Albedo: *mumbling Incoherently While Staring At A Wall*

Grace Whitney from Dance Academy needs therapy but goshdarn if she wasn't such a loyal person.

I feel like Thatch and Marco would really be protective of Ace at first. Not everyone is pleased with the fact that the young troublemaker is joining the crew, and being all buddy-buddy with the commanders and pops at that. As much as some people are overjoyed, there’s also a lot of animosity, and they want to protect the young man from that.

But Ace truly has disarming personality - he seems clueless about positions and hierarchy, treating everyone with respect no matter how strong they are. He makes sure to remember everyone’s name as much as he can, no matter if they’re a commander or a kitchen aid. If you tell him something about yourself, no matter how offhandedly, he’ll keep it in mind. It’s kind of a survival instinct he’s developed without even being conscious of it - being nice and charming, so people won’t leave him behind, won’t hate him, won’t suspect his shameful lineage. If he’s out on a mission, he always brings back trinkets and hand them over with a « oh this made me think of you, thought you’d like it ».

It all seems so natural and good-natured that eventually even the most opposed members end up begrudgingly endeared to him.

Yeah! Youve touched upon one of my favourite Ace headcanons where he’s incredibly observant, very good at remembering personal details or things other people have mentioned or spoken to him about

Hes got that punk ass kid respect thing going on for him, hes brash and rowdy but he’s polite and respectful when he needs to be

Also !!!! Survival instinct a tactic that hes learned conscious unconsciously to help himself along because Makino was right a smile and a thanks is less likely gonna end in a fight

ACCURATE !! IT'S NOT FAIR 😭😭

aw, i actually feel really bad for flash.

he’s in a really bad place right now, both literally (because he’s in fucking hell) and metaphorically, because he’s just been broken down and called out for his worst insecurities. he thinks he’s nothing without the symbiote. and that’s obviously not true, but in this situation, there’s really not much he can do to prove that.

ideally, flash would use this low point as a learning experience. he would mope around and cry for a bit, but then ultimately start walking on his own two feet (i swear to god pun not intended) and doing stuff on his own exclusively as flash thompson, to prove to himself that he is a person with worth, and that he’s more than capable even without the symbiote.

but he doesn’t get that luxury. in this awful situation, where he literally has to fight against the forces of hell, he has no choice but to rebond with the symbiote. he has no choice but to do something that only serves to reinforce what the priest was saying about him. that flash thompson is a worthless man who can’t do anything on his own.

just look at his face in the bottom right, he looks so sad and defeated. he doesn’t even hesitate to rebond with the symbiote. he just sticks his hand out with an empty look on his face, like he doesn’t care anymore, completely accepting every terrible thing that’s just been said about him. it really is torture.

Willow 2022 1x07

I am jealous of those who think more deeply, who write better, who draw better, who look better, who live better, who love better than I.

-Sylvia Plath

Murasakibara: I want ice cream...

Himuro: You can't. You have a cough.

Murasakibara: *pouts* So mean, Muro-chin.

Himuro: *closes his eyes and sighs*

Murasakibara: *eating ice cream*

Himuro: *opens his eyes* Where the fu—

A Motivational Ramble For Writers

I think most motivational speeches aren't necessarily motivational in the long run because unfortunately, they lack so many aspects of reality. Yes, of course hearing all the longggg metaphoricalllllll poems and forty different beautiful ways of phrasing 'you can do it' may be motivational for that day, maybe even the next week. Still, I don't at all think that's going to open your mind in a way that genuinely allows you to FEEL motivated.

So I'd like to maybe change that. Of course, my words are only as effective as you allow them to be, but I'm going to share narratives that have personally helped me. I'm aware everything doesn't work for everyone, but I truly hope this provides motivation.

To condense a righteous "my writing journey" monologue into a simple sentence, I've been a new author before just like every other, and yes I can definitely relate to what you go through before finding yourself—and the courage to put yourself out there.

For starters, I need you to ask yourself why you're afraid. Don't tell me you aren't, because I'm almost sure that's not true. And if I AM wrong, think back to the times you have been, and reflect on them.

The reason I say I'm almost sure that's not true… is simply that to be unmotivated, you need to have something holding you back. It's obviously not the sheer desire not to write, because if that were the case, you wouldn't be reading a writer's motivation post would you.

I think you're afraid of going against the grain. 

I think you're afraid that by going against the grain, you won't succeed in that genre.

I think you're afraid that if you do experiment with genres, you'll not gain an audience, or lose the audience you've already gained.

I'm quite aware it's not just easy to stop being afraid, but I'm going to put it bluntly. Stop being afraid. You need to plant that seed. Water it as slowly as you'd like, but plant it.

You as a new author will never in a million years get anywhere when you stick to one genre. Sure, people may shower you with compliments about your skills with it, but sometimes you need to throw away that comfort in validation, and open your mind to a bit of criticism—which in the writing world, is essential for growth. Don't tell me you aren't good at drama if you've never attempted it. Don't tell me you can't attempt it because you think you won't do well.

Did I like it when I was told my storytelling ability was not really put together to handle a romance? Absolutely not. Especially since I had WAY too much confidence at the time, because I surrounded myself in a criticism-free shelter. 

But anyway, no I didn't like that. But I'll tell you I didn't let it make me throw a piss fit and quit, I just sucked it up and moved on to the next genre, as I did with all the genres imaginable. I can now confidently say I suck at everything but psychological drama. And that's from a place of honesty, I'm at peace with that fact after…many trials and errors haha.

So in the most loving way possible, author to author, e-friend to e-friend even though we probably have never spoken… suck it up, and grow from what you had to soak in. 

Quit letting inevitable criticism get you down, and stop being afraid of possibly receiving it. Especially if you're a fresh new writer. I know it's hard to hear stuff like that, but as you haven't yet allowed yourself the time to experiment, it's important to take criticism a little more seriously than you would when you've been writing for a while. Don't let it make you put your story down, or let it give you depressive writers block.

My first-ever critic meant to be somewhat-insult was "You think you're all that because you know how to use metaphors, but this is really just a heap of just that. Metaphors. There's no story here whatsoever."

Yes, I vividly remember that because wooooo did it piss me off. But you know what? I look back and wish I could hug that person because reading my old work, that was true. But once again, I used that anger to reverse that curse. And even sometimes I find it still rings true, but I'll continue to work on it.

So authors, get angry. Get STEAMING. Get PISSED. But in the midst of that, you need to have the hunger to prevail. If you're just sitting behind your screen angry steaming and pissed, that person won for the reason they all along had. To make you quit. Yeah, sadly people get off on that. It's unfortunate that some criticism will be rude especially when people have the convenience of hiding behind a screen—but it's reality.

YOU NEED TO WIN by using that as fuel to NOT QUIT, BUT SUCCEED. Because just like me, you'll probably find that early-on criticism was almost always true. They could have worded it…nicer, but it usually rings true.

So now, I want you to remember every insult you've ever received if you can. Let it brew…let it make you want to succeed, and not quit.

Writing…is a learning process.

You never stop learning, so drop that mindset if you have it. Criticism isn't always meant to be malicious, so drop that mindset if you have it. You aren't this writer against the mean, cold world because someone pointed out imagery isn't your strong suit, drop that mindset if you have it.

People want to help more than tear down, mostly. I do, anyway. Obviously you have your trolls in any environment…but lots of people mean to help, and when you have hostility against criticism—you'll automatically take it negatively.

So anyway, I hope this has been slightly more motivational than the general YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO DRINK WATER rants.

Because one more piece of advice, that's a lie. If you aren't good at romance you just aren't, that's alright. Put your energy into the genre that you ARE good at. You can't force it. So get to experimenting, stop being afraid, you will find your niche. If your audience leaves because you're doing essential experiments, I wouldn't bat an eye over those toads. You'll find a new and solid one. It's a process.

Get to writing, I believe in you.

Graydon Hastur, Prince of Galladoorn