#Ellan blog

[forthebaewardens]

Where to Find Me

A lot of folks are coming back to this site, so I thought I'd clean up my old directory. I have a few side blogs, and I’m not sure people realize they’re all me.

This is my main blog @forthebaewardens! hi and welcome. This is just a general, personal, multifandom blog.

My art blog is @mandersdraws. It's kind of dusty.

I have an inspiration blog @mandersinspiration to collect art inspo and just generally gorgeous art and photos.

And I have a blog exclusively for Dragon Age posts @lavella-ella-ellan so I don't bug my irl friends with Dragon Age related shenanigans and shipping content. There's... a lot of that. I'm also semi-active on instagram (I'm @mandersdraws there too)

[slaystruation]

Main Slayers!

This blog was made by two Gen Z student nurses, Ellane and Catherine, who wish to educate, enlighten, and empower fellow Gen Z women regarding their periods as they continue to grow and mature.

The main slayers hope to break stereotypes through this blog and help other women learn to embrace their bodies as it goes through changes.

[ectomoog]

Me and Mitch-ellaneous

Blog gang 🙏

[linkstinks]

My mother has six children. When I was born, there were already three kids under the age of 16 in the house. We were not bathing in riches, nor were we struggling for bread – we were a typical, everyday family who worked and paid tax and received tax credits. Which is why, when the…

Solidarity: Scotland standing together against The Rape Clause was originally published on Ellan

[the-scot-blog1]

Scrolling through Twitter one afternoon, I stumbled upon an amazing little feature by blogger Liam McNally – he had posted a text post with a number of different film titles from each year of his life. Bloody brilliant.

So I’ve decided to give it a go. I’ve been on this wonderful planet for almost 19 years now, and although I wasn’t alive for the release of Jurassic Park, there have been a fair few phenomenal films in my lifetime.

This is my longest post to date – I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. (2730 words – bloody hell).

  1998: Pleasantville

Oh my God. I didn’t realise how difficult this post was until I searched ‘1998 films’ into Google. The Trueman Show, Saving Private Ryan and The Wedding Singer all in the one year? God, anyone alive and kicking back then must have been having the best year of their lives.

But despite the 10 minute long decision process, I’ve decided on Pleasantville. I watched it when I was very young and hadn’t ever worn a bra, much less watched anything like that bath scene. Despite my mortified eyes however, the film will always be one of my favourites. I remember seeing the main character for the first time and just constantly thinking god, this is a weird film for Spiderman and Elle Woods to be in.

  1999: 10 Things I Hate About You

Again, this year is bloody difficult. The Iron Giant, The Mummy and Toy Story 2 – they just don’t make films like them anymore. Although I wasn’t a fan of Star Wars Episode 1 – it has to be one of my least favourites. Anyway.

10 Things I Hate About You was one of the first chick-flicks I ever watched. I knew Heath Ledger as ‘the strangely cute singing guy from that movie’ before I knew him as the Joker. I felt like I related to Kat – I wasn’t big on getting a boyfriend, and I was pretty much destined to be a wee bit strange since birth. Plus her name is so cool.

  2000: X-Men

At the time of watching, I was right into Harry Potter. I loved the idea of special schools dedicated to supernatural people – it made my own secondary school even more boring. I’d often just sit in class and daydream about being able to fly or have the ability to imitate people.

But in all honesty, the one person I was most envious of was Quicksilver. And not because I wanted to save the world or any of that pish. No. When I sat in my third year physics class, the smells from the cafeteria always decided to sneak up the vent and attack my nostrils. I would get so unbelievably hungry, and my stomach would always tell my classmates just that. So I used to daydream about running faster than time, sprinting down into the dining hall, grabbing a steaming hot spicy chicken panini (and maybe some soup, if I could manage) and munching it before heading back up to class. Yeah – I wanted superpowers so I could eat my lunch early.

  2001: The Princess Diaries

AH. I’ve got a feeling film directors are deliberately messing with me right now. Legit, I had a look at the films from 2001, and I was floored. What an amazing year. The first Harry Potter movie came out this year – the beginning of an absolute era. Shrek debuted as well – but I was always slightly offended when people heard my Scottish accent and compared me to a giant green ogre when I travelled abroad. The first Lord of the Rings film came out as well – see what I mean about them messing with me?

But despite all of my favourite film franchises beginning in this year, I gotta say, the Anne Hathaway/Julie Andrews combo that is The Princess Diaries absolutely stole my heart. I had never related to a character more – I had frizzy hair, buck teeth, oversized glasses and a tendency to prioritise spending time with my cat over hanging out with real-life friends. So when she went through her beautiful princess transformation, I was floored. I mean, I’m still waiting for that to officially happen, but I’m still holding out hope that I have a long lost relative that’s gonna tell me I’m a princess (no, not you mum).

  2002: The Pianist

Originally, I had written the first Spiderman as my favourite film of 2002. But that quickly changed.

The first time I watched The Pianist, I was 13 years old in a stuffy history classroom. I still hold the belief that this was definitely not the right time to watch this film. It felt as though my teacher didn’t have any material to convey how horrific the Holocaust really was, and so instead she stuck on one of the most distressing and hauntingly beautiful films of all time. I didn’t fully appreciate it back then – I cried when I watched the horrors that took place in the ghettos, and got even more upset when immature people around me started to laugh.

But I watched it for a second time a few years later. Although I cried again, I gained a much deeper understanding of the film. I still listen to the soundtrack when I want to write a particularly moving or sad chapter of a book. The film has such a disgusting beauty to it, it is astounding – it makes me question my morals when I say it is one of my favourite films.

  2003: Peter Pan

Again, there were so many amazing films this year – I can’t explain my guilt at not choosing Finding Nemo or the last instalment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

But I found my first love in the live-action remake of Peter Pan. Just a few years after it was released, I found myself watching it time and time again. I was young, and there was a boy with messy hair and a fairy to keep him company. Honestly, I was head over heels. I grew to absolutely despise Wendy Darling. How dare she take away my Peter, with her stupid bow and annoying accent. And the fact that Lucius Malfoy was Captain Hook just made it that little bit better.

  2004: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

You’re lying if you say that this isn’t one of your favourite films.

Again, it was tricky not choosing The Incredibles or Mean Girls – even The Notebook made it to my shortlist. But the way the Weasley twin’s hair sat and the introduction of the marauders just made my life complete. Except for Pettigrew. Fuck you, Pettigrew. I’d read the book before I saw the film, and while I was slightly disappointed with the previous two, I didn’t stop talking about PoA for months. In fact, I still talk about it. It’s great.

  2005: Sky High

This year was going to be beautifully simple – I absolutely love Star Wars Episode III. In fact, it was possibly the only film I was certain of when I started this post. But, never the less, I looked at the list of 2005 films anyway, and was reminded of the best thing I’ve ever watched. Ever.

Remember earlier in the post when I said that I frickin LOVE schools for supernatural people? WELL HERE WE GO AGAIN. I watched Sky High recently with my friend Ross, and even although the acting was abysmal and my cringe levels were off the chart, I couldn’t help but smile. As if the flying school bus wasn’t enough, the euphoria I felt when Will and Warren won Save the Citizen was something I don’t think I’ll ever feel again.

  2006: Pan’s Labyrinth

I feel like if I choose any film other than this, my Spanish teacher would kill me. Again, it’s another film that we watched at way too young an age in my opinion. Sure, it looks all mystical with fairies and creepy monsters with eyeball hands, but it has this underlying story-line of the horrors of war and escapism that you can’t fully understand until you’re a bit older.

I watched it again when I was 17 and studying Advanced Higher Spanish, and knew the film as ‘El Laberinto del Fauno’. I could go on for 20 minutes about this film and its director (which I did by the way, in the final exam).

  2007: Ratatouille

WHAT A FILM BTW. I’ve always loved Disney – my sister and I would spend nights staying up way past our 8pm bedtime watching Aladdin and Peter Pan, with a fair few stolen After Eight mints from my mum’s bedroom too. This film just completely blew me away – the animation was new and cool and it was set in PARIS.

Even now, ten years later (omg ten years wtf) I still think about the scene where Remy combines the cheese and grapes, and little fireworks and swirls form in his mind. I once ate a McDonald’s chip and then took a sip of my strawberry milkshake, and legit I’m pretty sure that’s what happened in my mind.

  2008: The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian

Enter stage left – my second love. At the age of nine, Prince Caspian had everything I could ever want in a guy (or so I thought). He had a sword, long hair, an accent I had never heard before and he fought Peter Pevensie (I seem to hate a whole lot of Peters).

I thought it was the coolest combination of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, and it was while watching this that I began to have a crisis about my true Hogwarts house. I had always thought myself a Gryffindor – I had the scarf, the pens and the egotistical ‘I’m-better-than-you’ attitude that all young Gryffs seem to adopt. But I found myself siding with Edmund Pevensie about a whole lot of things. I didn’t fully accept Slytherin as my true house till a good few years later.

  2009: Star Trek

I watched Star Trek before I even touched Star Wars, and I was absolutely hooked. It was what introduced me to science fiction, really. After Star Trek, I moved onto Doctor Who, and although I couldn’t really get into the Star Trek TV series, I found my love of sci-fi growing.

It was my love of Star Trek that caused me to accidentally find Star Wars. My brother would constantly go on about C3PO and lightsabers, and I decided very early on that it wasn’t for me. But after trying (and failing) to find Star Trek online, I accidentally found Star Wars instead, and thus began my love of the Skywalkers and giant wookies named Chewy.

  2010: How To Train Your Dragon

Other than Aladdin, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was one of my first (of many) cartoon crushes. I thought he was the most adorable lil guy ever – he was clumsy, dorky, and absolutely loved animals. He was perfect. I thought the animation was absolutely incredible, and the Scottish accents were just a bonus. I much preferred being compared to Gerard Butler than a green ogre, in all honesty.

And don’t even get me started on how he looked in How To Train Your Dragon 2 – oaft.

  2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two

HPDHP2 is right up there with the Prisoner of Azkaban. I remember heading to the midnight release of the last Harry Potter book – I was decked out in a Scream robe that we’d stitched a Gryffindor badge onto, with curly hair that reached my shoulders. And yes, I won the costume contest. But I remember staying up that night and reading the book until 7am, and having to head to school the next day without a wink of sleep. And yet I didn’t care – I had just finished the last book in a series that completely shaped my childhood.

So when the movie hit the cinema screens, I was praying that I wouldn’t be disappointed like I was with some of the others. And apparently, my prayers were answered. Even although the Deathly Hallows is split into two parts, I always consider them the one film. And it’s most certainly my favourite.

  2012: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This film really got to me. I bundled up in warm clothes to see it in the cinema with my friend Ailish, and it was the first ever film I had cried at. I’d read the book before hand and cried my eyes out, but the severity and meaning of the story didn’t hit me until I watched the film. Logan Lerman and Emma Watson were two of my favourite stars at the time: I knew Emma from Harry Potter obviously, whilst Logan stole my heart as Percy Jackson.

But what struck me most was the way I related to these characters. I often found myself standing next to the wall in school dances, watching people having a good time but being physically incapable of joining in – it was as if my feet were constantly glued to the floor. It was comforting to know that I wasn’t alone in this, and it lead to me being able to open up to my guidance teacher about my struggles with anxiety.

I also wrote about the original book in my piece ’13 books to help get over a break up’ – check it out.

2013: The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug

When the making of the Hobbit was first announced, I was ecstatic. But my excitement somewhat wavered when I heard they were turning into three films. It was a small book – tiny in comparison to the three Lord of the Rings texts – how on earth would they stretch this wonderfully small work into three different films?

And yet somehow, they managed it, and subsequently made one of my favourite films of all time. Why, you ask? The barrel scene. 

2014: Guardians of the Galaxy

Not gonna lie, this one was a toss up between the hilarious Chris Pratt and the absolutely adorable Baymax. But, as much as I love Disney’s tale of superpowers and love therapy in Big Hero 6, it didn’t win this year for me. The best thing about the film is without a doubt the soundtrack – even four years later, I still listen to it when I wanna get psyched.

I wanted to cosplay as Gamora for last year’s MCM Comic Con in Glasgow so bad, but then I realised that I’d more than likely sweat off the green body paint and the leather would more than likely get quite uncomfortable.

2015: Star Wars – The Force Awakens

Up until 2015, I was losing interest in Star Wars. I’d watched the films countless times, but as much as I adored them, I couldn’t stop thinking about the shabby effects. So when Finn, Poe and Rey lit up my local cinema screen in December 2015, it was as if I was born again. I suddenly dived back into the world of lightsabers and gun-wielding Wookies, and I genuinely haven’t looked back since.

And although I cried my eyes out when that thing happened, I agreed with it – it was about time.

2016: Finding Dory

I actually travelled Australia for a month last year – I left school and just decided to get away from everything and everyone for a little while. So after I met my brother and we began to explore Sydney, we decided what better place to watch the latest instalment in Finding Nemo than the place where it’s set??

I was slightly disappointed to find out that Nemo and Dory did not, in fact, stay in Sydney for the duration of the film, but even so – it was just amazing.

I was going to write a segment for 2017 but then I realised – I legit haven’t watched any new releases yet. I’ve simply not had any time. And yes, that means that I haven’t even watched the new Beauty and the Beast. For shame.

But even although I haven’t watched anything yet, there are tonnes of films that I’m looking forward to – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Spiderman Homecoming, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi to name a few.

Hey, maybe I’ll revisit this post at the end of the year and add in my favourite film.

I’m tagging the fantastic Emily and Lucie in the ‘Film for every year of my life’ tag.

What are your most loved films from these years? Do we share any favourites? Or do you think my choices are just downright wrong? Let me know!

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18 films in 18 years: My favourite stories since I was born was originally published on Ellan

[howlingowl-wra]

2nd Annual Untamed Night

Come join us for our 2nd Annual Love Is In the Air themed festival, Untamed Night!

Join us in Nighthaven for an evening filled with Love Is In The Air themed vendors, performances, and raffles! The night will be finished off with a dance party!

As always with The Howling Owl’s events, Horde or Alliance are welcome!

When: Friday, February 26th, 6PM WrA

Schedule:

6-8PM WrA: Vendors - Booth list & map here! 8PM: Performances 9PM: Dance party w/ DJ Mekandawn & Raffle drawings immediately following performances (Music will be at this link)

Where: Nighthaven, Moonglade

NOTE: Please remember that you’ll have to leave any weapons with security! No fighting on the premises please or you’ll be removed by security! Please no underage characters! 18+ for OOC as well due to possibility of adult themes. Thank you for understanding!

!! RAFFLE !!

Raffle info:   There are 2 separate raffles.  1 paid raffle. 1 free raffle. The paid raffle will be 500g a ticket, limit 40 tickets per person.  The free raffle will be a separate raffle with entries via a google form. After performances, winners will be called. You must be present to win or a new winner will be picked. Open to both Horde and Alliance!

When you buy raffle tickets, you’ll also receive a ‘Love Is In The Air’ gift from us which has a chance of containing a pet or mount!

Paid Raffle Prizes:

1 colored portrait from @alvae-art​

1 waist up portrait from Miss Ellaneous 

1 store mount (your choice of any)

1 month game time

1 in game mount

Free Raffle Prizes Include: 

-Choice of various toys, pets or mounts!

Join our Discord server here! Give our festival blog a follow too!

@wracentral​ @wowrpevents​ @wrahordeevents​ @wraallianceevents​ @the-royal-courier​

[preyontheweak]

mun-dane

NICKNAME.  Elle | El REAL NAME. Ellane  ZODIAC. Capricorn (who would have guessed) HEIGHT. 5′7′’ WHAT TIME IS IT? 11:40 AM FAVORITE MUSICIANS / GROUPS. Purity Ring, Grimes, Black Pumas, Halsey, Hayley Kiyoko, Ariana Grande, Avicii, Childish Gambino. FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM. I love Football, have a soft spot in my heart for Argentina and France. OTHER BLOGS. titanicmight - Presently I only have one alt, this is Alexa’s sibling, the more troublesome one. DO I GET ASKS? I do! Thank you to all the amazing people who interact with my problematic bean, I love and appreciate you all.  HOW MANY BLOGS DO I FOLLOW? 428! I’m big on the you follow me, I will follow you back type of karma.  TUMBLR CRUSHES. @ravenpriest​ | @shewolf-jacqueline​ | @alekyah​ | @kat-hawke​ | @madame-miersae​ | @olivia-lovecraft​ | @henessy-wow​ | @slaughterjaw​ | @godshands​ | @blessed-by-pride​ | @reborn-in-blood​ | @risrielthron​ LUCKY NUMBER. 3 WHAT AM I WEARING RIGHT NOW?  A Collared navy blue long sleeve shirt, dark-washed jeans, oxfords.  DREAM VACATION. Barcelona, Spain. Spain, period. Anywhere in Spain, just, please.  DREAM CAR. 1963 Jaguar XKE. FAVORITE FOOD. Chicken tikka masala, then again, I just love Indian food in general. DRINK OF CHOICE.  Perfect Bulleit Manhattan, or New York style creme soda.  LANGUAGES. Primarily English, some Spanish, five words in French. INSTRUMENTS.  Piano, violin, cello.  CELEBRITY CRUSHES. Chris Evans, I think he’s just a beautiful human being. Really, anyone with a jaw that looks like it could fight the world (i.e Charlize Theron, Gal Gadot, Natalie Dormer). RANDOM FACT. My mother was insistent that I needed to learn some type of professional dance as a child, so I was trained in Ballet. Needless to say, I hated it and convinced my parents to let me take kickboxing in Middle School.

Tagged by: @alekyah​ (gonna fucking put peppercorn in your food).

Tagging: All the people tagged above! | @sanasunbringer​ | @ladysoulthorn​ | @gilnean​ | Whoever else feels comfortable doing it and wants to!

[jj-lynn21]

The Charity- various fandoms & x-reader ch 6

Warnings: Mystery, angst, innuendo, fluff

ch 1

ch 2

ch 3

ch 4

ch 5

ch 7

ch 8

agging those who have read this so far so they can continue easily. If you want tagged drop me a message. coincidence-ithinknots-blog,  m90schick ,  minaginarium ,  brighterthanlivingstars, super-pink-a-palouza.tumblr, loveyourselvesblog 

As midnight strikes on the hallway clock it seems all the guest reconvene in the living room. It is the only room there large enough for everyone to sit. You sit on the loveseat between Bill and Tom. Your head lays against Bill’s chest as your hand lays on his upper thigh. His hand lays over yours playing with your fingers. His other hand flung lazily over the back of the loveseat. Your feet are up on Tom’s lap. One of his hand gentle messaging your calf as the other holds your hand. Chris Evans stares at the three of you from across the room still dumbfounded why you didn’t choice him instead of them.

You say, “I could use some juice.”

Jumping up Tom says, “I’ll get it love.”

Bill says, “You mind grabbing me a beer while you’re up, Tom?”

Tom says, “No problem, mate.”

Cody and Chris Pine lay against Alex on another love seat his arms around them both. The other Skarsgard’s sit in chairs at a round table drinking where Ellen has joined them mostly because there was a seat there. Scarlett sits in a big comfy chair playing with Colin’s hair as he sits on the ground looking up at her in worship.

Tom comes back and hands you your cup of juice and then hands a beer to Bill. Takes another beer he was carry down the front of his pants out and sits back down. Pulling your legs back on his lap he sits back taking a swig of his drink. The television on the wall clicks on startling everyone.

On the television Vernon says, “It seems a lot of you are still here after the witching hour. Entirely more than I expected at this point. It does seem most of you are enjoying your time here. Maybe some of you enjoying it to much. Seven hours until sunrise.”

The television clicks off.

Evans says, “I’m beginning to think that guy isn’t an assistant, at my public relations firm.”

Scarlett grabs her phone out of her bra. She pulls up the email she got showing it to Evans.

Scarlett says, “Is this the message you got Chris?”

Chris says, “Yeah, that is the exact message I received.”

You say, “Let me see?”

Scarlett shows you the message and you say, “Yep, I got the same one.”

Then everyone else looks at her phone agreeing they received the same message.

Ellen says, “That’s just bat shit crazy. Shit aren’t we missing some people? I thought there was more of us even though I barely paid attention really.”

Colin says, “Where’s Robert and Tom, the other Tom?”

Tom says, “Fuck where are they? The last I saw Robert here he was following Stellan outside for ao after dinner walk. And didn’t Tom hide or seek?”

Stellan says, “I thought he was following me also, but when I was outside he wasn’t with me. nice grounds. Warm pool.”

Alex says, “Hiddleston was a seeker. Maybe he is just lost in the house somewhere and so is Robert. It’s a big place. Maybe there is a clue in what’s going on here by how we know each other. As far as I can figure I’ve had relationships with three people here before tonight. Cody, Pine and Ellan. Of course, I am related to my brothers and father. My father worked with the Avengers crew here. My brother Bill has worked with Tom in a few movies and has played a hero.”

Being a smartass Valter says, “Yeah, for like five minutes. Does Zeitgeist even count?”

Glaring at Valter, Bill says, “Of course it does, you jealous…”

Stellan says, “Bill don’t you finish that statement. Valter all your brothers’ roles count weather they are in something five minutes or in every scene.”

Evans says, “So the only one none of us know very well is Princess over there. You guys sleeping with the enemy?”

Cody says, “Well, that wasn’t what I expected. I thought if anyone was sleeping with the proprietor of this get together it would be me.”

Alex says, “Hush brat. I’m curious to, Princess. You do seem to be the odd person out here.”

They all look at you for an explanation. Bill and Tom look at you stunned.

Evans says, “What’s your story Princess? Where are Robert and Tom?”

Angered they would think you were part of the other actor’s disappearances you say, “Hold on a minute. Just because you don’t know my link to each and everyone of you doesn’t mean I’m the bad guy here.”

Evans says, “Then why the fuck are you here?”

Calmly Alex says, “I think we should let her talk Chris. Go ahead Princess.”

You say, “I’m not sure why I was invited here with all you well known actors. I love watching everyone here in their films and was happy I got to be a part of them in a small way. I’ve been acting in small parts for years. I’ve gotten to hangout at Fangtasia seeing Alex, Run around a lot on various Avengers films, walked through a scene with Chris Pine in wonder woman, Was a background young woman in Vikings, I was in a crowd scene for American Horror Story Apocalypse which Cody wasn’t in  but he was there watching the scene that day, And I worked on cherry in multiple scenes including one with Tom and Bill. The only one I haven’t worked with some capacity is Valter. So, I guess I am as connected to everyone in this room as much as everyone else.”

Tom says, “I thought you looked familiar, but I meet so many people I wasn’t sure if my thought was correct.”

You say, “I was among people you said hi to or good morning to on a few occasions.”

Tom says, “Oh yeah, I do remember the few times now. Sorry, love.”

Bill says, “I would have surely remembered you if I saw you.”

You say, “I was pretty far from your sight so I don’t believe you could have noticed me unless you knew me already.”

Alex says, “I suppose your story explains you being here so there will be no more talk of you not belonging. You are an actor as much as us all. Everyone here me? There is no more looking at her as someone that would bring us here for nefarious reasons. Now we should get to finding Robert and Hiddleston. I suggest we go in small groups. No one goes anywhere alone.”

Evans says, “Holland, Scarlett and her boy toy are with me. I’m not taking any chances with well I don’t take chances.”

Trying to choose a search team wisely you say, “I’m sure Bill, Ellen and Gustaf would be fine coming with me.”

Bill lifts your hand kissing it, “Of course I would come with you anywhere.”

Alex says, “Looks like we have established groups. Dad you and Valter can help me and these two beside me in the search.”

Scarlett says, “I’m going with Princess. Colin you stay to help Chris.”

Colin says, “um, ok Scar.”

Stellan says, “Oh Hell, I’ll go off with Evans and you’ll come with me Valter. No reason for so many people to be with Alex.”

Evens and his group head outside to mount the search for Robert. Alex’s group stick to searching the main floor. Your group head upstairs to search for Hiddleston. 

When you find some stairs in the closet of one of the rooms you all ascend them carefully. Gustaf first, you second, Bill third, Ellen fourth and Scarlett last.

When you get to the top of the stairs you trip on the edge of where the step meets the floor. Gustaf catches you.

Helping you to your feet Gustaf said, “You’re safe with me.”

Bill glares at his brother as he comes up after you. He turns you away from his brother roughly. The move surprises you. You look at him confused. Then you turn away to get out of the way so Ellen and Scarlett can get into the attic. Bill grabs you to pull you around to him again. You gasp as it is so quick it takes your breath away.

You say, “What’s going on that you want me so close to you so quickly baby boy? Are you scared of this musty dimly lit place or scared of something else?”

Bill says, “I’m not scared of the dark. I’m not scared of musty, dirty places. I just don’t want you to disappear next.”

You say, “Yeah?”

Bill said “Yeah, well, I like you, okay? I’m sure my brother means well in wanting to protect you, but I rather be the one you need to protect you.”

Slapping his face lightly, smiling you say, “When I need protecting you will be the first person here I hide behind because I like you to.”

[musingmycelium]

22 on the soulmate au?? For whomever you feel fits :)

22- you can’t lie to your soulmatefor @dadrunkwriting​

Thunder rolls through Ellanis as lightning flashes overhead, those furious dark clouds broken only by the streaks of brilliant white light. Rain pelts the tent and Ellanis’ face where he’s sticking it out to look at the sky. Water tasting of ozone falling from his eyelashes to his lips. 

Brighter than daylight in flickering instants. Thunder so deep it echoes in the empty chambers of his chest. Everything is quiet and still with the sole exception of the storm rumbling through camp and Ellanis wants to breathe in the peace forever. 

The thoughts keeping him awake are settled somewhat by the rain, the soothing cadence of each drop hitting the canvas breaks his anxiety apart. Ellanis isn’t sure how he ended up here and he isn’t sure how to move forward. 

He shouldn’t have done this. 

Ellanis closes the tent flap and wipes the water from his face. Scrubs at it more like, trying to figure out where he went wrong. Except he knows already and he doesn’t want to admit it. 

It was a stupid decision. A spur of the moment idea to buy those gloves leading him here to this tent shared in the middle of a rainstorm. One too many glances over the fire, one too many touches leaving his heart racing from the simple contact. 

And it isn’t like he can say he regrets it. Not really. Ellanis is... Drawn to Zevran in a way he’s never felt before. Like there’s a hook caught in his heart reeling him close, or a thread tied around his fingers leading back to Zevran’s. A silver-lined hole in his chest with Zevran’s name on it.

 Hands, sleep warm and calloused, on his shoulder causes Ellanis to jump. “You know, I thought I was getting used to your Ferelden cold but even a single night of warmth is enough to make me ache for Antiva.” 

Zevran’s hands slide over Ellanis’ skin, still bare from earlier in the evening. A comforting, familiar touch. It causes Ellanis to shiver and he wishes he could say from excitement. Instead, it twists up his already muddled thoughts. 

When Ellanis doesn’t turn his head Zevran drops his hands quickly. Not shamefully, not as if he’s been burned. Just as if he knows, somehow, his touch isn’t welcome. “Is something wrong, Ellanis?”

No. Ellan’s skin itches with his indecision, he wants this. He wants to follow Zevran back to the bedroll and wrap himself up in the knowledge he’s safe there and let the storm lull him to sleep. There isn’t anything wrong with desire is there?

And yet.

Yes. Does Ellanis really know he’s safe? That this isn’t the long game Zevran is playing? Andraste, all he wants is for this to be real. And yet he can’t say he’s sure it is. 

“Is this,” Ellanis pauses. How does he even ask this? “Zevran I need to know if this.. thing between us is something I can trust.” 

Ellanis remembers a night in Orzammar, their first in the city. Just barely a week since Zevran tried to kill him and instead joined him. Ellanis remembers Zevran coming to his private rooms to talk, to get close with a laugh on his lips and a smirk in his eyes. 

Mostly Ellanis remembers the cool press of steel against his throat. 

Daggers sharpened just that morning, no pressure to the blade except for the glint of steel in Zevran’s eyes in the heartbeat he had control. Quick and deadly and unexpected and infuriating. Oh, the memory had followed Ellanis like a spectre and still hangs over him now.

A ghost of a question, a what if.

“Do you trust me?” If Zevran had not spoken almost directly into Ellanis’ ear he would have missed it for its softness. Lightning cracks outside and for a moment, a heartbeat, Ellanis can see the pain in Zevran’s eyes before the world fades back to black. 

“I-” do. Ellanis doesn’t know what stops him. It’s as though his tongue is no longer his own, fights the single word from falling from his lips. So he tries again, “Zevran I-” And again he can’t say it. 

Why can’t he tell Zevran a simple lie? Two little words to keep him from watching Zevran’s heart crack in his eyes again. It should be easy and his body, everything inside him, is screaming at him. Not allowing him. 

And now Ellanis is truly terrified. Once more, just ‘I do.’ But his stomach heaves before he can go beyond thinking them and realization hits Ellanis like the lightning striking outside. 

Oh, Andraste guide him.

“I don’t know.” Ellanis whispers and the admission, the truth he cannot hide from his soulmate, is nearly lost to the rumbling thunder. “I don’t know.” 

Even without Zevran touching him Ellanis can feel the way Zevran tenses. It’s electric in the air, a charge between them. 

All at once, everything clicks into place. The pieces of a puzzle Ellanis has been worrying over for months finally slide together and the picture leaves him breathless. The way Zevran dances around his questions, opens his answers delicately, told them everything when they just met -all of it. 

“You knew.” 

Ellanis twists, painfully straining his bad leg in his haste, eyes wide and prickling. “You knew? Why didn’t you say anything to me?” 

He can blame the wetness on his cheeks to the storm raging outside. 

Zevran laughs but there is little grace to it. “I didn’t realize you didn’t.” 

“What would I have tried to lie to you about that would make me aware?” Reeling, a blossom shaken from the vhenadhal in a spring storm sent to follow the violent wind. Ellanis can’t focus, can’t think. All this time and he’d been, what? 

“Zevran,” His name falls from Ellanis’ lips like a prayer heard in Chantry halls. The plea of the dying to their Maker asking for reprieve. “I still don’t- I can’t. This doesn’t change anything.” 

Except it changes everything. If there is one person, one single person in the whole of Thedas, Ellanis can trust implicitly and without hesitation it should be Zevran. And he doesn’t.

In the flashing light illuminating their tent for only a fraction of a second Ellanis can see Zevran’s eyes again. Exactly as he didn’t want to see them. Walls up but crumbling, the heart Zevran claims to have burried lying on the surface for Ellanis to see. 

“You’re right not to trust me, caro.” Zevran’s voice is feather-light, drifting on the silence between thunderclaps. “I would apologize for tonight but neither of us regrets it.” 

Throat closing, heart hammering, eyes wet, and voice breaking. Ellanis whispers as Zevran stands, pulling his tunic over his head and Ellanis knows where he is going. “I’m sorry, Zevran, I’m-” 

Zevran cuts him off with a single fingertip pressed to Ellanis’ lips. “I will never be sorry for tonight. But I will understand if you don’t speak of it again.” 

He steps out into the storm quietly. Gently. Ellanis almost calls out but his traitorous tongue halts the words, the plea for Zevran to come back. He can’t lie, not to Zevran. Not even if he wants, desperately, to do so.

[remember to follow my writing-only blog apostatetabriswrites if you want to see my works after the 1st of july!]

[mamascauldron]

The search for relatively reliable information about the Celtic pantheon & Celtic paganism continues...

I do read from various perspectives so I can cast a broad net (hehehe cast) for information...but I think it's time to narrow it down. Like, I've read John Beckett's Path to Paganism book (I honestly think it will be a timeless staple in my library; more on this at a later date), Scott Cunningham's Wicca (for the Solitary Practitioner) and quite a few witchcraft books written by Ellan Dugan (I want all of them; I love the ideas etc). & a random assortment of other books that caught my interest, same for blogs.

I do find the beliefs and philosophies of Wicca interesting, same for NeoDruidry (OBOD, for example). Wicca definately isn't for me, though I may borrow some of the ideas for my Craft (if not religion). NeoDruidry...well, I don't know quite enough for commentary yet. I have a few books on my wishlist to read more.

One such book is another Beckett book, which takes a deeper look at Paganism and Druidry. Another is a recommended translation of the Mabinogi. I do also have a website bookmarked with a bunch of Celtic texts but don't know how...'good' they are. I wish I had taken a history/anthropology course related to all of this in university. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Anyway, the more I think about it, the more likely it is that I'll focus on witchcraft with casual ties to Celtic paganism (by this, I mean how I imagine people in Ye Very Olde Days went about their daily lives: mostly mundane things with some celebrations and dedicated moments in between).

Welcome to my confusing-as-hell spiritual journey, y'all.

[artpastmidnight]

Answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you want to know better

I was tagged by @chirrutbaze , thank you for always tagging me, Michelle!!!!!!!! tagging (NO PRESSURE): @emypia @fortysevenswrites @grexigone @castiellover77 @stardust425 @santodelosmuertos @jedi-bird @imsfire2 @skitzofreak and anyone else who sees this and would like to do this. Please tag me so I can see & put you in the list of people who like to be tagged in these things because I never know.

nicknames: I’ve only been called Elan (pronounced like the girl name “Ella” with an N at the end, so “Ellan”)

zodiac sign: capricorn

height: 5′1″ (smol)

hogwarts house: ravenclaw

the last thing i googled: how to create a marker texture for procreate.

favorite musicians: according to my spotify, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Sia, Anitta, Fleetwood Mac, Khalid, J Balvin, Rihanna, Shakira, Cirque du Soleil, John Williams, M.I.A., Marina, Michael Jackson, Paula Cole, Perfume, Pharrell, Sheena Ringo, Yoko Takahashi, Sayuri Ishikawa, Alan Silvestri, Audiomachine, and many more.

song stuck in your head: Bola Rebola by Tropkillaz, J Balvin, Anitta, Mc Zaac

following: 79. The only reason I don’t follow back is because I like to scroll back to where I left off previously, and I can’t do that when I follow too many blogs.

followers: 1015

do you get asks: not as often as I used to. I miss it.

amount of sleep: I just slept 12 hours because I flew back home yesterday from Japan. There’s a 16-hour time difference, and it doesn’t help that I couldn’t sleep during the flight because I was having a panic attack for about half the flight.

lucky number: 57. I see numbers in colors and I like this color combination. (I dunno if this is related to my dyscalculia or not.)

what you’re wearing: a black cardi, white t-shirt, and yoga pants.

dream job: i have this feeling I’d be good at coming up with or suggesting improvements to all sorts of merchandise because there are so many places I go with the intent to drop money for merch and I just can’t find anything that I WANT.

dream trip: Barcelona with a local. I’ve been to Europe, but it was a touristy trip pre-internet, so there were some bumps in the trip like strikes at places we had planned to see. Besides, I’m more interested in the daily life of locals than getting a pic at a tourist attraction.

instruments: just my vocal chords (I was a signed singer in my teens)

languages: American English and Japanese

favorite songs: "Love Lies” by Khalid and Normani can calm me from a panic/anxiety attack for some reason. Same can be said about the Quidam soundtrack from Cirque du Soleil.

random fact: I am a sucker for tragedies in fiction, and will read plot summaries specifically searching for major character deaths to decide what movies to watch sometimes. Deaths in fiction are cathartic to me (not irl of course!). I’d like to draw darker subjects more, but I’m afraid of alienating ppl.

aesthetic: desaturated colors, delicate lingerie, sandalwood, blood and injuries, one-of-a-kind jewelry, japanese stationery, melancholy music, art reference pinterest boards, scenic forests

[shakespearesglobeblog]

Drag king cabaret by candlelight. 

In this blog we meet the drag kings who will be performing in Moll and the Future Kings, a candlelit hour of work-in-progress, late-night drag king cabaret and improv.

This blog contains colourful language and swearing.

I prithee, pretty youth, let me be better acquainted with Thee. As You Like It

In response to Marlowe’s Edward II, which features an early modern portrayal of a homosexual relationship, we present Voices in the Dark: Pride, Then and Now, a festival that explores the themes of gender and sexuality in thrilling new ways.

Getting the party started on 30 March, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse will host Moll and the Future Kings, a candlelit hour of work-in-progress, late-night drag king cabaret and improv.

The Globe stages have seen many women perform male characters, and vice versa. Shakespeare’s audience too would have been familiar with men performing female characters. More recently, in 2018 the Globe stage was graced with people of all genders, performing characters of any gender they chose in Alternative Miss World.

Moll Frith, also known as Mal Cutpurse, was a 17th-century cross-dressing performer, criminal and trickster. In 1611, during a production of The Roaring Girl, a piece written about her life by Middleton and Dekker, she appeared on stage in an improvised moment of rude jokes, songs and smoking.

Sarah Grange has been waiting 15 years to have a conversation with Moll Frith and Moll and the Future Kings is the start of it. For her, it is ‘an attempt to get back to meeting her [Moll Frith] on her own terms’. Moll’s spirit is being gloriously channelled through an amazing line-up of drag kings including Sigi Moonlight, Mal Content, Wesley Dykes and Bae Sharam.

Our relationship with clothing and gender in the street and on the stage may be evolving and becoming less defined, but in the 17th century, people had a very literal relationship with clothes.

‘I think when you look back at that early modern period, they had this completely different idea of gender...Their clothing [was] so gendered that they’re almost wearing their genitals on the outside. So if you put on the other gender’s clothing, it’s almost like having a sex change - they took it really seriously.’ Sarah Grange

All hail the kings

Without further ado, let’s meet the kings of the stage, as described in their own words.

Sigi Moonlight

Sigi Moonlight 📸: Dan Govan 

In the year that a profoundly orange-faced, pussy-grabbing sociopath was elected leader of the free world, Sigi Moonlight came to Earth.

With his suave, satirical characters inspired by a dangerous mix of cinema and politics, Sigi presents humanity with a message of hope and defiance in (most likely) the last five years of its existence.

Mal Content

Mal Content 📸 Blioux Kirkby 

Crawling from the inky-dark Jacobean depths, fuelled by bile, bombast and brandy laced with regret, Mal Content rises to wreak randomised revenge on a cruel and unfeeling world. You have been warned...

Wesley Dykes

Wesley Dykes 📸Lea L’Attentive 

Wesley Dykes was born on Halloween 2012, after noticing a considerable lack of Colour, Soul and Funk in many of the Drag King scenes across the world. Usually Wesley is your favourite rapper, your favourite RnB singer and your friendly neighbourhood fxckboi. Tonight he’s your favourite storyteller, using spoken word, poetry and improv to weave multiple histories into this historical space.

Bae Sharam

Bae has been performing in the London Cabaret scene after graduating with a bang from the Michael Twaits’ Art of Drag course last year. Nominated for Best New Cabaret Act 2018 AND 2019 by Boyz Magazine and a MxGenderFvcker finalist, they are a queer muslim performance artist specialising in alt-drag.

Strap yourself in for rocky as fuck ride straight down to "Um, I don’t know if I can laugh at that?". The answer is no, you can’t. But you probably will. And yes, that does make you a bad person.

You can listen to curator Sarah Grange and drag king Wesley Dykes chatting about Moll and the Future Kings on our podcast in Season 2, episode 2, Pride, Then and Now (transcript available). 

Illustration by Ellan Parry As You Like It photography by John Tramper 

[ianference]

The Isle of Man: A Trip to 1950s Ellan Vannin in Stereoscopic 3D

The Isle of Man: A Trip to 1950s Ellan Vannin in Stereoscopic 3D

A Brief Recap on VistaScreen

Ellan Vannin, the native Manx for the Isle of Man, is the subject of today’s post. And VistaScreen‘s primary photographer, Stanley Long, provides the stereographic photos. While for those of you who regularly read this blog (and don’t just skip to the pictures) it will come as no surprise that this little upstart Anglocentric stereography outfit is our purveyor…

[linkstinks]

A summer update: Where have I been?

I’m not sure where I’m going with this. It has been a while since I sat behind my computer and let myself talk; I simply haven’t had time. Or rather I have, but any spare time I have I seem to spend staring at a blank wall and wondering how on earth I managed to…

A summer update: Where have I been? was originally published on Ellan

[the-scot-blog1]

Today, my social media accounts are filled with memories.

Collages, text posts, pictures; all full of bittersweet tokens from former classmates as we said our final goodbyes to our school years. There were tears, embraces, and an emotional serenade from our Head Teacher. I never thought I would be swaying with my phone torch flying in the air to a balding man’s rendition of Oasis’ ‘Don’t look back in anger’.

For me, it was one of the most challenging days of my life.

The year group had turned out in full, clad in spandex and red capes to tie in with the superhero theme of the day. A super send-off, if you will.

I saw this as an opportunity to execute a pun that I had waited six years to make. For the entirety of my school life, I had been hit with an onslaught of nicknames: Smelly Ellie, Elfnr, Smeleanor, Duffenshmirtz (that was a particularly odd one, I have to admit). But the name I loved most, or rather the one that I could tolerate more than being compared to pungent stenches or evil cartoon masterminds, was Duffman.

And so that is exactly who I portrayed as my superhero alter-ego. A beer-drinking, hip-thrusting, muscley cartoon character with a proclivity for shades and the colour blue – in all honesty, it sounds a lot like regular ol’ me.

Anyway.

Thinking back to that day, I was in a strange place. I was wearing shiny Doc Martens – a gift from my then-boyfriend who was never too far away from my side the entire day. I was surrounded by a group of friends who I had known for around three years, and surrounded by a year group that I had gone through almost all my life with. But underneath the laughter, high-pitched signing and really awful dancing, I was sad.

I had firmed my choice for university but was suddenly in mid-crisis about my excitement to go. I was feeling a nervousness about the future that I had never felt before – I had always been completely sure about what I wanted to do with my life, but now my ambition was faltering, and I had no idea why.

So when we raced down the corridors to reach the crowds gathered in anticipation of the final countdown, I didn’t mind that I almost missed it. I didn’t mind that I was too out of breath to shout the final numbers along with the rest of the school. But I did mind the crippling sensation that gripped my stomach when I exited the revolving doors for the final time, and the watery smile when I said goodbye to the friends I would more than likely see in days to come.

Although it was our final day, we still had exams to sit in the coming month. But they were over just as quickly as they began, and I found myself drifting from people I once called my best friends. I was falling out of love in the most horrible way, and distancing myself from a boy I had spent three years with.

Graduation came, and amongst the shakiness I felt walking up on stage to shake hands with the Head Teacher and accept the shield for leadership, it was a weirdly triumphant day.

Prom was next, and with it came some sloppy steak pie and blistered feet. It was the last full day I spent in a proper relationship.

School was officially over after that, and I had hardly even recovered from my teeny hangover before I was plunged head first into the adult world.

So I did what any normal person would do – I packed my bags and ditched Scotland for a month of travelling in Australia. It was terrific; I met up with my brother who I hadn’t seen in around a year and we spent a month laying on beaches, touring the Gold Coast and passing out after nights spent giggling at bars and trying (and failing) to talk about the meaning of life.

Sydney. June 2016

Sydney. June 2016

Although I returned without a tan, I came back to Scotland as an entirely new person. I had finally felt what it was like to be independent – with nothing to tie me down to any specific place, I came out of my shell in Australia, spontaneously planning day trips and not caring what time I would come home. And so I knew what I had to do the minute my plane touched down.

It was the next day, and I had tears streaming down my face when I closed his front door behind me. After three years, it was time to call my relationship quits. My time spent abroad had taught me not to let anything – or anyone – hold me back. I wanted to completely reinvent myself – I had an entirely clear slate, and I wanted to begin writing my story alone.

I decided it was best to distance myself from my friends, who I was now sharing with the guy I had just left. It seemed to be the best move – I had friends in other circles, but it seemed as though his options were limited to our immediate friend group.

I lost a great friend in that same week, stemming from a drunken mistake and a showing of true colours come morning. But I found that I didn’t have anybody to talk to about how low I felt.

Conflict had arisen between myself and former friends, and although some made me feel welcome, it was time to move on. Bitchiness began on both sides, with Twitter being used as a catalyst to express feelings rather than confrontation and talking in person. But soon the time for reconciliation had passed – we had reached the point of next to no return, and I found myself well and truly alone.

I began working behind the counter in the nearby McDonald’s, where I met some pretty great people. There was the guy who always asked why I read on my breaks and the girl who said my butt didn’t look as big in my trousers as hers did. I still don’t know whether that was a compliment or not. I worked there for two months, earning a semi-decent wage and using it to fund my obsession with food and books.

I gained a whole load of weight in those two months, what with the free meals on my McDonald’s shifts and the murderous hours spent sitting in my bedroom doing absolutely nothing. I felt myself slowly slipping into a depressive state, with a sense of sadness I hadn’t felt since my earlier years at school. But the worst of it was I couldn’t open up to anybody about it.

I was hung-over as hell when I applied for a job at a Scottish television firm. It was a spontaneous decision – a decision that took around six hours to complete.

I’m not ashamed to say that I completely forgot about my application after it was sent. I had only found out about my dream job on its deadline, and I had accepted the fact that I was probably already at the bottom of the pile, ready to be chucked into the bin when another applicant was chosen in my stead.

I focused all my energy onto university; I was starting in less than two weeks time and had only bought half of the syllabus and didn’t nearly have enough books or sticky notes. I was browsing for the third text on my list when I got the call inviting me for an interview at the job I had almost forgotten about.

It was as if I was woken up from a month-long sleep. My stomach was filled with an excitement and anticipation that I hadn’t felt since my godson was born. Nothing had gone right in my life for several months and yet there I was, sitting on my blue spinny chair with the biggest grin on my face.

The interview came and went three days after the phone call. I had spent three hours deciding on an outfit from a choice of a few black tees and black skinny jeans before I realised I needed more clothes. My depressive state had affected the way I dressed, acted, felt – I hadn’t taken more than five minutes of my time to work on my hair in months.

  After the interview, there was another waiting spell. There were other applicants to be interviewed, they had said. My lack of confidence came back in full force, and my elation was soon replaced with resignation at not being good enough to act on my dreams.

But this was not to last. The day my phone broke was the day that HR was trying to call me to confirm my acceptance of the position. When they eventually got hold of me, I cried. I cried for a solid day, and it was as though each tear that fell was taking with it every depressing thought, every ounce of anxiety and every bit of self-hatred I had for myself.

So here I am now.

I’m sitting on my lunch break in the middle of April, sipping on a kale, apple and lime smoothie and laughing when I remember how I used to be.

Since September, I’ve worked in my dream position for over eight months. I’ve made friends with people I had only ever seen on television or who I only knew from the tiny Twitter icons on my computer screen. I am eating healthier, and have managed to lose a drastic amount of weight from constantly walking and doing the occasional gym session. My skin has cleared, and I cut my hair in a way that everybody always said would never suit me, but I’ve never been more in love.

I’m more expressive, and I’ve taken to initiating conversation instead of shying away from even the slightest hint of social interaction. I laugh louder and no longer cover my mouth to hide my wonky teeth and tiny lips.

I reconciled with my best friend, who I hadn’t spoken to for around half a year after a particularly nasty falling out the year before.

I paid for my entire family to go to Disneyland and I didn’t have one ounce of buyer’s regret. We spent a fantastic week there, even though I forgot to bring a pair of shoes.

I was there for my family when we found out my brother has cancer, and I managed to put a family feud behind me to help support them.

I haven’t been in a relationship for almost a year now, and I’ve never felt more committed in my life. I’ve thrown myself into work, photography and writing, and I can’t help but feel completely and utterly proud of myself.

Ever since I left school, it’s been quite a journey. But after the heartache, loneliness and depression, I came out in a new form; a form I had only ever dreamed of achieving. And I can’t wait to look back like this again next year, and see where on Earth I’ve ended up.

I left school a year ago today. What’s happened? was originally published on Ellan

[shakespearenews]

With the Globe Ensemble our mutual aim was to discover EVERYTHING in the rehearsal room. The actors inspire the work and decisions can be made as a collective therefore I decided to be there everyday rather than only coming in for fight sessions. That allowed me to be present in the full development and to be there when the actors explore scenes that have or might have violent interactions.

 Similar to Ellan (designer) who sketched in their notebook, I started to write down things that I saw: any physical impulses that they had, spatial pathways they were naturally using, games; props they were taking from the pile etc. That taught me a lot about how they view their character’s journey in that scene and why they need to use violence.