mckennascribblings

[mckennascribblings]

he fast

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(yes I am still yelling over this art by @moonlitalien )

Max drops first his red pen, then his reading glasses, onto the desk and sighs. The sigh is repeated, longer this time and with just a note of petulance, when he picks up his coffee cup and finds it empty.

He started at 5, and now it’s ... noon? He hasn't been working that long, has he? 

The near-instant (and quite vociferous) complaint from his lower back corrects that particular misconception as soon as he pushes back his chair and stands, and he scowls while he adds find new chair to a sticky note.

With only a scant couple of weeks before the state work period starts, he's been putting in longer hours than usual at home to get everything done; he promised Adri - and his mother, and his grandmother - that he'd actually try to work like a normal person (whatever that means, and not that Adri has any room to talk about someone being a workaholic anyway; he'll certainly be mentioning that bit of hypocrisy when they go Christmas shopping) for the two weeks he's back in Colorado. Not to mention, Krys is coming down four days before Christmas and he's got plans, none of which include working until she falls asleep on the couch.

He's just put the coffee pot back onto the warmer when his Skype notification rings; he sets the mug back onto its coaster and taps the green button on his tablet.

Calypso's face takes up almost the whole screen; the seven year old doesn't quite yet have the hang of properly distancing herself from the camera. "Uncle Max! It's 24 days until Christmas and it's the first snow of December, look!" The light on her face changes; she's clearly now in front of a window of some sort, but the camera doesn't turn.

"You have to turn the ... wait, what are you calling me on, Calypso?"

The still-chubby cheeked girl presses a finger to her lips. "Shhhhhhhhhh, I borrowed Aria's phone."

Max suppresses a smile, silently counts backward. Five, four, three -

"Calypsoooooo! Mom, Calypso stole my phone again!" Aria's voice gets louder as she draws closer to her little sister. "She's not supposed to go in my room! Why is she always in my room? Why are you so annoying?"

Calypso's face screws up in a truly impressive scowl. "Hey, Aria, shut up, I'm showing Uncle Max the snow!"

"He's seen snow before, Calypso," Aria says with the depth of disdain particular to oldest sisters. "Give me my phone!"

Heels click on stone floor, and then Calypso's face disappears, replaced by Adriana's. "Hi, little brother," she says, talking over Calypso's wailing and Aria's continued complaining. "I don't know why on earth you don't have a house full of kids. See what you're missing?"

"Hey, if I could be there already, I'd totally be there for the first snow of December and you know it." He grins. "Let me talk to them."

Adriana rolls her eyes. "Right, that's why you don't; so you can be the fun guy all the time." Adriana's kitchen flashes by, and then both Aria and Calypso are in the frame, glaring at each other before they look at the screen.

"Okay, girls. Go get Harmony, and you have to send me the yearly first holiday snow selfie, right? And you can't do that while you're yelling at each other or crying. If you do that ... well, Aria, you know you'll set off an avalanche and then I'll never be able to get presents into the house."

Aria tries to scowl harder, fails, giggles. "We don't live that close to the mountains, Uncle Max."

"I don't know, you're pretty loud and bossy." He leans closer to the camera, though he doesn't lower his voice. "Just like your mom."

"I heard that, Max."

This sets off a round of giggles from both girls.

"And Calypso, if you go out there crying, your face is going to freeze, and then we won't have any choice but to make you into a snowman."

"I wanna be a snowman. I bet snowmen don't have stupid bossy sisters." Calypso sticks her tongue out at Aria.

"Mom!"

Max wags a finger. "But snowmen definitely can't have Uncle Max's best hot cocoa ever."

Calypso falls silent, clearly weighing the pros and cons. "Wellllllll. Okay, but she has to say sorry! You're not supposed to yell at people on Christmas!"

"It's not Christmas, Calypso!"

"It's close enough, Aria!"

Adriana sighs; Max can practically see her massaging her temples. "Girls, enough. Calypso, you apologize for stealing Aria's phone. I told you that if you want to call Uncle Max, you come ask me so you can use mine. You also need to apologize for calling Aria stupid. We've talked about that."

Calypso pouts, offering a half-hearted, muttered sorry.

"And Aria, as much as I appreciate you doing your best to take care of your sisters, perhaps we can do it with a little less yelling and name calling?"

"Fine." Aria side-eyes Calypso. "Sorry."

"Thank you. Now the two of you go get Harmony and get bundled up - I'm pretty sure Uncle Max sent you new gloves and earmuffs just for this, didn't he? Wear those and you can go out in the backyard and take your picture, and then after you bring the phone back in you can play outside until your snack."

Two sets of rushing footsteps thunder away from Adriana; she's shaking her head as her face comes into view. "They're going to be the death of me."

"You can run an entire company, can't handle two little girls?"

"Don't think I didn't notice you live as far away as you can get and still be in the continental US, Max," Adriana retorts with an arched eyebrow. "You're not sneaky." She looks toward the stairs. "I think they're about ready. See you in a couple weeks, little brother."

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New laptop just for writing, let’s have an inaugural post with some art! Max and Krys, by the lovely @rayeliann :D

Over on the Patreon, we have a Q&A with the denizens of the ‘verse for all patrons on Sunday, so it’s a great time to stop by and check things out!

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me to myself: write.

my brain: here are 10 ideas

me: cool! Write the story ?

brain: no write just idea!!!

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https://mckennascribblings.tumblr.com/characters

LOVE & SEXUALITY & RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS

send a symbol to find out:

💓 When did they have their first crush? ❤ Have they ever been in love? 💕 How easily do they fall in love? 💖 How do they say ‘I love you’ without really saying it? 😕 Have they ever said ‘I love you’ without meaning it? 👀 Would they ever enter/have they ever entered into a friends with benefits relationship? 💋 How old were they when they had their first kiss? 🚗 When did they go on their first date? 🌹 What is their idea of a perfect date? 🔑 At what point would they move in with a partner? 💟 What is their stance on PDA? 🍵 Do they prefer to ask out a partner or be asked? 👥 What is my muse’s sexual & romantic orientation? 💦 When did they lose their virginity? ⁉ Have they ever questioned their sexuality? 💡 What made them realize their sexuality? 💌 When was their first serious relationship? 💘 What was their most serious relationship? 💝 What was their most recent serious relationship? 💗 What advice would they give a potential partner about making their relationship last if they could with no judgment? 💫 Have they ever been hit/struck by a partner? ❌ What is the biggest mistake they make in their relationships? 💥 What was their worst relationship? 😓 Have they ever cheated on a partner? 😢 Have they ever been cheated on by a partner? 💞 Would they ever enter/have they ever entered into a polyamorous relationship? 😭 When was their first breakup? 💔 What was their worst breakup? 👍 What was their most amicable breakup? 🌙 Have they ever had a one night stand? 🍷 How far would they go on a first date? 💍 Would they ever get married? 💎 Would they rather propose or be proposed to? 💒 What kind of wedding would they want to have? 👶 Do they want children? 🍼 Could a partner ever change their mind on children? ❔ Ask your own question!

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Characters here!

Spell a character's name in my askbox and I'll tell you my headcanons...

A: What are/were this character’s best subjects in school?

B: Do they have any allergies?

C: Can they swim well?

D: How they react to being flirted with?

E: How are they with children?

F: What’s one thing they’re really bad at?

G: How do they flirt?

H: What is their deadly sin?

I: On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do they love themselves?

J: What’s their sense of humour like?

K: How do you know when you’ve upset them?

L: What is their favourite board game?

M: What is their favourite dessert?

N: What do they usually eat for breakfast?

O: What would it take to break them, inside and out?

P: How do they handle money?

Q: Are they patient?

R: What are their hands like?

S: How stealthy are they?

T: Where are they ticklish?

U: What’s their voice like?

V: What’s the easiest way to annoy them?

W: Can they dance?

X: What’s their most petty little secret?

Y: What is one question they’ve always wanted an answer to?

Z: How do they sleep?

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More Memories

🌈- A memory about when they first fell in love

🌋- A memory about their first heartbreak

🏠- A memory about their childhood home/where they used to live

📷- A memory that comes with a picture they have

💡- A memory that comes with an object or keepsake they have

🔪- A memory about a dangerous situation

🎈- A memory about a time they were safe and relaxed

📔- A memory from a journal/diary entry

📝- A memory of them getting to know/meeting my muse

🔗- A memory about their proposal/wedding

🐥- A memory about their children (past, present, or future)

👘- A memory associated with an article of clothing they have

⚔️- A memory about war

🌅- A memory associated with a certain location

🏚- A memory about exploration

🛤- A memory about traveling

🌠- A time they wished upon a falling star

🐕-A memory of teamwork

🐺- A memory about being alone

🌟- WILDCARD

❄️Feel Free to add more memory prompts to this!❄️

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2, 6, 11 and 21 for Krys (or whoever you'd like to do honestly) from the headcanon questions?

Their emotional/moral weak spotsJen: I don’t have any.Aiko: Oh, please. You cry at puppy videos. The only reason we don’t have eight puppies running around here chewing on everything is because your need for order overrides your need for puppies.Jen: Everyone cries at puppy videos!Krys: Veronica.Jen: Well that’s hardly fair. She’s my wife.Krys: Point stands. You even let her eat macarons before you take pictures.Veronica: She didn’t actually let -Jen: You did what??Krys: Whoops.

Their vices (physical or emotional)Krys: I don’t have any.Veronica: Tall men.Jen: Men with deep voices.Aiko: Women with rainbow hair.Jen: Books.Krys: You know, ‘vice’ doesn’t mean “things that make life worth living”. Veronica: I mean, it kind of does. Sinful pleasures, yeah?Krys: Fair point. Carry on. Though I’d hardly classify books as ‘sinful pleasures’.Jen: If we keep listing your vices we’ll be here all day.Aiko: Getting tattoos and subsisting on ramen instead of eating real food.Krys: Okay look, that’s a low blow.

Bad or petty habitsAiko: I don’t have any.Krys: Putting the damn milk carton back into the fridge when it’s empty.Veronica: Putting the cereal box back in the cupboard when it’s empty.Jen: Rearranging the TV stand decorations because you know it drives me crazy.Aiko: You really need to relax about that, Jen. Just because I move some of your Funko figures around -Jen: I put them that way for a reason!Krys: Oh, let’s talk about how you can say three words and get Aiko going.Aiko: Like what?Krys: Synthesis was best.Aiko: Look, no grunt should be deciding that the entire galaxy should be half machine half human!Krys: You know Mass Effect 3 came out five years ago.Aiko: That’s not the point!Krys: No, but my point was certainly made.

Turning points in their lifeVeronica: Krys beating the hell out of some guy touching Jen’s ass when we went to meet this new potential bassist, and then shoving me at her because I couldn’t figure out how to say words.Krys: Leave it to you to be cute and genuine and leave me nothing to snark on.

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🌹 luxury asks. 🌹

bubble bath: do you have any routines before bedtime? like skin care, etc. what are they?

champagne: what topic could you talk about for hours?

crushed velvet: have you ever used your charm to get something you want?

diamonds: how do you feel about excessively spending money?

faux fur: describe your wardrobe.

glitter: describe someone special to you.

gold: describe what you would call the most perfect meal.

jazz: name a song that resonates with you and your emotions. explain the reason why.

lace: what is something in your life completely different from last year?

lingerie: do you consider yourself a promiscuous person?

lipstick: do you enjoy talking to strangers?

pearls: what's something about your personality that surprises others?

penthouse: what would you consider your dream home? describe it.

perfume: if you could make your own signature fragrance, what would it smell like?

robe: how do you prepare for an evening alone with a loved one/date?

roses: If it had to be winter, autumn, spring or summer for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

satin: what is your most favorite article of clothing?

sheet mask: what's your favorite lazy activity?

silk: do you have more inner or outer beauty?

silver: do you have any obscure hobbies? what are they?

sparkling water: what are your top three songs for the summer?

wine: what kind of drunk are you (happy/affectionate, angry, sad, fun/wild)? if you don't drink, what kind do you think you WOULD be?

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Aiko does the best logos. This is going to look so good on shirts (and on the CD once we finally come up with a damn name for it).

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By: Anna | imjustahuman

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Send me a character + a number and I’ll tell you my headcanons for:

Their physical weak spots

Their emotional/moral weak spots

Scars or painful spots

Best places to kiss on their body

Guilty pleasures

Their vices (physical or emotional)

Their tickle spots

Bad memories/experiences

Humiliating memories

Fears/phobias

Bad or petty habits

Grudges and vendettas

What gets them flustered

Ingrained habits/forces of habit

What it takes to make them cry

Dark secrets/’skeletons in the closet’

Regrets

Things they’ll never admit

People they’ve hurt or indirectly killed, and how it affected them

What-ifs/Alternate Timelines

Turning points in their life

People who’ve influenced them greatly

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Character Development Questions #11

How does your character feel about personal space?  Do they tend to make others uncomfortable with how close they get, or are they the ones constantly being uncomfortable with anyone getting too close to them? Or do they not care either way?

What is your character’s dream career?  Are they actively trying to pursue it, or is just a wish/fantasy they have that they know can never come true?

Would your character have fun in an art museum?  Or would they be bugging their friends to leave the whole time?

If your character is in pain, do they let everyone around them know just how bad it is, or do they tend to try and cover it up and say they’re fine? Does this ever result in negative consequences, whether it’s people ignoring their complains when they actually do have a bad injury, or their injury going untreated when they really do need help?

Does your character tend to make decisions based on instincts or “gut feelings,” or do they rely more on logic and careful consideration? Do they ever try to find a balance between the two?

Is your character easily creeped out by ghost stories, horror movies, scary images, etc.? If so, what kinds of stories scare them the most? Why?

Has your character ever had to overcome a big fear in order to complete an important task?  If so, what was the fear, and what did they have to do to overcome it?  If not, have they ever failed at a task because of a fear?

Describe how your character deals with failed or failing relationships, whether familial, platonic, romantic, sexual, or otherwise.  Do they easily let go of people, or are they more likely to hold onto a relationship for as long as they can? Does this affect how they form relationships?

Is your character gullible, or do they tend to be more skeptical? If they’re gullible, do people ever take advantage of them for it? And if they’re skeptical, is it hard for others to convince them of things that are actually true?

If your character emptied the contents of their pockets/purse/backpack/etc., what would be inside? Do they often have a lot of stuff on them from day to day, or are they light packers?

Just for fun: If your character was the protagonist of a fantasy RPG, what would their class be?

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CHARACTER WRITING MEME BC

Pick a character I’ve written and I will explain the top ~three to five ideas/concepts/etc I keep in mind while writing that character that I believe are essential to accurately depicting them.

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lordviridis replied to your post: So what are senator Kallan's political views?

Have you thought about any specific policies? Like is he for single payer health care and getting money out of politics?

Single payer, yes, because it's much more economically viable, and he’s already been in a similar situation with Tricare while in the Marines. (The military can do wonders for pointing out ways in which socialism can work.)

Somewhat unsurprisingly, he does tend to look at things through an economic lens, though he managed to not arrive at the conclusion of “the rich deserve literally all the money while you serfs work the fields and shop at the company store”.

Money and politics ... don’t get him going.  xD  He’s cognizant of the fact that being able to finance his own run is not the norm, and given the way that lobbying gets out of control, and seeing firsthand the ways military strategy is tailored for the military industrial complex, coupled with the revolving door of politics and lobbying ... yeah.  “The only thing separating my qualifications and ability to run for office from my sergeants, who were the backbone of my platoon, is my money, and that’s asinine.”

I don’t have a set list of things nailed down yet as far as specifics go, but that’s definitely on the ever-growing to-do list.  

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All of my characters are on the shiny new character page. :D

Character Development “Hard Mode” Meme: send a number & character to my ask box  and I’ll write an answer/headcanon in reply.

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

What does your character like in other people?

What does your character dislike in other people?

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

How does your character behave around children?

How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

How does your character behave around people they like?

How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

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So what are senator Kallan's political views?

Max is pretty solidly liberal, part of which can certainly be attributed to his time in the military.  Before that, he’d attended a prestigious private school and Yale, and spent his time in pretty rarefied social circles.  While his grandfather and mother are strong proponents of giving employees enough to meet their needs and buy your products (much of which comes from Adrian’s belief that you shouldn’t need “handouts” if you’re working), spending enough time around people who were born on third base can definitely skew how you see things like social programs.

In the military, however, it doesn’t matter what your name is or how much money you have. You’re not getting promoted quicker just because your family is famous (and in fact, Max came in for a fair amount of unwelcome attention during training once his family connections reached his superiors - he left OCS and TBS in the best condition of his life).  Leading a platoon, he saw firsthand how even a military family could be doing everything they’re Supposed To Do and still need assistance with food, or how one major car repair could ruin their budget for the month.  Deploying twice caused him to really take a step back and evaluate the direction the US was taking with foreign affairs, and see how hamfisted handling and no end strategy in sight helped no one but the military contractors getting rich off the deal.

He left the military with a marked disdain for politicians who care about nothing but fattening their own bank accounts, and decided to run for office after his sister pointed out that, “Maybe instead of just standing there bitching about it, Max, you could do something.”

He 100% absolutely believes it’s his job to serve the public, a stance that has made him quite popular in his district but has a tendency to baffle those who are expecting him to be a typical “corporations are people” type, and irk those who think that things are fine and no one needs to upset the apple cart.

(note: I should add that I’m taking some ... liberties with the current world situation for this book. I’m already living the dumpster fire that is the Trump presidency; I have no desire to write it, even if it does give my angry little punk less to rage against. Thus, the Democratic candidate won the presidency, Congress is not packed to the rafters with mean old men who hate poor people, and much of the issue is - as it is in real life, seems like - that Democrats can’t seem to get out of their own way to get shit done.  So there are still government issues, but not of the “you’re literally going to die, fuck you” sort.

I’m also taking some liberties with the Marine Corps because frankly it’s stupid that women are only now barely even getting a look in at combat arms MOSs, so that’s going away, too. Of course women deploy. Why wouldn’t they? They’re Marines, aren’t they?)