#regarding 2 I just feel incredibly childish and immature all the time | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

funkymbtifiction · 2 years

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2/2 regarding Mary Elliot: I'm not a fan of PDB at the best of times, but there seems to be a well reasoned argument here for her being in fact a 2, which fits more of the description in your original post:

"MARY MUSGROVE: SP/SO 2W3 [...] mary is not an sp6! she is far less concerned with the actual ramifications of an illness than the attention she can draw from her family because of one. sp6s are known for their warmth, their submissiveness in order to subdue threats or arguments. throughout the entire movie mary is flagrant in inserting herself into situations, demanding special treatment and attention, and explicitly demanding that people give her privilege :0...

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They seem to be going off Beatrice Chestnut's sp2 description, as the immature and childish 2. I prefer this description of sp2, which fits all the sp2s that I know (both in person and in fiction):

Self-Preservation Twos are looking to experience the Essential Quality of love through attending to the well-being, comfort, and health of others. They are classic providers and have a strong sense of obligation and responsibility.

Their style of support tends to be practical, like financial support, some sort of skill in healing, or care-taking. Their dedication and drive can make for an incredible capacity for selflessness and giving care, especially in times of crisis or when people can feel there’s no one else to turn to. Yet this often means Self-Preservation Twos neglect their own self-care and run themselves ragged for other people with the unconscious expectation that others will be there in their own time of need.

In some cases, Self-Preservation Twos have been so caught up in performing a function for others or in occupying a caretaking role that they may not know how to relate to others without having something to offer. Despite all their helping, they may not have formed a bond on the personal levels they thought or wanted because it had all been contingent around a dynamic of offering support. This situation compounds the feeling of being uncared for, which their superego takes as a sign they’re not doing enough.

Who does this description remind you of?

Sam Gamgee or Molly Weasley. There's no "oh I'm so cute, take care of me," it's "I know what you need and I am here to provide it. Eat those eggs, Mr. Frodo! Here's a Christmas sweater, Harry! What else can I do for you???"

2s have an agenda. It's the fact that YOU can't survive without ME. Even Lady Russell in Persuasion (a 1w2) shows more 2 in her endless interfering with Anne's life, which causes all of her problems because Anne foolishly listens to her and lets her set the agenda. 2 at its worst is not whining, it's steamrolling people because their life needs fixed and I am the one who is going to fix it (Emma Woodhouse!).

Mary is a frustrated image / emotionally-driven type -- a 4w3, and everything the OP said about her demanding special privileges (because she's special) is 4ish narcissistic elitism. Nothing is ever good enough for her and she calls attention to it (a frustration and reactive type), while thinking about no one's feelings but her own, being melodramatic about her problems, being easily insulted, having no interest in her children or caring for them, and refusing to change her mood to be more positive (2s need to see the best in people; she focuses on the worst and scoffs at the notion that seeing other people happy should make HER feel happy; what have they got to do with ME?). She even "stands up for Anne" by telling Captain Wentworth a humiliating story about her. A lot of her behavior is just immature Fi-dom (it's all about ME!!!!) but it's also 4ish in how dissatisfied, elitist, full of drama, and openly negative she can be.

I do agree with them, however, that she is absolutely not a sp 6. That would be Emma's father and his neurotic need to keep people away from eating cake since they might sicken and die and hurrying home from a party cuz it snows a lot...

#persuasion #enneagram #enneagram 4 #enneagram 2

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linkspooky · 3 years

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Gojo and Mahito

Nanami and Gojo share several parallels as pointed out by Nanami in Chapter 22 of Jujutsu Kaisen. A connection between the two of them that’s developed to the point where we see Mahito steal a technique from Gojo (domain expansion activation for only a few microseconds) in the latest chapter. More on the parallels of Gojo and Mahito, because for both of them there’s more than meets the eye.

1. Children with Too Much Power

Mahito parallels Gojo, but more specifically I believe he has the most in common with teenage Gojo we see in Hidden inventory. Especially on two key points. Both of them had immense strength that they hadn’t quite figured out yet.

Teenage Gojo, who was still figuring out the infinity and could not yet quite make the universe bend at the snap of his finger tips. In his introductory arc when Mahito was fighting Nanami, he was like a child figuring out how to use his body for the first time.

Everything he does in that arc is out of a childish sense of curiosity. He gets to close to Junpei, to observe what will happen from prolonged interaction with a human. He toys around a long time with fighting Nanami because he’s still figuring out how his curse technique works.

Unlike the other curses who seem to already exist knowing what they are, or have existed for years already long enough to figure themselves out, Mahito is actively learning about himself when he fights Nanami.

Just like Gojo, being pushed to the brink of death by an incredibly powerful enemy, only seems to make Mahito bounce back stronger. Mahito and Gojo parallel each other in their comparison to Nanami. Simply put, Nanami is the most mature character in the series, he’s the role model for a normal, decent adult.

While Gojo will drag children to battlefields, or take big bets with their lives, Nanami acts much more responsibility, with respect to the fact that Yuji is a child whose emotional well being he’s nurturing.

Nanami is introduced to us as the opposite of Gojo, someone mature while Gojo is immature. He even says that he doesn’t respect him in the least bit. Gojo’s powerful, but he’s not grown up. Nanami even explains this quite logically, people don’t grow up by fighting bad guys, or getting stronger. People grow up by accumulating experiences.

Gojo and Mahito are all powerful in ways that Nanami will never be, while at the same time they act like children. Especially teenage Gojo, but even adult Gojo doesn’t really like to get along well with other people, and decides everything based on his own emtoions and perspective. In other words both Gojo and Mahito have a tendency to be egocentric.

Egocentric.

thinking only of oneself, without regard for the feelings or desires of others; self-centered.

2. The World Through Their Eyes

Mahito and Gojo are characters who appear childish and frivolous on the surface, but if you plunge their depths they have a deeper understanding of themselves and their desires than most ofther characters in the series. They might not get other people, but that’s not their priority either. In classic Jungian symbolism, shallow water belies greater depths.

Gojo and Mahito are both extremely well thought characters, capable of immense amounts of self reflection. (Probably too much self reflection in Gojo’s case, he just loves looking at himself in the mirror a little too much how vain.) It not only shows in how much of themselves they have figured out but also their jujutsu. I think it’s safe to say that there is some resemblance between the infinity, and Mahito’s idle transifguration. Their Jujutsu makes them both privvy to the world that no one else can see. It’s unknown what Gojo can see with the six eyes exactly, but considering the limitless.

You can infer that he’s capable of seeing much greater sensory perception than the normal person. Mahito doesn’t have the six eyes, but because his jujutsu is about altering the form of the soul, he has the unique ability to see the shape of the soul inside of the body.

Mahito can see through people’s bodies, and see down to their souls. However, his perceptiveness has caused him to give up on the idea that people have any individuality at all, that they have “hearts” you know like, thoughts and feelings and stuff. Which is why all humans are pretty much interchangable to him. Mahito can’t see life separate as him from having any particular value.

Both of their cursed techniques create distance between themselves and others. Though in opposite ways. Gojo’s cursed technique is based around the idea that nothing can reach him, because it will always slow down in the infinite space between them. Mahito is able to completely change the shape of whatever he wants with one touch.

However, at the same time this resembles how they both interact with other people. Mahito sees people as nothing more than toys to play with and experiment in developing his jujutsu technique on. He even is literally pictured in an official color illustration as destroying Junpei, Nobara, and Nanami as torn up dolls. They were just toys that he got bored with and threw away.

Gojo can sometimes even share this tendency, not to mercilessly kill and slaughter of course not, but to be so far away from other people, and too busy perceiving the infinity that he can’t get caught up in ordinary lives. Remember, Mahito, Jogo and Hanami’s plan was to shake up Gojo with the sheer amount of people he would have to save in Shibuya, and it just... didn’t work.

Gojo just isn’t that shaken up by the people he can’t save. He’s not Geto. He’s not Yuji. Of course he cares enough to try and minimize the damage, he could have just used unlimited domain to end the situation at the cost of everybody gathered, but he made a decision to try to balance between everybody’s lives, protecting his own, and exorcising the curses.

Mahito and Gojo are both extremely distant from other people, but because of that they have a unique understanding of themlseves. Mahito’s domain expansion is called “Self Embodiment of Perfection.” When Gojo figures out reverse Jutsushiki he quotes the budha when he reached enlightenment.

They are extremely isolated characters who have others plumbed the depths of themselves. Gojo’s goal is to be the best version of himself he can be, to push himself into being the strongest. Their individual will is so strong they want to impose it on the world around them. Gojo wants to reset the jujutsu world, Mahito wants a world of curses.

They both encourage the other people around them to also think deeper about themselves, and how to evaluate themselves. Gojo tells Mahito to stop repressing himself for the sake of others. To try to be stronger individually instead of more of a team player. Instead of judging those around you, look inwardly.

Mahito is furious that Yuji doesn’t evaluate himself, doesn’t think deeply about his own motivations. That’s what he criticizes Yuji for constantly, he doesn’t think for himself, he runs blindly into fights. Mahito calls their fight a clash of truth. Yuji has to know his own self, and know his belifs and know why his beliefs are better than Mahito’s if he wants to face him.

Mahito and Gojo are both always looking inside of themselves, and that’s why their depths go much further than their seemingly shallow surface. If I were to make one last comparison between the two of them, I would say that the reason Mahito imitates Gojo is because his end goal is to become enlightened. What Mahito wants, is to be true to his nature, the truest embodiment of a curse in the series. He wants to reach an enlightenment like Gojo has where he has himself, his role in the world, completely and totally figured out. Where he embodies his own idealized sense of perfection.

Which is why he imitates Gojo, the strongest. Though his is the opposite path, like a reflection of a mirror. If Gojo uses his power to be the model, the embodiment of a jujutsu sorcerer who exorcises curses to save human lives, then Mahito chooses to be the embodiment of a curse that plagues humans.

Mahito and Gojo both see through things, they can see what everybody else can’t, however they differ in how they use those perceptions. Gojo tethers himself to responsibility to other people, because he finds meaning in doing that, he thinks there’s a point in protecting and nurturing the weak because eventually he’ll be able to find strong comrades. Mahito however, believes in the opposite of camraderie. He can see through other people, so he acts like they’re not even there. Gojo is a character who while his tendency is to try do everything on his own, is currently waiting rescue from the strong comrades he focused so hard into training. While Mahito will most likely end up alone.

#gojo satoru #satoru gojo #gojou satoru #satoru gojou #mahito #jjk meta #jujutsu kaisen meta #jujutsu kaisen analysis #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu analysis #jujutsu meta

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thinkingisadangerouspastime · 3 years

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(pt 1) i really enjoy all your atla analyses & you've done a great job breaking down the usual arguments re how eip shows that kataang shouldn't have happened. i'm curious about your take on one specific argument that i just saw today, in an analysis of the show by a zker that was otherwise quite good and respectful (i know you've already talked about eip a lot, so no problem if you don't feel like rehashing). the premise: aang didn't just pressure katara in eip, he threatened her.

(pt 2) they point to when katara joins aang & asks if he’s alright: “aang: no, i’m not! i hate this play! katara: i know it’s upsetting, but it sounds like you’re overreacting. aang: overreacting? if i hadn’t blocked my chakra, i’d probably be in the avatar state right now!” the suggestion is he’s threatening her when he says ‘i’d probably be in the avatar state right now’ to describe his anger. i think this take exaggerates and oversimplifies it, but interested in your thoughts on it.

Hello my friend!! It is true I am Old inside and don’t like rehashing dhdlksjslks BUT your comments on my posts are always incredibly kind and insightful so I am more than willing to do a bit of rehashing for you 🥰 Besides! I’ve seen this general take before a few times and it’s always irked me for the exact reason you point out - it simultaneously exaggerates and oversimplifies the situation (and honestly that’s an impressive duality since it’s seemingly contradictory, so hats off to them lmaooo) - and now is as good a time as any to address it. So, for starters, let’s go ahead and get the excerpt they love to focus on so much:

Cut to Aang standing alone on a balcony. Katara enters and walks up to him.

Katara: Are you all right?

Aang: [Angered.] No, I’m not! I hate this play! [Yanks his hat off and throws it on the ground.]

Katara: I know it’s upsetting, but it sounds like you’re overreacting.

Aang: Overreacting? If I hadn’t blocked my chakra, I’d probably be in the Avatar State right now!

Here’s the thing about so-called analyses of this excerpt: in a manner extremely convenient to the poster, they never seek to contextualize this moment. (I mean, to do so would deplatform their entire “argument” - perhaps that’s why they avoid performing a full analysis?) So let’s avoid that pitfall from the start.

Firstly, below are some links to related posts; I’m going to do my best to summarize the most relevant parts, but for anyone who desires greater detail, I gotchu 😤

This post explains why EIP (the play, lol) is imperialist propaganda and is intended to belittle the entire Gaang.

This post explains how Aang never acted “entitled” to Katara’s affections, particularly in regard to EIP.

This post breaks down the infamous EIP kiss like Snopes Fact Checker, covering common misconceptions, important perspectives to consider, etc.

Alright. With that out the way, it’s time for some context.

Aang and Katara have this conversation on the balcony after watching 95% of “The Boy in the Iceberg,” a play chock-full of Fire Nation propaganda that demeans the entire Gaang in order to prop up the Fire Nation as superior (hence why the play ends with Ozai’s victory). Here is my general breakdown of Aang and Katara’s treatment in particular from a previous post:

- katara, an indigenous woman, is highly sexualized and portrayed as overly dramatic and tearful, because the fire nation objectifies women not of their own people and views them as less intelligent and less emotionally stable

- aang, the avatar, the sole survivor of the fire nation’s genocide of the air nomads who is incredibly in-touch with his spirituality and femininity, is portrayed as an overly-airy and immature woman. the fire nation portrays him with a female actor to demean him (like, that’s classic imperialistic propagandist tactics) and furthermore writing his character as a childish airhead reinforces the fire nation sentiment that the air nomads were weak, foolish people who did not deserve to exist in their world

In other words, these kids have just watched almost an entire play that preys upon their insecurities and depicts them using racist and sexist stereotypes about their respective nations. It is completely understandable that tensions might run a little high and that their interactions would not be as balanced as usual (Katara and Aang have a great track record of communicating well with each other, as it happens!).

So we have to keep that in mind when examining the aforementioned excerpt. But there are other factors to consider, too! Namely: they are kids. Children. Teens. Aang is 12, Katara is 14.

If we want to be scientific, a person’s brain doesn’t finish developing until they are 25, lmao, and the preteen/teen years are when the prefrontal cortex that controls “rationality,” “judgement,” “forethought,” etc. is still developing. This doesn’t mean Aang and Katara are irrational and make poor decisions 24/7 (obviously not), but it does mean that in an intense, highly emotional situation, like after watching a play that intentionally demeans them and depicts them as inferior, they are more likely to overreact, more likely to be emotional, and more likely to make mistakes. Like, I’m serious, lol. “Teens process information with the amygdala.” That’s part of the brain that helps control emotions! It’s why teens sometimes struggle to articulate what we’re thinking, especially in situations that require instinct/impulse and quick decisions, because we’re really feeling whenever we make those choices. Acting more on emotion. Our brains simply haven’t finished developing the decision-making parts, lmao.

In sum: Aang and Katara are both kids, not adults, and should be interpreted as such. This doesn’t negate their intelligence, because they are both incredibly smart and Aang is arguably the wisest of the Gaang, but they are human. Young humans. They have emotions, and we should not be so cruel as to assume they’d never act on them.

So taking that all together, we can now acknowledge the high stress Aang and Katara are under, understand why they might be upset (*cough* imperialist propaganda is hurtful *cough*), and examine how their youth might play into their emotional reactions. And funny thing - all analyses that come to the conclusion of Aang “threatening” Katara here do not usually bother with this context. I can’t imagine why!

And you know what, let’s add one more piece of context: Sokka states that Aang left the theater “like, ten minutes ago,” which is what cues Katara to go look for him on the balcony. The reason I mention this line is because to me, it suggests Aang knew he was more worked up than usual! He chose to separate himself from his friends so he could process his frustration! He did not take his anger at the play out on them; instead, he purposefully took time and space to be alone.

With that in mind, I don’t understand at all how Aang’s Avatar state quote could be interpreted as a threat? Canonly, Aang is someone who was aware enough of his frustration to separate himself from the others - yet the logical next step is him threatening Katara as a result? He knew his intense emotions were because of the play (which he says himself), so the logical conclusion is that he then pinned the fault on Katara? What?? Sorry, that interpretation has no textual basis, lmao. But I digress!

Aang tells Katara, “If I hadn’t blocked my chakra, I’d probably be in the Avatar State right now!” As you said, this is the line people point to in an attempt to justify their (baseless) conclusion that Aang is “threatening” Katara. So let’s bring in the two key pieces of context: imperialist propaganda and age. Given that Aang is 12, and given that Aang has just watched almost a full play that demeans him and everything his people stood for (and let’s not forget it also mocks his and Katara’s love for each other)…

His reaction is understandable. An exaggeration and needlessly dramatic, but understandable. He feels vulnerable and insecure and Aang is human. He is human and flawed and he overreacts here and I love that A:TLA shows how even our heroes, even people who are truly good at heart and in soul, can get overly upset (especially given the aforementioned circumstances!). Would Aang actually be in the Avatar state at that moment, had it been possible? Of course not! He’s young and he’s hurt and as such he says something dramatic to convey his anxieties and frustrations. The line is not meant to be taken literally, and seeing people do so despite all the factors that should be taken into consideration when analyzing it… Cue a long, tired sigh from me and so many other A:TLA fans.

And to be honest? I cannot fathom how people watch this episode and come to the conclusion that Aang is “threatening” Katara. To me, this episode - besides being a recap episode - is one that humanizes our cast even further. Aang snaps at Katara, kisses her when he shouldn’t (which the story appropriately treats as wrong). Katara pushes down her true feelings and retreats into herself, afraid to start a relationship with the boy she loves because she’s already lost him once before and can’t bear to do so again. Zuko further confronts the hurt he’s enacted upon others, especially upon Iroh. Toph practices being vulnerable and accepting vulnerability from others by conversing with Zuko. Sokka witnesses how others have erased his contributions and labelled him as nothing more than the token nonbender in the group. Even Suki learns that she is not the only person who holds a place in Sokka’s heart and that she can never replace what he has lost.

To watch this episode where our heroes must come to terms with how the Fire Nation deems them inherently inferior, with how they have more fights to overcome in the future with the Fire Nation than a single war, and to come to the conclusion that… that what, Aang is abusive? A monster? Irredeemable? That he would threaten his best friend, someone he loves in every way?

Wow. That says more than enough about the viewer, doesn’t it?

#getting back into the swing of things babey ✌️#aang #katara #kataang #kataangtag #the ember island players #atla #avatar the last airbender #amy answers #dramaticowl #amy analyzes #also i am speaking in GENERAL TERMS here lmaooo this is not a direct response to any one post 😂😂

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a-duck-with-a-book · 3 years

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REVIEW // Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1) by Jay Kristoff

★☆☆☆☆

So I’m very late to the party, but I just finished reading Nevernight by Jay Kristoff I had such high hopes for this series based off of what people recommending it had told me and what I read about it before picking up. Dark fantasy? Check. Strong leading lady? I’m here for it. Gays? It’s literally my only personality trait. Sign me up. Unfortunately, this book fell flat in all those categories. It reminded me a lot of Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass, which made me take one point off of to begin with simply for making me think of Maas’s writing. Overall, I just found the book to be too predictable, with bad writing, exposition, and pacing, and too many parts that just made me ~uncomfortable~.

In case you are not familiar with this novel, Nevernight tells the story of Mia Corvere, a girl who lost her family when she was a child after her father was convicted of treason. When the book begins, she is 16 years old and embarking on a journey to join the Red Church, a school for assassins, so that she may one day be able to avenge her father’s death. Along the way she meets a bunch of forgettable characters whose names I can’t be bothered to remember and is taught by the most fearsome killers in the Republic. Here she gains many valuable skills, like how to survive being poisoned, how to fight, and how to get big boobs.

+ Side note: by chapter 3 three I started picturing Mia as the crow guy from RWBY and I could not shake that for the rest of the book

I had many issues with this novel that I will try to summarize in some sort of coherent fashion, but to be honest this book sucked the will to live out of me so I don’t know how much energy I can put into this review.

// image: official cover art by Jason Chan //

FOOTNOTES

The footnotes were probably the most jarring element of the book for me, and, unfortunately, there’s a lot of them. Their function seems to be twofold:

they are the form of most of the world-building, explaining several customs, the history of the institutions and peoples Mia meets, and the mythology followed by the people of the Republic.

they allow for the narrator of our story to interrupt with comical one-liners or cryptic foreshadowing

In my humble opinion, both of these are unnecessary and stupid. The interruptions come off as crass and immature and make the other more textbook, boring exposition come off as a joke, especially when it is dealing with sensitive or serious topics. There is one that explains this brothel called the Seven Flavors, which the footnote explains refer to “Boy, Girl, Man, Woman, Pig, Horse, and, if sufficient notice and coin was given, Corpse.” Now, on its own, this passing mention of pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia could very well contribute to the world building and tone of the novel, but when placed side by side with the childish, joking tone of the “cue the violiiiiiiiins” or, regarding the acoustics of a room, “…they were, as it happens, exceptional. Falalalalalalaaaaaaaa”, come off as way too light-hearted for the topic at hand. Maybe I’m being way too sensitive, but I’m pretty tired of authors using serious topics as off-hand remarks as a lazy way to make their world daker and grittier. Plus, these footnotes were just so incredibly cringy that I would recoil from second-hand embarrassment every time. They resemble the things I wrote when I was 14 and trying (and miserably failing) to be funny. Also… there are way too many of them. While at first I appreciated the attempt to deepen the lore of the story (I’m a sucker for world-building), after a while it became evident that the author was just forcing information down our throats without taking the time to actually weave the lore and background into the story itself. It came off as a very lazy way to force exposition.

OVERLY FLOWERY LANGUAGE

This story is BRIMMING with similes and metaphors, like every other sentence is some overly complicated way to describe something that could have been presented in three words. When you include so many metaphors/similes/etc., they begin to lose power. They should allow the reader to extrapolate more meaning and emotion from a sentence, but if the book is bursting at the seams with them, they become increasingly ordinary, to the point of losing all of their luster. One prime example appears on page 30:

“It was a bucktoothed little shithole, and no mistake. Not the most miserable building in all creation. [here there is a footnote about some other inn/brothel] But if the inn were a man and you stumbled into him in a bar, you’d be forgiven for assuming he had—after agreeing enthusiastically to his wife’s request to bring another woman into their marriage bed—discovered his bride making up a pallet for him in the guest room.”

So first of all what the fuck is that supposed to mean? That whole paragraph is a fever dream. Let’s begin with “bucktoothed little shithole”. Bucktoothed? Really? What does that mean. Please, someone explain to be right now what a bucktoothed building is. Is it uneven? Is it awkward? Is it half-finished? Is one side longer than the other? Did they do a bad paint job that only covers on side? Are the windows askew? Is the door too big for its frame? We already know from the paragraph above that it is “disheveled” as well, so why the need for another weird phrasing of its appearance? We then move on to that whole JOURNEY of a sentence, where the inn is compared to a man being cuckolded. That is the most insane tale-can you imagine running into someone in a bar and that story being the VERY FIRST thing that runs through your mind??? I know I’m focusing way too much on this stupid paragraph, but basically what I am trying to get at is that even though we spend half a page talking about how bucktoothed and disheveled and cuckolded this building is, we get no actual physical description of it. Imagine if Kristoff had just written that it was a run-down, ill-kept building that looked as worse for wear as its owner did. Done, one sentence. Great. Let’s move on. Instead, we spend so long reading these absolutely batshit descriptions that ultimately tell us next to nothing. Flowery language is placed over actual context. You may think that a description this long and complex means that this inn is a significant or recurring setting in the novel. Nope. It’s not. Mia leaves and that’s that. The reason that I’m focusing so much on this objectively irrelevant paragraph is because it is so representative of the biggest issue I have with the writing in this book. There are so many unnecessary comparisons that function only to make the author feel clever rather than add anything to the story at all. It’s very à la 2010s Tumblr.

THE (IN MY OPINION, BAD) WRITING

For the first half of the book, we are constantly being TOLD things rather than being SHOWN things. With the exception of one of the teachers cutting off Mia’s arm, we rarely see the ruthlessness that the assassins are so feared for, but we hear about it in nearly every other sentence Where are the consequences? I think this book would have been way more enjoyable if there were actually consequences to the characters’ actions. The inclusion of the weaver and the weird vampire guy completely remove any tension regarding the fate of the central cast. When Mia had her arm chopped off, I was shocked, and pleasantly surprised. How was she going to overcome this unexpected obstacle in her training? Then a couple pages later, its reattached with absolutely no lasting consequences. All of the initial tension and shock value of the loss of Mia’s arm is entirely removed because of the two incest-y siblings. Their entire purpose for existing is just to undo all damage to the main characters. Then suddenly, out of the blue, Mia is willing to take on a ton of consequences and completely throw away her chance at becoming initiated in order to avenge her family just to save Tric from receiving like one punishment??? Like why?? As an aside, the only moment I truly enjoyed was when Ash fucking stabbed Tric to death. I assume that when the reader’s favorite moment is one of the central characters’ death, it does not bode well for their reception of the book.

THE THEMES

TW: rape-y subjects

The author seemed a little too keen to include rape and sexual assault in his story. Mia withdrew her consent in the sex scene in the very first chapter, and even if you read it as consensual (which I do not), it is described as incredibly unpleasant on her end. Tric is the result of a rape, which is brought up several times throughout the story. Further, Mia is constantly facing harassment from men. I understand that this is frames the idea that the world she lives in is misogynistic and ruthless, but there are other ways to push that idea through other than constantly putting in her in those situations. As in, this didn’t need to be the ONLY way we explored this subject. Beyond the uncomfortable propensity for sexual assault, I also very much disliked the sexualization of the 16-year-old main character. Oh. My. Gosh. Mia is CONSTANTLY sexualized. Every single damn character makes comments about her body, how hot she is, how much sex she potentially has. It is so weird and uncomfortable. I feel the need to reiterate that she is SIXTEEN. There is, however, a focus placed on the power Mia can gain from seducing her targets. Girl power? Not to me, really. The issue I have with this is the idea that a woman has to be overtly sexual in order to be considered powerful. This is something that we can see in many female assassins and supposedly powerful female characters in fiction (like Black Widow) especially those written by men. Now, there is nothing wrong with using one’s sexuality as a weapon, and I’m certainly not saying that a strong female character cannot be sexual, but the idea that a sixteen-year-old girl is shown having her body painfully modified tp be more desirable, and in a graphic sex scene with another character, in order to for the reader to read her as liberated and powerful does not sit well with me. I don’t really feel like this aspect of her training should be relevant to the overall story. I wish the time that Kristoff had dedicated to hammering into our heads that Mia is a femme fatale to developing her Darkin powers instead. The way she is written now feels more like she is a faux strong female character written for a male audience.

Secondly, Mia is fully written as “the plain-girl-who-is-actually-pretty”. This whole trope bothers me IMMENSELY. YA is full of girls who are described as plain, forgettable, or ugly while their physical descriptions are just the dictionary definition of conventionally attractive. It seems like a way to market off of girls’ self-consciousness while still being able to market the main character as a hot heroine in official art. And there is, of course, the issue of Mia’s boob job Readwithcindy (just “withcindy” now!) did a whole video about this so I won’t get into it much just to repeat what she already said, but I agree that the idea of a 30-something year old man including this completely unnecessary detail regarding the sexualization of teenage girl, who we have ALREADY seen in a rape and being sexualized by other men in the story, made me really, really, uncomfortable. I highly recommend you go watch her video, as she touches on this in way more detail. [Cindy's video

RATINGS

Worldbuilding: ★★☆☆☆

A lot of thought obviously went into the world-the mythology, society, and politics are well-thought out. But the way they are introduced is annoying and bland. It seems like the author put a lot of effort into constructing this world but realized a lot of it would be left out of the book, so he crammed it into footnotes instead.

Tone and writing style: ★☆☆☆☆ for first half, ★★★☆☆ for second half

The tone of the first half is all over the place, like it doesn’t know if it should be dark and gritty or comical and immature. Footnotes and character dialogue ranges from lighthearted and crass to seeped with themes of torture and sexual assault. It is jarring, to say the least, and often feels like the author doesn’t take these ideas of rape or violence seriously. There are so many instances where the scene is tense or gritty, and Kristoff is actually writing it pretty well, I’m enthralled and on the edge of my seat, and then Mia or some other character (or the footnotes) throw in some stupid comment or make the same “Mia is such an asshole lol” joke for the billionth time and completely ruin the mood of that scene. The second half of the book moved much faster and was helped with way better writing, but it really did not do enough to make up for the horrendous structure of the first half of the book.

Pacing and structure: ★☆☆☆☆

The first half of the book really drags on. Once we arrive at the school, there are constant jumps in timeline, marked with periods when a thousand things happen all at once and the plot moves forward at a dizzying rate, and others when the characters just seem to be going about their daily lessons.

Concept: ★★★☆☆

I found the overall idea of the books to be very interesting, even though it is certainly not the most original or unique concept for a YA fantasy book. The issue is that the potential is squandered with a poor execution.

Characters: ★☆☆☆☆

I truly did not care about any of the characters. The token mean girl, the bumbling nice-guy-who-is-definitely-the-love-interest. too many of the characters just sat nicely within their tropes, doing nothing much to pique my interests. I think my favorite overall was Mister Kindly.

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mythgirlimagines · 3 years

Photo

This week, I have a brand-new talentswap MAID especially for you! If you couldn’t tell by the pun in the first sentence, this Myth is the Former Ultimate Maid!

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BACKSTORY AND TALENT

Originally living with her sisters at an orphanage, Myth watched as both of sisters got picked up by loving families, while poor Myth was left in the dust. In order to make herself more desirable to prospective parents, Myth taught herself how to cook and clean after all of the other kids in the orphanage. Eventually though, much to her joy, she was eventually was picked up by a wealthy family that eventually ditched her, despite being great at her maid duties. Eventually, after going through many wealthy families and being tossed out/abused/ignored, without a second thought, one family managed to keep her: a warm and loving family with an artistic prodigy for a daughter. For once, Myth felt the love and affection that she was starved for, after all of those years of isolation and being tossed out like common trash. All of those skills accumulated from both helping out at the orphanage and being raised as a maid for all of these wealthy families, earned her the Hope’s Peak title of Ultimate Maid.

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RELATIONSHIPS

Wyre Anon, Former Ultimate Artist

Born into an influential family of artistic geniuses, with their father being a master sculptor and their mother being a expert sketch artist, Wyre mainly specializes in the craft of both their parents, even though they are a master in practically every art form their parents can throw at them. When Wyre heard from their parents that someone was going to be adopted into their family, Wyre was ecstatic at the idea, and Myth quickly proved themself as a great servant and sister figure. Myth regularly serves food and cleans up after Wyre, when they gets particularly busy. Every since Wyre heard about Myth’s past with all of the other families, they claim that they are willing to fight all of them, much to the protests of Myth.

Outfit: A brown paint-colored apron over a black sweater and matching pants and shoes, a tool belt with sculpting supplies, black fingerless gloves, glasses from original design.

Anon Scar, Ultimate Detective

Despite Scar’s eccentric behavior and constant talk of possessing an “All-Seeing Eye” under her eyepatch (which was actually lost in a battle between her and a particularly violent criminal), none of Scar’s clients can deny that she is a very competent detective, in spite of both that and her age. Her detective duties can get very stressful at times, but it seems Myth has a psychic connection to Scar’s distress, for she would always be there with whatever can calm Scar down. This has caused Scar to feel both intrigued (in regards to the possible existence of psychics) and concerned for Myth’s health and well-being (because of Myth‘s constant overexertion and overworking).

Outfit: A black and purple eyepatch on her left eye, a black jacket slung over her shoulders Yasuhiro-style, a black vest over a white dress shirt, black pants and black thigh high heels.

Fusion Anon, Ultimate Astronaut

Ever since he was little and went stargazing with his grandparents, Fusion has always showed an interest in reaching the stars and traveling beyond the boundaries. Having aced both the physical and written exams at NASA, despite his age, Fusion is well on his way to becoming a full-blown astronaut. Fusion also trains younger children who are planning on becoming astronauts just like him, via lectures on astronomy and little physical exercises to build up endurance, and he brought his astronaut-training seminars to the Kibo-Con. Myth regularly assists him in his seminars, and in return, Myth gets glow-in-the-dark star-shaped stickers and freeze-dried “astronaut grub” from Fusion.

Outfit: A blue galaxy printed jumpsuit over a red t-shirt with a yellow star on the front, black and dark grey gloves and matching boots, glasses from original design.

FU-510-N Mk. 2 (aka. Fusion Anon II), Ultimate Robot

FU-510-N Mk. 2 (or Fusion II as she’d like to be called) was a robot created by NASA, in order to both assist Fusion in his seminars and accompany him on his future space expeditions. Created to entertain adults as well as children during the lectures and training, Fusion II was written with more of a sarcastic edge to her dialogue with Fusion, making her a bit more of a straight man to Fusion’s cheerful and pun-loving funny man, almost like Fusion’s rebellious teen daughter. Fusion II bonded with Myth quickly over their shared statuses of being “assistants“ to others. But much to Fusion II’s dismay, it doesn’t seem like Myth is able to pick up on her sarcasm at all.

Outfit: A white exoskeleton, pink and black joints, and four small black wheels underneath her “skirt”, clothes from original design.

Just Anon, Ultimate Anthropologist

Running away from home, because of his massively rich, influential, and incredibly strict parents, with nothing but a backpack and his wits, Janon eventually found the one thing that actually interested him, while on his trek across the world: people and their cultures, which attracted him to the field of anthropology. After writing all about his travels and the philosophies he learned in a couple of journals he eventually published for the masses, Janon was revered as a genius in the field of anthropology. Despite planning on taking this secret to the grave, Janon has a secret soft spot for Myth, for she reminds her of the poor maids being crapped on by his influential family.

Outfit: A black facemask, a black overcoat over a pink t-shirt, a skull necklace, brown pants, black boots, a big brown backpack.

Sparkle Anon, Former Ultimate Entomologist

Specializing in lepidoptery and coleopterology, Sparkle intends on showing people all about the beauty of insects, in the most flamboyant and over-dramatic ways possible. Despite these idiosyncrasies, she is a respected figure by entomologists and aspiring entomologists everywhere. While Myth loves admiring the odd butterfly as much as the next person, Sparkle attracts insects like sugar water, and they are all a nightmare to remove and exterminate. The whole insect issue isn’t helped by the fact that Sparkle loudly and explicitly refuses to let Myth get rid of any of her “precious jewels”. Luckily, Sparkle shared some non-pesticide related methods to herd her insects, in case they get wild.

Outfit: A cape that resembles monarch butterfly wings with shoulder pads that look like rhino beetles, a green insect carrier, a brown skirt with darker brown ant patterns, the glasses, jacket, undershirt, leggings, and boots from her original design.

Egg Anon, Former Ultimate Child Caregiver, and Wet Sock Anon, Former Ultimate Aikido Master

With a childish, immature and cursed yet caring personality, Egg was a massive hit amongst the children of the orphanage that they and their twin Wet Sock were born and raised in. In order to protect the children that their twin cared for, the brooding and cynical Wet Sock decided to pick up aikido and self-defense skills, dominating bigger foes in all the tournaments they entered. Shouldering the burden of hearing the twin’s primary defense mechanism (read: cursed comments), Myth quickly bonded with Egg, thanks to their shared interest in caring for others. Myth tried to bond with Wet Sock, but because of them being tsundere, Myth only gets judo thrown in response.

Egg’s Outfit: Part of their hair tied up with a yellow scrunchie, a green hoodie with yellow sleeves, a fanny pack colored like their original shirt, black shorts, long yellow socks, green light-up-shoes, glasses from original design.

Wet Sock’s Outfit: Same outfit from the original, but with black aikido pants and matching sandals.

Curious Anon, Jr. Ultimate Supreme Leader/Assassin

With the dubious and odd title of “Jr. Ultimate Supreme Leader” and an enigmatic and stone-faced personality, almost nothing is known about this mysterious Jr. Ultimate, not even what their talent entails. What Myth and the majority of the media don’t know, is that Curious is that his title is actually the Jr. Ultimate Assassin and is current throneholder of a secret underground religious cult that is particularly known for brainwashing and teaching their children how to assassinate potential religious rivals. Luckily, Myth was fortunate enough to not cross paths frequently with Curious, for she would definitely try to adopt the preteen assassin with a messed-up upbringing, if she ever catches wind of the truth.

Outfit: A simple white robe with a green sash indicating leadership that hides their assassination weapons.

Anon Nerd, Former Ultimate Inventor

Being a mechanical genius born in a country that was ravished by a massive war, Nerd was quickly sent to work in manufacturing and inventing brand-new weapons for his nation’s army. This past has given him a hair-trigger temper and a hatred for being interrupted, when he is in the middle of inventing. And yet no matter how many scouter-burns she suffers in the process, she never remembers that little tidbit of information about, when she comes barging into Nerd’s lab with his dinner, much to the rage of the easily-enraged inventing prodigy. But beneath the foul mouth and even-fouler temper, could Nerd have fallen for Myth’s kind and earnest attitude, despite being very annoying?

Outfit: Black armor that covers everything apart from his head, and the scouter from his original design.

Eldritch Anon, Ultimate Pianist

Videos of a person garbed entirely in black and playing self-composed pieces have been springing up on the internet for the past year or so, and despite the mysterious person attempting to make absolutely sure that he wasn’t found, Hope‘s Peak found the true identity of the online piano prodigy: Eldritch Anon, a former piano champion, who has since retreated to the shadows in growing anxiety and fear. Whenever Eldritch thinks about anything he wants or needs, Myth would always be right behind him with his want or need in tow. Because of that, Eldritch now wears a tinfoil hat on his head at all times, to prevent Myth’s psychic powers from reaching him, to no avail.

Outfit: A black marching band outfit with white music note buttons, over a grey hood-up hoodie patterned with black sheet music, white gloves, tall black boots.

Dream Anon, Ultimate Magician

With infectious childlike cheer and unstoppable charisma on stage, Dream’s magical performances are truly a sight to behold, whether you’re a child or an adult. Dream has recently employed Myth as her magical assistant, and Myth regularly roped Dream out of trouble, just in case her magical performances go awry. But at the same time, Dream also took on sort of a mentor role to the maid. While Myth has entertained several guests with some minor parlor tricks, Myth would love to learn all about how Dream accomplishes all of her large-scale and stupendous, and how Myth can learn them herself. If Myth learns from the best, she would be able to entertain way more guests.

Outfit: A black and pink top hat, a black coat and white gloves over a pink vest, an orange bow tie and a white dress shirt, a pink skirt, grey stockings, and black tap shoes.

Iris Anon, Jr. Ultimate Cosplayer

Having been a regular consumer of fiction ever since she was little, she picked up sewing and fashion design from her parents and eventually began making accurate-to-the-show cosplay items, ranging from simple accessories to full-blown outfits. Despite being really clumsy when it comes to everything else, Iris is amazing at handicrafts. Myth and Iris consider each other “sewing buddies”, for their shared interests in sewing outfits and other such handicrafts. Iris regularly lets Myth model her cosplay, for they are about the same height and have the same proportions. Iris would be lying if she said she hadn’t tried sticking cat ears or dragon horns on Myth when she wasn’t looking.

Outfit: Hair down with a heart barrette on each side of her head, a pink jacket with sewing supplies in her pockets and on her sleeves over a seira fuku with a red ribbon and a blue skirt, black stockings and red Mary Janes.

Purple Anon, Ultimate Adventurer

As the daughter of two famous and affluent ambassadors, Purple has been to practically every corner of the globe. Because of her travels, Purple regularly talks in archaic terms mixed with the insertion of gratuitous foreign vocabulary into her sentences, which means that the majority of the Anons can‘t understand a word coming out of her mouth. Purple is also stunningly timid for the daughter of two ambassadors, and often hides behind Anons that are bigger than her for when she doesn’t want to be seen by the crowds. Even if Myth can’t understand much of what comes out of Purple’s mouth, Myth still loves seeing Purple slowly but surely come out of her shell and talk about her travels.

Outfit: The beret from her original design, a dark purple overcoat and brown gloves over the sweater from her original design, lighter purple pants, brown boots, a brown carrier bag.

This AU will center around the maid getting helped for once, much to her protests.

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PERSONALITY

Despite her less-than-stellar past, Maid!Myth has a cheery and energetic attitude that belies (and bolsters) her sheer aptitude as a maid and her joy is described as “infectious” amongst Wyre’s family. With definite “mom energy”, Maid!Myth always comes prepared with the wants and needs for each and everyone of the Kibo-Con attendees, and seems to have an almost telepathic ability to whatever they all want, which unnerves a couple of the Anons (namely Eldritch, Scar, and Purple). Even though she overworks herself to a fault and everyone constantly tells to take a break from her work, she constantly shoulders every burden and duty placed upon her, in hopes that they won’t abandon her, just like every other family before Wyre’s family. This gave her a case of “chronic hero syndrome”.

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APPEARANCE

Maid!Myth’s naturally brown hair is tied in a prim and proper bun, complete with a white and light pink French-maid style headdress. As for the rest of her clothing, Myth wears a white and light pink French Maid dress with the only exception to the “white and light pink style” being a ribbon around her waist with a pink-to-purple-blue gradient, purple socks and red Mary Janes.

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I hope you like this AU! Let me know what you think of the AU and its roles in your reblogs!

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mocarena · 4 years

Text

post of Chu2 rambles and predictions

i realized i actually needed to make this now that S3 is knocking me down with anticipation

blabla this thread is long as heck and incomprehensible so aha good luck if youre actually trying to read thru it. i just wanted a place to write my predictions down to see how right or how utterly wrong i am! whole thing’s under a read more cuz its a lot

spoilers for S2, the RAiSe! manga, and small spoiler for Film Live

Exhibit: Songs

I’m starting off with talking RAS’ songs because they give me a good basis to talk on several things regarding the band & Chu2.

There might be mentions of other songs, but I will focus on 2 in particular.

Takin’ My Heart

Imo, the most important piece in regards to Chu2 and her character.

That is due to Radio Riot #7 having revealed that the song is literally about Chu2’s beliefs/feelings.

It is also written by her in the Bandori canon (as all RAS songs are since she is the producer, but we know for sure with the Radio confirmation & also how the song came out past Season 2 that this is a song written with Chu2’s perspective in mind).

Raychell even said that she once cried singing the song during her own practice time.

Information source: Iviachupichu on Twitter, a faithful translator who often talks about the contents of Radio Riot episodes. Link https://twitter.com/iviachupichu/status/1106469855757164544!

TL of the song taken from http://www.rizuchan.com/bang-dream-cardfight-vanguard-takin-my-heart/ !!

Long falling down again I’m immature, building up lies and distancing myself from others I feel all torn up; I hold my heart Try to fake a smile… hey, my cheeks hurt

Cry… I hide my rusted eyes Cry… I want you to notice Oh, Come here, Please…

Takin’ my heart Does my voice Takin’ my heart Reach you now…? Takin’ my heart I don’t want to vanish pathetically Takin’ my heart Into a sea of loneliness I’ll just keep crying out to you Today, tomorrow, and for a long time after (Without giving up) I hope my feelings reach you…!

^ not the full TL, just a taste of the beginning

Clearly I don’t have to point out how heartfelt that song is, the lyrics speak for themself and aren’t very subtle (which is very much the point since she’s asking for her feelings to be reached after all).

I’m stupidly annoying when it comes to talking about Takin’ My Heart, I absolutely need to emphasize on the fact that these lyrics are Chu2’s honest feelings.

Expect parts of this song to be brought up throughout this a whole lot.

2. UNSTOPPABLE

Now this song has no confirmation on being composed with Chu2 in mind, considering it’s a very early RAS song and has been sung before we even got the reveal of the RAS characters.

However, I believe it DOES hold significance:

-I have no doubts that the introduction of RAS characters together with the band were in mind early on already, due to how early Bushiroad plans things months in advance.

-RIOT, the first RAS original, has very clear tones of it having been written by Chu2 in Bandori canon (a very arrogant sounding song, sure of its music and it almost seems like it’s directed at Yukina). Thus I wouldn’t put it past the production team having formed Chu2’s character around RIOT and UNSTOPPABLE, or they already had her type of character in mind when first composing these songs.

-It’s not far-fetched to say this song might have some ties to Chu2’s feelings since we’ve got the even more blatant song Takin’ My Heart.

I won’t copy paste all of the lyric translations, it’s simply too long, but here are several parts that stick out to me:

———————

The emptiness springs forth like I'm helplessly thirsty

My back droops... I put too much hope in each day

(Hurry up)

「Don't let me down」, I'm always told

(Hurry up)

Cornered, mouth covered, difficulty breathing

I'm caught in a trap

Please indulge in my annoying ramblings

I just won't stop seeking approval every day

Me, I'm my own accomplice,

with a fake me, dance! Dance! (Lullaby)

Doubt and worry stick their tongues out,

pointing at and ridiculing me

Are you enjoying? Are you excited?

Yes? Do you really get it?

Then that's fine

———————

Please ignore my annoying ramblings

I'll just abandon seeking approval every day

———————

My belief of UNSTOPPABLE still having an intended Chu2 connection also lies within the lyrics:

“Please indulge in my annoying ramblings, I just won't stop seeking approval every day”

From what we’ve seen in the anime, Chu2 definitely seems very attention and approval-seeking, specifically when it comes to Yukina.

I will talk about more specific parts of these songs (+ other one-liners from RAS lyrics) within the rest of this big time ramble.

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Exhibit: Chu2’s Past….?

A big emphasis on the question mark at the end, as we barely know anything about her past. One thing we know is that due to her excellent grades, she is in her first year of high school despite being only 14 & she studies/studied(?) in an international school, explaining her use of English.

However, based on RAS songs + some bits of the anime I can try to theorize on her past. It might be completely wrong, or I might just get it right, who knows, this is just for fun & speculation.

Family Situation

The anime made a point of how luxurious of a building the studio Chu2 works and has band rehearsals in, there’s even a ~50 seconds scene of Tae just staring at the building and the insides of it in awe.

Now whether or not that building entirely belongs to Chu2’s family, or only the studio, or it’s only being rented out, it still is clearly very expensive either way. The studio is often being used after all, too.

What that very glaringly hints at is that Chu2 is wealthy. Well, not Chu2, but moreso her family, who we know virtually nothing of.

Now that could mean that her family situation isn’t of significance at all like how it is with a lot of characters in Bandori. But that could also not be the case, considering that Bushiroad does dip into family stuff with a few characters (Saaya, Ran and Yukina come to mind).

Chu2 is 14 years old, so having her lyrics be based off of feelings regards her family/overall social situation isn’t that far fetched.

I’ll go ahead and say that personally I theorize that this might fall into the tropey category of “Kid of rich parents gets practically anything but barely gets attention from their parents”.

I can easily believe that Bushiroad would want to take a route different from this, but there’s a lot of freedom for theorization and I think going with the common route is a pretty safe bet for a theory.

Unlike Betadori they don’t dip into territory that is too angsty, it seems, but it’s not like they’d need to be blatant about something like that either.

「Don't let me down」, I'm always told

———

Please indulge in my annoying ramblings

I just won't stop seeking approval every day

———

Please ignore my annoying ramblings

I'll just abandon seeking approval every day

^UNSTOPPABLE lyrics

I think it’s important to point out the difference between the last two bits. The lyrics first start out as a plead for listening to her and approving of her achievings, later in the song that part changes to ‘just ignore me please’.

Those lyrics also explain Chu2’s personality pretty well, in my opinion.

Even after being rejected by Yukina she kept trying to get her to watch her band, basically asking for approval from someone whose talent she looks up to.

I also believe that Chu2 might be an unhealthy perfectionist, which seems like a thing that might rise the tension within the band, but more to that later.

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Exhibit: Chu2 in the Present

The childish child who won’t let herself be a child

Now if that ain’t a mouthful of a title, but hopefully I can explain my thoughts well enough so it’s somewhat understandable.

Chu2 clearly has a bratty personality and throws tantrums when she doesn’t get what she wants, but to me it doesn’t seem as shallow as that.

The official website describes her as a professional who is arrogant at times, but not rude.

Need I remind you that this girl’s just 14?

Here’s what I think:

Chu2 is a child at heart. But she doesn’t want to let that part of hers show too much due to how she wants to be treated: like a professional.

But she’s clearly an excitable child, as it was shown with how excited she got over the studio when she came to talk to Popipa in Arisa’s basement. For that moment she lost herself and probably could’ve gone on for a while Maya-style if Pareo hadn’t reminded her of her “official greeting”.

What I think is that Chu2, due to wanting to be treated with high respect as a producer, doesn’t want to appear childish, so she holds herself back unless the heat of the moment gets her or she feels like she can express her excitement without it damaging her ‘professional’ manners. Like when she got pumped after a RAS live, for example.

A quote that could be overlooked but might actually have a little bit of relevance if the words were carefully chosen was the following:

“She thinks playing “band” like a bunch of kids is better than being in my group?!”

Tbh this literal child using the phrase ‘like a bunch of kids’ for something like…well, a band of friends being a band, just makes her seem like she wants to take herself incredibly seriously compared to other bands. To show that they’re not “kids” like the others.

In addition to that, she skipped a grade. In an international school. She seems to be really set on providing the best grades and world-changing music to appear worthy without letting herself indulge all that much in living a childhood. I could totally be exaggerating things, but I think it’s not too far-fetched of a thought.

Tantrums

Not a subject I’ll talk long about, but I think there’s things worth pointing out.

She’ll wait until whoever she’s angry at is out of her sight.

With Yukina she started yelling once Roselia was completely gone.

With Otae it’s a bit of a different case. This time she verbally even told her to get out of her sight before letting off steam, though Popipa weren’t completely out of hearing reach either.

2. She looks genuinely distressed.

The purpose of pointing out #2 is that she seems to have deeper reasonings as to why exactly she’s this desperate to have the perfect band/band members. Especially paired with the line of “I finally found what I’ve been looking for…”, she clearly isn’t doing this stuff just for fun and has got some sort of inner turmoil dealing with the fact that things aren’t going her way to which she responds, well, like that.

She’s not entitled to any bands or like anyone else obviously, and she needs to deal with that fact more maturely in the future.

But still, something HAS to be the root of exactly why she feels like this, to finally have found something.

It’s of importance to her, but why…?

I’d throw out the theory of seeking for approval again. She wants the perfect band that could make impact on the world. Maybe she wants the approval of someone (not Yukina, as she’s been searching for a while and clearly already felt this way before even seeing Roselia), probably someone older and personal to her. So I’d bet it on parents again, it IS the easiest answer after all, but who knows. There just seems to be someone (or more) she wants to impress.

Probably related to her bc it seems personal, if not maybe someone else she looks up to.

---------

Exhibit: I wrote all the above way before I’m writing this part

I genuinely haven’t revised the above at this point of time, the 7th of January. So some stuff might be outdated, but I kinda wanna leave it like that, to see what past me has come up with. I vaguely know and have skimmed, but I wanna write more beyond this point now without knowing the details.

Aka I might repeat a lot of things here now!

CHU2 is actually very much in tune with people’s feelings & desires...when they express them through music.

Now I’m pretty sure this is something I haven’t talked about (or at least not much). Chu2 doesn’t strike one as a very empathetic character, as one has seen with how she was still willing to get Otae back into her band, despite Popipa’s deep bond.

But hear me out. This girl actually can understand other’s feelings well, under specific circumstances. And the RAS manga “RAiSe!” proved that.

With each RAS member, it seems like she just knew their desires upon hearing them play. It’s not yet confirmed with Pareo due to Pareo’s 2nd chapter not having been published yet at this point of time, but chapter 1 already leads up to what I think is Chu2 confronting Pareo (online invitation first), and understanding that Pareo holds her true self back.

With Layer she knew she was unhappy- she knew she didn’t want to keep playing support. She knew she didn’t look very happy, especially for someone who played at Budokan. And through that knowledge she was able to persuade her to listen to her music and to imagine what it’d be like in a band together with other members who’d give it their all.

Very much the same with Masking. Masking’s drumming is intense, and she feels like she cannot express herself well outside of drumming. Her desire was to have fun in a band with others on her level, where every member gave it their all on their instruments. Once again, Chu2 was able to convince her to join her band, she let her listen to her track, and Masking did improv drumming on it, in turn also impressing the producer.

Pareo’s desire is to be accepted for who she is. Since she was small she hid her true self that loves cute things, and kept her distance from classmates, pretending to be the perfect student in the eyes of them, her teachers, her parents...and when she first saw Pasupare on TV, she cried due to seeing how much support they got, something she didn’t feel like she received. She found joy in uploading videos of her doing keyboard pasupare covers online without showing her face. The simple prediction here is that Chu2 finds her covers, meets with Pareo in one way or another, and is able to tell that she hides her true self. Somehow she convinces her to change that and embrace her true self, and that she’ll be supported by the band.

RAS songs often are about going against the norm- RIOT for example symbolizes a rebellion. Masking heard the demo song Chu2 gave her, and got the impression that it made one feel like you want to declare war against the world. That it seemed like “that girl” was trying to raise hell itself with her intense music. Even short bits like in DRIVE US CRAZY, one lyric line goes “Never Say Never Crazy”. RAS is a band about expressing your true self. And Chu2 very much could be putting those kinda desires and feelings into these songs.

A little thought here about Chu2 watching Popipa performances on two occasions with very different reactions. When Popipa played a supporting band at Roselia’s self-sponsored live, Chu2 was shown to be very disinterested in them. Whilst Popipa was great, Chu2 might’ve felt the anxiety that Popipa had in them at that point of time and thus had that disinterest. At the Popipa self-sponsored live at the end of S2 however she showed a completely different reaction, dancing happily along to Dreamers Go! and being embarrassed upon Pareo noticing. Maybe at this point she truly felt Popipa’s real confidence, and the bond that they share.

Not to mention she admitted to having felt moved by Popipa later on.

Chu2′s got something big coming. Hopefully in S3. Maybe later on. (Cough RAS in game COUGH)

There’s just a whole lot of signs pointing to that. Especially since Lock, the future RAS guitarist, really is an opposite to Chu2′s own ideals. All Lock wants to do is have fun in a band with anyone at any level of playing instruments, as long as she feels the dokidokis. Chu2 is very profession-oriented. It also has a great potential to be a little bit of a Roselia parallel, since that was the band Chu2 originally wanted to be the producer of. And Roselia had their struggles with the just-pro approach, learning that forming strong friendships within the band very much are beneficial.

A little step towards that I feel is already hinted with the Film Live, in which she appeared backstage with the rest of RAS, bringing flowers together with Pareo.

Even if she is huffy about it and it’s hard to admit for her that she does want to be nice and that she had been in the wrong regards past issues, it’s a step in the right direction.

Chu2 will have great development, and a lot of depth behind her character will be revealed.

#whew #chu2 #not tagging more bc im actually p embarrassed ab this #esp since i didnt read through it all again #so lol just take this @ anyone who happens to come across this #AND reads it #theres prolly a bajillion mistakes nd junk but i cant b bothered #to read thru it all again

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booksinabundance · 4 years

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Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

SPOILERS ABOUND!

Phew! That was quite the re-read.

The last time I read this book it was sometime in November 2019. I don’t remember where I finished reading it. I remember days where I read this book in a mall, waiting for my mother to finish her meet with her friends, but I don’t remember if I finished it at the mall or at home (my usually spot to finish books).

I also honestly don’t remember if I cried the last time I read it, because oh boy that ending.

I remember thinking about how this book could possibly end when it is only less than 5 chapters away from ending. Of course, in typical Kaufman Kristoff action it ends in a way that feels like it’s not the end but it’s really the end if you know what I mean. One could say it was a cliffhanger, but I find that the way that they write their endings is as a way to signal that this part of the story has ended, and the next part starts with the next book. Yes, that sounds very cruel and I concur, BUT, from a writer’s perspective (not mine, just in general) I can understand why they ended it the way they did, and I don’t hate them (too much) for it.

Before I write any further, I just want to warn you again that I will talk spoilers and this will be the final warning.

So, in the end, we find out that Aurora is part of the Eshvaren, which was a group of people (?) or a community that survived millions of years ago that defeated the flower-thingys and kept them from taking over the whole galaxy. However, the flower-thingys were able to survive but only to an extent. Unfortunately, we were only able to find this out because Cat became infected and her mind was been taken over by these non-binary aliens. It was a very interesting chapter to read. We understand that these thingys only speak with “we” pronouns as opposed to “I”, and the people that they’ve “inhabited” are part of the GIA and are seen as genderless and sexless. Instead of your typical one-man/woman villain, you have one that is basically a being that only believes in a community instead of individuality. Despite her efforts to come back to the surface after being enveloped by the thingys, Cat is unable to stay as herself and is left behind by the squad. Terrible way to find out about the thingys, but as Jay Kristoff said, “There is no victory without sacrifice”. (This might not be verbatim).

The final chapter of the book sees our squad grieving for Cat, but also having to figure out what their next move is after all they’ve discovered. Zila tells their captain that they all must have faith, and that is when things (sort of) pick up again, with Tyler saying that they need to find the “Weapon” to Auri’s “Trigger”. And that is how the first part of this story ends. Again, one could say this was a cliffhanger, but after my second read, I think it was a good ending.

We also find out that Auri’s dad is still alive (sort of) and this implies that most of the GIA crew are filled with people that Auri knew and was acquainted with. This I did not remember fully, but I had my memory restored when I read this part. We still don’t really know much about this part of the GIA, but I’m hoping we do in the next book, if we get more explanation.

So, regarding the romances. We pretty much have everybody paired for each other--Auri and Kal, Cat and Tyler, (presumably) Scar and Fin--except for Zila. Now I am all for Auri and Kal (Kauri?), as well as ScarFin, but Cat and Tyler was...complicated. The thing is that I don’t dislike them as a couple. I think if there were different circumstances they would be happy together, but the fact is that Tyler is an Alpha and Cat is part of his crew, so Tyler makes the decision that they can’t be together after their one night together. It was very heartbreaking for me to read Cat’s final chapter because she truly loved him more than as a friend but she believed that he never loved her back. it wasn’t until the final sentences reveal that Tyler might just have loved her back all this time, which I think was a nice way for her to die knowing that. I’m not happy that she died, but I’m also not sad because throughout this re-read, I realized that I didn’t really like Cat all that much. i don’t hate her, but I just didn’t get why she had to be so pissy about Auri. This could well be because of jealousy (it seemed an awful lot like they were gonna pair Auri and Tyler), but her reactions just seemed childish and immature and I feel like that contributed to her thinking instead of being more objective about the situation. I’m a sucker for doomed love (any kind of love really), but I couldn’t entirely love Cat because of her attitude. I only feel sad because Tyler just lost someone he loved (again) and that’s heartbreaking for me. i don’t think this is the last we’ll see of Cat’s POV--she’s a great way for readers to get into the mind of the main villain--but that’s just a theory.

I know Tyler is probably still grieving in the next book, but I can’t help but want to know and imagine who his love interest will be (if he will ever have one again). I’m thinking Zila, which is insane because they don’t show much chemistry with each other throughout the book. There were instances where they interacted, but so far its been in front of other people so I don’t fully know how they feel about each other. Zila’s not much help other considering that her chapters have only been a maximum of two pages long. For the past month, the authors have hinted at Zila’s past and that it will probably be revealed in the next book, so I’m hoping we’ll get more chapters of her with more pages this time, and with more understanding of who she is as a person. So far, I’ve loved that her chapters have been the shortest ones--it’s fitting for her character--but I hope to have longer ones, specifically talking about how she thinks of her crew (and more specifically about Tyler hehe). In the final chapter, we find Zila as the one comforting Tyler and the rest of the squad after Cat, which is why I have this distinct feeling that Ty and Zi are gonna be a thing. But I could just be reading too much out of that scene, so I’m not really hoping too high.

Scar and Fin seems like a definite pairing. Throughout the book, we see Scar really care for him because he’s “disabled” (?), and Fin seems really smitten with her. I’m hoping that they do get together and they do it SOON, as in by the end of the next book. As for Ty and Zi, (if they are actually a thing), I’m thinking that the next book will be more focused on their (hopefully) developing relationship, and by the end of book 3, we’ll have the couple that I so desperately want to be true! (I’m really invested in this ship if you can’t tell).

The Pull thing with Kal and Auri is really the cutest, but we also didn’t have much with their romance cause they were busy with other things. So, I’m excited for more Kal and Auri scenes in the next book.

Besides all the points that I’ve made, I really like the entirety of this book, except for the beginning. It was too riddled with historical exposition which we could have easily gotten from subsequent chapters, but I understand the appeal of doing it by juxtaposing the past and the present.

The heist was in the World Ship was beyond incredible, and the dynamic between the squad members were hilarious.

I was very much afraid that I wouldn’t like this book because it was sci-fi. I had previously read the Illuminae series and I loved those books immensely, but that doesn’t indicate that I would love this book as well. I gave it a shot, though, and I am so glad I did. This became one of my favorite books to re-read, and I think it will soon be another favorite series of mine.

So, that is all I have to say about this book. The next book should be coming out around the world in about 2 days--except for Australia because they get special treatment (the book came out a week before everywhere else)--but I won’t be reading it any time soon because I want to read it as a hard copy and the hard copy probably won’t be available for me to buy because this pandemic is killing the economy and books probably won’t be arriving into the country until everything is sorted (which nobody knows when). I’m hoping I can survive the coming months, not from the coronavirus, but from the spoilers that might be around after people read Aurora Burning.

Alright.

Thanks for reading, whether that be up to this point, halfway, or a quarter of the way through, hope it wasn’t too boring.

I’ve decided to try to write more on here, especially since I’m stuck inside and I need to stay sane because living with my parent 24/7 is killing me on the inside and I need a place to vent. So, expect more blogs from me. Have a good day, all, and stay safe.

#aurora rising #amie kaufman #jay kristoff

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icameheretowinry · 6 years

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Roy Mustang !

Casey you are blessing me with this ask!! I will take any opportunity to gush over my anime husband. (/▽＼*)｡o○♡

How I feel about this character:

Like Ed, Roy is one of my favorite characters of all time, within and outside the fma universe. In fact, I’d go as far as to put them on equal footing. (I said Ed was my favorite fma character in his ask, but I really can’t choose between them.) While a majority of fma characters are excellently written, Roy is uniquely spectacular in the complexity of his backstory, personality, and relationships with other characters.

Save Wrath, Riza and Hohenheim, Roy’s origins are not only incredibly intriguing, but actually account for many of his unique skills and personality traits. Growing up under the guardianship of Madame Christmas and her network of spies, it’s easy to see where Roy picked up his effortless ploys of charisma, and the nuances of espionage, also likely an environment where he learned to grow up very fast. His aunt’s connections to Grumman, coupled with the cooperation of his adoptive sisters, not only convincingly fortified his false reputation as a womanizer, but put him in the prime position to receive any range of military intel higher ups would blab to a pretty face. In addition, while the nature of his alchemy is/was known to the Hawkeyes, Roy finds himself in the unique position of not only being its soul bearer, but its last, while painfully aware of the damage his power can inflict, and be exploited by others. Interestingly, while there is a lot of turmoil that separates the idealistic boy that spoke to Riza in front of her father’s grave, and the colonel we see during the Elric’s story, he still deeply cares about the state of the world he lives in and how he can change it. However, time has brought a portion of that sense of justice to the personal level, rendering Roy that much more determined, and that much more unstable.

Despite the dark nuances of his past in Ishval, a distinct side of Roy remains remarkably childish and goofy. Forgoing professionalism, he often mirrors Ed’s belligerence in an attempt to enforce his authority, blatantly ignore checks to his own power (i.e. rain) to overcome a problem on his own or assert his own credibility as an alchemist (i.e. that thing where teens think they are invincible), and finds sheer entertainment in tasks he should probably be taking seriously (see above). I’m honestly not quite sure how to define this aspect of his personality. At times quite endearing, I can’t help but think it has something to do with his time spent in Ishval. Is it a coping mechanism? A portion of his teenage self that was sequestered and shut away? Or maybe I’m reading too much into it and he’s just a goof. However, I like to think he only whips it out around people he is truly comfortable with (the Elrics included).

Also, let’s not forget that Roy is incredibly intelligent, and was the youngest state alchemist in history before Ed showed up. He was only 20, I believe, so I can understand his reading of Ed’s personality, and what he could do with his alchemy. He saw a version of himself in Ed, no doubt. He can create explosions large enough to destroy an entire building, yet precise enough to burn a single piece of paper or boil the fluid in Envy’s eyes, even when overcome by rage. Nothing about his alchemy is haphazard or uncalculated. He figures out he can carve a damn transmutation circle in his hand to continue fighting, and has enough medical knowledge to cauterize a serious wound. His skillfully plays within the lines of the Amestrian military, yet all with the intention to turn it around to his advantage. Even when things go wrong, he has his artfully cultivated support system of subordinates, friends, allies, and informants to catch him. Finally, not only is his alchemy more complex than that of any other state alchemists, Roy can perform is blind with little instruction. He’s a calculated strategist, excellent spy, and just plain brilliant.

Finally, Roy is the perfect parallel to Ed. They are both idealistic young boys at some point. They’re both hopeful of a better future. They aren’t foils of each other, but exist beautifully together. Roy is Ed, more or less, 15 years older. They both have past sins to atone for, and unlike Father, they learn to embrace them, and become stronger individuals for the future benefit of the communities they surround themselves with. They’re equally serious, and at times, equally immature. Roy has the advantage of age, while Ed has the advantage of time. From what one has done wrong, the other has done right, and they respect and learn from each other. Roy is very protective of the Elric brothers, and encourages them along their quest. Ed, while he makes fun of Roy, looks up to him, and is one of the few to pull him to his sense from the pits of rage. Neither of them are perfect, but despite all the headbutting and jokes, these two are the ultimate allies, examples, and, just let me say, friends.

And just as an indulgent side note, Roy is HELLA attractive. I can’t remember who made the post recently, but I sincerely agree with the point of how bafflingly handsome he is. His aesthetic is something I personally go for, so yeah, anime husband. *screams into the void* *the void agrees*

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Ummmmmmmmmm. If it isn’t possible to ship royai, I don’t need to exist in this world. Cancel my subscription! I more than ADORE these two. The subtly of their relationship is masterful, and every interaction is honed; built on years of experience, and is beautiful to watch. I adore Roy’s friendship with Maes (see below), but his relationship with Riza is next to none. They are so in sync that they terrify me. It is, honestly a relationship that transcends love. In short, while I don’t always see this in the real world, they are, imo, soulmates. They understand, respect, and love each other. It’s so effortless, the world doesn’t even need an explanation. There are people who get along. There are people who get each other, like Maes and Roy. And then there is the person whose existence fits seamlessly your own, just so. That’s Roy and Riza.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

This is the friendship that created the term bromance y’all. I LOVE these two. For two people that became friends over a piece of damn quiche, I will cry over the development of their relationship for the next 10,000 years. Roy and Maes are THE example of a perfect friendship. They support each other in their goals, joke around, know when to be serious, and just plain GET each other. The only other person who could possibly read that deep into Roy besides Riza, is Maes. They went through hell together in Ishval, and came out on the other side with a steadfast promise to fix the state of their country, and to see it ripped apart ENDED me. I have the distinct feeling that Roy looked up to Maes; seeing the future he had, and believing it could be real. He could fall in love, and have a family. He could be happy. Then, it was all torn away. His prophecy on the battlefield came true, and I bet Roy hated himself for it. I bet he despised himself. This is where the inspiration for my fic “Young” came from. (If you want to read, here’s the link.) If the man he cared for the most, the man who had done less wrong than he, not be happy, not be allowed to live, then why should he even consider the possible existence of a brighter future for himself?

My unpopular opinion about this character:

I really wanted to see other emotions from Roy that straight rage regarding his response to Hughes’ death. We get the “today is a terrible day for rain” moment, but for a character as driven by his emotions as Roy, I really expected more outward displays of grief and despair from him over the death of his best friend. Vulnerable Roy is excellent to watch, and honestly, I’d love to see more of it. While both he and Ed are emotionally vulnerable over the course of the series, it’s shown more blatantly in Ed’s corner, even though he doesn’t cry. There are moments where he expresses genuine despair and helplessness, and they are uniquely powerful (see the scene within Gluttony as a prime example). I get that Roy is supposed to appear cold and collected, but the few times his emotions manifest in ways other than rage, are beyond excellent. He doesn’t need to cry, per se, but a few more varied expressions would be more than appreciated.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

If two (2) things happened, I would be forever happy. First, if Arakawa ever made royai canonically official. *swoons at the mere thought* Second, I need a Team Mustang spinoff series! I need all the office shenanigans, meetings to exchange intelligence gone wacky, initial assembly of the team, flashbacks to Roy’s childhood with Madame Christmas, all the inside jokes about Fuery being the smol son of the group, Havoc’s fail of a love life, Breda’s fear of dogs, and everyone secretly trying to get Roy and Riza together?!?!?! GIVE. IT. TO. ME.

Send me a character, if you dare.

#roy mustang #fma #fma brotherhood #character analysis

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nightincider · 7 years

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A Somewhat Skewed Guide to Listening to Taylor Swift

I wrote this for a friend a year ago who was interested in getting into Taylor Swift and had no idea where to start - this is by no means a formal review, but a casual personal overview on Taylor Swift that I thought would be amusing to post here.

Warning: unfiltered, unedited rambling :’D

Disclaimer: I confess I’m not familiar with 100% of her discography (I usually don’t listen to the bonus tracks/know all of her standalones)

Note: I will be going in chronological order of her discography even though that’s not how my journey through her stuff went

Taylor Swift (2006)

don’t listen to this if you actually hate country music bc this is defs more on the country side of her country-pop crossover (mandolins, banjos, thankfully no annoying vocal twang)

this album is a great insight to her roots as a songwriter but it’s best enjoyed if you already like her, it’s like peeking into the old diary of someone you admire

Picture to Burn - hilarious breakup song trash talking an ex about how his pickup truck is stupid (you think I’m kidding but I’m not), video is awesome and shows her band trashing his house. I once sang this at karaoke and my friend fucking died and she didn’t believe the lyrics were actually a T Swift song

Mary’s Song (Oh My My My) - a really pretty, sappy gem about a long term love

everything else I could take or leave tbh

Fearless (2008)

tbh I still don’t “get” this album bc it’s a bit immature for my tastes but I’m sure young teen me would have loved it if it came out then. But overall I feel like this album only disappoints me bc her later work is so much better. Otherwise it’s actually pretty great

Fearless - the title song for good reason, appropriate way to begin the album and starts off with the attitude of facing love with a, you guessed it, fearless outlook

Love Story - ok the Romeo & Juliet ref and the sappy lyrics are kinda cringeworthy but overlooking that it is probably one of her most well-written pop songs to date in terms of the melody, arrangement, catchiness etc and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this

Breathe (feat. Colbie Caillat) - understated soft, sad pretty track

Forever and Always - I really love the melody in this one and the mentions of rain. This feels like the precursor to Mine (off Speak Now), except the relationship in the song didn’t actually work out

Change - notably NOT about relationships but about looking forward to positive changes and winning in life whatnot. It’s uplifting and I see it as the prequel to Long Live (from Speak Now)

everything else is not bad but doesn’t quite make my favs like this list. shoot me but I find Fifteen and You Belong With Me way overrated

Speak Now (2010)

supposedly before writing this album Swift wanted to go with the concept “Enchanted” (which is one of the songs as well) but her label told her she needed to show she was maturing and not make an album that was basically Fearless 2.0 so she opted for the idea of “Speak Now”, which is total (sometimes brutal) honesty

This album does indeed speak her mind, in the sad, happy, and even embarrassing ways (coughs the title track is about her fantasizing about crashing her ex’s wedding and stealing him away and makes comments about how the bride’s gown looks like a pastry)

Before Red, Swift released a lot of singles w/ multiple versions, usually a US (read: more country) and international (read: more pop/rock) one.

IMO, the singles on Speak Now (Mine, Back to December, Story of Us) sound way, way better on the international edition. So please try to find those versions!

Mine - please check out the international version it’s miles better than the US version (more driving rhythm/urgency, better guitar riff, the US version is too laid back IMO)

Sparks Fly - a song about undeniable chemistry, the chorus is one of my favs

Back to December - slow, sad, and beautiful. I almost cried over this. I prefer this to Dear John bc it’s not as brutal and more accessible (Dear John is great too but really hard to listen to that often). Again international version is better bc the mandolin part in the US version is annoying.

Mean - kind of childish but that’s why I love it, it’s the pop song equivalent of a kid sticking their tongue out at their bullies on the playground

The Story of Us - not as emotionally wrenching as a lot of the other breakup songs but probably the catchiest and I love the beat

Enchanted - love at first sight type song. I really like the song structure (especially how it builds up) and instrumentation, and the bridge stanza is my favorite

Better Than Revenge - T Swift doing Paramore

Innocent - T Swift doing Evanescence, also I think that song was a jab back at Kanye West lmfao

Long Live - song about taking on the world, proving ppl wrong, having great adventures, I wish I could someday feel worthy of singing this song

the one dud IMO is Never Grow Up (it’s kinda boring plus I think she was too young to write well from the perspective of a parent).

Red (2012)

This was THE album that converted me to the cult of Swift and I hope it converts you too

I confess I only really noticed the beauty of Speak Now bc I went back and listened to it properly after I got tired of spinning Red during my commute

Fun fact: I only bothered to give this album a try after my white hipster bestie (whom I had a huge gross crush on at the time) rec’d it and I was like wtf at first but he was like no really give it a shot, so I did.

Red is every bit as honest as Speak Now but it’s not as bitter or playful it’s more sad and resigned and more nostalgic, wistful, you get it...

It’s painful for me to rec my favs from it bc I’d say the ENTIRE FUCKING ALBUM but I’ll. try. /grits teeth

State of Grace - those drums! that guitar! that whole “we’re on a journey and it’s beginning” feel… this is her strongest album opening track to date (1989 totally bombed in that aspect, fuck Welcome to New York)

Red - I don’t know how a song has literally 2 unique melody lines but still manages to be so amazing. Unfair.

Treacherous - the whole excitement of falling in love with someone that you probably shouldn’t but presented in an unexpectedly tender way

All Too Well - by this point Swift has a trend of making song #5 the sad slow ballad (it’s a thing her fans have noticed). This song hits me hard on a personal level bc it reminds me of my 2.5 year relationship that ended and it’s incredibly well-written, from the lyrics reminiscing on the past to taking you back into that moment during the choruses, also the bridge just breaks me. This is probably the pinnacle of sad breakup songs and you cannot convince me otherwise

I Almost Do - All Too Well’s more timid but no less heartbreaking cousin

Holy Ground - this is kind of the banner song of the album despite not being the title track. While Red is meant to set the backdrop for this album’s themes, this song embodies the core of the album best IMO. And it has a danceable beat to boot.

Sad Beautiful Tragic - I used to skip this a lot after Holy Ground bc it’s a bit of a downer but it has an understated beauty

Starlight - want to see Swift write fanfiction? well here’s your chance. This song is about Ethel and Bobby Kennedy as teenagers. also embarrassing confession: I want to sing this at my own wedding if I ever get married someday. Best part is the piano line that evokes twinkling stars

I’m rather indifferent to the big pop singles in this album (I Knew You Were Trouble, 22, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. They’re good but, ultimately the best stuff is the album tracks)

1989 (2014)

the album that converted a lot of pop lovers to the cult of Swift

shows a lot of growth and experimentation since Red, but Red is still personally my favorite, this one’s a close second tho

Swift has said in interviews that Red was a devastating album to write but 1989 is more about moving on from that and focusing on herself and it’s overall both more optimistic (regarding life in general) and calculated and cynical (regarding romance)

1989 is the year Swift was born, btw. Coincidentally the album has 13 tracks not counting the bonus ones and 13 is Swift’s favorite number (she was also born on Dec 13)

I have this whole conspiracy theory level of analysis going on about how this is a sequel to Red and how those two albums are linked in a way that the others aren’t

let’s get it out of the way, Welcome to New York is the obvious dud. sorry to our mutual friends who love NY but the song kind of sucks in itself oops. Like it’s very uninspired and generic

for an actual good song about NY check out Vienna Teng’s Goodnight New York

Blank Space - overplayed but I love the idea of Swift parodying what her critics think of her

Out of the Woods - it’s a song about uncertainty in a relationship and the ending is left up to interpretation and I love the repetitive chorus bc it illustrates the feeling of being trapped in the woods and seeing trees flash by you. The bridge has a personal anecdote (the brakes/stitches mentioned are from a minor snowmobile accident).

All You Had to Do Was Stay - about a dream Swift had where all she could do is say “stay” in a high pitched voice to an ex and it embarrassed her lol. Typical pining song but something about those “stays” sound way more painful than comical in practice.

Shake It Off - a good pick-me-up for the slow days and the only big single of hers I haven’t gotten utterly sick of

I Wish You Would - reminds me a lot of HAIM, and it’s oddly one song that I almost never skip when it comes up on my commute shuffle despite having heard every song on this album too many times. understated but solid.

Wildest Dreams - Swift doing Lana Del Rey better than Lana Del Rey

How You Get the Girl - cute but all I can think of is her cat in the Diet Coke commercial that used this song

This Love - I feel like this is the song tying the album together, it’s the most vulnerable track and the one flame of hope amidst all the jadedness that pervades the album regarding romance. It’s kind of meta in some way like it describes not only T Swift the character in the album but also possibly T Swift the person? This song is very important to me.

I Know Places - kind of a darker sound (for her)

Clean - a song about moving on from a relationship, I’m already biased towards this bc Imogen Heap worked on it but it’s really beautiful, and I love when Heap’s harmonies come in.

New Romantics - the freakin song of our generation, the lyrics are so fucking real I can’t even

misc/standalones

Safe and Sound (feat. the Civil Wars) - from the Hunger Games OST, it’s pure folk goodness

Sweeter than Fiction - the happy ending we all want. has a bit of a beach-rock vibe to it with a very 80s production

Ronan - written for a child who died from cancer, it’s beautiful and sad

Thank you for reading if you’ve even made it this far and I hope I didn’t overwhelm you, happy listening! :D

#Taylor Swift #Taylor Swift Fearless #Taylor Swift Speak Now #Taylor Swift Red #Taylor Swift 1989

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thisiswhereiwriteaboutyou-blog · 7 years

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Trove Promo Codes

{For sure, this can be yet another voxel wall trainer. Making use of the whirlwind tour this dragon's lair. |{Take into account the Dracolyte, which often can alter directly into a dragon and melt away the voxel situation. Plenty of competitors walk out-of-doors realm in order to experiment with your creativity on any ol' thing, but many of the actions goes on inside of the a lot of dungeons dotting the country. 50 Percent of energy, I didn't keep in mind chitchat windowpane simply being there, even though you are able to enroll in four groups, working with them is often simply a dilemma of expecting anyone to publicize opened encourages in chitchat. Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code remains increasingly popular on Steam because its first all around the console backwards about this summertime 9--really popular, literally, that to this day, queues constantly abandon me expecting 30 minutes on an hour until I'm fortunate to enter in. Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code does its advisable to satisfy these gaps along with remedies, such as leveling assorted sessions, wishing to come up with a dungeon definitely worth inclusion holding somewhere around, or perhaps obtaining cosmetics from superior kills, nevertheless for me, it can not ship the actual MMO craving that transmits me on to the desktop to sneak up alot more have fun shortly after most people in addition is asleep. Now, if they'd just get those people queues arranged, I am just entertaining the idea of which makes the Alamo 40 tales superior, and i also haven't bought time for you to hang on. Undoubtedly, you can easily should you Literally I'd attend time frame regarding claim that creating is really a minor portion of the wall trainer and development should go with that. |detailed Speech of knowledge? No, faraway from all…what brought you that effect? Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code is very enjoying a synthetic 8-tad seem they will execute superbly. Bothersome, similar noises seemed to be the actual wall trainer. Thanks a bunch to a certain extent that there's no story in Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code it is easy to take notice of it endlessly. maintain? On an casual player yet farmville could effortlessly keep these things occupied for virtually any lengthy time. With the finished look Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code is a wonderful wall trainer for you. With the wall aimbots industry’s on-going determination to ton the market with Minecraftbuts, Under the mayhem is the impressive cuboid areas of Minecraft, some spun into current |Citizens dim and misty mountain / hill tops, the skeletal C418 soundtrack which may sound like a sluggish-activity existential situation, the brutality coming from a occasion-time monster invasions until you’re any thing like available for them… Minecraft has, with the vanilla style, ambiance developing away from Beat is not hard to look after, handle may be very extensive, achievements rainfall decrease. wands and face masks by striking circumstances, I maybe could enjoy my winnings on development equipment that to build other equipment or transform disables with many other shades, I maybe could slowly enlarge my ‘Cornerstone’ persistent structure so it could carry every one of these gadgets, I maybe could whacked circumstances dazzling circumstances dazzling circumstances, and And do not way too much in I maybe could press the quantity 2 and convert a bloody perfect dragon for 10 mere seconds. It undeniably, has, naturally. It is ok to pass through in on these materials folks, you may not see “edutainment” wall aimbots also, so this means this factor that is precisely aimed in the Plenty of them have also dialog that would be one small amount of excessively kid-targeted within my style (because of the fact a variety of them are usually more direct aimed at teenagers as opposed to others) but it is constantly valuable for anyone nutrition. Specific do not need to possess frizzy hair by themselves neck or maybe be immature/childlike in almost any feel substantive on their victory inside of the mature person realm as well as their ability to associate sociably along with adults in order to indulge in stuff that chosen for for the kids. It's not some kind of injury. |No,see minecraft suggestions. Once I discover about wall aimbots for example, the preceding, leading to YouTubers, Really i do believe surely surely seasoned. I quickly think that there should be an easy way to check out wall aimbots similar to this than regarding them as childish. I disclose Meer’s Conventional frustration that your dramatically multi-player plan to experiment with Minecraft could so in the long run skip the true benefit from the upfront whereas cashing on to the lowest cost typical denominator by jamming the loot connect into the frontal lobe and creating option to endlessly reel. absolutely. unthinkable to Yup, really liked this Identical approach Alec has found in a lot of his assessments. Properly Alec’s views and biases appear, nonetheless it seems to be similar to this wall trainer has really so hardly any buying it it does not surely really matter right after the overview is shaded within the author’s feedback. Let me restate it, not fairly stressing, but a little more for example, the reviewer was mentioning Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code to Minecraft a tad way too much. overview, unless |Needless to say you could end up Afterwards, weary, I went back with it and set a good deal to love. Some circumstances surely opened with the wall trainer personally. Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code is very important and is lacking in a good amount of range at the start. about it's zero cost. IDK and that's why I’m presenting. Excluding he or she is not stating that. Alec was not stating that Trion must not be Permitted to produce the sports activity. “I’m sorry, but if you only need to positioned “420” as part of your information title, you misplace ok to other men or women mindless.” I’m sorry, but if you only need to positioned “hobo” as part of your information title, not a single thing you mentioned could be provided with sincere concentration because of the fact all destitute people are scum. discover They’re not recommending it is advisable to spend an income or hang on 6 hrs for some thing to try and do. 2 flask power is really a laugh excessively. |I actually do not be worried about farmville, but because of the fact lengthy because doing so funding Trion to make sure they remain creating Rift (That is certainly, IMO, the top Amazing type MMO out), then I’m How come it recommended to identify it for the children, mocking all of us that could possibly surely take pleasure in the wall trainer and isn’t a kid. categorization A single thing you appear like, take pleasure in the wall trainer if you want it, do not now let anyone show you othervwise. 1st-people perception and redid the graphical design to confirm they are simply considerably more blockish. and below you decide to go €19,99 and many types of it provides is wing/install plus some sessions. cent? Also, should you pay off that regarding the kid, perhaps your being a parent stands out as the complication, without having to the sport, you back again have powerful you're slow down minded. you’ve in no way Anyhow, you support help remind me of people NRA different types who party pistol manipulate activists by reason of not having the difference somewhere between assorted weapons. Considering that they Truthfully the reason why the game is the men or women you have got a lot of fun with. They’re so specialised they warrant their own personal page that would be wizards 24շ. |More than likely. Noisally. # 1 could be, for me, the “visceral” Shotgun portion of the new logo. I understand this isn’t reasonable, this content coming from a release work best got when it is publisher did not acknowledge to simply being hopelessly totally hooked on harmony alot more definitely brainless Trip Capitalist… There is room or living area for wall aimbots for being absolute crap. specifically “Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code, by comparison, identified as put more than enough poo with the walls to find out the sheer number of little ones stick with it.In . Happily I’m only a few one who takes on that wall trainer. They’ll get totally hooked on F2P technicians and briefly money will be emptied out altogether by shitty iPhone wall aimbots. |I that could possibly match up using it. wings without charge, puppies very affordable and anything else could be purchased with ingame money) is certainly not great. can at the same time Nonetheless I just do romance mastering. Also, really the only circumstances you could buy are make-up, which just customize the will look this character or maybe your install, as each install (besides the start one) enjoy the very same circulation swiftness (90). Sad to say, not “almost things with the game” could be obtained without charge. Then in April the game decided to go downhill, considering that it hasnt seemed to be assembled with a decent upgrade and therefore i quit the game in June. disagree while using Other pursuits is very minor. Precisely why is a visualize of my organization realm buying used below? Not one person discussed in my opinion this, I did so not quite agree this. your foundation is extended, there's absolutely no one spot you can easily get back to in order to look at it. Now, there's one monumental, obvious defect with Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code’s create approach it is advisable to have fun for virtually any lengthy time to go to some enjoyable level of development functionality. |a satisfactory measure of the major disables to help make the amount of a single yet another coloration had to construct the most effective of properties be a challenge, you've even so got to grind for many coloration dishes. Look the full cornestone out, or incredible product it, just before you experience cornerstone ( the unbreakable covering throughout the world). With the corresponding type as Minecraft, people can break decrease the planet into companies and reuse these companies to build not only for their own personal worlds and houses, but to create items. Athletes can simply swap sessions and abilities to alter to have you ever-altering worlds. sooner, and Amazing Faeire Boogie - Summon 3 dance and capturing staves to address the other players. Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code’s dynamically gained worlds are entirely constructible and destructible, allowing game enthusiasts a in no way-stopping field of worlds at which they are able to grand adventure, compose, and consider. Starting point straight away, people can bounce into Start Beta without charge. Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code is really a liberated to play, course primarily based, Mmog unveiled suitable for you by Trion Worlds. extra a I enjoy this type of handle. |{With the key wall trainer you are able to come up with a house hold around the reasonable stretch of acquire known as a foundation. perform the job high-quality (whereas wings may well be a compliment finicky). Disney On Ice Treasure Trove Promo Code, like a good number of MMOs is done that need considering a perpetual practical knowledge and also that i can absolutely see me personally signing around the few times every 7 days to have more lengthy timeframe. {}The selection is definitely an respect to your 8-tad actions platformers of yesteryear, with lovely pixel graphical design that appear to be like they'd be at property or home with an NES the truth is, naturally, the visuals All of them have a appropriately-created backstory as well as other platforming talents, each one replete making use of their acquire issues. If you wish to find out, we highly suggest you see our assessments regarding the initial Shovel Darkish occasion , together with the new timed-one-of-a-kind Turn Specter of Torment. Additional encouraging may just be the The sport also elements creating, puppies, mounts, ships, sport fishing, mag riders and you may even assembled your personal houseOrfoundation where one can chill out, create and visit your favourite realms. It gives you the Arcanium Steamboat, the Arcanium Crawler Attach , the Arcanium Discord Wings together with the Orange Prevent x2 which unlocks the Headcrab , a Crowbar type accompanied by a Partner Cube. Pixels seemed to be perfect, but they seemed to be so two dimensional. About the 6th second the web servers seemed to be unveiled decrease. I appropriate my measures being a gunslinger-enter, erected my hovel, wiped out some bees and perused some classified ads.

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wonderwallofthesoul · 7 years

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Trove Hack

{By reason of my campaigns, there's now a home within the Alamo. My personal most loved foundation is going to be re-advancement of Sauron's tower of Barad-d衩�The rest seem to depict Super Mankind levels, when they do you need a obviously countless succession of timed leaps to have the player's health-related concoction re-fill station along with other services cases. countless numbers, recommending a great deal of cosmetic customization. |{Virtually all time was spent while using the Pirate Captain, a minion class which will chuck out a tremendous cannon or maybe a puppet that taunts adversaries, all while his parrot companion bombards each of them having cannon that belongs to them. A variety of adversaries take a walk open air earth if you need to take a crack at your natural talent on any ol' element, but almost all the measures arises within the a variety of dungeons dotting the country. The saving money luxury? Trove Promo Codes 2016 features a lovely local community, which is kindness quite often includes for omitting attributes. Whilst not be unsuccessful, each and every time the line wind smaller, I terrain in the heap of other just recorded-in individuals, and we all hurry to make the sites towards the investigate Dungeons generally have a look same as terrific surrounding the open air as inside. But it's an MMOG that I'd have the benefit of travelling to all every so often, very likely a lot of different gatherings per week. Unquestionably, one can is it best to Battle in Trove Promo Codes 2016 is definitely measures oriented. |conscientious Sadly the UI is rather restricted. To make sure they are in household in Trove Promo Codes 2016. Appreciate it partly that there's no narrative in Trove Promo Codes 2016 you can actually focus on it for good. The conversation item is very easy to make use of which is used relatively generally by individuals. The cash retailer is very recommended and many of the points in perhaps it is got working with in item bot forex compared to legitimate revenue. “Hundreds of plenty of people are actively playing it, so there ought to be anything at all remarkable on this. The fact is that meaning the unique end using the item bot is still confused in the avarice end: there are several lovely co-operative buildings based in the ‘Clubs’, a sort of Guild/private shard crossbreed, but usually everyone’s racing greatly the same thing dungeons over and over wanting valuable experience, precious metal coin and apparatus. |This is certainly like a lot of different the world’s amusement areas mashed with each other, and that also i pray that practically never get offered from context to sound as being a advice. showing up out of Of course kids as if it. wands and masks by reaching points, I very likely could shell out my winnings on building up units that to put together other units or replace blocks together with other hues, I very likely could bit by bit enlarge my ‘Cornerstone’ lingering bottom therefore could incorporate every one of these gizmos, I very likely could strike points vibrant points vibrant points, and Rather than way too much in I very likely could media the amount of money 2 and move a bloody fine dragon for about ten minutes. It is this second option which happens to be most reply to Trove Promo Codes 2016’s achievement: if you want to contain the foundations using the Minecraft valuable experience without having to pay, on this website you want to go. It is effective. guided at a That seemed to be a fact when CoD and WoW had been the only real massive individuals in existence, even so there's a million many types of styles alluring to lots of many types of tastes both in the AAA and indie markets. One do not need having curly hair by themselves throat or maybe be immature/childlike in every experience important for achievement within the older earth as well as their capacity to partner sociably along with individuals to have the benefit of stuff that defined for for children. Anybody who resided on the ’80s and original ’90s OR HAS Girls and boys NOW is aware of this tremendously basically. |There’s extremely you don't need to shell out legitimate revenue I believe the F2P system of your the very first is seriously considerably sound. statements. We considered clubs, a little too. I truly do not have fun playing any Trion item trainers thanks to the way they perform the job. It is an authentic disgrace that ‘childish’ works extremely well shorthand for ‘shallow and trite’. extremely. difficult to Hell, the sport is only model significant distinction. wauw, you generally known as mtss truly a analyze, isnt this just his thoughts and opinions along with a dislike talk produce he didn't just like the item bot individually. I dunno, into my valuable experience analyze sprang out to status numerous goal data beside his experiences. and many others. analyze, only if |Of course you may be deemed a critic, all that's mandatory do is look for a particular person wanting to pay out to set-up. so it could be I’m intelligent to relish that kind of device an too much quantity of, even so i didn’t believe that it is offensive in Trove Promo Codes 2016. That’s particular terrific, but diminishes the sexual enjoyment of expertise. about it's absolutely free. Perhaps you have within 30 and that also way it is best to make. Commit using the things you mentioned was a fact, even so, you were basically significance that you just though it has been a crappy item bot for somebody but kids. Also, displaying some key knowledge of syntax will likely make your circumstance a hell of your much more ultra powerful. forwards towards the event for people with kids and reveal that there is not any such element as “a outstanding kid, like we by which, they practically never bitch about using stuff”. reveal that there is not any such element as “a outstanding kid, like we by which, they practically never bitch about using stuff”. Except if you’re crafting a large number of blocks at any moment crafting swiftness is not a problem. |I truly do not care about farmville, but just because extended mainly because it money Trion to make sure they keep up producing Rift (That is definitely, IMO, the most beneficial Incredible pattern MMO out), then I’m found out this before? Internet marketing of good get older to already have found out to this particular point to generally, yet still focus on it every now and then. categorization “After Markus grew becoming accustomed to Infiniminer, he straight away working smaller and setup recoding their personal item bot. Damn… This is actually distressing. I recieve it tho, Uber 6 Shadow World and products is most probably waaaay far too rough for you personally. Identify the phrases, possibly eventually, you may make an evaluation, even so this only decided being a viewpoint, along with a dangerous model non the fewer. you’ve practically never Also, because you eventually descended to non-general public, meaningless assaults about Alec’s skill-sets just like a gamer informs me you do not truly have most things positive to condition. So what if it is a united nations-daunting item bot, or it appears similar to still another. There practically never has honestly been a game headline I'm free to gladly parse web content regarding a CS:GO tournament, the full surface texture grognard item trainers, or baseball simulator cards with no need to turned into a standard competitor, however, not the DOTA-likes. |At the same time, just because there are plenty of adult men and women all in unison accomplishing them it will make a tremendous delay and rubber-banding. Any Computer item trainers news blog will successfully become aware of me about monitor resolutions. creeps/lanes/dps on me abruptly. DOTA/MOBA coverage has delivered a surge of customers. individually (on the other hand I’m seriously actively playing like one minute of Air conditioning per day, and quite often I put aside). It is a great MMO to discover together with your kids, it has totally, the sport have fun playing loop is sound and exciting. |This. I focus on it just because Cube Arena is located in limbo. could perhaps at the same time have fun playing Trove Promo Codes 2016, because I’m considering the method anywhere between two nearly the same item trainers which one particular is still refreshed per week. Since the programmer of Trove Promo Codes 2016 Toolbox, I must say, this video game isn't simply for toddlers neither can it be getting the funds inside of pockets using the toddlers. I’m 19 years old now and I’m actively playing ever since the 30 days of january with no transforming into bored to tears After! So be sure to, before you consult this as item bot a “kids game”, focus on it competently. Prime Owner Badge I have done beforehand have fun playing Trove Promo Codes 2016 a lot, loved it. disagree while using the Minecraft can be a (quite often firstly consumer) tactical item bot the spot where you are living using the means encircling you to produce a spot to inhabit and get by. I truly do nothing like it suffered with emerge as refrained from agreement or informing me… We certainly have viewed numerous Trove Promo Codes 2016 individuals at Because of the simplistic technique pattern with various toned-textured voxel programs and small prevent measurement, the utter level of customization readily available for your small foundation is staggering. It can make feelings of vagrancy. infinitely as well as aspect that’s fine relating to this item is often that individuals are not designed to at random enlarge into biomes they do not handle. |an adequate When considering regardless if Trove Promo Codes 2016 is pay-to-triumph in, limited to that correct time of generating, Trove Promo Codes 2016 doesn't have PvP. Drill down your entire cornestone out, or incredible product it, before you start to produce basic foundation ( the unbreakable coating in the world). Trove Promo Codes 2016 can be a voxel-centred escapade Mmog from Trion. Busy Bill - Bill onward and work average impairment. quicker, and Busy Scorched Who offer - Tosses a Dragon Idol that must certainly be strike 4 Trove Promo Codes 2016 brings individuals straight into a realm of countless options by which job-actively playing and crafting collide, opening the event pattern and enabling the whole thing hanging in existence which will make within the local community. Trion Worlds’ voxel MMO escapade item bot Trove Promo Codes 2016 goes into Receptive Beta soon for Playstation 4 and Xbox One. I discovered this becoming very unpleasant. put in a Trove Promo Codes 2016 makes use of a pretty normal MMO eliminate device, you've became a choice of proficiency (specified with regards to your class) relating to the hotbar with cooldowns. |{Minecraft-esque building up option. And profiting from workbenches or loot collectors calls for numerous cumbersome utilisation of your analogue keep. You may operate a whopping, endgame dungeon, or tinker together with your homestead. {}Shovel Dark nights at the start released in 2014 on quite a lot of solutions quickly after an greatly profitable Kickstarter promotion. Your small Shovel good friend will fly in existence, greedily attempting get These item trainers are fantastic, and obtaining the full Shovel Dark nights expertise in model web site, clocking in in existence 15 hours of item bot have fun playing within our issue, renders mtss is crucial-have for Turn proprietors - It's almost everything you want from your own MMO the best of this from it will be your item bot is developed in ways that though it has eliminate it is designed for anybody! Earlier I began my analyze undeniably what Trove Promo Codes 2016 is actually. the Moreover, the DLCs using the item bot are in reality of great benefit.The Trove Promo Codes 2016 Up to now as being the expertise Carry DLC is worried. The game is 99.9% absolutely free and there's only absolutely no reason you should not commence to play the sports right now. Visualise Cube Arena, just with designers that do not disappear for extended expands except if their managers tell them to. was able to get.

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ramialkarmi · 7 years

Text

How to lose friends and 'exfoliate' people — Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is caught between 2 worlds, and his former friends are cutting ties

Signing up to carry out Donald Trump's vision of America has come at a cost to many of the president's closest allies.

Some have found it a constant struggle to balance their reputations and their newfound access to power.

Perhaps no one knows this better than Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Kushner, 36, has been described as the most powerful aide to the president of the United States. He and his wife, Donald Trump's oldest daughter Ivanka, moved to Washington, DC, from New York so Kushner could take an unpaid role as one of Trump's senior advisers. On Monday, Trump appointed Kushner as the head of the new White House Office of American Innovation, whose aim is to overhaul government operations using ideas from the business world.

But so far, Kushner has found himself caught between two worlds, both inside the White House and out.

Within its walls, he is considered a mediator between warring factions — the "Republican populists" like chief strategist Steve Bannon, and the "Democrats," the more left-leaning members of Trump's inner circle. Kushner is considered one of the "Democrats."

But outside, liberals who knew Kushner before his administration role have grown concerned. They are no longer sure where he stands — for Trump's America or theirs — and the uncertainty has fractured relationships.

Business Insider spoke with a number of people who knew Kushner before and during Trump's campaign, as well as people who are close to him now. Their feelings toward Trump's apparent protégé mirrors the polarization of the country.

Trump, they seem to feel, is a black and white issue: You can be for or against his policies.

But Kushner is an uncomfortable swirl of gray.

"The hope was that with Jared, there at least was someone who was smart and thoughtful and potentially doing the right things behind the scenes," one person who previously worked with Kushner told Business Insider.

But people "hate him right now," they continued. "Not just him as a person so much but what he stands for and the fact that he hasn’t been able to use his position to do anything meaningful for what we stand for."

Another person who attended Kushner's wedding in 2009 agreed former acquaintances are "seething."

"I’m not planning on being friends," this person said. "I don’t think I’m going to be over it. ... I feel really, really upset about what they're doing. I think it’s so terrible and so disruptive that I can’t get over that. I can’t endorse that."

Kushner has seen enough relationships break that he now has a word for it: "Exfoliation."

He is shedding dead relationships like skin cells being scrubbed from a body.

And one particularly bad break-up last July may have inspired it.

A relationship sours

In September 2015, Jared Kushner met startup founder Wiley Cerilli. Kushner approached him about a business he was launching in the hope that Cerilli might agree to run it.

Cerilli declined the offer but told Kushner he wanted to find a way to work with him. He felt Kushner was sharp and had a healthy outlook on life.

That way would be a food delivery startup Cerilli launched that winter. In January 2016, Kushner invested in his seed round — the first money a founder raises from outside investors. Sources familiar with the deal say Kushner's investment was a relatively small amount for a venture capitalist, no more than a few hundred thousand dollars.

Over the next few months, the pair didn't talk much. But Cerilli watched as Donald Trump took to the campaign trail and delivered increasingly divisive speeches. He often noticed Kushner photographed by the candidate's side, but he never heard Kushner speak out against what was said.

Cerilli, a life-long liberal, grew increasingly concerned. In June, Trump went on an 11-minute rant about federal judge Gonzalo Curiel, attacking him over his Mexican heritage and saying he could not fairly preside over a case involving Trump University because of Trump's vows to crack down on illegal immigration and build a wall along the Mexican border.

That's when Cerilli, who said he viewed the comments as racist, cracked.

Cerilli consulted a group of CEOs and investors for advice. They encouraged him to rid himself of his Kushner association, if only because it had become a distraction to his business. Also during that time, Trump had become the Republican presidential nominee.

In late July, Cerilli Kushner scheduled a phone call. Kushner thought he was getting an ordinary business update.

Instead, he was getting dumped.

'I don't give a shit. Send me the paperwork. I'll sign'

It's not easy to get rid of an investor.

Once early-stage angel investors like Kushner give money to a startup, they own a piece of the company. There are written terms that can make it easier for a founder to divorce a spouse than part with a venture capitalist.

To remove Kushner from his startup financially, Cerilli had to inform his board and other investors of the decision. Then he had to persuade Kushner to sign paperwork that would give away his rights.

Cerilli was nervous to address his concerns with Kushner. He wrote down a script and took notes of Kushner's reaction. Cerilli later sent those notes to his investors so that he could give them an accurate update. Business Insider obtained a copy and confirmed the document's authenticity.

"If you can hear me out for a few minutes," Cerilli said, according to the notes, "then I would be happy to listen to you."

He continued: "A lot has changed in this country since you invested. ... I am personally and now professionally overwhelmed and concerned with the rhetoric and public discourse on a number of fronts with regard to Trump."

Cerilli said that even if Kushner didn't agree with offensive comments Trump had made, he found his silence unacceptable.

"Your involvement is something that is not incredibly clear to me, but what is is your unwillingness to speak out against it," Cerilli said. "This is not a conversation about what he or you believe, or what he and you do and feel behind closed doors. This is about what he says and does publicly, and what is not said and done publicly by you."

This is about what he says and does publicly, and what is not said and done publicly by you.

Cerilli said that while he once felt his and Kushner's values were aligned, that no longer seemed to be the case.

"You seem like a good person. A smart person," he said. "I am not saying that you are a bad person, or that the way you act is wrong. I am saying that I don’t agree with it, and me, [my cofounder], our team, and our investors ... would like to give you your money back."

Kushner listened until Cerilli was finished. He told him the call came as a shock — and that it was "cowardly."

Then, according to Cerilli's notes of the call, Kushner unleashed.

He conveyed that the process of campaigning with Trump had "allowed him to exfoliate" people he once considered friends. "I am seeing which friendships break in the wind," he said, according to the document.

"We live in a world and time that are interesting. There are a lot of issues that need to be discussed," he added.

He told Cerilli he was doing what he thought was right, with "complicated facets," and that he was "navigating it appropriately."

Cerilli's decision to distance himself, Kushner said, was a "childish thing." He questioned Cerilli's character, describing his messaging as "somewhere between incredibly immature and incredibly intolerant." The decision to oust Kushner seemed emotional, not based on facts. He questioned whether Cerilli knew about his actual involvement in Trump's campaign or where he stood on key issues.

"You clearly don’t have the depth to take on a big challenge when something like this bothers you," Kushner said, "and so clearly your team doesn’t either."

After a few minutes, Kushner concluded: "I don't give a shit. Send me the paperwork. I'll sign."

Who is Jared Kushner?

Those who know Kushner say he never intended to go into politics. His heavy involvement, these sources told Business Insider, spiraled from the fact that Trump ran a non-traditional campaign with few experienced advisers, often relying on people close to him like Kushner for guidance.

But now that he's involved, former friends wonder who's changed more: Trump or Kushner?

Kushner and Ivanka have stayed relatively quiet during some of Trump's most controversial moments, which has fed critics' frustration. A recent "Saturday Night Live" skit summed up the sentiment. It was of a spoof ad for a perfume called "Complicit," starring Scarlett Johansson as Ivanka Trump. The tagline?

"The fragrance for the woman who could stop all of this but won't. Also available in a cologne for Jared."

Kushner's allies have two responses to those who fear he's making a Faustian bargain in exchange for power: He isn't the president. And look harder.

A source familiar with Kushner's White House role says he did not go to Washington to focus on some of the more controversial Trump policies, like healthcare or the ban on immigration from several majority-Muslim countries. Instead, he is focused on issues like creating peace in the Middle East. But that doesn't mean Kushner hasn't inserted himself when he feels it's necessary.

Kushner, this person said, was instrumental in killing an executive order that would have affected the LGBT community. They also say he was the force that pushed the administration to remove Iraq from the second iteration of the travel ban.

Other Trump associates have faced tremendous criticism, too. SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who is a member of Trump's economic advisory council, acknowledged on Twitter that the blowback has been difficult to deal with. Travis Kalanick, the CEO of Uber, couldn't take the heat and resigned from Trump's council.

"Activists should be pushing for more moderates to advise the President, not fewer," Musk tweeted. "How could having only extremists advise him possibly be good?"

But once you've associated yourself with Trump, the only way to win might be to lose.

As one Kushner defender put it: "If you're doing well in politics, only 45% of people hate you."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch Trump's budget director explain proposed cuts for after-school programs that feed children

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