An Empty World

“I’m taking arts.” I declared to the world. I was nervous, anxiety and fear bottled up inside me. My palms were clammy and my knees wouldn’t stop shaking, but my voice was loud, calm and confident. I knew what I was doing, the decision I was making, and the consequences that came along with it. i was  prepared to deal with them.

And sure enough, they immediately reared their ugly heads. There were loud gasps, sharp intakes of breath, and even some tongues clicking.
“Why?!”
“Don’t you know only low-scoring losers chose arts?”
“Beta, listen, arts can’t get you a good job. We just want a good, secure future for you…”
Tongues wagged, heads shook, hands wrung, and eyebrows raised. But I maintained my composure- I had a solution. I pointed to the mysterious-looking large metal archway next to me.
“Behold! This is a magic portal. It allows people to travel through dimensions.” I took a dramatic pause, allowing my words to take effect.
“Today you lovely people shall be travelling through it. Why, you ask? Because I want to show you an alternate universe-a bizarre and strange world where you will see some rather...interesting things. Hopefully, it will be an eye opener for you. So, hop in, ladies and gents!”

My enthusiasm was met with confused stares and looks of apprehension. I sighed. Of course, people so narrow minded they dismissed an entire field of study surely couldn’t accept my high-tech para-dimensional teleporter. Fortunately, I had anticipated this as well.
“Beam us up, Scotty!” I yelled, and the voice controlled teleportation beam shot out of the arch, bathing all of us in an eerie blue light. Then, in the blink of an eye, we vanished. Well, technically, we didn’t vanish, we traveled through time and space and landed in an alternate universe. But, to an innocent bystander, it would seem as though we had vaporised into thin air, which is entirely possible of course- one can never be too sure with these new age fancy high-tech sci-fi toys. Thankfully, we hadn’t been vaporized.

We were in the alternate world, taking in our surroundings. We seemed to be standing in a busy street. There were a lot of people, and there were several shops and other buildings. However, the entire scene was quite unusual. The street was very clean, and very organized. The cars on it seemed to be very technologically advanced, but they looked very dull- nothing like the sleek, stylish cars you see in futuristic movies.
The people on the street seemed to  very civilized and well-behaved. A bit too much so. Their clothes were sober ( and almost identical), and their behavior and expression made them seem more like androids than actual human beings.
There were other oddities. For example, this world seemed to have no colour. Everything was composed of the same dull shades of grey, white, black and brown.

The party from the other universe stood on the side of the street, staring incredulously at everything around them.
“Where have you brought us?” they asked me
“ A world you should all love-a world without art.”
They looked at me, puzzled.
“Well,” said one software engineer as everyone slowly wrapped their heads around their situation. “ It shouldn’t be very different from our world then-maybe not as pretty, but that doesn’t matter. It seems to be better, actually!Look at the streets-so clean and organized!”
Several people nodded in agreement.
“ Let’s keep moving” I said

We kept walking, crossing several shops. Some of them were restaurants, or cafes. Everyone peaked in eagerly, curious to see this other-worldly cuisine. To their dismay, the food looked quite unappetizing. It seemed like it would fill your stomach, but was bland and dull. It looked nowhere near as delicious as the food in the shops back home did. The bakeries didn’t even have pretty cakes and sweets- they had only hard bread!

We then came upon an electronics store, expecting holograms, spectacles with computers in them and touch-screen TVs. And see all of that we did. But they were strange. We were accustomed to seeing videos or movies or even music displayed on the gadgets, to aid the customers. However, these displayed only textual information. Even the TV was devoid of any sort of visual media, and there seemed to be no music players at all.

I hurried the gawking crowd on further on the street. We came into a big square. It seemed like it was the central area. There were several seemingly large shops, like any other city square, but it was all vastly different from what we had imagined.

My companions, utterly frazzled and nonplussed, sat down on a bench, unable to comprehend this bizarre world. There was silence for a minute, as they tried to compose themselves. Then the barrage of questions began.

“ What is this place??”
“ Why don’t their TVs show anything?”
“How come there are no clothes or shoe stores?”
“Why aren’t there any book stores?”
“Why is their food so disgusting?”
“I haven’t heard a single person speak anything but English!”

I stood quietly, waiting for them to finish. Then, I responded to each one.

“There are no TV shows. No movies or music either. And no clothes/ shoe stores because everyone wears the same thing-there is no concept of style or fashion .Oh and, books don’t exist, hence the absence of bookstores. Their food is nutritional-it isn’t very pretty though. Aesthetics don’t really exist in this world. And as for the language, there’s only one-a very simple English. Languages didn’t really develop in this world.

They all stared at me, shocked. I continued, barely suppressing the urge to smile in a know-it-all I-told-you-so manner.
“There’s a very simple reason for all this- the absence of art. This is a world without arts. It doesn’t exist in this universe, and you can see the consequences.”

That just seemed to confuse them further.

“What do you stupid arts have to do with anything?” asked a frustrated medical student.
“It has everything to do with everything.” I replied “What, did you think art is just painting?And history and geography? You have never been more wrong, my friend, not even when you decided to give into your parents’ demands and take bio.
The arts are everywhere! The language we speak, the clothes and accessories we wear, the books we read, all the entertainment and media we consume. So many things are part of this domain. Our entire lives, or entire cultures are centered around the arts. And yet, you say it’s not important, and a waste of time.”

Realisation seemed to be dawning on the populace. And along with that, a sense of shame and embarrassment as well.

“ The arts are incredibly important in our world. Without them, we are dull, and our civilizations are backwards. We should be glad to exist in a world that is filled with so much art. Why do we dismiss it so?”

The band of people looked ashamed. I was glad. Finally, they understood.

I am a feminist

I am a feminist.

I am a feminist because I'm scared
scared of stepping out of the house
scared of coming back after dark
scared of streets devoid of people
and scared of ones filled with men 

I am a feminist because I'm tired
Tired of being stared at 
by men who look at me like i'm a piece of meat
Tired of deciding what I wear
according to someone else's standards

I am feminist because I'm angry
Angry at the men in charge
Who mask their indifference with big words
Angry at them again
Because sometimes they don't even try to mask it

I am a feminist because I don't want to be angry,scared,or tired any more
I want to be able to walk down a street
and not have to constantly look behind
I want to be able to wear a pair of cute shorts
and think of no consequences but for the compliments that I will get
I want to be able to read my morning newspaper
Without fury rushing through my veins

Being a woman should no make me tired,scared or angry
It's time people understood that

The Other Side (sequel/random figment of Dreamers)

 "Oh!" exclaimed Sierra, "It's spring!Look," she said,pointing out of the window "There's no flowers on our tree!"
Hamish got up from his bed and quickly went to the window.
"It is!" he said,smiling "It's spring already!"
"Oh thank goodness!" said Amelia, "We'll finally get to go home in a few days!"
They all laughed, both with relief and excitement.Finally,they would get to leave the castle.Once a year, in spring, King Drogo travelled to the surrounding kingdoms to meet their emperors and visit his children that were staying in their castles.During this time,the scribes were permitted to leave the castle and go home to their families.
For the rest of the year,they were trapped inside the cold palace of torture.
They were stuck there, and had to face several horrors that they were subjected to on a daily basis,the severity of which depended on King Drogo's whims and fancies.Those 3 weeks in spring were the only respite they go from their monstrous king.They had never known what being a scribe had truly  meant.
They could not breathe a word of their hardships to anyone, not even their families.And they were forbidden to leave the city.
"I hope no one is planning to escape this time," said Jeanine,looking pointedly at Daemon.
"No,not again." he said, his hand automatically reaching towards the deep scar on his cheek, as he remembered the outcome of his attempt to flee last year.The king's mages kept track on everyone.He had been caught.
Suddenly,two more people entered the room-Jason and Kiarah.
"Why is everyone laughing?" asked Jason
"Spring is here!" said Sierra gleefully
"Is it really?" asked Jason, his eyes widening. "That's wonderful!" he said, grinning.
They all grinned with him, sharing a rare moment of happiness, when suddenly they heard Kiarah say "No" softly.
"No!" she said again, this time slightly louder.The colour had drained from her face and she stood ,frozen in the doorway,breathing heavily.
"No no no!" she said,on the verge of tears.
"It can't be spring!It can't be spring already!" she cried, clutching her head with her hands while the rest of the scribes looked at her, perplexed.
"Samirah..." she whispered "My poor Samirah...no!"
Realisation dawned suddenly on everyone.It was spring.Spring was not just when the scribes were given leave, but also when new scribes were recruited. Samirah, Kiarah's sister, was going to be one of the young hopefuls giving the exam.
Amelia slowly hugged Kiarah, and stroked her back soothingly, hoping to console here, while everyone else exchanged worried glances. Their gleeful smiles and been wiped off their faces by the cruel reminder that soon, 15 young men and women, full of hope and anticipation like they once were, would be entering the castle. They would come to the castle with the expectation of a better life, only to discover that the rosy picture the emperor painted of the respectable and prosperous lives of scribes was merely a web of lies ,spun by a spider hoping to catch more prey and devour them.They thought being a scribe would make things better, for them and their family.They were blissfully unaware of the horrors that lay in wait.

Dreamers

‘King Drogo was crowned Ruler of the Realms in year 1645, after his father, King Andrei was killed in the battle for Holden Valley. Being the only son in a family of 6 daughters, he became king at the mere age of 13.His mother, Queen Marika was…’

Lyra’s looked up from the thick, leather bound textbook and out of the window at the commotion that had broken her concentration. Squinting through the sunlight with her warm hazel eyes, she saw, to her delight, Ismera.Ismera was Lyra’s favourite story-teller. She looked young, but something in her startling grey eyes, and the manner in which she told her stories gave the impression that she was much older and wiser than her looks portrayed. No one knew where she came from, or any other details about her life. All they knew was that she was a brilliant story-teller, who travelled far and wide, and often came to their little town to enthral the people with her magical tales of wonder. No one remembered when exactly she had started visiting the town, but everybody knew who she was now. Her tall, lean, elegant, but mystical self-had become a familiar figure.                                    .                             
All the townspeople loved her, especially the children, but yet there remained a few skeptics who were wary of her.Lyra’s mother, Aileen, was one of them.Lyra’s family was not a rich one, but they had been blessed with a bright and intelligent daughter. Recognising Lyra’s potential, and wanting her to have a better life. Her mother had begun working as a washerwoman so that Lyra could be tutored by Master Aemilius, and train to become a scribe for the Great King Drogo.Being a scribe was a very respectable job-Lyra would have a bright future at the castle if she managed to acquire it.Aileen wanted nothing more than success for Lyra, and so, for her, any sort of distraction from studies was unacceptable.
But Lyra was tired of reading history, and she loved Ismera too much to miss an opportunity to meet her. She quickly ran out of her room and found her mother outside the house putting up clothes on the clothespin to dry.                                       .
‘Mother! Look! It’s Ismera!' squealed little Lyra with joy.

'The old story-teller's back to spread her fables, eh?' said Aileen

'But mother, she says they're true!'

'Rubbish. They’re nothing but a waste of time.You have better things to do Lyra-like studying.You do want to become a good scribe for King Drogo,don't you?Then you must train.'

But Lyra's attention had already wandered from her mother's stern scoldings to Ismera and the gaggle of excited children sitting around her. As if in a trance, she walked towards them, ignoring her mother's protests.Ismera smiled at her as she sat down and began:

'How wonderful it is to see you all again have walked many leagues and been to the farthest corners of this world, but few places can boast of such extraordinary children!

Nevertheless, my travels have not been futile, for I have met some very interesting people-The most extraordinary of them being the Luthrians.'

She took a dramatic pause, looking at each of their excited, eager faces before continuing.

'The Luthrians are a magical and mysterious people. They live far away from here, in a hidden forest, away from the prying eyes of other men. They do not let anyone enter amongst them, and are very strict about their privacy. Very few know of the powers they possess ,and the wonders they can do, for it is forbidden to speak of their magic to outsiders.However,I have seen them, and I know of their capabilities-they are profound and varied, but the most extraordinary thing about them is that they can dream.'

She took another pause, to let her words sink in.

'What are dreams?'

'Dreams, my dear children, are beautiful things. They are thoughts that take strange, magical, extraordinary forms when you sleep. But the strange part, is that you do not realise that you are thinking these thoughts. To you ,it would seem as if you are watching a vision or a story come to life inside your head. It is only once you wake up that you realise that what you saw was not a real event, but a vision of your imagination.'

She sighed and said, almost nostalgically, 'What wonderful things they are, these dreams.'

'But that isn't possible' quipped the scribe's young son sitting right in front of Ismera

'My father says that people can't have dreams. He says that it isn't possible for our brains to create visions like that, and that the Luthrians are nothing but the characters of an old wives' tale.'

'I'm afraid that your father is wrong this time, Andrew.You see, I’ve met these Luthrians myself. They seem to be normal in every way, except for a tiny glowing mark present on their body.’ She then leaned towards Andrew and took his arm, drawing a small L gently on his forearm as she continued talking. ‘This mark is connected to their brains by magic and helps them dream. It is that mark which makes them different from other people.’

Andrew was just beginning to argue, when Lyra asked, 'What can you do with dreams?'

'Well, just about anything! In a dream, you can fly over high mountains, swim in deep seas, slay ferocious dragons, or even rule a kingdom! Most often, there are other people in your dreams too, like your friends or family, taking part in your adventures with you! Dreams can be wonderful and happy, but they can also be dark and sad-you have no control over what is happening. Anything and everything is possible when you are dreaming!'

The children all gasped and giggled excitedly, wishing aloud that they were Luthrians.They posed question after question about the Luthrians and their dreams,babbling away excitedly about all the things they would ream about if they could.Most dreamt about being rulers,or knights,killing monsters and being praised by everybody.Lyra dreamt about being a scribe,living in the castle and spending her time in the infinitely fast library that it contained.After a while of answering their questions patiently,and telling them more interesting things about the Luthrians,Ismera stood up and said:

'Alas, dear children, ‘tis now time for me to leave. As much as I would love to continue telling you about the strange, magical folk of this earth, there are people to be met, places to be visited, and stories to be told!Hence,I must make haste!'

The children all voiced their unhappiness in unison, but their frowns soon turned to grins as Ismera handed out sweet Dornish sweets to every one of them.

Lyra was the last to receive the tasty delight. Just before she left, Ismera bent down to pat her head lightly. As she straightened up, Lyra glimpsed a small part of her neck that wasn't covered by the various shawls and stoles she had wrapped around herself.

On that small patch of bare skin was a small, but bright, glowing mark in the shape of an L.

An Ode To My Best Friend

Today I recount a song unsung

Of something,that,when I was young

Changed my life in such a drastic way

That I will fail,though I try,in any attempt to repay

It is not something that people consider great

But people do not understand the ways of fate

For me,it is greater than the sun that shines

And is more than it seems if you read between the lines

It is,be warned for the shock may crush

The bond between me and an extraordinary Paintbrush

You may laugh and mock,but listen to me

My Paintbrush was magical-lifelike was she

She was petite,but elegant nonetheless

And it wasn't her looks,but her qualities that did impress

She did more than transfer paint to paper

She was a close,terrific friend-A life-shaper

She was always there for me

Whether it was to listen to my rants and musings patiently

Or splatter colour when I needed a laugh 

She was my better half

And still is-for such a bond did she and I create

That it still exists to this date

My feelings for her are so strong, there's nothing I can say

Except that I love you ,my dear paintbrush,and with you forever I'll stay

PS-this was my first attempt at poetry-I hope it wasn't too bad!Let me know what you think :)
PPS-For those of you who are looking at your computer screens in a confused manner:Plot Twist-The poem is a metaphor for the bond I share  with my actual best friend-Her name means paintbrush
That's always been an opportunity for me to make fun of her-but this time it's inspiration for a poem :)

And,as personally requested by the paintbrush herself,here is a picture of her ^

The Perks Of Being A Fangirl

As many of you might have noticed(From my description and my blogger id and well, the title of this post),I am a fangirl.

To those of you who are ignorant(Blissfully,i might add,for being a fangirl is no walk in the park,as i shall demonstrate further on) to the entire world of fandoms and fangirls/boys,i shall make an attempt to describe it.
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Okay that wasn't a very good description was it?But well-if you speak fangirl,then it's quite accurate.Howeer,if you don't,then I shall make another attempt:
A fandom is a (generally online) community of people who are terribly in love with a particular book series,tv show,band or movie.The people who are part of the fandom are known as fangirls/boys.Now,you must not confuse fans with fangirls-there is a huge difference between the two.Fans are  people who merely like the book/show/movie/band.Fangirls are an entirely different species.They are hopelessly addicted to the book/show/movie/band.They are attached to it emotionally and feel a strong passion for it's characters/members.They can be understood as fans with emotions for the book/show/movie blown up to terrible,gargantuan proportions.A fangirl/boy can be part of multiple fandoms.I,for example,am part of the Harry Potter,Sherlock,Doctor Who,Lord Of The Rings,Hunger Games,Inheritance,Star Wars,Jonas Brothers and The Script fandoms.

Being a fangirl,as i mentioned before,isn't easy.We are very weird,high-strung beings.
Fangirls are highly emotionally unstable people,who can become euphoric just by looking at a gif or picture,and can be rendered to tears by the same.They are not known to be very social creatures,as they prefer to spend their time in the confines of their home, where there is wifi, as compared to the dangerous outdoors,where there are people.A fangril's main problem in life is usually her inability to meet her favourite band/actor,her favourite show is on hiatus,the frustration that comes as a result of not receiving your Hogwarts letter,her favourite character has died or she has run out of nutella.

By now,you have a fair idea of what a fangirl is and probably feel sympathy towards these obsessive creatures with too many feels.But,do not despair-for there is an upside.
Fangirls aren't all tears and frustrated clawing at the computer screen-they possess several other non-stalker like qualities.Most fangirls are very intelligent-which isn't very surprising,seeing as they spend a large part of their time with their nose buried in a book.They are good at other subjects too, though-as can be seen in the various scientific/mathematical/historic discussions that take place on tumblr.
Fandoms are also very accepting.Fangirls are always voicing out their support for people who face difficulties-whether it's homosexuals,or just high-school students who self-harm because of low-self worth.They condemn all sorts of inequality and discrimination and welcome all kinds of people into the fandom.People from  all accross the world,and from all walks of life have found friendship and suppport through fandoms.

Don't pity them that much now,eh?Maybe you're considering joining a fandom yourself?Please do!I will be overjoyed to learn that i have converted an ordinary person's life into the colourful,exciting,interesting(albeit frustrating) life that is a fangirl's.
However,you must bear in mind the ruthless authors/scriptwriters and the unbearable perfect-to-the point-of-trying-to-pull-them-out-of-the-book/tv characters/band members and Steven Moffat -they can be a deal-breaker.The side-effects of insomnia,an insatiable hunger and lack of physical activity must also be thought about.
Consider yourself warned.

PS-This was my first post and i hope you all didn't find it terrible.I shall be posting once a week,to those who are interested in reading similar ramblings such as this.
Also-i wish to thank a certain Pokemon fanboy who convinced me to do this entire thing.I hope i haven't disappointed you too terribly

Cheerio till next time!