#lulu talks about peaks

[whoslaurapalmer]

my twin peaks rewatches always stall around lonely souls. bc I'm usually watching it when I go to bed and how can I fall asleep to that!!! but honestly even when I'm not falling asleep to it it's an episode I always have to work myself up for. it's so much

[ladylooch]

can you pls write about hiking/camping with the hischiers?

So this isn’t all of them together… but I had this idea and had to run with it!

“Okay, LuLu, what are the rules?” Nico asks, tightening the laces on her hiking boots. She wrinkles her nose at how tight they are, but does not protest out loud.

“Stay on the trail, no throwing rocks, and have fun!” Lucie cheers. Nico grins up at his 6 year old from his knee, so proud of her excitement and attentiveness. 

It’s their first hike together, just the two of them. Mama, Mack, and Sophie are at home, giving Nico time with his oldest in his favorite place: the outdoors. Nico has been waiting for this moment since he first held Lucie in his hands. He wants to share both the outdoors and Switzerland with his oldest daughter so she understands more of what is a part of her. 

“Good. What is the most important rule?”

“Have fun!” Lucie giggles. “I always have fun with you daddy.” Nico almost breaks down into tears at the trailhead. 

“Me too, Luc.” He pats her tan, bucket hat head. “Ready?”

“Yeah!” 

With their backpacks of snacks and water on their bodies, they head off onto the gravel trail in the Swiss alps. All along the way, Nico points out birds and trees and creeks far down below. They even see a deer bounding through the valley by the lake.

“Whoa!” Lucie exclaims loudly. “Are we gonna see a bear, daddy?”

“Hopefully no.” Nico murmurs. “If we keep talking, I doubt it.”

“Okay, I don’t wanna see one.”

“Well, we are in their home, baby. We might. If we do, listen to what I say, okay?” Lucie nods seriously. The trail is relatively populated this morning, so Nico is not worried about any sudden bear encounters. 

It takes 90 minutes before they get to the top of their hike. Lucie is being so patient and good.

“Almost there.” Nico murmurs, looking back to his daughter. She has her eyes on her feet, careful of her steps as the trail gets harder to see because of overgrown brush. “You’re doing great!” Lucie smiles and bites her lip at her dad’s praise. 

At the top of the trail, they look out at the vastnesss of the Swiss Alps. Stray clouds touch the highest peaks in front of them that are still slightly snow capped despite the summer season. Lucie stares out in awe at the scene in front of her. Nico looks down at her, beaming with pride at her appreciation for his home country.

“This is yours too, Lucie. You, Mack and Soph will always have a home here.”

“Why don’t we live here all the time?” Lucie wonders.

“Because daddy’s job. But maybe we can live here when I’m done playing, yeah?”

“Will we go on hikes every day?”

“Probably not. You’ll have to go to school.” Lucie sighs. “But we can go a lot.” Nico offers. His daughter nods in agreement. 

“Can I have a snack?”

“Yeah, do you want apple sauce or a granola bar.”

“Both.”

“You got it.”

Nioc distributes the snack, then settles with his daughter on a flat rock. Lucie slumps agains this arm, eating her fuel in the quiet wilderness with her favorite person: her dad.

[beanghostprincess]

Favourite One Piece openings and/or just songs in general?

You can't ask this to a music student and guitarist/singer! I can't choose! there are too many good songs in this anime-

Sogeki no Shima deeee. Umareta Ore waaa. Hyaappaaatsu Hyaku Chu. Lulu Lala Luuuuuu. Nezumi no Medama mo (Lock on!!) Omae no Haato mo (LOCK OOOON!!!) SOOOGEKI NO SHIMA KARA KITA OTOKOOOO LULULU LULU LALAAA SOOOOREEEENIIIGEEEEROOO Sogege Soge Soge SOOGEEEKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING

Okay, no, jokes aside (it isn't a joke. I genuinely ADORE Sogeking's theme) my true rankings (No. I'm not writing essays about them. This post would be too long. If you're curious about my genuine long opinions about a song, send an ask bc otherwise this post will be too long):

Openings:

Crazy Rainbow (this is the song I want all of you to think about when you think about me because it's MY song. I LOVE IT. It's me. It talks about me, actually. I am crazy and I'm a rainbow and a star. Twinkle twinkle rainbow star!!! I heard it once and it became my favorite ever. It's my alarm. I wake up with this banger every day. My friends hate me for this take but honestly, they're the ones who don't appreciate a good set of trumpets and guitars with tropical imagery as background).

Hope (The chorus is WILD. The visuals are so comforting it makes me cry every time. This is the energy I want all of my fanfics to have. It's the representation of my writing turned into music, I think. These are the vibes I want. The lyrics??? Are fucking insane??? Also, Sanji-themed, and it hits close to home).

We go! (I don't need to explain this one, but I wanted to mention that the way he screams BRRREAK OF ROMANCE DAWWWWN rewired my brain completely and that lyric appears on my mind every damn day)

Jungle P (Average opening. Not even that good. It's just cool and happy. HOWEVER! Have you considered that LIFE IS ADVENTUROUS BE AWARE IT'S DANGEROUS WHO'S GONNA BE ONE OF US AND THE TRIP GOES ON BECAUSE WE DA PIRATE OF THE MASS TO THE WEST TO THE EAST GONNA FIND MY WAY SAIL AWAY ALL THE WAY TO ONE PIECE)

Brand New World (The energy this song has makes me literally want to scream in the happiest of ways. The chorus, man, it's insane).

Hikari E (The Catalan Dub makes it better. I'm staying loyal to my native language this time. This is fucking amazing in Catalan. The lyrics are so fucking good they make me want to cry. It's very dear to me, too).

The peak (Really cute! Fun! Such a relief opening to end Wano <3 It's just beautiful visually and stunning. But also it has such peaceful and joyful vibes!! My beloved).

Kokoro No Chizu (This one is awesome. I love everything about it. My fav thing about it is my reaction to watching OP with full screen for the first time. Really fun experience of 'what the fuck is this and also THIS SONG IS A BANGER??')

Bon Voyage (Also my alarm because no other thing besides BON VOYAAAGE being yelled against my ear wakes me up in a better mood. Also, really fun opening. The chorus are basically the best part, ofc, for obvious reasons).

Believe (Once again saying this one hits different in the Catalan Dub. The lyrics are beautiful but also it gives sooo many 2000s opening vibes. I enjoy this song every time)

Endings:

Raise (I am not explaining this one because I think it's obvious why it deserves top 1)

Run! Run! Run! (Who the fuck is focusing on the song when Sanji being silly is right there???!?!??! Fun fact, I had a whole ass moment when I saw this ending for the first time and I had to take a break from watching the show because I went on a full crazy spiral of 'Sanjisanjisannijssnaisanjisanjisansajisanjisanji'. But also, really great song and it makes my brain go brrrrr).

Shouchi no Suke (BROOO THE VIBESSSSS THIS IS SO FUCKING GOOD I COULD LISTEN TO THIS FOR HOURS)

Dear Friends (This one makes me want to k word myself so I think that's a very good way to express how fucking good this ending is and how much it hurts me every time)

Eternal Pose (I am vibing. I like vibing. It's the vibes only).

Free Will (I want to hug Robin so tight. This one makes me so emotional. I am in so much pain, please).

(Not even a top 10, this was supposed to be a top 5 but I couldn't leave Free Will behind).

Character songs (with little to no explanation because I work tomorrow and I have to go to sleep but I want to post this now):

River of Freedom (I want to fuck Sabo nasty after hearing this and I am so not ashamed of posting this publicly. My thoughts aren't in the bible).

Dr. Heart Stealer (I want to fuck this man to oblivion and I am a lesbian and asexual. Imagine how hot you have to be for this to happen).

47 Todoufuken Gen Ima Cruise (Yakko Warner would love this).

Hajimari to Owari no Machi (They put drugs in this one).

Girls ni Kubittake (I like submissive Sanji).

Smile for Freedom (I kin Nami)

Save My Heart (The depression of some is the fav song of others)

Headliners (Kidlaw sex)

Usopp Drop (I am in love with Usopp)

Moulin Rouge (I am in love with Sanji)

[astral-express-family]

A Potion and a Sparkling Ring

Aslia x Hina | romantic fluff

a proposal fic? whaaaat???? okay but seriously i've started calling Hina my wife and then the potions event happened so uh. here we are i guess

"Oho, so you're the ones behind the potion shop I've heard so much about! When it comes to fulfilling requests, I heard the customer's wish is practically your command."

At the sound of her girlfriend's voice, Aslia looks up from the book she's reading. Sure enough, Hina is standing there, her eyes twinkling and tail wagging. The rabbit lady blushes, and buries her face in her book to the sound of Lisa's teasing giggle. As Paimon and Lumine greet the general and her companion, Aslia's mind drifts. A bag hangs off the back of rose chair, and this is the perfect situation for ro to make use of it.

A brief tug on rose arm makes rose look up. Lisa is tugging gently on her arm, a silent encouragement to go greet the guests. Kirara, who Aslia is only vaguely acquainted with, is rocking back and forth idly. Lisa greets the guests in her usual playful tone, while Aslia stares at Hina with a wistful smile as ro shoulders rose bag. Then ro basically sprints the short distance between the potions stand and the cauldron where the others stand, exclaiming, "Puppy!"

Hina barely has enough time to turn around before she receives an armful of her girlfriend, but her tail is wagging more than before. Aslia presses kisses all over Hina's face as the general giggles and manages to say, "Hey, Bunny!"

"Oh, this cutie seems to like you," Lisa teases. Aslia pulls away from Hina, rolling rose eyes playfully. Crossing her arms and turning to Lisa she grumbles, "Lisa!"

Lisa puts her hands up in surrender with a little giggle. She keeps talking, but Aslia stops paying attention. Ro is more concerned with rummaging around in rose bag, pausing when ro finally finds the item ro's looking for.

A small box.

She'd had this for months, waiting for the perfect opportunity to give it to its intended recipient.

And now here's the recipient, standing right in front of her, unaware of what Aslia holds in her hands.

"Hey, Shining Star, are you gonna help out?" Lumine asks, causing Aslia to jump and nearly drop the box. She approaches the cauldron, asking, "So, Lulu, what're we making?"

Lumine explains the potion the three of them will be making for Hina and Kirara. One to keep them, and the soldiers of Watatsumi, in peak condition. Aslia nods in understanding as she prepares herself for her role in making the potion. She leans over Lumine's shoulder, pointing out places to put ingredients to make the most efficient potion.

When it's done, Lumine pours it into a heart-shaped bottle, picked out by a blushing Aslia. Then Paimon attaches a decoration to the bottle, whilst Lumine sidles over to Aslia.

"So... Hina," Lumine giggles, "and that little box I saw?" Aslia lets out a squeak of embarrassment, rose face burning. Ro knows that Lumine has figured out what's in the box, so ro just nods a little. Lumine grins wide and chirps, "About time!"

"About time for what?" Paimon asks, poking their head over Lumine's shoulder as they pass the finished potion to it. Lumine takes the potion and whispers, "Aslia's hoping to get engaged."

"Again?" Paimon asks, louder than strictly necessary, prompting Hina and Kirara to glance over for just a moment before resuming their conversation. Aslia pulls out the box again, looking at it with a faraway stare. Paimon looks at rose, then over to where Hina and Kirara are speaking. Then back to Aslia, then Hina, then Aslia one more time. Recognition dawns on their face, and then a smile.

"Good luck!" Paimon chirps, patting Aslia on the back. Meanwhile, Lumine holds out her hand with a knowing smirk. Aslia tilts her head in confusion, before Lumine gestures to the ring.

"Put the ring around the potion neck. Hina sees the ring. You propose," she starts, before Paimon finishes, "Bam! There you go!"

The plan makes Aslia blush, but ro nods in agreement. Lumine holds out the bottle, and Aslia carefully works the ring over the neck. It's big enough - or the bottle neck is small enough, Aslia's not sure - that the ring slides down easily.

Then Lumine approaches Hina and Kirara, distracting them from their conversation. Paimon encourages them to try the potion, with Hina praising it with her usual genuine smile. Kirara tests it as well, also having nothing but compliments.

"Hey, what's this?" Kirara examines the bottle carefully upon spotting the ring. Then her eyebrows raise in realization, and she giggles with a playful, "General, I believe this is for you!"

"H-huh...?" Hina stammers, taking the bottle and staring at the ring. Aslia clears rose throat. Ro's down on one knee, rose hands out as if gesturing to the ring on the bottle. Ro just hopes ro looks more confident than ro feels.

"Hina... will you marry me?"

Hina blushes, her entire face burning red. Aslia can see her tail wagging as she stares at Aslia for a long moment before announcing her answer of, "Of course!"

Lumine, Paimon, and Kirara burst into cheers as Aslia leaps up, and then Hina pulls her into a kiss.

This, of course, is the exact moment that Lisa approaches. She compliments them, her usually playful tone entirely genuine. Aslia thanks her as ro removes the ring from the bottle and places it on Hina's finger. It's a black band, with an amber-colored gemstone in the middle. She'd had to pay Wagner a fair bit of Mora to get him to make it, but it was worth every single one.

"Well, I guess our afternoon tea is more of an engagement party now, huh cuties?" Lisa asks playfully. Aslia and Hina both blush, though Aslia is also rolling her eyes playfully.

"Now I'm really glad we decided to make that delay," Hina giggles to her new fiancée.

"So am I," Aslia replies with a fond smile, "So am I."

[theroachsankles]

in ur opinion, what makes a robot truly sexy? or just who are ur top 5 hot robots

WOOF well my friend, I like to be very detailed when it comes to explaining robot design! So strap in!

We'll start with a face!

A slightly or even heavily inhuman face is what really packs a punch! The fun work around with expression due to a lack of the normal human face is something fun and challenging! And I'm really into that!

I also think using real life helmets and masks are really great for figuring out a robot's visage. There are so many out there! It'd be cool to use those as inspo!

Lights for eyes are a favorite of mine! Especially if the glow changes based on intensity of mood!

Which is great if you combine that with an inhuman face!

Next is body!

Really shape language is the way to go! Pick a shape and go nuts! I do love verity in robot bodies just like with human ones, but in robot cases you can go HAM on the augmented body which is super fun, especially if you over exagerate! They don't have to have organs so again you can go HAM on design!

Referencing real life armor, just like masks, is a fun one as well! I even enjoy when a robot character pulls from human musculature systems! Especially with the idea that you can SEE each muscle at work when they move! I eat that shit up!

EXTRA LIMBS!!! This is fun in design because of the idea of how that would work with movement and also gestures when at rest! It's like a puzzle especially if you plan on drawing robots!

This isn't a requirement but a specific things I've noticed. If the robot can wear clothes, it makes them instantly more interesting. Why do they wear them? How do they feel about them? Do they even need clothes? Who cares!? It's hot XD

Lastly are just a few things that I find hot and fun!

Steam. Nothing hotter than literally showing signs of high body temp! Especially if this robot is in a fight! Talk about HOT XDD

LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS! I adore the different colors and placement of things like biolights and the glowing eyes and even glowing teeth if you're feeling spicy! (Almost all my robot Ocs have glowing teeth and steam up alot)

Also I don't have to draw actual feet. I hate drawing feet XD

If they get to have a developed personality outside of just "I am a machine I do not feel" cause that lacks alot of the fun to be had with the kinds of questions you can ask with robot characters!

Augmented voices are a MUST! I wanna hear that bass! The weird electricity to the voice! It's so much fun!

As far as top five hottest robots? WOOF that's a toughy but l'd say probably in no specific order

Megatron from tfp- his design is PEAK transformers design! Just the right amount of inhuman and human so that he's readable! I love how expressive his face and really all of the tfp robots faces are! I think his shape language comes across perfectly alien, especially versus the rest of the cast! He also has scaring from his times as a gladiator and I think that's AWESOME! Also HE GOT A WALK AND WAIST WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?

The Giant from Iron Giant- while I wouldn't say he's hot and sexy, he's adorable and was my first robot crush uu. He's a true sweetie and his story is a tear jerker for so many reasons. His design is also CLASSIC and I love that about him! (It helps that he went crazy with grief and had all those weapons. Was really into that XDD)

X-49 from Samurai Jack- look him and his episode up! He's got everything I love about a robot design! He wears a cool 30's hat and coat and only wanted to find his pug Lulu! Very much loved him and his episode and thought his design was sleek as hell!

Zima from Zima Blue- while he is more human looking than the rest, I was so enamored with his powerful story and seeing him evolve from a little pool cleaner to a tall stoic artist looking for purpose! His last scene was also a favorite because of the way you could SEE how he was put together!

Ultron from Avengers Age of Ultron- To be blunt, I'm NOT a big fan of marvel movies and Ultron was the last movie I saw. It wasn't a great movie but ULTRON DUDE!? GAWD you wanna talk about HOT? He follows all my attractive robot bullet points and then some! I don't remember anything from that movie outside of his scenes and I think a character death who I didn't care about since he was under developed. BUT I TELL YA WHAT I'll watch that movie just for him.

I could go on for hours about this and honestly would've listed alot more robots but I wanted to add a bit of verity to the list!

I appreciate your time! I hope that answers some things for you! (Also if you wanna see some of my robot designs, check out my Instagram @theroachankles1997 I post alot of robots there uwu)

[mysteriousmaninthesmoke]

HELLO!!! If you have been waiting for Project Chimera for the last 2 weeks, you going to have to wait a little longer. I had finals for classes then while deleting stuff no longer needed for those classes I deleted THE GODDAMN CHAPTER!!! And I was so proud of what I did with the doctor

WELP I got to do something. So let me talk about my experience with the lgbtq+ community.

So let me talk about me first though. Hello, you can call me Smoke. No your not getting my real name. I don't know how many of you are fae creatures in disguise. I am a purely straight cis guy. Why am I straight? Meh, I don't like men. We got those weird dangle bits down there and we destroyed the planet. The women haven't gotten a chance to. Why am I cis. Well, I was dealt the card of male and well I'm fine with it. If I was dealt the card of female I am pretty sure I would have been gay and possibly trans, but knowing me I could never go through surgery or go through hormone replacement therapy. My body does not take foreign substances well and I am hyper-sensitive to changes to my body. (can't even handle a small scab on my skin I have to pick at it instantly.)

Now where was I? OH YEAH! The community where I grew up was a very accepting place, but I didn't learn what being gay was till middle school. Anytime I saw a character in a relationship on TV with someone of the same gender I thought "Huh neat" and went on with my day. I have always been the type of person to just people to be who they want to be. It was not till middle school that I learned the meaning.

Same thing for trans but instead high school. then I learned all the lgbtq+ things from there.

Then comes Plurality. I am not plural but I do have something like it because of my ADHD and autism meds. kinda changes to my mood. off my meds, I am hyper, bounce, and distractible, at the peak of meds I am dull, calculated, and just done with stuff. (kinda of what I based Smoke the Detective on.) then there is me when my meds where I am sluggish and lazy, but OH DO THE CREATIVE JUICES FLOW!!! I do my best work when my meds are wearing off at the end of the day. anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Plurality. Yeah, I am a bit blind here and don't know much about but I think I get the basics. And now I see it everywhere (I BLAME YOU TWO @ayviedoesthings /j)

zuzu, celina, lulu, and rin and yuya, yuto, yugo, and yuri from yugioh arc v

Andy and Victor from Undead Unluck (Which you should go read.)

THE STANDS FROM JOJO!!!

Many things in media could represent Plurality Now I could go rambling on about other things about lgbtq, like how you look and act does not decide who you are, How the past can help you on your journey, or other words of wisdom but I got things to do and this gone a bit too long. hope to have you reading Project Chimera Part 4

[freakattack]

Same questions from Ana, but now for Lulu!

AHGHHH LULU YOUR GONNA MAKE ME TALK ABOUT LULU. I am gonna be honest i am not a huge fan of lulu so this might not be what you are looking for. These specific questions are hard to make flattering answers to but i will try to do her as much justice as i can

My first impression of them

"Who is this

2. When I think I truly started to like them (or dislike them, if you’ve sent me a character I don’t like)

So i tried to like lulu i really did. I do like her design i think her freckles and big ol eyebrows are really cute and distinctive. I think the trailer shes introduced in tries its darnedest to make us connect with her by making her participate in a montage of all the other warioware characters we already love but she just doesnt do it for me. I associate her with warioware gold which already sours me to her but I love 13-amp from the same game, i think the thing that turns me off of her is that she kind of doesnt feel like a wario character? Most ware characters have this dichotomy between a cool exterior and a less-cool personality, whether that be the most popular girl at school being a huge dweeb or a pair of macho taxi driver being huge sci-fi nerds or a bully/rap battlemaster being secretly very shy and bookish. Lulu doesn't really feel like that, she is a scrappy little girl that is really mad at wario and later is infatuated with young cricket. She has some fleeting silly moments where she gets sidetracked from her goal, but for the most part she presents herself as a scrappy little girl and that's exactly what she is. there isn't that subversive twist at her core that make the other characters so fun to me. I don't think every warioware character necessarily has to follow the same formula but I like a twist. I like a warioware twist.

TL;DR shes too good at her job

16. A childhood headcanon

I think she bites people

(This is a compliment)

14. Best storyline they had

Her animosity towards wario in gold is probably her peak to me because i can kinda see where they're going with her character, she's presenting herself as the Hero of her Village but is actually a little kid that is not that good at it. Except that she is good at it in the end, but I see where they were going. Unfortunately they drop that angle in get it together and focus more on her thing with cricket, which i don't really like. Had they played her up more as an ineffective self-proclaimed hero I might find her more interesting but it feels like they kinda lost focus?  Which is a shame because it woulda been fun. She even has red overalls, which is like the #1 hero's garb

21. When do you think they were at their happiest?

Latching onto young cricket (out of love) and latching onto wario (to kill him)

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Frankie Miller born 2nd November 1949 in Glasgow.

Frankie is one of the legends of the Scottish music scene, with a powerful voice that has drawn numerous comparisons. His distinctive voice and song writing ability have earned him the respect of his peers and that is reflected in the number of world renowned artists, including Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker, Etta James, Cher, The Everly Brothers and Ray Charles, who have covered his songs.

Frankie started writing songs at the age of nine after being given a guitar by his parents. He composed a song called “”But I Do” which caused tears of laughter amongst his family members but Frankie was to remain undeterred…

His infatuation with music and his natural vocal talent took a positive form in the shape of the succession of early groups. Although never short of gigs his early groups could not break into the popular scene.

Frankie signed a solo contract with Chrysalis in 1972 and recorded his first album “Once in a Blue Moon” using ‘Pub Rockers’ Brinsley Schwarz as his backing band. Material wise the album showcased Frankie’s skills as a well above average song writer and I Can’t Change It was accorded what must have been for Frankie, the ultimate compliment when Ray Charles covered it on his album Brother Ray Is At It Again.

Frankie’s career took off after that first album, when on hearing it, legendary producer Allen Toussaint (of Lee Dorsey – “Workin’ in a Coal Mine” fame) took him to New Orleans to record “Highlife” with Frankie’s soulful leanings being allowed a free reign.

Released in January 1974, reviews were good, though without the sales to match it, it was clear the collaboration would be a one off.

Although not successful commercially Frankie was earning respect in the music business, one of his good friends and writing partner was Paul Carrack, who had big success with Mike and the Mechanics, Steve Tyler of Aerosmith fame sang backing vocals on one of his songs, he also recorded a duet, Still in Love with You, with Phil Lynott.

It wasn’t until 1978 that Frankie made his breakthrough when Darlin’ peaked at No. 6 in the charts. Miller never really followed up on the success of Darlin’ but hissongs have earned him many songwriting awards and have been covered by artists such as Hanne Boel, Johnny Cash, Lulu, Ray Charles, Rod Stewart, The Bellamy Brothers, Kim Carnes, Waylon Jennings, Bob Seger, Bonnie Tyler, Roy Orbison, Etta James, Joe Cocker, Joe Walsh and The Eagles.

And of course there is Caledonia,Dougie MacLean wrote the song in less than 10 minutes on a beach in Brittany, France, feeling homesick for Scotland, it was a minor hit for him but other than that the song passed most people by, that was until Tennent’s Lager plucked it to be used in their television advert in 1991,Miller had only recorded the first verse and the chorus for the advertisement, when it first aired.

But the public response was immediate and so enormous that Frankie was forced to re-record the whole song and release it as an independent single. A music video was launched for the song. The song reached number 45 in March 1991 on the Singles Chart.

Frankie continued to become an in–demand writer on the country music scene and had started on a new project to record with Joe Walsh and Nicky Hopkins when he suffered a massive brain hemorrhage in New York on August 25th 1994. It should have killed him but he has shown remarkable courage to claw his way slowly back to health, after spending 15 months in hospital.

Frankie has never fully recovered from then, although an album, Double Take, containing old takes with Frankie was released last year. I found a page with people talking about Frankie, Rod Stewart’s quote is my favourite stating that Frankie “was the only white singer to have brought a tear” to his eye.

In March this year Miller released the track "One More Step to the Rainbow" as a protest to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, I can’t find it on Youtube though...........

[fwoopersongs]

题西林壁 - Written On this Wall in Xilin

by 苏轼 (Su Shi, 1037 - 1101)

横看成岭侧成峰 héng kàn chéng lǐng cè chéng fēng Across, look - it’s a mountain range, sideways, a towering summit;

远近高低各不�� yuǎnjìn gāodī gè bù tóng from far to near, from high to low, every angle a world of its own.

不识庐山真面目 bù shí lúshān zhēn miànmù One does not perceive the true face of Mt. Lu,

只缘身在此山中 zhǐ yuán shēn zài cǐ shān zhōng only because they still stand amidst its valleys and peaks.

(Source)

This is a copy. Carved on a wall at the Xilin Temple of Mt. Lu and then moved to the Donglin Temple some time later, the original has been lost to time. 

.........................................................................................................

Another homework poem! I should start tagging them xD

Did a quick translation with zero context while stuck in the washroom. It was very amusing! As was wolf whistling Mt Lulu with friends ~

Anyway, I also got the vibe that there was a story here somewhere and thought it would be fun to investigate as much as I am able to! When I’m done with these notes, I shall try for another translation which will be the face for this post xD But I’ll also keep the fun tl in at the end.

Notes

TRANSLATION

This is a very straightforward seven character quatrain with a rhymed second and fourth line. It was written in the Song Dynasty by the poet better known as Su Dongpo - yes I was surprised as well, such a famous line and from a Song Dynasty poem? They aren’t just known for their lyrics! I wonder which other everyday idiom has similar origins...

So the lines in this poem themselves don’t actually need clarification. 

A visitor to the 庐山 Lu Mountain has covered quite a lot of ground, looking at it from end to end and seeing it as a mountain range. Then staring at it from one end, it looks like just one towering mountain. From when he approached he saw the range and the summit; when he was close, when he climbed up and then all along his descent, every vantage point rewarded him with a different, gorgeous view and field of vision. Puzzled though, he sat and wondered which is ‘real’? And then he realized, all of them and none of them at once. Because... I am still in the mountain. 

For anyone who is wondering Mt. Lu... where is this again? 

Recognize this picture? (You might if you watch cdrama) Yup! This is one of the scenic sights within Mt Lu xD

(Source)

I felt a little let down after reading the poem initially. 

不识庐山真面目 // one does not perceive the true face of Mt. Lu

Like oh, so you mean this?

So easy?

But the truth is HAH! The person who most needs a better view often doesn’t know how much they need it. (Me, I’m talking about ME)

In the process of looking up details of the ‘background section’, and how to better illustrate it, I came across many photos of Mt. Lu. 

This is 望江亭 // Riverwatch Pavilion

This is the same 望江亭 // Riverwatch Pavilion

Stone carvings by 黄龙潭 // Yellow River Springs

This is 如琴湖 // Ruqin Lake

Again 如琴湖 // Ruqin Lake, different season, different POV.

Some branches... mmmm...

My favourite pavilion is the 观云亭 // Cloudwatch Pavilion

Less ethereal but still enticing!  观云亭 // Cloudwatch Pavilion!

(Source)

Truly magical!  观云亭 // Cloudwatch Pavilion again.

Do you want another angle of 观云亭 // Cloudwatch Pavilion?

(Source)

Maybe enough with the pavilions.

There’s tea!

Jiangxi Mt. Lu Green Tea Field

Snow at  含鄱口 // Hanpokou

Another location? No! 含鄱口 // Hanpokou again :)

Random bridge!

状元桥 // Top Scholar’s Bridge... I wonder who visits? xD

A Mt Lu sunset at 含鄱亭 // Hanpo Pavilion

At some point, I was like wait a minute, just how big is this mountain?

(As below)

Google map

(Source)

Ah. 

I don’t know how Mt Lu looks like. Every view is different - suddenly, that sentence made a world of sense. No matter where I am, it’s going to be different. Like if I look at a pavilion from below and compare that with how it looks from a nearby peak, or when standing right in front of it. And that’s just one spot! 

Yes dear. And you are confused because you’re right smack in the middle of it all, trying to describe 25km x 10km of mountain with what you see in in two 24mm eyes. That’s impossible to achieve.

Maybe take a step back and reframe your question?

HISTORY

Relegation was a very common method of punishment for officials who had been convicted of crimes. This was a distinct punishment from exile, in which the criminal is sent to distant backwaters, often with harsh conditions. Officials sentenced to relegations did not lose their positions as officials, they were demoted and posted to locations distant from the central government and court. Besides a demotion, how far away they were sent was an indication of the severity of the crime. They could not resign and just live as commoners, instead, they may be given a title with no actual power and be thus forced to serve out their sentence there. [x]

The period of relegation that got Su Shi, of Song Dynasty, his name of Su Dongpo began in the year 1080, when he was convicted of insulting the Emperor for a poem he wrote criticizing political reforms. With a nominal official’s title that did not confer any power on him except to tie him down to the area, off he was sent to Huangzhou!

(Notes for basis of passing through Guangzhou, Kuang in wade giles) (Source)

The poem he wrote which very cleverly drags this situation made me smile. He was 45 at this time, and the faction that played a key role in his banishment was new. Do not doubt how big of a blow this relegation was. Hope for a pardon was so dim as to be almost nonexistent. And yet, he sees the humor in the situation and makes fun of it! (But also, my bro, I guess you never learnt to shut it, did you?)

His family came to him in the first year and they stayed together, living frugally. With the help of a poor scholar friend by the name of Ma Zhengqing, in the second year, he got a little plot of land, which was on an old army camp East of the city. We know this because he wrote some poems about his experiences on this Eastern Slope 东坡 (Dong Po) from which he got his nickname.

We remember Ma Zhengqing because of Su Dongpo. But maybe without Ma Zhengqing, there would not have been a Su Dongpo. Interesting how these things happen, isn’t it?

Fun fact: It was during this period that he wrote his Chibi poems!

In the fourth month of 1084, Su Shi was recalled from Huangzhou. With a new emperor and new government, he was still under the relegation sentence, but his new location became Ruzhou. 

Which… please see for yourself below. I mapped it out on google maps based on present day locations, though I also eyeballed the distance on other Chinese maps of the Song Dynasty to confirm. This is just needed to show the walking distance for impact.

NOW I’m quite tired from scrolling through google maps*flops on the floor*.

Here’s the entirely water based route he could have taken… just following the blue lines (waterways) on google maps and joining them together. However, this does not account for the direction of the river’s flow, nor for any construction or whatnot that has happened over nearly a thousand years.

(Good gods, this trip looks exhausting. How long did he take to complete it? A year???)

Here’s the link to the map I made with latitude and longitudes indicated with a * below. If for whatever reason, you also want to stalk blue lines across google maps, you’re welcome to reference the full list. And if you know anything about the actual route, please contact me! I really want to know.

https://goo.gl/maps/uFKGrxTFZPqToFBX7

Huangzhou - 30.433872962245427, 114.88129769733013* Yangtze River - 30.377781819827735, 115.07101171640872 Lushan Maintain - 29.512493686853997, 115.97992335630641* Jiujiang - 29.655519332862937, 115.95199503510239 Yangtze River - 31.52268831477707, 118.3835515008836* joins - 32.25937931638017, 119.4709085685721 Jinghang Yunhe - 32.42372696795087, 119.48513109148513* Jinghang Yunhe - 33.56999997351908, 118.97126706569289 Huaishu River - 33.45610953325041, 118.94490546438135* Huaihe River - 32.54604115026407, 116.58836355764417* joins - 32.500902310509126, 116.52398860951106 Yinghe River - 33.63248728287315, 114.61038506349661* Shahe River - 33.69194084968913, 113.60587536388371 Ruhe River - 34.146226764936046, 112.8221271332927 Ruzhou - 34.16581654981741, 112.84447346106711*

Anyway, so this has all been to give a bit of background on how Su Shi  found himself passing by Mt. Lu. From Huangzhou, he followed the Yangtze to Jiujiang, and from there he had the opportunity to visit Mt. Lu and went for it.

After the visit concluded, he enjoyed it so much that he eventually recorded it in 《东坡志林》 which can be read as Dongpo’s Forest of Records or Dongpo’s Records of Forests, both of which are very cute names for a travelogue.

The account can be found in Chapter 1 of the notes, under the name: 《记游·记游庐山》 , and the tone of it is so so charming!

(Source)

When he first got there, the scenery was fantastically beautiful. It was nothing like anything he had ever seen before, and overwhelmed by the beauty he had thought he would very likely not have the time for poetry. So he proceeded to declare he had no intention of writing any poetry.

(Like how we all say, no need to take photos, no photo can record the beauty that eyes can see xD but in much the same way, we all know what happens to that right?)

But afterwards, he met some monks who lived in the mountain who all exclaimed in excitement or surprise.

“Su Zizhan* has come!”

*子瞻, Su Shi’s courtesy name

And ‘involuntarily’, he composed a quatrain which he provided in his notes.

芒鞵青竹杖 | With rush shoes and green bamboo staff, 自挂百钱游 | upon it, a hundred coins hung, off I roam! 可怪深山里 | How very odd, deep in the mountains here 人人识故侯 | everyone recognizes some old official.

                (Su Shi, probably: I’m popular! Hehe.)

And immediately, he smiled at the absurdity of his verse and wrote two more xD

                 (yjtc: bro, what happened to no poems today?)

青山若无素 | Green mountain, whom I have not met before, 偃蹇不相亲 | like a haughty stranger, not approachable at all. 要识庐山面 | Want to know Mt. Lu's face? 他年是故人 | Then become acquainted in the years to come.

自昔忆清赏 | From before, I recall admiring its grace in works, 神游杳蔼间 | in spirit, exploring amidst the moss and vine. 如今不是梦 | Now this is no dream, 真个是庐山 | it really is Mt Lu.

The next day, he was reading the book his friend Chen Lingju had handed to him, 《庐山记》 ~ Notes on Mt Lu as he walked. He saw poems from 李白 Li Bai and 徐凝 Xu Ning, and something about them amused him very much and he laughed. Later, his steps took him into Kaixian Temple where the monks requested a poem. For them, he wrote the following:

帝遣银河一派垂 | The Heavenly Emperor sends the Silver River [1] gushing down; 古来惟有谪仙辞 | in all of time, only one Immortal's [2] verse can be called thus. 飞流溅沫知多少 | The flying waters splash and foam, who knows how much? 不与徐凝洗恶诗 | It will not wash Xu Ning's terrible poem [3].

[1] Milky Way / Alludes to Li Bai's poem about Mt Lu's waterfall 《望庐山瀑布》,  [2] 谪仙 is an deity sent to the mortal realm. Li Bai was known as the 诗仙 / poetry immortal [3] Xu Ning’s Mt. Lu waterfall poem《庐山瀑布》

He took about ten days or a little more to explore the Southern side of the mountain. Then concluded that there were too many gorgeous places to list and discuss, but of these, 漱玉亭 (Jade Pavilion) and 三峡桥 (Three Gorges Bridge) were the best to him. And thus he wrote two more poems about them, which you may read translated here.

漱玉亭 // Jade Wash Pavilion

(Source)

（Source）

三峡桥 // Three Gorges Bridge

(Source)

And here we have a Ming Dynasty illustration of the same place.

(Source)

Finally, finally, he paired up with a friend he calls Old Zong (this bears a little more research), to explore the West Forest together. During this time, he wrote his final Mt Lu poem, which is also his most well known one.

横看成岭侧成峰 | Across, look - it’s a mountain range, sideways, a towering summit, 远近高低各不同 | from far to near, from high to low, every angle a world of its own. 不识庐山真面目 | One does not perceive the true face of Mt. Lu. 只缘身在此山中 | because they still stand amidst its valleys and peaks.

And I feel like, having had this experience of trekking through the mountain, all the interesting encounters, reading about other people's thoughts, he also took the time to reflect on his own feelings and reactions. Maybe this philosophical view of the world was something he already was nursing, and this metaphor with Mt. Lu was a good way to express it. Maybe he didn't have the voice, and the little holiday inspired him?

Who knows!

But having had the tinest of peeks into some of the events that happened leading to and also on this trip, knowing that this was the closing of a paragraph in his life, no wonder it got famous!

.......................... —ฅ/ᐠ. ̫ .ᐟ\ฅ —..........................

cross section see as long, side become tall far near high low each got something more don't know lu mountain true face how to see only fate cos your body in mountain be

Your thoughts, your beliefs and even your questions limit you from seeing the true nature of things.

[lulucretias]

closed starter for @bebevlnt​ location: lulu’s room note: kisskiss fall in love

Lucretia felt like there was a lot she should have mentioned to Bebe. She had grand ambitions, but none of them would come to fruition if the entire coven didn’t help her. She wondered if she could get Bastien to peak into her future to see what was in store for her. Or maybe she could finally talk to her father and see if he had literally anything to offer her that didn’t involve treating her like she was just another one of his shoulders. Would he even be proud of her? Probably not. He always had something to nitpick at when it came to her. She wasn’t strong enough. She wasn’t weak enough. She didn’t fight as well as he would have liked her to. There was always something for him to mention and she was sick of it. Maybe, if she did this, then there would be nothing left for him to disrespect her about. Sitting up in her bed, she looked towards Bebe. “I have a problem.”

[whoviancumberbunny]

Part Five: It’s All About Soul

Part one: Tentative Love  

Part Two: Small Miracles

Part Three: Leave A Tender Moment Alone

Part Four: Rhythm Of Life

It’s All About Soul

 Scanlan Shorthalt, Kaylie Shorthalt and Other Vox Machina characters Created by Critical Role

  Lucy Collins-Shorthalt and the Shorthalt Children [as well as other characters] Created By Melissa C. Scraper @whoviancumberbunny

Two things were becoming clear to Scanlan Shorthalt, that time passes by quickly and that soon he would be needing to have an awkward conversation with any potential suitors of the now 16 year old, Daphne Juniper. His first Child with Lucy.

 “Scanlan look at me.” Lucy said “You can’t just tell her she can’t date bards. If teenage gnomes are anything like teenage humans, when they are told not to do something they will do it anyway.”

  “But I was such an ass when I was that age, or in fact until I met you.” It was still unclear what his true age was because gnomes aged differently from humans. He had allowed the vanity spell to taper off bit revealing slight bit of grey hair peaking out of his brown hair and thought they no longer had sexual encounters they were still intimate.   He took small origami flower he had been making and tucked it behind her ear “Lulu Bell.” He kissed her it had taken years but Lucy finally stopped flinching away from others calling her Lulu Bell. The fact was only Scanlan who did.

 “I hope I have replaced your negative memories with positive ones.” He caressed her cheek

 “I know you hate talking about death. But I know you will outlive me by decades.  Or couple centuries. When that time comes I want you to eventually find love again.  I wouldn’t be able to rest knowing you are not allowing yourself to be happy.”

 “My angel, you are only 37.   Is this because you see when Vax ushers spirits to the other side.” He quietly utters the polymophr spell so he can cuddle with her on the couch and stare out the window. “Everything is going to be alright.”

 “It is because my father was only 38 when he was killed,  I have been having ominous dreams about the number 38.”

 He rested his head on her shoulder “I was just thinking about the first time you spoke to anyone after you Joined the party.  Everyone wasnlt sure how to act around you.  We drew straws to see who would bring food to you.”

 “I remember that night too.   I think they fixed it so you would get the short straw because they knew you were the least intimidating member of the group.”

 17 Years ago, Scanlan cautiously approaches the bed with the sandwich. “No one is really sure if you can talk.  But I think the idea is that you are not ready to talk.”  He paused, unsure of how to continue this conversation

 “Your name is Scanlan right?” she said quietly “My name is Lucy .”

 He was slightly taken aback, no one had realized she was paying attention to everything around her.  “May I sit on the bed with you? That is my name.”   she nods and he sits down “Lucy is a pretty name.”  he noticed she winced when he said her name was pretty. Had no one had ever given her compliments.

 “is you mandolin only a magical weapon?” she asked, it would take a few months before she would pull away when he touched her. But this is how it all began, this was also why they treasured their moments alone

 “It’s situational I suppose.”   He replied to her inquiries. “When was the last time you ate?”

 “By my calculations three days ago.”  She had given the money she had with her to people who needed it,

 Two years later after their first time making love, the polymorphy spell hadnlt started fading yet so Scanlan was still around 5’7. “Scanlan you didn’t need to stay like I love you the way you are.”

 “Lucy,  you are the stars in my eyes.  I never thought I would be in room at an inn with someone I wasn’t paying to be with. I was unreasonably selfish dick before I met you. It means more being with you. Here tonight.”    He looks into her eyes “You may not think you are strong but it takes different kind of strength to admit you needed help against Gabriel. Or that you didn’t want to be alone in your grief anymore.” He looked at her “My mother was killed in front of me. By an ogre. That was how ended up traveling with doctor dranzel and I was in love once before. But when I finally went back for he she was gone. I never thought I would find love again. I felt like I let it slip through my fingers.”  He takes her hands and as his fingers intertwine with hers, the polymorph fades and he return to his his regular handsome gnome self. “are all your scars from Gabriel?”

 “A few of them are from learning to ride horses.  I think the reason you thought I was only five when you saw me begin held by Gabriel, is that I hay have been slightly malnourished. Gabriel didn’t really like allowing the servants to cook for us when my father was out of the house.”

 “Nothing like that will ever happen to you again as long as I am around. Lucy. I promise.”

 They were broken out of their reminiscing by daphne’s voice “I swear if you two start making out I am throwing water on you.” She looks at Scanlan “Daddy, is it alright if your borrow the keys to your classroom. Neville and I want to practice our duet for the music showcase next weekend.”    She had always had him wrapped around her finger “Please!”

 “I am not letting you stay alone in the school with a teenage bard.” He sighed as he cancelled the polymorph spell “Fine I am coming with you though.  Last time I left students alone the in the school they reorganized everything.” He kisses lucy “I meant what I said before we were married. I will always do my best to be here for you.”  He slips on his beret

 “Before you ask, Dad. I do see and hear ghosts like mom. One of the first spirits I saw was child my age  who was being ushered to the spiritual plain by Uncle Vax’ildan. It was  part of lessons on life and death. That mom wanted Vax and Pike to teach me about.”

 He laughed “Did I ever tell you the story about how Vax and I defeated, Abrysal?”

 “Yes you have. It is one of my favorite stories.  Dad, you do know that I admire the relationship you and mom have.  Your age difference has never mattered in the fact that you love each.”

 Meanwhile at the Shorthalt House. Vax knocks on the door and Lucy lets him in “The oddest thing happened, when I was gathering souls for Our lady of Ravens I met a lost soul, I believe is your brother. He wanted me to deliver a message.  He wants you forgive him for choosing to take over young Quentin’s Body.   He’s gad that you;ve done the one things few members of the Collins family ever succeeded at. Allowed yourself to be happy and let people into your life. I believe it was fate that you found us that day you collapsed in front of the tavern. You may not think of yourself as member of Vox Machina. But you are Lucy, you have been since the first time  Scanlan looked back to make sure you were still with us.” He paused “her Lady of Ravens allowed him one request before joining her.”

 Lucy turns around as the figure of young man approximately twenty years of age slowly appears in the living room “Sister, I think we always knew without being told that Quentin Collins was my father too. I am honored that you named your son after me.   His twin brother’s skills were there before my possession enhanced them.  For Quentin Percival, family is worth defending more than anything else.  Just let them follow their paths.”  He steps forward and hugs her “I always knew you would survive and I have always felt blessed to witnessed the first 18 years of the life of my amazing sister. Don’t worry Gena’s husband will get what is coming to him. He has crossed way too many people with power.  I have to go now. Thank you for listening to the last thing I said to, run and don’t look back.”  As Elijah Collins fades into the ether

 Lucy looks at Vax  and hugs him “You are fate touched Lucy Collins-Shorthalt. “ he said with smile as she started crying “Should be used to this, I have been her Champion  for 17 years. It means a little more in this moment.”  He puts his arms around her “Your strand is strong you won’t be gathered for quite while now. Stop believing there is a family curse. It is self sabotage to do things like that. I have to go see my wife I haven’t been home in months.”  

 “I am glad we don’t all live on building any more. You are louder than Scanlan when you make love.”  She said as she opened the door, as he flies off she notices Vax had placed one of the feathers from his wings in her hair. She tucks it in her pocket as a trio of young gnomes runs in an nearly knocks her over “Is Grandpa home we wanna hear the story about the dragon again.”

 “Gideon, he’s chaperoning your Aunt while she rehearses for the show this weekend.  Go into the kitchen your granddad made cookies in case you lot showed up today.”  She smiled  as the three children ran into the kitchen.

 “Hello Lucy.  I take is Dad hasnlt figured out that Daphne has a crush on my husband’s baby brother.”

 “Come in, Kaylie. Where is your husband.”

 “He’s unpacking our things at the Inn. Sybil, Melissa and Gideon wanted to come here first.”  She looks around “where are my brothers at.”

 “It is their weekly lessons with Percy and Vex.”  The sit down and have some tea “Let me guess, dad is still  on his weird thing about fixated on daphne even dating bardic gnome because he was a right prick when he was younger.”

 “Aye,  I am glad you gave him a chance, Kaylie. Sometimes all you can do is take a lead and wait for the net to catch you.” She looked at her step daughter, “Your dad is my safety net.” They hear something break

 Kaylie “You lot better not be climbing on the counters again. I told you about this last time we came to visit my side of the family.” He runs into the kitchen and see three broken plates on the floor  and Gideon standing on the counter “Gideon Scanlan Newton hw many times do I need to tell you, you are not to climb on things. You nearly got your sisters hurt when you used the knife  drawer as step to get on the counter.”

 “Kaylie they are only plates, I am sure Gilmore can order more.”  She help Gideon off the counter “This little guy is just as much of spitfire as his Uncle Eli. If I could read your Father’s handwriting I would read them the story.”  

 They go into the living room she tells the children the stories she knows that involve Scanlan, as Gideon falls asleep on her lap “My lap is your dad’s favorite place to rest his head, too.” She said

 “Is that story true?”

 “the one about fighting my Uncle Gabriel? Yes. I wasn’t strong enough to stand up to him myself. But your dad and Vox machina helped me. It was the first time since I was child going to stables that I had a friend who just let me be myself.”   She paused “Like your father Told daphne when she was nervous about her first performance in school showcase. You can’t choose your part In the play. All you can do is take the plunge.”

 “Why were you crying?” she could tell her stepmother’s eyes were red

 Lucy “it is complicated.”  Kaylie knew she would only tell her if she wanted to.  

   To be Continued…

Saturday, February 11, 2023

[whoslaurapalmer]

I knowwwww I've said it before but godddd the scene where coop talks to jacques renault. coop detests him so much

[spearofdestiny]

[ lulu antariksa, female, she/her ] whatever you think you know about DESTINY VEGA, the 23 year old, PANSEXUAL NEWCOMER, it is likely time for you to start reconsidering. the rumored ENHANCED HUMAN is often described as SASSY + CREATIVE, but don’t let them fool you; they can also be SARCASTIC  + REBELLIOUS, which often has them regarded as the CONCEALED. they are a FREELANCE ARTIST, but it’s also said they are a MEMBER within SPEAR INC. whatever you hear, you can’t deny there’s more to them that meets the eye, and it’s time we start uncovering the truth.

Past

Destiny always figured she was born to a nice, normal family in a nice, normal neighbourhood. They weren’t a religious family, but they respected other people’s beliefs, and didn’t hold those beliefs against anyone. That was until Destiny was 10, and her parents and grandparents attended a conference organised by Spear Inc on keeping your children safe, and a lot of what their leader was saying made sense - comparing “other worldly beings” to rapists and murderers. Soon the family were moving to be closer to other members, donating large amounts of money to the cause, her father even taking a job with them, and even at a young age, Destiny wondered what the hell they had got themselves involved in. Many a time she tried to raise her concerns to her parents, but was told that this was the way things needed to be. That they were a part of something to try and protect her, and her brother, and their future grandchildren.

She didn’t believe any of it. That if there was anything other than humans, there would’ve been proof in it by now, not just the ramblings of some guy. It wasn’t as though she could talk about it to her friends and school counsellors either, being told time and time again to keep things quiet, that you didn’t know who you could trust. Outside of home life, she focused on school, not doing so well in academics, but being a star on the track and field team, excelling at art, and spending time with mainly guys who would like to roughhouse, liking that she wasn’t a fragile pretty girl - even a fall from a tree that the doctor swore was going to be a broken bone was just a sprain. Still, when it was announced that members were being asked to move to Rising Peaks and work, her father jumped at the chance to do his part, upending her mother, brother, and her to join him in this strange, little town.

And everything was fine until one day her dad went to work, and never came home again. 

Facts

She knows nothing of the supernatural world, and doesn’t believe in angels and demons either. She just thinks it’s a weird little town that she’s been moved to, and is getting by the best she can.

She has no idea what an enhanced human is, or that she is one. While she’s always been stronger and faster than those around her, she assumes it’s just a natural talent

Her mother is pushing her to take a job within the mines, but that’s stopped for now since her father’s death. She has been eyeing up the PR position, but she isn’t ready to start drinking the Koolaid, so to speak.

[lululawrence]

lululawrence's October 2021 Fic List

Previous Fic Lists / Lulu’s List Podcast Masterpost

October has come and gone already and the kids are ready to go trick or treat, and it just doesn't feel like it should be this late haha I had a lot of opportunity to read this month, and I read some incredible fics! It was a fun variety regarding length, topic, style, pairings, everything really, and I loved every minute of it. I'm excited to talk about all the things I loved about these fics below.

Sadly, my allergies have gotten the best of me and I currently don't have much of a voice, which does make it difficult to record a podcast. Once I have my voice back, I'll do my best to record it for you and link it here. Sorry for it being late, but thank you for your understanding!

As always, be sure to show your love and appreciation for all of the hard work our fandom authors have put into their fics with kudos, nice comments, and (when applicable) reblogging their fic posts!

Still by @dandelionfairies / dandelionfairies (12k, G, Niall/Liam, Heartbreak Weather Fest, song fic, based on Still, exes to lovers, accidents, hospital, hurt/comfort, this fic was GORGEOUS and the dynamic between niall and liam for the entire thing, beginning to end, was so incredibly lovely)

Best Butt Ever by @hazzabeeforlou / Throwthemflowers (1k, M, Harry/Louis, alternate universe, crack fic, awkward flirting, children's birthday party, literal roleplay, so much awkwardness lolllll, this fic was hysterical, the most peak ridiculousness, and bad bottom behavior lmaooooo, just please read this)

the butthole series (parts 5 and 6) by @kingsofeverything / kingsofeverything

Picture This (3k, M, Harry/Louis, acquaintances to lovers, bartender Harry, awkwardness at its prime, clueless Harry, awkward Harry, honestly he's a disaster gay and so is Louis and I love them for it, miscommunication, it's more like a mis-assumption?, yeah you know what it's a hysterical butthole series fic so just read it lol)

Hot Chocolate (6k, M, Harry/Louis, meet cute, baker Harry, specialized chocolate maker Harry, artist Louis, sculptor Louis, Harry's horribly awkward attempts at flirting while getting a mold of his asshole made by Louis, are just insanely funny to me)

Tiny Penis Fics (parts 2, 3, 5, and 6) by @kingsofeverything / kingsofeverything

A Small Matter (A Matter of Trust) (19k, E, Harry/Louis, grindr hookups, secret friends with benefits situation, teacher Louis, teacher Harry, pretty much all the guys are teachers, secret tiny dick, jockstraps, this fic had so much vulnerability on both sides, and it made me cry a little bit too, which I wasn't expecting from a tiny dic fic but it is what it is lollll, i fucking love this series so much)

Be Mine, Little Valentine (7k, E, Harry/Louis, unashamed of his tiny penis Louis, meet cute, I guess lolll, Valentine's Day, Louis just wants a guy who will appreciate and love his tiny penis as much as he does, but he doesn't think he's ever gonna find that, and then he meets Harry, i fucking LOVE THIS SO MUCH)

Snow Big Deal (8k, E, Harry/Louis, Olympic snowboarder Louis, photography assistant Harry, small penis, micropenis, this fic has such a visceral way of showing Harry's inner struggles as well as the constant changing of the dynamic between Harry and Louis as they try to work it all out, all crowned with nudity and randomly pulling out their bits, and I love it for the comedy but also for the sheer brilliance of it all, plus as always the VULNERABILITY!, just give me soft vulnerable boys!!!)

Birthday Princess (5k, E, Harry/Louis, bartender Louis, newly legal Harry, birthday celebrations, propositions, meet cute, public sex, car sex, this fic was just fucking adorable and silly and sweet all wrapped up into one, how does Lauren continue to do it)

Scent Partner by @daggerandrose / amomentoflove (4k, E, Harry/Louis, A/B/O, alpha Louis, omega Harry, strangers to lovers, heat services, Harry finds Louis through a scent matching system, It's a super fun concept for the worldbuilding I'd never read before and i love it, it was a soft fic and made me feel safe while reading it while also just, it was fab all over, loved it)

Dancing Barefoot by @quelsentiment / wordsnnotes (19k, T, Zayn/Louis/Liam, cliche fest fic, single parent Liam, single parent Louis, uncle Zayn, model Zayn, artist Zayn, footie coach Louis, firefighter Liam, meet cute, flirting, honestly the way they all dance around each other, and learn about each other, and figure out their dynamic and have it be kind of jokes, before they all slowly shift into the realization of it all, and the way the POV is split up, it's all so perfect, it's a soft and intimate and glorious dynamic, with teacher Gemma and all of their kids/niece in the background, it's just lovely)

Why Didn't We Make Out the Night We Met? by @berzerkshires / berzerkshires (52k, E, Harry/Louis, meet cute, famous/non-famous, long distance relationship, chat fic, most of it happens over the phone or by texts, sometimes by voicemails, pop star Harry, university sports fields caretaker Louis, American Louis, assumed pseudonym, lying about Harry's real identity, angst with a happy ending, covid, truly though the structure of this fic is so unique and the rhythm of it is so cool how it builds up because of it, and the repetition but slight changes of the title of the fic being used in every chat they have, is so brilliant and endearing and heartbreaking and lovely)

Jaerie's Kinktober (parts 1-6) by @jaerie / jaerie

Jaerie's Kinktober: Bestiality (1k, E, Harry/Louis, shifters, werewolves, pack fic, roommates, friends to lovers, A/B/O, recreational drug use, casual sex... listen if you don't know what you're getting from Jenna fics, her kinktober might not be the best place to start cause she jumps right in, but it's fucking fantastic if you're up for a wild ride)

Jaerie's Kinktober: Water Sports (2k, E, Harry/Louis, famous/non-famous, voyeurism, exhibitionism, semi-public sex, singer Harry, crew member Louis, basically after the first time Harry had to take a piss during a concert beneath the stage she wrote this fic, and now it's basically canon, you're welcome, also please note i am not a watersports fan, but damn the way she did it i LOVE)

Jaerie's Kinktober: Hypnosis (2k, E, Harry/Louis, aliens, alien sex, tentacles, rape/non-con, coming untouched, obedience, praise kink, basically this fic is dirty dirty dirty and FAB)

Jaerie's Kinktober: Hybrids (2k, E, Harry/Louis, hybrid Louis, implied mpreg, mummy Harry, lactating Harry, lactation kink, breastfeeding, comfort, this fic is both soft and fucking hot at once and I am just constantly amazed by Jenna's ability to do that lol)

Jaerie's Kinktober: Pet Play (1k, E, Harry/Louis, master/pet, undernegotiated kink, roommates, friends to lovers, size difference, tiny penis, this fic is so vulnerable and open and the reaction they both have to Harry walking in on Louis like that is stellar)

Jaerie's Kinktober: Self-cest (2k, E, Harry/Harry, there is also established Harry/Louis but that's not the point of this one lol, canon compliant, lactation kink is touched on, time travel, age difference, non-binary character, butt plugs, listen this fic was fascinating and a fun look at several things, It was a fun way to explore something new, typing that out makes me feel so fucking ace like who talks about a kink fic like that but whatever)

No Such Thing As Second Choices by @slashter / slashter (30k, E, Liam/Louis/Harry, established Harry/Louis, neighbors, camboys Larry, flirting, polyamory negotiations, misunderstandings, communication to work out their problems, seriously when it finally happens the communication is fucking hot, listen this fic has everything i love about a fic, and then some amazing poly aspects added in, there is literally everything to love about this fic and i fucking adored it)

Old Photographs & Times I'll Remember by @jaerie / jaerie (54k, E, Harry/Louis, Big Bang fic, time travel, historical fic (for the times in the past), Eroda, photographer Harry, closeted Harry, internalized homophobia, period typical homophobia, innkeeper Louis, Louis travels back through time to Harry through his photographs, this story is so deep and touching and lovely, and I think it might be my very favorite of all of Jenna's fics I've ever read, that's how much I loved it)

Lost in your Paradise by @sadaveniren / SadaVeniren (6k, E, Harry/Louis, bottom Harry fest fic, A/B/O, omega Harry, alpha Louis, famous singers Ziam, public sex, strangers to lovers, tiktok, single mum Harry, reconnection, this fic is hot and funny and sweet and I enjoyed everything about it)

Make a Heart Dance: Give it a Beat by @ladyaj-13 / LadyAJ_13 (3k, G, Harry/Louis, canon compliant, exes to lovers, Harry is a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, Louis doesn't want to admit to watching and supporting him, and gahhhhh the ending is so lovely and perfect I cryyyyy)

Candles and Clocks by @ladyaj-13 / LadyAJ_13 (1k, G, Niall & Louis, canon compliant, X Factor Era, Homesick Niall, cuddles, comfort, friendship, this is the most soft fic you'll ever experience in your life, so pure and sweet)

The Only One (when it's said and done) by @londonfoginacup / LadyLondonderry (6k, T, Harry/Louis, pack alpha Louis, a/b/o, omega Harry, neighboring packs, hurt/comfort, nesting, SO MUCH NESTING I LOVE IT, protective Louis, pack dynamics, I loved the descriptions of the packs and how they lived and where, as well as the relationships between them all, it made the fic truly feel alive it was incredible)

Freeway of Love (In a Pink Cadillac) by @mizzhydes / MsHydeStylinson (33k, E, Harry/Louis, sugar daddy Harry, accidental sugar daddy Harry I feel like, though Louis defo wants that lol, sugar baby Louis, vacation in Florida, age difference, daddy kink, exhibitionism, role playing, this fic was so much fun and I loved their dynamic so very much)

But If This Ends by @absoloutenonsense / nonsensedarling (107k, E, Harry/Louis, Big Bang fic, vampire Harry, secret vampire Harry, friends with benefits, kinda, more like casual hookups, but trying to make it more, anyway, soulmates, angst, angst with a happy ending, bartender Harry, writer Louis, pet names, role play, plot twist, blood, magic, science, this fic was filled with the most full characters and relationships, all the complexity between them and the way it all developed, there was so much detail and it was so gorgeous, the absolute perfection in the storytelling and the pacing and the reality of how everyone reacted to the various situations, it was just all so real and believable, and I cannot rave about this fic enough, I absolutely adored it)

[lulu-zodiac]

Hi LuLu! I was just wondering if you’ve listened to any of Jensen’s music and think that any of his songs are about his relationship with Misha? (obvi lots of it could be about Danneel and their kids, but I’ve never seen someone look at his music with a cockles lens before and thought I would ask if you ever have!)

Love your blog btw :)

hi! <3

okay, prepare yourself because I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS.

here are a breakdown of the four radio company songs i think have the most cockles vibes:

1. off my mind

this was the first song on vol 1 i heard that just immediately felt overwhelmingly cockles to me.

it screams pining, complicated love and longing. i mean, god. the emotion in jensen's voice when he sings "how do i get you off my mind" and "living inside my head" at the peak of the song?? the sheer desperation of it? it's a LOT, okay.

also, to me, the lyrics "i lean in for a kiss upon your shoulder, realize it wouldn't do, not with you" suggests a love that has to be hidden, that's constrained by a need to keep up appearances. which again - major cockles vibes. especially when you combine it with how many moments there are like this.

2. any way that you want me

okay, what about this one doesn't scream cockles? again, there's a big theme of hiding/trying to deny feelings for someone. which i think jensen probably did a LOT of in the earlier days with misha, and that continues in terms of wanting to keep whatever their situation with each other is/has been private.

i mean, it's just full of lyrics about pretending, trying and failing to forget, sealing away the truth.

again, i feel like this could be about earlier days jensen trying not to let the intensity of his feelings for misha take hold because he was afraid of them. like, idk, maybe something happened between them and jensen tried to convince himself it didn't mean anything because he thought it was easier, but it became too powerful to ignore. those are the kind of vibes it has to me.

'any way that you want me' and 'take the place of all i held onto' are SUCH utterly head-over-heels sentiments. like, this is not just having a crush on someone, this is fucking worshipping someone. this is something profound and utterly overwhelming. and again, it seems too complicated for it to be about danneel, which immediately makes me think it just has to be about misha.

3. watching over me

okay, not only does this have heavy angel connotations, but the line "the fantasy was far too real" has SERIOUS cockles vibes to me. again, it makes me think of earlier days jensen getting caught up in the depth of emotion he felt for misha.

there's also a lot in this song about the person saving him from a lot of pain and struggles, and it's always been pretty clear that misha has done this for jensen (don't even talk to me about the "pebble" moment). but i guess that in itself isn't necessarily indicative of cockles, it could be about danneel too - it's just the context of it in combination with the rest of the song that gives it such strong cockles vibes for me.

also, it doesn't just have castiel subtext ("watching over me" clearly alludes to angels. and like, not subtly either), but it has fucking destiel subtext too : "when i was falling down/is it fair enough to say/that i needed you through the crazy pain" (maybe i'm reading too much into this, but for me it evokes thoughts of dean's time in hell and cas saving him)

"didn't hear the strength/within your words/and what they mean" also makes me think of it taking jensen time to come to terms with misha's feelings for him, and again initially denying the strength of what was between them. a lot of this album to me feels like it's exploring the process of jensen slowly coming to terms with his feelings for misha.

4. city grown willow

this is interesting for a number of reasons, partly because it seems like a lovesong to two people (polyamory vibes?? mish. dee??)

but to me the line "he's young in years but wise in wonderful ways" is just SO perfect for misha. i'd be willing to bet all of my non existent money that line was written for him. and the tenderness with which jensen sings it says it all. fucking hell.

i've just done these four because honestly, i could very easily do a breakdown like this of literally every single radio company song. which would just be. an insanely long post. (which, i won't lie, i kind of really want to do now...)

oh, on a final note: i think it's VERY interesting that, according to steve, any angels imagery/lyrics were jensen's idea.

sorry it took me such a long time to answer this, thank you for asking such a great question! <3

[sashatheswift]

Bad Batch’s Morning Routine

I was just thinking to myself the bad batch’s morning routine, and this is what I came up with. I added Crosshair’s routine to make it seem like he was apart of the crew post order 66. Please feel free to drop other ideas <3

Hunter

Second to wake, after Crosshair

Wakes up to the light hitting his eyes

Pulls out earbuds that were playing though out the night

Immediately checks up on Omega 

Takes a lukewarm shower, because a too hot or too cold shower would over stimulate his senses.

Super long shower taker, enjoys the one constant sound of the water hitting the shower.

Checks himself out in the mirror but would never admit that he does it

Puts his hair in place with that greasy headband

After that usually everyone else is up and after distributing morning rations he sits down and enjoys a small cup of coffee with a moderate amount of sugar and creamer and his food.

Sits and watches in awe of his family

Wrecker

Wakes up after hearing the commotion of the already awake crew

Did I mention he definitely snores like an ogre

Gets up still half asleep and goes to the morning rations

Bumps into people and walls on the way there due his eyes being half closed

Greets everyone good morning with a mouth full of food. Crumbs go flying everywhere.

Is told to be quiet by Crosshair who can’t stand morning shouting

Drinks 2 glasses of milk, maybe chocolate milk if he feels it’s a good day.

Doesn’t bother for a morning shower because “there isn’t a point if he’s going to get dirty during the mission”

Rest of the morning is spent either doing some heavy lifting for tech or continuing the same game of checkers with Omega from the past 2 nights

Tech

Wakes up to Wrecker’s loud snoring

Never bothered to take off his googles the prior night

Takes a military style shower, peak efficiency, pure ice cold water.

Has clothes already laid out, he lives for efficiency

Reads morning news while sipping a glass of orange juice and a portioned amount of rations

Sits in between Echo and Crosshair, the two most quiet morning goers

After reading, he take a deep breath then proceeds to vomit information to just about anyone who will listen.

Is told to shut up atleast 8 times in the span of 20 minutes, 12 of which are from Crosshair.

Echo

Wakes up multiple times through out the night

Nightmares still taunt him

Cold sweats

Sleeps without his prosthetics, takes him a bit of time to get out of bed

Takes a quick shower that’s been modified so he can shower without his prosthetics on.

Drys off, puts on prosthetics, and quickly runs past the mirror

After getting ready he heads to the kitchen where he finds Hunter laying out the food, he helps with what’s rest to do.

Hunter shares a quiet moment with Echo just right before the crowd comes in for food. No talking, just an understanding hand on the shoulder.

Doesn’t care for coffee but will slam a glass of apple juice anyday

Sits next to Hunter and Tech, and immediately regrets it after Tech opens his mouth.

Crosshair

Super early bird

First to wake

Or was he ever asleep in the first place??

Takes the hottest shower known to man

Definitely checks himself out, and WILL admit it “ what not to check out”

Grabs a fresh toothpick for the day

Has a few hours before anyone is awake, takes that time to clean everyone’s guns but won’t tell anyone it was him

Hears Hunter in the kitchen and sees the moment between him and Echo, doesn’t want to disrupt so stays hidden

Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my coffee kind of person

Proceeds to slams 5 cups of coffee and one cracker

Glares at anyone making eye contact maybe even snarls

Says 2 words in everyone’s general direction, you can guess them

Smiles at Omega once and considers it her Christmas gift

Omega

Wakes up with lulu in her arms

While still dragging lulu she goes and checks on everyone, sees that everyone besides wrecker is already out of bed

Definitely sings in the shower

Skips down the halls greeting everyone good morning, getting responses from “ good morning” to “I’m sleeping”

Super fast eater, mostly because she is excited for the next adventure

Catches Crosshair smiling at her and feels like she won the lottery

Only ones who listens to Tech’s speech about current events

Makes a spot for Lulu to sit at the table

Oof ran out of ideas 😅