"The only other way to play God is through wri-I mean the Sims."

My best kept secret that isn't a secret at all is that I keep a health dose of Sims 3 (used to be Sims 2, will probably one day be Sims 4) in my life. Recently I've been playing about an hour every day, but I go through spurts like these and eventually I won't be playing it at all for a while. But I digress already!

Anyway, I don't have as much time anymore as I used to to REALLY get into the game and play it - back in the Sims 2 days I had multiple families whose sole purpose was to pop out sim babies so I could challenge myself to take care of them all while watching all their individualisms come out. Then I got the brilliant idea to recreate all my Nagnomei characters in Sim form and try to recreate their settings and situations as well. This ended up being  really useful, because now I had visual references for characters I never really thought about before!

Seriously, do you know how long it took to find this hair again?

When I got Sims 3, the very first thing I did was go the character route, and now it's all I play. The first attraction is that, especially if you can't draw worth crap like me, you finally get to make visual representations of your characters JUST as you want them. Although I have gone "hair hunting" for the perfect hairstyle (and am still vainly searching for better ones, but let's face it, if I haven't found it by now...) and sometimes I look at my clothes and go "no...no she/he would not wear...any of this. The hell." OH aand somewhere between 2010 and 2011, my laptop died and I lost all my old files. I had some salvaged screenshots, like the one to the left here, to work off when trying to rebuild my character sims. STILL BITTER about the month  long search for Reina's fantastically butchy hair, by the way.

Then, once you have them all the way you want them to look, you eject them into the game and gleefully make them reenact your novels (as much as you can, anyway). Mostly it's just them getting similar jobs to what they "really" have and hooking up with their partners. None of my characters (except one) are the kid-carryin' types, so I have little chance to explore those realms of the game. In fact, two years having this game, I have never had a sim-baby. Sims 2 Player in me is crying.

BUT THE BEST PART is when you've ran out of things to force them to do and you just...let them do their own thing. There are lulzy relationships in my game between characters that will never happen in cannon, but I let them do it because it's so personally amusing to me. Then there's having whole new characters enter your world. Sugar Bijou started dating one of my characters, and now she's being written in later on in the series with a different name and my own background info. I love it when the Sims writes my own damn story for me. (I currently have one supporting character sporting a sudden wish to "kiss" one of my main characters, and my brain is already going "Woah!" at this information.)

Actually, I lied. The best part is when you let things just "run" and your characters still act...in character. When you've programed them so well that they react the exact way you would have written them. I can't lie, I get a huge smug writerly satisfaction from it. It validates that I actually do know this character inside-and-out, because I can exactly predict how they will live as a damn Sim.

So before I go on and on about how great this game is for writers, let me ask - do you Sim? Do you recreate your novels to the greatest extent you can? Have you gotten new ideas from it? Dyin' to know.

"I'm Hearing Voices" Blogfest Day 1: Characters On the Couch

It's day one of the Blogfest hosted over at Live to Write...Edit When Necessary and Reading, Writing, and Lovin' It! Today's challenge is:

"Characters on the couch: Have one of your characters answer the following questions (to make this work to your benefit, choose a character who is the hardest for you to write :) Max 250 words (Not including the questions—only the answers). "

I've decided to use a CROSS// character, Syrfila Tograten, alias and officially known in the series as "Yumiko Kobayashi".

Well, this picture sums her up. We're done here. Everyone go home.

She's in that awkward void between protagonist and just so utterly horrible of a human being that I don't want to call her a protagonist. All you really need to know is that she's an intergalactic criminal. She blew up a planet or two.

1.      What is your biggest vulnerability? Do others know this or is it a secret?

I am alone. Even when I surround myself with people, I am alone. I keep people at a distance.  I think it’s pretty obvious to most people who know me. It’s one reason they hate me.

There’s no one to turn to. I truly am alone.

2.      What do people believe about you that is false?

I suppose most people think I am incapable of being selfless. That I can’t “love”. They may even say they don’t think I love myself. At this point in my existence, they may be right. I really don’t care about anyone else. But I did once. I didn’t realize how much I cared about her until I was arrested.

3.      What would your best friend say is your fatal flaw? Why?

My best friend? I guess the closest thing I have to one of those…ha, she would say that it’s just generally being a horrible person. The thing is, I know she’s right. But I can’t stop hurting her. Seeing her in pain means we’re equals.

4.      What would the same friend say is your one redeeming quality? Why?

I am the only person she can confide in. I know who she is and where she’s been. She hates it, but at least she sees some use in me.

5.      What do you want most? What will you do to get it?

I just don’t want to die like that. I don’t want to be caged like some animal and then shot for the entire universe to see. I don’t want the last thing I hear to be the cheers and jeers. I don’t want the last thing I see to be her, commanding my death.

I’ve killed to save myself from this. I will kill again. I would kill you. Selflessly.

(fun fact: the answers are exactly 250 words!...according to Word, anyway.)

Why I Write

In order for this to really work, it will require a lot of participation and a lot of linking. Of course, I think it would be really, really cool to see it happen.

The idea is a question: Why do you write?

I bet if everyone talked about why they're a writer, why they write, what drives them, etc etc, then the answers would be as varied as if you asked, "What is your favorite thing in the world?" No two people could possibly answer the same, but I think that we would be able to see common threads that we relate to and it would help bring authors together in a new way.

I had the idea for this "meme", project, whatever you want to call it last night when I was in a depressives stupor. My usual escapist mediums such as gaming and TV were not helping, and the only thing that took my mind off my issues was working on my draft for a few minutes. It made me rethink the reasons why I write.

So, I'm asking you, my readers and my blogging friends, to participate with me in an introspective celebration on what it is that makes us all write. It can be any reason, and no reason would be "stupid" or "frivolous". Who knows, maybe your reason will help somebody.

To participate:

Step 1: Write a blog post with the topic "Why I write". The goal is to search inside yourself for the core reasons as to why you open your notebook/Word Processor/napkin every day and put words down.

Step 2: Link back to this post somewhere in your post. It can be in the opening, the ending, in an image, whatever. The point is to direct people here so they can read everyone else's reasons.

Step 3: Link to your post in the comments below. (Note: give a bit of a teaser, such as key words, the opening sentence, etc.)

Step 4: Read the reasons from others and gain a better understanding and fellowship about what it means to be a writer/author.

Step 5: (pretty optional) Use one of the graphics below - or make your own - to link in your sidebar to the reason why you write so all your future visitors can see it too and learn more about you.

It's pretty simple. And, in the process, it's a free link for you. :) We may even be able to make new friends through our reasons.

My reasons:

 In truth, the drive behind my writing has changed so much over the years. It started when  Iwas a small child because I always had a story to tell. I also learned how to read and write very early so it came naturally to me to well, starting writing. Growing up I was very into arts of all kinds, but quickly discovered that...I was incapable of doing much with my hands. In short, I had shitty dexterity. I still do. I used to do bead work until I no longer could because it was too frustrating to always fail and take so long to do it. I used to draw, but then that talent went away as well. I used to be a skilled guitar player until my hands were just too small to do it anymore. Soon all I had left that I was artistically good at was writing. I can type at about 120-30 wpm, which is about as fast as I can think of sentences.  Match made in heaven.

I honed my writing skill through my teenage and college years. My dream became making a life out of writing, whatever that meant. Writing was purely about enjoyment.

Somewhere during college...my life took a very dark turn. Without going into harsh details, I developed the deep depression that I still struggle with today and every day. I became involved with people who were poison to my well-being. The economy went bust and the pressure and stress was so high that there were days I just could not get out of bed with all of these things compounded together. I struggled to find a reason to live.

By that time most of my first drafts were done, so I went to work on them so I would have something constructive to do while taking my mind off how miserable I felt. I stayed focus on my writing and slowly, day-by-day, not only did I have something to show for myself but I also developed pride in myself for doing as well as I did even with all the other bullshit going on. Writing has never "saved my life", but it has certainly made it more bearable while I am here.

Writing is my ultimate form of escapism. In the worlds of my stories I am God, and I control every little thing that happens to the characters, to the plot, to the scenery...it is a power and control I need in my life. With my own life often at the whims of others, and not even my own happiness a certainty no matter how hard I try...I  can control these other (fictional) people. I can determine who gets a happy ending and who will struggle their whole life for even a good day. In my writing the whole world, the whole universe is at stake, and at the center of it all is always a few people who have to bear the entire weight of everyone else's fear. And when they are happy or in love, even for just a couple of chapters, I can live vicariously through them.

Writing is the imaginary friend that you use to spell out your own problems and then constructively take out your anger and frustration on. And, when you really just want to pretend there's a world where people can be happy just by the simplest things, you can go to your writing world and make it happen.

I do not live for writing. I live because I am alive - it's always been that simple. But while I'm alive I need a way to deal with the dark clouds that hang over me, and writing has always been the answer. In the process I get to tell my stories and other people get to enjoy them. And, it's productive. But in the end I'm the one who benefits the most.

I write because it helps me, and there isn't much else in the world that does.

Back to you!

So now that I've spilled my soul out to all of you, I expect you to do the same ;) Let me know if you do this and be sure to come back and comment with a link so I and others can read it!

I've made some quick, simple graphics for you to use on your blog. Please save to your own server, etc. Feel free to make your own! I am not a graphic whiz, haha. But they get the job done.

Shameless CROSS// character profile sheet #5 - Alicia

Last one! Hurray! Now I can do other things with my evenings after this long and tiring week! Thanks for stopping by and reading through all of these if you have! Also, more super lulzy screenshots for this one - girl was made to make angry faces in The Sims 3.

She's angry because she's in her club-wear.

Basics

Name (Identified): Alicia

Full/Real Name: Alicia Dawn Greene

Former Incarnation: ???

Age: 23

Birthdate: December 11^th, 1984

Generation:  Y

Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Earth

Astrological Sign (Western): Sagittarius

Astrological Sign (Eastern): Boar

Ethnicity: Caucasian (Irish, Scottish, English, German, Swiss)

Hair (Color): Black

Hair (Style): Cropped Bob

Eyes (Color): Brown

Eyes (Shape): Almond

Height: 5’4

Weight: 130lbs.

Voice: Medium

Physique: Slim

Notes: Alicia is conventionally pretty and dresses appropriately for her station.  She’s had short hair for most of her life but goes through stages of coloring it or layering it in new ways to keep it “interesting”. Currently it’s her natural color and a simple part/layer, as she’s too tired to do anything else with it. Her skin is a little more on the pale side since even in summer she takes pains to cover up – she doesn’t tan, she burns.

Like, TOTALLY.

Family

Mother: Cassandra Greene

Father: (Capt.) Henry Greene (ret.)

Siblings: Simone Greene (little sister)

Pets: None

Notes: Alicia comes from a very privileged background: her family is upper middle class and from a good neighborhood in urban Boston where her father’s family has lived for hundreds of years. Her mother is a homemaker and her father is a retired military officer now working in local politics. Both of her parents are conservative in morality and world views, and this causes a constant source of conflict in Alicia’s conversations with her parents, particularly her father. Regardless, she loves them and supports her little sister’s rebellions against them by becoming involved with more “radical” culture.

Real lawyers design soup kitchens.

Career/Education

Degree: Bachelor’s in Political Science and Community Service, Working towards Law degree

School: Large public university (grad student)

Job: None, but holds various volunteer positions

Boss/Supervisor/Commander: None

Former Jobs: Various internships at non-profits and law offices

Ambitions/Goals: To become a lawyer dealing with non-profits and social welfare

Notes: Alicia is capable of recognizing the privileges of her background but doesn’t necessarily understand what they entail, hence her foray into social justice. She gained first interested doing community service work with the homeless in high school, and decided to focus her future law studies on non profits and social welfare. She was accepted into various universities and law schools back east near her home in Boston but decided to get as far away from her family as possible and instead attended a large, public university on the west coast, much to her parents’ chagrin. She currently doesn’t have a job and instead focuses on her studies as a first year law student full time.  Her parents supplement her expenses, such as her rent and general bills (and tuition, of course) while her boyfriend pays for the food.

"Touch my boob and die."

Relationships

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: In a relationship with Devon Anderson

Turn Ons: Goals, self-worth, androgyny

Turn Offs: Time wasters, no drive, hyper-masculinity

First Lover (Female): Myra Langley (college)

First Lover (Male): Jack Jacobson (high school)

Other Notable Lovers: Previous lover who really, really irritated her

Love Interests: None

Best Friend: Jenna Hayworth

Other Friends: Philip Roberts, Heidi Montgomery

How Others See Her: Determined, short-tempered, spoiled

Sub/Dom:  Switches, depending on partner

Notes: Alicia is currently closeted in her bisexuality and instead lets everyone – including her boyfriend Devon – assume that she is straight. Even her best friend Jenna doesn’t know that she’s also interested in women, or even that she used to be in a relationship with one. The biggest reason for all of this is because of intense pressure from her parents to conform to the heteronormative life, and since she’s in a heterosexual relationship it’s easier to just ignore the other side of her sexuality.

Her current relationship with Devon is strained and “going nowhere” from her end. Even though they’ve been together for almost a year, Alicia doesn’t see the relationship lasting more than a few months, especially if Devon is unable to find a job. Most of the time she’s unsure if she even loves him.

SHE REALLY DOESN'T LIKE IT.

Likes/Dislikes

Favorite Color: White, yellow

Favorite Food: Spaghetti, fettuccini alfredo

Favorite Music: Alt rock, classical, soprano

Favorite Band: Josh Groban, Muse

Favorite Song: Can never pick one

Favorite Book: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Favorite Movie: Casablanca

Favorite Animal: Ferrets, hamsters

Favorite Alcoholic Drink: Margarita

Clothing Style: Sweaters or blouses with jeans and skirts

Hobbies: Community service, movies/TV, cooking

Guilty Pleasures: Sparkly, shiny things

Notes: Alicia spends most of her free time talking current events with her classmates/colleagues or doing volunteer work in her surrounding communities – if it’s daylight and she’s not moving, she feels like she about to die. Her evenings are more relaxed and she’ll usually sit on the couch and watch TV or a movie with whoever is around. Like her wardrobe, Alicia likes her favorites to exude a sense of high class that’s leftover from her upbringing.

"Zits? On MY complexion?"

Health

Dexterity: Left

Handicaps: None

Diseases (physical): None

Diseases (mental): None

Notes: Alicia is conscious of her health and eats well, even if she doesn’t always have time for the gym. She usually gets a cold or two every year, and the occasional flu or other infection, but overall she has no outstanding health issues.   

Summed. Up.

Personality/World View

General: Compassionate, level-headed

Strengths: Giving to those in need, socially aware and dedicated to acting against the wrongs of the world

Weaknesses: Quick to anger, easily overwhelmed, never satisfied with what she has

Outlook: Forward-thinking

Idiosyncrasies: Cleans everything once a week or. Else.

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Religion: Agnostic (raised Baptist)

Fears: Suddenly losing everything she has

Phobias:  Arachnaphobia

Offended By: All sorts of social injustices

Pet Peeves: People who don’t apply themselves to what they do

Vices: Coffee

Wants Children?: Undecided

Drunk Type: Sleepy, word-vomit

Death of Choice: Stampeded in a political protest

Notes: Alicia lives a double-life between her professional and private worlds: to her coworkers and classmates she is stable, compassionate, and patient, while at home she’s quick to frustration and lashing out at her loved ones. Most of this has festered after her last relationship crumbled and she never really recovered before rebounding with Devon, whom she takes most of her anger out on.

Other

Drives: Uses public transportation

Lives: Campus 1-bedroom apartment

Relationship to Author

Ways she’s like me:  We’re both spoiled children who want too much from the world

Ways she’s not like me: She’s a bigger activist than I am, although even on my end I question how sincere she is about what she’s doing.

Notes: Alicia has had a very subtle change over the passing years of drafting and editing the overall story. While her role hasn’t changed much, her standing and relationships to all the other characters has shifted rather dramatically (although so slowly I barely even noticed) from minor-character to semi-main-character in the end. The hardest part of developing her for me was discovering the motivation for her bitterness, which made me really happy to eventually figure out because then it let me help her develop into a character that “reclaims” herself later on in the series for the better. (Also, Alicia was only meant to be in the first book, but will now officially be in every one with varying degrees of involvement.) I decided to add her here as the fifth character this week after some deliberation because she’s one of the few human minor characters to have a more pivotal role in the overall series.

Making gorilla faces in a flower bush is like, so rejuvenating, man.

Shameless CROSS// character profile sheet #4 - Yumiko

Oye vey time for the most annoying profile I had to write...mostly becaues there's still a lot I don't even know about her because she's one of -those- characters. Oh well, tomorrow is the last day and I'm free to post other stuff! Weee!

Basics

"Yup. she fell down all right."

Name (Identified): Yumiko

Full/Real Name: (Maj.) Yumiko Kobayashi - 小林由美子

Other Legal Name: Syrfila Tograten (birth name)

Former Incarnation: ???

Age: 64 (44 on Earth records)

Birthdate: Federation Year 5550, day akin between November 3 – 5 (4^th on Earth records)

Generation:  ---

Birthplace: Federation Moon Ward 453, Huling Sector Five

Astrological Sign (Western): Scorpio

Astrological Sign (Eastern): ---

Ethnicity: Huling

Hair (Color): Black

Hair (Style): Layered pixie

Eyes (Color): Brown

Eyes (Shape): Oval

Height: 5’10

Weight: 117lbs.

Voice: Gruff, medium-range

Physique: Skinny, fit but bony in some places

Notes: Yumiko is the most wanted female criminal in and out of the Federation for the crime of destroying a planet a year or so before she moved to Earth – only Nerilis Dunsman is more wanted than she is. She was captured and detained by Federation police until she managed to escape while en route to her execution. She fled to Earth, a galactic criminal haven, and changed her identity in order to blend in, choosing a generic Asian name after realizing she passed for one. Since then she exclusively refers to herself as Yumiko and has adopted her new life as her proper life. The most notable thing about Yumiko’s appearance is the extent of her thinness that is covered by her work uniform but harder to hide in civilian clothes. Most people assume that she has an eating disorder, but it’s a normal physique for her race of humanoids. But because she is from the Federation, and not even our exact kind of human, she lives longer and ages slower; thus, she is actually much older than her Earth records say she is, and even then most people mistake her for being even younger.

This is how her mother died.

Family

Mother: Janis Tograten (deceased)

Father: Sarayu Tograten

Siblings: None

Pets: None

Notes: Yumiko does not divulge much about her family, other than that her mother is dead and that she hasn’t spoken to her father in decades – when she does speak of her father, she either says he was abusive and a degenerate, or that he was so soft and naïve that she walked all over him until she left home to  join Pandora.

Everyone in the Marines fixes sinks.

Career/Education

Degree: Master’s in Modern Warfare

School: Small private university (incomplete, dropped out and hacked her own degree)

Job: Off-shore training-command Major for the United States Marine Corps.

Boss/Supervisor/Commander: Col. George Franklin / Nerilis Dunsman

Former Jobs: Mercenary/spy for an anti-Federation unit called “Pandora”

Ambitions/Goals: To not get killed/arrested by bounty hunters

Notes: Yumiko’s first career was as a mercenary for the anti-Federation brigade “Pandora”. She specialized in espionage and hand-to-hand combat, making her a vital part of the team until she raised in rank high enough to carry out her own missions. Her last mission ended with her destroying a Federation planet and trying to pass it off as Dunsman’s work; however, the Federation police caught her quickly enough. After fleeing to Earth she was tapped by Dunsman to work for him in exchange for money and protection – it was his idea for her to join the American military, and she was more than happy to enlist. Her previous training as a mercenary and ruthless attitude helped her to become a major before her fortieth Earth birthday. Her current “official” job is to train privates off shore throughout naval simulations and war games. Although she works with three other (male) majors who do similar work to her, she is the most well known for being brutal. She loves her job very, very much.

"HEEEEY STRANGER LADY."

Relationships

Sexuality: Homosexual

Status: Single

Turn Ons: Weak women, the more feminine the better

Turn Offs: Brashness, “goody-goodies”

First Lover (Female): ???

First Lover (Male): ???

Other Notable Lovers: Miranda Hotler, Karina

Love Interests: None

Best Friend: Miranda Hotler

Other Friends: None

How Others See Her: Harsh, mean, impersonal, dangerous

Sub/Dom:  Dominant, always

Notes: Men, outside of when she has to actually interact with them, do not exist in Yumiko’s world. When she is around them, she is either outright ambivalent or hostile towards them. Needless to say, Yumiko’s sexual preferences focus solely on women.  As far as anyone knows she has never been in a serious relationship, but the truth is that at the end of  her stint with Pandora she was involved with a girl named Karina, the twin sister to the Lady Commander of the Federation Forces, Lara. After Karina’s death in the field Yumiko decided that she no longer wanted to deal with relationships because “they’re always a mess when they end”. Instead she fills her sexual void with multiple casual relationships instead. Her current most notable lover is Miranda, whom she has been involved with sexually since the latter was in high school. Yumiko does not admit any feelings for Miranda, and takes out any displeasure she has with her via violence or extreme emotional manipulation…and doesn’t see anything wrong with it.

I'm not lying when I tell you this is the "post public sex" strut.

Likes/Dislikes

Favorite Color: Red

Favorite Food: Pasta

Favorite Music: Nothing in particular

Favorite Band: None

Favorite Song: None

Favorite Book: None

Favorite Movie: Anything Bruce Willis

Favorite Animal: Dogs

Favorite Alcoholic Drink: Anything hard

Clothing Style: Jeans, jacket, flat shoes

Hobbies: Movies, going to bars/clubs, doing drugs

Guilty Pleasures: Occasional non-harried sex

Notes: There are few things that give Yumiko any kind of joy, and they usually involve illegal activities and  a total lack of empathy for anyone else involved. Yumiko owns a TV but only uses it for watching both Earth and Federation news – the latter so she can stay alert to how much the bounty on her head is. Otherwise, she knows next to nothing about general media of any kind. Her dress style is a sharp contrast to her work clothes: instead of a pressed, clean uniform she prefers to wear grungy jeans, tops, and gaudy jewelry.

This game is not kids friendly, honestly.

Health

Dexterity: Right

Handicaps: None

Diseases (physical): None

Diseases (mental): None

Notes: Yumiko has a hyper-immune system which allows her to avoid most diseases found on Earth, including those related to all her dangerous activities involving drugs and sex. Her body also rids itself of traces of hard drugs quickly as well which allows her to do them even while working for the military. Because of this she also processes drugs differently than most normal humans, and suffers only mild hangovers from their use.  She claimsto have used even harder drugs when she lived in the Federation and that “Earth cocaine is like munching on a sugar cube for all the hard it does me.”

Anger looks good on her.

Personality/World View

General: Ambivalent, self-centered

Strengths: Follows everything through; able to play a part convincingly for her own survival

Weaknesses: Unable to see beyond her own needs; does not care for others or can admit that she ever does; cannot let go of things she’s lost

Outlook: A little optimistic

Idiosyncrasies: Scratches her nose all the time

Political Affiliation: None (she doesn’t give a rat about Earth politics)

Religion: Atheist

Fears: Being captured, being utterly alone

Phobias:  None

Offended By: People who treat her like a child/think they know better than her

Pet Peeves: People with uptight morality, being shot at

Vices: Smoking, alcohol, casual sex, narcotics

Wants Children?: What are children?

Drunk Type: Angry, bitter, sleepy

Death of Choice: Anything non-violent

Notes: Yumiko lives in her own world where she is God and everyone else is a pawn to play with for her own amusement. She has no qualms with hurting others, which is part of the reason why she enjoys her job of yelling at recruits all day so much. In her private time, her need to dominate is often directed at Miranda or whoever else she’s brought home that night.  Yumiko likes to pretend that she doesn’t need anybody else or holds any feelings for them, but she is also known to show up on people’s doorsteps because she “wanted some company”. Her personal time is ruled by her vices, and she is always smoking if not also drinking or pursuing a woman for sex.

Other

Drives: 2005 White Dodge Neon

Lives: A converted studio apartment in an abandoned warehouse near the docks.

I've done this. No shame.

Relationship to Author

Ways she’s like me:  We’re both female. How about that.

Ways she’s not like me: Weeeellll I’m not from off Earth, and I like to think I’m not an abusive jerkwad. Just gonna leave it at that.

Notes: Yumiko was one of the last primary characters to appear in the series, way into development – in fact, I was already a few chapters into the first draft when she made her first surprise appearance. You ever have that character that just shows up one day and says “Yeah, this book? I’m in it. Don’t just sit there, asshole, write something about me.”? Yeah, Yumiko is my version of that character. She also downright scares me, because not only did this character just randomly show up one day in my manuscript and never freakin’ left she’s also quite disturbing to me, and many of the scenes I write with her in them make me quite uncomfortable. On the flipside, I find her fascinating because there’s still so much that even I don’t know about her or why she acts the way she does now. Even  I don’t know exactly how her father treated her and how it affected the way she saw men for the rest of her life, but I figure I’ll find that out soon enough – she’ll probably make sure of it. 

I laugh every single time I see this screenshot.