Just your average dork

me: “sees happy couple on my dash”

me: 

Instead of doing important things, I drew fanart……………………….feels like high school all over again

I’ve told this story in my previous post and I will tell it again.

Imagine

In a world where memes are illegal, Reigen braves the streets as a meme dealer, raking a fortune from hundreds of 9 year olds who are hungry for the latest memes.

Connor, a special android designed by Cyberlife, is assigned to investigate about the rising rate of deviancy within androids.

Connor finds a clue in memes. He captures Reigen to question him because surely a meme dealer is an expert in memes.

Instead of providing any explanation that may connect memes and deviants, Reigen says a curious thing.

“Pewdiepie will save us.”

Who is Pewdiepie? Where can he find him? And why is Connor becoming more and more interested in memes? Will continuous exposure to memes cause Connor to become a deviant himself? SO MEMES ARE THE ANSWER.

Connor reports this to Amanda and the law enforcement against memes were 1000x strengthened.

felix unironically loving and having the best fecking time playing minecraft

I will also say that I have read this several times now and it still makes me  cry.

“True story: His Name is Robert Downey Jr.” by Dana Reinhardt

I’m willing to go out on a limb here and guess that most stories of kindness do not begin with drug addicted celebrity bad boys.

    Mine does.

    His name is Robert Downey Jr.

    You’ve probably heard of him. You may or may not be a fan, but I am, and I was in the early 90’s when this story takes place.

    It was at a garden party for the ACLU of Southern California. My stepmother was the executive director, which is why I was in attendance without having to pay the $150 fee. It’s not that I don’t support the ACLU, it’s that I was barely twenty and had no money to speak of.

    I was escorting my grandmother. There isn’t enough room in this essay to explain to you everything she was, I would need volumes, so for the sake of brevity I will tell you that she was beautiful even in her eighties, vain as the day is long, and whip smart, though her particular sort of intelligence did not encompass recognizing young celebrities.

    I pointed out Robert Downey Jr. to her when he arrived, in a gorgeous cream-colored linen suit, with Sarah Jessica Parker on his arm. My grandmother shrugged, far more interested in piling her paper plate with various unidentifiable cheeses cut into cubes. He wasn’t Carey Grant or Gregory Peck. What did she care?

    The afternoon’s main honoree was Ron Kovic, whose story of his time in the Vietnam War that had left him confined to a wheelchair had recently been immortalized in the Oliver Stone film Born on the Fourth of July.

    I mention the wheelchair because it played an unwitting role in what happened next.

    We made our way to our folding chairs in the garden with our paper plates and cubed cheeses and we watched my stepmother give one of her eloquent speeches and a plea for donations, and there must have been a few other people who spoke but I can’t remember who, and then Ron Kovic took the podium, and he was mesmerizing, and when it was all over we stood up to leave, and my grandmother tripped.

    We’d been sitting in the front row (nepotism has its privileges) and when she tripped she fell smack into the wheelchair ramp that provided Ron Kovic with access to the stage. I didn’t know that wheelchair ramps have sharp edges, but they do, at least this one did, and it sliced her shin right open.

    The volume of blood was staggering.

    I’d like to be able to tell you that I raced into action; that I quickly took control of the situation, tending to my grandmother and calling for the ambulance that was so obviously needed, but I didn’t. I sat down and put my head between my knees because I thought I was going to faint. Did I mention the blood?

    Luckily, somebody did take control of the situation, and that person was Robert Downey Jr.

    He ordered someone to call an ambulance. Another to bring a glass of water. Another to fetch a blanket. He took off his gorgeous linen jacket and he rolled up his sleeves and he grabbed hold of my grandmother’s leg, and then he took that jacket that I’d assumed he’d taken off only to it keep out of the way, and he tied it around her wound. I watched the cream colored linen turn scarlet with her blood.

    He told her not to worry. He told her it would be alright. He knew, instinctively, how to speak to her, how to distract her, how to play to her vanity. He held onto her calf and he whistled. He told her how stunning her legs were.

    She said to him, to my humiliation: “My granddaughter tells me you’re a famous actor but I’ve never heard of you.”

    He stayed with her until the ambulance came and then he walked alongside the stretcher holding her hand and telling her she was breaking his heart by leaving the party so early, just as they were getting to know each other. He waved to her as they closed the doors. “Don’t forget to call me, Silvia,” he said. “We’ll do lunch.”

    He was a movie star, after all.

    Believe it or not, I hurried into the ambulance without saying a word. I was too embarrassed and too shy to thank him.

    We all have things we wish we’d said. Moments we’d like to return to and do differently. Rarely do we get that chance to make up for those times that words failed us. But I did. Many years later.

    I should mention here that when Robert Downey Jr. was in prison for being a drug addict (which strikes me as absurd and cruel, but that’s the topic for a different essay), I thought of writing to him. Of reminding him of that day when he was humanity personified. When he was the best of what we each can be. When he was the kindest of strangers.

    But I didn’t.

    Some fifteen years after that garden party, ten years after my grandmother had died and five since he’d been released from prison, I saw him in a restaurant.

    I grew up in Los Angeles where celebrity sightings are commonplace and where I was raised to respect people’s privacy and never bother someone while they’re out having a meal, but on this day I decided to abandon the code of the native Angeleno, and my own shyness, and I approached his table.

    I said to him, “I don’t have any idea if you remember this…” and I told him the story.

    He remembered.

    “I just wanted to thank you,” I said. “And I wanted to tell you that it was simply the kindest act I’ve ever witnessed.”

Markus and Simon tell her they are dating, she basically crushes them in a hug, tells them she will break everybody who will try and interfere with their love.

Connor tells her that Hank has adopted him as a son, North breaks into Hank’s house while Connor is away, making sure this human is trusthworthy.

Is… Is this THE AU? The Coffee Shop!AU? Have we reached this point?

Oh my God we have been blessed by the AU gods. It is happening. It is finally happening.

Folks, The Coffee Shop!AU has arrived.

Because now I’m having ideas, maybe it’s your typical coffee shop, maybe it’s a family business from her parents or herself where she started the coffee shop/bakery inspired by those back home. All kinds of bread, styles, for all your needs, all the bread culture from back Spain and France. The coffee, teas, that experience of coming into a place and feeling like you have come home… 

Warm, cozy, familiar.

And the RK boys are mesmerized by such a place. They access their databases and compare to other places like this, but they feel something deep in their code that makes them feel safe. Which seems stupid, but they cannot deny it.

The food is excellent (both Hank and Gavin complimented the pastries and sandwiches they brought back), the coffee makes Gavin less cranky and Hank hums delighted. The RKs use that as an excuse to go back everyday, but in truth it’s her smile (that makes their thirium pump beat irregularly) and cheery greetings (that makes their ‘blush program’ malfunction so bad it shows blue) that made both Connor and Richard agree to come back and see her as much as possible.

One day she gets curious. Everyday customers, same orders… inevitably some small talk happens and she learns they are actual police detectives. The famous RK units! The deviant hunter who helped turn the tide in the android revolution! And the newer model, the perfect hunter, who decided to help his own kind instead of delivering them to be slaughtered!

They keep this little routine. It’s not long, they always try to make excuses to talk to her and gain some precious minutes, but it’s something they look up to. Connor smiles often to himself, replaying some of his favorite moments (when she was singing along some tune she had on and didn’t notice them coming in, when she looked at him in the eyes, when she smiled, when she teased him, when she–)

“–Nor. Connor! Connor!” 

Hanks voice makes him stop the memory right in the middle of her bending to get something from the lower shelves. He’s snapping his fingers in front of him.

“Yes, Lieutenant? How may I be of service?”

“Oh, this is bad. You reverting to Mr.Formal is bad.” 

“All my biocomponents are functioning correctly,” Connor was confused. He was okay? Why has the Lieutenant concerned?

“Richard! Come here, please!” the RK900 unit in question stood up and walked over them, following Hank’s call. “Is he alright? He’s acting… weird. Did something happen? Do I need to take him somewhere?”

Richard looked at his predecessor with an eyebrow raised. Connor could fool Hank with his poker face, but Richard could see every tell of his. He smirked, knowing why he was daydreaming instead of working.

“I think you should ask that to the girl on the coffee shop two blocks away from here.” He saw Connor’s mouth twitch and eyes narrow.

“Oh? That place with the good coffee?” Hank crossed his arms, delightfully surprised. “And a girl, Connor?”

“It’s not what it–”

“She must be real pretty to make your robot brain fry.” Hank’s grin made Connor squirm on his seat, noticing the heat on his cheeks increasing. That was such a low blow from Richard, the bastard, when he–

“Shouldn’t you do the same for yourself, Richard? After all, I’m not the one who hit themselves against the door on the way out.” Connor crossed his arms, looking defiantly at his successor.

RK900, the most advanced prototype ever created, sputtered.

“I did not hit–”

“Yes you did. Do you need me to replay the footage?”

“That will not be necessary, RK800.″

Voice in writing is extremely important and can make or break your story as a whole. It’s imperative that you pay attention to how readers interpret your writing voice because loving the author’s storytelling style can sometimes be just as important as the story itself. Here are some tips to remember and some general rules to follow in order to make sure your writing voice is enjoyable to listen to for your audience.

General Introduction & Some Things To Note

Voice is an audience’s ability to read something and know you wrote it. It’s essentially your fingerprint on your work.

The syntax is how an author chooses to order words in a sentence and can play a large role in conveying your voice.

Voice does not have to be yours alone, but more on that later.

How To Develop Your Voice

Rule 1: Write Naturally

Use voice as a tool, but don’t let it control you. Don’t try to force voice into your writing. Forcing voice can make it sound awkward and push the reader away. 

Rule 2: Always Write For Clarity First

Be as clear as possible. Don’t embellish or use fancy words if unnecessary. If writing poetry, however, do the exact opposite.

Rule 3: Don’t Deviate Too Much From The Rules Of Writing

Doing this can alienate your readers. If you break the everyday rules too much and deviate from the technical conventions of writing, your readers may get distracted or lose track of what you’re trying to convey and what’s going on in the story as a whole.

Writing In Somebody Else’s Voice

A lot of authors choose to write stories from the point of view of a character in their story. Authors may also choose to write in a format that requires their voice to be that of someone who may be completely different than them. Being able to recognize small details that form a voice in your readers’ heads is very important, whether you’re telling them the story as yourself or through the eyes of another. Here are some tips on developing a voice that matches the point of view you are telling the story from:

Word Choice ~ Use words and phrases that are true to the character’s personality. If your character is a 21st-century teenager talking about some guy they’re “totally obsessed” with and want to “Netflix and Chill” with, then they probably won’t describe him as a “harrowing barbarian with golden flowing locks and a stone cold thirst for vengeance”. 

Observation ~ Be careful when describing what your narrator observes throughout the story. If your narrator is supposed to be somewhat oblivious or gullible, they won’t notice the incredibly subtle mannerisms in everyone around them in order to conveniently draw conclusions and convey every piece of information the reader needs to predict the ending of the story.

Focus ~ Be mindful of what your narrator focuses on when describing a situation or the people around them. If your narrator chooses to point out that a character they don’t like happens to have the latest Rolex, this will hint at the reader that the character has a distaste for those with lots of wealth and therefore is somewhat of the opposite of the person they dislike. The things a person focuses on can tell you a lot about who they are and what they think of the world, and that is a massive deal when it comes to voice.

Descriptions ~ How your character describes the situations and minute details is important. Whether they say “shuddered” instead of “shook” or “steamed” instead of “angry” plays a large part in the reader getting to know your narrator.

So after seeing someone asking about a Detroit: Become Human map to use for fanfiction, and because I like spending 5 hours making things, I made a locations google map for DBH! 

Click here for the full Detroit: Become Human map with legend!

More info on the map and it’s contents:

Found Here x

41 Emotions as Expressed through Body Language unique  This list, while exhausting, is soooo not exhaustive; it barely scratches the surface. And each entry could easily become cliché (if it isn’t already). But, it should be enough to get you started. Want more? Start watching people (not in a creepy way), and take notes of what they seem to do when expressing different emotions. Your repertoire of expression will double in no time. PS—do not use these for actual, real-life body language reading; you will fail. These are strictly novelistic.

Awed  -Slack -jawed, raised eyebrows, staring  -Frozen, slack body language (Self? What self? There is only Zuul.)  -Take a step back and put a hand to his heart

Amused  -Smiling and throwing back her head laughing  -Slapping her thighs, stamping her feet, clapping her hands  -Shaking her head (That’s so wrong!)

Angry/Aggressive  -Sharp movements, like shaking a fist, pointing, slashing, or slamming a fist on a table  -Flushed face, patchy red blotches  -Tension in neck—chords standing out, veins throbbing—and jutting or tucked chin  -Arms akimbo, or clenching fists  -Entering someone else’s space and forcing them out  -Poofing up with a wide stance (I am big! Very big!), arms wide (Bring it!)  -Lowered eyebrows, squinting eyes  -Teeth bared, jaw clenched, snarling

Annoyed  -Pressing lips together into a thin line  -Narrowing eyes sometimes with slight head tilt (Why do you still exist?)  -Rolling eyes, often paired with a long-suffering sigh

Anxious  -Fidgeting, such as tearing grass into little pieces, playing with a ring, or chewing on a pencil  -Biting lower lip, swallowing unnecessarily  -Quickened breathing or holding breath  -Darting eyes  -Pallor, sweating, clammy palms  -Unusually high-pitched, “nervous” laughter  -Hunched shoulders  -Pacing

Attentive  -Slow head nodding with a furrowed brow  -Leaning forward, toward the speaker, and sitting up  -Taking notes  -Looking over the top of her glasses

Bored  -Resting his head on his palm, peeking out between the fingers, maybe even slipping so his head “accidentally” hits the table  -Tapping toes, twirling pencil, doodling, and otherwise fidgeting  -Staring out a window, or at anything remotely more interesting (Which is everything …)

Confident  -Arms clasped behind body  -Head lifted, chest out, standing tall  -Walking briskly and making firm, precise movements

Confused  -Tilting head with narrowed eyes  -A furrowed brow  -Shrugging

Contempt/Superiority  -Lifted chin (The better to look down the nose.)  -Pursed lips, sneering, slight frown  -Circling a shoulder, stretching her neck, turning away—anything to indicate she doesn’t see the person as a threat or worthy of her attention  -Grabbing her lapels, or tucking her thumbs in her waistcoat (See this clothing? It is much nicer than yours.)  -Dismissive hand-waving

Cynical/Sarcastic/Bitter  -Twisted lips or a half-smile  -Sneering, sometimes with shaking the head and other defensive body language  -Pressed lips with a slight frown  -Eye rolling

Defensive  -Crossed arms, legs, crossed anything, really (Well, maybe not fingers … or eyes …)  -Arms out, palms forward (Stop!)  -Placing anything (sword, shield, book, backpack) in front of her body

Disgusted  -Crinkling his nose  -Curling his lip and/or showing the tip of his tongue briefly  -Flinching back and interposing a shoulder or turning away  -Covering his nose, gagging, and squinting his eyes shut—hard—for a moment. (It assaults all the senses.)

Displeased  -A plastered-on fake smile (You suck; but I can’t tell you that. So here: a fake smile! Enjoy.)  -Pouting or frowning (I’ll cry if you don’t give me what I want—don’t test me, I will!)  -Crossed arms and other defensive/frustrated body language (I will not let that terrible idea influence me!)

Distressed  -Wide eyes and shallow, rapid breathing  -Beating the walls, or huddling into a corner  -Clasping hands over his head protectively  -Rocking himself  -Handwringing  -Running his hands through his hair

Earnest/Passionate  -Leaning forward, nodding, wide eyes with strong eye contact and raised eyebrows  -Hand on heart, or presented palms-up, or otherwise visible  -A double-handed handshake (I really want to make sure you understand me!)

Embarrassment  -Blushing  -Stammering  -Covering her face with her hands or bowing her head (I’m so embarrassed, I can’t look!)  -Difficulty maintaining eye contact, looking down and away

Excited/Anticipation  -Rubbing hands together (I can’t wait to get my hands on it!)  -Licking lips (It’s so close I can taste it!)  -A vigorous, pumping handshake (I can’t wait to get started!)  -Jumping up and down (Look at me being literal here! I am jumping for joy.)  -A wide and easy grin

Flirty  -Eye play, like winking, looking up through the lashes, over the shoulder glances, and eye catching   -Preening, like hair flipping or smooth, clothing straightening, spine straightening, etc.  -Striking a cowboy pose, with his thumbs gripping his belt tight

Frustrated  -Shaking his head (You are so wrong!)  -Massaging temples (My brain—it hurts.)  -Clasping his wrist in his opposite hand, behind his back (Bad arm! No biscuit.)  -Running his hands through his hair (All this frustration is making my hair mussy. I can feel it.)  -Grabbing onto something like armrests, or white-knuckled interdigitation (Restrain yourself!)

Happy  -Smiling and laughing  -Eyes and nose crinkling  -Swinging her arms, spinning loosely, dancing, jumping

Impatience  -Quick head nodding (Get on with it!)  -Toe/finger tapping (Hear this? These are seconds. Wasted. Listening to you.)  -Sighing, checking the clock/sundial/freckles (Time. It is moving so slowly.)

Jealous  -Tight lips, or a sour expression  -Narrow eyes locked on the perpetrator, to the point of a stare down  -Crossed arms, and additional frustrated, angry, possessive, or bitter body language

Lying  -Scratching their nose, ear, neck, miscellaneous part of face  -Sudden change in behavior or demeanor, including shifty eye contact, lots of long blinking, shrugging -Ill-timed smiles or laughter (This is how I normally smile, right? Right???)  -Additional anxiety body language  -Shaking head no while saying “yes” (I can’t believe I just lied.)  -Licking lips, covering mouth, touching mouth, etc.

Overwhelmed  -Both palms to forehead, fingers splayed (This gives me a headache.)  -Covering eyes with one hand (If I can’t see the world, it can’t see me …)  -Eyes wide and staring into space, hands gripping the table in front of her (… Woah.)

Playful/Friendly  -Winking  -Waggling eyebrows  -Tiny shoves or nudge

Pleasure  -Head tilted back, lips parted slightly, eyes wide or closed  -Slow, languorous movements, stretching (such as arching her neck or back)  -Slight flush, quickened breath and pulse

Possessive  -Handshake with arm clasp  -Putting hands on or around someone’s shoulders, neck, waist, back, or even just the wall near them  -Standing in someone’s personal space, body positioned toward that person  -Any one-sided act of intimacy, like running a knuckle down someone’s cheek  -Staring down any who get too close

Proud/Dominant  -Chin up, chest out, shoulders back  -A painfully hard handshake that not only squishes the bones, but also forces his hand on top  -Leaning back with his hands behind his head, and his feet up  -Strong, unblinking, focused eye contact

Reluctance/Resistance  -Arms crossed, sometimes with fists (Not happening.)  -Dragging feet (But I don’t wanna!)  -Pinching nose (You want me to do what now?)  -Clamping hands over ears (La la la la!)

Sad/Upset  -Droopy body (and anything held, like a sword), bowed in shoulders, wrapping arms around self  -Slow movements with hesitation  -Bottom lip jutting out and/or quivering  -Crying, sobbing, body shaking, sniffling, wet eyes

Secretive  -A tight-lipped smile (My lips are zipped.)  -Hiding her hands in her pockets (What has it got in its nasty little pocket?)  -Looking away

Scared  -Hunched shoulders, shrinking back from others (Don’t hurt me!)  -Wide eyes and lifted eyebrows (The better to see them coming.)  -Shaking, trembling, or freezing  -Rocking from side to side, sometimes holding self (It’ll all be okay, self, it’ll all be okay.)

Shame  -Slumped shoulders (Don’t look at me.)  -Trouble meeting your gaze, looking down and away  -Burying her face in her hands or bowing her head (I can’t face the world right now.)

Shocked  -Hands covering her mouth, or mouth hanging open, sometimes with a gasp (If I had words, I would be saying them.) -Freezing and staring with wide eyes and eyebrows raised (Diverting all resources toward staring.)  -Smacking a palm into his forehead (Clearly, my head isn’t working right, or I wouldn’t have seen that)

Shy  -Avoids eye contact, or has only fleeting eye contact (Eye contact means you might speak to me.)  -Keeps a fair distance from everyone, and will back away if someone steps closer (Space invaders!)  -Folded arms, head down, and other defensive body language (If I make myself small, they can’t see me.)

Smug  -Slight, close-lipped smile (occasionally one-sided) and sometimes one raised eyebrow (I know something you don’t know.)  -Chin slightly tucked, Mona Lisa smile, raised eyebrows (I know better.)  -Finger steepling (I am so smaaaht.)

Suspicious/Skeptical/Disbelief  -Narrowed eyes, sometimes with a sidelong glance or raised eyebrow (Perhaps if I look at it out of the corner of my eye, I will catch it unawares.)  -Rubbing his eyes (I can’t believe what I’m metaphorically or literally seeing!)  -Shaking his head (I—I don’t believe it.)  -Blowing out cheeks (Well , I don’t know …)

Tired  -Rubbing his eyes, eyes staring into space, raised eyebrows (Raising my eyebrows helps keep my eyes open.)  -Yawning and/or stretching (I am tired—see? Tired! Too tired to care!)  -Almost nodding off and jerking awake (Cannot. Stay. Awa—snnnnurzzzz.)  -Gritting teeth to stay awake (Cannot—yawn—dang it!)

Thoughtfulness/Thinking  -Steepling fingers (I will think better if I center myself and focus.)  -Pinching nose, sometimes with closed eyes (Focus, focus—I just need to focus.)  -Tugging on an ear (This will help me remember!)  -Stroking a real or imaginary beard (People with beards look smart.)  -Furrowed brow, narrowed eyes, sometimes tilted head and pressing lips together (I can’t see it—I will try harder!)  -Resting his chin on his hand (Thinking makes my head heavy.)