#someone in the household is learning programming

[convelocity]

It's Tara. Of Waterdeep.

[low-sodium-sri-rachaa]

.

[topazadine]

Avoiding therapy speak in writing

I think we all know by now that therapy speak is irritating and unrealistic, especially if you are writing in a fantasy world that doesn't even have modern psychology.

Part of the reason that it is so annoying is that it is the definition of telling instead of showing: characters are just plainly informing us of their feelings rather than making us work for a better understanding. It's cheap and boring. Instead of making your characters seem like complex individuals with their own hangups and difficulties, they seem like plot points programmed to tell us things.

But obviously, you want to put these people in situations and have them talk about it! How do you do that without sounding maudlin? Here are some options.

Listen to real arguments/conversations

I cannot stress enough how important it is to listen to how actual real human beings talk to each other during heightened emotional states. They don't have to be nasty abusers, and they don't have to be perfect angels, just everyday people doing their normal thing.

Of course, I'd hope you're not seeing people argue all the time, but if you do happen to see it, listen carefully and notice how people actually address their problems. Think back to tough conversations that you have had, even if you wouldn't classify them as arguments. Consider how people acted and reacted to one another. Notice how normal humans talk about issues outside of therapy, even intelligent and emotionally evolved people.

I've had years of therapy, and even I do not talk in therapy ways about my issues when I'm talking to my family or friends. It just feels cheesy and fake outside of that particular setting - plus, it freaks other people out and can seem kind of manipulative. Try talking like that in a real conversation and see how uncomfortable it is. You'll understand why avoiding therapy speak is important.

Consider the character's own hangups

Just as everyone has their own unique speaking style and mindset, so do we all have our own argument styles. These are often informed by our pasts and upbringing; they are as varied as our own histories. However, there are a few different options.

Someone with a happy upbringing may be more assertive and willing to address their problems because they had that demonstrated to them as children.

A spoiled child will grow up to be a demanding adult who refuses to give any quarter.

Those who got yelled at a lot as children may shut down and fawn to avoid getting hurt.

Someone who grew up in a violent household may mimic that behavior and get incredibly aggressive when upset.

Individuals whose parents didn't teach them emotional regulation will lash out and get loud.

Manipulative people may stay very calm and gaslight the other person, or they may get hysterical to garner sympathy and make people focus on comforting them.

Someone who has gone to therapy may revert to their original argument style, or they may imperfectly apply what they have learned in a way that feels a bit unnatural. They may start out with rage, then force themselves to calm down through grounding techniques.

People who have been coached through previous emotional outbursts could demand a time out, then fail to actually calm themselves down.

Some may refuse to acknowledge they are upset and insist, in increasingly forceful terms, that they are fine.

Others may get quiet or crack a joke to ease the tension, but it doesn't really help.

Keep each confrontation short

IRL, emotional confrontations are generally not that long. They don't go on for hours and hours, though it can feel that way. No one is going on and on about their feelings and sharing every little detail of how they feel (at least not that I know of personally, maybe other people are different).

Even the worst arguments I have had, the real nexus of the argument was maybe an hour or two, though the fallout lasted much longer. I'd say there was an hour maximum of real, active confrontation, preceded or followed by hours/days/weeks of simmering frustration.

Why? Because arguments are exhausting. You don't have the energy for that in the heat of the moment. Yes, feuds and fights can last years, but each actual confrontation is short.

For longer, more serious issues, hash it out over a few sessions rather than all at once. It's rare to get everything out of the way immediately unless the characters already have a strong, loving relationship.

Show incongruencies

Especially for more reserved people, they will likely have their emotions leaking all over the place but won't actually say anything. As such, focus on body language while keeping the conversation more focused on the plot. For example, Character A might be crying but still trying to argue their point about whatever is going on.

Address physical complaints instead of emotional ones

In many cases, people will use "I'm tired" or "I didn't sleep well" or "I'm not feeling great" as shorthand for whatever is actually bothering them. It relieves pressure by not making them talk about upsetting matters while still addressing their discomfort in some form.

You should also consider the fact that some people can't connect physical sensations to feelings, so they may genuinely feel ill and not really understand why. This is especially common in people who can't emotionally regulate or have been through trauma.

For myself, I tend to somatize my feelings, so I might not feel upset, but I will feel physically sick. My stomach will hurt, my chest will get tight, or I'll get a headache, but my emotional state will seem calm. This isn't all that unusual, and many people experience this to different degrees.

As such, you can have your character say that their stomach hurts, or that they have a headache and can't discuss this anymore, or that they need to go lie down because they're dizzy. If we know they're relatively healthy, this can be a clue that they're getting overwhelmed but either cannot pinpoint their emotions or don't want to discuss them.

Let characters advance and retreat

A lot of the time, someone will address a scary emotion and then retreat again, sometimes over a period of hours, days, or even weeks. This is normal: most of us don't have the emotional fortitude to forge ahead through something difficult all in one go. Character A may say something vulnerable, then change the topic, laugh it off, say they're done discussing it, or even leave the situation.

Leave emotions partially unaddressed

Again, it's rare for someone to spill out everything they're feeling all in one go. As such, have Character A address the most important thing - or the least important, depending on their level of emotional maturity - and let it be done for then.

They might say their small piece, but when someone tries to probe deeper, they don't have an answer, or they get "stuck" on that one emotional level and cannot go further.

If Character B keeps pushing, then they may get incredibly upset and push back, or retreat.

Have Character B point out the feelings

Works especially well if the other character is a close companion or a parental figure. Often, people who know us really well will have better insight into our emotions than we do. Or, we might have good insight into our emotions but are still too afraid to open up. Having Character B point out the issue gives Character A grace to be more honest.

I can't tell you how many times I've been really upset, so I've distracted from the issue by getting angry about something completely different. Then, my mom will gently point out that I'm not actually crying about my new plastic cup being broken or whatever; I'm actually upset about XYZ. In that moment, I realize I've been caught out and admit that yes, that's what I'm really upset about.

Have Character A address it with a third character

Who among us hasn't gone to someone else to talk about our feelings? Having a third party serve as a sounding board is normal. Sometimes, Character A will feel such catharsis from this conversation that they don't address it as thoroughly with Character B.

Of course, you can use this to your advantage and create more tension if the third character gives bad advice or is biased.

Remember that just because the third party responded well does not mean that Character B does. You also have to avoid omniscience and remember that Character B wasn't privy to that conversation.

Have one confrontation be a stand-in for a larger one

I always think about the "The Iranian Yogurt Is Not the Issue" post when I think about this. Often times, things like not doing the dishes or whatever aren't actually the big deal: it's lack of boundaries, communication, or respect. A minor argument can be shorthand for a larger one that is too challenging for the characters to tackle.

This isn't just creating drama for the hell of it, though; it's about exploring the larger issues without making the characters lay it out on the table. A good reader will be able to see it's not about the Iranian Yogurt as long as you set up the relationship well.

Currently, I am writing a story where Uileac and his sister Cerie go to rescue Uileac's husband, Orrinir. On the way there, Uileac idly comments on how he wonders where a waterfall comes from because he's trying to distract himself from thinking about the fact that his husband is kidnapped and possibly dead.

Cerie, being pretty wound up too, starts arguing with him about it because she's like "why is this relevant? We're kind of too busy to think about geology right now!" Uileac gets annoyed at her for being so aggro, and she gets annoyed at him for being so irreverent. Both of them are upset about something completely different, but they're too scared and panicked to actually address that, so they release their frustrations by complaining about waterfalls.

Those bad vibes have to go somewhere, but neither of them are very good at talking about their feelings (though very good at stuffing them down). As such, they take the pressure off by sniping at one another. You've probably done this too, when you get into a dumb argument about something absolutely pointless because there's something you don't feel strong enough to discuss.

There's also the fact that if you're mad at someone about something but feel it's too stupid or petty to discuss, that frustration will leak out and everything else they do will annoy you, leading to a bunch of irrelevant arguments.

Use "reaffirmation" gestures

I talked about this in a different post, but after an argument, the "make up" stage doesn't always involve going "ohhh I forgive you" and big hugs and kisses, especially when the two characters aren't emotionally mature.

Instead, Character A makes gestures that reaffirm the relationship. This could be offering to do something Character B needs, making plans for later, or changing the topic to discuss something the other character cares about ("how are your cats doing?") etc.

Note that these "reaffirmation" gestures aren't the same as the cycle of abuse. This is more when two characters have had a difficult emotional conversation but aren't really sure how to continue being emotionally open, so they revert to something safer that still shows they care. They're not over-the-top gestures either, but more a special attention to something the other person loves. Knowing what the other person loves also demonstrates the depth of their relationship.

As always, I can't tell you what to do with your writing.

You are the crafter of your own story, and if you want people to talk like therapists for whatever reason, that's your choice. However, we want characters to feel like real people, and most real people don't lay it all out on the table every single time they're upset. If they do, they might be trauma vomiting, which is icky in and of itself.

Healthy communication isn't always perfect communication. People can have strong, loving relationships and still get things wrong - we're human. Having people calmly and rationally and easily talk about their feelings every single time is not only kind of boring, but it also feels weird, because unless we're primed to discuss those difficult topics and know we're perfectly safe, we're not going to do that.

People don't even do that in therapy, where they are paying for the service of talking about their feelings! Therapists also don't always do that IRL!

We're humans, and your characters need to feel like humans as well. That means letting them be imperfect communicators and using context clues rather than making them do all the work for the reader.

If you liked my advice, consider purchasing my book, 9 Years Yearning, for $3!

[celestica-1988]

An headcanon for every Tokyo Revengers character. Some are funny, other are not.

Mikey favorite holiday is Halloween cause he can eat as many sweets as he wants and nobody can tell him shit.

Draken secretly wants to go to a spa with Emma. Draken babysits Toman, Emma takes care of the Sano household and they need to rest. He gets flustered if he thinks about sharing a bed with her or taking a bath together at the offsprings.

Baji feeds stray cats and others animals. Animals are naturally drawn to him for some reasons.

Chifuyu likes to watch TV programs of plane crashes. He dreams to be a pilot and he wants to learn how to avoid situations like the ones in the programs.

Takemichi started reading and watching thrillers in the hope they help him sharpen his ability to investigate

Kazutora still has nightmares of his father beating his mother.

Mitsuya keeps himself updated on what is popular amongs kids so he can sew cool things to his sisters like clothes or stuffed animal.

Hakkai is secretly learning Italian since he loves the Godfather series.

Taiju favorite film is Shark Tale.

Pahchin sleeps cuddling his dog.

Pehyan reads scientific books so he can came up with more witty come backs on Pahchin brain.

Angry is really loved by the elderly people in his neighborhood because he's always ready to help them in any way despite his grumpy face. One of the grannies taught him the perfect recipe for ramen.

Smiley is an hardcore naruhina shipper and won't hesitate to fight if someone insults his otp.

When Mucho saw Sanzu for the first time he thought he seemed like a stray cat. That's why he approached him with food aka cheesecake.

Sanzu would like to fix his relationship with Senju but he doesn't know how. Senju is always with Takeomi and he hates Takeomi. He's also scared that if he stops checking on Mikey, even for a second, something bad will happen to him and Shinichiro would have died in vain.

Kisaki has an album of pics of Hinata that he took when she didn't notice.

Hanma really loves movies with a lot of action and comments loud every scene of violence saying what he would have done instead if he was the protagonist.

Kokonoi talks about his days and his thoughts to a framed pic of Akane. He feels like she's still with him.

Inui plays guitar and he's interested in spiritism.

Izana throws darts to a Karen Kurokawa pic pinned on the wall because she ruined his life and his relationship with Emma and Shinichiro.

Kakucho shaves his hair by himself. He's not comfortable with people touching his scar.

Shion is unexpectedly good with children. He's a bit chaotic but overall a good babysitter.

Mochi is really good at cooking and he's proud of it.

Rindou started going to the gym because he was tired of being teased for his chubby cheeks. His guilty pleasure is eating Mac Donald food.

Ran loves 70s lamps, the one with bubbles that are moving up and down inside. They help him sleep.

South loves to dance Latin dances like samba, cha cha cha, rumba etc...

Wakasa has got some fishing trophies in his apartment.

Benkei appears as a tough guy but he loves to sleep with plushies.

Shinichiro has got an organizer that uses as his diary in which he writes his thoughts and notes all of his siblings birthdays.

Takeomi is always scolded by his relatives because of how he wasted his life, raised Haru to be a lunatic and ruined the relationship between Haru and Senju.

Hinata secretly trains in martial arts to help Takemichi, even though she knew he probably won't let her take part in a fight.

Emma often thinks at how good it would be if Izana lives with them. She wants him to have a family.

Yuzuha listen to heavy metal as a let out of her frustration for living with Taiju.

Senju sometimes wants to be adopted by Wakasa so she won't have Takeomi around and maybe Sanzu would visit her. She also hate Concordes.

[badwolfrose34]

My analysis of River Song (not River friendly)

This essay has been brewing in my mind for awhile. If you don’t want to see anti River content, please keep scrolling. I understand that since Doctor Who is a work of fiction, fans have the right to differing interpretations and to invoking literary license. However, I do want fans who are like me and icked out by River to feel validated. What follows is a pretty unreserved criticism of the character and her relationship with the Doctor.

First, I’m going to break down River from a psychological perspective. Note that I am not a licensed psychologist, but I did graduate with a degree in general psychology. I’m also going to explain some of the many instances that she proves herself to be an incredibly toxic person.

River Song was raised to be a psychopath. That’s an indisputable fact mentioned clearly in the show. Psychopathy is known in the psychology world as Anti Social Personality Disorder (ASPD). ASPD can be managed, but it has no cure. Could it be argued that River sees an off screen therapist? Sure. However, ask yourself if you can see River Song going to therapy?

Not only that, but River has no ordinary case of ASPD. She wasn’t just raised in an abusive or unsafe household, she was cut off from society during her critical formational years. Most cases of ASPD involve people who grew up in challenging households, but they did have interaction with society at large. I don’t know of any case studies surrounding people with ASPD who were cut off from society in their formational years, but doing some research on “feral children” will allow you to read examples of what happens to children raised away from society.

The case I know the most about is that of Oxana Malaya. You can google her for more. She was quite literally raised by dogs. And she required intense inpatient treatment to unlearn her dog like mannerisms. Even then, she always had a level of intellectual impairment.

Because River was specifically raised to have ASPD, she learned language abilities and was socialized on how to BEHAVE like a person capable of love and empathy and friendship, but she never was capable of these things. She was raised to put on an act to be able to get to the doctor and kill him. She was never capable of anything more.

Even if River saw an off screen therapist, she was never institutionalized, as would’ve been required for her to truly function as a healthy person in any possible way. She couldn’t have just shrugged off her programming. Why did she save the Doctor and give up her regenerations? It couldn’t have been guilt or remorse, but she could’ve developed co morbid Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), which is a common disorder to co occur with ASPD. The narcissism would’ve created within her a need for supply. Supply meaning, a boost to the narcissists ego. Narcissists are not capable of genuine empathy and love, but they are capable of seeking supply in the form of impacting other people’s emotions. And what better source of supply for one’s ego than the last known member of one of the most powerful races known to the universe?

When River decided to undo her murder and save the Doctor, it starts off with a completely nonconsensual kiss. This is a pretty fitting start to a relationship that progresses into a forced marriage.

River then continues to force unwanted innuendos on the Doctor. Probably implying they were intimate just to make the Doctor feel obligated to be intimate with her eventually. This is despite Matt Smith confirming in an interview that his Doctor is asexual. He could be demi or grey sexual, I’ll admit that possibility, but River insists on forcing her hyper sexuality on him at any and all stages in his timeline knowing they wouldn’t be welcome. I should note that hyper sexuality can be a symptom of ASPD. It’s not cute or fun. If River was simply a sexually liberated character, she would not be forcing her innuendos on someone who does not want them. Especially not in the earlier parts of his timeline.

River flounces around feeling and acting entitled to the Doctor’s attention if and when she wants it. When she wants it, he’s expected to come running. Then she disappears when she wants to. Creating a masterfully manipulative cycle of hot and cold emotional abuse. When he loses Amy and Rory, she refuses to travel with him. Leaving him emotionally vulnerable and at her beck and call when and if she feels like using him.

Audio dramas are too numerous to declare as universal canon. I think most fans pick and choose which parts of the extended universe count as canon to them. But in the Dalek Universe series, River appears for one episode where she physically abuses the Doctor. She hits him so hard that he is crying out in pain. And then she gaslights him by telling him it was just a little tap. Now, it’s perfectly valid not to count this moment as canon. But it’s extremely consistent with River’s character and I am personally going to use it against her. Especially since I did see another post somewhere bring up the fact that she did the same thing to the fifth Doctor in another audio.

Finally, the worst part of River’s abuse is the forced marriage. The first time the Doctor meets her, she convinces him that he eventually marries her. But he clearly can’t stand her. He doesn’t want anything to do with her. But now he feels as though he’s obligated to marry her. At first he hopes it’s something that can be changed. Saying that time can be rewritten when Amy asks if he marries River. Right up until the forced wedding he tells River he doesn’t want to marry her. But because she convinced him he does marry her in the library, and because nothing else is convincing River to save the universe, he gives in and gives her what she wants. Assuming it’s the only way to keep the universe from falling apart.

Now, I do understand that anyone who loved the Doctor would not want to bring back a timeline where he died. But River was already willing to start considering it just because he agreed to marry her. Because she got what she wanted and because she got the satisfaction of seeing her manipulations succeed. The Doctor couldn’t even get close enough to her to tell her his plan at first, but she was willing to let him come close to her just because he married her. River valued marriage to the Doctor more than the Doctor’s life.

I know it’s commonly believed among River fans that he only kept his distance because he saw her die. But Remember he couldn’t stand her long before that. He never liked her until he thought he was supposed to. No doubt seeing her die cemented his desire to keep a distance from her. But the point is he did keep a distance from her. He never got close to her and he never wanted to. But River always refused to respect this. She saved him so he could belong to her. So he could be her property.

No doubt the Doctor did develop a level of care and responsibility for her. Because he was a person capable of empathy and remorse. And any target of this kind of emotional abuse will develop some sort of attachment. But he was never in love with her. River herself knew this, but she had to convince herself he never loved anyone. But he did. We know for a fact he was in love with Rose. We know he loved friends like Donna platonically. But he didn’t love River. Nor should he have.

Update: I thought I’d also share the official diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I’m not qualified to diagnose real people since I only have a bachelor’s degree in psychology. But fictional characters, I will. It’s established canon River has Anti social personality disorder (the official term for psychopathy and sociopathy) so I won’t bother trying to prove my point there. But I do believe she is a narcissist as well.

In the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), [1] NPD is defined as comprising a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by the presence of at least 5 of the following 9 criteria:

A grandiose sense of self-importance: River has this in spades.

A preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love: The Doctor is definitely her ideal love fantasy

A belief that he or she is special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people or institutions I would say this is another yes

A need for excessive admiration Definitely

A sense of entitlement 1000% she constantly feels entitled to the Doctor dropping everything for her.

Interpersonally exploitive behavior absolutely

A lack of empathy very much so

Envy of others or a belief that others are envious of him or her not sure about this one. I don’t recall any instances of this.

A demonstration of arrogant and haughty behaviors or attitudes any time she’s on screen this is a yes

I might make a separate post on narcissism specifically. And I might give more specific examples at that point. But fellow River loathers, this is pretty solid evidence that she’s a narcissist and a psychopath. Diagnostic criteria only stipulates that 5 of these traits be met. River definitely meets 8 of them. I should note that most psychologists and psychiatrists like to see that these traits apply to more than one aspect of a person’s life for a diagnostic. And with River it’s hard to establish that since her character almost completely revolves around the Doctor. BUT if just one person really wants solid evidence against her, let me know. I might be willing to put myself through an audio story or something that features her away from the Doctor.

[windvexer]

But considering then that maybe one should learn a form of banishing, just in case, but doesn't relate to the golden down practices, what could be a practice of banishing that is more connected to witchcraft ?

We are in reference to this ask about whether or not the LBRP is required learning for all sorcerers & practitioners (it is not).

Someone asked me for my opinions and I'm giving them! Please understand this to be a post full of my personal opinions and methods.

I think a fine way to regard any practical sorcery is to consider it to be a mundane action extended into the spirit world.

Therefore the best way for a witch to deal with banishment is to ask what you if you were in a nice Studio Ghibli anime where magic is tangible. If a rambunctious pig spirit were tearing through your house, knocking over furniture, what would you do?

Banish for your needs based on what you have. Any banishment spell is better than no banishment spell. Here are a few for the intrepid witch:

Ask It To Leave

This is a good starting operation, especially if you have ethical concerns. Especially helpful for troublesome household spirits and energies.

Go to where It is. If that is not possible, create a sympathetic image (drawing, sigil, poppet, etc.; then correctly consecrated*).

Speak to the image and tell it firmly and sternly to leave. Do not ask, do not show your belly. "You have got to stop coming to morning meetings, Greg. You have better things to do and you are not helping. I am sick and tired of hearing you before lunch, Greg. Stop doing it."

Open the Door and Smack It With a Broom

Another good starting operation, but you must have access to the location; best reserved for spirits or intruders.

Open all the doors and windows you can. Speak a prayer over the broom, vacuum, or mop; invite it to cast off its lampshade and glow with the vigor of four hundred generations of exasperated grandmothers.

Sweep out the house, all the while staying intent on the idea that the intruder is going to be chased out.

Close doors and windows after, as desired.

(Modifications on the above: blessed water in a spray bottle, rolled up newspaper swatting the air, and so forth; the studious witch will observe that if a place is consecrated to be other than what it is, things on other strands of fate can be swept away.)

Cast Dispel Magic (wizard 3 abjuration)

A fine early step, but it draws a line in the sand. It's more like a temporary ward, but it'll do in a pinch. It's also energy intensive, but requires no materials.

Using energy work, root yourself down into the earth. Call up a great deal of power from the earth into your body.

Coalesce a ball of power in your abdomen (or wherever suits you best; you must already know how to work energy in this matter to use this method).

In your preferred method, program the energy to be immensely banishing; envisioning ultraviolet flame can work well.

Expand the ball of energy outwards from your center so that it grows and eclipses the space around you, sending the unwanted thing out and away.

If possible, then work the far boundary of the energy sphere to become like a wall that can't be crossed over again.

Call the Magistrate

Not so harsh, but certainly drawing a line in the sand. This can be performed not only on spirits or intruders, but also on situations (to banish unfair treatment, etc), on people, and so forth.

Take one or three dried Bay Laurel leaves, or the equivalent crumbled. Say, think, or sign, "Bay Laurel, I call you here today to assist with removing an unwanted force."

Read over them the Orphic Hymn to the Sun, all the while envisioning that the leaves begin to glow with an immensely bright light, as if you're staring at the sun.

At the completion of the hymn, politely address the leaves and explain to them exactly what you would like chased away. Ensure you clarify if this thing may come back later, or never at all, and how far away from you it should go.

When you've said you part, seal the spell (classically, "as my will, so mote it be").

Use charcoal disks or your preferred method to burn the leaves. This should be done as close as possible to the thing intended to be banished. If burning is not an option, put them in some tap water and boil it on the stove until the scent diffuses.

(To further energize: read the hymn between three and nine times, each time following up with fervent prayers)

Call the Mob

Harsh. For use when you do not want to be polite. Can be directed at anything, but be sure there is no concern of behavior escalating; this is an aggravating spell.

Take one or three dried red peppers, or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Say, think, or sign, "Red Peppers, I call you here today to assist with removing an unwanted force."

Read over them the Orphic Hymn to Mars, all the while envisioning that the peppers ignite into a black and scarlet flame that's like hellfire.

At the completion of the hymn, rambunctiously address the peppers and explain to them exactly what you'd like chased away. Encourage the peppers to chase after the thing like the baying hounds of hell, to chase it to the ends of the earth, and past the earth, and so far away that the thing cannot be returned.

When you've said you part, seal the spell (classically, "as my will, so mote it be").

You should not burn the peppers at all unless you can do so outside, because breathing in pepper smoke is Bad. But fire greatly improves this operation. If possible, arrange the peppers around a candle and burn the candle to activate the spell. Otherwise, use the simmer pot method.

---

*Consecrated: In this context, to assign a new magical identity, purpose, and fate. This may be done organically during its creation, or all at once with a ritual. A poppet shouldn't be used in sympathetic magic until it has been magically given the true identity of the thing you want it to represent.

[da-shrimping-station]

thinking about the OM cast with an Asian MC who is strict about using honorifics no matter what

for us Asians, that shit's programmed and taught to us since day 1 and even if they're in Hell, i don't think an Asian MC will let that go so easily 😭 not to mention everyone is technically their elder so politeness in thrown in the mix too

the brothers would be so confused and weird about it cuz??? they have names, they're chill with MC calling them by name and not to mention they live under the same roof

why would they insist on being so formal and call them Sir???

Lucifer, Diavolo, and Barbatos would find it funny and a little bit endearing.

Diavolo is amused and is happy to hear him being addressed in another way other than 'your highness'

Barbatos thinks you shouldn't call him sir at all but is glad that you at least have manners.

Lucifer also thinks you shouldn't call him sir, but hey at least someone in the household outwardly respects him 😭

The rest of the brothers would be very shocked and would actively dissuade you from calling them sir. Asmo especially. Tho I can imagine Mammon and Leviathan being so flustered.

As for the angels, Simeon somewhat understands but gently reminds you to call him by his name. Luke tripped on nothing when he was called sir the first time.

The only one who would really get it is Solomon. But he would actively convince you to call him something more casual instead. Like big brother or whichever honorific for an older man that implies closeness. Call him uncle and he dies a little inside whenever he hears it. He is in utter disbelief.

Once they learn how it all works, it's a race on who gets to the most intimate/affectionate form of honorific first.

For Filipinos, it can go from Sir to Tito (uncle) or Kuya/Manong (big brother). And to take it a step further there's the never-ending terms for best friend (bes, beshie, beb, babs, tol, pare, mare, bff, lab, etc (i swear we come up w something new every year for it))

And then there's also the ultimate form of closeness: bestowing a nickname for them.

At this point, once Asian MC does away with the honorifics and sticks to the nicknames, you could say they're pretty damn close.

This is also the time when they better be afraid when MC calls them by their actual names. You're in biiiiig trouble. What color do you want your casket to be?

"Lulu, did you eat lunch today?"

"..."

"Lucifer, don't make me ask again."

"Shit."

Thank you for coming to my Tedtalk 🦐

[gece-misin-nesin]

I hope it’s ok if I rant a little about MHA because your post about Endeavor walking free reminded me of how detrimental some of the messages MHA can be. (I’ll try not to write much, feel free to delete this tho!)

It is so frustrating how the story doesn’t linger enough on the weight killing people that have yet to commit a crime, people that are a threat to the status quo, holds.

Sometimes I legit feel insane because people will be saying things like, “He could be a threat, so of course they should kill him.” And then talk about Deku and class 1A “changing the world for the better,” when the series doesn’t care to unpack its systematic issues past individual issues + the series essentially maintained the system that failed so many—resorting to reforms and expanding programs doesn’t actually solve the problem imo.

And it’s so hard nowadays to even try to have a conversation that entails criticism of the story, when so many fans fall for the condescending righteousness the story feeds as a response just because it came from heroes. Even though the story itself presents reasons why we shouldn’t blindly trust heroes (Endeavor literally right there) 🤦

Like, the story presents characters being oppressed and the ultimate response to their plight is constantly, “Just be a better victim.” The whole situation with Touya and Endeavor + what Deku says to Touya, is absolutely insane to me.

It made me sick to see people saying, “This is what Touya always wanted.” This is what people are taking away from the story, when many people who grew up being abused and didn’t fit the “perfect victim” criteria will tell you how fucked up that ending was.

Anyway, sorry for ranting. It’s so hard to find people who understands criticism in the MHA fandom 😭 The story has a lot of good points and potential, Hori just couldn’t handle it properly.

I am ALWAYS happy to listen to bnha rants!! I devour the bnha critical tag like a wild beast lmaoo

As for your thoughts, 100% agree. I feel like a big part of the problem is that the story spends so much time setting up systematic issues and then just..drops them? Acts like they don't exist? And instead it redirects all blame and reason to indovidual problems, like Endeavor for example. Touya became a villain because of Endeavor..but the conditions under which he became a villain could have been massively prevented if the ranking system didn't exist and if so much value hadn't been placed on it. Or if the wealth and privilege that being a hero had brought to Endeavor hadn't let people turn a blind eye to his bullshit. Because are you really telling NO ONE had even an inclination that something was wrong in that household? Really?

This also applies to Tomura. In the beginning The Walk where he spent some amount of time on the streets without anyone helping him seemed very important to his backstory. He didn't become a villain just because his father was a pos, he becane a villain because the state of heroism led to a society that glorified heroes to such an extent that people didn't help a bloody kid on the street because a 'hero would'. But instead most of his memories Deku interferes w are about the Shimura household instead of the very important bystander syndrome. And THEN to top it all off, we learn the stupid 'AFO orchestrated Tomura's whole life' thing. I cannot find the right words to express just how much I loathe that.

Anyway, Touya and Tenko are just two examples. Overall, the story chooses to resolve individual problems (and how well even those are resolved is certainly debatable) and frame them as the leading causes of villainy when its mostly systemic issues that cause it and then act like there were no systemic issues in the first place. I mean, literally no one has a problem with the HPSC casually having private assassins to commit extrajudicial murder, so. Guess Nagant should have just been "optimistic" and waited for someone to, idk, topple the literal government.

[delulu-with-wandanat]

International Affair

Welcome to my shameless self-insert series🤭 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Last

Reader Description: Masculine style, They/He, AFAB, International Student, 20 Years Old. Sometimes will be describe using masculine terms (man, boy, handsome, etc)

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff x InternationalStudent!Reader

Warnings: Specified age gap (Wanda is 34).

Summary: For their summer break, Y/n decided to spend it in a little town called Westview. It was there when they met Wanda Maximoff. A woman in her 30s with two kids, who seems to be attracted to the college student despite being married.

New York University's tuition was fucking ass. It really is, at a whopping $64,000 tuition fee per year. And that's only the tuition fee, the total estimate of studying in NYU plus living cost was probably over $90,000. Exactly it's fucking insane. Despite receiving a sponsorship from their parent's good friend and also financial aid from NYU, he still needed to figure out how to pay it back.

Sometimes they feel like smacking their head for choosing to study in a city where it's known for its back bank breaking living cost. Can you blame him though? Those tall buildings, shining lights, bustling nightlife, sounds of gunshots, and a huge opportunity for a creative person such as themselves, along with a dash of capitalism. Y/n couldn't help but be fascinated. That American dream that he had been chasing since he saw the Devil Wears Prada.

It was now summer vacation. Instead of going home for the summer, Y/n decided to join this Homeshare Summer program. Basically an elderly person provides home for students to share during the summer. The benefits are plenty, but most notably, cheaper housing rent. His roommates also joined this program, together they sublease their apartment. Adding extra funds to their breaking bank account.

In return, the students must help their elderly host with basic domestic needs. Mostly light household tasks; preparing and sharing meals, tidying up, chores, walking a pet, etc.

Y/n ended up matching with someone in a small town called Westview somewhere in New Jersey. As much as he loves New York, he wanted to spend his summer somewhere else in America.

He matched with a lovely widow named Melina Vostokoff. He learned that she has 2 daughters, both whom are adults with their own respective career. She needed a companion, understandably so, and Y/n was more than happy to assist her in anyway she might need.

"Y/n." Melina called.

"Yes, Mrs. Vostokoff?" Y/n looked up from their laptop, they were sitting on the dinner table editing some footage.

"Oh dear, please, I told you to call me Melina."

"Sorry, Melina. Force of habit." He said with a smile. "What's up?"

"Would you please send all this batches of cookies around the neighborhood? I already have a list of houses on where you can drop them." Melina is known for sharing batches of cookies for free around the neighborhood. Why? Out of kindness.

And also the fact that she loves baking, but ended up not being able to finish it all. So she shares them around the neighborhood.

"Sure, Melina! I'll do that right away."

So he sets of to drop off delicious dessert for Westview citizens. Melina had told them that this was a good chance to ask around for a summer job as well. Which is what he had initially planned to do anyway. Finally they reached the last house, Maximoff Household. They weren't so lucky with the other neighbors, but last one's a charm right? He rang the doorbell.

A person then opens the door. "Hello, I was just-" Holyfucking shit. This woman was absolutely gorgeous.

"May I help you?" She ask, god her voice is sexy.

"Uhhh..." Snap out of it! "Sorry! I'm Y/n, I'm the student staying over the summer at Mrs. Vostokoff. She told me to drop off her Bi-Weekly batches of cookies."

Wanda wasn't stupid, she noticed their nervousness and found it adorable. "Lovely to meet you, Y/n. I'm Wanda, Wanda Maximoff." She offered her hand.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Maximoff." He shook her hand.

"Do you go to Westview University?" She was rather intrigued by the younger one.

"No, ma'am. I actually go to NYU, I'm studying film production."

Wanda raised an eyebrow and smiled. "How impressive. Though I must ask, why choose to spend your summer here?"

Damn... her smile.

"Mainly a much cheaper living cost, other than that I figured It'll be good for me to explore other parts of America. New Jersey is not far so it's a good place to start."

"Ah, an International student I see. Is it one of those Homeshare programs?"

"It is!" The student beamed.

What a charming smile he has, Wanda thought to herself. "Say, how old are you, Y/n." She ask while leaning against the door frame, her tone was... rather flirty.

"Um... I'll be turning 21 this year." Wanda hummed at the answer. For what reason Y/n doesn't know either. "Here are your cookies, ma'am." Well shit, he was getting nervous again. Obviously, Wanda staring at him with a look he can't quite pin.

"Oh! Thank you, dear. My sons absolutely love Melina's cookies." She took the container from them.

"Well that's no surprise, I could live off from those cookies alone." They said while laughing lightly. "So I take it you've lived here for a while?"

"Yes, I've lived here for years with my twin boys and husband." Damn it, they thought. "Anything you would like to know?"

"Yes actually! I've been looking for a summer job, but I haven’t had any luck."

"Well, lucky for you, a friend of mine who owns the Cafe in town is looking for a new Barista. She just recently opened the position."

"That's great news! Thank you so much for letting me know, Mrs. Maximoff." They said with a smile, Wanda had another idea in mind.

"However, I think they're only offering part-time. If you're looking for some extra work, I may need a few... help around the house. Would you be interested?" She asked with a devilish smile.

Y/n, being too excited at the possibility of finally landing a job, failed to notice the flirty undertone in Wanda's sentence. "Absolutely!"

"Splendid! Come over to my house tomorrow and we'll discuss the details."

"I will see you tomorrow, Mrs. Maximoff. Thank you again!" The young man said with a bright smile, he started walking backwards onto the sidewalk.

"See you tomorrow, Y/n." Once they turned their backs on her, Wanda bit her lip. She had multiple things in mind for Y/n to help her with.

I did a quick research on the law of international students working in the US. I didn't get into detail but it basically said yes but there are restrictions. So ignore the actual laws, and y'know just - whatever man it's a fanfic :') When I saw the estimated cost of studying in NYU i almost cried-

Also I hope you guys don’t mind I go with a more masculine reader for this one (i really want to be called a good boy by Wanda)

I hope the reader description doesn’t confuse you guys, if it does. Its ok, i self inserted myself and im very confused abt my gender-

[will80sbyers]

Holly Wheeler's room in season 5

We have a drawing of ballerinas (like if someone is getting Vecnad), one drawing of an owl (?) (owls in the background = bad omens theory) with a red balloon(?) like in IT and the one near the yellow I don't get exactly what it could be... She also has a blonde Barbie head that I feel like could be both because she's a kid that wants to play at being pretty and because for the symbolism it's an image of her mom I think

Lots of colours and happy vibes, she seems to be a very artistic kid, she also plays something (I think it's most likely a violin)

she loves rainbows, the plushie seems to be either a mouse or a bear but I'm leaning towards the mouse because she has the Fievel poster... I'm curious about that other smaller poster but I don't know what it could be about...

Then we also had this side of her room with the Alf poster

Alf is an alien that "likes to eat cats and comment on the stupidity of humanity" apparently... Demodog/Henry related imo

Plot of the show from Wikipedia:

Gordon Shumway is an alien from the planet Melmac who follows an amateur radio signal to Earth and crash-lands into the garage of the Tanners, a suburban middle-class family who live in the San Fernando Valley area of California. The family consists of social worker Willie (Max Wright), his wife Kate (Anne Schedeen), their teenage daughter Lynn (Andrea Elson), younger son Brian (Benji Gregory), and pet cat Lucky. ( Holly Wheeler as a cat... lol )

Willie gives Gordon the nickname ALF ("Alien Life Form"), and, unsure what to do, the Tanners take ALF into their home to hide him from the Alien Task Force, a part of the U.S. military that specializes in aliens, and their nosy neighbors Trevor and Raquel Ochmonek (John La Motta and Liz Sheridan), until he can repair his spacecraft. Though his culture shock, survivor's guilt, and loneliness often cause problems for the Tanners, as well as their fear of what could happen if others were to discover his existence, they grow to care for and love him as a part of the family.

It is later revealed that ALF's home planet, Melmac, exploded due to nuclear war, leaving him and other survivors of his species without a home, and that he survived its destruction because he was away as part of the Melmac Orbit Guard. In the season one episode "Pennsylvania 6-5000", ALF tries to convince the President of the United States to stop the nuclear program, as he fears that Earth could suffer a similar fate to Melmac, though a misunderstanding causes the President and national security to call the FBI to arrest Willie.

Episodes dealt with ALF learning about Earth and making new friends both within and outside the Tanner family, including Willie's brother Neal (Jim J. Bullock), Kate's widowed mother Dorothy (Anne Meara), with whom ALF has a love-hate relationship, her boyfriend and later husband Whizzer (Paul Dooley), the Ochmoneks' nephew Jake (Josh Blake), the psychologist Larry (Bill Daily) and the blind woman Jody (Andrea Covell), who never learns of ALF's true nature, but does know through touch that he is short and hairy.

Changes occur in the Tanner household over the course of the series, including the birth of a new child, Eric, who was added to the series because Anne Schedeen was pregnant at the time; ALF moving from the laundry room to the attic, which he and Willie convert into an "apartment", and the death of Lucky in the season four episode "Live and Let Die", which ALF accepts despite having previously attempted to catch and eat him due to having come to love and respect him. When ALF adopts a new cat with the intention of eating it, he grows fond of it and allows the Tanners to adopt it.

(Maybe Henry grows fond of Holly and doesn't kill her because of that???)

In the 1996 movie Project ALF, which follows ALF after his capture by the USAF, the Tanners do not appear due to moving to Iceland.

and some books of foreshadowing that we analyzed previously, Peter Pan, A royal Pain, Nancy Drew and the secret of the old clock... which tbh seems all related to Henry and seeing that he will take Holly at one point it makes sense

These are the covers, it seems she's in the middle of reading the Nancy book because she has a bookmark there

An important note is that one of these books, A Royal Pain, talks about someone thinking they've been switched at birth with someone else, and this switched at birth idea gets also associated with Nancy in season 3 when she talks to her mom...

Then we have obviously the "Nancy" book with the clock being related to Vecna's clock and there's a mystery connected to this clock and then Peter Pan which Henry is sort of a dark version of that when he takes children away to a land where they stop growing........... 💀

people have already talked about this and also about Petergate (the name Peter gets repeated in the show SO many times) and the belief that there might be someone important to the story called Peter that we don't know about yet, or maybe that has been mentioned only once in season 4 aka Owens son that seems to be both dead and somehow, the military thinks he may be related to how Chrissy died so maybe he died in the same way as her?

Because they take his things and put this line in the show for some reason

[mwolf0epsilon]

Fun Mimic Fact of the Day: Mimics are a lot more intelligent than most people give them credit. Especially the zoologists who are adamant on defending the specialised animal vs folklore beast theory.

Sure, there is an argument to be had that some species of primates, octopi, dolphins and parrots are good examples of animals displaying higher problem solving capabilities, as well as an awareness of language and cooperation within an established "society/social group". Giving some credence to the hypothesis.

But these examples still lack the refinement and sense of awareness that a mimic displays when comfortable among humans.

This is what convinces those who work with mimics more personally that they are, in fact, fae and not mere animals. Especially when working in railways that are in favour of conservation efforts (the NWR being a prime example), or within households that have had one vehicle mimic for generations.

People who have a lot of contact with mimics (especially older/elderly ones), will notice mannerisms and actions that surpass basic animal intellect or even acts of mimicry.

Here are a few examples:

Charlie Sand and Sidney Hever participate in a children's reading program at the library. They have both witnessed Edward (who they loan to the library in his smaller form so that children with learning disabilities and speech impediments have the opportunity to read to him) not only speaking in clear English, but also read paragraphs when the child that is meant to be reading to him can't seem to pronounce the words.

Sir Topham Hatt has watched Glynn work the kettle and prepare himself tea, as well as help himself to the radio when he's had to work from home.

The station-masters have noticed that, whenever they forget to feed the various cats that linger around the various stations around the island, someone comes in and does it for them (leaving behind a trail of opened cat food bags and cans). They can't be sure, but they have their suspicions that Gordon might be the one picking up their slack, because the cats all come to greet him when he comes by as if he were one of them.

The Duke and Duchess of Boxford once gave Spencer some old newspapers for him to entertain himself (thinking he'd just rip them up and roll around on the shredded paper) only to find someone had filled in all the crosswords and cut out sections of the funnies or interesting articles.

Hiro appears to know sign language. At the very least, he seems to use his paws to make very defined gestures when interacting with his crew. Whether or not this is a form of mimic dialect or Japanese sign language is currently unknown, since very few people on Sodor knows how to speak Japanese much less know JSL.

Mimics who participated in the war efforts both recognize and understand military slang and morse code. Flying Scotsman appears to be in the habit of using morse code to grumble about British Rail's incompetence, something which seems to amuse the occasional veteran that take his train to Vicarstown.

[mothica-mothica]

Halo reach survival au bc yes

Tw: severe injuries, suicidal ideation, nightmares, grief.

Oh hey look I'm not posting about sonic the hedgehog? Whaaaatt

Anyway here we go

Carter

You know how the pelican exploded? Yeah I gave him hearing damage. He has hearing aids.

His face was covered by his arms, but he does have scarring on his neck from being kersploded.

Just to make it more depressing, his normal calm and collected attitude is an actual farce.

He lives in constant agony. Mental and physical.

"Its all falling apart. "

He's a bartender during the night.

Six and Kat are regulars.

He lives with Kat and jun.

He turns his hearing aids down when there's an argument between the ex members of Noble. He doesn't break up the issues anymore.

He's learned ASL.

Kat

Frequent nightmares.

Works from home, as a Software developer.

Her injuries were minimal.

She often stops talking in the middle of conversations. Especially with carter.

"It should've been me."

She makes a habit of drawing random devices she wants to build.

Often salvages things she finds in the dumpster.

She learned sign language for Carter because when he was still in the hospital he couldn't hear well.

Also ignores any arguments between ex members.

Jun

Works as a recruiter for the spartan IV program.

Asks Carter for advice when he doesn't know how to deal with the recruit's.

Isn't home very much, but he takes care of his fair share of rent.

He's the most mentally sound of all the members.

He wasn't hurt at all on reach, only emotionally fucked this time.

When he gets home, he likes to do mundane tasks before he inevitably collapses on his bed.

Emile

He ate liquid foods until his stomach was completely healed.

Has a large scar from the wound in question.

Had a blood transplant.

Lashes out at Jorge quite often. Once he even called him 'weak' because he couldn't come to terms with what happened.

Is the main source of team infighting.

Six beat the hell out of him in a fit of rage because he lashed out and blamed her for everyone's injuries.

He lives with six and Jorge. The three are pretty close now.

He's not trying to be antagonistic, but he wants revenge, something to punch, someone to blame. That's what he's used to.

He's yelled at carter before. But Carter just stood there and turned down his hearing aids.

Often crying in his room.

"I've lost everything...."

Jorge

Still the same gentle giant as before, big and cuddly.

Six sees him as a father figure, they’re often found curled up on the couch.

He doesn't understand why Emile won't quit antagonizing the household.

He's trying to go home. He wants to go home.

Spends a lot of time baking. Works as a baker in a coffee shop.

Often making food and dropping off where jun works.

"I wish I could sleep forever."

Six

Her heart has been replaced.

She's got a bionic arm.

She's missing a whole lung.

She works as a barista.

A frequent at the bar. She likes to bring pastries for Carter and Kat.

She's the one who breaks up the arguments now.

"I could've done better."

She likes to read, and does it quite a bit.

She stayed at the hospital even after she had recovered because she wanted to make sure everyone made it out.

When carter gets quiet, it worries her.

She knows Emile is struggling, often does some light sparring with him despite her breathing issues.

She doesn't mind curling up with Jorge anymore. It was awkward at first.

Kat enjoys her company now. It helps Kat to hear her chatting.

She feels obligated to keep contact with everyone.

[iwonderwh0]

I wanna expand on Emma's character. She likes attention, she likes filming herself. There are piano in their room, so it's practically inevitable that she learns to play it. Who is her teacher? It's possible that it is human as, you know, music, maybe her rich parents think that it's best to learn it from humans. At least, we never heard that household models could teach playing instruments. Or actually, she probably learns using built-in program in the piano itself. Like, we saw this holographic screen when Markus was playing, it must include some learning modes.

She has favourite bands. She probably has some kind of spiritual beliefs, probably not like any specific religion but a mix of some new-age ones, at least their home looks like they are like this, like, if I remember it correctly there are Buddha statues so that's one thing. I think Emma, at least, believes in a few things, like karma and manifestations.

Her wrists are full of those handmade bracelets. Did she make them with someone? Alone? Are those friendship bracelets and there are some friends of her that have them too? She must've made at least one of those with Daniel, and it would be such a nice detail for him to wear one in-game. Missed opportunity. Maybe he took it off?

Daniel was activated for four years (huh, I thought longer, but it's still years though), so his character must've been quite developed for a while even prior to deviancy. Or, actually, maybe he deviated a lot earlier than the day we see him in the game. It is entirely possible that there was another event that made him freak out of his line, perhaps after fucking up and accidentally endangering Emma (they kept it a secret. I headcanon that Emma loves secrets. It makes her feel special), but he just stayed and continued his life with Phillips as if nothing happened without change because he liked it and felt responsible about it. I mean, it's not like he had somewhere to go — he doesn't know about Jericho as was confirmed in the evidence room. But ever since that day of his potential deviation he started to accumulate suspicions and paranoia that tipped over when he found out about AP700.

You know, it's kinda ironic that kids with household androids raise them as much if not more than household androids raise them. For kids those androids are part of their life, for androids it's their whole world (I mean, outside of some additional errands and other family members interactions that I don't think are composing even half of the time androids spend with kids they're looking after). Emma was 5-6 years old when Daniel was first introduced into her life. She must've already had friends and all kind of interests by that time, so Daniel didn't raise her from infancy.

You know, it's possible even that those kinds of androids get jealous of kid's other friends and family members. Daniel definitely feels like a jealous type, I doubt August 15 was his first time feeling resentment. The fact that he became Emma's first choice in four years must've been a really deliberate effort on his part, which, I mean, he spends the most time with her so he had this advantage.

Daniel belongs to the Phillips family but at the same time Daniel developed such a possessive attitude towards Emma as if she was his property. He integrated himself into her life as a "need, not want" and he will take her with him on his death row. He wants to believe that Emma needs him, but the truth is he needs Emma much more than she ever could. And it drives him mad.

Hear me out

What if

What if he was so jealous of Emma's other friends and so paranoid about her distancing herself from him that he cultivated circumstances where Emma preferred him over anyone else. A victory. And he put so much effort competing with other people for her attention that possibly of Emma replacing him with another android never crossed his mind. Until it hit him like an anvil. All of his work was for nothing. All this time he thought of himself as her friend. A person. Competing with other people. Turned out he wasn't even within the same category. He had always been only a toy.

[reyaint]

ari.gen members | kwon liu zhi ruo

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

date: february 5, 2025. i missed school today. i'm so exhausted and sore.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"𝑶𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒚"

✧˖*°࿐background

zena, born as Kwon Liu Zhi Ruo in Hong Kong, China, grew up in a multicultural household. her father is Korean, and her mother is Chinese, giving her a unique perspective on the world. raised between the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong and the more serene Korean traditions, Zena learned to blend the best of both cultures. From an early age, she was drawn to music and performance, excelling in both singing and dancing.

her passion for performance began in her teenage years, where she became involved in her school’s music and dance programs. Zena's natural charisma and energy made her a standout performer. she soon transitioned into contemporary and K-pop-style dancing after discovering groups like 2NE1 and EXO.

zena’s journey into music began with her love for Chinese opera, which her mother introduced her to. her vocal training was heavily influenced by this traditional art form, which explains her clear, powerful voice with a sharp, operatic quality. she also excelled in modern dance, particularly in K-pop styles, blending traditional and contemporary elements to create her unique stage presence.

before signing under DeadSound Entertainment, Zena and the other members of The Genesis Crew performed together, honing their skills in various styles of dance, singing, and stage performances.

like many other members of the group, Zena began her training under JYP Entertainment. During her time there, she honed her vocal skills and improved her dance technique. however, after growing frustrated with the company’s restrictions on creative freedom, she left JYP with the other members, and they all found a more supportive environment at DeadSound Entertainment. this transition allowed Zena to explore her personal style and contribute significantly to ARiSEN: GENESiS’ creative process.

"𝑺𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚, 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆"

✧˖*°࿐basics

დ. stage name. zena დ. full name. kwon liu zhi ruo დ. korean name. kwon ji ra დ. english name. zena kwon

დ. date of birth. march 23 2002 დ. place of birth. hongkong, china დ. nationality. korean-chinese დ. ethnicity. korean-chinese დ. race. asian დ. languages. —chinese (100%) —korean (100%) —japanese (94%) —english (91%) —haiqinian (87%) —tagalog (84%)

დ. height. 178.5 cm (5’10″) დ. weight. 47 kg (103 lbs) დ. zodiac sign. aries დ. blood type. A+ დ. gender. female დ. pronouns. she/they დ. sexuality. pansexual დ. s/o. n/a

დ. personality. —her confidence shines through in her performances and interactions with others, and she is often the one to lift the spirits of the group when things get tough. as the life of the party, she brings a playful, carefree energy to the group dynamic, encouraging her members to have fun while working hard. —however, she also has an inner strength and determination that allows her to push through obstacles when needed. —she’s someone who can lighten the mood with a joke or a quirky dance move but is also extremely driven and protective of her teammates when the time calls for it —she’s not afraid to take charge when necessary and can rally the group in tough situations. her determination to reach the top is a driving force for her, and she isn’t afraid to push others to reach their full potential. —zena has a close bond with Ky, as they both share a similar drive to succeed but approach challenges in different ways. While Ky tends to be more grounded and calm, Zena brings a sense of adventure and excitement, which balances out the duo’s dynamic.

mbti. ESFP (the ) enneagram. 7w8

"𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒔"

✧˖*°࿐career

დ. training period. 2013 to 2017 დ. company. jyp entertainment ( 2013 - 2015 ), deadsound ( 2015 - present ) დ. group. arisen genesis (2018 - present)

დ. rep color. magenta დ. rep emoji. 🐯 დ. positions. lead vocalist, lead dancer, rapper

დ. their performance style is bold and fiery that combine sharp, controlled movements with fluid, expressive dance. Her ability to seamlessly transition between different styles makes her stand out as a versatile dancer, capable of performing both graceful, elegant routines and powerful, high-energy sequences. her dance style fuses traditional Chinese dance elements with modern K-pop routines, creating an unmistakable signature style.

დ. her stage presence is dynamic and commanding, often pulling the audience into the performance with her intense gaze and powerful movements. She’s known for using facial expressions to convey the emotions behind each song, giving her performances an added depth.

დ. zena’s personal aesthetic often incorporates bold colors and dramatic contrasts, from sharp angles in her choreography to vibrant, eye-catching costumes. zena’s role is crucial in shaping the group’s sound and visual identity.

დ. on vocals, Zena is known for her vocal runs and ability to transition seamlessly between high notes and belting. Her operatic training adds an extra layer to her vocal delivery, which is both captivating and technically proficient. her dancing is also highly synchronized with the rest of the group, but Zena’s natural flair for expressing herself shines through in her freestyle moments. Whether it's during group routines or solo performances, Zena brings an unmatched level of passion and energy to the stage.

"𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒕"

✧˖*°࿐facts

დ. she is a huge fan of spicy food and often posts about trying different spicy dishes from around the world.

დ. she has a deep love for traditional Chinese opera, which influences both her vocal style and performance.

დ. her natural hair color is black, but she occasionally experiments with different shades, from silver to pastel colors, to reflect her ever-evolving persona.

დ. zena is an extreme thrill-seeker, enjoying activities like bungee jumping, skydiving, and hiking to connect with nature.

დ. she’s known for her love of animals, particularly tigers and pandas

დ. zena is also known for her distinctive sense of humor and is often the one to crack jokes or lighten the mood in the studio.

დ. hobbies: photography, trying new foods, dying her hair, fashion

დ. inspirations: exo, 2ne1, BoA, BTS

დ. her fashion style is a mix of bold streetwear, high-fashion elegance, and edgy aesthetics. her wardrobe choices are dynamic, experimental, and futuristic, often balancing boyish and feminine elements in a way that feels uniquely her own.

დ. personal motto: "Chase the fire, never look back."

[pineapplerightsideupcake]

So I didn’t want to dump this essay in the reblogs of someone else’s post but they were talking about how it’s scary that more and more US teachers are reporting kids that don’t know basic knowledge by middle school and have to learn emotional lessons at 10 they should have learned as pre K kids.

The person was at a loss to explain it but I think I can shed light on it:

Half the people I know who have kids just don’t parent. As in they do the bare minimum to keep them alive. So many kids just aren’t being raised at all. Food and clothing is tossed at them periodically by completely uninvolved adults. So they sit in front of a screen all day and don’t learn even the most basic things. A huge part of that is because everyone works all the time. Both my parents worked but my grandparents were homemakers or retired by the time I was born. Now kids go from overworked parents to overworked and over crowded and understaffed child care centers to exhausted grandparents that can’t afford to retire but at least can pick them up from school. My friend who works at a private school for 3-10 year olds says that there are tons of kids there from 6am to 7pm and that she knows about half her kids better than their parents do. At least in her (modestly) fancy private school she is actually educating them. Most kids have those same hours but in low quality programs or over burdened public schools.

My cousin who is a SAHM says that she’s often the only parent in the class that even responds to the teacher sending info home. Parents don’t go to meetings. They ignore phone calls home. They ignore calls to pick their kids up. A huge part of that is they’re working working working.

It’s why you see some 13 year olds twerking on TikTok and the others are self diagnosing DID and Tourette’s. It’s why there are 900 genders and porn sick 12 year old boys.

A friend of my sister’s nearly got her daughter taken away because she developed malnutrition because she was letting her basically live off candy. This woman was a cook/caterer. She worked 6 or 7 days a week. Shifts were often 12 or more hours. She couldn’t slow down because her husband developed a pain killer addiction because he’d already destroyed his back at 28 with non stop manual labor and warehouse shit. She was only able to worry if her kid ate protein or vegetables because my sister let her and her daughter move in with her until the divorce/financial crisis was settled. Most people aren’t that lucky.

A tremendous amount of people in the US live paycheck to paycheck. This was always how it worked for people in “low income areas”. And as long as those people were disproportionately black or non white immigrants nobody cared. How many movies are about a Brave White Teacher coming into low income schools and asking “where’s your mom?” And gets back “she works three jobs and dad left”. How often are the kids presented as being emotionally stunted, behaviorally challenged, and embarrassingly ignorant. “Wow Mr. S, you’re saying the earth revolves around the sun, not the other way around. Pssh, do a rap about it if you’re so right” But now that the wealth gap has widened to the point the average white household is as poor as this country was happy to let POC be, and POC have an even lower standard of living, suddenly it’s worth discussing.

It’s poverty folks. It’s crushing, inescapable poverty. And it’s not just now starting to be a problem. It’s just the first time it was affecting enough of the “right kind of people” to pay attention.

[simslegacy5083]

Not So Berry (Straud Descendants) Gen 9

Today's (10/1/2024) Episode: Can't Catch A Break

The households' troubles didn’t end with Luigi’s visit to the hospital.

The feeling in his hand took it’s time returning, just like his slow recovery from Bloaty Head. As much as he hated it, he followed his doctors' orders to stay away from the keyboard. To stay relevant, he made more public streams with Yoshi and again took on the role of mentor and strategist at work.

Noemi encouraged him to setup an appointment with the surgeon, but he told her he wanted to “give it a little more time”. In truth he was terrified of a botched operation that would ruin his hand for good, but he kept that to himself, hopeful the problem would eventually fix itself like before.

Luigi’s partially numb appendage made everything harder, but didn’t keep him from resuming primary care for Skye the same way his illness had.

Noemi had hoped to buckle down and put in some serious work on Project Daisy now that her husband was back in business. Instead, she ended up with Bloaty Head herself, leaving her in no condition to do the sort of advanced programming work Luigi’s life simulation game required.

Rainy Day had arranged for a big promotional event for the game at Geekcon on Winterfest Eve. Luigi had planned to unveil more details and a release date, but their health issues had put the project behind. Talking it over with Noemi they agreed that they could demo beta gameplay for convention goers but were no longer confident they could actually release the game to consumers before the New Year.

With a heavy heart Luigi scheduled a meeting with Patricia to let her know they needed to push back the launch date. She wasn’t happy, but she'd been expecting this. “I know about your medical issues and appreciate the heads up. Please prep a final release schedule to announce at the Con.”

Luigi promised that they’d keep her informed and would manage the Geekcon event carefully, thanking her for her understanding as he left.

Luigi’s great meeting had him feeling on top of the world, until he got home and found Noemi clearly distraught, surrounded by partially open mail.

He came over to see what the issue was, and she handed him a paper. “This is insane, but it seems they’re serious.”

He scanned the document and the number at the bottom jumped out at him: “$43 THOUSAND Simoleans in back taxes…!? That’s gotta be a mistake.”

It was not a mistake. When he finally got through to someone at the treasurer's office, he learned that the property had a sizeable assessment on it from some tax shenanigans the previous owners had pulled. As current owners of the property, it now fell to Luigi and Noemi to bring it up to date.

He tried to argue that this hadn’t been clear on the paperwork they signed at closing, but the clerk said that this was not something that could be changed without a court order. He stomped around his bedroom for a bit before calming down and coming to find Noemi.

She’d stayed online researching while he’d been changing his mood (and outfit). It looked like the issue was expensive to challenge, and their best outcome would require surrendering the property. They both agreed that they would rather figure out how to pay the bill instead.

While Skye danced nearby, blissfully unaware of the trouble, Noemi and Luigi brainstormed ways to come up with the necessary simoleons.

It demolished their healthy bank balance and forced them to sell Noemi’s new computer, Luigi’s virtual gaming mat, and a few other household items, but they managed to scrape together enough to pay the bill with a bit leftover.

That night Luigi had a terrifying nightmare about losing everything, waking up early drenched in sweat and unable to get back to sleep.

Noemi woke up alone and found her husband fretting on the living room couch. As she sat down next to him, he said “I know I just told Patricia we were going to push back the launch date of the game, but we really need those royalties. I think we have to stick to the original release date.”

“Neither of us are in any condition to do that kind of programming work right now!” Noemi protested, but she could tell he had made up his mind.

“Bloaty Head usually doesn’t last long, and my hand is improving every day” he countered. “I’m sure we’ll be in good shape after the holiday.”

Noemi frowned “If you tell the public we’re launching before the New Year and it doesn’t happen…”

“If I tell the public we’re launching before the New Year” he promised her “then we’ll launch before the New Year.” No matter what it takes… he finished silently, kissing her softly and snuggling her close as he resolved to turn his earnest intentions into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I think this happened because I didn't realize the Free Real Estate cheat was affecting build mode all the time, automatically. I thought my renovations to the house were suspiciously cheap! Not sure why it showed up in the 2nd round of bills vs the 1st however.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here