#*guiding light by mumfords & sons playing in the background*

[beaulesbian]

Voltron: Legendary Defender S03E05 - The Journey

└ I am seven days out. Oxygen levels are low. And fuel is… gone. This will be my last entry.

/////

We found him.

[mum-for-da-sons]

Very messy Delta review

Hey gang, i sat & typed & spiraled while listening to delta for the first time just now, so if that interests you to read barely legible thoughts, it’ll be under the read more thing. dang i’m sad!! BUt spoiler alert: GOOOD ALBUM! I’m SAD!! (do note I don’t find the album or many tracks all-around too sad, I’m just a depressed bih)

Delta thoughts: okay i’m not gonna really edit what i wrote but for everyone’s sanity i’ll bold the song titles, okay?

42: BINCH! See a sign, I need some guiding light,,, eff ME UP OKAY?? This is such a strong start i’m already getting teary-eyed, huh. Ugh, it’s so satisfying… well effing done lads,, well done

Guiding Light: Hot dang the whispered beginning?? I really need to fix my computer speakers because this sounds heavenly in my over-ear headphones,, gosh dang. Discover some new TRUTH! Gosh dang this is not a comprehensive review in the slightest but i don’t care!! Binch!! I can’t even say anything good… when beloved or darkness visible makes me cry, i guess beloved is fourth? So if it does it’ll be first, anyway, when i start crying maybe i have something cooler to say. Not crazy about the “dubstep build” on this, after the bridge, just because i don’t believe it, like it’s not long enough, and resolves unconvincingly. But, anyway.

Woman: literally FRICK i thought if i say was next this start is cool and very Winston. Oh vibes?? Oh worm?? Woman?? I’m like 15 seconds in and this is… yes. Can you ever really know? No. is ths song even about anything lol i don’t think i care?? Issa vibe, gang. Chorus?? Eff me up. He said frosty… wendy’s come collect. Oh that was the pre-chorus?? This is f*cking me up… VIBES. i ‘ve been waiting for them to try this in a song of theirs and not like a cover.. I knew they were capable…. The range they’re displaying rn? I love it. I love them wtf!!  Oooh man i wanna see this live? There’s this drumstick noise, like rimshots? That sounds so satisfying. Yes, clackety clack. This is nice. Nice song. Don’t really know what they’re singing, bt this is warm. I like it. Mumford & sons finally said it’s 2018, huh. I just got a youtube notification of me commenting on their radio appearance and i literally said “the range they’re showing? Fantastic” and yanno what,, same

Beloved: this song started like right away huh. He said darling… dang he did that. He’s fitting a lot of words in on this one. Ohh the lord has a plan? It is hard to understand… i love these lyrics.. Big brain meme. Are you afraid? The attack.. Hand come through the mirror?? That visual!!! O f*ck me up. Before you leave :(( yeah it’s getting to me aHAHA.ohh this breakdown? Yes. these drums are especially nice. Ugh i really missed these guys wtf :(. AND AS YOU LEAVE, YOU MUST KNOW YOU ARE BELOVED> yes. Yes. as you LEeeeEEeaaveee. See my children playing at your feet?? BOI.. i’m so soft wtf.. They’re really putting it all out… i wanna hug them i’m so… this is so sweet aw. Oh no the song is fading, no don’t do that song

What song is this the piano can f*ck me up: ben man, you’re doin that huh. No literally did we have to jump to this painful… frick. This violin? Is nice. WE SAW BIRTH AND DEATH. Oh frick. They’re just going for it this is a lot i’m soft. Lemme actually see what song this is lol.. It’s The Wild. i have like chills & i can’t tell if it’s because i’m cold or not. Do not be afraid :(. OH they stripped it back!!! THIS IS NICE! Binch! Puts the fear of God in me :( this is so nice .. it’s hard to pick what to focus on. What’s that i see binch? I think it’s the wild… marcus is really do THAT with these vocals, huh. There was like a breath and.. The atmosphere during this part?? Nat Geo who??? Ohhh i like this so much.. It’s like a soundtrack.. The sampling of noise?? The background?? It’s cool, doesn’t specifically sound like them at all, but, aw these drums :( now it’s like a war movie.. This is so interesting. Those drums remind me of the drums in winter winds that i can sometimes here & it’s very drill-like and marching band-esqe and i love it. Aw birds??? You know what this reminds me of…. I won’t say

Next song: marcus is playing no games with these vocals, jesus. October Skies.. Isn’t this his favorite one… ooh ted I hear that bass,, eff it up.OooooOOOoooHH. The range… i love these guys. I’m blinded by the light of october skies… the movie with Jake Gylenhaal, and in the valley I am free :( where’d the silehute go? OOOooooOOOOooooHH YOUr’e esesjfsfshesal!! The fear of what’s to come.. CRIPlin’ me :( binch. Is this synth lowkey?? Brand it on my mind is such a great visual, like the “press my nose up to the glass around your heart” line.. Who wrote it. Oh is the sonG_ OOOOOOoooooOOOOOOoooooHHHH. Maggie rogers is that you? Hot dang

An upbeater!! Wipe those tears baby! Is this the just smoke of this album. This is.. Slip Away. “stoic smile” i see you… haha. Ooh this chorus is nice COME AND SUFFER HERE, LADIES! Mood!! Holding my breathe for you? F! In this violence of a mind’s eye… i like everything except maybe---- ohh this falsetto?? I’m.. i’m tearing.. Oooh we just found a song to cry to in the middle of the night, huh. It’s misleading with the beat vs. the lyrics.. I wouldn’t have it any other way!! Gosh i’m so depressed! Lol!! There’s a pulsing beat of some kind that’s nice.. Also some nice guitar work on here, some clackety things… go gently… be still…. Go gently….now… be still… Go Gentlyyyyy nowwwww, be stiiiilllll. Ugh they.. They’re doing this… i’m so proud of them wtf. Is this winston?? Who is singing.. Marcus?? I can’t.. Tell? No i think its marcus but we’ve truly never heard that high-end from him for that long

Okay: next song is pretty interesting- ooh! Right off the bat! This has to be the one they said sounded like ngalma? However you spell it… clap clap clap clap clap, this is a drum-machiner one for sure. I will be yours & you will be mine, ever our lives will be entwined binch! This noise after “my rose of sharon” is a mood. Ugh this is so cute.. Imagine being happy w/ someone else, what a concept ! eeeeeee yuh! That’s what they’re singing in the back.. My rose of sharon, my rose of sharon, BRR BRR BRN NER! Did the song-- what’s up with these abrupt endings

That being said, Picture You sounds v vibey right off the bat. Okay lads! I thought it best you didn’t knowww. I’m so proud of Marcus for flaunting these vocals, i stg, I’ve spoken on this before but... like he can do that!! I’m so glad he’s,, doing it! Ooh the “away” is v nice. I love full-stops in music, where the sound gets sucked out like here or just stops entirely… yes boys. Okay.. not crazy about this kind of.. Breakdown but it’s still cool. Just not in-rand as much as some other things. I mean, this sound is V different of course but they’re workin’ it. Okay i kind of stopped paying attention for a sec… there’s sampling… ohhh oh no it’s getting dark… hohoho no guys.. I’m excited but the anxiety is jumping out… holy smokes this is cool tho. It’s pretty. Hope that never comes, that comes to all.. Torture without end… yet from the great flames no light,,, but rather.. .DARKNESS VISIBLE. I’m gonna check if it didn’t seamlessly bleed into darkness visible…

Oh it did!! Their minds!! God, i already know i love darkness visible,, it was my pre-album listen fave on details about it alone,, we’re depressed sweeties let’s pop off… it’s so nice >:(. And just like that it ended!!!! BINCH!!! Ooh they’re like not even vocally in that one… i like that ish!! Not the “them not being in it” in that way but OOH! That was effing cool

If I Say: is still v v nice,, sounds effing expansive and beautiful with good headphones, i’m picking up all the lil details and prettiness.. The synth line after “if i say i love you, well then i love you” is sooo satisfying too. Ugh this orchestra,,, it’s building.. Truly their minds were so big on this album, huh. I’ll tell you what It doesn’t mean that i feel better! It doesn’t mean that I feel better! I’m, haha i still kinda hate this chorus but their so passionate i can’t hate it all the way,, like they love this ish and are into it & i love them so it’s allll good homies. I dig. I’ll be fake and wild out when they play it live, don’t worry. But peace you never find :( the guitar tone is crispyyyy,, the instrumentation… ugh it’s so nice. Violins can murder me or someat and I’d accept it. AND IF I SAY I LOVE YOU, THEN I LOVE YOUUUU. Ugh,, so so nice man

What’s NEXT: ooh some seamlessness in that transition.. .is this ghost of tom joad i’m hearing lol, mortal once again!! Oh this is a mood, freak.. Sigh no more marcus really jumped out on this one. This shuffling maraca thing is so nice. I’ll hold you by the jaw!! Hoo hoo bihhh. “It took a wild heart to tame mIIiine” this is so nice wtf!! Ugh this is so nice. I wouldn’t have you any other way,, awwwwwWWW!! Who want a love that makes sense anyway? I’ll effing say! Ugh this is very nice. These lyrics are so interesting… this is a good one guys, quiet & sweet but there’s some pretty cool things also going on, like it’s simple but its… this is it, ya know? This piano is sweet too. This whole thing is sweet, maybe that’s a dumb word to use but. This is so sweeeeet ugh!!! The vocal riffs on “mine” … ugh!! I kind of like the echoey vocals too.. Soft rain patter for two seconds at the end??

Reverse noises w/ a big breath from Marcus: let’s effing go w/ this album, gang!! What song is this reminding me of… whispers in the dark? He did some late-babel, early wilder mind voice thing.. Wait it’s forever isn’t it. I heard this one i think, like 3 yrs ago.. Yup, Dare I Say Forever.. I still don’t like do it for the girl” cos it’s too straightfoward, ,”i’ve known pious women” LOL where is this going. Only mumford & sons can really put that word in a song and just, keep singing. We stan tho, we stan. Think of london,,, we love. The DAAaaYS you defend will turn to gold,, this could easily be the last song on the album, this is like a last-call at the bar song,, in a good way, i’ve linked arms with my buddies & we’re all yelling this song like goons,, yes. Lighters a-waving,, are we too sentimental to not look back atnd!! WOW he realy did that with stare!! I couldnt finish typing that.. Is this part auto-tuned?? Dare I say.. Why? I’m choosing to hear it as a vocoder and many harmonies so i don’t hate that but uhaha they.. Hm they tried that i guess. Other than that the vi- oh why did the violin exit like that

The song is bouncing in my ears weird!! It’s giving me monster vibes atm. There’s a definite thread of messages goin thru this album & oof i love being sad,, the children come & go as you weep? Lol i love being sad. I am a waste?? My words are empty [as the bed we made]. Wilder mind is comin out on this, the album, huh!! The optimism on this album is-- I”LL MEET YOU OUT THE DELTAAA< WHERE THE RIVER”S RUINNING TO THE SEA,, GOD i love it. Ooh these drums, cool cool, it’s.. This is cool. Also sampling marcus’s children is sure way to eff everyone up, but that’s for another post,, ooooh i’m soft!! When it feels like nothing else matters :((((( lets go with this build!!! I wanna go for a run and have a cry.. Ooh man i took a moment there… this is so nice :( i’v missed them!!! Whats goin on with his vocals here,, the recording is like too close,, on purpose?? Hm. dust to dust!! I see you!! Marcus is truly giving his all here,, ugh I”m so proud of all of them, they put their LIVES on this, didn’t they!!! This song is such a feeling,, i can’t describe it i’m sad, but awwwW! I don’t kno wtf these kids are saying but wow that was cute as all heck!!! I”m so soft!! The album is over!! They did it!! Frick i don’t know how to feel!! Good really, but wow!!! Trying to not let my own sadness affect this review haha but !! what a nice body of work they produced!! In all the best ways, mostly!! I love them!!  I wanna have another listen!! Aw!!!! Frick guys. Frick. Can’t imagine anyone wants to slog thru this and have a read but,, anyway thanks if you did i guess, special thanks to Mumford & Sons for being my favorite band and always :( always being there when I need it. I needed this. wow. wow. Wowww!!!  Oof, haha i’m sad

Okay wait also he should’ve repeated the “I’ll meet you at the delta part” at least one more time but eff my criticism that song captures all stages of life and i truly wanna cry, so there’s that. Theses guys put it all out there & I really love them for that.

[goddessvicky]

*music emoji*

Rules: We’re snooping on your playlist, so put your entire 🎶 library on shuffle and list the first ten songs. (I’m using my spotify favorites. Because reasons.)

Guess what! I have a headache (in the midst of a cluster and it’s kicked my ass ALL WEEK LONG) so I’m going to just fucking listen to these songs and give you a stream of consciousness while they’re playing. This is in hope that by the time it’s done my meds (MOAR MEDS) will have kicked in and I’ll be able to get some writing done tonight. 

(P.S. - if you weren’t aware, you can go to this here website, enter in any youtube URL and it’ll let you download it as an MP3. Pretty nifty. I use it a lot.)

1 - Call Me When You’re Sober - Evanescence - I’ve met Amy and she is a DOLL. This band in the soundtrack to my high school days. I can hit all these notes. I listen to/belt it in the shower. If I was brave enough I’d sing this at karaoke but I never really want to *try* at karaoke, you know? I digress. This song still kicks ass and I will love her unashamedly for the rest of my days.

2 - Flicker - Canyon City - this is a very chill song, which is why I love it. Most of the stuff on my spotify favorites are songs that I can data entry to (for work) or write to (as background noise). This is definitely one of those songs. His voice is nice, and I’m a sucker for acoustic guitar. Acoustic everything, actually. I’ve checked out a few songs by this band and they’re almost all catchy and earworm-y.

3 - Asking for a Friend (stripped version) - Annabel Jones - The refrain of “everyday is agony” gets me every time. It’s so guttural and you just feeeeeel it. I can definitely see it as someone reminiscing about a relationship that went bad, and you still see the person every day and it just hurts but you can’t go back in time and fix the things that are broken. Music is such a big part of my life that songs can paint entire scenes in my head. The song ‘Heart’ by Sleeping At Last will always remind me of the first time Steve and Bucky confessed their feelings to each other in The Great Designed Unfinished because I was listening to it on repeat while we wrote it. It’s funny how one song can make you travel back in time.

4 - War of Hearts - Ruelle -  This is *most definitely* a battle sequence song. Prepping for the fight, building yourself up, even though a thread of fear still threatens to take your knees, but you do it anyway. 

5 - I Will Wait - Julia Herriman - This is a cover of the Mumford & Sons song. I’m a huge Mumford fan (I’ve been lucky enough to see them twice) and hearing this version made goosebumps break out of my hands. It’s slightly ominous in the best way, and her voice is husky and beautiful. When she really gets going, you can just feel her under your skin. 

6 - Guiding Light - Mumford & Sons - speaking of Mumford, here they come. This is off their new album, Delta (go get it, it’s *fire emoji*) and they played it on SNL (Momoa was hosting) and it was just... perfect. That’s really how good they are. It’s inside. Ever since I first heard “Little Lion Man” I’ve been in love. Marcus Mumford is a fucking deity and his voice makes me want to do dirty things. And more than that, you can just fucking tell they love performing. They get to go out every night and do the thing they love to do - rock out in an amazing jam session - and how could ask for more, right?

7 - Friends - Clementine Duo - I’d never heard of this band before they popped up on my release radar playlist (Which I listen every Monday religiously) and the song just sticks. “Wondering if you think about me... actually don’t answer that” is like a barb in the ribs and heartbreaking. I love it.

8 - We Can Never Go Back (Acoustic) - Joy Williams - second only to Hayley Williams as my favorite vocalist, Joy Williams’ voice is just... fuck. It’s so good. All of her stuff is just amazing, whether it was with The Civil Wars or solo (though I prefer the solo stuff because it’s a little more... optimistic? I guess?) If I had a voice like hers, I’d never stop singing. Ever.

9 - This is America - Childish Gambino - I mean.. what else can you say about CG? Donald is a fucking genius and if you haven’t seen this music video, click on the link. And then watch it a million more times to catch all the things you didn’t see the first time. Yet again another artist I’ve been lucky to see in person (live music makes me so happy) but it was back in the ‘Heartbeat’ days, which were just as good, but less well known. The fact that he’s blown up is amazing. He’s doing such good work. And it’s fucking Lando. LANDO. Brilliant. 

10 - Like Everyone Else (Acoustic) - Lennon Stella - This song... It’s fairly new but fuuckkk is it so good. The husk and rasp in her voice is so captivating and the emotion she puts in her lyrics speaks to me. I can’t wait to see what else she has coming out soon.

[crimsonrevolt]

Congratulations Stacey you’ve been accepted to Crimson Revolt as Walden Macnair!

↳ please refer to our character checklist

Your application immediately drew us into everything that set Walden apart from so many of the Death Eaters we already have, Stacey, and you managed to personify the chilling nature of Walden’s personality to such detail that it was haunting to see. I love all the thought you put into your application and how thoroughly you thought about his background and what might have influenced his decisions. Having him be an executioner is perfect! We’re really excited to see what you do with him! *your faceclaim change to Charlie Weber has been accepted!

application beneath the cut

Trigger Warning: Personality Disorder mentioned / explored in headcanons. Blood / Murder mentioned very briefly in para and questionnaire, but neither are explicitly described.

OUT OF CHARACTER:

INTRODUCTION Hello! My name is Stacey (her/she). I’m 18 years old and in the Eastern Time Zone.

ACTIVITY Generally about 6 or 7. I know expected activity levels are higher/stricter for those with more than one character and think that meeting the activity requirements shouldn’t be a problem.

TRIGGERS *removed for privacy

HOW DID YOU FIND US? I play Gilderoy for those who don’t know, but I think initially I found Crimson Revolt through a post from the promo blog while searching the tags.

WHAT HARRY POTTER CHARACTER DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH MOST? Keeping with the generic response, I have to say Hermione Granger because of her determination and loyalty. She was the “geek / goody-two shoes” of the Golden Trio ( always following the rules, encouraging Harry and Ron to study, etc. ) which is definitely how I feel around any of my friends. From playing a key role in defeating Voldemort to becoming Minister of Magic, I think her character is overall extremely empowering.

ANYTHING ELSE?

IN CHARACTER:

DESIRED CHARACTER Walden Silas Macnair.

Walden: “Mighty” or “Strong fighter”

Silas: “Man of the woods”

Macnair: “Son of the heir”

FACE CLAIM If the Admin Team is feeling it, I’d prefer to use Charlie Weber instead of Jake Gyllenhaal.

REASON FOR CHOSEN CHARACTER For a few months now I’ve been really interested in picking up another muse, but wanted to make sure I had the time to really give them the attention that a new character needs. I was always fascinated with Walden though, especially because I’ve explored him a couple times before in one on one roleplays.

He’s someone who was raised in what I imagined to be a very formal household where absolute perfection was expected of the children, meaning strict manners even with their friends and families. Where the Macnair household may have differed from most other Pureblood families is that when they weren’t entertaining guests or attending prestigious events, the children were expected to be outside getting dirty, causing trouble for Muggles, fighting each other - Samael and Aline Macnair believed that promoting activities like these was the best way to help transform their boys into steadfast men. As a result, the woods will always feel more like home to Walden than any mansion.

Young Walden was a submissive boy easily pushed around by others, however, which angered his father to no end. In an attempt to toughen his youngest son, Samael Macnair resorted to punishments that bordered abuse and included forcing Walden to accompany him on creature executions. The killings became an art to the boy, who began studying magical creatures years before he attended Hogwarts because he enjoyed thinking of new, more satisfying ways that they could be killed. When the Dark Lord began to rise, Walden didn’t need his father’s encouragement to offer his services to the cause.

From the age of twenty to twenty-three, Walden was married to a respectable woman named Emily. After her death, he became absolutely consumed with his work at the Ministry and for the Dark Lord. As he didn’t wish to marry again and had failed to produce an heir, he began to view his work and role in the rising war as his legacy and something that is simply expected of him to fulfill.

As an Executioner, Walden didn’t need to be guilty of anything to spark the stories that he was a sadistic, sick man. The rise of the Dark Lord and unexpected death of his wife only heightened these rumors, none of which he chose to confirm nor deny. He doesn’t care about being remembered for years to come in a positive or negative light, but is simply doing what he feels is his duty as a Pureblood.

PREFERRED SHIPS // CHARACTER SEXUALITY // GENDER & PRONOUNS Walden (he/him) is heterosexual. Considering the stigma surrounding homosexuality during this time period, I don’t see the idea of being with males in any romantic or sexual way as being something he would be comfortable considering or even thinking about. He’s drawn to women with wicked tendencies and an appetite for inflicting anguish, typically those allied with Death Eaters due to his strong dedication to the cause. He’s attracted to beauty and is prone to obsession, often going out of his way to observe the women who spark his interest. He would rather spend his time stalking than talking, but derives pleasure from introducing altruistic women to a darker side of humanity and themselves.

CREATE ONE (OR MORE!) OF THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR CHARACTER:

HEADCANONS

Family: Ruled by a meek mother and detached father, affection was as rare as birthday presents in the Macnair household. From a young age, Walden appeared to have inherited more from his mother than his father, as even in a crowd he basked in his wallflower nature as though he were alone. As a result, his father was stricter with his youngest son than he was with his oldest. On more than one occasion, William would say that he had sacrificed himself to save his brother from a punishment from their father, but Walden liked to think that /he/ had been the one to sacrifice his brother.

Marriage: Similar to his brother before him, Walden’s marriage was arranged by his sixteenth birthday. He was married when he was twenty to a woman who he quickly decided wasn’t the worst choice for a wife. Emily was perhaps the closest he ever came to loving someone before her gruesome death three years later. Official reports declare it the result of an unfortunate run in with an unidentified beast, but the only witness to the accident - Walden - still refuses to speak of it twelve years later.

Employment: Walden succeeded his father as Executioner. When he was only six years old, his father brought him to witness his first execution, which sparked a lust for blood that neither parent expected from their youngest, more reserved son. As he failed to marry and produce an heir as his elder brother did, being the Executioner became a way for Walden to retain the approval and respect of his parents and Pureblood society, hence why he takes it so seriously.

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder: Consumed by details and rules, Walden would rather avoid a task altogether than be forced to complete it imperfectly. His inability to bend his morals causes an erratic temper that, in his mind, would justify violence committed against even an ally if their words or actions inadvertently sparked suspicion. He has a tendency to obsess over his work both as an Executioner and Death Eater, placing a higher importance on such responsibilities than on personal relationships.

Random: Walden learned about poetry from the songs and chants his father used to sing during his executions. As violence was promoted more than literacy in the family, he used to secretly buy or steal Shakespeare books and hide them under his bed to indulge in at night.

Being sorted into Ravenclaw rather than Slytherin was a large disappointment for himself and his family, but not one that anyone dwelled on. “It is what it is,” His father had written to him the next day, and that was that.

As he grew older, Walden gradually began to isolate himself. He still identifies with Pureblood ideals, but has failed to maintain close friendships with those who may have helped advance his place in society or the Dark Lord’s ranks.

PLAYLIST

| Have Mercy - This Old Ark | They kept me in the dark, shouting “One day young boy you’ll be a man and you’ll be guiding this old ark” | Mumford & Sons - The Cave | It’s empty in the valley of your heart | Hippie Sabotage - Devil Eyes | You’ve got the devil in your eyes, you went and took me by surprise | The Shins - Caring is Creepy | It’s a luscious mix of words and tricks that let us bet when you know we should fold | Marina and the Diamonds - Savages | Are you killing for yourself or killing for your savior? | Until the Ribbon Breaks - One Way Or Another | One way or another, I’m gonna find ya’ | The Bright Brothers - Blood on my Name | When the fires have surrounded you with the Hounds of Hell comin’ after you I’ve got blood, I’ve got blood on my name |

AESTHETIC

https://i.imgur.com/buwGmqd.png

IN CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE: ♔ If you were able to invent one spell, potion, or charm, what would it do, what would you use it for or how would you use it? Feel free to name it:

Walden’s inner Ravenclaw relished at the question, as inventing something was a fantasy he often entertained himself with as a child. Many years had passed since the nights he spent making lists of potential spells and potions, however, and he could remember only one. “A potion that could make someone invisible for a while would be useful. It could be called ‘Indespectus’.”

♔ You have to venture deep into the Forbidden Forest one night. Pick one other character and one object (muggle or magical), besides your wand, that you’d want with you:

Hogwart’s Forbidden Forest was a scene Walden knew well from his years at the school and the few times that work had sent him back. The word “forbidden” was far too intense for what hid in the shadows of the trees. “I would bring my axe. I haven’t missed a target with it yet,” He answered. Sometimes, he felt he knew the striking tool better than he knew his wand, despite the fact that the latter was meant to be catered to his character. “We work best alone, though. Other people tend to get in the way of getting a job done properly. Sometimes it feels like the axe has a mind of its own, if that’s any consolation.”

♔ What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?

His first thought was spontaneous decisions, yet the more he considered it the more he realized that most things he did were either upon instinct or pure routine. “I don’t fancy hypothetical questions,” Walden decided. “They’re pointless, really. It’s like… Playing a game and making up the rules as you go, then you never know when it ends. That’s how people get their heads stuck in the clouds.”

♔ What is one thing you would never want said about you?

There was much hearsay already about Walden that floated around, albeit he had never paid much mind to any of it. As far as he was concerned, those who didn’t work gossiped and the cycle was one that was as unstoppable as the cycle of life. “I work hard,” He stated. “I wouldn’t want anyone to say otherwise.”  

WRITING SAMPLE:

“That’s enough, Macnair! You’re just being bloody cruel to the thing now,” Dalton laughed. The sound that came from Walden resembled both a grunt and a dry laugh. He swung his axe down heavily again in an attempt to join the multiple slashes into one large cut. “Besides, it’s almost three. Didn’t you say you had somewhere to be?” With one more swing at the dead creature, Walden stepped back to marvel at his masterpiece. Dalton stepped forward to discard the body and he watched intently like an artist that is willing to sell his work only if he can see for himself that it will be displayed properly. His axe in one hand, dripping with thick blood over his shoulder, he started back down the hilltop on which the execution had been executed, the sacrifice had been made. The scene replayed in his mind and he sang to himself - “I’ve reached a place where the willow don’t bend…” When he returned some time later to his secluded residence, just large and new enough to display a stark difference to the wilderness around it, the house was cold and dark and lifeless - just as Walden liked it. In the depths of his personal library, ( an extra bedroom that had been converted to such ), and by the light of thin curtains, he watched the blood dry and settle into the cracks of his palms before scrubbing his hands of a job well done. It was a quarter before three when he decided upon a suit to wear and five minutes before the exact hour when he arrived at the funeral. Immune to the tears and sniffles around him, Walden stood so quietly by his mother’s side that she didn’t know when he had arrived, but in all fairness she likely didn’t know when or how she had gotten there either. She wouldn’t question it, though. Alina Macnair never questioned the way things were. Samael Macnair had inadvertently taught his children many lessons that as adults, impacted them greatly. For example, the songs he sang on the way back from an execution taught a young Walden what a poem was and set the boy on a path of fascination for the art of word that his father swore was to blame for his sorting into Ravenclaw rather than Slytherin, like his older brother. It was the fact that he forced his subdued son to accompany him to his assignments that set Walden on a greater, more dangerous path, however. He adopted an obsession for every part of the process of death that dominated every other hobby of interest. Samael taught his boys that Macnairs took life - they did not mourn it. As Walden met William’s eyes over his mother, they shared a brief moment in which the brothers appeared to silently agree that though six feet under, it was still best not to disobey their father. A familiar sensation in his left forearm broke the gaze. The man’s brother followed him so quietly that Walden didn’t know he had left the burial until he called out to him. “It isn’t over yet, Walden. Where are you going?” He heaved a silent sigh before facing William. He wanted to tell him to stop trying to grow a beard because he looked too much like their father and someone might get confused, he might get confused and - "I know, Will. I have to go to work,” Walden stated blankly. “It’s an emergency.” “Our father’s death is an emergency.” The reply had the potential for some bite and some anger, but it was too soft for either. “This is a real emergency,” He countered coldly. It wasn’t that he was glad his father was dead, but Death was one debt that everyone had to pay eventually. Life went on. He wondered when his elder brother had forgotten that, or if he had never properly learned it in the first place.

Two pairs of the same eyes faced off in the graveyard, a safe albeit still uncomfortable distance from the funeral of the man whose color they had inherited. To Walden’s surprise, William dropped his eyes first and displayed an expression his brother had never witnessed before. His voice nearly croaked when he asked -

“He’s dead. Didn’t you ever love him?”

“No,” Walden answered, quickly and disgustedly as if he were a child being accused of having feelings for a girl for the first time. “Of course not. I was his son - I obeyed him and I was loyal to him, but I didn’t love him. You shouldn’t have either. People don’t live forever.” Then, Walden turned his back on his family, those both alive and dead, to heed the call of the Dark Lord. As he left, he whistled to himself -

“There’s not much more to be said, it’s the top of the end -”

When he returned some time later to his secluded residence, just large and new enough to display a stark difference to the wilderness around it, the house was cold and dark and lifeless - just as Walden liked it.

He ate and showered and crawled into his empty bed, chanting to himself until he couldn’t keep his eyelids open any longer -

“I am going, I am going, I am gone -”