#I could have had a safe try to a latin honor if I chose a fairly easy course

[talesofunlikelysapphicpairings]

Do not take Political Science. I am serious. Dead serious. Mostly dead. But also serious.

[gotham-ruaidh]

Uitlander

Previously…

Chapter 19

Making Waves

Monday, June 12, 1826

“Is that right?” Lord John Grey, Governor of the Cape Colony, laughed, pouring his guests a bit more claret. “I can’t imagine that you were welcomed with open arms.”

 “On the contrary, my lord – I had almost been one of the family for a few years by that point.” Brian Fraser thoughtfully sipped his claret, sitting back a bit in the deep armchair. “And my father-in-law Jakob, he was happy to finally have a son to teach.”

 “I was the only surviving child,” Elin explained. “Papa had been worried about what would happen to the estate. But he died peacefully, knowing that between Brian and I, we would take care of the farm. And keep our traditions alive.”

 “Fascinating,” the governor reflected. “I so do enjoy learning the history here – to be frank, I had no idea just how long some of the families have been here.”

 “Brian and Elin have told me that it hasn’t always been smooth sailing,” Claire interjected, turning to face Lord Grey directly, silently squeezing Jamie’s hand.

 The governor’s fair brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

 “Surely you are aware of the drought these past years, here in the Cape?” Jamie replied, squeezing Claire’s hand in response. “My father – and my grandfather – pioneered different planting techniques which use less water, and keep our fields fertile even during times of drought. Our neighbors – the Groots – they have not yet adopted such modern methods.”

 Brian nodded. “What my son is trying to say, my lord, is that the Groots have been particularly aggressive these last months. Threatening my workers, when one of our sheep or cows strays onto their property. Spreading rumors about me and my family here in town, to put off buyers from purchasing our wine and grains.” Brian briefly turned to his wife. “Willem Groot had his eye on Elin, the whole time they were growing up. He’s never recovered from the fact that she chose me.”

 “Papa, I can hardly see why that’s relevant to the present discussion – ”

 “No, no, I perfectly understand,” Lord Grey interjected. “There are just enough reasons for the Groots to make small gestures of their displeasure. Fortunately none of those foul rumors have ever made their way to me – to be frank, Mister and Mistress Fraser – both pairs of you – I have only ever heard the warmest words about your character, your farm, and your family. And only the highest compliments about your grain and wine.”

 Brian Fraser actually blushed; Claire Fraser held back a tiny smile. “Thank ye, my lord – I canna tell ye how much it pleases me to hear that.”

 “Not at all. Your family is a model for this colony – a perfect union of British and Dutch. And now, with Claire, even a bit more English.”

 Now Claire smiled broadly. “Thank you, Lord Grey – I know I’ve said this before, but I’m so delighted that we have my Uncle as a connection.”

 “He could not speak higher of you – and of your new family. It is truly my pleasure to know you all.”

 Jamie squeezed Claire’s hand, unspeakably proud.

 “Now – Mister and Mistress Fraser – beg pardon, all four of you – would you be amenable to attend a reception I’ll be holding here, at my residence, in about four weeks time?”

 --

 The governor’s aide had barely closed the door behind them when Jamie swept his wife up in a dramatic kiss.

 “Jamie!” she laughed, tearing away from his mouth.

 “I love you, Claire. You are so smart,” he beamed.

 “Aye, lass – you’ve a sharp mind for politics, did yer Uncle ever tell ye that?” Two paces away, Brian stood arm-in-arm with Elin, wide smiles on their faces. “Never to my knowledge has a Dutch farming family been invited for a private audience with the governor – and certainly we’ve never, ever been a part of the town society! And he said that he wants to serve our wine to his guests! And have us attend his party! What an honor!”

 “But you should be part of the society here,” Claire reasoned. “With everything I’ve learned about this place, I knew that an audience with the Governor would only help you. And it also makes Uncle Lamb feel better, knowing that he can repay you in some small way for the incredible generosity you’ve shown me.”

 Jamie kissed her forehead.

 “Nonsense, Claire – you are all the gift we needed.” Elin gently stepped closer to her son and daughter-in-law. “I hope you don’t mind that Brian and Jamie spend some time attending to business, now that we’re in town?”

 This was the signal they had agreed on, sipping whiskey in the parlor after dinner the night before, strategizing for their meeting with Governor Grey. For Brian and Jamie were to meet a contact who had requested safe passage for three slaves, seeking freedom on the same secret path that at least a hundred others had taken over the past twenty years.

 Claire worried, of course – as did Elin – but she reassured her daughter-in-law that the Fraser men knew what they were doing.

 “No,” Claire heard herself say, distracted by the cluster of children playing across the street. “No, I don’t mind at all.”

 She looked up at Jamie, nodded at him, and waited for his nod to her. He bent to kiss her goodbye, and whispered two simple, life-changing words:

 “Ask her.”

 Claire nodded, throat thick, and tasted his goodbye kiss long after he and Brian turned to walk in the opposite direction.

 Ask her.

 They had discussed it this morning, nestled beneath their quilt in the soft, dark hours before dawn, Jamie’s big hands spanning her bare belly.

 “It’s been forty-six days since you bled, Claire.”

 She kissed the stubble on his chin. “I know.  And I love that you kept count.”

 “How could I not?” he smiled. “I’m a farmer. I grew up tracking such things. Why would I not track my own wife’s fertility?”

 “I love that you care so deeply, Jamie – and that you are so open to my body, and how it works.”

 His brow furrowed. “Why would I not be? I know our wedding was in Latin, but I studied the vows – I know the priest said that we are one flesh.”

 Slowly she brought her own hands over her belly, tangling her fingers with his, cradling – sheltering – what they hoped so desperately to be there. “So many of the women I treat – and most of the women your mother cares for – their husbands see it as something…foreign. Something dirty. The Curse of Eve.”

 He kissed the tip of her nose. “Eve may have been cursed, but she came from Adam’s flesh. And she took him with her out of the garden. Claire, when we joined our blood, at our wedding, we promised before God that we had become one. That you are me, and I am you.”

 She shifted her hands to cup his head, eyes shining in the growing light of dawn, and kissed him hard.

 “I want it, Jamie – so much.”

 He anchored his hands on her hips. “Ask Mama, when the two of you have time together today.”

 “I will. Now – I know you said we are one flesh…” Slowly she wrapped her legs around his hips.

 “Yes…” he breathed.

 “Show me.”

 He settled into the mattress, shifted her above him – draping her bare shoulders in the quilt, protecting her from the chill – and let her show him…

 Claire blinked and turned to face Elin.

 “Do you mind if we visit the apothecary’s while we wait? There are a few things I need to replenish…”

 “Of course not!” Elin beamed. “Lead the way!”

 The two women linked arms and walked in the direction of Hough’s. Claire was glad she had brought her sun hat. Winter may be just around the corner – the days were certainly shorter now – but the temperature was still pleasantly balmy. And the sunlight – as always – drenched the streets and buildings with vibrant colors.

 “I need to ask you something,” she said after a while, eyes trained on the hard-packed earth of the street.

 “You know you can speak to me about anything, Claire,” Elin gently encouraged. “What’s on your mind?”

 Claire pressed her lips together – deciding.

 “I think I’m pregnant.”

 Elin stopped walking, then gently pulled Claire to the side, standing in the sheltering shadow of the post office. She rested her hands on Claire’s shoulders, eyes shining with joy.

 “Tell me.”

 Claire did – how long it had been since her courses, how sensitive her body had been, how never in her life had she been more than a day late.

 “I’ll have to examine you when we get home, but – Claire, all the signs point to yes.”

 Joy surged through Claire’s heart, and Elin positively beamed with happiness.

 “Does Jamie know?”

 Claire snorted. “He’s been counting the days.”

 Elin’s smile widened. “Of course he has. Very hands-on, that one. Very attentive.”

 “He learned that from you.”

 “He did. Oh, Claire!” Elin pulled her daughter-in-law into a deep embrace. “Oh, I am so, so happy for you!”

 “Do you think I can tell him?”

 “I don’t see why not – though I’d imagine he’d want to be with you, when I take a closer look once we get home?”

 “Of course he would – and I’d want him there.”

 Elin cradled Claire’s cheek in her work-roughened hand. “You are a true blessing, Claire. To Jamie, yes – but to all of us.”

 Claire couldn’t stop smiling for the entire time they were at Hough’s, and then during the walk back to the Governor’s house, where Jamie and Brian waited in the wagon.

 She nodded at Jamie – and he picked her up, and twirled her around, laughing and kissing and not believing that it could be real.

[crimsonrevolt]

Congratulations Taylor you’ve been accepted to Crimson Revolt as Selina Sapworthy

↳ please refer to our character checklist

Taylor! We are so excited to see you take on a muggleborn for the first time. The way you’ve written Selina, she’s unlike any character we’ve seen from you before and we’re really interested to see how you develop her and how she’s going to add to Aversio and the roleplay.

application beneath the cut 

OUT OF CHARACTER

INTRODUCTION

It’s Taylor! 19, going by female pronouns and in the EST timezone

ACTIVITY

I’d say probably about the same as it is now. I do have my dips every once in awhile, but I have a pretty decent system to stay caught up.

HOW DID YOU FIND US?

It was an Andromeda Black tag originally, but I’ve been here for almost two years.

WHAT HARRY POTTER CHARACTER DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH MOST?

I think I’m probably a combination of Harry and Ron. In a lot of ways I relate to them both in different ways; Harry I relate to in his upbringing and family always being difficult and more toxic than anything else - but his need to take care of everyone else, and sarcastic nature are also things I relate to strongly. And, with Ron, the feeling of being a failure or not living up to anyone else, that deep insecurity and the way he lashes out when he’s been hurt I understand a lot, especially since I get older.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Nothing I can think of!

IN CHARACTER

DESIRED CHARACTER  

Selina Adira Sapworthy

Selina - In French the meaning of the name Selina is: Latin caelum meaning sky or heaven. (x) Adira - of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Adira is “strong, noble, powerful” (x)

FACE CLAIM

Emeraude Toubia

REASON FOR CHOSEN CHARACTER

When I started to consider the idea of going for a third character, there was a list; on the one hand, I thought the idea of playing somebody truly dark would be fun to go back to. But then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that as fun as writing truly dark characters (ie, Bellatrix) can be, it wouldn’t be a new challenge. And I wanted a new challenge. So I began looking through all of the open characters and came to the realization that writing a Muggleborn is something I haven’t done in far too long. So I began looking at open bios again, and Selina drew me in instantly.

The more I looked at Selina and began to really think about it, the more that she started to really speak to me. Here you have a woman who is so determined to make a difference that she never stops pushing herself to meet expectations that she places on herself. And they aren’t easy expectations by any means; she’s incredibly intelligent because being sub-par at anything makes her skin crawl. She’s so well-rounded and well-versed because to do anything less than would be a disservice to the gift she was given. Because that’s what being a witch is to her, a privilege. Here you have a woman who, as  a child, was loved but felt ordinary. And then she turned eleven. Then, she received a letter that changed her life. Suddenly the world opened up to so many new possibilities, so much new knowledge and opportunities for the young wide-eyed girl. Not taking full advantage of it would be the worst thing that she could do.

Selina’s intelligence was something she fought for, wanting to immerse herself in whatever she could possibly find about magic. Her family was entirely Muggle, it wasn’t as if they could ever teach her about it. If anything, they asked her about it more than anything else. She was the student who self-taught so she could debate with her professors during class - the first degree ‘self indulgent, insufferable know-it-all’ that Hermione is so frequently referred to as. There’s a reason people groan when Hermione raises her hand and recites things from memory: the staff has seen it before. In yet another Muggleborn Gryffindor who could be too smart for her own good.

She was never a stranger to the bigotry that came with being of Muggle heritage; people scoffed at her, every insult in the book was tossed at her. More than once Selina was told her blood was dirty, that she had no place in the magical world she was part of. For awhile, it got to her, but with time she realized that if anyone was without in the wizarding world it was the elitists that were afraid of anything they didn’t understand. That was when her skin grew thicker, and she decided if she was going to be seen as a disgusting Mudblood, she would go all out. So she outsmarted everyone she could find, made every Pureblood in her class despise her solely because she could. It became a sport more than anything else, proving she had just as much right to being a witch as anyone else.

But then she left school, and the war started. Suddenly her quick tongue and determination to hold  her own put her family’s life in jeopardy. Her parents were going  to be defenseless against magic if anyone chose to go after them, and it was as terrifying as it was disgusting. She sought out alliance the first chance she got. It wasn’t her fault Aversio got to her first, but she didn’t ever regret it. Joining the 'rebel forces’ gave her a chance to gain protection for her family - her parents and twin brothers, a set of siblings ten years younger and clearly a surprise. Selina vowed to protect them no matter the cost, even made an Unbreakable Vow to the organization. She fell into something that she couldn’t ever step out of, but it kept her family safe. And with any luck would end with change, making sure Muggleborns and anyone else could life freely.

PREFERRED SHIPS // CHARACTER SEXUALITY // GENDER & PRONOUNS

Selina views romance as a waste of time in the current state of things. What good would falling in love do her right now? She has enough to worry about, trying to assist Aversio and win the war so that she won’t be indebted to anyone anymore, so her family can be free. Viewing herself as a woman, and being damn proud of it, and a firm believer in equality, Selina is pansexual but in the times she lives in, probably just considers herself someone attracted to anyone. Sex is a good way to blow off steam, but it’s no time for romance.

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

Pinterest Board

Playlist:

Nightmare - Arshad I’m living in a terrible nightmare This wicked little game I never wanted to play An answers gotta be somewhere out there Equations need solutions and we’ll solved it today

Deep Water - American Authors When it pulls me under, will you make me stronger Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water Take me farther, give me one day longer

Believer - Imagine Dragons I’m fired up and tired of the way that things have been Second thing second Don’t you tell me what you think that I can be I’m the one at the sail, I’m the master of my sea

Where the Lonely Ones Roam - Digital Daggers Meet me in the gutter Make the devil your friend Just remember what I said Cause it isn’t over yet

- Leaving Hogwarts, Selina was sitting in a pub one night, angry at the way things were going when she was approached by one of the original Aversio members. It was then she was introduced to war and made a snap decision. She would join the war efforts if she could protect her family, so a decision was made. Selina would be among the brains of the operation, using her intelligence and loyalty to assist ending the war and they would, in return, protect her family. An Unbreakable Vow was made in secret, something she refuses to allow anyone to know of.  But the risk of her family being hurt or killed keeps her loyal, changing  her more than she expected.

- Selina goes on to write several books on Herbology and Divination, and is eventually honored in a portrait hung inside of Hogwarts castle. While these books haven’t been published yet, she works on them by continuing to study. Sometimes her work is used to assist Aversio, but her notes and research are scattered on stray parchment around her home. She isn’t sure what she’ll go use it for yet, but someday it’ll be put to use. That much she knows.

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: “Ooh, hm…if I could, I would probably create a potion using Devil’s Snare. Oh, don’t give me that look, it can have its uses.  It would be used for similar causes to Veritaserum, only instead of causing the drinker to tell the truth, it would punish them for lying. The Snare could constrict their insides if anyone tried to use deception. Of course, there would probably be a counter-solution to undo any damage from being too severe, but it could be useful, especially in current times.”

♔ 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: “I think I’d like someone like Aurora Sinstra with me if I was ever going back into that forest. Yes, I said 'back’ - I did have my moments of rebellion in school, let’s move on - and other than my wand, I think I’d like to have my potions set. You wouldn’t believe how much is in that forest that can be useful in creating new things.”

♔ What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make? I find most decisions to be relatively simple in our current go of things. Though, I suppose…finding moral grey areas in situations where you have to find a way to be fair. What seems reasonable to one may not be to someone else. For example, I don’t see why anyone should make alliances they don’t plan on following through on, especially when you should know what you’re getting yourself into when you decide to pledge loyalty to something.

♔ What is one thing you would never want said about you? That I was a coward. Mock my blood all you want, gods know nearly everyone has. But I’m no coward, I follow through, I fight. That’s all there is to it.

REACTION TO LAST EVENT DROP

Selina is angry. She’s distrustful of the Order and the alliance of Aversio, not understanding why anyone would wish to align themselves with people who don’t ever seem to do anything but make plans and sit on their hands. The fundraiser offers a chance to gather intel, but only if done correctly. And while the propaganda against Rodolphus Lestrange is hysterical, it only draws more attention to people who don’t seem to have a plan if retribution occurs. A firm believer in always having an idea of what you’re getting yourself into, Selina can’t help but think everyone around her has lost their minds and is growing more impatient by the day.

WRITING SAMPLE

The hall was dark and empty as she trudged along, her boots echoing on the wooden floors providing the only source of sound. On both sides of her flanked burly wizards she recognized by face alone. Her escorts into a situation that could no longer be backed out of. That was what Selina reminded herself of as she entered, finally recognizing the wizard who had recruited her in the first place. No turning back now.

He raised his eyebrows expectantly as she made her way into the dimly lit, otherwise vacant room. The men who had shown her in shut the door, one standing beside it as a guard while the other raised his wand and began twirling with boredom between his fingers as he watched Selina and his boss take each other in. A lump formed in her throat  as she remembered what she was about to do, but she was quick to force it back. There was no time to dwell on it now. All the secrecy and hushed plans had been leading to this. The promise that her family - her brothers, her father, her mother - would be protected was too powerful to pass up. They could never know what she had agreed to, would never understand. Selina herself, nineteen and defiant in all other forms of life, still had trouble with it.

Still, when presented with his hand, she placed her own inside. The third wizard raised his wand and gold coils began to wrap around Selina’s arm, connecting her to the man beside her. It was an uncomfortable feeling, one that never in her life had the young witch expected to ever feel. She had never believed there would be reason for an Unbreakable Vow, not until rumors of Muggle families dying had become more frequent. Lost in her thoughts, trying to adjust to the discomfort that accompanied the magic circling her arm, she barely recognized when it was her turn to speak. It was only when the man she was vowing loyalty to cleared his throat expectantly she snapped out of it. “Repeat that?” She managed, stumbling over the words while trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

And then there it was. The question. Do you promise to remain loyal, to assist our cause in whatever ways possible, as we proceed into the new age of war against Britain?

There it was. The lump again. There could be no turning back now, should she decide that this wasn’t what she wanted. If someday she was asked something she couldn’t do, it wouldn’t only be her own death  but the possibility of her family’s as well. That reminder served to steady her, the golden cords only seeming to tighten, anticipating the response.

Holding her chin up, Selina made sure to look both men directly in the eye before answering. “I will.”

[hamelin-born]

LOS!Castlevania Chat Blog: The Girl!Trevor ‘verse.

My and @writingfish‘s various chats on the idea of ‘what would happen if LoS!Trevor was Dracul’s daughter, not his son’.

...btw - I was wondering. How would LOS Dracula have reacted if he had a daughter instead of a son? (Yes, girl!Trevor)

writingfish Probably the same way. A bit more surprised that the Brotherhood sent a woman after him though

hamelin-born I think that things would be - kind of different in a female!Trevor AU.

For one thing, I don't think Trevor would be raised as a warrior in this. I don't remember precisely, but I don't think the Brotherhood had any female fighters?

writingfish Probably not. They might make an exception since Trevor was 'fated' to kill Drac

hamelin-born I think, in case of a female!Trevor, they'd either have the choice of training her to be a fighter (and probably ignoring her gender and treating her like a boy)

 or they'd take the prophecy the other way - figure that the prophecy said 'Dracula's /blood/', and encourage her to get married young and have a lot of kids.

writingfish Yeah. For the latter, they probably wouldn't tell her about her father

hamelin-born For the latter, I think that - well. Even if Trevor (Did you know that Trevor can also be used as a female name? Thank you, google-fu!) is 100% human - she's still the offspring of the Prince of Darkness. I think destiny would probably arrange things so she came face-to-face with her father, one way or another.

 And, if we play to stereotypes - never underestimate a woman prepared to do ANYTHING to protect her children.

...idea

The Brotherhood comes for one (or more) of Trevor's kids, intending to training THEM up to kill Dracula.

They leave her alone, telling her they'll be back in a day to collect her son(s).

However, unlike her mother, Trevor basically thinks that no way in HELL is she letting this happen, packs up her things, grabs her kid(s), and runs like hell.

...maybe it's deliberate, maybe it isn't - but she runs straight to Castle Dracula.

(I don't see male!Sypha in the picture; for some reason, my mind's stuck on the image of Trevor as a single mom.)

writingfish Male Sypha could have died. Yes, that is how she would find the castle

hamelin-born Dracula would have no idea how to react to a mother clumsily holding a combat cross in front of her and her offspring, snarling that they're not HERE to challenge him or for any kind of trouble, they're hiding from the damned Brotherhood (child-stealing BASTARDS) and they'll be on their way just as soon as they find a way OUT of the damn place.

...Trevor's formerly non-existent combat skills increase by leaps and bounds in the combat-rich environment of the castle, especially if she has kid(s) to protect. It's learn or die - and she has a certain amount of natural talent

He'd be amused by the sheer length and bredth of the invective that Trevor hurls at the Brotherhood.

...I don't think the Brotherhood would have let Trevor know exactly WHY they wanted her son(s). They'd probably have said that one of them is 'destined' to destroy Dracula. (Trevor would be fully prepared to spit destiny in the eye if it came to keeping her kid(s) safe).

...I like the idea of Dracul visiting male!Sypha's grave, to sincerely thank his unknown son-in-law. For making his daughter happy, for encouraging her ‘un-womanely-like’ interest in weapon s(it saved her life when she ran with the kid(s)), for giving Dracul grandchildren - he would have liked to know male!Sypha. He sounds like a good man.

I kind of like the idea of girl!Trevor having more then one kid.

Or of being pregnant when she stumbled into Draculas Castle.

writingfish Being pregnant would be amazing. Panicked Dracul

hamelin-born Pregnant!Trevor would be very much like her father in that she'd be perfectly willing to see the world burn if someone tried to hurt her kid(s)

 writingfish Yep

omg, imagine if she goes into labor and Dracul is just like "shit, what do I do?!"

hamelin-born Trevor: Get a succubus in here, order her not to hurt, eat, or seduce me or the children, command her to help, and GET OUT!

And BOIL WATER!

writingfish The succubus is honored to help because everyone just wants them for sex and nothing else

Dracul just stands in front of the door fretting the entire time

hamelin-born Trevor figures that of all the female monsters in the castle, a succubus will 1) be the most familiar with human anatomy and 2) have the most experience with things related to reproduction

writingfish Yep, but they don't either because that's not what their there for. Everyone panics

hamelin-born Trevor is Fed Up. Does she have to do everything?!

She tells Dracul to get /someone/ boiling sheets, gets one succubus to stand by the end of the bed and report on what she sees, and for another to hold her hand, damn it!

The succubi get a crash course (literally Trevor screaming the instructions at them) on human reproduction and labor.

writingfish They are terrified and then they gossip with the incubi who are glad they can't father any children

hamelin-born And lo, the prophecy is fulfilled - because when Dracula looks down upon the face of his newborn grandchild for the first time, he is most certainly defeated.

writingfish Yep and he helps raise his grandkids and Trevor is torn between becoming a vamp and not

hamelin-born ...thought. That maybe Trevor /doesn't/ have a an uneventful (for a given value of the word) labor. She ends up - pretty severely injured, especially given that there isn't a midwife or healer, or anyone who actually KNOWS about childbirth in the Castle.

...Trevor's pretty sure she's dying. Dracul can hear her heart slowing, and makes her the offer.

Except this time, Trevor is very seriously considering it, because she /can't/ leave her kids, not when one is literally an /infant/. She can't leave them like this. She /can't/

writingfish Yep, so she takes it, but first has the baby

I think in this verse, she'd keep Trevor

But yes, Dracul shows up at the Brotherhood with an army

hamelin-born Trevor can't find it in herself to be particularly displeased. She regrets the loss of life, but Those Fuckers threatened her /babies/

(Dracul was fucking FURIOUS when he realized just what was going on - both with his daughter, and with his grandchildren)

It's actually a very difficult choice for Trevor. Because - because if she accepts her father's offer to Turn her, she might lose any chance to ever see male!Sypha again - and she loved him, she loved him, she LOVED him.

There's also the very strong likelihood that she'll outlive her children.

But Trevor knows that her husband would forgive her anything, Anything. And she knows that her children need her NOW. And she would do anything, anything for them.

writingfish Yep and since I was reading the cv wiki again, at the very end, when the world is gone and humanity finally spreads to the stars, she and Dracul finally have their rest and see their family again

hamelin-born But until then, they can be parent and child. And - well. Upon thought - this is basically the same choice that Gabriel had, didn't he? He chose to do everything he did ultimately because he wanted to save people - to bring back his wife, maybe? Trevor chooses to accept her father's offer to be there for her children, to save people?

writingfish Yep and Trevor's kids ensure that the rest of the family knows to always keep them company for as long as they can

hamelin-born Dracul is just happy to have family again. Something of his beloved Marie still continues. Still exists.

Mental image of some Brotherhood Goon(TM) trying to sneak into the castle to 'rescue' female!Trevor and the kid(s). He is Very Surprised when Trevor 1) Very much does not want to be 'rescued' and 2) Pretty much utterly annihilates him. (Gabriel is So Proud).

...this could also be the precipitating factor prompting Dracul to lead an army against the brotherhood...

writingfish "go get him. I'll hold the baby"

**

hamelin-born Sudden mental image of girl!Trevor's kid(s) naming her 'Alucard'. Because Grandpa is both Grandpa Gabriel and Grandpa Dracul, but their mom has only one name - this must be corrected! And thus, Alucard.

writingfish Pff. She tries to get them to call her Trevor, but it doesn't stick. Only her father calls her that

hamelin-born Her kids call her 'mama', of course - but they refuse to stop introducing her as 'Alucard' to everyone else, grandpa dragon excepted.

Dracul/Gabriel frankly doesn't care what they call him, but he finds being called 'grandpa dragon' very amusing.

writingfish They introduce him as grandpa dragon too. Everyone else is too terrified to disagree

hamelin-born Gabriel is charmed, and a bit amused - he never thought his whole 'Eu sunt Dracul!' would lead to /this/.

writingfish No one calls him Dracul though and he's a bit upset about that

hamelin-born This leads to Gabriel patiently giving his grandkids Latin lessons. (Trevor is relieved. She wasn't sure how her kids would get an education now that they live in Castle Dracula)

**

hamelin-born *snickers*. Still, just imagine Dracul's /face/ the first time he meets Trevor. When he goes to confront the intruder who has tresspassed into his /home/ and instead comes face-to-face with a visible pregnant woman clumsily wielding a Combat Cross even as she steps between him and a small, terrified child...

writingfish Yep. It would be amazing.

"who are you and why are you in my castle?!"

hamelin-born Really, Trevor and Dracul are - very similar in this AU; they'd both burn down the world, do ANYTHING, for their loved ones.

Also: 'Your castle is the one place the damned brotherhood won't go /anywhere/ near! And if you come anywhere /near/ my children, I'll decapitate you!'

writingfish "What? Children? Why did you bring children here?....Wait......are you pregnant?! Why did you come here?! What is happening?!?!"

He'd be so panicked omg

hamelin-born 'The damn brotherhood wanted to /take my children/ away from me! They wanted to raise my babies to be living weapons! This is the one place those - those /murderers/ won't go anywhere near!'

The brotherhood might also have hinted that they'd really rather prefer it if Trevor married again and had LOTS of babies, which was an additional factor in her freak-out.

...Trevor is /relatively/ sure that they didn't have anything to do with male!Sypha's death. Relatively sure.

writingfish They keep trying to set her up with terrible men and when she runs away, she's disguised as a man maybe? And Dracul doesn't realize until he smells her blood

hamelin-born Trevor is /pregnant/ and mourning her husband, and when the brotherhood oh-so-kindly tells her that they will be taking her children, it's literally the last straw.

I suppose if it's early enough on, she could still pass as a man - if she has a kid, she could tell them it's a game, to call her 'papa' or 'uncle'

writingfish Yep and she starts showing signs while she's on the run and she's even more terrified when she stumbles upon the castle

hamelin-born Trevor knows she's outclassed - she barely knows how to fight, she's got the freaking Brotherhood of Light after her, she's currently facing the Prince of Darkness - but she is not going to give up. No. Not when her /children/ are at stake.

Dracul is probably amused by the fact that this 'man' is willing to turn down the brotherhood and ended up stumbling into /his/ castle.

writingfish Maybe Dracul finds out because he tries to stab her in the chest and winds up ripping her shirt instead

hamelin-born Trevor takes his moment of dumbstruck WTF to stab /him/, grab her kid, and /run/.

writingfish She reminds him so much of Marie in that moment and he just stands there gaping for like 5 min

hamelin-born In the 5-minute head start she gets, Trevor ends up trampling through the Succubus' territory (outright ignoring them) and gaining their unwitting respect.

...in a couple novels I've read a person who is truly In Love is protected from a Succubus' effect. Trevor is still desperately in love with her deceased husband.

writingfish They are a little bit in love

hamelin-born Think Trevor's firstborn is Simon?

writingfish YES

hamelin-born Simon is a Good Kid.

Who is very frightened but also a little bit in awe because his mama is just so AWESOME.

Trevor, meanwhile, is frantically trying to find either a way out of the damn castle or a place where they can hide for a little bit.

Thus, Dracula is forced to play hide-and-seek across his own Castle, because even though he doesn't intend to hurt/kill the woman and her kid anymore, Trevor is doing everything possible to Get Away.

writingfish The succubi are of no help and Trevor and Simon somehow manage to charm most of the monsters they come across too, so Drac has no help

hamelin-born Either charm, run away from, or barrel straight through.

Dracula has one very INTERESTING moment when Trevor and Simon are running away from the manticore-thing (the beast that had it out for Trevor in MoF)

Trevor doesn't slow down when she sees Dracul, simply shouts 'OUT OF THE WAY!' and literally tramples him as she RUNS FOR IT.

 writingfish He takes notice of her features and wonders why they look familiar. Also, this was very similar to how he and Marie met, so he just sits and stares and tries to figure out wtf he's feeling

hamelin-born He has about three seconds to contemplate it before the manticore thing threatens to trample him as it chases after the mother and son duo.

Maybe he finally manages to catch up with Simon and Trevor in the mirror room?

...which is also the Throne Room, I think...

writingfish And finds Trevor glaring at the mirror and arguing with its spirit about her fate

It is part of the throne room

hamelin-born 'If fate requires my children to /suffer/, then I defy it!'

'And why are you calling me 'young dragon'?!'

That - probably adds to Dracul's befuddlement.

writingfish He tries to figure out how it got young dragon from Trevor, which is a familiar name. Marie had always wanted one of their children to have that name

hamelin-born 'There is no fate but what we make!' Trevor ends up shouting at the mirror. For once, Dracul is grateful he doesn't cast a reflection - he can sneak up on her.

writingfish He forgets about air movement and she whirls around

hamelin-born Probably shoves Simon behind her (again) and hoists her combat cross threateningly (again)

Except she's standing in front of That Damn Mirror now. And the mirror starts glowing.

writingfish They all stare into it, including Simon

 hamelin-born And past and future unfurl before their astonished eyes. They see Marie, crying on her bed as the brotherhood takes her child, and Trevor grips Simon tightly at a scene that strikes all too close to home.

She doesn't know who this woman is, but she empathizes.

But Gabriel know. Gabriel knows exactly who this woman is, and he gapes because - Marie. It's the first time he's seen her in years, and - a child. They had a /child/?

But before he begins to rave and rage, the mirror swirls again, and - it's. It's a fast-forward, and they see the baby (his child!) and -

And it's Trevor on her wedding day.

And Dracul KNOWS why the servants called her 'young dragon'.

 **

hamelin-born In the girl!trevor AU, I picture the castle's inhabitants calling Trevor 'young dragon' and Simon 'baby dragon'

writingfish awww

hamelin-born ...also in said au, I picture Trevor's second kid (the one where childbirth was so bad she let her father Turn her afterwards) as a girl.

Trevor names her Gabrielle.

writingfish Dracul has to go outsdide of the room to cry because he's so touched and doesn't want to get more blood on the sheets even though they're ruined already

 hamelin-born All of Trevor's kids are belmonts, because male!Sypha didn't have a surname.

 **

hamelin-born girl!Trevor is wary and suspicious of Dracul even after it's revealed that he's her father, but he's consistently kind and attentive to Simon and just so awkwardly enthusiastic about this parenting thing that she finds herself actually beginning to regard him as family.

I love the idea of female!LOS!Trevor managing to bulldoze her way through the Castle, toddler!Simon in tow, through sheer bullheaded stubborness, the determination that her kid(s) will NOT die here, and raw talent that is becoming progressively more shaped with each monster she takes down.

writingfish Yep. She gets hurt though and tries very hard to hide it from Simon

hamelin-born She does her very best to make Simon think that this - that this is a game. She's doing everything in her power to make him be less scared - Simon doesn't really buy the 'game' bit, but he does have an unconditional faith that his mom is unbeatable and everything will be fine. Trevor - tries very hard to live up to that.

**

hamelin-born Oooh, in the girl!Trevor AU, all the creatures of the Dark would call her 'Young Princess'

And -  After she's given birth to her daughter, when she starts bleeding out because the bleeding just won't STOP - Dracul hears her heartbeat slowing, he knows the signs, he knows the signs better then anyone LIVING of someone dying of blood loss. And he makes her the offer.

And Trevor considers for a long, long moment, a thousand different things flickering through her mind - seeing male!Sypha again, eternity unwinding before her, long and lonely and barren, outliving everything and everyone she loves - and her children. Her bright, wonderful children who need their mother...

And she looks at Gabriel, and says. "Do it. Before I change my mind."

(I still think she wakes up with white hair. It's just - part of the aesthetic, now.)

And yes, I was deliberately mis-quoting LOS2 there.

...I kind of want to say that she wakes up to some Brotherhood goon trying to STEAL HER BABIES (and promptly drains them dry as her first act in unlife), but that - is extremely unplausible. For one thing, Dracul would be hovering over her and the kids like a - well, like a /dragon/ until she wakes up; anything hostile comes within 50 miles of the Castle, that thing /dies/. He is NOT going to lose his family again.

writingfish Nope. Maybe he changes into a dragon and perches on the walls sometimes

hamelin-born Trevor wakes up to her father brushing her (now-white) hair and her babies snuggled at her side. ...also, being as how she is neither greviously injured not actively fighting said change, she probably wakes up in a couple of nights rather then several decades.

 If Dracul does that, he should be warned that his grandkids will clap excitedly at the sight and beg to climb on his back, please please please?

**

hamelin-born Like, I'm pretty sure that female!Trevor would be something of a tomboy in her youth. ...and probably try and teach herself to fight/practice with weapons in her spare time, despite the fact that the Brotherhood is probably trying to mold her into a dutiful wife and pop out a bunch of sons they can train to throw at Dracula.

female!Trevor defies them by marring male!Sypha - who is probably NOT a member of the brotherhood, but a wonderful, kind, loving, magic user/Speaker (?) that Trevor falls desperately in love with.

Male!Sypha probably raised no objections whatsoever when his wife took over the majority of the hunting for game for the table and accompanied him on long, dangerous journies.

[tellemaywhy]

#TelleMayMore 🌸

Turning 25, Adulting and Avoiding a quarter-life crisis 💫

There comes a point when a girl stops being a little less "excited" about her birthdays, because it usually brings up her age, which meant she's getting ~older~. For me, it was 22. After the year that iconically has a right-of-passage-song attached to it (if you've been living under a rock, Google Taylor Swift's 22), I feel like my age has stopped and I'm forever22, and I'm no longer aging LOL Now that I'm 25 this May 25, I wanted to share my thoughts about how I'm currently handling adulting and how I'm trying to avoid a quarter-life crisis, in the best possible way I could think of, by doing a fun shoot of course! 💁🏻‍♀️️

I could still remember, when I was 7 years old, I said to my mom that I couldn't wait to turn 20 and already be a young adult. She replied to me with a sigh, "wag kang nagmamadali anak, you won't notice how fast time will pass by." At that time, I didn't understand how that could be pagmamadali, as in my mind, turning 20 was like so so so so long from where I was before. But, come my 18th birthday, I had a traditional debut celebration here in the Philippines, 18 roses and all, that's when I realized what mom had said. That's when life was starting to shift gears and pick up the pace a lil bit faster.

18 was the year I decided to shift courses. From BS Applied Physics, I decided I wanted to do something else in my life. I just couldn't see myself in that path. A little back story - I only took up Applied Physics cuz it was a premed course in UP Manila, and I had an inclination to medicine, but again, I just couldn't imagine myself in that path anymore. I was always inclined to the arts. But I wanted a course that would challenge me (ohh and challenge me it did!) in terms of it not only being purely arts. I wanted it to have math and science too. That's why I chose BS Architecture!🌃

Okay, fast forward, I successfully shifted to UP Diliman, but there was a little bump in the road... Actually, it wasn't little. It felt like a big mountain that I had to hike over! Even though I passed all of my subjects from my first two years in Applied Physics, I had to go back to first year since Archi semesters required to have 1 Design class per semester, and they didn't allow them to have 2 or more in each sem! I WAS SHOOKT I TELL YA!! 😱Going in, I thought I could take all of these archi subjects together, but imagine my surprise during the general assemble when the College Secretary was explaining this. WHY wasn't this explained to us when we were shifting???

Come December of my first year in Archi, that's when I first started to feel it. The heavy feeling of being "late" in life. I know, it may seem OA for some, but really, it was so hard! You see your HS batchmates start to post grad pics of themselves (DLSU peeps have 3 year courses, and technically this is my 3rd year in college, so that's why they're already posting grad pics) and you're here, restarting your 1st year, one can't help to feel a little miserable (add to the fact that you're still finding yourself amidst the design insecurities that one might have, as expected of any art course!)

Fast forward again to third year aka hell year, and then fifth year which was thesis year, both years were difficult, the latter being the toughest! But I managed to graduate with flying colors and even bag a latin honor 💁🏻‍♀️

It was the start of a new chapter for me. Sure, it may have taken more pages compared to others, but I wouldn't tear off any page from those added 2 years in my life. If it weren't for those years, I wouldn't have met the people that are close to me right now, I wouldnt have experienced all of the fun things I enjoyed in college with them, and as cliche as it may sound, those years gave me character building.

Adulting is a whole 'nother level from college guys. In fact, I can't say that I'm already 100% adulting. I'm still under the gracious house of my parents, so I don't have to pay my own rent, electricity and water. But it's the start of making a conscious effort of trying to make ends meet.

As a fresh grad of Architecture in the Philippines, I'm so mad at our industry. I know not everybody knows this but, architects are already so under appreciated in our country, imagine how they treat those who haven't had their boards yet? (archi grads are required to take 2 years of ~working experience~ before being able to take the boards) It's a sad pill to swallow, but we have to keep moving forward. One step at a time. I'm currently taking it one day at a time and keeping my eye on my next target, which is the boards gahhhh it gives me so much anxiety thinking about it! 😭😅😂

With all of these things, come turning 25, you'd start to think about exactly where your life is going... is this the right path? Am I on time? Can I save enough money to buy my own house by the time that I turn 30? Will I have enough savings for my future wedding?? CHZ 😂 And if you really delve into these questions, you'd start to have what we millennials like to call, a quarter life crisis! 🙃

Sure, it's good that you're thinking about these things and planning ahead, but the moment that your thoughts become toxic and it paralyzes you, that's when it becomes worrisome. Don't dwell on your problems. Try to make concrete steps on how you're going to solve them. No matter how big or small each step may be, it's still a step towards growth and self betterment!

Generally speaking here are my big goals for now, finish my 2 years of work experience, and pass the boards. After that, I'm still planning what to do next. As for my little steps, I learned to take care of myself more and not be too hard on myself.

1. Give yourself a breather

After graduating, if you have the time and means, give yourself a break before starting to find a job. I'm glad I had one, and all of my friends who immediately started working regretted not having one. It was the perfect way to detox and recharge yourself. And if you're already working now, do give yourself breaks where you get to relax and not stress about anything! Life's not all work.

2. Do what you love

In that period of break, try to do as many things that you love! Hobbies and activities that excite you. Things that you didn't have time when you were focused on your studies during college. For me, it was my b/vlogging. There were busy months wherein some of my friends and family thought I've fully taken on the b/vlogger life because of the back to back events, but as much as I'd love to, I know I wanna be an architect someday, so that's my main focus. And now that I'm working, I try to squeeze in my hobbies every now and then to make each week happier and more exciting. You have to have something to look forward to!

3. Take care of your body - Physically

Having 8 hours of sleep, eating healthy and exercising regularly can make all the difference to your mind and body! Okay so this part, admittedly I'm having a hard time as well. Having 8 hours of sleep is a struggle for me as I'm always busy, I try to eat as healthily as possible so that's why I bring baon to work so I don't have to buy fast food, and as for exercising, I'm too tired after work that I don't have time for it anymore. My goal now is to incorporate these more in my life and be a better version of me. Who says resolutions are only for new years?

4. - And emotinally/spiritually

Now, I don't want to sound all preachy, but I really do find peace whenever I talk to God. During those toughest times, I always prayed to Him and asked for his guidance and holy spirit to help me find my way. If you find going to church isn't your thing, try to find a quite and safe space where you can meditate. Clear your mind and just release all the negative energy.

5. Celebrate yourself!

Self love isn't selfish! Give yourself a pat in the back. You worked so hard, don't wait for anyone's appraisal. Treat yo self. With your fave food, drink, movie, or anything actually (in my case, a fun shoot with a creative photographer and hmua team hi josh, danica and camille 💁🏻‍♀️)

I hope my MMK blog post of my quarter life crisis helped you in any sort of way! If you related to it in some way, I hope you get to apply my simple steps onto being and feeling better 💖 Love lots, Tellemaywhy.

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Instagram: @tellemaywhy

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[anghe10-blog]

Letter for Donald Trump

To every single Trump supporter trying to say that voting for Trump does not mean that you are racist, homophobic, sexist, xenophobic, assholes… that you just like the way he didn't really care what people thought and just said whatever he wanted… that he wasn't a politician, so he wasn't part of the establishment and didn't have corrupt money backing him…

This is for you:

Your words are worthless, because your actions have led to the single-handed destruction of all the progress we've made socially as a nation. You have, with your pure ignorance and refusal to understand the way the government and the world works, allowed a power-hungry business tycoon to take over the United States of America. "The land of the free, the home of the brave, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for ALL."

You are HYPOCRITES.

Restoring the America-that-was is only stagnating the progression of our consciousness. You voted for a person who built an 18-month campaign off the back of your hatred. He manipulated ALL of you with such ease by speaking to the darker parts of you that had started to feel ashamed about the way you viewed the "politically correct" world. He became your champion, because he spoke to the parts of you that think you are superior to the rest of us (just like Hitler did in Germany before the Holocaust! Just read his autobiography: Mein Kampf).

This politically correct world we've created, which is really just a world with social etiquette, where we have weeded out the language of racism and explained why, where we have established feminism as a growing notion of making women realize their validity and right to be treated as the full complex beings they are and men the same (which clearly needs A LOT of work considering how women across America, especially white women, voted for this man who insulted your very existence every time he opened his mouth or disrespected Hillary during his campaign), where we have had to create numerous labels to help queer people who didn't fit the cis heterosexual mold feel valid and identified in a world where narrow-minded consciousness has made them feel invalid and invisible for so long. That's the "politically correct" behavior you wanna get rid of? You wanna restore America to a world where the human beings around you feel scared to be themselves and live and love freely?

Apart from how selfish that is, it is so very un-CHRIST-like, because your God is watching and He knows your hearts and He is aware of the true reason you chose such a human to run the most powerful country in the world, and I promise you the God that I have come to know and love is intolerant of judgment and hatred. And I know this, because I was raised Roman Catholic in a Latin household and went to private Catholic school my whole life so I have studied WAY more than most of you have studied the religion or the Bible for that matter. The ONLY reason is your inability to accept the growing world around you. You chose hatred. Your heart chose to separate yourself as a superior when the only superior in existence in this entire universe is SO much greater than you.

Our "political correctness" that your champion, Donald Trump, so pointedly disregarded throughout his entire campaign and now with the appointment of his advisors and other government officials, is the language we have worked tirelessly to establish to feel safe in a world that never stops reminding us we are minorities. I am a bisexual Cuban-American woman and I am so proud of it. I am proud to be part of a community that only projects love and education and the support of one another. I am proud to be the granddaughter and daughter of immigrants who were brave enough to leave their homes and come to a whole new world with a different language and culture and immerse themselves fearlessly to start a better life for themselves and their families.

I am proud to be a woman. Proud that the sex between my thighs provides a strength and resilience in me that only other women can feel, that my body curves in ways that allow me to create life within me, that my entire life is filled with adversity and doubt and people questioning my intelligence and my artistic potential and my expression of myself and my virtue and honor because I am too much woman. I am proud that I get to prove them all wrong. I am proud that I have to work even harder for it. I was raised to feel that I can do ANYTHING, and I will always believe that. I am proud to feel the whole spectrum of my feelings and I will gladly take the label of "bitch" and "problematic" for speaking my mind the same way any man would be admired and respected for doing. But, I will also extend the fullest hand of compassion and empathy for anyone labeling me as such.

I also know that in my struggle of being a woman I am so very privileged. I was born with a lighter complexion and green eyes (thanks genetics) so from that narrow-minded perspective, I'm white. I have experienced the privilege those genes have granted me, and I am grateful and will continue to speak on behalf of the women around the world and in our very own country who do not experience a fraction of that respect because of the color of their skin or what they choose to wear, or how their hair looks, or how much makeup they have on or any other absurdity that we women are reduced to.

It's truly disheartening to me to see so many beautiful women who have no idea what their potential is. This election made it blatantly obvious just how many women can't see it. We have failed ourselves as a nation. We are the example for the world, and we have failed our fellow humans who were watching us with hope that we would not allow hatred to prevail. I have had the privilege of being in a band that has allowed me to travel all over the world. I cannot express the gratitude I have for this experience because it opened my eyes to so many things and has allowed me to view the world from such a simple perspective, a perspective that I understand not very many people have the opportunity to experience.

If I could tell every Trump supporter two things, it would be to travel and read a history book. Look beyond yourselves, look at how petty the morals you uphold seem when you realize we are not the only ones. Realize that your white skin is the result of immigration from Europe, that the only true "Americans" are Native Americans, who are indigenous people that inhabited this land before these conquerors from other countries (England, France, Italy, Spain) wiped them out almost entirely. None of us belong here but all of us deserve the right to feel safe and live our lives in peace. To not have to worry about potentially dying, or being electro-shocked, or beaten, or raped, or emotionally abused because our existence and/or choices for ourselves upset someone else. This is the world Trump is fostering. This is the division that has risen since the beginning of the campaign. We are not America indivisible any longer, we are united on two separate sides; Love and Hatred. We are not "whining" about our presidential choice losing, we are screaming battle cries against those whose political and personal agendas threaten our lives and sanity. We are making sure you hear us, no matter how much it bothers you, we EXIST.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

On Influence, and Using It Wisely

This week, Forbes named me one of their Top 10 Travel Influencers of 2017. You can also read CNN Travel’s piece about it here.

I’m deeply honored. After working so hard for so long, it’s gratifying to receive this kind of recognition, and all the sweeter to receive it alongside several of my friends.

And it got me thinking about the strange and wonderful industry in which I’ve been ensconced for the past seven years: professional travel blogging.

For those of us who are long-timers, dating back to 2010 or previously, we didn’t get into travel blogging for the money. There was very little money back then; if you made any money in 2010, it was probably from text link sales or a teeny bit of Google AdSense. Hell, when I started, I thought the only way you could make money as a travel blogger was through a book or TV deal.

We got into travel blogging because we wanted to tell our stories. Some of us started writing for our friends and family; some of us dreamed of writing for a wide audience from the beginning. We wanted to share the world with people, and for North Americans, we wanted to introduce our fellow citizens to the almost-unheard-of concept of long-term travel.

Me? I wanted to help women travel the world safely.

Of course I wanted to entertain strangers with my writing (I started blogging as a college freshman in 2002!) and share all my favorite travel stories. And once the money started rolling in, I wanted to keep my travels going as long as possible.

But helping women travel the world safely? Showing them that yes, it’s okay if you want to travel the world, you can do it alone if you want, and you’re not selfish or a horrible person for wanting that in your life? That has always been what drives me. That’s the audience I’m writing to with every word, including this sentence.

We all wanted to help — all us long-timers. We wanted to show people how to travel on a budget. How to hack points and miles. How to travel as a family. How to visit countries that were perceived as being too dangerous. Basically, we all wanted to change commonly held misconceptions about travel.

As the years passed — 2010, 2011, 2012 — more and more money entered our fledging industry. Freelance writing opportunities cropped up. Groundbreaking blogger campaigns took place in Costa Brava, Spain, and Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Sponsored content became a thing. Affiliates were no longer just for people with sky-high traffic. Bloggers proudly announced they were giving up text links. And then the holy grail arrived — the paid press trip.

It’s around then that the industry changed. In the early years, there had been plenty of bloggers who hoped to subsidize their travels and get some cool stays at swanky resorts; by 2014 or so, people were starting travel blogs specifically for the money.

When money is your biggest motivator, it affects everything — your travels, your content, and the industry as a whole.

I worry about the impact of other influencers entering the travel space.

As far as the travel blogging niche goes, it’s not as big or flush with cash as fashion, beauty, or home blogging. There are lots of reasons for that, but one is that travel is not an impulse buy. You see a pretty dress, a cool lipstick, or a cute set of placemats and it’s easy to rationalize buying it.

But planning a trip, especially an international, expensive, or complicated trip, can take years. You don’t just hit a button and randomly book a safari in South Africa for next week.

Case in point? I learned about the Sydney Bridgeclimb on season 2 of The Amazing Race when I was 17 and yearned to do it someday. I finally did it when I was 29. Travel ROI takes time.

There is money in the travel blogging industry, but it’s nowhere near the level of money for fashion bloggers. Travel blogging’s perks, however, are unbeatable. And that’s why lots of lifestyle bloggers, primarily fashion bloggers, have started to rebrand and add travel as a specialty. This mostly takes the form of posing in luxury hotels and in front of natural wonders in various outfits.

Some are quite good. Gary Pepper in one of the pink lakes of Western Australia is one pictorial that has always stunned me.

But to consider these bloggers and Instagrammers as travel influencers could potentially be dangerous. Why? Picture this. A luxury hotel invites a fashion blogger to Cartagena, Colombia. She gets picked up at the airport by a chauffeur, does several photo shoots in and around the hotel, and has a great time exploring the old city but doesn’t set foot outside it.

Predictably, her followers start asking her, “Is it safe to go to Colombia?”

And she replies, “Sure, it’s totally fine!”

Well.

For starters, Cartagena is by far the most touristy part of Colombia and isn’t anything like the rest of the country; walking around the old city of Cartagena at night is very different from other neighborhoods like Getsemaní, where non-luxury travelers are more likely to stay; the language barrier in Colombia is significant and you’ll struggle without knowing Spanish; much of Colombia is at a high altitude, which can lead to illness in some people; certain parts of the country are unsafe for overland travel; and Colombia at its core is a destination better for experienced international travelers, not newbies.

Colombia can be traveled safely — but it’s a challenging destination, even for experienced travelers. And a fashion blogger who waltzes in for a few days and doesn’t leave the old city of Cartagena doesn’t have the knowledge to advise her followers how to travel in Colombia safely.

That person should not be a travel influencer. But with lots of Instagram followers and partnerships with several gorgeous resorts across the globe, this person could be considered a top travel influencer. Even though she posed in the street with a designer handbag that didn’t zip up and are you kidding, this is Latin America, your wallet is going to be gone in ten seconds if you use that purse.

I worry that this is where the industry is going.

It’s time to stop ignoring politics.

One phrase you see frequently amongst popular influencers is, “I’m not a political person.”

Frankly, that’s bullshit. Are you breathing air in your lungs? Do you earn money and exchange it for goods and services? Do you cross borders and enter other nations? If so, your very existence is political.

I urge you to strike I’m not a political person from your vocabulary and replace it with one of the following options:

I don’t care about people who aren’t as privileged as me.

I do care about other people, but I’m afraid I’ll lose followers if I write about politics.

Boom. Honesty.

I’ve started writing more political content in the last year and a half or so. The ethics of attending a travel blogging conference funded by Robert Mugabe’s government. How to travel the world as an American without being embarrassed about Trump. Being the only white person to call out a racist travel blogger. Ways to travel more sustainably. The overbearing whiteness of the wine tourism industry in Stellenbosch, South Africa. And in the aftermath of the 2016 election, why remote workers leaving the US can do more harm than good.

I started writing content like this because I wanted to go deeper. So much of the travel blogging industry had become increasingly shallow, the rise of Instagram no doubt being a factor, and I needed to plunge back in and bring something more meaningful to the table.

Did I lose followers? I sure did! Mostly people who called me unrepeatable names and told me I’d regret it when Trump’s army rose up. Which…yeah, I’ll let that speak for itself. But it wasn’t enough to derail my business. I also gained a lot of new followers at the same time.

Do you have to do the same thing? You don’t have to. But at the very least, you should take a look at your content with a critical eye and think about the greater political context in your travels.

One example is North Korea. I personally think there’s no way to travel to North Korea ethically at this point in time. And yet several top travel influencers have visited North Korea, often as a sponsored guest of a tour company.

Of the influencers who chose to visit, some of them did a ton of research beforehand, analyzed their options, and determined that visiting North Korea would do more good than harm (in the form of exposing North Koreans to outsiders, however briefly). While I disagree with their conclusions, I appreciate that they thought critically about this issue and did what they thought was ethical and right.

Others chose not to think critically at all. They ignore North Korea’s human rights violations and get hypnotized by the chance to visit North! Korea! And for free, too! and return with content about how awesome the trip was, and how North Koreans seemed happy, without examining any of the deeper issues.

But you know what’s worst of all? When people in the latter group come back and say they’re not going to discuss politics because they’re not a political person! Come on. You don’t get to have it both ways. All the videos of waving North Korean schoolchildren can’t make up for that.

People will always disagree on what is and isn’t ethical and on where people should and shouldn’t travel. Some will refuse to visit the U.A.E., Russia, or even the United States for ethical reasons. All I ask is that you do careful research, own your decision, and don’t let the allure of a comped trip or bragging rights cloud your judgement.

We can all do better as influencers — so let’s try to do better.

Nobody is going to be perfect. But all of us could stand to do a little bit better. Here are some ways:

Consider your purpose. Why are you blogging? What sets you on fire? Be honest with yourself.

If your reason is So I can continue my travels for as long as possible, I urge you to rethink your purpose. Even if it’s To inspire others to travel, I urge you to think a little deeper and see if you can come up with something that benefits others more than yourself.

Think beyond your personal experience. Did you manage a whole trip without getting robbed? Is that because you visited somewhere super safe like Japan or Iceland, or because you’ve had years of practicing travel safety to the point that you don’t even think about it anymore?

Not everyone is going to be as experienced a traveler as you, so share your knowledge. Put yourselves in the shoes of a less experienced traveler going through this for the first time. Your ultimate goal should be to do no harm.

Acknowledge that travel is not only for the most privileged. If you’re a straight, cis, white, able-bodied, English-speaking traveler with a first-world passport, you’ve won the global lottery. Travel is going to be much easier for you than literally anyone else in the world. Acknowledge that.

Talk to travelers of color, queer travelers, disabled travelers, Muslim travelers who wear hijabs. Read their blogs and share their narratives. The Philippines and India both have tons of excellent travel bloggers, along with eye-opening stories of jumping through legal and financial hoops in order to visit destinations you take for granted, like the EU.

Use your voice to amplify their voices as well.

Consider the impact that you have on the destinations you visit. Are you putting money into the local community or making a chain CEO richer? Are you causing harm to the environment or animals? Are you actually interacting with the people of your destination in a meaningful way or just using them for Instagram props?

Just doing a bit of research can make all the difference. Aim for sustainability — economically, environmentally, socially. When you’re an influencer, your actions are magnified by the travelers who follow in your footsteps.

Read as much as humanly possible. It always amazes me how many travel bloggers say they don’t read other travel blogs. How else are you supposed to stay up on the industry? But don’t limit your reading to just travel blogs. Read literature — fiction, nonfiction, travel-related and non-travel-related. Read the news from a wide variety of sources and stay up on issues of the world.

At the very least, reading will make you more knowledgeable and compassionate and turn you into a better writer.

Aim, always, to help people. And that is how you use influence wisely.

via Travel Blogs http://ift.tt/2rZY1CQ

[i-am-very-very-tired]

Lauren Jauregui Open Letter To every single Trump supporter trying to say that voting for Trump does not mean that you are racist, homophobic, sexist, xenophobic, assholes… that you just like the way he didn't really care what people thought and just said whatever he wanted… that he wasn't a politician, so he wasn't part of the establishment and didn't have corrupt money backing him… This is for you: Your words are worthless, because your actions have led to the single-handed destruction of all the progress we've made socially as a nation. You have, with your pure ignorance and refusal to understand the way the government and the world works, allowed a power-hungry business tycoon to take over the United States of America. "The land of the free, the home of the brave, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for ALL." You are HYPOCRITES. Restoring the America-that-was is only stagnating the progression of our consciousness. You voted for a person who built an 18-month campaign off the back of your hatred. He manipulated ALL of you with such ease by speaking to the darker parts of you that had started to feel ashamed about the way you viewed the "politically correct" world. He became your champion, because he spoke to the parts of you that think you are superior to the rest of us (just like Hitler did in Germany before the Holocaust! Just read his autobiography: Mein Kampf). This politically correct world we've created, which is really just a world with social etiquette, where we have weeded out the language of racism and explained why, where we have established feminism as a growing notion of making women realize their validity and right to be treated as the full complex beings they are and men the same (which clearly needs A LOT of work considering how women across America, especially white women, voted for this man who insulted your very existence every time he opened his mouth or disrespected Hillary during his campaign), where we have had to create numerous labels to help queer people who didn't fit the cis heterosexual mold feel valid and identified in a world where narrow-minded consciousness has made them feel invalid and invisible for so long. That's the "politically correct" behavior you wanna get rid of? You wanna restore America to a world where the human beings around you feel scared to be themselves and live and love freely? Apart from how selfish that is, it is so very un-CHRIST-like, because your God is watching and He knows your hearts and He is aware of the true reason you chose such a human to run the most powerful country in the world, and I promise you the God that I have come to know and love is intolerant of judgment and hatred. And I know this, because I was raised Roman Catholic in a Latin household and went to private Catholic school my whole life so I have studied WAY more than most of you have studied the religion or the Bible for that matter. The ONLY reason is your inability to accept the growing world around you. You chose hatred. Your heart chose to separate yourself as a superior when the only superior in existence in this entire universe is SO much greater than you. Our "political correctness" that your champion, Donald Trump, so pointedly disregarded throughout his entire campaign and now with the appointment of his advisors and other government officials, is the language we have worked tirelessly to establish to feel safe in a world that never stops reminding us we are minorities. I am a bisexual Cuban-American woman and I am so proud of it. I am proud to be part of a community that only projects love and education and the support of one another. I am proud to be the granddaughter and daughter of immigrants who were brave enough to leave their homes and come to a whole new world with a different language and culture and immerse themselves fearlessly to start a better life for themselves and their families. I am proud to be a woman. Proud that the sex between my thighs provides a strength and resilience in me that only other women can feel, that my body curves in ways that allow me to create life within me, that my entire life is filled with adversity and doubt and people questioning my intelligence and my artistic potential and my expression of myself and my virtue and honor because I am too much woman. I am proud that I get to prove them all wrong. I am proud that I have to work even harder for it. I was raised to feel that I can do ANYTHING, and I will always believe that. I am proud to feel the whole spectrum of my feelings and I will gladly take the label of "bitch" and "problematic" for speaking my mind the same way any man would be admired and respected for doing. But, I will also extend the fullest hand of compassion and empathy for anyone labeling me as such. I also know that in my struggle of being a woman I am so very privileged. I was born with a lighter complexion and green eyes (thanks genetics) so from that narrow-minded perspective, I'm white. I have experienced the privilege those genes have granted me, and I am grateful and will continue to speak on behalf of the women around the world and in our very own country who do not experience a fraction of that respect because of the color of their skin or what they choose to wear, or how their hair looks, or how much makeup they have on or any other absurdity that we women are reduced to. It's truly disheartening to me to see so many beautiful women who have no idea what their potential is. This election made it blatantly obvious just how many women can't see it. We have failed ourselves as a nation. We are the example for the world, and we have failed our fellow humans who were watching us with hope that we would not allow hatred to prevail. I have had the privilege of being in a band that has allowed me to travel all over the world. I cannot express the gratitude I have for this experience because it opened my eyes to so many things and has allowed me to view the world from such a simple perspective, a perspective that I understand not very many people have the opportunity to experience. If I could tell every Trump supporter two things, it would be to travel and read a history book. Look beyond yourselves, look at how petty the morals you uphold seem when you realize we are not the only ones. Realize that your white skin is the result of immigration from Europe, that the only true "Americans" are Native Americans, who are indigenous people that inhabited this land before these conquerors from other countries (England, France, Italy, Spain) wiped them out almost entirely. None of us belong here but all of us deserve the right to feel safe and live our lives in peace. To not have to worry about potentially dying, or being electro-shocked, or beaten, or raped, or emotionally abused because our existence and/or choices for ourselves upset someone else. This is the world Trump is fostering. This is the division that has risen since the beginning of the campaign. We are not America indivisible any longer, we are united on two separate sides; Love and Hatred. We are not "whining" about our presidential choice losing, we are screaming battle cries against those whose political and personal agendas threaten our lives and sanity. We are making sure you hear us, no matter how much it bothers you, we EXIST.