#so unless I get super good at 40s and 50s history this is staying where it is

[irmacornelia]

I had a Kalinor fic that I never got around to finishing that im going to cannibalize ideas from for my longfic, so have some of the bits I do have and will probably never finish;

Title: Untitled Kalinor Drabbles Pairings: Kalinor, Cassidy/Nerissa Tags: Pining, minor language, canon-typical violence and angst Rating: T-ish

Apparently everyone has been having the same dream. For a week and a half straight.

Nerissa laughs and suggests magic.

You retort that if you had some fancy magic power, how come you burn the toast every other morning?

Cassidy grins and tells you that you are just bad at cooking.

-

Three months later you are fighting for your life with your friends at your back. This is a much better way to burn energy and rage than tennis. You think that this is the last year you will have an extracurricular like that (or at all -what with how Kandrakar doesn’t give a damn about your education). 

You duck a sword and twist heat and sparks into your palm to shove into your assailant's chest. Fluid and practiced, Kadma twists around and slams a boulder into him as you lean out of the way. A brief moment of eye contact and half-formed :feelings: thrums between you and you both leap back into the fray.

You work well together, your brawler-esque fighting compliments her fluid and reactive style. Yan Lin flits about to deliver death from above and to watch out for threats as Nerissa commands the most amount of attention by your enemies to divert from Cassidy going for the objective. Nerissa is very flashy and does her job well. It’s worked enough times that you and your companions have it down to a routine. You and Kadma pull the grunt work, Nerissa is a massive and threatening distraction tossing lighting and energy blasts, Yan Lin scouts and provides air cover, and Cassidy does the stealing/activating/rescuing. Not that you and your friends can’t do other jobs, but it works best that way. Everyone has a task to do without any prior organizing. Nice and neat and simple(if fighting could be called neat and simple).

Searing another few vaguely humanoid bird-ish enemies and ignoring the acrid tang of burning feathers, you feel like you could do this forever.

-

You have been doing this for a year now and it shows. Strangers are afraid to make eye contact with you, and you have toned muscles underneath your obligatory dresses. You do average in school and while your parents aren’t too happy at the slight drop, it’s doable. You are often tired and busy, and you are quite a bit more confident (because you can kick most everyone’s ass and you have bigger problems) and get into fights a lot during downtime.

You are so much closer with your companions now, as well. You wouldn’t have dared sitting that close with anyone before. You wouldn’t have dared to lean against Kadma while Cassidy braids your hair and chats about most anything.

Its helped, in part, by the telepathy. You and yours had begun to lean on it quite a bit to explain motives and :feelings:. Twining your Presence with someone mentally was oddly pleasant and comfortable, like a sort of warm hug but for your feelings and not your body.

Explaining this caught giggles from your friends.

Kadma was pretty when she laughed.

You were so screwed and couldn’t ever explain why.

A week later you are nimbly jumping across rooftops with your wings aflutter (they are now almost two feet long each and feel a bit sturdier, but they can only slow your fall a bit). You follow Kadma and Yan Lin with Cassidy on your heels as Nerissa blows up the front gates to a stronghold.

You try to avoid the thought that you would be so very lost without being able to fight for your life.

-

It’s been two years since you became a Guardian and you are nearly an adult. You have never dated anyone (you couldn’t -you like girls) and Things are going wrong. You don’t know when they started going wrong, but they are. Maybe it started when Nerissa began a harsh training regimen after a close shave on some world you can’t even begin to pronounce the name of(all harsh clicks and sounds no human throat can make for long without becoming hoarse). Maybe it started when The Council refused to give important information one time too many. Maybe it had always been bad, but no one noticed.

Cassidy came to you one day and told you that she was worried about her.

“Sometimes- Sometimes she talks about scary things, Im not really sure I should say what, but I-i’m really worried.”

She wrings her hands and leans back on the park bench.

“I- um We, um, w-well, she sometimes wakes up screaming and-and I think our, ah, Job,”

Cassidy says with emphasis in-case anyone was listening in,

“Is-Is getting to her. You, ah, you know she does risky things but I can’t help but fear it going to get worse. I, ah, I care about her. A lot. And I don’t know what to do.”

Cassidy trails off toward the end into a whisper. You suppose that’s confirmation enough that they are involved with each other.

“I know.,” You say, “I’m not sure what to do either. Maybe the others might be better help, but we can get through this.”

You both are very much aware how the last group of guardians all died before you were even appointed.

You don’t talk about it.

Your research spree to try to find things to aid Nerissa served more as nightmare fuel than solutions, so help from outsiders was out. Thus you ask the others what to do about Nerissa’s increasingly snappish and reckless behavior the day after.

Yan Lin offers up the idea of distraction during downtime, and you all jump on board. If you can distract her from your other life, perhaps she would relax a bit.

And so you and the others spent a lot of time in-between missions trying very hard to be ‘normal teens’. Cassidy taught the group how to dance over the course of a few afternoons and you all end up at one of the local soda fountains about once a week. Nerissa also spends her time composing songs on her flute again, she names one of them after herself and gives Yan Lin a handwritten copy of the sheet music when asked.

For awhile you feel like it’s like it was Before, and you feel happy and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, but you still feel extra energy to burn curling in your gut. You know Yan Lin is always paying more than a little attention to what’s going on, who is where, and where all of the exits are. Cassidy is stuck to Nerissa’s side like glue and Kadma barely speaks half the time.

(You still all walk silently and twitch at the sight of flashing lights and the sound of metal screaming on metal)

You get a few group shots of the five of you and pretend that the flash didn’t feel like magic firing on you.

-

You had been spending quite a lot of time with Kadma these last few weeks. In the effort to wind down from constant missions from Kandrakar to far off worlds, you had all tried to do only mundane things with mixed results. You’re pretty sure Cassidy leaves glamours on her bed in the mornings to go sleep at Nerissa’s house without getting caught.

You yourself use telepathy with the others nigh-constantly and your tea never goes cold.

You learn that Kadma can sometimes get :Impressions: from animals while you and her go feed birds at the park. Simpler than ones from you and the others, she says, but there all the same.

You brush your magic against Kadma’s and inch closer.

“Can you show me?”, you say.

Her hand brushes against yours in return and sparks of flame burn along your spine.

The corner of her lip curls upwards and she passes along :Impressions: from the Dove pecking at a sunflower seed a few feet away.

You feel more distracted and fuzzy than you have in ages and Yan Lin grins at you the next day like she can tell and you shoot her a :??:.

She rolls her eyes and replies :Warmsafefuzzy-Presence more-than-before:.

She taps her fingers gently on her desk and leans back a bit, :Kadma-and-you?:.

The thrumm to that last Impression nearly made you choke on air.

You suppose that would be fitting considering whom you are Communing with.

:Almost:

The teacher begins her lecture and that was the end of that.

The rest of the group knows you can heat your body temperature to nice and toasty levels and this is exploited mercilessly once Heatherfield started getting chilly. You are only slightly affronted the first time Cassidy ‘calls dibs’ on one of your shoulders. When Kadma leans against your other shoulder your half-formed complaint turns to smoke on your tongue and you just obligingly turn up the heat.

Yan Lin gives you a wink from her spot at the stove next to the teapot when Kadma shuts her eyes and humms in contentment. You nearly throw the nearby pillow at Yan Lin for the following eyebrow wiggle, but you don’t want to ruin the moment.

[vanityloves]

anyways im gonna listen to/read the fuckin...rise of the ogre shit bc ive been putting it off 🪓🥴 im gonna put stuff under the cut bc im gonna be TALKING n dont wanna make a new post everytime

piss

ok he performed for 2 pounds 50. which is basically $3 today i- well it was absolutely a power play on his father behalf that also had the promise of money so.

also lol he said Rejection fueled my ambitions which, yknow,, i already knew but it still hurts and i will continue to talk ab it xoxo

AH HELP. "...if ebay had been invented at the time he would've sold me online there and then,"

"man hands on misery to man, yknow"

THEN PROCEEDS TO CONNECT IT TO MUSIC/HIS CAREER. this man said :) the one thing i truly have a passion for. the one thing i fucking like.

oh yeah. bullied by students AND teachers.

oh god hes 42ish during this interview? ok.

the fuckin school bully saying he wouldve acted differently if he knew what hed become

getting called "faceache", then proceeds to call 2d that. jfc he really does just repeat what everyone says. really "treating others how i was treated/how they treat me"

maybe thats why? hes kinder to fans? bc :] you support me and like me so, ok ill return that energy

MURDOC GETTING HIS ASS BEAT N PARADING HOME LIKE WELL I WON BC 'I PISSED YOU OFF' SJDJD

a real rowdy boy. absolute nasty boy. fraud and arson... shooting ppls windows with his air pistols

black sabbath being a huge inspiration? fucking absolutely.

became a satanist n shit at age 16? "it fitted me like a glove" "heavy metal and devil worshipping became my favorite past times" ajsj funny that ppl in trying times often seek religion or following of some sort

heavy metal being his favorite, n loving the clash, while hannibals was more punk based

hannibal breaking murdocs nose for the 2nd and 3rd time for playing his music on hannibals turntable

he doesnt sound that bitter? ab hannibal? he doesnt sound incredibly fond but he talks ab how he got him into a lot of music. so, i imagine they we're a bit closer than i thought?

international baccalaureate in antisocial? anthropology?

MURDOC IS ACTUALLY SMART HE WAS JUST. NOT INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECTS? I GUESS? (also,,, he literally Built cyborg noodle and i think he had a PhD too lol. but its always nice to hear hes actually...yknow, interested or good at other things)

alright but murdoc having a fascination w/ other cultures - or at least some interests, that lead him to actually study the damn subject and "pass with flying colors"

'fuck college though. im gonna be a rockstar'

he sold his soul at 18ish? whenever the fuck he got kicked out but college was mentioned so my brain goes to 18ish idk

he lived with his father still and paid rent via low paying jobs one including 'part time dressing as santa'

help he was ab to take a Personal Job for quick cash and uhh well, "still made me call him sir though" he really said 20 dollars is 20 dollars, huh "that story was totally true"

alright, 1997,,,

2d stuff

loves zombie stuff? thats really cute, and is freaked out by the way they move. god he rambles

both he and murdoc are horses in the chinese zodiac

[[jfc ok if the official shit compares them a lot i understand why ppl ship them but Dont. its a narrative foil and that doesnt always mean Romance jfc.]]

SUMTHINK.

truly... a lil stinker. super cute bouncing baby and a "bit thick" which is stull so endearing to me. hes just a happy man!

excitable 10 year old and would dance around his room

jfc the fact he has normal/caring parents. i kinda forget how opposite hes supposed to be from murdoc but i think thats another thing jsjsysg (murdoc said why isnt my tragic story making me famous why does he get to be the Star. no wonder he acts like a loon)

i still dont get how gettin bonked by a tree branch made him go bald and also turn his hair blue

big tiddy nurse mommy,,,

went to the same school as The Cure and got decent grades despite hittin the noggin quite hard. WANTED TO BE A STORM CHASER... OMG??

oh thats really cute, hed bond with his dad by building keyboards toegther 🥺💕

messed around with paints and graffiti? artistic king

MURDOC AGAIN: QHDJ 'VILLANOUS' GANG HELP

oh yeah d day...new instruments, new band, new singer - and 'had to be the best or no dice' and absolutely CONFIDENT that his songs were bangers ajsjd

but on that same note, had absolute faith (or desperate) in 2d which i love

ransacked the fucking music shop jdjdj and 2d said he was Just Standing There behind the counter the whole shift hdhdh

"thats when your eye came out, yeah" "yeah!-" HELP WHY DOES HE SOUND SO HAPPY AB IT ?? yes he said ut hurt but he sounds...ok

jfc murdoc ragdolling this poor mf around. dunking him and slapping him around. actually? so incredibly terrible and abusive and i hate him for that 🔫 im sorry 2d stans. we dont condone that behavior here ong.

how and why the FUCK did 2d's parents allow that fucker near their child after that i??? help. wtf. his moms a nurse why didnt she just have murdoc sit in plain view of other people. god damn.

2d flying out the window n hitting the curb "whoops"

"just two black holes...[ah] it looked great...a blue hair, blacked eyed GOD- the girls would go wild-" "pretty boy looks" ???? HELP. HE DOESNT GO LIGHT ON THE COMPLIMENTS, HUH

RUSS TIME

oh yeah, he straight up kiddnapped this man help. idk how he managed that, russ is a Big Man??

AND MURDOCS MUSIC WAS SO FUCKING SEXY GOOD that russel said hm alright ill stay, :] out ifbhis owm free will im screaming.

"oh this is one of them febreeze commercials" "uh . yeah sure. *murdoc turning on his Sick Tunes*" but that either means? it was just his guitar playing the convinced russ? unless he and 2d recorded sumn?

"2d was the looks, murdoc the brains, then russel truly was the heart"

'while 2d and murdoc liked music, this man was a MUSICIAN' god fucking bless this book holy shit ny man russ getting some respect. he said back hurts from carrying this band.

murdoc basically heard this guy had big trauma that gave him So Many Skills n said "thats what i want" ok idk thats actually really? inch rest ting to me. seems that murdocs fine handing out compliments but i guess that where his charisma really helps out yeah?

"he was going to be in my band whether he liked it or not" ...murdoc-

HELP. 2D IS LIKE BRO GO ON IM LISTENING 🥺 despite hearing the story 50-60 times and murdoc said fuck off you lil shit.

ok irrelevant but i love his voice! its super comforting n nice to listen to 🥺

HELP MURDOCS SO BITTER. "NOTHING THAT HAPPENS TO US IS NORMAL" WELL YEAH. THIS IS TRAUMA CENTRAL.

idk how/why he sucked up all his friends souls though ... how are they all possessing the same person. they said "its my turn on The Russ"

DELL IS HIS ACTUAL, LITERAL SOULMATE...KING...😭

went to a private school,,, and was already possessed? and the thing where he gets bigger and smaller is a reoccurring thing?

was in a coma for 4 years?

hiphop machine...time and history...the ultimate set i guess.

his knowledge was infinite and hes a "Renaissance man" hes so fucking smart our king. jack of all trades but a master of drums. he said i know im good and what of it

PAULA.

HELP. HE RMBRS THE STALL: CUBICAL NUMBER 3 🥴 IF I DO RECALL 🤤

yes russel our king. fuck up his nose 5 more times. probably stunted his growth too. he shrunk after russ gave him a wallop im sure

why dies paula sound like tracer overwatch

also only dated 2d for 2 months before joining the band?

HELP SHE REALLY WAS THE FIRST MURDOC FUCKER: "but when i saw murdoc with his thick greasy hair, green teeth and yellow skin i thought 'oh this is the ine for me!'" "OH HES SUCH A DANDY-" HELP ME IM HQJDHD

sick in the head...like i want to hurt people help girl. shes fucking Crazy. but she rly said damn i didnt hear back from him again 😭 and my purse is gone JSHHD

MURDOC: SHE WAS DEPRESSINGLY UGLY *still fucked her*

NOODLE TIME

"small japanese person!"

2d: we werent gorillaz until noodle arrived!

im dying the reason he chose gorillaz. 'swinging through the jungle baring my ass'

noodle really said "im just happy to be here" and she balanced everyone out 😭 "she gave off pure love and the fact that she could laugh at murdoc REALLY helped too" RUSS... IS BABY

JFC MURDOCS SO FUCKING CONFIDENT IN THIS BAND IM LIVING FOR THAT. HE SAID YOU WANT US SO BAD IT MAKES YOU LOOK STUPID. THE CHARISMA

2d rambling ab some girl he met and "ssSs" "whats the s stand for hawhaw" "i dont know!".

THE RECORD LABEL GUY.

one song is all it took i ❤ good for them

just murdoc talking ab the party that they threw for thier deal and saying "you dont know how much of a dick i felt like [when carrying one of those huge checks]" like oh thats whatll make you a dick? alright.

A FOOD FIGHT THAT WENT SO HARD THAT IT KNOCKED 2DS TONSILS OUT? WHAT THE FUCK

ahshdj damon and murdoc not getting along bc of Rival Band One Uppery + damon calling murdocs cuban heels crap since ge wore steel ones with gold spurs.

MURDOC FEELIN EMBARRASSED BC HES 'QUITE PROUD OF HIS SHOES'

but the band and damon getting over music and their ambitions and became a "paternal figure"

HELP MURDOC SAID AWIOGA @ RACHEL WHICH MADE HER THROW HER DRINK IN HIS FACE AND SPLIT FROM 2D. kinda sad actually, she said i still like 2d but murdoc kinda ruined it by trying to get it in with me, it put a strain in our relationship :/ oh god murdocs That Dude

nov 31 1998: started recording :]

40 tracks that got cut down to 15 holy shit

KONG STUDIOS 🤲

hooking up cameras in every room ejdjsu

webby artist of the year in 2006? holy shit

noodle learning ab kong studios omfg

JFC. YES I KNEW KONG WAS BUILT ON/IN A CEMETERY BUT I DIDNT KNOW PPL FOR THE FUCKING PLAGUE WHERE THROWN THERE HDJD

built in 1739?

the ghost of the first owners ghost still roams around in the kitchen in the early hours and moans 'aaa glass of water'

theres some rotting bullshit near the studios and in the summer its fucking TERRIBLE

the former owners were a biker gang, and they all died in a fire

murdoc said this place has bad vibes. i want it.

grim weather

the building feels impossible to escape from huHgg

[actuallykiwi]

93 OC Asks

(No one is going to ask so I’m answering anyways LOL)

Get to know Annie! My multi-verse OC :)

Basics:

1. What is their gender? Female

2. What is their sexuality? Straight

3. What is the meaning behind their name? Do they have any nicknames?     Her full name is Anneka Sinclair, but she goes by Annie. I totally stole it from the Skyrim character Anneke pfft

4. Do they have any siblings? How many? Are they older or younger?  Which sibling are they the closest with? She has a twin brother named Alexander, who goes by Alec. They actually made a promise when they were little that they would never call each other their full name unless something was really wrong. They’re best friends!

5. What’s their relationship with their parents like? What about other relatives? When they lived with their parents., they were as close as a family could be. Annie and Alec moved out when they hit their early twenties to explore and find out who they are. They have cousins spread far and thin.

6. What would they give their life for? Any cause she truly believed in, and her brother.

7. Are they in a romantic relationship? With who? How did they meet? HAAA so I’m deciding that. In Skyrim (and my upcoming fic!) she is with Kaidan. The decision for Fallout is between Hancock and Nick, but I’m leaning towards Hancock. Annie rescues Kaidan in Skyrim and he vows to pay off his debt to her. Follow the Fallout 4 questline to see how she met the other 2!

8. What do they believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them? She likes to believe in Heaven, she is a Christian after all. Death scares her a little, but she knows it’s inevitable.

9. What is their favorite color? Favorite animal? Light blue and yellow! Dogs, probably, or dolphins.

10. What are some of their talents/skills? Annie is pretty athletic, and she can sang. She loves drawing, even if she’s not that great at it, and she’s an awesome motivational speaker. Also has a good sense for fashion

11. If they could make a mark on history, what would they like it to be? Whale, as the Sole Survivor, she unites the Commonwealth into the United Commonwealth, and in Skyrim she’s the Dragonborn so

12. How old are they? When is their birthday? 22, July 14

13. What do they do for fun? She is very easily amused, so almost anything entertains her. But she loves reading, practicing magic (ES), singing, and playing with kids 

14. What is their favorite food? How often do they get to eat it? She’s not a picky eater, so she likes anything. Mainly sweets. She’s a scrounger, so it’s not rare for her to find something she likes

15. What was something their parents taught them? “Bad things will always happen. But if you focus on the light at the end of the tunnel, you’ll find that it wasn’t as long as you thought.”

16. Are they religious? Yes, she’s a Christian.

17. Where were they born? Cyrodiil (ES), Smoky Mountains (FO)

18. What languages can they speak? Where did they learn these languages? English and some sign language. When she discovers she’s the DB, she can suddenly understand Dovah. 

19. What is their occupation? In ES, she’s a spellsword/healer. FO, healer/dual pistol wielder

20. Do they have any titles? How did they earn them? A popular nickname “The Happiest Woman in the Commonwealth”. Pretty self-explanatory lol

Personality:

21. What is their favorite thing about their personality? Her optimism, and ability to hide pain well 

22. What is their least favorite thing about their personality? She feels annoying and overbearing sometimes, and naive 

23. Do they get lonely easily? Oh yes

24. Do you know their MBTI type? Probably not, but I know she’s an extrovert

25. What is their biggest flaw? Naivety for sure, but she’s also a huge klutz

26. Are they aware of their flaws? Oh yes

27. What is their biggest strength? Optimism, determination, energetic

28. Are they aware of their strengths? Mostly

29. How would they describe their own personality? Probably bubbly, energetic, optimistic, kinda childish?

30. When frightened, will they resort to “fight” or “flight”? It depends on what’s at stake

31. Does this character ever put somebody else’s needs before their own? Who do they do this for? How often do they do this? Annie never puts herself before others. When she has to, she hates it. It doesn’t matter who

32. What is their self esteem like? On the outside? She seems pretty confident. But inside, she’s facing a lot of her own demons

33. What is their biggest fear? How would they react to having to face it? Losing someone close or letting someone down. Or being alone. In all regards, she would do as she was always told: “Look for the light at the end of the tunnel”

34. How easily do they trust others with their secrets? With their lives? Her brother knows every little thing about her, and they would literally die for one another. She can be overtrusting and overshare sometimes, but she knows what to keep secret and what to share with others.

35. What is the easiest way to annoy them? Pessimism/negativity. 100%

36. What is their sense of humor like? Give an example of a joke they would find humorous. PUNS. FOR. DAYZZZ

37. How easy is it for them to say “I love you”? Do they say it without meaning it? She says it all the time to close friends and relatives, but when it comes to a SO, she will only say it when she truly means it

38. What do others admire most about their personality? Again, optimism and determination. Also, her seemingly endless kindness and patience with people.

39. What does their happily ever after look like? She and everyone around her happy. Her brother by her side, her SO, friends, family, and whatever everyone’s wishes are true. 

40. Who do they trust most? Is that trust mutual? Her brother. Oh yes

Physical Profile:

41. What does their laugh sound like? Do they snort when they laugh? How often do they laugh? Annie’s laugh ranges from a giggle to a belly cackle to just wheezing. Laughter and snorting happen very frequently

42. What is their favorite thing about their physical appearance? Probably her eyes

43. What is their least favorite thing about their physical appearance? Her weight

44. Do they have any scars? If so, what are the stories behind those scars? Nope

45. How would they describe their own appearance? Blonde bouncy curls always in a high bun and underneath a tied blue bandana (ribbon in ES), blue eyes, loads of freckles, a little chubby and pale, and glasses

46. How easily can they express emotions? How easily can they hide emotions? Happy emotions are never hidden, and she’s pretty good at hiding sadness and anger. But when she’s visibly upset, something is really wrong...

47.  What’s their pain tolerance like? Physical? She can take a hit. Emotional? She feels strongly.

48. Do they have any tattoos? What are the stories behind those tattoos? Nope

49. Do they have any piercings? Also nope

50. How would you describe their style of clothing? How would they describe their style of clothing? Usually something bright and aesthetically appealing, she loves styling outfits. 

51. What is their height? Weight? 5′5″, [REDACTED]

52. What is their body type? Are they muscular, chubby, skinny, etc? Curvy, a little on the chubby side, but also fairly muscular

53. What is their hair color? Eye color? Skin tone? Blonde, bright blue, average Caucasian white

54. What is their current hairstyle? What have been some of their past hairstyles? Which was their favorite hairstyle? Almost always in a high bun. Occasionally a ponytail or down when she doesn’t feel like putting in the effort. Her favorite is a french braid, which her mother used to do for her.

55. What is their alcohol tolerance like? What kind of drunk are they? How bad are their hangovers? Super lightweight. She’s what you may call a “crazy” drunk which turns emotional, and then can sleep for 24 hours straight. She’s out sick for the whole next day. 

56. What do they smell like? Why do they smell like this? (Is it the things they’re around or a perfume they wear?) She loves anything lemon scented, so that’s typically what she may smell like if she can find it. Second to that, coconut.

57. How do they feel about sex? Are they a virgin? Still a virgin, and she’s incredibly shy about that kind of stuff. Cuddler all the way

58. What is their most noticeable physical attribute? Come for the blonde, stay for the striking blue eyes

59. What does their resting face look like? Do they have RBF? More like Resting Surprised Face almost? Wide eyes and high eyebrows

60. Describe the way they sleep. She is a sleeptalker. Will actually hold a full conversation with you in her sleep and remember nothing about it the next day. Only bits and pieces. Very cuddly, snores occasionally.

Environment:

61. Which season is their favorite season? Spring

62. Have they ever been betrayed? How did it affect their ability to trust others? Not by anyone closer to her, but outside of that, she’s kind of used to being taken advantage of. “As long as they’re happy!” she says.

63. What is always guaranteed to make them smile? Almost anything, but mainly the smile of others.

64. Do they get cold easily? Do they get overheated easily? Does get cold, yes, prefers the cold though. 

65. What’s their immune system like? Do they get sick often? How do they react to getting sick? She’s pretty average, just the usual allergies during changing of the seasons and maybe a cold. She keeps away from people to protect them from getting it and sleeps it out.

66. Where do they live? Do they like it there? In Skyrim, she starts off in Breezehome and then builds a house in Falkreath. In Fallout, she buys Homebase. She loves both places.

67. Is their bedroom messy? What about their bathroom? Kitchen? Living room? She forgets to clean sometimes, but never lets it get out of hand.

68. How did their environment growing up affect their personality? Annie and Alec grew up in a loving home, with parents just as cheery as her, so she has always been upbeat and chipper.

69. How did the people in their environment growing up affect their personality? Uh, same question? She had a lot of friends in school and never payed attention to the negative much, so, yeah

70. How do they feel about animals? Do they have any pets? LOVES animals. She has Dogmeat of course, and in Skyrim she befriends a fox named Misha.

71. How are they with children? Do they have any? Do they want any? Annie worked in a daycare pre-war (FO), and a school (ES), so she is all about kids. Doesn’t have any, but definitely wants one someday.

72.  Would they rather have stability or comfort? Is both an option? Probably comfort.

73. Do they prefer the indoors or outdoors? Outdoors

74. What weather is their favorite? Do they like storms? She likes warm weather (not hot) and a beautiful sunny day, but she loves watching thunderstorms

75. If given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen? Probably doodle

76. How organized are they? Average, not really a neat freak

77. What is their most prized possession? Her blue bandana/ribbon. It essentially became part of her character when she was young, always was her favorite

78. Who do they consider to be their best friend? She has sooooo many. If she had to pick one outside of Alec and her SO: Serana (ES), and Piper (FO)

79. What is their economic situation? Not rich, not poor

80. Are they a morning person or a night owl? Morning person

Miscellaneous:

81. Are they bothered by the sight of blood? Not typically, but if insides are out, she gets queasy

82. What is their handwriting like? Not the greatest, but legible

83. Can they swim? How well? Do they like to swim? LOVES swimming. Doesn’t get to in Fallout, but misses it terribly

84. Which deadly sin do they represent best? Envy

85. Do they believe in ghosts? Sure, why not?

86. How do they celebrate holidays? How do they celebrate birthdays? Celebrates most common holidays, especially Christmas. Makes a big deal out of birthdays 

87. What is something they regret? No big regrets, but always wonders if she’s making a difference

88. Do they have an accent? A little southern, yes. Can mimic a British accent really well

89. What is their D&D alignment? Chaotic good

90. Are they right or left handed? Right

91. If they were a tweet, what tweet would they be? “so blessed. so moved. so grateful. cant believe this is my life. never going to take it for granted. always going to give back. thank you” -Justin Bieber (ew)

92. Describe them as a John Mulaney gif. 

93. What’s the most iconic line of dialogue they’ve ever said? I have not written any, but for now imma go with “Kill ‘em with kindness!” 

Wow, did you read this far? Dedication, fam, thank you. You are AMAZING. Now if you skipped the whole thing and just looked at the gif and this, I thank you for at least doing that pfft. Anyways, 95% of these are self inserts because the character kind of is but enjooooy! 

[tazrider]

Allez, pour ta peine : nombres pairs ! Tous.

Ah la vache... Ca fait beaucoup T_T Here we go!

2. How old are you? Between 20 and 40 but not halfway. Might be a multiple of 7. Or not...

4. What is your zodiac sign? Taurus. Been told it’s very fitting...

6. What’s your lucky number? Don’t have a lucky number but I like 3 (dates back to when I first read The Black Stallion when I was a kid and Alec and Black had the number 3 during their first race XD).

8. Where are you from? France, from where France fists Belgium XD (yep that’s a saying here).

10. What shoe size are you? Fucking way too small for my liking, it’s hell to find shoes my style... (37 or 6.5).

12. What was your last dream about? Something super weird (I always have super fucking weird dreams) but I don’t really remember this one. I don’t keep a log on dreams, seems too much work because it always swings between super weird and nightmares so not like it matters much...

14. Are you psychic in any way? Huh nope and don’t believe in these things.

16. Favorite movie? The Fifth Element, it’s not a great movie but it’s like a Madeleine de Proust and takes me back to simpler times. Also fucking funny, sci-fi and awesome music, what’s not to like?

18. Do you want children? Man, kids make me uncomfortable as hell. I prefer horses XD.

20. Are you religious? Absolutely not. I only believe in science and there’s no room in there for an hypothetical superior force, that’s supposed to be all love and shit and yet lets the world in that state.

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? Ah, unless you count speeding tickets as getting in trouble with the law...

24. Baths or showers? Showers.

26. Have you ever been famous? LOL nope and don’t wanna be.

28. What type of music do you like? Ooh tricky question, I have rather eclectic tastes in music. Ranges from ancient music and baroque (I love harpsichord, learned to play the piano when I was younger) to post-hardcore / “hard” music and pretty much everything in between. Discovered lately I don’t mind some bluegrass even. What I don’t like would be a way shorter list... XD I’m less a type of music kind of person and more a how that music makes me feel person, regardless of the type of music and the person/band. That said, I abhor bal musette and mostly of what we call ‘nouvelle chanson française’... In general, I like it dark and tortured.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? 2 and a small one.

32. How big is your house? Tis an appartment and with the new job last year I was able to afford more than just a rabbit hutch! (65m2 yus!).

34. Have you ever fired a gun? Only airsoft and paintball guns, was fun.

36. Favorite clean word? Lately I’ve been saying ‘grave’ a lot, I manage to annoy even myself when I do...

38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? I think it was 3 days or perhaps 4 and not even due to insomnia.

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer? Eh not that I know of lol Pretty sure I’m not the type of person that gets secret admirers.

42. Are you a good judge of character? I think I am most of the time. As an introvert I spend much of my time on the sidelines of social interactions so I watch and analyze people a lot but I’ve been wrong a couple of times (especially if it’s a pretty girl -_-) and that fucking sucked each time...

44. Do you have a strong accent? In French? Nope, I made sure to erase it because I’m a snob like that. In English? Obviously I have a French one (been told it’s cute... -_-).

46. What is your personality type? INTJ, introvert all the way (is that what it’s referring to?) Because if not, I’ve been told by a psychologist I saw as part of something for my job who said I should get diagnosed for ADHD and autism, so...

48. Can you curl your tongue? Yep. Can make a tube with it, can also turn it over but only from one direction.

50. Left or right handed? Right but training the left to not be useless since childhood (you need to have a good feeling of both your hands if you want to be a good horseback rider).

52. Favorite food? Pasta all the way!

54. Are you a clean or messy person? Both. A clean mess XD Seriously, there are still some boxes I haven’t unpacked from moving in last year... My desk at work is a fucking clutter because I manage like 15 projects at the same time and sometimes the files all end up there... But I always end up fed up of the mess and clean everything like a tornado. Especially when I decide I have enough, I can’t do anything else until I cleaned everything.

56. Most used word? Fuck or ‘putain’ and it’s variation ‘putain de merde fait chier’ in French.

58. Do you have much of an ego? I do, it’s big and sometimes misplaced. I try to not let it get in the way though.

60. Do you talk to yourself? Oh yeah, especially when I fucked something up.

62. Are you a good singer? Nope, doesn’t mean I don’t like to sing very off-key when I’m alone...

64. Are you a gossip? No, not really.

66. Do you like long or short hair? In general? Long hair but I don’t care long or short as long as they’re comfortable with it and it suits them.

68. Favorite school subject? Hands down History and geology (wanted to be an archaeologist before I chose geology).

70. Have you ever been scuba diving? I’m a scuba diver (have my first degree, can dive down to 20m). I fucking love it but life happened and I haven’t been able to keep it up :(

72. Are you scared of the dark? No, I kinda like it. Although I don’t need the room to be pitch black to sleep.

74. Are you ticklish? Yeah and since I don’t always control my strength, it can lead to some kind of injuries to the tickler...

76. Have you ever been in a position of authority? I guess? I taught at the engineering school in geology during my PhD, does that count?

78. Have you ever done drugs? Only weed a couple times. I try to stay clear from anything remotely addictive because I have an obsessive personality.

80. How many piercings do you have? None and not planning on getting some.

82. How fast can you type? Average fast I guess?

84. What color is your hair? Very light brown, bordering on blond (I’ve been told I’m blond and it gets even lighter in the sun...).

86. What are you allergic to? Dust and mold which is just awesome for a horse owner, everyday your nose in hay...

88. What do your parents do? Teachers both. My mother’s a History and Geography teacher which means a childhood spent visiting historical sites during any vacation.

90. What makes you angry? Stupidity, incompetence, injustice to name a few. Currently my neighbors letting the front door bang at any hour when there’s a note asking not to (my bedroom’s right next to that fucking front door)...

92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? Nope nope but I thought about names for my future horse(s) XD

94. What are you strengths? Loyal to a fault, up front, smart, persevering. I’m fucking funny too.

96. How did you get your name? My father always wanted to name his daughter that way. I always thought it doesn’t suit me though.

98. Do you have any scars? Oh yeah... Left shoulder, both knees, right ankle, shins, nose, chin, hands (not counting the tip of one finger I nearly lost 2 years ago), right shoulder blade.

100. Color of your room? Plain white, I rent the flat so not redecorating.

[introvertguide]

On the Waterfront (1954); AFI #19

The next film on the AFI top 100 under review is the award winning crime drama, On the Waterfront (1954). This film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and picked up 8 including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. The film is based on a series of articles in the New York Sun from 1949 that depicted the condition of the eastern seaboard and all the corruption that was involved at the time. I did a lot of historical digging for this film and realize how important the accuracy was and it seemed pretty spot on. Before I get into story, let me give the standard announcement...

SUPER SPOILER WARNING!!! I TOOK A LOT OF NOTES DURING THE FILM AND THIS WILL SPOIL THE ENTIRE THING!!! WATCH THE MOVIE FIRST AND THEN COME BACK AND CHECK OUT THE ARTICLE!!!

The film starts out with the murder of a man named Joey Doyle. Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) calls to Joey’s window at night to have him meet up on the roof concerning a pigeon. We see that Terry is with a bunch of gangsters who are waiting up on the roof for Joey. The audience doesn’t see the actual meeting, but a person falls off the building a couple seconds later and it is assumed that Joey is dead. It seems that Terry was not aware that Joey would be killed, he thought they were going to rough him up or intimidate him.

Terry is not put out too much because he goes to a local pub right after and we meet the local crime boss. Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) is a stereotype mob boss who runs a tight ship and could snap at any moment. It is an awkward scene where one person in the room is having fun and everyone else is nervously waiting for something to go wrong. Friendly’s right hand man is Terry’s brother Charley (Rod Steiger) and Friendly has a fondness for Terry because of the relation and also that Terry used to be a boxer. Before the night is over, Terry is given a stack of cash for his help with Joey and the promise of a cushy job on the dock the next day.

The next morning, a group of people look over Joey’s body on the street and his sister Edie (Eva Marie Saint) is understandably angry about the event. She shames her father and the other workers for not saying anything and she yells at the local priest (Karl Malden) for not being more involved. She wants to get involved and help her father get work so she goes down to the docks with the priest to see what the situation is really like. People attached to the mob are given preferred treatment (including Terry) and all the other workers have to scramble in hopes of getting work. The priest sees the corruption and decides to hold a union meeting in the church to encourage the workers to speak out against Friendly to improve the working conditions.

A group of dockworkers not part of the corruption meet at the church, but all remain quiet. The stay “D & D” (deaf and dumb) to what is going on so that they don’t get hurt. Joey is sent by Friendly to the meeting to see if anybody talks and he sits in the back. It seems apparent that he is there to intimidate the others into remaining silent. Before the meeting is officially over, a brick comes through the window and a bunch of gangsters pound sticks on the ground, waiting for the workers in the meeting to leave. Most everyone is attacked and beaten on the way out except for the priest, Edie, and Terry. The priest convinces one of the workers named Dugan (Pat Henning) to talk to the Waterfront Crime Commission to prevent another attack like this.

Dugan agrees to testify and we move forward to the day before he is supposed to go in front of the court. He is working on unloading a ship of Irish whiskey and an “accident” occurs in which a pallet of booze falls on Dugan, killing him. The priest comes to give last rights and gives an impassioned speech to the surrounding workers about how keeping quiet is a crucifixion and good men would not let this happen if they could stop it. Some of the gangsters through garbage at the priest while he is talking, but he continues on and Terry starts to feel guilty about his part in the deaths and injustice. He punches one of the enforcers who is going to throw something and this does not go unnoticed. In a very symbolic image, the priest rides a crane up out of the ship and ascends out of the hold like an angel ascending towards heaven. Very cinematic and full credit to cinematographer Boris Kaufman for this fantastic shot that no doubt contributed to his Oscar win for his work on this film.  

Terry starts to fall for Edie and considers testifying against friendly. He knows, however, that she will learn of his connection to her brother’s death and fears show will hate him. Friendly gets wind of Terry’s connection with Edie and sends Charley over to convince him to not testify. In a very poignant scene, Charley and Terry talk in a taxi and Charley tells him that he needs to promise not to squeal or Charley will take him to the docks to be executed. Terry says that he can’t live being a bum. He used to be a prizefighter and Friendly had convinced him to take a dive during a fight and all his potential was wasted. It is the famous “I could have been a contender. I could have been a somebody” scene. Charley let’s Terry go and goes in to stall so the Terry can escape and instead Charley is killed and left hanging from an ice hook in an alleyway as a message to Terry.

This goes too far and Terry goes to the local bar to shoot Friendly. Instead of the crime boss, Terry runs into the priest and is convinced to testify in court as a better form of revenge. He agrees and Terry identifies friendly in court as being corrupt and ordering the murder of both Joey Doyle and Dugan. After testifying, Friendly threatens Terry and says that he will never find work on the docks. Terry is shunned by all the other workers for squealing and only finds kindness from Edie.

Terry shows up the next day for work recruitment and every person there (including a random hobo) is given work except for him. Terry goes to confront Friendly and is summarily beaten by a group of gangsters. The dock workers see this and say that they will not work unless Terry is allowed to work as well. Friendly has lost his power over the docks and can’t kill Terry since he has already talked and is now being protected by the police. The priest shows up and tells Terry to stand up and lead the workers onto the ship, cementing the shift in power. A severely beaten Terry is helped up and he stumbles onto the boat followed by the rest of the works. The movie ends as the plank doors to the ship’s hull close.

Although the characters are sensationalized, the situation was very representative of what life what life was like on the East Coast docks during the late 40s and early 50s. This film is a time capsule for American life right after WW2 and a lesson concerning what can happen with complete corruption. Very fascinating from a historical perspective as well as an artistic one.

I have a little bit of an issue with Brando and his acting in this film. I do not think he is that good. He mumbles his lines like he does in every movie and it is apparent that he is a good actor but not that great at line delivery. Also, when I say he is a good actor, I don’t mean this film. He comes across almost whiny and conceited and I never really get behind the character. I freely admit that I don’t really like Brando in general as a person (at least from the stories I hear, I have never met him) and that might taint my judgment of his performances. I never bought him as a boxer and I never bought him as being tough. He is acting like a soft hearted bully, but it just doesn’t impress me. He got top billing and his name is bigger than the movie credit on the opening title cards, but I thought Karl Malden did a much better acting job. I am thankful for Brando’s contribution to creating method acting, but that doesn’t make this a great performance and I don’t think he deserved the Oscar. 

Also, just like with The Godfather, Brando played a part that was memorable with great lines and won the award for Best Actor while the rest of the male cast who gave outstanding performances were relegated to Best Supporting Actor (three actors nominated in both cases) and came home empty handed. Brando kept getting quirky character roles in well written films and surrounded by incredible talent...and then he was given all the credit for the incredible result. I just don’t like that guy and I realize it is a personal bias. I just don’t like how he is given all the credit (and takes all the credit) for projects he was a part of. But moving on...

I again want to point out the cinematography for this movie because I am not generally impressed by this aspect of films, especially when they are in black and white. I think On the Waterfront, Citizen Cane, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf are all examples of how prop placement, camera angles, pans, and lighting can be used to tell a story beyond just the acting and dialogue. A well deserved Best Cinematography award for Boris Kaufman. 

So does this film deserve to be on the AFI top 100? Yes. For the  famous  “contender” speech, the reflection of history, the visual storytelling, and the wonderful acting, it absolutely deserves a spot. Would I recommend it? Well...I would say yes but not for Brando. I was so bored by the part of Terry Malloy that I found many other things that I liked to get through the film. The first time I watched I was expecting this great performance and I was thoroughly disappointed. Watch the film for everything else besides Marlon Brando and you will be impressed.

[spidercrimes]

if it's not too much to write, how about All even numbers for the OC asks for either character of your choice! or both if you're feelin wild whatever works : ]

wheezes this took so long but im finally done holy shit

2. Do they have any titles? How did they get them?

Echo doesn’t have any official titles, and isn’t really planning on getting any, unless Champion of Sune counts?

4. What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents?

Echo has a very good relationship with her moms! To their knowledge, things were a bit tense after leaving Ivydome, but plenty of letters and visiting when they could helped with smoothing over their relationship. A good memory would be when her moms taught Echo how to bake! They can really only bake cupcakes and cookies but theyre like. Hella good ones. They dont really have any bad memories with/of their parents, since like. They will forcibly forget or repress anything that upsets them, as long as it only affected them. If the memory is something bad that affected others it will linger for however long Echo deems necessary(read: an extremely long time)

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

They were there and graduated fantasy high school what more do you want from them jkdxxjndk.  They started working at the local sweets shop after school, so no higher level of education here! They like history a bit, but that’s about it tbh!

8. Did they have pets as a child? Do they have pets as an adult? Do they like animals?

Yes! Echo had a pet cat back at Ivydome with her moms, and before the campaign she didn’t really have the money to keep another, so they settled for feeding and playing with the stray cats in Summervale.

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?

Hmmm, Echo doesn’t mind children?? but there’s only so long they can be around them before she gets overwhelmed. Children like them well enough since Echo is always up for playing songs or messing around with cantrips. Echo would be the fun parent/godparent/babysitter, but. Please dont make them look after children they dont want any.

12. What is their favourite food?

Give my child spicy noodles or give him death

14. Do they have any specific memories of food/a restaurant/meal?

Their first cake made without supervision was. A disaster to put it lightly since someone was feeling ambitious.(it turned out like rubber and after that he was too flustered n frustrated to focus so everything else turned out badly too) So they dont bother with that anymore! Cake mistakes who i dont know her sdkjjkdbs. So half the time they pass by anything with some type of airy sponge cake they cringe lololol

16. Do they collect anything? What do they do with it? Where do they keep it?

She had a rock and shiny things collection back at Summervale! They’re mostly for decoration, although some with certain textures are used for stimming. Some rocks are kept on shelves, but most are stored in cool jars to save space

18. What’s their favourite genre of: books, music, tv shows, films, video games and anything else

Echo is a sucker for romance novels and fun, upbeat music! Idk if video games, films, or video games exist in-universe, but if they did, they’d like dramas and baking shows, rpgs, and more character focused games like nitw

20. Do they like musicals? Music in general? What do they do when they’re favourite song comes?

They love music, and they’d like musicals too! They will grab their lute and play along if their favorite song came on, and if nobody was around then maybe they’d sing too. Maybe. 

22. What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

tbh their go-to insult is calling someone a prick or a bastard, and it’s usually for whenever someone’s done something particularly scummy. Or if someone is just. The Absolute Worst. It’s a leftover habit from when they used to live in Ivydome, but Echo usually sticks to talking shit when the target is. Very far away/not in the area.

24. What is their sleeping pattern like? Do they snore? What do they like to sleep on? A soft or hard mattress?

They try and get around six hours, to varying success, and to their knowledge they dont snore! Echo loves soft things and would prefer to sleep on a soft mattress with So Many blankets and pillows and maybe a cuddle buddy

26. How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions?

Fun fact echo does a tounge blep when she’s happy!! They tend to do lil happy claps and bounce up and down in place when they’re really excited, but when it’s a more calm-type of happy he purrs loudly and smiles a lot more than usual! 

28. What is their biggest fear? What in general scares them? How do they act when they’re scared?

He’s claustrophobic and is terrified of being alone again or having to leave people behind even when the situation calls for it. So like. He aint copin too well after the last session! They get very flustered and panicked and freeze when theyre scared

30. Do they exercise? Regularly? Or only when forced? What do they act like pre-work out and post-work out?

Does going on champion quests and running from his problems count as exercise or???

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like?

Crop tops with long sleeves, shorts, and boots make up most of their wardrobe and they love it. Theyd go to like the fantasy equivalent of marshalls i think? Somewhere with good deals and a lot of options. Overlarge shirts, tank top crop tops, and more shorts make up their pjs. They dont really wear makeup, mostly bc they touch their face a lot and it feels weird the whole time, but they wouldnt be opposed to wear a lil bit every now and then! Their hair is floofy and a bit of a controlled mess since they cut it themselves

34. What is their body type? How tall are they? Do they like their body?

Echo is 5’9”/ 175.26 cm! Theyre on the average side i think? Like theyre not super skinny but not fat either so just. Avergae. And yeah, Echo likes their body, theyre so bright! And their horns are so cute and having a tail is very handy and claw maintenance can be a bit of a pain but like. Aesthetic am i right folks

36. What are they good at? What hobbies do they like? Can they sing?

Hes good at playing the lute and generally being very cute and giving out good vibes, and he likes baking and playing music! They can sing, but really only do that when theyre playing their lute ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

38. What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

Echo admires passion and creativity the most, and dont let anyone from the party know but he wishes he could be just. A bit smarter and know what to say + ask. Theyd also really like to be able to make a decent genoise sponge too like theyre not picky

40. Do they like energy drinks? Coffee? Sugary food? Or can they naturally stay awake and alert?

Theyre a tea drinker all the way, and arent the biggest fan of sweet things. He used to use more tart or mellow flavors when baking. They def arent alert after being tired for a while, and will space out a bit

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition?

No secret ambitions here, Echo is an open book(unless they roll high on deception dvdjxb)! Becoming Sune’s champion, making a decent sponge cake, and protecting his friends with his life/in any way they can are all their current goals. Echo doesn’t care too much if they get hurt, so physical well-being and maybe mental are things they wouldn't mind sacrificing, but as a whole they don’t really want to think about what they’d have to give up. He’ll burn that bridge when he gets to it. 

44. What is their favourite season? Type of weather? Are they good in the cold or the heat? What weather do they complain in the most?

If its cold, wet, or humid echo is not a happy camper lol. They prefer summer and the beginning of fall the most, and sunny days with lots of puffy white clouds are the best! They think its fun watching the clouds shadows on the ground. They’re better in hot weather than cold, since clothes for that type of weather are easier to dress for and they dont have to account for their tail or horns as much

46. Do they make a good first impression? Does their first impression reflect them accurately? How do they introduce themselves?

God i hope they make a good first impression im dying over here xjkxdk but honestly it depends! They try to make a good first impression and i think they usually do? But if theyve just finished with a job w the gang or theyre just. So tired they wont really introduce themselves at all.  Its pretty accurate of how they are, and their go-to greeting is “I’m Echo Barquiel, a pleasure to meet you dearie~” 

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend?

In theory they’d like parties but being around so many people with that much noise for an unknown amount of time would not be. Ideal so smaller get-togethers with friends would be the most enjoyable! Echo doesnt really have the uh, space to host anything so theyd just turn up to other’s parties. Theyd be in a constant state of switching between ‘holy shit im so gay’ and ‘oh my god theres so many people/internal screaming’. If they were dragged to a party, theyd mingle for a leelte bit before stepping out

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?

A bedroll, waterskin, food supplies, rope, knives, a lute, matches, money- yknow regular survival stuff!

[oflopez-blog1]

counselor olympics → task 002

total questions answered: 150

1. if they were a candle, what scent would they be?

strawberry & candy cane !

2. what female celebrity do they wish was their sister?

1000% lauren jauregui

3. what male celebrity do they wish was their brother?

ooooooooo probably jordan fisher

4. how old do they think they’ll be when they get married?

she hopes around 25 / 26 but she won’t be upset if it takes longer

5. how many countries have they been to?

only the one she currently lives in !

6. what would they name their daughter if they had one?

either sofia or isabella / bella

7. what would they name their son if they had one?

diego !!

8. what was their favorite tv show as a child?

she was only really allowed to watch one show & she picked Spongebob 

9. what language, besides their native language, would they like to be fluent in?

her native language is spanish but she’s also very fluent in english

10. would they ever change their name? if so, to what?

she really loves her name because it’s also her grandmother’s name. I honestly don’t think she’d change it

11. what was the last compliment they got?

“you look so good in yellow”

12. what is their favorite flavor of tea?

CHERRY & ALMOND !

13. how did they find out that santa and the easter bunny weren’t real?

she never really had the chance to believe in them in the first place ? val never celebrated easter & her mom gave her money to buy things for herself during christmas

14. what is their hogwarts house? (recommended: take pottermore quiz)

hufflepuff !!

15. what tarot card are they?

the sun card

16. are they more of a marvel or dc fan?

neither ! she never got the chance to watch them

17. who is their favorite superhero?

probably wonder woman

18. everyone has a song that deeply reminds them of their childhood. what is theirs?

skyscraper by demi lovato

19. what are the meanings of their first, middle, and last name?

valeria  = “to be strong”

rae = ?? ( I couldn’t find the meaning )

lopez = “son of lope”

20. have they ever stolen a street sign before?

nooooooo never

21. what is their biggest pet peeve?

people touching her / walking slow in front of her

22. if they were a month, what month would they be?

I think she’d be the month of May

23. what is their least favorite movie?

friday the 13th

24. what five movies would they bring with them if they were stuck on a deserted island?

a basket of lil snacks

paper + pencils

her anxiety pills

bathing suit

fire starter kit

25. out of all of the late night talk show hosts, who is their favorite?

she doesn’t know any of them !

26. what are three things they are afraid of?

confronting her mother

snakes

super deep water

27. what was the first concert they went to?

she’s never been to one

28. is there a nickname that only their family calls them?

val !

29. what side of the bed do they sleep on?

she has a small bed so she sleeps in the middle

30. what is their favorite comfort food?

definitely bread pudding

31. what award shows do they watch?

her mother used to watch the grammy’s and val would listen in so probably the grammy’s

32. do they have any weird body skills (example: being double jointed)?

she can do that flower thing with her tongue

33. if they drink coffee, what is their coffee order?

she love macchiatos

34. what social media platforms do they have?

all of them but she uses instagram the most

35. are they a cat or dog person?

dogs 10000000000%

36. if they were a supernatural creature, what would they be?

either an elf or a nymph

37. what show are they currently watching on netflix/hulu?

mainly bob’s burgers & the hollow

38. what is their favorite disney movie?

lilo & stitch all the way

39. do they wear any perfume or cologne? 

she wears a pretty citrus-y body mist 

40. what genres of music do they listen to?

mostly pop + acoustic

41. have they ever seen the bee movie?

nO

42. what are their favorite memes?

you died memes

43. what celebrities do they share a birthday with?

brendon urie, saoirse ronan & jennifer morrison

44. what is their moon (zodiac) sign?

cancer

45. which of the seven cardinal sins do they embody the most?

of the 7, she’s probably most like envy because she didn’t experience a childhood worth being happy about & she gets envious of people who did

46. do they watch sports on television? if so what ones?

even if she was allowed to, I don’t think she’d watch sports tbh

47. what do they put on their typical sandwich?

tomatoes, ham and mustard

48. what was the name of their first significant other?

his name was dwight

49. do they care if people think badly of them?

it depends on the day tbh but for the most part, she doesn’t care 

50. what was the last thing that made them cry?

one of the kids told her she was least fun of all the counselors because she was so quiet

51. are they an iphone or samsung user?

iphone ( rose gold with this case )

52. what type of computer do they use (example: apple)?

a mac computer

53. what is one of their nervous habits?

bites the side of her tongue

54. out of all reality shows, which one would they have a chance winning?

big brother 

55. would they ever go bungee jumping or skydiving?

n O omg she’d be way too scared

56. what do they call their grandparents?

abuela + abuelo

57. what do they do when they can’t sleep?

read or scroll through social media or use her ouija board

58. what time do they normally go to bed?

usually around 10pm

59. if they have instagram, what was the last picture that they posted?

this captioned with “lunch is my favourite time of day”

60. if they have twittter, what was the last thing that they tweeted?

“does anyone know where I left my sunscreen?? or can I please borrow someones”

61. who is their otp?

kara + luther from detroit become human

62. do they like sweet, salty, or sour?

sour !!

63. did they play any sports in the past?

she tried to get involved + play soccer but it didn’t end up working out

64. what is their favorite cheesy pick up line?

did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?

65. what tv show or movie is their guilty pleasure?

she loves to watch Nailed It

66. if they were a fruit, what fruit would they be?

honeydew

67. do they sing in the shower?

YES ! she performs

68. what is their favorite type of chips?

sweet chili heat doritos

69. do they drink juice? if so, what is their favorite kind?

she l o v e s fruit punch

70. what is more important to them: power, money, friends, family, love, or fame?

friends + love

71. what does their handwriting look like?

72. do they have reoccurring dreams? if not, what is their most memorable dream?

she doesn’t usually remember her dreams but one that she has never been able to forget is she was sitting at the dinner table during dinner and her father walked in and they had dinner as a family and then a big tornado came and he sacrificed himself for her and he kept saying how much he loved her. she woke up crying

73. if they were a taste, what would it be?

salted caramel 

74. what is one random fun fact about them?

she doesn’t have good memory

75. what is their lucky number?

12 and 34

76. do they have any pets?

no but she really wants to adopt one

77. do they believe in the paranormal or the supernatural?

YES!!!! she does

78. have they ever had any paranormal experiences?

yes, she’s surprisingly had a lot??

79. can they sing or dance?

she’s a great dancer

80. who is the first person they call/text when something exciting happens?

usually theo

81. what is their social media handle?

littlelopez

82. what swear word do they use/like the most?

“shit”

83. what is their ideal first date?

sitting on the beach, watching the sunset + having a nice picnic

84. if they were a type of weather, what would they be?

stormy

85. what is their least favorite holiday?

valentine’s day

86. what is the first thing that they do in the morning?

put on her slippers

87. who is their ultimate celebrity crush?

JESSE WILLIAMS

88. do they usually pay with cash or card?

with cash unless she absolutely has to use her card

89. what was the last thing that they bought?

a new pair of sunglasses

90. are they a good or bad driver?

she’s a decent driver. not the best but not the worst

91. if they could meet one person (from history or currently alive), who would it be?

probably marilyn monroe

92. have they ever gotten into a physical fight?

yes but she didn’t fight back

93. do they prefer pepsi or coke?

she doesn’t like either

94. do they prefer the city or the suburbs?

suburbs 1000000%

95. do they have any special or odd talents?

she........ can eyebrow dance

96. when they were little, what did they want to be when they grew up?

she knew she wanted to help people so either a social worker or a therapist

97. do they have any favorite smells?

she loves the smell of cookies, caramel, vanilla, lavender + green tea

98. if they could visit any place in the world, where would they go?

either italy or france

99. do they wear jewelry?

yes. her father’s old necklace, she never takes it off

100. who is the last person they talked to on the phone?

her grandpa. he wanted to check up on her

101. do they prefer ‘would you rather’ or ‘truth or dare’?

would you rather. truth or dare just makes her ... nervous

102. what has been their favorite halloween costume yet?

when she dressed up as Belle ( from beauty and the beast )

103. do they like horror movies?

she HA T E S them

104. what is their typical breakfast like?

cereal and toast with honey on it

105. are they a netflix or hulu person?

netflix. she probably doesn’t even know what hulu is lMAO

106. do they like to gossip?

not at all. she stays as far away from it as possible

107. if they were a song, what one would they be?

hold on just a little while longer ( idk who originally sings it )

108. what was their best subject in school?

math!!

109. what was their worst subject in school?

she wasn’t very good at gym, mainly due to shyness

110. have they ever met anyone famous?

not yet but she wants to

111. who was their childhood hero?

her grandma :)

112. were any tv shows or movies that they weren’t allowed to watch as a child?

anything horror or that had sexual innuendos or gore

113. what is the strangest thing they have ever eaten?

celery, peanut butter + raisins

114. do they prefer friends or family?

friends, for sure

115. how do they feel about pineapple on pizza?

she doesn’t like pizza so she doesn’t really care for it

116. do they put the milk or cereal in the bowl first?

milk first & then cereal

117. how do they think dogs would wear pants?

option #2. she thinks it would be too hard for dogs to walk if pants were on all 4 of their legs

118. do they believe in luck or fate?

she definitely does

119. do they use emojis when they text?

y e s, all the time

120. who was their favorite character on friends?

she never got the chance to watch it :(

121. what character on friends are they most like?

probably phoebe 

122. would they rather read the books or watch the movies?

read the books 10000%

123. what is their favorite time of day?

evening

124. did they watch the teletubbies as a child? if so, who was their favorite?

as a young kiddo, yes. her favourite was laa-laa

125. do they check the rating (like a rotten tomatoes rating) of a movie before they go and see one?

it doesn’t cross her mind to, especially if she’s excited about the movie

126. do they have any favorite old hollywood movie stars?

umMmM , not really tbh?

127. if they had to live in any other decade, which would they choose?

1950s for sure

128. if they could only listen to five music albums for the rest of their life, which ones would they choose?

confident > demi lovato

red > taylor swift

+ > ed sheeran

you > dodie clark

get weird > little mix

129. do they believe in heaven/hell or reincarnation?

she believes in reincarnation 

130. do they like chewing gum?

she does indeed

131. do they like to go see musicals or plays?

though she has never seen them, she would love to see both of them

132. were they apart of any clubs or teams in high school or college?

she was in a book club for a lot of high school and also the soccer team but she quit shortly after being accepted into the team

133. what was their high school superlative?

math surprisingly

134. are they good at cooking or baking?

she’s super good at baking & decent at cooking

135. could they beat bobby flay?

probably not tbh she’s more of a baker than a cooker

136. do they watch actual television? if so, what channels do they watch?

only cartoons tbh

137. have they ever seen rupaul’s drag race?

no :( she definitely wouldn’t have been allowed to

138. do they prefer pink or yellow lemonade?

definitely pink > yellow

139. could they lip sync for their life?

if she was really passionate about it, Y E S. she would SLAY the house down

140. is their room messy or clean?

clean AF

141. if they were a body part, which one would they be?

hands; she likes hand holding

142. if they were an emotion, what would they be?

anxiety

143. if they were a planet, which one would they be?

pluto :)

144. how would they describe their clothing style?

cute & simple

145. do they shower in the morning or at night?

usually at night. but if she forgot the night before, than she will in the morning

146. do they order regular fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, or tater tots?

T A T E R  T O T S

147. do they normally wear socks?

yes, she likes wearing mismatched socks

148. do they fear natural disasters?

not really, no !

149. can they ice/roller skate?

she likes to ice skate even though she isn’t very good

150. are they good at video games? 

surprisingly .. yes !! 

[everythingbiggerincanada]

1. What is you middle name? Davis

2. How old are you? 26 turning 27 soon..

3. When is your birthday? Feb 4th

4. What is your zodiac sign? Not sure tbh I was told Aquarius

5. What is your favorite color? Purple

6. What’s your lucky number? Ummm 99 I think

7. Do you have any pets? No but im gonna get a dog

8. Where are you from? Scarborough Canada

9. How tall are you? 5'10/11

10. What shoe size are you? 12

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? 8 or 9

12. What was your last dream about? I dont dream but if I do its generally a nightmare. My last one though was about a girl I know and how we were playing cod and I tickled her. But thats super odd for me.

13. What talents do you have? I not sure. I like to game and sing, shoot guns and used to love jumping outta planes until my injury. But I can cook?

14. Are you psychic in any way? Nope

15. Favorite song? Right now its You Broke Me First

16. Favorite movie? I just watched a movie called The Hate U Get. That was incredible I also love Harry Potter

17. Who would be your ideal partner? Who, thats easy, but I keep fucking up good relationships. At least this past year so atm no idea.

18. Do you want children? I thought about it. And honestly not unless my wife did. I would want to be a dad maybe someday but only after I get my wife all to myself for a year lol..

19. Do you want a church wedding? Maybe. Honestly would like my wedding on my family estate

20. Are you religious? Used to be. Now I have a tenous relationship with God.. I used to believe but everytime I needed God he was no where to be found...

21. Have you ever been to the hospital? Yeah more times then I could count.

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? When I was a kid like 5 I stole a candy bar and got caught. But no police just an ass whooping from hell

23. Have you ever met any celebrities? Yes I have. A few

24. Baths or showers? Both. I like to bath then shower

25. What color socks are you wearing? None atm

26. Have you ever been famous? I guess. Depends on how you define fame..

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? No

28. What type of music do you like? Hip-hop, Rnb, Pop, some rap. Etc

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yes

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? 4

31. What position do you usually sleep in? My side. I like to cuddle and its more comfortable. Hard for me to sleep any other way

32. How big is your house? Its not huge. Its enough for now

33. What do you typically have for breakfast? Oatmeal or eggs or bagels!!!

34. Have you ever fired a gun? Yes several and often. I was military

35. Have you ever tried archery? Yes and im no Robin hood

36. Favorite clean word? Eh

37. Favorite swear word? Fuck

38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? 4 days I think

39. Do you have any scars? Yes several. My biggest one is on my leg. And I got one from being stabbed

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer? Yes

41. Are you a good liar? No.. It starts eating me away. I get sad after awhile. Its easy to tell

42. Are you a good judge of character? Yes for the most part

43. Can you do any other accents other than your own? Lol no but I try anyways

44. Do you have a strong accent? I dont think so but some would say yes

45. What is your favorite accent? French

46. What is your personality type? I have no idea. I'm very domineering

47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing? Umm my suits

48. Can you curl your tongue? Lol kinda?

49. Are you an innie or an outie? Ummm 🤷‍♂️

50. Left or right handed? Right

51. Are you scared of spiders? Not the small ones

52. Favorite food? Chicken 😂

53. Favorite foreign food? Popish

54. Are you a clean or messy person? Messy

55. Most used phrased? Get Fucked

56. Most used word? Umm

57. How long does it take for you to get ready? Not long

58. Do you have much of an ego? Yes

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? Depends lol. Ill suck on it if I enjoy it

60. Do you talk to yourself? Yes

61. Do you sing to yourself? Yes

62. Are you a good singer? I've been told yes

63. Biggest Fear? Not being good enough. Not feeling ok

64. Are you a gossip? I tend to talk shit but im learning thats part of my bigger issues im working on 🤷‍♂️

65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen? The Hate U Got

66. Do you like long or short hair? Both

67. Can you name all 50 states of America? Yed

68. Favorite school subject? History

69. Extrovert or Introvert? Extrovert I think. Well post covid

70. Have you ever been scuba diving? Yes

71. What makes you nervous? Large crowds. And certain ppl

72. Are you scared of the dark? Yes. Im afraid of what I cant see

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? Sometimes

74. Are you ticklish? Yes but if you try and tickle me ill probably lose it lol

75. Have you ever started a rumor? Yes

76. Have you ever been in a position of authority? Yes alot

77. Have you ever drank underage? Yes

78. Have you ever done drugs? No except edibles

79. Who was your first real crush? Shekinah was I wanted to marry her

80. How many piercings do you have? Zero

81. Can you roll your Rs?“ lol not really

82. How fast can you type? Depends on if you want full complete sentences that makes senses or a bunch of bullshit lol..

83. How fast can you run? Pretty fast or i used to be able too

84. What color is your hair? Dark brown

85. What color is your eyes? Brown

86. What are you allergic to? Penicillin

87. Do you keep a journal? Actually I started writing on this site that allows for anonymous "stories" or just a place to express yourself. Its been really helpful. My doctor recommended writing out how I feel could help since I struggle with being honest about my struggles...

88. What do your parents do? My father passed away and my mom is retired

89. Do you like your age? No I feel old

90. What makes you angry? Depends. I dont often get angry but hurting people I care about will do it

91. Do you like your own name? Its ok. I prefer Davis over Connor but its who I am

92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? No not really.

93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child? Girl

94. What are you strengths? Leadership, staying calm under pressure, being able to focus when its hard. Honestly their are a few things but right now I feel like I have alot more weakness...

95. What are your weaknesses? That would be way to long of a list and im not sure id want Tumblr to see it

96. How did you get your name? My momma named me after atv show...

97. Were your ancestors royalty? Yes

98. Do you have any scars? Yes several

99. Color of your bedspread? Grey and black

100. Color of your room? Off white

[movienotesbyzawmer]

Return of the Jedi

December 16: Return of the Jedi

(previous notes: The Empire Strikes Back)

Source: Limited Edition DVD, original 1983 edit (See my Star Wars and Empire notes)

I was 12 when this came out, and I think I saw myself as a very loyal Star Wars fan. I played with the toys a lot and had a cool picture book of this movie before I saw it. Plus the soundtrack. I was living in England at the time; IMDb would have me believe that this was released only a couple weeks later in the UK than the US, but I seem to remember having to be very patient and determined to get myself to a theater that was playing it. I took a train into London with my sister and my friend Steve, and we saw it at the Dominion Theatre, which was at the end of its decades-long history as a movie palace and entering its current incarnation as a venue for concerts and West End productions. The point is, I loved it but of course I loved it, it was my identity. Looking back it seems like it's a lot hokier than Empire but still good. Right? Let's check it out.

Opening shot recalls the first movie, except with the cool half-finished Death Star 2.

Pretty unusual to begin a Star Wars movie with Imperial characters.

Seven minutes in and we are introduced to the Imperial shuttle with the fold-up wings, and now two Tatooine creatures - Bib Fortuna and the Gammorean Guard, whose names I only know because I had the action figures - that again all demonstrate the importance of alien design.

And sure enough here's… "Jabba Du Hutt", and his motley band of creatures, at least one of whom inhabits Jabba's very fat folds and cackles like a kiddie cartoon beast.

Jabba's in-house party band, with a blue inflatable keyboardist, performs an attempt at a sequel to the Cantina band song. The song on the soundtrack album has a different chorus than this song, though.

Quite a lot of that goofy talking-in-different-languages stuff here; C3PO speaks English to both of the people he's translating to. I'm not complaining. I'm NOT complaining.

Lando furtively removes his mask for the express purpose of informing the audience of his presence.

The look of this movie is significantly improved over Empire. The big rooms. The lighting. Better production values.

Leia takes her helmet off and we get the Han/Princess theme because of course we do, and I love it.

Han is still struggling with being just recently unfrozen, but Harrison Ford still has to deliver lines that aren't really appropriate for his condition. Doesn't work out too well.

0:22:00 - Luke arrives. I kinda see why George Lucas made Han say "delusions of grandeur" because that's an important perspective on Luke. He's acting like a straight-up Jedi but he's not all that well-trained or experienced.

The Rancor is a pretty badass monster, he eats that Gammy guard, eats him up good!

Actually there's some not-so-great rear projection in this scene.

Pretty funny how sad the Rancor-master is.

C3PO translates a few syllables from Jabba into a whole paragraph describing the pit where they're going to die. By 1000-year digestion. A death so hard it makes you live way longer so you can die for a super long time.

Luke: "Free us or die". It is corny. But it's part of an arc that takes us way into the next generation.

VERY overt Wilhelm scream during this fight.

0:33:05 - Boba Fett's slapstick death, with the oopsie fall and the pit monster burping. Fans think it's stupid that such an intriguing villain got such a trivial death, and I agree.

Parade of Imperial fighters honoring the arrival of the Emperor, impressive looking! And now our first look at Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine in this trilogy. In the late 90s I joined in all the speculation about who would play the younger Palpatine in the upcoming prequel trilogy. It turned out they went with the same guy, because as old as he looked here in 1983′s Return of the Jedi, he was in his mid-30s and just wearing heavy makeup.

"No more training do you require," says Yoda. Seems like he's going easy on Luke. Although he does say he won't get to be called a Jedi unless he kills Vader. Totally making up the rules on the spot. Then he dies and vanishes like it's an appointment on his calendar that he's gotta keep, and yet barely gets around to saying "there is another Skywalker". Just being dramatic. That Yoda. You guys, fuckin' YODA.

Then speaking of being a bullshitter, Ghost-y-Wan spins some garbage about how it was kind of true what he said before FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW. Buncha FAKE NEWS.

We're at a Rebel fleet place with new kinds of ships, and the unabashedly shellfish-y Admiral.

0:52:50 - Shot of TIE fighters flying over the surface of DS2, just looks way better than the first movie.

"It's an older code, but it checks out". For some reason that simple bit of dialogue has been useful in my life.

"Hey! It's me!" That's some of that OG Han humor. Also a line that has been useful in my life.

For some reason I thought all this Forest Moon of Endor stuff didn't come until much later in the movie.

The speeder chase is pretty fun - of course they came up with neat, imaginative vehicles. With cool sound effects. Of course. They go SO FAST through all these trees.

1:01:55 - Ewok sighting. Some people really hate the Ewoks. Is that fair? They kind of purr."Eee cha wa ma". If there's a spectrum with Yoda on one end and Jar Jar on the other, I'm feeling hopeful that Ewoks are closer to Yoda.

Leia's missing and maybe dead and all Han can say is "I hope she's all right". That dialogue could have done with a rewrite.

They see C3PO and think he's a god! They burst into reverent chanting. It's kind of an insult to religion. Thumbs up.

And I gotta admit, this screwball bit is actually a good use of C3PO.

Leia sure got comfy quickly in this village. Her hair is down and she’s wearing like a nightgown. Dude you're trying to bring down the whole entire Empire, maybe stay focused.

Sometimes the Luke Skywalker performance is like a child trying to act like more of an adult than he is. It's gotta be deliberate, right? That acted earnestness?

Lando's co-pilot is a new kind of alien who talks pretty cool.

Ooh, very cool looking big fleet jumping to lightspeed!

One thing that works is when a forest speeder thing gets damaged, it destabilizes it and makes it go in a spiral. For some reason that just makes sense.

1:34:40 - Impressive volume of fighters in this battle, definitely a step up from the other movies.

It's really quite a lot of this movie that's set on Endor. The other movies do more planet-hopping. I miss it.

I'm really not having major problems with the Ewoks. But I do think that they invested a lot of this movie's story in them. Could have gone with a "leave us wanting more" approach, while maybe traveling to one or two new locales.

"I will not fight you father." That sanctimonious tone like he's pretending he's been morally consistent.

The shield dish thing blowing up looks very good! Good splody!

Drawn-out melodrama with the Emperor zapping Luke a lot, ends with Vader grabbing him and chucking him down a ginormous shaft. This famously had a "nooooooooo" added into a later version. Can confirm, such a nooooooooo is unnecessary.

Lando's character is a little tempered here. Unlike the last movie, he's just a piain ol' soldier leader man with a pleasant demeanor.

The mother ship gets all fucked up and it spears DS2 in a big flamejob splodytime! Pretty cool!

There's actually a big, shitty flaw on the left side of the image that’s been present for like the whole second half of this. A double line thing. Under normal circumstances, wholly unacceptable.

They made what seems like a weak choice to have the climax of this movie also be blowing up a Death Star, but it looks different here and it's very exciting.

Oh but now because it's the theatrical version, I have to hear the jub-jub song. Ironic that it comes across as overly Disney-like.

Well, that's done. Return of the Jedi, you have some virtues, but you are not quite as fun to like as the first two.

(next: Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

[scottgalina]

Every Kellyoke So Far, Ranked

My morning routine at work has become thus: First, I enjoy the greatest iced coffee with skim milk and sugar that New York City has to offer, courtesy of Bashir on the northwest corner of 43rd and Broadway. Second, I do whatever work things I have to do that are none of your business (unless you’re someone I work with in which case I prioritize your things). Third--and at this point it’s around 10:45a/11:00a--I open YouTube and click my first recommended video and laugh. You see, every weekday morning, without fail, in the top left corner of my YouTube homepage is the day’s Kellyoke. If for some reason you’re reading this and don’t know what Kellyoke is, allow me to educate you. Kellyoke is the way Kelly Clarkson opens every episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. But more than that, it is, quite simply, a way of life.

Born from Kelly’s extensive history of #KCRequests on tour (fans request songs on Twitter, she covers them) Kellyokes are approximately two minute covers of popular songs--usually a verse, chorus, bridge, culminating with Kelly simply vocalizing at the end. This is where I laugh. I laugh because not since Jessie J was on that Chinese reality show has there been such a consistent stream of covers sung so exquisitely and captured with such perfect audio.

And I laugh because Kelly Clarkson’s voice is not to be believed. I know everyone “knows” what a good singer she is, but I’m not sure that people have fully come around to the cold, hard fact that she’s one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Certainly that she’s the greatest singer of her generation. 

Each Kellyoke begins with a “Woo!” or “How y’all doing?” or some other burst of excitement from our fearless leader. Then she launches into the cover of the day. Sometimes (mostly upbeat songs) she’ll travel through the audience, traversing down and up stairs and dancing through the rows. Other times she stays stationary at a mic stand either by her band, or somewhere else in the studio surrounded by fans. (This super informative, though nowhere near long enough (nothing could be, really), Vulture piece sheds a little more light onto what goes into these decisions.) Most end with Kelly at “home base” in front of the couches she interviews guests on, which is captured by a weird camera that seems like it’s a GoPro and is stationary so never has her perfectly framed, and always seems lower quality than the other cameras. Kelly concludes each song with another “Woo!” or “Hey!” and always gestures to her band, usually accompanied by her saying “Give it up for my band, y’all!” She’s a class act! (If you’re used to watching Kellyokes on YouTube, then you’re used to them immediately being followed by the official Kelly Clarkson Show bumper which begins with Kelly saying “I will not stop talking.” I learned how to use GarageBand so I could edit that out from the mp3s I make of each Kellyoke. It’s a sad life, what can I say!)

As God decided was my duty (I was bored and, again, sad life!), I recently rewatched all of the Kellyokes that have aired to this date (I mean, you can imagine, it wasn't a hardship.) and below have “ranked” them. But I use the term very loosely. Because how can you rank perfection? Even the “worst” (and I use it even looser this time) Kellyoke is still at least a minute and a half of KELLY CLARKSON SINGING. Which is better than anything else on the planet. It’s better than mango even. So please take the “ranking” aspect lightly.

A brief housekeeping note: I have omitted both the first Kellyoke, “9 to 5”, because it was the first and there was a pre-taped component to it, and the medley of her own songs she performed on November 1st, because I wanted the list to only be covers. “Can’t Stop the Feeling” was performed on November 6th but seems to have been scrubbed from the internet. I remember it being perfectly fine, but didn’t include it because I can’t prove it. I’ve also not counted the November 21st “Neon Moon” cover because it was performed with Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, and John Legend, and November 25th’s “Ain’t Going Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)” because it was a duet with Garth Brooks. This is about KELLY and KELLY ONLY.

With all that out of the way, please find every Kellyoke so far ranked.

53. Express Yourself - 9/20/19 Okay, this one is really scary. On paper all the pieces are there: Kelly Clarkson, looking amazing, singing one of Madonna’s most famous songs, working her way through her audience. The catch is that the audience in this instance has been replaced by soulless facsimiles of human beings that seem to have been directed to tune out the music they can hear and instead focus on a song in their head (keeping what it is to themselves) and engage with Kelly as though that’s what she’s singing. It’s horrifying to watch as no one sings along with her and everyone claps to a different beat. Even when she gets to two seemingly gay men, they don’t sing along! Were they told not to? It’s almost like when you watch a party scene in a movie or TV show and you know they either played elevator music or were dancing in complete silence because they didn’t know what song they were going to dub it in later. This is a good excuse to make something the worst and not have it be Kelly’s fault, because she’s perfect.

A quick note on the audiences of The Kelly Clarkson Show before we go any further. It’s unclear what they’re told before each taping. A lot of times it seems as though they’re instructed to clap any which way but on the beat. Almost like the warm-up person says to everyone “Forget anything you’ve heard or instinctively felt about clapping!” It’s very strange. It’s also very strange to watch the way they interact with Kelly Clarkson who is singing sometimes inches from their faces. I know you can’t judge someone until you walk a mile in their shoes, but I am VERY confident in saying that if Kelly Clarkson was singing anywhere CLOSE to my body, I would be neither calm nor collected. I might be shocked. I might be stunned. I might faint. But in no way would I be able to carry on normally. More of all this throughout the list!

52. Believer - 9/19/19 This is a totally solid entry that suffers only because it aired back-to-back with the “Express Yourself” episode and I resent how into this song the audience here is; the total opposite of the other one. Everyone should know “Express Yourself”! I don’t think that’s too much to ask! 

51. Come and Get It - 11/8/19 This is ranked low mostly because I’ve always had an issue with a song that’s opening lyric is a young woman singing to a man “You ain’t gotta worry, it’s an open invitation,” so this choice bummed me out. Kelly sounds great, but we’ll keep moving! 

50. Cake By the Ocean - 11/13/19 A pretty straightforward rendition of a song that doesn’t allow many vocal pyrotechnics. That’s okay. It’s still early.

49. Blow Your Mind 10/8/19 The least-known song Kelly’s covered so far (I think? Right?) leads to some pretty low energy from the audience. Kelly sounds really good, but the whole thing just kind of...happens.

48. Happy - 11/22/19 This is about exactly what you’d expect, which is not a bad thing. Kelly Clarkson singing can never be a bad thing! 

47. Wrecking Ball - 10/15/19 An understated opening with a bit of a funereal vibe, if we’re being honest. This one finds Kelly starting planted in the middle of the audience with a few terribly uncomfortable looking people right in her shot. She plays with the melody which we love, and things get better once she starts walking, but all in all this isn’t one that moves the needle.

46. Delicate - 11/5/19 Some confusing excitement at the top as we try to figure out where Kelly is and what’s going on and then it’s like...Oh! She’s there and that’s what’s going on! We almost do really well with a song that feels like it’s fool-proof in terms of clapping on the beat, but our friend in white and our other friend in yellow prove that’s not quite the case! It really takes all kinds!

45. Sucker - 9/10/19 The second Kellyoke, and first proper one, is perfectly solid. The faster parts trip her up on the words a little, but her voice sounds impeccable on the chorus.

44. You Look Good - 11/11/19 My biggest takeaway from this perfectly lovely Kellyoke is that Kelly’s pocket is literally...every note ever written. It’s a common theme that will come up over and over on this list, but it never ceases to amaze me how flawlessly she sings. Even watching all of these videos back to back, it doesn’t get old! She is the greatest singer in the world! 

43. Juice - 9/30/19 She’s looking great and having fun here! If I could complain, it would be about Kelly not singing enough, which reminds me of a story MIA told after she worked on Christina Aguilera’s album Bionic. MIA was excited to write songs to show off Christina’s insane range and Christina was excited to make mellow, less-showy songs in MIA’s style that didn’t require her to belt the way she usually does. It seems their time together was...fraught. 

42. Jealous - 10/16/19 Kelly’s at home, both in leopard print and staying in one place at a mic stand in the band area. It seems pretty obvious that it’s because she really does not know the words to this one, and to make her navigate the stair-business along with the cue-card-business would be totally unfair. We have many more exciting entries on this list, but then she does....that at the end and you wonder why anyone else bothers singing ever!

41. What Makes You Beautiful - 10/10/19 This is fun for everyone, and the arm swaying alleviates all the clapping mishegoss so the audience looks good too. Nothing of it is too consequential, but her alternatives to the melody at the end are great!

40. Independence Day - 10/23/19 If this entry is a tad underwhelming, it’s only because it’s so in Kelly’s wheelhouse. But what a wheelhouse to be in! 

39. Ain't No Other Man - 9/16/19 A lot of YouTube comments on this video (Yes, I read the comments. Have I not been completely transparent about how miserable I am??) suggest that Kelly was holding back vocally on this one which feels true. Is it because she’s not fully confident on the choppy arrangement? Is it because Christina was a guest that day? Is it because she wasn’t feeling well? Who could ever know. Regardless, she still sounds better than literally every other singer on their very best day so who cares?  My only true “note”: It would’ve been nice to hear the “D-do your thang, honey,” right?

38. Any Man of Mine - 10/18/19 Another song that Kelly seems to love singing. I know I’m wrong, but the violin player doesn’t necessarily feel like he’s not chasing her throughout this whole thing. This is also, by my calculations, the first ever Kellyoke to feature a key change. We love to see it! (Am I using that right?)

37. Let Me Blow Ya Mind (10/9/19) The strangest thing about this Kellyoke entry is that every which way its listed on YouTube only credits Eve, leaving out Gwen Stefani, which I can’t figure out. The title is “Let Me Blow Ya Mind (Eve Cover) By Kelly Clarkson | Kellyoke” and the description is “Kelly Clarkson covers Eve's 2001 single, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" for a live audience.” What gives? This one really makes the case for Kelly making every single song sound, not necessarily better, but like a song that was written for her. Maybe there are songs she wouldn’t sound good singing. If there are, she’s smart enough to not try!

36. Roar - 10/11/19 Kelly’s “Woo” at the beginning is maybe the most excited one in the Kellyoke canon. She looks great in purple (even if the sleeves are a little funky) and the vocal run on the final “roar” is breathtaking. A real motley crew of audience members here!

35. What About Us - 11/4/19 A slightly wonky arrangement that Kelly can’t seem to get in the groove of, but it’s Her singing P!nk, so it’s hard to complain. Kelly and P!nk should co-headline a stadium tour together. I think everyone would love that. Thank you in advance!

34. Shut Up and Dance - 9/23/19 This is all good and fun, but I’m most fascinated by the two women at the 26 second mark, one of whom seems to be hugging herself in order to reach her hands back to her wife, girlfriend, friend, or stranger behind her. It’s a really sweet moment that’s only marred when Kelly gets closer and the woman releases her hands to reveal that she, like the vast majority of The Kelly Clarkson Show audience members, hasn’t yet mastered the basic human function that is clapping.

33. Wild One - 10/17/19 Kelly enters through a new side door for this one, bypassing using the stairs at all. This one is great because Kelly seems to really genuinely love the song. 

32. Straight Up - 11/18/19 This one is fun both because it’s unlike most of the other songs on this list and because Paula Abdul was the guest that day (along with Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Justin Guarini.) The lyric flub during the first chorus is a little vexing, but for the most part it’s all just a joy, with everyone firing on all cylinders. 

31. Love Me Like You Do - 10/7/19 This song feels a tiny bit like you can hear her say “Oh, I know that one. Let’s just do that.” right before she goes on. The high pony seems like it was styled by God and the option-up at 1:01 garners a rare reaction (from the girl on the aisle and her, seemingly, sister) that acknowledges that the people in the audience are MERE FEET from Kelly Clarkson while she sings like THAT. Kelly’s vocals at the end are gorgeous.

30. Sugar - 10/29/19 This is the perfect example of a song that Kelly sings and instantly makes feel like her latest single. Her voice just elevates everything! There is nothing she can’t sing! I hope I’ve made that clear at this point! The audience loves this one and how cute is Jessi with her beret and tambourine? Give it up for Jessi, y’all! 

29. Mine - 10/28/19 Kelly looks and sounds amazing here and the audience crowded around her are all doing their best impressions of human beings having a good time and enjoying live music.

28. Can't Feel My Face - 10/14/19 A fabulous horn-centric arrangement lets Kelly’s voice really soar. One of the best audiences, clapping-wise, that we’ve seen.

27. Ride - 11/14/19 Obviously the stars of this entry are Kelly’s dress and hair and the queen in the audience who knows all the words. We get the octave jump earlier than usual which is exciting.

26. Feel It Still - 11/20/19 I’m wondering how many of the artists whose work is represented on this list have heard these covers. Do you think they lose their minds? Are they so honored? Does it make them crazy to know that they will ever be able to sing as well as her? Do they reach out to her privately? Or can they not stand the thought of speaking to someone so talented?

25. Til the World Ends - 9/26/19 When I first saw that she was singing this, I was thrilled because, along with “I Will Wait”, “Crazy For You”, “Go Rest High on That Mountain”, and “My Man”, her 2012 cover of the full version is one of my favorite #KCRequests of all time. (If she ever does “I Will Wait” for Kellyoke I will cease to exist. Know that.) This arrangement is a little different and a little slow to my ear, but still...what a song! 

24. Miss Me More - 9/17/19 Kelly’s having a great time with this one in spite of an audience full of people who are dressed like they didn’t know they’d be on national TV, not only that day but in this lifetime, nor are capable of acknowledging that Kelly Clarkson is singing like that a few feet from their stupid faces. Bonus points for the logo colors. Pink goes good with green.

23. Lips Are Movin' - 10/30/19 We still don’t know why this had one of the most dramatic entrances in Kellyoke history (I can only assume it’s because they taped it the same day as the Halloween episode and wanted to take advantage of Bridget being at the studio? Can anyone reading this even begin to imagine how terrible it is in my head?) but it turns into a perfectly lovely rendition.

22. Never Be Like You - 11/7/19 What could it possibly feel like to sing like this? Do us mere mortals have a point of reference? Is it similar to the way we walk or sleep because it’s so easy for her? Or is it something she has to work towards and feels accomplished after completing like me jogging for one city block or completing a customer service phone call?

21. If It Makes You Happy - 9/25/19 A little low energy and doesn’t lend itself totally to the walking around (she almost doesn’t it make it to where she needs to be at the end!), but again, her voice is so unreal that it doesn’t really matter. I wonder why she chose to do the second verse (“I still get stoned” isn’t totally her brand) and it’s nuts to me that the verse is literally low for her but...whatever! HPA (high pony alert) as well! 

20. Uptown Funk - 11/18/19 First of all, how great is this entire look? This made me smile because when it started I thought, “Oh sure, we know how this will go.” And then I thought a little ahead through the rest of the song and was like “Oh shit, she’s really going to tear into all the ‘Don’t believe me just watch’ business isn’t she?” And, reader, she does! And the vocalizing at the end is just gravy. 

19. Better Now - 11/12/19 I know everyone has different tastes and it takes all kinds, but this is just factually better than the original, right?

18. Chandelier - 9/13/19 A more somber mood to close out Kelly’s first full week of shows, and the audience doesn’t quite know how to be. But GOD, does that dress move well! The words get botched a bit but the voice makes up for it. I know it goes without saying (and yet I still keep saying it!) but, Kelly Clarkson’s voice is ABSOLUTELY INSANE. If you listen to nothing else on this list (WHY???) at least listen to this one. 

17. I Love Rock ‘N Roll - 10/4/19 Kelly’s right at home here rocking out in her signature leopard. The audience is eating it up--they know this one and it seems like they’re actually listening to it in the room! Kelly screams and growls and sounds amazing. The high pony really solidifies this entry’s status.

16. Before He Cheats - 10/2/19 This doesn’t even sound like a cover. It literally just sounds like her song. 

15. Stay With Me - 11/27/19 Choirs make me cry so I’m a big fan of this. It’s another one that makes you laugh when you remember there’s a literal daytime talk show that unfolds over the 58 minutes that follow it. But then makes you emotional from the beauty of God’s voice. Lots of emotions in one minute and 40 seconds!

14. The Story - 11/19/19 This is absolutely beautiful. Doesn’t feel like there’s much more to say, right? 

13. If I Could Turn Back Time - 10/22/19 Four days after the first Kellyoke key change comes this one that almost doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen! By the time she gets to the mainstage it seems like she’s getting ready to wrap things up, but it’s just a fake out. The key changes and it’s insanity. As much fun as the audience seems to be having here, it does make me think that once a week there should be a taping that is solely attended by gay men. I think it would be just an insane Kellyoke to start, then a Q and A with Kelly and the audience for the rest. I’m not positive what it would mean for the ratings, but that’s not my job! 

12. Bitter Sweet Symphony - 11/26/19 My first thought during this one is that I couldn’t believe that there was more to the show after this. This IS a show! This should have played on a loop for the rest of the hour and everyone else should have gone home. I mean, is this the most gorgeous or WHAT?? An unexpected song, a beautiful arrangement, the voice of an angel. Instantly legendary. Few Kellyokes have begged for an expanded, complete version the way this one does.

11. Why Haven't I Heard From You - 9/27/19 Reminder that Kelly Clarkson is as famous as she is in spite of never releasing a country album. Would she be more famous if she’d only released country music? Or even just one country album? Listen to how at home she is on this song! And look at how much loves Reba! You can just tell! I don’t want to be too presumptuous, but I do feel like the pants here aren’t a coincidence. Feels to me like there might have been a discussion about mobility and how into the song she’d get at the end. And she does! That last line! A true legend! 

10. I Put a Spell on You - 10/31/19 We love a production and this is one, honey! I’ll pay this Kellyoke the highest compliment I can which is that it’s the closest we’re going to come to recreating The Rosie O’Donnell Show in this year of our lord 2019. (That would be assuming, of course, Rosie O’Donnell was the greatest singer in the history of the world.) There’s some questionable back-up dancer business around the one-minute-mark (Was she supposed to be alone? Was she actually supposed to touch Kelly??), but that’s the only thing that’s not absolutely perfect about this. 

9. I Like It, I Love It - 10/25/19 It probably won’t surprise anyone reading this to find out that I wasn’t particularly familiar with this song before hearing Kelly’s version (unless there’s an emergency, I try to make sure the only male singers in my iTunes library are Harry Styles and Steven Pasquale), but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to Kelly’s version. What really struck me is that she didn’t change the pronouns which...well, it made me cry at my desk. It was a long week, okay?

8. Walking on Broken Glass - 10/1/19 Animal print? Check! Iconic song? Check! And buy me that skirt! The real killer here is Kelly’s bridge, which she chooses to FULL THROAT BELT (she knows no other way, really) instead of following Annie Lennox’s falsetto-ed lead. We still get a glimpse of Kelly’s head voice (if not whistle tone) at the end. Kelly’s happy, the audience is into it, this is a good one!

7. Think - 9/12/19 This was only the third episode of the show, so it was easy to think that it might never get better than this. And the truth is, it rarely does! What makes this even more unbelievable than the sheer power of her voice, is that she does this all while going up and down two sets of stairs! Who can do that?! I’ve been known to stop conversations getting on the escalators going up from the Q train just to be able to really focus on what I’m doing, and she’s singing and wearing heels and doing it all at once like it’s no big deal??

6. If I Can't Have You - 10/3/19 This one starts out as a little bit of a bummer because on paper it looks like it may be track seven of her album All I Ever Wanted. (Two quick things here. First, if you ever want me to get light-headed from talking too much and too quickly, ask me about my theory that the best song on any album is track seven. Second, if you don’t know “If I Can’t Have You” get the fuck on it! And then listen to the Smoakstack Sessions acoustic version. And then listen to the live version mashed up with “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” that she only performed a few times in Australia. And then you may marry me.) Anyway, once you get over that initial disappointment, this is a near perfect Kellyoke. If there’s anything else wrong with it (and I know she can’t control the title of the song), it’s only that her whole look is reminiscent of a middle schooler who is playing Smitty in How to Succeed and had to provide her own costume. BUT! Don’t let that take away from everything else to feast on during this one minute and 55 second masterpiece.

5. Alone - 10/21/19 “Anyone here like Heart?” is a clunky opening to what will go down as one of the all-time great Kellyokes, but by the time we get to the “Y’all ready?” we’re off to the races. Because we’re NOT ready! We think we are, but how could we be? I mean, it’s Kelly Clarkson singing “Alone” and somehow it’s even better than you could ever possibly imagine?? Even the audience engagement here doesn’t bother me as much as it usually does. Maybe because I would watch a documentary mini-series about that group of friends, especially the woman in the denim jacket who plays the air drums after Kelly walks away. I feel like she has a gay son. She better work. 

4. Bad Romance - 9/11/19 This one ranks high on both personal and technical levels. Personally, this is certainly something I feel responsible for conjuring through sheer force of will and witchcraft. I don’t want to be buried (“Jesus, I thought this was a silly list of Kelly Clarkson covers!” -you) but if I did, I’d feel comfortable putting here in writing that I’d like “Kelly Clarkson sings a powerful rendition of Lady Gaga's 2009 single ‘Bad Romance’ #KellyClarksonShow #LadyGaga” engraved on my gravestone or the door to my mausoleum or whatever. Technically, again, not much to say beyond “Well, listen to it.” Taking the second verse up an octave is inspired and the ad libs are divine. The flubbed lyrics are a plant to make us think she’s human.

3. Only Girl in the World - 11/15/19 I said “Oh shit” out loud at my desk when I saw the song title, leopard print, and high ponytail all in one Kellyoke. What a trifecta. And what a performance! Let’s be real, this one boils down to the 55 second mark when you and Kelly start a will she/won’t she dance as the bridge crescendos. And like, OF COURSE SHE WILL. SHE’S KELLY MOTHERFUCKING BRIANNA CLARKSON. YOU THINK SHE’S NOT GONNA BELT THAT NOTE YOU WORTHLESS SWINE? I’m no Mister Golightly so I don’t know how to read music that well, but this seems to be the highest belted note in a Kellyoke up to this point. (And PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong. Feels like it’s important for me to know.) Her kids at the end are sweet, but this one became top ten long before they ran out onstage.

2. Let's Go Crazy - 9/24/19 The “Dearly Beloved” probably sounded better in theory, but what otherwise sinks this totally perfect vocal performance is an audience full of goons who deserve to be incarcerated or, at the very least, fined. Did I take for granted that everyone knows how to clap on the beat? Even if EVERYONE doesn’t, the odds don’t seem to lend themselves to how many people in this audience have no idea how to clap. Was there an a support group meeting for the rhythmically impaired that morning somewhere near the Universal lot? Do you think they were laughing in the control room? Also, doesn’t it feel strange that the below people could be in the same room and making those faces at the same time? Surely someone’s should be different. And I know which one I think!

1. I Wanna Dance With Somebody- 10/24/19 This is the Kellyoke motherlode. It may never get better than this. Every choice Kelly makes is the one you want her to. This one has it all: full-throated belting, whistle tone, iconic song, iconic outfit, option-ups left and right. The brief moment of audience participation lets us know that Kelly wants you to think this is for everyone, but it’s really just her taking the opportunity to go fucking wild. It’s what we and, more importantly, she deserve.

[liepcrd]

world building: aesthetic au

( that’s right heathens, instead of doing actual replies im going to talk about this cozy little setting for a minute. buckle up and get ur d batteries, it’s time to take a trip back. )

@truthfullyideal​ ( cause u were interested; heckin buckle up m80 )

First things first, a lot of this stuff may be subject to change, I’ve had a few ideas of where to take it (mostly technology wise) because it’s supposed to be reminding of a time never experienced (im 19 give me a break) or reminiscent of the ‘good old days’, but also having phones and stuff would be cool? So that’s not really concrete but for this we’ll just assume that it is. 

The “Aesthetic AU”, as I’m calling it, takes place in a small, slow town called Lanolin Heights (which is located in the region of Hoenn). It’s got a school system, one (1) main grocery store and one strip mall with slow, municipal businesses. The main store is like a Walmart in that it sells general things, but smaller. For specific items, one would have to go up to the city, a nice forty-five minute drive up the highway. Needless to say, a lot of the teens are forced to hang out at the local pizza joint, (one of the only standalone businesses aside from what I just listed) at their houses or in the woods. Local law enforcement is pretty slack and knows just about everyone by name. If they don’t know someone, they usually know their relatives.

The schools are the Elementary and High School, Elementary serving as both Primary grades (K-5) and Middle grades (6-8) ((based on american school systems)). The High School houses grades 9-12, in which students either move or commute to the college in the next city over, Rustboro. While the overall Elementary School atmosphere is welcoming and inviting, the High School is super cliquey. Everyone has their own group, which may seem good on the surface: the jocks have a group, the popular girls, cheer squad, even the smart kids and outcasts have a clique. But if you don’t fit in any of those cliques, you’re often left high and dry. The kids in the school system have known each other and grown up with one another for the most part, so they’re not very welcoming to outsiders unless you fit into a clique or can conform to fitting in. Luckily the cliques themselves are pretty good, once you get into one of them.

For fun, the kids usually stay in their houses with groups or hang out at the local pizza joint, Rockwell’s Pizza. The joint has a jukebox with the latest hits, good food for a price teenagers can afford and the owner, much like the law enforcement, knows just about everyone. On the weekends and before exams, you’ll find the place packed with teens and young adults alike. Along with the standalone pizza joint, there’s a small VHS store and worn-down bowling alley. Lane 13 is always broken, there always seems to be a flickering light, the two arcade games have a 50/50 chance of stealing your quarters, but the fries and soda are legendary so no one really cares. The VHS store never seems to have the new releases until a month after they’ve already hit the theaters, but they have good quality tapes and never seem to run out of movie snacks, which keeps the people appeased. Every once and awhile, the store has a small amount of movie merchandise. This usually sells out very rapidly, but the plus side is that they usually forget they even have it in the first place so it’s usually vintage merch by the time someone bothers to clean out the store room. A good steal if you happen to get lucky.

There’s a single gas station that has stupid delicious glass bottled soda and has a plethora of 40s, 50s and 60s memorabilia on the walls. Old timers often spend a lot of time talking to the cashier which can be a pain, but teenagers in the High School are known to be easily hired here as the owners are elderly so there’s usually one cashier line with two elderly people chatting and one with a super busy, hectic teenager trying to get to every customer in line. The gas station is a good place to hang out with old people, for the history enthusiasts they can often be found here striking up a conversation with some of the town ‘elders’.

Beside the pizza joint and the gas station there is an old, abandoned strip mall. There’s development signs up advertising the creation of a mall here, but it’s been up for so long it’s starting to fade. The parking lot is cracked and the stores look dilapidated. The parking lot is a popular place for new drivers to practice, daring drivers to do some donuts in the winter, or teens just walking its length back and forth while chatting. Sometimes you can find a casual soccer game hosted here, and even rarer than that, a flea market will set up shop, or even a small, watered down carnival. If the schools have some sort of event, such as a bake sale, weather permitting they will have it here due to the abundance of space. Rockwell appreciates the business they bring, though he has no trouble paying his bills without the influx.

Along with Rockwell’s, the other sole restaurant is a diner setting. ‘Lanolin’s Diner’, it’s named. Elders will tell you that the owner’s wife was named Lanolin, who was named after the town. The owners have long since died, but the diner still remains a popular spot. The diner has a friendly atmosphere like Rockwell’s, but like the gas station it’s more retro-esq. Good burgers, good milkshakes and great coffee for the ever studious exam taker. They also possess a jukebox, but it is older than the one found at Rockwell’s and has little to no modern tunes.

Not in the main ‘hustle and bustle’, (which should be used loosely) but not quite out of town limits either, there is a rock quarry. They were going to use the rocks and gravel here for something-- no one can ever agree on what-- but whatever project it was got scrapped and the place is supposed to be shut off from the public. That doesn’t stop most people, teens in particular, from going there to hang out. It’s also a popular spot for young trainers to test their skills and battle (as is the empty parking lot). Geodude can be found here, and if you’re lucky, you may even find a Graveler. The quarry isn’t checked up on by law enforcement-- they all know what goes on down there anyway. It’s blocked off by a sad little chain that is easily walked over, but if they truly need to block it off they will have barricades. This has happened before, particularly during dangerous storms that could flood it.

Somewhat close to the quarry is a small antique shop. It’s only ever open on Tuesdays, which makes school kids wonder what actually is sold there, but the kids known for skipping class often come here (or, at least go once or twice) and browse during the open hours. The reason it’s only open once during a week is because the owner, a little old lady, goes out the other six days and acquires her unique goods. She also makes some damn good cookies, which is by far her best seller. No one else works here but her and she is guarded by a large Arcanine, if anyone thinks they can get past her with some nonsense.

Along the highway, if you’re approaching Lanolin Heights you will be able to see a water tower with faded letters that say, in cursive, ‘Lanolin Heights’. Some abandoned and boarded up houses and, what appear to have been businesses along the country routes that go through and close to Lanolin Heights suggests that this place used to be busier than it currently is. However with the addition of Rustboro, it would seem most people left Lanolin and went there. A lot of the elders could tell you that statement is true, some of them even having been some of the people who left when Rustboro was established.

Because it is a small town, the students and even the adults get really excited over their school sports teams, which are oddly good. The rallies are always booming with life and for the time the event goes on, all other worries seem dropped and left behind. It’s common for adults no longer in school to come to them still if they can, for the food is delicious but the nostalgia they hold for most is even sweeter than the funnel cake. Usually the community comes together as a whole to donate money to rallies and games, as well as clean up the mess once it’s all said and done. Pokemon help with this as well.

As Rustboro has a gym, there are classes in the schools dedicated to Pokemon battling, type match-ups and status aliments (basically, a basic trainer’s school course) but nothing goes into too many specifics. Most kids find out from adults or elders what they need to do in battles, or by trial and error. Once every two months, Professor Birch will visit the town and hand out starter Pokemon to eligible children. Usually these children are the ones who’ve done good in school, but he always brings a few extras to hand out to some other children as he believes they all deserve a chance to raise one of the starters of Hoenn.

And that’s about it! The most important landmarks in Lanolin Heights. Later on I’ll make a post explaining Katherine and what she does in this small town, but for now this will have to do. As I said before, this is open for anyone to take part in, it’s just a fun little “slice of life AU” for peeps. Set in the 80s-90s? Something like that.

[r-ei]

i was tagged by @meii-u thanks loser ;D

1. do you have a good relationship with your parents? most of the time, they’re pretty passive, but sometimes they can be unreasonable or misunderstand me but i think that’s just how parents are lol

2. who did you last say “i love you” to? idk but i think it was to emi’s cats

3. do you regret anything? i regret not doing a lot of things because i lack confidence and motivation…oh and procrastinating in school

4. are you insecure? hell yeah bih

5. what is your relationship status? married to the game (art lol)

6. how do you want to die? i was reading my old journals and i said i wanted to die in a zombie apocalypse, the statement holds true (actually painlessly lying in the rain as violins play)

7. what did you last eat? i had a lilokoi cheesecake slice! (it wasn’t very good though)

8. played any sports? i did cheer leading in 2nd and 3rd grade if that counts

9. do you bite your nails? no i do not, my habits are rubbing my hands together, and playing with my hair

10. when was your last physical fight? probably with my brother a long time ago, i hit one of my ex-boyfriend’s face in freshmen year though omg he really pissed me off

11. do you like someone? i like my friends! no romance atm~

12. have you ever stayed up 48 hours? no i’m weak

13. do you hate anyone at the moment? ‘merican pres y'all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

14. do you miss someone? sometimes my old friends i don’t talk to anymore, and my dog coco!

15. have any pets? no, there’s stray cat’s at my grandma’s house but they run away from me! my mom has a toy poodle but I don’t live with her

16. how exactly are you feeling at the moment? bored and hopeful

17. ever made out in the bathroom? oh god nooo

18. are you scared of spiders only when they’re huge and moving towards me

19. would you go back in time if you were given the chance? definitely! i’d change a lot of things and experience all the fun parts again~

20. where was the last place you snogged someone? i really don’t like that term but 3-4 years ago at my ex-boyfriend’s house~ freshman me got the most action ;;

21. what are your plans for this weekend? draw, exercise, whatever comes up

22. do you want to have kids? how many? i don’t think i’ll ever want kids unless they’re adopted, and if i have a good amount of time and money

23. do you have piercings? how many? two, one on each ear

24. what is/are/were your best subject(s)? art, english (not punctuations), and history

25. do you miss anyone from your past? my teachers and some of my old friends

26. what are you craving right now? to finally watch voltron season 3!!! and that outback bread *eyeballs emi*

27. have you ever broken someone’s heart? freshman me broke a few~ now i just break my own heart ahhh

28. have you ever been cheated on? through texting?

29. have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? i found out they cried after i broke up with them ;; (y'all dodged a bullet though trust me)

30. what’s irritating you right now? these questions reminding me i’m not good with relationships?!

31. does somebody love you? i would hope my family and friends do!

32. what is your favorite color? pastel lavender (ccccff code)

33. do you have trust issues? sometimes, i mostly don’t trust myself to not screw something up though lol

34. who/what was your last dream about? i dreamt i gave money to a thief before they tried to steal it and helped him/her escape, then suddenly i was walking in a forest and there was a strange noise and the thief was there and told me something bad was coming to destroy the forest so i started running but omg dream running is hard and the thief said it was too late so i asked them to help me escape, they said it was impossible, but i kept begging and they finally agreed and the scene changed and we were in a neighborhood. it was a pretty cool idea for a story!

35. who was the last person you cried in front of? my high school counselor

36. do you give out second chances too easily? depends on the relationship and their reputation with me? i sort of weigh that with whatever they did wrong

37. is it easier to forgive or forget forgiving because i remember bad things easily ;;

38. is this the best year of your life? it’s been boring and super disappointing! i’m hoping next year will be better~

39. how old were you when you had your first kiss? 14 and it was awkward

40. have you ever walked outside completely naked? omg no why would i

41. favorite food? this is hard since i love drinks and desserts (unhealthy boi) but i love my mom’s cooking it’s the best (especially the filipino dishes!) her pork adobo, pancit, banana lumpia, curry, and custard, oh god i’m making myself hungry ;; i could always go for california rolls and crêpes though!

42. do you believe everything happens for a reason? nah shit just happens (technically everything happens for a reason just not in the mystical fate sense) semantics smh

43. what is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? i was reading my cringy old stories from middle school

44. is cheating ever okay? nope, only to thicken a bad romance plot

45. are you mean? i try to be nice and polite unless someone does something really bad (this was the year i realized i’d never be able to like everyone, there’s a lot of scumbags in the world smh)

46. how many people have you fist fought? zero! just in my head~

47. do you believe in true love? sometimes? i’m sure it exists if you can find the right algorithm

48. favorite weather? thunderstorms (when i’m at home) or breezy fair weather

49. do you like the snow? i’d like to see it and play with it but not live with it

50. do you want to get married? too soon to tell

51. is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? maybe to other people but not me

52. what makes you happy? wifi, friends, food, art, music, happy endings in real life, seeing people do good things for others, funny posts, weekends, traveling, taking good photos, perfect eyeliner

53. would you change your name? yeah! it would take a long time to decide though, i’d probably just make my name “rae” or something with a cool sound/meaning

54. would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? yeah since we haven’t spoken in years and left on bad terms and he lives in nevada or california now

55. your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? kindly friend zone them (it’s not worth risking a best friend) 56. do you have a friend of the opposite sex that you can act your complete self around? maybe? i can barely act myself around most of my friends regardless of gender!

57. who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? the guy in t-mobile lmao

58. who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? emi gets all the deep convos

59. do you believe in soulmates? yes! i think they can form in any relationship whether it’s a friend, family member, or significant other! (hope that doesn’t sound creepy? i just mean someone on the same wavelength, who really gets you)

60. is there anyone you would die for? depends on the way i’d have to die, i’d probably do it for my close friends and family! or idk someone who’s got a cure for a terrible disease?

tagging: @emis if you want boi~

[mnranger5]

The BIG 4-0, Kansas City, MO, 1/18/19 - 1/20/19

Let me hit you with 40 un-interesting facts about my 40 years on earth!  

I’ve woken up and gone to bed 14,600 days in my life.

I’ve put shoes on at least 50,000 times.

I’ve traveled to 31 of our 50 states.

I can’t drink more than 3 beers without waking up to a terrible headache.

I’ve purchased 1 mattress in my lifetime.  For as much time as you spend on them, good ones are worth every penny.

I have a pile problem.  I have piles of laundry on my floor.  I have a pile of mail 4 months old.  I have a pile of paperwork on my desk that stresses me out to look at.  I have a pile of junk in the glove box in my car.  I have a pile of fishing tackle that I swear will one day be organized in tackle boxes.

I have owned eight cars in my lifetime: 1987 Pontiac Grand AM, 2001 Pontiac Grand Am, 2011 Ford Explorer Sport, 2005 Ford Explorer Limited, 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, 2011 Ford Explorer Limited, 2012 Jeep Wrangler and 2017 GMC Sierra. 

I have called nine different cities home: Kansas City, MO; Raytown, MO; Waseca, MN; Duluth, MN; Bismarck, ND; Bloomington, MN; Eagan, MN; Rosemount, MN and Apple Valley, MN

I’ve broken five bones in my life: both arms, nose, foot, ankle…

…and only the ankle hurt on a similar level to my torn ACL/MCL.

My first day working at Blue Cross Blue Shield was September, 11, 2001.  What a memorable day that was.

My starting salary was $31,000.  I turned down a competing offer to work at a Plymouth small B2B business that essentially lined up     maintenance companies (heating, plumbing, electrical) with businesses that needed urgent maintenance at their facilities.  That job paid $40,000/year.  I would have accepted it on the sole basis of salary, but Mom and Dad recommended I take the job at the stable company, BCBS instead.  Which was a great recommendation.  The other company went out of business 6 months after offering me the job.  Thanks Mom and Dad!

I’ve spent nearly 50% of my life (18 years) working at BCBS.  In those 18 years…

…I’ve had  19 bosses at BCBS: Marv, Karla, Rob, Cheryl, Phil, Kevin, Gary, Mary, Terri, Shawn, Deb, Patrick, Rajat, Jim, Zachery, Maggie, Karen, Janet & Jay

I used to manage a team.  I used to want my boss’ job, and the job of my boss’ boss.  No more.  I love being an individual contributor. I love the flexibility to be a Dad whenever I want or need to be a Dad and not be     tied to the office. 

I’ve enjoyed video games since Dad got us an Intelevision with Dungeons & Dragons, Baseball and Racing.  As video games have advanced in technology, I’ve played some pretty awesome games.  My favorites over the years were Super Mario Brothers 2 (which Dad apparently waited in a long line for at KB Toys), Starcraft, Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Call of Duty Black Ops 4 (Blackout).

My back, knees and feet hurt all the time.

I always order the same thing off of a restaurant menu, never changing up the order.

Unless I am going to the lake, I have the hardest time getting out of bed in the morning.

My favorite cereals now are the same cereals that were my favorite as a kid – Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Sugar Golden Crisp.

I prefer to have Diet Pepsi over any other beverage, even if it’s warm cookies or breakfast food.

Due to #18 & 19, I’ve put on an unwanted 20lbs in the past 5 years.

I have been planning the 12 Bars of Christmas for 35% of my adult life.

I love the smell and look of a freshly mowed yard.

I watch the stock market daily, and usually make poor investment choices that are based on my gut feeling (e.g. I saw a huge line at Home Depot this weekend, so I better buy some HD stock!)

I enjoy vacations so much more now then I did 20 years ago.

It took 17 years, but I am finally student loan debt free as of 2018!

In 2011, I ran a half marathon in 2 hours and 1 minute.  The day after making that run, I found out I had caused a stress fracture in my right foot.

Dyan and I posed in this picture together 6 months before we ever met.

On our first date in November, we went to Carbone’s in Rosemount.  We both ducked out of work a couple of     hours early (nobody would notice, right?).     We sat at the bar, each sipping on a drink.  She only had one drink before switching to water.  In my head I was thinking, this must not be going well if she is done after one beverage.  We continued conversing but I couldn’t focus on any of the conversation because I was being     blinded by the sunset as it’s shine was perfectly aligned with me through the front door.  I am sure my ugly squinting was a very attractive first impression.  I left the bar less than 2 hours later thinking I’d never hear from her again….

A few weeks later, she came to 12BoC with me.  The rest is history.  I’ve have checked off some bucket list fishing destinations such as Caddo Lake in Texas/Louisiana, Lake Fork in Texas, and the Atlantic Ocean in the Florida Keys..

...and the biggest bass I have caught to date came from a a small lake (Lake Marion) just 5 miles from my house.  This largemouth was a whopping 5.25lbs. 

I’ve been on the losing end of fishing tournaments WAY more than the winning end.  The only tournament I’ve ever won was the Twin City Fishing tournament on Shields Lake in 2013.  It was my very first tournament. Aaron and I weighed a giant, 21lb, sack of fish that only won by mere ounces.  This might be my most favorite fishing story to tell.

If I could be in a different profession, my #1 would be a lawyer.  I think I also would have made a good weatherman, pilot or engineer.

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and crave a Diet Pepsi.  I will literally chug the entire can of pop at 3AM.  Oh, the burn is so good!

My favorite guilty pleasure is playing video games with Josh.

My ideal retirement would be Arizona for Jan-Mar, and a cabin on a MN lake from Apr-Dec.

What does all this mean?  

I AM GETTING OLD!

I complain to Dyan about 40 times per year about how much I miss seeing family and how little I get to spend with them.  So for my 40th, Dyan planned a trip to KC to spend the weekend celebrating with my family!  

 Traveling from Minnesota to Missouri in January. What could go wrong?

Only a big ol’ snowstorm. 

Great.  We decided we’d get on the road early.  Like 4AM-early.  Based on the forecast, if we hit the road by 4, we should be just on the leading edge of the snow before it hits southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.  So, here was the radar when we left Apple Valley vs. the radar when we hit Mason City.

We beat the storm!

We arrived in Kansas City early, around 11AM and spent some time bumming around at Bass Pro Shops so the kids could stretch their legs a bit.  Daddy had to get a couple Alabama Rigs for the April tournament in the Ozarks.  We then made a quick stop for lunch at Carrabba’s Italian Grill where mom and dad joined up with us.

After lunch, it was back to Bass Pro for some target shooting.  Grandpa challenged the kids to some shooting with the laser rifles, which was a hoot.  Next, we decided to see if we could check-in to our Airbnb.  We had never rented a house through Airbnb, but Dyan suggested we book a house on this trip so that my parents and us could all stay in the same place.  The Kansas City area had some unique rental homes, but we fell in love with pictures of The Fillmore Manor on the grounds of Unity Village.  Neither of us had ever stayed in a house that had an official name!

From the moment we spotted this beautiful English Cotswold style home nestled among the gentle hills of Unity Village, we knew we had made the right decision. What a gorgeous setting for a beautiful home.

The kids made quick work of staking claims on beds and exploring the winding passages through the house.  Josh and Melanie met up with us that evening and we all went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse, where yes, I got to ride in the birthday saddle while the restaurant sang Happy Birthday to me!  Later that evening, we began assembling a very challenging 500-piece holographic puzzle.  

On Saturday morning, we had breakfast at Unity Village (which was unexpectedly good) before heading back to the house for some more puzzle time.  And we finished!

We lounged around most of the morning while the kids overloaded on Melanie’s birthday cupcakes and Mom’s World Famous ALL-CRISPIX Chex Mix and Scotch-a-Roo’s. Then we split up.  The boys went to play Call of Duty at Josh’s house, while the girls went to the Trampoline Park.  

Apparently, the trampoline park was a stitch!

And tuckered everybody out!

Around 1PM, we all met for lunch at Jack Stack BBQ, which was AHHHH-mazing.  

We then returned home for some Scabble and an unsuspectingly fun game called, Farkle.  

With as much Farkle as we played over the weekend, we’ve decided we need to own this game at home!

We spent a few hours that evening at the arcade having some drinks while playing laser tag, air hockey and video games.  

We all had so much fun!

Unfortunately, the following morning we all had to say goodbye, and hit the highway for our homes.

[batsysims]

100 QUESTIONS NO ONE ASKS

I was tagged by @tickledsims ty ily!!

1. DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR CLOSET DOORS OPEN OR CLOSED? CLOSED when i was younger my little sister had a baby doll that would talk on its own at night and we called it the demon baby and hooooly shit

2. DO YOU TAKE THE SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONER BOTTLES FROM HOTELS? i dont take those bc my hair cant take cheap hair products but i do take the soaps!!

3. DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR SHEETS TUCKED IN OR OUT? i put the mattress cover sheet thingy on my bed but i dont use an actual sheet :/

4. HAVE YOU STOLEN A STREET SIGN BEFORE? nah lol

5. DO YOU LIKE TO USE POST-IT NOTES? YES i love using office supplies i could spend all day at staples omg

6. DO YOU CUT OUT COUPONS BUT THEN NEVER USE THEM? no lol but il save the lil receipt coupons and find them in my wallet months after they expire

7. WOULD YOU RATHER BE ATTACKED BY A BIG BEAR OR A SWARM OF BEES? hhhhh bees

8. DO YOU HAVE FRECKLES? yep!! i love them its why im scared to use foundation i dont wanna lose em

9. DO YOU ALWAYS SMILE FOR PICTURES? i either smile or if my moms takin the pic il make a stupid face 

10. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? i have terrible road rage...... um........... i also hate it when men interrupt me i just walk away at that point 

11. DO YOU EVER COUNT YOUR STEPS WHEN YOU WALK? yeah i pretty much count everything

12. HAVE YOU PEED IN THE WOODS? i dont think so??

13. HAVE YOU EVER POOPED IN THE WOODS? def not lmao

14. DO YOU EVER DANCE EVEN IF THERES NO MUSIC PLAYING? i have an eating dance, a drinking dance, and a video game playing dance hahaa

15. DO YOU CHEW YOUR PENS AND PENCILS? yes ugh it annoys me but i cant stop

16. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU SLEPT WITH THIS WEEK? at LEAST 0

17. WHAT SIZE IS YOUR BED? i think its a single? a single or a twin either way im miserable send help

18. WHAT IS YOUR SONG OF THE WEEK? ummm probably You by Weird Milk?? its the most recent song i added on spotify so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

19. IS IT OK FOR GUYS TO WEAR PINK? yeah def unless its one of those “real men wear pink shirts” like just.... stop

20. DO YOU STILL WATCH CARTOONS? sometimes my sister makes me watch stevens universe?? il watch phineas and ferb too bc honestly who doesnt anime too but not always cartoon ones or w/e

21. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE? 2001: A Space Odyssey and Daughters of the Dust come to mind

22. WHERE WOULD YOU BURY HIDDEN TREASURE IF YOU HAD SOME? u kno where ;) no how big is the treasure?? if its a lil bit id put it in that drawer under the oven bc my family never uses that but if its BIG TREASURE id hide it in the backyard of the last house i lived in bc a. nobody lives there now and 2. its totally overrun with green bc of like two floods

23. WHAT DO YOU DRINK WITH DINNER? water! only water ever

24. WHAT DO YOU DIP A CHICKEN NUGGET IN? honey if theyre mcnuggets but other than that i use honey mustard!

25. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? chicky parm

26. WHAT MOVIES COULD YOU WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND STILL LOVE? honestly Inception is my feel-good movie

27. LAST PERSON, YOU KISSED/KISSED YOU? a lil babu

28. WERE YOU EVER A BOY/GIRL SCOUT? i was in girl scouts much longer than i ever wanted to be lmao WISH i coulda done BOY SCOUTS

29. WOULD YOU EVER STRIP OR POSE NUDE IN A MAGAZINE? if cash is involved absolutely

30. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A LETTER TO SOMEONE ON PAPER? aboutttt three months ago!

31. CAN YOU CHANGE THE OIL ON A CAR? no but i can watch

32. EVER GOTTEN A SPEEDING TICKET? when i first got my license yea :( 15 yr olds are dum

33. EVER RAN OUT OF GAS? twice! very good memories

34. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF SANDWICH? egg salad gud

35. BEST THING TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST? the all star breakfast at waffle house yasssss

36. WHAT IS YOUR USUAL BEDTIME? honestly like 9 since i always have to wake up at 7 in the am but il stay up til 11 if i can

37. ARE YOU LAZY? absolutely when have ACTIVE ppl done ANYTHING

38. WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU DRESS UP AS FOR HALLOWEEN? i was usually a cat bc i never could find a costume i liked smh but when i was 2 i went as winnie the pooh lmao

39. WHAT IS YOUR CHINESE ASTROLOGICAL SIGN? ox!

40. HOW MANY LANGUAGES CAN YOU SPEAK? just english but im tryna learn spanish and japanese and im fluent in french if a two year olds speech patterns can be considered as such

41. DO YOU HAVE ANY MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS? nah

42. WHICH ARE BETTER: LEGOS OR LINCOLN LOGS? LEGOS lincoln logs are big with nostalgia thoooo

43. ARE YOU STUBBORN? with dumb shit yeah but i usually just dont care enough abt stuff to deal

44. WHO IS BETTER: LENO OR LETTERMAN? theyre both old idc

45. EVER WATCH SOAP OPERAS? no lol

46. ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS? not really tbh i like the adrenaline

47. DO YOU SING IN THE CAR? if im alone!! nobody deserves to hear that

48. DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER? nahhh

49. DO YOU DANCE IN THE CAR? when im in the drive thru haaaa

50. EVER USED A GUN? id like to go to a shooting range some time but ive never used one im also very anti gun so i probs would never buy one unless it was a cute lil glock i can handle well

51. LAST TIME YOU GOT A PORTRAIT TAKEN BY A PHOTOGRAPHER? st patricks day it wasnt technically for me tho

52. DO YOU THINK MUSICALS ARE CHEESY? not in general but when ppl start obsessing over a certain one for months on end abt a certain time period and certain performers and certain songs and certain people of history i start wanting ppl to die

53. IS CHRISTMAS STRESSFUL? YEAH I NEVER HAVE MONEY WTF

54. EVER EAT A PIEROGI? my sisters obsessed with them so yea but never like. authentic polish potato pockets or anything just a frozen box of em

55. FAVORITE TYPE OF FRUIT PIE? apple?? im not rly into pie tbh

56. OCCUPATIONS YOU WANTED TO BE WHEN YOU WERE A KID? ive wanted to go into law enforcement/criminology my whole life!! for a sec i wanted to be a firefighter, a journalist/writer/poet, and some sort of artist but u know how kids are

57. DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? i tried to find that clip from malcolm in the middle for like ten mins but i couldnt yea

58. EVER HAVE A DEJA-VU FEELING? doesnt everyone tho?

59. DO YOU TAKE A VITAMIN DAILY? no im a bad adult

60. DO YOU WEAR SLIPPERS? nah

61. DO YOU WEAR A BATH ROBE? im not rich!!

62. WHAT DO YOU WEAR TO BED? usually just my undies but when im living with other people il wear a soft shirt and my dc heroes pajama bottoms ayyy

63. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONCERT? ive never been to one! i was gonna go see metallica in baltimore but i moved before i could smh

64. WALMART, TARGET, OR KMART? walmart sry targets cool but too much money!!! i go there for home things tho does kmart still exist

65. NIKE OR ADIDAS? ADIDAS ive been trying to get a full adidas tracksuit for YEARS

66. CHEETOS OR FRITOS? fritos! i like the super hot cheetos tho

67. PEANUTS OR SUNFLOWER SEEDS? peanutsssss

68. EVER HEAR OF THE GROUP TRES BIEN? Nope but they must be good im keepin @tickledsims response bc it made me laugh

69. EVER TAKE DANCE LESSONS? when i was a lil babu i took ballet and gymnastics a lil later

70. IS THERE A PROFESSION YOU PICTURE YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE DOING? i hope to never have a spouse  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

71. CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE? yep

72. EVER WON A SPELLING BEE? ive actually never even had a spelling bee im sure theyre a myth

73. HAVE YOU EVER CRIED BECAUSE YOU WERE SO HAPPY? i think so??

74. OWN ANY RECORD ALBUMS? nah

75. OWN A RECORD PLAYER? nahhhhh

76. DO YOU REGULARLY BURN INCENSE? no but i had a roommate who did i fell in love

77. EVER BEEN IN LOVE? yeah ok lol so one time when i was a sophomore my french teacher had to use a substitute teacher and hes the reason i believe in love at first sight im STILL in love with him wtf ive also had a bf haha im hilarious

78. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN CONCERT? i dont really do concerts so i couldnt say but i think matd would be fun!!

79. WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU SAW? oh my god

80. HOT TEA OR COLD TEA? hot!!!!

81. TEA OR COFFEE? coffee!!!!!!

82. SUGAR COOKIES OR SNICKERDOODLES? i dont rly like either but i prefer snickerdoodles over sugar

83. CAN YOU SWIM WELL? i can only do that weird frog swim i forget what its called so no im shit at it

84. CAN YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH WITHOUT HOLDING YOUR NOSE? ye

85. ARE YOU PATIENT? if im able to distract myself?? it also depends on the severity of what im waiting on i guess

86. DJ OR BAND AT A WEDDING? probs a band i guess i dont rly think abt that kinda stuff sry

87. EVER WON A CONTEST? when i was four i won a coloring contest at the ice cream store

88. HAVE YOU EVER HAD PLASTIC SURGERY? nope im poor 89. WHICH ARE BETTER: BLACK OR GREEN OLIVES? both are good!

90. CAN YOU KNIT OR CROCHET? i can knit but i cant crochet

91. BEST ROOM FOR A FIREPLACE? fckn bathroom

92. DO YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED? not rly unless its a partnership longlasting romance stresses me out especially with financial responsibility etc

93. IF MARRIED, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED? -20 years

94. WHO WAS YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CRUSH? my high school boyfriend hahaaa h,,,,

95. DO YOU CRY AND THROW A FIT UNTIL YOU GET YOUR OWN WAY? im an adult sry

96. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 1!

97. DO YOU WANT KIDS? nope! lmao i love her tho

98. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? red but i also like many others??? idk

99. DO YOU MISS ANYONE RIGHT NOW? ummm not rly?? im not close enough to anyone to miss them and those i am close to im able to hang with

100. WHO ARE YOU GOING TO TAG TO DO THIS TAG NEXT? god uhhh if you havent done it already and want to, @dreambot @nebula-simms @ellowynsims and @pixelbloom

[here-on-earth-blog1]

99 Things I Love

1.  My sweet Lord who loves so well 2. My joyful parents whose constant love and support is beyond measure 3. Corgis and French Bulldogs 4. My home in the Eucharist 5. Adoration. Sweet time spent with my Lord. Grateful for all of the tears, laughter, love, stillness, silence, and inspiration found here. 6. The joyful blessing I have received through our Blessed Mother 7. Trader Joe’s Simply Almond, Cashew, and Chocolate Trek Mix 8. My beautiful sisters who always radiate God’s goodness and help me strive for holiness 9. Peanut Butter. Peanut butter with apples, PB&J’s, peanut butter with a spoon, just peanut butter. 10. The man, the myth, the legend; Father Mike Schmitz. His words have done wonders for my faith life. Meeting him was pure bliss 11. My dear friends back home. No matter the time or distance we can still pick up right where we left off 12. Sarah’s Day & just YouTube altogether 13. Longhorn Awakening 14. Playing Werewolf at UCC game nights 15. St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church 16. Roy and Ann Butler Trail 17. Basketball, Zach Lavine, Devin Booker, the Arizona Wildcats, the PAC 12 Tournament NBA Summer League 18. Thrift Shopping 19. Bookstores and the books that lie within them 20. Journals. I have far too many journals. 21. The beach: sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding 22. My sweet little flower, St. Therese of Lisieux. Her intercession has been incredibly fruitful, and her childlike faith serves as such a darling example 23. Studying/reading at a new coffee shop. Bennu’s forever has my heart, but it’s fun to look around 24. Warm jammies in a cold house 25. When the leaves change in the fall 26. Whole Food’s salad bar 27. The feeling you get after an intense workout 28. Stargazing ESPECIALLY at Longhorn Awakening 29. I love Mother Teresa’s heart and humility. Her words are so full of life and wisdom. 30. Bluebonnets in the spring 31. My goofy cousins who are always down to have game nights, complain about my cooking and are the siblings I always wanted 32. The smell after a good hard rain, when the breeze is blowing just right. Light and crisp. 33. Heart to hearts, deep conversations, being vulnerable with others 34. Chats by the fireside, with a nice cup of hot cocoa, and a blanket to snuggle under 35. Reconciliation. It is far less scary than it used to be. Grateful for the outpouring of mercy our Father so graciously gives to us 36. Making unnecessarily long lists 37. Traveling. Seeing the beauty of God’s creation only reveals a slight piece of heaven that I never knew before 38. Reading a good book on a rainy day 39. Warm hugs 40. The sun right before it sets and leaves streaks across the sky. Beautiful enough to take anyone’s breath away 41. BoY mEEtS WoRLd 42. Early mornings. When everything is still, and only a few people have started their day 43. Cooking. Not America’s Next Top Chef but I sure do try 44. The smell of blueberry muffin candles 45. Beachbody Workouts (holla) 46. Kauai, HI. No place more beautiful, green, or serene. 47. My faith constantly leaves me in awe. I love the traditions, the people, the word, the sacraments. 48. Quokkas. They are my spirit animal. 49. Farmer’s Markets. Their coffee and produce is stellar 50. The New York Yankees 51. Looking at Christmas lights while jamming out to JB’s Christmas album 52. String lights 53. Scavenger hunts 54. Long walks…on the beach, on a trail, through the city. Good company makes them even more wonderful 55. Chatting with strangers & I wonder why my mom says I am too trusting… 56. Ziplining. Maybe I’ll be able to fly one day. 57. My mass journal. Every time I go to mass I write down things from the homily. My current one is almost full :) 58. Making people smile 59. Hikes, chacos, Patagonia, ENUs, camping, maps 60. Babies!!! Especially my sweet cousin Paisley 61. Concerts. 1D, For KING AND COUNTRY, Bruno Mars, and Matt Maher have to be my favorite 62. Nuns. What a gift. They are so joyful and so full of the goodness of the Lord that it overflows in everything that they do. 63. Mama’s Fish House (Poho Pi, HI) Their seafood is incredible!! 64. Loose T-shirts & Birkenstocks 65. Sporadically waving my arms around while jumping up and down. I call it dancing. 66. The Perfect Game is and probably always will be my favorite movie of all time 67. My confirmation saint, St. Agnes of Montepulciano. Her deep devotion and love to our Heavenly Father is such an inspiration. 68. Massages. Rub my back, and I will love you forever. 69. Pretending I can take super fabulous photos 70. The sweet smell of a hotel lobby with a hint of coffee in the air 71. Headbands. The more, the merrier!!! 72. When your tummy hurts from laughing so hard 73. My Podcast. Homegirl loves her podcasts: UMD Newman, Catholic Stuff You Should Know, Pints with Aquinas, Among the Lilies, Do Something Beautiful 74. Big sweatshirts 75. The old Disney Channel: That’s So Raven, Hannah Montana, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody especially. 76. Watermelon. I once ate two in two days. It messes you up hahah. 77. Avatar: The Last Airbender 78. Taking a long shower after being outside all day 79. Water. With lemon, limes, oranges, cucumbers, by itself, I don’t discriminate…unless it’s sparkling, ew. 80. Super cheesy teen romance novels 81. Small goats in tiny sweaters 82. When friends or strangers remind you that you are where God needs you to be 83. Wolfgang Puck’s spaghetti and meatballs 84. Classics; The Little Giants, In the Heat of the Night, 10 Things I Hate About You, Happy Together, Spiderman, Can’t Buy Me Love, The Graduate, & Space Jam 85. Scented candles 86. Puerto Rico. The people are so welcoming, the water is great, the food is fantastic, and the cities are brimming with history 87.  Pinterest. Bible study, fun activities, food, new doodles, Pinterest does not disappoint 88. National Parks. Adventure, oh yeah!!! 89. Austin, TX & The University of Texas, hook ‘em 90. Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Leave-in Conditioner; the only thing that can tame the mane. 91. The Holy Spirit who blazes through my heart and the hearts of those around me. Your fire burns bright and never fades. 92. Acting like a child :) 93. Old couples who are still very much in love 94. Fuzzy socks, socks with dogs, thick socks, long socks, short socks, socks that have been washed a hundred times… 95. Planners and/or calendars. Have a plan. Stay organized. 96. Anything from the 1960’s!!! 97.  When you call someone to ask a question and end up talking to them for two hours 98.  Succulents. I love being a mommy to my plants. 99. This wonderfully crazy life

[aububuh]

All the asks!!!

1. If you didn't have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?  - Assuming this means I would never be tired, I would just feel better in general.  I’d probably watch more movies and write more music or something.

2. What is your favorite piece of clothing you own / owned?  - My Pipco shirt has done good things for me.

3. What hobby would you pick up if time & money weren't an issue?  - I would play like every instrument.

4. What does your perfect room look like?  - High ceiling, no standing waves or nodes, world’s greatest audio playback equipment, a wall of guitars, an opposite wall of keyboards, and a drumkit.  Oh, and a bed I guess.

5. How often do you play sports?  - NEVER

6. What fictional place would you like to visit?  - A place I’d be good with just going once would be the Room of Requirement from Harry Potter, just to see the generations worth of crap that people left there.  (yes i know it got burned down just pretend it didn’t)

7. What job would you be terrible at?  - I mean I quit Whataburger after like a day, so.

8. When was the last time you climbed a tree?  - Maybe a few months ago?  I’m not sure.

9. If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance of winning a medal for?  - Staying up too long.

10. What is the most annoying habit that you or other people have?  - Maybe that I pick my nose?  I don’t get how it’s all that annoying though, and it makes my face feel better.

11. What job do you think you'd be really good at?  - Anything where I complete entertainingly challenging tasks and don’t have to talk to strangers.

12. What skill would you like to master?  - Microphone placement.

13. What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?  - I want to go to Frank Zappa’s old house and see the studio.  It would have been even better a year ago when all his stuff was still in it, but I still want to be in the space.

14. If you had unlimited funds to build a house to live on for the rest of your life, what would the finished house look like?  - Approximately like Zappa’s house, with a badass studio and comfy areas to just exist.

15. What's your favorite drink?  - Water

16. What state or country do you never want to go back to?  - I think I was in New Jersey for about half an hour once.  Never again.

17. What songs do you have completely memorized?  - Most Frank Zappa songs

18. What game or movie universe would you like to live in?  - Star Trek, but the TV version.  

19. What do you consider to be your best find?  - I found the Grim Fandango soundtrack at a thrift store for 25 cents once.  It goes on ebay for like $60.

20. Are you usually early or late?  - I am early for everything.  Sometimes too early.  I can’t stand being late.

21. What pets did you have when you were growing up?  - A series of fish that all died.  The last time I had fish, one of them got hurt, and then the other one ate him.

22. When people come to you for help, what do they usually need help with?  - Either my mom needs me to tell her how to do a really simple computer thing, or my friends need me to give advice on relationship troubles or something.

23. What takes up too much of your time?  - When I waste time spacing out instead of doing a concrete thing that requires any kind of time investment.

24. What do you wish you knew more about?  - Rudy Van Gelder’s recording techniques.  Problem is he’s dead and he never told anybody what he did.

25. What would be your first question after waking up from being frozen for 100 years?  - “Did The Rage And The Fury ever come out?  No?  FUCK”

26. What are some small things that make your day better?  - I like when my friends send me stuff that made them think of me.

27. Who's your go-to band or artist when you don't know who or what to listen to?  - Spirit Phone by Lemon Demon is pretty much my go-to album.

28. What's the best way to start the day?  - Sleeping.

29. What TV shows do you like?  - Currently airing, pretty much just Steven Universe and Orphan Black.  Apart from that, Buffy, Hannibal, and Star Trek: TNG are all favorites.

30. What TV channel doesn't exist but really should?  - One that airs things I might want to watch more than a few times every couple months.

31. Who has impressed you most with what they've accomplished?  - Frank Zappa, Barack Obama, and the friends of mine who have to deal with their brains yelling at them.  All of them are badasses.

32. What age do you wish you could stay at permanently?  - Preferably none.  I think every year I become a better version of myself, and I don’t want that to stop.

33. What TV show or movie do you refuse to watch?  - If I hear about a thing that’s popular but like super demeaning in some way like Split or whatever, I’ll avoid it forever.

34. What's your ideal way to spend a weekend?  -  Sleeping late and doing something productive that’s not related to school.

35. What is something that is considered a luxury, but you don't think you could live without?  - Good audio playback equipment.  I can’t stand using headphones for more than like an hour or two at a time, and good speakers sound better anyway.

36. What is your claim to fame?  - I posted a thing about Wedge Antilles once.

37. What is something you enjoy doing the old-fashioned way?  - I totally prefer recording a whole band in a room to tracking everything individually.  I do it myself because I don’t usually have other people to play with, but for other people’s music it’s just more fun when I’m capturing a live performance.  It’s how so many classic recordings were done, but it’s so uncommon these days and that kinda bums me out.

38. What's your favorite book or movie genre?  - Sci-fi I guess, but I tend to really like stuff that bends genre in amusing ways regardless of the genre it’s bending.

39. How often do you people-watch?  - Whenever I feel like I can get away with it.

40. What have you only recently formed an opinion about?  - I realized last week that the US Democratic party is what a centrist party should be; everything is just so skewed to the right that they seem liberal by comparison.  I wish we had a real liberal party that was able to compete on the national stage, but we’re never going to get away from the two party system until we change a whole lot of shit.

41. What's the best day of the year?  - The best day of this year was when I saw Mike Keneally with my buddy Moped.  Possibly the best day of my life? 

42. What subject interests you that not many people have heard of?  - I would say not enough people have heard of Frank Zappa, or at least have checked out enough of his music to have a real opinion on him.

43. How do you relax after a long day of work?  - Work for me is usually doing sound for rock bands, typically until pretty late at night, so I just crawl up in bed and read dumb shit online until I drop all the energy I build up from working.

44. What's the best book series or TV series you've ever read or watched?  - Hannibal for TV.  I need to read the books.

45. Where is the farthest you've ever been from home?  - Latvia for 5 months in 2014.

46. What's the most heartwarming thing you've ever seen?  - Idk, probably some sappy romance in a show I like.  I’m a sucker for that sort of thing.

47. What is the most annoying question people ask you?  - This one.

48. What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with no preparation?  - Frank Zappa, or any number of subcategories about him.  The evolution of his guitar tone, the influence of his favorite music on his own work, his history of band members, etc.

49. If you were the dictator on a small island nation, what crazy dictator stuff would you do?  - I’d do REALLY crazy shit like guarantee everyone human rights.  Unless they’re nazis.  Frankly I have no idea why this is crazy, but some Americans would tell you it is.

50. What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?  - Listen to Frank Zappa.  JK, he’s not for everyone.  Everybody should go hear a band they love play live though.  There’s nothing like it.

51. Would you rather go hand gliding or whitewater rafting?  - HANG GLIDING FUCK YEAH

52. What's your dream car?  - A self-driving one.

53. What's worth spending more on to get the best?  - Right now I’m researching acoustic treatment so my speakers won’t sound like crap in my bedroom, so I’m gonna go with that.

54. What is something a ton of people are obsessed with, but you just don't get?  - One night stands tbh.  I’m demisexual, so it just sounds awful and gross.  I’m glad other people enjoy them though.

55. What are you most looking forward to in the next 10 years?  - Making a living at the thing I do.

56. Where is the most interesting place you've been?  - In terms of experiencing culture, Latvia.  I’m so glad I got to absorb all that information from talking to people, and it gave me a more direct experience with the after effects of totalitarianism than many Americans *coughtrumpvoterscough* have ever been exposed to.

57. What's something you've been meaning to try but haven't gotten around to it?  - Fried ice cream.  I’ve been fascinated by the concept since I was a kid.

58. What is the best thing that happened to you last week?  - I SAW MIKE KENEALLY AND HUNG OUT WITH MY FRIEND MOPED

59. What piece of entertainment do you wish you could erase from your mind, only to experience it for the first time again?  - I honestly get more enjoyment out of media when I’m experiencing it for subsequent times, so none.  I love rereading books, rewatching movies, and listening to albums enough times to memorize every note.

60. If all jobs had the same pay rate and hours, what job would you want to have?  - The one I have but more often.

61. What amazing thing have you done that no one was around to see?  - Released music on the internet.  4 people downloaded my last single.

62. How different was your life 1 year ago?  - About the same but harder.  College has been getting easier for me since I’ve gotten used to it.

63. What quirks do you have?  - My chin is lopsided and my left arm sticks out at an angle.  As far as personality quirks, I have about as many as the average person, which is to say too many to list.

64. What would you rate 10/10?  - Spirit Phone by Lemon Demon, One Size Fits All by Frank Zappa, and the Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky.

65. What fad or trend do you think should come back?  - Recording live bands in a room together!

66. What is the most interesting piece of art you've seen?  - I’ve seen tons of great art, but today I saw this thing that was like a giant inflatable tent that let sunlight through and turned it into different colors.  Check this out.

67. What kind of art do you enjoy most?  - I have no idea how to define my taste in art, I just like something or I don’t.

68. What do you hope never changes?  - I hope Lemon Demon albums keep coming out.  I don’t know how you could top Spirit Phone though.

69. What city would you most like to live in?  - Somewhere in California might be fun.

70. What movie title best describes your life?  - It Might Get Loud

71. Why did you decide to do the work you are doing now?  - Because I’m good at it and it’s damn fun

72. What's the best way a person can spend their time?  - Making themselves happy in a positive way.

73. If you suddenly became a master at woodworking, what would you make?  - A badass guitar.  Possibly something like Jerry Garcia’s Wolf with a billion knobs and stuff.

74. Where is the most relaxing place you've ever been?  - My bedroom

75. What's the luckiest thing that has ever happened to you?  - I SAW MIKE KENEALLY WITH MY BUDDY MOPED AND WE HUNG OUT WITH THE BAND FOR A MINUTE

76. Where would you rather be from?  - I’m technically from New York, but I was 3 when I moved so it doesn’t really matter where I’m actually from.

77. What are some things you've had to unlearn?  - I mean there’s the obvious ones like racism, sexism, being a dick in general, but also I had some bad audio habits that I’ve had to kick.  I always have to force myself to mix my own vocals loud enough on my song, which led into me doing something similar when I first started doing live sound for other people.  Audiences like hearing what the singer is saying.

78. What do you look forward to in the next 6 months?  - I can’t wait to sleep more this summer.  (This is a reoccurring theme in this ask thing isn’t it)

79. What website do you visit most often?  - Tumblr is probably the one I spend the most overall time on, but I usually split my time fairly evenly.  I look at Facebook a lot, but usually not for more than a few moments at a time.  I read a decent amount of Twitter, but I almost never tweet anything.  I also like looking at instruments for sale on Craigslist.  

80. What one thing do you really want but can't afford?  - Probably some guitar or keyboard.  Shit, if I could I would have every instrument ever.

81. Where do you usually go when you have free time?  - My bedroom.

82. Where would you spend all your time if you could?  - My bedroom.

83. What's special about the place you grew up?  - I have a really nice bedroom.  It’s changed a lot depending on what I use it for at the time, but it’s been the same color since I picked it out when I was 4.

84. What age do you want to live to?  - I’m good with whatever life gives me.  I could live to 100 but I wouldn’t be too peeved if I died next week.

85. What are you most likely to become famous for?  - My dream is to be that producer at the Grammys who called Taylor Swift on the phone from the podium to say their album won.  That was the coolest.

86. What are you absolutely determined to do?  - Someday I want to do a really awesome orchestral recording.  I don’t even care that much what the music is, I just want to do that.

87. What is the most impressive thing you know how to do?  - I can make bands of old dudes who are wary of a spunky young sound person like me by making them sound as good as possible.

88. What do you wish you knew more about?  - Drum overhead placement.

89. What question would you most like to know the answer to?  - How the heck do I get that clean tone that Zappa had in 1988.  

90. What question can you ask to find out the most about a person?  - “Why did you vote for who you did in 2016?”

91. When was the last time you changed your opinion or belief about something major?  - I feel like most opinion changes happen so gradually that they’re hard to notice, so I have no idea.

92. What's the best compliment you've ever received?  - I really like when people compare my music to Zappa without knowing that I love him as much as I do.

93. As the only human left on earth, what would you do?  - Find the Zappa vault and listen to everything, then die.

94. Who inspires you to be better?  - My friends, who are all awesome.

95. What do you want your epitaph to be?  - “Eh, good enough I guess”

96. What haven't you grown out of?  - Shirts I had when I was like 14, interestingly.

97. In what situation or place would you feel most out of place in?  - Any social event with tons of people I don’t know and where I don’t have a friend keeping me company the whole time.

98. What's the dumbest thing you've done that actually turned out pretty well?  - I made a tumblr, which has given me multiple good friends.

99. If someone wrote a book on an event in your life, what would the book be about?  - Idk, that would be a pretty boring book for anyone who didn’t know me.

100. What's something you will never do again?  - Talk to this one asshole.

101. How do you hope you'll change as a person in the future?  - I want to like myself more.

102. What keeps you up at night?  - Usually the internet.  On more fun nights, conversations with friends.

103. What's the most surprising self-realization you've had?  - “Oh shit, 14 year old me was a fuckin’ asshole”

104. What is the most illegal thing you've ever done?  - nah

105. How do you get in the way of your own success?  - I’m not as proactive about looking for work as I probably should be.  Same with getting ahead in school.  I tend to put in just the work that will get me by in my classes, and I don’t really pursue any extracurricuals or anything.

106. What are you afraid people see when they look at you?  - Acne some nerd who talks about stuff they don’t care about

107. What is your biggest regret?  - nah

108. What do you look down on people for?  - Being children.  Not like, I think badly of them for being childish, I mean I have to literally look down at kids because I’m taller than they are.

109. What bridges do you not regret burning?  - There’s a couple I should have burned sooner, but one of them I just had no idea who he really was for the longest time.

110. What lie do you tell most often?  - “I can sing”

111. What would be your spirit animal?  - Isn’t this appropriation or something?  I’m not completely clear on this one so somebody let me know.

112. What is the best & worst thing about getting older?  - Best is being a smarter, better version of myself.  Worst is taxes.

113. What are you most likely very wrong about?  - I believe that the US has a fundamental promise of hope.  

114. If you had a personal flag, what would be on it?  - Idk, designing flags is hard.

115. What's happened that changed your view on the world?  - November 2016 made me doubt 113.

116. What is the biggest lesson you've learned?  - There are more terrible people in the world than I hoped.

117. What is the most immature thing you do?  - I still think fart jokes are more often hilarious than they are bad.

118. What are you famous for among your friends & family?  - Existing?

119. If your childhood had a smell, what would it be?  - Cheese, then the absence of cheese, then lots of cheese.

120. What one responsibility do you wish you didn't have?  - I support the institution of taxation as a necessary part of running a functional government, but I wish I didn’t have to pay 15% as a freelancer.

121. What are 3 things you want to accomplish before you die?  - Record an orchestra, Have somebody heard of me by reputation who’s not a friend of a friend or something, and have dinner with Joe Travers.

122. What do you want to tell your 10-year-old self?  - “You’re gonna like music more than acting, so you might as well get a head start.”

123. What's the best thing you got from your parents?  - I’d like to think I have at least some of my dad’s work ethic.  I definitely have his sense of humor.

124. What's the best thing about you?  - I’m good at talking with people.

125. What blows your mind?  - There are over a hundred Zappa albums.

126. Have you ever saved someone's life?  - Not directly

127. What are you really good at but embarrassed to be good at?  - Honestly can’t think of anything.  Ask me later.

128. What would a mirror opposite of you look like?  - Clear skin, bad taste in media, shitty friend, makes a living.

129. What are 3 interesting facts about you?  - I’m tired, I should go to bed, and I think this is an absurdly long ask thing.

130. Which of your scars has the best story behind it?  - There’s a scar on my finger from the first time I ever used a pocket knife.  It was a gift from a friend’s uncle or some such relative, and he freaked out 100x more than I did when I cut myself.

131. What's the title of the current chapter in your life?  - “Now we’re getting somewhere I guess”

132. What were some of the biggest turning points in your life?  - Doing DI, being politely kicked out of DI because I didn’t realize yet that depression was a thing and it was affecting my work, apprenticing at a venue, probably some other, more pleasant stuff.

133. What's the hardest lesson you've learned?  - No matter how far I go at being what I consider a good person, I can always do better.

134. What do people think is weird about you?  - I like some really weird music.

135. What mistake do you keep making?  - Carrying too much stuff at once.  Thankfully I don’t usually drop it though.

136. What have you created that you're most proud of?  My Christmas album.

137. What do you doubt?  - That I’m good at music.

138. What are some of your morals?  - The current president is Bad.

139. What do you want to be remembered for?  - Being a good friend and also making cool music.

140. What do you regret not doing in your childhood years?  - I never got to go to Legoland back when I would have enjoyed it most.  I’d still love to go tbh.

141. What is your favorite fragrance?  - Whatever my friends each smell like, because it makes me think of them.

142. What do you think your last words will be?  “Well okay”

143. Who or what do you take for granted?  - Probably that my parents will always be there if I need them.

144. Why would you be annoying as a roommate?  - Loud music all the time.

145. What is something you're insecure about?  - My face

146. What's the best & worst piece of advice you've received?  - Best is “done is better than perfect”.  Worst is “put that pressure zone mic at an angle from the ground.

147. What irrational fears do you have?  - If a friend doesn’t text me back I sometimes worry that they’re dead.  It’s annoying.

148. What makes a good life?  - Doing whatever it is that makes you happy and leaving a good impression on the people in your life.

149. What's the last adventure you went on?  - I went to McKinney and SAW MIKE KENEALLY 

150. What is the most memorable gift you've received?  - My dad gave me a Gibson SG.  It’s pretty great.