#anyway I have starters to write on Luci

[slverblood]

smth smth "calling light, light, that one syllable, in demand or recognition"

[daughter-of-melpomene]

NEW THEME NEW THEME

also new opla oc?? SPILL -🍂

NEW THEME YES!! I've probably been due for one for a while, honestly, but when I saw Rachel Zegler as Lucy Grey Baird I was just like, yes (😅). Anyway, I'm glad you like it!!

And yes, I would be more than happy to tell you about my new babe! Here goes:

So, for starters, her name is Hayashi Lark and she's a Sanji ship, because I do love that gruff kickass cook. A lark, if you didn't know, is a bird that's pretty well-known for its beautiful song, but also for the fact that they don't sing while in captivity. As you may imagine, there is some symbolism going on with the name here.

Lark has been a singer employed by the World Government since she was very young - her parents were both governors of a relatively large village, and when their daughter began to show serious talent with singing from a very young age, they immediately put her in vocal lessons and lessons for various different instruments, and, when they deemed her trained enough, began to trot her out to sing at public events and at get-togethers with other Government officials. When Lark was nine, her parents both died from a bad fever that had ravaged the whole village, and since she had no other family to take her in, she was given over to the care of the World Government, and several officials remembered her performing at Government dinners and were like, "You know what? Let's turn this little nine-year-old girl into a showpony!".

And so it goes - from the age of nine, Lark is shoved into pretty dresses and shipped all across the several oceans, performing at Marine bases to boost morale. Most of the songs she sings are boring and mainly focused on how brave and just all Marines are, propaganda songs written by the Government itself, but she also writes her own songs, though most of them are much too focused on freedom and rebellion for her to be allowed to sing them onstage. She's also fascinated with pirate songs and sea shanties, the kind Marines would never be allowed to sing; whenever she can escape her handlers, she'll go looking for any place in a given village she thinks might have information on them and writes down whatever lyrics and notes she can find, saving them in a beat-up notebook that she takes with her everywhere. She wants nothing more than to escape the life of borderline captivity that she's been living and learn to play and sing as many pirate songs as she can, and maybe even write some of her own, but for a very long time that feels impossible.

And this, as you may have suspected, is where Luffy and company come in. In between Syrup Village and Baratie, they dock at the village Lark is currently performing in to pick up some extra supplies and stop to see her show in the town square. They're all really taken with her voice and presence onstage, but Luffy, being Luffy, can tell that she doesn't actually want to be doing any of this, and approaches her to offer her a place on the crew, or at least to help her get away from the Government and take her someplace else. Lark immediately accepts the place on the Straw Hats - after all, what better way to learn more pirate songs that to be on an actual pirate crew? - and with some moderate difficulty, they manage to collect the few belongings Lark wants to take with her, including her notebook and guitar, and escape on the Straw Hats' ship.

Now, when they get to Baratie and Luffy winds up being taken as a chore boy, Lark offers to pay off their dinner debt by doing a show at the restaurant. Zeff doesn't want a singer in his place, but agrees to let Lark sing one song in exchange for a month off of Luffy's sentence. Lark sings one of the only pirate songs she knows in full, actually managing to quiet the whole restaurant full of rowdy pirates with her voice, and Sanji takes one look at her while she's singing and goes, Oh, I'm in love. And though finding the All Blue is still Sanji's dream and main motivation, he will admit that some part of the reason he left Baratie with the crew was wanting to get to know Lark better.

Aaaand that's about all I have for her so far!! It might be a bit before I have a proper intro post for her, but if anyone wants to ask me more questions in the meantime, feel free!!

(Tagging the other OPLA girlies @starcrossedjedis and @auxiliarydetective!!)

[otrtbs]

Hello this is probably a very vague question but I figured ur the best person to ask, you just came into my head as I was thinking about it! Long story short, I kind of really wish I’d picked Art History as one of my A-Levels (I picked Psychology instead and will regret it till the day I die lol) and I just wondered if you had any recommendations of how to get into the subject?

Artists to look up or just anywhere that has cool resources for someone who knows *nothing* about it but rlly wants to 😭 sorry this is probably hard to answer but thank you anyway!! <33 I hope ur doing well!

omg ahh hello!! i am going to ramble

so, if you want to start with artists, it's probably best you pick a time period or movement that you really enjoy and then you can read about the artists who pioneered those movements. BUT i will give you some of my favorite artists to read about!

Caravaggio- anything about him! if you want to look him up peruse his works! he's quite a character. he's a murderer for starters. he also gets arrested for throwing artichokes at waiters, writing slanderous poems, hiring assassins to kill his rival painters, throwing rocks at cops, and for falling on his own sword (that he had illegally). also the pope literally orders his death so he has to run away. if you like drama and absurdity and baroque art he's your guy!

Artemisia Gentileschi- if you want to see baroque art of women made by a woman she is your girl! the way she paints women naturalistically instead of highly stylized is so progressive and in a time when women weren't allowed to do anything, her achievements as arguably the greatest baroque painter ever are really impressive. her backstory is a pretty tragic and upsetting one, but she's amazing!

Van Gogh- if you like post-impressionist art, which tends to be a lot of people's favorite movement then Van Gogh is a good one! highly recommend reading the letters vincent van gogh wrote to his brother, and art dealer, Theo. they make me cry and i love them!

If you like more modern art, Marcel Duchamp is a fun one to read about. He had an alter ego named Rosé Selavy (sounds like eros, c'est la vie play on words! very cool!) and he kinda kicked off the modern art movement! Andy Warhol of course (notably his time working with Basquiat, homie also gets shot by the woman who wrote the Scum manifesto) Martha Rosler did some amazing things in the 70s (semiotics in the kitchen is a personal favorite of mine) and The guerrilla girls!!!!! (if you like the 90s feminist movement) you can find some books and podcasts and other resources i like here! and here! for just looking at art, exploring different artists and movements and even virtually touring museums, google arts and culture!!!! you can sort paintings by color, artist, movement, time period, location, etc. and they have several museums that you can do a virtual walk through of. also just reading the descriptions of things gives you a feel for how people talk and write about art! if you're looking for good art criticism i recommend looking into Jerry Saltz, Kenny Schachter, Roberta Smith, John Berger, Lucy Lippard! Khan Academy is the best free resource and has entire free course dedicated to art history that you can go through here! they break down how to look at art, different approaches to it, teach you about chronological periods etc. (literally everything you could want to know!)

[aimwigs]

your dadwig fics INVOKED something in me. qt and lud would def become better copayments later on and i could see her/slime being the godparents for anthony jr incase anything happening to lud and aiden. the way you write the dynamics in the group is amazing and i can’t wait to see more!! also the brief snippet of nick and im assuming z2’s son? the way you write him as a dad based on what he talks about in his own childhood makes so much since. also, would nicks/z2’s kid basically be lucy and ryan’s cousin/raised as such? because if i can just IMAGINE the terror that kid would create with lucy

sorry this took me sooooo long to write but here is the last dadwig fic for a while and well it's actually more of an aiden fic. loved all that you said abt nick's kid and lucy so decided to make a little fic out of it! this is actually set the same night as the campout fic!

and also yeah lud and qt are goated coparents + they all stay very close!!! something about it taking a village lmao

Aiden has always seen himself as generally pretty good with kids. He grew up with much younger brothers, for starters, so in some ways, it occasionally felt like he played a hand in raising them, between acting as a role model when they were in their teens and babysitting them when they were younger. He’s also always gotten along well with his friends’ kids and dated a girl who worked with children for several years, often tagging along with her while she was with them. He’s always wanted to be a dad and these things have always assured him that he’ll be a good one someday, whenever that day might be.

That’s why he thinks it’ll be no problem when Ludwig asks him to watch Lucy while he’s on a campout with Ryan’s Girl Scout troop since QT is out of town visiting her sister. It should be easy enough— she’s a little rambunctious but she’s always liked him and besides, if he can’t watch his boyfriend’s kid for a night, he has no business dating a guy with kids.

He comes up with this big grand plan for their time together: he’s going to take her mini golfing, grab dinner with her, and then throw on the new Pixar movie while she winds down for bedtime. It’ll be the perfect fun little night for her to enjoy while her dad and sister are off roughing it in the woods.

And then Nick’s wife goes into labor.

“I just need you to watch him while we’re at the hospital,” he says frantically, pushing Mason through his front door.

Mason looks super bewildered, his mop of dark hair sticking out in every direction as he stands there with his Thomas the Tank Engine backpack. He probably has no idea what to make of the fact that he has a baby brother on the way. Or maybe he’s just three.

“It’s no problem,” he tells him because it’s not. He already told the two of him that he was down to watch Mason whenever the baby came and even if he does have Lucy tonight, it’ll probably be more fun for them to have a sleepover anyway. They’re practically cousins.

“Thank you.” Nick hugs him tightly and bolts back towards the car, quickly pulling out of the driveway and speeding off toward the hospital.

Mason peers up at him with his dad’s icy blue eyes. “I need to pee.”

Right. Okay. He’s got this. He leads Mason to the bathroom even though he’s been to his place about a hundred times by now and takes his backpack into the living room so he knows where it is when it’s time to go to bed. Two kids tonight. No problem.

It’s still early, so he makes Mason some lunch and parks him in front of the TV while he evaluates his plans for the night. Nick was in too much of a rush to give him a car seat, so he probably shouldn’t drive him around the city for mini golf and dinner. Except, maybe he can sit in Lucy’s car seat and she can just sit in the car since she’s older and a little tall for her age. That still seems like pushing it, though, so maybe they just stay in tonight. He’ll have to decide later.

Ludwig shows up right after lunch to hand off Lucy, her car seat, and her overnight bag.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take her to Slime’s so you only have one kid on your plate tonight?” he asks, nodding towards where Mason and Lucy are already jumping up and down on his couch, the latter still wearing her shoes.

He waves him off. “I’ve got this. It’s two kids and they’re already friends. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Ludwig snorts. “With those two? Arson, probably. Maybe highway robbery.”

Aiden rolls his eyes. “Seriously, Lud, it’s fine. We’re going to have a fun night.”

He gives him an amused smile. “Well, if you’re sure, I guess I’ll leave her here with you. I’m sure Slime would come to get her if you need help, though.”

“I won’t.”

“Sure, babe,” Ludwig kisses him on the cheek when none of the kids are looking.

Their relationship isn’t a secret, per se, they’ve just been putting off telling Ludwig’s daughters about it officially. Since neither Ludwig nor QT have dated since the breakup, it’s definitely something new that they’re going to have to have a conversation about. Though, six months of dating feels a little like they’re pushing it off.

Ludwig pulls Ryan out the door and leaves shortly after. As soon as the door clicks shut, Aiden makes his way over to where Mason and Lucy are still jumping on his couch. If they have this much energy, maybe mini golf should stay on the table.

He claps his hands together. “Okay! We’re gonna have an awesome day together. Who wants to go mini golfing?!”

Instead of the overwhelming response he expects from two young children who very much enjoyed mini golf when they all went together like two months prior, Mason just shrugs and Lucy crosses her arms over her chest.

“Uncle Slime says mini golf is for normies,” she informs him.

He cocks an eyebrow. Fucking Slime, dude. “Do you even know what that means?”

She holds her chin high. “It means that cool people don’t mini golf.”

Mason, who he’s pretty sure idolizes Lucy about as much as she idolizes Slime, nods frantically. “I wanna be cool.”

He cycles through other possible ideas for fun things they can do together. Bowling is out because the last time they went Lucy had a total meltdown and he doesn’t care for a repeat of that. They could do a hike if it weren’t for the fact that losing service is probably a terrible idea when Mason’s new brother could arrive literally whenever at this point. An arcade could be a decent option, he supposes, but Mason might still be too little to understand how the games work.

“Let's walk to the park,” he decides because there’s a pretty decent playground in his neighborhood that both of them have been to a few times.

This, at least, they both agree on. He grabs a few water bottles from the kitchen while Mason puts on his shoes and they walk over together. Or really, run, because Lucy and Mason break into a dead sprint in the direction of the park as soon as they step outside.

He speedwalks after them— one perk of being tall as fuck is that it’s easier to keep up. He’s glad that they’re so excited, at least, and at the park, they can largely entertain themselves. If they did go mini golfing, he would have had to facilitate the entire time.

Of course, he keeps an eye on them as they dart around and become best friends with kids that they’ll probably never see again after today. To be fair, that’s something that he also does well into his 30s.

Maybe he does get slightly distracted responding to messages— it’s not like he’s worried about them when they’re clearly plenty entertained by the park itself and he knows them well enough to know they won’t run off without checking in with him. He figures it’ll be fine.

And then he hears an all-too-familiar scream.

He sprints over to find Mason on the ground below the slide crying and clutching his ankle, half his leg scraped up on the woodchips. He must have gone off the side somehow, probably by standing.

Lucy is as pale as a ghost as she stares at him. “Is he gonna die?”

“What? No,” he tells her as he crouches down to look at his ankle. It looks fine but he knows that ankles are fucking weird sometimes. “Are you okay, buddy?”

Mason lets out another quivering sob. “N-no.”

“Can you walk?” he tries.

Without trying, he shakes his head.

Okay. He can handle this. It’s fine. He just hopes he doesn’t have to take him to the hospital— he can’t imagine running into Nick there and having to explain that within hours of Mason getting dropped off, there’s already been a medical emergency.

“Come here.” Aiden reaches out and lets Mason climb into his arms. Fuck, for such a tiny kid, he’s damn heavy.

He carries him home with Lucy walking at his side, blue eyes comically wide. He gets the full story: she dared him to run down the slide but didn’t know what would happen. Aiden is pretty sure that she’s learned her lesson plenty.

When he gets home, he lays him down on the couch and immediately props his leg up on a pillow. He goes to pull his shoe off and hesitates. Fuck, he hasn’t taken a first-aid class in twenty years. Are you supposed to leave it on because of the swelling or some shit?

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Lucy hovering, clearly still freaked out. It probably doesn’t help that he’s clearly fucking panicking. He takes a deep breath and turns to her. “Lucy, can you go to the bathroom upstairs and grab the first-aid kit that’s under the sink?”

She nods and runs upstairs. He honestly doesn’t know what he needs from it. He just wanted to give her a task.

He inspects Mason’s ankle a bit more closely. It still looks fine. Grabbing the base of his foot, he gently tilts it up and down. There’s no seizing up or sudden yelp of pain.

“Does that hurt?”

Mason sniffles. “Yeah.” He seems almost unsure about it.

Aiden isn’t a medical professional but he’s pretty sure he probably just twisted it and that it’ll probably be fine. The shoes can come off, then, for the sake of his throw pillows.

After Lucy returns with the first-aid kit, he picks out the remaining woodchips and cleans up the scrapes on his leg before bandaging him up. He’s not going to get out of explaining this one to Nick but considering that he used to skate, he’s probably seen much worse.

He makes a makeshift ice pack and wraps it in a kitchen towel before placing it on Mason’s ankle. He’s not even really crying anymore.

“You’re gonna be okay, let’s just keep the ice on it for a little,” he tells him. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Lucy’s shoulders visibly relax. “How about we watch a movie and order pizza?”

“C-can we get pepperoni?”

Smiling softly, Aiden ruffles his hair. “Of course, we can get pepperoni.”

He sets them up with the Pixar movie that he planned to put on anyway and orders the pizza before settling back into his seat on the other end of the couch. Both of them seem too enthralled by the movie to remember that they were super freaked out like twenty minutes ago.

His phone buzzes with a text from Slime.

you good over there bro? lud said you’ve got the dastardly fucking duo tonight

He smiles as he replies with a picture of the two of them, wide-eyed as they stare at the TV.

all good :)

Crisis aside, Aiden is pretty sure he’s a damn good babysitter.

[declanowo]

31 Days of Horror - Day 12 - Martyrs

12/10/23 

I begin most mornings at the moment by spinning the wheel to see which film I will watch - I like to know when I should start the film, for example, if I land on a three hour long movie, I won’t start it at midnight. Today when I first landed on Martyrs, I respun the wheel. After everything I had heard about this film, I felt that it wasn’t the best day to watch it, as before I had a family dinner out which I knew would leave me exhausted, therefore, something easier and lighter would be far nicer. 

After landing on another film I wanted to watch, Blood Rage, which was exactly the type of movie I was hoping for, I thought about the free time I had today as a result of looking after my friend's cat, who is bound to my bedroom, and therefore, I am too. After sitting on it for a while, I decided to watch both! And I am glad I did :) 

Martyrs is a French film directed by Pascal Laugier. The plot is ever changing as it unfolds, and has been hailed as one of the scariest horror movies ever. I see that perspective, although it feels like a weird and impossible thing to award a film. I believe I have also seen Sinister called the scariest movie ever during a long survey, which I bring up because of how different these films are! I’m curious whether people find Sinister scary solely for the jumpscares, which are amazing, or also the plot too? I think it is primarily the jumpscares, which mirrors Martyrs, which I think people find so scary because of how visceral and gross the gore is. It paired nicely with Blood Rage, which has super fun and bloody kills, whereas this film has very bloody and disgusting kills. I find the way a film can frame kills super interesting, based on how the effects are done, how long it lingers etc… Usually, slashers have creative deaths where you don’t linger on the action, they aren’t drawn out or too gross to imagine, but they’re fun to watch, and can still make you wince. There is not a single death in Martyrs that is fun.

I want to start by discussing the way the films acts work - they are incredibly divisive amongst the reviews I have read, and weirdly enough that is the most common criticism, as opposed to the fiendish gore that Saw is often criticised for! Anyway, the film's acts feel unpredictable as far as where the story goes, but I would argue the film never loses its tone, nor its purpose! The first act is a home invasion style film, where we follow a family that appears sweet and innocent as their house is broken into, and they are subsequently killed. For starters, this is such a fun juxtaposition to the grim cold open, showing our protagonist as a child, escaping from the abusive group we learn more about later in the movie. We go from that gritty exposition, to a timeskip which shows us a happy family, to a sudden series of murders. Watching the parents die, you begin to understand their innocence may not be whole, yet as we watch Lucie kill the families two children, the sequence is long, uncomfortable and deeply dark, yet unlike a film such as Cannibal Holocaust, which I will say I haven’t seen, this doesn’t feel like gore for gores sake. It was born in the New Extremity era of filmmaking, which was especially popular in France, and that shines through. My bottom line is that the gore doesn’t feel unnecessary here, it’s uncomfortable, but it is purposeful. 

Quickly, I will mention that while many people liken this film to being a part of the New Extremity Wave of films, it lacks many key features of these films. The most glaring, is the absence of any sexual violence or messaging, the former I was relieved to find out, and only watched the film after researching if there was any. Ultimately, the film does retain some features from this wave, such as having a female lead, as well as centering around women as a whole, alongside the theme of spectatorship. Okay so after writing all this, I read an article that says the director in fact denounces the likening of the film to the wave of filmmaking, but I will leave it in as a result of the constant comparisons. He instead discussed this film being about a world that rotted a long time ago, which I think is a perfect explanation of the film. 

Returning to the first act, we also are introduced to our protagonist, Anna, played by Morjana Alaoui. Both our leads (for this act) are excellent, showing a contrasting conflict as they deal with revenge, and who they want to be. Their relationship is also deeply interesting to me, given how little we see of it. As of yet, I haven’t been able to decide whether they are friends or lovers, Lucie is dismissive of their kiss early on, while a later phone call from Anna’s mother indicates that they are together. Either Way, I think they work well off of eachother, and have very interesting differing views. 

My final thoughts on this act are left with the visions Lucie has, which are grotesque and excellent, some real fun imagery of the corpse that follows her around, attempting to kill her, and I didn’t find Anna’s dismissal of this lifelong plague Lucie has had to live with to be too bad, although thinking about it more kind of bugs me - like why not just believe she is seeing this?! 

In the second act, we follow the two as they inhabit the house over night, and as Lucie deals with the vision returning. I really enjoy this section of the film, just watching them live while disputing what is best to do. Sure, it feels somewhat strange as to how lax they are about not leaving the house, but I don’t mind too much! The attempted clean up and realisation that the matriarch of the family is still alive is terrifying, as she sees a glimmer of hope, before Lucie snuffs out her life. Truly, it is dark, and the film offers no more signs of hope for anyone, as Lucie wrestles with her demon, until eventually, we watch her slit her own throat.

Despite how dark this film is, I never felt bad while watching it, which a film like Human Centipede did make me feel. Once again, intent is the key point for me! Martyrs is exposing you to a dark and twisted world, and while we don’t yet understand quite what the meaning of all this is, it does have one. In contrast, The Human Centipede seeks only to shock you, it is designed to make you feel uncomfortable, and nothing more, which isn’t my kind of film at all!

The third act follows the reveal of the torturous group, but not before one of the most spine curdling sequences! Inside the house, we find a basement, where a person is being kept. Their body is withered, but the more frightening aspect is that she has a metal clasp nailed into her eyes. Gross. After this, the group’s goal is revealed, their scale is vast and all the more terrifying! Having the film open up more works nicely in its favour, the horror is amplified when we understand that they are attempting to create a Martyr, a person who can see beyond death through torture. Knowing that they started over fifteen years ago, makes this even more chilling as we are left imagining how many people have been placed into this system. 

For me, the three act structure works perfectly, each one offers us something new and different, yet they all flow together perfectly. I think of it similarly to 28 Days Later, where we switch locations and tones three distinct times, which aids in the character's development, and the scale of the scenario.

Before moving onto a more general overview, I want to mention the ending, which delivers on everything I had hoped it would. The montage of Anna growing stronger, repeating the words of Lucie in her head is deeply moving and powerful; the eventual conclusion to the film is hideously dark, and I love it.

Martyrs is a weird film, it’s one that isn’t created to make you happy or fulfil you - some of the time I was clueless as to what I was being told, yet it was sharing something, and I like it for that. 

After watching the film I went to my family dinner, the tables surrounding us were filled to the brim with old people! All I could think about while I was there was the ending to the movie, as all the elderly people await their martyr that will never deliver her vision. I already know this one will latch onto me, in the short time since watching it, I can already feel its effects shiver down my spine. 

7/10

[beyondxmeasure]

As a fellow Aquarius I love that you can't follow the rules. I was gonna ask top ten but thought that might be to much. I am interested in your whole top 18 though. My top shows are in no order

Cold case. I honestly lost count of how many times I have watched this show.

Suits. This show introduced me into the fanfic world and I haven't been able to leave.

House. Grew up watching this show. It will always be one of my favorites.

White Collar. Just did a rewatch and I still holds up.

New York undercover. I used to watch this with my dad. So I reminds me of that time.

Resurrection Blvd. Again something I watched with my dad. But I love boxing and hate that I can't find it on streaming. I own the first season on DVD so manly thats what I'll watch.

The Mandalorian. Honestly hadn't watched anything star wars ever but my little brother was obsessed. He had heard about it and since he wasn't able to watch had me write him about it. I needed up really liking it.

Currently watching the new percy jackson series and am liking it so far. Also started The Rookie and am enjoying it.

Ok I just realized I like mostly crime shows. That would make since given my childhood of watching America's most wanted every Saturday night. Also documentaries but those aren't tv shows.

I need some fluffy shows any recommendations? I have never really looked into them.

Yes, I definitely see the trend! I have not seen any of the shows you’ve listed unfortunately. I did go through a true crime phase but that was more with documentaries and podcasts. For a time I was really into SVU and all of the ‘Chicago’ shows (Chi Fire/Med/PD) but that’s about it. White Collar interests me a little because after Fellow Travelers I’m kind of jonesing for any Matt Bomer content.

Anyway… for the remaining faves that didn’t make the cut. Here they are in no particular order…

Boardwalk Empire- of the two post WW1/roaring 20s era tales, this one pulls me in more- the music, the costumes, characters, the feel of it all. Even though it’s the underworld of the prohibition era, it’s more enticing.

Peaky Blinders- The darker, grittier and slightly more violent post WW1/prohibition era tale from across the pond.

*Downton Abbey- For Violet Crawley’s clap backs alone.

*Call The Midwives- I don’t have kids, don’t want kids and don’t particularly care for them but somehow a show about nuns delivering babies in the East End of London in the 50s just fills me with joy.

Deadwood- Wild West shenanigans and they say fuck a lot. Like, a lot. The interactions between Al Swearengen and Mr. Wu is worth the price of admission. Basically just anytime Al is on screen is gold.

*I Love Lucy- I grew up watching Nick at Nite and loved all those classic B&W sitcoms but Lucy was always my fave.

*Our Flag Means Death- gay pirates, what’s not to love?

Sons of Anarchy- motorcycles, mayhem & murder. It’s a wild fucking ride, but worth every mile—buckle up.

*Shrinking—a show so brilliantly funny with such a stellar ensemble cast you almost forget it’s about a family dealing with grief. It’s a bit of a slow starter but stick with it for the real payoff. Harrison Ford high on gummies was a high point for sure.

*Sex Education- worst name for a show that’s about so much more than that title makes it sound like. I feel like a lot of people slept on this show because of the title or the idea it was just some throwaway teen sex comedy. Far from it.

*Parks & Rec- if The Office is my wife, then Parks is the sidepiece I’m hiding uptown in a luxury townhouse and I’ll never give her up.

Rescue Me- There’s one scene that still haunts me to this day. I got chills just thinking about it, and the music throughout was superb. TBH I have a weakness for pretty much all firefighter/first responder shows (or as I affectionately refer to them—my ‘wee-woo’ shows🚨 LOL) but this one’s my OG fave. My newer faves are: 911 Lone Star and New Amsterdam

So, I’m noticing a trend with this list… if it’s British or old-timey I’m into it, and if it’s British and old-timey then I’m really into it.

Not sure what you meant exactly by ‘fluffy’… like rom-com-y? Or just something on the lighter side and easy to watch? Because I’ve never been much for most sitcoms (other than the ones I listed) but my last ask that I answered with the original list had quite a few lighter/comedy shows on there. Otherwise I could definitely recommend Downton Abbey or Call The Midwives if you want something to get lost in something with a feel good wholesome vibe to it. I’ll put stars next to anything else above that I think might hit the mark as far as fluffy vibes. Enjoy!

[aicidos]

   his chamber’s mirror made of his reflection an inescapable navy blue blotch. though the curtains were drawn closed, he couldn’t escape the familiar threat of watchful eyes⸺ his own. a bare hand lifted, touched the smooth, golden fabric weaved under the shoulder’s strap and across his chest, and tugged it undone with the closest thing to a tailor’s nimbleness he could muster, setting it on the desk, just beside the empty wine cup. even without it, something restricted the access to his chest, still. the criss-crossed stripes under his collar only seemed ironic to him, the way they fell so poignantly on the base of his neck, the symbolic restriction of his throat. even so, he couldn’t muster a curse or complaint, not when he found himself fixated on replaying the rite’s instructions in his head.

   when the knock he had been expecting struck gently, the reverberations stole a flinch out of him regardless.  “  come in,  ”  his voice was unexpectedly leveled, to his surprise. only after taking in a subtle breath did noctis turn around, and the sudden weight of being observed prodded at his confidence, and it did so in a way uniquely related to ignis. the gripping need to meet ignis’ expectations was territory he had threaded most of his early youth, and yet, it never got easier. despite the instinct to do otherwise, noctis stood a little taller, though his briefly-twitching fingers betrayed some of his composure. for a moment, it was entirely quiet. he saw, or tried seeing, deep into the center of ignis’ eye, and found something he thought he could recognize, but couldn’t describe.  “  it .  .  .  fits me alright.  ”  it’s clumsily said, but not stuttered, which was always a plus in his mind.

   “  oh, i⸺ uh, i brought all the props.  ”  he hardly had the mind to realize his poor wording as he ran a finger atop the fallen candles atop the desk, following an invisible path to his breast pocket and revealing the ring within. noctis thought of his father, his lack of reluctance in passing on that heirloom ring, and thought he ought to inspire the same impression.  “  never thought i’d be holding my mother’s ring, but here we are.  ”  except, he pinched the silver band a bit too tightly as he held it for ignis to briefly appreciate, before setting it down. 

   he was stalling. he knew he was stalling. a sharp inhale,  “  so, you ready⸺ ?  ”  amidst the question, he glanced to the desk again, palm hovering atop the gloves, their pristine whiteness unnerving him, as though they’d stain from him merely putting them on.  “  wait, i .  .  . should wear these before we start, shouldn’t i ?  ”  .  .  . he couldn’t stop stalling.  @manusregis​.

[lunamortem]

I’ve been struggling a lot with my mental health recently. More specifically, social anxiety.

Despite my excitement to come back to roleplaying after months of hiatus due to my studies, work and injury, interacting on tumblr has become a hugely anxiety inducing experience for me.

I have always enjoyed roleplaying. I have fond memories of the people I have met whilst doing so. However, I also have some bad memories. Bad experiences with people I became associated with, bad experiences in other fandoms. I mean, we all have them.

After an encounter with another roleplayer who manipulated and bullied me for months over discord, I have a really hard time interacting with my rp partners. I am keeping the name and URL of this person anonymous as I don’t feel like dredging my experiences over your dashboards. Though, I want it to be known that this person is not associated with the Star Wars fandom.

This incident has put my anxiety through the roof. I considered myself a good writer but now I doubt every little thing I do. It’s making it hard to even write a one-liner starter without thinking ‘hey, this is a piece of garbage and the person you’re writing it for will hate it’. I also can’t reply to messages without having a full-blown freak-out. Sometimes, I acknowledge an IM that has been sent to me, fuss about it for days or even weeks and then realise that it’s probably too late to reply. I get it in my head that they no longer want to interact with me because I’m lazy or not committed enough. I know these thoughts are irrational but I genuinely can't help it.

Anyway, I think it’s time for me to finally acknowledge that roleplaying on tumblr is no longer a fun experience for me. I’ve been procrastinating by fussing around with my graphics and information pages for far too long. I need to leave roleplaying behind me for my mental healths sake.

I’m sorry if you’ve been expecting starters, replies and answered asks from me. But I think this is what I need now.  If anyone is interested, I plan on keeping a personal blog for my artwork and fanfics. I also plan on keeping this blog for the time being, I’ll probably refer back to a few headcanons and things when I write fics.

I am going to miss all the fantastic and creative writers I have met in this fandom specifically, you are all amazing. 

From the bottom of my heart, 

Thank you,

Lucy x

[90slevi]

Butterflies {Draco Malfoy x Reader} - Pt.1

Sitting at the front of the potions classroom was certainly nerve-wracking. Being watched at all times by none-other than Professor Snape was terrifying in itself, but being right under his nose as you tried your hardest not to mess up your potion created so much anxiety in your body that you thought you'd shrivel up and die. Maybe you'd even hex yourself just to get out of the lesson.

It wasn't the class you hated; in fact, Potions class was something you enjoyed quite a lot. It was just... Snape. Even though you were a Slytherin.

"Y/n," a voice from beside you hissed, almost making you jump. You turned your head to see Lucy Stoneward, your best friend since you were kids, stop your hand, and you looked down to see yourself almost put too much powdered unicorn horn into the cauldron. You were making a Draught of Peace, which could put the user into a deep sleep if too much of each ingredient was used. "You need to focus."

"Sorry," you muttered, trying your best to focus on what you were doing. This was an incredibly difficult potion to make, which was ironic since it was supposed to reduce anxiety, but there was too much on your mind to focus. Not only were your OWLs coming up and a horrific teacher had been put in charge of the school, but you'd heard rumours of a certain blonde-haired boy in your house having... feelings for you.

It wasn't that you didn't like Draco; in fact, you'd been friends since the first year and only gotten really close in the third year, leading him to ask you to the Yule Ball in your fourth. Despite a lot of people's opinions, you found him fun to be around, actually being quite a nice person when he wasn't... well, being a bully, and you couldn't deny he was very attractive.

It was just surprising that he fancied YOU, and not Pansy Parkinson or any of the other girls in Slytherin.

"Y/n, has your potion turned pink yet?" Lucy asked, a pout on her face as she watched her potion stay purple and not... pink, as it was supposed to. She was still adding powdered unicorn horn, but to no avail, whereas you'd only added a bit and it'd turned pink already. "Did I do it wrong?"

"I have no idea," you chuckled, beginning to stir your potion and watching it turn a deep red, as the instructions had said it would. "How much porcupine quill did you put in?"

Lucy was silent for a second before her eyes widened and she face-palmed. "Shit, I didn't see the turquoise bit. I started stirring at green!"

"And that's where you went wrong," you chuckled, hearing a loud groan from one of the Hufflepuff boys behind, indicating he'd done something wrong too. You couldn't blame them, though; the Draught of Peace was one difficult potion to concoct. "You gonna start again?"

"I'll have to, won't I?" Lucy grumbled, tipping out her entire potion and starting again. "You have any spare moonstone?"

"Not much, but you can use it," you answered, passing her your tray. She pouted, wondering if it'd be enough and if she could ask around without being caught, but from Professor Snape's expression, it appeared he'd seen her anyway. "Right, I can help you if you want. My potion just needs to simmer for a bit- hey!"

You exclaimed loudly when an enchanted piece of paper hit you in the shoulder, shaped like a small butterfly that floated in the air. You sighed, recognising the enchantment as one Draco used often to piss off people like Harry, and you glanced over at him. However, strangely enough, he wasn't looking in your direction. Instead, he was speaking to Goyle in frustration, the dumber of the two clearly having messed up his potion. And, from where you were sitting, it was obvious Goyle had messed up. Instead of his potion being ANY of the colours it should've been, it was a murky brown.

"What's that?" Lucy asked focusing on her new potion, and you shrugged.

"It doesn't matter for now," you said, tucking it into your pocket. "Concentrate on your potion! Lucy, look! You've almost put in too much moonstone!"

"Ah, my bad!" she exclaimed, grimacing when she noticed her potion turn a darker green than it was supposed to. "Erm... do I need to start over again?"

"Nah, it'll be fine," you said, not entirely sure yourself. However, when it turned blue after stirring it, you sighed with relief. It was fine. "Mine's purple now... oh you're kidding!"

"What?" Lucy asked, stirring it again. "What's up?"

"I need some more moonstone," you muttered, having just given her all you had. Thankfully, she hadn't used it all, and she'd probably have to go get some more from either Snape or another student. You took it, much to her protests, and watched as the potion turned purple to grey, just like it was supposed to. Another loud, angry exclamation was heard from across the room, and you turned to see Goyle getting increasingly frustrated at what he was doing. Draco rolled his eyes at what the other had done, which was drop his tray of powdered unicorn horn onto the floor.

Thankfully, it would take a while for the potion to turn from grey to orange, so it gave you a chance to read the note Draco had sent you without Lucy looking over your shoulder (she was too focused on her potion to care). Usually, it was just stupid stuff like him complaining about how useless a certain class was or just teasing you, so you weren't expecting much. However, you were surprised.

Meet me outside the Slytherin Common Room at lunch. I need to talk to you. Forget about dinner, I'll bring something if you need it. - Draco

That was... certainly odd.

It was against the rules to roam the corridors when not permitted, and at dinner especially, everyone was supposed to be in the Grand Hall to make sure everyone was safe. Although Draco was a rule-breaker and not too bothered about any of that, it was still strange for him to want to spend time with you alone outside the Common room. And with dinner, too!

You started writing your own note back, keeping your eye on the potion you were making to make sure it didn't simmer too long and glanced towards Snape to make sure he didn't notice. There wasn't anything incriminating on the note, though.

Why? Can't you tell me at dinner? Y'know, in the great hall, where we're supposed to be?

With that, you sent the note over in the form of a small bird, catching the attention of two Ravenclaws who were about to tell on you before being very intimidated by your glare. Draco caught it and read it, before looking at you with an expression of disgust, as if why it was secret was blatantly obvious. For a split second, you thought you'd got the wrong person, but was glad to see you hadn't when he began writing one back.

Turning back around, your eyes widened in surprise to see your potion turning from orange (what it should've been) to yellow, and you quickly stopped it from simmering before adding powdered porcupine quills, the last step before you'd finished. You crossed your fingers behind your back, praying it'd turn white soon and that you'd done it right, and thank your lucky stars, it did. You heard a familiar laugh from behind you, and you turned your head with a frown, ready for one of Draco's snarky comments.

"Messed up again, Y/l/n?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. It appeared that only in classes, he'd refer to you by your last name. In the Common Room or in private, he'd refer to you by your first, something you liked. "I thought someone like you would get this right."

"I don't know whether that's a compliment or not, Malfoy, but I'll have you know, it went fine," you replied, looking back at your cauldron to look for any flaws. Snape wandered over, his piercing eyes sending a chill through your spine as he looked inside. However, to your surprise and relief, he nodded at it, his eyebrows raised.

"See, Longbottom, if Y/l/n is able to make a potion like this, then you should be able to too," Snape said, a disgruntled expression on his face when he looked at Neville's. For starters, it was bubbling, which it shouldn't be doing at all, and it was a strange, yellowy-green colour after he'd put in the unicorn horn, which wasn't supposed to happen. "Ten points to Slytherin."

Lucy whispered a pleased 'yes' underneath her breath, giving you a high-five underneath the table. Neville grumbled something quietly about him being biased, only to throw his whole potion away and start from the beginning. Despite there only being five minutes left of class.

"No! I only have five steps left!" Lucy exclaimed, trying to rush through it. You shook your head, knowing that rushing the Draught of Peace was the worst thing to do, but you chose to say nothing. "Crap, do you have any-"

"Nope," you chuckled, looking at your desk. Snape had bottled up your potion and left it at the front as a good example of what it was supposed to look like, and you watched as other students tried to finish in time. Hermione Granger had finished hers just a few minutes after you, and so had Harry. The only others who'd completed it were Draco, Pansy, Seamus, about three Ravenclaw students, and a Hufflepuff. You were pretty pleased if you did say so yourself.

You'd also almost forgotten about the note you'd sent Draco about fifteen minutes ago until another hit you in the shoulder. Once again, it was an enchanted butterfly, which was odd since he usually sent a bird, but you didn't question his choice of origami animal.

Are you brain-dead? There's a reason I want to talk to you by the Common Room. Why the Hell would I tell you something secret in the Great Hall? - Draco

You couldn't help but laugh at your stupidity and face-palmed, quickly tucking the note into your pocket before anyone saw it. Lucy raised her eyebrow, and you just looked away, trying not to raise suspicion. You heard Draco also chuckle quietly from behind, and you turned your head to notice him walking down the classroom to put something away, his eyes meeting yours for a split second.

He acted completely differently when it was just you two or just you guys and some friends. He was kind (well, as kind as he could get, anyway) and, although insults were thrown towards each other, was an overall cool guy to hang around with.

"So, Y/l/n, I see your potion got put as an example," Draco said, leaning against the wall and raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Since when did you get so good?"

"Since I actually started studying," you chuckled, trying to forget the first three years of Hogwarts where you just messed around in classes and did pretty much nothing outside of class. "It's funny to beat the Ravenclaws, so I thought I'd continue."

"Your priorities are so messed up," Lucy muttered with a chuckle, packing her things away before class finished. You laughed and nodded, Draco sighing with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, but at the same time, I don't fancy failing my OWLs," you sighed, stretching as you checked the clock that hung at the top of the room. "Retaking those must be a pain in the ass."

"God, from what Goyle was doing this lesson, I wouldn't be surprised if he has to retake them," Draco responded, shaking his head at the brown-haired boy struggling to finish his third potion this class in time. It still wasn't the right colour, turning a navy blue after letting it simmer. "Somehow he made it bubbly earlier."

"Yeah, quite a few people had that issue," you answered, finally tidying away as Lucy pouted at her grey potion, supposedly finished. "Why don't people know how to simmer things?!"

However, your conversation was interrupted by Snape calling an end to the lesson, humiliating both Neville and Harry in the process (which was unfair, but you couldn't be bothered to call him out) before letting you go. You wandered into the corridors, talking to Lucy and two other Slytherin girls named Anastasia-Rose Richards and, of course, Pansy Parkinson, who you'd known since your first year and shared a dorm with. To your surprise, Draco was nowhere to be seen, either teasing you or making fun of another student. You couldn't even hear his voice, and Crabbe and Goyle were just walking awkwardly behind, talking about how boring that lesson was. You ignored them.

"Where's Draco?" Pansy asked rather loudly, looking around. "He was just here a minute ago!"

It was no shock to anybody that Pansy had the biggest crush ever on the blonde-haired boy. It was clear as day ever since she'd cried over his injury in the third year, and just to confirm it was when she had a huge, heated argument with you over the fact he'd asked you to the Yule Ball and not her, as he'd supposedly promised. You hadn't fully forgiven her for embarrassing you in front of the whole Slytherin House by using the body-binding hex, but at the same time, you weren't really one to hold grudges for years.

"Dunno," you shrugged, looking around for the familiar blonde. It was like Draco to just wander off, but he never did it without telling at least someone where he was going, whether it be you, Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe or Goyle. "Bathroom, maybe?"

"But what if he's late to Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Pansy asked, her eyes wide. You sighed, shaking your head.

"It's Draco, as if he cares," you answered, stuffing your hands into your pockets and cursing at a Hufflepuff second-year who decided to barge past you. "Oi, watch where you're going!"

"But-"

"Pansy, seriously?" you scoffed, looking at her with a dead-pan expression. "Stop worrying so much. He'll be fine."

Lucy tried to hide back her snickers; despite Pansy being one of the most popular girls in Slytherin, she wasn't particularly liked much, especially because of her whiny attitude and desperation to get Draco to like her. Plus, when she had the fight with you, a lot of people's respect for her vanished, comparing her to a baby who wasn't allowed to get what it wanted.

"In all honesty, where has he gone?" Anastasia asked you quietly, and you shrugged. You were tempted to tell her and Lucy about the notes Draco had passed you in class, but then changed your mind when you remembered it was supposed to be secret. "Damn, even Y/n doesn't know."

"Pfft, he doesn't tell me everything, you know," you chuckled, shaking your head. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was skipping class. I don't want another lesson with that old hag."

"The bitch," Lucy mumbled, her nose wrinkling even at the thought of Professor Umbridge.

Although the teacher was already hated amongst school students, there was nobody who hated her more than you and Lucy. After speaking out in class multiple times about how 'shitty and useless' her lessons were, you'd both recieved such a harsh detention that you'd left with a scar on your hand. Being forced to write lines of 'I must not swear' in your own blood would leave anybody with a burning hatred of the lady in pink.

"To be honest, I might skip that damned class too," you replied, and Lucy raised her eyebrows. Despite being a Slytherin, you'd never ever skipped a lesson in your life, not wanting to get into trouble with Snape and not wanting to make your grades worse than they already were. Plus, Umbridge taught you nothing anyway and you'd rather teach yourself. "Honestly, Lucy, there is no way in hell I want to see that woman again."

"Yeah, me neither," Lucy grumbled, cracking her knuckles as if she wanted to punch the living daylights out of Umbridge. "But my parents would kill me if I skipped class."

"Same, but I'm pretty sure they value my life over skipping one lesson," you answered, believing this a good time to look for Draco. Maybe if you found him, you could start talking about what he'd been meaning to speak to you about at dinner, and you wouldn't have to chance missing a meal.

"Whatever, I'll see you at dinner then," Lucy grinned, stuffing her hands into her pockets as her and Anastasia continued down the hall to their next class. You dove into an empty corridor, hearing the sound of footsteps disappearing, and sighed into the silence.

Now, where the hell was Draco?

[thethoughtsfromthreeam]

Monument Woman

Pairing: Marcus Pike x OC (Rosemary Carter)

Warnings: A bit of angst

A/N: Sort of trucking along, now into chapter 4, which gets us into the meat of this whole story, so I guess this sorta qualifies as a slow burn?  Not sure.  Anyway, enjoy!

Reminder: I ain’t ever seen Pedro Pascal in FUCK ALL, I’m just coming up with this as I go along, using imdb.com, wiki, and 84,000 tabs I got open to plan out this shit.  I also write soft versions of his characters so if you’re craving asshole vibes, I ain’t got any but my own to offer.

Tag List:

@zeldasayer , @beskars , @coolmaybelateruniverse , @the-feckless-wonder , @pascalisthepunkest , @mandoandyodito , @randomness501 , @fioccodineveautunnale  , @ahopelessromanticwritersworld , @lilkermit14 [please message me to be added or subtracted]

Part 2 – Well, It’s Valuable for Starters

Coral Gables Restaurant sits right on the banks of the Kalamazoo River, serving as the perfect backdrop to any lunch or dinner date.  It was Robert’s favorite place to eat and the whole staff knew him.  So, lunch dates for the two history buffs could last hours and no one would say anything to them.

Long after the lunch plates had been taken away, Robert nursed his beer and Rosemary leaned back in her chair, letting the early summer sun warm her skin.  As she sat there with her eyes closed, Robert let himself just watched her.  She was tall with a brunette pixie cut – the only hair style he’s ever seen her sport – and he noted there was greyer hair than when they first met and finer lines on the youthful face.

She took up a lot of space with her personality and that’s what he loved best about her.  Of all the people Robert called his friends, none were close to him like she was. When he met her not long after she started at the museum and it was an almost instant rapport.

He never had children of his own, never even gotten married.  But something about Rosemary drew him to her and he felt this love for her like he hadn’t ever felt for anyone else in his nearly seventy-two years.  When the doctor gave him the prognosis, he realized the sadness that had washed over him wasn’t about his death but the fact that he had someone he was leaving behind. It both hurt and consoled him.  He wasn’t going to be alone.

“Rosie.”  His voice was soft, but she still heard him and opened her eyes.  He smiled at her and she sat up and nodded, pulling her chair closer so she was more comfortable to chat.  The waitress appeared with refills for Rosemary’s lemonade and another beer for Robert.  They stayed quiet until she left.  When they were alone again, she raised her eyebrow and gestured for him to continue.

“If there are things in those boxes that you can sell for the museum, go for it.  There are a few I want the museum to have and one item it needs to take.”

“Well, I doubt I’ll take anything that will cause me extra work, but we can draw up the deed of gift on the other items as normal.  I already have my eye on a few things, which are probably among what you are already giving us.”  He nodded. “What’s the item you want us to take for sure?”

“The Cornucopia.”  Her eyebrow raised in confusion at the comment.  “It’s a priceless art piece, a friend of mine valued it at three-quarters of a million dollars. On the low end of things.”

“WHAT?” Rosemary’s jaw dropped.  Holy shit.

“I know, I was surprised it valued so high as well.  I bought it at an antique shop in Chicago years ago and given how valuable it is, I want the museum to have it.”

“Uh, hell yeah!”  Rosemary’s eyes began to gleam with glee and Robert laughed.  He knew she was thinking of Fred and he was pleased he could help her get a leg up on the man.  While Breyers had never been anything but courteous towards the storeowner, there was an underlying hostility to the curator’s words and actions.  Something about the greedy curator never sat well with Robert and he shared in Rosemary’s dislike of him.  

“When we head back to the house after lunch, we’ll talk more.”  The two sat back and grinned at each other.

---***---

“But, ma’am. . . Ma’am. . .” Agent Horacio paused, the murderous look on their face not even showing up in their voice.  “Ma’am, I get what you are saying.  I’m asking you to set up a meeting with me to go over the case. Yes, we reopened it.  Yes, we’re working on it.  Now if you would just. . .”

The ever-patient voice of the agent faded into the background as Carmichael skirted the table with a handful of photos, a small smirk on her face. She walked up next to Pike as they filled the evidence board with the last of the pictures from the case files.  A second and third board were set up on the other side of the room, allowing the team to make further critical connections to the cases they had so recently linked together.

They worked quietly for a bit, Carmichael subtly shooting glances at Pike, whose brow was furrowed in concentration.  Finally, her curiosity got the better of her and she turned to look at her partner.

“Okay, spill.  How did the date go with Lucy in Accounting?” Her voice dropped to a whisper belying the eager look on her face.  Pike grimaced at the question as he pressed on the last of the push pins.

“There was no date. She stood me up.”  Her loud gasp caused a few of their team to look their way, but she ignored them, giving Pike a look to continue.  “I called twice, and she never answered.  Never even showed up to the date itself.  I don’t think I can go back to Bobby’s anymore.  Lindsey is starting to feel sorry for me.”

“Hell, I feel sorry for you, Pike.  That’s the third date you’ve been stood up on in, what? Two months?” Carmichael’s voice softened.  The poor man was having a rough time of it, what with Lisbon breaking his heart, his divorce before that, three failed short-term relationships after he came to D.C., and now this series of no-show dates over the last year.  She frowned and laid a hand on his wrist, which had stilled on the last pin as his words died on his tongue.

He didn’t look at her and she could feel him stiffen underneath her touch. He pushed down his growing frustration at the situation and turned to smile at her, the grin not coming close to reaching his eyes.  His shoulders squared up as if to say the conversation was done.  She had known the man for six years and just wanted him to be happy, but for the moment, she gave him a small smile to help him with his charade.

“It’s okay Carmichael, maybe I’m just not meant for a relationship.” His voice sounded almost sad at the tone and she bowed her head.

“I don’t think that’s true, Marcus.”

“Yeah, well the universe is working hard to tell me that I’m meant to be single. I should be listening instead of fighting it.”  He sighed and turned away, walking out of the room before anyone could comment on the large frown that had formed on his face.  She looked after him, a defeated look in her eyes.  No one loved as hard and as loyal as him, he deserved the world. She knew that the right person for him was out there, but she couldn’t understand why Pike hadn’t crossed paths with his soulmate yet.  

She turned back to the board, picking up the marker to begin labeling the photos they had posted.  While she wrote, she silently prayed to the universe that her partner’s heart found its home sooner rather than later.

-*-

Pike looked at himself in the mirror, droplets of water still on his skin and the strands of hair framing his face were damp.  Splashing water on his face helped cool down his skin, but Carmichael’s words of sympathy had stung, even if she meant well, and he had to leave the room before he got upset even more.  As he leaned against the sink, he bowed his head and took a few deep breaths. The small moment of zen from earlier in the day had faded and the headache had returned.

It was known that the agent wore his heart on his sleeve, that he was loyal and generous to a fault.  Most of his colleagues loved him for it and it inspired loyalty from those who worked under him.  But none of that seemed to translate into anything romantically successful.  At this point, he was certain that he was a running joke throughout D.C. and that women agreed to a date to see how long he’d wait at his favorite diner for someone to show up.

Last night, Lindsey comped his dinner because she just couldn’t take the defeated slump to the man’s shoulders one more time.  She even went home and hugged her wife, hoping a little of her joviality would seep into her bones.  If Pike knew that, he would have bitterly laughed at the idea that he can help other people love harder, he just couldn’t get people to love him back.

After letting the dark thoughts swirl through his brain for a little longer, he stood up straight and glanced into the mirror.  He wiped his face one more time and straightened his tie. Without looking back at his reflection, Marcus Pike vowed to himself that he wasn’t going to let anyone in anymore. He was here to catch art thieves and that’s what he was going to do.

He just prayed the yearning in his heart heard the declaration, too.

---***---

Rosemary huffed as she staggered up the walkway to the front door of the museum with the heavy box in her arms.  She cursed herself for thinking that she could carry such an awkward and heavy load by herself, but she was a stubborn mule and was determined to get it all done in one trip.  She sighed when she reached the top of the short staircase.

She reached out and kicked the frame of the door into the building knowing that their long-time volunteer, Bob, was at the front desk.  There was something about him that grated against Rosemary and if truth be told, he was a bad volunteer, but he was the only reliable one and so she had to put up with him and his nonsense.

She realized with a start that she’d been standing there for several minutes, and no one had come to the door.  She peeped through the glass and saw Bob sitting there, looking her way. Grimacing as she shifted the box, she kicked the door again, harder this time.

And he still didn’t move.

With a low growl, Rosemary shifted around and pressed her butt against the handicap button on the wall and with a sigh of relief, she walked through the now open door.  While the June day wasn’t particularly hot, the sun was still warm and the physical activity overheated her.  The cool air of the lobby felt like kisses of heaven on her skin and she slightly closed her eyes at the sensation.  When she opened them, she looked directly at the man in front of her.

“Bob, did you see me kicking the door?”

“Yep.”

“So why didn’t you come open it for me, you clearly saw my hands were full.”

“Kicking is rude.”  The man’s rheumy eyes stared at her and it took two deep breaths to ensure Rosemary wasn’t going to start screaming.  She gave him a tightened smile instead and she walked over to the elevator. “Rosemary, the elevator is for handicap people, you’re not handicapped.”

“Bob, the elevator is for everyone.  Goodbye!”  She entered the small space and leaned against the wall.  We need him, we need him, we need him, she chanted to herself, nothing convincing her that it was true.  The ride to the third floor was a short one, but the heavy box made it seem longer.  When the doors opened, she took a left down to the staff offices and her workspace.

She did her best to carefully set the box down on the bench, but she grimaced as she heard rattling inside.  When it didn’t sound like anything broke, she heaved a sigh of relief. She turned her head as she heard footsteps from the hallway and within moments, Helen enter the room.

“How did it go?”  She had a small smile on her face, coming closer to the work bench

“Not bad, I took one big box of stuff – good stuff, too.”  The curator grinned and Helen grinned back, curiosity all over her face.

“Nothing ugly?”

“God no.  As my grams liked to say, ‘God don’t like ugly.’”  She lifted the lid off the box and suddenly Rosemary screamed, scaring Helen and causing her to scream, too.  The latter jumped back towards the door, unsure of what was happening.  The sounds of the two women yelling echoed in the room until the scream Rosemary let out evolved into a laugh, tinged with adrenaline. “FUCKING ROBERT!”

“WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?”  Helen was now on edge and creeping back closer to the work bench, still wary. Rosemary reached into the box and lifted out the stuff monkey she passed over earlier.  Helen recoiled at the sight.

“I thought you said you didn’t bring back anything ugly!”

“I didn’t!  He must have put it in here after I told him it was worthy of the dumpster.”  The laughter continued as she looked at the stuffed animal.  Finally, she sighed and set the monkey down on the bench.

“You’re not putting it in the collections are you?”  The director still looked at the item with wariness.  It was truly ugly with its almost realistic eyes. She shuttered before looking away.

“No, but I’m going to keep it, though.  He’d probably make a better watch dog than Banana.”  Looking around, Rosemary turned to her boss.  “Speaking of which, where is that dog of mine?”

“He’s in your office, conked out on the couch and snoring away.”

“See?!  I need the monkey now.  My own dog, of whom I am his whole world, didn’t even come hither at my screams.  I am abandoned and unloved.”  Rosemary ended her dramatic comment on a sigh, her hand against her forehead.  The two women began to laugh again.

“By the way, please for the love of all that is holy, find someone to replace Bob at the front desk.  He watched me kick the door to get in and refused to get up.”

“Did he say why?”

“Yeah, ‘kicking is rude.’”  Rosemary mimicked the old man’s gravelly voice and rolled her eyes. Helen patted her shoulder and said she’d chat with Bob about it, but the curator didn’t have much faith in the forth-coming conversation.  The director left the room and Rosemary dove back into the box to pull out the rest of her treasures.

---***---

“Here is the paperwork on the history of The Cornucopia. Please promise me that you’ll list this as a restricted item.”  Robert sat down, a file folder in his hand.  “I know better than to make outrageous demands, but I want it in the paperwork that this item cannot be loaned out, it cannot be displayed, and it is to remain the collections for the rest of the museum’s existence.  I don’t even want it announced that you have the piece.”

He took a breath and Rosemary’s eyebrows furrowed.  He hadn’t been kidding when he said he had restrictions on the item.  He continued.

“The piece is valuable; I don’t want the museum becoming a target for it. I’m giving it to you because I know you’ll protect it.”  Rosemary nodded as she thumbed through the file, skimming the history of the sculpture. She looked up at him.

“Let me write up the deeds for you and we’ll note everything you want me to list in terms of restrictions.”  She got up and went to her computer set up on the table.  For the next hour, she sat asking Robert questions and filling out the forms, using the printer to create physical copies. After she was done, she sat back.

“We’ll take good care of it.  I promise.”

---***---

The next day, Rosemary sat at her desk, imputing the new collection pieces into PastPerfect, transcribing notes she had scribbled in her binder.   Most of the pieces she had taken were worth it; besides the map, she took a few pieces of pottery from a celebrated local artist, a couple of prints that dated back to the Fort’s early years, seven quilts, and several history books.  And of course, The Cornucopia.

She pulled the file out for the sculpture and sat back in her chair. After opening the folder, she began to read the files she had skimmed earlier.  The more she read the appraiser’s history more her eyebrows crawled up her forehead.

The Cornucopia was created for Russian Tsar Nicolas II by renown Ukrainian artists Artem Chumak.  The bronze sculpture was inlaid with rubies, sapphires, yellow diamonds, jade, pearls, and opals, most mined from around the Russian Empire.  Ukraine historically has been known as the breadbasket of Russia and the piece was commissioned by the Ukrainian government as a gift to Nicolas upon his marriage to Princess Alexandra of Hess.  It’s value at the time of creation was $250,000 USD.

It is known that Dowager Empress Maria took the piece, along with several other valuable items after the fall of the Empire and she sold it to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1920, who in turn loaned it to the country’s National Museum of History and Art the following year. The museum returned it to the family during World War II to protect it from the advancing German army.  It was again loaned to the museum for another twenty years before the family chose to cease ownership.

The piece was then sold via Sotheby’s Auction House in 1965 to a private collector in the U.S. and has remained in private ownership since then.  Because of its history and the materials used, the value of The Cornucopia is approximately $750,000 for insurance purposes, but on the auction block, could fetch upwards to . . .

“Three million dollars?!”  Rosemary shrieked, her feet dropping to the floor as she sat up.  She looked at the sculpture sitting on her worktable and her face broke out in a grin.  Oh, ho ho ho, she really got the leg up on Fred Breyers this time.  This was the best gift that Robert could have ever given her.

[aromanticasterisms]

been thinking and it's kinda fucked up that Lucy never rlly got closure with Jude? The last time she saw him was when she thought his life was in danger after he begged her for cash and then the next thing we hear about him he's dead, paid off her bills for 7 years and sent her a bday gift every year she was stuck on tenrou. Like give a girl some better closure please???

tbh y e a. like okay i get that it’s supposed to show that time has passed and Unexpected Things Happen but like. it feels like a death for shock value and honestly doesn’t make me feel anything for him. that’s such a terrible way to close that subplot, for starters.

also it didn’t really give lucy any sort of choice in the matter? the past interactions she had with her father were her choosing to stand up for herself and her family, and rejecting the life he expected her to have. but he sends her gifts, pays off her rent, and dies, and suddenly lucy’s like oh no :(( he really did care :((( i should have appreciated him more,,, and first off “abuser dies after showing some semblance of Change and the person they hurt feels like they have to forgive them bc they’re dead” really rubs me the wrong fucking way. second girl i get it but he ABUSED YOU.....nostalgia paired with her seeing cana and gildarts’ father daughter relationship Really affected her thoughts on him tb h

i understand that sometimes children who were abused can reconcile with their parents as adults, but goddamn. not like this

and to be honest, the writing has her ~get over it~ way too damn fast. she gets home and cries. once? then her friends invite her on a job and she’s fine. NOT that i’m saying i want her whole story to revolve around her dad, but i wish we could have seen her struggle with her feelings a bit more. because shit like that does not just Go Away

anyway yea, a better timeline maybe jude Lives but is on thin fucking ice, does his best to repair his relationship with his daughter while still keeping a respectful distance, and lucy gets to decide whether she wants to see him, and whether to forgive him or not, and is never antagonized for her decision.

[ninja-go-to-therapy]

I don’t trust Kat to give you context, so I’ll do it this time.

I decided to write something based on some stuff we were talking about. I don’t have the most confidence and this is more related to her stuff anyways, so while convincing me to post it, she offered to host it here. This has the added bonus of it being HER that hits post, limiting my chance to chicken out.

So enjoy this out of context thing I wrote because Kat is a bad influence.

-grungekitty-77

Eleanor knew she was an artist from a young age. From the moment she took he first picture she knew she’d found her calling. Other girls played dolls, she focused on posing them. She took photos of everything, always looking for something she hadn’t seen before. She got bored often and nothing frustrated her more than having nothing interesting to photograph.

From a young age she was hailed as a prodigy. Her eye was so unique, and she had a knack for finding things and making them interesting, things nobody realized could be that interesting. So, she had no trouble getting a start at a studio.

She hated family portraits. She hated them with a passion. They always wanted the same straight on angle and it was so painfully boring. They were frustrating to work with, they were all the same stiff smiles, one shot no different than the next. No talent or expression. She’d outright refuse them if they weren’t keeping the lights on.

She was ready for another grueling photoshoot that brought no fulfillment and wasted her talents. This family had an unruly kid.

Eleanor never really go the appeal of kids. They were loud and needy and usually a mess. They did provide more interest than their parents though. The boy screamed randomly at one point, much to his parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents’ dismay.

He laughed at their frowns and Eleanor captured it. The emotions and dynamics were the most interesting thing she’d gotten so far.

The boy got lectured by his mom and pouted. The adults were back to their static smiles, but he displayed his emotions, not looking at the camera or standing straight. Eleanor captured that too, focusing on the boy’s emotional journey.

The adults got frustrated with him as he fidgeted, and their smiles dropped. His mother pulled him aside and screamed at him. He shrunk down and started to cry. She captured it.

Then she hugged him, telling him that she loved him and just needed him to behave. Eleanor captured her favorite shot of the shoot. It was a photo she’d have framed and hung in her house for years to come and would be her favorite for a long time.

This child, crying and filled with shame, clinging to his mother, comforted by the very cause of his tears. The vulnerability, the emotions, the submission, it was all something Eleanor hadn’t seen before.

The rest of the shoot went normally, the kid even having some real fun by the end, but Eleanor never forgot how that mother had the power to control her child’s emotions like that.

Family portraits stopped being so boring after that day. Eleanor stopped focusing on trying to make something worthwhile within the stifling constraints, and instead focused on how much power mothers had over the children. How if Eleanor needed something from them, the mother would provide it. Telling the child directly rarely worked but asking the mother to tell the child always did. It was like they weren’t interacting with the world as their own beings, they could only understand what was filtered through their mothers. Eleanor became obsessed with that power. The power to control another’s reality like that. A mother was her child’s whole world, and she could shape that world as she pleased.

Eventually her artistic work gained enough of a following that she never had to do a family portrait again, much to her relief. She hated working through the mothers. She may’ve been fascinating with their power over their children, but she wanted to have her own and constantly borrowing theirs was getting irksome. She wanted to shape her own worlds, and not have to work around the worlds these women had already shaped.

She still didn’t want a baby though. She wanted the control of her subject being a mother brought, not a child to raise.

Her dilemma sent her on a path to find others like her, a path that led to a private online forum. It was full of people like her, people that were obsessed with controlling, with shaping a world and having total power over it. She finally had people that understood what was going on in her head. Not all of them approached it from the same angle as her, but they all wanted to control a subject. She made good friends.

Itssnowing: have you thought about a pet?

SkullsandRibbons: maybe….

Itssnowing: Get a pretty little thing and train it. I know where you can get a lovely little purebred. It might fill the hole.

Eleanor took her friend up on his suggestion and got Lucy.

At first Eleanor was happy to have a new subject, but quickly she got frustrated. Lucy didn’t listen. She couldn’t get Lucy to do what she wanted, and all of her shots were off center or blurry because Lucy refused to hold a position.

Itssnowing suggested she send her off to get trained and Eleanor again, took his advice.

It worked. Lucy came back ready to obey orders. Eleanor was delighted for about a month and a half.

Then Lucy got boring. She looked the same as any other pure breed. She had the same few emotions and responses; the interest ran out. Eleanor ran out of new things to capture. She hated taking repeats of shots she already had.

Lucy was sold.

Itssnowing: Why? I would love having something so pretty in my house. A living, breathing piece of art that’s just for you.

SkullsandRibbons: Why would I want something I can see anywhere? There’s nothing new about it. Nothing unique. Nothing raw! Nothing new to see. It’s boring!

Itssnowing: I guess I’m just boring then. I’d much rather a quiet afternoon at home with a pretty little thing snuggled on my lap.

SkullsandRibbons: Well you’re an office worker, I’m an artist! I need something fulfilling!

Itssnowing: Suit yourself then.

SkullsandRibbons: I’m gonna go to the shelter tomorrow, see if they had anything interesting.

Itssnowing: You want a MUTT!?

SkullsandRibbons: Absolutely! No two are identical. I might actually capture something unique!

Itssnowing: I don’t understand you… but I suppose I don’t have to understand your tastes.

Eleanor laughed at her friend. She shared almost everything with Snowing. He got all the shots she took of her new rescue. He even admitted that the pictures were marvelous, though he still had his own tastes.

Eleanor got bored too easily. She decided to foster, so that she’d get a different subject every once and a while. She definitely preferred the rescues over Lucy. They all had stories and intrigue and were far more dependent on her attention. She could brighten them right up with a little affection, and then destroy them by ignoring them for a minute. Best was that she could do it all over again and it still worked.

But dogs got boring. She needed something fresh, something entirely unique, something that screamed at her to be captured and focused on.

She was browsing the internet one day and a headline caught her interest. She’d vaguely heard about the ninja, but she hadn’t actually seen any real pictures yet, so she clicked the article just to see what kind of pictures it had.

The green ninja made her eyes roll. Scared boy trying too hard to look strong and important and nothing else. A few candid shots had potential, but he seemed to only be himself when he didn’t know he was being seen, which would be pointless to explore with a camera.

The white ninja made her cringe. He had nothing to give. Well, the interesting anatomy could be worked with, but the ninja himself was a stiff subject that had nothing to see.

The blue ninja was all energy, no form. She could probably get some good shots, but it would get very one note after a short while.

The black ninja at least seemed to know how to hold himself, though he didn’t seem to have any interest in being a good subject. He’d make a decent model for brand work, but he’d be worthless in any artistic projects.

The girl was a brat. She refused to be a subject. It was a non-starter.

It was the red ninja that made her stop breathing. Then she boiled over in rage.

He was…He was perfect. He was gorgeous. He had an effortless look with just enough edge to make you want to know more. He was stunning, and the framing was the worst she’d ever seen!

They focused on the complete wrong place, and the lighting was just….oh it burned her. Here was this boy being the perfect subject, all the stars aligned, and the photographer ruined it!

She searched him up, she had to know what he looked like when he was given the attention he deserved.

Kai Smith.

She found his social media and started to scroll through. He posted his own pictures and he had no training in photography, but at least he wasn’t ruining anything. She poured over each selfie. His eyes burned with mischief and passion, his face had beautiful angles no matter which way he turned, and he seemed to love being observed. He was preforming. Giving pieces of himself for others to see. Eleanor continues to scroll and fantasized about capturing those pieces and propping them up correctly. She could make something magical out of him. His expressions told stories, he wore his emotions like jewels and Eleanor had to know more.

She spent the next week obsessing over everything she could learn about Kai Smith, her new muse. And she found something she hated even more than boring subjects, seeing someone mishandle a beautiful subject like Kai.

They all were too focused on Lloyd, who looked uncomfortable half the time he was on camera.

Nya wasn’t always an awful subject; she seemed a lot more willing to be captured if her brother was there with her.

She was right about Cole. He had the training, but no passion for it.

Jay was an attention hog and she found herself annoyed with him. Too overpowering, he didn’t leave the artist any room to work.

Zane was everything she thought he was. No surprises there.

But Kai…

The pictures where he was angry were the best. He had such a raw emotion. He let everyone see how he felt and let the image have the power of what he felt. He let his soul be seen.

She learned all she could about him.

He had a tragic backstory. Something with teeth, no wonder he had a touch of a wounded look. He had no mother to shape the world for him. This interested Eleanor even more. Kai seemed to have filtered the world for his little sister, and seemingly Lloyd too, but he seemed to lack anyone that could reshape his world as they saw fit.

He was wayward child.

The thought made Eleanor smile. Kai had no mother to compete with. There was no woman she’d have to fight with to take control of his world. He was what she had wanted so desperately. A beautiful and interesting subject she could control.

Oh, how she’d love to have him.

[kotofvi]

THE MEGA RP PLOTTING SHEET / MEME.

First and foremost, recall that no one is perfect, we all have witnessed some plotting once which did not went too well, be it because of us or our partner. So here have this, which may help for future plotting. It’s a lot! Yes, but perhaps give your partners some insight? Anyway BOLD what fully applies, italicize if only somewhat.

Mun Name: Leo      Age: 27       Contact: IM, Inbox, Disco

Character(s) I rp: Canon: Shiro, Sebastian, Dirk, Kyoya, Kurama, Nelliel, Maka, Dwicky. OCs: Hades, Google, Emogene, Dominic, Seirios, Iso, Felix, Reeves, Nyx, Zeru, Ren, Charlie, Dakota, Nemo, Bluejay, Koko, BD, Raven, Cora, Sammie, Lucie, Poppie, Ollie, Alphie, Bambi, Abbigail, Hiraeth, Bonnie, Rei, Rory.   Which muse(s) inspires you the most atm?(for MM): Nelliel, Shiro, Rei, Bonnie, Hiraeth.  Current Fandom(s): Bleach, V/LD, Naruto. (I’m not deeply involved in the fandoms themselves anymore.) Fandom(s) you have an AU for:  Uhhhhh.. I basically have an AU for any fandom if I know it well and am asked for it.  My language(s): English. (I’m learning other languages but I don’t RP in them unless it’s just a sentence or two.)  Themes I’m interested in for rp:   Fantasy / Science fiction / Horror / Western / Romance / Thriller / Mystery / Dystopia / Adventure / Modern / Erotic / Crime / Mythology / Classic / History / Renaissance / Medieval / Ancient / War / Family / Politics / Religion / School / Adulthood / Childhood / Apocalyptic / Gods / Sport / Music / Science / Fights / Angst / Smut / Drama / etc. Themes/Genres you have an AU for: Modern, Mythology, Medieval. 

Preferred Thread length: one-liner / 1 para / 2 para / 3+ / novella. (I legit love all lengths, tbh, it’s more so with one-liners I tend to lose interest if there’s no substance to further it.)  Asks can be send by: Mutuals / Non-Mutuals / Personals / Anons. Can Asks be continued?:   YES / NO   only by Mutuals?:  YES / NO. Preferred thread type: crack / casual nothing too deep / serious / deep as heck. Is realism / research important for you in certain themes?:   YES / NO. Are you atm open for new plots?:  YES / NO / DEPENDS.  (I’ve admittedly been v busy, so if you’re fine with me takin’ forever-- YES) Do you handle your draft / ask - count well?:  YES / NO / SOMEWHAT.  How long do you usually take to reply?:  24h / 1 week / 2 weeks / 3+ / months / years. I’m okay with interacting: original characters / a relative of my character (an oc) (It really depends here.) / duplicates / my fandom / crossovers / multi-muses / self-inserts / people with no AU verse for my fandom / canon-divergent portrayals / au-versions (as main or only verse). Do you post more ic or occ?:  IC / OOC.(I post more IC, but the gaps between IC and OOC make it seem like there’s more OOC at times???) Are you selective with following others?:  YES / NO / DEPENDS.  (This is entirely because half the fandoms some of my muses come from are absolute shit so I have to be careful.) 

Best ways to approach you for rp/plotting:  IM or Inbox-- tbh, Just kick my inbox in and screech that you wanna plot/rp with me so long as you’re a mutual. I’m honestly so laid back?? Sure, it might take me a minute but this is entirely because IRL things and not because I’m putting anyone off. 

What expectations do you hold towards your plotting partner:  Having fun? Having ideas? I guess, just, mutual interest? I mean, I’m here to write! I’m here to have fun! If you’re not interested in that much alone then?? I guess bye?? ‘Cause I’ll become very annoying to anyone who doesn’t have an interest purely because I’ll randomly ambush my partners with excitement and ideas. 

When you notice the plotting is rather one-sided, what do you do?:  Oh I’ll just straight up ask if they want to continue the thread or start a new one! I mean, I get it, you can lose interest or otherwise just not feel it anymore and that’s fine! If you’re not interested in that particular thread, then no worries, we can always start more! If you’re just being one-sided in general, however?? I’m not gonna be interested at all and I’ll likely tell you as such. 

How do you usually plot with others, do you give input or leave most work towards your partner?:  Normally it’ll just happen? I’ll do my “Hey what if they ___” thing and then a rapid bombardment of inquiries and excitement later, there is a thread. It’s usually mutual, the involvement of creating this plot, but sometimes it’s just me being excited and them being excited and then suddenly BAM THERE BE THREADS. S’all good over here! 

When a partner drops the thread, do you wish to know?:   YES / NO / DEPENDS. - And why?: I mean?? I’d like to know, yes! But I get that sometimes it’s incredibly anxiety ridden trying to tell someone that you’ve lost interest in a thread. It’s alright if you don’t tell me, but if you can muster up the courage to do so I’d appreciate it! I’m not gonna be upset at you for losing interest/muse in a thread! If I cared deeply about the story, I might poke at you and then you can tell me?? Either way it’s fine and tbh, I don’t mind. However, please let it be known that you can take forever on a reply as well so don’t worry about just hoarding a draft too! Tbh, I had someone reply to a thread literally a year later and I was still excited for it!  - What should your partner do when dropping a thread?:  Just shoot me an IM or hell, make a list of threads you’re dropping and tag me in it??? Which ever! Or don’t even tell me at all, whatever works for you sugar! 

What could possibly lead you to drop a thread?:  Hmn, being overwhelmed-- I tend to accumulate a lot of drafts and 90% of them are long so sometimes I’ll drop a thread or two to help myself get by. Also lack of muse/interest is a factor. I won’t drop a thread purely out of being overwhelmed unless I just can’t muster up the muse to respond to it.  - Will you tell your partner?:   YES / NO / DEPENDS. Sometimes I get overwhelmed myself and I’ll drop a thread, forget to tell my partner, etc. Other times I’ll tell them before I even delete the draft! 

Is communication in the rpc important to you?   YES / NO. - And why?:  Yes and no~ Yes primarily! I get that others can take a minute to muster up the courage to talk to others and would just prefer to keep things to a few sentences at first! However, I can and will ambush you with conversation and interest nonetheless. Because communication is important. If you’ve got something you wanna say to me, say it! I’m here for it!  - Are you okay with absolute honesty, even if it may means hearing something negative about you and/or portrayal?:  Yup! If you’ve got an issue or something that might come across as criticism to say, say it! Civil discussion is absolutely wanted here and I would like to work out any issues you may have with me or my portrayal.  - Do you think you can handle such situation in a mature way?  YES / NO.

Why do you rp again, is there a goal?:  To write and have fun! To explore in depth the characters I create or take on! I mean, c’mon, lbr here-- my gremlin ass muses require some more in depth speculation and investigation into their characters! I love the creativity, the world building, the constant drive to do better and to make others feel something from words alone. The capability to rend emotion from another living being simply from reading and reacting to something I created is amazing and I want to make others cry, laugh, smile and think. I want to create. 

Wishlist, be it plots or scenarios:  Oh man, there’s an endless supply of things I’d like to do! I want to explore the depths of my muses’ histories more?? Like Shiro, I want to write out the things he must’ve seen, felt, experienced. How Nelliel was when she was alive, how Shiro fared in the Arena when he wasn’t fighting, Seb’s life torn between the various throws of data and reality-- there’s so much! And ALL THE AU’s!!!! All of them!!!  

Themes I won’t ever rp / explore: Sure, I work with a lot of darker themes like torture, gore, etc-- but I will not write Rape, sexual abuse, nor will I write child loss.  

What Type of Starters do you prefer / dislike, can’t work with?: I can work with most starters! However, if I’m randomly given a starter that I can’t work with for the muse selected, I’ll inform the person who wrote it! I appreciate the effort given but don’t expect me to be able to reply to every random starter given! Sometimes, they don’t even show up in my tag. 

What type of characters catch your interest the most?:  Okay, I’m a sucker for the underdogs, aggressive folks and the villains. I’m not even going to try and lie and say I don’t immediately look at the Aizens and Kenpachis and go ah yes, those fucking gremlins, give me ten. I also love the background characters? The side characters in a show that seem so unimportant but have a crucial role? I love characters that have such an obscure involvement that you have to stop and ask why and how their involvement was crucial. I also love the soft beans? The ones who are so hyped with positivity and gleaming interest that they just can’t be ignored?? But then turn around and whoop some poor sap’s ass with that sparkle sparkle smile. Also love the upstanding moral types that also acknowledge that some things can’t be avoided and that morality is a grey area dependent on the perceptions of the individuals themselves. 

What type of characters catch your interest the least?:  Hmn-- I guess the kind that don’t seem to have much substance to them? The ones that are just uncharacteristically too kind. Yes, I love the overwhelmingly positive types but?? Also?? The ones that are too kind and without flaw just?? Don’t strike me as interesting. Also the ones that are just cruel for some obscure reason just to give them a reason to be villains. I mean I understand but also?? Villains don’t have to have a reason?? They can be cruel just to be cruel. Idk that’s always just been a thing with me.

What are your strong aspects as rp partner?:  I guess that I’m fairly laid back? I don’t mind if you take 10 years to reply, I’m going to get excited if you message me with some random idea, I’m not going to be bothered by any ideas you suggest?? I can also sometimes give u doodles?? I don’t have time to doodle a lot but sometimes, once in a blue moon, you’ll get a random offering of doodled booty for ur blessing. Also gonna hit you up with random HCs, ideas, threads, etc?? Always?? Idk, I’m not too good at thinking about positive aspects of myself lmfao. 

What are your weak aspects as rp partner?: Hnnn, I’m too laid back at times. I take too long to reply and I’m busy af IRL. I’m often goaded into being irritated by some asshole or another so I can come off aggro af too when I don’t mean to be. Sometimes I can get overwhelmed and disappear for a week, other times I can end up overwhelming someone else by being too excited? I tend to watch how much I do and say because I feel like I might come off as smothering and am too used to being shut down and told to shut up so I just don’t?? Do anything sometimes. I’m also not very good at initiating contact sometimes so I tend to go days and weeks without speaking to others. 

Do you rp smut?:  YES / NO. Do you prefer to go into detail?:  YES / NO / DEPENDS. Are you okay with black curtain?:  YES / NO. - When do you rp smut? More out of fun or character development?:  Usually only if it’s developmental for the characters involved. Sometimes it’s just fun to do! It really depends on the characters involved + if I have any muse in general for it.  - Anything you would not want to rp there?:  ???? Kinda vague, Idk? I mean if I don’t wanna rp somethin’ I’ll say so. 

Are ships important to you?:   YES / NO. Would you say your blog is ship-focused?:   YES / NO. Do you use read more?:  YES / NO / SOMETIMES. Are you: Multi-Ship / Single-Ship / Dual-Ship  —  Multiverse / Singleverse. - What do you love to explore the most in your ships?:  The relationship, the depth of two muses who can be wildly different or even similar. The multifaceted involvement of others to that relationship, the angst, the arguments, the sad moments along with all the happy things and how hard one might try while the other is cold-- etc. I don’t just want happy dates and sunshine, that’s not how relationships work after all!   - What is your smut tag?: Kettledrums

Are you okay with pre-established relationships?: YES / NO. - And what kind of ones?: I like a lot of pre-established relationships! However, I can be a tad wary of child muses? Aka: The ones who are children of one of my muses. Reason being, sometimes even I don’t know how they’d raise a child so the muse in question would be off putting to me because it’s out of my realm. Beyond that, I’m down for just about everything! 

► SECTION ABOUT YOUR MUSE.

- What could possibly make your Muse interesting towards others, why should they rp with this particular character of yours now, what possible plots do they offer?:  Since I have so many damn muses, I’mma just go with Shiro for all of this-- I suppose what they could find interesting is his very multifaceted dynamic as a soldier, human, technical non-human (Zombae), war worn, space exploring person. He can be rainbows and sunshine but also can suddenly become incredibly aggressive and cold. He’s not one or the other, he’s all and everything that he’s learned and encompassed while still remaining fragile and human in the end. Writing with him can be inspiring and can be soul wrenching, depending on the thread. As for plots, dude your character could be in space in one thread if the otherwise couldn’t be. There’s so many ways to go about writing with him?? He’s such an amazing character and the plots he can be instilled in are almost limitless with just his main verse. 

- With what type of Muses do you usually struggle to rp with?:   Hmn-- I guess the main one I have issues injecting him into place with would be the ones who are strictly non-tech oriented?? I mean, I can still have him there but getting him to fit is just?? Really difficult. Also with people who RP villains of his fandom and expect him not to be volatile. I’m sorry, but if you’re writing a S.endak or a Z.arkon-- you’re not going to get roses and butterflies with Shiro, plain and simple. If that’s something you can’t accept then don’t approach him with those muses.  - With what type of Muses do they usually work well with?:  He works really well with most anyone! So long as one goes into it knowing he can be hostile with soldiers, Galra, etc; then he can be used no matter what. He’s one of my most capable muses that doesn’t have much of an issue when it comes to responding. 

- What interests your Muse(s) in general:  Space, mechanics, biomedical engineering, people, freedom, fighting for a cause, flowers, his mother, violin, cats, sparring, getting stronger, constellations, nebulae, engineering, literature, alien languages, cooking. - What do they desire, is their goal?:  The safety of others, the freedom of others, the ability to choose, hope-- he wants to make sure those he cares for and all others are free and safe from the Galra take over.  - What catches their interest first when meeting someone new?:  How they look at him. If they show signs of pity, of fear, he tends to walk away from any possible meeting with them. Otherwise, their appearance is what first catches his eye. How they dress, how they respond to him, how they talk and if he can make them crack a smile with an awkward joke.  - What do they value in a person?:  Hope, Strength, Loyalty, Purpose, Honesty, Patience. - What themes do they like talking about?:  Shiro’s more of a listener than a talker, but honestly he’ll talk about anything of interest and question anyone’s as well to get them to talk about it. It’s what makes conversation with him easygoing most of the time.  - Which themes bore them?:  Himself. He’ll try to avert any conversation about himself if it’s too personal or too close to something. It’s not so much that it bores him but that type of talk is reserved for those insanely close to him. Also talk of command bores the FUCK out of him. He’s never been one to really like rank. 

- Did they ever went through something traumatic?:  So. Fucking. Much. Between being a prisoner of a war he was never involved with to being told he was a leader of a rebellion for said war, being a prisoner in the Arena and forced to fight and kill others, being held down and sedated as he tried to warn the others, DYING-- this boy has been thru too much.  - What could possibly trigger them?:  Certain noises, textures, Galra, medical equipment, certain lighting.  - What could set them off, enrage them?:  Galra, someone protecting him. - What could lead to an instant kill?:  Any bloodlust towards him or those he cares for. Most of the time, he has this under control and tries to be merciful, give them a chance; but sometimes, especially during an episode; there’s no stopping him from gunning for someone’s throat if they had any intent to harm another or himself. 

- Is there someone /-thing they hate?:  Z.arkon, S.endak, L.otor, H.aggar, Druids, himself a lot of the time. - Is there someone /-thing they love?:   The paladins, space fam in general, his mother, his friends, people in general. 

Is your Muse easy to approach?: YES / NO. - Best ways to approach them?:  Just approach him? Honestly, Shiro’s one of the easiest persons to converse with and get near. That doesn’t mean his guard is dropped, but he’s very easy going a lot of the time outside of battle. So long as you have a reason to approach him (even simpler ones like: his appearance, his arm, etc) then you’re set.  - Where are they usually to find?:  Oof, honestly? Anywhere. Space, Earth, other places-- he’s constantly on the move. If you want a set place, just say somewhere on Earth and I can work with that. 

Something you may still want to point out about your muse?:  Shiro is certainly easy to get along with, but he is not without flaw or issue. He has a plethora of issues even after the fall of the Galra Empire. He’s not without his scars, physical and otherwise. Approaching him is easy but getting close to him is not. Don’t expect him to be an open book. Just because he can talk about war, battle, fighting with a straight face doesn’t mean he wasn’t effected by it. He has suffered greatly and it will show the closer you get to him. 

CONGRATS!!! You managed it, now tag your mutuals! ♥

Tagged by: @skyvar​  [ <3 ] Tagging: IF YOU WANNA PARTAKE IN THIS INSANITY, PLEASE DO AND TAG ME IN IT SO I CAN READ IT!!! 

[all-or-nothing-baby]

Happy Storyteller Saturday (STS) Fanfic Edition! My question to you is: Do you remember what got you started on writing fanfic? ^_^

Rauko, my lovely friend! ^_^

So I’ve finally gotten around to this only like, what, four years weeks late?? Apologies, you (sadly) know exactly what my organisational skills are like—or not, seeing as they don’t actually exist.

Anyway, to answer your question of what got me into writing fanfic I need to tell you it wasn’t actually a "what" at all, but a “who”, and that person is: @winchester-reload.

After reading fanfic for years but always being too shy/scared of sounding foolish to interact, I finally plucked up the courage to comment on some of Jackie’s pieces on ao3 (she’s one of my absolute favourites; the way she handles canon universe Destiel is truly masterful). Then, after some absolutely lovely replies from her, I admitted I had written short stories/poems etc for as long as I could remember and would love, so much, to write fanfic BUT had always been held back because I was intimidated by:

a) The sheer amount of fanfic out there

There is so, so much! I felt like I’d spend my time and efforts (and emotions) pouring everything into a piece, and no-one would probably ever read it... why would they, when there is already an abundance? (low self-confidence holding me back much?)

b) The astonishing quality and talent in fanfic

I mean, it’s effing ridiculous. The talent of so many authors of fanfic far outshines reams and reams of some big-name published authors. Trying to get this across to non-fanfic readers (which, I know, is often a non-starter in the first place) is quite impossible—I think maybe because as humans, we (some) have to assign merit, achievement and notoriety to people to consider them as talented, therefore just can’t accept (without seeing it) that this can, and is in fact, very much the case. It’s often the same with a lot of talents, I feel. Anyway, I digress. The point I’m being characteristically long-winded about making is that, as in point a, why would people want to read my (conceived) mediocre, probably cheesy, definitely over-wordy, nothing-really-happens-cause-i-tend-to-only-want-to-write-about-peoples-feelings scribblings, when there are so many brilliant/gorgeous/exciting fics out there? Yeah, low self-confidence is a bitch.

But. Jackie’s wise and always funny answers to my admissions are what nudged me into believing that (and I will forgive you easily for forgetting the majority of my ramblings if you've read this far but this next bit is the bit to actually take note of):

THERE ARE ALWAYS READERS FOR EVERY SORT OF WRITER

…and that simple nugget, from a wonderful writer and artist (and I took the same advice with regards to sharing my own art, too) is what gave me the balls to begin writing and publishing fanfic. And, once I did, the thing I realised is the most rewarding—even more so than the wonderful, unbelievably kind, warm-hearted and praising comments I have and do receive from readers about my work—is the sense of personal achievement I get from creating something brand new and releasing it into the world to be interpreted in as many different ways as they are differences in people; that is an awesome feeling.

So, thank you dearly, Jackie. And thanks also to you @rauko-is-a-free-elf, @petrichoravellichor, @aloha-cowgirl, @crack--attack, @dammitsammy, @verobatto-angelxhunter and @suckerfordeansfreckles, as you guys were the first to welcome me, befriend me, enthuse over and reblog my stuff and I will be forever grateful for that—and, of course, to everybody since.

I love you all <3

Yours always,

Lucy The Rambler

[malisonquill]

Roarsome Brickowski AU

So for starters, everything in this AU goes the same as Roarsome Rex. That is, right up until the moment in Confrontation where Rex is supposed to grab Emmet and Lucys hands when he's back to the futuring.

In Roarsome Brickowski, he tries to take their hands a few seconds too late. By that point, he's too far gone, and disappears even more. His last act in that timeline is to desperately stare Emmet in the eyes and plead to him that he's sorry. 

And so, he's entirely gone, leaving behind a ship full of distraught Raptors, and a half raptor Emmet with no one to help him return to a mostly human state. Meaning poor Emmet is stuck like that forever. Stuck as a half raptor like Rex, but with no one (who knows exactly what he's going through) to help him through it.

But of course, that isn't the end of Rex's story... Oh no, it's only the beginning...

Rex Back to the futures to the desert right outside of Syspocalypstar. It’s right in his view and super close, so he doesn’t have to walk aimlessly to find it. He’s still half raptor, everything about him is the same as the moment he left the past.

But that means, he still has all those injuries from his fight with Emmet… So this poor, incredibly confused, half raptor man is left in a city he kind of recognises whilst beaten as hell and bleeding out. He doesn’t have his raptors, or Emmet and Lucy, or the resources of the Rexcelsior to immediately patch him up. He’s alone, doesn’t know why he’s where he is, or why he’s alive, and he’s quickly getting tired and delirious from blood loss. He wanders into the city, knowing he needs help, but not knowing what to do. People take one look at this giant half raptor man covered in blood and run away. No one helps him.

Eventually his injured leg that he’s been limping on gets particularly bad, so he stops to lean against a wall and have a rest. But then, someone walks around the corner and spots him, shouting “Woah! What the hell???!”

And he looks up, immediately recognising that voice. And it’s Lucy. They lock eyes, he tries to take a step towards her, but grimaces in pain. She instantly feels concerned for this “stranger” and walks towards him to try to help him. He takes a relieved look at her, breathes out and Emmet-soft “Lucy” and collapses in her arms.

And she’s left even more confused than the moment she first saw him.

She gets her friends to come over and help take this hurt "stranger" up to her apartment to patch him up. Given his soft voice, him wearing a vest, and the fact he knew her real name, she's very suspicious of who he might actually be, despite how crazy that seems. 

I've got more on this start bit, but I'm thinking of writing it out in a one shot or two.  But just know, Rex wakes up, his soft voice from his sore throat means he has to come clean with who he is/was. They all have a heart to heart, (tho Rex doesn't tell them much about his dinoman past), and end up hanging out in Lucy's apartment having snacks and watching tv. It's a chill time to help ease Rex into everything.

A couple days later, Rex wakes up screaming after having yet another nightmare about Emmet. You know that moment in Confrontation where Rex freezes as he's pinned by Emmet straddling him? Right before and as he starts getting choked? That's what Roarsome Rex Brickowski has the most nightmares about. Him reliving that vivid moment and waking up not able to breathe. 

Because he doesn't have Emmet with him (like Roarsome Rex does) to reassure him, Roarsome Brickowski ends up far more traumatized by the events of Confrontation. He feels guilty as hell about Emmet, but he also comes to be terrified of him. Which is understandable, but he nearly hecking DIED!!!! D:>

But anyway, Lucy comes in, and confronts him, and gets him to tell her just how he ended up as a bloodied half dinoman on her doorstep. It's a long story. Lucy gets upset when Rex tells her about becoming a part raptor to be tough, so he comforts her. But then when the story continues, and he has to tell her about Confrontation... He breaks down, and she has to comfort him. Sad, but supportive cuddles all around!

And after that, there are a lot of similar events to the Rex Brickowski AU, tho things are different, some events don't happen, some happen earlier than others, and some entirely new and different things happen too! 

For example, I have an idea for a short story about a teleporter accident causing Lucy and Rex to temporarily swap bodies for a few weeks! And all the shenanigans that ensue. Tho the whole thing helps them grow closer. 

In fact, this Rex and Lucy grow closer faster than normal Rex Brickowski does! Which is neat. 

There are more things on that, but there's the premise! I'll probably talk more about it another time, and feel free to ask questions! Just specify that it's for RRB (Roarsome Rex Brickowski) or the Roarsome Brickowski AU :3

[theuniversitychallengereview]

UC 49.25 - Manchester vs Trinity, Cambridge

The fact that this blog is going to be written entirely in character as the narrator of the novel Ducks, Newburyport, the fact that you’re probably going to have to look that up if you don’t know what it is otherwise you’ll have no idea whats going on, the fact that Manchester and Trinity have seven UC titles between them, the fact that there’s no reason for me doing this other than the fact that I’m reading that book at the moment and its constantly running through my mind, the fact that here’s your first starter for ten, Starter for Ten, James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, cabbage patch, the fact that Manchester are mascotted by a bee and Trinity are mascotted by some sort of homeknitted Sooty, the fact that I’ve already said here’s your first starter for ten so I should probably start, the fact that Webber wins the first points for Trinity with ‘Capital’, following a list of clues, though I’m not sure which one he got it on, the fact that I never am when there are lists of clues for questions, but I suppose its probably often some combination that sets off a light in the contestants heads, Eureka! Topeka, Toto, lions, the fact that the first set of bonuses are on scientists, Dorothy Hodgkins, the fact that I remember hearing her name in lectures but can never remember what exactly she did, the fact that the first bonus question asked for a specific vitamin, the fact that when a question on University Challenge asks for a specific vitamin its nearly always B12, K12, the fact that no one really knows any other specific vitamin, so its pretty obvious the answers going to be B12, the fact that Rogers negs the next starter, but can’t even guess, even though he knows the answer will be a city, the fact that thats a bit mean of me to say, isn’t it, the fact that its probably really hard to think of something in that situation, the fact that Trinity can’t get it either so Manchester get a reprieve, the fact that Moscow was known as the third Rome, the fact that I’d never heard of the third Rome, let alone heard of it being Moscow, the fact that Crawford buzzes in very quickly when she hears the words ‘potato-eaters’, Vincent Van Gogh, Goch, Go, Goff, the fact that the next bonuses were on EU treaties in the week that Brexit finally happened, the fact that there’s no way they could have known this to schedule it like that, the fact that they’d have had to know ahead of time that Brexit would be postponed in March, October, December, the fact that they couldn’t have known that, the fact that it must have just been pure chance, the fact that Crawford wants Webber to guess a five letter word for a question that asks for a four letter word, the fact that he doesn’t, the fact that what if his spelling had been wrong, the fact that I am 100% sure the answer for the PIcture starter is Bavaria, but its also a guess, the fact that Webber says ‘educatory guess’ not ‘educated guess’, the fact that is that also right?, the fact that Manchester finally get a question right, the fact that they’re already 75 points behind at this point, the fact that Hughes gets the next starter to put a stop to their comeback, the fact that Hughes really does get a lot of starter questions, the fact that Trinity don’t get the author of ‘The Children’s Book’, but I know its AS Byatt, because I have a copy of it in my flat which my grandma gave me but which I’ve not read because it looks unspeakably boring, the fact that I’d probably never have heard of AS Byatt if I didn’t have the book, the fact that there’s loads of authors I’d never have heard of if I didn’t have their books, the fact that most of the time I need to have read about a book to know things about it, but I know stuff about films that I’ve never seen, apparently by osmosis, the fact that I should read more, the fact that I’m trying, but Ducks, Newburyport is just so damn big, the fact that its still really good though, the fact that I’d recommend it to anyone, the fact that this homage probably isn’t painting it in a good light, the fact that I assure you Lucy Ellmann does a better job of this than I do, the fact that Webber also gets a lot of starter questions, the fact that Trinity don’t know a lot about astronomy, astrology, solar flares, sun spots, Griffiths observatory, Palomar observatory, Jodrell Bank, the South Bank, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Glenfinnan Viaduct, Hogwarts Express, the fact that the next question is about trigonometry, the fact that I’d have known that when I was studying trigonometry but its a bit of a pointless question to have here, the fact that Webber gets it anyway, the fact that they get two bonuses on the architect Owen Jones, Chavs, chavs, the fact that that stands for council housed and violent, the fact that its widely regarded that thats actually a backronym, the fact that it apparently derives from the Roman word ‘chavi’, meaning child, the fact that who was using Roman words to coin new terms in the 21st century, the fact  that there are no chavs in Harry Potter, the fact that do you get wizard chavs, the fact that David Bowie is the music starter, the fact that David Bowie was probably a wizard, Ian Dury, the Blockheads, hit me with your rhythm stick, the fact that Trinity don’t recognise Joni Mitchell, the fact that Joni Mitchell is probably the best singer-songwriter ever, the fact that is it just me who thinks that, the fact that Trinity know novels from their opening passages, the fact that I used to know the start of Northern Lights, the fact that I used to know the chapter titles for that too, the Decanter of Tokay, the fact that I also used to have the opening page of Barack Obama’s autobiography memorised, the fact that it was in the bathroom for months, the fact that Paxman says ‘You are on fire tonight!’ after Trinity get the novel questions, the fact that he’s absolutely right, the fact that they are very much on fire, the fact that Manchester haven’t had a look in for ages, the fact that they have a guess on the next starter, but they’re wrong and Crawford picks it up, the fact that Paxman says ‘you can give the scientific or the common name’ for a genus of hoofed mammals, the fact that who knows the scientific name for a genus of hoofed mammals but not the common name, the fact that the answer was goat, the fact that is there anyone on earth who knows the word ‘capra’ but doesn’t know the word ‘goat’, the fact that they just put that in the question to make the show seem more intellectual don’t they, the fact that I hadn’t noticed that before, the fact that they quite often say ‘give the scientific or common name’, the fact that are Manchester ever going to get another question, the fact that the third bonus question on adaptations is ‘the Turn of the Screw’ and I swear I’d been thinking of the Turn of the Screw for the first one even though it had no link to it, the fact that thats just a total coincidence isn’t it, the fact that Manchester have finally got another one, the fact that hopefully they can get up above fifty points, the fact that anything below fifty points seems like a truly dreadful effort, but if you can get just above that it seems almost respectable, the fact that Green gets the next one too, two in a row, hattrick, connect four, the fact that they get all of the picture bonuses too, the fact that this puts them over fifty, the fact that Green gets a hattrick with an excellent early buzz of ‘aubergine’, the fact that Paxman says ‘good buzz’ and it was, the fact that where was this form earlier, the fact that if this had come in a bit earlier then they might have stood a chance, the fact that Green goes for four in a row on the next starter, but gets it wrong, the fact that Hughes gets the next one, the fact that he’d been quiet for a while but you can never count him out, the fact that Booth gets his first of the night, the fact that Manchester nearly have a hundred now, the fact that that really would have been respectable, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Mesozoic, Triassic, the fact that in Trinity’s last episode Hughes guessed Palmerston for a Prime Minister question and if he’d guessed that again they’d have been right again, the fact that Trinity are running away with it again, the fact that they have already got the highest score of the series so far, the fact that will they hit three hundred, the fact that they only need ten more points, the fact that Hughes buzzes in with ‘martlet’ and they’ve got it, the fact that it was his seventh starter of the match, the fact that Trinity scored three hundred, the fact that Manchester scored ninety five, the fact that its the highest combined score we’ve had in two years, the fact that Trinity still have to win another match to reach the semi finals, the fact that Manchester aren’t kncked out yet either, the fact that I don’t know who’s playing next week, the fact that every time I pick up Ducks, Newburyport I think ‘how did she write this’ and having done this now I am even more amazed, the fact that this goes into nowhere near the amount of detail she goes into, but I have no clue how she manages it, the fact that it must have been a pain to edit, the fact that if I really wanted to copy the style I’d have had to put a huge list in at some point, but that might have been too annoying for this blog, the fact that I might go back and add a list anyway, the fact that I don’t know how she ends the book so I might just have to end it here because I don’t know how I’ll get out otherwise