American Revolution by Gregory Massey, page 40.)

(I wouldn't agree on the “homosocial” part.) 

Francis Kinloch and John Laurens were pretty likely in a relationship for at least some of their time in Geneva, but the question is, how did De Végobre fit into that?

The way De Végobre writes to Laurens after he hasn’t written for a little while also definitely points to a very strong friendship at least. Not writing for long periods of time was not unusual for John, the unusual thing here is how much Kinloch and De Végobre minded his casual attitude towards correspondence. This could also be indicative of a stronger relationship between them.

As an interesting comparison, Alexander Hamilton wrote this to Laurens on September 11th, 1779:

“I acknowlege but one letter from you, since you left us, of the 14th of July which just arrived in time to appease a violent conflict between my friendship and my pride. I have written you five or six letters since you left Philadelphia and I should have written you more had you made proper return. But like a jealous lover, when I thought you slighted my caresses, my affection was alarmed and my vanity piqued. I had almost resolved to lavish no more of them upon you and to reject you as an inconstant and an ungrateful [blank space].”

This is Hamilton after Laurens hasn’t responded to “five or six” letters.

This is Végobre after Laurens hasn’t written back to one letter (I’ve quoted this in the pt. 1):

“When I have wrote [&] sent an epistle, I am always imagining the history of it; I long to see it [illegible], arriving, read, and answered; I Keep in my memory its date, I calculate the time of its arrival, and I impatiently expect the time of receiving an answer. This longed for answer arrives at length; then I am contented, and beginning another letter I prepare myself for enjoying still such a pleasure. But—if no answer… What must I think? I am concerned, sometimes a little angry. How does my friend do? Is he sick, absent, or idle in answering? Suspense is a hard thing.

I have wrote to you on the 24th of December, you have not yet answered. If you are guilty of negligence, pray do not aggravate your fault by a longer delay. Fault, I say; indeed I think it to be a fault to let pass over a great time without answering the letter of one who deserved answer. There is the end of my chiding, and I hope my thanks will soon began: I mean, that my second stroke shall get me an answer. Indeed, I would be sorry if your continued silence would hinder me from setting pen to paper a third letter.”

“How angry they get when you don’t respond to letters” is not by any means a foolproof way to measure attachment, but the similarities between the responses are interesting. Hamilton’s is more teasing, but the basic message remains “Please write to me. I’ve written to you, but I’ll stop if you don’t write enough.”

Some more concrete examples of strong affection between De Végobre and Laurens can be found in other letters from De Végobre to Laurens, such as one written the 24th of December, 1774. In this letter, De Végobre again drops some very blatant hints to please, please write, and closes it with this:

“Adieu, I dont know if in this language I have been able to express my heart’s true sentiments; you shall see in this letter my knowledge in your tongue; you will laugh at my mistakes in grammar, but not at my sentiments.”

There are two someone’s De Végobre’s “sentiments” could be referring to. One is John Laurens, but the other is Francis Kinloch. In this same letter to Laurens, we find our first evidence that Kinloch and De Végobre could have been lovers. De Végobre writes in the above letter,

“...never, never in my life I have been so well entertained as when I read Milton; and why? First, for Poet’s Excellency, and secondly and chiefly because I read it with Kinloch. My beloved, my dearest friend is Kinloch; how happy am I, when I teach him some part of natural Philosophy, when I read with him both English and French Poets, when I talk with him about various matters plainly and heartily as with a friend! Let me say again, Kinloch is my beloved, my dearest friend.”

Well. This kind of speaks for itself. De Végobre certainly uses some very affectionate wordings here, and calls Kinloch his “beloved” and “dearest friend” twice in two sentences.

I do take note of Végobre saying “as with a friend,” as opposed to “with my friend” or something along those lines. The way Végobre phrases it could suggest that Kinloch is something other than a friend, though Végobre also calls Kinloch his “dearest friend” a couple times. Just... something to notice.

The best way to get more information on the nature of Végobre and Kinloch’s relationship would be letters between the two, but unfortunately if such letters do exist, they aren't available to the public. However, Kinloch does mention De Végobre in a letter way later, in 1804. This letter was to none other than Johannes von Müller. 

As you may know, Kinloch came back to Geneva with his family in 1804, and Müller actually might have stayed with him and his wife (after she had a baby and the midwife moved out.) Anyway, in this letter, (which thankfully is in English,) Kinloch is musing about remembering his earlier times in Geneva, and he says, “...De Vegobre I have not seen.”

So what? Well, this casual reference implies that Müller at least knew of, if not knew Végobre, especially as for most others mentioned in this letter Kinloch explains their connection to him. And there’s more-- Charles Victor de Bonstetten, Müller’s lover, also mentioned De Végobre in passing in a letter. This adds to the evidence of De Végobre being at least a little a part of this pretty-openly-gay-for-the-time-period group of people. 

In La France protestante: ou, Vies des protestants français qui se sont fait un nom dans l'histoire depuis les premiers temps de la réformation jusqu'à la reconnaissance du principe de la liberté des cultes par l'Assemblée nationale; ouvrage précéde d'une notice historique sur le protestantisme en France, suivi de pièces justificatives, et rédigé sur des documents en grand partie inédits, Volumes 7-8 by Eugene and Emile Haag, it says, “He also spent some time at the castle of Coppet with M[adame] de Staël, who more than once used his vast education and his extraordinary memory.” Here’s the thing-- Madame de Stäel and Coppet are also mentioned a lot in the book, Briefkorrespondenzen Karl Viktor von Bonstettens und seines Kreises, which is essentially what it sounds like; a ton of Bonstetten, Müller, Kinloch, Frederike Brun, etc’s correspondence. From what I can figure (the book’s mostly in German) Müller and possibly some others were at Coppet in 1804. The frustrating thing about the quote about De Végobre and de Stäel is that there’s no dates as to when he stayed with her, only that it was between 1789 and 1814. It may have been in 1807, but whether he was there before then I don’t know. But at the very least, De Végobre had some close mutual friends with Müller and Bonstetten.

As I mentioned before, De Végobre never married. De Végobre seems to have been a friendly and affectionate individual, and he lived a long time. And it was also rarer to not marry back then. Why, then, would he never marry? The reason that strikes me as most likely when put with other evidence is that he was attracted to men.

[darksaiyangoku]

My dream team of writers for RWBY

It’s no secret that RWBY has been getting criticism of its writing in recent years. Many fans are either disappointed or downright upset at how far they think the show has fallen in terms of writing quality.

To be honest, I can’t say I blame them. Volume 7, though I didn’t hate t, didn’t impress me nearly enough as it should have and I consider it to be one of the weaker volumes alongside 5. It has this weird pacing of somehow being incredibly slow but also very fast, where nothing has time to fully develop. When it came to the plot, it felt like there was a lot happening and not a lot happening at the same time. Overall, Volume 7 was a mixed bag.

Now I could harp on about Volume 7 until the cows come home, but instead, I’m going to talk about the writers that RWBY should have had on board. Even though I got into the show much later than most, I knew that Miles and Kerry alone wouldn’t be enough of a creative force and that more writers should’ve come on board. It isn’t just about having more writers though, it’s also about the quality of said writers and what they can bring to the table. Since Rooater Teeth is owned by Warner Bros, I thought it would be appropriate if they had some of their writers from DC work on RWBY.

I’m sure some of you are having bad memories of the terrible, terrible comic adaptation that came out last year. But when I say that RWBY and DC should work together, I don’t mean this:

I mean THIS:

The DC Universe has had some incredible writers for past decade or 2 and having them on board would’ve been amazing. They could’ve taken RWBY to new heights and then some! But there’s a whole host of writers to choose from. Who would be appropriate fit to work on RWBY? Well before I get into that, I want to make something perfectly clear:

Miles and Kerry should not be removed from RWBY

Look, I know they’re not the best writers out there, but they are the ones who created RWBY alongside Monty. They’re the architects of this whole universe and should definitely stay on board. If not as writers, then at least as creative consultants. Plus, they have done some solid writing in RWBY for a while now. Volume 6 was pretty good and The Lost Fable is stand out episode for me, detailing the backstory of Ozma, Salem and Remnant itself. It was also Mile’s first big contribution into the creation of RWBY.

So yeah, regardless of what you think of them, I think they should stay on board.

Now for the DC writers, I have narrowed it down to who I think would be the best fit for the series. Here they are:

Gail Simone

Even though she doesn’t work for DC anymore, Gail Simone is still a beloved writer among DC fans and has had a solid career with them for long time. Her run on Birds of Prey, Secret Six and Wonder Woman are considered classics and I think she would make an excellent fit for the writing RWBY, especially if she was writing the main team herself! Plus, her Wonder Woman story arc Ends of the Earth reads like a classic Sword and Sorcery, and I think Simone could bring a lot of that energy with the Maidens of the Seasons and magic in the RWBYverse.

Kyle Higgins

Kyle Higgin’s run on Nightwing during the New 52 era of DC is fondly remembered and his work on Boom! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic is a fantastic read. He has a knack for taking characters and developing them in new and exciting ways, while still keeping to the core of who they are. His run on MMPR was also surprisingly mature, resonating with many longtime fans who grew up with the series and I think that would’ve fit right at home with the Mistral Arc, especially with developing each characters’ personal arcs.

Grant Morrison

Ah, Grant Morrison. He’s... definitely something to say the least. For every good story he has, he also has an equally bad story too. I know that can be said of all comic writers, but Morrison has managed to anger longtime fans with the kind of stories he’s written (Final Crisis) and even with his good stories, his writing style can be VERY hard to follow. That said, he is a creative person at heart and does have a solid resume of good stories under his belt. His work on the New X-Men is insane to say the least but it’s also beloved among many longtime Marvel fans and who would be a better fit for the Faunus subplot than someone who’s written the X-Men? To me, it’s a match made in Heaven.

Geoff Johns

Geoff Johns is one of my favourite writers in comics and it’s not hard to see why. He’s a DC fan at heart and really understands the characters well. He also has a solid grasp at writing teams. His run on the Justice League during the New 52 is what got me into the greater DC Universe in the first place. Johns has also had hits with the Teen Titans and even the Avengers at one point! His story and characters feel like a true ensemble, and that is something that would fit right at home with RWBY! Greater still, I feel like he can expand the mythology and lore of Remnant even further. To quote from Paul Levitz;

"One of Johns' sharpest additions to DC mythology is the notion that the Green Lanterns are but one color within a rainbow spectrum, and that the other hues have their own champions. Folding in old concepts and inventing new ones, Johns has established limitless story possibilities."

E.C. Myers

Okay, this one is cheating. I know E.C. Myers doesn’t work for DC, nor has he written any comics. However, he is well regarded in the fandom and while I have yet to After the Fall, many agree that it is a solid addition to the canon. If that’s the common consesus and if Miles and Kerry trust him to write for their universe, then I see no reason as to why he shouldn’t join the team.

And there you have it! My dream team of writers for RWBY. A fun little ‘what-if’. If I missed anything out, let me know in the comments. Also, let me know what you guys think of my choices and who would you have for your dream writing team. Have a good day, guys!

[worldcakecakecake]

On Deutschland and Italia, by Lovino Valenti

Lovino writes a series of blog entries on the relationship between Germany and Italy as he deals with a move to Hamburg, his brother’s wedding, and his budding romance (which he denies) to the infuriating Gilbert Beilschmidt.

                                                               Chapter 7

It was almost midnight and yet Lovino remained awake, sitting by his balcony, reading a novel, indulging himself in some wine, smiling and being at peace…even when a certain loudmouth and insane albino was kept well in his mind.

 He read how the charmer of the tale romanced his beloved with a ridiculous song he whaled for the whole street to hear, embarrassing himself but making the lover laugh in just the high volume that made them present in their setting.

 Lovino chuckled, being reminded himself of the song Gilbert shouted high in the car on their way back. Feliciano joined along, a sudden band ready to play in the concert hall they passed by that moment. It wasn’t until the last song that Lovino dared join, with a thunder of wonderful voice that momentarily made Gilbert and Feliciano fall in awed silence. They returned to finish, making their band complete, laughing and clapping when they had arrived to the restaurant, Augusto heading out with a guitar and Aldrich with a microphone, thinking they still had time to be a part of it.

 Lovino smiled, deciding a halt to his reading, enjoying in the sweet memory and how handsome Gilbert looked, how much he wanted to continue a song and dance about in the restaurant as they had done before.

 It was interrupted by a call, his brother, having him questioning, with it being so late.

 “Pronto,” he answered wanting to get quick into it.

 “Be…Lovi…are you doing anything tomorrow?”

 “Just the office in the morning. What’s going on?” He suspected.

 “Is it all right if you can go to my flower arrangements appointment tomorrow? It’s in the evening so I’m sure you can go. Me and Ludwig have to go…somewhere.” Feliciano gazed over to his fiancé, speaking about in the phone with one of his superiors, pacing and making some accords. Before him on the counter were still lots of papers he needed to read over, sign, get copied, send and some needed translation into Spanish.

 “You two have your own apartments. If you want to do it, just do it. No need to leave to some godforsaken place. You’ll have enough of that in your honeymoon.”

 “It’s not for that!” Feliciano was insulted Lovino would insinuate it. “It’s just something to do with his job and my volunteering. Trust me, I wouldn’t push the appointment aside just to…”

 “Fuck?”

 “Yes. Besides, right now Ludwig is scheduling intercourse for the afternoon after he comes back from work,” Feliciano reported proudly while Lovino wanted to hurl.

 “Too much information and who the hell plans these things? You just do it and that’s it.”

 “We’ve been really busy. Oh, and, is it okay if Gilbert goes with you?”

 The name brought pink and airs that smelled like the sweetest perfume to Lovino.

 “Why-why…why would he have to come?” He really tried to sound annoyed, but Feliciano could tell that there wasn’t the usual harsh cut.

 “Ludwig suggested, thought it could help.”

 Lovino rolled his eyes and faked an annoyed sigh, “fine, I’ll go. Send me whatever I’ll need and I’ll get you some damn flowers. Don’t complain if they are not the exact ones you want.”

 “I know you’ll make a good decision, Lovi. Now, ciao, ti voglio bene!”

 The call was gone and Lovino was left with excitement.

  On Deutschland and Italia.

Art and Inspiration.

I’m taking a part.

 I believe that it’s through art that we show the faces of our country. It speaks more so than any political statement. The European union actually makes it easy to create this movement with different kinds of artists, encouraging connection and understanding. Cities like Berlin are a traditional destination for fashion and architecture from Italy, as well as a point of reference for promotions and managing the most modern museums. Germany is constantly being inspired by Italy. In food, lifestyle, and of course art. Most galleries are filled with proud Italian artists that Germans are awed to see. It presents communication and improves the country’s image more so.

 It is definitely not recent, as this inspiration traces back to the renaissance, when you had Germans coming down to the peninsula hoping to see and admire these paintings that were so talked about. Printing is invented through this, as Germans were trying to find ways to showcase what they saw in Italy to their own kingdoms. They followed their example in their art techniques, not as memorable, but enough to be proud of and make Italians themselves wonder.

 In music, Germans took their most sublime pieces and gave it Italian names, using our created instruments to make memorable melodies to join our own composers.

 Their writers wrote on Italy’s beauty, through constant travel tales or stories of their imagine to explain their experiences. Many of these phrases we quote, and it fill us with pride, and we are happy to read them.

 It works to get us curious, to travel to Germany as well and be inspired by colorful villages, hills of story and cities of feast.

 It is a trade I am happy to share in with these very entries.

  He wore a fine buttoned shirt, a pristine yellow he assured well that morning to be exceptionally clean. Tight jeans, his best shoes, with movement and stride that he wanted people to think of only king’s. Lovino tested it on his office that morning and the gazes he got proved to him that it would be enough.

 He left precisely and was smiling as he took the transport to the flower shop. He spotted Gilbert’s car at the entrance and so smirked, sunglassed eyes making entrance, the ring turning Gilbert, who had been leaning by one of the counters, turning to get baffled, wide eyed and luckily his hanging mouth could be covered by the fact that he kept a hand over it. Lovino removed his sunglasses, showcasing hazel that fitted well with the greens and colors that surrounded the shop.

 To Gilbert, it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

 “Hey! Why so fancy today?” He tried to act like it didn’t evoke any blush, hiding it by facing the cashier, hoping whoever attended this to come that instant.

 “Just uh…an important meeting in the company,” Lovino excused, coming to take seating right in the stool next to Gilbert.

 He really tried to resist, but the corner of his eyes still went down the figure hungrily, especially loving how those jeans hugged those thighs. Much to his embarrassment, Lovino had caught it.

 “What is it?” He didn’t sound annoyed and Gilbert wasn’t landed a hit on the head, in fact, there was temptation in that voice, accepting more of that gaze.

 “Oh, sorry, I didn’t hear the bell ring.” In came a young man, wiping dirt off his hands and laying before them, taking a notebook where surely appointments were written.

 “Beilschmidt-Valenti?”

 “Yes,” both answered.

 “Oh, you both came. Rarely do I get the couple coming together to pick flowers.”

 Both blushed heavily.

 “Oh, wait, no!”

 “We’re not the couple!”

 “Not…Beilschmidt-Valenti?”

 “Well, yeah, we are, just-”

 “Not Ludwig and Feliciano. Were Gilbert and Lovino, their brothers. They couldn’t make it today and so they sent us to deal with the flower arrangements.”

 “Oh, right! My colleague just put a note. Didn’t see it earlier.” He shut the notebook and went to proper introductions. “I’m Toris Laurinaitis and your brothers have chosen me for the flowers. Feliciano already sent me some information concerning the venue, the cake and the theme he wants. I already have some ideas and would like to show some displays we have up.” He stood and led way, the brothers following behind.

 They spent a good half an hour watching all the suggestions, Toris explaining meanings and how things could be set up, as well as trying to sell, making them all a dream beauty that actually made it difficult for Gilbert and Lovino to choose, for their own taste and their brothers.

 “These are beautiful greens, but I don’t think they will fit with what my brother wants.”

 “I agree, but it’s one our of pride works and we love showing it to all our customers.”

 “I do like how you pile them up,” Gilbert admitted, all coming together like one big tree, surrounded beautifully by ornaments.

 “I love this one with the marigolds.”

 “Marigolds? For Ludwig and Feliciano? Definitely not.”

 “Being honest, I think the best option will be…this one,” Gilbert pointed to the vined one with white roses, arched, extended, simple, and despite that green…it would actually flow well with the wedding.

 “Gilbert…I actually agree with you,” Lovino smiled to him.

 Toris joined as well, “I also believe it will be the best option.”

 They settled some minutes of gazing, assuring, decided.

 “We’ll take this one,” Lovino worded.

 “Very well then, I’ll schedule the delivery and date.” He left to surely implement this on a schedule, Lovino holding the card Feliciano gave him ready to pay.

 “You know…the one with the lilies, candles and gold stands would have been more expensive,” Gilbert smirked.

 “And it was stunning, but I know both of them would have found it too excessive. Besides, it was with red roses that Ludwig had confessed to my brother, so roses had to be a must. White for purity.” Gilbert raised an eyebrow. “Purity of the moment. Whatever, I’m glad I could choose it for my brother,” Lovino held himself high, showing well his pride.

 “Wow…we really are trying to make this wedding perfect here.”

 “Hey! Uh…um…uh…” Lovino had no excuse to fill this time, which gave Gilbert a fit of laughter.

 “It’s fine, it’s fine, we’re good…I’m actually glad we’re trying.” Gilbert didn’t know where that impulse came from, how his hand reached a simple red daisy that lay on a table nearby, raising it to lay in the thresholds of Lovino’s curls, sided perfectly, elegant on his face, shinning him the more in lovely colors that drove him closer.

 “Should we…do something to trick Berwald with the flowers?” Gilbert suggested with a chuckle that was endearing, not at all mocking.

 “I…I can’t think of something.”

 “Yeah I uh…I highly doubt they would sell some…poisoned stuff here.”

 It was such a beautiful exchange, Toris coming and not knowing how to interrupt, tapping his foot to the floor awkwardly, until he stepped harshly enough to get their attention. “Sorry to…interrupt, but I have put your brothers on the schedule and now all I need is the payment.”

 “Got it here,” Lovino raised the card, slow in his walk for both to reach the cashier. “I think we’re pretty much done. If you want, you can go ahead.”

 “Are you sure? We could go do something now if you want?”

 “I…” how Lovino would have loved to, but he had to keep some sort of field from letting this extend on. He still had to think, still had to come to terms with what exactly he was feeling and what he wanted with Gilbert. He needed more time. “…I promised to have dinner tonight at Nonno’s and I…have to get going to help.”

 Gilbert only let his disappointment pass low through his eyes, but nodded and understood. “Well…I’ll see you later then…”

 “Yeah…” why did it feel like there was more that they should do? More than that awkward wave and only that intensive look of their eyes.

 Lovino refused to let himself be captive to it, focus on the payment, picking receipts and leaving back home. He kept himself excited at the sea food platter he was sure his grandfather could suddenly prepare. He didn’t notice how Gilbert stared at him still from the comfort of the shop, making sure he was well underground, into the trains and he had the shop for himself once again.

 “Is there…anything else you need?” Toris shyly came forward, wondering still his presence.

 “Yes, can I make an order?”

  It was sudden, but Augusto welcomed his grandson’s visit, indeed having enough fried seafood to keep them chatting and drinking to distraction well into the night. It was midnight when Lovino decided to take his leave, picking his stuff and ready to take the simple stairs up to his own apartment.

 “Oh! Before I forget! Clemente sent me a message that something arrived for you. He hopes you don’t mind he went into your apartment and left it on your table.”

 “Did he tell you what it was?”

 “He was afraid to say.”

 “Must be that new underwear I ordered,” was his farewell.

 One more floor and he was entering his apartment, only a single lamp lighting the large bouquet of tulips. They were bountiful in beauty, in purples, reds, whites and enchanting oranges, in their vase, ordered well and Lovino was paralyzed at the entrance in awe. He wondered if perhaps they were delivered in the wrong apartment, looking about the hall expecting for the real owner to come forward, but the night continued silent and the flowers seemed to keep waiting for him.

 Closing the door behind him he headed closer, noticing a large card, on one side his name written elegantly.

 Yes…they were for him then. But who? He knew of no admirers, he wasn’t dating anybody and lately…the only person on his mind was…he turned the card and noticed the name at the bottom, his heart flourishing and a smile already plastered on his face by the first word at the top.

 ‘Toris here told me that tulips stand for forgiveness, so I thought it be appropriate. I could have asked this in person, and we still can, but it’s a nice gift to truly show and make you understand that I apologize. Not just now, I apologize for everything I’ve done to you ever since we met when you were like…what? Two months old? Whatever just…I’ve realized I was douche, still am and I want things to be different between us from now on. I hope we can be friends. I hope you can give me forgiveness.

 Gilbert.’

 Lovino couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled so largely, he had felt so ecstatic as to even jump across his apartment and scream. He held the letter tight to him, embracing the words and copying them to his heart. He couldn’t wait for a next meeting that would surely be placed by whatever wedding planning Ludwig or Feliciano set. He took his phone, hunting down different chats hoping to find his number, surely once that Feliciano or Nonno had sent it just incase. He remembered scoffing intensely when they did, yet here he was, calling that number, heart about to burst and holding to the card like some desperate teenager.

 “Hallo?” came the questioning answer.

 “It’s…me…”

 “Lovino?”

 “Yeah, just uh…wanted to say, that, I…saw the flowers and they’re…gorgeous and thank you, and I…forgive you.”

 Petrifying silence, the only sound their breaths, their understanding of the words just said.

 “Yes…it’s hard to believe that I would actually forgive you, but…being completely honest, I too was a…jackass. My family was right, I could have avoided a lot of stuff if we could have just actually…talked nicely, found common grounds, had fun, enjoyed. I shouldn’t have been so…stubborn and judging. But…you were right, we were just kids. We didn’t understand anything and we acted on whatever impulse came first.” He breathed, he waited for whatever new words, but instead decided on continuing, “but we are not depending on those impulses anymore. We’re rational, we’re adults and should…understand our feelings more.” Something Lovino wished he could really take to himself. “So…yeah, I’m…sorry and let’s just…be friends, I guess.”

 Silence once again, utter silence.

 “Did you hang up?” Lovino threatened.

 “No, no! I’m here, just…wow, taking all that in.” And finally he heard breathing. So Lovino let him that, settling in laying in their own comforts, until a word could be ready to be said.

 “I…forgive you too. And…yeah, let’s…try this friendship out and actually…make our families proud.” Gilbert was so glad to have made Lovino laugh.

 “Then, that’s great! So…I think we should be heading to sleep now, right?”

 “…yeah.” Gilbert held his extensive words, he wanted to talk, of other things like…holidays, their favorite drinks, sunsets, anecdotes and music, but from all that variety, he remained in his stupefied silence, hoping that maybe Lovino would start.

 “Well, buona notte! Sleep well and I’ll…see you around,” he smiled, one Gilbert could even feel, hoping it was more on his skin.

 “Ja…Gute Nacht…”

 Lovino forced himself to shut the call, turning his glance to the flowers, grin wide, standing, picking and deciding to put them in his room as a good kiss for the morning and before he shut his eyes.

  On Deutschland and Italia.

Exchange Programs.

And what it can lead to.

 Another way to strengthen the relationship between two countries is through academia. What better way to see than through student exchange programs and research institutes.

 The ‘Erasmus’ and ‘Leonardo’ programs are well flourishing in both Germany and Italy, outside of the expecting England, France and Spain. There is in Italy a program literally called ‘University center for the documentation and study of the juridical relationship between Italy and Germany’ which’s job, as the title very obviously suggest, is to establish a relationship of professionals, writings and course students. My own brother was a part of this, which ended in an exchange of cultures, of learning, expanding, settling, even landing him a future husband.

 I did not hear the end of it when he visited me in Naples.

 It’s a youth that is being exposed to our dealings, our works, our being and culture, sharing and enlightening it to become better known, better recognized and for more artistic and intellectual inspirations to come.

  ‘I wish that it could be like that…why can’t it be like that…’ The music only helped to keep Lovino lost, with scenarios in his head, ideas that he shouldn’t be feeding, but what a fantasy he was living.

 “No,” Feliciano decided, scratching it off of the list, stopping the song, looking through his library to hear the next.

 “Wha-what-what? Why-why, why not?” Lovino startled himself from his stupefaction, worried and actually looking slightly…broken.

 Feliciano questioned and grew hesitant to play the next one, afraid he would only make his brother feel worse. “Well, the song is too sad and I think it will just make those without a couple or date more miserable, plus it’s not something Ludwig and I could relate to. Thankfully, our love was never forbidden.”

 The next song that played was a French-Italian song, one Feliciano himself really liked, but decided well against it knowing Ludwig’s distaste for French.

 “Well, we’re you lucky.”

 “One day you’ll be lucky too, Lovino!” Feliciano kept up.

 “Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, I don’t need that sappy shit.”

 “Really?”

 “Yeah, I’m fine, there’s no one-”

 “Not even Gilbert.”

 Lovino held himself completely.

 “He’s…he’s…we’re not talking about this! I’m just here to help you with the damn music. You scratched off that breaking up song, right?”

 “But it’s so catchy!”

 “Hell no! Add some Adele!” He began writing a lot of her songs down in a list, leaving the table in silence.

 “You know…with Gilbert it wouldn’t be forbidden.”

 “Feliciano!” He slammed the pen to the table.

 “I’m just trying to help and make you realize.”

 “Don’t help! All right? It should be enough to you that we’re actually friends now.”

 “But you both want more!”

 “You don’t know that! I don’t know that! I…don’t know what I should do next.” He let himself those thoughts of wondering, of imagining, of acting.

 Feliciano smirked, leaning with a teasing gleam in his eyes, “…you could…tell him exactly how you feel…”

 “Hell no!” Lovino put one of the notebooks against Feliciano’s face.

 “Oh, Lovino…imagine how free you would feel, the happiness you could be in, the wonder, the romance of adventures!” Feliciano wowed, leaning well against the table with the notebook, to the point Lovino thought he would soon break it.

 “Feliciano, were two dumbasses living in Hamburg. There’s no fantasy in that.”

 “But you could make it! You could be together!”

 “Look! I admire your effort here, but really, leave it be, it will take its course and we’ll see what happens.”

 “But you have to let me-”

 “Shhhh!” He commanded harshly, not sparring another words unless it was to deal with this damn music list.

 Feliciano pouted, heavily as they continued their picking. At some point it eased, but whenever it raised again, Lovino would hit him with his pen.

 “I really like that Of Monsters and Men so-” his phone rang loudly, Lovino catching a glimpse, the number from the Dominican Republic. He suspected enough that it had to be from the volunteering Feliciano meant to do there.

 “Scusi, I have to take this.” He stood and was adamant on keeping this conversation out of the apartment, Lovino hearing the echo of voice go upwards, to the top most attic, running away from any prying ears.

 Why was it so important he kept so far? It was a volunteering project. What did Feliciano have to hide about that? Never mind, he kept adding songs by himself, this time Italian rap songs in the purpose of annoying the German attendants, smirking and already laughing at what their expressions would be. He was finishing an entire page by the time Feliciano returned, a deep smile, ecstatic, jumping and holding to his phone in such a grasp Lovino thought he was ready to throw it.

 “Dio, what happened?”

 “Oh, Lovino, they just gave me-” he sat, he began and then he stopped, mouth wide open, looking about, realizing what he had almost done. He changed his glance to the new list his brother made. “Lovino, I really don’t think we should add Caparezza, I mean, Fedez is okay maybe, but-”

 “Hey! Hey! Hey! Don’t change the subject! What happened? Tell me!” He demanded, ready to hear.

 Feliciano pushed his lips in, still with his eyes away, clearly in hiding.

 “Really? Can’t say anything?”

 “It’s…a surprise,” Feliciano hoped could work.

 Lovino rolled his eyes, sighing, tapping his pen to the table. “Fine, keep your stupid surprise and I’ll take all the Caparezza songs out, but I’m adding more Fedez!”

 Feliciano smiled at his achievement on focusing the topic away, oh but Lovino kept it his mind. He will find out soon enough.

  The apartment was in the calm Ludwig sometimes needed by himself. A simple read, a cup of coffee…luckily Feliciano came in his loud presence just as he was beginning to miss him. Footsteps rushed up in a way Ludwig could tell was him even before he burst into the room, laughing, jumping into his arms, showering in kisses and his tight hold warmth that Ludwig let himself lean to, keeping him well on his lap.

 “Are there any special occasions or is this just your usual?” He smirked.

 “They gave me the job!” He shouted, his smile going along with its high volume.

 “The-the the job?”

 “The hospital in Santo Domingo! They were actually in need of a nursing director. I had a lot of the qualifications and experiences and they decided to take me! I’ll be getting paid normally with all the benefits!”

 Ludwig glowed, even moving back trying to take the largeness of the wonderful news. “That’s…that’s amazing, Feliciano! Congratulations!” He brought his arms around his waist and settled on his chest as he rocked them on the sofa with the static of the excitement.

 “Yes! It will be wonderful! You will have nothing to worry about! You can focus on starting the company and I’ll provide for us! I’ll buy the food, pay the bills, make you comfortable and make us happy.” It was a dream, now a reality so close. “I was with Lovi when they called and almost told him, but I think it’s best we leave it a surprise,” he smiled grandiose…but Ludwig soured, dropping down, new agitations instead. “What’s wrong?” Feliciano wondered, dropping down with him, settling on laying on his chest.

 “My family will think me a leech.”

 “No!” Feliciano pouted with an adorable grimace. “You are not! I am just helping you out while you deal with starting a big business, as well as I’ll be advancing in my own career. We’ll be like kings one day!” Feliciano excited high, hands in the air and everything.

 “My family will not understand it this way. They expect me to arrive to Santo Domingo already living in a castle and…providing for you.” But it seemed like the opposite was to happen, saddened, dropped and oh how it made Feliciano just as gloomed, but leaned more into him, taking his face, looking into his eyes, wanting to give him all the sureness of the world.

 “Don’t let what they think decide how we live. When the time comes, we will sit down and explain everything and I’m sure they will understand.” He was positive. “For now it will do and it will make us happy. I want to be given the chance to provide for you as well…it’s more than what my family expected,” he chuckled.

 “They’ll probably think I’m leeching off you too.”

 “No! We will make them understand, I’m sure of it. If you want, maybe we can plan a day to sit down and talk to them. All before the wedding. We’ll show everything and they’ll be okay.”

 Ludwig sighed, a bit more shine to bring his arms back around his fiancé, strengthening and loving. “All right, but until then, we can’t let anybody know.”

 “Got it, amore mio!” He saluted, in a charm that had Ludwig grinning, bringing him down to a deepened kiss that will soon lead to the riding of clothes.

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[osleyakomwonkru]

10 Days of Favourites - Character

1 day to season 7!

Today’s countdown topic: My one favourite character! I mean, the answer to that one is obvious, so before I get into that, let me say why I didn’t choose to make this a more expansive list of favourite characters earlier in the countdown. Well, the answer is simple: Who is on that list changes frequently. Diyoza and Niylah tend to trade places for number two, depending on the day. Jackson’s up there on the list as well, as he’s my favourite male character. Murphy’s my favourite male main, but where he falls in comparison to the others can fluctuate. Echo and Emori are also on the list. Among the dead, we’ve got Roan, Lincoln and Luna who are contenders for high placements. Bellamy used to hold a pretty steady second place, until season 5 rolled around, but I still have hope that he might win my heart back. (It might be a foolish hope, but we’ll see.) So yeah. Who is on that favourites list changes regularly. Except for the top spot. The top spot never changes. It is always her. 1. Octavia Blake

I’ve written hundreds of posts on why. Octavia is my brand, just a scroll through my posts and tags will tell you everything you need to know about why. She’s strong, she’s fearless, she’s beautifully broken, she’s resilient, but most of all, she’s human. Human. That’s the part I want to focus on today, because this show talks a lot about humanity and losing it or keeping it or whatever else, but my thesis statement for this post is that Octavia is the only one who has never lost her humanity, because to be human is to be flawed. To be imperfect. To be compassion and violence and love and hate and hundreds of other seemingly contradictory things rolled up in one. And to accept it. Other characters often forget that, still to this day (though the S7 trailer seems to hint at Clarke beginning to understand it). They still live with the idea of “who we are and who we need to be to survive are two different things” or “first we survive, then we get our humanity back”. But there is no difference. “We are what we’ve done and what’s been done to us”, as Pike said in Octavia’s mindspace (so it was actually just Octavia talking to herself). This is what Octavia’s journey has been from day one - a young girl with literally no experience of the many shades of human experience besides the life-or-death cruelty of the Ark’s legal system and the simple good vs evil of all of the stories she grew up with. We all see how black and white she was in her thinking in the early seasons, and her story has been one of learning that there are shades of grey, and that that’s where most of the world resides. But tragically it is just as she’s learned about the shades of grey of the human experience that others are trying to shove everyone back into the boxes of black and white. It’s hella confusing, and weird, and I have to believe that this is part of some greater purpose that will be revealed in season 7. This show is heavy on themes of mythology and psychology and all of that, and ones that I really connect to Octavia are Jung’s theories on the “shadow self”, and also his idea of the “sunset tendency”. The Shadow Self is best encapsulated in this Jung quote: “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” Hmm, that sounds a lot like Clarke and Octavia’s mindspace experiences, doesn’t it? Clarke isn’t ready to face herself, face her own soul, face her darkest memories - that’s made clear at multiple times throughout her mindspace, and in the end she imagines Monty as her “figure of light” to help her get out of it by any means necessary. But Octavia’s experience is very different. Octavia chooses to enter the darkest corners of her mind (we’ll come back to this again in the next section) and there she does face herself, making the darkness conscious - both her Shadow Self of Blodreina, and the projection of her greatest adversary, Pike. Both of them teach her important lessons of who she is and who she wants to be. Because that choice is critical. Which brings us to the sunset tendency. The sunset tendency is, in short (you can read a longer description if you just do a search and find the phrase in one of his works), the cycle of life and how people resist the “sunset” (or the darkness, in Octavia parlance), because they fear what could come after that, they fear change, they fear the unknown - but if one doesn’t face that change and the unknown, then one will wither away into stagnation and platitudes (sound familiar for some characters?). People resist the sunset tendency, because it can be risky. But I’ll let Jung speak for himself: "Fate itself seems to preserve us from this, because each of us has a tendency to become an immovable pillar of the past. Nevertheless, the demon throws us down, makes us traitors to our ideals and cherished convictions - traitors to the selves we thought we were. That is an unmitigated catastrophe, because it is an unwilling sacrifice. "Things go very differently when the sacrifice is a voluntary one. Then it is no longer an overthrow, a "transvaluation of values", the destruction of all we held sacred, but transformation and conservation. Everything young grows old, all beauty fades, all heat cools, all brightness dims, and every truth becomes stale and trite. For all these things have taken on shape, and all shapes are worn thin by the working of time; they age, sicken, crumble to dust - unless they change. "But change they can, for the invisible spark that generated them is potent enough for infinite generation. No one should deny the danger of the descent, but it can be risked. No one need risk it, but it is certain that someone will. And let those who go down the sunset way do so with open eyes, for it is a sacrifice which daunts even the gods. Yet every descent is followed by an ascent, the vanishing shapes are shaped anew, and a truth is valid in the end only if it suffers change and bears new witness in new images." (C.G. Jung, Collected Works Volume 5: Symbols of Transformation) This is Octavia, in a few paragraphs. She’s never been afraid of the darkness, because she knows it is a part of the human experience, and a part of the cycle of life. To rise one must fall. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It is all a part of the same theme that’s been her defining story arc: change and metamorphosis. It’s no coincidence that Octavia’s story is filled with metaphorical allusions to this - butterflies, her symbol, appear in 1x02 and 6x09 as metaphors for her own metamorphosis. Niylah gifts her with Ovid’s Metamorphoses in 5x02, where Octavia reads out the first line “I intend to speak of forms changed into new entities.” Her constant jump from one nickname or title to another. The Girl Under the Floor. Sky Girl. Skairipa. Osleya. Blodreina. All symbols of her change and evolution, moreso than any other character on this show. So what does all this mean heading into season 7, in terms of what I think is to come? In one of JRoth’s interviews today (the Fandom piece), he says that Octavia’s experience on the other side of the Anomaly “changes her” and that her story with “time misbehaving” allows them to “really evolve that character”. Now, for a character whose entire arc on the show has been one of constant transformation and change, these comments seem a bit odd. Octavia’s changing and evolving, must be Tuesday, right? (Or Wednesday, in this case.) What’s new and revolutionary about that? It could end up just being the regular change and evolve that Octavia’s been through each season. But maybe it is something different. Taking JRoth’s comments into consideration with Marie’s earlier comments about Octavia “finding her peace in a place you’ve never seen her before”, maybe she’s changing in a way we haven’t seen before. With this new season opening up all sorts of possibilities with other worlds and possibly parallel universes and who knows what else - perhaps the only change left for her to have is to evolve past the limitations of her current human form, to transubstantiate and transcend humanity into something completely new and different. Would that be the logical final evolution of her character, or a corruption of the most human character on the show? I’m not sure myself. But today’s reading of these new interviews and articles are at least making me hopeful and optimistic for a story that I could be happy with in this final season. So I’m going to choose to have faith. Maybe not necessarily in the showrunners, or the writers, but I do have faith in Octavia Blake. She is a force of nature to be reckoned with, and I trust her ability (and that of Marie playing her) to transcend whatever bullshit might happen to be able to reach a satisfying conclusion to her story, a conclusion that is true to the character and spirit of our beloved Octavia Blake.

[mxenigmatic]

2020’s Self Care Books for Trying Times

With Covid-19 a global pandemic that is still lingering in the air, and keeping our connections at a social distance, added how here at NYPL our librarians miss the frequent interactions with our patrons, I was contemplating on ways to keep our reading connected, our souls warm, and our health having its self care. Before google, I’d rely on the plethora of information our branches hold on any challenge in life I’d be facing. Now with a myriad of problems we can tackle, and resources we can all use to improve our lives, I wanted to tackle grounding and elevating ourselves to cope with our surroundings, than advice I can provide on financial, relationship, life goals, etc.

In this blog “2020’s Self Care Books 4 Trying Times” I’ve comprised my 20 favorite titles for the year 2020 on wellness, people’s journeys, and how health experts can help guide us to a calm and vibrant place for our wellbeing. From parenting tips, to self acceptance, coping with a mental health disorder, or even self care rituals, the need for healthy habits is a topic we all can relate and rely on to keep us striving through this winter, and being united through our current unstable climate. We should never be ashamed of our experiences, asking for help, and addressing challenges in our lives to be at peace with our pasts, content with our present, and hopeful about our futures.

What is Self-care, according to very well mind, describes a conscious act one takes in order to promote their own physical, mental, and emotional health. There are many forms self-care may take. It could be ensuring you get enough sleep every night or stepping outside for a few minutes for some fresh air.

What is mindfulness? Mindfulness refers to being in the moment. This means feeling what our bodies feel, letting ourselves think without judging our thoughts, and being aware of our environment. It is about paying attention on purpose to both what is happening inside and outside of you.

ADULT

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

Topics: Professional Development, Success, Psych Evaluation

One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated readers for nearly three decades. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators and parents—millions of people of all ages and occupations. Now, this 30th anniversary edition of the timeless classic commemorates the wisdom of the 7 habits with modern additions from Sean Covey. The 7 habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work!With Sean Covey's added takeaways on how the habits can be used in our modern age, the wisdom of the 7 habits will be refreshed for a new generation of leaders.

Stay Positive: Encouraging Quotes and Messages to Fuel Your Life With Positive Energy by Jon Gordon

Topics: Self Help, Affirmations, Optimism

Stay Positive is more than a phrase. It's an approach to life that says when you get knocked down, you'll get back up and find a way forward one faithful step and optimistic day at a time. Start your day with a message from the book, or pick it up anytime you need a mental boost. You can start from the beginning, or open the book to any page and find a message that speaks to you. The book is a go-to resource for anyone wanting to inject a healthy dose of positivity into their life

$9 Therapy: Semi-Capitalist Solutions to Your Emotional Problems by Megan Reid and Nick Greene

Topics: Life Skills/Hacks, Self Care Rituals, Budgeting

A collection of the authors' favorite life hacks and mini-upgrades, such as craft cocktails on the cheap or tips for a perfectly planned staycation. Sometimes it takes as little as nine dollars to turn your life around. How to find simple pleasures in a pricey, wellness-obsessed world.

You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas

Topics: Astrology, Self Acceptance

A revolutionary empowerment book that uses astrology as a tool for self-discovery, success, and self-care from the beloved astrologer Chani Nicholas, a media darling with a loyal following of one million monthly readers.

TEEN

Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Adolescents by Matthew Brensilver

Topics: Mindfulness, Educational Guides, Learning Disabilities, Reflections

Effectively sharing mindfulness with teenagers depends on distinct skill sets . . . done well, it is incredibly joyous." Matthew Brensilver, JoAnna Hardy and Oren Jay Sofer provide a powerful guide to help teachers master the essential competencies needed to successfully share mindfulness practices with teens and adolescents. Incorporating anecdotes from actual teaching, they blend the latest scientific research with innovative, original techniques for making the practices accessible and interesting to this age group. This text is an indispensable handbook for mindfulness instruction in its own right, and a robust companion volume for teachers using The Mindful Schools Curriculum for Adolescents

The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color by Virgie Tovar

Topics: Self Esteem, Plus Size Positivity, Hygiene

Every day we see body ideals depicted in movies, magazines, and social media. And, all too often, these outdated standards make us feel like we need to change how we look and who we are. The truth is that many teens feel self-conscious about their bodies and being a teen girl of color is hard in unique ways. So, how can you start feeling good about yourself when you're surrounded by these unrealistic, and problematic images of what bodies are "supposed" to look like? This book is an unapologetic guide to help you embrace radical body positivity. You'll identify and challenge mainstream beliefs about beauty and bodies; celebrate what makes you unique and powerful; and build real, lasting body empowerment. You'll also learn how to spot diet culture and smash your noisy inner critic so you can start loving your body. It's time to create your own definition of beautiful and recognize that your body is amazing. It's time for a self-love revolution!

Out!: How To Be Your Authentic Self by Miles McKenna

Topics: Coming Out, Self Acceptance, Family Dynamics

Activist Miles McKenna came out on his YouTube channel in 2017, documenting his transition to help other teens navigate their identities and take charge of their own coming out stories. From that wisdom comes Out!, the ultimate YA guide to the queer lifestyle. Find validation, inspiration, and support for your questions big and small--whether you're exploring your identity or seeking to understand the experience of an awesome queer person in your life."

Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir by Tyler Feder

Topics: Grief Counseling, Coping with terminal illness, Bereavement. Family Estrangement

Tyler Feder shares her story of her mother's first oncology appointment to facing reality as a motherless daughter in this frank and refreshingly funny graphic memoir.

Superpowered: Transform Anxiety Into Courage, Confidence, and Resilience by Renee Jain and Dr. Shefali Tsabary

Topics: Health, Fitness, Selt Esteem.

The perfect tool for children facing new social and emotional challenges in an increasingly disconnected world! This how-to book from two psychology experts—packed with fun graphics and quizzes—will help kids transform stress, worry, and anxiety

Teen Guide to Mental Health by Don Nardo

Topics: Teens, Mental Health, Body Image, Puberty

Todays teens face and are expected to deal with a wide array of personal, social, and other issues involving home-life, school, dating, body image, sexual orientation, major life transitions, and in some cases physical and mental problems, including eating disorders and depression. This volume examines how many teens have learned to cope with and survive these often stressful trials and tribulations of modern youth.

KIDS

Turtle Boy by Evan Wolkenstein

Topics: Social Life, Friends, Relationships, School Stress

Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. His science teacher finds out about the turtles he spent his summer collecting from the marsh behind school an orders him to release them back into the wild. And for his Bar Mitzvah community service project, he has to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. Unfortunately, Will hates hospitals. At first, the boys don't get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster, go to a concert and a school dance, swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with his turtles. But as RJ's disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his new friend's behalf before it's too late. It seems like an impossible mission, way outside Will's comfort zone. But as he completes each task with RJ's guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell.

How To Make A Better World: For Every Kid Who Wants To Make A Difference by Keilly Swift

Topics: Activism, Human Rights, Organizing

If you are a kid with big dreams and a passion for what is right, you're a world-changer in the making. There's a lot that can be changed by just one person, if you know what to do. Start by making yourself into the awesome person you want to be by learning all about self-care and kindness. Using those skills, work your way up to creating activist campaigns to tackle climate change or social injustice. This fun and inspiring guide to making the world a better place and becoming a good citizen is packed with ideas and tips for kids who want to know how to make a difference. From ideas as small as creating a neighborhood lending library to important ideas such as public speaking and how to talk about politics, How to Make a Better World is a practical guide to activism for awesome kids.

All About Anxiety by Carrie Lewis

Anxiety. It's an emotion that rears its head almost every day, from the normal worries and concerns that most of us experience, to outright fear when something scary happens, to the anxiety disorders, that many kids live with daily. But what causes anxiety? And what can we do about it? All About Anxiety tackles these questions from every possible angle. Readers will learn what's going on in their brain and central nervous system when they feel anxious. They'll learn about the evolutionary reasons for fear and anxiety and that anxiety isn't always a bad thing--except for when it is! Most importantly, kids will discover new strategies to manage their anxiety so they can live and thrive with anxiety

Dictionary for a better world: poems, quotes, and anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham

Topics: Inspiration, Self Help, Advice

Organized as a dictionary, entries in this book for middle-grade readers present words related to creating a better, more inclusive world. Each word is explored via a poem, a quote from an inspiring person, and a short personal anecdote from one of the co-authors, a prompt for how to translate the word into action, and an illustration".

I feel... meh by DJ Corchin

(E-book)Topics: Health, Fitness, Management

This series helps kids recognize, express, and deal with the roller coaster of emotions they feel every day. It has been celebrated by therapists, psychologists, teachers, and parents as wonderful tools to help children develop self-awareness for their feelings and those of their friends. Sometimes I feel meh and I don't want to play. I don't want to read and I have nothing to say. Sometimes you just feel...meh. You don't really feel like doing anything or talking to anyone. You're not even sure how you're feeling inside. Is that bad? With fun, witty illustrations and simple, straightforward text, I Feel...Meh tackles apathy—recognizing it as a valid emotion, while also offering practical steps to get you out of your emotional slump. It's the perfect way for kids—and adults—who are feeling gray to find some joy again!

Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino

Topics: Phobias, Relationships, Social Skills

Violet Shrink doesn't like parties. Or bashes, or gatherings. Lots of people and lots of noise make Violet's tummy ache and her hands sweat. She would much rather spend time on her own, watching the birds in her backyard, reading comics, or listening to music through her purple headphones. The problem is that the whole Shrink family loves parties with loud music and games and dancing. At cousin Char's birthday party, Violet hides under a table and imagines she is a shark gliding effortlessly through the water, looking for food. And at Auntie Marlene and Uncle Leli's anniversary bash, Violet sits alone at the top of the stairs, imagining she is a slithering snake way up in the branches. When Violet learns that the Shrink family reunion is fast approaching, she musters up the courage to have a talk with her dad. In this thoughtful story about understanding and acceptance, Violet's natural introversion and feelings of social anxiety are normalized when she and her father reach a solution together. Christine Baldacchino's warm text demonstrates the role imagination often plays for children dealing with anxiety, and the power of a child expressing their feelings to a parent who is there to listen. Carmen Mok's charming illustrations perfectly capture Violet's emotions and the vibrancy of her imagination. A valuable contribution to books addressing mental health."-- Provided by publisher.

Check out this link to a presentation by NYPL’s Children’s Librarians, Sarah West and Justine Toussaint on Mindfulness/Social-Emotional Self-Esteem Picture Book Spotlight. Featuring popular book titles in our database of the past few years promoting kids well beings!

Pre-2020 Books

Aphorism by Franz Kafka

Topics: Life Quotes, Recovery, Future Planning

For the first time, a single volume that collects all of the aphorisms penned by this universally acclaimed twentieth-century literary figure. Kafka twice wrote aphorisms in his lifetime. The first effort was a series of 109, known as the Zurau Aphorisms, which were written between September 1917 and April 1918, and originally published posthumously by his friend, Max Brod, in 1931. These aphorisms reflect on metaphysical and theological issues--as well as the occasional dog. The second sequence of aphorisms, numbering 41, appears in Kafka's 1920 diary dating from January 6 to February 29. It is in these aphorisms, whose subject is "He," where Kafka distills the unexpected nature of experience as one shaped by exigency and possibility."

This Book Loves You by PewDiePie

Topics: Life Skills, Inspiration, Food 4 Thought

A popular blogger shares humorous pieces of advice and positivity, including "Never forget you are beautiful compared to a fish" and "Every day is a new fresh start to stay in bed."

The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach To Living A Good Life by Mark Manson

Topic: Self Help, Happiness, Motivation

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger shows us that the key to being happier is to stop trying to be 'positive' all the time and instead become better at handling adversity. For decades we've been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. But those days are over. 'Fuck positivity, ' Mark Manson says. 'Let's be honest; sometimes things are fucked up and we have to live with it.' For the past few years, Manson--via his wildly popular blog--has been working on correcting our delusional expectations for ourselves and for the world. He now brings his hard-fought wisdom to this groundbreaking book. Manson makes the argument--backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes--that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to better stomach lemons. Human beings are flawed and limited--as he writes, 'Not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.' Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. This, he says, is the real source of empowerment. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties--once we stop running from and avoiding, and start confronting painful truths--we can begin to find the courage and confidence we desperately seek. 'In life, we have a limited amount of fucks to give. So you must choose your fucks wisely.' Manson brings a much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor. This manifesto is a refreshing slap in the face for all of us so we can start to lead more contented, grounded lives."

Zen Pencils: Cartoon Quotes From Inspirational Folks by Gavin Aung Than

Topics: Writing Development, Expression, Quotes

Gavin Aung Than, an Australian graphic designer turned cartoonist, started the weekly Zen Pencils blog in February 2012. He describes his motivation for launching Zen Pencils: I was working in the boring corporate graphic design industry for eight years before finally quitting at the end of 2011 to pursue my passion for illustration and cartooning. At my old job, when my boss wasn't looking, I would waste time reading Wikipedia pages, main biographies about people whose lives were a lot more interesting than mine. Their stories and quotes eventually inspired me to leave my job to focus on what I really wanted to do. The idea of taking these inspiring quotes, combining them with my love of drawing, and sharing them with others led to the creation of Zen Pencils.

By: @Mx.Enigma

She/They/Queen