Am I The Girl That You Dream Of?

“I watched my teaset, my bureaus of linen, my books…”

how to outline a story:

write a bullet point list of everything that happens

realize it doesn’t make sense

cry

start writing anyway

"I actually like Kaz's hat and think it's cunty," I say into the mic.

The crowd boos. I begin to walk off in shame, when a voice speaks and commands silence from the room.

"She's right," they say. I look for the owner of the voice. There in the 3rd row stands: Inej Ghafa

Dream bedroom ~

Although they didn’t go into much detail about the crows’ past, this is something I really appreciated while watching the show. Instead of straight up telling you of Kaz’s touch aversion via flashbacks, they show you through close ups of Kaz’s face and the way he interacts with others. I wasn’t crazy about how they chose to introduce the crows, but I really liked this small detail. I think it was a lot more interesting for fans than simply skipping to a flashback (we had enough meadow scenes btw).

Shadow and Bone + subtly showing us Kaz’s touch aversion without actually mentioning it

Miss Sohee Spring 2024

It's actually kind of insane how little the rest of the Crows canonically know about Inej's past when you think about it

I know we know all of these awful, terrible details about Inej's abduction and year in the Menagerie, but I think a lot of people forget that no one else knows what she went through. She keeps her own secrets and trauma as close as she does everyone else's. Even Kaz only has "the barest inkling of what she’d endured there," and he's both someone whose actual job entailed collecting secrets from Heleen and the only one who ever actually saw Inej there.

Jesper and Nina probably know some of it (probably different parts than Kaz, who knows different parts than either of them), but there's so much about that time that Inej just. doesn't talk about. with anyone, and the only reason anyone knows about it at all is because there was literally no hiding where she came from and what happened to her

this also led me to the realization that most of our knowledge of Inej's childhood and Suli culture comes from her internal monologues, the flashbacks to her and her parents, or her time in captivity when she's being sweet-talked by Bajan and not anything she actually says out loud to anyone of her own free will

so now I'm just like….thinking about how little Inej actually says about herself to other people and how isolated that probably made her feel during her time with the Dregs

Blumarine Fall/Wint 2021

A list of (realistic) things you can do to be more environmentally friendly

(from an earth-loving horticulture student.)

— COSMETICS

Use bar soap instead of soap bottles

Use old toothbrushes for cleaning surfaces

Try exploring and researching some homemade face/body/lip products

Use ice sleeves, sunglasses, and caps instead of sunscreen (Edit: I’ve seen people say that it is safer and even necessary to wear sunscreen at all times so try to use eco friendly sunscreen instead! In my country it’s pretty uncommon to wear sunscreen often as we usually wear ice sleeves which is why I did not know this oof)

Use coffee grinds or homemade tumeric masks instead of cosmetic products with exfoliator beads

Invest in a metal ear cleanser instead of cotton buds

Try placing more importance on skincare instead of contributing to exploitative beauty companies by buying makeup

Use cosmetic products that do not contain palm oil

— CLOTHING

Try as much as possible to rewear your outfits at least twice before washing them

Actually WEAR your clothes! I know some of y’all just wear them once for your Instagram post and let it rot in your closet forever. Stop doing that!

Thrift, stitch up holes in your clothes, and use second hand clothing instead of supporting fast fashion companies like SHEIN, H&M, Zara, etc.

Cut up your old clothing into yarn and do macramè with it

Cut patches of old clothing to turn into reusable cotton pads

Learn how to knit, crochet or stitch your clothes!

If you use tampons, try menstrual cups or discs instead. If you use pads, try reusable pads or period underwear. (Trust me, it works). Also, use reusable panty liners instead of disposable ones. They may seem expensive but you will end up saving a lot more in the long run

— GARDENING

Plant seeds/cuttings in your old bottles, jars, and containers

Propagate your plants and exchange cuttings with your friends instead of buying new plants

Make your own soil mixes instead of buying soil mixes

Better yet, don’t use soil for your indoor plants and try getting into hydroponics or semihydroponics instead. This saves so much water and doesn’t contribute to mining of soil

Fertilise plants with fruit peels, coffee grinds, and tea leaves. (DO NOT use chemical fertiliser on soil)

Plant more legume plants in your garden instead of using nitrogen fertilisers. (Look up the nitrogen cycle if you need an explanation on this)

Avoid pesticides unless really needed. Try sprinkling cinnamon powder on soil or spraying neem oil on plants and soil to keep away pests.

If you have a lawn, try looking into rain gardens and consider making one

Let the (non invasive) weeds in your lawn/garden grow! They are there for a reason!

Stop killing earthworms and millipedes in your garden. This also applies to snails native to your region. They are there for a reason.

Water used to wash fruits and rice can be used to water plants

— REDUCE, REUSE

Use the caps of jars as soap holders

Use recycled paper/notebooks

Wash and dry your glass/plastic items before throwing them in the recycling bin

Keep any plastic bags for future use

Use eco friendly or reusable dish sponges

Use reusable straws and cups

Invest in a fabric cup holder

Bring a water bottle with you wherever you go

Drink more water and less sugary drinks

Bring reusable bags for buying groceries instead of using plastic ones

Always keep a folded up tote/shopping bag with you in case you spontaneously decide to buy something

— ELECTRICITY

Set a timer on your air conditioning instead of letting it run throughout the night

Better yet, use a fan instead of an air conditioner

Open your windows! Aerate your home!

Allow natural light to enter your home during the daytime, so as to avoid turning on your lights

Switch to LED lightbulbs instead of regular lightbulbs

Turn off any switches in your house when they are not in use

Collect the water from your air conditioner/dehumidifier condenser and use that to water plants, clean surfaces, steam ironing, and flushing toilets. Do not drink it though!

— INTERNET

Delete your all of your unwanted emails

Delete your inactive social media accounts

Try not to post excessively on social media and stop scrolling excessively too. This not only reduces energy usage but also improves your mental health and productivity

Try to keep to one social media app instead of having so many

Reduce your internet usage

Save your eBooks on a thumbdrive instead of on cloud

Use Ecosia instead of Google

Stop being influenced by social media trends that only just contribute to consumerism

Download music instead of streaming

Reduce online shopping

— FOOD

Reduce intake of processed foods

Reduce intake of fish, beef, and dairy

Try eating vegan or vegetarian foods at least once or twice a week

Cook your own meals instead of eating out

Bring your own food containers when taking away food from stores

Beeswax wrap instead of cling wrap!

Buy loose-leaf tea or plastic free tea bags instead of regular tea bags

Eat more mushrooms, vegetables, and fruits and drink more water

Support local farmers

And finally, educate yourself more about ecology and the environment!

Forward, but Never Forget/XOXO - Ch: 33 - Blood Game

Snippet:

"Thanks for the tip," Vi says, rising to her feet. "I'd do the same for you, if I had any fucks left to give."

"Is that right?" Sevika's eyes glow, a pair of ashed-out cigarettes. "If I were you, sweetie, I'd save my fucks for a fight I can win."

"Funny. I seem to recall kicking your ass at least once before."

"Once. With the element of surprise." The glow hardens. "Not to mention an Uppside bitch playing back-up."

"You saying you'd beat me in a fair fight?"

"In a fair fight, Vi, you'd be a smear on the floor." Sevika's eyes cut her up and down. "I've had bigger and badder than little shit-kickers like you come to heel."

"That a fact?" Vi takes a step closer. She's a good head shorter, but doesn't miss the subtle flexing of Sevika's jaw. "'Cause I've got no problem taking a run at it."

They stand face-to-face. A breath away from collision.

The sun, blood-red, crests over the Aerie.

Vi swears she glimpses her sister's silhouette against the sky.

A crow readying for flight.

Sevika's right fist dry-gulches Vi—a nasty suckerpunch straight to her ribs. The blow would've laid Vi out flat. Except her reflexes have already kicked into gear. She rolls with the punch, torquing her hips at the last minute. Her uppercut, meeting Sevika's momentum, connects her knuckles solidly with the underside of Sevika's jaw.

Sevika's head snaps back. Blood and spittle spray. A split-second later, the shocked glaze fades from her eyes, and she lets loose a war-whoop that could rattle the joists of a steel-walled battleship. Then she's coming at Vi with a haymaker that collides straight into the gut. The blow drops Vi to her knees. Arctic spiders crawl up her sides; her insides are aflame.

Her stare connects with Sevika's. The older woman shrugs, and her mouth curls. A succinct two syllable taunt—

"Square up."

—And she kicks Vi hard enough to send her skidding across the courtyard.

The rest of the recruits, their game suspended, stare in stunned silence. Ran and Dustin, locked in a rowdy clinch, fall apart. Lock, sensing a real match in the offing, sensibly retreats from the fray. Others crowd in a loose circle. The betting begins in a hushed buzz of coins passing from hand to hand.

It's one thing to have the blackguard brass at each other's throats. It's another thing entirely to bear witness to a no-holds-barred showdown between Zaun's two most formidable combatants.

One: the daughter of the Wharfside Devil. The other: the whelp of the Hound of the Underground.

A grudge-match for the ages.

AO3 - Forward, But Never Forget/XOXO

FFnet - Forward, But Never Forget (XOXO)

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