#sophie foster neg

[dizzythegreat]

Keeper of the Lost Cities meta: a hopefully-not-too-critical analysis

Starting off by saying that this whole thing is a just little too pretentious and a just little too fueled by irritation so don't take everything I say as fact! I'm just kind of ranting about things that I feel like most people are annoyed with (?) please share your thoughts with me! I think it's important for discourse like this to happen to keep fandoms alive!! non-Keeper mutuals feel free to DISREGARD!

First of all Keeper has such a special place in my heart, I started reading the series when I was 12 and I'm 16 now, so I really did kind of grow up with the books. I LOVED the series as a kid and hyperfixated on it for a really long time. As the series progresses and as I read it from a different lens, I'm seeing all of the flaws so much more clearly, so this whole rant basically stems from realizing something so special to me is flawed media and wanting to get my thoughts somewhere. All of this comes from a loving place! I'm just putting down my top few issues with the series and my opinions on a lot of different elements <3

DISCLAIMER I'm doing a reread but I'm only on book 1 and my memory is shit. Any false information is literally not my fault leave me alone

1. Length, redundancy, and predictability

This one really starts in Flashback #7 for me. It will always, always evade me why that book contains ~300 straight pages of Sophitz fluff and fucking around in the healing center. I know that a lot of people enjoyed those parts, which is totally valid! Shipping is a cornerstone of this series! But for me it felt so pointless and fan servicey, idk. And this is maybe my biggest problem with the books: they drag. We're at 9 and a half books now, each spanning like 500-800 pages, and the plot drags and drags and drags. I don't know if Shannon's publisher makes her fill a certain number of pages or what, but I feel like at least 100 pages of bullshit could be cut from each book and nothing would change. They start to almost follow a formula: 200 or so pages of figuring out the Neverseen's plan of the hour, another 200-ish to plan how to defeat them, and then finally we learn that the Neverseen is actually always one step ahead and the crew gets crushed oh my god tragic!! It worked as a subversion of expectations the first couple times but by now I feel like most people could basically just predict what's going to happen in any given book. Sometimes I wonder got left on the cutting room floor because it feels like SM wrote a first draft, barely trimmed it down, and published just that. The plot spins in circles, the protagonists are confused yet again, I am pulling my hair out in chunks.

It's a huge turn-off to a lot of new readers seeing these super thick books, and it's even a turn-off to me when I do rereads because surprise surprise, I don't actually really give a fuck if Fitz likes Sophie back, or at least not enough to read 300 pages on it per book. If the books were more concise, not only would that fix a lot of the plot and character development issues, it would also make them way more digestible because to be honest with you I probably couldn't remember half of what happens in most of them.

2. Sophie...

I think this is a very polarizing opinion but I just kind of don't like Sophie as a main character? I honestly think she's fallen victim to becoming a Mary Sue and not even in a "wehhh powerful woman make me mad" type way! It's just that Sophie at her fullest power is undeniably the most powerful elf in a battle, so to counteract this, Shannon has to keep finding ways for the Neverseen to take away Sophie's power. Whether through the whole "she can only inflict everyone at once" thing or breaking every bone in her hand or creating forcefields or literally fucking anything to stop this kid with five million superpowers, they have to find a way to effectively tie her down so the battles seem somewhat realistic. This then creates a weird pattern where every battle goes one of two ways: Neverseen finds a way to effectively debilitate Sophie and all her friends, or she just goes fucking sicko mode and destroys everyone. You just can't have a main character who's this much ahead of everyone else in terms of raw power.

For me, I think the biggest issue with Sophie is she's not relatable to the average reader. The age demographic for Keeper is preteens and teens. How many 13 year olds are the most powerful, unstoppable person in their friend group, in which three hot guys are head-over-heels in love with them, living in very comfortable conditions, with like five hundred friends? If you were that fucking baller at 13 then go fuck yourself that's super cool for you! But the core pillars of Sophie's life, disregarding the all the magical stuff (which obviously requires some suspension of disbelief) are simply not relatable or recognizable to the average reader. So how are we as readers supposed to feel connected to Sophie's life and situation if we never have (and let's face it, never will) experience anything close to the more realistically human parts of her life?

3. Character development (and the lack thereof)

Say what you will but to me the character development is so pale and arguably just doesn't exist. It feels like everyone has become so one-dimensional, so predictable, and so limp. Sophie has it the worst because we read from her POV, so all of her quirks and thoughts become really fucking annoying to read over and over again. For example, The whole oblivious "omg does Dex like me? does Keefe like me? DO I LIKE FITZ???" thing was cute when she was 12 back in book one but by now I am genuinely tearing my hair out when I have to read "Sophie blushed" every two pages. The whole "I'm a freak and nothing I do ever works and all is hopeless" thing was easy to feel sympathy for the first few times, but by now it's just kind of... exhausting? It feels like the naïve, oblivious Sophie from book 1 is exactly the same person as Stellarlune Sophie, no matter how many hideouts SM makes her burn down to prove she's ruthless or something. At this point, I feel like Sophie's choices throughout the series end up either being really predictable or wildly out of left field.

Every character other than Fitz, Keefe, and Sophie (and you could make a case for the three of them too) have become a shadow of themselves and they all get at most two conversations worth of pagetime. This can be attributed to a lot of things that I don't feel like talking about so here they are in point form: excessive focus on the main "love triangle", overloaded cast of protagonists, too much emphasis on A) furthering the plot and B) Sophie's inner thoughts instead of character relationships and found family. I think the books have lost sight of the original love, trust, and bond created by the five mains, and those super interesting dynamics between the different sets of friends that were so abundant in the first few installements have become few and far between. When I was a kid, I loved the books for the warm friendships and soft moments between Sophie and Dex, and now we're lucky if they even really talk to each other if not to push the plot. Biana barely exists, Marella and Linh show up every once in a while to be gay as fuck and then leave, Stina turned nice and then immediately went back to being a bitch because SM, for some reason, un-did all her redemption, and everyone else fucks around until they're plot-relevant. Where's the squad where's the crew where's the homoerotic undertones?!

4. Miscellaneous whining

Fitz's character is wildly inconsistent imo. I love you Sophie but I'm going to consistently get mad at you over irrelevant things and ice you out even though you need my support! Your boyfriend is for the streets girl

Fuck this whole half-book thing I'm sorry. Understandably, things have slowed down now that SM has two kids and I'm really truly happy for her and I'm glad she's taking time out of her work for herself and her family. But when she keeps releasing these weird novellas every year as some kind of "solution", it really just seems like a cop-out or a cash grab. I wish we could tell Shannon that we don't necessarily need a 700+ page novel to consider it a book! I personally would love if book 10 was more concise!! Let's just get this plot moving a bit!!

Sophie burning Gisela's book BURNS MY BLOOD. SM just had no fucking idea what she wanted that book to say + it would probably end the series too quick so she got Sophie to burn the most crucial piece of information they could have ever used under pretense of "refusing to follow Gisela's trap" or whatever OH MY GOD

Sooo many dropped plot lines/plot holes there is no way this shit is being resolved in the next 1 and a half books. See you all in 2034 for book 13.125

Sokeefe endgame was great but so predictable. Half the reason most people read this series is for the will-they-won't-they thing with Sophie, Fitz, and Keefe (justice for Dex!), and I think it was executed very badly. You could predict that Sophie and Fitz would burn out, you could predict that she would end up with Keefe, there was net 0 suspense by the time Fitz made his 500th dick move. I know I just complained about things being stretched out for so long but this one could have done with some taking it slow without making it obvious what was going to happen

Can Marella and Linh just kiss already

Anyways this all comes from a place of loving frustration. Oh Keeper my love, look what has become of you. Ultimately, SM started a fantasy series without knowing the ending, and it's spun out of control, but what can you do? I appreciate the series for what it is, I wish it was better, but I'll always love it. Through all my bitching and moaning I'm still rereading it to this day so who's really winning here? Please rb and comment and dm I love discussing Keeper!!! If you think I'm an idiot tell me!!! If you agree with me tell me!!! Don't be a dick!! Thanks for making it this far! Don't forget to like and subscribe and smash that bell

[ahoyimlosingmymind]

sophie is an unreliable narrator, but not intentionally. She's just so insecure that it affects her communication with all of the other characters and her perception of reality.

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[you-have-been-frizzled]

I share your hate of Forkle, but was wondering your specific reasons or an analysiss?

What ending do you think Shannon will do for him??

Sorry this is very Forkle-based...

*bops you with wrapping paper tube* no apologizing! especially if it gives me a chance to rant about fork man

i have a few lists that i will compile here, i also think that in a darker version of kotlc he could easily have been a grommer that i go into more detail here

he broke into her room while she was sleeping who knows how many times when she was a little girl

he asked Sophie to meet him (a grown man) on a island alone and when she took Keefe with her he told her she had to come in the cave with him alone

he just about left Dex for dead in the Neverseen hideout and only brought him because Sophie refused to go without him. Dex was a innocent child and wasn’t just anyones child he was a member of the collective’s child, someone who he worked with side by side for years, and he was still willing to leave him behind

Dex ended up with scars because he didn’t bring enough elixirs for him.

he thinks of Sophie as an accomplishment and doesn’t expect her to want him to think of her as anything more (Everblaze, Page 447.)

he will act very cryptic and only give out bits of information, just enough that she will look into what he was talking about then act proud and flatter her, saying things like “i underestimated you kids”when she and her friends figure out the thing he wanted her to know.

he will tell her about problems in the world making it sound horrible and hopeless, then saying this is the thing we made you to fix, but that’s your choice

he’s constantly dehumanizing her because she is the Moonlark and it’s her job to change things and this is what she was created for. going from treater like his child to a weapon at the drop of a hat

he doesn’t see her as a person he sees her as the moonlark his creation. he doesn’t see her as a child he sees her as his tool and he does care about her but in the wrong way

excludes her parents from the conversations and tells her she has control over her life, not them, like she isn’t a young teen

he told a fourteen year old that if he and the rest of collective died Sophie and her friends would take their place, not caring about what kind of pressure that would put on her. then admits to grooming Sophie and her friends to lead the Black Swan one day

he is constantly reading her mind and never lets her have her thoughts to herself, giving her no sense of privacy to the point that’s she’s close to desensitized to it at this point.but he expects her to not read other peoples minds

he put all this importance on Prentice and told a child that they where going to use her to brake into prison and almost got a child killed (they could have done that without her they have dwarves)

finds it funny to exclude Sandor from conversations that could potentially put her in danger

he calls her his moonlark. which sounds sweet until you realize that’s her project code name he’s literally calling her “my creation” aka “my weapon”

now that that’s over with on to what i think Shannon will do with him.

his brothers wanderling was mentioned to be bending over as if it was waiting for someone, i do think he’s going to get killed off.

probably in the final battle Sophie hopefully doesn’t trust him as much by then (but that’s a bit unlikely) and he sacrifices himself for her. as he’s dying he makes her promise to not let her mind break and to keep being his moonlark. her anger at his death makes her win the battle then she breaks down. his plating would probably a line something like “and he where finally where he belonged, where he wanted to be, back together with his brother” (it had be better than that im writing this at one am)

what I want to happen is

for him to slowly lose his mind over his brothers death. now he’s depressed, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense. frokle and his brother where close as any two people could possibly be without being in the same body. it make’s very little sense for him to be as sane as he is when he literally lost a part of him.

i want him to make little commets here and there that make you go “uhh that didn’t sound like a sane person” but then brush it off. as time goes on his behavior becomes erratic and unpredictable and even Sophie starts to feel uncomfortable around him at times, but she brushes it off because he just misses his brother. then i want him to have a mental breakdown in front of Oralie Sophie and Keefe. where he reveals that Oralie is her bio mom, and ends up hurting Sophie by grabbing her. when they get out of the situation Sophie is shaken and when they go back to look for him he’s gone.

[myfairkatiecat]

Can I ask why your Keeper girl is part magical horse? I've seen that idea being thrown around a lot and I am very confused.

No pressure, though! I am just curious. Love you, Katie <3

OOOH YEAH OKAY SO

when the Black Swan was making Sophie, they were like, “We want her to be the only telepath capable of healing broken minds” (minds driven insane either forcefully as punishment or that shattered because of guilt—elves are VERY sensitive to guilt) so they tried to figure out how to make this happen.

In order to give her this power they made her a telepath, obviously, but also decided she needed to know how to cause people positive emotions. They made her an Inflictor, but inflictors classically can only make people feel negative emotions, so they needed more than that. They realized that alicorns (winged unicorns) has this power, so they gave Sophie some alicorn DNA.

The alicorn DNA worked—Sophie can inflict positive emotions! There were some side effects though. All elves except her have blue eyes, but she has brown eyes, like the horses. In addition, alicorns can teleport via the void, and Sophie also got this power, so she can teleport anywhere she wants, which is pretty sweet!

Thanks for stopping by Sophie! That’s the story of Sophie Foster’s Horse DNA. :D

[aardvaark]

Leverage character asks: 1,3,17,45 (your choice on character)

thank you for the ask & for fueling my leverage obsession lol <3

1. Canon I outright reject

honestly i love the character development on leverage, even when it means the character has some negative traits or weaknesses or something. hmm… i think one thing i disliked was hardison being a super bad tipper (some ep in s5). he doesn’t care about workers? particularly after five years of leverage? idk.

i also wish eliot didn’t seem to like cops so much, but thats more of a gripe with the show’s/showrunners’ attitudes towards police.

3. Obscure headcanon

sophie: that she’s trans! love that hc. shout out to @transsophiedevereaux. also that sophie had a drunken one night stand with maggie, which is actually (word of god) canon rather than a head canon, but seems to be rarely mentioned.

nate: nate x sophie x sterling… it’s happened at least once.

parker: so many!! but the one i’ll share is that. uh. she’s probably killed someone. pre-leverage, she’s known to be dangerous for a reason, and she’s been in a lot of awful situations unfortunately. she would probably have done so out of necessity, it might even have been self defense, but yk. it’s still killing someone. and no, i don’t mean the pilot flashback - according to word of god (ie john rogers) she probably didn’t kill her foster parents when exploding their house. anyway, i’ve seen some cool fics about this idea and discussed this topic w @laser-tripwires and i think it’s really interesting for a variety of reasons, but i won’t list them here bc this is already getting so long lol.

hardison: that he still secretly adds to nana’s income somehow (he canonically paid off her medical bills), that he plays D&D, that he likes [insert media beloved by geeks that i don’t really know much about, but i love that people hc him as enjoying the things they enjoy so much].

eliot: my own silly hc that many of his scars are actually from kitchen accidents rather than fights lol

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them

gonna answer this one for sophie only, cause i have quite a few answers just for her!

1) i saw a gif set of sophie once with the lyrics of "thief" by imagine dragons, and it was a really gorgeous gif set and the lyrics fit very well.

2) yk the fable "the scorpion and the frog"? at the end of s1, she seems to excuse her actions (conning the team) like the scorpion - that it’s just in her nature, lying is who she is, she’s a thief and this is what thieves do, etc. additionally, it’s what sterling says about her, that her behaviour was predictable because it’s "who she is".

3) the gambler by kenny rogers. bc the chorus is canonically her life philosophy lmao (according to the last dam job).

45. Their favorite celebrity

sophie: canonically, db cooper. she idolises him in the db cooper job lol. poster above her bed as a teenager etc etc.

nate: man, his would be oddly specific im sure. like he reads war strategy books, maybe sun tzu. or perhaps a chess grandmaster, like bobby fischer. i don’t know much about war strategists nor chess players, so if anyone does, then maybe you can suggest a more specific person.

hardison: i know he loves star trek, doctor who, star wars - im simply not pop culture savvy enough to know who his fave actors from those shows might be. BUT. i think it would be funny if his fave celebrity was wil wheaton (who was in star trek, and who, of course, played cha0s in leverage). also, wil wheaton is famously into D&D, video games, comics, and other "geek" stuff that hardison proudly enjoys too. hardison does not see the resemblance btwn wheaton and his nemesis, no idea what you’re taking about.

eliot: i think he would have people he looks up to or thinks are incredible, who are celebrities but only in a very specific field. like a renowned chef, but not a "celebrity chef" as in one who’s on tv. i mean like a chef who is famous among chefs, for being one of the most talented in the world.

parker: i feel her definition of celebrity would be somewhat different to most people’s. plus, her knowledge of the world is deep but narrow - she knows everything possible about thievery and anything even tangentially related (probably a decent amount of physics, for example), but pop culture? not so much. she later gets into stuff like dr who via hardison though, so perhaps the actor of the current doctor, ncuti gatwa. now, there’s also famous thieves, BUT they’re generally only famous because they eventually got caught. parker does not get caught. she would not idolise someone who ended up caught. maybe the thief of an unsolved heist. honestly, parker is famous in the leverage crime world. so. herself? not that she enjoys being a celebrity lol.

[usergreenpixel]

MALMAISON MEDIA SALON SOIRÉE 17: THE PRINCESS OF NOWHERE (2010)

1. The Introduction

Hello, Dear Neighbors. Thank you for joining the party today. I’m feeling better, fortunately, and I’m ready to analyze media again.

Fittingly, today we’re talking about Pauline Bonaparte, the woman who had a scandalous reputation back in the day and seems like a typical party girl. Since I do like the woman, I’ve always been curious as to what kind of media is out there that tells her story.

Sure, there’s the movie called “Imperial Venus”, but it looks like Pauline is far more obscure than some of her family members (and don’t even get me started on Napoleon). So you can imagine how intrigued I was after stumbling across this particular book, written by a distant descendant of the Borghese family.

I’ll admit that the author’s identity did cause concern for me, mainly due to the potential for slander and negative bias to wriggle their way into the narrative, but the premise about the story being told from the prospective of a character close to Pauline seemed intriguing so I gave the book a shot.

Luckily, it’s available in free PDF form here. And, without spoilers, the read was… interesting.

This review is dedicated to @aminoscribbles .

2. The Summary

This is the story of Pauline Bonaparte and her tumultuous and toxic relationship with Prince Camillo Borghese, told from the point of view of Pauline’s foster daughter and distant cousin, Sophie Leclerc.

(Sophie is an original character btw. )

Sounds like an interesting idea with potential, but let’s keep going.

3. The Story

First of all, due to all the POV switching and the focus on Paulette, you can pretty much forget about Sophie since she fades into the background rather quickly and becomes irrelevant faster than a new fashion trend. Kinda makes me wonder why she was even in the book to begin with.

The plot pacing is also clunky, clumsily intertwined with flashbacks and fictional letters, but apparently the author is writing for the first time so of course it’s not going to be flawless. Still, I do wish he worked a bit more on the story before publication. 

The negative bias also is there but it’s a weird mixed bag and not as bad as I expected - there’s at least an attempt to make Pauline a complex character and tell the story of a toxic yet ultimately loving couple, so points for effort.

Unfortunately, the story speed runs through moments like Pauline joining Napoleon on Elba, moments that could’ve given us more of a glimpse into her character and would definitely be more engaging than the awfully long sex scenes in the book.

4. The Characters

As I said, Sophie becomes irrelevant fairly quickly so I’m not sure what to make of her. She’s a very flat character whose initial admiration for Pauline isn’t properly justified. Nor is her relationship with the woman properly explored. A shame and a waste of potential, really.

Pauline herself isn’t evil like I expected, so it’s a pleasant surprise. However, she’s still capricious, selfish and careless. She does have nice moments like personally nursing Sophie back to health and she does genuinely grieve her husband and later her son.

However, all the nice moments are undermined by the moment when it’s revealed that Pauline poisoned herself and Sophie with arsenic to make Borghese believe that they got sick and send them to France. Err… WTF?!

(Yes, she does that in the book, even though the real Pauline was so sickly that she wouldn’t even NEED poison. As for poisoning a child… can’t imagine her doing so.)

Borghese himself is, naturally, almost a saint (duh), but still makes mistakes here and there, so he’s just flat and we never see a deeper dive into his relationship with Pauline.

To be honest, all characters are flat and underdeveloped so let’s move on.

5. The Setting

Some descriptions are good but, again, underdeveloped.

6. The Writing

The writing style is actually solid and sometimes engaging, but there are a few instances of Pauline being a bit too crass to feel realistic and those sex scenes are boring as hell.

Couple that with flashbacks and letters and yeah… it’s a hit or miss at best.

7. The Conclusion

All in all, definitely not an awful book. I’ve seen MUCH worse. That being said, it’s not a good book either. Just… decent but underbaked.

Check it out if you want, but it’s still biased towards Borghese and doesn’t do Pauline justice, unfortunately. It’s a mixed bag for me though so I will not reread this book.

Anyway, on that note, let us end our tiny soirée. Stay tuned for more reviews, everyone!

Love,

Citizen Green Pixel

[aggressiveaffectionpenguin]

Sophie Foster to the Council:

Gee, I hate to break it to you

The universe is just the contents of time, matter and space

Ninety one billion light-years across and the Earth's a small place

Where good people die

In famine and wars

The Pacific Islands are sinking

But negative thinking is hardly the cause

You think life is all unicorns and rainbows 'cause you're bored

And positivity is a luxury that few can afford

We're gonna die

Yes, you and I

Meaninglessness and alone

[merxxki]

‘  zhu yilong, omnigender, all pronouns, 360 / 36 , high fae ’ ― cauldron save you. it seems zhōu haoyu has finally made it to the capital, the high lord from the dusk court is said to be loving and is said to describe themselves with the roar of the beast echoing in their soul, enigmatic smiles that hint at deeper truths, echoes of distant, otherworldly music, and a presence that feels both here and not here and with all of this in mind their enigmatic nature always seems to get them into trouble. may the mother hold them as they navigate this unthinkable time. ; *bonded with a white dragon, tianyu, for 100 years

general details.

full name:   zhōu haoyu name meaning: haoyu - vast universe gender: omnigender pronouns: all pronouns sexual orientation: demisexual romantic orientation: demiromantic occupation: high lord extracurriculars: calligraphy, gardening, astrology, astronomy

physical appearance, etc.

faceclaim:  zhu yilong eye color: deep brown eyes eyesight: hyperopia - requires glasses to read. height: 6'0 distinguishing characteristics: gentle smile, solemn countenance, a small tattoo on their wrist for Tianyu, a long scar on their left forearm running up the length of their forearm due to a childhood accident.

health.

mental disorder(s): anxiety, depression, ptsd, imposter syndrome coping by: being with tianyu, journaling, flying with tianyu, practicing their preferred martial art named the white crane style as well as a meditative form of martial arts. physical disorder(s):  joint hypermobility syndrome coping by: adapting physical activities and being mindful of his limitations.

personality.

label: THE MYSTIC – arcane knowledge, celestial alignment, profound insights, harnessing ancient magic, interpreting omens, an aura of otherworldliness, cosmic understanding, profound inner peace, the mystique of the unknown, silent contemplations, navigating the realms of magic and reality. character inspiration: merlin (the once and future king), rand al'thor (the wheel of time), lirael (the old kingdom series), sophie hatter (howl's moving castle) positive traits:  compassionate, wise, diplomatic, honorable, visionary negative traits: overly self-critical, detached, reserved, difficulty delegating, emotionally guarded goals and ambitions: learn tianyu's secret, master their magic, cultivate knowledge, hold tradition and embrace change, foster unity primary vice:  perfectionism primary virtue:  empathy

head canons and/or backstory.

Zhōu Haoyu was born with a calm demeanor and a solemn air that seemed beyond their years. Their mother often remarked that she had been blessed with an easy first pregnancy, free from the usual discomforts. Even from the beginning, Haoyu was a gentle and wise soul, as if they had an intrinsic connection to dusk itself, embodying its tranquility and mystery. They rarely cried and if it wasn’t for the sharp eye of their nanny, it would be overlooked that Haoyu would often cry silently and hold their breath - a scary thing but the nanny had raised children of her own and knew how to help the High Lord and the Lady with their firstborn. 

From an early age, perhaps due to being the eldest or due to their seriousness, Haoyu was surrounded by adults mores than children. They were often seated beside their parents during court discussions. Even the most seasoned court members would not recall a moment when Haoyu’s attention wavered or if they interrupted the meetings. The biggest mistake anyone could make was to suggest that Haoyu abandon their focus for childish play - instead, Haoyu would only look at them with solemnly, as if judging them and finding them wanting.  Though their parents encouraged them to enjoy the innocence of childhood, Haoyu was drawn to the allure of books, magic, and dragons. "I am limited only by my size, not my mind," they would tell their parents, as they asked for help getting a book higher up on the shelf than they could reach.

However, in private, Haoyu was as playful and mischievous as any child. Beneath their scholarly pursuits was a spirit filled with curiosity and joy, marked by a profound connection to the natural world and an innate affinity for magic. They took delight in applying their lessons practically, earning a reputation for hands-on experimentation and innovative learning methods... often to the detriment of what was around them. this continued until they were given a building to conduct their experiments - one will find that even now, haoyu will come out of this sanctuary with ink stained fingers or with colored fog following them or a tear in a new robe.

It was not uncommon to find Haoyu lying on the ground, conversing with flowers, or gazing at the sky, lost in the study of the cosmos. Whenever their guards weren't watching closely, Haoyu would sneak away to sketch and study dragons. While some saw their unique behaviors and unusual insights as strange, most found Haoyu’s kindness and gentleness endearing. This empathy extended even to the animals around them. Haoyu once cried over being served chicken for dinner, realizing the creature's life had ended for their meal. This hard-learned lesson in respecting life and death was one taught by their mother, which they absorbed with thoughtful reflection.

As they learned from their parents, their staff, and guard — he came to understand that everyone had value and worth. Haoyu's father instilled in them the importance of protecting those who were weaker or unable to defend themselves. This extended, after the twins were born, to them. Then, when their sister was adopted, that same sense of responsibility was spread to her. Haoyu’s father did not tolerate disrespect to his staff or to any person who came to him for aid or sanctuary. Under their father’s influence and guidance, Haoyu treated the court’s servants and staff with kindness and respect, learning to listen to their problems without a need to solve the problem before learning as much information so they could make an informed choice. With the unwavering support of their parents, Haoyu blossomed into a beacon of guidance and strength, gaining a reputation for their deep understanding of magic, philosophy, and their steadfast commitment to both family and court.

Recognizing Haoyu’s immense potential, their parents provided them with an education that was as rigorous as it was comprehensive—far beyond what most children could endure. However, Haoyu thrived under deadlines, pressures and challenges. They were surrounded by an array of tutors and guards who were tasked with pushing them to their limits mentally, physically, and spiritually. Despite this intense regime, the person who was the hardest on Haoyu was Haoyu himself. Their parents showed patience with Haoyu's occasional missteps, often offering comfort and guidance when frustration set in. Fully aware that they were being groomed to be the next high ruler, Haoyu strived to be seen as the best choice for leadership. Encouraged by their father to embody wisdom, strength, and leadership, Haoyu was also taught to appreciate the strengths of others and to collaborate with those who complemented their weaknesses. Despite this guidance, Haoyu insisted they simply needed to be better so they could accomplish more on their own.

During her teenage years, Haoyu’s passions took them into studying spiritual and magical studies, discovering the teachings of the Dark Mother. She approached these teachings with profound respect and a keen desire to understand their deeper truths. 

As she approached adulthood, Haoyu was faced with a series of marriage proposals arranged by her parents, intended to give Haoyu a companion that complemented them. She resisted these proposals, valuing genuine personal connections over political gain. While she didn’t necessarily seek love, she desired at least friendship in any potential partner and carefully judged anyone seeking a relationship with her. 

It was after their parents’ deaths when Haoyu became the High Ruler, as it had been known they would. Their bonding to Tianyu was a surprise, as the white dragon hadn’t shown any inclination of wishing to bond with anyone. Haoyu admitted to their siblings that it wasn’t their mind that Tianyu had been interested in, but the depth of love and their dreams. Tianyu has become Haoyu’s greatest teacher and support. The white dragon is Haoyu’s complement. Where Haoyu is careful, considerate and calm — Tianyu is known for advocating for action.

It is not uncommon to see Tianyu and Haoyu together, speaking telepathically to one another, as they share what they’ve learned or done while they were apart. When they fly together, they are truly connected and free of their responsibilities. Yet Tianyu has kept one secret from them … why did a dragon kill his parents? He couldn’t give his siblings an answer… and he wouldn’t speculate. Yet, his bonding with Tianyu has changed them in other ways … there is a distance between him and others now… a kind of sad demeanor as he looks upon their siblings and family members, and they don’t share why. It is as if every conversation has the potential to be the final goodbye. 

[bardicbramley]

Bramley's Book Of The Week - Master Thread

I've been adding to a thread over on my twitter (bardicbramley) every week-ish with a new Children's or YA book that I have read recently and would recommend! With everything happening on twitter, I'm going to make a master list of all my recommendation so far here, and then continue adding them to a tag on this blog as well, just in case!

So, without further ado... #bramleysbotw so far!

31/10/22 - Home by Tonya Lippert and Andrea Stegmaier

A gentle story of homelessness giving so much space for understaning & discussion. A great tool for deeper talking ab houseless people, different types of homes and unstable living situations with gorgeous, simple yet detailed art.

7/11/22 - How To Be More Hedgehog by Anne-Maire Conway

So much deep and true emotion, a relatable MC and great messages of self advocacy, confidence and activism. As someone with selective mutism and tics, I enjoyed every second of Lily's proudly stammer-filled journey.

14/11/22 - Lifesize by Sophy Henn

Over to my library kids for this #bramleybotw A new addition that they've not stopped talking about...Even my most energetic readers are sitting on the floor, reading the animal facts to their friends and comparing their hands to that of a polar bear!

21/11/22 - Me and My Dysphoria Monster by Laura Kate Dale and Ang Hui Qing

In honour of #transawarenessweek2022 and as a personal thank you from a trans educator. An amazing addition to trans children's literature (& kidlit in general) that I would highly recommend to other educators!

28/11/22 - Love Your Body by Jessica Sanders and Carol Rossetti

A beautiful and uplifting non fiction to support girls in loving and appreciating their body for all the amazing things it can do, and all the incredible ways it can look.

I needed more words to also talk about the incredible art in this week's choice. The colour pallet just so comforting and the style is a new favourite of mine!

5/12/22 - Paws by Kate Foster

My younger self would have loved this book and even now I adore it. It has authentic #actuallyautistic representation (without negativity!) and is all round a lovely story.

6/1/23 - When I See Blue by Lily Bailey

An emotional and gritty real world adventure with Ben, as he navigates making friends, protecting his alcoholic mother, and battling the bully in his head, his OCD. A tough but beautiful read.

30/1/23 - Star Knights by Kay Davault

A Graphic Novel filled with self acceptance, incredible worldbuilding and animals that turn into magical adventurers?! I mean come on, how could I not rec this one 💖 bonus points for queer rep too.

9/2/23 - All To Play For by Eve Ainsworth

It's recommended by Empathy Lab UK this year and I couldn't agree more. It has Barrington Stoke's signature dyslexia friendly pages and font - but so much more than that. A story of family, class and determination.

20/2/23 - Birdsong by Katya Balen

I'm a bit late to the party with this one. I've seen so many people sing it's praises! A gorgeously honest, emotional and raw story that any child will love, but will strike a chord with certain ones especially.

27/2/23 - Speak Up! by Rebecca Burgess

A graphic novel about a secret teen pop star with a wonderful autistic main and genderqueer side character representation? Of course it was amazing!

6/3/23 - Tyger by SF Said

Much like Phoenix, the dedication to world building, the layered, lovable characters, and the beautifully descriptive language had me gripped from the very start. Dave McKean's incredibly detailed and emotive illustrations surely helped!

13/3/23 - Needle by Patrice Lawrence

An incredible heartfelt read for UKS2/MG/KS3 - exploring often avoided topics of fostering, UK police and court systems, racial profiling, when to be honest (or fake it), whose voices matter most and questionable justice.

20/3/23 - Twelfth Grade Night by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm and Jamie Green

Sometimes you really just need a queer, unapologetically corny modern Shakespeare smash retelling of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and that's 100% okay! I got you covered!

In all seriousness, with all the hatred filling queer spaces atm, it was great to just float in a fun, sweet, dramatic world full of lovable ✨fairies✨The illustrations caught me instantly - the pining faces, the dramatic lighting! A teen romcom Will'd be proud of.

28/3/23 - Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

A beautiful UKS2+ novel in verse following Jude's journey across oceans, growing up, making friends and finding her voice. Rich and realistic, not shying away from subjects often avoided, and with poetic Arabic intertwined.

3/4/23 - Frizzy by Claribel A. Oretga and Rose Bousamra

Whilst not my own cultural story, it resonated deeply still 💖 an incredibly honest, beautiful and joyous graphic novel with gorgeous colours and rebellious questioning of generational trauma!

12/4/23 - Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes Smith

I put it off for so long bc I was a little scared it might not live up to my hopes, but it was so much more than I imagined. The love I have for these kiddos (and Callie's dads 😭) is intense. Kidlits often shy away from big, scary or rebellious topics. Neither Callie nor Esme are afraid to speak up ab what trans kids (and so many others) need/deserve to hear, and I am so proud of them for that. This is the book I needed as a kid - I am so glad it exists now 💖⚔️

24/4/23 - Jamie by LD Lapinski

A powerful story of never backing down and demanding your full self to be acknowledged. I'm so excited to see a story encouraging children to stand up for themselves and recognise that adults can be (& often are) wrong.

5/5/23 - Dungeon Club: Roll Call by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma

Great for those who haven't played and incredible for those who have - the use of D&D stat blocks and dual narrative (irl and in game) 🙌🏻 simply amazing! Can't wait for the next!

15/5/23 - Call Me Lion by Camilla Chester

Being autistic, sometimes partially or non-speaking, and having struggled with confidence all my life - I just loved this little joyful tale. Realistic but hopeful, with easily likeable, well rounded mcs!

22/5/23 - My Brother is Away by Sara Greenwood and Luisa Uribe

A /beautifully/ illustrated and gently poignant picturebook of a child whose brother is incarcerated. I've seen this kind of book before, but this is it done right, well, and to a v. high quality.

19/6/23 - Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Been meaning to read this for so long, finally have, and of course its been added to my all time favourites list! What an incredible, reflective and honest piece of art for children. I don't do mandatory reading, but if I did: top of the list.

26/6/23 - The Golden Hour by Niki Smith

A gorgeous graphic novel, upper KS2-3 cusp/YA. It takes a beautifully artistic and honest look into managing childhood PTSD from gun violence, with help from an eye for photography, a cute calf, and a first queer crush 💖

3/7/23 - My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee

A sweet and exciting story of adventurers, curses and mysteries with a healthy dash of queer and disabled representation, all whilst learning to see past first impressions.

[bookwyrminspiration]

How do you think councillor Emery (and the other councilors) will react/think personally and do about Sophie burning down the Neverseens storage house

Also I think it would be really cool if team valient went to the troll peace summit (I wonder if they'd be allowed to have a parent come with them or if their councillor contacts would count as their guardians for the peace summit)

Excellent question! Overall they're not gonna like it, but I think even the characters who do like Sophie (Bronte, Oralie, Terik) will be put off by it but unable to act on that because if they don't defend her, there's no defense against her at all and they don't want that.

Alina: This is proof that Sophie needs to be controlled and we shouldn't trust her! A fire? Wasn't she supposed to be fighting against a rogue arsonist?

Bronte: He may have strong feelings about it, but he won't let the council walk all over her and try to do what it's done in the past. He's also already had radically shifts in thinking, so he may be persuaded to think in her favor.

Clarette: Won't be happy about it, but won't pursue any punishment of her own accord. The fire was distasteful and she wishes the Sophie Problem would go away, trying to ignore it.

Darek: Doesn't like it! That's not the elven way of doing things and this shines a bad light on them for working with her. It's irresponsible and merits at the very least a stern talking to.

Emery: He's more upset at the headache this will cause him than dealing with Sophie. Now they have to decide if they can punish her, if they should, how this will impact their public image, what the Neverseen will respond with, etc. He doesn't have time to focus on her right now because now he's got a load of shit to deal with

Liora: Quiet disgust and annoyance. Exasperated over how Sophie keeps getting into these situations when they were doing perfectly fine before she came along. More likely to push for a punishment than Clarette, maybe

Noland: They cannot keep letting Sophie do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. Something has to be done to address this if after working together, she's decided this was the best course of action. He'd seek punishment.

Oralie: Regardless of how she feels, this is going to negatively impact Sophie and she feels the need to protect her from that. She'll oppose strong punishment if there's talk, working to gain back Sophie's trust.

Ramira: Really? Still dealing with Sophie? Well she won't be. She's got more important things to deal with as a councillor than this problematic kid. Everyone else can do what she wants and she doesn't care, she just wants her out of her hair.

Terik: "I'm not mad, just disappointed." Is that how he would've handled the situation? No. But it's what happened and now they have to deal with it and be better going forward, to work together.

Velia: Sophie Foster has consistently proven herself to be a problem and should be dealt with. They have had to deal with problems caused by her too many times already, and action is needed. She won't lead the charge against her, but she'll support it.

Zarina: This is another disappointed situation that will compromise what the council has to do and affect their image. She isn't actively speaking against Sophie, but is worried how long this can go on before there's a consequence for not acting.

Disclaimer that I don't actually know about the councillors very thoroughly (partially because they aren't prominent characters), so several of these are based almost entirely off of their descriptions in Unlocked. So I'm assuming parts of their characters in this reasoning; take it with a grain of salt!

Also I'd be very curious to see more things about the trolls, since I love Tarina very much. I'd hazard a guess they'd go with their councillors if Team Valiant was invited, as Team Valiant is an extension of the elven government? When Sophie was invited it was as her own person without affiliations, which is why her mother was there, but you could get away with different reasoning here. And it would be easier to write without having to include parents.

[shockinteague]

            MICHAELA ‘MICKS’ TEAGUE.

the perfect word to describe micks teague is unhinged. at her birth, her mother either played a sick joke or genuinely had no idea that nicknaming her child something dangerously close to the town mayor’s name would be detrimental in their development. it came with no bullying from their peers, because they were all afraid of her, but micks resented both her name and her nickname. and, of course, her mother, because she left the three of them to their own devices on jasper skellington’s doorstep. she considers herself more of a menace than sadie teague ever could be, and tries her best to live up to the teague name, solidifying her status as a crazy, chaotic bitch with a penchant for violence just for the heck of it. she’s crazy, and you’ll absolutely hate her for it.

inspired by; bellatrix lestrange ( harry potter ) , stormy ( winx club ) , myranda ( game of thrones) , clove ( the hunger games ) , edward hyde ( the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde ) , the queen of hearts ( 2010 alice in wonderland ) .

GENERAL.

BIRTH NAME. michaela teague. NICKNAMES. micks. DATE OF BIRTH.  november 1st. AGE. 23. GENDER. demi female. PRONOUNS. she / they. SPECIES. 3/4 human, 1/4 demon. POWERS. brief bursts of spirit control. PLACE OF BIRTH. an alley on the outskirts of elias. CURRENT RESIDENCE. wherever she can. OCCUPATION. high school dropout, tattoo & piercing artist.

APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT. 5′6" BUILD. average, slim. HAIR COLOUR/STYLE. dyed blonde / straight ish, cut herself, usually worn loose.  EYE COLOUR. brown. GLASSES/CONTACTS. neither. PIERCINGS / TATTOOS. many in her earlobes / many. FACECLAIM. sophie thatcher. VOICECLAIM. sophie thatcher.

HEALTH.

PHYSICAL AILMENTS. anorexic. ALLERGIES. n/a. SLEEPING HABITS. night owl, usually only gets and needs 5 to 6 hours. EATING HABITS. lots of takeout, not picky at all. BODY TEMPERATURE. permanently cold. DOMINANT HAND. left. DRUGS / SMOKE / ALCOHOL. yes / yes / yes.

PERSONALITY.

TROPES. ax-crazy, hair-trigger temper, one-woman army. POSITIVE TRAITS. ambitious, creative, precise. NEGATIVE TRAITS. impulsive, temperamentful, irrational. USUAL MOOD. aggressive, chaotic. LIKES. causing chaos and mischief, exercising, drawing. DISLIKES. goody two shoes, the law, her mother. BAD HABITS. chews her lip, eyes sometimes involuntarily roll into the back of her head.

RELATIONSHIPS.

MOTHER. sadie teague ( biological ) , victoria everglot - skellington ( adoptive / foster ) . FATHER. unnamed drunk client ( biological ) , jasper skellington ( adoptive / foster ) . SIBLINGS. rafaella & gabriella teague. BIRTH ORDER. middle. CHILDREN. n/a. GRAND-CHILDREN. n/a. SIGNIFICANT OTHER. n/a. CLOSEST FRIENDS. wes skellington, tba.

TESTS.

zodiac sign. scorpio. temperament. choleric. hogwarts house. slytherin. moral alignment. chaotic evil. primary vice. wrath. primary virtue. diligence.

SKILLS & STATS.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN. english. DRIVE. yes. JUMP START A CAR. yes. CHANGE A FLAT TIRE. yes. RIDE A BICYCLE. yes. SWIM. no. PLAY AN INSTRUMENT. no. PLAY CHESS. no. BRAID HAIR. yes. TIE A TIE. no. PICK A LOCK. yes. SEW. no.

COMPASSION. 3/10.

EMPATHY. 3/10.

CREATIVITY. 9/10.

MENTAL FLEXIBILITY. 8/10.

PASSION. 8/10.

LUCK. 4/10

MOTIVATION. 5/10.

EDUCATION. 4/10.

INTELLIGENCE. 5/10.

CHARISMA. 4/10.

REFLEXES. 7/10.

WILLPOWER. 8/10.

STAMINA. 8/10.

PHYSICAL STRENGTH. 7/10.

BATTLE SKILL. 7/10.

INITIATIVE. 7/10.

RESTRAINT. 2/10.

STRATEGY. 6/10.

TEAM WORK. 6/10.

[moonlarked]

hey. ok. so. i have a feeling you're a bit new to this site, and i can see that taking in everything all at once is freaking you out. so i'm gonna introduce you to something people do here on tumblr all the time to make their lives better and everyone else's lives better. ok? ok. so. it's these two things:

blocking tags and people that make them uncomfortable

creating tags for when they go on mental health vents + tagging content warnings on said mental health posts, so that people who don't want to see that can block those tags

from what i can see, you don't look like you're doing either of those things right now. these are essential things to do on tumblr in order to curate your experience into something that's enjoyable, not stressful.

so, basically, here's how tagging fandom stuff works on tumblr.

don't tag a piece of media or anything from that media unless you are specifically talking about stuff in it. (ex: incorrect sophie foster quotes you've posted, that i've seen, are correctly tagged. good job!)

if you're talking about the fandom surrounding a source material, tag the fandom, not the source material. and if you're talking about negative stuff, such as fandom discourse (people being toxic, engaging in something that fans fight about in not the most... peaceful way, if you catch my drift, etc) or stuff that warrants trigger warnings (violence, child abuse, etc) tag the post with the appropriate warning tags.

i'll use kotlc as an example. if i were to make a post going in depth about how i think alden vacker is a bad parent, and made claims such as him being neglectful to his kids, here's the gist of how i would probably tag it: '#kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #alden vacker #kotlc discourse #tw mentions of child abuse #tw mentions of child neglect #ask to tag'.

clarifying notes - tw stands for trigger warning. you'll also see people use cw which stands for content warning. most people put tw or cw in front of the thing they're warning people about, but sometimes you'll see people put it after. ex: 'kidnapping tw'. ask to tag is just my way of saying 'hey guys if there's any triggers i missed please hit me up and i'll add them'. if it wasn't obvious already, tw/cw tags are essential because they save people who have those tags blocked from running into stuff that'll cause them mental breakdowns or worse.

the discourse tags are essential for people to curate their experience too. a lot of people don't want to see people being negative about kotlc, because it's their comfort series and seeing people fight stresses them out when tumblr is supposed to be their space to relax. which doesn't mean no one should ever be critical of kotlc (i personally have many critiques on kotlc), it just means that those people need to block discourse tags. blocking tags helps people make their experience here on tumblr more comfortable.

so. please. tag stuff appropriately. i doubt you intentionally left out important tags on a lot of kotlc posts, but it's still important. and when you're on the receiving end of being uncomfortable because you ran into stuff that makes you upset (ie. a kotlc fan or two posting about being anti mcu) just block the 'anti mcu' tag or any other tags that are used often to say 'hey this is mcu hate'. and/or block the person that's reblogging or posting about all of those things frequently. those are both excellent courses of action. what you don't do is make a clearly angry post talking about how you might leave the kotlc fandom just because a few people were hating on another source material you like, and not tag any of the necessary discourse tags on said angry post. it makes people uncomfortable in a way that we can't curate away without blocking you entirely.

(also, side note, feel free to make custom tags for personal stuff, such as mental health vents! ex: if you make a post talking about how you're having a thought spiral about wanting to interact with people in the kotlc fandom because we have mutual interests, and being terrified of kotlc fans because you like mcu, use a custom tag for that and all of your other mental health vents. a custom tag one of my friends uses is 'mental health shit', for example. but do whatever you'd like! and then establish through a post or your bio that that's your mental health tag and to block it if we don't want to see that.)

thank you very much for reading through all of this. i appreciate it. i hope this helps you curate your experience so you and i are both less stressed out :)

I really wish you’d go off anon before asking this, because I do have some question, like what sort of tags I should use on my post that you’re talking about. I used the mcu tag and the mental health tag. Is there a trigger warning tag I should use in this situation? Should I tag it as “kotlc discourse”?

I’m sorry if you interpreted my post as me being angry at someone. I was mostly being angry at myself, but I’ll edit it :P

Thanks for the advice. I do use the “personal” tag about stuff that’s just about me, so I guess there’s that. But I’ll try to do better.

If you’d be willing to talk to me off of anon, I’d really appreciate that.

[thewealthystatus]

Today's Topic": "Join Sophie on 'The Wealthy Status' for a transformative night of affirmations. Immerse yourself in a soothing journey as Sophie guides you through affirmations that cultivate a mindset of abundance, success, and well-being. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and release the tensions of the day. With headphones on, let the gentle tones surround you, creating a cocoon of positivity.

Sophie's affirmations cover various aspects of life, from attracting wealth and prosperity effortlessly to fostering love and harmonious relationships. Embrace the belief in your destined greatness and align yourself with the abundant energy of the universe. Shield yourself from negativity and rise above challenges with grace.

Focus on clear goals, envisioning each step bringing you closer to your dreams. As you conclude this affirmational experience, carry the energy of positivity and determination into your dreams. These powerful affirmations are seeds planted in your subconscious, ready to bloom into manifestations of success and joy. Sleep peacefully, and awaken to a brighter, more abundant tomorrow. Goodnight, dear listener."

[my-reference-notes]

Black and White Thinking

Black and white thinking, also known as all-or-nothing thinking, is a type of cognitive distortion that involves seeing things in extreme and rigid terms, with no middle ground or shades of grey. This type of thinking can be problematic because it oversimplifies complex situations and can lead to distorted beliefs and negative emotions.

For example, an individual who engages in black and white thinking may believe that they are either a complete success or a complete failure, with no in-between. They may also see other people as either all good or all bad, with no room for complexity or nuance.

Black and white thinking can lead to negative outcomes in a number of ways. It can contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. It can also interfere with relationships and decision-making, as individuals may struggle to see different perspectives or consider multiple options.

To overcome black and white thinking, it can be helpful to practice mindfulness and awareness of your thoughts and emotions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can also be an effective treatment for black and white thinking, as it can help individuals learn to identify and challenge their distorted thoughts and develop more balanced and realistic beliefs.

Many young people are not cognitively developed enough to think in complex ways yet.

Cognitive development occurs through experiences such as education, caregiver responsiveness and opportunities to try new things.

"Black and White" thinking, or stubborn, rigid and extreme thinking, is common with immature cognitive development.

Parents may be particularly sensitive to comments that arise from a lack of cognitive maturity, and they can be helped to understand that this is part of growing up.

Encourage young people to think about their thinking, and whether it is serving them well in relationships.

Accept that young people are just not ready to think in more mature ways.

Mature adult thinking includes the ability to think in the abstract and to consider a number of solutions to a problem. Attainment of such thinking is not universal, even in adulthood.

Cognitive development occurs through experiences such as positive education, caregiver responsiveness and opportunities to try new things. Many of the young that we encounter in our practice have difficulty with advanced thinking skills. Children who have been neglected or abused, for example, may have had less exposure to experiences that foster mature thinking.

Young people may still predominantly use less mature thinking processes, particularly during periods of stress or anxiety. Additionally, the region of the brain that permits long-term planning, impulse control and consideration of consequences or alternatives is the last to grow, usually not until the early 20s

"Black and white thinking" is a common manifestation of immature thought; thinking that is rigid, stubborn and often extreme, with few 'grey areas'. Examples of black and white thinking are:

The teachers all treat me like crap

Everybody hates me

Sophie will always be my best friend

My mum is wrong all the time

My dad won't let me do anything

My family is weird

I hate my mum/dad/sister/brother

Workers and parents need to be aware that comments or thoughts like these are not necessarily reliable indicators of the magnitude of problems. Workers may not be able to rely on such statements to form a picture of family relationships. It is better to gather a range of opinions from family members or others. This will provide a better picture of the quality of family relationships. More informed assumptions about the level of family connectedness can be made and important connections will not be missed.

It is also a good idea to check back regularly with young people, to see if their feelings about things or people have changed.

Immature thought processes can often lead to family conflict. Parents can be particularly sensitive to the comments that arise from a lack of cognitive maturity, such as impulsive speech. They may take them more seriously than intended. They may think that the young person is being selfish or self-absorbed.

Your knowledge and understanding of cognitive development can be used to explain to parents that such thinking is a normal part of adolescent growth.

Work with young people and family members to gently shift their thinking about issues. This may help to reduce conflict. Asking questions such as the following may help to more clearly establish the quality of family relationships:

"Do you always feel this way about your mother/father/sister/brother?"

"Were there times when things were better between you?"

"What sorts of things were happening when things were better?"

Take care to work in a developmentally appropriate manner. Be open and direct in your approach.

When assessing clients, consider to what extent they demonstrate advanced thinking skills. Do they exhibit empathy, abstract thought, problem solving, articulation of values and beliefs? If not, they may have more trouble with the 'grey areas' of life.

Let the young person and family know that black and white thinking is characteristic of normal adolescent development.

Encourage the young person to explore their own thinking and whether it is serving them well in their relationships with their family and friends. Use the example of an issue from the young person's own experience. Look at it together from a number of angles:

suggest they put themselves in their parent's shoes for a moment

ask them to imagine other possible ways of dealing with the issue.

Ask them to recall an issue or situation when they were less concrete in their approach.

What was that like?

What was the outcome?

Could this be applied to other situations?

Once a relationship of trust has been established, make suggestions about ways to improve communication with their family. Some gentle examples of compromise may help.

Accept that some young people are simply not developmentally ready to think in other ways. Help parents to compromise or accept what they can.

What is Black and White Thinking?

Black and white thinking (sometimes referred to as all or nothing thinking or dichotomous thinking) is one version of something called a cognitive distortion. Cognitive distortions refer to the false ways we interpret reality. It’s basically like putting on a pair of blue-tinted lenses and believing that everything in the world has suddenly turned the color blue. Of course that hasn’t actually happened, but these lenses are so convincing that we believe it’s true. 

With black and white thinking, our thoughts gravitate towards extremes: the black versus the white, the all versus the nothing. Here are some examples of how that can show up in regular people’s thoughts:

I either know everything or I know nothing You’re either good or you’re bad I’m the best or I’m the worst I will either triumph or I’ll fail I’m a perfect parent or I’m the worst parent He either hates me or he loves me I’m always bad or I’m never bad

You get the gist. Black and white thinking refers to any thoughts that generate polarizing or extreme interpretations of reality instead of finding one of the many points of reference that exist within the middle. 

The tricky part about these black and white thoughts is they often don’t show up in pairs. Meaning, your thoughts might only voice one side of the extreme while the opposite comparison remains unvoiced. (ex: “I’m the worst parent ever”, “nothing I do is right”, or “I’ll never figure this out.”

Words like always, never, best, worst, everything, and nothing can be helpful clues that you’re engaging in black and white thinking. That’s because these words themselves are extreme. If you’re the best, that suggests that no one else is better, and if you’re the worst, that suggests no one else is worst. 

While these words are at times accurate, most often they are exaggerations of reality.  

What are the Consequences of Black and White Thinking?

You might be wondering why we should even care if our thoughts exaggerate reality. The answer to that requires us to better understand how our thoughts shape our experiences in the world. The cognitive triangle is a psychological concept that refers to the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They are all connected in a metaphorical triangle. When something happens, each component influences the others. 

So when we engage in black and white thinking, the impact of this is going to extend into our feelings and our behaviors. Let’s consider an example. 

Let’s say that you were feeling stressed by work, household chores, and parenting demands, all piling up around you. As you’re trying to tackle it all, one step at a time, in walks your child, who asks for a snack. Because you’re already feeling overwhelmed, you respond less than ideally and snap, “No! Stop interrupting me!,” and your child falls to the floor in tears. 

If the black and white thinking were to show up, it might say something like “Oh my god, I’m the worst mom.” That thought is likely going to make you feel ashamed, inadequate, and depressed, and those feelings, in turn, might lead you to beat yourself up in your head or give up trying altogether. After all, if you really are the worst mom, what’s the point in even trying? 

But suppose instead, after you snapped at your child, you said to yourself, “wow, that really didn’t help the situation. What can I do to make this better?” That thought is MUCH less likely to lead you feeling ashamed, inadequate or depressed. Perhaps these thoughts lead you to feel frustrated, but still motivated to work it out with your child. These feelings then allow you to respond to your child with hugs and apologies, making both you and your child feel better. 

These two scenarios start with the exact same situation (you snapping at your child), but your thoughts lead to two very different outcomes. 

This is why identifying and overcoming black and white thinking is important: because your thoughts provide you with the power to influence your reality. 

So, how do we go about changing these unhelpful ways of thinking?

How to Overcome Black and White Thinking

1. Identify patterns of black and white thoughts

You can’t change what you don’t even realize exists, so the first step in overcoming your black and white thinking is to recognize it’s there. But how do you do this? 

It’s impossible to suggest that anyone can be aware of their thoughts at all times. Not only is this not realistic, it’s also not beneficial. Because our thoughts are running non-stop all day long everyday, and if we were to devote our attention entirely to them, we would miss out on the world around us. 

So I recommend using your negative feelings as a reminder to pay attention to your thoughts. Most of us recognize when we’re not feeling good, whether that’s angry, sad, guilty, or whatever else. So when we notice a difficult feeling, that’s a great time to stop and ask: What am I thinking right now?

2. Evaluate the accuracy of your thought

I mentioned earlier that we tend to accept our thoughts as reality, but we can learn to start questioning them. This is important if we truly want to overcome our black and white thinking. Some questions to guide you in your evaluation include:

Is this thought 100% accurate? Are there any examples that contradict this thought? Could I convince a judge or my best friend this thought is true?

Of course there are times when the extreme end of the spectrum is actually accurate, but this is rare. Using these questions can help you recognize when you are putting yourself in an extreme box that doesn’t fit. 

3. Find a middle ground

Once you identify a thought as inaccurate, then it’s time to create a more realistic replacement. But we want to be careful here that we don’t replace the black and white thought with another unhelpful thought. Instead, we’re aiming to find a thought that is both accurate and helpful. 

In order to create this replacement thought, it’s helpful to refer back to your answers in step 2. Instead of the exaggerated extreme thought, what is a more accurate description? Some helpful hints: 

Always and never can turn into sometimes. Best and worst can be modified to “pretty good,” “working on it,” or “improving.” Everything and nothing can transform into “some things.”

We’re aiming for the gray zone here between the black and white.  

But finding the gray zone isn’t enough when we’re working on changing those extreme thoughts. We also want to make sure the new thought is helpful.

For example, imagine that the original black and white thought you wanted to modify was “I’m not good at anything.” It would technically be finding the gray zone by turning that into “I’m pretty bad at some things,” but leaving it at that is not likely to lead you to feel any better. So you’re going to want to add in a helpful spin. Something like “I’m pretty bad at some things, but I’m great at others.” See how that final addition is likely to improve how you feel? 

So to recap, when you replacing your black and white thoughts, you want to add in a new thought that is both accurate and helpful.

4. Repeat 1 million times

Changing your thoughts is one of those things that happens little by little over time, so try and not get discouraged when those black and white thoughts keep popping up. Instead, keep in mind that this is something you will need to repeat over and over, and over again. The more you practice this act of identifying and modifying your black and white thoughts, the easier it will get. 

And there you have it. Hopefully you now understand what is black and white thinking, what it’s consequences are, and how to overcome that pattern of thinking. Remember, it’s ok to not be perfect at this (in fact, if you’re aiming for perfection, then there’s likely another black and white thought lurking underneath that goal). Find comfort in knowing that you are one of many who encounters these thoughts, and with a little persistence, you can overcome them!

[amandayetagain]

THANK U FOR UR TAGS THEY WERE RLLY FUN TO READ !!!!! giggled at the tam askign sophie for permission part & u know what she would let him !

She would!! She’d take a breath to compose herself, pressing her hands together before practically ordering Tam to save Fitz’s number before it washes off!

yeah, she acknowledges Tam is right in saying she could just give him?? Fitz’s number?? But it’s *different.* and now they’re both putting on their most pretentious voices and making other stupid comparisons. Their friendship is everything to me

I love the tension there would be at family dinners after a while- like, there’s Tiergan, who’s still bitter towards Alden for pushing Prentice’s conviction & traumatizing him during interrogation. Human au ig he was smuggling Sophie out of a country with a bs foster system? There’s Prentice, who’s mostly over it. He understands how the law is something Alden heavily believes in, orients his lifestyle around, and that grey area with weight can tilt Alden’s world on its axis. There’s Della, who’s seen firsthand how much the guilt messed Alden up (it lessened Tiergans heat but feelings about things that heavy don’t just go away. They linger). And then Fitz, Biana, Tam, and Linh just in the middle of this. Tiergan is Fitz’s professor. This is not a dinner in a student teacher capacity (shovel talk? No. Warning glares? Yes)

Tam is most definitely a texter, so he would freak when Fitz calls him for the first time (though, it is nice to really hear his voice)

yk those projector things that have a light with a case around it, and the negative space is the designs that appear on the wall/ceiling?? Tam would make those. There are also the spinning ones, and I feel like Tam would pick moments from their relationship over time and gift it to Fitz after falling asleep to it once he finishes.

[you-have-been-frizzled]

frokle is a really crappy person

other people are realize what a crappy person Frokle is right? like everyone is so busy hating on Alden but i never see anything on Frokle.

things he’s done

left two twelve year olds in the middle of france after they had been tortured

ask a twelve year old to go in a cave alone with him

manifest a 5 year old as a telepath and forcing her to go though horrible migraines for 7 years and hear thoughts that no child should hear. “because her mind would expect easier because of the concussion” and “she could be used to being a telepath” you could have waited until it happened naturally? it would have been better in ever way

sneak into a little girls room while she was sleeping and mess with her brain, and try to brush it off as normal/necessary you could have done that any other way dude

tell sophie she has a choice in what she does turns around and slips something into conversation intentionally to make her ask questions

then proceeded to tell her he can’t tell her because reasons, then “brake” and give her just enough information so she would because curious and look into it

and when she finds the info he wanted her to find he compliments her and tells her he underestimated her

if she starts to make a choice he doesn’t like he does his best to push her to make the discussion he what’s, while telling her it’s her choice

“she has a choice weather she wanted to be the moonlark or not”

like the neverseen would have let her have a choice they wouldn’t have cared they’d still kidnap her

take half a dozen teens to brake into prison and proceed to almost get one killed

tell sophie before hand that if anything happened to the collective that she and her friends would be in charge

then LITERALLY ADMITS to grooming her and her friends to lead the black swan one day

“but it’s their choice they get to choose” yeah sureee

now i haven’t even read the last three books so i bet there’s other good stuff that i don’t know about so feel free to add