Please Take The Time To Read This. I Need Help Desperately To Keep My Car Which Is The Only Place Left

guys the consequences of inaction are noooootttt enough to motivate meeee

coming across a post from a mutual who hasn't opted in yet

“The right belief is like a good cloak, I think. If it fits you well, it keeps you warm and safe. The wrong fit however, can suffocate.” ― Brandon Sanderson, The Final Empire

“But you can't kill me, Lord Tyrant. I represent that one thing you've never been able to kill, no matter how hard you try. I am hope.” ― Brandon Sanderson, The Final Empire

“Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. That is the nature of hope.” ― Brandon Sanderson, The Final Empire

I owe a lot to Brandon Sanderson. In the summer of 2020, I was three years deep into the worst reading-slump of my life, struggling with anxiety and depression thanks to a combination of university stress, the pandemic, a full time laboratory job, and living away from home in a strange dead city. My writing was struggling due to lack of time and input to fill up my creative well. I don't remember a lot of that spring, except that it felt like my head was constantly full of mist.

I had no idea how much my life would change when I picked up an audiobook of The Way of Kings to help pass the hours doing tedious sample prep. (Eternal thanks to @siarven for the recommendation and moral support for the past several years <3) Kaladin's ideals got me through that year, and the next, and the next, as I fell deeper into the cosmere.

I picked up the audiobook of The Final Empire this past summer, at another lab job, doing boring sample prep again, and immediately grew attached to Vin's character. I wish I had picked up this book in high school, because I relate to this awkward, intense teen altogether too much. Reading about her struggles was like reading about my slightly younger self, and I want to scoop her up in a hug. It also shocked me just how many of my OCs are incredibly similar to Vin, carrying paranoia, too much truama, great skill, and grander callings on their young shoulders.

Beyond that, The Final Empire is also just so much fun?? as much as post-apocalyptic hell-scapes can be fun, but Kelsier brings such an entertaining energy to the page, and his beacon of hope resonated with those deeper themes that have always been the source of my love for these series. The "learning to fly" scenes are always my favorite, since I've been a little kid I've always dreamed of taking off into the wild blue yonder and leaving my problems behind, and there's no small part of wish fulfillment in this costume bringing me a little closer to launching myself into the sky.

I hope this cosplay did justice to the love I have for these books and for Vin's character. I tried my best to catch most of the details - her single earring, the vials, glass knife, coin pouch, and I even got my hair cut after four years for the occasion. This project started over the summer by hand-sewing the shirt, which I completed as I finished the trilogy. I did not end up cutting the cloak into ribbons to create the iconic mistcloak silhouette, as I plan to reuse this cloak for other projects, but I've added strips to the outside to give some of that look whenever I'm moving or there's wind. These are just-finished pictures in my dorm, but I'll be going outside on the next misty day for a proper photo shoot.

Thank you to everyone who's followed this project and encouraged me along the way! It was a lot of work, and in the end, I'm glad to have a good cloak that fits rather well.

Just a reminder for people cause I haven't seen many peope posting about it:

If you can, please braid your hair today in honor of Cole Brings Plenty. Cole was a Lakota actor who was found murdered with his hair cut. Rising Hearts has asked that everyone, indigenous or not, wear braids to honor him and remember those that have suffered the same.

If you can't braid your hair, then share posts of others!

Now is also a good time to share some support to indigenous charities, if you're able

https://www.risinghearts.org/

https://landback.org/

https://mmiwusa.org/

https://narf.org/

https://ndncollective.org/

https://www.niwrc.org/

Sazed: hello, I am secretly part of a tradition that our theocratic despot has gone to great lengths over the past thousand years to completely annihilate. I'd like to talk to you about our lord and savior, Literally Anyone Else

🏳️‍⚧️

it’s just one of those croissant days

Which smile is the best?