#will finish the books because I enjoy them

[shehungers]

AND, SO I RETURN TO ANOTHER FIC OF YOURS, RYU. *cracks knuckles*

I want to start out first by saying that this fic contained some of the best banter; silly and simultaneously erotic, that I've seen in a long time. the way you wrote their exchanges felt authentic not only to his character, but in context to them being unabashedly in love and comfortable with one another. their flirtations felt appropriate for a pair of characters who are also academics.

alhaitham being written as a smart, brilliant man who's constantly being distracted by having mc there and worshipping their body is absolutely aiwjiednandjwhdnnw makes me go fucking crazy. I love it when types like that are, like, sort of pulled/distracted by their element in favor of being with their lover. because you just KNOW that's devotion and adoration.

you wrote him like a man in the throes of both of those things and mc being that sultry temptress. there's also that extra layer of them scooting off of in the entire excursion so they could spend more time together like that, away from eyes and such. 10/10.

I think besides the banter, I have two sections in particular that really stood out to me. one being the very first lines that you wrote.

This is such excellent prose and imagery, Ryu. It utilizes potent wordage without becoming excessive, particularly the "...wind humming in a lulling rhythm but the air inside was still heavy..." that is gorgeous and I can perfectly imagine this. you hear the breeze outside: soothing, whipping the canvas and sand around outside the tent, but within the tent is still just sweltering, dense air that still smelled like the night before. GLORIOUS.

I also like how you stayed consistent throughout the fic of never letting the heat of the desert fall to the wayside. their crude sex was hot, yes, but the inside of that tent was humid and made them sweat. it smelled of it and musk, like yaaaaas.

this is my other favorite bit. you know I love talking about, like, anything in terms of consumption and hunger. lust being consumed. alhaitham consuming mc, but he was intentional about it. Like, this entire segment was so fucking poetic.

same with the little bit below where mc is basically spread out and consumed like one of his books. studied, enjoyed thoroughly. known. UGHHHH DELICIOUS.

the actual smut itself was fantastic as well. like, I enjoyed that you kept it very much in line with the tone of the rest of the fic and didn't get tremendously raunchy with it. it was deeply sensual and erotic without, like, being hugely pornographic. he still out mc through the wringer with 20 million positions, but you left a lot of the imagination, didn't treat the reader as fucking stupid, needing every single detail explained to them.

also, between you and me, I love it when men moan, so that tiiiiiny bit about him groaning as he finished and was all wrapped up in his own ecstasy???? oof, girlie, oof 🫦

overall, this was such a lovely, erotic piece to read, Ryu. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and how well you're able to translate characters into your own works!!!

— ★ 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: when being assigned a joint research project with a very attractive haravatat student proves to be more distracting than you ever anticipated

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: akademiya!student alhaitham x akademiya!student reader, afab!reader, established relationship (early stages), secret relationship, sex in the desert, flirting, playful banter, casual nudity, no preparation, rough fucking, multiple positions, creampie, not proofread. obv they are adults. 2.1k wc MDNI. 18+ ONLY. | masterlist

reblogs and interactions are always appreciated ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

The heat had already taken hold of you this morning.

Even before you opened your eyes, the desert sun had crept into the makeshift tent, meandered across your skin, and clung to the bedding beneath you. Outside, you could hear the wind humming in a lulling rhythm but the air inside was still heavy—scented faintly of canvas, sand, and Alhaitham.

Officially, this trip was sanctioned by the Akademiya to catalog ruins and decipher inscriptions long buried in the dunes. Your joint project culminated in months of preparation but between your academic pursuits, you and Alhaitham fell into the trap of proximity, lured by the temptation of wandering eyes and coy smiles exchanged over the rim of coffee cups. 

Long nights spent under oil lamps became less about studying and more about the rush it gave you when your knees brushed beneath low tables. It was nearly impossible to concentrate on reading when Alhaitham sat so close that his scent clouded you entirely. 

Wandering eyes turned to coy smiles turned to lingering touches turned to… well. 

Such distractions would be frowned upon by the Akademiya, yes, but how could you resist when Alhaitham treated you like you were the most fascinating discovery he had ever encountered? You both agreed on discretion to save yourself from the mortification of other scholars and seniors. They didn’t need to know about his sweet confession and the many other things you both got up to when nothing but the stars could witness you. 

So unofficially—this trip was the perfect excuse to stay tangled together despite the sweltering heat. 

You blinked against the wedge of sunlight, rolling over to a very bare Alhaitham sprawled beside you, one arm tucked lazily behind his head, the other resting just centimetres from your waist. 

“Morning,” his voice was thick with sleep but when your eyes met, you saw that his expression was immensely not.

“What’s got you so focused?” you said groggily, propping yourself on your elbow as you faced him. “Already thinking about all the hard work waiting for us today?”

Your clothes were still discarded from the night before, sitting in a crumpled heap near the corner of your bedroll. Perhaps the events of last night were why he was looking at you with that slanted smile. 

“Do you always think about work the moment you open your eyes?” he replied, tracing small circles on you. 

“Someone has to keep us on task,” you shot back, raising a brow.

“I didn’t realise I was sharing a tent with a Matra.”

Of the 20 languages he knew, the same mouth rendered him incapable of completing this project in a timely manner—what should have been done two days ago was instead spent with his tongue on your skin. 

Not that you had many complaints.

“Mm,” he added. “And here I thought mornings were for recharging, not nagging.” 

“For someone who implores efficiency in all things,” you said, poking his nose, “You spend a suspicious amount of time lying around. Observing me isn’t going to help your thesis.”

“Observing you is a worthwhile distraction actually,” his hand began to slip onto the bare curve of your hip, “In fact, I think you’re my most compelling subject.”

“I would pay you sacks of mora to include that in your report,” you retorted, clicking your tongue with false annoyance, but you were too focused on something else to actually care.

“I’ll pass,” he tipped his chin at you, “Instead of mora, another thorough exploration should suffice.”

“You’re avoiding work.”

“I prefer to think of it as redefining priorities.”

“Oh? And what’s at the top of that list now, Mr. Alhaitham?” You felt wrapped in warmth but you weren’t sure if it was from the desert or his fingers settling between your thighs.

“Must you know?” He pressed his body against you, “It seems to me you don’t think we can afford to delay.”

Suddenly, the tent felt smaller, and something familiar coiled low in your belly. You let out a soft sigh, shifting closer to him, “Enough.” 

The word felt hollow, even to your own ears.

He not only decided he wanted a repeat of last night (and the night before) but also the right to brag about passing with flying colours even when he was buried inside you during the most crucial part of the research. 

It became a cycle—he apologised for keeping you distracted and you forgave him by moaning his name. 

Never one to be so sexually inclined but now he understood why men sculpted monuments to their obsessions, why poets spilled ink in worship of carnal desires. Lust was not a sin because it was tempted, but because it was consumed. However, the way Alhaitham consumed you was completely intentional. 

You were no different from his books. He spread you open, studied you, and read every inch of you all the same.  

“I personally think we have plenty of time,” he leaned forward, slowly grazing his lips across your neck before kissing your pulse point. “Trust me.”

And trust him you did.

The world outside was quickly forgotten after he turned you on your back. Your words died in your throat as he hovered above you, capturing you in a careful kiss that tasted of salt and skin. 

There was plenty of time in the way his fingers coveted pleasure out of you. 

There was plenty of time in the way he mapped your jaw, your neck, and your collarbone with love bites. Like you were something so desirable to him.

Beads of sweat rolled down your temple as the tip of his cock shallowly pressed your entrance. Your mouth fell open—the friction was maddening, and every inch of you clung to him. Even when his lips ghosted the swell of your chest, he was lucky your skin was there to swallow his quiet grunts each time his hips moved against your tight hole. 

“Patience,” he said when you instinctively arched your back, though his own breathing was uneven. Already, his hair was tousled and damp from the heat of your bodies mingling and you felt his length throbbing on your thigh. He was so hard, you couldn’t help but wonder if the one who actually needed patience was him. 

You couldn’t hold back a giggle. “Speak for yourself,” you said, swiveling your hip upwards. A groan left his lips so quickly you saw a blush spread across his cheeks. “You’re barely holding it together.”

He grumbled in response. “You find joy in others’ misery.”

“Not at all.”

Although, your teasing wasn’t for naught. Alhaitham wasn’t exactly famous for bedding women so seeing you stripped of everything that made you prim and proper left him craving you that much more. “You should take it as a compliment that I—”

“So I’m the problem?” you laughed under him to mask the flutter in your stomach. 

“Precisely.” You were glad he remained obstinate even when he so lewdly towered over you. “You’re in such a hurry this morning. If you want to be reckless, I won’t be blamed for the consequences.”

Then a strategic purse of lips followed suit, “I thought you enjoyed my patience.”

Patience. That damned word again.

Screw patience. Whatever consequence he was referring to was burning away any semblance of patience you might have had left. Thus far, he had taken his time with you but he had only taken his time with you. If he could be more crude, you wanted to see it—feel it. 

“Alhaitham,” his entire name rolled off your tongue. Quick and demanding. Your tone only fueled the fire in his seafoam eyes. “Stop talking.”

The end of your words dissolved into a gasp as he thrust into you, hard and sudden, stretching you with a fervor you hadn’t felt before. 

His muscles flexed while you dragged your nails down his spine, closing your legs around him for even an ounce of stability. The rhythm he set was already so relentless that his hands gripped your thighs, pulling them higher around his waist to drive himself deeper, and the change in angle made all sound catch in your throat.

“Haitham—!” a cry rippled from how hips were snapping against yours with a pace that was anything but patient. He had accepted your unspoken challenge so quickly, that nothing would have prepared you. 

Your head swam.

The wet, sloppy slaps of skin meeting skin filled the tent, blending in with your jagged moans and his lower grunts. No part of his brain wasn’t thinking about how soaked you already were, how you welcomed him so easily before he slipped—no—pushed it in. 

His hair clung to his forehead, every movement felt tight and addictive. When he leaned down, his lips brushed the shell of your ear, “Is this fast enough for you?”

You could only whimper in response, feeling your toes curl as his hoarse voice and your own pleasure consumed you. 

He shifted, pulling you onto your side and hooking your leg over his shoulder. The new position sent another shockwave through you, and your priceless whines filled the small space as he drove into you over and over again.

The heat of the tent seemed endless, but so did the hunger between you. Alhaitham’s pace never truly slowed—each time your whines softened, each time you thought the storm of his touch subsided, he just tossed you into a new position, kindling the fire all over again. 

“I want to hear you,” he growled while his chest was flushed against your back. Reaching to lift your leg so his heavy cock could invade you deeper, you tried to muffle your moans into the bedding. But he grabbed your chin, tilting you to look at him, “Head up.” He half-chuckled, “You were so mouthy before. What happened to that?” 

Before you could answer—or think—he shifted again, this time unsteadily pulling you onto his lap. Your knees dug into the bedding but at that point, holding yourself upright proved difficult. His hands gripped your waist, guiding you to ride him as his mouth leisurely latched onto the peak of your breast. The combination left you shuddering, clinging to his shoulders as his fingers pressed bruises into your hips. 

“Did you know,” he slurred against your skin, “that you’re terrible and incredible?” His praise made your cheeks burn but terrible? Terrible was the way he fucking you so hard you could barely roll your hips. 

“Y-You might want to refresh yourself,” you chewed your bottom lip from yet another hard thrust, “On the meaning of ‘terrible.’” You could feel the remnants of your previous orgasms dripping down on him, “Because that’s you.”

Time blurred. You lost count of the positions, of the way he had you on all fours only to have you back in his arms moments later, of how many times you greedily begged for more. Every touch was electric; if only you could clutch him closer. The noises were shameless and the scent of filthy sex and sweat was nothing shy of erotic. 

When he pinned you beneath him again, you felt him stiffen. Every inch that sunk into you felt more desperate and even the way he called your name sounded huskier. You could have sworn the tent walls were ruffling in sync from his losing control. 

Your lips parted in a silent scream and with a final throb around his cock and a deep drawn-out groan in your ear, he released inside you for the first time. Your body drew out his pleasure as his forehead pressed against your shoulder. His laboured breathing told you everything about the ecstasy he was experiencing, like his body and brain were struggling to stay connected. Finally, he pulled out, trembling and sensitive, and collapsed beside you who was still panting. 

Ultimately you got what you wanted: unfiltered crude sex with your insufferably hot research partner. Your pulse ran wild.

A hazy silence settled, broken only by his stroking your hand to check if you were okay. Part of him wondered if he went a bit too far which you wordlessly answered by rubbing him back. He held you, and like last night (and the night before), you lay glistening and tangled together in the aftermath. 

It was a perfect system, a hopeless, delirious cycle.

“Well,” he said as he returned to tracing circles on you, “I think that concludes this morning’s exploration.”

You rolled your eyes, still dizzy and breathless, “Do you think the Akademiya will accept that as your final thesis?”

His lips quirked into a rare, little grin. “Hard to say. Who knows which of the sages might secretly be perverts?” 

“Alhaitham,” you groaned, swatting weakly at his chest. 

But then his arms tightened around you. And you didn’t mind. You didn’t protest. You believed you might have even loved being clad in nothing, lying in a cramped, too-warm tent that reeked in the musk of what transpired.

There was, as he said, plenty of time to finish the project. And if this was part of the process, you weren’t in any hurry.

© 2024 grimmweepers — do not repost, copy, translate, modify my work on any platform

a/n: idk if i love or hate this but it’s so hot where i am rn and the only thing i can do to distract myself from perishing from the heat is to pretend i’m here!!!

dividers by @/adornedwithlight

[kooldewd123]

Could you share something about Animorphs that you really enjoy? One of the books you like best, or a really good plot point, or a character moment?

I love hearing people talk about the Animorphs because when I read them growing up, I didn't have any book friends, but they're just SO GOOD

i have been unable to get megamorphs 3 out of my head for fifteen fucking years. granted, i could say that about most of this series, but mm3 has always been a particular favorite of mine. i think it might be my favorite time travel story ever. i mean, that cold open? cassie's a slave owner, jake's a fascist? i have thought about that scene so much. how the culture we grow up in shapes who we become as people. the series as a whole has led me to do a lot of self-examination of my own human and cultural biases (particularly through ax's outside view), but this scene has fundamentally shifted my entire worldview in a way that very few pieces of media have ever managed to accomplish.

and then the rest of the book is just fucking awesome.

from the second they wind up in agincourt, the entire book is just nonstop chaos in the best possible way. there are too many fantastic moments in this book to count. like c'mon, tobias catching an arrow in midair is one of his most badass moments of the entire series and it never gets brought up because the rest of the book is already so kickass. and then there's rachel absolutely losing her shit after jake dies, which never fails to cut through me every time i read it. her yelling "do you hear me, andalite? they killed your prince. do your duty" is permanently ingrained in my brain. it is genuinely one of the animorphs quotes i think about most often. then we have cassie finally snapping and threatening to bite a racist's head off, the haunting sight of the normandy invasion seen through ax's eyes, and, of course, tobias killing hitler, which is such an absurdly iconic moment that it almost doesn't bear mentioning. plus we end it all off with one of "killer with a conscience" cassie's most brutal moments talking to john berryman in his dying moments so she can erase him from the timeline. like, holy shit. this book is just animorphs firing on all cylinders from start to finish and i absolutely love it.

[evermarch]

on the mortality of president snow

this post has been in the works since i finished sotr, but i wanted to revisit ballad before sharing my thoughts. one thing i absolutely loved about sotr is that snow was not the #1 Main Antagonist so much as The Capitol, abstractly, because it hammers home one of the most essential points of the trilogy. we have this image of tyrants like snow as all-powerful, hyper-intelligent demigods four steps ahead of everyone else. like a snake charmer, they woo a population into submission with superhuman charisma. we have that concept of snow because that's katniss' view of him, and certainly the view he has of himself in ballad. snow in sotr entirely disrupts that perception. in fact, during each substantial interaction between snow and haymitch, snow appears, more than anything else, weak. in haymitch's words, "he's just a man, as mortal as the rest of us."

in private, snow's fragility is a striking juxtaposition with the young man he presents himself as in his own narrative. in the meeting at the heavensbee home, snow is retching and shuddering from poison. he seethes over how, half a century ago, the heavensbees were rich enough to keep books when he had to burn them. though haymitch doesn't, we know that he's word vomiting about the covey because he’s still not over a girl he had a thing with 40 years ago. the implications of this doomed tribute are so concerning to snow, a man with indefinite and unlimited authority and resources, that he arranges a meeting with haymitch under the guise of warning him that, should his behavior continue, his family will be harmed.

only, that's exactly what happens. publicly, snow and haymitch are caught in a chess match in which, each time the audience is paying attention, haymitch forces snow to forfeit a pawn. when haymitch slow claps over louella’s body, snow has no escape. he is "mocked" on camera by a boy wearing a covey necklace. later, the most snow can do on stage at the victor's ceremony is issue a subtle threat to "enjoy your homecoming." yes, haymitch's family will pay. but that wasn't what snow wanted. it wasn't sid who drank his milk. it wasn't willamae who flooded his watchful eye with its own tears. snow had been unable to kill haymitch, even in the middle of a televised battle royale. amongst the roaring applause for the victor, snow must crown him victorious, kneecapped by the demands of his own people.

not only is snow astonishingly fallible, but he is never solely responsible for any of his horrors. in ballad coriolanus was powerless, and he had to take matters into his own hands. he killed bobbin personally. he used highbottom's weakness against him by poisoning the morphling. only sejanus was not his death blow—but he, a lowly, rank-and-file peacekeeper, reported his friend knowing it would inevitably result in his death, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise. in sotr, not a single one of the atrocities snow orchestrates happens by his hand. from lou lou to beetee and ampert to the games themselves to the deaths of sid/ma/lenore dove, each one involves a substantial number of people. each requires scientists and escorts and gamemakers and arsonists and peacekeepers willing to execute his plans.

so why would people back someone so feeble? someone who is not only personally weak, but whose power depends entirely on other people? because it's not snow they're supporting. it's not even the games, for which people still need convincing. it's what they represent. the message, even 50 years later, must be constantly reinforced to every citizen of panem with posters painted in blood to spread the narrative of "no capitol, no peace." in the districts, "no peacekeepers, no peace" means that, without the peacekeepers upholding the system with their guns and whips and ropes, they will be obliterated for their crimes. just like district 13. in the capitol, "no hunger games, no peace" means that, without the games to punish the enemies responsible for "starting" the war, they will forget and try again. and the capitol will fall besieged once again.

this messaging works because both sides still have people who remember the dark days. they remember the brutality of the capitol and the siege of the rebels. to the survivors, capitol and district alike, giving up their rights and self-determination is unequivocally worth preventing a return to war. it's not a conscious choice, of course. it's implicit submission. and the critical point is that people implicitly submit not to their specific role in upholding the system, and not even to snow, but to the narrative. to the opinion of government. to the inevitability of the system itself. and snow, as the #1 peacekeeper, manifests that narrative.

we meet characters from the districts and capitol alike who represent various points on the spectrum of implicit submission. people who swallow the propaganda wholeheartedly like drusilla, someone who lived through the aftermath of the war, who has dehumanized her enemies so much that she channels her cruelty and selfishness to abuse "their" children. ones who, in the face of hopelessness, forfeit their morality, like jethro callow and the booker boys. those who believe, as mr. donner does, that whatever facade of power their wallets provide is enough to spare them from the system which fuels that facade. and people like effie, whose kindness and humanity remains intact, who feel true sympathy for those who suffer in the name of upholding the system, but swallow like sugar the belief that it is for the greater good.

snow, specifically, appeals to each of these people, whether as a villain or as a savior, not because he is so intuitive or charming or brilliant as he considers himself to be, but because no one believes the propaganda more than coriolanus himself. throughout ballad, he constantly questioned his theory of governance, but he never, not once, questioned his core belief that the capitol is superior to the districts. that capitol people are superior to district people. when lucy gray threatened this fundamental reality by becoming someone worth loving, he first tried to distance her from his enemy by emphasizing her covey background. but when he went to 12 and saw her among his enemies, he decided he'd rather kill the piece of himself capable of love than consider that his belief system might be flawed. 40 years later, he's still not past her because she is the lock on the dam which keeps his cognitive dissonance from spilling over.

snow only learns one lesson in those 40 years, the one he adopts in the epilogue of ballad during his gamemaker internship: the value of a group project. he is successful in coming to power because he realizes that, whether they’re the intoxicated capitol crowd cheering on haymitch’s scar or the gamemakers who maysilee and maritte kill, every capitol citizen is fundamentally necessary to upholding the system over which snow now presides. regardless of their degree of complicity in its maintenance, the implicit submission of the feeble-minded masses is what keeps it running. what snow does not learn by the 50th games is that he is one of them.

not, of course, that he had the opportunity to understand that before—it was the heavensbees, after all, not the snows, who got to keep books for reading and not kindling. by the 50th games, however, coriolanus has no such excuse. yet, he still decides to send haymitch the milk pitcher in the arena. he could have had haymitch killed at any point before now, but he needs haymitch to suffer more than just an agonizing death. he needs him to die a selfish being, who deprived a poor, starving girl of her salvation, or live as a pariah, who poisoned her to survive. it is not just haymitch who needs to die. it is his poster. the opposition to the narrative. to the essence of snow's being. but it's that very choice which causes snow's plan to collapse. because his catch-22 is cut off by silka’s axe.

this moment, not his performance of illness to plutarch and haymitch, not his notice of a covey necklace while haymitch stands over a dead girl, not even his crowning haymitch victor, is what best portrays snow's weakness. that best demonstrates that he doesn’t have ultimate control over the depravity of the games and panem’s system of stratification and subjugation. snow fears chaos more than anything in the world, swallows the propaganda and rises to the top of the government in search of unimpeachable control. yet, despite his supreme power, he does not find what he seeks. because the fear, the pain, the oppression, and the deaths do not serve him; he serves them. his efforts are undermined not by some powerful capitol usurper, but by a scared and brainwashed teenager from district 1 desperate to get home to her family and to glory. his authority is undermined by his own belief system.

snow does not learn his true place during the 50th games. but the lesson is still there to be learned. and people do. plutarch, beetee, wiress, mags, and every subsequent member of the rebellion learn that snow is only one step of the battle. coin, too, learns it, training the focus of her most problematic adversaries like katniss and finnick on him so that they don't notice her. but no one learns the lesson better than haymitch. over time, he comes to realize that the threat to be defeated is a pitcher of milk, not a bag of gumdrops. the real enemy, the true antagonist, is not one man who positions himself as the villain, but the movement from where he sources his power. the real enemy has always been the capitol itself. snow was never the snake charmer. he was always just a snake.

which is why, when the war finally comes, haymitch is not among the parade of people clamoring to kill snow, but rather in the control booth directing the mockingjay. undoubtedly, haymitch wants snow dead. but, at this point, he has the perspective to recognize that his failure in the 50th games was snow's failure, too. which is why, when the war is won, he aligns his vote with katniss. because, after 25 years, he's come to know exactly what she's known from the minute she held out the berries. the lesson she learned from peeta, who's always understood that everyone, even snow, is a piece in the capitol's games. that snow’s death changes nothing. because the power is in the message, not the voice. and if the message isn't contained, its voice can change with a flip of a coin.

coriolanus snow is just a man, a mortal being. he has never been who the real enemy is. the enemy has always been the idea, the propaganda, that fueled him. from the words of a ballad and a declaration of love to the guidance of a mentor shifting the aim of an arrow, all four of the victors from district 12 learn in their own time how to fight this opinion of government. they learn not to implicitly submit. and it's because they do so that the the sun did not rise on a reaping ever again.

[thursdaysyme]

Wait do you have study tips… I’m going into my senior year as a uni-transfer and it’s sooo exhausting I’m struggling to focus + getting scared the closer I get to the finish line… womp womp

Oof, that is so real. Let me see if anything in my study roster can help. First, everyone is different and learns differently, so you should study by catering to your learning style, such as hands-on, auditory, etc. But these are some main things I've learned that can be adapted for and are generally great for most everyone.

Buckle up your seatbelts and grab a beverage; this is long.

Timers

Timers are so important! My favorite method was the Pomodoro Method, which was 25 minutes of work and a 5-minute break. You repeat that four times, then take a 15-30 minute break.

It helps to have an end goal, and more importantly, it allows your breaks to be calm because you don't have to worry about getting lost in your break and losing time. Because the timer is set!

However, I suggest not getting on your phone during this break. My best options that work for me are:

Reading a book

Getting a snack

Laying outside and lamenting of the world's woes to the trees

Having a pen and paper to do doodles

Crying

Finding someone in my house to talk to/seeing what others are up to

Falling onto the couch to lament my woes to the dog

Breathing exercises

Getting on your phone speeds up time and keeps your brain in a different mode; it makes it harder to get off and get back on. Ruins the whole study set up you have.

Timers are my best friend because I would stress over breaks, that I would get distracted, or I would spend my entire break looking at the clock to make sure it wasn't too long. I also had a great time with the 25/5 method because it was just long enough but also bite sized so I didn't feel overwhelmed.

Note Cards

Note cards are your friend! Use so many note cards. Scare people with your note card usage.

Note cards are helpful for a few reasons.

Writing. Physically writing things down engage more of your brain, you're more likely to remember!

Personal study. This can be so versatile for when and where you look over terms or ideas.

Friend Study. I loved going over flashcards myself until I felt pretty confident and then having someone go over them with me. The added human connection helps you enjoy your time more and not isolate, as well as not flippling them over too soon. It makes you realize maybe you didn't have them as memorized as you thought.

Versitility of note cards is great, you know you can just write all kinds of stuff and just paste them to the wall? 10/10, love to do it. This is a huge memorization thing, but paste it where you see it!

Write It On The Wall

On pasting note cards everywhere, if you are specifically memorizing passages of literature or conceptual ideas, write it down on your mirror. I had to memorize a poem and I pasted it on my mirror and had to say it before I got in the shower and after I brushed my teeth. You see it all the time, but add it into your routine of that place. If you put it on your door frame, say it before you leave the room/house. This is an underrated study habit that I use all the time, even outside of school.

Food: You Have Got to Eat!

Eat! Eat breakfast! Have a snack in between Breakfast and Lunch! Eat a full lunch! Have two more snacks before Dinner! Have a good Dinner! Eating is V i t a l.

Also knowing how your body reacts to foods. People are now calling this intuitive eating, but knowing what fuels your body is important. For example, I didn't ever drink coffee in the morning, I saved it for after lunch. I didn't know why then, but drinking coffee actually relaxed me; it also settles my stomach. So I waited until after lunch to settle my stomach and have a little "you made it to lunch!" treat. I would instead drink black tea in the morning and then green tea with a snack.

The moral of that story is that beverages are very important. Lots of water too! I suggest something with a straw because you can just keep it on the table and I would accidentally drink all 40oz without realizing simply because I was playing with the straw and was drinking at the same time.

Don't just eat sugar. I know everyone hates to hear it, but it does actually affect your mood and study ability. Sugar is for later, have it, eat it, love it, but not in the morning and not a lot. There are a few foods I would suggest for brain boosting:

Berries

Cheese (i fucking love cheese sticks bro they are 876754/10)

Eggs

Greek Yogurt (filling and great for your gut)

Smoothies with leafy greens (my mother was the Queen of smoothies at 7am every day that I used to get too and that shit helped so much in the morning I swear)

Vegtables! Everyone hates on them, but throw some seasoning, get a dip, and pair it with some meat. Make your own tiny charcuterie board if you need. Cook them, roast them, boil them. I don't care; just eat your veggies.

People often forgo body health when thinking of studying, but making sure your body is fueled and given proper nutrients is going to help you way more than any hyperspecific perfect study tip from some middle-aged so-called researcher in Winsconson. Just so you know, people can slip in studies that have no meaning and are a joke. Cross-check even your "scientific journals".

Place

For the love of god, do not do all of your work on your bed. Your bed is for breaks and sleeping, not studying. Your brain needs to differentiate place. Do it on your desk, your kitchen table, your floor, for all I care. Get out of your bed. Brush your hair and move. If it's a nice day, go outside. Don't you have an outside table? Get a blanket; picnic time.

If you are a library person, go to the library. If you aren't, stay at home. I personally did some of my best work in a busy tea shop on my campus because I was used to working with noise and people. The library is too quiet and still for me. Don't let people tell you the library is the only choice if you don't like it. Do it in your home, the public park, a coffee shop, or the Student Union during lunch hour if you have it. Or go to the library if that's best for you. Try different places! Mix it up! Go to all of them! Go to multiple places in one day! This is your life study at the dog park with no dog if you just wanna see some dogs, studying is not for the weak.

Treat studying as important as Don Quixote took Knighthood. You may look crazy, but you are free. More importantly, your brain is learning.

Hands-On Learning: It's Not Just For Preschool

I had this one class where our exams consisted of multiple choice and the dreaded essay. The professor would give us three different essay prompts and not tell us which one the exam would be on. She would only give us a paper that had a basic history essay outline on it. It was like russian roulette but more stressful. A full five page essay no notes, no nothing, just the ol' brain.

So what I did is I filled out every essay prompt according to the outline I knew we would have, printed it out, and spoke them all aloud while walking around the kitchen for hours. I would do a full: "Introduction, hook: the Egyptians believed the best thing you could do in your life was die".

Just writing and reading is not enough or, like, interesting. Make songs and do a dance routine while your own voice reads off memorization topics. (I have done a few voice notes, don't knock it till you try it). Make it fun and different when you can, it helps your interest, your ability to focus, and memorization. Don't think studying is just typing and reading it over on a screen. Sure, type out notes, but print them and walk around with them. Annotate your own notes. Make a seek and find with your terms and definitions. Create joy where you can; you'll have more fun and remember more. You are grown in college, take yourself on a field trip. It's your life. Find professors and ask them random questions, grill them, they love it just trust.

Reading: Annotation and Other Gifts Straight From God Himself

Annotation is a life saver, a game changer, literally have not once looked back a day in my life after annotating.

I've annotated many different ways, but I've found that for school, the best way to focus on speed and efficiency is with a pen and one singular highlighter. If you struggle with attention or distraction, I do not want to see you with an array of five highlighters for different topics. You, I, and Mary Mother of Jesus, know good and well you are going to get distracted with the colors and forget what you were doing and focus more on color coding than actually reading.

If it is a shorter article, first speed read the whole thing before even thinking of using stationary. And I mean speed read, finish it, and have no confidence on who, what, when, where, or why. You just need to become vaguely familiar. Then the second time you actually read it, and if it's a long text (40+ pages), just start with this, hold your pen while reading.

Circle words you don't know and immediately look up definition, write it down, and continue. Underline and arrow what you think are defining parts of the text. On the side, make sure to write the topic. If a character is getting murdered, write murder scene on the side. If a new theory is being discussed, write piaget - development on the side. You are annotating to look back too, not just write down. Think of your poor future self. What would they think if you just wrote down "wow" on the side? Wow what?

Vagueness is impractical. Be blunt and clear.

Use a highlighter to get those real important bits. Such as, if there is a sentence that is obviously some type of thesis or object statement, highlight it. Think about you going in blind in two weeks looking it over, and seeing highlight of a sentence that makes no sense without context. Ridiculous. Highlight things that give context, not things that need it. Those other fun sentences are for underlining with a pen.

If you are reading a chapter book for school, write a quick summary at the end of each chapter. And, if you really want to do something with some umph, write two to three questions you have over the chapter. Even if you don't really have any. Find some, make something up. The act of trying to think critically about a text allows you to remember it more. Make discussion questions if anything, keep them open ended if you want, create something to talk about. If you can do that, you understand it. Don't let me see you pulling a "why was the mom mad?" when it was clearly stated her son trashed the house. Be real. Write something interesting or not at all. Don't waste your time with that.

Organization

It doesn't really matter how you do this, it's different for every person ever on the face of the earth. But try and make yourself organized. Keep all your papers. Have a folder for each class. Keep a binder. Don't throw away things until the semester is over even if you don't think you need it, if the professor/teacher went to the trouble of printing it, keep it.

Note Taking

This is also a big one. Honestly, if you can, handwrite it. I've done typed notes, and it doesn't hit like handwritten notes. The cornell method is great.

A big one for me is if the professor provides PPTs before the lesson, print them out. Use the ppts to write your notes on. Why write the power point slide bullet points when that's already provided? You want to write down what the professor is saying. People always told me that but I had a hard time doing that without the context of the slides. So, I would print the slides out and write on them. If I didn't have them or the professor posted after, I would section my notes by labeling the slide number at the top. Works like a charm.

Colored notes. My favorite is a multicolored pen. One pen, four colors. Amazing work in pen creation. A big help for discussion-based classes is keeping color codes on notes by:

Teacher Said

Classmate Said

I said

Helps a ton. It feels silly at first, but this is one of those just wait till later tips that needs to marinate. Do it consistently, make it a habit, and it'll work wonders.

Conclusion

That's what I can think of off the top of my head, and my go to study things. I am just outing myself as a huge nerd and perfectionist with this essay of an answer.

I think always remembering why you are doing something is helpful. Look at your end goal. Sometimes, mine isn't anything but "I wanna be better than everyone else," and that's valid (I say about myself). But don't think you have to have some grand reason, but have one that is important to you specifically. Do you just want to have a degree? Perfect reason. Do you just want to learn about something? Perfect. Are you proving a point of some kind? Amazing. If you focus on the here and now, it will get overwhelming. Sometimes you gotta get out of your now bubble and stretch out. Give yourself perspective.

I hope at least one of these tips can help!

[aureentuluva70]

Thank you for the tag @saurongorthaur9!

My dad always liked lotr, and it was my dad who first introduced me to tolkien's works, although funnily enough the first major introduction I had of it wasn't through the actual books themselves, not even the movies. but the Lego videogame of the first two Hobbit films, (he wanted to start tame before actually showing us the movies and well, I guess playing a lego version of the hobbit certainly did it) a game which my siblings and I often spent hours on binge-playing multiple times over. My dad later showed us the actual Hobbit movies, which I really enjoyed and just like with the lego games, my siblings and I loved binge-watching. Over the years I've come to realize just how flawed the Hobbit films are, especially now that I've read the actual Hobbit book(which I actually just finished today! There couldn't have been better timing!), and yeah, there's a LOT they could have done better and differently, but I honestly just can't bring myself to hate those films. Perhaps it's because of my nostalgia-tinted glasses, but they-and the lego games-were my first major introduction to Middleearth, so I just can't hate them as so many others do.

After watching the Hobbit films we later on went to watch the Lotr films, and I honestly have a far less vivid memory of watching them compared to the Hobbit movies. I don't even remember most of my thoughts or reactions while watching at all and while I remember liking them, at the time and age I was in-10 to 12 I think(?)-I preferred the Hobbit films far more. Something about the Hobbit movies was just more appealing to me at the time.

It unfortunately would be quite a few years before I actually read the books. The most I would get in terms of actually "reading" them was me randomly skimming through the copies we had at home, which yeah, barely counts as reading. I remember trying to read the silmarillion for the first time, getting about two pages in and then giving up. There was so, so much information and it just boggled my mind, which luckily for me, is something many others seem to have experienced when trying to read the silm for the first time. I would take to watching summaries of stories from the silmarillion by watching deepdive youtube videos instead.

Why it took me so dang long to actually read Tolkien's books was mostly because it was during my teenage years that I kinda just...fell out of love with reading books, which I highly suspect depression and too much internet use had something to do with it. (Seriously, too much internet absolutely MURDERS the ability to read and focus for long periods of time, to the point it feels more like a miserable chore.) I just couldn't read books for fun anymore, not like I used to as a kid.

Several years after my first attempt at trying and failing to read the silmarillion, I decided to try my hand at reading it again. I was in high-school at the time. I must admit I mostly did this because bringing our own book to read in English class was required, and for some reason I decided: "hey, why not try the silm again?"

And I actually managed to finish the book! During a time where it felt like I had to physically force myself to read a book for long periods of time I actually finished it!

And that was when I really started to fall into the middle earth rabbit hole, and just kept falling, and I've become utterly entrenched in it ever since. If I was an average fan before, most of my knowledge based off of the movies and the occasional YouTube Men of the West video, now I was absolutely hyperfixated on Tolkien's world, and it's slowly but surely been helping me get back into reading just for the enjoyment of it again. I still often have to summon up some will in me to read a book, but it's become far, far less of a chore for me, and more and more lately something I actually look forward to. I've bought many of the History of Middleearth books, just last summer I finally picked up my dad's copies of the Lotr books on the shelf in the basement and read them all, and literally today I finished reading the Hobbit. (Talk about THE perfect timing. AND ONE DAY after March 25th, the anniversary of the Ring of Power being destroyed? AND that it was TODAY that I got tagged to talk about how I got introduced to Tolkien's world? Coincidence? I think NOT.)

This post became a lot longer than I intended but it really does feel like I've come full circle, there and back again, and looking back it really makes me realize just how far I've come, and it renews my gratitude to Tolkien for the world he so lovingly created. I legit don't know where I'd be right now without it. God bless Tolkien, the absolute madlad, for all the hope and wisdom and memories his works have given to so many people, myself included.

Okay.

Something that brings all of us together is our love for Tolkien's work, and its spinoffs.

So, question: What got you into Tolkien?

I'll start.

When I was 12, my father urged me to read The Hobbit. So I did, and I was mesmerized by it, to the point where I'd stay up in the middle of the night to read it. I never got beyond that, though.

Two years ago, I decided to reread it, and I fell in love all over again with the story, characters, Tolkien's writing style, everything. So I decided to read The Lord of the Rings. I got the first book, read a couple of chapters.. and gave up. It was too verbose, too prosaic.

The next year, that is, a few months later, I tried my hand at it again. This time, I got through four chapters, but I still couldn't read the rest. Then.. I began crushing on a guy who'd read it, and so I grit my teeth and went for it. I read, and read, and this time, I found myself enjoying it. Bonus, the guy and I got into conversation.

After finally finishing the first book, I even started the second, and watched the first movie with my family. (By way of flirting I asked the guy whether he liked PJ's Trilogy, and he told me he "found them low budget" so that, um, ended. I'm no longer crushing on real people.)

I read the second, the third book, reread The Hobbit a third time, watched all the movies, and joined Tumblr. Then I got motivated to read The Silmarillion. I'm currently working on that, as well as my Tolkien collection.

Honestly, one thing that fuels my love for the work is all my lovely mutuals who I've gained through this love.

So.. no pressure tags: @gauntletgirlie @wowstrawberrycow @valar-did-me-wrong @balrogballs @ghost-of-morrowbright @gingeragenda @greenleaf4stuff @dragon--ashes @dwarveslikeshinythings @numenoria @onebillionblorbos @zaldritzosrose @varda-star-queen @the-bogginses-are-gay @permanentlyexhaustedpigeon88 @daughterofthesunlands @princessfantaghiro and anyone else I've missed/wants to join.

[ashisinsuperhell]

I'm like 21 chapters into Siege and Storm and as much as I enjoy the story and most characters I want to rip my hair out every time I have to read Alina and Mal interacting. I never liked him in the show tho I went into the book open minded and couldn't stand him in book one either but I was like "hey maybe hell have some growth" but no he is like the only characters who stays the fucking same. and it's not even like oh he is a good written character and doesn't need to change much because he definitely isn't. and the fact I spoiled myself that him and Alina will end up together makes it even more infuriating be cause just... WHY. it's not even that he is a flawed character he is just a straight up asshole and especially towards Alina. I so much more prefer her and Nikolai even they at least have some chemistry and he is a good example of a flawed character. anyway idk if I do even have hope he'll change because I don't know what Mal would have to do for me to be able to see them as a good couple. ugh.

[ndcultureis]

ND culture is getting happy from a hyperfixation feels like a panic attack. Like I genuinely feel like I'm about to explode. Its horrible and I can't stim enough to get myself through it. I struggle to breathe. I have a headache. It start to feel violent.

The emotional dysregulation doesn't discriminate what feelings it chooses to dysregulate

But when I vent to my friends about it they say "But I thought hyperfixations are supposed to be fun?" because of how watered down the term has become to just mean something you're really interested in

Sometimes I genuinely think of restricting my access to most of my interests because its that painful to go through every time I see something exciting

.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

I feel like this is a horrible thing to say, but when I'm shown examples of when Marinette is having a hard time, it's hard for me to feel bad for her.

It's not like I think she deserves it and I certainly don't draw any joy from it, but I just don't feel any sympathy for when she's struggling.

My theory is that the show has toted her so much as the all-important one-and-only, all while ignoring everyone else's important moments and struggles, that I'm struggling to feel sympathetic for when Marinette is going through some sort of misfortune. Every single one of her struggles are always highlighted in such a way that it's supposed to be this incredibly-important thing that makes Marinette look so sad, but then she's comforted and validated until eventually, this struggle eventually gets resolved and she's all happy again.

But then there's Adrien. No closure about his mom, his dad, Natalie—nothing. He's slapped with all the responsibility of comforting and validating Marinette, who eventually gets her personal conflicts resolved without lasting impact.

I'm not saying Marinette hasn't done anything to comfort and validate Adrien, but his conflicts just feel largely brushed aside and/or downplayed in comparison to Marinette's, which are highlighted and emphasized as significant events.

I don't know if this makes me a bad person or something, and I do kind of feel bad about it, but I just struggle to sympathize with her when the show tries to make us feel bad for her.

Marinette is a fictional character. It's totally fine if the bad writing has completely turned you off to her and drained you of sympathy because the entire purpose of her existence is to entertain people. She's not some meaningful representation that you should want to connect with and understand to improve your world view or something like that. She's just a poorly written teenager in a bad kids show. As long as you're able to acknowledge that fact and own that this is mainly a writing issue - and it sounds like you are - I wouldn't stress about it. The writers have done a lot to make her unlikable! I totally get why someone would not want to watch a show starring her canon self. I struggle at times and I genuinely like Marinette! Her writing is one of the many reasons I just don't know if I'm going to watch season six.

I don't defend Marinette because she's done nothing wrong. I defend her because her faults are so clearly just bad writing and not some grand plan for the character where she's going to learn something, which makes me feel protective of her because I genuinely love the base character concept and what she could have been. It's annoying to see people treating her like she's the problem and not the writing because she's literally not allowed to learn lessons and change, so of course she keeps coming across worse and worse! Her flaws are genuinely fine for a serialized story, they just have no place in an episodic one where the characters stay largely stagnant.

For example, nothing about the season five conflict and final naturally follows the BS season four conflict where she supposedly learned to trust Chat Noir. As much as I don't agree that with that synopsis of what the conflict was, it is how Ladybug sums it up in the final:

Ladybug: Why don't you just give up on me? I've lost ALL the Miraculous! I'm the worst Guardian EVER! I wanted to control everything, I didn't listen to you, I lied to you, I kept you at a distance! Every time you offered me a helping hand, I never took it! I really made a mess of EVERYTHING! Cat Noir: We're gonna get them back one by one…until the very last. And we'll make sure this never happens again.

And yet none of this seems to impact season five. Chat Noir and Ladybug maintain all their secrets and they do absolutely nothing to track down the missing miraculous because the plot won't let them even though it really doesn't fit Marinette's character. She certainly hasn't given up controlling things because, once again, the show literally will not let her do that. The rare episodes where it happens always see her punished like when Alya handing out miraculous lead to SentiNino which almost lead Gabriel to knowing Ladybug's secret identity. Adrien suffers for similar reasons. So does Alya and so many other characters! I totally get why someone would not be able to look past canon's writing since it's not like the flaws are minor. I have the same problem with both Lila and Nathalie.

I just cannot stand Nathalie even though I know that she's as much of a victim as Marinette and all the other characters. None of Nathalie's flaws are her fault because she doesn't exist. It's just that Nathalie's bad writing hits me in a way that makes me despise her while Marinette's hits in a "protect and defend" way. There's no wider logic here. It's just a matter of what characters I connected with enough to look past the bad writing. The type of fanfics I read probably also helped...

My only real piece of advice on this topic is to watch your mental health and take a Miraculous break or even leave the fandom all together if you notice that your Marinette hate (or hate of anything in canon) is really messing with you. I've mentioned before that I'm debating about watching season six and a big reason why is that I don't know if it's going to be good for my mental health. Lila's writing has consistently got on my nerves, but she was a minor enough character that I was still having a good time. Given that Lila is our new big bad with the added bonus of how shitty season five was and the show may have hit a point where it's just not fun for me anymore.

Previously, I had issues with the overall writing, but genuinely enjoyed watching the show as the writers are pretty good at short form story telling, so canon was a nice mix of genuinely enjoyable moments and writing issues that were fun to talk about. That was not true for season five and I just can't picture how it will be true for season six. The only reason I'm even considering it is because I watch the show with my SO and he has a lot of fun listening to me rant about bad media, so I may still have a good time with season six. It would not be the first time that I suffered through a piece of bad media for the sake of a loved one who really wanted someone to rant about it with.

I'm not the kind of person who will tell people they're not welcome in a fandom unless they like X. That sort of gate keeping is ugly and often straight up bullying, so don't read this as me saying that you have to like Marinette to enjoy the show or that you need to disengage if you don't like X% of canon. As long as you're having fun and not forcing your dislike on others by sending clearly unwelcome asks or engaging with sugar posts in an antagonistic way or anything like that, then I'm going to defend your right to be in fandom even if we personally aren't going to get along and need to stay in our separate fandom bubbles.* All I'm saying is that it's important to know when to disengage from a piece of media. To keep track of when something starts consistently bringing you more sorrow than joy. When that line is crossed? It's time to move on.

The sad fact is that, while you may utterly adore a piece of media, you have no control of what that media will do, so you need to be very careful about trusting your mental health to total strangers. It's part of why I tend to be so critical of media. Analysis and plot pitches like I do on this blog are genuinely fun for me, but they're also a much healthier way to engage with a story than just trusting it to be good and getting burned when it isn't. There's a reason I avoid theory crafting. I've gotten really into that in the past and wound up hurt because I put way too much faith in strangers who ended up sucking at their job.

*Btw, the line about separate fandom bubbles was not aimed at you. It's just a general statement about how fandom works. All are welcome, but all do not need to directly interact. Curating your fandom experience is important self care. Blocking someone isn't some sort of value judgement. It's just sometimes a thing you need to do in order to keep from seething when you accidentally see their asinine hot takes.

[vero-niche]

thank you for tagging <3333

3 ships I like:

only three? 🥺 theres so many.... but my current three most influential (to none of my followers' surprise im sure) are vashwood, matchablossom and shin soukoku

First ship ever:

i cant quite remember which one came first, but i usually say Sawyer and Kate from Lost bc to me shipping has to entail a definitive time period when it is not certain if they get together at all, let alone be endgame (and they were not). the other would be Piper and Leo from Charmed but those two were never a question if they would be endgame, so.

Favourite childhood book:

the book i was told i got inprinted on fist ever as like a toddler was Süsüke (a hungarian childrens book by famous author Csukás István about the child of a friendly dragon, Süsü - the mc of an iconic muppet show). my fave story from it was "süsüke gets sick" because i also was sick A Lot as a kid and apparently i always favored relatable characters 😄

Currently reading:

actively? im afraid nothing 😔 i too suffer from "the most i can do is fanfics" - can they do a study on why this is, i need to know

Currently watching:

i have two shows im behind on from this season that i will definitely finish/catch up on bc i enjoy them a lot, Sakamoto Days and The Apothecary Diaries. the spring season anime looks plentiful already too tho

Currently consuming:

i made some banger csirkepaprikás (with whole grain pasta) tonight im ngl that was great 👌👌

Currently craving:

nothing, im full 🥰 but maybe some sweets later :3

Pets:

none at the moment and i recently realized while catsitting that i dont mind not having pets at all. i used to have guinea pigs and thats about the only one i still kinda wish i had, but i live in a rental flat and i promised myself not to have pets again as long as i live in rental.

Tagging:

no pressure + anyone else who would like to join in, but @devourerofmugsofcoffe @babygirlchuuya @ryanthel0ser @lunaraven0 💞

Get to know the blogger ✨

Shout out to @popyandshit for the tag! 💖

3 ships I like:

Soukoku (obviously—have you seen my blog? 😉) HoriMiya (their dynamic is so similar to my partner and I! 💕) Aaah there are too many to choose from so- Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

First ship ever:

Ooh, this is a tough one! The first anime I ever watched was Naruto, so I guess SasuSaku? Older me feels a bit embarrassed about that… quickly replaced by ShikaTema😂 you know a more healthy option

Favorite childhood book:

If we consider “childhood” as prepubescent teen, then it has to be Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I've read it a million times, and something about Patch had my heart aflutter—It was my first taste of morally-grey love interests. And let me tell you, it was a slippery slope from there, diving headfirst into a world of complicated romances! 😍

Currently reading:

I’m currently working my way through the BSD manga and other works, along with Apothecary Diaries and the entire Ana Huang universe! 📚💫

Currently watching:

Apothecary Diaries (I tend to tandem watch anime/manga) 🎥 House MD (suddenly into medical dramas! 🏥) BSD is always on repeat, of course! 🔄

Currently consuming:

Ham... it’s all I had left in the fridge... but payday is soon! 🍖

Currently craving

Carbs and fast food—Pepe's is sounding delicious right now!🍟

Pets:

Alright, brace yourselves for this pet lineup—I've got a leopard gecko, a crested gecko, a garter snake, two ball pythons, and of course, a fabulous cat! 😸 It’s a full house, and they each have their own unique personalities that keep life interesting!

Taging Mutuals:

@itsandyhere @sugareimon @sticker-mania @imgoingtoeatyourskin @monsterswithinme @ohhcinnybuns

No pressure, of course! Just sharing the fandom love! <3 Can’t wait to see your responses! 😊

[benevolenterrancy]

*glances at svsss' vol 4 worth of extras, aka 'the whump and smut pile'* you haven't seen anything yet

You guys are seriously taking an axe to my self-control;;; I'm trying to make this series last longer than a single month!! I'm trying to savour things!!! I'm trying to read something else and give the series a bit of breathing room before I pick up the last book but I want the "whump and smut pile" I want that so much I feel like a dog that's getting a treat waved in front of its face .·´¯`(；´д｀)´¯`·.

[essektheylyss]

I was personally assaulted (honorific) by this essay on ambition. It's very good.

[nellasbookplanet]

Okay I have finally finished watching the c3 finale in its entirety (it's SO LONG you guys) and I know I critique and mayhaps even complain a lot but I love this show. Something magical about seeing the stories and parties of ten years and three campaigns coming together, but also the guests throughout c3 getting their moments at the table, the joy of the cast being palpable (their response to that nat 20 had me sharing their excitement even if I maybe wanted to see a god or two get eaten (looking at you Asmodeus and Lolth)). And like, yeah the plot and ending have their weak points but I was at the absolute edge of my seat for that first half of them working to convince the gods and save Ashton, a huge grin on my face for great chunks of the episode, and I really do like where Bells Hells as characters ended up, as well as the peaks into VM and the m9. And yes I have my reservations about the Vaxleth thing but also the feeling of it all in the cast softens it.

If I had to sum up my feelings on the campaign as a whole, it's a fun ride with a lot of really good bits and very cool & creative characters and super unique lore and wordbuilding and SO MUCH ambition (and I always appreciate ambition over playing it safe), but if you try to think too hard about it it kind of falls apart a little bit. Actual play popcorn entertainment. I've had a good time and hope the rest of you did too. Now: on to exu Divergence!

[benkyoutobentou]

Ranking the books I read in Japanese this year

It’s the end of the year and I don’t think I’ll be finishing any more Japanese books this month, so I thought it would be fun to rank what I read! I read twelve novels in Japanese this year, hitting my goal (but not quite reading one a month). There won’t be twelve rankings here, though, because I read multiple books from the same series and will be combining those.

9. コーヒーが冷めないうちに - 川口俊和: This book just didn’t do it for me. I listened to it on audiobook in February for a target language listening challenge and got stuck in a vicious cycle of not paying attention because the story was boring me and being bored of it because I wasn’t paying enough attention. Most other people I’ve seen who have read it in Japanese also thought it was boring, though, so I’m not mourning any loss.

8. 宝石商リチャードの謎鑑定 - 辻村七子: I really wanted to like this series but the negatives outweighed the positives so much that I only read the first volume. The most damning part of this for me was that I couldn’t stand the writing style. It was extremely confusing, and having a language barrier on top of that just made it miserable. I’m really glad I read this with others because I was not the only one who found the writing style to be ridiculously confusing for a book that doesn’t even handle confusing or difficult topics. Seriously, the writing was so bad that I considered continuing the series in English. But the characters were good.

7. あん - ドリアン助川: Now we get into the books that I enjoyed, just not as much. I liked this book well enough, but it was just a bit middling. I wasn’t overly invested in the characters or story and I found myself wondering how on earth this story could go on for another hundred pages. It was sweet, but ultimately I don’t think the story will stick with me at all.

6. ちょっと今から仕事やめてくる - 北川恵海: This was another audiobook read and although I know I enjoyed it, I really don’t remember much about it. I’m also not sure if the twist, which I did think was really good, actually happened or was something I misunderstood (I’m pretty sure I understood it though). Overall, this one goes on the to-reread pile, just as soon as I can find a physical copy of it.

5. 旅猫リポート - 有川浩: This was an adorable story perfect for cat lovers, but the end had me a little bored. Honestly though, it was quite the experience to go from being a bit bored to crying my eyes out in the span of ten pages. The writing style and the main cat’s perspective was super charming as well.

4. 人間失格 - 太宰治: This was my first classic in Japanese and wasn’t as difficult as I expected. Dazai’s writing style is a pain in the ass, but I will admit that it started to grow on me as the book went on and now I find it endearing. It also wasn’t as depressing as I had heard it was, and I really enjoyed getting a perspective of that time period.

3. 美しい彼 - 凪良ゆう: I only read one volume of this, probably exclusively because I suddenly couldn’t stand romance when I had fifty pages left of this. What can I say, I love a good toxic gay romance. The writing style is chronically readable and the story is super engaging.

2. No. 6 - あさのあつこ: I’m a fan of the anime for this and the novels have not let me down. I’ve only read two so far, but the story and characters are super gripping. I really love the emphasis on dialogue in this series, I really feel like it makes the characters pop more. The only problem I have is this odd quirk in Asano’s writing style, where the majority of the series is told from third person point of view, but will suddenly switch to first person point of view for a single sentence. It’s not enough to deter me, but it is a little odd to see.

1. キノの旅 - 時雨沢恵一: My number one favorite read in Japanese this year and no one should be surprised. I’m a massive Kino fan and read three volumes this year. I love books that I can analyze the hell out of and this is exactly that. Additionally, I think the writing style and the way both Kino and Hermes are characterized adds so much to both the stories and the underlying meanings that Shigusawa is trying to get across.

[longagoitwastuesday]

I am liking Jujutsu Kaisen, way more than I imagined I would, but I foresee it will let me down and it's keeping me from enjoying this as much as I could haha

I think the characters and dynamics are well set, and I think many of them have an incredibly good and deep potential, but I would be willing to bet they'll not get a proper development, enough for them to really hit. A well assembled set of gears is not enough to make the movement go, you have to wind the clockwork.

I think Gojo and Megumi have a fascinating and very complex dynamic, but I doubt it will be given the time and care that imo it needs to actually work. And it is going well enough for now! One could see the intimacy between them was deeper than the one Gojo had with, say, Yuji and Nobara ever since the very first few episodes despite the fact Fushiguro too was a first year. But the pieces forming what they have are extremely complex, and it just wouldn't be realistic if it doesn't show, even if in a not showing way, or if it doesn't have consequences or implications.

It's one of those dynamics that shape one's life, the way one regards the world, the way one establishes or not relationships with other people. It's one of those dynamics that could be full of fondness, gratitude, resentment, admiration, trust, and that imply intimacy, the good kind or the bad, even if in just the knowledge of someone who's been a constant through your life. It could, and would, imply a myriad of feelings, and probably in such a mix it could imply contradictory feelings too. Even the nothingness would weight, even the nothingness would be significant and meaningful.

Gojo took Megumi and his sister under his wing, the son of a man who murdered him, because of both selfish and selfless reasons. Megumi looks like Toji. What does Gojo feel about this? How does Gojo deal with this? How does Gojo go about taking care of Megumi? Would he walk him to school? Make him breakfast? Celebrate his birthdays making him blow candles? Did he take him to the zoo? Does the relationship between them feel professional or is it something more? Gojo appreciates his students, but is Megumi to him just another student? When Gojo faces Sukuna in Megumi's body, did he see the kid he raised, or does he just see Sukuna in one of his students' body? Did he have one faint wavering instant? And how does Megumi feel about this? Is he resentful of him? Resentful of the situation? Of the selfishness behind his actions? Does he feel like a pawn? Is he grateful? Does he resent feeling grateful? Would he rather not? Does he love Gojo? Does he feel nothing about him other than what he could feel about a teacher that sort of annoys him but knows he's reliable in his strength? Does he think it unfair, cruel or unfeeling that Gojo is close, closer perhaps, with Yuuji or Yuta, considering their story? When Sukuna slices Gojo in two, does the remnants of Megumi's soul tremble?

And not just Megumi and Gojo. Yuuji and Nanami, Gojo and Nanami, Yuuji and Fushiguro, Nobara and the boys, or Nobara and Maki, Todo and Yuuji or Yuta, Gojo and Yuta, Megumi and his sister. Gojo and Geto, even! If the pieces are well set, the dynamics are intriguing, interesting, and have potential to be deep, but then the characters have like two plot relevant scenes that punch you hard, but little more, it's not nearly enough. Especially not nearly enough for the enormity that is shonen dynamics and situations. And the potential existing at all, and then not delivering, makes it all the more frustrating when you're left with something mediocre that could have been so good.

The development of dynamics through not only a few plot relevant gut wrenching moving scenes, but also the smallness of life, is important. The friend who recommended this to me said that those things were just unnecessary filler, but I disagree. I think there's a big difference between a large amount of anime-only filler episodes whose existence is based on the fact they had run out of manga chapters to animate, and moments of quietness. The low stakes character-driven moments of quietness can be so telling and so insightful, and they are so satisfactory when brought back later in higher stakes situations. My friend teased me there was no scene of Gojo making breakfast to Megumi, that it would be an idiotic idea, but it would be so telling. How he makes breakfast, what they eat, if he tries hard or if it's all mechanised, if they have personal bowls or if they use whatever, if he just buys them some pastry on the way to school, if the way they have breakfast changes through the years, or if he doesn't make them breakfast at all! All that would be very insightful on their dynamic and its evolution. All that would give a glimpse on how they regard each other and why, even in the present. All that could become meaningful in tense situations and high stakes scenes.

These moments also let the plot breath; if a lot is happening all the time, if every character is always experiencing trauma after trauma, the entire story is so emotionally draining that at some point you don't even care all that much. Besides, these nothing moments or low stakes plot arcs, besides deepening and developing dynamics, also let some in-world time pass, which would make the intimacy and bond between characters more believable imo; between Yuuji eating Sukuna's finger and their last confrontation in December how much time has passed? A few months? Am I truly to believe these characters are so everything to each other in only a few months?

Without some smallness, some repetition, some daily life, some low stakes not plot-centric development, the dynamics don't hit, they don't truly feel fleshed out, and dynamics as complex as the ones Megumi and Gojo have, or as supposedly meaningful as the one Megumi has with Yuuji or his sister, should be fleshed out if they're going to exist at all. Otherwise they'd risk making the writing feel awkward and fake. Besides, if the dynamics felt well fleshed out and realistic, they would shape the way the characters interact and act, and how they deal with situations, thus being plot relevant.

The shonen genre has so much happening all the time, the stakes are so high, the dynamics are so rooted in big events and the relationships carry enormous weight and implications. Yet they barely get developed, and it feels so stupid, so plain, the absence of something so important noticeable like a constant void, a shapeless nothingness present in every scene. It makes the characters feel like cardboard figures. Jujutsu Kaisen is already getting a better job than many, but I doubt it will do enough for what I've heard, and I fear I am bound to feel let down, and bound to feel unmoved.

After all, if not enough time and care has been given to develop a dynamic, I am not going to feel pressured by the high stakes; if not enough time and care has been given to develop the dynamic between Megumi and Yuuji, as good potential as it has I am bound to feel little for this last confrontation between Sukuna and Itadori, and his effort in getting Megumi back.

[buttercupshands]

friend gift acquired

the whole gang is hereeeeeee

[melancholyfleurs]

life has been so rough lately but on the plus i turned back to my original favourite (healthy) coping mechanism of reading and i’ve finished almost 2 books this week. i forgot how fast i can read when i enjoy a book and im trying to distract my brain lol.