#they go ‘you just don’t know what half-white filipinos look like’ and they act like you shot their dog

[lesbiandivorce]

people are so hostile to the suggestion that people see olivia rodrigo as mixed race for whatever reason

[joshualunacreations]

Although I majored in Sequential Art (comics) in college, I also took acting classes as electives because—like many—it was a childhood dream. But what a professor said to me was a wake-up call. Obviously, it wasn’t just one moment or individual that deterred me from pursuing acting. It ultimately wasn't my calling—comics were. But I highlight this moment because it's a symptom of how Asians are viewed and portrayed on a larger societal and institutional level. SCAD was majority-white, so there were few Asians and other POC on campus. I remember being shocked seeing a Filipino guy perform in the play HAIR, and at the time, a lot of Hollywood productions were being filmed in Savannah. So this environment inspired me to try out acting. For the most part, I realized breaking in required two things: knowing martial arts, and serving up Asianness for laughs. This isn't to knock martial arts because it's part of our culture and we should be proud of it. The problem is Asians are rarely depicted as full human beings. In every kind of media, Asians have been and continue to be used as props for a non-Asian gaze, restricted from the full spectrum of the human experience. For Asian men, this means kung fu masters, nameless goons, or Ken Jeong-types whose sole purpose is to self-denigrate. It says a lot that to this day, 42% of Americans can’t name a single famous Asian American. When asked to name one, the top response was “don’t know,” followed by actor Jackie Chan in 2nd—who is not a U.S. citizen—and deceased actor Bruce Lee in 3rd. The worst part is Asians are blamed for our own oppression. We're fed myths about how we lack personalities, marketability, good looks, etc. Usually, Asians are perceived as likeable only if there's white heritage—which is why half-white Asians tend to get more opportunities. Although I entered the comic book industry as a writer and artist, I ended up in Hollywood spaces anyway via the TV/film adaptation process. From there I learned it doesn’t matter if Asians are in front of or behind the camera—the stereotypes hold us back no matter where we are. This is why Asians need to be in control of our own stories, and we need Asian creators who don't cater to a non-Asian gaze. For more of my thoughts on this subject: https://twitter.com/Joshua_Luna/status/1305941251393544193 (Please don’t repost or edit my art. Reblogs are always appreciated.)If you enjoy my comics, please pledge to my Patreon or donate to my Paypal. I lost my publisher for trying to publish these strips, so your support keeps me going until I can find a new publisher/lit agenthttps://twitter.com/Joshua_Luna/status/1134522555744866304 https://patreon.com/joshualuna https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/JoshuaLunaComics

[blurglesmurfklaine]

What picture are people on Twitter getting mad at Darren for??

this is beneath the cut because it got really long (sorry) and there are also trigger warnings for mentions of police brutality.

I honestly couldn’t find it if I tried because I deleted Twitter a while ago, and wouldn’t know how to Google it, but it’s basically a picture of him pretending to having sex with one of his friends who looks like he may or may not be sleeping? I saw the picture once, and I honestly couldn't tell, but it looked like he could be awake??? and Twitter is losing its fucking mind calling him a “rapist” and shit like that and demanding he apologize for a picture he didn’t even post! (His friend posted it)

Is it his most tasteful picture? No, but from what I understand it’s like seven years old and also clearly a joke??

I have a lot of qualms with cancel culture (it’s the reason Jenna Marbles left YouTube so I’m mad about that lol) but the biggest thing is that on Twitter, it never seems to be about actually educating people for the better, or a real pursuit of social justice. It’s always this race to be the most visibly “holier than thou” “politically correct” (which, if you ask me, sometimes goes so far left they make a circle and come around back to the right. Looking at you, misogynists who want to police what content (queer) women can and cannot consume). Their political justice pursuits never seem to be based on actually caring. And if it is, it’s just for attention.

For example, Darren recently apologized for a tweet some (and I will also say, most of the people demanding the apology were not black.) thought was racist or racially insensitive. When he replied to one of the loudest voices on Twitter who called for an apology, the person running the account subsequently tweeted shit like “omg he knows I’m alive” and talked about being in their “Darren notice” era.

Something similar happened yesterday and days before, when Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all charges for the murder of George Floyd. (Which even then, people would say things like “I’m so glad he was convicted” and assholes would reply: “so you’re glad a black man died?”)

Darren tweeted: “✊🏼”

That’s it, that’s the fucking tweet. And then people started demanding he delete it, and the other half demanding he apologize for it and calling him a “white supremacist”. (Which pisses me off even more because... Despite the fact that. He’s not fucking entirely white?? BUT I DIGRESS!!!)

Apparently, a white fist in the air is a symbol of white supremacy, and people were tweeting shit like “I’m so disappointed in you” “how can you stan him after something like this?” “I’m so disgusted” blah blah fucking blah.

First off, if you don’t know enough about Darren to know that he’s not a fucking white supremacist? God I don’t even know how to finish that lmao.

Second, if your breaking point is a god damn emoji, you need to get the fuck off the internet. Whenever I use the fist in the air emoji to show my solidarity for the BLM movement, I don’t use a black fist. Because I’m not fucking black. I use this one: ✊🏽 because I’m mexican. I’m brown (okay so I’m a little less brown since quarantine but give me a day in the sun and the melanin will come back my dudes). Darren is not black, he’s tan, so he used a tan fist to show his solidarity and I think the reaction from glee Twitter was honestly gross and disgusting and awful because guess what: you are taking attention away from the fact that Derek Chauvin, the murderer of a black man, was convicted, AND that a black child was murdered by the police, to yell at a Filipino-Irish man that he’s a white supremacist.

(I beleive he deleted the tweet and then people were calling him a coward for not owning up to it. so he truly cannot win lmao)

That’s where the fucking picture comes in. I could be wrong, because I only get bits and pieces from a group chat I’m in and I’m not actually on the site anymore, but after the emoji tweet is when the picture was dug up. A years old picture that he didn’t even post, just to incite more hate and pretentiousness and senseless polarization???

If you're so "dissapointed" and "disgusted" in him, then fucking leave. Go. Don't stan someone whose morals you so vocally don't agree with. You no NOT have to be a fan of someone who supposedly causes you so much distress.

I also never thought of it before a friend I met this summer pointed it out, but why do we act like celebrities have to be held to a higher moral standard than everyone else? Why are they not allowed to make mistakes, and learn and grow like the rest of us? Because they act or sing??? Lord knows I was ignorant as fuck in 2011 and it fucking SHOWS in my old posts and shit. The only difference is that I didn't have thousands of people watching my every move.

Like fuck. No wonder he never goes on social media anymore. I wouldn't either. i can't imagine how fucking overwhelming and anxiety inducing that is. Let him fucking breathe.

It’s stupid. It’s all stupid. I actually felt like I was having my brain fried on that app. No thank you, I’ll leave it to slow cook like a roast in crock pot here on tumblr thank you very much.

TL;DR: Twitter is up in arms about an old picture of Darren pretending to have sex with his friend and I don’t trust anything Twitter says anymore because everything on there is for clout.

[avionvadion]

Age gaps are fine. Not when the age gap includes a minor.

My biological parents are the same age- born in the same year, and are a month apart. My step mother met my father several years after the divorce (I was, what, four or five? I was supposed to be a save the marriage baby but they divorced anyway) by some online video chatting thingy, and when it became clear she wasn’t trying to scam him for money he flew over to the Philippines to meet her. She came over to America and got married when I was seven.

Currently, my dad is like 53 and she’s 37. So that’s... some big age gaping right there, though not as bad as my mom and stepdad. She’s 53 and he’s... either in his seventies or eighties??? I’m not close with him, I actually find it somewhat disturbing, but I love my mom and they’re grown ass adults so I’m respecting her choice. If she’s happy I’m happy, and he’s nice to her so! That’s a thing.

Both those couple have about a 20 or so year age gap. Sounds a little disturbing when said out like that, but when you say the ages themselves? 37-53 and 53-70(??) It’s not so bad. Why? Because they’re adults. Mature adults- three of which are in their second round of the marriage game.

But to explain my point, because they’re all adults the 20-ish age gap isn’t bad. If they had been YOUNGER when they met and/or got together, however...

17-33 and 13-30.

Ya’ll see the problem? That’s when the age gap is problematic. That’s when it’s gross and very much not okay. And that’s what the nasties don’t understand.

So here we go again:

Sango is 17.

Miroku is 18.

Kagome is 15.

Inuyasha is mentally/biologically 15.

Sesshomaru is mentally/biologically 19.

Rin is 8.

It’s so freaking obvious at this point. There shouldn’t even be anything to discuss. Her official art literally PAINTS her as a child in Trashahime. Like- okay, nasties.

Ya’ll wanna talk about short women? Specifically, short Asian women? Let’s fucking go. I’m 5’3 and white as hell. My step mother is a 4’11 Filipino woman. KAGOME IS A SHORT FICTIONAL JAPANESE WOMAN STANDING AT A WHOPPING 5’2.

Rin don’t even reach Kagome’s shoulders. This is a freaking child. She speaks like a child, acts like a child, and looks like a child. She’s not short because she’s Asian or because she’s meant to be a short woman; she’s short because she’s a freaking child. She has no bodily proportions a woman should have, short or otherwise.

This isn’t even the body of a woman who is flat chested. It’s just a child. Towa and Setsuna has more bust than her and- they’re also children?? And older than her in appearance??? Moroha is flat chested too, and is the only one who even comes close in age and appearance to this picture of Rin. You nasties wanna talk about historical accuracy? Okay, let’s go.

It is historically known that a child can not consent.

A child can not give birth to twins (who she would have had prematurely because twins take too much space on a womb) and survive.

Rin would be dead. She would have bled out from the process and died. Adding to the fact that she was a child who hasn’t developed properly, Rin probably wouldn’t have even lasted half the pregnancy time before going into early labor.

As such, Towa and Setsuna would also have died. Your precious child queen and her twins would have died, and it would have been your even more precious Pedomaru’s fault because

1) He got a child pregnant. 👏

2) He got a child pregnant knowing a child can not consent. 👏

3) He got a child pregnant knowing a child can not consent and would not be able to carry the offspring to term. 👏

[maxismatchccworld]

To keep it short. All wishes are under the cut. 

You have a wish? Read here how to get it added.

ryttu3k

Thank you for doing this! I would love to see solar glass - the glass roofs from basegame, modded to act like the solar roof tiles from Eco Lifestyle.

Anonymous 

I would love to see a mesh edit of the fireplace from EL, with the weird rocks replaced by the wood from the SE fireplaces! Bonus points if there's also a version without the weird box and shelf (so just the main fireplace body and chimney).

oi-matey

Hi there! First off, I love your blog and I think the Super Secret Simblr Wishlist is a really sweet idea! I’ve got a build mode submission for the wishlist that I’ve been looking for for a long time; I’d really love a wig stand with some hairstyles that can go on top if possible. I’ve seen it done by alpha creators but the only MM one I found, the download link no longer works and it broke my heart

fleurlibelle

Fantastic idea. Let's give it a shot! I would love to see if a creator could and would be able to create a maxis-match classic Ballet Workout Set. Including two simple Tutu's one classic short the other one long. A classic leotard, wrap top, wrap skirt, ankle leg warmers as well as a pair of thigh high ones. All in classic ballet colors black, white and pink. ;) Nothing fancy! If the creator wants some examples what I mean I could provide pics. But that would be so dope! ❤️

Anonymous 

#SSSWish I'm half Filipino, but I hardly see any Filipino content in the Sims Community. I would love to own a Maxis Match Barong or Maria Clara dress for formal events in the game. I think it would be a great way to add more representation in the game, especially when I know there are a handful of PilAms and Pinoy players. Thanks for hearing me out, and thanks for all the work you do to make this games playable. I really enjoy all your hard work!

helmud

i love this idea! i’ve been wishing for a long, straight hair for male sims - like a conversion of CfHair LongStraight. thanks for reading n__n

Anonymous

#SSSWishlist hello! I would love if cc creators can consider making more patterns for Kimono/Yukata (traditional Japanese clothing). I find the in-game versions kinda bland, and there are not many floral Kimonos even though its commonly seen in Japanese festivals. Would appreciate if there's Japanese hairstyle cc with big flowerly accessory to pair with the Kimono too! Same for the male Yukatas, just not floral print maybe. If it's not too much, children's version is also appreciated!

Anonymous 

#SSSWishlist Thank you so much for doing this! I've a small request for a mod that allows every destination (specifically the newer lots like Onsens and/or Rental lots) to be an option for dating location under "Ask XX on a Date"

Anonymous

For the SSS Wishlist, I would Love to see a set of three to four hairstyles, all with the same texture. Something like long hair down, a ponytail, and an updo, all with the same wavy or curly or straight texture, all with the same bangs or whatever. Just something that could be used to look like my sims change hairstyle now and them.

Anonymous 

I would love to see some moth cc? Like wings and antennae? any colors are fine but I just think it'd be really cool!

sortofasimblr

#SSSWish: deco fidget toys like cubes and tangles (at4s has a great fidget spinner but there are so many more types out there)

t-aeddie

Sorry I wasn’t to sure where to put the hashtag #SSSWish or where to submit the wish.

My wish is to have more swatches for the snowboard and skis. If there could be more LED designs, interesting designs and the swatches for kids for T-E boards. It would be great.

The other wish would be to have more Kimono designs in Maxis Match and/or recolors with more patterns. There are so many patterns that I have seen while looking at real life kimonos and there are so many patterns, styles and colors that are missing in the game.

autumnmoon-sims

#SSSWish Hi! And thank you for this great and sweet idea! I wish for a special piece of CC: a long wavy ginger hair based on LoL's Miss Fortune character. I have a pic to send to show exactly what i wish for... It's my dream hair for my sims! Thank you again for this idea. That's super kind ^^

Anonymous 

This seems like a fun idea! What I have been wanting for ages (like since TS2 era ages) is a hair style that completely covers one eye, like Violet at the start of The Incredibles. Most of the peekaboo bangs hairs I've seen are a little *too* stylish and I mostly just want one where someone is clearly trying to cover up half their face with it.

utanozomi

That sound like a great idea! It’d be great if someone was interested in a more fantasy/medieval recolor of joliebean’s after dark top. I really like it by most of the colors are very bright. #SSSWish

Anonymous

Hi! I never send asks so I hope this is the right way to do #SSSwishlist . I would be over the moon if someone could create the Zimmermann 'Carnaby Embroidered Bird Dress' in black. I've had my eye on it for such a long time but I'm too poor to commission it lol. Hope this is ok! :)

saphireeyes9875

Hello, not sure if I'm sending this the proper way, but I have a request for the SSSWish? So, there's still no ways of writing books off-grid that I know of, so I think a journal or typewriter or, I don't know, even a magical computer working on batteries would be great, I would just really love to write and publish books off-grid... Also, I think this is a very sweet idea, and thank you for this chance to make requests!

Anonymous 

I would love to see snowy escape kotatsu recolors ! #SSSWish

Anonymous 

I love this wishlist idea! I'd like to see the Miles Edgeworth suit by Lunar Eclipse on MTS for Sims 2 converted for Sims 4 very much.

unitedkingdomofsimsland

I would love to see more horse poses with tack. Severinka’s horses are beautiful but it drives me crazy, posing sims on horseback with the illusion of tack (bridles, saddles, etc) I would love to see some Severinka shaped tack be made. Poses would be a bonus!

lunarhobbits

SSSWishlist: cc hair inspired by marlo thomas' iconic hair from the 1966-71 tv show That Girl. or really any cc of her wardrobe on that show

vexingcosmos 

 #SSSWish I would love the more door from GF without the windows and maybe in a few more neutral swatches.

simsmores

The Simblr Wishlist is such a sweet idea, thank you for this! I would love to see a cc hair based on Osamu Dazai’s from Bungou Stray Dogs! It’s such a pretty hair and I think it would translate perfectly into The Sims ♡

Anonymous

#SSSWish This is an amazing idea! I'd love to see some powerpuff cc, like HIM's dress or Mojo's hat. There are lots of dresses and hairs for the girls (and the rowdyruffs) but I can't find anything that really fits with the other characters. Thank you!!

Anonymous

For the wishlist, any sort of Sailor Scouts themed stuff! Not like stuff from the show but stuff that a fan would have!

Anonymous

#SSSWish - I would love to see a someone put together clothing that accurately reflects the Starfleet uniforms seen on the television shows, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (collar version), "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (colored shoulders) or the later movie uniforms (grey shoulders w/ colored undershirt). I've seen people asking for these uniforms for quite some time now, and I think, if done well, they could be a popular download. A separate chest combadge accessory would be nice too.

Anonymous

#ssswish this is such an amazing and fun idea! I’d love to see some cut pixie hair cuts (especially with an undercut)!

zoragraves

Hey there, that #SSSWish thing is a super cool idea! I do have a wish too - I would love to see the EL utility jumpsuit converted for male framed sims. It can be unlocked by creating an override and unchecking the frame restrictions in S4S, but then the body changes to a female frame. So if anybody out there could do that properly, I'd be extremely grateful :3

Anonymous

#SSSWish i've been looking all over for a version of a torc to use in my historical plays-- it's an old celtic type of necklace, made of iron, sort of twisted into a collar around the neck... i've seen sims 3 versions of one floating around, so if someone would even be so kind as to convert one of those to the sims 4 i would be so happy!!!

Anonymous

#SSSWish I would love to see any kind of MM D&D adventurer type clothing. Literally anything like top, pants, accessories, shoes. There is so much of it in alpha but so rare in MM. <3

Anonymous

#SSSWish Thank you for this awesome idea that brings the community closer during these not so good times :) I wish someone could separate the skirt from the Snowy Escape school uniform and make it stand-alone !

Anonymous

#SSSWish id love to see some tanline cc?

Anonymous

Hello im a jennifer lopez fan, and i was wondering if someone could make cc clothes (like a dress, two piece suit or whatever) with her iconic jungle print pattern?? Like in green swatch and red swatch and maybe plain black / white?? Hope it's not too much to ask! #SSSwish

ashenspectre

Hi, for the SSSWishList I would love it if someone were to either convert or create a more dainty engagement ring type ring for the masculine frame, kind of like the rings glitterberrysims has made for feminine frames, like her pearl antique ring for example. I’ve always wanted more pretty and delicate rings for my male sims but i can never find any that truly work with the masculine frame without most of the ring being absorbed by their fingers lol

leshaybean

Super secret simblr wish! This is such a cool idea. I've been looking for Some haircuts with a mix of curly/wavy- epically mid-length ones. Also A decades challenge- appropriate camera. It feels a bit weird to have my sims whip out there cells to take a picture- I mean I did all this work to make you look like your in the 1910s and now THIS? Sorry for my rant lol. Thank you if anyone actually does any of these!

an0nymousghost

requesting some recolors of the toddler sp clothing! specifically that butterfly top hehe

Anonymous

I love the idea of the SSSWishlist! I can never find a counter/island set that matches the wood tones of ATS4's Irish Pub bar, I'd be so happy to have some.

assimblyrequired

I'd love to see more high-waisted, 1950's style clothes like circle skirts for SSSWish!

Anonymous

I hope someone can make a small mod that allows sims to browse for baby names on the computer. And maybe they could gain moodlets from it, like "I love these names" or "All these are terrible names for a baby"? #SSSwishlist

myheartsimblr

I’d really like to see some more MM earrings that feature multiple earrings. Maybe with some mix and match or something, I only know some basic like ringlets that have several so I’d really like some different kinds.

Anonymous

#ssswish I would love to see Fire Emblem: Three Houses inspired CC, primarily hairstyles! There are some really unique looks in that game and it would be great to have something a little different to give our Sims.

Anonymous

Hi! I'd love to add to the #SSSWish for any cc creator to maybe make a few more frames for our ingame photos, maybe some frames where we can put more than one photo like the Moschino frame, I love having a wall full of photos of my household but there aren't many options. Thanks for having this adorable idea!

Anonymous

For the #SSSWish I'd love to see some eyebrow piercings that look like small naturally growing horns/spikes, kind of like the spikes the Zygerrians in Star Wars have but over the eyebrow rather than on the chin/forehead. Been looking for CC like that and just haven't been able to find any yet, so would be really thankful if anyone could make it.

Anonymous

#SSSWish I'd love to see anything women's wrestling related. Hairs, poses, attires, a small wrestling lot or merchandise. It'd be fun to see what people come up with.

Anonymous

SSSWish - I would love to see some feminine cc made for the masculine frame! For example skirts, dresses, blouses and make up:)

Anonymous

HI! I'd love to see a heterochromia skin detail/tattoo of WildlyMiniatureSandwich's little sad eyes! They're my favorite! I'd do it myself but it comes out a mess. I'd prefer it in the acne skin detail or dimple skin detail if possible!

wishmaker

1. A new Maxis Match sofa or sectional set with a high backrest that people could actually lean on huhu. (or at least a recolor of RAVASHEEN’s Sofa, So Good Sectional.) 2. A Maxis Match version of Wondymoon’s Titanium tall wardrobe with mirrors attached to it. This is my dream wardrobe.

Anonymous

#SSSWish I really would like some more basic clothes for toddlers

Anonymous

#SSSWish I'd like more modest wedding dresses where the arms are covered.

ShyLilPlatypus

I’m not sure that I have done this right and I hope I have. If not, I am very sorry. First off, I love this blog and thank you for doing this. I would really like it if someone did a MM hair for Lisbeth Salander (the style from the Rooney Mara version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo). I think that it would be a super cool piece of CC! Thank you so much again for doing this! Happy holidays!

classically-atomic

I am always looking for more kids/toddler CC. and would love if there was something similar to the 7785 pattern by simplicity! This pattern is from the 1970’s.

Here is a link to the pattern i have in mind!

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b4/77/65/b4776583d8f20a28fda5f508f924111f.jpg

mandarinklyftor

I wish for a lightning scar for my sim, like lightning hit on his neck and left a Lichtenberg figure

Anonymous

#SSSWish Hi! Something I would really like in my game is little mannequins with unfinished/already finished clothes on it (kind of like if your sim was working on making clothes for themselves and wanted to put it around their workshop)

Anonymous

#SSSWish I would love to see super glamorous toddler/child cc. Kind of like if they were a part of a super rich and famous family and had to go to a gala or something.

sparkleweedthesimblr

#SSSWish -- I would absolutely die for some D&D build/buy items. For example: dice clutter, DM screens, maybe even a map? I'm not sure how intensive that kind of thing would be. TIA!!

Anonymous

I would really like some more island living inspired cc! Or poses with two women, a toddler, and a baby (newborn, older, whatevs). Either or is absolutely okay!

silverliening

#SSSWishlist i know i already saw some people here ask for more yukata/kimono swatches here and i would like the say i really do think we need them (not just for the adults but the younger ages too, id like for the toddlers kimono not to have the hifu? vest as well but that sounds more complicated). 

BUT for my wish i would like to see some proper tabi socks in the game, for all ages + genders, and also for the geta sandals to be made available for children and toddlers. Im not sure how difficult that would be for the tabi + geta but i think they would be a good to have since the kids always get left behind.

simtrospective

AF to CF Conversion

Hello. Wishing for a conversion of this dress…

…from AF to CF. Here is the link to the original. There is already a Toddler version, too!

Thank you!

simtrospective

1950s Style Hair(s) For Men

Wishing for some 1950s style hair for male sims, not as exaggerated as typical sims style. I’ve included four examples. What you choose to make (if anything) is creator’s choice. Thank you!

Anonymous

I was wondering if anybody could make a structured corset top that has a v shaped lower torso, kinda like the ones you would see on tiktok? and if possible, maybe a tonya harding inspired ponytail with the puffy bangs? thank you!!!

Anonymous

I saw a request for feminine cc for masculine frames so I'm going to ask the opposite, so uhh feminine frame suits. I do not like seeing the crunchy chest from the base game suits. 😂

thormurielsev

I would love anything dark academia for the chillier months- maybe a turtleneck sweater with a pinafore or plaid dress on top, or a blazer/sweater combo, etc. Obviously these are just ideas, but I think it would be so nice to see more of this kind of thing in custom content!

Thanks for reading (’:

Yasmin

I’d like someone to make a few generic maxis match tattoos, any styles but that looks more comicish than the ones I see around, that even claim to be MM. EA gave us very few choices and they don’t exactly go together (like using the ones from IL with BG ones just don’t quite work). Thanks in advance if someone picks out. ♥

inkydoc

Hello there! this idea is amazing, thank you :3 my request for the #SSSWish would be some cute cat and/or mouse ears for human sims that are not on a hairband or part of a hair. I’m thinking a hat or an earring accessory thing that goes on top of the sim’s head anime catgirl style :D I hope it’s not too much to ask :)

Anonymous

Hey there! Could somebody make some more long male hairstyles, like 80s rocker type ones? One of my favorite sims is supposed to be like an 80s rocker dude, and I have a really hard time finding hair for him. Long mullets would be welcome, and long rocker hair would be welcome too. Thanks!

mrpinksalmon

#SSSWish A dress similar to this would be so beautiful and versatile :)  I also think it would go really well with the new snowy escape aesthetic. If its possible I think it would look best with the same back, but a plain/simple front instead of the collar and detail shown on the front in the image. Merry Christmas!!!

saphireeyes9875

So, there's still no ways of writing books off-grid that I know of, so I think a journal or typewriter or, I don't know, even a magical computer working on batteries would be great, I would just really love to write and publish books off-grid... Also, I think this is a very sweet idea, and thank you for this chance to make requests!

Anonymous

Hi SSSWishlist! Burberry CC! Skirts, scarves anything! For adults or kids or even pets, just all things Burberry!

jade-basicity

Maxis Match Sweater Vest Acc/Top Inspired by House of Sunny's Suburban Knit

or anything kind of close/inspired by House of Sunny (maybe the Hockney dress/landscape knit?) bc I cannot afford it on my own, so putting it on my sims would be a sense of wish fulfilment. However, just in general, a maxis match accessory sweater vest

Anonymous

Hello :) I hope a CC creator can make it happen. I would love to see some maxis match eyelashes that are laptop friendly. I know pikypikachu already has created it but the final product it's not my cup of tea. I just want more designs if possible.

deskhole

Hi! Thanks for hosting the SSSWishlist! My wish is a little vague, but I'd really like to see some feminine clothing tailored specifically to the male frame. I know there aren't hard limits on what sims can wear most of the time, but I just wanna see some catering to gnc/trans sims! 🧡

Anonymous

 I'd love to see more decorative kawaii plushies to put around my sim's room! The only ones I can ever find are for toddlers so I'd love to see some non-function ones that just look cute!

Peachy

My wish would be for a recolor of https://www.patreon.com/posts/marcia-by-40546842 this hair in a peachy pink color for my sim self! Thanks so much!

luckiselki

More dance mods that aren't just poses. :D

ultranightmarecake

I’d really like some ballet outfits for children through ya. A leotard with a simple wrap chiffon skirt in various colorways would be amazing!

calenmirielsiannodel

I’d really really love a set of witcher school medallions - the versions from the games, not the series.

simtrospective

US-Style Military Uniforms

HI. Hoping for the US military dress uniforms incl. hats, maybe based around the StrangerVille dress uniforms. Since it’s MM anyway, I’m not looking for anything elaborate or “patriotic” just something to evoke the Navy and Marines, esp., primarily for storytelling purposes. If anyone has concerns this would not be used to depict or celebrate war nor as a political statement, etc.

Anonymous

My Super Secret Wish is a mod, or even a tweak of an existing mod, that stops toddlers from shying away from hugs they ask for during the “Check Toddler” interaction. It is *so* irritating to see a toddler respond to a❓with a ❤️ and open arms then step back, often with a 💔, and push the adult away. I’ve tried to stop it with MCCC but no luck.

Anonymous

One of my favorite parts of the game is creating a restaurant or a vet clinic, but the employees are impossible to keep satisfied and they all eventually quit. It would be nice if there was a way to keep them permanently satisfied, or at least make it easier. There is a mod for this but it is extremely outdated and doesn't work anymore. If anyone could update it or make a new one that would be great! 😁

onlythewatcher

I would LOVE for someone to edit the Get Famous button down female 3 quarter sleeve shirt with headphones around the neck and remove the headphones and ID badge. I don’t make CC so maybe this is too big an ask?

therudemustbeeaten

Edits of the eco lifestyle windows without those chunks of metal. i know it’s been done, but the version that i’ve saw online has a weird shadow. :(

Anonymous

Hey, it's about the #SSSWishlist , i don't know if it's possible but a mod that makes cats and dogs stop meowing and barking would be nice beceause i like using the kalino animals for exemple but the barking and meowing ruin the immersion. Thank you in advance if someone is doing it ^^

clairetoile

Hello, thanks you for this good idea.

I would like a mod that allows to rent a house instead of buying it.

It will be great if is not just for vacation or students in University.

Thanks

Anonymous

#SSS Wish: I don't think I've seen much hanfu sims4 cc so it would be cool if someone can make some! ziseviolet is a tumblr with a lot of hanfu designs and could serve as a great resource.

redruby0321

Hi there! Thanks for doing this, it’s a wonderful idea!! I was hoping someone could create an edit of the Snowy Escape female shirt with the turtle neck underneath and open/unbuttoned shirt, here is a link. If they could make it so that the turtle neck and shirt can be different colours, like having the turtle neck have an option under accessories to change colours that overrides the original turtleneck’s colour would be amazing! Maybe they could throw in more colours and designs, like 90’s or plaid, that would be perfect

Thank you so much!

anonymoussimblr

I would love to see more CAS stuff with simlish logos/writing! T-shirts (especially with the moschino tee mesh), sweaters, sweatpants, accessories… anything you’d like as long as you keep it simlish. Maybe even make more Harnocks stuff with the Henry Puffer logos that MLys released?

Anonymous

For the SSWishlist, could I request some more clean and chic looking booths? I absolutely adore putting in booths as many places as possible in my builds, but I don't come across much CC using it. Some bench like booths for lil cafes would be ideal <3

Anonymous

#SSSWish I know it's very specific for a wish, but I hope someone can manage to create a long silk nightgown or wrap dress, with an orange stylized koi fish pattern on a light green background. I can't find the tile (at storytiles) I've seen it on, but it was just so gorgeous.. I wish I had one irl.

Anonymous

#SSSWish I hope I'm not the only one, but I wish for some more clothes for my elder sims, cozy-looking grandma & grandpa clothes.

Anonymous

#SSSWish it's such a good idea, thank you! I really wish for a high waisted A-line skirt, with only une button placed on the side, with denim and coloured w polka dots swatches <3

Anonymous

#SSSWishlist I would love Padme's lake dress from Episode II of Star Wars, it's so flowy and beautiful and it would be so pretty to see in game!

Anonymous

how about more enby clothing, hairstyles??? we lacking

Anonymous

Dear #SSSWishlist, I think we need more hairstyles for alternative boys, specially more dyed short hairs, or at least masculine dyed hairstyles. I think our eboys, soft boys, scene boys and all the rest are lacking soooooo much... :(

mudkipsonice

#SSSWish- Rings that work for guys that also aren't super bulky. Most I'm finding are huge or don't work on guys at all/well. Thank you❤

k8ecatt

modthesims.inforecolors for plasticbox's functional tea pot

hi! I love this little tea pot, but I’d love to have it in a variety of more vibrant recolors, including pink, aqua and yellow <3 thank you!

Anonymous

#SSSWishlist I like to give my aliens sims that space suit (that came with gtw?) in all their outfits but I would like more variation. I haven't found any recolours or different style space suits that match the in game ones so I would really like if someone made some. Thank you!

Anonymous

#SSSWish Recolors of CrypticSim's Maddy Palette eyeshadow!

Anonymous

#SSSW: So you know how some creators of CC hairs include an accessory with multiple swatches to better match the outfits you put your Sims in? I'd love to have an overlay like that for EA hair accessories too. No particular hairs in mind, I'd be happy with anything that comes up. If any creator decides to do this-- thank you so much!!

Anonymous

#SSSWish i would love a version of the snowy escape masc frame snowboarders sweater (the first swatch is red white and black with some text on it) that works for femme frames - i am dying to put my femme frame sims in it but the distortion around the neck ruins it for me T.T thank youu!!

Anonymous

#SSSWish - My wish is for any kind of run-down, beat-up, grungy, punky, build/buy items. Wallpapers/floors, items, anything! Everything I find is alpha, and having it in MM would be *chef's kiss*. Thank you in advance, so so so so much!

oswanily

Hi ! There is quite a few things I’d like, but I narrowed it down to three “small” things:

- An accessory top with a high neckline and no sleeves - just to hide cleavage - maybe with some lace at the edge ? and several grey and pastel colors please.

- Some accessory prints for shirts, like those tukete has, maybe some aimed at kids and toddlers too ?

- Makeup for kids. Some people let their kids wear makeup in real life, but adult cc makeup don’t look right on kids, so if anyone is interested in trying… I’d like eye-shadow and lipstick, with some discreet options (but you can go all out too of course).

There you go, thanks everyone and happy holidays !!! 😊💕

Anonymous

#SSSWish (I think this is where I request things??) A high waisted conversion of those base game rose jeans. They’re super pretty, but I never use them bc of how low riding they are 😭

negasim

I would be eternally grateful if a posemaker could make a CAS pose very similar to Shai Hulud’s ‘Profound Hatred of Man’ artwork (image link below), only with the hands further apart on the chest. I’ve had an edit in mind for ages but haven’t found a pose that looks even remotely similar to that. Thanks in advance if anyone decides to grant this wish! https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HuYY-zJBL._SX342_QL70_ML2_.jpg

greatsuperwoman

Hello! I found your blog a while ago and fell head over heels in love with it, so let me say thank you for all this wonderful hard work you do! For my wish I would love anything maxis match Attack on Titan but if I could only have one thing it would be a maxis match version of Levi Ackerman's hair since we have nothing like that in game. Thanks in advance, and happy holidays!

Anonymous

I would love some recolours of the Nifty Knitting knittable Cable Knit Rug. It’s one of my favourites but the colour swatches in-game are limited. Thanks a whole bunch.

divinus-erus

I really want a pair of a-bit-over-the-ankle boots that are slightly open around the leg with a relatively thick, medium length heel. Much like the ones Korean female idols wear during their performances. I have searched everywhere but haven't found a pair that look right. Glittery ones would be perfect but I can easily recolor them myself. Thank you! 😊

nie-moj-cyrk-nie-moje-malpy

My #SSSWish would be a wedding veil that is not in the hat accessory section! I’d love to be able to have my sims wear eg a flower crown and a veil at the same time; but with the beocreations veils (which are the best ones I’ve found) you can’t do that because they are part of the same category. Thank you!

Anonymous

Now that Snowy Escape is out, I'd love to see some Japanese street fashion, hair styles, and accessories! There is a fair amount of stuff out there, but it's almost all alpha, unfortunately #SSSWish

mortallythoughtfulballoongirl

Thanks for doing this, I really hope for more Lolita styles clothes / clockpunk oufits that are maxis matches and even more male fantasy outfits!

badlyplayedtrumpet

Love this blog and this idea! I'd like to submit a request for a set of cool-neutral eyeshadows, opaque, matte, covering the top lid. I wear this daily IRL and haven't quite found a dupe :)

Anonymous

#SSSWishlist - Oh hello! I hope I'm doing this right!! I would just be tickled pink if someone was able to make a MM picture of the Stanley Cup. I have a hard time finding any hockey CC and I would just be over the moon if someone was able to do this. Thank you! Best wishes! Happy holidays! <3

haylamonster

Hello! i’m not sure if its just my game bugging but the male child tiny living hair is broken and i don’t know where to start on fixing it. i tried to find a fix online but found nothing. in my game the hairline for that hair is so bad and its unfortunate cause it used to be my fav child hair. if someone that mods or makes cc could fix it or make a default replacement, i would forever be grateful.

Anonymous 

This is such a nice idea, thanks for thinking of it! I really love the toddler bed that came with Eco Living and would love it if it were made into a single bed for children, preferably separated. Thank you!

usemagnetsgetlizards

Well then, may i bring in a #SSSWish of a very odd hairstyle... A high, side ponytail, with messy bangs if possible? Just one of those weird things i can do in real life, but seems near impossible ingame! Thanks to anyone who even considers making it, because i feel it's kind of an absurd idea in the first place.

TDae

I would love to see some creative and cool alien CC, specially genetics CC. <3 Thanks for doing this.

Anonymous

Hey!!! I have a #SSSWISH!!!! so is it possible for anyone to make more floor futons for sleeping? especially for toddlers? they really should have come with snowy escape!

kaiwrysims

#SSSWish I love to take family photos of my sims to put up around the house but I hate that I have to add a random sim to my household to take the picture. My wish is for a mod that allows you to select a sim that's in a pose and make them take a picture without having to come out of their pose and go to the camera. I would be forever grateful for whoever manages to pull this off!

Anonymous

#SSSWish thank you for doing this! I'd love to see some recolours of the tiny living rug, w different patterns too

Anonymous

#SSSWish I really need some simmer make this true: "Feminine" clothes for males. Dresses, skirts, make ups... I dont really care. I just dont want to skip the "masculine" label in the CAS to put them some cool clothes that doesnt fit good enough. Also, the clothes that are done for women, to do swatches for all genders. That would be amazing, thanks for this.

Anonymous

#SSSWish. First of all, thanks for all you work, this idea is brilliant. Second thing, I've been searching for Suits inspired in Harry Styles x Gucci like fancies with flower and all, and most important, FOR WOMEN. I will be really pleased if this idea comes to reality. Thanks!

Anonymous

Hello, I'm from Spain and I think we have a super rich culture so, maybe a Spanish simmer (or worlwide) would be please to do some Flamenca dresses, os something related tu Andalusian Aesthetic. Thank u! I love ur content #SSSWish.

catu11us

Hi, first of all I love this idea and your blog! 💕 my request is an override for one (or more) of the super ugly City Living blouses - I haven’t seen one and they’re just the worst haha.

Anonymous

Could someone make a mod that gives all base game and DLC showers the option to chose "sing in the shower" like the City Living shower has already? Thanks so much!! #SSSWish

Anonymous

i do the wishlist thing here, right? i guess the thing i'd want the most in the game is ferrets, but that's probably very unlikely haha. the next thing would probably be more trait slots. there are mods that let you add traits in-game, but i'd like to just have that option in CAS, yknow? anyway, cheers, have a good one #SSSWish

strawberries-n-sims

Hi!! this is a long shot but i was hoping someone could make the bb missed opportunity #39? It’s a little stuffed puppy with a sweater and I’m distraught it wasn’t included in nifty knitting. Thank you!! <3

thesimmingowl

Hi!

I have a wish which is very specific, but I’d be so happy to see it done. I would really love to see Ransom’s coat with a scarf from Knives Out recreated in sims (it’s this one, I’m not sure on how to add the picture here: https://www.pinterest.ru/pin/76350156171255013/). I really hope someone will like this idea. And thanks for creating such an amazing event!!!

Anonymous

#SSSWish I'd love to have pandasamacc's rocking horse retextured (and recolored if possible) so they'd look more maxis match!

Anonymous

#SSSWish I's like to see a wall art that is just a handle bar on an angle so you could out it in stairway walls. Metal colors, black and white and light, medium and dark woods.

fiftymilehighclub

What I would really like is just something cute for boys! Toddler or child is fine, but little boys get so little love in the community – it can be a hairstyle, an outfit, some bedding recolors with trucks and animals and such, even just a set of a few ‘boys getting into trouble’ poses. The sky is the limit!

Anonymous

Hello! This #SSSWish is such a fun idea~ Personally, I'd love if someone updated the Plantsims mods that have broken over the numerous updates. Like, G1G2's Revamped Plantsims, Triplis' Plantsim Interactions, and Simonch8's No Cooldown & Trait mods. I've always loved Plantsims since Sims 2 & 3 days, but my knowledge of modding (and especially updating mods) is near nonexistent, so I can't do this myself. It would be awesome if someone could do it so the community could enjoy Plantsims again~!

Anonymous

#ssswish i use both alpha and maxis match but im lacking on maxis match clothes that are really my style, is it possible for anyone to make like some really trendy tik tok clothes????

maybetaryn

#SSSWish I'd love to see a subtle body blush in the skin details section that also tints lips slightly! 🥰 I feel like body blushes really makes the sims look more alive but they're so difficult to find in maxis match!

featheredphantom

#SSSWish My wish is deco objects, anything from paintings to plushies, of Kirby the Nintendo character. I’m trying to make a Sim home for me and my sisters, one of whom adores Kirby, but I can find almost nothing Kirby-related. Other characters from the franchise such as Waddle Dee would be great too.

Danielle 

Anything The Outer Worlds related would be cool! The characters outfits, hair, traits, furniture, really just anything lol

Anonymous

I wish for weerbesu to add an option to UI Cheats mod to right click on a collection in the collectables tab to complete it. #SSSWish

Anonymous

#ssswish more like victorian cc for the decades challenge for categories that are neglected like kid, toddlers, swimwear, cold weather, etc.

berthagh

#ssswish i would really love if someone could convert the snowy escape kids outfit with the blouse and pants to adult.

ladyfausta

I would serious love if someone could make a flipped version of the Luxury Party Rectangles Bracelet for the right wrist! (It's the one that looks like staggered bars wrapped around the wrist and reminds me of a gauntlet.) #SSSWish.

Anonymous

#ssswish  i have 2 wishes if that is ok. first, i was hoping someone could make some nature prints like the framed botanical prints from cottage garden stuff, but with butterflies? or fruit/veg, birds, other bugs, anything really. my second wish is for someone to make a windsor style rocking chair out of the cats and dogs bench, if that is possible. i know that brazenlotus made an armchair from the bench if that helps?

fcc56

I’d like to se a no-jealousy lot trait. A no-jealousy club perk would be nice too.

Thanks!

6666sims

i’d love to see some demonia trinity’s or thigh high chunky platforms! 

Anon 

#SSSWISH HAIR for MALE

How about an Elvis pompadour style or similar male hair that are short on top but longer in the back (not slickback long like Get Famous, just not tapered or shaved)?? :)

Alessia

SSSWish

Hello! Thanks for this beautiful and sweet initiative! I have 2 requests: 1- Shop/selling/store cc that is a real maxis match. I’d like store furniture, packaging and proper showcases for selling goods, or clothes, or food that really match maxis content (think about a herbalist store, tech store or a country fashion store)

2- Start thinking about translate mods: I am an italian simmer and i really love how maxis turned the game in my language…it’s sooo funny!! they did such a great work and I really would like to see some awesome mods in other languages. I offer my help with italian translation to everyone!!

willoweesim

#SSSWish I will love a messy up bun without bangs ! ❤️ and a full body kawaii tattoos in colors, balck and with too 🙏🏼🙏🏼

Thanks!! Hope someone will be interested!!

Anonymous

#SSSWish I am a major occult fan and would absolutely die for new functional cc wands for my RoM Witches! I have heard they are hard to make but I figured I would see if anyone was willing to try.

Anonymous

I would love some cc for Journey to Batuu. I know most people hate the pack, but I'm a Star Wars fan so I love it. I would love some recolours of the clothes or some new Star Wars themed clothes that could be worn in Batuu. Thank you :)

Anonymous

Hello! It would be amazing if someone can update GrayCurse's Sims RANDOM TRAIT & ASPIRATION MOD or make something similar. #SSSWish

kissalopa

Hi! This is probably not a small ask, but can someone please update teanmoon's Darker Loading Screen Mod V2 wich includes darker launcher, loading screen and world selection screen. #SSSWish

Anonymous

#SSSWish Hello! I would really love it if a talented someone was able to make a Twilight werewolf shoulder tattoo ^^ Thank you!

Anonymous

I really love the new kotatsu table, and while not surprised, I was disappointed to find out that toddlers couldn't use it. It got me thinking, what if someone could make a floor cushion that functioned as a high chair? #SSSWish

Emily 

Matching unisex high school sports (jersey/shorts) uniforms for teens. Can maybe use red & white spa day shirt as base for shirt?

katanubis

#ssswish This is such a lovely idea! There are so many fun wishes! What I’d like to have (and I think would also be useful for other Simmers) is a wedding themed recolor of the “large pile of presents.” I usually put one of those piles in my wedding venue so that the bride and groom can “open presents” together. But the colors that are on the original are not what you usually see on presents at weddings. (I usually opt for the one that is mostly purple, since purple and lavender are my favorite colors.) What I’d like to have are recolors in white, white/gold, and white/silver. Maybe some white/pastels (especially lavender, pink and blue. The white/pastel recolors would also be nice for having a party that you call a “baby shower” especially if yellow and light green were also available. That kind of party isn’t in the game, but it should be!)

Anonymous

#SSSWish... Floor tiles that match the sidewalks!

lisa-sims4-simblr

#ssswish I love this idea and I appreciate you coordinating it! I would like to submit a wish please. I would like to ask if someone can convert the geta sandals from Snowy Escape to toddler and children please. Thank you to those who attempt it!

Anonymous

i LOVE THE IDEA OF A HOLIDAYS THEMED WISHLIST. I think it be nice to have a kids/nursery cc pack, with a toddler bed wivh look like a crib.

Anonymous

I would ❤️ love ❤️ a messy bun/pony tail with roots/compatible with a roots accessory; I’m obsessed with grown out hair 🙈

Anonymous

#SSSWish Hi! this is a great idea and i'd love to make a wish - i've been looking for a preset of full lips for male sims, specifically for Black male sims, that dont have that little bow in the middle of the top lip, if that makes sense! i've seen many of that sort for women, or for more 'white' looking sims, but never quite for black men! thank you and happy holidays!

Anonymous

#SSSWish I would really like it if someone could convert the floor-length dressing gown from Vintage Glamour for masculine frames!

in-wonderment-of-winter

Hi, hope I’m doing this right! I was hoping for something Ori and the Blind Forest/Will of the Wisps themed, something to get over how the games completely broke my heart. Maybe some plushies of some of the game’s characters I can put into rooms? I’d be fine with whatever, this is just a really cool thing you’re doing! <3

Anonymous

could someone make a short wall height version of the curtains from cats and dogs please?

Anonymous

I'd love to see anything based on Native American culture(s). Representation would be nice 💖 Thank you!

Anonymous

For the #SSSWishlist, I really just want to see someone recreate Geordi La Forge’s VISOR from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I think it’d look great and we can never have enough futuristic (and nerdy) cc!

Anonymous

I don’t see the #SSSwish I submitted on your public list (I forgot to use the hashtag before) so I’m submitting it again. I would love to see a mod, or tweak of an existing mod, that stops toddlers from pulling away from a hug after they asked for one in response to a Check Toddler. The toddler will hold up its arms with a ❤️ in the speech bubble then step back and refuse the hug, and the relationship takes a hit. I tried MCCC’s tuner to stop it but it didn’t work.

aestian

i would love some…chinese cc haha! With snowy escape there’s more build items that can be used, I’ve noticed there tends to be a lot of Japanese inspired cc even before that pack, but not a lot of things from other parts of Asia, especially ancient cultures or cultural items like instruments (decor), clothing, furniture (lohan beds), etc. I’ve gone looking but most of what I’ve found is locked behind chinese-only forums and is usually alpha…I just think it would be cool to see some mm stuff from other places esp as fandoms get more globalized

Anonymous

#SSSWish oh, please, i really want to see the "EA-faces replacement" that random townies get.. i'm from the sims 2 community and it's very strange to me that you put up with THESE faces.. ;; i want them (faces) to be more.."beautiful"?.. so yeah, it's my wish. i hope it's ok?

thereddreadedbaroness

hi! #SSSWISH for a Carmen Sandiego (the 2019 netflix version) triangle choker? would love to see it in form!

arsenicandtealeaves

#SSSWish I would love a down hairstyle using the same textures as either the rainbow ponytail from Get Famous or the rainbow top knot from Snowy Escape.

unasyns

I just want a maxis match ragnarok loki’s hair

hellohellohello124

 #SSSWish

Just the Snowy escape bangs as accessories.

currentlyquang

For #SSSwishlist, I would love to see someone recreating the Ikea’s Odger Chair in Maxis Match style, as it is one of my favorite chairs and it’s a shame that it’s not available in virtual form yet!

fiavenice

#SSSWish 🤗Thank you for implementing this idea, I'd been hoping that someone would do something like this for a long time. I wonder, would anyone like to try their hand at making a maxis match feather boa or a fur wrap around? They would be perfect for classy elderly (or sims in general).

macthekat82

I would love to see a conversion of the "Rustic stool" from Jungle Adventure from arm chair to dining chair.

I have a historical save, where I would love to use this.

Anonymous

#SSSwish I don't know if you're still taking these, but I really want a neck tattoo of feathery wings wrapping around the neck like a choker. That sounds specific but any style is really okay. Neck tattoos are so difficult to make!

Anonymous

Hi all i have in my sims4 wish list it more traditions for holidays! specially if they’re could be some snowy escape holiday traditions like visit a shrine or go skiing or something. really any new gameplay mods i love thank you all for your beautiful hard work #SSSWish

Leeds

#SSSWishlist it would be really awesome to see a creator make a maxis match version of Urban Outfitters’ Joaquin sofa and armchair set, I think those look fantastic and will make a great addition to the game

Anonymous

#SSSWish: CC inspired in violet evergarden (anime) like Violet Evergarden or Luculia Marlborough hairstyles or even some of the clothes used on the anime. Merry Christmas!

cidira

#SSSWish I’d love to see a TS4 conversion of an old fave or two from TS2 – the tennis dress that came with the Apartment Life EP and the women’s nerdy cute sweater vest over untucked blouse from FreeTime (just the top preferred over the full outfit with the skirt) are the things I’ve been missing most, but anyone who wants to convert clothes from either of those two EPs or H&M stuff will make me super excited, they all had a lot of nice things.

pxmens

This is an absolutely fantastic idea! I haven't been able to look around lately but I noticed that most rings/hand accessories aren't compatible with SkinDetail eyelashes. My wish is exactly hand accessories, specifically wedding rings, which don't conflict with SkinDetail eyelashes. It may be helpful to know that plumbobteasociety managed it in their RRS pack. Lastly, you guys rock!

Anonymous

#SSSWish If anyone is also interested, maxis match recolors of the folowing would be awesome!: Peace Maker's rockers with canvas seating like the Bamba rocker and Ddaeng Sims' Contemporary Pergola

jorwayblacknight

For the SSSW, as a disabled simmer, I would like to see either a trait if possible or even just some CAS or Build/Buy items that are for disabled sims so I can that aspect into my save.

Anonymous

#SSSWish: I think it would be amazing if someone converted some of the YA-elder clothes from the sims 3 store ragtime in the big easy set (especially the vieux carre and big band swing dresses). Thanks :)

Anonymous

#SSSWish I'd like to see a deco pair of crutches that lean against the wall, if someone wants to make them :)

caelestisims

#SSSWish, Hello thank you for doing this! I would love to see more school uniforms. Particularly K-drama style uniform tops that have variations, such as blazers and the types of ties ( e.g. ribbons, bows, regular ties, loose ties, no ties etc. ), cardigans, vests, half-zips, blouses, button downs and crewnecks ( just some examples ) for sims that like to show off their own style at school, despite the uniform.

Anonymous

#SSSWish I'd love to see some riding pants ( jodhpurs ) and competition blazers for my equestrian sims.

Anonymous

#SSSWish: hey ho! my wish isn't all too specific but it would be awesome to see more maxis match historic or traditional clothing from all over the world (although preferably asia - varrying from everywhere) as well as build objects. please, remember, asia does not only consist of the east. thank you for your time!

dollybonamy

Hiii thank you for doing this! Here are my two wishes:

1) This curly Rey hair from the lovely Shellanin on Twitter 

2) A maxismatch bow necklace where it’s like a choker with a big bow at the back of the neck….Think Marie’s bow from Aristocats, but for humans!

Anonymous

#SSSWish a lip overlay or face overlay with specular mapping?

Anonymous

I would love to see a lobster claws accessory for hands made from Larry the lobster mascot from the Discover University Pack. Similar to HIM from the Powerpuff Girls.#SSSWish

just-ennie

Hi, I know this may be a super longshot because the venn diagram for the average simmer and this particular thing is probably two circles, but… it would be kind of neat for someone to make some MMA-styled gloves, for example here:

https://www.combatsports.com/combat-sports-traditional-mma-fight-gloves-1.html

and here

https://www.combatsports.com/combat-sports-mma-amateur-competition-gloves-1.html

Anonymous

#SSSWish I'd really like a hair based on Ardyn Izunia from Final Fantasy ❤️

Anonymous

#SSSWish i would love to see the tray from tiny living separated :) also i just want to say thank you for coming up with this secret santa!

Anonymous

#SSSWish, I would like more Star Wars cc, especially if it’s for Padme, Anakin, or Obi-Wan!!

Anonymous

Hello! Thank you for doing this! Something I am wishing for this year is a mm edit of a hair with a different colored underlayer (kinda like simpliciaty-cc's salem hair). I would love to have something like that in the game! #SSSWish

beckyh2112

#SSSWish: Deco books with Simlish covers. Please and thank you if someone fulfills this. ^_^

pxmens

I have another #SSSWish (if you don't mind). I don't know if it already exists but a mod which adds more family relationship options to CAS or the Sim menu. Like grandparents, cousins, step- and half-siblings, step-parents, etc. It would be easier instead of having to create additional Sims just to create diverse relationships.

Anonymous

#SSSWish Hi this is such an amazing idea! I would love a skintone set in s4simomo's V2 hair palette.

bloodluvingirl

I would love to see some more truly alien clothing options for the aliens, the males especially. I sometimes like to dress mine up in complete different outfits for their alien and disguise forms. When I want to give there alien form a totally authentic feel, but a different outfit in every category, I have so much trouble dressing up the males. So some new alien options would be wonderful.

Anonymous

#SSSWish Ballerina outfits/clothes. SOOOOOO many ballerina poses but I can't find a lot of black swan type ballerina dresses (tutu dresses or skirts).

Anonymous

#SSSWish - Pet based holiday traditions would be wonderful! 'Take dog for walk', 'Adopt a pet', 'Brush your pet' for something like a 'national dog/cat day' :0c

Anonymous

I would love to have the "Easy Machine from Fred's PC Hut" computer from TS3 for Sims 4.

Anonymous

#SSSWish - hello! i would like to wish for a mod/fuctional lot trait which makes live in restaurants possible without the need of an additional lot. just everything packed into a single lot like littlemssam's live in business mod. that would be absolutely fantastic. best regards!

joltiklover

I wish for a formal dresses that looks good on plus size sims.

Anonymous

dear #ssswish i'm hoping for a family inspired poses. Maybe something like two parents, 1 or 2 children and a toddler. i'm unable to post links sadly, but if you look up @moonlitmjn on pinterest they've got a board called 'pose inspiration' that has a lot of inspiration for poses. happy holidays!

honeyedflapjacks

#SSSWish It would be amazing to see either teen/university age clutter items: open book stacks, piles of highlighters, simlish monster drinks, boxes of cheese-its that fell over cause you fell asleep at your desk…

dreamylunette

Hello, I’ve found so many talented builders in this community (sadly not including myself) and I’m really wishing for a 30x20 lot to go on the island in Windenburg that’s sorta a tiny house cottage (?)… one to two bedrooms would be awesome, I’m personally okay with both cc usage and cc free builds. Thank u so very much in advance (:

cloudifinds

#SSSWish i would love to see the little toy that’s on the eco lifestyle toddler beds as a stand-alone item :~) thank you for making this opportunity possible btw! happy holidays !!

addieboo98

Hi! Could someone please make more long messy male hairstyles, preferably curly or wavy? Think rocker/grunge styles. Its for my favorite sim and I would really appreciate it! Thank you in advance and I can’t wait to see what you come up with

Anonymous

Can somebody make some maxis match dreads for male sims? I see a lot of shaved sides for men or female dreads with clips and baby hairs, but I would love for some regular full head male dreads not too short and not to long!! #SSSWish

pyxie-peach

Ok so I hope this is the right place to ask my request on the wishlist? I read all the instructions and here but I couldn't find anything specific... I'm sorry if I'm too dumb... so what I want is a conversion of this from TS2 to TS4 modthesims. info/ download. php?t=324116 it is a window... thank you!

[seblaine-rph]

While you're looking into rps can we talk about Devereux Academy for a minute? A basic look at their main and rules reveals Kristin Stewart as an FC but she's asked repeatedly not to be used in rp, people getting originally tested for being Dom Switch or sub at 17, the rp wording is almost an exact replica of another rp that ran for a while, and they are allowing the Motta family to be whitewashed with a white Robert Pattinson FC. I'm sure theres more i was just too disgusted to keep looking.

This isn’t the first time I’ve been told to take a look at @devereuxacademy or heard about it being problematic. I can’t tell you about the dash and I’m not going to troll through everyone’s blogs, so if there is something on the dash that anyone would like to share with me (problematic plots, not tagging triggers, admin behavior,etc) then feel free to send another ask. 

More than one person came to me when this rp first hit the tags, asking if I thought they had stolen parts of their rp. I reported this by answering multiple different asks about it and they never responded, which is very telling. Honestly, I think they did. Intentionally or not, they do have a lot of parts of other, existing roleplays in their plot and there are so many copy and pasted things that it looks to be done on purpose. You can say, “but it’s a D/s academy rp and there’s only so many ways to rp in a school, so of course it looks similar to other rps of the same genre” except for the part where even academy rps have their own unique plot points, including the history of the world, social economics, and the school as well as the history of the administration. And that wasn’t the last time it was brought to my attention, or the only reason. I do see it, if we’re looking for my opinion on the matter of stolen plot content. I can see at least three different roleplays that were already in the tags for a long time, weaved together to make this group. I don’t really see anything that is original in the plot or worldview info, aside from maybe the intense details on IVF as the reason for there being so many triplets. Don’t quote me on that, though, it may have been used before. I just haven’t seen it. 

It weirds me out that they have all of their characters being thrust into nsfw situations before 18, with what should be an 18+ concept like BDSM, and at the same time they’re a discord rp as well as a tumblr rp. It says on their application that the characters are tested to find out which mark they are at 17. That’s a minor, being tested in a nsfw way because however you slice it BDSM and D/s are nsfw and nobody under the age of 18 can legally or morally be allowed to even dip a single toe in and that includes taking a test to find out what kinks they like and whether they’re going to want to be catching or receiving when it comes to sex. It just makes me wonder what’s being hidden in the discord. I’d also like to mention that they do have the option to play teachers as well as students, which is just weird and gross to me in this instance. The content is nsfw, clearly some students are going to get with teachers. It’s weird enough when it’s a sfw college rp and students do not smut with teachers, but being a teacher is a respectable character choice so I can see why you’d want to do it. If you were going to focus on talking to other teachers and developing plots with other teachers. In this instance though... the power dynamic between teachers and students are way different and there is a sexual overtone automatically because this is a kinky smut rp. You can also play a character as young as 21, which just makes me hope there are no relationships being written out by naive 21 year olds with their 30-40-50+, way more mature, could be their parent teacher. That might sound like I’m making up something that would never happen, but I have seen someone try to play a 62 year old lesbian that was predatory towards 19 year olds and even claimed one in a D/s rp like this. We all know how Glee rps work, we all know this line has already been crossed. We all also know why that’s gross- it’s an abuse of power and there is no way that a teacher/student dynamic could be cute because there will always be a sense of one person being way more mature than the other and being in a seat of power. Another reason to wonder what’s being hidden on this discord.

There are incorrectly casted families. In particular, I’m seeing POC families with fcs that should not belong because they do not match. I’d really like to know how it is that two Filipino girls and a black girl are twins. As a general note to the admins, you can’t erase half of someone’s ethnicity either. There are other families where one or more character is half right but also half wrong in an offensive way. And some families that are just wrong. I do give them props on some of this being right, but that doesn’t erase the other problems. You can’t whitewash people. Not all Asians are the same. Not all Latinx people are the same. Brown people aren’t interchangeable. Let me just list these so they’re easier to fix:

In the Adams family, Alex Newell is African-American but the fc has a sister that’s  British, Polish and Caribbean. That might be picking at straws but I always find it offensive when people pick and choose how to group ethnicities- like deciding all Asians are the same so they can be related. Either way, she’s over half white which doesn’t match up. 

Laura Harrier is Rachel Berry, she is half black and half white with Jewish background so that’s a really nice choice but then she’s twins with two Haliee Steinfeld fcs? Hailee who is Filipino... She’s also been accused of using the N word and being racist so she’s on a lot of people’s banned lists for the same reasons as Lea Michele. 

Brianna Tju is in a Chinese family but she’s half Indonesian. She’s also a Disney Channel star, so some people find that problematic from the start, because most of her resources are from kid’s shows at an age that is too young to be roleplaying. She’s only 22 now, which is old enough to rp, however the only real resources she has are from something that aired in 2015 and was likely filmed in 2014 or earlier. When she was definitely a minor. 

Kaya Scoldelario is Brazilian. She’s whitewashed by being placed in the Clarington family.

Zoe Deutch is Jewish. Her siblings are Matthew Daddario (Slovak, Italian, Irish, Hungarian, and English) and Haley Lu Richardson, who has a white background that doesn’t include Jewish. This is the Corcoran family as well, which should be Jewish, since they’re all related to Idina Menzel.

Victoria Pedretti is Jewish and she’s in the very white Evans family.

None of the older Fabrays are Jewish, and Ashley Johnson is Native American but also somehow a twin of the white Frannie Fabray.

Principal Figgins is played by someone that is Pakistani but the Figgins on the masterlist is played by Dev Patel, who is Gujarati Indian. 

Tyler Hoechlin is also partially Native American, but he is placed in the Flangan (Irish, like straight out of Ireland) family that has Rory recast as Thomas Dogherty (Scottish) with an Ariana Grande (Italian) twin as well. 

Kristen Stewart is on the masterlist but she has asked numerous times not to be used in roleplay because it makes her uncomfortable. I just covered this for another roleplay, and I’ve seen other people mention it, so it’s common knowledge at this point. She has been saying this for a long time. She’s also placed as the twin of Danielle Campbell, who is Mexican and Cajun French while Kristen is just white and the canon family member (Gilbert, so Adam Lambert) is Jewish.

Zendaya is also placed as a twin to Samantha Ware. Zendaya is mixed race, half black and half white, while Samantha is black. 

Yvette Monreal is the twin to Demi Lovato. Yvette is Chilean. Demi is Mexican and Portuguese. 

Avan Jogia is a Hart, but he is Gujarati Indian and white. He would be a better family relation to Dev Patel than anyone else on the masterlist and vice versa. As a refresher, Samuel Larsen (the canon fc for the Hart family) is Mexican, Danish, Spanish and Persian.

Maddison Jaizani is Iranian, but she’s listed as a Holliday which makes her related to Gwyneth Paltrow... a blonde, white woman.

Jacob Elordia is Basque and his sibling on the masterlist is Marie Avgeropoulos, a Greek actress. 

Rafael Silva is Brazilian, but he is a Lopez triplet, related to a Mexican-Irish sister (Lindsay Morgan) and a Mexican-Jewish sister (Alexa Demie).

Sugar Motta is played by Vanessa Lengies on Glee, an Egyptian actress. Her family is whitewashed with two white fcs, Kelli Berglung and Robert Pattinson. 

Kaylee Byrant is Japanese but she is twin to Madison Beer (Jewish) and Daisy Ridley (white).

The Puckerman family has lost its Jewish heritage. The only two on Noah’s side are Adelaide Kane (white) and Luke Pasqualino (Italian). Jake Puckerman has been recast as Justice Smith, who is half black and half white but is not Jewish. His sister is Samantha Logan who is half Trinidadian and half white and Pauline Singer, who is full Fijian.

Antonia Gentry is cast as a Weston. She is Jamaican, her listed twin is half white and half African-American. The newest acceptance for a Weston is for an African American fc. 

Lili Reinhart is on the masterlist, but she’s problematic. She’s defended the abusive behavior of her cast mate, Cole Sprouse, who was very publicly accused of sexual assault and abuse. She’s also been accused of blackface annnnnnnd she’s used queer baiting to get people to watch the show. (She teased a girl on girl relationship publicly, telling people to watch the show because they might finally get to see something between Betty and Veronica, knowing that the fans wanted it, but then when she was asked about it in a later interview she scoffed and acted like it was absolutely impossible and would never happen, some would say she even sounded offended by the thought-- which is what everyone got mad at Melissa Benoist for doing with Supergirl.)

David Corenswet is Jewish, cast with Emily Browning as a sister, who is not.

I applaud the Brazilian change for Lauren Zizes, but Ashley Fink was a welcome representation of plus size actresses and the new fc is less than half her size. She’s still plus size technically, but she’s “model plus size,” which is not at all the same as Lauren’s body type. I ran this by someone that this change would affect and they were not pleased. They were the one that pointed this out to me, because it bothered them as a plus size person to see one of the few plus size characters recasted with a skinnier fc. 

Dove Cameron is also on the masterlist, but she’s on a bunch of people’s banned lists. She replied to a fan that said they wanted her to notice them that they were stupid and had no life if that was one of their goals. She’s been rude to cast and crew on set. Dove has also been accused of throwing a fit and making the writers change the Descendants script to take the relationship that was written out for a black actress. She’s being accused of yellow fishing, which I believe is the term for trying to look Asian. She wore a Native American headdress in a cultural appropriation type of way. She’s been accused of being fatphobic and hiding behind photoshop on her social media while saying she doesn’t photoshop, so she’s giving off a false sense of reality to her fans. She’s been talking badly about someone that is trying to get their sexual assault story out there. The latest thing that’s come out about her is a rant about how mental health isn’t real and that people just need to logic their way out of depression? Which would be coming from a seat of high privilege. She wrote a series of tweets on the topic, calling negative mental health and the feelings they cause “a choice.” There’s a whole hashtag on Tumblr for her. 

I’m not at all surprised to see that all of the diverse characters are open. No Artie, no Unique- who could definitely be recast as an actual trans woman, now that we’re living in the age of recasting for reasons of problematic natures- if we can have a new Puck, new Finn, new Rachel, and new Santana why not an appropriate Unique? She is literally the only canon trans woman, why not treat her with respect? They recasted Cooper to better fit the proper ethnicity, so... 

[norcalbruja]

Things are not ideal for me right now

What’s up, so I had yet another argument with my mom today. I had to go lie down and vent about it to the spirits. I ended up begging them to find SOME way to get my writing off the ground, so I could move into my own place by the end of the year. Then I can finally be alone and not get constantly reminded by people that I'm bad at housework, and remembering stuff, and all those “regular people” things that my mom and sister are just fine with.

Because LUCKY ME, I live in California where a regular fucking 1-to-2-bedroom house can cost a million dollars or MORE now. And while writing and theater has never been easy, it’s been especially bad with the pandemic.

I wore myself out a couple years ago by trying to get my writing noticed the regular way with social-media, and eventually I quit posting much about my work because I barely got any readers AT ALL, let alone people who give me feedback like I kept begging them to. (GUESS HOW MAD I WAS when I found out that literally all of the “standard” marketing advice is bullshit. I spammed Tumblr and Twitter and Facebook for nothing, isn’t that great???)

So yeah, while I vastly advocate trying mundane options before asking the spirits for help, I don’t know how I can get a writing career or earn a million dollars the “mundane” way, especially not in these times.

Which led me, in my “desperate / enraged” double-whammy of a bad mindset, to go and ask Laho the moon-eater for help.

This is not the first time. I asked him in February because I was just fucking TIRED of being stuck at home and having my writing going nowhere, and how asking the other spirits just doesn’t seem to be working.

---

So for context: Laho the Moon-Eater is a dragon in Filipino / Tagalog mythology. He causes eclipses by coming out of the deep ocean and trying to eat the sun/moon. He actively dislikes when I call him a “god” because he insists that the anito/gods have to CARE ABOUT PEOPLE, regardless of power-level, and he is a DRAGON.

He acknowledges that dragons frequently overlap WITH gods, especially in Asian / Filipino mythology, but he told me that it’s a case-by-case thing and sometimes dragons just identify as Level 10 Nature-Spirits. Which is kind of trippy when Laho constantly takes human form and looks/acts almost like Dark Bakura, what with his long white hair, his deathly pale skin, and his dickish and blunt personality. He also has a glowing “aura” that none of the other anito seem to have, even the actual sun and moon deities. I think it's either “deep-sea bio-luminescence” or “side-effects from constantly trying to eat the sun/moon.”

And uh. That comparison to DARK Bakura is not an idle one, because for me, Laho is almost on Loki levels of "Engage With Heavy Caution.” Loki and I barely get along after several years of not being able to stand each other, and after one piece of advice from Loki that went So Damn Badly, he told me we can have a do-over later on. Laho is just damn unpredictable because sometimes he comes over to tell me about stuff, but sometimes he drags me out of my meditation without even asking “hey are you busy??? I found something cool!” first.

On the other hand, Laho is not a proper “Trickster” like Loki is, so he’s not trying to curse me or anything. That involves caring enough about one random, half-trained spirit-worker to like... intentionally damage her, and Laho Does Not Care About People.

Keep in mind that while I am NOT doing formal “magic / spellwork,” thank the gods, general consensus from the other spirits is “Do Not Try This At Home.” Fuck, now that I've calmed down, *I* don’t even like asking Laho for basic goals, but... I don’t know who else I can ask.

The rest of it is behind the “Read More” heading for heavy desperation, depression, and Not Safe For Work subjects.

---

So today after my latest argument with Mom, I went to my room to lie down and get a grip on my Seething Rage And Desperation, but as mentioned before, I just ended up begging the spirits, “GET ME OUT OF HERE, PLEASE. I JUST WANT A HOUSE AND AN ART CAREER. GET ME OUT OF HERE, PLEASE, I’M BEGGING YOU.”

And my attempts to calm down didn’t work so much that Spirit-Me’s heart just... split open from the stress, apparently. The last time that happened was when I was high as hell on a whole weed cookie, and I started thinking the world was going to end. (Long story short, that was Loki’s Extremely Bad Advice. Yes, the spirits remembered that. No, they were not happy that I was sober this time.)

So there’s Spirit-Me, screaming and bleeding all over the damn place while Odin and the other spirits are trying to 1) stitch me back up and 2) assure me that I’m not a TOTAL failure, but I was not in the space to listen, so once I was mostly-not-bleeding, I just ran off to the spirit-ocean and found Laho.

Generally when I’m desperate enough to ask Laho for help, I end up having sex with him as a trade.

Because, at risk of repeating myself, I’m broke. In a lot more ways than “money.” I’m say I’m a half-trained spirit-worker, but if you count FILIPINO spirit-work, it’s even less. I barely even speak Tagalog, so I wouldn’t know any spells or high-end offerings to give the spirits. I don’t know what the fuck else I can trade for help, besides having sex.

I don’t even have an altar to put offerings ON, because my mom’s place has a Catholic altar and I sure as hell won’t leave food meant for pagan spirits there. I share my regular food with the spirits, and then I eat it after a few minutes.

But like... remember how Spirit-Me’s heart just split open from stress, and how I was about to have sex, which is generally Very Strenuous in both worlds? Yeah, not only did my heart split back open, I’m pretty sure me and Laho didn’t do anything resembling “spiritual foreplay” either, because Spirit-Me started bleeding down there, too.

And it’s like, Laho is not a good role model for the MORAL side of “a crying woman is asking me for help and trying to have sex,” but the Filipino spirits are extremely open about sex by itself. Even Laho prides himself on having REALLY good sex if someone comes up to him for it, because humans and involved spirits are the ones who mess shit up with “feelings” and “consent” and “maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

But he knows that humans shouldn’t be leaking gallons of blood, so once that started, he stopped. And then he assured the extremely angry anito that he only knows why I’m bleeding from ONE place, but he didn’t expect that much, and the chest wound is not from him.

Spirit-Me was now slightly WORSE than when I started—my chest hurt and my downstairs half hurt, and while I was flailing in a pool of my own blood, and begging the spirits for a steady income and a basic house, my mouth started bleeding, so now Orifice #3 Is Leaking Too Much Red Stuff.

So, I needed Freyja AND Brighid to come fix it. Brighid says that my issues are manifesting as “spiritual ulcers.” Freyja has gently advised me that given the shit that happened today, I should avoid spirit-intercourse for the next few days and seriously take it easy for other types of sex.

And weirdly enough, once everyone cleared out to give me a break from the events, the Morrigan came up and told me that she loved me, and I could ask her for help if I wasn’t too tired. She also told me that she is the goddess of sovereignty, and I don’t ask her for nearly enough things. So... yeah, I asked her for help with getting an art career and buying my own house, so I could help fix the damn planet by the end of this year, 2021.

See, the Morrigan is my patron goddess and she has been extremely hands-off in the past few years. While she DOES relegate herself to “spiritual bodyguard for the squishy writer,” sometimes she comes up and tells me she loves me, unprompted. Especially when I’m... not in a good space AT ALL, like today.

I wonder if my soul is dying, or in a LOT of trouble. Honestly, I’m not surprised. I told the spirits a while back that my soul will die if I’m stuck in this rut for much longer, where I’m not a successful artist, and so I have to live with my family, who I can’t really get along with.

I'm not good at anything besides art. Either my head just doesn’t fucking work properly for most jobs, or random shit goes wrong with basic tasks, or I end up hating the job and wishing that I could just DO ART FOR A LIVING.

The only way I can see to fix things is get an art career and move into my own place, so I don’t bother anyone and they don’t have to deal with my weirdness. But HOW THE FUCK am I gonna find a million dollars for a basic house, when I can’t even get enough people to read my stuff???

And that, followers, is why I'm up at midnight after exhausting Spirit-World shenanigans.

[thepropertylovers]

What Foreigners Really Think of The U.S. Right Now

The other night, after the kiddos went to bed, we decided to watch the second Borat movie that just came out (have you seen it?). It was insane and hilarious all at the same time, but it got me wondering: what do folks who don’t live in the U.S. think of The United States of America right now? What is their perception of us?

So I decided to pose this question on Instagram and wow. Y’all did not hold back. I want to thank everyone who submitted for your candidness and honesty, even if some of these were hard to swallow. It’s important to note that just because these are their opinions of America, it doesn’t mean it is all necessarily true. Regardless, it was interesting to read everyone’s thoughts and get an outsider’s perspective.

We received hundreds of submissions and couldn’t post them all, but below, people from all over the world share what they really think of the United States at the moment.

Leadership is out of touch with reality and messing things up real bad, not just for the U.S. but also for the world. What’s worse is that half the country is being misled successfully. It just shows poorly on the country all over. -Annonymous

Your president is a disaster when it comes to foreign politics and corona. No class, no knowledge. A joke. Very scary to watch. But half of the voters are happy with it. And that is even more scary. Very difficult to understand the hate and ignorance in your society right now. -Mikkel

It’s just weird. Everything basically. I totally understand now why the U.S. is described as '“flawed democracy” in the democracy index. It’s just a crazy system which is not providing equality among people- regarding the vote especially. This system leads to the fact of the two big parties (similar in the UK basically). But democracy is about diversity in opinions and options. Not just two. -Max

The US is more divided than ever. The two parties cannot work together nor do they appear to want to. The government is no longer run by reason, facts, and policy aiming for the betterment of the entire country and or world in the long or medium run; rather it’s instant gratification for the few who benefit from nepotism. Lies and misinformation are used to build a dictatorship hiding in the form of “patriotism”. And those who could act as a check or balance focus on their own personal gain, putting their needs above those of the persons they should be representing. -Joel

I personally don’t think there is a very good atmosphere in the USA, especially right now, Trump’s administration does not protect the American people or the economy. He only cares about himself and his male-white supremacy. The worst of all is that lots of Americans think Trump is actually a good leader (idk why, honestly). But thank God that people are starting to wake up and fight about what they believe. We can see it through BLM protests, feminist movements, and so on, and the whole world is proud about those people fighting for their rights. America was once the land of dreams, but nowadays (with all that is happening) it is even scary to go there. Lots of things have to change and those changes have to start, voting and defending your rights and your beliefs are the first step. Greetings from Spain. -Antonio

The main reasons I can think of are vote suppression/gerrymandering, expensive health care wealth inequality, racism, lack of fun control… -Brian

Definitely find the hypocrisy of the Republicans so annoying, Trump still being in office, the fact that there has been no police reform or justice for Breonna Taylor, the gun laws, and the COVID numbers just to name a few. -Brian

Here in the UK it seems like CARNAGE over there..don’t get me wrong, it’s wild here too but Trump is insane and it’s really odd seeing so many Americans supporting him. -Dan

Really worried about the fact that you might go for 4 more years with Trump and the fact that he’ll for sure contest the results if he loses. Add to this, all the racial violence and in particular the way some policemen act without being condemned by any judge. And finally the pandemic which seems to be even more out of control than in other countries. This is coming from someone who lives in France where we’re going to be under lockdown for the second time since the beginning of the pandemic (2nd lockdown starting tomorrow evening and will last at least until December 1st 😢). -Estelle

To put a long story short, let’s just hope Cheeto doesn’t get reelected otherwise our UK trade deal will be a disaster and we don’t need any more negative influences in the UK around gender and sexual equality.-Christian

I think with this administration, the US has demonstrated how to shipwreck a whole nation economically, ideologically, socially, and politically within a really short period of time. After just 4 years, we’ve come to associate the US with widespread narrow-mindedness, a lack of respect and courtesy to other nations (and minorities in its own country for that matter), short sightedness when it comes to global phenomena like environmentalism or migration patterns, and a celebration (by some at least) of almost barbaric notions of violence, oppression, and backward thinking, all under the camouflage of its constitution and socio-historic heritage. We’ve really admired the Obama administration over here in Europe, which-despite its flaws and shortcomings- has opened up the US to international partnerships and has established an ongoing discourse shaped by mutual respect and politeness…the contrast couldn’t be more pronounced these day…-Sebastian

I look at our Prime Minister and government and then see Trump and think we really could have it so much worse! Vote!! -Ant

As an American living in London, I can tell you that the news coverage here makes the US look like an absolute joke. Mainly due to 45, his lies, his bigotry, and his insane desire to make covid seem as though it’s a falsehood “created by the left” while hundreds of thousands of Americans have ben victimized by this pandemic. What was once seen as a country of opportunity and freedom, is sadly no longer held to that level of greatness in comparison to its neighboring countries. It saddens me because I had plans to move back home within the next year or so, but if the US continues on its path, I can see myself in London for the unforeseeable future. I can’t live in a country where I am seen or believed to be lesser than another because of my sexual preference. I can only hope and pray that this election brings the change we need to be that country of greatness once again. -Rob

Very poor to be honest. And I’m not necessarily [talking about Trump]- I think the immediate reaction is to blame him. Though, he is pretty awful. There was obviously a huge level of social and other problems in the US, and the current administration has exploited them to the breaking point. Whereas more “skilled” past administrations had the ability to leverage those issues for their benefit, but not let it boil over. I actually thought Trump would be a positive for the US and world- in that his incompetence would force other world leaders to step up. Meaning more equity in how disputes etc. are assessed and the US wouldn’t bully smaller nations. I think the US has hit the point in its journey with capitalism that the USSR hit with socialism in the late 80’s that led to its collapse. Does that mean collapse for the US, I don’t know but the system isn’t providing equity and equality for all as it stands. -Paul

Worried but also hopeful for you guys because I don’t think all citizens in America reflect the current administration. It’s been really great to see people voting early and making their voice heard. No matter what happens just know you did what you could in this moment in time. Even though the current administration provides a scary outlook for the future. As long as the current and future generations lead with love, there will hopefully be a brighter future. Love from Canada. -Ajetha

I've been subscribing to all of the US News since the Black Lives Matter Movement commenced and honestly, it made me scared as a Filipino Asian to step foot in the States ever since. I have big dreams of flying over there and probably working there as an immigrant after I finished college. However, when I found out about the racial injustice that is currently ongoing in the country, I became hesistant of still wanting to live there. Although, I'm positive that there are still people like you two that will be open about working immigrants, I really hope that racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia will end for good among every human beings in the US and also around the world. I do wish and pray that the 2020 US election will make certain amends to the current situation y'all are experiencing because it's getting pretty scary out there. -Harvey I’m an American living overseas working for the US government. I’m trying my hardest to stay overseas so my family and I don’t have to come back to the mess that is the US right now. From politics to COVID, it’s not a good time. While the virus may be surging again in Europe, at least the people comply with the government rules. Sometimes I believe Americans take freedom and liberty a bit too far, especially when it comes to the greater good. -Anonymous

Allthough on social policy the US is no real example for us (I think there is more social ‘security’, more justice, high standards in education for all in most of the EU countries), they always have been a ‘safe haven’ in big international politics. It now feels like ‘they have our back’ doesn’t imply anymore. -Jasper

Well personally I think the country seems in total disarray, instead of focusing on the real issues in the streets both house of the capitol are focused on bashing each other during the election campaign which is a circus due to the sitting POTUS. The obsession with the right to bare arms and the gun culture bewilders most other countries, you have teenagers walking into schools with Assault weapons and yet people still want guns to be available, worst still you ban one type of assault rifle but another just as powerful is kept on sale, it’s plain weird. -Philip

Neither candidate represents their party well. As an outsider looking in, it just baffles me that either of these men could potentially be the leader of the free world...It genuinely feels like worrying times are ahead for the US. -Marc I'm from India and living in Germany at the moment. The race problem in the US is as bad as the class/caste problem in India. Even if I don't have money I can go to a government health center in India. I just had an operation and stayed at the hospital for 18 days here in Germany, I had to pay only 180 Euros, everything else ( the operation and the many tests and scans that followed) was covered by the insurance. When my friends at the US heard about it they were shocked about low the hospital bill. There are really great labs (I'm a researcher) that I would like to work but I have no intentions of working/living in the US for a longer period of time. -Maithy

I think the US has become a joke to the rest of the developed world. Neither candidates running for president are fit to run such a powerful country. I can't help but feel after the election if Trump wins the left will riot and if Biden wins the right will riot. The country might just rip itself apart. American politics has zero empathy and zero morals. Honestly its terrifying. -Andrew

The US has always been a bit confusing to me - the two party system, the focus on religion, the divide in income and possibilities- as well as being the beacon of light in the fight for human rights, the strong personal pride in creating caring societets, the blending of and openeses for ethnicities and cultures... But for a while politics have become not at all about politics, religious beliefs are taking charge in policy work, the wealthier part shows little companion towards the less wealthy, the public spending is way above budget year after year while health care seems to be crazy expensive and not for all. The intrusion of US interest in politics in other countries are blunt to say the least, creating conflict where human lives have no value if they’re not US lives... School shootings that seems to be acted upon as that is part of normal lives, and schools to expensive for even middle class kids to study at... This is a shift in trust and soft power that affects all of us. -Olof

To be honest, I couldn’t come to the US right now, it scares me. The leadership, the gun laws, the violence and the divide of the nation. It sucks, because I love America and have been there 7 times in the last two years from Australia for work... but not anymore. I’m not coming back now until peace wins. -Anonymous

The fact that such a hate filled government is presiding over what is one the greatest countries in the world is scary. And it is seriously mind blowing that out of such a powerful country filled with some of the greatest minds in the world it’s these two men are the best you can do to be your next president. Unbelievable. Seriously unbelievable. -Rachel

I think the orange dude in office is making you guys look bad. But also, good (?). Seeing the black lives matter movement and so many of you stand up to the problems your country faces has been inspiring. One thing our countries have in common is how we are divided into very distinctive opposites sides. I mean, where do all these racists, bigots, utterly, madly conservites people came from? I few like a few years ago things did not seem so much as a boiling pan about to explode. Or maybe they were all hiding and when a lunatic like them rose to power (how that happened still boggles my mind) they all showed their true colors. It’s scary. I hope Trump doesn’t get reelected. Brazilians loooove to imitate americans🙄, so if he gets reelected it makes that much probable that our lunatic will also be in office for four more years. P.S. have you guys watched the show Years and Years from HBO? A really good watch is this election times! ☺️ -Taty

Re. The US atm. Unfortunately your president has made your country a laughing stock around the world and he's destroyed relationships with allies. It's gonna take time to rebuild all of that. He's also moved an entire branch of your government to the far right, even though the majority of the country if left/centr of left. So you've a supreme court that doesn't represent you and it's looking like they're going to try and take away rights from people. You have a healthcare system that doesn't look out for its people and there's this bizarre fear of universal healthcare that seems insane to every other 1st world country. If if Biden wins (and I really hope he does for everyone's sake), there's going to be a lot of work in undoing the damage Trump has done before he can even get into what he wants to do. All the while you've an ultra conservative highest court. There's also the massive political division and the systemic racism. It's a lot. It's not impossible, but it's going to take so much time and people who want it to change. -Ciara

I’ve been sitting here for an hour thinking about your question and there are many different outlooks I could raise so I’ll keep it generic. I’ll start with the elephant in the room known as Covid. Each day, our morning news informs us of what your leaders are doing and daily case numbers in the US. We sit here completely shocked at how your government has let it reach this point. You may have heard that Melbourne has just come out of one of the strictest and longest lock downs in the world. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone to have to do, but I will say, I feel much more comfortable to be able to go to the shops knowing the numbers are at about 2-3 a day instead of in the thousands. I do think that your government does need to address this now, could even be making it compulsory mask wearing. It’s hard for me to comment about your economy as we don’t here much about it, but I will say Trump ‘says’ make America great again, let’s get more jobs, they are pro life, yet how is someone who is prolife not doing anything to stop a virus that is killing people? Isn’t your unemployment rate worse (pre-covid) than what it was when Obama was president? I think as a generic outlook, if change isn’t made in the election, the outlook from a Australian does not look like it would be something you’d want to be apart of. I love America. Have visited a couple of times, even thought about moving there, but at the moment, I’ve never been more thankful to not be there. -Ben

[btxtreads]

ANOTHER TAG ASHJHJASD

extra long tag game (aka a tmi that no one particularly cares for)

tagged by @txthearteu​

tagging @markhyucknorenminchenji​ @qtsoobin​ @beomberry​ @txtdiaries​ and other people who wanna do it idk

ONE

tell me the first song that made you stan your current fave group and why did your faves attract you so much?

of course, none other than king943 hSJADJSAJHAS. He’s a little secret I’ll let you all in on: the first person I actually noticed in TXT was,,,,,,, Kang Taehyun hSDHJAHJSDAHSA but he wasn’t my bias. I just thought he was cute (also amused me bc my BTS bias was Taehyung and I found a guy named Taehyun cute), but I didn’t stan them then. I started stanning when I saw ONE DREAM.TXT where they talked to BTS and found them really cute and endearing. Looking into them, they were wild, and chaotic and so fun and also i got rEAAAALLY attached to Soobin. So here I am. There u go, my stanning story.

TWO

rule: answer the ten questions and write your own!

what’s your unrealistic goal for life?

becoming a famous actress or singer hJSHADJSA

if you had known that we would be in a global pandemic, what’s one thing that you would’ve done before things shut down (if they have for you)?

Went to a theme park. I miss going to theme parks 🥺

what’s an unconventional thing that you carry around with you when you go out?

hmmm most of the time i just go out with just my phone and money unless I need to bring a bag due to safety concerns/more items needed. So I’d say nothing unconventional.

favourite type of plushies and why?

God do I seem boring hsahsajjsa but i wasn’t too big on plushies. I had a gigantic teddy bear named Justin when I was a kid (it’s a bear with shades that my brother gave me) and I used to buy plushies whenever I’m in disneyland, it’s all in my sister’s reading lounge. The only plushie in my room now is a Mollang doll wearing like a blue shirt/dress, it’s my favorite rn It’s squishyyyy

favourite song right now?

right now, it’s Work It by Sabrina Carpenter.

something that you’ve always wanted to learn?

Dancing (i literally suck. i have no idea how. no joke), Vocal Lessons (had some lessons briefly for like a year but i stopped and want to take some again), music production, acting, hosting

tell a funny story about yourself (or just something that you’ve witnessed)

ok okok so one time in our class groupchat we were talking about class elections for officers. There were muse votes and some people were saying they want me to be the muse but i didnt want to bc i was busy with work. Then they started saying that they want me to be the muse and this guy that i rejected be the escort. while this is happening, i was simping hard for soobin in another chat. anyways, i got everything mixed up and accidentally sent the soobin simp stuff to the class chat and everyone thought i was simping for the classmate i rejected i was so asHAMED.

headphones or speakers? why?

speakers! idk i just like blastic the music loud.

craving any food right now? what are you craving?

anything with cheese

which music streaming platform do you prefer? why?

spotify since its free for me askjjksad someone pays for my subscription lmaooo

😌✌️

questions from cj to me:

android or apple? why?

APPLE because im loyal 😌 and i guess im just used to it so its easier to use for me + all my gadgets at home are mac

words of affirmation or physical affection? why?

I think there should be a good balance of both. The words will have the ability to give you this sense of comfort and satisfaction and you know just overall a peace of mind when you hear the right words??? and physical affection bc sometimes it’s just better to get a hug or a kiss isntead of talking yk? actions speak louder than words sometimes

bean bag or rocking chair? why?

Honestly, this would depend. If I’m reading a book and feeling very vintage with a hot cup of coffee, definitely a rocking chair. If I’m watching TV and basically just chilling I’d go for Bean Bag. I like maintaining the atmosphere.

do you view a half-filled glass as half-full or half-empty or an in-between? why? (go as deep as you can)

I view it as in-between, because there’s always room for improvement. There’s always things to change, and consider, and make better. There’s no such thing as perfect.

If someone were to grant your wish right now, what would it be and why?

Please stop corona right now and let everyone go back to their daily lives and please let me attend a TXT concert bls im begging on my kNEES

if someone were to give you anything you want right now, what would it be and why? (something that can be held)

Give me Soobin I just want to give him a hug. this is valid i can hold him

favorite season and why

Winter! Even if I’ve never experienced snow or winter before, the whole idea of snow is just really fun and endearing to me. One of my bucketlists is to see snow in real life. I think it has to do with the fact that I’ve always been this person to prefer the cold over heat.

what made you enter tumblr?

I’ve always been here! Just not in kpop tumblr. I’ve since deleted my old accounts and shame  but i came back to write. It’s always been so stress-relieving to me, to write without any expectations on my back because I’m thinking about grades or a competition. Also Soobin simping is a daily thing and I gotta release it somewhere man

are you happy with where you are in life right now? why or why not?

Yes. I may not be the richest or the prettiest, or smartest or whatever, but I have a good family that loves me. I have good friends that support me and I have TXT and BTS to help me cope when things get overwhelming. I have a job that gives me a little bit of income (it’s not too common for college students here to get jobs like in the US, most of them just focus on acads) and all the means to continue my education amidst the pandemic. So really, I’m grateful for where I am now.

to see the boys in real life but for it to happen only once in your lifetime, or to meet the boys via online fan meeting as many times as you can in your lifetime? why?

Why do you have to do me dirty cj,,,,, prolly online. I may not get to hug them or anything but I get to talk to them still. As may times as I want to. And as a girl whose sanity literally just depends on Soobin giggles rn it’ll be very therapeutic to me to see them and talk to them as much as I could, even just through a screen.

QUESTIONS FROM ME TO YOU:

Cinema or Netflix? Why?

Fire or Rain? Why?

What’s the worst experience you’ve had as a KPOP stan?

How do you handle stress?

Favorite Disney Princess and why?

Which fictional character do you say you relate the most to?

How did you get into KPOP?

What kind of merch you got 👀

Would you date a KPOP idol? What would you do if you do date one? (doesnt have to be your bias, just wanna see what y’all would do)

Would you rather be with someone you love but doesn’t love you back or be with someone that loves yu but you don’t love them back? (Or, as the Filipinos would say, Mahal ko o Mahal Ako)

THREE

rule: bold the statements that apply to you, italicize your aspirations, then tag nine people.

AIR ༉⋆͙̈

i have small hands / i love the night sky / i watch animals and birds when i pass them by / i drink herbal tea / i wake to see the dawn / the smell of dust is comforting / i’m valued for being wise / i prefer books to music / i meditate / i find joy in learning new truths from the world around me

FIRE ༉⋆͙̈

i don’t have straight hair / i like to wear ripped jeans and overalls / i play an organized sport / i love dogs / i am not afraid of adventure / i love to talk to strangers / i always try new foods / i enjoy road trips / summer is my favorite season / my radio is always playing

WATER ༉⋆͙̈

i wear bracelets on my wrists / i love the bustle of the city / i have more than one set of piercings / i read poetry / i love the sound of a thunderstorm / i want to travel the world / i sleep past midday most days / i love simply lit dinners and fluorescent signs / i rewatch kids shows out of nostalgia / i see emotions in colors not words

EARTH ༉⋆͙̈

i wear glasses or contacts / i enjoy doing the laundry / i am a vegetarian or vegan / i have an excellent sense of time / my humor is very cheerful / i am a valued advisor to my friends / i believe in true love / i love this chill of mountain air / i’m always listening to music / i am highly trusted by the people in my life

AETHER ༉⋆͙̈

i go without makeup in my daily life / i make my own artwork / i keep on track of my tasks and time / i always know true north / i see beauty in everything / i can always smell flowers / i smile at everyone i pass by / i always fear history repeating itself / i have recovered from a mental disorder / i can love unconditionally

FOUR

PERSONAL

name: -

nickname: rina

birthday: - 

zodiac: gemini

nationality: filipino

languages: english, filipino 

gender: female

sexuality: straight

height: 5′2 like 2 years ago, i probably grew like an inch or two 

BLOG STUFF

inspiration for muse: --

meaning behind my url: bts and txt fanfics to read hasjhsahj

blog established: ,,,,, i cant remember askjjksdjkdsa but the blog is only a few months old!

followers: 384!!! love yall 

FAVORITES

favourite animals: b u n n y y y y y

favourite books: CAMP HALF BLOOD SERIES BY RICK RIORDAN IM ZEUS’ DAUGHTER YALL

favourite colour: black, blue, purple

favourite fictional characters: Percy Jackson, Jaron from Ascendance Trilogy, Chimmy!!! hihi

favourite flower: white roses

favourite scent: coffee

favourite season: winter

RANDOM

average hours of sleep: 3-5 or 8-10.

cats or dogs: dogs because cats scare me

coffee, tea or hot chocolate: coffee!!! especially if it’s iced and sweet

current time: 12:21 AM

dream trip: California. Look I have the visa, pls miss rona. just leave so cali can just let me IN

dream job: actress or singer

hobbies: writing, reading, watching crackvids

hogwarts house: gryffindor

last movie watched: Work It (bc it has sabrina carpenter ahshsahsa i have low standards when we talk about Sabrina)

last song listened to: Helpless - Hamilton OBC

no. of blankets you sleep with: 1

random fact(s): if given the chance again, I would go on a date in high school. Also try to exert more effort in my appearance back then i looked like an honest to god M E S S (tbh i still do but now i have eyebrow liner on) hsajhsajhh

FIVE

10 things I can’t stop listening to (at the moment)

Run Away - TXT

Work It - Sabrina Carpenter

Euphoria - BTS

Song Cry - Yeonjun

Helpless - Hamilton OBC

Satisfied - Hamilton OBC

Journey to the past - Anastasia OBC

Lost in the Woods - Frozen OST

Perfect Song - Sabrina Carpenter

Friends - BTS

[mama-m1na]

Apocalypse: Chapter 14

~~~XIV~~~

The day after the four returned from L.A. was a Sunday, which usually meant that everyone would be off; however, with the new information of the Scyphozoa recruiter Rhamina and a team of eight others were busy.

When Cloud arrived for breakfast that morning, the teen had just prepared the food before quickly returning to her room.

"Don't worry, she'll come out to eat in a few minutes," Tijarah spoke as the male took a seat at the table, "She knows better than to skip meals."

"Has she been doing this since yesterday?" he asked as he looked across at the shorter female who just shook her head.

"She put together her search team yesterday, but they're starting their shit today," the dark-skinned female explained just as one of the bedroom doors opened.

As Rhamina exited her room she quickly put her hair up in a twist, searching it with a metal barrette before taking a seat.

"Morning, guys!" she chirped with a large smile on her face.

"You seem happy for someone who's going to be working on a Sunday," Tijarah commented as the ravenette started her meal.

"I want some part of my day to go good before I immediately get frustrated when trying to access old government files," the teen chuckled bitterly.

"You just got back from a mission yesterday, why don't you just have your team handle it for now?" the blond asked, earning a conflicted look from the eighteen-year-old.

"Normally that would be a good idea, but I just can't in this case," she sighed, "I just feel that I have to be involved in this one."

"Don't worry though," she continued, sending a reassuring smile towards the male, "I know my limits. I won't do anything excessively stupid."

Cloud only narrowed his eyes slightly as the girls turned their attention back to their meals.

He knew that the female was aware of her limits; but from stories he's heard and from how he's seen her act, the male wasn't sure if she'd actually pay them any attention.

"Oh yeah, I'm going out with Kiran tomorrow," the eighteen-year-old said out of nowhere, causing the two others to choke on their food.

"Mina, who the fuck it that?" Tijarah asked after downing her whole glass of water, "I have not heard this name. Ever."

"Can the both of you chill the fuck out?" the ravenette asked as she rolled her eyes, "He's a friend of mine and it's his birthday tomorrow so he's coming up to celebrate it."

"Doesn't change the fact that I don't know who this is, Mina," the younger female spoke as she placed a hand on the ravenette's shoulder.

"Cloud met him," the teen retorted as she turned to face him, "He's nice, right?"

The blond merely shrugged in reply, causing Tijarah to snort before saying, "Yeah... I don't trust that."

Before the Filipino could reply, her phone buzzed and when she checked it she sighed before standing and placing her half-finished meal in the fridge.

"If you really want an opinion on him, then you can just ask Kerstin or Sierra, but I've got work to do," was all the female said before closing her door behind her.

Many hours passed before the ex-SOLDIER returned to the females' suite.

He was going around and doing various jobs as normal, when he checked the time to see that it was well past noon, well past when he would get his usual lunch reminder from the teen.

With that in mind, he got himself and the female some food, assuming that she had been so engrossed in work that she didn't notice the time.

As soon as Tijarah opened the door for the male he asked, "Has she come out of her room yet?"

"Nope, been in there since this morning," the eighteen-year-old spoke as she stepped aside to let him in, noticing the plastic bag he held.

"You brought her lunch?" she then asked with a small smirk and a raised brow as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Uh, yeah," Cloud replied awkwardly, shifting his weight and looking away as the teenager let out a chuckle while closing the door.

"Well, you can go ahead and give it to her, but just a warning," the female spoke as she stepped past him, "She might be in a bit of a mood if she's really concentrated."

Tijarah said nothing else as she returned to her room, letting the door close behind her with a soft click.

Letting out a soft sigh, the male walked over to ravenette's door and raised his knuckles to knock on the white door.

"What?" came the aggravated reply from behind the piece of wood as the music playing was paused.

The blond opened the door to see the teen at her desk, with her laptop open to various documents as she was furiously writing things down on a piece of paper.

"I brought you lunch," the male said, causing the female to turn in her office chair with her pen in hand.

"Huh? What time is it?" she asked as she looked back to her monitor to see that it was two in the afternoon.

"Fuck, I forgot to text you!" she hissed, putting her pen down as she took off her blue light filter glasses to rub her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cloud," she spoke as the male stepped forward to hand her the plastic bag, "I completely lost track of time."

"I can tell," Cloud replied as he crossed his arms before looking over to her computer screen, "What are you doing?"

"I am trying to access old government information on this country's residents," the ravenette spoke as she set her food to the side, "The other members of the search team are doing the same for other countries"

"And what are you doing from there?" the twenty-one-year-old questioned, his blue eyes focused on the ravenette.

"Cierra already prepped an algorithm to compose the profiles to the name and description we were given, so just let that run until we get some matches," she replied before opening her food.

"I'm almost done, but I have a feeling you're just going to get on my ass for working too much, so I'll just eat first," she continued, keeping her focus on the food.

Shaking his head, the male let out a huff as the corner of his lip twitched upwards at the female's works that were most likely true.

After finishing her meal, the eighteen-year-old went back to work immediately as the male watched her from her bed.

After about fifteen more minutes of writing, scrolling, clicking, and typing the teen just leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh of relief.

"Fuck, I'm finally done!" she groaned as she sat back up to send her work to the group, "I feel bad for whatever fucker has to do Russia."

After shutting down her laptop and wireless keyboard, the teen walked over to her bed and let herself fall onto her back right next to Cloud.

"So," she started, causing the male to look back at her, "I'm just going to be in here watching some random shit until dinner, you're free to stay if you want."

The male only shrugged in response but didn't move so the ravenette moved so that she was laying in his lap before reaching for the remote for her TV.

It was honestly strange for the male to see someone act so much like a domestic pet, especially when he was known not to be good with animals.

The teen acted like a mix of cat and dog; and it honestly was quite pleasant for him, not that he'd ever admit to it.

The two spent the rest of the afternoon, together in her room, just watching some random anime that the teen found interesting.

Many of the shows she found were quite cute in her opinion, based around mythological creatures interacting with humans.

While the twenty-one-year-old didn't really see the appeal in the shows, he found that he didn't really have to pay attention as he just focused on the female's purs as he pet her hair.

The next day the ex-SOLDIER was out on a job in Clean Side when he saw a familiar car at one of the stoplights.

As he pulled up on the passenger's side of the vehicle the tinted window was rolled down to reveal Rhamina who was wearing a plain black shirt and blue denim shorts.

"Hi, Cloud!" she chirped with a smile as the male looked into the car to see that the driver was the Korean male that had assisted them in San Diego.

"Sup, man," Kiran greeted with a chuckle, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," the blond replied just as the light turned green.

"Bye, Cloud! I won't forget to text you today, I promise!" the ravenette exclaimed as the car made a left turn into the mall parking lot.

With a sigh, the male continued driving on towards his original destination, but he couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that was growing.

At around five in the afternoon, the pair of Asians left the mall and went over to one of the local casino resort that was still open and running.

"You know it sucks that you aren't able to drink on your birthday because you still have to drive after this," the ravenette chuckled as they entered the large building.

"That's fine, I can't win if I'm drunk off my ass," the taller male chuckled, earning a shrug from the teen.

"That depends on the game you're playing," she replied with a smirk before they made their way to a blackjack table.

Soon enough, a large crowd gathered at the table as the two just kept winning every other round.

"And here I was thinking you were only a monster on the battlefield," the male spoke as he peaked at his cards.

"Hehe, gambling's fun," the ravenette replied as she brushed the edge of her cards towards herself, "especially when you play with such animated people."

"Yeah, too bad they all went broke a bit ago," Kiran chuckled as the teen was dealt another card, "Though I have to ask if you've been letting me win in some of these rounds."

Rhamina just gave him an unamused look before saying, "Hun, this is blackjack, a game where you just rely on the blessings of fate. How do I let you win in this game?"

Before the male could answer, the dealer had them show their cards to reveal that the teen had a perfect twenty-one.

The ravenette had a large smirk on her face as they went to go collect their money, ignoring the looks they got from the other people around them.

"So ready for dinner?" the eighteen-year-old asked as she tucked her money away into her purse, "The buffet here has great desserts!"

The restaurant the two had dinner at was pretty lavish and expensive but due to the workers knowing exactly who the ravenette was they were able to get seated faster.

As soon as she finished her main meal, the eighteen-year-old immediately went over to the dessert bar; targeting the tarts, macarons, and eclairs specifically.

"You have quite the sweet tooth, don't you?" the recently turned twenty-year-old chuckled as the female sent pictures of her sweets to her friends.

"I also have no self-control, so we'll see how this goes," the girl chuckled even though she did share almost all of the sweets without going back for more.

After leaving the restaurants the two decided that would have to be the end of their fun as they both had work the next day.

However, as the two were walking out to the male's car Rhamina suddenly dropped to the ground, finding it difficult to breathe as a chill ran down her spine.

Her hearing was starting to go fuzzy as her friend knelt down next to her and picked her up with a panicked expression on his face.

Kiran tried asking questions, but the girl was unable to answer as she was too busy focusing on her breathing.

"Shit," he hissed as he took her back to the car, placing her in the passenger's seat with it reclined so she could lay down.

"Okay," the male sighed as he got in the driver's seat, "Hasu, I'm going to need your phone so I can call your siblings."

Barely able to understand what the male just said, the teen nodded slowly before unlocking her phone using the fingerprint scanner and handing it to him.

Clicking on the contact labeled 'Dumbass Number 2' the male put the phone to his ear as he pulled out of his parking spot.

The phone rang three times before what sounded to be a female answered with some muffled music playing in the background.

"Hello? Is this Samantha?" the male asked as he really pushed the speed limit on the freeway, eyes flicking down to the ravenette every few seconds.

"Hello?" came the confused voice of the female on the other end of the line, "Who the fuck is this and how did you get my sister's phone?"

"It's Kiran, something happened to Rhamina and I'm taking her back to the Apocalypse building right now," the male explained.

"What?! What happened?!" the brunette asked with wide eyes.

"She just collapsed and it really out of it," the male replied with a frustrated sigh, "It happened out of nowhere, that's why I'm taking her home right now."

It was silent for a few moments as Sam processed the information given to her before she said, "Alright, thanks. We'll be waiting by the gate."

As soon as the male hung up, the green-eyed female walked out of her club's break room and straight up to the bar where the younger Filipino sat.

"Get up, we're going home right now," Sam commanded, earning a confused look from Kerstin as she stood up.

"Why?" she asked, following the eighteen-year-old to her care, "What happened?"

"Something happened to Mina," the brunette explained, starting the engine once both girls were in the vehicle.

"What? Wasn't she supposed to be with Kiran?" the seventeen-year-old asked as the older female zoomed out of the parking lot.

"Yeah, he just called me from her phone, saying that she just collapsed out of nowhere," Sam replied, keeping her eyes on the road.

"You don't think It's because of-" "Let's not think about that right now," the brunette snapped, "Just tell Tiarah and Sierra to wait with us by the gate."

By the time Kiran made it back to the Apocalypse building the ravenette was doing much better with her breathing back to normal and her hearing back as well.

The four girls were careful not to crowd the female as the Korean helped her over to them after she insisted that she would walk.

"Mina, what happened?" Sierra asked as she and Tijarah stood at either side of the still wobbly female to support her.

"I-I'll tell... tell you inside," the female spoke, trying to ignore the pounding in her head and lingering nausea that was plaguing her at the moment.

She then slowly turned her head to Kiran and said, "Thank y- Thank you for the help to- tonight, Kiran. I'll call you... later."

The male let out a sigh with a frown before saying, "Just be careful, Hasu, and please, just get some rest."

As Cloud returned to the building from his final job of the day, he is quick to notice how tense everyone is.

He was about to ask, but quickly received his answer when he looked into one of the elevators to see Rhamina being supported by two people right before the doors slid closed.

With mild panic coursing through his system, the twenty-one-year-old went straight to the woman at the front desk to ask what happened.

Unfortunately for him, neither she or anyone else who had seen the ravenette being brought in actually knew the cause of her condition, so with gritted teeth he just took the elevator up.

In Suite 666, the ravenette sat on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her form as she did her best to describe her symptoms, them being the exact same as if she were to have used an execution.

"Mina, the last time you used it was in San Diego, though," Sierra spoke, earning a nod from the ravenette.

"I mean you can't tell me that your surprised," the eighteen-year-old spoke with a somber smile to the group of four she had explained her theory to, "We knew that this had a high possibility of happening."

"Mina, this shouldn't be happening to you," Tijarah attempted to deny as the teen curled herself further into the blanket, "It doesn't make sense."

"Yes, it does... the price to use the power of death is life," the ravenette replied as she leaned her head back on the couch, "It makes perfect sense, everything had a price."

The four other girls just looked over to the oldest of the group, trying to find anything to say.

"Come on, guys, don't look at me like that," the teen spoke with a smile that was betrayed by her voice crack and teary eyes, "I've still got some time, I don't want to die yet."

Everyone immediately moved in to envelop the teen in a large hug with Kerstin saying, "You are not dying anytime soon, Mina. Don't say that shit."

"Yeah, you're not dying if we have anything to say about it," Sam added, squeezing the girl tighter.

The ravenette felt her chest grow warm with the way the others supported her, thanking whatever entity had brought them together and allowed them to develop such a deep bond; however, she knew better than to think it would be enough to save her from fate.

This wasn't the first time something had happened out of the blue, but it had always been small, easily written off as her body just being weird.

From sudden bouts of nausea, dizziness, balance issues, and even blacking out at random times; she was always able to brush them off as things that just happened with just some anxiety in the back of her mind, but now she couldn't.

The girls were still in their group hug when a knock came from the door, the ravenette already having an idea of who it was.

"Try to keep this lowkey, if anyone asks just blame it on my shitty immune system being shitty," the eighteen-year-old spoke as the others backed up, shifting so she looked a bit more normal on the couch.

With a sigh, Tijarah goes to answer the door to reveal an upset looking male with an oversized sword on his back.

"Where is she?" was all he asked before the dark-skinned female stepped aside and pointed at the couch where the ravenette was scrolling on her phone.

Without a word, the male walked over to her while the others migrated to the dining area to give them a little bit of space.

"Hi, Cloud!" the female chirped with a smile as she set her phone down, but he wasn't buying it at all.

"What happened?" he asked with a serious expression earning a raised brow and a confused head tilt.

"What do you mean?" the ravenette asked, causing the male to narrow his mako contaminated eyes at her.

Wordlessly, the male took his gloves off and reached out to feel the girl's neck, causing her breath to hitch and her eyes to widen as she instantly reached up to grab his wrist.

"You're cold," the male stated, both places where her skin touched his, feeling just like ice, "What happened to you?"

"I uh, didn't wear a jacket," the ten replied as she did her best to avoid eye contact with the male, soft facepalms heard from across the room.

"Rhamina, you said you trusted me, right?" Cloud asked as he knelt down. Moving to try and meet her eyes.

"I do, Cloud, but I really don't think you want the answers to the questions you're asking," Rhamina replied softly as she reached out to squeeze his ungloved hand.

Before the male could question it further, Sam walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "A lot had happened tonight, let's just get some rest for now, okay?"

The blond said nothing, but slowly stood up and exited the suite, closing the door behind him.

"Mina, that fucker is not going to let you work at all tomorrow," Tijarah snickered, earning a chuckle from the eighteen-year-old.

"He can try, but I will find a way."

"Mina, did you tell him about the whole bell thing?" Sierra asked, earning a nod from the oldest female in the group.

"That's why I don't want to tell him about this," she said with a sad smile, "He seemed so upset and I didn't want him to worry about it when he's still trying to find a way to get home."

When the time came for the male to come over for breakfast, Tijarah was actually the one to cook, so Rhamina was the one to greet him at the door with a bright smile adorning her face.

"You're looking better," the blond commented as he followed the female over to the dining table where some plates and silverware were already set up.

"Yep and I'm back up to a normal temperature now, so I'm perfectly fine," the ravenette replied, placing a hand on his upper arm to prove her point.

"So you are," he spoke as the female walked over to her normal seat at the table, "Doesn't mean you're going to be working today."

"Excuse me?" the teen asked with widened eyes as Tijarah walked over with a plate just stacked with pancakes.

"You heard me," Cloud replied as the dark-skinned female took her seat, eyes flicking between the two others at the table.

"You can't just tell me to stop working, Cloud," the teen replied with a frown, "I have an important role to play by updating databases as soon as possible."

"I'm sure that can wait, especially since a lot of the other members saw you come back last night," the twenty-one-year-old huffed as he met her irritated gaze, "They wouldn't be too happy to see that you're working yourself after that."

"Hun, everyone here has seen me work through multiple critical injuries," the teen chuckled as she poured from syrup over her food, "This will mean literally nothing."

"Mina, I honestly agree with Cloud on this one," Tijarah sighed as she looked over to the older female, "yeah, it's true we see you get hurt a lot, but it doesn't mean we like it."

"Plus, you're always getting on people when they're overworking themselves, so why don't you listen to your own words and take a break?" she continued, leaving the ravenette in shocked silence.

"Fine," the eighteen-year-old huffed after a few moments, rolling her eyes as she did so before they landed on the blond, "but the first thing I'm doing if I get bored is bothering you."

"That's fine because I plan on staying here for today," the blond shrugged, causing the ravenette to choke on her water.

"I need to make sure you're actually resting and not doing anything else," the male explained as the teen finished coughing.

"And when exactly did you decide that?" Rhamina asked with a raised brow as she leaned forward over the table.

"Last night," he replied, not at all phased by the female's behavior as she just sank back into her seat with a defeated huff.

Tijarah noticed how easily her sibling gave in, but said nothing about it, guessing that the female was actually still tired from the previous night.

When she was done with her meal, the dark-skinned female put her plate in the sink before heading towards the door, saying, "I'm going to head out. Don't die or some shit."

"Bye, Tijarah!" the ravenette chirped as the younger female walked out of the front door, "Love you!"

Once the other two had finished their meal, the ravenette immediately washed the dishes with some help from the blond.

"Are you really going to stay here all day?" she asked as the male followed her into her room, not that she minded.

"Yes," came the blunt reply of the male, earning a sigh from his companion before she turned on her TV and her only game console.

The game she had loaded in was a fantasy-esque strategy RPG that seemed to take place in a school with the three different factions.

If he was being completely honest, he wasn't at all surprised to see that the female was extremely invested in the game's story and characters.

"Fuck yes, perfect teatime, bitch!" the teen exclaimed as her avatar sat across from an icy cold swordsman in the school garden, "Now you're for sure joining my class!"

"What is the point of the tea parties?" the ex-SOLDIER asked as he watched the main avatar ran around the school.

"To build relationships with the various students," the teen replied as she kept her eyes on the screen, "It also makes it easier to recruit students from other classes and I need Felix and Linhardt in my main party."

"Do I want to ask why?" the male asked from his spot on the female's bed as she kept her spot on the floor.

"I want Linhardt because he's a cutie-pie and I'd be taking the Black Eagle's main healer," the ravenette explained as she skipped through some of the boring dialogue, "and I want Felix because he's an absolute unit that will wreck me after the timeskip if I don't recruit him."

"Have you already played this game?" the male asked with a raised brow as the teen turned back to face him.

"Yes, but it's such a good game and I want to do it better," the teen replied with a soft smile, "I know the characters aren't real, but I feel like I can give them that at least."

"This is just another reason I should go see a fucking therapist," she chuckled while turning back to the screen, "I get emotionally attached to anything and everything."

'This is exactly why you keep getting fucked over, Mina,' she thought with a small sigh, 'You bring this upon yourself.'

About three in-game missions later, the teen finally puts her controller down to check her phone to see that she had many notifications from the general communication server.

"Well shit, everyone's excited for next week," Rhamina chuckled as she leaned back to lay on her floor as she read through the chest.

"What's happening next week?" the male asked as he looked up from his own cellphone.

"Next week, June first, will be the fourth year anniversary of Apocalypse," she replied with a smile on her face, "Almost no one will be working that day and we're all going down to Sam and Kerstin's club for a huge ass party."

"Normally, I would encourage everyone to take the day off, but the guard shifts at the plant need to keep happening," the eighteen-year-old continued, "I just pray that they don't get intoxicated beforehand."

The male hummed in confirmation before the female's head popped up over the edge of the bed with her eyes bright and filled with something.

"You're going to be at the party, right?" she asked as she stretched her arms out in front of her, much like a cat would.

"Do I have a choice?" the male asked as the teen slowly stood up, small pops from her joints sounding as she did.

"Probably not," she chuckled as she did some twists to stretch out her back, "Sam and Kerstin will hound you down if you don't, but it isn't that bad."

"You get to drink without much worry of making a fool of yourself cause everyone will already be doing that," the ravenette continued as she walked over to where he was, "Plus it's pretty easy to hide in a corner if it gets too loud, though I have to warn you about some of the couples that get a bit... confident."

The male raised a brow at the teen as he asked, "You drink?"

The ravenette shrugged before saying, "I will on special occasions, but I don't drink that much, especially compared to Sam and Kerstin. Plus I'm pretty picky when it comes to alcohol."

"What about you?" she shot back, standing by the male as she held her hands behind her back, something that looked pretty militaristic to the male.

"I can enjoy it from time to time," the blond shrugged as he locked eyes with the female, "It really depends on my mood."

"That's understandable," the teen chuckled; but before she could continue, she was interrupted by her cellphone ringing.

"Hello?" she asked as she turned her back to the male, focusing solely on the voice coming through the line.

Slowly her expression morphed into a scowl as she growled, "If you found him already, then have him taken in as soon as possible. I don't care what team does it or how they do it, as long as they get the job done."

Cloud watched as the girl switched the leg she was leaning on before she said, "Yes, I want y'all wearing body cams. I want to see this happening."

It wasn't long before the eighteen-year-old hung up and sat at her desk, quickly starting up her computer.

Before the male could even ask what she was doing, the teen pulled up the live feed of what looked to be body cams.

"They found the recruiter," was all the ravenette muttered as she watched the team of five loud up into one of their pick-up trucks, leaning back into her chair as one leg dangled off of it.

"Apparently, this fucker has been living in Clean Side for just over a year," she explained through gritted teeth as she scrolled through the file sent to her on her phone, "No recorded family or housemates so that'll make the capture much less complicated."

As the vehicle left the lot, Rhamina sent a message to a secondary team, telling them to search the home afterward.

It was silent as the two watched the split-screen cameras, the eighteen-year-old silently fuming as she reached up to scratch her neck.

Noticing her habit, Cloud cleared his throat and asked, "What's going to happen once you have him?"

"Going to start with basic questioning then work up to torture if need be," she replied, lowering her hand to instead crack her knuckles.

"Won't be me though, not unless he really ain't talking," the ravenette continued as the vehicle stopped in front of a one-story house, "I won't even give the fucker the satisfaction."

As soon as the front door opened, the male who was found to be the Scyphozoa recruiter took one look at the team before trying to run back into his house, the keyword 'trying'.

In perfect synchronization, all five of the Apocalypse members pulled out tasers and electrocuted him, causing the ravenette to narrow her eyes.

'I know for sure at least three of those shits aren't cleared to use or even carry those fucking tasers,' she thought as he phone rang once more.

The teen answered the call to her that it was Cierra, the one who led the team of capturing the male.

"We got him, but where exactly are we taking him?" the dark-skinned female asked as they led the restrained male to the truck.

"Full lockdown for questioning," the ravenette replied with no expression on her face as she moved to crack her neck loudly.

"Full lockdown?" the sixteen-year-old asked in surprise as she shook her head, "Jesus fucking christ, that's brutal."

"Oh, eat my ass, Cierra," Rhamina snorted in response as a smirk crept onto her face, "Y'all tazed the shit out of him."

"Hey, you said you didn't care how the job got done," the younger female scoffed as she hopped into the back of the truck, "As long as it got done."

"I guess," the eighteen-year-old chuckled as the vehicle began moving, "I'll see you when you get back, bye."

"Bye."

The ravenette stood up and stretched out her back after she hung up, saying that she would use the restroom before returning.

Cloud found the air to be much lighter in the room after the phone call ended, having to watch with the female in silence for about twenty minutes as she more such a serious expression.

It was just another instance where he was glad that she didn't see him as an immediate threat, not even seeing just how harsh she could be to her true enemies.

He had been there while she fought some of the Scyphozoa members, but she was just fighting on her own in the control rooms; and even then, he had only seen one of her opponents briefly as they were thrown through a window.

Cloud knew that the girl was very efficient with her fans, magic, and even more so when she combined the two together, but he had also seen that she could handle herself quite well even when she wasn't able to use either of them.

A prime example being her fight with Jessie where she had restricted herself to only using her arms as defense, and she even won that match.

With the memories of the ravenette's previous fights in his head, he began to wonder what it would actually be like to fight her.

The blond knew it would probably be difficult to even get a hit on her, but he couldn't help but let his mind wander a bit.

"Hey, Cloud, the others are back now," Rhamina spoke as she opened the door to her room once more, "I say we pay a visit to the fucking pest."

As the male stood up from the teen's bed, she cracked her neck and gave a dark smirk, facing the door.

"Shall we?"

~~~Fin. Chapter 14~~~

Masterlist

[diaryofanangryasianguy]

Im living w a white-passing girl whos half Asian on her dads side, and she straight up told me she not into Asian men. I had no idea how to react since its the first time I actually hear it irl like??? She said it right after asking me if i like Asian boy and im like yeah ofc im born n raise in Vietnam???

Hmm.

There are a few ways to look at this. On one side, I can understand why Asian women wouldn’t want to date Asian men because they’re mostly around Asian men and they’re more likely to have the most consistently bad experiences with them so they go for other men. They’re also more likely to notice any bad things or behaviors Asian men do because they’re so used to being around them. And in general, men within a specific community are usually a lot more patriarchal towards the women in the same community. They tend to act as if they own the women or are entitled to them.

On the flip side, I do find it odd when people say they “don’t date Asian men” because there’s literally like 2 billion of us and we’re all of different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. I’m Mien right and I’ve decided not to date Mien women (for the fear of being related) but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t date Asian women in general. My girlfriend is Filipino. We’re two completely different ethnic groups but still both Asian. I personally don’t believe Asian people should date one another just because they’re Asian but I also find it to be part of internalized racism when blanket statements are made.

So I guess being confused or not knowing how to react is natural because you’re not sure what the person’s reasoning is. But maybe it would be more helpful to ask why she feels that way? It would allow you to get a better understanding of her and her experiences.

Angry Asian Guy

[proheromidoriyashouto]

izukrew as ali wong quotes

(i couldn’t resist and am not sorry cuz im laughing)

Izuku:  Catheter, I had never had a catheter in my life. A catheter is a tube that they hook up to your pee-pee hole, and you just lie there… And then all of a sudden, this bag of piss shows up next to your bed. And then this kind Filipino lady named Joyabelle Esperanza Purificacion Santo Domingo Ordonez Balasa comes in to take it out. And you’re like, “Nurse Joyabelle, whose piss that?” And she’s like, “That’s yours.” And you’re like, “Oh my God, that’s mine?” I did not even feel it go out. The catheter, it just carries it out. And I was like, “Oh my God, in my life I could have accomplished so much more had I had a catheter attached to me this entire time.”

Shouto: You had to, like, wait until your 20s to get your pussy eaten, and even then it was not very good because it’s very personal. Do you know how long it took me to train my husband to eat my pussy correctly? I’m not going back out into the world, find somebody new to coach all over again. It’s too much work. All of that knowledge that my husband has now, all that time I invested, all of that muscle memory lives and dies with him. You can’t store that in some sort of I-pussy cloud and then just download it to a new husband 2.0. He is bespoke to me. Irreplaceable! Yes. Look, many patient nights I wanted to fake it, okay? But I knew that it was so fundamental for the long-term that he get it right, and that lying to him would just be cheating myself. And so, I would shove his head down there and keep it down there until his face got prunie. Many nights, he’d enter 7:00 p.m. looking like a 30-year-old man, exit hours later looking like Tommy Lee Jones. You know how hard it is for a young Asian man to suddenly transform into Tommy Lee Jones? I think a big part of being good at eating pussy is that you just got to be into it, okay? Do it with gusto, with enthusiasm. It’s a privilege, so act like you know, okay? Yes! Yeah, don’t hesitate. Don’t… Like you’re some toddler being forced to eat broccoli. Get in there! And hold your own goddamn head up, too, don’t use my thigh as a tripod and just… Fall into a food coma before you finish your meal.

Ochako: I’m just waiting for the right moment to, like, become a housewife, financially, you know? I want my husband to get us to, like, a certain point financially. I wanna get to the point as a couple where I can comfortably afford sliced mango. Know what I’m talking about? I’m talking about that Whole Foods mango. That $10-a-box Whole Foods mango that was sliced by white people. That’s the kind of income bracket I’m striving for. That’s when you know you’ve made it, when you’re eating mango that was sliced by a dude named Noah. I want Noah mango… …Rebecca kiwi, Danielle pineapple. You know what else I want? I wanna be able to take a stroll on a sidewalk, see a quarter, and just keep on walking. Like a princess.

Momo: So, you know, I– I, in– previously, before I met my husband, I had dated a bunch of losers. And then, I meet this dream guy, who’s, like, way more handsome than me, out of my league, graduated from Harvard Business School. Worked hard to trap his ass. Got him to propose to me. Oh, my God, then we got married, all my dreams coming true, and then we got pregnant, and recently we bought our first home together. And, uh, two weeks into the escrow process, I discovered that my beautiful, Harvard-educated husband was $70,000 in debt. And me, with my hard-earned TV money, paid it all off. So, as it turns out, he’s the one who trapped me. How did he do it? How did he bamboozle me? Oh! Maybe because he went to Harvard Business School, the epicenter of white-collar crime. He Enron’d my ass. And now, if I don’t work, we die. Why else do you think I’m performing seven and a half months pregnant?

Tenya: I make fun of my husband a lot, but the reality is that he is my best friend. Yes, I’m very serious. I’m very lucky to have gotten to marry my best friend, and our whole dynamic confuses my mother because it’s the inverse of what she had with my father. She was like, “Your father was not my best friend. I cannot believe how comfortable you guys are around each other. Do you fart in front of your husband?” I fart in my husband. ‘Cause we are best friends. I hope that he and I always stay together, truly, you know? ‘Cause a lot of times when comedians get successful, they inevitably get divorced from their first spouse, and then at the age of, like, 50 or 60, they like to trade up for a new one that’s, like, a third of their age. As a woman, that has zero appeal to me.

Tsuyu: And I do have more money now, and now I make a lot more money than my husband by like a long shot. Well, my mom is very concerned that he’s going to leave me out of intimidation. I had to explain to her that the only kind of man that would leave a woman who makes more money, is the kind of man that doesn’t like free money. “Oh, but Ali, he doesn’t feel small?” He’s too busy living large on my new salary! “Oh. Oh… Oh, but Ali, doesn’t he feel like you took something away from him?” Oh, do you mean like the pressure to provide? Which I have lifted from his shoulders. He’s chilling. He walks into work now every day two hours late like this, “Fuck you! Fuck you, fuck you, and fuck you! Fire me, I don’t give a shit. My wife’s rich, bitch. Yeah! Yeah, this job is just an eccentric hobby for me now.”

[purplesurveys]

572

Where was the last place you drove to? Other than home, I drove to Bonifacio Global City with Gab for a day out. I also drove to her dorm to drop her off after. What is your favorite move franchise? The Twilight Saga or Toy Story. What was the last fast food you ate? We had Wendy’s earlier. I was honestly kinda relieved to just have fast food for lunch because I just needed something greasy as fuck to shed off the hangover from last night, and something quick because I was so tired and was in no mood to even go out to begin with. What is your zodiac sign? Taurus. Do you think you're a good dancer? When I’m drunk enough and when it’s dark, yeah. Hahaha

What is the saddest book you've ever read? I don’t know if I’ve read any sad fiction; AJ’s memoir was sad enough though. I remember having to take breaks every so often because some of the content was just too heavy to take in one go. How old will you be this time next year? I will be 22. What subject do you think you are best at? History. I have a number of relatives who have worked/are working as researchers and historians, so I’m not surprised I got bitten by the bug too. Do you prefer heroes or villains? Heroes, unless the villain’s story is endearing or if the role is played good enough. That’s the case with a number of heels (wrestling talk for bad guys) who are AMAZING at being assholes, like CM Punk or Triple H. What is something you think is overrated? I love milk tea, but it’s definitely hyped up way too much in the Philippines. A lot of people like to brag how they skip water in favor of milk tea and it’s just? what? How are you genuinely proud of that? I mean whatever floats your boat and all, but still????? What political cause are you most passionate about? The SOGIE/anti-discrimination bill that for some reason is being debated on to begin with. How anti-discrimination is still a cause of conflict is the most Filipino thing I’ve ever seen and it’s shameful. What country would you most like to visit? Morocco, Turkey, or India. What is the worst job you've ever had? I haven’t had any so there’s nothing to rank. Who was your best friend as a child? We would change sections every year so my best friends used to change often. There was Kaye, Jaynie, Raegan...but it was Angela for most of my childhood. What is the hardest thing you've ever had to do? Having to keep going when my grandfather died mere days before the UPCAT. That, or seeing Nacho in his coffin. His slight smirk made it easier to deal with, but I still had a good cry about it. Have you ever considered having children? Yeah, I’ve thought about it more and more as I got older - a far cry from my hatred of kids when I was a frustrated 13 year old lmao. If you ever took field trips as a child, which was your favorite? I’ve always been a museum lover so our field trip to Intramuros/various Manila museums in 5th grade, and our field trip to Ayala Museum/The Mind Museum in freshman year were amazing. Do you have any weird family traditions? Not really. I will say that my mom’s side has a very weird, very distinct humor that takes some getting used to (but once you do you’ll realize they’re all funny as fuuuuuuck on that side) but it doesn’t really count as tradition, so idk. Have you ever considered acting? Not at all. I never liked having to do it. Who was the last person you slept next to? Gab. Do you think you can be in love and still cheat on your S.O.? That’s messed up, dude. Do you subscribe to any streaming services? I have a Netflix and Spotify but other people pay for them. Do you consider yourself a crafty person? That’s a big fat nope for me. What is your ideal weather? Cold enough that I don’t need to turn on the electric fan. If there’s a thunderstorm, even better. Have you ever been in a physical fight? With my cousins when we were kids, yes.  What is the most embarrassing thing anyone has on video of you? Angela has questionable footage of me when I got too drunk at Gabie’s party last year; she’s tried showing it to me but I’ve always refused to know what she caught on video lmao. She can keep it if she wants; I just don’t ever want to see it hahaha. Gab also took a video and photos of me all hunched at the toilet and throwing up after drinking too much from earlier this year.

I’m clearly not the best drunk; in the same way, my best friends clearly know their priorities lol. Did you ever get lost as a child? No. If I got ‘lost’ it was only because my parents would intentionally hide from me at malls to see what I would do when I realized I was lost/to mess with me. What is your favorite condiment? Mayonnaaaaaaise. On a scale of 1-10, how attractive do you think you are? I’d give myself an 8 tbh. Minus two points for my two crooked teeth and frizzy hair. Do you prefer horror or romance movies? When it comes down to it, romance. I feel like they have more leeway since romantic comedies (which if you still don’t know by now, is my favorite genre) is under that genre, whereas horror can be just right or way too corny or cheap for my liking. What was the last film you saw in theaters? Hello, Love, Goodbye last August(?). But I think that’ll change soon because I plan to see Charlie’s Angels this month - and can I just say, only for Kristen lol.

Have you ever been to a concert? Sure, I’ve been to several, but I keep my ticket purchases to artists I have REALLY been wanting to see, like One Direction and Paramore. There’s a bunch of acts who’ve gone to Manila but I wasn’t religiously obsessed enough to want to see them, like Troye Sivan, The 1975, The Japanese House, etc. Have you ever had an existential crisis? No. I try not to think about that stuff. Where is the farthest from home you've traveled? Bali. Do you like country music? Ugh, no. Can you play any instruments? Other than the basic recorder, which I don’t really count, no. What color are your eyes? Black. What color are the eyes of the person you love? The same. What is your favorite kind of flower? Idk I don’t have one. Baby’s breaths are cute though. Have you ever had your heart broken before? For various reasons, yes. What town were you born in? I was born in, if I’m not mistaken, the district of Sta. Mesa in Manila. Do you believe you had a good childhood? I know my elders tried to shield me from harsher realities, and I’ll give them credit for that. I had the latest toys and gadgets and we had cable TV, so I had access to the cool shows of the time, to give a few examples. I’m grateful for all of those, but nothing could ever protect us from acknowledging the reality that I had alcoholic relatives who also happened to wake me up everyday with the smell of their cigarette smoke; and relatives who would resort to physical fights and screaming whenever they got too drunk, which always made our house a hot topic within the small neighborhood and a source of embarrassment for me, my siblings, and cousins. What was the last dream you had? I’m not sure. I think I was just hanging out with Gab in it. Do you know how to play any card games? Other than solitaire, no. Have you ever taken a taxi before? Yep but I can count those times on one hand. I’d rather use a ride-sharing app to get a driver than hail a Filipino taxi driver. What is something about your childhood that you miss? Half-days in school. What are you currently most looking forward to? Sleeping tonight, tbh. I want to stay up for a bit but I can’t wait to sleep too. Did you ever have MySpace? Do you miss those days? I had, very briefly. It was never a big trend in the Philippines so I didn’t see the big deal. I was more attached to Friendster (which I never got to have because of the 16-year-old signup requirement, which my parents made sure I followed) and Multiply. What is the best television show you've ever watched? Breaking Bad. Are there any songs you can't listen to because they bring back memories? I can’t listen to O by Coldplay anymore because it was the song I kept on repeat when I repeatedly harmed, starved, and tried to kill myself a couple of years ago. Have you ever saved someone's life? I hope I have in some form or another. I know I failed with Nach, though. Do you tend to sleep well at night? Sure, unless I had reason not to. What do you believe is your weirdest habit? I lock my car doors three times before I feel comfortable. When was the last time you were sick? This question is on almost every survey, along with the what-instruments-do-you-play one. Uhhhhhh 2017. What color are your parents' eyes? Black. Do you have any credit cards? I don’t. Have you ever broken any major bones? Nope, thank goodness. Have you ever had a surgery before? ^ Same. Are you ever afraid people will just stop talking to you one day? I never thought about that, no. Can you tell me the last deep thought you had? Meh, it’s too triggering to go back to at the moment. Are there any websites you've used for over 10 years? Twitter, Wikipedia, and YouTube, for sure. Do you have any siblings? If so, what are their ages? Yeah, they’re 19 and 16. What is the best movie you've seen this year? Liway. Did you ever make straight a's in school? Sure. What color is the shirt you are currently wearing? White, with maroon text.

[adaar-i]

OC Asks: Daya

1. What do they smell like? Leather and wildflowers.

2. What is their voice like? Filipino accent. Slightly higher pitched (except in the mornings her voice is deep and croaky). Rolling r’s, hypercorrection.

3. What is their biggest motivator? The thought of what comes after The Blight. The thought of freedom, of not having to kill any more. Quiet.

4. What is their most embarrassing memory? There was this one time that Oghren convinced them all to try this new ale he found. Everyone took it well, except for Daya who got slightly plastered and proceeded to do a dramatic reading of some of the illicit love letters she had found in her travels. There was a lot of…movements. She is reminded of this often.  

5. How do they deal with/react to pain? Quietly. She tries to hide it.

6. What do they like to wear? She loves wearing intricate leather work (belts and things). Finding unique designs. She does like the same with armour, but armour is heavy and she prefers looking at it rather than wearing it. She likes loose clothing, tunics and things, and boots. She loves boots.

7. Which of their relationships have impacted them most positively? Her relationship with Alistair. He is a constant reminder that despite all the evil in the world there is still good too.

8. What’s the weirdest thing they’ve ever eaten? Some kind of fish and berry pie. It was…different, and she was starving.

9. Describe the way that they sleep. On her back mostly, slightly on her side. One arm above her head, one over her side. That’s when Alistair isn’t feeling cuddly at least (which isn’t that often). Then one of them is on their back and the other is on their side draped all over them.

10. What is their favorite food/kind of food? Sweets. She doesn’t come across them often though, much to her dislike.

11. What do they feel most insecure about?  Hand to hand combat. She’s great with her magic, but she feels she could improve her skills.

12. How do they like to dress? Loose clothing. Intricate detail work. Florals.

13. How do they react to feelings of guilt? She ends up worrying about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. She gives too much of herself trying to make everyone happy.

14. How do they react to/deal with betrayal? It depends on who betrays her. For the most part she can be forgiving provided there is a VERY good reason behind it and lots of remorse. If someone has done something unforgiveable then that’s it. She cuts them out.

15. What is their greatest achievement? Ending The Blight. Or having a hand in it anyway. Having the capacity, courage and determination to go through till the very end.

16. What are they like when they’ve gotten too little sleep? Cranky. You don’t mess with a mage that’s had no sleep.

17. What are they like when they’re drunk? It doesn’t take much to get her drunk. She gets very…happy, carefree. She sings. Lots of floaty arm movements.

18. What kind of music do they enjoy? A lot of percussion. Music so loud she can feel the vibrations through her body.

19. Are they right or left handed? Ambidextrous. She uses both her hands for magic.  

20. Fears? The Blight happening again, losing her loved ones, her team, her mabari. She’s not scared of anything happening to her, but if something were to ever happen to someone else, she’s not sure what she would do. She fears never finding her biological family, and also fears the possibility that she may never be able to bear her own child.

21. Favorite kind of weather? Rain. There’s always so much fire around, she loves the feeling of cool rain on her skin.

22. Favorite color? Green.

23. Do they collect anything? Leather bracelets. Flowers.

24. Do they prefer either hot or cold weather more? Cold.  

25. What is their eye color? Dark brown with flecks of gold.

26. What is their race/ethnicity? Magi, she’s half Filipino half Hawaiian. 

27. Hair color? White.

28. Are they happy where they are currently? She’s off living life in private with Alistair somewhere. She’s ecstatic.  

29. Are they a morning person? She’s kind of learnt to be. She got used to not sleeping much at all really during the Blight, but now that it’s over she (meaning Alistair) is trying to get her to sleep more regularly. Though she does love being awake early and watching the world wake up around her.

30. Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise. It’s so peaceful.

31. Are they more messy or more organized? More messy. She is an…organized mess.

32. Pet peeves? Alistair’s snoring. She swears she’ll smother him one day.

33. Do they own any objects of significant personal importance? An amulet from her mother.

34. Least favorite food? Nug.

35. Least favorite color? Red.

36. Least favorite smell? Burning.

37. When was the last time they cried? The other night, the nightmares can get terrible sometimes.

38. Were they with anybody the last time they cried? She was with Alistair and her Mabari. She was well taken care of and reassured.

39. Tell us about one of the times they got injured? She and Zevran created an ‘assassin’ game that they played during their travels. One would slink into the shadows and try to ‘assassinate’ the other. Daya thought she’d drop onto Zevran out of a tree, so after excusing herself to ‘go to the toilet’, she raced up ahead, climbed one of the trees and waited. Unfortunately for her the tree she had picked was home to a hive of bees and well, she did land on Zevran, but it was more out of falling than it was leaping. Alistair spent the next week applying salve to the stings.

40. Do they have any scars? She’s got her fair share. It’s hard to avoid when you’re up close and personal with darkspawn. She’s got many small ones on her arms and legs where her armour doesn’t quite cover.

41. Do they struggle with any mental health issues? PTSD. She’s been through a lot, and that gets to a person.

42. Do they have any bad habits? Nail biting.  

43. Why might someone dislike them? She can get very snarky at times. When she’s stressed or overwhelmed her tolerance levels take a nose dive. She tries to be level headed but sometimes she just can’t and it can get…ugly.

44. Why might someone love them? Her determination and drive she’s been told. And the fact that she still tries to see the good in everything.

45. Do they believe in ghosts? Yes.

46. Is there anyone they would trust with their lives? She would trust her team, just…maybe Morrigan slightly less.

47. Are they romantically interested in anyone? Alistair.

48. Are they dating/married to anyone? She is with Alistair. They haven’t gotten married yet.

49. Do they like surprises? Only little ones, and not ones involving people/things jumping out at her.

50. When is their birthday? November 12th.

51. How do they usually celebrate their birthday? She prefers to have a quiet night in. With or without her friends, though she finds it very entertaining to get a little tipsy with them all.

52. Do they have any family? She did. She had her mother and three sisters but having grown up in the Circle she has not seen them for a very long time. She’s not even sure if they’re still alive, but she searches for them constantly.

53. Are they close to their family? Not any more.

54. What is their MBTI type? ISFJ or ESTP.

55. What is their zodiac sign? Scorpio.

56. What Hogwarts House would they be in? Gryffindor.

57. What D&D alignment are they? Neutral Good.

58. Do they ever have nightmares? If so, what about? Mostly about the Blight, or her loved ones dying.

59. What are their views on death? She is not afraid of it, not of her own death at least. She accepts that it happens. But she cannot stand the idea of her friends dying.

60. What is something that they’re sure to laugh at? Zevran tripping over his own feet.

61. When bored, how do they pass time? She likes braiding things. Leather, or hair if people will let her. Anders loved it.  

62. Do they enjoy being outside? Yes. After being locked up most of her life she cannot get enough of the outdoors.

63. Do they have an accent? Yes. 

64. Upon seeing a slice of chocolate cake, what is their first reaction? Take a bite, then smash some in whoever’s face is closest.

65. If they knew they were going to die, what would they do/say? Well I’m assuming she wouldn’t be alone. So she’d try and make eye contact with whoever (friend) she could find and just smile. She did her best, she lived her life as best she could.

66. How do they feel about sex? That it’s fun, great stress reliever, but she doesn’t mind if it doesn’t happen all that often either.

67. What is their sexuality? Bisexual, with a preference for men.

68. Do they become squeamish at the sight of blood? Maybe at the start. But after the Blight and everything you just kind of get used to it.

69. Is there anything that they find really gross? Vomit. That she can’t stand.

70. Which TV Trope(s) best describes them? The Damsel.

71. Do they enjoy helping people? Yes very much so.

72. Are they allergic to anything? Mosquitos.

73. Do they have a pet? She has a Mabari named Jag :)

74. Are they quick to anger? What are they like when they lose their temper? Not to anger no. She is quickly frustrated and annoyed. When she loses her temper though she goes quiet.

75. How patient are they? She has gotten more patient over the years.

76. Are they good at cooking? She knows two recipes and that’s it.

77. Favorite insult? Do they insult people often? She takes pleasure in insulting dumb bad guys. She’s more of the teasing type though.  

78. How do they act when they’re particularly happy? Small smiles and a lot of blushing.

79. What do they do when they learn about other people’s fears? She takes note and may warn them if something they don’t like is about to happen/be seen/etc.

80. Are they trustworthy? Yes.

81. Do they try to hide their emotions? Are they good at it? She tries to hide her negative emotions/her pain. She’s pretty good at it, until it gets too much and then she cracks a little.

82. Do they exercise regularly? Probably not as regularly as she should/could. During the Blight her fitness improved as she fought, after the Blight she really enjoyed the idea of just…not doing much at all.

83. Are they comfortable with the way they look? Yes.

84. What are some physical features that they find attractive on people? Nice chest/arms. Soft hair, the little creases besides people’s eyes when they smile.

85. What kind of personalities do they find attractive? People that don’t take themselves too seriously. Funny, kindness, loyalty.

86. Do they like sweet foods? Loves them. Doesn’t get enough of them.

87. What is their age? 34 in DAI.

88. Are they tall or short or somewhere in between? Somewhere in between.

89. Do they wear glasses or contacts? Nope.

90. Do they consider themselves attractive? Yes but she’s not cocky about it.

91. What is their sense of humor like? Physical (slapstick) and witty. 

92. What mood are they most often in? She’s pretty neutral, slightly more positive.

93. What kinds of things anger them? When people don’t think through their actions properly, or when people go back on their word.

94. Outlook on life? Things were pretty bleak for a long time, but she remained hopeful.

95. What kind of things make them sad/depressed? Death, pain.

96. What is their greatest weakness? Her combat skills. Trying to please everyone.

97. What is the greatest strength? Her determination, hopefulness, drive.

98. Something that they regret? The fact that she couldn’t save everyone.

99. Biggest accomplishment? Doing her best to end the Blight.

[zoe-stewart-blog1]

November 2, 2018: old lol

It’s been a while since I made a substantial post, so here’s a long one :)

Social

Because I was born March 13, 2000, I’m the second oldest exchange student out of the 48 in my host district.

Plenty of other students are here on gap years as well (most of them are Americans interestingly), so although I’m not alone in being 18, the people that I interact with on a daily basis are at least 2-3 years younger than me...

I figured I would make a blog post about this, because I’ve noticed the homesickness stage hit some fellow exchange students, and thought that this would be a good chance to explain my own experience.

I included this photo of marshmallows found in a Taipei grocery store because I definitely miss my Rocky Mountains.

My friends and I graduated high school, so the biggest reason why I’m not homesick is because we all left together. Each person is having their own unique experience away from home, and it’s difficult to feel left out because everything is new regardless of where they are.

I’m not invincible though, and definitely have my moments of irritation with some small and insignificant action from either my host family or exchange friends...

I communicate with my “natural” family (rotary uses this term which technically means biological parents... doesn’t exactly apply to me, but it helps to differentiate) once a week at the most, and once every two weeks on average.

School

Recently I went on a 2-day field trip with my class to Yilan. Although I didn’t understand much of the educational side, the views were beautiful and the English museum translations were good enough. The best part of the trip though, was all the time I was able to spend with my classmates outside of the classroom climate. We were able to bond better, and a week later the effects are evident as my classmates shyness has dissolved more, and they actually asked me many questions after this week’s presentation.

I know it’s different for every country and even every school, but for me I don’t have to worry about anything except learning Chinese. I haven’t had to take any tests, and if I take the occasional nap or read an English book during class, no one bats an eye. Honestly it’s pretty nice to not have to stress about typical school things, but I know that this means university next year is going to have a steep adjustment back to serious learning...

I am trying to study (via Khan Academy) so that I can more or less sustain my math skills. I’ve mostly struggled with the whole motivation thing, and time. Despite not having to worry about a lot, I haven’t actually had much free time other than the weekends. School and transportation to/from school takes about 9 hours of my day, and the rest of my time is spent eating dinner and practicing Chinese with my host mom, because they ask that I don’t go out on weeknights (other exchange students go out frequently).

Language

well it’s going. I’m in the highest Chinese class, but I am not the best despite what my appearance says.

Listening and understanding is going smoothly, as I’m able to memorize the meaning of new words easily, because they’re said around me every day. I’m speaking more intentionally, and try to talk to people in Chinese if I can.

Writing is not too difficult to remember the characters, again because I see them every day... However the incredibly simple grammar knocked some points off of the presentation I gave yesterday. When I write in Chinese I still have to mentally translate from English first. The most difficult rule for me to remember is that the time of the sentence goes first.

“When I was buying candy I forgot to take pictures.”

vs.

“I forgot to take pictures when I was buying candy.”

Our presentation prompt was to talk about something we bought, and to show pictures. I translated the second sentence exactly as it’s read, aaaand my Chinese teacher asked if I just Google Translated my presentation... I’m trying hard, so no I did not, nevertheless I was a bit offended.

I studied Spanish for a lot of years and made it all the way through AP Spanish. This means that now my brain has flipped into “foreign language” mode, and both Chinese and Spanish are becoming thoroughly mixed.

Unfortunately though, I still can’t understand enough of the Spanish-speaking exchange students because they speak way too fast and use a lot of slang. As I type this though, I’m listening to a podcast in Spanish to try and jog my memory a bit. Podcasts in Chinese are difficult to listen to because I don’t know quite enough, and honestly their voices are not nearly as relaxing as the rhythmic flow of Spanish.

Back to Chinese though. I am absolutely noticing significant improvements. I actually noticed that when I hear Chinese, I don’t really need to translate it into English because it immediately becomes an image in my head. I translate it anyways and realize that I had already understood more than I initially thought. I’m really excited about this observation, and I’m constantly working to expand my vocabulary and thus my level of understanding.

Miscellaneous

There’s a couple more things I want to mention regarding the fact that I am an Asian... in Asia.

There are two American exchange students who are half-asian-- Filipino and Japanese. While all three of us are frequently asked for directions at bus stops, my experience is still a bit unique because I am and look 100% Asian.

Recently we had a Rotary-organized Halloween party, and it was a lot of fun, but afterwards I felt myself wishing I had dressed more dramatically than just a simple tourist... I almost felt like the event would have been more fun if I were also a white, or more foreign-looking exchange student.

When we were gathering, Rotex from previous years were sorting us into groups, and it took me forever to find mine because they had no idea that I was an exchange student, despite meeting me at orientation ( I don’t blame them; orientation was a while ago).

Later we did a scavenger hunt type activity where we walked around the streets to find people that fit a description (wearing a hat, man with long hair, etc.) and take a photo with them. Everyone we approached was so excited to take photos with all the dressed up foreigners, and asked to use their phone as well. It was definitely all in my head, but I felt a bit like I was a rude passerby photobombing the fun picture because I wasn’t dressed like anything incredibly funny, and I looked like a random person you could find on the street...

My self-isolation was not helped when we went “trick-or-treating,” and the rotarians with the bag of candy stared at me when it was my turn to say “trick or treat,’ and in Chinese told me “no you’re taiwanese. we can’t give you candy.”

Although I’ve made many good friends among exchange students, I sometimes feel the most isolated when I hang out with them. I’m always seen as the translator or the taiwanese friend acting as a tour guide...

Meh I’ll get over it though. Hopefully I’ll be good enough at Chinese that I will be able to more or less translate... we’ll see.

Overall

Despite these challenges, my time has been mostly spent in happiness, as I feel very settled and comfortable here. I am a little bit tired of always eating rice and noodles, but I can’t really complain about that.

I will continue to study hard and do everything I can to learn as much as my brain can handle.

As usual, if there are any questions, just ask!

[kfteasers-blog]

Jane Re.

“I am content with who I am and how my past experiences have shaped me. What is important is that I know that both of those sides–Korean and white–are a part of who I am.”

How do you identify ethnically?

I am half-Korean, half-white. In Korea they call it honhyol.

How do you feel like you belong to each ethnic identity?

Honestly, I feel like I still don’t quite belong to either. Koreans will still look at me strangely, notice my honhyol-ness, and white people will still view me as Asian. I’ve learned to embrace my Korean side as I’ve learned more about my family. I don’t know if I would call it “belonging,” but maybe a deeper understanding, respect, and appreciation for it. I do think I now feel more secure in the title “Korean-American.” I can still be Korean, practice certain values (read: nunchi) and view the world a certain way, but also find community and connection among white people. Some of my dearest friends today are white; and while it’s been a difficult (if awkward) journey of mutual understanding on both sides, I think that we’ve reached a point where I can feel truly comfortable being with them, not like a stranger or foreigner.

Was there one side of your heritage that you identified with more as a child? Do you feel like you belong to one identity over the other now?

I can say that when I was little, my uncle made being white sound shameful. Growing up, everyone in my neighborhood looked at me differently because I didn’t quite look like them. People (especially my uncle) treated me a certain way because I was honhyol, not fully Korean like them. Whatever “bad” qualities I had, they were attributed to my father–my “whiteness.” So as much as I wanted to be seen as Korean, it felt as if social circumstances and my own upbringing wouldn’t allow me to. I used to despise being this in-between. But as I’ve said before, since then I’ve come to learn that my whiteness isn’t a curse, and can in fact be an advantage: I have access and immersion in not one, but two divergent cultures. And I can either let them cripple my sense of self-worth and identity (like it used to), or let them reflect their positive impact in me. Even if I do subconsciously gravitate towards one identity over another, it doesn’t matter to me. I am content with who I am and how my past experiences have shaped me. What is important is that I know that both of those sides–Korean and white–are a part of who I am.

How has movement influenced your feeling of belonging to your identity?

I’ve definitely had my fair share of moving. And now that I think about it, with each move I practically forced myself to belong. When I was an au-pair at the Mazer-Farleys, I followed Beth’s rules and sat through hours of talks with her. I met my first white friend Nina, who encouraged me to dress more provocatively as they did in the clubs in the city. But at the time there was something in me that didn’t feel right about the situation in which I had placed myself (in no small part due to my affair with Ed), and I felt the sudden but strong impulse to leave altogether.

There was an article I read once in The New York Times, about South Korean adoptees returning to their country of birth. There was one sentence in particular that stood out to me: “How can a person exiled as a child, without a choice, possibly fathom how she would have ‘turned out’ had she stayed in Korea?” I thought of my grandfather, and how he had sent me away to live in America because he foresaw a future in Korea where I’d be judged for my mere appearance. So when I moved to Korea, I think I equated belonging with becoming just like them, at the cost of losing myself. I became so immersed in a different culture and lifestyle, that I felt the only way to belong was to conform to it. I changed my appearance and clothing, acted differently, and almost lost Nina. It took me a little while to realize I was doing it all wrong. The measures I was taking were making me feel more Korean, at least according to the standards of this modern society I was thrown into. It was becoming a norm for me–could’ve even been a “home”–but it was definitely not one I was comfortable in. It was much like how the South Korean adoptees felt; as much as they tried to conform by spending time in the country, Korea would never be home for them. I was actively trying to find a place to belong, that I didn’t realize that the change began within me, as cheesy as it sounds. I make the most of the place I am in. I am the one who can determine where I belong or who I belong with. My parents did that, and they were happy, so why couldn’t I? So I moved back to the United States, where I could be among the people with whom I wanted to be and live a life on my own terms. And from there I became happy.

Recount the scene in Food where Beth and Sang meet for the first time. That seemed to be a distinct clash of white and Korean culture–describe how you felt in that moment. Have there been any other instances in your life in which parts of your identity do not align/clash with each other?

That was probably the most significant (and awkward) clash of cultures I’d ever seen. It was bound to happen, since neither side had really had such close contact with the other. It’s weird to describe it that way–like they’re completely different species or something. But that’s what it felt like in that moment; Beth’s lack of nunchi was made all the more obvious in this little world that was dominated by it, while Sang couldn’t pick up on Beth’s own culturally-influenced behaviors. This woman who always seemed to have control of the situation and had the answer to everything suddenly didn’t, and she could feel it. Honestly, I probably watched it with such sick fascination because it was like a physical manifestation of my own identities clashing with each other.  At that point in my life, I felt like they could only exist separately, and that episode at Food only seemed to further prove this point.

Reflect on this passage from The Night Counter (“Like I was saying, I look at myself in the mirror a lot. I see sickly and pimply, but I don’t see Arab, or Chinese, or Black. I do see someone who could definitely pass for Latino but not a hot one like Shakira or Jennifer Lopez…I used to think I would look weird ice fishing, but once someone thought I was eskimo, so I guess I could go ice fishing one day if Brenda would want to do anything fun.”) How do other people’s perception of your identity affect your own perception of your identity?

I actually read this book. Nina recommended it to me, saying it reminded her of me. I guess because I always used to talk about how I’d look in the mirror and see neither a Korean or a white person. I’d just see me, a honhyol. And I thought that was a bad thing unlike this Decimal character, who didn’t seem to really care what she looked like, especially to other people. It’s odd, actually–in the United States, I was condemned by my family for looking too white. But in Korea, I was praised for my honhyol-ness. I had a friend who said she envied my “white skin, big eyes, big nose and small chin.” I’d never considered them as admirable features, more like things that set me apart from everyone else. There’s this article I found once called “Whatever Happened to the Kayumanggi?” It basically talks about how Filipino Malay people admire the fair skin of white people at the cost of acknowledging the beauty of their own golden-brown tone, called “kayumanggi” in Tagalog. This fascination had its roots in historical circumstances, like how the Spaniards converted the Filipino natives into worshipping white-skinned religious figures, or how the Americans brought along with them a vision of the Hollywood ideal. What I learned from this article, and my time in Korea, is that sometimes skin color can be associated with a specific value. It can truly affect how people think of themselves and others–which is probably why Monica always had a bitter undertone whenever she commented on my appearance or position as a half-Korean, half-white woman. The ads on the trains in Korea, my aunt’s fascination with cosmetics, it’s all a part of this attempt to attain what history and society has defined as a beauty standard. And while I let it get to my head a little bit, I think I’ve reached a place where I don’t care as much how people perceive me–because I am happy with the person I’ve become.

Reflection

Jones, Maggie. “Why a Generation of Adoptees Is Returning to South Korea.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Jan. 2015.

Although Jane is not adopted from South Korea, she was similarly removed from the country due to the decision of others, and seemingly for her own benefit. This New York Times article essentially explores the impact this displacement (to the United States, no less) has on the adoptees, and how this impact is felt once they return to South Korea. There are various individuals interviewed who all come from different environmental circumstances and upbringings, which wound up affecting how they adjusted to the country of their origin: some were able to adjust and move their permanently, while others had a difficult time viewing it as another home for themselves. Jane falls into the latter group, raised in her own version of Korea and utterly unprepared for the world she threw herself into. The article captures a relevant angle on the concept of belonging and its relationship with movement: and in Jane’s case, how physically journeying to a part of your ethnic identity is not always a return home.

Pedero, Dero. “Whatever Happened To The Kayumanggi?” Philstar.com, The Philippine Star, 6 July 2003.

Pedero dissects Filipino society’s favoring of whiter, fairer skin and their disregard for “kayumanggi,” or the golden brown skin color that is characteristic of most Filipinos. This article, although focused on a specific nation, can be applied to several others who attempt to emulate the white American/European ideal. Striving to model oneself after this type of person, or even having such a mentality subconsciously ingrained into one’s way of thinking, can have damaging effects for self-perception and racial identity. Jane was raised in an environment that belittled and shamed the white side of her, in terms of both appearance and negatively stereotyped values. When she goes to South Korea, though, her whiteness is praised as an enviable trait. The extreme dichotomy Jane experiences between these two reactions ultimately gives her the perspective she needs. Skin color is not always a direct reflection of one’s ethnic identity, but it is certainly not a determinant of one’s value.