Happy Sunday!

So, apparently, June happened, and no one informed me. A few weeks ago, I looked at the calendar and realized it was the middle of June. I had thought that it was, like, June 4th or something. XD

But anyways, summer is halfway over, and with it, half the year. Kind of a depressing thought, so let’s move on from that and discuss some OTHER things!


The best thing about this month by far was that SCHOOL IS OVER. yes I am still excited about that. It’s such a relief to not worry about homework for an entire month. :D

And for the first time in months, I actually interacted with people in-person!! I met with some friends and, among other things, played some Sorry with them. (And my *cough* more competitive friends may have thrown around some threats, but it’s fine.) I also got to see some family members who I don’t see often, which was nice.

One of my favorite parts of the month was having Chick-fil-a twice in a week. That was nice. ;) we’re not going to discuss the amount of food from one Japanese restaurant I had in the same span of time


I’ve also been getting into writing letters! I’m not one of those “artsy pen-pal” people (though I wish I was XD), but it’s been fun just writing to friends who don’t live close to me. (The only problem was that I soon ran out of cool stationery and had to buy some more.)

And Masses started back up at our parish! I’m so glad we can go celebrate Mass at a physical church, instead of in a living room, watching a YouTube video without any music. :(

Star Wars. My family and I finished our rewatch of the original trilogy! It was such a burst of nostalgia to hear John Williams’ soundtracks and watch these characters again. Luke’s character arc in particular struck me as excellent (and I spent a full thirty minutes analyzing it after Return of the Jedi XD).

Also, excuse me for a rant here, but there is NO HECKING WAY the Emperor survived that fall. No. Way. He literally fell down a long shaft, into some sort of reactor, which then was exploded by Lando. Look, I can suspend my disbelief for Bucky’s resurrection in Captain America, but not for this one. *sigh*

Anyways.

I have a theory that the Emperor is just winging everything and just says this to be intimidating XD

I Love You So Mochi. This was, hands-down, one of the cutest contemporaries I’ve ever read. I really loved the Japanese setting, and the romance was adorable! Although there were a few things I wish weren’t included, I still fangirl whenever I think about this story, and I wish there was a sequel.

Fullmetal Alchemist. After finishing Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood last month, it was only logical for me to watch the original Fullmetal Alchemist TV show. It’s definitely different from Brotherhood, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing yet. But I’m really appreciating the character arc of the main character, Ed. I kinda want to write a post about it, honestly.

*wants to hug him through the screen*

Attack on Titan’s first opening song. I haven’t TECHNICALLY watched Attack on Titan yet, but I HAVE listened to Guren No Yumiya at least ten times. It’s SO EPIC, guys. (And you can bet that as soon as I finish FMA I will be watching this show. I am PUMPED.)

I would mention TwoSetViolin’s lofi being added on Spotify after a month of waiting, but I think you guys are sick of me mentioning them

Writing, you ask?

It’s going FANTASTICALLY.

I can’t say much more than that, except for that Project Chaos is going along just fine! I mean, I’ve already killed off one innocent cinnamon roll chara- I mean, *cough* all my characters are staying safe and healthy.

Also, I wrote 6000 words in one day. Don’t ask me how, because I have no clue.

Here are the posts I did this month, in case you missed them:


I took a commenting semi-hiatus due to Life Things, which is why I’ve been so late, both commenting on blogs and replying on this one. And I'm not quite caught up yet, so bear with me. I'm getting there, I promise.

Meanwhile, the blogosphere has been EXPLODING. This has been such a hectic month, but I’ll do my best to cover the highlights.

Bethany @ Scribbled Fiction gave some tips on avoiding procrastination which I desperately need. :D

Emily @ The Ones that Really Matter discussed finding peace in this crazy world. Everyone needs to read this post. <3 <3 <3

Ribbon Ash talked about some “writer’s obsessions” she has, which was fascinating! (Now I want to write a post about my own obsessions. XD)

Hanne @ Losing the Busyness started a YouTube channel! So far, she’s posted super-aesthetic journaling and pen-palling videos, and if you’re into that, I highly recommend checking it out!

Megan @ The Pen and the Cross posted about the Catholic liturgy, and if you’re going to write Catholic characters or just want to know more about the faith, I suggest you head over there! (She’s also organizing a Catholic Liturgy Week with Samantha, which is going to be EPIC.)

And let’s not even mention the fact that some more bloggers are publishing this year!!! Lia’s poetry collection and Sarah and Julian’s pirate novel are just a few.

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Things seem to be looking up for 2020, with all those releases. July is also going to bring some awesome things, like the Hamilfilm on Disney+! *shrieks forever*

Everything is changing again, hopefully for the better. But don’t forget to stop and take a deep breath. Because if July goes by as quickly as June, you might miss it if you blink. ;)

-Nicole <3

Happy Sunday!

Welcome back to another episode of Nicole Does Yet Another Dead Tag And Hopes It’s Entertaining. XD Today’s feature is the Fictional Vacation/Would You Rather tag, which I was tagged for by Melody. :D

Since it’s the middle of summer and vacation plans are going strong, why not consider some fictional locations? ;) There’s less travel time involved, although these places are a little less immersive and don’t have photo ops.

Oh well, it’ll probably be worth it. XD

The Rules:

Include the graphic Madeline made. Check! (Also, I had no idea Madeline made this tag! :D)

Answer the questions. We’re getting there. . . .

Tag some other people if you feel so inclined. I. Love. This. Rule.

Okay, let’s do this thing.

WOULD YOU RATHER . . .

*sigh* we’re starting off with probably the hardest question of the entire tag. Go figure. XD

Honestly, I’d rather go to Hogwarts. I have nothing against Camp Half-Blood, but I’m physically weak, and I’d probably die after a day at Camp. Hogwarts, however, is very academics-based, not so much physically-based, and I’d have a lot more fun.

Also. Hogwarts has a library. That alone has me sold.



Never mind, THIS is the hardest question.

If you’re going to make me pick, I’d say Middle-earth. Yes, I would probably die early on, but at least I would die happy in one of my favorite fictional universes of all time.

Narnia would definitely be a lot safer, and it would satisfy the whimsical part of my soul! However, I think I’d do a horrible job as queen of Narnia, due to my indecisive nature. XD And to be honest, I don’t have that nostalgic connection to Narnia that most people have.

So don’t mind me as I just live out my after-questing days in the Shire. XD assuming I survive



If the Mad Hatter is the Sebastian Stan version, then MAD HATTER ALL THE WAY. XD Despite the fact that I’ve never seen Once Upon a Time, if Sebastian Stan plays him, I’m sure it’s an excellent character. ;)

If it’s anyone else’s adaptation of the Mad Hatter, than I’d much rather go to Neverland, please and thank you. Flying with Peter sounds really fun, and Neverland in general is such a cool place. :D

(I’d probably throw up while flying, but that is beside the point.)



Um. Neither???? XD

I’ve seen a few Jumanji movies, and not even the video game concept would be enough to drag me into that world. *has traumatic flashbacks to the original movie*

I think I’d be less likely to die at a party in Panem, so I’d rather go there. Plus, I’m assuming the party will have food. If all else fails, I’ll just stay in the corner by the food and refuse to talk to anyone. XD



DID SOMEONE MENTION CHOCOLATE?????? *raids the factory*

Yes, the food in that factory probably has bad consequences. BUT if I just stick to the legit chocolate that is sold to the general public, I should be fine. ;)

Yes, I really did just pick the creepy dude’s factory over a perfectly sweet outing in the woods because of chocolate.



So . . . I haven’t seen either of these movies.

*crickets*

I’ll just pick Atlantis, because (a) underwater cities are always cool, and (b) it could be the Atlantis of KOTLC, in which case I am SOLD.

Also, gold-hunting is really not my thing. I can barely find the notebook I put down ten seconds ago - how do you expect me to find gold???



NOT OZ. NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE. As much as I love Wicked, I HATE THAT WORLD. SO MUCH.

Even though I haven’t seen Merlin (though it’s on my list!), I think Camelot would be a really cool place to visit! It sounds really magical, and there are knights, and I’ve always loved the stories of King Arthur. :D



Ummmm, from what I remember of Inkworld, I don’t think I’d want to go to that world. Sorry. XD

Fantastica is from the Neverending Story, right? Isn’t there a cool dragon who guides the main character? Somebody please confirm this. I’ll go with Fantastica, based on that very limited knowledge. ;)

THE TAGGED:

So technically this wasn’t required BUT I still think Christine and Samantha should do this tag! And if you want to steal it, go right ahead - I haven’t seen too many people do it, and I want to know where your next fictional destination will be!

Of course, we all know that I’d go to the world of ATLA if given the chance, but shhhhh

-Nicole <3

Happy Sunday!

Today, I’m bringing the analysis of Your Lie in April that nobody asked for, but I kept promising anyways. XD I struggled for a looooong time on what to discuss - there’s a lot I could talk about, from Kousei’s internal conflict (which I LOVE) to the *cough* ending *cough*.

But all of those are either depressing or way too spoiler-y. look, if someone says this anime is happy, they are lying to you

And I want to discuss something I sometimes see in a character tropes or archetypes list: the manic pixie dream girl.


First and foremost, what is a manic pixie dream girl?

Basically, a manic pixie dream girl (can we just call it MPDG for the rest of this post?) is a character who exists solely to open up the eyes of a man. All their personality traits center around this one mission, and this is their only purpose in the story. They’re usually “quirky” and full of energy and life.

(I would give some examples, but I looked some up and I didn’t know any of them, so . . . yeah. XD Although I suppose that in a way, Glinda from Wicked is kind of a MPDG???)

The man who coined the term, Nathan Rabin, described it as existing “solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.” Source

I think you can probably see why people don’t like this character trope. Characters that exist solely for the main character’s benefit, with no motivation or desires of their own, don’t feel real, and they come across as annoying or stupid.

But I’m going to make a case FOR the MPDG - I think that, like most tropes, if you do it correctly, it can make for a really interesting character. XD

In short: I think to have a successful MPDG-type character, you have to make them just like any other character. Give them their own desires, fears, misbeliefs, motivations, and personality beyond “helping the male protagonist.”

I’m sure that was a mind-blowing concept to everyone. XD

And I think Kaori Mizayono is a perfect example of a MPDG done right.

(In case you haven’t seen the show, here’s a warning of MAJOR SPOILERS for THE FINAL EPISODE. If you have ANY intentions of watching the show, you need to click off now. Thank you for reading! <3)

...

...

...

...

All right, I know you haven’t finished the show, but you are very brave to continue on. I’m not holding anything back.

Here we go.


At first glance, Kaori seems like a typical MPDG. She’s quirky in nearly every sense of the word. She does strange things to live life to the fullest, and she DEFINITELY shoves our main character Kousei out of his monochrome world. Some examples:

• Jumping off a bridge because she wanted to try it and convincing Kousei to follow her (the bridge wasn’t too high up, don’t worry)
• Setting off fireworks on top of the school (??? I think it was on top of the school, anyways???)
• Pestering Kousei to be her accompanist for days, which involved taping sheet music on his locker, piano, textbooks, and every other available surface
• Chasing after a cat for the first minute or so of the show

Happy Sunday!


You know, I really don’t think I have to explain the current state of America and social media right now. You know what’s going on. You’ve seen the links and lists of ways to help.

And if you’re like me, this has all been really overwhelming. So much is happening so fast.

But I think that, in this rush to do everything possible to support our black brothers and sisters, we’re forgetting one of the most important things to do to enact change.

Pray.

As a Catholic, I firmly believe that prayer can change hearts and lives. It’s a direct plea to our God and Father, asking Him to help right wrongs and heal brokenness. It allows us to grow in our relationship with Him. And I do believe that He listens and answers every single one of them, even if it’s not in the way we expect.

This year, we have more things to pray for than ever - especially right now.

Yet whenever I see people discuss the protests and #blacklivesmatter movement, and they spell out ways we can all help, prayer is never one of them.

I’m not saying that the steps they give are irrelevant - far from it! Actively taking steps against racism through speaking out and supporting others is fantastic.

But at the end of the day, there’s only so much we as humans can do. It’s a sad truth that sin IS in the world, and it will be until the end of the world.

There’s also a Savior who died for our sins against the dignity of human life, and he IS listening.

So please. No matter what else you do, pray.

Pray for an end to racism.
Pray for an end to senseless violence.
Pray for the day when everyone, regardless of race, can stand side-by-side and not feel afraid of discrimination.
And pray for all of us, that we can work hard to recognize the value of each and every unique human life.

Lord, please, heal our nation, and heal our world.

-Nicole <3

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