#'I AM SUCH AN IMPORTANT PERSON YOU MUST READ MY ENTIRE LIFE STORY'

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Why is the answer always "Levi said this Levi did this" whenever one asks about the signs of Eruri in canon? Levi's side is pretty clear, but every time I talk to an Eruri and I ask "but why do you think Erwin loved Levi" the answer is very long but it's mostly empty and just "I am sure he did" or "but Levi loved him so Eruri is canon". Sorry this isn't a "hehehe your ship is one sided it's not canon" type of question. It's more of a writing-wise question, since you are a writer yourself I thought you'd give the best answer to this.

I am wondering, is this because of lack of Erwin's pov in aot manga or anime? I know Erwin is important and plays an important role and story revolves around him in s3 p2 and all that but when you look at the bigger picture he's mostly just there. He's in the story but you don't see his pov. We don't get to see the inside of his head until the end. Is this why "does Erwin love Levi" question is a hot topic in aot fandom always? Or are there any side stories like smartpass aus that suggest Erwin had feelings for Levi? I'm sorry I don't know those very well I only know the manga and the anime.

Lastly, I am sure you answered this before but my question is very specific, do you actually believe it was mutual? After all it's fiction and you don't need their love to be mutual to ship them. People ship characters who barely interact. It's what fandom is and that's totally normal and valid. I guess I am wondering if you ever doubted, th ship or even yourself which I do a lot (in a "oh I love this so much and I read so much fics I made myself believe" way) Thanks I hope this doesn't sound rude or offensive, my English isn't very good so if I sound rude that must be it it's not my intention :)

Ooof there’s  a lot of different questions here but I think they boil down to the following: 

Are Erwin and Levi’s feelings for each other mutual? / Does Erwin reciprocate Levi’s feelings?

Why do people question Erwin’s relationship to Levi? 

Do I personally believe their relationship was mutual, and have ever “doubted the ship”?

I’ve answered the first question many, many times over the years. You can read all my various answers here.  In short I do think that Erwin reciprocated Levi’s feelings and I think the evidence is there in the manga, the official guidebooks, the Smartpass stories, and the side content for anyone who cares to see it. I’m not going to list all the side content here, but there’s a very old post by @erbeansandravioli that links to a lot of it: Eruri receipts.

As to why people question Erwin’s relationship to Levi, well that’s an interesting one.  Some people clearly just don’t get Erwin’s character (see the previous ask I just answered), they don’t understand his role in the plot or the significance of his relationship to Levi.  For example I’ve seen people arguing passionately that Levi’s vow had nothing to do with Erwin, which is just mind boggling to me. It’s certainly true that Erwin is a much harder character to read than Levi who very much wears his heart on his sleeve.  Erwin is more reserved, and holds his cards closer to his chest.  However the fact that Levi is the only one who he reveals his true self to is significant. Daisuke Ono put it beautifully when he said in an interview that the amplitude of Erwin’s feelings is so great that it can be hard to see.  

It could also be that some, perhaps younger, readers just don’t recognise their relationship for what it is. It’s certainly not a typical shounen romance, but it is a deeply believable adult relationship; one that is based on mutual trust, respect and understanding. This is from a previous ask I answered on the subject:

It frustrates me enormously when people deny their canon relationship, despite Yams being at paints to explain it repeatedly in the guidebooks. I want to shake them and ask what the hell they think a relationship looks like when you’re an exhausted 30 + year old war veteran who has spent their entire life fighting for survival.  It looks like this; finding someone who you can trust with your life. If you were to ask me what characterizes a successful adult relationship I would say it’s exactly this; mutual trust, respect and understanding, and when push comes to shove, the willingness to do everything in your power to help the person you hold most dear, even if that means letting them go. 

And as to whether I’ve ever doubted the ship, the answer to that would be no, never.  Sure we’ve never seen them swear undying love in canon (though some would argue with that and point to Erwin’s "Arigatō Levi".) I wrote this in response to an ask about Eruri canonicity: 

Do you mean that you don’t believe they’re canon because we never see them kiss? Because they never marry?  Because the main focus of the story isn’t romance?  All those things are true, but in my opinion, they’re also not the only things that make a relationship canon.  Particularly when that relationship is between two war-weary 30 year old men who have been fighting for survival almost their entire lives. The irony is that, in some ways, Erwin and Levi’s relationship is actually quite conventional. They really do behave a bit like an old married couple.  They have a long standing relationship that has matured over many years, they have their own weird sense of humour, they’re not afraid to challenge each other, but they care about one another deeply, and they also trust each other unconditionally.  That’s all the canon evidence I need tbh.

Having said that, you are absolutely right that you don’t need any canon evidence to ship a couple.  Hell, I’ve had great fun written Hanji and Petra as a side ship and I don’t think they ever even interacted in canon.  In Erwin and Levi’s case though there is more than enough evidence in canon to attest to the significance of their relationship. 

Hope this answers your questions.

#asks #eruri #eruri relationship #erwin smith #erwin meta #snk

[crisalidaseason]

I was rewatching attack on Titan and got to season 3, episode 69 I think (the one where we learn the story of Kenny Ackerman).

Despite me loving that episode I never noticed that Levi spent his entire life wondering if Kenny was his father. When he finds Kenny on the verge of death, he asks what's important to the mission first and then asks the big question about the possible fatherhood.

When Kenny answers that he is Kuchel's brother you can see Levi gets even more mad when he finally says "that day, why did you leave me?". Because he expected a deadbeat dad, but it must hurt to learn your uncle didn't care for you at all.

But what hurts me way more is that Kenny says "I couldn't be someone's dad" and proceeds to slam the titan serum on Levi's chest, giving it to him...the serum Kenny spent years looking after, that he considered to be his life's dream. The serum he was gripping even on his death, he gave it to Levi.

My interpretation is that Kenny, in some deep part of him, cared for Levi but never wanted to be a part of his life (for many many reasons). In the end, Kenny giving him the serum and finally answering Levi's life long question seemed to be almost like a "it's the least I could do for you"

Now, this could be me reading too much into it, but the way I see is that Kenny was always a family man (in his twisted way, of course).

1. He became this notorious murderer because of the persecution of his family and underground life, there is a deep connection between his killcounts and Ackerman persecution.

2. There was no hesitation when he made an agreement with Uri because it freed the Ackerman's from said persecution.

2. As soon as he learned the Ackerman's would be somewhat free he went to visit his sister (who was already dead unfortunately) most likely to tell her the news.

3. He mourned Kuchel on his emotionally stunted way, but you could see it was mourning. The slow drop to the floor, the hat in front of the eyes. That was a mourning brother right there.

3. He feed and taught Levi. He could have left him to die, but maybe in respect for Kuchel he decided to give the boy a chance at survival. And when he noticed Levi could survive on his own, he left. He is a murderer, seeing death is normal for him, he must have seen so many children die of starvation before, he could just leave Levi there to die but he didn't

Now attention: I am not romanticizing Kenny's actions. He is a murderer, he did neglect and abandon Levi, he tried to kill Levi during S3. He is in no way a good person, but I can see the complexity and nuances of his life and behavior.

#Kenny ackerman #kenny #levi ackerman #levi #levi aot #attack on titan #aot season 3

[her-satanic-wiles]

Masterlist

In the eerie moonlit forest, you are ensnared in a nightmarish game of hide and seek with the malevolent entity Dewdrop, whose demonic force has targeted you. The chilling objective is to survive until sunrise, seeking refuge in the Ministry’s cabin deep within the sinister woods. With the dawn as your only salvation, you must navigate the haunted forest, outwit the relentless demon, and reach safety before Dewdrop claims you as his prize. The race against time intensifies, making the night unforgiving as you strive to survive until sunrise in this twisted pursuit. Yet months after your first encounter with Dewdrop's demonic form, you convinced your lover to let a second hunt begin. But, in the shadow of night, who is truly hunting whom?

As this is dark fiction, I'm choosing to rate it 21+. Please respect my rating. Please heed the trigger warnings in each part! Thank you.

Part I ⛧ Part II

🔞 MDNI 🔞

WARNING

This is a work of fiction based in the extreme horror category and should be treated as such. I do not condone the actions the characters make, nor am I actively encouraging others to participate in such actions in everyday life. It also does not reflect the personalities of the performers who play these characters.

The purpose of this fic is to shock, scare, entertain, and make readers entirely uncomfortable. If you are not in a headspace where you can safely read and enjoy this story, or even if the trigger warnings make you uncomfortable, I highly recommend and encourage you not to read this. Your mental health is more important than a work of fiction.

If you are struggling to come to terms with past trauma, please talk to someone and seek professional help.

You deserve to feel safe, loved and cared for. Thank you.

Commissions are open! ⛧ Memberships get early access!

No bound copies, translations, or other derivative works of this fic may be created or distributed without express permission from the author, for monetary gain or public use.

#the band ghost #the band ghost fanfic #the band ghost fanfiction #ghost bc #ghost bc fanfic #ghost bc fanfiction #ghost #ghost fan fic #ghost fanfiction #ghost band #ghost the band fanfic #ghost the band fanfiction #ghost fanfic #ghost fan fiction #nameless ghoul #nameless ghouls #nameless ghoul x reader #nameless ghoul x reader smut #nameless ghoul smut #dewdrop #dewdrop ghoul #dewdrop ghost #dewdrop ghoul smut #dewdrop smut #dewdrop ghost smut #dewdrop x reader #dewdrop x reader smut #ghost the band #sodo ghoul #sodo smut

[utilitycaster]

I keep thinking abt your "'must a story have conflict?' Yes actually hope this helps" posts in the context of laudna and imogen because like. Their shippers keep saying like. "You just don't UNDERSTAND the beauty of their Perfect Relationship, the bond that Traumatized People have that makes them In Tune, so sad how you will never understand love or being with another etcetera etcetera" and it's like. what the hell are you talkinf about (they're usually the kind of ppl with weird and bad narrative ideas re: their traumas so uwu sad everyone is against them). Don't we want this relationship to be healthy and beneficial to both of them? Don't get me wrong, I love Toxic Girl Yuri fucked up tragic relationships as much as anyone else but shippers pretty clearly aren't angling for that kind of story, and neither would the trajectory of the campaign support it. The onscreen dynamic isn't even spicy enough to HAVE toxic codependency it's just. There.

what's funny is that actually my favorite era of their relationship was the "we transcend labels, you and I" thing Laudna said to Imogen. Partly bc personal aro feelings but also because THAT felt like genuine no expectations support to fall back on. The idea that they could just Be and always be It wasn't ASKING for the kind of dynamicism of a romantic relationship such and such, but now with the girlfriends thing, it feels like now there should be WAY more than what's been happening. Does any of this make sense?

Hey anon,

So I largely agree (will cover the one point of not entire agreement below). I do want to note that if you're the person who's sent me other questions recently on this topic please feel free to DM me! I think it's valid to want to voice those frustrations, and I get not wanting to do so publicly (though I think the harassment on Tumblr at least has largely died down) but also to be completely honest I have been fully in a Nein and Candela headspace with a handful of exceptions mostly relating to wiki stuff so I've been answering these anons but I'll admit it's not where my thoughts have been re: CR stuff for the past few weeks.

Anyway, I can understand the desire for a QPR or simply close friends for Imogen and Laudna! I am not aro myself, and I do enjoy a good romantic plot, but I'd rather have a well-executed story with no romance than a good story slightly marred by poorly done romance. However, it's actually really interesting to me (in a good/neutral way) that you recall it as "we transcend labels" because the actual quote (3x49, 4:52:57) is "We transcend words, you and I" and I could not stand that because my frustration has again always been that they spend a lot of time talking, and absolutely none of it communicating; they have never transcended words, they have simply not fucking used them well. More generously, I think a relationship in which a couple is on such a wavelength that they do have a sense of how the other feels without needing to talk (or read minds, in this situation) can be aspirational in real life, though again, I don't think that's actually what's going on here; but even if it were, that is not remotely interesting to watch. I truly do not give a shit in the end if relationships on the shows I watch are healthy or unhealthy provided the narrative knows what it's fucking doing and I think people who are obsessed with unproblematic wholesomeness are frankly suspect, but man, either be toxic codependent yuri or be two people trying to understand each other, instead of two people who seem to only occasionally remember that they are important to each other, and never seem to remember why.

But yes, the fact that virtually nothing has changed despite a relationship upgrade, especially in light of the relationship losing my interest as a platonic thing 30 or 40 episodes prior to them becoming a romantic couple is now thrown into more stark relief because you'd think something would change. Like, that's the thing. There was no romance; there was no plot. While I think the people who insisted from the start that CLEARLY they were already dating are the kind of people who would unironically ship my mop and broom solely on the basis of them leaning against each other next to my garbage can, at least if they had already been dating from the start a lack of forward momentum could be somewhat forgiven. I say somewhat, because Veth and Yeza were married from before the campaign or, for a platonic option, the twins were...twins from before the campaign, and both those relationships were still infinitely more complex and ever-changing and thoughtful over the course of their respective campaigns than whatever Imogen and Laudna were doing; it still, to be clear, would have been dishwater dull. But it would have been forgivably so; I would have simply politely lost interest episode 5 or whenever and moved on without saying much, whereas now there's a series of increasingly lowered bars in their wake.

So anyway, yeah. It sure is There.

#answered #Anonymous #cr tag #the lack of premise #i should go back and tag old asks with that...another day

[ero-heart]

Ok imma simp for 2bdamned and I thought maybe you could do 2bdamned x reader

but 2bdamned falls into some hole meeting you and you think he's dead as you heal his injuries with your magical long hair, basically rapunzel but your hair is can be a weapon and a shield at the same time...I hope that makes sense to you

Also I LOVE the employer reader story it was HMM!! THE BEST!!

Me too bro I love this man so much I need him 😭

ALSO TYSM I AM GLAD U LIKED MY EMPLOYER READER STORY

Anyway Reader with magical hair x Doc let’s go!

I actually added even more lore and world building 😀 hope you find it fun

Cw: blood, injury

SPELL

(Magical Hair Reader x 2bdamned)

(Can be either platonic or romantic)

You and your people were part of a secret society that discovered the path of enlightenment and true power. How? The answer is in your hair, it’s your hair. Hair isn’t really important in grunt society, many shaving their heads off or leaving it short to keep it practical. But what they didn’t know, is that their hair was a source of great power. The studies of your society’s founder, Alex Burdon, point out that your hair is just as useful as your arms and legs, it can move at your will and help you with mundane tasks. Though his studies were ignored by most people, not having much interest on reading about hair, he gained a certain following that wished to learn more about the secrets of the head fur.

You called yourselves witches, followers of these studies, hiding away on the desert since the founder’s passing, because such knowledge should be kept by people that really “deserve it”, not those bald goofs that that shave off for sport (Witches think very highly of themselves). Most witches were ex scientists of the Nexus, using dead bodies of grunts (witches and non witches), they managed to create a entirely new biome! Your own little oasis of humid flesh plants and dirt. These witches soon took the title of Alchemists considering themselves the leaders, they create “bone nuts” (The name was intentional), whose oil is used to enhance the power of your people’s hair, giving the user a new hair ability (as long as they keep wearing it) to utilize for their liking.

When a witch dies, their body is used to complement the forest that is your home, it’s a comforting thought for you that you will join all of your ancestors in this beautiful biome of meat plants <3

You were a simple witch amongst others, a server of the forest and a healer, not a very popular one though. People didn’t really liked you for your lack of interest on the cult in general, you were just chilling living your hairy life. Today you were tasked to collect berries near the mountain for the production of elixirs by the Alchemists. Walking through the trees, you felt that something was terribly wrong, awfully wrong. It was not only you though, everyone else says that something doesn’t feel right today. The witches suspected that a intruder has invaded their oasis, some going out in search of the outsider. But they wouldn’t find them because they were right In front of you.

Laying on the dry grass, was a unconscious man, definitely not from there. Their face was completely obscured by a metallic mask, the halves of their head shaven and styled upwards in a way you have never seen before. You had no idea what to do, confused and afraid. Slowly you approached the man, taking a better look. There was a clipboard beside him, kneeling down to read there were some notes about a program of sorts, it used very complicated wording so you didn’t really understood what was written, this person must be as intelligent as the Alchemists. You could see a small pool of blood around him, your heart sank. This was an outsider, they were said to be disrespectful and foolish, stupid and crass, but from your knowledge they were just as important to the forest as witches, since their bodies also form the trees that you walk among from, you would end up beside them after your death one way or another as part of nature. You reached out for them, slowly moving their head to the side, touching their shaven sides was weird, the texture making you flinch. Just below the straps of the stranger’s mask was a gash, source of all the blood tainting the ground. This person was definitely dead and there was nothing you could do, except bring his body to the Alchemists to start the process of metamorphosis. Something in you though did not want to leave him like this, opened up and dirty.

You propped the outsider’s head face down on your lap, then attempted to stop the blood using your long vest. Seeing that the blood was stopping, you decided to put your abilities to use. Your hair was wrapped around the man’s gash, you closed your eyes and you took a deep breath to concentrate. When you felt your head vibrate you knew it was working, the wound was slowly but surely closing. That was when the stranger jolted awake and scrambled away from your position. You also jumped, having no expectations that this person might still be alive, especially judging by the quantity of blood that has had to be lost. You had healing abilities, not resurrecting powers! The man gasped and panted while looking at you, as if waiting for you to attack, he reaches for the back of his head, feeling a tingle there from the healing process. Only remembering going on a investigation with his crew and waking up somewhere soft. He looked around the strange place and curses, that was definitely not on his schedule. Still on alert on the new face in front of him, he noted that you held no weapons nor anything that could be used for harm, yet he still chose to maintain his guard up.

“Who are you?”

The man asked calmly, you looked around nervously.

“I- ‘m [name]..”

The man tried to get up but you shuffled closer to him desperately.

“No no no no no! It’s bad for you to force yourself! You need to rest!!”

He was taken aback by your behavior, maintaining his posture he simply quirked a brow and asked.

“Why?”

“You had a bad fall! I managed to heal you but with the quantity of blood you lost, it’s best you to be gentle..”

Taking a better look around the place, he notices the red stain on the ground, along with a rock that fed the earth with the dribles of blood that covered it.

“How come I am not wounded?”

“I- I told you! I healed you!”

You could tell the man before you was skeptical. Outsiders. Now feeling braver and determined to prove yourself to this stranger, you pulled your vest up to show your heavily bruised knees (caused by kneeling and accidentally hitting it on objects too much), that you did not bother on taking care of and separated a strand of your long hair around it. You got the person’s full attention as you concentrate your energy on healing yourself. You didn’t need to wait much as the vibration on your head started and the bruises that covered your skin were now gone.

“Impressive..” The man ponders, “how is this possible?”

He was definitely interested to know what just happened, was this some kind of special ability you had? Have you been born with it?

“I..I am not supposed to tell you..but our hair have magical properties and mine can heal.”

You blushed, no one ever complimented your job before, specially to just heal a simple bruise, to everyone it was just normal and it didn’t matter.

“Hm interesting.. How come you get these powers?”

“It’s the length..and I use a oil to get those too.. b-ut outsiders are not supposed to know that so shhh!”

“Outsiders huh?”

“Y-..yea! You are not from here and you are not welcome!”

The stranger tilted his head and chuckled, amused by your behavior.

“Why help me then?”

This was when you noticed how close you were to this man. When you moved to stop him from getting up, you basically thrown yourself on top of him. You were too flustered to move as he laughed more. His laugh was quiet, for some reason you had an impression that it wasn’t often that he does this. You never felt more embarrassed in your life and you had no idea what to do. You slowly got off of him and sat on the ground.

“ I… it just felt wrong not to help you, I mean.. I am not supposed to help you, but you are a person too..”

He hums and looks over the mountain where he came from, he definitely needs help to get out. As in on cue, his walkie-talkie buzzed on his pocket.

“Doc? Doc? You alive in there? Over.”

You jumped at the sound and got even more confused as the stranger took a weird block off his coat and talked to it.

“Yes, I am. Over.”

You were amazed by this talking block and got a little closer. You had technology on your village, but communicating devices were entirely new to you! Everyone was just so close to each other that we didn’t need one. It buzzed again with the same voice, it responded to the man… Doc?

“Damn thank god. We thought you died over there! Where are you? Over.”

Doc noticed you getting interested, but still kept his attention on his hireling.

“I am down the mountain. It must not have been a large fall since I survived. I’m in some sort of..” He took another look at the flora around him. “Mushy.. tree forest..? Over.”

“Tf. We are sending help. Over.”

Something in you did not want to see him leave. As much as you had some qualms against outsiders, you did not believe they were entirely bad. You also was curious about them, you wanted to know more about the stranger in front of you. He looks at you again.

“Liked my company eh?” He noticed your disappointment with the news that he was going to be rescued. You definitely were as curious about him as he was with you. It’s not everyday that someone just, falls on your home. “I liked your company too. It was nice to know you.”

You blushed again, something about this guy was charming you couldn’t place what.

“Will.. you be back?”

Doc paused, he considered.

“I have work to do…but..” He handed you his talkie. “I will.”

He could use a friend, you were cool to interact to. Better than the guys back there.

“I will alert you of my arrival.”

You couldn’t help but smile widely. You couldn’t wait for when he was back! You must enjoy the time you have with him before he goes.

“Do you have any ability of your own?”

Haa that was long! I really hope you enjoy it qwq I also hope you enjoyed the idea of a hair cult lmao again anon if there’s anything on the story u might want me to change I will!

#reader insert #x reader #madcom x reader #madness combat project nexus #madness combat x reader #fanfic

[lai-mar]

You know, I really appreciate that you’re out here defending this widely hated relationship. Maybe it’s because the anime-only fans are a very vocal majority right now, but I’ve seen people who ‘watched the anime then read the manga’ *still* shit on Laios and Marcille’s friendship. Like you don’t have to ship it but if you deny that they care about each other or deny that they have chemistry, did you even read the comic?? ‘Oh they’re just siblings/siblings-in-law!’ have you ever had a sibling. have you ever had a sibling-in-law. they do not act like siblings they act like *intimate* best friends. ‘Ridiculously comfortable around each other’ best friends. They have a relationship outside of Falin, that is what develops over the entire damn story. 90 chapters. What comic were you reading where you think Marcille can barely stand him.

Thanks for the ask! Very cathartic to see this. About to go on another rant again lol (will be repeating some of my old points but yeah I need to get it out of my system)

"Defending widely hated relationship" + "anime-only fans are a very vocal majority"

Okay, let me play devil's advocate for a second here. Let's say I despise L/M as a ship and it squicks me out greatly and I think it's a boring ship of pairing the male lead and the female lead. What should I do? Obviously go into L/M posts and argue about it instead of blocking the tag and stating my stance my calmly when someone asks me like your average fan who knows how to curate their fandom experience.

Okay, more devil's advocating. I despise L/M as a ship but I have read the manga and engaged with it critically and understood its themes. Which means I like L+M as a friendship in the same way I like the themes of eating and life cycle and the friendship between the party and the worldbuilding. Because all of these are core parts of the story told. So what I do is to block all shippers and ship tag and look for platonic fics and fanart like Your Average Fan Who Curates Their Experience.

Like I'm sorry. I genuinely feel some people are so caught up in the intense fanonisation of DM that they start forgetting about canon. And I KNOW I am not the only one feeling this way because I read the notes on my posts and other people's posts and there's a lot of good thoughts on this. Plenty of people appreciate them. But to some people in the wider fandom, are we reading the same manga? Our male lead and female lead are friends who save each other. They are not together canonically. So canonically, they don't even get into the way of shipping?????? People can have important intimate friendships outside of romance??? And it's a canon well established friendship? I would say it's one of the most well developed dynamics in the series that we see? We get shown and not told? We see images and words and interpret them in our brains?

Devil's advocate level 3. Let's say mainstream fanonisation of DM is real. F/M is a canon ship and they get together and they get married in the end and L+M become sibling in laws. Maybe L/K is a thing. This still does not erase the entire journey L+M and co went on to save Falin. This still does not erase their friendship and chemistry.

"‘Oh they’re just siblings/siblings-in-law!’ have you ever had a sibling. have you ever had a sibling-in-law."

Okay. I do have a sibling. At this point I've long accepted this much be some sort of cultural difference and some weird American / Western thing I am not used to. And the hilarious thing about DM is that we do get canon siblings!!! It's the fucking premise! Falin and Laios!! And they're fun!

I'm sorry but this must be some cultural difference. Like no younger sibling is calling their older sibling by their GIVEN NAME. The sheer disrespect. I'll be scandalised. As a person with a sibling I don't understand the fandomisation of making non related people siblings in fanon? I'm calling my friends my friends, not siblings. My sibling is like a sibling to me. My friends are like friends to me. Idk. I've written the word sibling so many times that it doesn't seem like a word anymore.

Obviously these are just my personal thoughts but I feel like objectively, there has been a fandomwide trend of grabbing a canon friendship between a man and a woman and going "THEY ARE SO SIBLINGS CORE XD" (not siblings in canon) (not related) (don't even look similar) (they're friends). A lot of times this is valid and even fun but sometimes I get the feeling people sometimes push the fanon sibling thing to show they're squicky about them romantically. To which I can only say: a man and a woman can genuinely only be friends. If you need to magically make them related so you / other people won't see their friendship romantically... it feels like a step back. Why are we doing heteronormativity.

I think I'm the type of person who enjoys and mains man + woman friendships in fandoms (which are, unsurprisingly, unpopular as ships and even as friendships until I start spreading propaganda and pumping fics on Ao3), and I think one of the things that get me is. A man who could be attracted to women + a woman who could be attracted to men having great chemistry but staying friends. I want to stress this is different from a man who is not interested in women / romance + a woman who is not interested in men / romance because there is almost zero chance of a reciprocal romantic relationship going on. But for the first case, which I feel like many people dumb down to "straight people shipping", it's even more precious for them to stay friends and not give into the heternormative expectations despite one or both of them possibly (but not necessarily) being heterosexual. Like, here are two people who could date each other but they're like "nah we work better as friends, so we stay friends". To me, this is one fantastic argument for friendship. Not everything has to be romantic. Even better if they considered and thought about the logistics, but decide their relationship is more special non romantically. Having a taste of how their relationship could go and going "thanks, but no thanks". Is this not a great display of sincere and stable friendship compared to people going "lol they can't work as a ship because they simply physically cannot tolerate the thought of each other romantically". I'm rambling here but I feel like this is what I feel across various dynamics and fandoms. At this point, I think somehow non romantic relationships genuinely fascinate me more than ships. Save me QPR save me.

"They have a relationship outside of Falin"

I feel like some manga readers have missed the point so badly when it comes to this. It's hilarious. They have a relationship outside of Falin it's the whole fucking point about coming to terms with grief and death! You know, one of the core themes of this story that you finished!

And of course this doesn't erase the love they have for Falin. Falin is clearly beloved and their main motivation, but hilariously enough (for the L+M deniers), the manga shows Laios and Marcille's "true" innermost desires being granted and it's not about reviving Falin even though they both clearly want her back and it's at the forefront of their minds. Laios turns into a monster. His curse isn't about Falin not coming back (even though that was his immediate thought), it's about him not being able to interact with monsters ever again. Marcille was traumatised by what happened to Falin (nightmare chapter) but when she turns into a dungeon lord, she goes about trying to fix the lifespans, showing her fear of loneliness and all her loved ones (NOT just a single person!!!!!!!!) dying before her. You can argue they didn't revive Falin with magic lord powers because they don't trust the lion / trust their own plan of eating her, but I think the manga focuses enough on their desires for the interpretation of "the lion fulfills their innermost desires that define their existence" to work. Marcille is the one who finds Laios first after he turned back and Laios broke Marcille free from the lion's influence etc etc we know they play a part in each other's arcs. Laios says they wouldn't be on this journey if Falin hadn't been digested. Marcille says in the end she was okay with Falin not being brought back this time. Laios invites Marcille to stay with him. It's in the text.

"Boring straight ship" or whatever

This comes from what a friend said about my main duo of another fandom but it's like "why isn't [ship] more popular" "because it's easy to fall into the boring trope of pairing a man and a woman together".

And this is a thing that does happen! But not to pairings with strong canon foundation and chemistry sorry. Don't look at me, look at canon. A male/female ship with good canon support is a good ship. Why are you surprised. People like shipping characters who spend lots of time together saving each other and all that. Dare I say: sometimes (sometimes) shipping "straight people" is more respectful to their canon friendship than shoehorning them as siblings. Which I believe is true in the case of L+M.

Anyways. Well that was a nice angry rant. Sorry I had to get it out of my system. I've spend too much time writing this so I won't be doing much proofreading lol. If you've reached this point, thanks for reading <3

#ask box #answered #mine #salt #so many thoughts lol #bottom line be respectful dont go into ship tags bitching abt ships #which is why i try to avoid main tags #dungeon meshi spoilers

[snifflesthemouse]

Did I just get a Scoop in MY neck of the Woods?

DID A REAL SCOOP FALL INTO MY LAP TODAY?

Hello You Lovely Readers!

          First of all, I need to say that this author cannot express all the gratitude felt for all of you. This mouse is close to 1000 followers!! I know that is a very big deal to this writing rodent, so thank you all! BUT I HAVE A SCOOP…

          Now before I render the scoop, let me reiterate this is the first time I’ve ever heard of this instance. I would like to say that maybe Journalist Jey told Ashli from the DanjaZone (God, we all miss her, don’t we?) but I cannot recall for certain… I was shocked to hear these things today. Especially where I was and with whom. To find someone from the United Kingdom in my neck of the woods is rare… to find one with intel is a blessing.

          I don’t know the credentials for this cat, but the stuff being said makes total sense. This man was a transplant from England, in my neck of the woods in the States! And his sentiment regarding the Duo was so honest, that he started telling stories I never heard as an American reading via the media.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING I AM RECALLING IS REHASHED OUT AT HOME, LATER. THIS CAT DIDN'T GIVE ME AN INTERVIEW LOL. I AM PARAPHRASING.

          The first story I heard was something that proves Buckingham Palace was in fact protecting Harry and Meghan. This story never made it anywhere I can think of, and they must have a ton of these stories covered up somewhere. This is the story he told:

          “In the UK, there is a factory that makes guns specifically for when heirs are born. There’s a 20 gauge and a 12 gauge, and they only make one of each for each child. The guns are given to the Crown Estate, as they are essentially public property. William had his when he was born, and Harry had his. Meghan allegedly forced Harry into putting the guns made for him at birth up for auction. Prince William was forced into buying the guns back at auction so that these very rare, and very publicly owned items, could be returned back to the family. As they had no business being sold, anyway.”

          Then, he told us (my husband and I) about how the monarchy isn’t just some people who won the genetic lotto. He explained that monarchy is more about national identity and tradition, and that the entire nation hates them both. He then told us about this part next regarding Harry’s military services:

          “When Harry wanted to join the military, they wanted him to go into something like the Coastguard or even like William did. No, Harry didn’t want that. He wanted to serve in the “real” military. Even though, as an heir to the Throne, Harry knew that he would be costing the taxpayers millions more than necessary. He was never alone in those helicopters. There was a team that went out before him, a team that went out with him, and then a team that came back after him to ensure there was no way he could be left vulnerable. He never once had a risk of life or limb or anything at all whiles over there. It was all a sham. The most decorated member of the Royal Family is a fraud and he hides behind his wife. He didn’t even have military uniform on for the funeral, and that is because he was stripped of it all. He and his wife denounced their duties. He didn’t earn any of anything he did have.”

          Now you all have no idea how excited we were, as my husband knows and appreciates how much this rat loves the Royals!!

          I travel often. I spend a lot of time on the road (compared to the average person), and I spend a lot of time meeting people from Michigan to South Carolina. Yet, I’ve yet to meet someone from the UK (and he and his wife were from Oxford City). My husband has served next to the men and women of the United Kingdom while in Iraq (He was deployed to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once). He already knows how cool the people of the UK are, but for me this was my first in-person encounter. Like I know I sound silly. But it was so neat.

          I want to know what you all think. Does this make sense about the guns? I believe the second story, but I know nothing much about the guns (even though I want to say Ashli may’ve mentioned it).

          The last thing he said though was that he was certain Harry’s kids aren’t getting titles for several reasons (not what you would think and I am paraphrasing here, this isn’t exact. I am remembering as well as I can):

          “Harry is illegitimate.  His real dad is Hewitt and everyone in the country knows it. Everyone passes him off as Charles’s because of his mum. His mum had an affair and Harry is illegitimate. His kids shouldn’t have titles because they refused them for the kids by choice. They chose to abandon their roles and duties and country. Those kids aren’t entitled to anything because Harry isn’t. This is why Charles doesn’t care that he left as much as you’d think. Optics is everything in the Royal Family. Charles loves monarchy more than anything else. He’s waited for that seat for too long, and he won’t let Harry knock him out of it. Bet.”

          We also discussed the differences between our food and cultures, and I really enjoyed the conversation. My husband and I laughed when he said his wife almost left him like ten times in the first two months of being here.

He said, “She went to make meatballs and spaghetti. She didn’t know all the food here has been pre-seasoned and flavored. She’s adding all her regular spices and flavors, and she takes a bite and starts to cry. She said that was the straw the broke the camel’s back. It’s weird in America. You all think you can throw “ja-loppa-nose (his pronunciation of jalapenos)” on everything and call it spicy. I love this country, but I do miss the food and the culture of my home country.”

           It’s amazing the things you find out and learn. He alluded to the fact that Buckingham Palace essentially protected them every step of the way, and they still do protect them.

          So… what do you think about the guns or the deployment story or everything else? I’ve heard that Hewitt wasn’t around until after Harry was born, but who would really know for certain? Anything can be denied and covered over with a good story and a photo. It’s the game of optics, remember?

Remember, the plan was for Harry to leave after 10 years for the transition of the slimmed down Monarchy? It seems there is something going on  we’re missing.

          We’re missing something, right in front of our faces, too.

          Bet… I bet the Telegraph will get a surrogacy dossier or something along those lines soon enough. Probably right after the coronation. Maybe even a day or two before, that way the sensationalism is there for action and Charles will finally have that forced hand he needs.

Until the next bit of cheese drops in the floor,

                    Your Mouse Sniffles.

#yankeewally #murky meg #according2taz #celtviews #uk royal family #megxit

[kerubimcrepin]

Liveblog 7: episode 4

Sorry for the long wait. First I had finals in uni, then I spent a week drinking and replaying disco elysium after celebrating new years eve, sooo yeah. But, for now, until the exams, I am back.

Let's begin! :)

Joris is so quick to find him and look at what he's doing. I love how dedicated he is to it. Kerubim is just... immediately tired.

Glad to know my fic's characterization of him being tired of Joris's questions the second they're asked is still holding true.

Very well said for the guy whose house even, after cleaning, is a major death hazard. But ok.

I LOVE YOU JORIS. I won't read too much into this, because there really isn't much here, but really, Joris knows how to manipulate Keke.

Manipulating adults is kinda THE thing kids have to learn. He's very good at this.

To come back to the past post's Lou Divorce Theorising, it's important to note that both of them were equally unhinged and prone to breaking up with one another. A very deep and meaningful relationship.

We will see later what he means by "It's not my fault I have fans," in the depictions of his relationship with her that aren't censored by him being the storyteller.

AKA the fact that mostly, it means him cheating on her. Lol. I'll talk about it during one of the most important episodes of this entire show.

Anyway,

The thing is that, despite how awful they are together, he really does love her.

He can't really stop playing the role of the macho playboy who gets all the chicks, even for love, because that's his entire self-esteem, but it doesn't mean the love isn't there.

(Something-something, I will elaborate on the role of masculinity in Kerubim's story, and how it worsens his already bad, uh... mental everything. But that's a talk for not-the-literal-fourth-episode-of-the-show.)

When he thinks about her, he thinks about her silliness first and foremost, instead of her looks. Even after they part ways, he blames himself for decades. And that's love.

To be fair to him, Lou can't stop manipulating & stringing him along herself. Neither of them is a very good person.

As I've said, thats a very, uh, deep and meaningful relationship they have here.

God, I really, really love the art style of this show.

"My very own puppy-girl was catomized" that's a whole ass new sentence that's never been said before.

ANOTHER character analysis moment: What really bothers Kerubim the most isn't saving his lover, but being The Hero, especially to her. And I really think it says a lot about him, even if he does love her.

He just immediately starts congratulating himself on being a good boy, and asking her if she also thinks he's a good boy. His self-esteem is so, so bad.

Another theme of the show that is introduced early on is luck, and Kerubim's relationship with it.

I think Ecaflip just got tired of watching Keke suffer, honestly.

She only likes him on her own terms. When she gets to make him feel indebted, or lucky, but not as if she were a damsel and he were her savior.

It makes their relationship sort of one-sided, but it's far from the thing that is most toxic about it.

Let me be pretentious about this for a second, since this shot composition WAS chosen by someone, and put into the show on purpose.

The whole shot, including the two of them, is blue: the color of being non-confrontational, stagnant, and predictable. It can mean honesty and deceit, being unforgiving or free, and most of all, it is a color that often represents sadness and loss.

They are walking on water here, which is the first thing that one might notice. I will not reference the bible, in a cartoon analysis, but it does conjure up connotations of being at one's prime, and having the strength to do anything.

In comparison to the clouds which surround them, they seem like giants, walking through the sea, which conveys well how his youth must have felt — the whole world is on a platter, and his strength was larger than life.

But the storm clouds surrounding them above and below, in turn, just seem even more giant and looming.

It also brings to mind the connotations of the saying "to have one's head in the clouds." Absentminded, unknowing of the facts of the whole situation.

Overall, this shot puts their relationship well: They were young, beautiful and capable together, travelling the whole world, — but in the end, their bond is marked by sadness, because they were never willing to address their faults in time, and it drove them apart.

And most importantly, the colors disappear when she slaps him, so in a way, it is a very romanticized view on things.

Pretentious tangent over.

This is our first clue in the show that Kerubim might lie and change the stories he tells, but it is also our clue to take what we are shown seriously regardless.

True, everything shown might be in-universe fiction, but despite Kerubim's narration, we get to see exactly what happened here. So it's best to just take things as they are presented, but with a small grain of salt.

There's something to be said about the way they are both walking towards more of these storm clouds, or the way she is walking to the left (in cultures with languages that go from left to right, characters walking to the left often symbolizes moving towards the past and stagnating), with him running after her, but eh. I think I may just be reading a lot into it.

It is still fun though, no?

This whole show, in a way, he is chasing the past, telling stories of their lost love. And in a way, he'll always be chasing after her, no matter how doomed their relationship was.

Though it's a very bleak depiction, compared to one that will follow later in the show.

...Perhaps, judging from some concept art, he'll keep chasing her that way, even centuries after she stops living. But that remains to be seen, if Waven takes us there.

If that's the case, it just adds a layer of tragedy to their relationship.

Even if she never left him, they wouldn't be able to live together forever. She was mortal. He is not.

And that's all there is to say on the matter, I suppose.

(This is a small edit from future me: Kerubim can't stop talking about Indie and Lou in Dofus MMO, even though it happens 200 years after the show. Which is depressing. But I'm still waiting for him to talk about them in Waven, to decide just how depressing this all is.)

#ep4 #wakfu #dofus #krosmoz #ro liveblogs dofus #kerubim crepin

[angelosearch]

Once you get this, you have to say five things you like about yourself, publicly. Then you have to send this to ten of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool~) 🌈🌈

First off, thanks for this! ❤️ yaaaay an ask game!!!

Second... OH MY GOD five things Iike about myself?! This is going to be hard. But my therapist would be so happy to know I've been given this challenge, haha.

And of course, I have to provide details and addendums to these because I have to treat everything like a personal essay. Ugh.

I am a loud cringe nerd

I have fun facts for days, if not weeks

Music is my religion

I bet I can make you laugh

I understand my narrative

Longer answers under the cut.

I am not afraid to show enthusiasm/honesty and be loud. You know the part of your brain that tells you to not do embarrassing/cringe/over-the-top-thing before you do it? I am not going to try and diagnose it but that literally does not exist for me. I will sing along loudly to songs in public; I am the person at a wedding who never leaves the dancefloor; I dress in bright colors and wear the weirdest prints; I will laugh or cry uncontrollably if the moment calls for it. I am incapable of holding back positivity and excitement. I will gush about how great something or someone is. If I like your shoes, I am 100% going to tell you, no fear. All of this can make life really fun. It attracts people with good energy into my orbit. It makes me feel like the last thing I am is boring - but I also go home and regret every minute of it because of the second-hand embarrassment later. Somehow all these things are wrong to do in my head (even though I am never moved like this by negativity, fear, or hate), yet I cannot stop myself from doing them. I loathe that I am a book with a broken spine that cannot stay closed. I hate every inch of space I take up. I cannot stop being vulnerable which is great for therapy but not so great for being a normal, functioning adult. I fear sometimes that people think that I believe my thoughts are all-important because I share them all. Nope. I just literally have no choice in the matter. The thoughts and actions pop into my head and they must be heard/done.

I am an endless fountain of "fun" facts because I am interested in a lot of stuff and love to learn. I think "did you know that..." is my most used phase. If I have a fun fact on a subject, you will know (it's something else I feel I have no control over). My hand will be up if I don't just blurt it out. And I am always rolling them up in my Katamari-Ball brain, listening to podcasts, reading articles, watching documentaries, and other videos. I remember these weird fringe things but then I will forget your name and your job. Don't tell me what you're into because I AM going to do a deep dive and suddenly be an expert in it. Tbh it's a great skill for a writer, but I am pretty sure it annoys people around me. Especially when all the fun facts are related to whatever I am obsessed with at the moment. You'll never guess what I have way too many fun facts about right now.

I connect with music, so strongly it's almost spiritual. Singing and listening to music have always been my go-to coping skills. I learned to drive very late in life (at 30 - but that is a story for another day) and at first I was a horribly anxious driver. But once I realized my car could become my little mobile box of music where I could just belt it out 24/7, I learned to love driving. Lyrics help me understand the prism of my experience and others. I love when songs make me dance, or cry, or give me goosebumps. My shower is my favorite place in my new house because of the great acoustics; plus, there is enough space to pull off an entire shower concert, complete with choreography. Concerts and karaoke make me feel like I am connected to the universe and everyone in the venue. I love my taste in music, which sounds weird, but I am just so proud of my eclectic taste. Also! I am mad skilled at identifying songs and artists and samples, probably because I have listened to so. Much. Music. The downside to this one is that I emotionally connect so thoroughly with every song that I enjoy that a bad association will make the song/artist or even the genre unbearable to listen to (see: country music). Also, some people in my life don't understand why I prioritize concerts so highly and are very critical of me for it. I can't help that a concert is the closest thing I have to a church!

I have a great sense of humor (or at least I think so). If you have followed me for more than two seconds, you have probably figured out that I am constantly attempting (and hopefully succeeding?) to be funny. I try VERY HARD to make people laugh. If you were to talk to me in real life, you'd quickly discover that I would come up with puns in our conversation like we're having a funny rap battle. My favorite tools are wordplay and re-contextualization but I also have quote upon quote and will use physical humor, too. The good thing is that I can make myself laugh, for sure. Like I said yesterday, I embody Chrysippus. A lot of comedians claim their jokes are hiding pain. I've recently realized that I use my humor a little differently--since my social anxiety has convinced me that no one in the world wants anything to do with me at any given moment, I use my jokes as sort of a litmus test. If you're laughing, there is a very strong chance that you don't actively hate me at that very moment. I think this strategy probably annoys people and probably comes off at inappropriate. Don't bring me to a funeral.

I can contextualize my personal story. Somewhere between taking autobiography/memoir and essay classes in college and over a decade of therapy, I've become exquisitely good at taking an event in my life or facet of my personality and placing it in the context of my life. Does that make sense? Like in high school English class I took so much joy out of reading a novel and analyzing character motivations and author intent and "why is the wallpaper yellow." I am still very good at reading something and identifying symbolism, but now I mostly use this same skill to look back at the story of my life and find patterns and connections. I think this will help me as an Art Therapist, and, if my personal essays and posts are actually any good, then it is helping me as a writer as well. But this is a double-edged sword in therapy. It means I can sit in the chair and practically therapize myself. But lives are not novels. We are not characters. Sometimes the wallpaper is just yellow. My over-cerebral approach to my understanding of self makes me come off as "not sick enough" in some settings--I've been told by peers and staff many times while in treatment, "Why are you here? You seem fine!" Well, the truth is, just because you understand why the monster is in the book, you can't always outrun it. Sure, it can help to know where the monster came from and why he's chasing you, but if you get too caught up in that it may slow you down. Or you will run the wrong way because you are so sure you understand him. Or you will run so well that no one will notice you are running at all.

#ask game #answered #answered asks #personal #personal essay

[that-ari-blogger]

Writing Your Own Story, Together

Sense and Insensitivity is the single most terrifying episode in the Owl House. More than Hollow Mind, more than King's Tide, this episode is nightmare fuel. It's got all of the greatest hits, giant spiders, tight spaces, publishers. This episode should have been the Halloween episode.

But that is just me. If you don't get scared of these things, what is in this episode for you?

Well, this episode is about teamwork, it helps to nurture the friendship between King and Luz, and it shows that sisterly cooperation is possible between Eda and Lilith.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The main plot of Sense and Insensitivity is the collaboration on a book by King and Luz. It shows the differing opinions on what they want the story to be about, and it leads to argument.

And I'm going to get on my soap box for a second here, because something needs to be said. Opinions about what is a good story do not contradict each other. If someone ever tells you a story "must" or "can't" include a specific element, they are objectively wrong, because a story can be whatever you like. I have seen a level of argument online about people going after others who like or dislike certain story elements, and I find that ridiculous for one key reason: If you don't like a thing, you don't have to read a book or watch a series with it in. For example, I have hemophobia (fear of blood), but instead of complaining that everybody writes gory books and telling people not to, I find media without blood in it, and I watch or read that. It's a simple solution.

Anyway...

In the Owl House, this comes to a head when the two split paths to write their own stories, and my wording there is important. Because one of the main themes of the entire series is witing your own story. So, you would think that the split would be framed as a good thing, based off this, right?

But no, because this episode makes something clear about forging your own path. It doesn't mean that you have to travel everywhere alone.

That soapbox I mentioned earlier is important to understand, because people having different tastes is the whole point of humanity. We are a diverse species, physically, culturally, but also emotionally. If we all only liked the media I personally enjoy, the world would be stale. We need people with different tastes to make life interesting, but we also need them to guide us.

We need people who are different from us to help us along our journeys. Writing your own stories doesn't mean not taking inspiration. It means doing what you like, the way you like. You can certainly be inspired by others if you want.

But writing your own story doesn't mean you are right in every decision you make. Watch Doctor Who: The Giggle to see why that is a bad idea. Sometimes you need people to keep you back from danger, or you might fall prey to people and things that want to exploit you.

Enter Piniet.

Piniet's character design is funky, and I love it.

First up, there is the reptilian element. Reptiles have a reputation for being cold and emotionless, while this is a subject of debate (Dr. Gordon Burghardt is a co-author of a book titled The Secret Social Lives Of Reptiles which I highly recommend you check out), but the stereotype remains. When you think of a snake, you probably think of a trickster or a liar. When you think of a lizard, you probably think of the "lizard part of the brain", a concept of, once again, dubious accuracy. Psychology today has an article that discusses the concept.

The point I am making is that Piniet's appearance is evoking ideas of heartlessness. Using the stereotype, it is telling you that whatever this character says to King, none of it is genuine.

But there is another little element that I quite like. That third eye. A few reptiles and amphibians have a third eye in real life. It is located on the top of their head and is called a Parietal Eye. Science Direct has a collection of sources on the subject. But Piniet's eye is different from the real world. Because it appears functional, but he keeps it hidden. Piniet has more eyes in play than those he talks to, he can see from more angles, and be aware of things others are not.

There is also the references to a third eye in specific real world cultures and religions. And without getting too far into still living cultures about which I am far from an expert, this is generally related to extra insight or foresight. (Source)

Once again, this links to my reading of Piniet as a character who can read people like books, and if you combine that with the reptile thing, you get someone who is intellectually empathetic, but not emotionally. In other words, Piniet is a manipulator.

I'm not going to recount the plot beat for beat, but needless to say, it takes King and Luz being confined to the nightmare box to get some thinking done and actually work out their differences. And notably, to get out of it, they work together. Luz with the light spell and the plan, and King with that confidence and charisma that he has shown off in previous episodes. Teamwork. Forging their own path together.

It is also notable that the agent is only satisfied by the entrance of Nina Noseworthy, who in this shot litterally eclipses King. The agent is chasing the next big thing, without any care for the art itself. That's just a neat little detail.

Eda and Lilith also have that co-operation on display. And while their similarities have been shown already. When both feel powerful, they both act incredibly pompously. But here, we see a different side of Lilith.

When Eda and Lilith are stressed, they react in completely different ways. Eda laughs it off and gives a veneer of not caring, this isn't new, she's been doing this the entire series. But Lilith on the other hand, she gets scared. Lilith is a very different person to the sneering villain that she is shown to be elsewhere.

This is why I think the redemption later on works so well. They have already proven they can work together. But also, Lilith doesn't have to shift character to switch sides, she just has to drop the mask.

I will also mention that in the scene above, Eda, despite being a fugitive, is open and relaxed in body language, but Lilith is on edge and guarded. Lilith looks like she is hiding something from Eda and afraid her sister will find out. I wonder what that could be.

Final Thoughts

I despise this episode on a personal level. I don't think it's bad at all. This is about average for season one, if not slightly above. My feelings around this episode are entirely centred around that shrinking box and the little cube people, because they are more terrifying than anything Bellos can do.

In all seriousness, this episode has a simple premise, teamwork, that is executed well. The animation is cool, the character designs are awesome. The humour is decent. This is a good Owl House episode.

Next week is Christmas, and I'll be taking a look at wild magic itself, as discussed in Adventures In The Elements, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

#rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #character analysis #what's so special about...? #toh #the owl house luz #the owl post #the owl house lilith #the owl house king #owl house #toh luz #toh lilith #toh king #i cant be the only one who thought the shrinking box was terrifying

[srbachchan]

DAY 5367

Jalsa, Mumbai                  Oct 22/23,  2022                  Sat/Sun  1:00 am

Birthday - EF Kankana Chakraborty  ... Deepak Jain ... Atul Kumar Shrivastava ... Monday, 24 October

.. and the greetings from the entire Ef family for your prosperity and love and care .. ❤️❤️❤️

.. the lefty clap .. unusual .. but then ...

time and tide wait for no one .. the discouraged , the ominous , the discharged the irrelevant need to be kept in abeyance and beyond reach .. the gracious near and dear, in celebration of festive brilliance .. 

the lethargy of time waits for no one .. the tides of fortune are the precursor of betterment and prosperity .. 

and the wishes that abound among all , be of such great value and meaning .. 

and so does the occasion of the lights and the ‘diyas’ bring to us the gifts of many and the wishes of fulfilment and joy .. 

bringing credence to all in one quick swift response is humanly impossible .. but it shall happen with time ..

time though gave a young lady contestant at the ‘quarters’ of KBC an anxiety and the lines of not just despair, but of a sarcastic satire in content that it became important for me to publish it as was publicly promised from the seat of KBC power   :

a young promising lady who had built a gentle 2 storied home for herself and her family one fine day due to an order by the Authority, ran a pass road through it destroying the house that she had built with love care and affection .. 

she wrote the above .. ☝🏽

and asked me to read it out on the platform .. I did .. and finding it very close to me promised her that the content would be displayed on my Blog .. so there ..

( the Hindi geniuses may please enlighten the audience with its translate )

.. and somewhere it strikes a chord .. a personal chord ..

some of best performances get their due on the stage of the floor where the curtains dare not go down .. so injury or no , the SGO .. nnnn

a jutting piece of metal sliced my left calve and managed to cut the vein .. the vein when cut spurts out the ‘red’ uncontrollably .. but had the nerve to get the doc and so into an OT and the stiching up .. with the assistance of team of staff and docs in time .. 

the throb is the control factor on kBC and it must be stated that those 3-4 hours on each episode, does take care of the ... aahhh never mind .. !

its a little inoperative, but the will to continue in the similar spirit of measurement and tribe and class in range does give a hope and we cope .. 

its quite fresh and with opinion and advice .. 

now the detaining may not be of mention else where  , from all of you .. so do help .. 

the coming days bring the relief of festive lights and a resurgence of emotion and more .. but for the men to be doing that is always a bit unfair .. 

pardoń   !!!

but in admittance the medical to not stand , to not move, to not strain on it by even a TreadMill walk is not permitted !! 

at times the satisfaction of the extreme may bring the joys or the griefs of existence .. but extremes do not and never last .. they either perish or leave an indelible mark .. at strategic places on the body or bodies .. that is an embarrassment   .. takes a while to step out of it , so help me God .. !!!

there is conjecture .. and there is the sudden appearance of the invited .. and then the reason for the making of the human .. and many other .. unfair to the straight and correct .. fair to the other .. 

aaahhhhh .. the ‘other’ again .. and there is large portfolio of this soon .. 

but on some other day ..

.. the doctor .. err apologies ... the dr in Austria  .. on the University of Study at Australia .. a sneak peak into the lives of strange strains .. virtually and in the command of the future .. 

.. they be and be not ..

and life moves on .. and on and on .. 

Amitabh Bachchan

💜🪔 , October 23 .. birthday greetings to Ef Atul Ahluwalia .. and Ef Sonia Ahuja .. praying for the Lights of the Divine to burn every evil without and within .. prayers for peace and safety .. 🙏🏻✨

[thisworldisablackhole]

Long time no see. I have been extremely distracted by video games lately. Helldivers 2 has consumed the past few weeks of my life, and I also just decided to take another stab at Elden Ring, so this book took me much longer than usual to get through

Hyperion's format of storytelling actually lends itself to longevity though, as it's essentially a collection of short stories. This worked out nicely for me because I didn't have to worry about forgetting any details after not touching the book for a few days in a row. To sum things up quickly, the stories are shared by a group of pilgrims who are travelling to the Time Tombs on Hyperion to request council with the Shrike; the mysterious Lord of Pain and/or bloodthirsty murderer who's intentions are unknown. All the citizens of the Web know is that the Shrike holds insurmountable power and secrets. That alone was enough to hook me in.

Each character takes turns sharing their backstory of why they decided to join this potentially fatal pilgrimage, and it is through these stories that the world of Dan Simmons' immense universe comes to life. Hyperion takes place in a distant future where Earth has been destroyed and humans have officially become an interstellar species. Almost every planet in the galaxy is not only inhabited, but connected by "farcaster" portals (a technology passed down to humans via the AI conduit) which makes access to these planets almost instantaneous. These planets are part of the "World Web", which is governed by the Hegemony (because of course the entire universe is going to be ruled by one totalitarian government). Hyperion is the only planet that sits outside of the Web, and it's incorporation into the Hegemony is highly debated due to the absolutely violent, maniacal God that roams it's plains.

Time is a very important aspect of this book. Not only are the Time Tombs themselves very central to the plot, but there is also the problem of time debt. To put it simply, people who often travel in space ships at a speed faster than light experience less time than those who don't. 9 months of space travel for one person could be 10 years of local time for their family back home. This makes the universe quite unique, because as citizens of the Web experience time at different speeds, the cultures and technologies of past and future begin to bleed together. The result is a book where the exact time period is really hard to pin down. Descriptions of 19th century peasants are contrasted by space ships and laser guns, and it gives the whole book a really special vibe that is equal parts confusing and exciting.

If I have one gripe with this book, it's with the inconsistency of the writing itself. Hyperion often shifts in and out of sci fi genius in one moment, and then eye roll inducing space opera pig fodder in the next. Some of the pilgrim's stories are really imaginative and unique, and then others read like something I would have written when I was 12. I don't fault Simmons for letting his inner child run rampant throughout the novel, but some of the romance and power fantasy action scenes were just a bit too shallow. Regardless, the world building is so fun that even the most shallow stories climax with intriguing information and a foreboding twist that will engage you further in the plot and make you feel more connected to the individual characters.

Overall I'd say this is an essential read simply due to the innovative ideas and masterful storytelling. It's genius is sometimes bogged down by adolescent fantasies, but it's not enough to detract from the central plot, which is definitely meaty enough on it's own to keep you engaged. From what I've been told, the second book doesn't follow the same format of storytelling, so I am really excited to jump into it. As much as I enjoyed getting to know the characters through their individual sub plots, I am looking forward to a more straight forward story arc. I must find out more about the Shrike.

4/5

#hyperion #hyperion cantos #dan simmons #sci fi #books #science fiction

[taminoarticles]

— Tamino for CRUSH Fanzine, Issue 14 / 2018 (x)

Tamino (Habibi)

Photographed by Nicolas Wagner Interview by Ariel Kenig Styled by Marie Revelut Tamino is wearing Ann Demeulemeester

I'm crazy about him. His music is like a shock to the system. His name is Tamino, and I met him via CRUSHfanzine’s co-editor, Nicolas Wagner, who decided to shoot my new crush while he was in Paris. But Tamino is not only a crush. We could call it love, admiration — the ultimate crush. I am reminded of those rare times when discovering an artist forces you to compare his immensity to others. To err is human, I guess. And yet, when faced with two figures, two faces, two pyramids, the brain needs to differentiate shapes and shades in order to better recognize them. I met Tamino, asked him a few questions. I had a serious look on my face. It didn't last long. Not long enough. Here is my transcript…

“My paternal grandfather died when I was 5 years old. He lived in Cairo. I was always familiar with his songs, primarily via cassettes that my mother would play me when I was little. She thought it was very important that I know where I come from. It's a little strange to see him on YouTube. My dad takes care of those types of things, but it's not easy. My grandfather never really thought about his legacy. There are other singers, like Abdel Halim Hafez, who are still alive and are better known today than my grandfather. His music is everywhere. It would probably be a good thing if my family took steps to showcase this heritage. My grandfather was the first Egyptian singer to play electric guitar on stage. He listened to Elvis Presley… he wrote part of his music himself. As for myself, I write alone. And I do almost everything all by myself. I've been working with a producer whom I met two years ago, on an EP at first. We had such good chemistry that we re-recorded my song “Cigar” together. I told him about my video concept, of that skeleton that stars in the clip, and he produced the song with that idea in mind. That's what I like about him and the guy he's in a two-man band with: they think not only in terms of sound, but of entity. They want to capture the essence of an artist and take it to such-or-such particular idea they have of him, portray him in this or that way, and in my case, take the project to quite majestic heights. You may find it funny, but I don’t write “sad” songs. I mean, I'm not telling the story of a guy sitting alone on his bed with his guitar... I like more epic, more “regal” things. I love Belgian surrealism, that I connect in my work to more Eastern or romantic references. For me, it's a logical juxtaposition... I've not been to Egypt for five or six years, but I'm going back next week. I can’t wait. I like to go closer to the Red Sea, in the less touristy places. I don't have a TV, I don't read the press, and I deleted my Facebook account. I stay abreast of what's happening in Egypt via YouTube. It's strange for me to see that these wars that are rocking the Arab world have existed for thousands of years…

Facebook has too many distractions. I need to stay focused in some sort of flow, to work every day for a long time, whether I end up writing only two sentences or an entire melody. All in all, if you include all the projects and bands in which I participated, I must have written over a hundred songs. For my album, we recorded 18, of which we'll keep 11 of 12. Right now, we're working on mixing it. I studied at the Conservatory, in the popular music department, which gave me a lot of freedom. I worked on my Voice and I continue to maintain it. I am careful not to scream in bars when the music is too loud. It’s easy to end up screaming without even realizing... Although these days, I don't go out much... I don’t have the time. And I have no personal life! [Laughs.] It’s true, it's crazy. I am 21 years old. My life is a little different. You're never around, and when you come out, your friends are surprised: “What? I thought you were in a relationship, I thought you moved.” I don’t feel the age difference with the people I work with. When I was younger, I was very shy, and at the same time, I needed to express myself. It was a weird combination. Nowadays, I'm lining up the tour dates. Our last concert in Paris, at La Maroquinerie, was very moving. My two musicians cried in the middle of the concert. I was getting dewy-eyed myself. It was so intense, to be so well-received in another country. I was reminded of one of our first concerts in Belgium... I think the album will be both an extension of the EP and a synthesis between two themes: romance that can both lift you up and make you vulnerable because you can fall at any time, and indifference to life, in the meaning we give to it, our investment in it. Everyone has a dark side but… I don't know... I do not only write somber music, but I know myself a little bit, so… It's sometimes cumbersome... When you spend too much time looking in the mirror, you end up doing nothing... Sometimes, it's better to just “do,” and the song may tell you something about yourself. A song written in twenty minutes, without too much thinking. This earring? I found it in an old cupboard. It's my mother’s. I'm not sure that she ever wore it.

#tamino #tamino amir #crush fanzine #article #interview #english #2018 #with photoshoot #original text #HUGE thanks to mahdisehel on instagram for sending this to me!! and for not finding my out of the blue dm weird i am forever grateful #tumblr has a character limit for each block so i have to split the text up #i like this interview!! #i can finally rest easy

[cynthiav06]

I don't know if you're taking story requests, but I hope you won't turn down my suggestion to write a one-part humanfanfic. Subject: Hayley Marshall is the only daughter of a poor family. When she was only 13 years old, her parents were killed because of a debt they couldn't pay, leaving her completely alone. But the situation will soon change. King Mikael's servants found the young girl sleeping on a bench outside and immediately brought her to King Mikael. This allowed Hayley to receive the necessary training and become the first female bodyguard in King Mikael's palace. From the age of 13 until he was 18, she was Lord Klaus' bodyguard. Hayley had managed to maintain her professionalism over the years, but her feelings confused her. Could it be that she has romantic feelings for Klaus, who is feared by everyone, trapped by rules, and who must soon marry a lady he does not love for the good of his people?

While I am busy with studies, I would never turn down such a kind request. Though I'm not sure it could be wrapped up in one part. But we will see.

Part 1

Hayley

He was late, Prince Klaus was late. Again. There were two rumors circulating to explain this. Either he does it purposefully to spite his father, or he really engages in a sex spree at night, leaving him exhausted in the morning. And if Hayley knew anything about him at all, she would bet it was the former. Her contract for being a bodyguard was almost at its end. With whatever money she had saved over the years; she could use that to leave for someplace else, be free, and see the world for herself. Why, then, did the thought of leaving elicit a pang of pain at every instance she thought of it. But now was not the time to be daydreaming of yet unachievable destinations.

With a long suffering sigh, she threw open the door to the prince's room. This would usually be an assured invitation for certain death but being privy to his personal life for so long a time of being his bodyguard had earned her some privileges and Klaus had no business telling her when to walk in his chambers if he counted on her to do the protecting.....

The thought vanished as soon as it spurred by the sight she just walked in on. Klaus, half-naked, clad in a towel,his hair partially drenched. Yes, she had seen this sight before, yes she should have been used to it but was she? She will be damned if she said yes. There was something alluring about him, even when countless people deemed him the personification of darkness. "After all, one must never mistake the allure of darkness. Even the purest hearts are drawn to it." It was something Klaus used to spout from all those philosophy texts he read just to criticise the writers on their limited understanding of human emotions.

"What's the matter little wolf? It's nothing you haven't seen before." A lopsided smile with those stunning blue eyes sparkling in mischief motivated Hayley to look away, her face heating in embarrassment for spacing out while staring at him and also due to the sight of his....

What in the devil's name was wrong with her?She was his bodyguard, not one of the flirtatious maids in the castle that swooned at the sight of him despite fearing him. Not one to lose, she quipped back equally as fast: " Not new but definitely soon to be extinct if you choose to while around and make us late for the fifth time this week to the King's daily briefings."

The sparkle in his eyes snuffed out at the mention of the King. A colder tone overtook his next response, "Yes, yes the ever important briefings from my father which are but his ruse to bare my inability to rule to the lot of his ministers and rub it in my face every other chance he gets. While I would love nothing more than to meet a swift end and be rid of these by all means let us hurry."

"Why are you yelling at me? Listen here Klaus, it's one thing to be furious at your father and entirely another to take it out on me. It's my job to do what King Mikael asks of me and I will not be made to deal with your temper tantrums." What an infuriating bastard Klaus was but she understood. With how much Mikael controlled his life, these little ways were his only means of rebellion, something his father couldn't punish him for since the meetings were public.

Klaus

He didn't like taking his anger out on Hayley, but usually it was too late by the time he was done with it. It's infuriating how she keeps drawing the line between them, keeping up that flimsy facade of professionalism. Despite all the years they have spent together, she so readily dismisses it as her job. He could still remember the first time they met:

"Boy, this is Hayley. She will be your bodyguard. No questions asked, boy. Learn a thing or two about fighting from the girl Niklaus. It just might elevate you to that of a soldier's level of expertise in fighting. " He had decided he would loathe the girl. No servant of his father was an ally of his. And a woman, no a girl, would protect him. It enraged him beyond any sense that he Klaus Mikaelson, the only heir of the warrior Dynasty, was being looked down upon by not only his father but not he had added some girl to the list. "You, I don't care what your name is, I do not require your services. You and I shall spar, and when I emerge victorious, you shall relay this to my father and have your services offered elsewhere."

He hadn't looked at her properly before but she certainly had a unique appearance. Brunette hair and eyes like nothing Klaus had ever seen. Hazel green. There was a spark of fury and resolve when he declared his challenge, and to his astonishment, the girl had the audacity to roll her eyes. "If, Prince, if. " And no one had ever made his title sound so much like an insult before. If he wanted to prove his father wring before, now he wanted the girl humiliated. How dare she assume such a tone with him.

So spar they did. And Klaus had never in his entire life proven so wrong. She fought with so much ferocity that it reminded him of a wolf cub he had taken in when he found it injured and had raised it into a wolf only for his father to butcher it. There was no clear winner, but Klaus might as well admit he had lost, given how exhausted he looked compared to her. "Ugh, were you in military training, too? Why the hell do you need a bodyguard if you fight this well? The king is nuts." He shut her mouth by slamming his hand over it. Did she have a death wish, and did she just call his father nuts? "Don't say that in open little wolf." She had taken such offense to that nickname, but he had an inch or two over her in height and was definitely more built. He would find out in passing years that the vpw he had made of loathing her would turn out to be impossible to uphold. Even then, and especially now. So as they both headed towards his father's court, he muttered in a voice only Hayley could hear, "Sorry, little wolf. Bad morning. I will make it up to you later." And for all her claims of hating that nickname, he could swear he saw her smile.

Hayley

By the time we greeted the King, all the Council members had settled themselves. There were more so than usual. What the hell was going on? She excused herself to her reserved position near Klaus's seat when King Mikael's booming voice thundered the words that somehow shattered her heart. "Niklaus, I have decided that you shall marry the Princess of Mystic Falls, Princess Caroline. Nuptials will take place two weeks from now."

That's all for part 1. Send me a query for part 2 as a reminder, and let me know if you actually like this.

#klayley #fanfic #alternate universe #klaus mikaelson #hayley marshall #mikael mikaelson #human

[cinamun]

Hey Cina, I know the RRR/BBC is rn conversing about Rah/Dira and generational trauma, but can I go Blackwards for a moment to a few of the minor characters. Regarding Hope's pretty but troubled MIL, Miss Mercy, just wanted to ask if we have seen the last of Sean and if we will ever get a backstory glimpse into how that night went, if either got caught up in emotions (they both seem emotionally labile, though I still think if you went that direction it would make for an interesting dynamic due to who Sean is... in more than one person's life.) Plus we've assumed her last time in the problematic penthouse was with you know who. But maybe it wasn't... Also, Amaya's family? Who are they? Will there be a glimpse of them? Has Indya & Darren or DJ for that matter met her family? Hopefully they aren't toxic. Her features and skintone give off a vibe like her parents are from the Caribbean. And now Black to the Future questions: I was also was going to ask if Rah is redeemable, because there tends to be a throw away society mentality towards black men that have "issues" in RL & in books/entertainment so I was hoping he was/is redeemable, but I think I am getting a hint that there may be a move on from Rah and possibly ol' boy Ryke since Dira is young and may not have the same mindset as Hope regarding dating. To conclude, just two observations: How do I know since 2015(?) or was it 2017 that Indie has grown up and embraced her grown-woman-with-children crown? She came to her eldest daughter's house in Jerilee swag: house slippers. :D And not cute bougie ones at that! Plus of course how she is handling Hope's new mom freak outs and Dira and DJ's underdeveloped brain decisions.

2nd Observation: I laugh every time you slip in the official RRR/BBC logo of Raven's knowing look every now and then. :D :D :D

OOOOH Friend!! That's a lot! But you already know how we do so....

As for any potential MerSean shenanigans, I gotta hit you with the stay tuned. There are SEVERAL members of this here Badass Book Club™ who are shipping them HARD. Because why not? They look damn good together

Sean must have good dick if he pulled Indya for as long as he did and that is important given that good dick is a weak spot for Miss Mercy....

..... but I digress.

Now on to Amaya Griffin. If and only If she and DJ last will we get a glimpse into her home life. But you're on to something with those island roots.

Amaya's mother is Sulanese.

As for your questions, LET'S GO!!

A) was going to ask if Rah is redeemable, because there tends to be a throw away society mentality towards black men that have "issues" in RL

You are absolutely right, and this was a key issue earlier in the story with Darren. You had to be there friend! TABLES WERE THROWN!! HANDS WERE CAUGHT!! It was THE WILD WEST in the BBC™ where on one side, we hated Darren and wanted his ass thrown out for how he treated our girl. There were those who even thought Indya DESERVED it because she was often quite fucking bogus! I had a reckoning with my DAMN self about Darren and decided to write his growth journey which I am STILL writing. In other words, once we decide to throw someone away, we just do it. I wanted to challenge that for many reasons, one of them being the one you stated.

You can imagine, then, that while Rah did something entirely fucked up, I am willing to at least understand (and maybe others are too), that there are factors in his life that may be caused these unfortunate series of events. Imagine having a mom who is never there for you and everyone in your school has seen her sex tape. Not saying these are excuses, just saying....

Anyway, we gotta stay tuned to see if Rahul is a character who even sticks around. Indira is about to have a birthday and she could choose to cut off boffum. We shall see.

B) How do I know since 2015(?) or was it 2017 that Indie has grown up and embraced her grown-woman-with-children crown?

Maybe i'm reading this wrong, and if I am, please clarify in another ask but.... how can you NOT know? She's in house slippers (I thought they were cute) because she was there to clean in a full lace front and cute little joggers (Mercy was too except for the lace front). There will always be bougie Indya which is why you will refer to her as Queen Muva around Dem Babies™ lmfao

I think Indya has absolutely embraced her grown woman and I thought it was glaringly obvious.

Especially here:

And of course here:

#we love to get into it!! #*hands you a plate of wings with extra sauce* #story stuff

[fawnforlali]

Fairy Kings & Floods: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Cute. Wasn't for me—not entirely.

Meet Effy Sayre: a meek architecture student with an obsessive love for one author. Six months after the author’s death, she wins a competition to redesign his historical home, which is crumbling into the ocean. But there are secrets in this decaying place. 

While uncovering them, we also uncover the secrets of Effy’s traumatic past. 

Now, let’s go through some of the negatives first. 

Effy is the sort of protagonist that is unsure, passive, whose actions tend to be self-destructive. She is seen as nothing more than a “pretty face”—a temptress to every man she meets in the book. Given her past, I understand why she is this way, but that didn’t make me any less irked than I am now. I’m not criticizing other characters written this way, or people who do act like this in real life. I know that—and I absolutely saw myself in her character too (you can’t tell me she wouldn’t be practicing her Starbucks order since she got in line). I just wish that Ava Reid wrote Effy in a way that was less monotonous and one dimensional, especially after going through all that trouble into making her a real person. 

Mysteries are supposed to conduct the reader, give them enough information about the problem to catalogue and sort through as they read and trick them into thinking they solved it. That is, until the story drops the final piece and you’re left dumfounded. This book really didn’t have that classic mystery quality to it since I was able to pick just about everything up long before they concluded anything. 

This one was such a bother. I noticed the pervasive use of similes only a chapter or two in this book, and once I did, it became so distracting. 

And the positives...? 

As a teenage girl often too deep in her own fantasies, the romance in this book kept me fed. Especially the end of chapter eleven (p.234) for those of you who have already read it. Had me giggling like a lunatic. 

This book deals with the extreme misogyny that is the reality for women in this world, and I can see why reading it can be therapeutic for many of the girls out there. Ava Reid chose an important message to convey through her writing but unfortunately, I just wasn’t feeling it. I could go on about how a good part of the book was a shallow dissection of profoundly serious themes, but I don’t want my negativity to seep through onto what is supposed to be the ‘pro’s’ section of this book review. 

Angharad, oh, Angharad. Let’s take a step back into Effy’s character and how she’s obsessed with this dead author—Angharad being the title of the book she holds more love for in her heart than for herself. I totally understand why that is. I loved the little snippets of Angharad we got at the beginning of most chapters and—quite honestly—I wish Ava Reid could publish it for reals. All I got were the tiniest of passages and paragraphs and I’m already infatuated with a book that doesn’t even exist. 

One thing you must know about me as a reader, I fall in love with every book I read to some extent. I become a point-blank fanatic if the book is really that amazing, which is why I have to wait for my excitement to die down before I ever give a book a rating. First impression and second impression, as I call it. For my first impression, I gave this book a 4.5 (out of 5 stars), which is quite good. Though after truly giving it some thought, I diminished it down to a 3.25. 

I believe it had everything a book should have, but it never quite exceeded the lines of bare minimum. A Study in Drowning was a palate cleanser to me—nothing ground-breaking, but left turning page after page anyway. Maybe I had just been expecting too much from this book, but overall, I found the story bloated with superfluous trends and tropes that detracted from what could’ve made it a very rich, needed story. 

If you were planning on reading A Study in Drowning, please don’t let this discourage you in any way. I’m just some kid on the internet with no judging credentials whatsoever, so please don’t get too mad either. 

#tbr list #tbr #tbr pile #book tbr #booktok #bookish #authors #currently reading #dark academia #ava reid #fantasy #mystery #romance #slow burn #bookworm #books and reading #book review #books & libraries #quotes #blog #girlhood #girlblogging #chaotic academia #gothic