#they are literally winter / summer they NEED to explore that dynamic

[teapot-of-tyrahn]

MAJORMOON 🗣🗣🗣

do u like the colours of the sky (flavours of majormoon)?

i'm normal about them. i could not just do One Majormoon Bingo Sheet i had to make a bingo sheet for Three Seperate MajorMoons because i am the most normal ever to normal abt them anyway. got a bingo! yippeee!

[brooks7348]

Step Into Comfort: The Journey of Footwear and Beyond"

Summary:

In the bustling world of fashion, one essential element takes center stage—the ever-evolving world of footwear. This blog takes you on a walk through the realms of footwear, exploring its significance, its ties to outerwear, the perfect harmony with slouch hats, and its surprising partnership with the practicality of dryer balls. Join us as we explore the steps we take, both literally and figuratively, into the dynamic universe of footwear and its intriguing connections to the broader world of style, comfort, and everyday living.

Introduction:

Footwear, a fundamental part of our daily attire, is more than just a necessity—it's a statement of style, comfort, and personality. From the ancient sandals worn for protection to the contemporary sneakers designed for both fashion and function, the evolution of footwear reflects the ever-changing landscape of human needs and desires. This blog aims to unravel the intricate tapestry of footwear, delving into its diverse forms and unexpected connections to outerwear, slouch hats, and the practical world of dryer balls.

The Soleful World of Footwear:

Footwear, whether it's sturdy boots, elegant heels, or casual sneakers, plays a crucial role in our lives. Beyond the obvious protection and comfort they provide, shoes have become a canvas for self-expression. From the timeless craftsmanship of leather to the innovation of sustainable materials, each step we take is a testament to the evolution of footwear. The diversity in design and functionality caters to a wide range of needs, allowing us to express our personalities with every stride.

Footwear and Outerwear: A Sartorial Symphony:

The synergy between footwear and outerwear is undeniable. As we step into different seasons, our choice of footwear becomes not just about practicality but also about complementing our overall style. From cozy boots paired with winter coats to sandals embracing the warmth of summer, the combination of footwear and outerwear creates a sartorial symphony that harmonizes comfort and fashion. The right pair of shoes can elevate an outfit, making a bold statement or adding a touch of elegance to even the simplest ensemble.

Striding in Style: The Slouch Hat Connection:

In the vast landscape of accessories, the slouch hat emerges as a perfect companion to stylish footwear. Just as the right pair of shoes completes an outfit, a well-chosen slouch hat adds a touch of flair to the overall look. The creativity that goes into selecting the perfect hat mirrors the thought process behind choosing the ideal footwear. Whether it's a cozy knit hat paired with winter boots or a breezy summer hat matched with sandals, the synergy between headwear and footwear creates a cohesive and stylish ensemble.

Footwear and Dryer Balls: A Practical Partnership:

The practicality of footwear extends beyond the fashion realm and into the laundry room with an unexpected partner—dryer balls. These simple, often yarn-covered spheres, serve not only to soften fabrics but also to help maintain the shape and integrity of our beloved shoes. Placing dryer balls in the dryer with shoes reduces drying time and eliminates the need for noisy, tumbling shoes that can disturb the peace of laundry day. It's a practical partnership that showcases the adaptability of footwear in unexpected situations.

Conclusion:

As we conclude our exploration of footwear and its diverse connections, it's clear that shoes are more than just items we put on our feet—they are reflections of our personalities, lifestyles, and the dynamic nature of fashion. From the synergy with outerwear to the stylish harmony with slouch hats and the unexpected practicality with dryer balls, footwear weaves itself into the fabric of our daily lives in surprising ways. So, the next time you lace up your favorite pair of shoes or slip into that cozy pair of boots, remember that each step you take is not just a journey for your feet but a stride into the rich and ever-evolving world of style and practicality.

[instantbee]

Ilia Amitola and Winter Schnee, the Summer and Winter Maidens

a.k.a. Instantbee's pet crack theory

Ilia art from: Petracore101 www.tumblr.com/blog/view/petracore101/639791009801306112

TL:DR:

Differences: Atlas Elite/Mantle Nobody, Human/Faunus, Oppressor /Freedom Fighter, Creation/Destruction, Winter/Summer

Similarities: Authoritarian Strongman that they betray, Sense of profound guilt over their role in their former organization, desire to make up for that, deep need for a path in life and a way to help people, connection to team RWBY

Winter/Summer, opposites but so, so, similar. Long version is under the cut

Okay to start off with, a foundational reason behind this theory actually doesn't have anything to do with Ilia or Winter directly, but rather who they relate to

Maidens and Team RWBY

All the maidens so far have personal connections to members of team RWBY.

Spring/Raven-Yang (Mother/Daughter)

Fall/Cinder-Ruby (Chosen Expys for leaders in a millennia long war)

Winter/Winter-Weiss (Sister/Sister)

It seems odd to leave Blake out. It seems really odd to leave Blake out actually. But who's a young woman who could assume the powers that has a connection to Blake Belladonna? A deep, personal connection that would make their interactions in some way resonant thematically or interpersonally?

Oh hey there

Ilia and Blake have the interpersonal connection required to make Blake's exclusion from the connections to Maidens that the rest of her team has go away. Ilia is also the only character that Blake has that level of connection to that also meets the requirements to be a Maiden. Sure they could introduce that and build it in Vacuo but, Ilia is already a character. Why make a new one?

Crack Theory Puzzle Piece #1 Complete

Maidens have a connection/relationship to one another that has nothing to do with team RWBY

Raven-Cinder (fought, used each other in plans)

Cinder-Winter (I "Killed" your sister, also Atlas Elite hang ups)

Winter needs to have a relationship with the Summer maiden in order to make them interesting as a dynamic on their own. Someone that would be interesting to pair with Winter. Someone that may have thematic similarities to Winter. While being different enough to create tension and explore some new ideas.

Oh hey there

Crack Theory Puzzle Piece #2 Complete

Shockingly similar lives

They both grew up in Atlas. Winter was the Schnee Heiress, Ilia's parents worked for the Schnees.

Both of those situations end in disaster and a girl without a family looks for somewhere to go.

Both flee their initial place in Atlas and take up with a strong, authoritarian leader. A charismatic man that told them he understood their hardships, that he got it and that he could help them find a new path.

Both of them put their faith in this man. Both of them believed this man's goals were for the greater good. Both of them stayed by this man's side long after it became obvious that the reasons they had initially joined him had been a lie, or at least had turned into one.

Both of them broke with a member of Team RWBY over this allegiance. Both of them eventually saw the error of their ways. Both of them eventually fought this man in the Finale of a season of RWBY. Both of them joined the other side after this conflict. Both of them were left with guilt in their role and a desire to make amends. Both could use the Maiden powers to do so.

Crack Theory Puzzle Piece #3 Complete

Opposites are cool actually

This isn't so much theory building on stuff in canon as it is wishful thinking and it's where we really start verging into crack theory land.

Obviously this is all highly dependent on who the Summer Maiden is, if Ilia is even in Vacuo at any point, and has like, zero, canon validation behind it at all. But nonetheless I continue on because I love the theory and I love Ilia and I wanna see the lil Lizard again, preferably with a role to play in the story

I think that a really cool way for CRWBY to take the Maidens is for the Summer and Winter Maidens to be like mirror images of one another. Opposites but also so incredibly similar.

The idea of playing with opposites is super interesting to me. Summer/Winter, Destruction/Creation, and possibly...

Faunus/Human?

The idea that the Summer Maiden should be a Faunus is hardly unique to this post. There hasn't been a Faunus Maiden yet and there really should be. Illa would fit that role and also provide a stark contrast to Winter Schnee as the Winter Maiden. Not just Human/Faunus but Schnee/Faunus

Creation/Destruction

Possibly more obvious but Winter and Summer's respective relics are opposites. Creation and destruction are opposite ideas but as RWBY has shown before not so opposite as one would think. One can create to destroy and destroy to create. If one were to build up the Winter and Summer maidens as opposites of one another that are really rather similar then Ilia and Winter fit that role.

Summer/Winter

I mean, come on, they're literally opposite seasons

Crack Theory Puzzle Piece #4 Complete

To sum up

I got nothing to sum up. This is a crack theory based around way too much speculation and a burning desire to have Ilia be super important to the show.

I want this

Even if it doesn't really make sense. But I think it kinda does

@shallitickleyournerdbutton I did the thing

[be-not-afeared]

Black Sails fic recs

Working titles: 12 fics for christmas? 12 days of ficmas? 12 fics none of which actually have anything to do with christmas?

OKAY, so I love nothing more than a fic rec post, and I’ve seen a few Black Sails rec posts floating around but they mostly seem to be a couple of years old and they all recommend a similar bunch of fics (and deservedly so! they are all amazing!). But I thought I would make one to highlight some newer or less shouted-about fics, because I may have only been here for a couple of months but jfc there is so much talent in this fandom and more of it deserves to be hyped. 

So, here are 12 of my favourite fics for the 12 days of christmas! (i.e. an excuse to put an arbitrary number cap on the list or we’d be here all day)

The majority of these are Silver/Flint and the ones that aren’t still all feature Silver prominently because that boy owns my soul, sorry for who I am as a person.

we should rip it straight out by minormendings

45K (Silver/Madi, Silver/Flint, Flint/Thomas)

Madi has always wondered if Silver understands what is between him and Flint as well as she. To her, it has always been obvious, from the way the two of them had fit together, had worried about each other, had acted as one. She had tried to bring it up with Silver back when they were together. But Silver had shaken her off, too enmired in the idea that he or Flint would prove each other’s downfall. Or perhaps just unwilling to open his eyes to the fact that he had loved Flint.

It was, unfortunately for the both of them, even more obvious after the thing between them had broken. Just as Silver had thrown away the war out of love for her, Flint had let Silver take away the war rather than kill him.

God. What a group the three of them were, showing love by betrayal.

Post-canon. Madi and Flint find their way back to Silver.

This fic diverges from canon right at the end of the 4x10; Silver has Flint held in a cell in Port Royal and Thomas delivered to him rather than taking him straight to the plantation. It is a BEAUTIFUL character study of how Flint and Madi could both come to forgive Silver, and has a great FlintMadi dynamic too. It also centres Madi’s struggle between wanting to provide for her people and wanting to experience the freedom of piracy, and fleshes out Julius’ character in a way the show never did. 

we can lose and call it living by I_wouldnt_be_one_of_them

31K (Silver/Flint/Thomas, Silver/Flint, Flint/Thomas)

It's been twelve years since everything fell apart, and John Silver is settled in New England. He has a nice house and a job he likes, and he's gotten used to the loneliness. It's a good life, he thinks, but of course that's cast into doubt when James Flint and Thomas Hamilton show up to find closure and, apparently, to see whether he's happy.

This is an inverse of the ‘silver arrives on flint and thomas’ doorstep’ trope and has Flint and Thomas instead being the ones to interrupt Silver, who is living a sad and lonely existence post-series. I love the ThomasSilver dynamic here. And this Silver feels so true to canon he makes me want to WEEP.

Tell me we're dead and I'll love you even more by Craftnarok

21K (Silver/Flint)

In the year 1725, or thereabouts, John Silver finds himself driven by a storm into an inconsequential little port town, barely a speck on any civilised map. Returned to the life of a drifter, tired and rough around the edges, he is resigned to waiting for the weather to pass before he can sail on again to the next town, and the next, and the next. That is until he overhears a conversation in the inn about a local fisherman, one Captain Barlow, and his tall tales of tempests and becalmings, devils and sharks, and Silver finds a new future opening up to him, haunted by the spectres of his past.

All of Craftnarok’s fics are amazing but I am particularly drawn to this one; it’s set 10 years post-series and is a delightfully angsty exploration of how Flint and Silver could find their way back to each other in a scenario in which Thomas wasn’t at the plantation. It doesn’t let Silver off easy and I love that.

armed with the past and the will by whimsicalimages

3K (Silver/Madi, Madi & Julius)

The language of winning and losing, this language that men favor – Madi can speak this language, though she disagrees with its precepts. Success takes different forms, and failing once does not mean failing forever. It does not even mean failing the next time.

Post-series, Julius teaches Madi how to fight. This fic is BEAUTIFUL - give me anything that centres Madi post-canon - and it explores Madi’s relationship with both Julius and Silver so well in so few words. 

Always In Season by mycapeisplaid

60K (Silver/Flint, past Flint/Thomas, past Silver/Madi)

Towering sand dunes, crystal-clear water, miles of forest, vineyards, orchards, and very spotty cellular service -- John Silver finds himself in a part of the state he's never been before and decides to take on seasonal work. Meanwhile, back from his yearly wintering in Florida, James Flint thinks that perhaps he'll take on a new business venture, even though it means he might have to interact with people other than his two close friends. Their summer employment fosters a friendship that could become something more. Like construction season in Michigan, the two must navigate through their own obstacles in order to seek an alternative route toward happiness.

This is an AU and so much fun!! Silver finds himself in Michigan and takes on some seasonal work at Guthrie Dunes. The whole cast features and the setting just WORKS SO WELL. And this Flint feels brilliantly in character despite the difference in setting.

to make a life by gone_girl

53K (Max/Anne, Max & Silver)

“What am I going to do with your name?” Max asks, a little incredulous.

“Whatever you want,” the salesman says. “Didn’t you want something real?”

Max heard a story once about the importance of answering questions like that carefully. If something emerges from the forest and asks for your name, don’t give it up, the story went. Offer only what you know you can live without. She’s never heard a story that tells her what to do when something emerges from the forest and offers its name to you.

I literally only finished this this morning but holy shit this fic is amazing, it’s a Max-centric AU set in Missouri the early 00s and it’s all about found family and building community and platonic love and it has a brilliant SilverMadi dynamic. And there just aren’t enough fics out there that focus on Max & Silver!! 

the straight walk home by vowelinthug

73K (Silver/Flint)

Let me tell you a story, about a vaquero named Vasquez…

Obviously vowelinthug’s fics are recc’d all the time and rightly so as they are AMAZING, but one that I don’t see featured as often as the more prominent ones is this incredible Western!AU. It’s 73K guys!! It adapts the canon narrative into the Western setting SO well!! It has background Vane/Billy which I was not at all sure about going in but just WORKS!! Go read it.

The Truth about Eros by Aisalynn

21K (Silver/Flint, Silver/Madi, Flint/Thomas)

Silver understood one thing very well.

Being Fated did not mean you were safe.

It did not mean you were loved.

This one is hot off the press! I am not normally a fan of soulmate AUs but this is such an interesting take on the trope, and the world building fits around the polyamory theme of the show really effectively! And it is SO well written.

With Nothing on My Tongue by RosieTwiggs

13K (Silver/Flint, Silver/Madi)

"Silver thinks: Maybe God likes it when I fight with him.

He wonders now, whether he’s been playing into God’s plan all along. Because no matter how angry he gets, how defensive, how many “fuck you”s he flings to the heaven, isn’t it all just proof that he still believes God is there, despite it all?

Silver doesn’t know how to counter that.

Maybe he doesn’t want to anymore."

An incredibly well written (and angsty! read the tags!) Jewish!Silver character study. This one has really stayed with me.

Maybe in Another Life by samedifference61

31K (Silver/Flint/Madi, Flint/Madi, Silver/Flint, Silver/Madi)

At the rail of a ship James doesn’t command, they stand shoulder to shoulder.

“John still thinks you’re dead,” James states, because it’s something that needs to be said aloud before they continue.

With eyes unblinking toward the rolling sea, Madi says, “And he still thinks you should be dead.”

James’ lip curls in anger. The wounds of betrayal are too fresh for either to say anymore.

Canon-divergent from 4x09, this is a brilliant MadiFlint centric fic exploring their relationship post Silver’s betrayal, and how he could find his way back to them both whilst acknowledging the weight of his actions.

in a vault of starlight by whimsicalimages

7K (Silver/Madi/Flint/Thomas)

The distance between Nassau and Savannah can be measured as: six hundred and thirteen nautical miles, five thousand pounds’ worth of pearls, or four extraordinary lifetimes.

Alternatively: in the aftermath, Madi writes her own story.

There aren’t enough Madi centric fics out there! This one is a lovely extension of canon with a great MadiSilver dynamic in particular.

the aftershocks remain by pdameron

31K (Silver & Miranda, Silver/Flint)

For as long as he can remember, John Silver has been able to see ghosts. He has no trouble keeping this secret from Flint - until Charlestown. Until Miranda.

Again all of pdameron’s fics are brilliant but I loooove this SilverMiranda centric one, plus who doesn’t love a ghost!au.

[mcfiddlestan]

Ship ask game: Loki/Tony, Tony/Bucky, Bucky/Loki.

Loki/Tony - Ship it

1. So, when Avengers came out I was on Twitter A LOT. I followed a lot of fellow Marvel fans and discovered the exciting world of Twitter RP. I started following a bunch of Tony Stark and Loki accounts (among others, but they were my fave characters after Avengers. Also shout out to Loki-Motion and Ant-Man!! I miss you.). One Tony Stark I followed was named @_Chaotique, and he was partnered with a Loki (can’t remember the name). Following their “romance” made me start shipping Frostiron and I went looking for more Frostiron stuff. By August (Avengers came out in April), I was writing my first Frostiron fanfic and my phone was full of Frostiron pix and edits. I was obsessed! Fun fact: I still am. Lol. Plus, I started talking to the writer of Chaotique through PMs, we struck up a friendship, were a couple for nearly four years, and he remains one of my closest friends today.

2. Obviously the whole enemies to lovers thing is always fun, but when people ask why I ship it I always point out how Tony and Loki have a similar story that just took different paths. They both have daddy issues and sense of self issues. Tony struggles with living in the shadow of his father, Loki struggles with living in the shadow of his “golden child” brother. They’re both super intellectual, sarcastic, and witty (the verbal battles omg), and there’s a lot to explore with them together and separately regarding the masks they wear with everyone and the front they put on, and the amount of vulnerability underneath.

3. Idk if it counts as an unpopular opinion, but I’m not a fan of fics that make Loki out to be weak-willed and kind of a simp. The characterizations that make him this person that constantly needs to be rescued whether by Tony or Thor really miss the mark for me. Yes, he can be blind to his faults and his flaws, but he doesn’t need someone else to baby him.

Tony/Bucky - Ship it

1. I don't even know what got me started on this ship. I don’t think it was until Civil War that I started and I’m pretty sure it was fanart that got me started. I haven’t read much fanfic, just little snippets of stuff on Tumblr, and my venture into RPing them was very short. It’s a very minor ship for me but one I totally want to get into more and write fic on it (I do have a Security Guard AU I’m working on for these boys tho).

2. Like I said, I haven’t delved too deeply into this ship just yet. So, so far the only thing I really like about it is it’s two of my favorite characters and two of my favorite male actors being paired together.

3. No, not really.

Bucky/Loki - Ship it

1. Um...I love villains. And don't give me the “Bucky is not a villain blah blah blah.” Yeah, I know. But for the majority of CATWS, yes he was! And I was shipping and writing Winterfrost before that movie came out. The writer of Chaotique created a Winter Soldier to RP in summer 2013 and I created a post-Avengers/pre-Dark World Loki to pair with him. There’s something very intriguing about two dark souls finding each other and simultaneously healing each other while also lowkey (haha) indulging in their dark sides. Like, we literally wrote a scene about a discussion and comparison of knives turning into some hot sex. But also, when it came to our RP at least, there was a lot to be explored with Loki, an anti-hero who has come to terms with his issues and is already on his journey to healing, helping Bucky, arguably an antihero himself who is just starting to come to terms with his trauma. Not unlike Frostiron, Loki and Bucky have an understanding of what each has been through and there’s a bond there.

2. Like I said, I like villains. I like darkness. I like unconventional love stories. Winterfrost is full of that. There is an underlying darkness to the Winterfrost relationship that could be explored. I wrote a fic, one of my first Winterfrost ones, called Can I Bum A Ride? which was basically porn with some plot (and written off a prompt from a Tumblr friend). The story is basically Loki picks up hitchhiker Bucky in a downpour, they stop at a motel for the night (*gasp* there’s only one bed!), and get it on. There was a moment where I considered writing a sequel that found them going down a not-so-wholesome path. Like, a path that pretty much turned them into road-tripping serial killers. For various reasons I didn’t, but I feel like they are two characters that lend themselves pretty easily to that dynamic.

3. Not really. It would be the same as the Loki/Tony one. But that’s really more a complaint about how people write Loki than anything else. And that’s just my opinion! I don’t comment on people’s fics just to tell them they suck at writing Loki or anything. Everyone is allowed their own interpretation -- I’m sure I’ve written something in a way people didn’t like. In fact, I *know* I have bc they actually did comment. If I don’t like it, I hit that back button and find something else to read. Easy peasy.

Thanks for asking!

Send me more on the Ship meme!

[betawithablog]

Headcanons for the greek gods as omegas?

(I assume you mean as Omegaverse and not for them all to be Omegas cus there’s no way Ares is Omega lol)

This is gonna be the 12(.5) Olympians and the royal couple of the underworld

Zeus: Alpha, a very obvious Alpha. Leader of the Olympian pack. If we're going with the personality he has in the myths then he's the kind of douchebag Alpha who thinks it's his right to go around knotting whoever he fancies; I imagine his pheromones are pretty powerful too. Like, send-you-into-an-surprise-heat kind of powerful. If we're going with how the ancient Greeks actually saw Zeus though he's the absolute best provider. Big dad vibes towards everyone who's even a little bit younger than him (which... y’know, given that he's a god is almost everyone).

Hera: Omega. The kind of Omega that has a dominant, leader's streak; the kind born to be the leader's mate. She has that Omega's need for love and attention (which Zeus really needs to work on giving her smh) and likes to pamper her body (see: pool that she bathes in every night that somehow magically makes her not a virgin anymore... yeah idk either, blame the ancient Greeks). She does, however, lack a natural maternal instinct (see: yeeting baby Hephaestus off of mt. Olympus), so I feel like she could potentially also be a Beta.

Poseidon: Alpha. Originally he was actually the leader of the Olympian pack (no that's not a headcanon - the Macedonians actually considered Poseidon to be the head of the Olympians). I imagine him to be a kind of rugged-looking Alpha - like an strong old fisherman with rough palms and speckled grey hair - with an air of calm and control that can switch to chaotic and aggressive in an instant's notice - like the ocean itself.

Hestia: Omega. Absolutely 100% Omega. The kind of Omega who's very presence makes you feel soothed, her hugs are warm and soft (not just because she always wears fluffy cardigans), her nest is absolute perfection - beautiful, calming to be in, and cosy - and she's always got something divine (if you'll excuse the pun) in the oven. Always purring kin the kitchen. Absolute biggest mama vibes. She smells like a bakery; chocolate and pastry. Holy shit I love Hestia.

Demeter: Alpha. Considered her, perhaps, as an Omega on account of her being a fertility agriculture goddess but she just doesn't strike me as the placating, gentle type. Quite the opposite. She fought stubbornly for her daughter to remain at her side, and she's the goddess of law too - she's not the rolling-over-showing-her-neck type at all. I picture her as an absolute Unit; muscles for days from all the years harvesting crops. The no-nonsense kind of Alpha.

Aphrodite: Omega. The hypersexual kind of Omega. I believe I've seen them called 'Pack Omegas' - the type that do best when they're in a relationship with lots of people, practically (or literally) a whole pack. Also the beauty-obsessed kind of Omega. Takes ten hours to get her clothes, hair, and makeup done yet somehow she turns the whole process into a mesmerising dance. She turns everything into a mesmerising dance. Another I imagine with knock-out strong pheromones that have Alphas falling to their knees for her. She smells like roses.

Athena: Alpha. Another leader-type Alpha - literally has Athens named after her, and she's very proud of her people... despite some of the absolute nonsense she's had to witness from them throughout the ancient years. A very adept and skilled fighter and strategist - likes to know everything about a situation before rushing in. She's an incredibly supportive and wise lead Alpha, the kind that the pack feels they can go to with whatever problem they might have. I feel like she could also easily be a Beta, but she's got such a strong sense of being dominant and in charge it's hard to see her as anything but an Alpha.

Ares: Alpha. Less of a leader-type Alpha, lbr, more of a team player. The kind of Alpha that runs into things without thinking, relying on instinct and, on the battlefield, pure rage. Your average Aggressive Type Alpha who's ready to kill for anyone in his pack. Can come across as a bit of a meat head... and can be a bit of a meat head at times... Yet I imagine him as a really loving, doting mate, which initially surprises a lot of people; seeing this big burly 6ft< Alpha who smells like fire and blood smiling dopily as picks out the perfect dainty jewellery for Aphrodite.

Hephaestus: Beta. My poor poor bastard boy. Very crafty and creative (see: trapping his mother in a beautiful trick throne he built as revenge for yeeting him off the mountain as a baby). Likes to think his creations through and plan genius contraptions. He could very easily also be an Alpha, what with the fact he's a blacksmith, which is a rather Alpha job. But I guess I lean towards Beta because, even though he's a bit of a social outcast on account of his leg and general appearance, he's clearly desperate to be more socially involved with the pack and doesn't want to be a lone wolf.

Artemis: Alpha. Surprisingly nonsexual for an Alpha. Very much a lone wolf. Loves spending her days out in the forest. You wouldn't think she's an Alpha to look at her, but she'd surprise you with how strong she is. Also very good at using her opponent's strength against them. Because of her build, she's considered the protector of Omegas; most Omegas would feel very safe in her presence. She's got this mysterious edge to her that just uncontrollably draws you in... like the moon.

Apollo: Omega. Ah, sweet darling disaster bisexual... I just imagine him being very soft and sensitive (not that he can't kick ass on a battlefield, see: his involvement in the battles of the Iliad). He has an artist's soul and an angel's voice. His serenades are totally his courting gifts. I imagine him revelling in being doted on, and always eager for fuss and attention. He has a beautiful Omegan frame, and he loves decorating himself in luxurious garb and crowns of flowers and leaves. He smells like laurel and somehow also sunshine. No one knows how this is possible but he does.

Hermes: Beta. And nooo I'm not just saying that because he's my favourite and that's the dynamic I best identify with (>_>) He really is such a Beta though. I've a headcanon that Beta's love travelling and exploring and he's literally the God of that so y'know. He's also so quick thinking and witty: represented himself in a what was basically a godly court case where he was guilty of thievery and won when he was literally a baby. He's hardly ever submissive to anyone but he hardly ever uses aggression or physical force to get his way/get out of trouble. He smells like ripe strawberries and the metallic tinge of coins.

Dionysus: Beta. The eccentric, outgoing, party type Beta; wants to be surrounded by friends having a good time all the time. He smells like booze; in the morning it's a little off-putting, but in the evening its literally intoxicating. I imagine his mortal Maenads needing only his scent to drive them into a frenzy. Not the kind of Beta you'd expect to also have the Supportive Beta streak, but he absolutely does; he lives to support his friends and gives the kind of advice you don't realise is advice at first and later hits you like an epiphany, and it was exactly what you needed to hear.

Persephone: Beta. Difficult one, but I had to go with Beta because she strikes me as a very gentle, delicate goddess of spring that could easily have her classified as Omega, but in winter she's the no-nonsense, dominant queen of the underworld that could have her classified as an Alpha. Overall, I think this shows her adaptability, which is a very Beta trait. Also, she's not really as needy and dependent as an Omega traditionally is. Things might have happened to her beyond her control, but she very much took back control and has both Hades and Demeter wrapped around her little finger. Of course, she smells like pomegranates, and spring blossom.

Hades: Omega. I have such a soft spot for soft!Hades. But he's kind of the reverse of Artemis in that you would not think to look at him that he's an Omega, you'd assume he's an Alpha, especially considering his position as ruler of the underworld. But he's a softy at heart, and adores material possessions (which I consider a bit of an Omegan trait). He mopes all the way through spring and summer at the lack of Persephone's presence, cooped up in his nest the whole time until autumn rolls around and she comes back into his life. He has a very earthy scent.

bonus:

Hermaphrodite: All three! Thought I'd include Hermaphrodite because they flashed through my mind and I wondered what might be classified as intersex in a/b/o. Of course, that depends on how you hc biology for the dynamics but I thought what would perhaps make Hermaphrodite an outcast/outlier could be their body, scent, and instincts being a mix of all three dynamics.

thanks for the ask 💞

[starrlikesbooks]

Hooray for March books!

As always, check under the cut for more about each book!

Havenfall by Sara Holland not only has a gorgeous cover, but involves ancient & hereditary magic, summer havens, dark secrets, and dead bodies. Literally what could be cooler?!

 When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey is Gailey’s first YA book! I loved Magic For Liars, so that alone is reason for me to be super hyped. In case you need another reason- this book is about a group of (diverse) female friends who accidentally kill a boy via magic on prom night.

The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett is “part Sleeping Beauty, part Anastasia, with a thrilling political mystery”. And it’s sapphic! Have I mentioned how much I love court politics and people pushed into leadership roles they don’t want? Add the fact that the love interest here is her brother’s arranged “warrior bride” and I am FANTASTICALLY down.

The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis is a fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde. I love Tristan and Isolde, so I’ve got high hopes! This also involves forbidden magic.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune seems super fun, and possibly like a potential favorite book of the year. It’s basically about a 40 year old officer worker being forced into being the foster father for 6 magical children of various species, and then falling in love with a strange man on the island they all live on.

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin is about 5 New Yorkers banding together to defend the city from an ancient evil. It’s also described as “a love story to New York City and a big middle finger to Lovecraft” which sounds like something I can’t not read for myself.

The Empress of Salt & Fortune by Nghi Vo is a fantasy novella with an “Atwood heart”. Again, I love court politics and people with important roles pushes upon them, and that checks these boxes. Plus, it’s LGBT. To be honest, I’d be interested in only the title and cover alone (they’re fantastic!).

Music from Another World by Robin Talley was an automatic add because I just really love Robin Talley. Everything she writes is sapphic and explorative, and she happens to write historical fiction in a way I actually really enjoy. This particular books takes place in the 70s and follows a punk lesbian and her equally punk pen pal, as they fight to be themselves and fight against the anti-gay fervor.

We Are Perfectly Normal by Rahul Kanakia is the gay novel I need right now (read: all the time). I’ll admit, I have a soft spot for ‘coming out to myself’ media, especially if there’s a friends to lovers dynamic. Now, for a while a saturation of that kind of story made the quality go down into the negatives. But it’s 2020, baby! And this book looks so good. Plus, in case you needed another reason to add it to your TBR, both the main and his love interest are Indian.

[aciiers]

                                     hello children it’s your favourite monstrosity cel here                                            with your other problematic fave Snuffles Jr. 

(  cis male  |  he/him  |  chris veres  )   ——   isn’t that  SIRIUS BLACK ?  yeah that is them, sitting there at the  GRYFFINDOR  table with those other  SIXTH  years. when sybill looks into that crystal ball of hers, she sees   ( tw; wounds )    oil patches under city rubble,  glowing canine eyes,  the stripe of dawn crowning winter trees,  bloodstained footprints,  calloused hands,  irregular bruise patterns.  anyway i’ve heard they’re pretty  UNDAUNTED,  IMPETUOUS,  and  JOCULAR.   apparently they’re a  FOR THE LIGHT  and  PUREBLOOD  but i’m sure that’s not related. ——   [ cel : akdt : 22 : she/her ]

𝑰.       𝐻𝐼𝑆𝑇𝑂𝑅𝑌           »                combustibles  mix   poorly   with  heat ,    and  the  air  he  breathes  feels  thick  with   soot  .    it’s  hard  to  know  what    ‘  fresh  ’    means  until  you  feel  it   yourself ,    and  it’s  harder  still  to  accept  that    you  can’t   clean   what’s  already  been   stained  .  

            tw ;   trauma ,  abuse

we’ve all Been Knew he has family trauma

i’ll likely be playing with the idea that his family’s just deadass abusive,  both mentally & physically,  because i virtually cannot imagine how a woman filled with as much Pure Rage as walburga black would not be?? rip

that being said,  i’ll also place his disownment as the summer  after  this  one   just because i feel like that ??  aligns best with the plot.  like he announces his allegiance vocally and whatever else tomfoolery I make him do and that’s just,  The Last Straw

obviously he finds a lot of security in james  &  the marauders and is honestly only as good of a student as he is because he catches up  /  gets ahead  during  the summers

also 100% fucks around muggle london all the time when he’s back home,  usually never telling his family he’s leaving and causing Mayhem when he gets back

i’ll say it again for the people at the back:  he is !! one smart bastard !!  just irresponsible af.  the breathing figure of That Guy(tm) who never studies or shows up to class and still rolls out in honours

𝑰𝑰.     𝐴𝑁 𝐼𝑁𝑆𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇      »                making   models   out  of  air   sounds   easier  than  it  is .    conjuration  he  can  do  ,    but  at  least  he  knows  what  to   look  for   in  that .    he’s  a   shameless   follower ,    but  he  presents  as  an  addition    —    the  last  piece  of  the  team .    he’s  a  paradox  of  individualistic  &  dependent ,    and  the  line  never   seems   to  focus .

obviously the shit he’s been through,  and being  /  feeling like he’s unable to just roll with it fucks with him.  the guy literally came in with no idea how healthy dynamics work he just knows his family’s Isn’t It,  Sis.

at this point he has trouble seeing the world as anything but us vs. them because his world is only that.  he either likes you or he doesn’t and he doesn’t really see why this wouldn’t be mirrored or how his actions can impact that.

he’s also at that point where he just Assumes he’s always right and that makes him jump to conclusions and just.  stay there.

basically he’s the type to take things way too far way too quick. just like the snape thing;  like was that in any way cool??  No,  but a bitch physically Does Not Understand That

that being said though,  he is,  in general,  just hella fun-loving and only occasionally Too Much so.  he finally has the chance to actually  be  free of his home’s clutches and he always uses that to his fullest , even if upon first glance he may come off v aloof.  he’s always being chaotic & impulsive and pulling random people into one plan or the next so it’s Very Likely your character has either faced or Will Face this six feet of mayhem at some point

he also just prioritises his friends above anything else & that usually means having absolutely 0 means of balance or real desire for an external relationship, despite coming off rather loving and indulgent when he is present.  so he can be excessively flirty and sometimes even charming but it always goes,,, nowhere rifp

𝑰𝑰𝑰.    𝑆𝑈𝑀𝑀𝐴𝑅𝑌        »

sirius black? absolutely Stunning but listen he wasn’t raised right

this translates to terrible coping mechanisms and a sub-par understanding of empathy, but he’s learning

will constantly swap between being an arrogant bastard and needing all the attention / validation in the world, but constantly tries to make the former Happen

florida man is the reincarnate of sirius’ shoulder devil i don’t make the truth i only speak it

𝑰𝑽.    𝑊𝐴𝑁𝑇𝐸𝐷 𝑃𝐿𝑂𝑇𝑆      »

jk i didn’t think this far ahead just @ me i’ll come up with something vaguely cohesive and Thrilling

tho in terms of things i definitely want to explore with him...... probably mostly like, his family dynamics and how he’s really coping with them  (surprise, terribly!)  and just the overall growth of his character into someone who learns to handle his emotions and how to actually  be  the Good Guy(tm) that he  wants  to be.

like idc what jk rowling said OotP did sirius Dirty and knowing they were in danger of actually orphaning their baby jily at that point would’ve never made sirius harry’s god father if sirius hadn’t matured by then thanks for coming to my ted talk where we Burn canon

also i Say this but 99% of my threads Will Be fluffy nonsense Bet

oh and pureblood shenanigans he still has to deal with until he cuts ties :^)

[bloodfcst-a]

@chhenleng​ said: 7 & 14 ! questions for mun.

7. Who was the very first muse you ever wrote?

I think it was Rikku? I was like hardly in middle school writing on forums. I used to be on EoFF and also jumped on the making proboards trend. However, she didn’t really stick. I let other people decide the muse for me + honestly everything felt really inauthentic. I was also like, 10 or 11 at the time, so y’know. I also remember starting Eiko Carol like shortly after, and she had like a school badge and everything... this was on LiveJournal though. She also didn’t stay very long, but that’s mainly because I had just started going back to school ( I’d been homeschooled for two years ) and it was hard for me to keep up with schoolwork. I eventually explored a few other muses ( Zidane Tribal, Rubedo from Xenosaga, Maximillion Pegasus, Selphie Tilmitt, Fujin from VIII ), all during 8th and 9th grade. Then I stopped again until I got roped to join Tumblr with Yuffie. And then... as they say, the rest is history.

14. What are five of your favorite ships? (in the rp community or otherwise)

Winter just wants me to be roasted. Okay then.

If I’m being completely honest, I’ve been roaming in otome land for like the last year & now I read a lot of OC or reader fic ahaha. But! Outside of me trying to fulfill my needs for hugs.......

drumroll please...

okay thank gawd this doesn’t say top 5 bc I would struggle lmao. My default things would say “ character x happiness ” but I recognize that’s like cheating the system so u know.... I’ll be for realsies.

Rufus & any of his Turks. Tseng is an obvious one, but I’ve seen a lot of good fic with Reno and Rude too, so I don’t want them to be excluded.

Wrightworth. I enjoy Phoenix & Maya’s partnership but Miles has been there from the beginning & they each play a role in each other’s redemption arcs. They’re always together anyway. 

Joseph Joestar & Caesar Zeppeli. Easily. 

Snow Villiers & Serah Farron. Snow and Fang are also a cool power couple but honestly, he can’t handle her. So I’ll go back to Snow & Serah.  

Soriku. I don’t read any fic, but like honestly the ending of KH3 was just Sokai forced in there and while I am happy for Kairi to like be remembered in canon and that she for like literally four whole seconds got to be not damsel in distress.... ( bc she did again!!! damn!! chronic Princess Peach syndrome out here!! ), like.... y’all I felt robbed. 

While I’m here can we talk about my five not-predator curated ships for Yufi tho?

Rufus & Yufi. I just want the heir to the throne ship. ghiofghdf okay but honestly I could go into this for ages and they just. mesh well. Thank you Square for going all in on my content kthx.

Reno & Yufi. Very much the “we messed around for a summer and it meant nothing so we still have a solid friendship, but it was fun while it lasted” kind of dynamic. Definitely the “wyd?” kinda dynamic. Both of them are married to their careers, have no time to commit to other people, so like... you know. Bet.

Leon & Yufi. I love their partnership in KH, it’s so good. With the Twilight Town crew and the Ice Cream gang, I think they get overshadowed nowadays. But they were the true MVP. 

I don’t know how I almost forgot Tseng & Yufi. But OH MY GAWD. Look. I have a lot of feelings on this. I am excited to see lately the depictions of Tseng disconnected from his Wutai roots, because I am weak for all iterations of that man, but like honestly I think some of the most enjoyable writing I’ve had here on Tumblr has come from writing this ship. 

Wild card! I’d be remiss to not include @flamereign​ ! I feel like people just see Lea and Yufi as these high energy characters and kinda forget about their tragic backstories. I’m glad that KH3 for one let us see how hot Lea is in updated graphics, but also it really touched on that there are some sore spots & that he’s tender-hearted for those he cares about & he’s still working through his own trauma. Even in a completely safe universe, per say, he’d still have his own healing to work on full time.... so. Also Enya is a true peach and I adore her, so. Thank you for sticking with me through everything. 

Bonus! I want to include @garrotejima​ too. I just think Majima and Yufi have something special, and I love that Dean goes along with any verse and any dumb idea I have. I can say a lot about Majima & I’m biased because... I love him, but like... I just really enjoy how he can kind of see through Yufi’s bullshit and can support her, and I also love that Yufi loves him and all of his antics, not in spite of them or as an exception or anything like that. Whether he’s roughed up from a fight or in the thrill of the battle or in thigh highs or just being silly with baseball, Yufi’s like... so soft for him. It’s fun to write Yufi having tender moments with someone and Majima just... allows her to feel comfortable being vulnerable & it’s so good. It’s so good. I love them. I also love Dean, too. Haven’t bragged about them in a while, it was time I hit the quota!

This was so long i’m so sorry foihgodfg.

[hogwartsfirebolt]

I know what you’re thinking! But I promise this third one is the LAST PART of my fic rec list for 2018!!! You can find part one HERE and part two HERE to see all 30 of my favorite fics I read this year. The banner art is by the wonderful @alek-r who was kind enough to let me use her work for this ❤️ Now, once again in no particular order, here it is:

            FAVORITE FICS I READ IN 2018 PART THREE

1. Hesperides - @lettersbyelise​ : Draco Malfoy is not the kind of man to lavish gorgeous Greek holidays on his flings. So Harry doesn’t really know what to make of his invitation.

In under 2k words, Elise immerses us in the lightness, elusiveness of a romantic getaway. Every word in this fic is purposeful and beautiful, and throughout the year I found myself going back to it more than once if only to relive that feeling. I can almost smell the salt in the air, feel the white sand between my toes and the sun warming my shoulders. The full sensory immersion of this fic isn’t limited to that, though, because I was also there for the slow, languorous sex, the butterflies in the stomach, the easy companionship. Simply wonderful.

2. Fast Forward, Two Steps Back - @emmagrant01​ : Everyone knows that Draco Malfoy died in the Room of Requirement ten years ago. So when he suddenly reappears at Hogwarts ten years later, still seventeen years old, Professor Harry Potter’s life gets very complicated.

When I first encountered this story, I couldn’t resist the pull of that summary, I opened it immediately, ignored absolutely all my homework for the day and effectively DEVOURED it. The premise is so interesting, and the way it navigates Harry and Draco’s dynamic when Draco is 17 and Harry is 27 is downright masterful. I am always weak for fics that explore Draco coming to terms with who he is after the events of book 7, and having Harry as someone who already went through all of that and is willing to help was a very refreshing take on the trope… and come on, sexy professor Potter? Sign me the hell up. 

3. Spokesperson - BummedOutWriter : “It was entirely consensual,” Malfoy drawled, as the lights from dozens of cameras flashed across his pale face. In fact, his face was paler than usual. Honestly, gray. “Councilmen Rupert and goblin Gornuk request privacy at this tender stage of their relationship. Excuse me.” And with that, Malfoy hurried off the platform with no explanation of why he was departing so suddenly. Harry could see the slight pooch in his robes where their baby was growing. Malfoy disappeared into the building and reporters yammered in protest. Morning sickness, Harry mused, not quite sympathetic, because Malfoy didn’t seem to warrant it. A bumbling young witch stepped forward and took over the press conference.

This fic is SO good. In just under 3k words, it has everything: a dash of humor, a tiny bit of angst, a teaspoon of pining and a pinch of fluff. It tells a story of a one-night stand that inevitably ties two people together when they’d very much rather not be. The presence of the press in it is really well done, and it has one of the most creative professions I’ve seen around for the HP world; Draco’s snark is inevitably present, and the way he attempts to keep Harry at an arm’s length away at all times without actually managing it rings very true to the pairing. 

4. A Man Named Potter - @l0vegl0wsinthedark​ : Potter begins to take me apart, each savage, pounding thrust peeling away layer after layer of everything that I am, reaming me open in a way that makes me wonder how I’ll ever be able to let anybody else but him fuck me after this.

I have read this series several times, and the reason is that it is simply scorching hot. Yes, like that, in bolds. It is composed of two fics, the first one in Draco’s POV and the second one in Harry’s. I was a bit scared going into it, because I don’t usually read first person POV, but this one is SO well done that I enjoyed it immensely, and the way it was told only added to the absolute hotness that is the first part and the sweetness of the feelings that surface in the second. And hell, if you need some more enticement to go read it, Harry calls Draco kitten. 

5. Boiling Point - @goldentruth813​ : Ferveret - n. boiling point. After an Auror raid gone wrong, Draco ends up trapped in a dodgy safehouse with nothing but Harry Potter’s dubious company and a dwindling supply of food. With only each other and the walls surrounding them, they’re forced to confront their past and their feelings which have long been threatening to boil over.

One of my favorites of Janel’s! The forced proximity trope is always an amazing way to explore how two people fit against one another while providing the space to build trust and get to know each other better, and it is breathtakingly beautiful in this one. It makes you feel it all, the longing, the fear of opening up, the defensiveness that comes with feeling vulnerable, the heartache when facing demons of the past and the love, the love, the love. 

6. Dwelling - aideomai: Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it’s not called the Mirror of Erised doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know better.

WHERE TO BEGIN. This story is mind-blowing through and through, and it is so damn GOOD I can’t even put it to words. It’s an AU that’s not an AU, a story with all the tropes: childhood friends, post-war, case fic, eight year, everyone lives, nobody lives, canon compliant, non-canon-compliant, summer of love, a group of teenagers having to figure out what the hell is going on, and a DEEP study on how much it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. One of my all-time favorites, and one that you NEED to read asap.

7. What We Pretend We Can’t See - @gyzym​ : Seven years out from the war, Harry learns the hard truth of old history: it’s never quite as far behind you as you thought.

This fic is a Drarry classic for a reason. It has the most PERFECT characterizations I have ever, ever read. Draco is snarky and funny and dramatic and just a bit crazy, and Harry is noble and good and they’re both so complex, so lovely it makes my heart ache. In this story, there’s a case involving Draco that Harry is trying to decipher, and in trying to do so, they grow together. The way they are in this one feels like such a natural development, considering everything we know about them in canon, and the way their relationship develops is natural and amazing and I DREAM of the day I have the time to sit down and give this a very thorough reread. It decomposes and rebuilds each of their personalities and it feels so human and so real. A thing of beauty. 

8. Malfoy’s Anatomy - @novareblogs : Healer interns are nothing short of a bunch of little children running around with wands and severed limbs, having inappropriate sex in inappropriate places. What’s the worst that could happen, really?

Here’s something about me: I’m a medical student, and very partial towards Healer stories. It is a trope I actively seek, and out of all the fics that I’ve read that include it, this one paints the REALEST environments I have ever seen. I was cackling all the way through, the relationship between higher-ups and med graduates, how students tail the surgeons (and give them nicknames), having to find a place where you and your friends can study until four am, when you inevitably fall asleep against each other. It is literally what studying medicine is like. And not only is this fic hilarious, it also has a very fresh take on the characterizations. I had never seen Harry like this, and his relationship with his (very much alive) parents feels very real. The way he and Draco slowly come together as they uncover secrets about each other’s pasts is wonderful, and the medical consent that’s handled throughout the story is very well done. A very good read that I didn’t expect to find, yet surprised me in all the right ways.

9. Humbug (A Christmas Tale) - Snegurochka : Draco has been taking his casual relationship with Harry for granted. Visits from four key ghosts the night before Christmas just might shake up his priorities in life.

A beautiful retelling of A Christmas Carol, with delicious pining and gorgeous characterizations. I always do love stories of fuckbuddies who are definitely so much more, but pretend they’re not. That, plus a wonderful redemption arc for Draco? I was sold. This story made me feel butterflies and tear up at times, and I love it very, very much. An excellent fic to read this time of the year. 

10. Away Childish Things - @letteredlettered​ : Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

God. There is so much to say about this story. It’s beautiful, in every sense of the word, breathtaking. Lettered has such a way with words, I felt like I was right there next to Harry and Draco, like I was them, feeling everything they felt. It is incredibly powerful. It made me feel angry, empty, lost and sad and it made me feel excited and elated and hopeful. It made me understand things about myself as the characters discovered things about themselves. This story might be one of the absolute best things I have ever read, in and outside of fandom, and it’s such a thorough exploration of each of the characters that it feels inevitable, it feels like, no matter what the epilogue says, this is what actually happened to them. I cried, I cried so many times from both sadness and happiness. There are simply no words to explain how gorgeous it is. I am immensely grateful to have read it. 

Thank you to all who read my lists, and thank you thank you thank you if you decide to give these works and these authors a chance, because they deserve all the love in the world. All the way from here, behind a username and a few tumblr posts, I can honestly say that these 30 stories made my year. I hope they can make yours, too ❤️ If you ever want to discuss these (or any story really) my DM’s are always open. Happy New Year!

[v-le]

Ktravels/Klife: Halfway through it all / 첫 학기 끝 !

Foreword: I am almost done! I am almost done with my first semester at Yonsei… damn.

I honestly cannot believe that time flew by so fast. I’ve mentioned this before, but I had been thinking about studying abroad for over a year before coming here. And now that I am about halfway through with this experience… damn, I just have no words. Jk I do, which is why I’m writing this right now lol.

My favorite parts about Korea so far: it is my emotional, musical wonderland. More on that later, but… it’s heart-warming to hear so many of my favorite, treasured artists occasionally on the streets or in a café. And no, not K-pop lol I know nothing about K-pop anymore. In terms of café culture, it’s a love and hate relationship because some of them are just so expensive sigh. BUT, after going to so many different cafes like all around Seoul, I have come to actually have specific preferences for what constitutes a gr8 café (for studying specifically bc that’s all my friends and I mostly do at cafes anyway LOL) hehe:

AFFORDABLE!! No normal person should be paying like 7 or 8 bucks for a goddamn coffee. Base price for drinks should be around 5,000 won. If their iced caramel macchiato costs more than 5,500 won, the place is too expensive.  If it’s less than 5,000 won,

Reasonable cup sizes! Or better, LARGE ONES! (안녕, 낯선 사람 in hongdae has some super bang-for-your-buck coffee drinks, the best I’ve seen!! :^))

Music that isn’t too loud

OUTLETS. OUTLETS ARE A MUST.

Plentiful seats so that it’s never too packed & large-enough tables

Nice temperature (aka not too cold in the winter, not too hot in the summer)

You can sneak in outside food & eat it blatantly even if there are signs saying not to, and no one will ever say anything

Not too crusty: cozy, but clean

A nice, well-maintained bathroom

It may seem impossible to find the perfect café that could meet all of these expectations, but honestly there are just SO many cafes in seoul, that if you search hard enough or have enough luck, some will be out there somewhere :^)

ALSO can I address the business turnover rate here?? Is this why Seoul is considered a fast-paced city?? So many times, my friends I have tried to go to cafes or restaurants or stores we’ve seen online or found on Kakao/Naver Maps, only to arrive and discover that THEY’RE GONE. Even if I did thorough research and found a blog post of a place from 2 months prior, the place is just POOF, disappeared into thin air. This has literally happened countless times and we are flabbergasted each time LOL. As limited as the database of 맛집’s and cafes already is online, the Internet & maps can’t even keep up to date with information either. Businesses open up so randomly fast, too it’s crazy… Mangoplate, the supposed “yelp” of Korea honestly is not that useful either LOL it usually has places on the pricier side, it is also not always up to date, and I just feel like Seoul/Korea has way too many places & businesses worth trying that they can’t even all fit into one database. There are just so many of those un-documentable places. So I suggest: find a neighborhood, go with your friends, take a stroll around the place, and try to stumble upon a place of your liking. Unless you can read Korean & utilize naver blogs (slightly more extensive and useful than mangoplate but still not 100% reliable all the time), then walking around is probably your best bet rather than attempting to do research online. Trust me.

Hmm what else is there… It’s really nice to be able to get/buy anything pretty easily, with convenience. I am afraid I will get too used to this once I go back to the states.

I think once the work started to pick up later in the semester, I definitely started falling into a routine of going to my morning class & then leaving sinchon to run errands elsewhere in Seoul, or simply doing work in the business building which quickly became my go-to spot because 1) outlets, 2) can eat food 3) very nice facility, literally sparkling 4) on campus. It kinda hurts to think that this short-lived routine will be over quite soon, but maybe next semester will be a little more exciting.

Although I haven’t been speaking as much Korean as I would like to, I do feel like my Korean has improved to an extent: (very slightly) vocab-wise, reading-wise, and writing-wise. It is honestly SO refreshing to finally be learning Korean in a formal, classroom setting. It honestly makes me regret not doing it sooner. Why did I lock myself up in my room for 8 years and only settle for learning on my own?? Sigh, it’s okay. I can only get better from here, right? As much as I hate the timing of KLI, I still really do enjoy the class nonetheless and I feel some sort of… growth? I appreciate how all my background knowledge of Korean has helped me up to this point as well. That at least, I can be proud of lol.

With languages and culture in general, throughout the semester, for the first time ever, I got to reflect on how valuable languages are. It is so interesting; I’ll try my best to explain my realizations, but it might come out as gibberish in the end… I really think anyone that has been born & raised in the US should spend a prolonged amount of time abroad. As homogeneous of a society Korea is, being here has opened my eyes to the global society. The society in which multiculturalism is embraced, there is no one correct language of communication, and every member listens to the various cultural values of one another without judgement. I never thought of English as being a powerful language. In fact, I honestly think I have been taking English for granted. I have never realized the immensity of the English language, how the rest of the world vies to master it, and how I have been blessed to have grown up with English as my native tongue. But on the flip-side, learning other languages is just as worthwhile. Communicating in a different language is literally honing a different perspective, mentality, and set of values. You can try to translate target languages into your native tongue for ease of comprehension. Or, what I have come to deeply appreciate and understand is, you can and should take the target language as it is. In order to connect with the language and consequently the culture, stop thinking in terms of your native tongue. Doing this to a deeper extent in Korea than I ever did before has felt extremely rewarding: it makes the language dynamic and exciting to learn. It has led me to cherish specific words or phrases, more so than I already did before arriving here. And it really is just… beautiful. LEARN A SECOND LANGUAGE! EXPLORE GLOBALIZATION!

Quite frankly though, I am disappointed that I haven’t been able to go to as many places as I would like, within in Korea. Okay more like: I am super grateful for the gorgeous places I have been to, but I also wish I could’ve visited those classic, “must-see” places like Busan, Jeju-do, Jeonju, Daegu, etc. I did however, visit lesser known, less expecting (??) places like Gangwon-do (Jumunjin Beach, Gangmun Beach, Gangneung, Yeongwol, Jeongseon, Pyeongchang) & Gyeongju & like Anyang & Seongnam…? Do these last two even count LOL theyre just smoller cities outside of Seoul… but yeah, I guess I’ll just have to save Busan and Jeju and the others for next semester… when I’m not as broke hopefully lmao.

But forreals, I actually really appreciated my trip to Gangwon-do even though it was technically an assignment for one of my courses called “New Media and Digital Storytelling” (shoutout to prof ted for supporting us with this valuable experience!!) because it was literally a breath of fresh air. Seoul is constantly jampacked with people and cars and smog and noises, but Gangneung was still a city, still just as civilized, but much quieter. Granted, nothing much happens out there and some parts are straight up just farming grounds, but the beaches have these stunning sunsets that look like they’re straight out of a graphically-altered fantasy movie. It was stunning and the image still lasts behind my eyes to this day.

One of the other things that I have been struggling to accept is that fact that I feel… unproductive in life? I wish I put myself more out there this semester. Even though I met a good number of locals and have had a few valuable conversations, I never deeply connected with any of them. Plus, almost all of them are going abroad next semester or graduating ☹. I also did not join any clubs or organizations or sports teams nor did I get a job or an internship or do any tutoring or volunteering on the side… I have just been going to class, occasionally spending a lot of money, and then spending some more. Last year at UCI, I feel like I ran into my freshman year with a fiery heart: I joined the badminton team, became a part of the Antleader Mentorship Program (AMP, which I miss so dearly with all of my heart) in fall & winter quarter, and took all upper division education courses my spring quarter as well as fulfilled my fieldwork major requirement by tutoring at a Kindergarten class for 6 hours every week. But coming to Korea, everything felt stagnant. Academically, career-wise, I feel like everything has been on a pause. Granted, many people could tell me that “Oh, you just being in Korea is already so much more than you need! You are doing more than enough, don’t worry”. But am I really?? I beg to differ. I am honestly pretty disappointed in myself and at this point all I can push for is to try to get more involved next semester. It has also been hurting to know that I have been digging into my precious savings that took over 2 long years to build up so quickly :(.

SO yeah, as great as Korea has been, it’s also been money-draining and disappointing from a personal-growth kind of view. Maybe I’m being too hard on myself, but that is also simply my reality. I think I am also choosing to be hard on myself because my luck with all my favorite artists has just been… totally undeserving.

I feel so blessed and “but why me??” at the same time. I have gotten to see Roy Kim four times live (fifth time will be this coming Sunday; the Seoul shows were blessedly scheduled the weekend right before I leave) & he released a new song in September. Eddy Kim, whom ive been waiting 4 years for to come back, finally did so right in the middle of my time here. Fromm, my extremely beloved indie goddess for YEARS now, released a new mini album in November; I got to see her 3 times live, and even attended her breath-taking solo?? Alone?? Personal? 그냥 단독 콘서트. Sam Kim, who I first listened to when I was 15, who has saved my life so many times with his music, finally released a FULL-length album 2 years and 6 months since his debut EP. Not only was I selected to go to his album’s release showcase, but I also got to a meet him through a fansign event. Oh yeah, I also met Fromm through a free fansigning & Eddy Kim through his new album’s fansign event, too. (I will post about these artist-meeting experiences separately because I feel like these three occasions alone have taught me so much). I saw DAY6 live for their third-year debut anniversary and I could feel the immensity and sincerity brimming from their voices, especially with an unfortunately missing member from stage; I will be seeing them soon for their newest music release, which also happened to come out this December. Nam Woohyun of Infinite, the group that I gave my heart to for over a third of my life, the group that I owe so much of my existence to, released another solo mini album, and I was lucky enough to even attend day 3 of his solo concert series; I saw a few other members of Infinite, I could feel my 12-year-old heart screaming & flailing & crying & apologizing from within because I’ve missed them for so long now, and I even heard a never-before released track from him as well. It was a miracle; I saw Woohyun & glimpses of the others on November 4th. Almost exactly 5 years ago in 2013, on November 11th, I went to a concert for the first time in my life and saw those very own loves with my own eyes: Infinite.

ALL OF THESE. ALL OF THESE EVENTS. Have been a blessing. Have been some sort of indescribable, boundless, breath-taking stroke of luck. I promise you, just luck. Roy just somehow decided to take a break from school at Georgetown THIS semester. Eddy Kim, Fromm, Sam Kim, Woohyun, and DAY6 all just somehow decided to release new music within the last half of this year. ME, I, just somehow decided to study abroad not as a 3rd year nor a 4th year, but a mere 2nd year. I decided to leave my home university barely 1 year in, and go to Korea. Just because. Because it felt right and I knew I wanted to, I knew I had to. But never could I have predicted any of these things to happen. Never in a million years. The very artists that I had only been listening to and watching from my computer screen for years as I hid beneath the deep blankets of my bed, the artists that have made me cry on cue because of how beautiful, meaningful, and healing their music is, the artists that seem to barely exist on the Internet, that are so lowkey and precious that I feel like I am the only that really listens to and loves them, the very artists that make my world revolve, that push me to go on when I want to give up, that I owe so much of my life to, all decided to release music, suddenly be active, hold events, and meet their fans in one way or another. Right. When. I am here, too. This sort of timing in life is nothing I had control of. It was all luck and I am just so deeply, infinitely, perpetually, until the end of this world, thankful. Every day I am so thankful. I didn’t ask for any of this, I didn’t hope for it, I didn’t even think about the possibility of these events happening in my life. But they did somehow. And for that, I am just so so so grateful. It’s just crazy to think that years ago, as a sophomore in high school. My heart would bulge with immense affection for these people & their music. They were unreal, almost-fantasy-like existences that made life-saving music and that I cherished so immensely. But little did I know 4 or 5 years later, this could happen to me. That there was actually a worth to loving these almost “nobody” musicians. I just constantly feel like I am always receiving from them, and never giving back. I really do owe them so much. Thank you, to my beloved artists. For everything.

Moving on to the people that have made my first semester here at Yonsei even brighter: our dumbass squad consisting of lil hoorey, 왕언니 ana, smol laura, dumbass closted weaboo Wilson, & even dumber josh LOL I am so blessed to have met such funny, stupid, understanding friends. Before arriving to Korea, I was STRESSED that I wouldn’t be able to find friends because I hate alcohol, I hate clubbing, I hate mainstream K-pop and simply many parts of popular Korean culture are things that I am not particularly a fan of. But thankfully, I have found an endearing group of friends that share these same sentiments. These reliable people have honestly shaped so much of my experiences here and I am forever thankful. IT JUST SUCKS THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE STAYING FOR A YEAR LOL. But yes, thank you friends, for everything <3 .

Have I exhausted all of my thanks at this point?? Probably not. But I’ll save those for my own heart and mind to cherish. Going abroad was and has been and will be an experience that I don’t think I could ever properly express with words alone. I think it’s always like that when it comes to these rants LOLLL. I rant because I need to vent these feelings and emotions and flaring thoughts. But I just end up struggling to articulate everything and get my heart across properly. Sigh.

Homesickness? Is this something I was supposed to address? Maybe exchange students are probably expected to always talk about this. But for me, it was a nonexistent notion. Being born and raised in the bay area, having lived in the same exact house, having slept in the same creaky, old bed for 18 years in a row, has provided me with a comfort that I probably take for granted more than I should, but has also left me with an intense urgency to explore more, see more, do more, and just breathe more. The Bay Area can be extremely toxic and suffocating in so many ways, and it a space that I know I can go back to whenever my heart desires, but it is also a space that I do not wish to prolong my stay in any further. My immediate family has also never been a significant part of my life: I have never relied on them for emotional nor mental support. Maturing into an adult with this sort of detachment has hindered and helped me in countless ways. There were definitely times throughout my life where I despised them for the way in which everything turned out. For how miserable or lonely or stuck or negligent I sometimes felt. But I know that without that detachment, I would not be where I am today. To my next semester at Yonsei, you look questionable, daunting, and exciting. I honestly can’t even begin to imagine what will be in store for me. All I can wish for is health & happiness.

가즈으으아!!~

[thecourt-rpg]

KAI HIMURA is a TWO HUNDRED & NINETY-NINE year old FEMALE SIREN that uses SHE/HER. They are known for being CUNNING, ELLUSIVE & FIERCELY PROTECTIVE. Unfortunately, they are also known for being IMPETUOUS, VENGEFUL & SOMETIMES TACITURN.

Their face claim is KIKO MIZUHARA, and they currently live in THE SPRING COURT as a MEMBER OF THE THIRTEEN (SPY).

Trigger Warnings for MURDER, MINOR DEPRESSION, DEAD SIBLING

Native to the seas of the Spring Court, Kai was the embodiment of a spring siren; a loving, sweet and beautiful creature you might imagine her to be. She was delicate, a little timid and even quiet in her singing; the polar opposite of her twin, Ana. Unsurprisingly, she was always convinced by her sister to join her on her trips to foreign shores—most of the time Kai was guilted into it.

Being far away from home, away from the verdant forests of Spring and the taste of Summer winds had always been a thrill to Ana. Kai, in her meekness, understood what her sister longed for and had also secretly craved for the same fire she saw burning in her sister’s eyes.

As they grew older, Ana’s curiosity grew with her. She would do stupid and dangerous things, like sneaking up on small sharks that she spied in the salty shallows—Kai would always be nearby despite her natural aversion to peril. Whenever questioned, Kai would always deny the adrenaline rush she felt.

That being said, Kai was not Ana’s shadow. Neither of them wanted to spend every single moment with the other. Kai had taken a liking to working a shift at an apothecary in a seaside village. While her sister would run off on her own for days, sometimes with a lover, but she always came back.

After announcing she would be going to a neighbouring court, Ana didn’t return for days. But days turned into a week and then two. Before the end of the third, Kai, worried and desperate, made her way into the Autumnlands, to a specific party district near the Winter Court, where Ana had mentioned she was going to visit.

Blessed by fate, it didn’t take long to find Ana near a river, at least what was left of her. A rotting corpse upon which was clear indications that she had been assaulted with fangs and claws. Kai only knew it was her sister because of the teardrop shaped emerald hanging from her mangled neck. It was a gift she had given Ana when they were children.

Devastated, Kai let out a sorrowful wail, so ethereal that its cadence drew the attention of a nearby wanderer who, in his daze and hypnosis, explained that a pack of werewolves had caused a commotion a few nights ago, when the moon was full. Kai, having worked in the apothecary, knew that while some werewolves suppressed their transformations, others reveled in it, in the feral instincts and bloodlust.

Her rage, violent and murderous, overcame her unending despair.

Something snapped in her. Maybe it was the magic thrumming in her veins, perhaps it was madness. Madness that begun to flow in her blood—vengeance like a poison in her heart, like the curled lip that marred her regal features, contempt like the uncoiled strength in her thrust.

One by one, the werewolves drowned. She called to them with her song in the dark of the night, hunted them just as they had hunted her sister. One of them even begged for mercy, saying they hadn’t meant it. To which she replied with a slit across his throat.

Over the course of a month, she found herself the murderer of six—maybe seven—werewolves. By that time, law enforcers were already following the trail of bodies she left behind. Not a bone in her aching body cared what happened next. They could put her in jail, turner into a Chimera, hang her… Nothing would get in the way of retribution.

Each kill was swift and brutal. Where she got the nerve to commit the acts, only the Gods knew. But the Gods were not the only one watching her. The High Queen of Spring, too, was watching, peering ever so slightly in Kai’s direction before deciding to summon her.

The eighty-nine year old siren found herself on bended knee before the High Queen, swearing fealty and her service as one of the Thirteen. Something about her viciousness caught the Queen’s interest and over the years, she begun to understand why; the Queen was also vicious in her own way.

Almost a decade passed, a decade of training and honing her skills and the gifts thrust upon her, gifts which only brought upon her a lust to kill. Kai’s natural talents at being elusive garnered her the position of spy, a job she was happy to do.

More than a century later, Kai was still in the queen’s service. Having been one of the spies who donned a friendly face as an Herbalist, she spearheaded the gathering of information on the High Queen of Winter and her court.

Despite being an accomplished and honoured member of the Thirteen, Kai still keeps one secret to herself, one that—she suspects that if the others or the High Queen found out—might even merit her a visit to the gallows.

She continues the hunt of werewolves on her own.

At Least Three Potential Plots for Your Character

Pit Vipers — Being part of the Thirteen isn’t a walk in the park. One would have to earn a spot among them. There might even be ranks or divides within the Thirteen itself. It would be great to explore the dynamics of the squad as Kai is very much a fish wearing wolf’s skin (perhaps literally). She wasn’t born a killer but made into one when she was most malleable.

Past Comes to Haunt — A familiar face she hasn’t seen in a long time comes strolling into a shop or bumps into her while she’s on one of her jobs. Being spy means she would constantly be gathering information. She doesn’t necessarily make the kill herself (that’s what the assassins are for, right?) but she does need to get quite close to people. Perhaps she even gets caught (but let’s face it, it would be because she wanted to get caught.)

Crowns for Everyone — A siren can’t live and breathe espionage every minute, now can she? Sometimes, Kai takes time off and when she does, she goes to soak herself in a nearby river or even the sea. It’s become a sort of ritual that when she gets out of the water, she’d sit and make a flower crown. (I know, I know… you’re thinking what?! But…) She enjoys the repetitive twining of cords and the floral accessory helps her keep her cover as Herbalist. She could even make a friend or two at these times.

Operation: Wolf’s Bane — Trained to be lethal with charm and poison, the siren often finds her way into her victim’s life seamlessly. Once she’s got a hold, Kai will strike with a fierce intensity but an official execution at Kai’s hand would mean a death which looked like it was of natural causes. Many officials at court would sometimes like to do away with someone in a similar manner. If the High Queen allows it, Kai would gladly loan out her services for a price.

Blue Moon Rising — She’s either hunting you, hunting someone who’s hunting you, hunting with you or just hunting. This is an open plot for anyone and everyone. She could even be the one who saves the day.

[wikitopx]

The haunt of pirates for hundreds of years, the “Cité Corsaire” has always done things its own way: In the 1590s it even declared itself an independent republic.

Saint-Malo is still protected by its historic stronghold, while the tidal islands next to the city continue to be fortified by fortresses from the 17th century. Step through the cobblestone streets within the walls and see the lavish homes of the people who got rich from privateering in the 17th and 18th centuries. Saint-Malo also has a lot to say about August 1944, when it was liberated from the Germans. On warm summer days, the boundless fine sand of the Plage du Sillon will be calling you name. Discover the best things to do in Saint-Malo.

[toc]

1. Saint-Malo Walls

The ramparts protect the entirety of the old part of Saint-Malo and from a circuit of 1.75 kilometers. They were started in the 1100s, updated to combat new military technology in the 1600s and then expanded again up to the mid-18th century.

When you do the walk be sure to have some literature with you, because every gate, bastion, and the view has a story to tell.

Go up for panoramas of the sea, the Grand Bé island, Fort National, Dinard across the water and the magnificent granite homes of the city’s wealthy ship-owners, and come down if you see a shop or crêperie that takes your fancy.

East of GrandePortPorte in the east is surrounded by two chunky fortresses and the narrow finger protection of the land that connects the walled city of Saint-Malo.

2. Old Saint-Malo

With grey granite as their material, Saint-Malo’s houses have a distinguished air that borders on severe but is always beautiful.

The sense of respect for the city was so strong that it was almost impossible to recover most of Saint-Malo after 1944. It was a difficult task to choose; The best is in the old Saint-Malo, but the Rue Jacques Cartier is beautiful.

Here on the east side of the walled city, the houses are built into the defenses and the ground floor is one long string of cafes and restaurants.

3. Plage du Sillon

One of those dynamic beaches in a constant state of flux, Plage du Sillon is three kilometers of fine sand beginning just north of the walled city. On the edge is a great embankment, built at the turn of the 20th century and spanning more than a kilometer and a half.

This makes for easy strolling at any time of year, to work up an appetite and see the kites at low tide. On mild summer days, families find smooth sand and can swim in shallow rock pools on the western edge of Fort National. Then on the gloomy winter days, the sea would crash into the embankment at high tide.

4. Château de Saint-Malo

To the northeast of the walls are castles built by Duke Brittany in the 1400s to guarantee their ownership of the city, now Saint-Malo town hall. The castle loomed over the city as a reminder of the authority of the dukes, and then the King of France after unification in the 16th century.

Grand Donjon has the best view of Saint-Malo from the platform. This building houses a museum about the history of the city and surrounding the “Malouin” region, visiting some of the intriguing personalities from this part of France, like the writer Chateaubriand and the explorer Jacques Cartier.

5. Grand Aquarium Saint-Malo

A fast bus ride from the walled city will take you to Saint-Malo Aquarium, a premium day updated almost every new season. For vacationers with little boys, it is a rainy day attraction that also fits neatly into the city's seafaring history.

You can’t talk about the animals without mentioning the 360° shark aquarium, which was added in 2011 and holds 600,000 liters. In another tank, the wreck of a historic galleon is a home for white-tip and blacktip sharks.

Elsewhere the aquarium synthesizes environments from around the world, so the mangrove has piranhas, four-eyed fish and turtles and the tropical tank has coral and colorful species like clownfish and surgeonfish.

6. Paramé

The area next to the Plage du Sillon, northeast of the walled city, grew rapidly in the late 19th century, equipping it with many of Belle Époque's beautiful villas. They were built by wealthy tourists who allowed the freedom to restore their fickle consciousness.

For a journey, you can take a walking tour of this leafy neighborhood, stopping to see wonderful houses like Villa Lien Argonne on Boulevard Chateaubriand, which has a beautiful octagonal tower and a tissue. Glazed red brick pattern alternating.

Afterward, Villa Me on the exaggerated Flemish Boulevard Hébert, with a gable of footstep and kicking.

7. Fort National

The technical mastermind of Vauban has outlined a plan for this fortress ahead on the Î Muff rock at the western end of Oak du Sillon square. It features its narrative star configuration and is the last piece of the Saint-Malo defense puzzle, conceived to protect the city from the British navy.

It did just this job in 1693 when it helped to fend off an Anglo-Dutch attack. Much later it became a makeshift prison for the German forces in the last days of their occupation in 1944. The fort is open in the summer for tours and is a perfect document of the military design of the 17th century.

You’ll know when you come for a look around because the French tricolor will be flying.

8. Grand Bé

You also have to wait for low tide to access Grand Bé, another islet a few strides from the ramparts. In the Second World War rocky little islands such as this became a useful spot location for German gun emplacements.

When the Americans liberated Saint-Malo Grand Be, it collapsed quickly, but it took several weeks before the Alet peninsula at the mouth of the Rance River to surrender. Many come to Grand Bé to pay their respects to the romantic writer Chateaubriand, whose grave faces the sea as he had requested 20 years before he died.

9. GR-34

The Sentier des Douaniers (Custom’s Officers’ Trail) is exactly what it says it is: A coastal footpath devised in the 1700s to foil smugglers. If you want, you can start from Saint-Malo and walk to Brest in Finistère.

But you may need to allow 25 days to walk these 400 kilometers, so it’s not exactly a day trip! Instead, you could pass a memorable day hiking the Côte d’Émeraude (Emerald Coast), on either side of Saint-Malo.

You’ll encounter pale windswept beaches, granite cliffs, meadows flecked with wildflowers, oyster and mussel beds and many bunkers and pillboxes from the Second World War.

10. Parc de la Briantais

On the high ground by the Rance Estuary is a sumptuous English park that once formed the grounds of the Château de la Briantais. The property belongs to wealthy boat owners, who built a baroque mansion here in 1666, and the strange but handsome ruins of this building are still visible in the park.

A newer château from the 19th century is still going strong as a cultural center, with art exhibitions and concerts for jazz and classical music. Visit for meditative walks on avenues dotted with sculptures, and to see those exhilarating views. You can see Saint-Malo, Dinard and the entire Rance Estuary.

More ideals for you: Top 10 things to do in Ravenna

From : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-st-malo-706805.html

[malamelodies]

phases

how interesting it is the phases of procrastination

I do feel scattered, yet so focused at the same time. but I'm not doing anything. literally. I feel as if I am doing nothing to push myself into the world of career or long term goals. 

its an honor to become comfortable, though, with taking the time to ground back into myself. to honor the process of grounding back in. im grateful to have my parents as well who have provided for me on so many levels of money support that I am able to ground into myself. I make ends meets with the basics. but all other things: I've never paid for my cell phone. ever. they have paid for my insurance for my vehicle. they have bought me TWO cars. and mom still insists on supporting my health care. 

its funny how because of others people opinions and judgements, mainly my moms side of the family, I feel a sense of embarrassment of is rather than the full attitude of gratitude. I'm fucking grateful and so are they. I feel its really  divine in its own dynamics...

switching gears. so I've been teaching for the last 10 years. and at the end of this last year, I just found its not as nourishing on many levels and now I'm seeking a dynamic of something new. but what? so I've looking and scheming and loving and exploring. but then I'm hesitant as well... its stepping onto a new court. and new dynamic. I've literally been teaching since Sfsu. and now: what? production management? what the fuck is that? it sounds different and fun. I want to combine the beauty of plants and people and special events. I want to work with my hands and be active and socialize and make people smile, from children to super old people with fake teeth. 

service is fun, but I don't want to serve drinks anymore. I love kava, and I want to keep it tight and light with kava lounge. 

its been sweet to host loved ones these past weeks; Caitlin and Jedidiah. and I'm feeling the summer vibrations are coming to an end. this is the month to touch base of what I ant to invest for the winter months. 

today this morning. on my own, I decided to go for a run on the beach. something I haven't done for a while. I met a sweet soul of the ocean... he came up and sniffed my leg. it was nice to be present with it. of course, the human tactic of ‘no I shouldn't touch me and me it’ because we’re different and that's what angry moms say who are walking dogs and feeling entitled. but I sat. and he came to me. 

then I looked up and saw dolphins. first time in SF I've seen that. even without my glasses on. then I roll up to java beach and a hummingbird blinded my vision. these casual encounters. then I decide to pull a card and its a card acknowledging that spirit animals are calling and spirit is talking in that way and continue to lead with integrity and compassion and that I need to, pretty much, keep listening. 

so in the mean time, I'll keep showing up for kava lounge that will feed me with smiles and monetary achievement and listening and looking for jobs that seem fulfilling on levels of longevity and stability. 

start setting a wish list of types of placed: conservatory of flowers, education outside?, farm girl flowers? sf bike coalition: what other organizations are taking place in this area that thrive in community, grass roots, empowerment and joy. 

such an intimate city packed with opportunity. 

love

this is the homie <3 

[backyardnomads-blog]

  “The value of your travels does not hinge on how many stamps you have in your passport when you get home — and the slow nuanced experience of a single country is always better than the hurried, superficial experience of forty countries.” — Rolf Potts

Edmonton, Alberta’s Captial City – City of Champions is dynamically becoming a hotspot for many young individuals & their families with its fantastic festivals & family friendly activities!

Below 12 Activities to Try Out:

#1~ Edmonton World of Science & IMAX Theatre.

This is probably Edmonton’s best gems! If you are on budget or have little time, this is great pick with so many educational, fun exhibits, a planetarium experience at the inflatable dome, discoveryland (amazing play space for babies-8years), observatory, & LIVE science demonstrations! Feature exhibits are fasinating & high quality!

#2~ Fort Edmonton Park.

For all history buffs, first stop by to walk through the 1846 Fort & then follow along the recreated streets while meeting locals in period dress! You will pass through each century until you finally arrive back to 2018! If you’re needing rest, as you explore the park, take a ride on last century streetcars & horse drawn carriages! Enjoy a meal at the Johnson’s Cafe, read more here. For Admissions, Parking, & Hours Click here. For information about family & kids programs, contact them at (780) 496-7381.

#3~ Capitol Theatre.

Calling All Movie Buffs! If you’re thinking of watching a movie or live theatre this weekend, consider stepping back in time inside Edmonton’s 1929 theatre nestled inside The Fort Edmonton Park. Be sure to bring cash as its a debit free zone to purchase tickets & snacks at their old consession stand!

Check Out: Ticketmaster & TIX on the Square for MORE music, dance, comedy, & more!

  #4~ WEM or West Edmonton Mall, is one of a kind!

Bringing tourists & locals alike, its busy all year long! Obviously, Shopping is every shopper’s dream with literally hundreds of stores to wander through, it can take at least a day to venture around! With so many activities to do:  WaterPark, Galaxyland, Marine Life, Ice Skating, Bowling (Toonie Tuesday’s at Ed’s Bowling) & so much more…you can enjoy a jampacked day of fun & entertainment! For a tasty dining experience at BRBN Street!! Check out current discounts here.

#5~ Catch a Eskimo Football Game!

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Check it tickets, dates, & info on the team here. With an outdoor stadium, come prepared with gear to keep you warm & dry so you can watch the game in any weather condition!!

#6~ Legislative Building of Alberta.

A beautiful, popular spot during the summer months, you can find tours, outdoor walking pool, hotdog vendors, grassy areas, manicured gardens, music & more this is a most see! You can often spot wedding & graduation parties taking photos throughout the grounds! Check out the link above to see the latest visitor hours & event information!

  Love Saving Money?!

Browse Groupon a fantastic online coupon site to give you major savings on Edmonton stores, restaurants, products, & activities!

  #7~ City Parks.

They are a wonderful way to spend the day out soaking in the sunshine, & nature with a BBQ or picnic! You will find many Edmontonians out in the lazy afternoons sunbathing, hiking, throwing fisbees, jogging, or cooking lunch on their batchies. Some of our favorite spots inside the city includes: William Hawrelak Park (paddle boating, large grass area, downtown views), Victoria Park (downtown views),

#8~ City Rec Centres & Outdoor Pools.

Offering budget friendly fun which you’re kids will love! If going to the pool isn’t a possibility, there are several great outdoor spray parks throughout the city for the kids to stay cool.

#9~ Improv Comedy at Rapid Fire Theatre @ Cidetal Theatre.

Looking for comedy this Friday or Saturday night?! Check out Rapid Fire Theatre for fantastic comedy & Improv shows at the Cidetal Theatre!!! Find upcoming shows & tickets here: www.rapidfiretheatre.com.

Family Fun Edmonton is an EXCELLENT Resource for Parents looking for kid friendly activities & events this summer!

  #10~ Farmer’s Markets every Saturday.

This is becoming an increasingly popular activity for locals who religiously come out every week to buy fresh, local produce & homemade products! A definite treasure of our city vibrant with community! Two of the largest spots to check out are: Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market at the historic district (10310 83 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 5C3) & the City Market Downtown! Locate a market close to you here.

#11~ Roger’s Place & Ice District.

Hockey games, concerts, comedians, Click here to discover upcoming events. Learn more about day trip ideas for those just stopping by for a short visit at the ICE DISTRICT, click here! Be sure to check out the beautiful art work displayed called the “Tsa Tsa Ke K’e (Iron Foot Place) by artist Alex Janvier” located inside the Ford Hall, the “Skater’s Arch by Douglas Bentham”…click here to learn more.

Learn More About Artist Alex Janvier!

  #12~ Citadel Theatre. Love plays?!

Then this might just be the perfect fit for you. Located in the heart of downtown, you can find great restaurants & parking options listed here. If the theatre itself is of interest to you, there are actual tours you can take too! The Citadel Theatre hosts worldclass artists, get to know them better, here. Or call the Box Office @ 780.425.1820. 

#13~ Muttart Conversatory.

If you have ever seen the skyline of Edmonton, you have probably seen those striking glass pyramids which house plants & flowers year-round! With fun adult-only nights, programs (adult classes: home, garden, photography), day tours, & kid camps. Find more information here about admissions & hours.

#14~ Summer Festivals are one of the best parts of Edmonton!

Photo by Silvia on Pexels.com

Photo by Amanda Cottrell on Pexels.com

Folk Fest, K-Days, Edmonton Pride Festival, Latin Festival, Taste of Edmonton, Rodeo, FarmFair International…& More! With festivals happening year round, planning a trip to Edmonton has never been easier & the odds of catching at least one festival is pretty high! For winter festivals, check out INFOEDMONTON’s top list here.

#15~ The REC ROOM at South Common.

Photo by Tembela Bohle on Pexels.com

One of Edmonton’s more new hotspots, it is a great spot for entertainment & delicious food @ THREE10, whose food is inspired by Canadian cuisine! Check out Menu! With large TV screens many people come just to catch the game. The REC Room also boost of a CXC CAR SIMULATOR, video games, carnval games where you can win prizes. Try out Ping pong, pool, or bowling!!

#16~ WATCH A MOVIE at one of Edmonton’s many Cineplex Theatres!

With buttery popcorn or cheesy tacos, you can beat the summer heat for a few hours of refreshing entertainment for the whole family! Take your movie night to the next level in a luxury & style, the Windermere & VIP Cineplex Theatre offers an exceptional, adult movie experience with a lounge & comfy seating. Aside from the classic popcorn, you can also order drinks, wine, beer, & food which is then brought to your seat.

#17~ Elk Island Provincial Park.

Located about 20-30 mintue drive east of Edmonton, you can see herds of bison grazing throughout the park, along with stunning nature walks for hiking trails, great picnic areas, camping spots, & spend the day at the lake for canoeing & swimming. Try out stargazing, with the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve, you can enjoy the dark sky! To learn more at Explore Edmonton for the shuttle bus going between Edmonton to the Park for day trips.

    17 Fantastic Activities in Edmonton for Your Family this Summer! “The value of your travels does not hinge on how many stamps you have in your passport when you get home — and the slow nuanced experience of a single country is always better than the hurried, superficial experience of forty countries.” — Rolf Potts…

[chrisoncinema]

The Year in Review: Top Ten Films of 2017

Well, we made it. We survived. Before getting into this list, I'd like to thank everyone who read, shared, or commented on one of my posts or videos this past year. It was a pretty monumental year for this blog and for my cinematic journey. I didn't go into 2017 with a plan to revive this blog but I'm happy I did. I ended up thinking about this very list for most of the year; giving me time to rediscover my love for movies and an excuse to watch way more movies than I otherwise would have. So let's get to the movies, shall we? This list is not a definitive, quantitative, or objective ranking of the films released this year. Rather, it is a rough sketch of the movies I enjoyed seeing the most. The movies that moved me, surprised me, or stuck with me. You can see my previous post for a listing of movies I missed and movies that didn't make it into my top ten. I hesitate to call these my ten "favorites" because, if you ask me in three months what my favorite movies from 2017 are, the list might look quite different. For today, though, I hope it provides something new, forgotten, or overlooked that you can take with you as we head into the new year. 10. It Comes At Night

In an apocalyptic near-future, a mixed-race family must protect their home and their health from foreign threats. Of all the horror movies I saw this year, It Comes at Night was the one I could never get out of my head. Whether director Trey Shults intended it or not, It Comes at Night became a meditation on many of the ills that plague America in 2017: from the failure of white saviors to a tribal and territorial fear of “the other.” What made the film feel special was its simplicity and focus. Shults was not interested in world-building or mythologizing. Without the visual formalism of The Killing of a Sacred Deer or the loaded narrative commentary found in Get Out and mother!, It Comes at Night is its own survival kit: stripped down to the bare essentials, without the fanfare or gloss of over-production. This is a movie with lace-up boots and dirt under its nails. A movie that, above all, feels like its about real characters who react uniquely to new conflicts and discoveries.

Joel Edgerton, whose face I admittedly often forget, gives one of his best performances. His family, played by Carmen Ejogo and Kelvin Harrison Jr. (who were both new to me) were standouts, and small parts by Riley Keough and Christopher Abbott (two of the greatest actors in the indie scene, Keough especially) round out the great cast. Throughout the movie I was reminded of Alien, another horror film that takes place in a claustrophobic environment, where it is just as interesting to watch all the characters converse as it is to see them get attacked by a giant space bug. Many people were let down by the absence of a horror they thought was implied in the title “It Comes at Night.” But, like Alien, they’re missing the trees for the forest. This is a human drama. What makes the film horrifying is its plausibility. Hell? Other people. What comes at night? Darkness, paranoia, emptiness. It doesn’t get scarier than that.

9. The Death of Louis XIV

Moving even smaller in scale, The Death of Louis XIV is a sad, funny, beautiful chamber-piece starring the one and only Jean-Pierre Léaud. Truthfully, a big part of what makes the film so enjoyable is the meta-narrative trip that comes with this casting. Léaud began his career at age 14 starring in one of the most influential films of the French New Wave, Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows. He is, quite literally, French cinema royalty and, though Léaud himself is only 73, this feels like his great swan song. As always, Léaud manages to be both funny and tragic; equal parts ornery and charming.

The film's lofty title may not seem like the most exciting or accessible subject matter but, while stuffiness abounds, there is simply too much to enjoy in this film to pass up and I’m shocked that more people aren’t talking about it. The cinematography is some of the best this year: every single shot looks like a candlelit oil painting. The blacks are endless, the reds are velvety, and the golds are radiant. Is the movie slow? Yes, absolutely. But I, for one, enjoyed drinking with the King, scheming with his advisers, and laughing at each new, ridiculous wig that appears on screen.

8. Lady Bird

As with every new work that seems to be receiving undue or hyperbolic praise, I was highly skeptical of Lady Bird before finally seeing it. So let’s start with all the ways I was right. This is a coming-of-age story and it contains all the usual suspects: a fast-talking, strong-willed protagonist who still has a lot to learn about how the world actually works; parents who just want the best for the protagonist who have trouble communicating with her and with each other; a quirky best friend who is briefly tossed aside while the protagonist tries to be popular; and a concluding event that reminds the protagonist of some little piece of wisdom that was dropped along the way. Despite all of this narrative predictability, there’s something undeniable about Lady Bird. It works because of the characters that writer/director Greta Gerwig has crafted. An incredibly gifted, funny performer in her own right, Gerwig understands that no relationship is black and white. The best scenes feature Saoirse Ronan’s titular Lady Bird and her mother, played by Laurie Metcalf. Though their relationship is often contentious, at a moment’s notice the two act like the best of friends. They are too similar to be compatible and yet it is this resemblance that keeps them together. If that’s not an accurate, human depiction of mother-daughter relationships, I don’t know what is. In the end, Lady Bird is endearing, warm, and human – genuinely funny and genuinely moving. Gerwig didn’t reinvent the coming-of-age dramedy, but she came close to perfecting it.

7. After the Storm

If you enjoyed the familial drama of Lady Bird, I highly recommend watching the criminally ignored Japanese film After the Storm. The movie centers on a dead-beat, divorced dad trying to reconnect with his young son and ex-wife – well, kind of trying. The film’s lead, Hiroshi Abe, is basically Gob Bluth from Arrested Development: he’s lazy and selfish but is able to skate by on his charm, social flexibility, and a bit of self-deprecation. Like Lady Bird, After the Storm is full of complex, three-dimensional characters, tenuous family dynamics, and lived-in wisdom that never feels hacky. Hirokazu Kore-eda shoots the film without pretension, keeping a careful eye on the little details of everyday life. It doesn’t have the pep of an American dramedy so many viewers might find their minds starting to wander but, like 2016’s Paterson or Kore-eda’s predecessor Yasujiro Ozu, After the Storm has a lot to offer if you’re in a receptive mood. Pair with tea and a rainy day (a monsoon, if you’ve got it).

6. Good Time

Good Time is a travelling carnival. It’s a fever-dream that feels familiar even though you never know exactly what you’re going to see. The music and lights are dizzying, the air is full of weed, sweat, and old cigarettes, and everyone is inexplicably dressed like it’s the 90s. Need I say more?

I didn’t know what to expect from Good Time having seen none of the Safdie Brothers’ earlier films, but I was intrigued by the trailer. The film did not disappoint. Beginning with a bank heist gone bad, Good Time is the story of two brothers played by Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie. As many have noted, the film owes a lot to the 1970s cinema of Scorsese and Lumet but there’s an immediacy to the filming that feels unmistakably modern. Just when the gritty realism sinks in, the movie blasts into space thanks to a bold score from experimental producer Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never). It’s one of the best scores of the year, featuring a gut-wrenching, original song from Lopatin and Iggy Pop. The cinematography is equally manic: mid-winter greys mix with neon lights and vibrant reds. The Safdies keep their camera dangerously tight – detailing the desperation on a nearly-unrecognizable Robert Pattinson (and we’ll see him again before this list is over). Twilight? Never heard of it. You’re witnessing a movie star – a direct descendent of Pacino or De Niro. Good Time is grimy, thrilling, and occasionally very funny. Like all carnival rides, I went home feeling nauseous, head-pounding, and in need of a tetanus shot. 

5. Columbus

Columbus is a movie so personal to me that I can barely talk about it objectively – I kind of feel like I made it (but I can assure you I did not). The first feature by video essayist Koganada, Columbus is a movie about love, loss, and architecture so genuine it makes (500) Days of Summer look like the sloppy, insincere mess that it is. The film’s success is largely due to its two leads: Haley Lu Richardson, who I had never seen before but fell in love with immediately, and John Cho who is now, unarguably, a leading man. The third star of the film is modern architecture by the likes of Eliel and Eero Saarinen, I.M. Pei, and SOM.

Without giving away too much, Richardson’s Casey is a student who meets Cho’s Jin, a visitor to Columbus, Indiana: architectural mecca of the Midwest. Many of you don’t (and couldn’t) know that I went to school to study architecture. I, like Jin, skeptically engaged with bright, young minds like Casey and questioned what architecture really meant to culture, to a city, and to me. Why does architecture matter? That’s a question I’m still answering but I can tell you this: we need spaces of reflection, communion, and discourse. The best architecture provides that. Columbus is the proof. I’m so pleased that this film has made a number of year-end lists. It’s a little film about a simple story and, like the best architecture, I look forward to exploring it again.

4. Nocturama

Nocturama is perplexing, modern, and gripping from the first minute. Nocturama is the story of a small group of French radicals who plan a coordinated attack on Paris. Nocturama asks a lot of questions – Who are these people? How did they meet? Why did they choose to become terrorists? – but if you’re looking for answers, look elsewhere.

What makes Nocturamaso exciting is the immediate immersion in the intricacies of the plot. There is no Ocean’s Eleven-style voiceover guiding you through the plan, no diatribe or manifesto to take in, just the cold, hard act. Bertrand Bonello’s ensemble piece is a commentary on luxury, privilege, and the rebellious naiveté of youth. It’s also impossibly cool: our anti-heroes smoke, dance, and listen to pop music. They’re kids – just like the ones on your street, in your school, at your mall – and that’s what makes the film so challenging, scary, and dangerous. It’s easy to characterize terrorism as a foreign offense. Nocturama doesn’t want to be easy but if you’re not careful, it might seduce you. Nocturama lights a fuse and dares you to enjoy the flames. Either way, your palms will be sweating.

3. The Lost City of Z

I’ve been critical of James Gray’s big, melodramatic films in the past but with his most recent work, I finally got it. The Lost City of Z stars Charlie Hunnam – in what is far-and-away his best performance – as Percy Fawcett, a 20th century explorer searching the Amazon for the titular city of Z. It’s hard to describe exactly why this film works so well. Like the old epics of David Lean, we follow Fawcett from his humble beginnings as a promising, young military officer, we learn and struggle with him, we return with him, after his numerous expeditions, to see his family growing and changing.

The Lost City of Z offers a whole lot to take in and it’s a testament to the editing that this 141 minute voyage moves along as breezily as it does while also never feeling rushed. What helps keep the story going is breathtaking camera work by cinematographer Darius Khondji and a great cast that includes Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, and Ian McDiarmid. Films like this don’t feel like they should exist anymore – The Lost City of Z is sprawling and beautiful but also quite smart: evoking questions of colonialism, masculinity, and the personal price of one’s work. It’s not perfect, but it’s a rare gem in a field of plastic.

2. Personal Shopper

Personal Shopper was one of the most unique theater-going experiences for me in 2017. It was a Wednesday evening when I spontaneously decided to drive half an hour to the only theater showing Olivier Assayas’ latest film. It was playing in a single auditorium – and a small one at that. I arrived early, as I always do, and waited for the few other moviegoers to trickle in. But they never did. And so I was treated to a personal screening of one of my favorite movies of the year. A movie that, rather fittingly, serves as a meditation for loneliness, isolation, and the vulnerability of predation.

Personal Shopper stars Kristen Stewart as a self-proclaimed medium trying to make contact with her deceased twin brother. Less of a horror film and more a dramatic character study, if you were ever doubtful of Stewart’s acting chops, this film should convince you. I was completely transfixed by her performance. She, and I say this without a hint of irony, is our James Dean. Sporting a leather jacket and a cool, androgynous demeanor, Stewart’s Maureen Cartwright is everyone who has ever slouched with hands stuffed deep in their pockets, anyone whose hands have shaken from an unexpected text message, anyone who’s had the eerie feeling of being watched by someone just out of reach. Personal Shopper is all about atmosphere: chilling, evocative, and sensual. I suppose I understand how people looking for plot-points found this film messy and inaccessible. As for me, though, I’ll be chasing the specter of that first screening. Going to the movies is a kind of séance and I’m thankful to Olivier Assayas for showing us a visionary Kristen Stewart.     

 1. Dunkirk

I know it’s basically a cliché to even talk about Christopher Nolan at this point, but this is where we find ourselves. NOLAN. BROS. FOREVER. Christopher Nolan doesn’t just make films as if each one is the last he’ll make. He makes films as if they’re the last film that will ever be made. Dunkirk is an absolute spectacle and it is, by far, Nolan’s best work to date.

As I’ve discussed before, Nolan came to prominence at the same time I was discovering film. I was in awe of The Dark Knight and Inception when they came out, but by the time The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar were released, my fan-boy-dom had faded. Interstellar is a very good but very flawed movie. It wants so badly to capture the humanity of early Spielberg and the grandeur of Kubrick but, sadly, fails to reach either. Still, the best decision Nolan ever made was swapping out his longtime cinematographer Wally Pfister for Hoyte Van Hoytema. Van Hoytema, who has done great work with the likes of Tomas Alfredson and Spike Jonze, brought a much needed flair for richness to Nolan’s pragmatic sensibilities. With Dunkirk, finally, there is a rich screenplay to match.

It seems Nolan actually listened to the critics who, for years, decried his overly-expositional dialogue and choppy editing. Dunkirk, not unlike Kubrick’s 2001 is pure visual storytelling. The difference is that Nolan was still determined to tell an intimate, human story and, calling upon the cinema gods from Murnau to Hitchcock, he did it.

There was no cinematic experience more breathtaking this year than seeing Dunkirk in IMAX. The sound design is so fierce and the score is so relentless it felt like a deep tissue massage for my brain. I left the theater after each successive viewing feeling invigorated in a way no film has affected me before. Nolan has always tried to make films that could capture the attention and imagination of any viewer (that’s why it was so important for this film to have a PG-13 rating) and he finally did it. The structural experimentation that Nolan was known for from the start is used here to turn the entire film into one of his signature, cross-cut sequences: one long, thrilling crescendo. And he did it all, God bless him, in under two hours.

Nolan-mainstays Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy are as cool as they’ve ever been, and seasoned pros Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh bring much-needed warmth and pathos, but the film belongs to the new faces that Nolan introduces: Fionn Whitehead, Aneurin Barnard, Tom Glynn-Carney, Barry Keoghan, and, of course, Harry Styles. They are the young men who have history thrust upon them – dropped into a giant, dangerous world with the weight of a nation on their shoulders. And they fail. They fail their mission and, occasionally, they fail each other. They return home distraught, ashamed, and confused.

“All we did was survive,” they say.

“That’s enough.”

Perseverance is noble. Support is bravery. Survival is victory. That’s Dunkirk’s message. It’s the one we needed this year.