#to be any type of creative person is to put your guts on display and ppl who love you really don't want to see your guts it turns out

[kickedin17]

This is fucking me up also (click for clearer quality bc tumblrs a bitch)

[littlefreya]

As I was saying

Summary: You recently found out that you’re pregnant and Henry is being all sorts of over-protective and annoying about it and won’t shut up about what you should or shouldn’t eat. So you find a creative way to shut him up...

Pairing: Henry Cavill x Reader (no description of body type or ethnicity thought it’s mention that Henry is taller)

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings: 18+, RPF, fluff to smut, early pregnancy, blow job, bodily fluids, slight FemDom/SubMale, My overuse of poetic sex metaphors, cottagecore!

*No permission is given for reposting my work, copying it, or parts from it.

A/N: This story was born out of a convo I had with my sweet @the-soot-sprite​ about the photo above. Many thanks to @agniavateira​ my solid rock who betas all my work and to @firefly-graphics​ for the dividers

Please comment and reblog if you enjoyed my story. I work hard on each one of them and your validation means the world to me. 🖤

As I was Saying

Henry’s velvety voice carried through the cottage like seductive vapours of honey liqueur. It wasn’t often that he'd sing a blissful tune so casually out of the blue—after earth-shattering sex perhaps, which indeed you had the night before. However, this morning, his chants were laced with a new flavour of sugary bliss. 

Two little pink stripes. That's all it took for his eyes to shimmer the way precious cobalt is kissed by a moonlight glow.

Sneaking about in the mien of a curious little mouse, you trod after the pleasant tune of his voice, which was now accompanied by a soft rustle. Wander laved your face once you leaned against the kitchen door frame, peering at the prodigious man who stood in front of the open fridge. 

Preoccupied, he appeared to be ransacking through the shelves with the song ‘Cheek to Cheek’ thrumming on his tongue.

“Heaven... I'm in heaven…”  

Fingers clutching at the edge of the wall, you pressed into the chilled surface with a relaxed smirk, lingering on the irresistible view when your ease of mind faded with a blink of an eye — while methodically rummaging through the fridge, Henry threw fresh food straight into an open trash can.

“What are you doing?” you asked, your voice rising to a high-pitched yip. 

Henry made a soft flex; the muscles of his back rippled in a tidal motion. Though acknowledging your presence, he proceeded to hover a finger over different products. 

“Cleaning up the fridge," he answered absentmindedly.

With a soft shove, there went your French cheese. 

“That’s brand new!” you protested and rushed toward him, alarmed. 

Towering over the trash can, you considered diving in to salvage the precious bulk of cheese from the dreary pit. Henry glanced at you from the corner of his eyes, testing your resolve while his claw grabbed some papaya salad leftovers and pushed it over the edge of the shelf, joining the rest of the discarded meals. 

“It is,” he nodded and closed the refrigerator door, carrying on to the high cabinets. With a slight wrinkle between his brows and a hand scratching the stubbles of his dimpled chin, he narrowed his eyes to scrutinise the items carefully. “I'm pregnant-proofing the kitchen. I called Hanna while you were asleep. She created a proper daily menu for you with the dos and don’ts: less sugar, more veggies and protein.” 

It took you a moment to process his words, your eyes narrowing while asking, “Hanna? As in Hanna, your nutritionist?”

Henry nodded at your question, a faint crease lining his cheek. “That’s the one. Don't worry, princess, she specialises with pregnant women.”

Unwittingly, a somewhat inhuman growl sounded in your chest. You were only getting used to the idea of developing another person inside you, and here stood your husband, already seeing fit to dictate your diet. Slithering into the narrow space between the heavy man and the counter, you tilted your chin to meet his stare while your fists pressed into your hips assertively. 

“Listen here, Cavill! You might have jizzed me one too many and succeeded in putting a baby in there, but this is still my body. I can take care of my own pregnancy diet.”

With an arm stretched above your head, Henry offered a charming display of pearly whites to pacify your strained nerves. His dimples nearly managed to beguile your senses when your eyes flared at the sight of what was held between his long fingers.

“No! Henry, no! Not the coffee!”

“Oh, I’m afraid so, my love. You shouldn’t have any caffeine at your current state.” Despite his argument, the tenderness of his gaze stroked upon your face like a warm ray of sunlight piercing through heavy clouds. Lazily it dropped to your belly, the cascading heat cradling your unborn child. 

Words of protest left you for a sliver of a moment, too in awe of the dreamy grin on his face. 

Thoughts of how beautiful you’d look rounded and full with his child illuminated him that you swore his skin developed a glow over the night. Didn’t they always say women are radiant when they are pregnant? Well, it seemed that in your case, it applied to your husband as well.

The charming haze of bliss almost swallowed you up; but you quickly slapped yourself back into reality, reaching a hand in an attempt to stop Henry from throwing away your delicacy. Though taller, Henry held his hand far out of reach, a hint of a smugness stretching his lips.

“A pregnant woman is allowed to have a little bit of caffeine!” You muttered and sent both hands in an attempt to retrieve the box while Henry teased you by throwing it from one hand to the other, further fueling your annoyance. 

Vexed to the point of frustration, you stood still and sighed, “you know what else is bad for the baby?” 

Henry paused his foolish games and tilted his head as he waited to hear your answer.

“His father at the morgue after I’ll kill him. Now stop that and hand it over! A pregnant woman can have a cup a day, according to Google.” 

“Nope,” Henry clicked his tongue, his laughter replaced with a severe stare. “Love, I know they say it’s okay to have a teeny bit, but I’ve been doing some research while you were asleep, and it’s not recommended. Caffeine increases heart rate and blood pressure, which is not good for you nor for the baby. It also increases urination, which may cause dehydration.”

Clenching your jaw at the onslaught of information he bestowed, you watched his lips move while none of his words registered. Preoccupied with the rules of a “healthy” pregnancy, Henry was set on being the practical one, completely forgetting to enjoy the moment. And damn, it was the moment to celebrate. All you wanted right now was to stay in bed for a day, ride your handsome husband to hell and back and eat as much ice cream as possible.

“Everything you eat from now on goes to our baby,” Henry proceeded to lecture on a thing you were perfectly aware of.

Ire found you within seconds, embroiled with pregnancy hormones which made him further intolerable at the moment— intolerable

... and delicious.  

Soaked with hunger, your eyes raked his sight: the thickness of his muscles was apparent beneath a plain black t-shirt and those good old grey sweats outlined the source of your current predicament. Your fingers twitched just from thinking about it, mimicking the sensation of squeezing its girth and eliciting those low groans that made your heart flutter. 

But his chatter still interrupted your sultry thoughts. If only there was a way to get him to shut up, you mused. Then your eyes focused on the soft bulge that winked back at your hungry glare.

Unaware, Henry turned toward the table to grab a bulk of informative documents he printed earlier in order to educate you of your pregnancy, he licked his thumb and began to read through, “As I was saying….”

Hastily, you exploited his lack of attention and took a step forward, your fingers latching around the hem of his sweats. With one swift movement, you fell to your knees and tugged his trousers along. 

Lost in his passionate speech, Henry was still muttering nonsense when your hand seized him; but as the lushness of your tongue bedded his soft cock without warning, all that could be heard in the kitchen was a husky gasp. 

Feeling the warm silky flesh swell and harden within your mouth, you sent your eyes up to peer at him, admiring the sight. Nothing spoke of your power better than the wrinkle between his shut eyes and his mouth agape with all air draining from his lungs. There you were, lowered to your knees with a maw full of his cock and yet, he was the one who lost his ability to speak and had his legs quaking of need. 

Unable to help yourself, you sent one palm to feel the tremor that ran through the muscles of his thighs while the other cradled his heavy sac. 

“Uh……” he finally managed to utter, a groan of bemused bliss pushing itself between his parted lips. “What… what are you doing?” 

You crooked an eyebrow in response and answered by dragging your mouth along the length of his shaft. Your pillowy lips ran across ridges and thrumming veins, your jaw loosening until you felt him deep in the back of your throat. 

Locked in the cavernous cage of your maw, he tightened his gut and shuddered with pleasure. Though, the low unbridled groans that sputtered from his chest fueled your enticement just as so; memories of how the same thick girth that brimmed your mouth would split open your narrow canal made both your eyes and abandoned cunt tear of desperation.

It always beguiled you how much arousal could be found in bringing him to his rapture without touching yourself. The harder he throbbed on your velvety serpent, the more you soaked.  

With fervent strokes, you feasted on the briny flavour of his cock; the tendons vibrated with bliss while your tongue twirled and pushed around them. You pulled, sucked, and pumped him in your warm mouth, milking the senses of a man infinitely stronger—a man who succeeded in conquering your womb yet now crumbled to nothing at the touch of your tongue.

“Fuck…. Babe… keep going,” Henry breathed out a plea. The documents held by his hand slipped between his fingers as he pressed his palm to the cabinet with a thud, and began to rock his hips back and forth to fuck back into your mouth. Like feathers, the white slips floated around you, landing onto the ground while you worked him to his ecstasy.  

His other hand found your head, caressing lovingly and trying to take control: yet his strength waned and his head fell back with a moan. Faster, harder, you sucked your husband to the point of submission while hums of admiration laced around his rigid length. Your eyes beamed as you watched his resolve shatter. Your fingertips toyed with the coarse hair at the apex of his thighs, your thumb seeking the tendon at the base of his cock and pressing into it, urging him to spill his gift down your throat.

“I’m going to… I’m going to…. In your throat… fuck.”

With a guttural grunt, he thickened against your tongue; the overflow of salty-sweet cream glazed your mouth and then flowed down your flaring throat.

The room thrummed with the buzz of the refrigerator, Henry’s heavy exhales - these were the sounds of your triumph. Wiping your lips with the back of your hand, you cracked a smile and neatly pulled his trousers back on before you rose to stand straight. 

Overwhelmed and drenched in sweat, your husband scrutinised you while you reached for the box of capsules and tilted your head.

“You were saying?”

[ikuzeminna]

Why I love Gundam Wing and hate Frozen Teardrop

With Frozen Teardrop being the first new thing released in the Gundam Wing universe in ages, I feel I should make my stance on it clear, seeing as I’ve read (and by now thankfully forgotten) a large chunk of it.

So, what do I like about Gundam Wing? I can say without lying, almost everything. I like the story, the characters, the themes, the designs and the music. I like its humor, its subtlety, the fact that everyone plays a role and that there's no definite bad guy (nor good one for that matter). I like its dynamics and how you can view it any way you want, e.g. the Gundam pilots being heroes or plain murderers. And I like that you can and even must dig to understand things. The whole composition really works for me.

And what's best is that this entire composition makes Gundam Wing more; it makes it unique. I grew up with classics like Dragonball and Sailor Moon, the forefathers of the 'Idiot Hero' archetype for both males and females. Even to this day you see series featuring these types of main characters. Classic scenario of a naive yet pure kid growing up to become the savior of the world. We've all seen that.

It's why Gundam Wing is so special to me. It has a completely atypical setup and there's absolutely no stereotype I can apply to any character, no matter what TV Tropes may say. Heero is hardly your typical hero, is he? Heck, Heero is hardly a typical anything. What's more, Gundam Wing doesn't follow the 'growing stronger' plotline that, for example, the original MS Gundam or Seed series used. No, Gundam Wing starts out with fully trained soldiers who can kick your butt from episode 1 and will kill you without qualms if the situation requires it. (That's not to say that the characters don't grow, it's the physical growth and capabilities I'm talking about.) What's truly surprising about that is the age of the characters. This is another important point. Gundam Wing and realism. Many times I hear that GW is realistic. I'm sorry but no. Teens fighting against armies isn't realistic. Teens leading said armies isn't either. Neither is bending steel bars, nor surviving jumping off cliffs or blowing up your suit, nor successfully back-flipping from a motorbike onto a clothesline, nor becoming the Queen of the World as a teen, nor stealing a MS carrier plus suit at the age of ten, nor walking around with bazookas at the age of ten nor what have you. It's safe to say that Gundam Wing lacks any sense of realism. But it does not lack logic.

Realism never was Gundam Wing's aim to begin with. The way I see it, it's not just the plot or circumstances that prove this, but also the "inhumanity" of the characters. Would a real person with a similar background as Heero, Duo or Trowa really exhibit such selflessness or noble-mindedness as them and risk his life for strangers by fighting a war that could end in their death? I don't think so. Would anyone as sheltered as Relena give up her lifestyle, have the guts to go against the world's armed rulers with just words and put her life on the line for the sake of others? Hard to believe.

And that's it. One of the things that contributes to Gundam Wing's uniquity and is therefore a, if not the, defining trait of the series, is that it doesn't tell the story about angst-riddled terrorists and princesses, but a tale of heroes. The characters are ridiculously noble, strong, selfless, courageous, determined, make the impossible possible and still retain a certain purity, despite having gone through hell and back. It's what makes them so awesome. It's what makes the series so awesome. Duo isn't badass because he fights in the war. He's badass because he fights "so that no one else will have to" and when you see what he went through, you can only say "wow". Lady Une killed Relena's father and when Relena is given the opportunity to take revenge, she declines, saying there's been enough bloodshed. That's role model material there. Something that is sorely lacking in a lot of shows nowadays. And something that a lot of people seem to miss the point of (I'm referring to those that call the pilots wussies for not killing in EW).

All of this is the reason I hate Frozen Teardrop with a passion. Forget the nonsensical, recycled plot or the billion clones of everyone or the terrible mobile suit names like Snow White or Merciless Fairies. Forget Treize getting French’d by his mom or the Zero System being a digital cat or Relena’s grandfather being a disgusting ephebophile. That stuff is messed up and random and dumb and I have no idea what was wrong with the author at the time to write this.

It’s also that he completely destroys the essence of the original series, making every single characters whine about some drama and the never ending “woe is me” monologue I had to wade through every chapter.

Let’s take Duo, for example. He woke up one morning and decided to become an irresponsible, gold-digging bastard. To get Hilde’s money, he agreed to her terms to cut his braid off and get a “proper” name, just to buy himself a motorbike with their joined assets. Then he inherited a church plus orphanage, which Hilde got stuck with, too, being his wife, and when she asked him how to fund the orphanage, Sumizawa wants me to believe that Duo freaking Maxwell was just “Eh, whatever, leave them to it. I’m out” before taking off? Excuse me, what???

I’ve had discussions with people about this and there were statements that maybe more people just need to learn how actual manic depressives and people with PTSD act in relation to Duo's development in Frozen Teardrop. I've noticed a tendency for people to want to apply realism to Gundam Wing, especially in fanfics, but as I said before, Gundam Wing and realism don't have anything to do with each other. So why should I apply it?

What I expect from anything featuring Gundam Wing's characters is the same "heroic" behavior that was displayed in the series. Sure, the pilots each had a mental burden to carry but it wasn't what defined them. For example, Trowa's insecurity about not having a name or yearning for a home never became the main focus unlike his endless selflessness. And Heero's bitterness about the colonies' betrayal was well hidden under his joining the Treize faction to be able to keep retaliating against OZ. A noble deed to fight on but was it really necessary for him to go for the missions with the lowest chance of survival?

As I said, Gundam Wing is unique because it is atypical. That encompasses pretty much everything; you have bloody murderers in the role of the 'heroes', noble, honorable 'bad guys' who value life and the ever flashy Gundams that can't even begin to compare to non-flashy Relena's influence and importance to the plot. So why on earth should I go along with Duo and Wufei bickering like kids, like characters from five million other series do? I want my uniquity. I'm not saying that it isn't a possible outcome for Duo and Wufei to become bitter and bicker and argue and not be able to stand each other when they become adults. But considering those two could get along splendidly, it's a letdown. Duo and Wufei are very much alike; they both lost people important to them twice, they both fight partly out of revenge and their loss has had the biggest impact on shaping them into what they are in the series, unlike the other pilots. Heck, they both wear their respective culture's colors for mourning. Despite that, their personalities (or ways of dealing) are exact opposites. It's enough to make for a more interesting relationship dynamic between them than what was done in Frozen Teardrop and a lot of Gundam Wing fanfics.

Heero's regression is the same. He was frozen because J said something to the extent of "a guy like him would be needed in the future". How J is even alive is another point of unnecessary addition. But what would a guy like Heero be needed for? Killing, apparently.

Way to ignore the ending of Endless Waltz.

I guess it's partly my wish for Heero and everyone else to live a well-deserved 'happily ever after' which makes me have such a knee jerk reaction to all the drama. That and the fact that there was nowhere near as much drama in Gundam Wing. Nor sap, nor stereotyping, nor "realism". >_>

This grated on my nerves, which was why I dropped Frozen Teardrop like a hot potato and haven’t bothered since. This novel does not only fail on a general level with all the random, messed up crap and terrible pacing, it also fails to satisfy the Gundam Wing fan in me because Sumizawa, the very head writer of the show, also ignored major character traits on top of everything else. Why would Catherine, who stated that she hates war and did everything she could to keep Trowa from fighting, train his clone to become a soldier? Why would Duo become that deadbeat I described above?

Being the sole writer of Frozen Teardrop meant he could take as many creative liberties as he wanted. But in the end, he took too many, which in turn resulted in so many inconsistencies with the series that Frozen Teardrop now takes place in an alternate universe, in which not the series but the manga Glory of Losers takes place. Which is the sole reason I’m not bothered by Frozen Teardrop’s existence anymore.

There were some good passages in the novel, it wasn’t all bad. The battles with the new characters were exciting at times, I’ll be honest, but even those couldn’t be called genuinely good because of the carbon copies deal. There is always some blemish. Like Heero’s proposal to Relena. I’ve seen fans of the pairing rejoice at the scene. Alas, I’m not one of them because frankly, the characters in the novel hardly resemble the original ones. So I don’t care.

As the head writer of the show I had expected him to treat the source material with more care and not run it over with retcons and meaningless additions. Best example being everything surrounding Odin. The world could've definitely done without him being Heero's father. Or freaking Trant being related to him.

But again, alternate universe so who cares.

[funkymbtifiction]

Hi again! So I was reading your take on John Ruskin as an INFP 4w5, which led me to read the 5 profile. Now I’m wondering if you have tips on how to distinguish the emotional detachment of 5 from the emotional detachment of 9. I still think I’m a main 9, but boy, so many things in 5 felt familiar to me - “never being ready,” “getting tired just thinking about doing something,” the feeling of being empty and and the fear of not being able to give creatively but only to take. I’m not a stingy person - I’ve given so much time, talent, and even money to my family and people who needed it. But I do hoard energy and privacy. I have hermit-like tendencies. I often wish just to be left completely alone and that time could stop so I could have unlimited time to prepare my mind to work (and maybe ACTUALLY work as well haha).

You likely are a 952 tritype and an sp-dom, since sp-doms mirror 5ish traits to some extent (being constantly aware of resources, expenditure of energy, etc). Wanting to give and helpful to others, but also feeling the double-pull of retreating into yourself and wanting to be left alone, is “very” 259 tritype.

5s belong to the head center and 9s belong to the body center. 9s can instinctively respond to things on a gut level of immediate reaction (often to put up a barrier, go numb, or feel annoyed and withdraw) whereas head types, 5s in particular, detach and analyze and approach things from a neutral position. A 5 fears absorption by the outer world and so minimizes itself, whereas the 9 fears conflict and becomes accommodating. The 5 never loses itself in other people’s emotional states whereas the 9 is absorbed into them and sometimes does not know what their own opinion is. The 5 is ultimately fearful and researches things, always looking for more knowledge, to avoid being at risk. The 9 wants to be alone just so they can ‘find themselves’ without outer influences battering them against the rocks of life.

I’ve also been thinking about emotional attachment lately because my mother and I have been discussing autism and how it often goes unnoticed in women, and that some traits, such as difficulty with emotions, seem to be more easily masked by women (perhaps due to the greater social demands on women? We’re expected to be friendly, etc.). We both have trouble with emotions - she gets overly emotional in response to stimuli (music, tragedy in movies) and I tend to repress emotions. As an example, when I was a child I was often envious of my sisters because they had their special toys that they cherished, talked to, kept close on outings, etc. And I…didn’t. I tried to fake it a couple of times, but in reality, I just didn’t form that kind of bond, even though I wanted to. I’ve always wondered why they could and I could not. To me this sounds like 5 - the struggle between wanting a bond and yet wanting distance. But 9 gets numb, too, so I’m not sure.

Are you autistic? If so, that is a factor, and there is cross-over between autism and 5s. Not all autistic people are 5s, but many of them are and display all the traits of being a 5, including emotional detachment and severe secrecy.

Inner emptiness can be both 9 and 5, but a 5 would be more inclined to analyze this and ponder what it means, whereas a 9 might find that kind of inner reflection and concern about their emotional state ‘disturbing.’ 9s do not want to feel uncomfortable with themselves, so a core 9 is going to avoid excessive self-analysis in any way that raises discomfort or dissatisfaction on a level that becomes unpleasant. 9s can be empty because ... emotions, and having strong reactions, are anti-9. They want to be peaceful and so numb themselves. Head types can be empty because they are wholly removed from their heart center. Emotions are seen as dangerous and thus avoided, ignored, rationalized away, and wrought with indecision. They replace feeling with ‘thinking.’

[vesuviannights]

Welcome to The Terrifying Ten!

What is The Terrifying Ten, you ask? It’s a writer and artist challenge for December, open to absolutely any and all who wish to participate. It will go from 1st – 31st of December, though you’re welcome to start planning ahead. There is nowhere specific you submit and no one you are accountable to – it’s just you, 10 things, and however you want to put them out into the world.

How does it work?

You identify 10 things you have never done before in your given area – things you have never had the guts to try, or that you have tried but never posted, or are just a little curious about and want to research more. The idea is that you choose things that are terrifying, but in a good way – thus, The Terrifying Ten! 

It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself and reignite your creative spark with something you don’t normally do, and hopefully while we’re at it, create some diversity in our own writing and our fandom in general. Of course, it isn’t limited to any one fandom, so go wild!

I need some ideas!

Of course! You can have whatever you like on your TTT list, but if you’re stuck for ideas, here are some that have been gathered to get your mind ticking:

For writers: smut (on whichever level you are comfortable), first/second/third person fic, specific kinks, a fic with no dialogue, a fic that is all dialogue, vomit-inducing fluff, a character you have never written for, a fandom you have never written for, character death, alternate universe, crossovers, specific writing techniques (e.g. imagery, allusion, allegory, alliteration), short fics, long fics

For artists: culturally diverse characters, in a realistic style or in another artists style, various body types, dynamic perspective, B A C K G R O U N D S, inanimate objects, comic panels, smut/lemon (Thanks to @kidgrimm for helping with this list!)

Any suggestions for how to keep track of it?

Again, whatever works for you. For your Tumblr I’d suggest keeping a masterlist post, or possibly having a collection of links on each post you make that link to the others. Alternatively, I have made a few scorecards you can use if you want to have a visual display for yourself found here. If you don’t have access to picture editing software to add in the text, I’d suggest using Pixlr Editor.

Each time you post, you’re also welcome to tag me or use #theterrifyingten. I’d love to be able to see everyone’s stuff on the one tag at the end of the month.

I still have a question, ya dingus

Oops. Honestly, there’s no right or wrong way to do this, so long as you’re challenging yourself. If you’re still curious about something, send me an ask – chances are someone else has had the same thought.

[thatwritergirlsblog]

Common writing mistakes and how to avoid them

Here are some of the writing mistakes I’ve noticed most often and tips on how to avoid making them:

1. Beginning/ending disjointed from the rest

A nugget of writing advice that is thrown around left and right is the notion that your first line/page has to stand out and grip your reader. Or that your last line has to pack a massive punch.

There is some truth in this. Your beginning should be strong and deal with a situation that will intrigue your reader. And your ending should have a purpose.

BUT you have to keep in mind that your readers will probably have an attention span longer than a paragraph.

This advice is often taken too far and can lead to a first page/line that is written in a completely different style to the rest of your novel. That line is often over-the-top/pretentious/overtly controversial and shocking. The same can be said for the last line. The reader has read the entire book and then suddenly the ending is written in a completely different way with the intention of standing out.

Instead of focusing too much on the wow factor of that first line, make sure that your beginning introduces the reader to what they can expect from the rest of the book. Show the reader what type of writing/story you’re going to give them. Introduce the tension/problem. Give them a character to root for etc. This is a much better approach to writing a good opening.

The same goes for the ending. Make sure that it’s in line with the tone and theme of the rest of the novel. It can be shocking, but it shouldn’t look like something from a different novel.

For more detail on this, I would recommend Ross Raisin’s Read This If You Want to Be a Great Writer.

2. A “diverse/representative” character for the sake of it

Yes, I know one character cannot be “diverse” but just bear with me. (Words are hard)

This boils my blood every time. In my opinion (which is likely different from a lot of other people’s), token representation is worse than no representation.

Don’t throw in a LGBT+ character if that is their only trait/role in the story and you’re going to kill them three scenes later anyway. Don’t give us a minor character of colour who’s a walking stereotype and will have no active role to play in the narrative. A disabled character whose only defining characteristic is their disability.

Rather than throwing in representation for pc points, make those characters round/well-developed. It might be difficult to comprehend, but LBGT+ people and POCs have diverse/unique personalities, appearances and interests. And they can play crucial roles in your narrative.

Maybe you feel uncomfortable writing major characters from a different group than you. That’s okay. Just don’t try to fix this by slapping a token onto the page and patting yourself on the back for being progressive.

3. Deus ex machina

Deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and seemingly unlikely occurrence, typically so much as to seem contrived. (Wikipedia - yes, I’m not a walking dictionary.)

Your characters have been working their butts off to thwart the plans of the villain. Despite all their efforts, they have been captured and thrown into a dungeon. There is no chance of escape. Enter a roguish hero with the exact powers to break them out and they fly away to fight another day.

Please don’t.

You should up the stakes throughout your novel, making situations more difficult to get out of as the story progresses. But you need to have a plan for how your characters will overcome that situation. Every win should be fought for.

A deus ex machina will make your story appear amateurish and will make the reader feel cheated and foolish for being worried. We want to see the struggle!

4. Not planning the logistics 

Even if your’re writing high fantasy, the events in your story should seem realistic (at least in that world). This means that practical things should make sense.

Travel time should be consistent and realistic. If your characters are travelling by existing means e.g. walking/horseback/car, this should correspond to the time it would take people in the real world to travel that distance. Google is your friend. And if you’re using fantastical means of travel e.g. a flying train/dragon/genetically modified horse, your travel time should still be consistent. If a dragon takes three days to fly across the country, then it can’t do so in two hours when the shit hits the fan. Plan out your setting and the distances between places. Figure it out and then write it down so you can stick to it.

Same goes for physical afflictions. If your character is trudging through a frozen wasteland/a vast desert, you need to know how they’re going to feel. Which symptoms will they display? Which bodily functions will start to give out first? How long can they survive in these circumstances? RESEARCH FOR HOW LONG PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY HOLD THEIR BREATH UNDERWATER. If your character gets wounded, know how long they can go on without passing out/going into shock/dying. Research how many drinks typically gets which size of person drunk etc. I know this seems like a lot to research, but it’s necessary. If you have some superhuman characters, you get to decide what they can take. Just make sure that it’s consistent. Your werewolf protagonist can’t nearly die from a stab wound to the chest at one point and then keep fighting for an hour with their guts spilling out at another. It has to make sense.

This applies to all practical occurrences in your narrative.

P.S. This may be easier said than done, but don’t go down the rabbit hole. Research what you need to know and move on to writing. Otherwise, you’re going to spend your whole life online looking at pictures of dehydrated people and googling major arteries.

5. Exposition dump

You’ve spent days crafting a history for your world, creating long-lost magical creatures and developing a cult-like religion. So, now you feel compelled to share all this awesomeness at every turn.

Don’t.

I’m not as strictly into the idea that ONLY things relevant to the plot should be included. Interesting tidbits make a novel intriguing and the world captivating.

But don’t introduce it all at the same time in pages of exposition. Sprinkle it into observations/conversations/events throughout your novel. Don’t tell the reader all the things you’ve created - show it to them through your characters where it feels organic to do so.

Make sure that it makes sense where you’ve chosen to put it. If you have to bend your narrative to include it in that specific scene, don’t. Otherwise it’ll come across as an exposition dump, which is quite boring to read.

These are some mistakes I’ve noticed. Maybe other people don’t think of these as errors, but this is my take on it. If you’d like more detail/clarity please ask :)

If you have any other questions/comments on creative writing, don’t hesitate to ask/request a post.

Reblog if you found these tips useful. Comment with the common writing mistakes you’ve noticed. Follow me for similar content.

[happymetalgirl]

Pissgrave - Posthumous Humiliation

In 2015, Philadelphia’s Pissgrave took the death metal underground by storm through the sheer filth and vile gore of their debut LP, Suicide Euphoria, whose cover alone (which consisted of a realistic photograph of human bones, feces and other liquefied remains either rotting or being dissolved in a bathtub) caught even the most seasoned death metal fans off guard, and the band’s new album’s cover photograph is somehow even more visceral. While I always include the cover art to albums I discuss, and I have included the cover to this album as well, I have chosen to move it to the bottom of this post because it is especially realistic (it is a photograph, after all) so as to not traumatize those who might be traumatized by the sight of real life gore. Chances are, if you’re into death meal and you’re reading about Pissgrave, though, you’re pretty numb to blood and guts and the gore here is probably just another of hundreds, if not thousands of abominable album covers you’ve seen. But you never know. Regardless, I did want to spend some time talking about the artwork associated with this album because it does kind of necessitate a discussion about its use of gore and real human suffering.

I don’t know exactly how the band or their management came into possession of the photograph gracing the cover of this new album, but regardless of how ethically the band obtained it, using it as an album cover came with some responsibility that I’m not quite sure was upheld as well as it could have been. While the modus operandi of death metal has largely been to revel in violence and gore in a campy or perhaps profound manner, this album cover only seems to serve to outdo the edginess of other death metal covers and that of the band’s debut. Being that this is not the usual fictional depiction of death and suffering of most death metal covers, but rather an actual depiction of the aftermath of a real life ended violently in some manner, it comes off as tasteless and indeed disrespectful to whoever this person was and the people connected to him. Yes, it sure does help the album live up to its title because it’s putting this person’s death and their mutilated body on display for entertainment. Sure, it perhaps beckons pondering of the way we view death and shy away from its gritty details and how we see certain deaths as unnatural, but aside from the song titles and the flowery album descriptions associated with it, the band and their management do nothing but revel in how bold of a move the use if the cover is. There are no lyrics to explain what the band are trying to accomplish with the album cover, so with only the titles and the album’s descriptions, there’s nothing really making this album cover anything more artistically than what it is literally, a mutilated, dead face. I do think that it’s possible that if the photograph was obtained ethically that there could indeed have been some justifiable artistic premise for its use as the cover, but Pissgrave seem content to leave it at simply “celebration of pure torment and misery”, which is essentially just death metal syntactical white noise without anything else to supplement it to give it more profound meaning (ironic given the name of the label releasing this). In other words, the band don’t really do anything with it, it’s just trying to be shocking, and again, in this genre, it really isn’t even all that shocking, just try-hard. Yes, in death metal exuding brutality and comfortability with the darkness of death is a big part of establishing credibility within it, but that doesn't mean that every artistic move for brutality's sake is justified. It wasn't excusable when Mayhem did it with Dead's suicide for Dawn of the Black Hearts in 1995, and it's not beyond reproach for Pissgrave and Posthumous Humiliation now. And criticizing it is part of keeping the genre's artistic boundaries within a healthy margin of the boundaries of ethics, so as to minimize and avoid as much as possible the types of atrocities that made early 2nd wave Norwegian black metal scene so deservedly notoriously condemned (yes, a lot of those main figures were very fucked in the head and even if they produced some great art, the means and the lives they lived to do so were not always justified). I'm not trying to say this is on the level of activity that Varg's murder of Euronymous or even the entire NSBM scene is; I'm just trying to say that even though death metal strives to push artistic boundaries and use gore for art, there are still boundaries worth respecting because it is still an art. If anything, perhaps the silver lining of the tactless use of this photograph is a reminder to those involved in making dark art to be tactful with the use of sensitive material such as this. Anyway, with that out of the way, on to the music of this album, because I sure do enjoy it.

Posthumous Humiliation is hardly any different from its predecessor stylistically; it's a chaotic, storm of gratuitous drum fills, blast beats, atop downward spiraling tremolo guitar work akin to that of Portal's Ion, and harsh growled vocals sounding as though they're coming through a pillow or a static-y air control radio. The description the band/label give the album is indeed accurate; it's a deep indulgence in all of the sonic depravity that death metal is built on and continues to build on. However, from the moment I heard the first single and opening track, the furiously ripping “Euthanasia”, I knew it was going to be an at least somewhat more accomplished album musically. The dizzying lead guitar work, tinged with black metal tritone dissonance, was a lot more vibrant and confident, much less hurried than what was on Suicide Euphoria, as well as being more prominent and less buried beneath the barrage of sound the rhythm section drums up.

While it's possible to go into the nitty gritty details of the appeal of each song on here, this is the kind of album whose entire sonic style is either too ridiculously gross, guttural, or incomprehensible to be your style, or it's exactly the spice you need among all the polished death metal in your listening rotation.

There is variety to be found amid the merciless madness of Posthumous Humiliation, faster and slower aspects of the instrumentation to juxtapose each other amid the dense, debris-filled winds of the album's ethos as a whole, and indeed plenty of time during which everything is being fired at full power at full speed. While initial listens will definitely hide a lot of the nuance this album does have and make most of the album come off as one big sickening death metal mess, closer, repeated listens show what each of the individual songs do have to offer that the others don't and what justifies their separation into different tracks as opposed to being lumped into a homogeneous single 43-minute piece.

The second song, "Canticles of Ripping Flesh", is a faster, more straightforward death metal tune with a lot of early Cannibal Corpse influence behind it that the band works rather well with, and the songs "Into the Deceased" and "Posthumous Humiliation" take faster, old-school death amd thrash metal approaches and twist them through warped modern sadism and black metal nihilism with the wall of sound the band conjures. Meanwhile songs like "Emaciated" and album's third, "Funeral Inversion", show some of the band's versatility as the latter rides lower drum tempos (albeit supplemented by plenty of double-bass) over slightly down-tuned guitars in a more subtly menacing manner, which the subsequent, ominous "Catacombs of Putrid Chambers" expands on with it s ride cymbal-driven and classic-thrash-chugger-inspired palm-muted groove of its attack.

The closing track, “Rusted Wind”, with its less-supplemented, slowed down guitar lead outro is a bit underwhelming, but it doesn’t completely undo the stormy, gory vibe the album builds up beforehand. Overall, though, Posthumous Humiliation is the satisfyingly disgusting follow-up Suicide Euphoria deserved. It's not by any means a tremendous leap in quality that accomplishes much of anything new for Pissgrave, but it's a good way foe the band to prove that Suicide Euphoria was neither a fluke, nor a flash in the pan, and that their creative well is still flowing with indulgent death metal depravity. While the underuse of the cover photograph does shed some blemish on the artistic motive of this album, I am willing to give the band the benefit of the doubt that it was just a miscalculated move to up their aesthetic that stepped outside the bounds of tastefulness (and hopefully not good ethics) by accident.

Mezmerizingly gross/10

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Close your eyes for a second as you’re scrolling past this if realistic gore doesn’t sit well with you.

.

.

.

.

.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

[virgocity]

HI! Here to help you multitask, I currently have sunday sadness because the weekend went way to fast from me doing absolutely nothing LOL. what is your fave genre of literature?? and what are 3 books you would recommend?

HELLO MY FRIEND. I’m glad your icon is actually a picture of you now. I’ve also done very little this weekend besides play Pokemon (both Go and Moon) and lounge around with your roommate, and now I actually gotta type up 13 pages worth of lunch-break-writing from this week.

My favorite genres of literature are horror and dystopian/disaster but, and this is a big distinction, not YA. If you’ve read one YA dystopian novel, you’ve read them all and that type of tropey, formulaic writing gets under my skin and is what keeps me from enjoying YA fiction.

Three books I’d recommend?

The Zombies by Macualay C. Hunter -- I am a zombie fiction SNOB and no show, book or movie has ever done a better job than this series. It is realistic, it is gutting, it is the reason my hair is dyed blue. It changed me as a writer and as a person and I’ve never been as deeply hurt by any piece of fiction as this. It’s the story of a bunch of high schoolers living through an outbreak of a terrible, brain-crippling disease called Sombra C. The infected get a tattoo on their neck displaying their viral load and the world begins to shut down as neighborhood militias form to kill those infected.

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach -- This is the only horror novel that has ever truly kept me up at night. This is fear in its most basic, primal state and it is written in a very unique, very creative fashion. It is basically a horrifying tale of the butterfly effect, how the smallest of actions can set off an absolutely sickening chain of events that could have been avoided if the wind had blown differently. The whole story is told in flashbacks and everything is happening to our main character while he’s a kid. And anything is 100x worse when you’re watching it happen to a kid.

The Ruins by Scott Smith -- An EXCEPTIONAL piece of horrific literature. This is one of the smoothest books I’ve ever read. It’s dick long but you find yourself reading 150 pages in a clip because it just flows like a fucking roaring river. It’s about a group of tourists in Mexico who take a hike into the jungle for a last-minute adventure and find themselves trapped by something extremely sinister.

(honorable mention) Battle Royale by Koushun Takami -- The Hunger Games WAAAAY before The Hunger Games was ever a thing. This book is gripping as fuck. It’s been translated into different editions, it’s got a manga and it’s got two movies. A class of freshman is sent to an island with instructions to slaughter each other until only one remains. This is a system put into place by the government to control Japan’s out-of-control youth population. It’s a cult classic for a reason. Imagine The Hunger Games mixed with Lord of the Flies and set in Japan. It’s incredible.

(honorable mention) Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick -- Here’s me being a hypocrite because this book IS actually YA (and like young adult because I think my sister read this in 7th grade) but good GOD, it makes you feel things. It’s the story of a 13-year-old boy whose little brother gets cancer and the unexpected ways it affects him and changes his life. I cried my way through this book.

SORRY YOU GOT 5 INSTEAD OF 3. I didn’t even know I had a set top 5 books but hey! Here they are. Thanks for asking! I love being a book nerd.

[fusionterm]

3 Different Dance Styles You Should Try At Home

BELLY DANCE

If you're reluctant to start your tummy dancing courses at a course filled with different people you always have the option to choose to obtain video clips and DVD classes. You will find lots of those courses that to select, actually courses that concentrate around the emotional and/or curative elements of Oriental dancing if this is the location where you believe you ought to concentrate your own efforts. Belly dance is just a huge deal of pleasure as well as becoming fully a significant type of becoming needed physical exercise.

For people that observe their womanhood, there isn't any superior type of dancing to say this joy. Belly-dance has an extensive history for a party to be feminine. By used in ceremonies from the temple into being utilized to lure and seduce the unwitting tummy dancing is just a part of being a lady.

When you intend to tummy dancing, then you should see the costume a part of exactly what places the feeling or perhaps the tone. Despite the fact that you don't require all of the bells and whistles, then the overall consensus is the fact that baring your midriff places you back at their mindset that's quite acceptable for belly dancing. Because of this, it's strongly recommended that you just have on apparel that bares your tummy for example as for instance lowrise Yoga trousers and a sports bra or even any different belly-baring shirt on your own clinic periods. Additionally, this assists your educator to determine in the event that you're producing the motions accurately.

Stomach dancing is just a fashion of dancing which will not need scientists to function as in the best physical state so as to start. The truth is that the very low effect nature with this type of movement makes it a superb option for people who aren't in the best form to start with. This specific sort of dancing works that the muscles softly using the synergistic consequences of aerobic exercise and other training procedures. Additionally, it will work the gut, which will be frequently the situation region for all those that are not at the very best of contour. You also ought to discover you will fortify your spine throughout tummy dancing since you advance. This may additionally support with virtually every facet of one's health and exercise schedule. More notably for people who certainly are only a small (or perhaps a great deal ) from contour is really that the tummy dancing burns off an average of 300 calories one hour or so. Which usually means that whenever you exercise a single hour each day you're burning 2,000 calories each week per day

If you choose to partake in tummy dance courses, then Ms.! You're going to be linking an early band of females back once again to exactly what many consider would be your first of period. You also need to be in possession of a fresh hobby which is equally healthy and entertaining.

Stomach dancing has an extensive and proud record dating back into the dawn of culture. This manner of dancing has its foundation been applied as an act of worship and also an act of charm. Perhaps not consistently in spite of these as this kind of dancing has been thought by a few religions for an increase because of the fertility of recently married partners.

Oriental Dance also called tummy dance is just one of, even if maybe not the very sensuous trends of dancing. It's likewise perhaps one among the absolute most useful kinds of dancing there's health-wise. Along with this fantastic calorie-burning AFF-ect of tummy dance, you'll find additional health and fitness benefits this form of dancing is now renowned for over centuries.

IRISH STEP DANCING

That really is a fashion of dancing which only looks interesting. Whether you're seeing or engaging the enthusiasm and vitality amount is all but observable. It's just nothing short of great to be from the viewer to get these shows. It ought to be added that whilst maybe not all of the Irish stage dance demands the energy and skill that's found from the significant productions like the people I have stated earlier, there's even now a fantastic level of electricity within every kind of Irish step dance. This vitality is the thing that makes this fashion of dance really desirable.

Youthful ladies, adolescents, and people around America are finding themselves exactly what type of superb type of dancing Irish stage dance actually is. These lessons are slightly bit more tough than another design of dance may possibly be mainly because they also might require the exact measures to be manufactured based on different students while in the course. You count upon each other and ought to keep up with this new music. It's a fantastic challenge which likewise helps college students with the fashion of dancing learn how to come together along with growing and optimizing their particular Irish measure dance abilities. You will find sacred dances however, to get its many vibrant AFF-ect these dances needs to really be achieved as a member of the bigger team. It really is just a magnificent sight to behold.

Youthful and older alike have been accepted from the storm the moment it regards the kind of dancing. The audio is equally inspirational and interesting since it will be the measures along with thoughts that are accomplished with this simplicity from the actors. If you're searching to get an excellent approach to find yourself a fantastic aerobic workout, then visit whether there's just a class within your region. This really is actually a superior energy sort of dancing also which ought to be recalled however you'll find a fantastic lower body work out along with the cardiovascular added benefits. Additionally, you will burn up a fantastic lot of calories from the procedure.

For those who own a passion for energy and music afterward probably Irish step dance classes are quite a fantastic mixture for you personally and also your dance and fitness requirements. It's a gorgeous fashion of dance which isn't just enjoyable to see however additionally enjoyable to execute. You work using a bigger team and learn how to interact for the best possible consequence. Of the fashions of dancing which are enjoyed around the globe today, that really is only one of the absolute most fascinating kinds of collection dancing I have ever struck. In the event you are interested in being part of anything far bigger on your own, this really can be a significant approach to accomplish precisely that.

When you've not experienced the chance to have this dancing feeling reside you really ought to take the chance to achieve that. This fashion of dancing is similar to none you have possibly ever observed previously. It's amazing and in an identical time frame nearly inconceivably hard to make the motions that can be demanded and show a little work. The vitality included with those performances is just nothing short of excellent.

If you're searching for something a tiny new and distinct when it regards to dance, have you ever believed Irish stage dance? I am confident many of you've been aware of when maybe not witnessed shows these as"Riverdance" along with different shows which display that this stunning and one of a kind type of dancing. "Lord of the Dance" is just another case of amazing Irish measure dance nevertheless it attracts a much contemporary spin into your crowd.

JAZZ AS DANCE

Jazz dancing and music have been famous for quite some time and afterward did actually really go underground apart from in metropolitan areas like Memphis, New Orleans, Kansas City, and St. Louis at which it proved to be a significant region of the culture and history. We've noticed a reemergence with the common manner of dancing and music in late ages however with a few noteworthy musicians attracting the swing back and also big band' noise that traveled in hand with jazz as a music shape and also a fashion of dancing.

You have to know however that when it regards jazz dancing, like your music, then you can find not any definitive policies you have to follow to be able for this to become more jazz. You can find no stiff dance ways that have to be stuck to for your'jazz' impact. Jazz dancing can be mistaken as faucet dancing' due to the fact tap tunes has been regularly put to jazz audio. It's necessary however to appreciate that jazz is not confined by exploiting dancing along with other forms of dancing collapse underneath the quite sizable umbrella of jazz dancing'.

When you've seen jazz dancing courses for you personally or your own children, '' I expect you may opt to indulge. Not just is it your tunes for such a dance uplifting and excellent but additionally, the manner of dancing in and of itself is fairly enjoyable and enjoyable. You can find only a few forms of dancing which may compete as it regards allowing inventive permit, moving with the stream, and dancing to your utter delight of dance. As a creative art and as a kind of enjoyment jazz dancing and music really are shirts in my personal publication.

Even though jazz has lots of presumed arrival regions it simply only has 1 authentic residence and home would be New Orleans. Just enjoy the audio that this town is known for, New Orleans can be a town with no dad also. New Orleans was a melting pot from the truest sense of this saying earlier we had some true clue exactly what it designed for a melting pot. By the ramifications of this French, Spanish, German, English, and also, of course, the populace of former black and slaves completely free women and men, New Orleans has been the ideal location with this particular combined and blended fashion of dancing and music to both predict property.

A number of the More Prevalent jazz dances include: Black Mirror, Boogie-woogie, the Cake-walk, the Charleston, the JitterBug, the Lindy Hop, also swing dance. Every one of these varieties of dancing is apparently building a quite remarkable come back in acceptance on the course of this past 2 decades and therefore are rather intriguing to see, in addition to by that to engage in the event you have the opportunity.

For a manner of dancing, jazz has been substantially more'brazen' than loathed previously were in a few circles believed to be more independently unseemly. The polite culture had no attention in this specific type of dancing. The fantastic thing for people that enjoyed this manner of dancing is there clearly were a lot of locations at that jazz, as an application of dancing and new music, has been readily adopted. You'd to really go off the beaten trail only a little as a way to think it is for a lot it had been worth your time and hard work.

It truly isn't any surprise that jazz dancing arose while the consequence of jazz audio genre. There are not any decent dance ways to its beautiful music we've come to understand through time. Because of this something fresh and also a tiny bit off the principal course was desired as a way to conserve space and time with all the music emerging.

Whilst some men and women know the actual roots of Jazz for a music genre, much fewer men and women still know the roots of jazz for a fashion of dancing. Jazz is quite a child. Greater than this, however, jazz as dancing and music appear to own lots of mothers in spite of the simple fact they don't have a dad. I believe there are lots of impacts on the vibrant kind of dancing and music no 1 sway is remarkable in the brand new era to become looked at that the'father' or'mommy' for this thing of jazz.''

[funkymbtifiction]

QuickTypes: Marvel Cinematic Universe (Part 1/Phase 1):

Note: Those who have already been typed on the site, I’ll put a link to the main typing. I wanted to make a little master-guide to the whole thing, both characters who are already typed and QuickTypes for those who aren’t.

IRON MAN:

Tony Stark - ESFP 

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/145912363398/iron-man-the-avengers-anthony-edward-stark

Pepper Potts - ISTJ

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/85623357645/iron-man-pepper-potts-istj-introverted

Agent Phil Coulson - INFJ

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/105612917226/agents-of-shield-agent-phil-coulson-infj

James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine: ESFJ

Rhodey is highly concerned with public image, playing by the rules, and working within the system to make the world a better place (Fe/Si). He tends to be very upfront with his feelings and perceptive into those of other people. He’s not the kind of ESFJ who blindly offers affirmation to others; rather he’s the kind who just tells people what they need to feel (”What you need is time to get your mind straight.”) He wants to keep his dignity and tries to act cool, but often gets undermined in this (usually by Tony). He tends to be very cautious and avoids undue risks. 

Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger: ESTJ

Stane is your typical Te-dominant villain; objective, critical, organized, a tad perfectionist, and goal-oriented. He tends to wear false emotions; he most likely hates Tony Stark but acts affectionately towards him in public to maintain appearances. While most Te-dominant villains are ENTJ, Stane doesn’t appear to plan very far ahead; instead, he looks to the past to prepare for the future. He’s fond of comparing his plan and other people to historical incidents and expects that if Tony Stark WAS ABLE TO BUILD THIS IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!, then naturally his servants should be able to recreate it with the best tools, right? (Si).

THE INCREDIBLE HULK

Bruce Banner: INTP

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/70730131273/the-avengers-bruce-banner-intp-ti-bruce

Betty Ross: INFJ

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/90362403645/incredible-hulk-elizabeth-ross-infj

IRON MAN 2:

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow: ISTP

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/69587617370/iron-man-the-avengers-natasha-romanoff-black

Nick Fury: ESTJ

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/157208503509/the-avengers-nick-fury-estj

Ivan Vanko: ISFJ

Vanko’s motivation is something that happened years ago that he just can’t let go of. He refers to past actions and experiences; he acts because of the death of his loved one (his father) and simply wants vengeance. He adapts himself to new circumstances, changing his behavior depending on who he’s manipulating (a demonstration of how strong Si/Fe can be used by an antagonist.) He wants to recreate his home environment as closely as possible, and recognizes that the bird they’ve brought is not his exact bird, despite looking virtually identical to the audience. He utilizes his lower Ti and Ne in order to slip out of his personas and trick people into doing what he wants them to. 

Justin Hammer: ENFJ

Hammer is your typical ENFJ villain. Smarmy and polite on the surface, conforming to laws of society and expectations for emotions; utilizing pleasantries and creating a friendly environment in order to appear his best. He’s a tad emotionally volatile and quite over-the-top; he luxuriates in front of a crowd, with people cheering his name. He has an overarching goal (crush the competition) and will utilize anything he sees to attain that goal. His treatment of Vanko marks his nature; Fe dominant coddling, Ni auxiliary long-term goal and symbolism monolguing, Se utilization of an immediate asset, and inferior Ti lack of logic in thinking that asset is just going to cooperate blindly.

THOR:

Thor Odinson: ESTP

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/69531446318/thor-the-avengers-thor-estp-se-thor-lives

Loki: ENFJ

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/118726138801/thor-the-avengers-loki-enfj

Jane Foster: INFJ

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/69267314973/thor-jane-foster-infj-ni-jane-collects

Clint Barton/Hawkeye: ISTP

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/69316310394/the-avengers-clint-barton-hawkeye-istp-ti

Darcy Lewis; ESTJ

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/85233269900/thor-darcy-lewis-estj-extroverted-thinking

Odin: ESTJ

Odin displays his objective, dominant Te in his decision to banish Thor; he’s always pragmatic and quick to grab onto anything that can be utilized for his higher goals. He takes the infant Loki from Jotunheim with the goal of eventually creating a peace through him; however, he doesn’t seem to have enough forethought to think out how this goal would be accomplished. He usually does things as they have always been done in the nine realms; he refers to events of the past and tries to keep things in a stable and comfortable place. He expects people to play by the rules and when they don’t he merits out punishment. His lack of overt affection due to utilizing his inferior Fi mostly just in his sense of justice and nobility definitely plays a role in screwing up both sons (who also share no functions with him and thus struggle to see his point of view.)

Lady Sif: ISTJ

Sif acts within the rules set out for warriors in Asgardian society. She refers to how things were in the past, discusses her personal experiences with people, and wants things to stay as they were with little regard for the present climate. She’s mostly objective, efficient and quick to get things done. She believes passionately in the people she cares about, and sticks to emotions she’s harbored for a long time. She isn’t very open to change or to the new. She is keen to be a part of history (”People will tell stories of this day.”) She’s generally quite honorable and does what must be done, pushing her personal feelings aside for the good of the realm and of her friends.

Dr. Erik Selvig: ISFJ

Selvig generally acts on how things have been in the past. He stands for the good of his friends and loved ones, getting Thor out of prison because it’s what Jane would want regardless of the consequences to himself or to others. He recalls details quite well; he’s reluctant to believe in the mystic and the magical, as they were things he read in childrens’ books and thus not a part of adult life. He’s generally quite logical and uses his Ti well; he has enough wherewithal to build the failsafe into the portal in The Avengers. His trauma from that experience sticks with him and unhinges him to the extent that he starts running around babbling like a lunatic in Thor the Dark World, struggling to let go of the experience and overindulging in his lower functions.

Queen Frigga: ESFJ

Frigga is open, loving and supportive in general. She’s caring and reassuring towards her loved ones and openly accepting of her sons; regardless of what Loki does, she still loves him; regardless of Thor’s impulsiveness, her feelings do not change, and she is very upfront with those emotions, even to Odin. She’s creative and experimental with her lower-functions, and utilizes them to act more as a trickster than a warrior. She wants things to remain as they were, to keep her family together as they once were, regardless of chancing circumstances like Thor’s impulsive behavior or Loki’s genocidal rages.

Heimdall: ISFP

Heimdall is quietly honorable and motivated by his beliefs in right or wrong. He wants what is good for the realm and also what is right and just in general. He feels things quite deeply but keeps that emotional turmoil within, rarely sharing his true feelings with others and showing openness only towards Thor, whom he seems to trust. He’s quite observant (he does see everything, after all) and notices even the slightest anomaly. He takes action quickly when it needs to be done. He has a great deal of vision and higher-picture thinking; his observant nature and his gut instincts allow him to piece together Loki’s true intentions before anyone else. 

The Warriors Three: 

Because they get very little screentime, I can only give surface guesses for them. My best estimate is: Fandrall as ENTP, Hogun as ISTJ, and Vostallg as ESFP. Fandrall is quick to make associations and comparisons, conforms his behavior to best suit the situation (he stops Sif from getting herself in trouble with Loki, aware of the consequences), and utilizes Ne-Ti wit in many comments in order to make dry jokes at his teammates’ expense. Hogun is duty-bound to his people and prefers to go about executing his duties in the most straighforward manner possible. Volstagg reacts mostly to the moment and doesn’t discuss his feelings openly, instead preferring to do rather than contemplate. Those are just estimates and very shallow ones, but they don’t have enough screentime to go deeper. 

CAPTAIN AMERICA THE FIRST AVENGER

Steve Rogers ISFJ

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/76263450452/captain-america-steve-rogers-isfj-si-steve

Peggy Carter ENTJ

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/115422192993/agent-carter-peggy-carter-entj

Bucky Barnes ESTP

https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/85217506016/captain-america-bucky-barnes-estp-extroverted

Colonel Chester Phillips: ISTJ

Phillips tends to judge things quickly and based on surface details. He’s interested in the details and minituae of things; Steve is a 90 pound asthmatic, he’s obviously not the right choice for this formula. He follows the rules and goes with tradition. He’s generally blunt and direct, barking orders in the typical angry military guy style and telling off people for disobedience. He keeps any emotions very close to the chest and rarely discusses his beliefs. He’s pretty much there to run day-to-day schematics and keep things in line.

Johann Schmidt/Red Skull: INTJ

Schmidt has the usual Ni-dominant villain quirks - long monologues about the symbolic reasoning for his grand plan, love of myth symbolism and archetypes and how they tie into what he hopes to achieve, a sense of how everything is connected. He has a grand vision for how the world will be - a glorious future with no flags - and will do whatever it takes, by any means necessary, to accomplish that future. He’s objective and eliminates anything in his way. He appears to have some twisted idea of how his grand scheme is right for the world. He is rather indifferent to what’s going on around him, showing his Se-inferior by doing stupid things like not just letting go of the Tesseract before it fries him into nothing, but does demonstrate the Se need for things  to conform visually to his grand ideas.

Dr. Armin Zola: ISTP

Zola is mostly a man of logic and science, piecing together the world around him and usually just stating facts or the obvious. He is mostly a man of thought and objective observation. He utilizes whatever he sees around him in order to achieve his bigger picture goals (Se/Ni), for example, grabbing onto the wounded Bucky Barnes and utilizing him for his Winter Soldier experiments. He is mainly rational and strives to survive and thrive; he doesn’t chomp a cyanide pill like the other HYDRA agents because of this, and cares more about thriving in the moment and planning for his own future than any kind of grand goal.

THE AVENGERS:

Agent Maria Hill: INTP

Maria Hill is generally logical, objective and observes/states simple facts in her conversation with others. She likes to put things simply and in as straightforward a manner as possible. She asks lots of questions and prefers to get her facts clear before acting. She thinks about possibilities and worries about the potential short-term consequences; she makes a lot of quick connections and demonstrates an ability to comprehend truths of her situation quickly and compartmentalize them into a clear and well-defined system (Ti/Ne). She trusts things she’s already seen work and prefers to stick to the tried-and-true methods of getting things done. Although she asks lots of questions, she likes to be in a position where she can just say “Yes, sir” and follow the rules, get things done. (Si). When she’s not on duty, she’s relaxed, friendly, and inquisitive, using her inferior Fe to put people at ease. Her main defining attribute though is her willingness to ask questions, probe deeper, and gain a better understanding.

-mysterylover123

[stylesmyth]

how do you go about finding interesting & creative but not overused ideas for a story ?? what type of books would you like to read/see more of?

omg i’m loving all these questions! thank you for sending them :D

I’m going to add a “keep reading” because this gets a little long, and I don’t want peeps to have to scroll through that lol

honestly in this day and age, you’ll never be able to creative something entirely new. Only variants of things already existing

Also, you put out what you take in

For me, my first fic (which is no longer available online) was loosely a mystery novel, which was something not explored in 2012. My second fic, Toxic, was “dark” which was extremely popular at the time. My third fic Salvation hinged on both, which is one old fic I’m actually still proud of plot wise, even those it doesn’t gain as much attention as Toxic did. Salvation was a high school fic, which was something fairly popular, but also twist into this drama that was inspired by a movie (which I won’t name, as it’s a big spoiler to my fic), which was something you’d see paired with high school fics. 

Fallen Stars, a current fic of mine, is dystopian (which is one of my fav genres) and that’s a territory that is rarely touched by this fic community. I thought it’d be great as there was only, like, 2 other fics like that at the time I started writing, so there was definitely space to make it difference and interesting, and still not be overused. 

My newest fic For The Last Time is completely going against what I set out to do with Fallen Stars. It’s a uni fic. It’s also a fake dating au. These are both very popular tropes and fic concepts. There are currently many of these types of stories in this community. I was initially terrified to post this, and I still am as I keep writing, that it’ll be compared to the likes of Awkward Beat (which I’ve never read, except for a few bits and pieces) or Not A Bad Thing. Both popular fics in their own rights. I had to keep telling myself to make it so completely different so I won’t get these comments in the future, even though with AB I have no clue where it went. 

so through these examples, you see that I personally go a little back and forth between ideas, but always try to find a way to make it completely its own. 

It also comes down to: what do you want to write? You, as an author, should first and foremost be writing something you can live with for a year or two or more whilst writing it, or else it won’t be any good, and readers won’t like it either. So if you want to write that uni fic, do it! You’ll make it your own with your ideas! Don’t be afraid to draw inspiration from things, just don’t take too much where it becomes apparent. 

(also prompt generators are really cool too lol)

As for what I’d like to see more of: obvs like I said, I love a good dystopian, I’m also into the darker themed fics but not where Harry is “dark” so to speak. If Harry does start out “dark” then he needs a character arch and reasonable change throughout the fic. My friend @twistofpayne just finished a Roaring 20′s au, and I forgot how much I loved time period fics loll And this is also going to sound so bad, but I also would love to read more main character death fics. Now before you write me off as crazy, hear me out. Killing off a main character takes serious guts as an author. I know from experience. It creates a vulnerability for the fic and the characters. It brings out a true and candid feeling when something tragic happens. I can pretend to smile at something someone said, but if I’m crying, that’s real emotions that isn’t always on display. I hope that explains my reasoning in a few short sentences lol

this was really long, so sorry you had to read all that XD i never get asked things so i really go for it when there’s something in my inbox lollll THANK YOU ANON ILY

Ash x 

[cordonianchoicesqueen]

Rewritten: The Royal Romance: Ostentatious Displays (Part 13)

A/N: Haven’t had an opportunity to write all week due to corporate events and travelling but feels great to be back in the world of TRR. I think I’m going to start taking more creative liberties with cutting down the choices chapters as some times they read a little forced when converted into this format... y’all better be excited for diamond heavy parts coming up next

Summary: Riley is exiled to the rejects table at the ball and expected to dance a waltz she doesn’t know the steps to. Olivia makes a power move that causes unrest in her allies at court.

Choices Chapter: Book One, Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: Characters and main storyline from Pixelberry’s Choices.

Word Count: 4000+

Warnings: none

Link to Full Series: Rewritten

Tags: @krsnlove

Ostentatious Displays

I pulled the drapes aside in my beautiful room at the Nervaki’s Chateau and took in the wondrous view of the mountains. New snow fall made the duchy of Lythikos look untouched and fresh. Today, I would be expected to attend a ball during which I would take part in a dance I didn’t know the steps of. 

Later in the day, I went over to Hana’s room to get ready. I used to love getting ready with my girls before parties and Hana was exactly the type of person I needed when I was feeling down. She had picked out a stunning sparkly, shimmering dress for the night’s proceedings. “Ta-daa! How do I look?” she exclaimed, spinning for me and posing. “You’re going to set the ball on fire!” I cheered her on. “Everyone’s going to be talking about your dress.” “You think so?” she grasped at the satin, excited. She was one of the most beautiful people I’d ever seen, inside and out. She had a heart of gold, the cumulative talent of a hundred people and looks that girls would do anything for. “I’ll force people into awkward conversations about it if I have to,” I laughed. “Come on, what are you going to wear?” she asked. “Oh I,” I mumbled, “I was just going to wear the dress I wore to the races…” “You’re going to wear the same dress twice in a week?” she raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have anything else,” I bit my lip. “Nonsense, you can have one of mine,” she said, throwing open her wardrobe. The closet was full to the brim with gorgeous dresses of all colours and shapes. I ran my hand across the fabrics feeling their softness against my fingertips. “This one will be perfect for you,” she said, bringing out a sparkling blue ball gown with sequinned corset and flowing skirt. “I designed this one a few years ago, it’s probably about your size.” I tried it on and it fit like a glove. “I can’t believe you designed this,” I breathed, unable to look away from myself in the mirror. “I can’t believe how good you make it look,” she said, making me break into a huge smile. “The dress doesn’t make the lady. The lady makes the dress. You look spectacular. Shall we be off?” “After you, Lady Hana,” I bowed to her.

We entered the ballroom to see that it was coated in gold: gold chairs, gold chandeliers, golden flowers. Both Hana and I were immediately offered a glass of champagne by a member of the chateaux’s staff, which we eagerly accepted. This was opulent wealth like I had never seen, except maybe at the palace but even then that had had a more natural feel to it. We spotted Maxwell across the room and made our way over. Maxwell bowed to us, “Ladies… it’s a pleasure to see you both tonight.” “That’s… unusually formal of you. What gives?” I questioned. “Tonight, I am representing the Duchy of Ramsford at this important social event,” Maxwell said, pointing his nose high in the air pretending to be dignified. “That sounds like something Bertrand would say,” I said. “He’s been calling me all night to remind me,” Maxwell whispered back. “Ah… you’ve got to be on your best behaviour or else Bertrand will get on your case?” I nodded, understanding. “Pretty much,” he said, obviously bored. “Wow, Olivia hired a full orchestra to play tonight,” Hana said, pointing over at the sixteen-piece orchestra. “I’ve heard you’re quite the musician yourself, Hana,” Maxwell commented, warmly. “Oh no… I’m not,” Hana said, rapidly shaking her head. “Really? I feel like I remember hearing that you were a virtuoso pianist,” Maxwell said, confused. “I still play from time to time, but only for fun,” Hana flatly said. I glanced around the room, noting the fancy name cards at each golden place setting. My gut told me that this seating plan was not going to land in my favour if it had been organised by Olivia. “Where are we sitting?” I asked Maxwell, suspicious. “About that,” he said looking at his feet. “Turns out I’m sitting at the head table with Olivia and the Prince… But you two are at the farthest table at the back.” “Olivia is making us sit at the back… The company will be much better at our table,” I said, linking arms with Hana. “No offence, Maxwell.” “None taken. Hell, I’d join you guys if I could,” Maxwell shrugged. “Er, I mean, I should say, Olivia has greatly honoured me.” “Don’t worry, we won’t tell Bertrand,” I whispered. “Sorry to leave you guys,” Maxwell frowned. “Don’t worry about us, Maxwell. Riley and I will make the best of it,” Hana said. “Just remind me when we are making the seating chart for my wedding with Liam, exactly where I will put Olivia,” I teased as Maxwell walked away to join the head table. Hana and I made our way through the tables to the back corner only to spot a very familiar face already sat there, drink in hand. “Welcome,” Drake said, arms wide, “to the table of exiles.” “I’m actually glad to see you,” I said, dropping into the chair next to him. “Here I was worried that we’d be stuck with some stuffy nobles.” “It’s probably meant to be an even bigger slight that we’re with a commoner,” Hana hissed. “Olivia really missed the mark,” I said. “Thanks, Brooks,” Drake said, looking confused. “That actually means something, coming from you.” “You don’t seem bother at all, Drake, to be seated in the back,” Hana commented sitting on Drake’s other side. “What can I say? After enough years of getting treated like this, you build up a thick skin,” he sipped his whiskey. “Besides, back here? Out of the spotlight? At least we can relax.” We watched as a swarm of servers appeared, carrying mouth-watering dishes of food to other tables, starting at the head table far across the room. Each time they reappeared they seemed to go to every table but ours. “The food looks amazing,” Hana said, eyes wide. “I hope they serve us soon! I’m starving!” “I wouldn’t get your hopes up,” Drake said, taking a hip flask out his pocket to top up his drink. “Where we’re seated, we’ll be the last to eat. If there’s even any left by the time they get to us.” “But... the lobster bisque… do you really think we’ll go hungry?” Hana said, alarmed.” “Not if I can help it. This can’t be too different from hailing a taxi in New York,” I said, armed with my server knowledge. I scanned the room for a target. A server walking in our general direction entered my line of sight. “Hey,” I said, “Sorry to bother you but... Do you know who I am? I am Riley of House Brooks, First of Her Name, the Unblemished, Queen of Times Square and First-“ The server walked straight past me and I shrugged. At the very least I had got a half smile from Drake and a giggle from Hana. “A+ for effort, Brooks. But these guys deal with uppity nobles all the time,” Drake said.

Half an hour, a few glasses of wine and a couple whiskey shots from Drake’s flask later, we were still waiting for our food. Hana’s stomach had growled more than once and Drake kept licking his lips when the smell of the food wafted over from other tables. I was starting to feel pretty tipsy with the ratio of food to alcohol I had consumed. “The service here is terrible,” Hana eventually exclaimed. “All by design,” Drake said. “Even if it’s on purpose, at least it’s not the worst service I’ve had,” Hana said. “You’ve had worse service than this?” I asked. “Believe it or not, I’ve been to a wedding where food wasn’t served until midnight. They got hideously behind schedule and decided to do an open call for speeches before dinner. It took hours,” she said, grimacing at the memory. “Heavens,” Drake rolled his eyes. “Drake,” I scolded, whacking him with my clutch. “I can tell you a real horror story,” he said. “Let’s set the scene. Casual get-together. Lots of people I don’t know but that’s fine. There’s a bar, a man’s true best friend. So I figure I’ll grab a drink. I go up to the bar and they’re out of whiskey!” “That’s practically a crime!” I teased him. Completely missing my sarcasm, he said, “I couldn’t believe it either. How do you have a party without whiskey?” “You can’t!” I said, my shock dripping in sarcasm. Suddenly recognising that I was making fun of him he said, “Here I was thinking you were being supportive.” “You continuously underestimate my ability to make fun of you,” I smiled. “I gotta stop doing that,” he said. “From what I’ve seen though, Olivia has got quite a stash of alcohol here.”   “From what you’ve seen?” Hana questioned, suspiciously. “I did some exploring and I happened across her wine cellar,” he said, equally aloof. “It’s actually pretty impressive... We could go there for a drink tonight, Brooks… if you’re not afraid of sneaking out after hours.” Before I could respond to his dare, a server appeared at our table with the first course and I was completely distracted. “Finally!” Drake said, smile wide, spoon already in hand. I took a ravenous spoon of the lobster bisque. It was cold and with no lobster. “Yuck,” I said, then remembered the number of times I’ve eaten worse food. I was becoming a different person. I had eaten pizza I had dropped on the floor in my apartment a dozen times but now cold soup upset me? “So it’s not just me,” Hana said, sadly and threw her spoon down into her bowl. Drake poked at it, “I wanted one thing today… and they’ve taken it from me.” As if to save us from our pitiful moment, the orchestra began to play. Olivia stepped up on a small stage, looking glamorous in a long, black dress and expensive gems dangling from her ears. “Hello, dear guests, and welcome to the Nevrakis family’s chateau,” she said, more warmly and dignified than I’d ever seen her before. It was like she was auditioning. “It means so much to me that you would join me in this place that’s so dear to my heart. I hope you enjoy the festivities tonight as much as I will. Now, everyone please join me up front to begin the Cordonian Waltz.” “But we haven’t finished eating,” Hana hissed. “I don’t think she cares,” Drake said, crossing his arms like a moody teenager. “Well… let’s do this,” I said, mustering any courage I had left. Hana stood up with me, leaving behind our cold soup and Drake, looking even more uncomfortable than before. “Aren’t’ you joining us, Drake?” Hana asked. “Waltzing… isn’t my thing. I’ll be here with the… food,” he said looking down at his disappointing meal. We abandoned Drake at the table, knowing when to pick our battles. We joined up with Maxwell and headed to the dance-floor to find partners. I looked over people’s heads for Liam, hoping his dancing prowess would save me and would get a little time together. I balled my hands into fists, feeling the nails dig into my palms as I spotted him… asking Olivia if she would like to dance. “Of course. Anything for you, Prince Liam,” she said, taking his offered hand. He wrapped his arms around her and she giggled as he spun her onto the dance-floor. They were entranced in one another’s eyes. No one else was in the room. Except I was and watching them… it made me feel like I was going to cry. I hid my face from Maxwell and Hana as I composed myself. It was silly of me to feel so possessive over Liam. He was not mine. I was not his. Yet... “It would be unspeakably rude for Prince Liam to not dance this waltz with the hostess,” Hana tried to comfort me, placing a hand on my arm. “I guess that’s what happens when you have home court advantage,” I managed. “That doesn’t mean you won’t dance though… In fact, Lady Riley, may I have the honour of this waltz,” Maxwell smiled, bowing and offering me his hand. I placed my hand on my heart as I pouted jokingly, “It is I who would be honoured.” I took his hand and together we joined the loose circle forming on the dance-floor. Maxwell put one hand on my waist and raised my hand into a classic ballroom pose. I was just going to have to follow his lead and believe whole heartedly in beginner’s luck. “Wait a second…” he whispered, “Do you even known the Cordonian Waltz?” “Not exactly,” I hissed back. “Sorry! I knew I was forgetting something… Bertrand would never have neglected to mention it,” Maxwell panicked. I squeezed Maxwell’s hand in mine, “if he were here, I’d be stuck dancing with him and we’d be having much less fun. We’ll get through it together, right?” “Right,” he said, his usual playful smile back. As the music picked up, I tried my best to follow Maxwell’s steps and whispers. He led me into a pretty glide down the length of the ballroom and I giggled. The novelty of waltzing at these incredible events still hadn’t worn off. I saw Liam looking at me as Maxwell and I twirled past. Olivia, took back his attention and turned them into an elegant spin. I let Maxwell swing me around in time to the waltz and I forgot about Olivia and Liam for a moment. It was just me and my incredible, supportive friend succeeding. Maxwell then twirled me so that my back was against him and kept our feet moving. I could feel his body pressed up against mine as I tried to keep up with his steps. “This is rather scandalous for the ballroom,” I said, feeling his hips moving against my own. “The Cordonian Waltz is a romantic dance… in the old days, it used to be that this waltz was the only way couples could flirt,” Maxwell explained, his breath tickling my neck. “It’s very intimate. I’ve always loved those scenes in movies though. Like in Pride and Prejudice when she gets to dance with Mr Darcy and for that dance they are alone,” I said. We swayed together for a few more beats before Maxwell let go of my hands, gently pushing me forward. “Time to switch partners,” he hissed. “You should have the steps by now. You’re doing amazing, you’ll do great.” I glided forward to the next partner and found myself wrapped up in Liam’s arms. My hand laced onto his strong shoulder and his hand found my lower back, pulling me closer to him. I looked up at his eyes and for a moment we said nothing. “Why, hello there,” he finally said, releasing the tension with his award-winning smile. “Fancy running into you,” I jibed. “You mean, on the dance floor of a private ball during a choreographed waltz?” he asked. “Well when you put it that way, it seems inevitable, I’d run into you… but to be fair,” I looked away from him as he twirled me round, “I haven’t seen a lot of you lately.” “True,” he exhaled. “I’ve been a little preoccupied. Olivia is the hostess… and I’d be remiss in my duties if I didn’t spend time with all the women here.” “Liam…” I wanted to tell him everything; all my worries, my feelings, my thoughts. I wanted him and I to be on the same page. I wanted to trust him. “Liam,” I started again, “I understand. We’re kind of just in an open relationship right now and it doesn’t feel great to watch you with your other girlfriends but it does feel great when I get to spend time with you. You’re not just marrying for you… it’s for the crown.” Liam’s brow creased and the lights of his eyes dimmed, “Yes. No matter how I feel… Well, we’ll have to see what happens in the coming weeks.” My heart hurt hearing his response. I wanted reassurance, not rationality. I felt like he was trying to let me down before breaking my heart entirely. He lead me into a twirl and held me against him, my back on his body. I could feel every muscle and curve of his body as we swayed together. He smelt so good and I thought of his body on top of me in the hedge maze. I closed my eyes. Liam leant in close to my ear, “but, Riley, you should know… you are special to me… I need you to know that.” My body melted into his for a moment and it was just us. Alone. No outside influence, no crown. Just two people, still getting to know one another, but who already needed each other desperately. My trance was broken when he span me out of the move and back into his arms, facing him. Our eyes locked as we struggled to find the words we wanted to say in this moment. Olivia coughed, “Lady Riley, I believe he’s my partner now.” I, very, reluctantly let go of Prince Liam, taking one last full look at him. He stood so tall above me, but not in an intimidating way. I loved the dimples he got in his cheeks from smiling when he looked at me. His eyes were the brightest blue I’d ever seen. He looked dignified at all times in only the best clothes. Yet, what I liked most was the warmth I felt when I was around him. As I moved away, it was always as though my heart got colder. I joined Maxwell, my head spinning. “Watching you two together,” Maxwell whispered, gently, “I can tell that Liam cares for you a lot.” “Yeah but our relationship is so strange,” I let my smile slip from my face. “It’s not like he can just sweep me off my feet and carry me out of here.” “When you’re royalty, the rules are different,” he said. “I know that… and yet…” I trailed off looking at Maxwell’s face as it registered shock. I turned to look at what he was staring out and was just in time to see Olivia lean in close to Liam. They kissed passionately in the middle of the dance-floor. My hands fell from Maxwell as I stared at the man I was falling in love. I gasped, along with a number of other ladies on the dance floor. Liam pulled away from the kiss, resting his forehead against Olivia’s. It hurt to admit how good they looked together. Olivia’s face was the definition of smug. I felt the strings of my heart pull and tears rushing to my eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in close to her. After way too long of a moment, the Prince gently pulled away. “Liam,” Olivia said, seductively, playing with his bow tie. “Olivia… uh… let’s talk… outside… perhaps,” Liam said, taking her hand and leading her towards one of the doors. I watched them walk away, as Maxwell moved me over to the side-lines where everyone stood gossiping. I focused on making sure that I didn’t start to cry. “Well that was a bold play,” I heard Penelope hiss. “Little Olivia is growing up. How sweet,” Madeleine said, dryly through gritted teeth. “Aren’t you upset by that?” I said, turning to Madeleine. “Ostentatious displays are for those who are either unrefined or insecure. I am neither,” she said, cold as ever. “We always knew that she and the Prince were close,” Penelope said in defeat. “It was a power move, if you ask me,” Kiara said angrily, showing real emotion in front of me for the first time. “Right, excuse us,” Maxwell said, leading me away again until out of earshot of the other women. “We have to play a little politics here.” “Right. Get strategic and get an advantage while Olivia plays her cards,” I said, nodding, liking the idea of a plan to distract me from the pain in my heart. “Look at Kiara. She’s clearly upset at Olivia’s display and she’s all alone right now. This is your opportunity to fight for another ally. Get on her good side,” he said. “If you can drive a wedge between her and Olivia it might weaken Olivia’s position. If Kiara has good things to say about you, it helps your position.” “I’ll give it a shot,” I said, crossing the ballroom and approaching Kiara as she stood alone. “Excuse me, Lady Kiara.” “Oh, Lady Riley,” Kiara said confused. “Comment ca va?” “Ca va bien, merci,” I said, remembering a tiny bit of conversational French from school. “Magnifique. What can I do for you?” she smiled, almost impressed at my small showing of language skill. “What did you think of Olivia’s little display there,” I said, helping myself to some of the appetisers at the table next to us. “I can’t believe her,” Kiara said, aggressively. “She wouldn’t have the guts to do that anywhere else. She’s gone mad with power here!” “I think Olivia went too far,” I said, biting some cheese off a cocktail stick. Kiara sighed, defeated like Penelope, “she’s only doing what we all wish we could be doing. If anything, I do have to give her credit for pulling it off.” “That doesn’t mean we have to stand by and accept it,” I pushed. “We need to stick together. Otherwise we don’t stand a fighting chance against Olivia.” “Are you proposing an alliance?” Kiara asked, flatly. “You should be my ally because I’ll support you too,” I said, diplomatically. “Olivia’s friendship is a one-way street. Why should you always let her get her way?” “You make a fair point,” Kiara grit her teeth. “We all need someone to speak well of us. We can help each other out,” I offered her some cheese on a stick. “Not a bad idea,” she said, accepting my food offering. “We could both benefit from a little well-placed support here and there.” “I’m glad we see it the same way,” I smiled, although it felt weird to have just negotiated friendship. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I should mingle with what time I have left. A bientot,” Kiara curtsied. 

As the night went on, Liam and Olivia were notably missing for most of it. I mingled with other guests, making people laugh and telling stories of New York like old folk tales. I even danced some more with Maxwell, perfecting some steps to other dances. As the evening ended, I still couldn’t shake the image of Liam and Olivia kissing out of my head. As I was on my way out of the ballroom, too tired to keep fighting through the façade, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. When I turned, my heart skipped a beat. “Hello, Lady Riley,” Liam said, concern showing through his smile. “Liam… you kissed Olivia,” I said, helplessly, the words scratchy against my throat. “It was an unexpected advance. She caught me by surprise,” he said, quietly so no one else would hear. “You should have thrown her off you,” I hissed at him. “It was incredibly public.” For the first time, I felt my trust in Liam fade. Now, having seen them kiss, I couldn’t help imagining them kissing on the lake, up on the slopes, in his bedroom... Had they gone to the maze together to share moments like ours? “I thought it would be better to handle it quietly and cause less of a scandal… I didn’t want to embarrass her,” he said, stoic as always. “I guess that’s a fair point,” I exhaled, trying to calm myself down. He moved closer to me, taking my hand in his and holding it between us. Our hands joined, a sign of trust. A sign that we were in this together. His finger’s gently caressed my knuckles. “I know we haven’t seen each other much this trip,” he said, gazing into my eyes. “It’s been a hectic few days,” I half smiled. “A strange few days. I spend all these events rushing from person to person, trying to say the right thing and keep all the nobles happy,” he said, turning my hand in his, feeling every curve. “But at night, I find myself lying awake for hours in the grand suite, unable to sleep.” I huffed, “Grand suite? That sounds fancy.” He dropped his serious tone and replied, “It’s the best room. It’s upstairs at the end of the quiet east wing. It comes with everything… even a hot tub under the stars, overlooking the mountains…” “Sounds… romantic,” I said, letting his words wash over me. “It would be, with the right person,” he whispered, searching my eyes. “Unfortunately, I’ve got no one to share it with.” “I’m sure Olivia would love an invitation,” I raised my eyebrows at him. All pretence dropped and he said genuinely, softly, “Olivia is not invited.” After a moment, I whispered back, “Maybe I can help you.” “Oh? Are you sure you can manage it?” Liam smiled and I felt the warmth I usually felt with him return to my whole body, like a drug. “I’m not making any promises,” I teased. “Prince Liam? If I might interrupt?” Penelope said, approaching us and making us spring apart. “Of course. I know we haven’t spoken all day, Lady Penelope. Lady Riley, goodnight,” he shot me a discrete wink and kissed my hand before walking away, leaving me in the doorway to the ball...

[mbtizone]

Phil Coulson (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.): ENFJ

Dominant Extroverted Feeling [Fe]: Coulson is good at seeing the potential in other people, a skill he utilizes in order to form his team. He generally displays a warm, friendly, easygoing disposition, and knows how to approach people. He has an inherent understanding of their desires and motivations, which he can easily use to persuade or manipulate them. Coulson has a keen understanding of what different people will respond do, and is adept at tailoring his tactics accordingly. When he tries to recruit Skye, he knows exactly how to handle her. He shows her that the team’s goals align with hers, he emphasizes the good work they’re trying to do, and he recognizes her sense of adventure, as well as her attraction to the strange and the peculiar, and uses that to lure her in. When he’s trying to reason with Mike Peterson, he emphasizes that he sees Mike’s strength, and uses his love for his son to convince him that S.H.I.E.L.D. can help. When he visits May in an attempt to get her to join the team, he gains her favor by telling her that the team will have total control of their assignments, which interests her. Coulson is a diplomatic speaker and knows how to inspire people, motivate them, and calm them down. He prioritizes the safety and welfare of others, and believes in the importance of lying to people for their own good. Coulson is a natural leader and his team is like family to him. He cares deeply about protecting the world, guiding his team, and advocating for positive change.

Auxiliary Introverted Intuition [Ni]: Even though S.H.I.E.L.D. is a highly structured organization, Coulson doesn’t usually follow protocol, and makes creative decisions to obtain the results he desires that don’t align with the way things are typically handled. He doesn’t really care about standards, of how things are usually done. As a matter of fact, he pretty much disregards all of that completely, opting to do things in the way he sees fit. Often, the plans he develops do work and his instincts prove to be correct. Coulson brings out a “truth serum” (which Ward later claims was a placebo used as a ruse to manipulate Skye, though Coulson doesn’t confirm or deny this) which he injects Ward with, and allows Skye to think that she’s interrogating him. Coulson employs this strategy in order to gain Skye’s trust, which works, making her much more cooperative (Fe-Ni). His methods are unorthodox, but Coulson sees the big picture, and goes with the plan that he believes will allow him to obtain the results he desires. He knows that allowing Skye to join the team could be a mistake, but he follows his intuition about her, and doesn’t feel the need to explain himself when Ward openly opposes his decision. Coulson is extremely decisive, and while he is open-minded and listens to the opinions of other people, he also allows himself to trust his gut and prioritize that over other people’s input when he feels it necessary to do so.

Tertiary Extroverted Sensing [Se]: Although Coulson is the leader, he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. Coulson prefers discussion and peaceful resolution (Fe), but is highly trained and skilled in combat. Being in the thick of the action gives him an adrenaline rush and excites him. Though he is focused on the future and all of the work that the team can do, he enjoys the physical, dangerous side of what they do. He has a taste for luxury and splendor, as evidenced by the car that he drives and the thrill he tells Skye that he had the bus “completely refurbished” and “spared no expense”. Coulson doesn’t mind taking a risk. Even though Skye is a member of the Rising Tide and unqualified to join the team, he decides to take a chance on her anyway, even though she could use her new position within shield to further the Rising Tide’s agenda.

Inferior Introverted Thinking [Ti]: While it is in the inferior position, Coulson actually seems to have a good grasp on this function. He has a sharp, analytical mind and knows how to assess problems in order to determine viable solutions. Sometimes, his other functions can blot out what his Ti is telling him. For instance, he logically understands why x makes sense, but hit intuition tells him to take the y approach instead. It’s not that he can’t see it… it’s just that he sometimes discards his Ti in favor of what his higher functions come up with. He has a desire to understand and learn about whatever he’s dealing with and places emphasis on intelligence gathering. Coulson has a tendency to think outside the box. He is extremely witty and can come up with a quick quip in any situation.

Note: I’ve seen him typed as an INFJ, INFP, ENFP, and ESFJ, and I’m about to say something that I rarely say. I can see arguments for all of those types. Coulson is very tricky, because he can appear extremely Ne. However, if you really pay attention, he usually isolates one possibility or idea and sticks with that until he can’t, and will then move on. That indicates Ni over Ne. And I know, I know. “But what about Lola?” Fair point. He does have a fondness for his vintage car (and enhances it with modern technology), which is stereotypically Si. He does value the “simple tools of the past” and enjoys his superhero history. But think about the people you know in real life. I’m sure plenty of people who are Se and into cars appreciate older models. That doesn’t mean you’re not Se. Again, I totally get why people type him Ne/Si. There is absolutely an argument for that. I just don’t think these interests outweigh the Ni he demonstrates. Although Coulson works within a structured system, he doesn’t blindly follow authority. He leads his team his way, and makes calls that are abnormal, innovative, and risky. He doesn’t have a strong attachment to the past (other than his fondness for Lola and simpler technologies) and doesn’t appear very sentimental. Coulson is focused on the future. He wants to help people and change things for the better (Fe-Ni).

Enneagram: I can see 9w8 So/Sp for Coulson. Possibly 962 or 972 tritype.

Quotes:

Skye: We should warn the people who live around here if the 0-8-4 is dangerous. They’re already dealing with anti-mining rebels and the shining path guerillas. I could post something. Coulson: Remember the panic when that anti-matter meteor splashed down just off the coast of Miami, nearly devoured the city? Skye: No. Coulson: Precisely. Because we kept it quiet and contained. Skye: So, what am I doing? Coulson: Well, if it gets out, I might need you to create some kind of diversion, put the public on the wrong scent. Skye: So everything that I’m against. Coulson: Yep.

Coulson: An Asgardian stabbed me through the heart with a Chitauri scepter. The effect was similar. Got a few weeks’ R&R and this plane. Had it completely refurbished. Studs up – spared no expense.

Skye: I don’t even know where we’re going. Coulson: Peru. That’s where the 0-8-4 was reported. Skye: And an 0-8-4 is…? Coulson: An object of unknown origin. Kind of like you. Team goes in, determines if it’s useful or if it poses a threat. Last one turned out to be pretty interesting.

Ward: Skye? Girl’s not qualified to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Coulson: Agreed. That’s why I’ve invited her on as a consultant. S.H.I.E.L.D. does it all the time. Technically, Stark’s a consultant. Ward: And technically, Skye’s a member of the Rising Tide. She hacked our RSA implementation – twice. Coulson: From a laptop. Imagine what she’ll do with our resources. Ward: I am. That’s exactly what I’m imagining during this frown. You brought me on for risk assessment. She’s a risk. She doesn’t think like us. Coulson: Exactly. […] Ward: We have two kids on this bus who aren’t cleared for combat. You’re adding a third. At least Fitz-Simmons are trained S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists. But Skye? You said this was a select team. Assembled to work new cases, to protect people. I don’t see how letting some hacker tag along — Coulson: I’m looking for an objection I haven’t already anticipated. I’m calling this. But your frown will be on record.

Skye: I’m not exactly a team player. Coulson: We’re not exactly a team. But we’re in a position to do some good. You’d be a great help. And you’d be front row center at the strangest show on earth, Which is, after all, what you wanted.

Coulson: But the good ones… the real deal… they’re not heroes because of what they have that we don’t. It’s what they do with it. You’re right, Mike. It matters who you are. Mike: I could, you know? Be a hero. Coulson: I’m counting on it.

Ward: You’re gonna risk thousands of people’s lives over some nobody.

Coulson: Nobody’s nobody, Ward.

Mike: It matters who I am – inside. If I’m a good person, if I’m strong. Coulson: I know you’re strong. Your boy knows it. He needs you to let us help.

Coulson: We only get one shot at this, so let’s go over the plan one more time to make sure we’re clear on exactly what we’re doing, okay? Trip and I will crest the ridge, use a noisemaker to grab a three-wheel, maybe something with more fireworks, and open a window for you two. You crawl in, grab the dealer, force his hand. He’ll get us our ace in the hole, and then Bob’s your uncle. Skye: Roger that. Triplett: Makes it sound easy. May: Coulson, it’s a solid plan you’ve mapped out, but it hinges on a gamble – a big one. Coulson: And back up isn’t coming. It’ll be just the four of us. We’ll be outmanned and outgunned. But Fury always said… a man can accomplish anything when he realizes he’s a part of something bigger. A team of people who share that conviction can change the world. So, what do you say? You ready to change the world? May: No. I’m ready to kick some ass. Coulson: That works, too.

Nick Fury: And I’m not afraid to cut off fingers. The principle SHIELD was founded on was pure. May: Protection. Nick Fury: Protection. One word. Sometimes to protect one man from himself,other times to protect the planet against an alien invasion from another universe. It’s a broad job description. Coulson: No need to tell me. Nick Fury: But the belief that drives us all is the same. Whether it’s one man, or all mankind. Coulson: That they’re worth saving. Nick Fury: That truth lives inside you, Coulson. Before it was torn apart, S.H.I.E.L.D. was a lot of moving parts. Guys like you were the heart. Now you’ll be the head.

Coulson: I need skilled assets in the field who are willing to step over the line, to do the wrong thing but for the right reason. I need you because I can’t be you. Not anymore.

May: I’m not going back in the field. Coulson: Yeah. You’ve got such a nice setup here. You ever thought about adding a moat? I just need you to drive the bus, liase ground transpo, some on-site supervision. This isn’t a combat op. May: Then you don’t need me. Coulson: I do. ‘Cause we’ll be running ourselves. Picking the ops… making the calls. No red tape. This is where they actually make the red tape, isn’t it? I always wondered. Melinda.

Coulson: [In Skye’s interrogation] This is QNB-T16. It’s the top-shelf martini of sodium pentothal derivatives. It’s a brand-new and extremely potent truth drug. Don’t worry. The effects only last about an hour. Ward: And you’ll have a nice little nap. And we’ll have all the answers to our… [Coulson injects Ward] Ward: Hey! What the hell? Coulson: I’m sorry. Did that hurt? Ward: No, you’ve lost your mind. You should never do that to a member of your team. And yes, it did hurt a little bit, but I try to mask my pain in front of a beautiful woman, it makes me seem more masculine. MY GOD this stuff works fast. Coulson: [to Skye] Don’t trust us? Ask him whatever you’d like. Ward: Wait a minute. Wait. You can’t just… [Coulson opens the door and leaves; as Ward shouts after him] Ward: This is definitely not protocol!

Coulson: May’s not the director. This is my call. I was put in charge of the Tahiti project, so those people are my responsibility. If going back in this machine saves even one life, then it’s worth the risk.

Coulson: To answer the question on everyone’s mind, no, I’m not crazy. I know in the past few months, it may have seemed like I was leading you on some fool’s errand, chasing after strange carvings and artifacts. At times, I questioned it myself wondering if I was chasing windmills, trying to solve some unsolvable puzzle. But the pieces are coming together. The puzzle’s taking shape. The bad news HYDRA’s trying to solve the same puzzle, and they have more resources. The good news we now have a piece they don’t have. Everything we’ve been doing, it all leads here. Our job? Find it before anyone else.

Phil Coulson (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.): ENFJ was originally published on MBTI Zone

[dominiqueb40-blog]

SHORT ARTICLE PARTICULAR ARTICLEID 960644 Articles

There is actually nothing at all more irritating to a pedant's ear in comparison to a person pointing out mischievious" as opposed to rascally," and also nothing additional humiliating compared to realizing you have actually been actually pronouncing words naughty with an additional i for your whole life. This later development in stock car creation has actually made that achievable for individual contractors to dupe various other vehicle drivers into assuming a plain looking auto possesses no guts, merely to damage these unwary chauffeurs in an ethnicity later on. However, typically one may properly suppose that a contemporary pole, usually, certainly not merely drives quick, but has an exquisite look to opt for that.

A heat energy bunch is actually other from other well-known types of imprinting including silk display screen publishing which use net to transmit ink to the component and straight to garment printing which utilizes ink jet modern technology to publish onto items. Raymond Erith, which monitored the renovation from Downing Road in 1960, was the premier classical engineer of his day and was actually expert with all elements of Georgian style; he would very most definitely not have made such a primary error in order to misalign a Trajan absolutely no. As well as if you typically aren't involved with any Zermatt ski activities, then Bahnhofstrasse is actually the major street of this car-free community where you'll find numerous boutiques and bistros. At click through the up coming post same time, they're not thus warm that economical boom rapidly depends on economical seizure. While most guests often devote their days on the beaches as well as their evenings at benches - one thing our experts are certainly not afraid to our own selves - there is a fantastic road food scene within this community, one that our experts've been enjoying on a frequent basis for the past ten years. The USA on the contrary has enrolled a a great deal from street children on yearly manner. I was thought about the long walk back to my property in the hot sunshine without any funds in my palm. As earlier stated, I continue to be actually concerned that the Road appeared not to recognize the magnitude of the revenues miss.

This is awful method to know the best ways to perform road miracle because you will certainly end up being accustomed to performing that this way. Additionally, best smash hits compilations from stone bands that contained ballads ended up being overly popular with popular music followers.

Racers are actually often the ones that are mosting likely to help the best coming from actually light BMX structures as well as bikes Road and also park lovers could still profit get not must put as much attempt right into doing particular techniques or even spaces, but you actually do not need light BMX bikes to excel in this element of the sport. If the hot dog carts a trailer-drawn unit, you'll likewise need to obtain trailer insurance policy protection, just like you would certainly with a trip trailer as that will certainly get on the street most of the amount of time. Extremely exciting lens that has provided me a better knowledge in to the creative state of mind from a true master from road fine art.

[theliterateape]

Hope Idiotic | Part VII

By David Himmel

Hope Idiotic is a serialized novel. Catch each new part every week on Monday and Thursday.

BY MID-NOVEMBER, LOU HAD BEEN LIVING WITH MICHELLE FOR TWO MONTHS. She provided half of the dresser for him and cleared out space in the bathroom cabinets and her closets for him in an effort to make her place his place, too. But she refused to let him hang any photos of his friends or family. And there was no way he was putting his film trophy on display anywhere.

“It’s tacky,” she told him.

“I’m proud of it.”

“You won that years ago. In college. Why does it matter now?”

“Because, it is a big part of my creative career. The first real acknowledgement I received. It reminds me that I’m capable of succeeding.”

“It’s not like it’s an Oscar, Lou.”

“Would you let me display an Oscar?”

“Win an Oscar. You can carry it around your neck for all I care.”

Her case: She spent a lot of time and money making her home nice and mature and professional-looking. A trophy from a university film department contest would only cramp her style. It should have been enough that she made room for his stuff in her closet. “I had to give away a lot of shoes,” she reminded him.

“You didn’t even wear half of those shoes,” he said.

“If you absolutely have to have photos of your friends and family in the apartment, you can put them on your nightstand on your side of the bed.”

“But this is our place, right? You have photos of friends and family everywhere.”

“My family doesn’t live in the city. I never see them.”

This was bullshit. She saw her parents about every two months whether she was visiting them in Las Vegas or if they were visiting her in Chicago or if there was a vacation somewhere else they’d take together. And those friends in the photographs? They all lived blocks away from the apartment. Fact was, she saw her parents and friends far more than he saw his. Michelle said she wanted Lou to call the apartment home, but it seemed she didn’t really want him to move into it.

His father once told him about a girl he dated in high school who lived in a high-rise. “I broke up with her after the first date,” he said. “I didn’t like her enough to wait around for the elevators only to have to make nice with the other tenants.” Lou loved that story, and after living in a high-rise for two months, he had even more of an appreciation for it.

What he couldn’t move into, he began to feel trapped in. They lived on the twenty-ninth floor, so he had to wait for an elevator every time he wanted to go anywhere. If he was in a hurry to get back to the apartment to, say, go to the bathroom, he had to wait for an elevator to take him up. To run a load of laundry, he had to wait for an elevator to take him down to the basement’s laundry room. When he needed to drop a portfolio in the mailbox in the lobby of the building, or pick up a frozen pizza and a pack of gum from the store, he had to budget fifteen minutes to do so, just in case the elevators were moving slowly that day. What were once quick, thoughtless, chores back in Vegas had become time-consuming errands in Chicago.

It was not only a hassle getting out of and into the apartment, but not having a job to go to each day presented a certain kind of claustrophobia for him. The apartment was a perfectly good size for a one-bedroom in the city, and it never felt that he and Michelle were living on top of each other. But where there was a specific bedroom and kitchen, the living room, dining room and office were all one large space. It’s called an open-floor plan, and it was suffocating.

He was home all day scouring the web for jobs, calling businesses, opening a LinkedIn account and joining groups, learning about networking opportunities, perfecting and re-perfecting his résumé and cover letters, all from Michelle’s tiny IKEA desk shoved in the corner of the main room. When he wasn’t staring at the computer screen, he was looking through the large windows at the panoramic view of the city and he swore it was mocking him. Like it was saying, “Here I am, Lou! I’m right here! Come and get me; make me yours! Hurry, you don’t want to miss the elevator!”

The city, and all it offered was out of his reach. By two o’clock every afternoon, he was so emotionally drained and physically exhausted from sitting on his ass, that his six o’clock scotch routine was bumped up four hours.

✶

CHUCK’S MOTHER HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE HOSPITAL FIVE TIMES FOR THREE HEART ATTACKS since the first one back in June. He was sending nearly every cent he had back home to cover the cost of the rapidly growing medical bills and hardly making a dent. As a result, he was falling far behind on his own bills. Lexi was barely keeping both of them afloat.

When Chuck’s mom went in to the hospital the fifth time, he thought it best to fly out there. On his way back to Vegas, he stopped in Chicago to see Lou. He was going to stay at Lou and Michelle’s place, but realizing Chuck’s one night in town would likely result in drunken and horrific behavior, Michelle politely suggested they both get a hotel.

“That’s fine,” Chuck said. “Since neither of us has any money.”

“And she wants me to start paying half of the rent,” said Lou. “That’s about nine hundred bucks a month. I’ve been in Chicago for almost six months and haven’t even made a total of nine hundred bucks. And she wants me to pay that every thirty days?”

“It’s not right. Because it’s not that she needs help making rent. She’s pulling in four hundred grand a year, right?”

“One seventy-five. Which is plenty. And I’ve saved her money on housecleaning. She used to pay a service. Seventy-five dollars every two weeks. I clean the house better than they did, and I do it every week, plus I do the laundry. And I cook. Dinner is always ready for her when she gets home from work. I’m pulling my weight the best I can.”

“You’re the perfect 1950s housewife she always wanted,” Chuck said. “You’d think that would be enough.”

Michelle told Lou she wanted to at least have dinner with the boys since it would be her one chance to see Chuck while he was in town for the night. She was sweet and asked about his mother and the rest of his family. She pressed him about his plans to marry Lexi, which made the boys uncomfortable because they knew that he not only wasn’t making plans to marry her, but he was mostly fucking someone else — and possibly falling in love with that someone. Michelle, however, had no idea about Gina and there was no way Lou was ever going to say anything about her as long as Chuck was still living with Lexi.

He was a cheating, conniving bastard, yes. Lou knew that. And he told Chuck so several times. But Lou also understood the reasons for the attraction and the reason he had to sneak around. Without Lexi, Chuck had no money, and with all he had on his plate, not having his sugar mama would be a disaster.

There was also the fact that despite the cheating and lying, he loved Lexi. She wasn’t perfect, but who was? So she bored him sometimes; who doesn’t get bored with the woman they love? They hadn’t had sex in ages, so what? People go through slumps. It was complicated because matters of the head and heart so often are. But it was wrong to lie to the person he was in a recognized relationship with. And that’s all Michelle would see, the black-and-white physical truth, not the grey emotional truth. So, it was best to just not bring it up.

He ran toward and lunged at Chuck, and they began fighting each other.

Michelle even paid for their dinner. “You’re both having a hard time right now; let me get this,” she said yanking the black checkbook away from Chuck.

“You want to pay for our hotel, too?” Chuck said.

“Sorry, boys. You’re on your own with that one.”

Following dinner, the drinks came fast and hard. It had been more than five months since they saw each other, but they spoke on the phone and emailed each other nearly every day so there was no reason to sit someplace quiet and catch up. What they missed was the rowdiness. Since they ate dinner downtown, Lou suggested they go to “that wretched Viagra Triangle. It’s full of tourists, rich women, creepy old perverts and over-privileged go-hards.”

When Chuck and Lou committed to a binge, they did so with every good therapeutic intention in mind. Some people relieve stress and manage problems by jogging or going to the gym or seeing a shrink. Chuck and Lou were each other’s shrinks, and their exercise routine consisted of filling their guts full of booze so that their blood thinned out and they could flush out their brains with a simple blackout. There was often a consequence or two to deal with when they came to, but it was always worth it.

At a karaoke bar where the drinks were overpriced and the floor was dramatically sticky, Chuck nearly had his head beaten in by three big frat-types, probably day traders, after invading their performance of “Don’t Stop Believing.” After being thrown out of the karaoke bar, Lou stumbled into an alley around the corner to puke up his dinner and about fifty bucks worth of beer. Chuck took pictures of it.

“You like that?” Lou yelled at him. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”

Then he ran toward and lunged at Chuck, and they began fighting each other. Lou was half the size of Chuck. Where Lou was a star cross-country runner in high school, Chuck was all-state in football. Whenever these playful fights broke out, Chuck was always the victor. But Lou was scrappy, and their antics made messes.

Out of the alley, Chuck stumbled backward, falling over a young couple sitting on the curb, sick from too much of something. The boys apologized as Chuck threw a few dollar bills at them. “Get a cab home,” he said.

Lou lunged again. Chuck caught him and rotated his body, using Lou’s momentum to throw him into the middle of the street. A black Lincoln town car almost ran him over. It blared its horn. Lou imitated the sound back to the car at the top of his lungs.

Chuck came at him. Lou tried to escape to the other side of the sidewalk, but Chuck grabbed hold of his jacket. Lou spun around and slapped Chuck across the face. Holding onto Lou’s jacket collar, Chuck shoved Lou backward to the corner of the next block. Just as he was about to throw his skinny friend into a collection of street corner newspaper dispensers, Lou tripped him and twisted his body, causing the bigger, heavier Chuck to fall into the dispensers, with Lou landing on top of him.

Metal newspaper stands clanged loudly against the street pavement. One of them broke open, and copies of the Inquisitor spilled into the intersection. Chuck pushed Lou off of him, and when they were both balanced on their feet again, Chuck charged, which pushed Lou back into a trash can, knocking it over, as well.

By this time, a crowd had gathered to witness the street fight between the two maniacs who were laughing their drunken heads off. Chuck’s leather jacket was ripped. Lou’s hand and forehead were bleeding. Someone called the cops.

If the police really wanted to capture half-aware drunks like those two, it would have served them best to not hit their sirens as they approached. Chuck and Lou trained themselves over the years to spring into action at the first sound and sight of an officer of the law. Chuck quickly grabbed Lou’s hand and yanked him up off of the ground, and they took off down Dearborn Street, where they successful evaded the cops in the Gold Coast neighborhood.

✶

THEY WOKE UP ON THE FLOOR OF THEIR ROOM IN THE CONGRESS HOTEL. The room was trashed, Chuck’s jacket was ruined and Lou had to think of a way to explain the cuts on his hand and forehead to Michelle. Getting into a street brawl with his best friend wouldn’t resonate well with her. They had to pull themselves together quickly. Chuck had a flight to make.

“We are fucking idiots,” Lou said.

As they hustled out of the hotel and to the Orange Line El train that would take him directly to Midway Airport, Chuck reminisced, “Remember when we used to have no responsibility for anything?”

“We always had responsibility. We’ve always just been good at keeping our circus act from burning the whole town down.”

“But all of this accountability to people now. My family. Lexi. Michelle.”

“We’d be more fucked without it.”

“I suppose.”

“Anchors to our drifting ships.”

Lou saw Chuck onto the train. They hugged and laughed at each other in a way that they both understood what the other was thinking; that they were going to be okay. That somehow they would figure it out, but that yes, they were complete and total fucking idiots.

✶

LEXI WASN’T AT THE AIRPORT TO PICK UP CHUCK AS PLANNED. He called her, but she didn’t answer. He waited there an hour and called her a dozen times leaving just as many messages. Nothing. He caught a cab. The fare emptied out his wallet. When he walked through the door, Lexi was lounging on the couch watching TV. Her phone was next to her, the voicemail indicator light blinking. He set his bag down.

She turned off the television, sat up and said, “We need to talk.”

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI

[webanalytics]

Deliver Step Change Impact: Marketing & Analytics Obsessions

Some moments in time are perfect to reflect on where you are, what your priorities are, and then consider what you should start-stop-continue. In those moments, you are not thinking of delivering incremental change… You are driven by a desire to deliver a step change (a large or sudden discontinuous change, especially one that makes things better – I’m borrowing the concept from mathematics and technology, from “step function”).

In those moments – common around new years or new annual planning cycles – the difference between delivering an incremental change vs. a step change is the quality of ideas you are considering. In this post, my hope is to both enrich your consideration set and encourage the breadth of your goals.

My professional areas of interest cover Customer Service, User Experience and Finance, though here on Occam’s Razor my focus is on influencing incredible Marketing through the use of innovative Analytics. To help kick-start your 2019 step change, I’ve written two “Top 10” lists, one for Marketing and one for Analytics – consisting of things I recommend you obsess about.

Each chosen obsession is very much in the spirit of my beloved principle of the aggregation of marginal gains. My recommendation is that you deeply reflect on the impact of the 10 x 2 obsessions in your unique circumstance, and then distill the ten you’ll focus on in the next twelve months. Regardless of the then you choose, I’m confident you’ll end up working on challenging things that will push your professional growth forward and bring new joy from the work you do for your employer.

Ready?

First… The Analytics top ten things to focus on to elevate your game this year…

The Step Change Analytics Obsessions List.

A1. Improve the Bounce Rate of your top 10 landing pages by 50%.

(Improving Bounce Rate results in reducing it. :))

You'll be surprised by the steep drop in Cost per Acquisition.

Google Optimize will be one of your BFFs in this quest. You’ll know you’ve moved beyond basic improvements when you start setting Custom Objectives – they require deeper thinking, which is a good sign.

A2. Eliminate 40% of the numbers from your dashboard.

Take the newly-created white space to explain what to do based on performance of 60% of the numbers that remain.

What your boss wants most this year, more than love, is to be told what the data wants her to do. Don't leave her guessing.

(Bonus, with actionable ideas: Smart Dashboard Modules.)

A3. Take your first steps towards unlocking smart algorithms.

Learn what Session Quality is in Google Analytics, then learn how to use it in your campaigns to improve conversions. In the Audiences section, go to the Behavior folder.

Learn what Smart Bidding is in Google Ads, then learn how to use it in your campaigns to improve outcomes.

Machine Learning algorithms will make our data smarter in unparalleled ways; Session Quality and Smart Bidding offer early clues about the scale and type of intellect. In both instances, it is immensely valuable to really understand how a smart algorithm uses billions of data signals to calculate likelihood of a conversion.

Across all your analytics data, algorithms will take you places humans simply can't. This should be the year you invest in an expansion in skills and practice to take advantage of these possibilities.

A4. Take a class in data visualization. It will save your life.

Anyone can make a complicated visual, it takes someone very special (you!) to draw out the essence of the story data is trying to tell.

My recommendations:

Free Courses: Data Visualization and D3.js and Data Analysis and Visualization at Udacity. Affordable: Data Analysis and Presentation Skills at Coursera. Occam’s Razor: Start with this one: Closing Data's Last-Mile Gap: Visualizing For Impact. And, there are five more linked to here.

  Through all these courses remember the most important thing about data visualization: It’s not the ink, it’s the think. Obsess about improving the think, just as much as I’m encouraging you to improve the ink.

A5. Obsess about what happens after campaigns end.

In our analytics practice we tend to celebrate victory too early (at the end of the campaign) or with insufficient breadth (the full scope of impact).

Did you get customers with high lifetime value? How long did the brand lift – say Awareness – last? What was the average order value of the second purchase by people you acquire via Search, compared to those via Retail?

Is there a difference in behavior between people who signed up for email over the last year vs those who did not? What the cost of getting a retail customer to make subsequent purchases over mobile apps lower?

A6. Understand your personal impact, obsess about improving it.

Grab the revenue number for the company. Now work out how much of it is influenced by you directly. Make a note of what it is (likely to be a couple percentage max).

Double that number this year.

What are the first five things on your list?

None of them will be easy, but converting insights into action via influence rarely is. But, you don't have to stretch too far to see how amazing it would be for you (and data too!) if you double your impact.

A7. Run one super-large controlled experiment.

To prove what your Executives believe purely from their gut. Or, to disprove it.

Does Facebook advertising really work better than TV? Can you create premiumness for your brand using digital? Is a 15% coupon now better than 20% off the next purchase? Does swapping out male model posters for cute animals triple sales?

Does sponsoring a fashion show lead to an increase in brand equity? Does free pickup in store result in higher attach rates?

A8. Identify four relevant micro-outcomes to focus on in 2019

(In addition to the macro-outcome of revenue).

Businesses win when you optimize for a portfolio, because at any given time only a tiny fraction of people want to buy. Solving for micro and macro-outcomes is directly connected to the holy grail of solving for short-term AND long-term success.

Employees also become smarter when they have to optimize for more than one thing. :)

A9. Throw away your custom attribution model. Embrace data-driven attribution.

For some things, humans are already less smart than machines. Trying to guess what might be happening across millions of touchpoints on and off site, on and offline, is one of those things.

Skip the first five steps of attribution’s ladder of awesomeness, jump to DDA. From the tens of hours saved per week, figure out how to feed offline data into your data driven attribution model.

With an obsession with data-driven attribution, you are also solving for a portfolio rather than a silo. Super cool, super profitable.

A10. Hire an experienced statistician to be a part of your analytics team.

There is too much goodness in modeling that you are not taking advantage of. From segmentation models to identifying incrementality to predictive modeling to survival analysis to clustering to time series to… I could keep going on and on.

2019's the year you get serious about serious analytics.

A11. Bonus: Reporting kills, analysis thrills.

If that is true, and it is, :), then what % of time are you personally spending between Data Capture – Data Reporting – Data Analysis?

Outsource or eliminate half of your data capture and data reporting responsibilities, and allocate it to data analysis and driving action.

You'll be surprised at the increase in your salary and bonus (oh, and the company will benefit too!).

In context of Analytics are you aiming for something special in 2019 that I've not covered above? Will you please share that with me by adding a comment? Thank you.

Switching gears, here are ten things to obsess about to collectively deliver a step change via your Marketing game this year…

The Step Change Marketing Obsessions List.

M1. Improve the Bounce Rate of your top 10 landing pages by 50%.

(Improving Bounce Rate results in reducing it. :))

Same as the #1 on the Analytics list. :) Far too many Marketers ignore this simple strategy to make lots more money. You work so very hard to earn attention, why then let your ads write checks your website can’t cash?

An additional delightful benefit: I find that getting Marketers to obsess about landing pages forces them to audit the user experience, something worth its weight in gold.

M2. Put up or shut up time for your social media strategy.

99.999% of corporate social media participation yields nothing.

Your CMO wants people to love your brand and organically amplify its goodness. It genuinely is a good thought. Except, a cursory glance at your social contributions show nothing of that sort over the last three years.

So, why are you spending all that money?

I recommend using that money to buying your team iPhones every Friday, I assure you that'll have a positive ROI.

Or. Focus on social media primarily as a paid media strategy. Bring the same discipline to the application of accountability to social media ads that you bring to your Display or Video ads anywhere on the web.

Here are five brand and five performance metrics that'll be your BFFs in 2019, as you social strategy lives up to that now famous mantra: Show me the money!

M3. Keep control of creativity, give up control of the creative.

Machines are much better at optimizing the latter for short or long term.

(For now) You are still better at the former – do lots of it, then hand it over to smart algorithms.

It is hard, especially for creative types who confuse creativity with creative. But, with every passing day you are harming your bottom-line more if you don’t follow the formula above.

Also consider the Machine Learning opportunities for Marketing beyond creative.

Aim to shift 25% of your marketing budgets in 2019 to opportunities that are powered by ML algorithms and rejoice at the boost in profits that results.

M4. TV works, solve for each factor that drives success.

Most TV campaigns are sold and bought based on reach (GRPs FTW!).

In my experience you should optimize for reach AND one overarching story AND creative consistency AND ensure each successfully tested creative has enough frequency to wear-in.

And, if you can't solve for three ANDs… Shift money to max out the Performance Digital opportunity, then with the left over money buy every person in your team – and at your agency – a new car. Your TV budget is big enough , and trust me when I say that giving out a new car will have very high motivational and bottom-line ROI.

M5. Seek to understand the customer journey.

What drives the first purchase? What drives the second? What drives the support calls in between? What does using the product really, really feel like? What drives advocacy?

All advertising that fails does so because the Marketer behind it understands only one sliver of the experience, then solves for that sliver with heart-breaking short-term focus.

When the Marketer understands the answers to the above questions, it influences the creative, it influences targeting, it influences retail store displays, it influences frequency, it influences product design, it influences…. it changes everything. Including profits.

Journeys are better than tinder dates.

6. Solve for intent. It is more possible and more critical with every passing day.

See-Think-Do-Care is a great intent-centric business framework, if I may say so myself, for challenging your current marketing strategy.

What intent is your current marketing content (tv, digital, ads, emails) targeting? What happens once your ads meet that intent? What meaningful content are you publishing, on and offline, to engage audiences before and after the BUY NOW (!) moment? Is your measurement aligned with the intent your marketing is targeting, or are you judging a fish by its ability to climb a tree? How do you know?

Shifting to See-Think-Do-Care is the single biggest force multiplier when it comes to your marketing. Help shift your organizational thinking to the current century in 2019.

M7. Your marketing budget allocation can be improved anywhere from 50% to 50,000%.

Allocating budgets is the hardest decision a Senior Marketer will make. Most will use strategies like Digital had 27% of budget last year, this year we should do between 28 and 30%. History, gut-feel, inter-company-politics, etc. are primary reasons why this silly mindset is pervasive across companies.

A better way? Profitable opportunity size.

I don't think you can argue with the first part: Invest where you make more profit. The second part takes a bit more work. It comes from plotting diminishing margin curves with confidence intervals. In English: How high can the investment goes before every $1 you invest returns less?

You are a Marketer, so it's unlikely that you'll plot these curves. Make it a priority for your Analytics team to do so; without them massive chunks of your budget is being flushed.

(Also, see obsession #10 on the Analytics list.)

M8. A grandmother's Marketing strategy for grandmothers only.

A bit provocative, but I want to challenge how most Marketers just make little tweaks to their strategy. The bigger the company, the more that this pernicious problem exists. Don't let that be you, and allow me to share two views that'll challenge your reality.

Here's the average time spent per day by US adults with media devices…

My humble description of a "grandmother's marketing strategy" is the bar on the right (65+).

It is eminently sensible for our marketing for our fellow 65+ aged Earthlings to be reflective of the implications of that right-most bar.

The problem arises when our entire marketing strategy is an extension of that right-most bar. For our entire marketing strategy to be structured on that 6:55 you see above, when our products and services are not 65+ centric is… A bit silly. Perhaps even reflective of failing our fiduciary duty.

Note the difference in total media consumption (time, place, device, more). Note the products and services your company currently offers. Reflect on this: How misaligned is your current marketing strategy?

I get really excited about something super-cool, but subtle, in the data above: The implication of the difference between active vs. passive consumption!

The difference between leaning-back and letting content wash over us vs. leaning-in and pulling content you desire is huge. It dramatically changes what your marketing should be solving for (beyond the obvious investment alignment by platforms issue).

One more reality-check for your 2019 Marketing strategy: Here's a helpful deep drive into the shifts in consumption of TV across US adults – in just six years (!!)…

This possibly explains why Toyota's entire Marketing strategy seems to be TV-centric (with the incredible frequency of 48 per day per person here in the bay area!). It seems Toyota is only trying to sell cars to 65+ (whose TV watching has actually increased).

In 2019, resolve to align your marketing strategy with your 1. products 2. goals 3. audience, and 4. amount of expressed intent on the platform.

Credits: Originally created by Sara Fischer of Axios, the first graph is via my buddy Thomas Baekdal's newsletter. 100% of you need to sign up for it. The second chart is from the lovely team at The Economist.

M9. Suck less more.

Every campaign you are currently executing can be made to suck less – especially if you think end-to-end experience.

Ex: Expedia's emails are so long they always trigger "[Message clipped] View entire message." Suck less and maybe use my past behavior to send shorter emails so I know you care about me?

Ex: Nordstrom sends me one email a day with exclusive deals – how many clothes do they think I need? Suck less and maybe send me one a month? Or, base it on shopping patterns in store to deliver delight and not just a deal?

Ex: Macy's email I just received (titled "Resolution #1: get an extra 20% off before it ends") has promotions for Women, Men, Shoes, Bed & Bath, Kids, Juniors, Jewelry, Plus Sizes, Handbags, Home, Kitchen, Beauty. All above the fold. Below the fold: Large pictures with promotions for White Bedding, Biggest Underwear, Biggest Mattress (yes again), Best Face Forward, 25% off Adidas, Macy's presents the Edit, Fresh Pastels (the image does not make clear what this is), Free, Fast Pickup. PHEW! This can be unsucked at so many levels, with just a little bit of love and focus.

Ex: Even really good programs can use sucking less. Companies like Google and Microsoft have so many divisions. Each team/department optimizes for itself, emails are pretty good, hence each thinks they are doing really well. But, if you flip the lens to me – the recipient – I get a lot of email from each company. I wish someone at G/M would track Emails Sent/Humans Sent To, and reflect on the sad reality. It would create a culture of Marketing with me at the center instead of a company department – you can imagine the benefits.

I'm using email marketing as an example of activating the power of suck less because I love email marketing. It is an effective and profitable strategy. It has loads of behavioral data available. It needs a comparatively small team to execute well. Yet see how much opportunity there is to suck less at even the largest companies.

Substantially bigger opportunities to suck less exist in all other Marketing you are doing. TV. Print. Radio. Display (omg, sooooo much opportunity!). Video. Website. Mobile app. Everything else.

All you need to do is take a quick peek under the covers.

Your 10x goal for 2019: For every $1 invested in chasing a shiny object (VR ads! Influencer marketing!!!), invest $10 in sucking less in existing large clusters of your Marketing.

Profits that follow will also be that lopsided.

One last bit, culture eats strategy for breakfast. Create a quarterly Most Unsucked Team award, and celebrate this dimension of success. Incentives matter.

M10. Bring your great taste and expectations to work.

You can easily recognize when something is mediocre – even when others put lipstick on the pig and run it around the organization as the greatest success of the month.

You know what exceptional looks and feels like – you are not just a Marketer, you are an intelligent customer.

Yet, my experience is that most Marketers stay in their lane. Often, company cultures encourage that non-beneficial behavior.

In 2019, speak up.

You have great taste. Don't leave it at home when you leave for work.

Speak up.

When you see low quality work being pushed out by your Marketing organization… Create alternative mocks. Push for your version of the brand's tag line (not the generic MBA buzzword puke-fest). Ask for a better balance between Earned-Owned-Paid marketing. Politely challenge your Leader's assertion that creative x is better because he feels like it will be. Recommend experimenting with reckless ideas, instead of directly putting 30% of the budget on them. If you see lipsticked pigs being paraded around as exceptional examples, humbly, privately, flag the corrosive implication on culture to the most senior leader who'll listen to you.

Speak up.

You deserve to be heard.

When you speak, it'll give others around you the courage to speak up as well. Smart people tend to run in packs.

That’s it. :)

A slight repetition: Reflect deeply on the impact of the 10 x 2 obsessions in your unique business environment. Then, distill down to a total of ten you’ll focus on in the next twelve months. Finally, put a start and expected end date for each item. If you get through the list, you would have contributed a step change to your company’s bottom-line, and discovered unexpected personal joy.

As always, it is your turn now.

If you had already identified obsessions for Analytics and/or Marketing for the next twelve months for yourself, what obsessions did you choose? I’m super curious. Are there a couple in my lists above that would be particularly impactful in your company? Some of my recommendations are quite straight-forward, what do you think get’s in the way of focusing on them?

Please share your obsessions, tips, culture-shifting strategies, and critique via comments below.

Thank you.

The post Deliver Step Change Impact: Marketing & Analytics Obsessions appeared first on Occam's Razor by Avinash Kaushik.

from Occam's Razor by Avinash Kaushik http://bit.ly/2VCJlor #Digital #Analytics #Website