Happy Sunday!

And for once, this Happenings post is ACTUALLY on the very last day of the month. Thank you, 2020, for letting the stars align this one time. XD

I feel like everything and nothing has happened this month, which leaves me very confused. BUT! I have MOTIVATION now! And people are watching Avatar: the Last Airbender which just makes me VERY HAPPY! And my chocolate supply has been replenished! Editing Nicole here: that supply did not last long XD

So maybe this month wasn’t too bad after all. ;)


The biggest news is: MY SCHOOL YEAR IS OVER. HALLELUJAH. *chucks confetti*

My procrastinating self panicked during the last few weeks because there were so many assignments and tests, but it all turned out fine. I’m pretty sure I passed all my exams, and I am officially on summer break! (Well, if you can call this summer. Right now the weather keeps fluctuating between hot and cold and I would very much like it to decide which one it will be.)

I’ve been off school for about two weeks now, and let me tell you, I haven’t felt this motivated to get stuff done in a longggggg time. I’ve even been able to wake up at five AM sometimes, which is SHOCKING.

My days have been filled with a lot of YouTube, but also a lot of cleaning. Because, for some reason, I thought it was a good idea to start cleaning out my entire room the minute school finished. So far it hasn’t been that bad, although I haven’t started the closet yet (we don’t talk about the closet).


Avatar: the Last Airbender. I haven’t actually watched any episodes this month. BUT. It’s now on Netflix, and two of my friends are watching it, and I’m just reliving all the good scenes and memories. :D If any of you guys are watching it, MESSAGE ME, and I will happily flail about it for hours. XD

My Hero Academia. I FINISHED SEASON FOUR. FINALLY. It officially killed me sixteen times and I need season five NOW. I already want to write a post about this TV show . . . maybe sometime this summer. :D Anyways, it still remains one of the most motivational and impactful TV shows I’ve ever watched. also I have gotten into the Villain Deku side of the fandom. someone help me

actual footage of me watching this show

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Okay. Guys. This show is so good. My life has officially been consumed by this show.

Being perfectly honest, it's VERY weird, and some episodes are a little . . . um, dark, so I'm not quite sure I can recommend it.

But. This show is one of the rare occasions where the main character is my favorite character. *mind blown* THIS NEVER HAPPENS. MAIN CHARACTERS ARE USUALLY JUST "EH" FOR ME. But Edward Elric is one of the most amazing characters ever, and the relationship he has with his brother is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

And I finished the last few episodes two days ago and was emotionally destroyed in every way. So I guess if you can get past episode four, you should watch it. ???? I am very conflicted okay

look, if you want content ratings, just message me XD

ED MY BOY

Sorcery of Thorns. Not gonna lie, I got MAJOR Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood vibes from this book. no, I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing I will fully admit that the main reason I like this book is because of Nathaniel. He deserved more page time - I LIVED for his sass. I even reread the book just to relive some of the sassiest moments. XD

Star Wars. It was Star Wars month, so of course I had to start rewatching these movies! After rewatching the prequels, I've come to the conclusion that they really aren't as bad as everyone says they are (although Older Anakin's acting is . . . not great XD). And Rogue One is emotionally devastating as per usual. ;)

let's be honest, if Qui-Gon had actually said this it would have been EPIC

I haven't been writing as much as usual, though I have managed to write every day somehow! But I've started writing the first draft of Project Chaos, and it's going . . . okay? I'm not far along on it, but it's going decently. XD Hopefully there'll be a more interesting update soon - I guess we'll see how June goes. :)

Here are the posts I did this month:


Meanwhile, around the blogosphere . . .

Lisa has been giving us some FANTASTIC posts, but my favorite one of hers this month was her recap of this crazy writing week in which she took part.

Katie Hanna did a whole series on personality tests, including this one on how to apply them to your characters.

Sarah shared some Marvel quotes her NaNo cabin used in context to writing, which was GOLDEN. :D

And over on The Diamond Village, Ash gave some great reasons to start journaling and offered some amazing tips!

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This month was a bit slower for me in terms of writing blog posts, but I promise, June is gonna be great. Also, it's summer vacation, so thank goodness for warmer weather!

I hope you all have a fantastic June, and I'll talk to you in the comments!

-Nicole <3

How was your month? Who has seen Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood?

Happy Sunday!

Today, I have very exciting news: my amazing blogger friend Brooke is RELEASING HER DEBUT NOVEL!!! AAAHHHH!!!

I don’t even know how long I’ve been waiting for this book, but it feels like forever, and now that it’s out, I am just so excited!




As an ARC reader, I can confirm that this book is worth the hype. It’s not the hopeless dystopian I’ve come to expect from the genre. While it can be very dark, it’s also full of hope, and that’s at the heart of the story.

I’m not going to post my full review here, but I’d say you’ll like this book if you enjoy:

• Betrayal
• Best-friends-to-lovers (possibly?)
• Contemporaries
• Dystopians
• An EXCELLENT male lead
• A perfectly conflicted broken male antagonist (#favoritecharacter)
• Intense endings

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinking. “So Nicole had time to type out this blog post, but not one of substance?”

And you’d be absolutely correct. It’s very sacrilegious of me, I know, but I figured this was better than having nothing show up in your feed. And I was just feeling really tired today (this is Saturday, by the way). This is what you’re getting XD I am so sorry

So instead of an actual blog post, here are some things you could do instead of finishing this mess of a draft:

- Watch TwoSetViolin
- Go for a walk
- If it’s raining, stand outside and get soaked
- Become a Jedi, like my father before - wait a second
- Read
- Do that thing you’re procrastinating on
- Further procrastinate
- Journal
- Watch journaling videos
- Watch Avatar: the Last Airbender
- Search through my blog’s archives
- Stare aimlessly at the screen
- Observe nature
- Take a nap
- Pull an all-nighter
- Start a new book
- Adopt a kitten
- PRACTICE
- have I mentioned TwoSetViolin yet?
- enjoy your Sunday <3

-Nicole <3

PS - next week something exciting is coming to the blog, and I can’t wait to share it with you!! :D

Happy Sunday!

I'm not sure if you knew this or not, but spring is my favorite season of the year. The trees are growing their leaves back, the sun has been shining more, and I can finally go outside without shivering.

This is a little bit of a random post, but sometime last week I thought, "Hm, what are some characters that have a spring vibe/aesthetic?"

And here we are. XD


Ultimately, for me, spring is about hope and laughter and new life. And to me, these characters really reflect those aspects, either in their personality or appearance.

there will be 0 spoilers for all of these. also, none of these pictures are mine - all credit to the original owners, and some links will be provided. :)

Kaori Miyazono

"You exist inside spring."

I will freely admit it - Kaori is 100% the inspiration behind this post. This girl is full of life and energy and hope, always smiling and peppy. Her conversations with Kousei usually leave me feeling happy. we don't talk about the other conversations okay

Plus, the aesthetic for the first few episodes of Your Lie in April is GORGEOUS. Spring in Japan looks so beautiful: cherry blossom petals are in most shots, and landscape scenes are full of colors. <3 <3

(also, this is your warning to watch Your Lie in April, because I’m planning a spoiler-y analytical post for June, and you do NOT want this show spoiled for you XD)

Aslan

"When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again."

Aslan is another character that is very interconnected to spring. His arrival in Narnia literally brings an end to the seemingly-endless winter that plagues the land. He’s even got a prophecy talking about it!

Not only does he physically bring spring to Narnia, but he also brings life and hope to many of its inhabitants, either by giving them motivation to fight back against the Queen or freeing them from the spell that turned them to stone. Reading about him always gives me images of budding trees and cloudless skies. :D

Lucy Pevensie

"But as for Lucy, she was always gay and golden-haired, and all the princes in those parts desired her to be their Queen . . ."

The hopefulness of spring really shows in Lucy's personality. There's a scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that always comes back to me when I think of her. Spring is finally returning to Narnia, and Peter, Susan, and Lucy are walking through some gorgeous scenery. At one point, pink petals blow past Lucy, and she grins in amazement as the petals form the shape of a girl.

To me, that really sums up Lucy: a girl full of hope and wonder. It's no wonder that she's drawn to Aslan, and it's no wonder that she stayed "gay and golden-haired." Throughout the books, she never truly loses her childhood innocence and joy. <3

Kelsier

“I am the one thing you can never kill. I am Hope.”

why does that line still break me

Kelsier is the odd one out in his world of ash and tyranny. The Lord Ruler (aka The Big Bad Guy) has reigned for like a thousand years and enslaved the general population. Most people are depressed and just trying to make the best of things.

And then there’s Kelsier, who smiles to remind himself that the Lord Ruler hasn’t broken him yet. Who gathers people together with visions of a better life, one without a tyrant heading over them. Who is literally the symbol of hope, and who brings it to hundreds of people.

Spring may not be shown in this series, but if there’s anyone who has the spirit of spring, it’s this man. <3

link to original source

Fin

*couldn't find a quote. sorry, Brooke XD*

Fin, is, hands-down, the ray of sunshine in the Blood Race series. He's such a voice of encouragement and hope to literally everyone, even when he's having trouble seeing the light himself. It's no wonder that he's considered the cinnamon roll. XD

Also, book three features some AMAZING Irish wooded imagery that just screams spring and summer. These woods are a drastic contrast to the dark dystopian world in which the rest of the book is set.

Pippin Took

"We may stand, if only on one leg, or at least be left still upon our knees."

PIPPIN MY BOY. AMAZING CHARACTER. LOVE HIM.

Sorry, just getting that out of the way.

Pippin Took is a character that wildly contrasts with almost every other character in LOTR. While most people are Very Serious About the Fellowship's Mission and Destroying the Ring, Pippin is just . . . there? He only knows what is happening 50% of the time, and the other 50% is spent panicking or getting yelled at.

And yet, Pippin brings something to the Fellowship that they wouldn't have had before. Smiles. Laughter. And someone to yell at. XD And it's Pippen who brings hope to the men of Gondor and to Gandalf when the final battle approaches. 

Give this man a pint.

Samwise Gamgee

"It's only a passing thing, this shadow."

And this is the Most Hopeful Character of the Entire Lord of the Rings Series. Yes, Pippin has that spontaneous personality, but Sam is the one that truly never loses hope, not when he's faced with the fires of Mount Doom itself, not when Frodo is captured, not even when Frodo takes the Ring for himself.

(And he also has the Most Hopeful Speech of All Time, which I want to memorize one day because it's so powerful.)

Not only does Sam persist in the face of almost certain failure, but he also pushes Frodo to keep going. Towards the end of The Return of the King, he asks Frodo if he remembers the Shire in an effort to motivate Frodo. And the Ring-bearer even says, "Frodo wouldn't have made it this far without Sam." Sam encompasses a springtime hope, one that never fades and lasts long after the last leaves have fallen.

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If you’ve got any characters that remind you of springtime, by all means leave them down in the comments! I love talking about fictional characters (could you tell? XD).

(Also, happy early Star Wars day! I was going to write a post about Star Wars, but you can read my letter to the franchise here. XD)

-Nicole <3