let's try this

[seventhe]

Ask Me Stuff!

Leave me a comment with a question in it and I'll give you an answer! Fandom, work, personal, naughty - whatever you feel like asking.

Warning:

• Answers will be as serious or as silly as I feel like at the moment


• Some answers may be strong with tl;dr


• If the question is one I don't feel like answering, I'm gonna bullshit you make something up XD


• If the question is private, I maintain the right to screen an answer

I miss journal interaction! I am too lazy to take prompts for entries! Please play in my comments.

Also, if you'd like to play, please do!

Comments

[albijuli]

Fight me.

Wait. That isn't a question.

[seventhe]

*fights anyway*

[albijuli]

Question: who wins?

(Me: some weird mage thing that likes hitting things with staffs when magic missile fails)

[seventhe]

Me: likes to summon woodland creatures and poke at you from afar because am lazy

We both win, because eventually we stop fighting and grab a martini instead.

[albijuli]

I am totally okay with that. I won't even brawl at the bar.

[seventhe]

BUT I MIGHT.

forgive if a lot of these could be answered by archive binging

[albijuli]

Personal:
I turned 30. Advice? Condolences? I don't know, if you've any words to spare or something? I feel really... something.

Religion? y/n/it's complicated/nunya beeswax/other?
Spirituality? y/n/it's complicated/nunya beeswax/other?

Naughty:
Do you have a favorite cock joke?

Would you fight Santa, even if he was being nice?

Re: forgive if a lot of these could be answered by archive binging

[seventhe]

1. For me, 30 wasn't that bad - new decade! Now I can say "thirties"! Cool! 31 was the one that hit me like a truck, because there's nothing exciting about 31, you're just old. Now, I hover between 33 and 34, and don't really feel that much older than 30.

There's something to be said about realizing that life is short and thus you should go for it - but there's also something to be said about slowing down and appreciating because 30s are still young. So I guess my only advice & condolences are: Learn to balance.

Re: forgive if a lot of these could be answered by archive binging

[albijuli]

Balance... got it.

I have been feeling pretty off-kilter but I hope I find my balance soon.

Re: forgive if a lot of these could be answered by archive binging

[seventhe]

I don't have great advice on it because IM STILL FINDING MINE. I just know that it's easier when I strive for it than when I say "fuck it" and stray.

BTW...

[albijuli]

31 did hit me like a truck and I'm still reeling.

religion / spirituality!

[seventhe]

OF COURSE IT'S COMPLICATED

Raised Lutheran (ELCA, not Missouri Synod / the nutso Lutherans) by believer-mother and atheist-father. Dad attends with the family at Easter & Christmas, and that's it. My brother and I were raised through the church, Sunday School and Communion and all, but my mother is pretty lib with her beliefs AND we also had my father - who set a fine example as to how "good people" and "church-going people" can live independently of each other.

My adult self is very much not into church. I don't like people, in general, and I don't like crowds or group ceremonies, especially at a time (like prayer) when one is supposed to be vulnerable and open - I don't want to do that surrounded by friends, let alone strangers. Although I must admit I love church music (old-school hymns played on a big organ, thanks, or a bell choir!), which is the Lutheran in me, and also adore old churches themselves, stained glass, cool altars, etc -- but the organized part of religion is really, really not my thing.

I realize that community is a central part of religious practice for many people, but I'm not a community person. I am a loner. I don't even talk to my neighbors -- I didn't buy this house for friends. It's probably a catch-22 here: I'm a loner because I don't have that community; I don't have it because I'm a loner. tl;dr: it's not my thing.

I also am really uncomfortable with direct evangelism, or "conversion", the part of most modern religions in which you are supposed to bring more and more people in to your religion, to the glory of your god, etc -- I actually don't believe in this at all, or believe AGAINST this, my words are getting confused: I don't think this is a good practice. Now, there is a difference between someone who is a believer and who finds comfort in their church gently offering that comfort to someone else who may be in need / interested in it -- that I find an act of kindness -- and trying to rope people into attending your particular ceremony because yours is right / their way is wrong / they "need" god/church/whatever. I can't understand that kind of urge, and am actively uncomfortable with that portion.

I think I fundamentally believe that most religions are like languages: they are different and you aren't born understanding them all and some you'll never learn, but in the end they all mostly say the same thing.

I consider myself much more "spiritual" than "religious". "religion" to me smacks of institution - denomination - organization - as well as those communal aspects of a worship service that I personally find issue with.

But I do not think myself atheist, either: I do believe that there's something larger than us that drives this world and humanity to be what they are. I think of it much like a force of nature (rather than a (humanized) god/goddess), or a fundamental law of science. Think about gravity: there are gravitational forces on this planet, in this universe, that we can discuss and explain but don't really fundamentally understand: I think "god" is like that. Think about the atom: we can explore it, study it, research it, discuss it, and come closer and closer bit by bit to seeing what it is actually made of, but even then there are subatomic bits of light and energy that we can't actually see or explain: I think "god" is like that. God, science, and nature are all the same thing, in the end.

THIS GOT LONG

Re: religion / spirituality!

[albijuli]

I HAVE WORD-VOMIT AS WELL

Yea, it's "it's complicated" for me, too. Or it was and now it's pretty simple.

> I consider myself much more "spiritual" than "religious".

Same. It took me awhile to come around to the fact that they both aren't mutually exclusive- you can have one or the other, or both, and separated or interwoven. I think it was once I got that in my head things started to simplify for me.

I don't do community stuff either, and since I never had churchstuff growing up I never had that particular annoyance- we only went for funerals, basically. And my parents grew up with it, but stopped going to church a little before I was born. They considered themselves Christian, but of what sort I don't recall- other than vaguely.

> But I do not think myself atheist, either: I do believe that there's something larger than us that drives this world and humanity to be what they are. I think of it much like a force of nature (rather than a (humanized) god/goddess), or a fundamental law of science.

Yeah, I came to a similar conclusion years ago (using pop culture examples because I was grasping at straws and my language was really limited; the Force was an example I brought up I remember). Hard atheism doesn't quite do it for me, because I've felt and seen shit I actually couldn't explain away convincingly. I'm now a sort of spiritual atheist flavor and going into secular paganism.

I think it suits me. I like rituals, the movement of the energy, but I don't necessarily need a deity to do them either.

Re: religion / spirituality!

[seventhe]

> rituals: I find rituals incredibly rewarding and would love to do more of them because they bring that bit of connectedness into focus - haven't really put the feeling into a concrete thought until now, but that's part of something I could develop more. I find a lot more meaning in that personal / solitary kind of thing, I guess.

Re: forgive if a lot of these could be answered by archive binging

[seventhe]

All cock jokes are my favorite cock joke, trick question. XD

I would probably fight Santa because I have no sense.

[albijuli]

Are you reading any webcomics?!

[seventhe]

I AM NOT :(

[albijuli]

I'm not asking Fandom-related questions.

a) STEVEN UNIVERSE MUCH?
b) If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, what pairing/ship did the tree fall on, and who would be maddest about it?

Okay, stopping now.

[pict]

TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON KORRASAMI, or Korra/Asami if you will!!

[seventhe]

I LOVE IT

That's really the sum of it?

I think Korra is the kind of show that benefits from rewatching; there was a lot of criticism that it felt rushed, but I feel like that was just as compared to the original show: Korra's Avatar is a lot more active than Aang's, so Korra ended up taking a much more direct line through its plots than ATLA. When I went back and rewatched I did get the feeling of a relationship building between the two of them; I would have been happy with a solid friendship, because good ladyfriendships are rare, BUT INSTEAD I GOT GAYS WHICH IS AWESOME.

And outside of that, I think the couple works. Korra and Asami complement each other in a good, healthy way. Avatar and non-bender: having Asami as a partner means that Korra will always have a personal reminder to view nonbenders as equals; having Korra as a partner lets Asami have a glimpse into bending and the Spirit World in a new way. Both are adventurous and clever and strong. They both understand loneliness (Korra, despite her lovely parents, grew up isolated; Asami lost her mother and father separately in tragedy) which would help teach them the importance of good solid relationships and why, when you find someone who understands you, you hang on to them. Plus it's so obvious they care for one another deeply: Asami cared for Korra while she was injured, and Korra has always protected Asami (yet in a way that shows she considers Asami an equal, not lesser!).

BLAH BLAH BLAH I AM FULL OF GAY LOVE OKAY

[pict]

Yeah. Like, the criticism of the relationship has come from the lack of development in had in the fourth book - which I can't agree or disagree with! It would have been nice to have gotten more scenes with them, but I feel that the scenes we did get were very telling. In Reunion, Korra and Asami are utterly on the same wavelength during Wu's rescue, making snap decisions that feed off the action the other one is taking without even needing to say it aloud - while Mako is confused and not being particularly subtle about that confusion!

I'm so happy with where it ended. Sometimes, when I'm feeling stressed or sad, I just remember KORRA AND ASAMI ARE CANON and it's an instant mood lift for me. Like, I understand both sides in terms of people's reaction to the relationship, but I choose to love it unapologetically.

GAY LOVE ALL AROUND

can i ask another question (and i don't mean this one)

[seventhe]

ASK AWAY

[pict]

What's your skincare regime like?

[seventhe]

Facial scrub in the shower - I use the apricot one with acne medication in it. Light lotion with sunscreen after shower, and then what makeup I feel like.

Nice-smelling facial wipe when I come home from work to remove the makeup and the greasy day feeling.

I used to have a much more detailed regimen, but it didn't do a ton compared to the time it took. So now I am lazy.

[thenicochan]

Answer what you will (or all of them if you feel it Should Be)


-Sazh! y/n?

-What's sexier cute underwear or nuthin'?


And now for a rousing (heh) game of Murder/Kill/Sexy:

Fang/Vanille/Lightning

Squall/Seifer/Rinoa

Woooo.

[seventhe]

SAZH IS OBVIOUS HELL-Y FOREVER. SAZH IS MY BOYFRIEND. Sazh is the best part of FFXIII and no one will convince me otherwise. :D

I'm actually a big fan of comfort is sexy so if they are comfortably cute, then hell yes, and if not, take them off ;)



I CANNOT CHOOSE BETWEEN FANG/VANILLE/LIGHTNING OKAY THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE I GOT STUCK

[thenicochan]

YES

YES

AND OT4 LIGHT/FANG/VANILLE/SEV YASSSS

[spindizzy]

1. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR SOMEONE TRYING OUT RECORD KEEPERS because I am so hellaciously bad at it (well, no, I'm winning, but I'm winning through the medium of hitting everything with a bigger hammer because WHAT IF I NEED MY PRECIOUS SPELL-BOMBS LATER) and I am intrigued by your talk of tactics and strategies.
   
   (... "Get good, son" is a valid answer here.)


2. Knitting! What do you like knitting? (Or are you like me and one of those people who just finds shuffling wool around soothing?)


3. Did you find that your preferences in your Final Fantasy games changed over the course of moogle_university? Are the games that were your favourites at the start still your favourites? (Obviously allowing for the fact that Record Keeper has taken over your heart.)

[seventhe]

1. The best thing you can do to get more strategic is run at least one stamina bar per day in the daily dungeon and collect orbs to hone those abilities! Without good hones, it's impossible to move beyond the "smash with stick" strategy, and eventually you'll hit a wall. Completing regular dungeons can also help with the orb collecting, but really the dailies are the key. Aim for heroic, even if you can only complete one stage: use a strong Roaming Warrior for 2 rounds, unload on the 3rd, get the orbs, then leave and re-enter. You'll be rolling in Firaga in no time.

The other thing you may not be aware of is that there are three very valuable Record Materias you get from Black Mage, White Mage, and Summoner (the core chars) which will refill one use of each BM/WM/Summon per stage. Once you have those, one use of EVERY SPELL becomes "free" for trash rounds because it will refill at the end. Those RMs change the way you play the game, and are worth some strategic time to obtain.

I can ramble more of you want but those are the best starting points!

1. I LIKE KNITTING ANYTHING REALLY, YARN IS PRETTY AND AWESOME. My favorite thing to make is hats, honestly, because you can complete them quickly which makes them very satisfying projects. My second favorite is shawls, which are like the absolute opposite in terms of time-it-takes, but shawl patterns are gorgeous and the yarns are sooooooo nice.

2. I wouldn't say my preferences changed, but I did find myself appreciating different things? For example -- my first time playing FFXIII was incredibly frustrating; although I liked the game as a whole, too much of it was convoluted and confusing. Now, I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on it, having gone through the other games with it in the back of my head.