#the summer of broken rules aesthetic

[flowers-for-em]

"I love you, Stephen. I adore you, but I love you even more" - The Summer of Broken Rules, K. L. Walther

[strxwberrymllk]

source

[navarchus]

tag drop me hearties.

[urfriendash]

2023 genre bingo update #1

so as of august 27th i have done 12/16 challenges! note that for many of these categories i’ve read more than one for the genre; i’ve just chosen a random book to put there!

fantasy: the witch haven by sasha peyton smith (1 ⭐️)

thriller: five survive by holly jackson (3 ⭐️)

contemporary fiction: the summer of broken rules by k.l walther (3 ⭐️)

non fiction: have i told you this already?: stories i don’t wanna forget to remember by lauren graham (4 ⭐️)

horror: the lost by natasha preston (1 ⭐️)

classics: of mice and men by john steinback (4 ⭐️)

lgbtq+: missing dead girls by sara walters (4 ⭐️)

romance: emergency contact by mary h.k choi (1 ⭐️)

graphic novel: heartstopper by alice oseman (4 ⭐️)

short story: kill joy by holly jackson (4 ⭐️)

mystery: we were liars by e. lockhart (3 ⭐️)

children’s literature: beyoncé: a little golden book biography by lavaille lavette (4 ⭐️) (does this count…?)

[themousefromfantasyland]

Hot Take: Wonderland has some kind of internal logic and isn't complete random nonsense. And the Alice books have themes.

First, Wonderland's internal logic is based on five things:

Broken sillogisms: premises based on absolutes that lead to absurd conclusions

Extreme literal interpretations of figures of speech, songs, popular names of things, nursery rhymes, and metaphors, along with appearances of characters from said expressions, songs, and rhymes

Board or card games rules extended to the real world

Parodies of popular Victorian customs

Physical forms of logic paradoxes

So much Wonderland-inspired works just add any colorful nonsense, and end up not feeling like Carrol's Wonderland.

Carrol's Wonderland is a mixture between logical paradoxes, parodies, and extreme literal interpretations of sayings, with a dash of old-school fairy tale aesthetic thrown into the mix. That's the core of the idea.

And the themes of the Alice books are pretty obvious.

They open with short poems saluting nostalgic memories of summers gonna bye and end with the bittersweet realization of childhood's end.

They are very thin themes, but both Alice books end with the realization that no matter how cruel and mean the Wonderlandians are with Alice, they still represent wonder, whimsy, and imagination, and there's this dreadful sense that as Alice grows older, this delightful and dreadful insanity will be taken away from her.

@princesssarisa @ariel-seagull-wings @mask131

[arosesstorm]

bangtan boys masterlist:

Bangtan Boyz x music moodboardz:

BTS x song lyrics moodboardz:

new rules -> maknae line

all too well -> all

winter bear -> taehyung

the astronaut -> jin

more -> hoseok

decalcomania -> jungkook

the last -> yoongi

seoul -> namjoon

promise -> jimin

BTS x singers moodboardz:

BTS x pop songs

BTS x taylor swift

BTS x shawn mendes

BTS x lana del rey

BTS x chase atlantic

BTS x olivia rodrigo

BTS x billie eilish

BTS x arctic monkeys

scenarios via text:

you get jealous

-bf (your) lockscreen

Bangtan Boyz as:

-relationships

-lovers

-enemies

-toxic traits

-flirting stiles

-toxic exes personal fav

-happy endings

-“bad news”

-roommates

-clubbers

-maknae line aesthetics

-the seven deadly sins

-cover magazine gods

-love stories

-romantic tropes

-love languages

-gang members

Bangtan Boyz in:

-nevertheless

-harry potter

-gilmore girls

-party party yeah

-gossip girl

-spiderman across the spider-verse

kim taehyung:

⟩ red ties: in which y/n got closer to Taehyung trying to survive her emotions towards Jungkook who only saw her as a friend. Now the youngest finally decided to give their story a shot while she's left to realize, defeated, that she had fallen head over heels for his best fried.

⟩ stuck inside me: Min woke up one morning with her life turned upside down; now her best friend Jimin was no longer her best friend, her new found friendship with Yoongi and Hoseok helped her survive College years but even them couldn't help the cold she felt at night. That was it, rock bottom, until she met a strange dark haired boy who brought light into her life, but took so much more. ⤵

episode 1 | episode 2 | episode 3 | episode 4 | episode 5 | episode 6 | episode 7

⟩ rain: in which y/n battles between the feelings she feels for her very first love Jungkook and the unexpected emotions she find herself experience for Jungkook's best friend Taehyung. All narrated through a phone. ⤵

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

⟩ amor fati: in which y/n's feelings for Jungkook leave her heartbroken, Jungkook's too blind to realize what he's missing, Taehyung's around to help until he falls for the girl too. ⤵

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

⟩ purple lips: Kim Taehyung realized he loved you, maybe it was too late?

⟩ summer temptation: Falling for taehyung was not how she imagined her last summer before college to go; watching him fall for her sister was not how she wished to spend her last days home.

But it had happened, and even if a year later the couple had broken up, taehyung was still a forbidden fruit: coming home for vacation, she had to remind herself that every now and then.

jeon jungkook:

⟩ stuck inside me : Min woke up one morning with her life turned upside down; now her best friend Jimin was no longer her best friend, her new found friendship with Yoongi and Hoseok helped her survive College years but even them couldn't help the cold she felt at night. That was it, rock bottom, until she met a strange dark haired boy who brought light into her life, but took so much more. ⤵

episode 1 | episode 2 | episode 3 | episode 4 | episode 5 | episode 6 | episode 7

⟩ amor fati: in which y/n's feelings for Jungkook leave her heartbroken, Jungkook's too blind to realize what he's missing, Taehyung's around to help until he falls for the girl too. ⤵

part 1 - part 2 - part 3

park jimin:

⟩ stuck inside me: Min woke up one morning with her life turned upside down; now her best friend Jimin was no longer her best friend, her new found friendship with Yoongi and Hoseok helped her survive College years but even them couldn't help the cold she felt at night. That was it, rock bottom, until she met a strange dark haired boy who brought light into her life, but took so much more. ⤵

episode 1 | episode 2 | episode 3 | episode 4 | episode 5 | episode 6 | episode 7

© 2023 of Mia (arosesstorm). All Rights Reserved.

[willkimurashat]

Writing Patterns

Thank you for tagging me @queen-of-boops @justtuesdays @mrsbsmooth and @0shewrites0 💕💕💕

Rules: Share the first paragraph of your last five published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns!

1. Serendipity

She couldn’t see a thing. Neither the shape of the room, nor the edges of the bed, or rather the mattress propped against the wall, pillows haphazardly thrown on top and barely covered with a blanket. She couldn’t see the last sunrays penetrating through the open window, casting their amber glows across her skin, painting shadows over her curves, outlining the planes of his carved out body, and highlighting the perfect angles of his slim face.

2. You Don’t Spell It, You Feel It

Do you believe in fairytales? I sure did, without shame. When Santa dips his cookies in milk and the chimney becomes a little too tight for him to squeeze through. When stuffed animals become your closest friends and come to life at night for you to confide in them your deepest secrets. When the rainbow maps the location of the treasured gold, destined to be lost and to never be found. Fairytales make us believe, and believing makes life worth living.

3. Beloved & Beloathed

Many things in life come in pairs. Sometimes they’re inseparable, like scissors, or glasses, or a Twix bar. Sometimes, they’re at opposite ends, tugging on each other for balance, like left and right, hot and cold, heaven and hell. Yet other times, they can exist on their own, but are only really useful when they’re together. Like paintbrush and watercolor, or a pair of chopsticks, or buying two shirts during the sale where the ad clearly reads “Buy one – get one free.”

4. We Spoke in Flower

I always hated the rain. Ironic, given I live in England. I just never got the appeal of the aesthetic. It’s rather difficult to look on the bright side, when all you see is grey skies and your skin doesn’t receive enough vitamin D. Runny mascara is much too angsty for me; the cold droplets almost piercing through my goosebump-covered skin, reaching straight to the bone. Leaky shoes, damp socks, dirt-splattered trousers, soaking wet collar. And umbrellas. Of course, umbrellas are always a pain. I’ve just given up on carrying them altogether – what’s the point anyway? I lost count of how many brollies I’ve broken or how many times I’d left one at home, naively hoping the sun is there to stay, only for it to start pouring. A useless invention, if you ask me.

5. Snog, Marry, Die

Oxford dictionary defines vengeance as a “punishment inflicted, or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.” Anyone would hardly ever connect a free summer holiday under Mallorca sun, surrounded by hot singles, with “an injury or wrong.” And yet, each day spent locked in the villa, with the islanders constantly lying to her face, overexaggerating, following her around, stirring drama, and cheating behind her back chipped away her sanity. Piece by piece. Cell by cell. Atom by atom. Until she was way beyond her boiling point. Until the only thing that filled her, was the idea of punishment for all the wrongs she had to endure. Vengeance.

Tagging: @libelle949 @tammyisobsessedwith @operationnope @ellegreenwxy - no pressure! And sorry if you’ve already been tagged👉👈

[allamericansbitch]

fave and least fave lyrics and songs from TTPD so far?

favorites:

“All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February” - Fortnight

“Every breath feels like rarest air when you're not sure if he wants to be there” - So Long, London

“And all at once, the ink bleeds, a con man sells a fool a get-love-quick scheme” - loml

“Dancing phantoms on the terrace, are they second-hand embarrassed that I can't get out of bed cause something counterfeit's dead?” - loml

“And I don't even want you back, I just want to know if rusting my sparkling summer was the goal” - the smallest man who ever lived

“It's hell on earth to be heavenly” - clara bow

“Beauty is a beast that roars, down on all fours, demanding "more"” - clara bow

“Old habits die screaming” - the black dog

“I changed into goddesses, villains, and fools, changed plans and lovers and outfits and rules, all to outrun my desertion of you” - chloe or sam or sophia or marcus

“I crashed into you, like so many wrecks do, too impaired by my youth to know what to do” - the black dog

“Our maladies were such we could not cure them and so a touch that was my birthright became foreign” - how did it end?

“Come one, come all, it's happenin' again, the empathetic hunger descends, we'll tell no one except all of our friends, we must know, how did it end?” - how did it end?

“We learned thе right steps to different dancеs” - how did it end?

“I guess a lesser woman would've lost hope, a greater woman wouldn't beg” - the prophecy

“The goddess of timing once found us beguiling, she said she was trying, Peter, was she lying?” - Peter

“ love's never lost when perspective is earned” - peter

least favorites:

"I was a functioning alcoholic til nobody noticed my new aesthetic" - fortnight

"you smokеd, then ate seven bars of chocolate, we declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist, I scratch your head, you fall asleep like a tattooed golden retriever" - ttpd

all of but daddy i love him, especially the line "I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing"

"my friends all smell like weed or little babies" - florida

"You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me" - who's afraid of little old me

all of i can fix him

"I'm so depressed, I act like it's my birthday every day" - i can do it with a broken heart

"You said normal girls were boring but you were gone by the morning, you kicked out the stage lights, but you're still performing" - smallest man

all of the alchemy, especially the predicable/uncreative lines about games or football, and the line where she mocks people with drug addiction with "he jokes that it's heroin, but this time with an "E""

all of so high school, special shoutouts to "are you gonna marry, kiss, or kill me?" "You know how to ball, I know Aristotle" "Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto" "I'll drink what you think, and I'm high from smokin' your jokes all damn night"

"I'd say the 1830s but without all the racists" - hate it here

"When I picture my hometown, there's a bronze, spray-tanned statue of you and a plaque underneath it that threatens to push me down the stairs at our school" - thank u aimee

"Don't want money, just someone who wants my company" - the prophecy

"There's escape in escaping" - the bolter

[5sosfanfictioncatalogue]

Luke/Ashton/Calum Masterlist

BOYS with an S (ao3) - gardener M, 24k

Summary: French, eighteen years old Luke Hemmings moves to NYC to study Sociology. It is not long until he meets Ashton Irwin, thirty years old owner of a grand, renowned magazine in an unfortunate setting and they decide to get to know each other better. Luke is so overwhelmed by his exclusive charms that he could have never expected a meet-up with Calum Hood. Vice versa.

But We Ain't Really Going To Sleep At All (I Do This Often) (ao3) - Migs E, 4k

Summary: Ashton should have known better than to think being left alone with Calum and Luke in LA when Michael was taking his important retreat back in Sydney would pass without the younger pair trying to slut themselves around. Surprisingly, when they went out, the younger boys decided to stick to each other, content with their own company and not trying to attract too much attention by passionately making out and humping on the dance floor. To be honest, Ashton was impressed by how well they behaved for him when he was left alone in charge of them.

OR: Ashton is left alone with Luke and Calum and he has to deal with two horny boys on his own.

Camera Guy - @daydadahlias (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) E, 12k

Summary: Calum briefly glances up at him through his lashes, mouth still on Ashton’s skin. He wonders in a somewhat mocking tone, “What, and you’re gonna film it for us too, huh?”

“I mean if you guys want me to," Luke replies.

Fire, Fangs and Forever Love (ao3) - Diaryofanarcissisticgayman E, 8k (WIP)

Summary: Calum quits his job as a magical journalist to chase after a dream. Unfortunately, he has no idea what he's doing. Luckily for him, he meets two people who can help him figure it out.

greet another door that opens in (ao3) - mockturtletale E, 9k

Summary: The photographer directs Luke to stand between them, maybe to offset the pinching fight that’s broken out, or maybe for some value of aesthetic that Luke can’t see because he’s in the picture.

John Dough - @daydadahlias (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) E, 15k

Summary: The one where Luke is an erotica writer pining after Calum the mailman but, also, the small-town baker is pretty hot too.

It Happens In April (ao3) - Astroash94 N/R, 15k

Summary: In August summer ends. In September autumn starts. In February, winter ends. And in March spring begins.

But what happens in April?

Passing Through - @daydadahlias (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) E, 14k

Summary: Calum and Ashton have a few easy-to-follow rules in their relationship, one of which being: don't bring a third member to the party while still in town because seeing them again makes things far too messy.

It's a good thing Luke is only passing through.

Show Me The Way To Bed (Show Me The Way You Move) (ao3) - bestkeptsecret_biggestmistake M, 5k

Summary: calum and ashton are kind-of, maybe a thing. their lives brighten up a bit when a tall blonde stumbles into the car shop where they work.

Special Brew (ao3) - im_just_a_sucker_for_bromance E, 3k

Summary: Ashton and Calum had been hanging out and when Luke walked in and misunderstood something Ashton has said, the two older boy decided to give him a little show. Luke being Luke, was not going to sit around and let them have their ways; especially when they were making out in front of him. He had to join in.

The Universe Is Within Us (ao3) - orphan_account E, 22k

Summary: αlpha. βeta. Ωmega.

The Trinity is the ideal, but some people just don’t see it that way.

So what happens when a beta with no idea of his true Status stumbles upon an alpha who wants him and an omega who doesn’t?

tired eyes (ao3) - calumhood (orphan_account) G, 698

Summary: movie night at the irwin house ends quite abruptly.

Unprecedented (ao3) - Grace_Williams E, 8k

Summary: It was unprecedented who the new Prime Minister of Australia was, it was more unprecedented what his relationships were.

you live in the dark, boy, I cannot pretend (ao3) - jadedperspective E, 15k

Summary: Luke hummed and repeated, “Calum.”

His voice was like liquid gold and the way his tongue shaped over the syllables of his name made Calum weak in the knees. It was so much, with his blue eyes blinking back at him, and now, Ashton’s hand wandering, rubbing circles into his skin under his shirt.

“What do you want from him?” Calum turned suddenly on Ashton, ignoring the way his hand was tracing the top line of his jeans.

Ashton shrugged. “Whatever he wants.”

(or a clashton threesome piece)

[ghostoffuturespast]

Tag Game-Summer Goth Aesthetics

Thanks @therealnightcity for the tag! <3 This is a lovely list! Warms my ghost goth heart...

Rules: bold what applies to your character and their aesthetics; italicise those that somewhat apply; and strikethrough whatever doesn't apply

(I altered the formatting into lists, rather than paragraphs. I think it's easier to read? It's no longer a giant wall of words with a mish-mash of different formatting... idk, I tried. My eyeballs are still not happy.)

Valerie Hye-jin Li

𝘏𝘈𝘜𝘕𝘛𝘌𝘋 𝘉𝘖𝘈𝘙𝘋𝘞𝘈𝘓𝘒

rickety ferris wheels

carnival lights through fog

saltwater taffy and popcorn

tarot card readings

childhood best-friends

thunderstorms over the sea

tear-streaked face paint

chipping animatronics partially submerged in brackish water

ill-fated games of truth or dare

vintage circus posters boasting mermaids and wolf-men

underwater caves marked with a skull and crossbones

darts that are a little too sharp

twinkling lights in the dark

distant and ghostly laughter

blue and pink cotton candy

sunburnt shoulders

cherry flavored sno-cones

switchblades tucked into costumes

a bloody trail into an old tent

𝘚𝘖𝘓𝘐𝘛𝘈𝘙𝘠 𝘗𝘈𝘙𝘒 𝘙𝘈𝘕𝘎𝘌𝘙

the yellow eye shine of an unseen animal

circling turkey vultures

unnatural fluctuations in the passage of time

daddy long legs in rotting logs

distorted backwards speech through a walkie-talkie

unexplainable antler shrines

coniferous mountain horizons

star-like bonfire sparks whirling in an indigo night

nests of infant barn owls

claw marks in tent fabric

soft and distant howls

unexplained lights darting through trees

clawed footprints in the dirt

bomber jackets and hiking boots

an old and well-used shotgun

thunderstorms that darken the sky

a rusted and reliable truck

the smell of petrichor

a voice calling your name from the trees 

𝘚𝘖𝘜𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘙𝘕 𝘊𝘌𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘈𝘙𝘠

magnolia blossoms

chipping white porch swings

spanish moss

suffocating humidity

faded photographs of lacy weddings

tire tracks in mud

mausoleum angels

family trees

the yellow-green eyes of alligators

repressed childhood memories bubbling to the surface

broken porcelain dolls

legs covered with mosquito bites

barbed wire

dark family secrets

stained white button downs

sweat drops down your spine

marshy swamp lands

weeping willow trees

rusted iron gates

cicadas in the summer

moss covered gravestones with fresh dirt

cursed family jewelry

old patina rosaries

fireflies at dusk

𝘙𝘖𝘈𝘋 𝘛𝘙𝘐𝘗 𝘉𝘜𝘙𝘕𝘖𝘜𝘛 

bloodshot eyes

flickering neon motel signs

aviator sunglasses

magic 8 balls

recurrent dreams of grey aliens

beaded curtains

dusty denim and incense smoke

sepia desert vistas

playlists of 1960s rock songs

coded messages in television static

comets in the night sky

fake ids

gas station snacks

jesus bobble heads

split lips

patchouli

paranoia between friends

ice cold diet coke

ripped jeans and converse

cigarette smoke drifting out of a car window

a 1960's white ford mustang

evergreen air fresheners

thousand yard stares

a gas station attendant who knows too many secrets

something dark following alongside your car

abandoned rest stops

rickety road signs that lead nowhere

No pressure tags, I know it's a long one: @shimmer-like-agirl @vox-monstera @fly-amanitaa @ladykatie512 @maimaiapologist

And anyone else who'd like to do it!

[flowers-for-em]

My Mood Board master list :)

This will be updated constantly -

Seasons ~~

Summer -

Spring -

winter -

Autumn -

Nature ~~

Rain -

Fairy -

Sunny -

Beach -

Sun and Moon -

Ocean Blues -

Daisies -

Aesthetics ~~

City Girl -

Moon girl -

Black cat -

Hopeless romantic -

Natural beauty -

Old money -

Downtown girl -

Coastal granddaughter -

Starcore -

Modern Light academia -

Music ~~

-> Taylor swift

The Eras Tour -

Midnights -

1989 -

Fearless -

No body, no crime -

Snow on the beach -

Lover -

Paris -

Cardigan -

Red -

The Tortured Poet Department -

-> Sabrina Carpenter

Espresso -

Books ~~

-> Tig

Avery -

Grayson -

Jameson -

Nash -

Xander -

-> Pjo

Percy Jackson -

Annabeth Chase -

Grover Underwood -

-> Other

The Summer of Broken Rules

Holidays/special days ~~

Birthday -

New Years -

Valentines -

Movies/tv shows ~~

Tangled -

Swan lake -

Misc ~~

Miraculous -

Walker Scobell -

Walker Scobell 2 -

Friendship -

Animal lover -

Renaissance art-

Strawberries and summer days -

[pinkydude]

🟨 Summer Gothic Aesthetics

Got tagged by @katsigian! 🖤 Thank you (the name of the game itself fits Valen already ghfhgf)

🌑RULES: Bold what applies to your character and their aesthetics; italicise those that somewhat apply; and stikethrough whatever doesn't apply (bonus~ added colors to those that fits really well!)

▶ Haunted Boardwalk

rickety ferris wheels, carnival lights through fog, saltwater taffy and popcorn, tarot card readings, childhood best-friends, thunderstorms over the sea, tear-streaked face paint, chipping animatronics partially submerged in brackish water, ill-fated games of truth or dare, vintage circus posters boasting mermaids and wolf men, underwater caves marked with a skull and crossbones, darts that are a little too sharp, twinkling lights in the dark, distant and ghostly laughter, blue and pink cotton candy, sunburnt shoulders, cherry flavored sno-cones, switchblades tucked into costumes, a bloody trail into an old tent

▶ Solitary Park Ranger

the yellow eye shine of an unseen animal, circling turkey vultures, unnatural fluctuations in the passage of time, daddy long legs in rotting logs, distorted backwards speech through a walkie-talkie, unexplainable antler shrines, coniferous mountain horizons, star-like bonfire sparks whirling in an indigo night, nests of infant barn owls, claw marks in tent fabric, soft and distant howls, unexplained lights darting through trees, clawed footprints in the dirt, bomber jackets and hiking boots, an old and well-used shotgun, thunderstorms that darken the sky, a rusted and reliable truck, the smell of petrichor, a voice calling your name from the trees

▶ Southern Cemetary

magnolia blossoms, chipping white porch swings, spanish moss, suffocating humidity, faded photographs of lacy weddings, tire tracks in mud, mausoleum angels, family trees, the yellow-green eyes of alligators, repressed childhood memories bubbling to the surface, broken porcelain dolls, legs covered with mosquito bites, blood promises, crucifixes, barbed wire, dark family secrets, stained white button downs, sweat drops down your spine, marshy swamp lands, weeping willow trees, rusted iron gates, cicadas in the summer, moss covered gravestones with fresh dirt, cursed family jewelry, old patina rosaries, fireflies at dusk

▶ Road Trip Burnout

bloodshot eyes, flickering neon motel signs, aviator sunglasses, magic 8 balls, recurrent dreams of grey aliens, beaded curtains, dusty denim and incense smoke, sepia desert vistas, playlists of 1960s rock songs, coded messages in television static, comets in the night sky, fake ids, gas station snacks, jesus bobble heads, split lips, patchouli, paranoia between friends, ice cold diet coke, ripped jeans and converse, cigarette smoke drifting out of a car window, a 1960's white ford mustang, evergreen air fresheners, thousand yard stares, a gas station attendant who knows too many secrets, something dark following alongside your car, abandoned rest stops, rickety road signs that lead nowhere

Wasn't expecting to find fitting elements for this lil sunshine's aesthetic! Without surprises, the Road Trip Burnout category is almost fully bold! 🤏😅 Those type of OC games are always interesting to do- you don't have to think much, go with the flow and what feels right 😤

🔹 TAGGING: @morganbl4ckhand - @itzsassha - @a-pirate - @ne0n-rust - @theviridianbunny - @kittenchrissy - @lokiina - @dreamskug

Tried to tag people who weren't previously tagged already! Also tagging anyone who'd want to do it 😌 as always, no pressure!

[kingbriar]

⟨Seth Rollins. cis male. he/they. 37.⟩ We just saw Ansel Briar entering L’Antique C’est Chic. I heard through the grapevine that their loyalties lie with the Jolly Rogers and that they also go by the King of Hearts. Be careful, they work for them as an assassin and can sometimes be bored by repetition, jealous, petty, or even bloodthirsty but I’ve also heard some people say that they were dedicated, confident and quite stylish.— Moss. they/them. 23. EST. violence against children (< 10)

AESTHETIC | MUSIC | LONDON FALLING RPG

STATS

Real name: Ansel Ford Briar

Code name: King of Hearts

Alliance: Jolly Rogers

Job: Contract Assassin. (Works part time coaching at Crossfit North London, esp in conditioning. Bit of a reputation for being intense, but that’s the point, right?)

Age: 37

Physical: 6'1", 225 lbs

Birthplace: Houlton, Maine, US

DOB: August 10, 1986

Star sign: Leo

Gender: Male-adjacent (he/they) 

Sexuality: Bisexual disaster

FC: Seth Rollins

Family: Dan Briar (Father), Evelyn Summers-Briar (Mother), Four Siblings (I'll name 'em someday), Rebecca Briar (formerly Ballagh, Ex-Wife)

BIOGRAPHY

Ansel’s from the sticks. His father was a hunter first and owner of the local general store second, born and raised in the woods of northern Maine, where his mother settled there later with a group of poets and artists who were inspired by the quiet snowy mountains and the way the sun shines through the leaves. Those same mountains meant she had to be driven nearly two hours in the family’s beater red pickup to the nearest hospital to bring him and his younger siblings into the world. All of them were hard on her, but that didn’t stop them from having five kids. 

His mother called him Ansel, after Ansel Adams. His dad said that was some pretentious bullshit and always called him Andy, or the leader of the pack, so Ansel did his best to step up and be the best role model he could. He started following his father out hunting when he was five, and maybe they should’ve started worrying when he took to it so quickly. Maybe Ansel had a couple too many questions about how to balance wearing camo to blend in with bright, flashy hunter oranges and yellows, but was happy enough to sit still and quiet, listening for a broken twig or rustling leaves, and he never cried when his dad showed how they’d have to slit a buck’s throat to kill it quickly if the first shot didn’t get it done. Ansel killed his first deer at 8 without his dad holding the rifle steady, skinned it a little too quickly and held onto the antlers as a trophy as long as he could.

Ansel went to a university in Boston, and both reveled in finally being a small fish in a much bigger pond, and itched for attention. He studied literature to keep his mother happy, spent hours hitting the gym to look more impressive than he was and make up for the lack of mountains to climb, and made the rounds through anyone looking for a messy one-night stand. 

But then met Rebecca Ballagh in some 300 level poetry class he suddenly had to pretend he cared about. She was something special, had enough of a dangerous edge that Ansel couldn’t get bored of her if he tried. He met her family at a shooting range outside the city after dating for about a year, and they offered to put him up and give him a job if he wanted to stay in Boston. It took him a little too long to realize her family were the last, quiet dregs of the Winter Hill Gang and US-based IRA that were slowly building themselves back up, but hey, the one thing he’d missed about home was hunting. 

A person ain’t too different from a deer, to a wolf. Everything bleeds the same.

But now that he ran with a pack again, it came with new rules. Clean up, cut your hair, kid. Pipe down. Dress like everyone else. Wear black. Shut the fuck up and become a ghost. Becca helped when she could, but she liked him better this way too. Colder, a soldier. They got married in 1998, and Ansel didn’t quite look like himself in the pictures.

He tried as hard as he could to just focus on blending in- you don’t wear camo without orange, you’ll get shot- but the longer he stayed, the whole gang made his skin crawl. Every hit was scripted down to the second, and if he deviated from it in the moment to keep himself alive and useful he got beat down and hung out to dry in front of the rest of the gang. He started spending more time at their local crossfit box than with his wife. At least something was intensive enough to make him feel something. But even that after a while started to feel monotonous. The same fights with the family. The same rotation of classes and workouts and late night jobs. The same accusations that he was having an affair with his trainer. Always the fucking same. Boredom sunk its claws into him, but breaking routine only shortened his leash. 

They slowly fell apart over seven years, until Becca served him their divorce papers in 2004. Maybe he bitterly sent an anonymous tip to the local PD about the plans for the family’s next few moves the day before they had to appear in court. Served them right, Ansel thought. At least until cops had barricaded the entrance to his new studio apartment he just finished moving into a week later, saying that they’d been given anonymous information that warranted arrest and trial.

He didn’t know who else to call except one of the gang’s lawyers, who came in all smug smiles and talked him through exactly what had been given to the cops like he’d written up the list. With the given evidence, he would have done life in prison and paid thousands of dollars in fines on top of legal fees. But by already coming back to them? The gang could put in some work, get it down to a lot of hearsay and a manslaughter charge on one of the hits that Ansel had really fucked up. The angle was clear, and the gang were convinced that by getting it down to ONLY 15 years in a State Prison, he’d have to come crawling back to them on his knees. He walked free in 2019, finally sick of sick of sewing orange and camo, but with enough scattered online classes for a quasi fashion degree and a developed enough collection that he could apply and get his visa to work a brutal, grunt seamstress job at Burberry, and get the fuck away from Boston before he could even be approached by his former pack.

Being American and an ex-convict did him very little favors and that job was falling through before he knew it, but he had found a couple crossfit boxes along the way, and did his best to fight off the bone-deep itch to draw blood other than pricking his own fingers, and take sharpened fabric scissors to someone’s flesh. The wolf was almost free of his chains, screaming to be fed so he could be truly free and then suddenly he’d killed his landlord after Burberry fired him and Ansel couldn’t quite scratch together rent. A vague shape of a heart carved into the side of his neck with a kitchen knife just so he could watch it bleed. Instinct took over, and he covered his ass, watched the press run wild, and was quickly approached by a different sort of pack. Not a family, like Winter hill, but a crew. The Jolly Rodgers.

[i-can-even-burn-salad]

11, 13, 15, 25 for any wip!

Thank you for the ask! From this ask game.

This took so long, because I could not decide.

On the one hand, my one WIP that could answer all of those questions is Thorns; but they are also all answered in the WIP intro.

On the other hand, I felt the itch to answer those for Heal my Wounds, which is by no definition a WIP anymore. Whatever, I’m on the no rules website.

[ID: The text Heal my Wounds over a picture of a mountain landscape. End ID]

11. What is your WIP’s aesthetic?

hot summer days / sword training / coffee (with milk) / is that a dagger or are you happy to see me / a dimly lit tavern / broken glass / a layer of dust inside an abandoned house / knife to the throat (flirting) / too much alcohol and too much blood / it should have been me / complicated families / let’s run away together

13. A little bit about your protagonist?

Bit cheating; there’s 2.

Valadan had no easy life. His mother died at his birth, his father blamed him for it, and his brother did his best to raise him, but was just a child himself. After their father’s death, they had a fallout, and he left his home to become a mercenary.

Almost ten years later, he’s had more rough than good times. His current job pays rather well, considering he does nothing but get bossed around by some stuck up noble, while her group of scholars stares at rocks all day.

Josephine had all she could ever have dreamed of; wealthy parents, a good education, a guaranteed increase in ranks at the Order of Fire. Who cares that she never wanted any of that?

Between boring rocks and duties, the last thing she needs is a mercenary who disregards her every order. It’s only two weeks, she tells herself, then she’ll never have to see him again-right?

15. A little bit about your antagonist?

There is none, so that totally evens out the two protagonists.

25. Easiest character to write?

They were both similarly easy to write; Valadan perhaps a bit more, because I had so much more of his backstory thanks to Damien’s stories.

[deathvisited]

aesthetics tag -- verity williams

rules: bold all the aesthetics that your muse relates to

side a - the city

glittering lights, yawning skyscrapers, broken glass shards, street gangs, hip hop music, late night strolls, blinking stars, sleek cars, flickering neonsigns, glittery earrings, small tattoos, empty subways, dark eyeshadow, snapping cameras, cozy apartments, fried churros, silver necklaces, dyed hair, ripped jeans, bright lipstick, dazzling smiles.

side b - the book nerd

large glasses, steaming hot chocolate, thick books, lofi music, hot pastries, soft smiles, large sweaters, quiet libraries, small flowers, melting candles, sweetened coffee, messy hair buns, soft pillows, fairy lights, vanilla scents.

side c - the stereotypical girl

soft pinks, mini skirts, crop tops, romantic fantasies, love songs, strawberry milkshakes, lipgloss, high ponytails, candy hearts, nail polish, starbucks coffee, clear skies, hoop earrings, excited ramblings, stuttering heartbeats, rose bouquets, soft blushes.

side d - the stereotypical boy

arcade games, graphic t-shirts, baseball caps, chocolate milkshakes, messy rooms, acoustic guitars, chocolate chip cookies, multi-colored bruises, rap music, nightly escapades, stolen glances, pencil-drumming, chocolate milk boxes, low hums.

side e - the nature hippie

mini plants, cloud-watching, stars, damp forests, sandy beaches, ocean waves, wildflowers, hiking, iced lemon tea, gardening, hippie music, buttered toast, birds chirping, multi-coloured leaves, evening sunlight, fruit cups, sundresses.

side f - the rebel

cherry lollipops, devil hand signs, grape flavoured bubble gum, rock music, killer boots, dark make-up, horror movies, denim jackets, switchblades, handguns, stargazing on rooftops, glowing cigarettes, large headphones, skull rings, converse shoes, graffiti murals, glowing moonlight, rose thorns, fishnet stockings.

side g - the winter

busy cafes, oversized hoodies, drizzling rain, small snowflakes, marshmallows in hot chocolate, loose hair, sad music, reading a book, blanket forts, frozen lakes, crackling fireplaces, old movies.

side h - the summer

tank tops, lemonade, sunny days, dripping popsicles, short haircuts, tinted sunglasses, cotton candy, amusement parks, traveling, blasting music on the car radio, wagging dog tails, large sunflowers, snow cones.

side i - the autumn

pumpkin lattes, warm bakeries, warm colours, hair braids, soft sweaters, colourful leaves, purring cats, dark chocolate bars, romance movies, soft music, zen tangling, vintage cameras.

side j - the spring

floral scents, peach tea, mint shampoo, tinkling laughter, video cassettes, colourful paintings, excited smiles, lollipop sticks, blooming flowers, melting snow, action movies, singing in the shower.

[byronichero-ine]

6 months and beyond

for the next 6 months, I will be dedicating myself to all things needed for my growth. I want to see how much life can change. I’m putting myself on a healthy routine, allowing some spontaneity to spice life up, but ensure that I stick to habits and work on projects that do well for me.

the habits and routines I plan to be consistent with for the next 6 months are broken down into several categories.

physically

- leg and arms 3x/week at the gym

- core and yoga 2x/week at home

- monthly hiking trips and swimming in the summer

- getting 7-8 hours of sleep per day 

- snowboard 1-2x/month in the winter months 

- eating whole foods, minimizing dairy, refined carbs/sugars and processed foods (80/20 rule) 

spiritually/mentally

- 10 minutes of prayer and meditation everyday

- weekly learning & gratitude reflections via podcasting (in french)

- 1 hour a day of phone screen time (screen time for editing on my laptop is not included)

- daily review of my language learning (via anki cards/duolingo) 

- reading before bed instead of using my phone

financially/career-wise

- weekly content creation on my preferred platforms regarding trips, lifestyle, spirituality, culture, languages, arts and self improvement

-  improving my editing skills and creating a niche aesthetic for my content

future-forward plans (6 months and beyond) 

- living with my grandparents in california for the fall, using it as time to focus; away from my family/friends here at home 

- south east asia yoga/meditation retreat (next year)

- buddhist tattoo on my back while in SEA (next year)

- become conversationally fluent in spanish (within the year)

- live in spain, france or italy for 2-3 months (within 2 years)

- 7 day backpacking trip in patagonia/south america (within 2 years)

- establish a successful solopreneur, remote career (within 5 years)

with all this in mind, I know my life can change drastically in 6 month increments. I’ve already let 7 months pass by this year, and although it has included immense richness, lots of learning and emotional and spiritual acuity, I could sharpen myself a bit and especially develop my career practices. 

other than that, having hit all my major travel plans this year (vegas, philippines, japan, montreal and oregon), leisure for me has been ever-present. it’s time for me to slow down and dive deep into what I need to build my life and create inner peace and fulfillment through my focus and vision. I’m so excited to delve deep into these practices and habits and see what what I can build. I hope I can look back at this post and be proud. I’m sure i will.