#time to give in and build her but i REALLY hate her summer alt… i really do

[sieglinde-freud]

ohhh i j remember i pulled arcane ophelia when she dropped and just never fuckin used her… i ALMOST gave her tome to odin to fix him up, but…. hehewgahehe laurentttttt i have some shiny new toy for youuuuu come home baby girl come HOME!

[manonblaqkbeak]

Dating and Goodreads

Back for Day 8-Blind date (how the hell do u guys come up with good title fics i struggle so bad lol). I wasn’t really going anywhere with this one, but when i read all of the others and saw how fun the fics were, i decided to finish this one.

also for Summertime and Fresh Strawberries, I deliberately left it blank but I can’t hold onto the secret bc two people were curious as to what happened, so i’ll let the rest of you know that aelin and rowan decided to keep summer and be a cute little family, bc im a sucker for happy endings lol (unless its angst, it’s safe to assume that all my rowaelin fics have happy endings bc they’ve all ready been thru so much and even in alt fics i need them to be happy lmao)

anyway, on to the next one. hope you enjoy!

1.8k words

cw: none

Aelin was a confident woman, something that she was proud of. But that didn't mean that there weren't times she didn't feel self-conscious or awkward and full of doubt.

Because right now, all those negative feelings were swimming inside of her.

And those feelings were just magnified today, especially since she had gotten fired only a few hours beforehand. It was utterly unexpected, she had never received any prior warnings, and while she was a fighter, Aelin didn't feel like stepping into the ring for this one. Not when her boss was a demon from hell that made life unbearable and she had to physically push herself into entering the work building.

Aelin told herself that it was for the best. She was miserable there and hated working in an office typing up the worlds most boring reports and working in a space that was entirely too drab.

But she wasn't looking forward to job hunting. Aelin was aware that she could ask her friends for favours, but if Aelin did something wrong, she didn't want it reflected back onto whoever helped her.

And she was still a little peeved over the damned argument she had online again with that haughty prick on Goodreads. Aelin wasn't sure why those arguments kept going, but each time she would post a review, White Tailed Hawk would respond, telling her that she read the book wrong and this and that and blah blah blah.

Aelin repaid the favour each time, telling him how he was wrong and he had no reading comprehension skills. And on and on it went until Aelin or whoever the fuck that guy was went back to their own lives.

Depressingly, it was the most fun she had some days.

Shaking her head, Aelin forced herself to think of the now and not of her shitty day. Still she sighed, not quite believing that she had agreed to this blind date. Couldn't believe that she had let Aedion convince her it was a good idea.

Aelin had said no at first, after Aedion had voiced his offer, and her cousin left it at that. But days went past, and he would bring up the topic of Rowan, about the things he had said that day, how his dry sense of humour took some time to get used to but once you figured it out, he was actually pretty funny, how he had finished a project perfectly and this and that.

But it got to her, annoyingly. So the other day when he was helping her out with some housework that was a two person job, Aelin told him to set up this date. Aedion cheered as if it was the best thing he had ever heard, telling her how she and Rowan were the perfect match for each other.

Aelin rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything of the assessment.

She had only agreed because it was getting frustrating being asked at every family event if she was dating someone, when she was going to give her parents grandchildren (that question pissed her off the most, as if Aelin was nothing but a birthing machine and that was all Aelin could contribute to society), and who was going to look after her when she was old if she didn't have children (because apparently carers didn't exist).

Aelin was also lonely—she could entertain herself just fine, but she did like the idea of coming home and talking to someone that could respond. She loved Fleetfoot and her enthusiasm when Aelin came home, but human companionship would be nice.

But Aelin didn't have high-hopes for this date because the universe liked to kick Aelin's ass from time to time, she suspected that they were going to hate each other.

Taking a deep breath, Aelin got out of her car, smoothed down her romper and went inside the restaurant, head held high.

X X X X X X

Rowan couldn't believe that he was about to go on a blind date. That Aedion had convinced him to go out with his younger cousin. He hadn't dated anyone since Lyria and he knew that his dating skills were going to be rusty as hell. He had been with Lyria since they were nineteen, married at 23 and divorced at 31; he had been single for the last two years.

It had been...fine, a little strange, after being with someone for so long to find himself a bachelor. Rowan never thought that he would apart from Lyria, but their relationship had just faded. Long before the divorce, it had been more like a housemate relationship than a marriage. He wasn't surprised when his ex-wife had come home after work with divorce papers. He had only stared at the paperwork for an hour before he signed the forms. Truthfully, Rowan was just glad that he was still on good terms with Lyria, that they could still talk to one another from time to time.

Rowan had almost called her earlier today, to ask how the hell dates went, but felt that it would have been crossing some invisible line, so he didn't call and instead had Googled the questions instead.

They didn't really help.

Rowan drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, telling himself that if things went wrong, then it wasn't the end of the world. That if he had to be a bachelor for the rest of his life, then that was fine. He had plenty of ways of keeping himself busy—he had a good career, a nice house, plenty of books to read and to argue online about them with.

He had one earlier today, actually, with Queen of Wildfire about a new release that Rowan had eagerly read within days of its release. And once again, he ended up with an argument with the woman about the messages and themes within the book.

It was stupid, he knew, to be at his age and to be fighting online with a stranger, but something about this woman just had his fingers flying over the keyboard.

Some days he looked forward to it, as embarrassing as that was to admit. He didn't really want to look into himself to figure out what it all meant.

Eyes drifting to the dashboard, Rowan realised that his date was about to start. Popping a mint into his mouth and smoothing out his clothes, Rowan took a deep breath and left the car and went to his first date in twelve years.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be too bad.

X X X X X X

The date had started out a little awkward, but that wasn't a surprise to Aelin, because what blind date started smoothly?

It picked up after Rowan admitted that he was divorced and that he had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do. Aelin appreciated that stark honesty and admitted that she too had no idea what to do.

Since then, the conversation went well, the food was good and Aelin had even swiped a few bites of his dinner because it just looked so much better than hers. Rowan had playfully grumbled underneath his breath, but smiled as he said it.

It was going really well. Maybe the universe had decided to give her a break for the rest of this evening. There was a part of her that maybe wondered if they would have sex, because the man did look fucking fantastic, but at the same time, she didn't want to rush anything in case this actually turned into something more.

“What's the dumbest thing that you've done recently or in the past?” Aelin asked. There was no such thing as small talk between them—Aelin had all ready asked if he believed in aliens and was glad when he said yes, because “it's ridiculous to think that we're alone in this wide universe of ours. It makes sense that there'd be other lifeforms out there.” Which was pretty damned close to Aelin's reasoning as well, so asking him about stupid moments felt like nothing in comparison.

Rowan smirked at the question and took a moment to think before answering. “I engage in online arguments.”

“Really? About what, exactly?”

“It's stupid. But my all my arguments occur on Goodreads of all places. Not Facebook, or YouTube, or Twitter, but Goodreads. It's never anything insulting but just arguments about how wrong some people's in depth reviews are.”

“Fair enough,” Aelin said, “I've been known to do the same thing as you. There's this one user on there, White Tailed Hawk—a stupid name if you ask me—and he just never...” Aelin stopped when she noticed that he stopped eating and was just looking at her weirdly. “Rowan? Are you okay?”

“Do you, by any chance, go under the name of Queen of Wildfire?”

Aelin blinked, and then blinked again, and once the pieces fell into place, she knew right then and there that the universe really hated her. She let out a harsh laugh, the sound echoing throughout the space. Aelin wasn't really sure what to say, because it was true what he said; it had never been insulting, but ending up on a date with the man she had regularly arguments with was just...she had no words, other then, “It really is a stupid name.” She took a sip of her wine, needing to do something other than wanting to bang her head against the table.

“I couldn't think of anything else to write.” And it wasn't also his favourite animal, he had told her that earlier.

They lapsed back into the awkward silence of earlier, both picking at their food.

But Aelin didn't want this night to go to waste. “It'd be stupid to let something as small as this get in the way of whatever this could be,” Aelin said, deciding to be blunt.

Rowan nodded. “It would be. Although I have to be honest, you really have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to Call of the Wild Winds.”

Aelin just about stormed off when she noticed his playful smile, his eyes sparkling bright. Laughing, Aelin threw a bread-roll at his handsome face, and once he caught it and split it in half for them to share, they went back to their earlier conversation.

And when Rowan walked her to her apartment door and kissed her on the cheek goodnight with a promise to text her later, Aelin couldn't help herself by telling him that all his opinions sucked and that he had no idea what he was talking about—all with a big smile on her face as Rowan sputtered as she closed the door on his face.

They spent the rest of the night texting, and all of Aelin's earlier woes faded away. And she looked forward to tomorrow, despite the horror of job hunting. Maybe the universe will finally let things turn around for the better for her.

Aelin went to sleep with a smile on her face, all because of White Tailed Hawk.

And on the other side of the city, Rowan also fell asleep with a smile on his face.

[missperfectlyfine13]

A Bandaid For Your Bullet Hole (1/?)

I’ve been sitting on this idea for a while now and I’m still not sure how I feel about it (I kind of feel like it’s crap lol). Let me know if I should continue! 

Summary:  Outside of Barden, Chloe’s life is harder than she would like to admit. When she’s at school she gets to forget all about problems, she gets to be normal. She doesn’t like to let people know about her life outside Barden, with the exception of her best friend Aubrey. Then she meets Beca Mitchell, and somehow she becomes the second exception. Will Beca be the answer Chloe has been looking for?

Read Below or on AO3/FF

“Our Sorrows and Wounds Are Healed Only When We Touch Them With Compassion” – Buddha

May 2012, End of Chloe’s Junior Year

Chloe watches sadly as Aubrey packs up her bags, her side of their shared room in the Bella house looking dreadfully empty. Their last day of classes was yesterday and all the girls in the house are working hard to pack.

Aubrey and Chloe are going to be the only Bellas left next year, so Aubrey is moving all of her stuff from their shared room to the room across the hall. Leaving Chloe feeling even more empty than she already is.

“You sure you don’t want to come home with me this summer?” Aubrey offers one more time, her eyes soft and sympathetic, because she knows, she’s the only one who knows.

Chloe shakes her head, “No I’ll be fine here. It’ll give me a chance to clean this house up before next year anyways. The other girls aren’t exactly cleaning up their mess.”

“Ok, but if you change your mind…the offer stands,” Aubrey zips up her last bag of clothes, standing up to survey the damage.

Going home with Aubrey for the summer actually sounds amazing, but Chloe feels bad. She feels like she would be imposing. Aubrey’s home isn’t the happiest most days with her dad gone 90% of the time, so she doesn’t want to cut into the little family time they’ll have.

Chloe stopped going home over summer after her freshmen year. Her mom has only gotten worse in the last 6 years, making her near to impossible to be around. Not to mention the endless stream of men in and out of their house. Her brother Jake isn’t an option either, with him being on the road for his job most days. Which leaves her with her only other option, staying on campus all summer.

“I appreciate it,” Chloe thanks her best friend quietly, knowing she won’t take her up on her offer.

“Have you talked to her lately?” she immediately knows who Aubrey is talking about.

Chloe shakes her head, “No. I know nothing has changed…she knows I won’t come home unless she gets her shit together.”

“I’m sorry it has to be that way,” Aubrey reaches a hand out and places it on her shoulder.

“Yea me too.”

************

September 2005

Chloe watches grimly as her mom polishes off her second beer of the morning. There’s an empty case next to her recliner in the living room, providing an awful memory of the night before. She had been angry, angrier than Chloe ever remembers her being. Chloe locked herself in her room and hadn’t come out until this morning.

“Mom,” she tries to keep her voice steady and strong, but it still quivers betrayingly, “the funeral is in an hour…are you going to be ready?”

“I’ll be ready,” she replies flatly, tossing her empty bottle into the recycle bin.

“Grandma and grandpa are coming to pick me up,” Chloe clarifies.

It sounds awful, but she doesn’t trust her mom not to be drunk. She doesn’t want to ride in a car with her. Chloe would drive the both of them, but she only has her temporary license. She’s not 16 until next year.

“They could take you too,” she offers quietly.

Her mom shakes her head, “I’ll be fine to drive myself…I could drive you too.”

“Um that’s ok,” she shifts anxiously between her two feet, “just be careful.”

Her mom gives her a dark stare, before cracking open another beer. She always liked a drink, but it was something that never got in the way of her life. It never got in the way until her dad died. The day the call came that he had been in a car accident and most likely wasn’t going to make it, her mom just lost it. She hasn’t been the same since. Well, neither has Chloe.

Chloe and her dad were so close. She always got along better with him than her mom. A part of her died that day and she’ll never get it back. The only other person in the world who gets her like her dad, is her older brother Jake. Jake is in college across the country, so Chloe rarely sees him. He flew into town yesterday, but after assessing the situation, he refused to stay at the house, checking himself into a hotel instead. Chloe almost hates him a little for it, for leaving her here with their mom. Regardless of her feelings about him chickening out, she’s aching to see him. Chloe just needs a hug; she needs to talk to him. She needs someone else around her, someone other than her drunk mother.

Chloe’s still worried about her mom driving, so she throws a last-ditch effort at her, “I could see if Jake could come pick you up?”

Her mom scoffs loudly, “He didn’t even want to come home, what makes you think he’s going to pick me up.”

She’s clearly not winning this one, “Ok, well I’m going to go put my dress on before grandpa gets here.”

************

The funeral is just as painful as Chloe had assumed it would be. It makes it real, she’s really saying goodbye to her dad. She’s really left here with her mom.

Chloe’s not sure her mom will ever pull it back together and that scares her. She smelled like a 12 pack of miller light when she got to the church. As person after person walks up to her to give their condolences, Chloe cringes. She knows they can smell it too, it’s embarrassing.

“You going to be ok with her Chlo?” Jake walks up to her, the two standing side by side watching as their childhood pastor talks to their inebriated mother.

Chloe sighs deeply, “I’m going to have to be, someone needs to watch after her. I’m worried Jake.”

“I am too,” Jake runs a hand through his hair anxiously, “you know I’m only a phone call away though.”

“Like you can do anything to actually help though, you didn’t even stay at the house last night,” Chloe replies bitterly.

“I’m sorry about that,” he shuffles his feet nervously, “I couldn’t bear to watch the train wreck…I should have been there.”

“Dad would want someone to make sure she’s ok,” Chloe swallows back tears as she says it, “I have to stay with her.”

“He loved you so much Chloe, he’d want you to be safe and happy.”

Chloe knows that’s true, but in three years she’ll be in college. She has an out, she owes it to her dad to hang in there.

“I’ll be fine,” she forces a smile at her brother.

Jake pulls her into a tight hug, “Love you Chlo.”

“I love you too Jake,” she mumbles into his shoulder, willing her tears to not escape.

************

September 2012, Chloe’s Senior Year

“I can see your toner through those jeans!” Aubrey barks out into the mostly empty practice space.

Chloe cringes internally. She likes Beca…ok she also likes Beca. Something about the little alt girl drew her in right away. She’s not sure if it was the sass she dished back to them at the activities fair, or when she had an impromptu duet with her in the shower. Maybe it was her audition, where she blew everyone away with a simple song and a yellow cup. Chloe can’t put her finger on it, but she can’t seem to shake the brunette from her mind.

And Beca is talented. Aubrey has such a grudge against her she can’t even stop to see it. They desperately needed talent, especially after last years explosive ICCAs finals. The two of them had a hard enough time getting the girls they did, it’s a miracle they got someone as talented as Beca. Even if it took a little coercing from Chloe.

“That’s my dick,” Beca spits back, before turning on her heels to leave.

The response rips a quiet chuckle from the back of Chloe’s throat, but she manages to conceal it before Aubrey turns around. The blonde is red in the face, her hands shaking slightly.

“You don’t have to be so hard on her you know,” Chloe knows she’s playing with fire by saying something like that to her best friend right now.

She can practically see the flames roaring in her pupils as she turns to look at her, “Yes I do Chloe. She has an attitude and no respect for authority. Do you want any shot at finals this year?”

Of course she does, she’s not going to deny that, so she nods.

“That’s what I thought, so don’t question my methods,” Aubrey retorts quickly.

Ever since the year started, and Aubrey and Chloe took over the Bellas, there has been a certain bite to Aubrey that Chloe has never seen before. This isn’t the Aubrey Chloe knows, she’s starting to think she never knew her at all.

“I’ve got to get going Bree, I’ve got homework to do,” Chloe grabs her bag and slings it over her shoulder.

Aubrey is staring intently at the white board in front of her, wiping away some of the marks she made on their master plan, “Ok, see you back at the house.”

Chloe rushes out of the building, hoping that maybe she can still catch up to Beca. She wants to apologize, wants to make sure the other girl is ok. Chloe doesn’t want Beca to quit over this incident, for some selfish and not so selfish reasons.

Luckily, Beca is leaning against a large tree right outside the building, large headphones covering her ears, her face looking down at her phone. Chloe stalks quickly over to her. As she gets closer, Beca’s head snaps up, immediately making eye contact with her.

“Hey Beca,” Chloe chirps, as the younger girl slides her headphones down around her neck.

“Hi,” Beca replies cautiously, like she’s not sure what Chloe is here for.

“I’m sorry about Aubrey, she’s been extra control freak lately, that wasn’t cool of her to accuse you like that,” Chloe is quick to get her apology out, Beca doesn’t look like she would want to beat around the bush.

“I appreciate the apology,” relief washes over Chloe, that is until Beca continues to talk, “but that’s a really dumb rule. I’m not even sure I’m into Jesse, but I should be able to be with him…if I was.”

Chloe sighs, “I know it’s dumb…and if you really do like Jesse, I wont say anything to Aubrey. I’m pretty sure Bumper and Fat Amy have something going anyways.”

Beca wrinkles her nose, her mouth turning downward, “Oh uh wow…didn’t see that one coming.”

“Me either,” Chloe laughs.

“Thank you, I don’t see anything happening with Jesse, but still, thank you,” Beca says sincerely, before starting to slide her headphones back up.

This must be Chloe’s cue to leave, “Ok, well I’ll see you around!”

Beca nods, “Yea, see ya.”

************

Chloe wakes up the next morning with an ache in her heart and a sour taste in her mouth. She rolls over groggily and sees the date on the calendar above her desk.

September 14th. The anniversary of her dad’s death.

The hardest day of the year for her. Much like years gone by, she just wants to get the day over with. Go to class, go to practice, come home and go to bed. Tomorrow will be a better day.

“Miss you dad,” Chloe mumbles, clutching the locket around her neck.

The locket was a gift from Jake, a year after the death. There’s a picture of her dad inside. She hasn’t taken it off since the day she got it.

Chloe eventually manages to pull herself from bed and start her day. She goes to class, she tries hard to pay attention. She goes to practice and sings and dances like she means it. Inside though, she feels like she’s barely there. Her body is present but her mind is miles away.

None of the other girls seem to pick up on her mood, except for Aubrey…and surprisingly…Beca. She catches a few sympathetic glares, but Beca’s are more worried, presumably because she has no clue what has Chloe under the weather.

So, she’s almost not surprised when practice is over and Beca hangs around until it’s just the two of them left. Just as she’s about to leave, Beca walks over to her.

“Hey Chloe,” Beca pulls the straps of her backpack tight against her, “are you ok?”

Chloe nods and gives her a small smile, “Yea, I’m fine.”

“It’s just…you don’t seem fine, you kind of seemed really distant today,” Beca shrugs.

Beca clearly isn’t going to let it go, normally Chloe would jump on the opportunity to share with the younger girl, but she’d rather not share. But something in Beca’s expression lets her know that she’s not going to drop it.

“Um well, I guess I’m just kind of depressed today,” Chloe answers her as vaguely as she can.

“Why?” Beca immediately fires the question back.

Beca has never seemed to care much about any of the other girls like this. It has her wondering why she’s pushing so hard. Maybe her little apology yesterday spoke to Beca louder than she thought.

Chloe sighs quietly before answering, “Today is the anniversary of my dad’s death.”

“Oh god, wow,” Beca casts her gaze to the floor, “Chloe I’m really sorry.”

“It’s ok, I’ll be better tomorrow,” Chloe tries to reassure her.

The two stand in awkward silence, while Beca shifts around uncomfortably. This is Chloe’s cue to leave.

Before she can even consider walking past her, Beca puts a hand out, “Um, I don’t know if this would make things worse…or if you’d just prefer to be alone, but would you want to grab dinner with me? Or we could just go back to my dorm for a while and just chill, we could order take out. My roommate is going to be gone tonight and I thought maybe it would take your mind off things?”

Normally Chloe would prefer to spend her day in her bed and not move until tomorrow. But even under the circumstances, she doesn’t want to pass up an opportunity to spend more time with Beca and maybe get to know her better. Something tells her that spending some time with the other girl really would make her feel better.

“Sure, that would be great,” Chloe grins and Beca looks shocked that she said yes.

“Ok, cool,” Beca leads the way out of the building and towards her dorm.

“Do you like Chinese?” Chloe asks as they walk through the crisp autumn air.

Beca nods excitedly, “I love it.”

“I know a great place we could order from.”

Being with Beca already has her calmer. She’s not sure if it’s because of how much she likes her, or if it’s just the girl’s presence in general. Something about her puts all of Chloe’s anxiety behind her, it helps her forget why she was even sad today. Which makes her almost feel guilty, but she knows this is what her dad would want for her.

One thing is solidified in her mind now. Beca Mitchell is special and Chloe would be a fool to let her slip away.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Alt-pop newcomer LVRA (pronounced loo-rah, real name Rachel Lu) has shared her first new track of 2021, ‘DEAD’. Following up on 2020’s debut EP LVCID, she explains: “There’s a unique power you gain when you stop caring about what people think of you. It’s an ongoing battle, though, and ‘DEAD’ is about the conflict between the fantasy of not caring and how you feel in reality. The video captures that, with a version of myself who has her shit together and another that is fighting to survive.The use of red represents fear in the human condition, but in Chinese culture it also symbolises happiness. One rarely comes without the other.” The track – a cultural mix that matches LVRA’s heritage with bleeding edge ultra HD pop – is the first taster of a second EP, which is set to follow later this summer. You can check out an Oscar McNab (Lacuna Common, Oscar Lang). directed video above. [via Dork]

Los Angeles artist Wallice follows debut single 'Punching Bag' with new coming of age anthem, '23'. Wallice finds herself caught between two places on fresh cut, '23'. “Too old to be a runaway”, but also too young to consider herself as grown up, the 22-year old yearns for a past that still has not happened yet. Working with producer David Marinelli since her return to California, Wallice has crafted a sound that is unique without taking itself too seriously. An angst-driven remonstration at the powerlessness of her age, '23' is also the clearest stamp of her musical identity to date. The expression of this purgatory is a cathartic garage-rock headbanger complemented beautifully by Wallice’s playful lyrics. “I just can't wait to be / all grown up and 23,” she admits in the song’s irresistible chorus. “Tell me what is wrong with me / I miss my Ohio fake ID”. In artfully portraying the limbo state of the age, Wallice describes the events in her life that have led to her own disaffection. “It’s hard not to compare your own professional success to that of your similarly aged peers. I dropped out of university in New York after studying Jazz Voice for a year, and my dad was VERY disappointed, to say the least, so it was hard not to feel like a loser in that sense. “The specific age 23 doesn’t have any milestones associated with it, but it’s more the idea of just looking forward to the future,” Wallice continues on the meaning of the track. "Much like how people ‘reset’ every new year, it’s comparable to be ‘older and wiser’ with each birthday, but instead of constantly looking to the future, it is important to be happy with where you are”. [via Line Of Best Fit]

Coach Party have shared their new single 'Everybody Hates Me'. The Isle of Wight group are gearing up to release their incoming EP, with After Party pitting their potent indie pop influences against bittersweet lyricism. Out shortly, the EP is teased by new thumper 'Everybody Hates Me', with Coach Party adding a neat gloss to their guitar pop sound. Out now, 'Everybody Hates Me' comes equipped with a neat video steered by Daniel Broadley. Vocalist Jess Eastwood comments: “‘Everybody Hates Me’ isn’t a metaphor for anything; it’s literally about those times when you convince yourself that everyone, including your best friends don’t actually like you, and your self-confidence is so low that you don’t even blame them. Disguise that sentiment in an up-beat singalong, and there you have the third single from our new record. The video is a direct extension of the song. It swings between the insecurities of feeling like you’re not good enough amongst your friends, and the sense of unity you get from those same people when you finally wake up from your rut. Everyone feels that way from time to time, but you gotta remember that sometimes your irrational self is going to take over. And when it does, try to remember that you’re awesome, and your friends really are your friends.” [via Clash]

Pussy Riot have gone hyperpop on their latest song 'Toxic'. The Dorian Electra collaboration features glitched out production by Dylan Brady of 100 gecs and tackles a relationship gone bad. Written, directed, and edited by Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova, the music video features jarring, bloody imagery matching Brady’s production. “Care about yourself, cherish your mental health, and stay away from relationships that poison you!” Tolokonnikova writes in the YouTube description. “Amen.” In the song’s lyrics, Tolokonnikova tells off an ex. “You are my daily poison so annoying,” she sings. “You’re even more toxic than my employer.” The hook continues the theme. “This combo is deadly — ’cause we used to be friendly,” Electra laments. “And now my heart is a weapon / You made me… toxic.” [via Consequence of Sound]

Baby Queen has dropped a brand new track, ‘These Drugs’. Bella Latham’s second new track of the year – following up on the anthemic ‘Raw Thoughts’ – she explains in an Instagram post: “This is a story I really needed to tell you and I didn’t know how to for a long time. When I first wrote this song, I honestly didn’t think I was going to be allowed to release it or that releasing it would be a particularly good idea. It just felt really important and that’s all I’ve ever wanted music to be; so I knew I had to share it with you.I was in a very bad place at the time… very depressed and convinced I wasn’t a good person and didn’t deserve good things. Life is different now. I’m happy. I’ve learnt that the antidote to my misery is gratitude and caring about myself even when I don’t want to, until it becomes a habit. It’s natural to look for escapism but there’s more freedom in working to build a life you like… and by that I literally just mean learning to love yourself. You, with all your scars and all your regrets, are home to an actual life! You’ve been through so much and you’ve come out the other side stronger because of it – it’s remarkable really. You’ve got to invite the sad parts of yourself in to have a tea party with you. Don’t ignore them and cover them up. If you don’t look at them, they’ll make themselves seen! You are so worthy of love and I hope that if you don’t see that yet, you will learn to in time. Anyways guys,” she finishes, “this is all very intense. I love you very much and I hope you can understand and relate in some way.” [via Dork]

Greentea Peng has shared her new single 'Nah It Ain’t The Same'. The UK neo-soul voice is an outstanding talent, someone who pushes herself further into that hip-hop / jazz nexus with each release. Produced by Earbuds, new single 'Nah It Ain't The Same' is out now, one that reflects the chemistry she has with her live band The Seng Seng Family. Dipping into drum 'n' bass, her vocals have a calming, beatific feel, with 'Nah It Ain't The Same' tugging at matters personal. She comments: “Deliberations of a (hu) MAN, subject to the pendulum's swing, I give you ‘Nah It Aint The Same’ off my album MAN MADE. An expression and exploration of my utter confusion and inner conflicts amidst shifting paradigms.” Greentea Peng stars in the new video, with Machine Operated sculpting the video. [via Clash]

renforshort has debuted a brand new single, ‘virtual reality’. The first taster of a forthcoming second EP, the track sees her “connect” with Kellen Pomeranz (Pom Pom), Jesse Fink and Beabadoobee collaborator Pete Robertson. “’virtual reality’ is a song that tackles many topics. But at its core, it really is about anxiety, routine, boredom, isolation, loneliness, and fear,” she explains. “I think a lot of people have a very unhealthy relationship with technology because it’s never really been restricted enough to consider mental health and overall health, and that has fucked so many people up, now more than ever. Ever since I was young, social media has played a major role in my mental wellbeing, and I became so accustomed to it, it became a part of my routine and it came before everything else. The moment I wake up, almost instinctively, I check my phone. Depending on what I see in the morning, basically determines how I’m gonna feel for the rest of the day. I hate it. But I can’t stop. And what’s most ironic about this all is you’re likely going to read this on social media or listen to the song on some sort of electronic device…” [via Dork]

Flock of Dimes has shared the second single from her forthcoming album Head of Roses, out April 2 via Sub Pop. Following recent single, 'Two', 'Price of Blue' is another standout from Wasner’s second solo LP, an album that showcases her ability to embrace new levels of vulnerability, honesty and openness, combined with the self-assuredness that comes with a decade-plus career as a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and prolific collaborator. It comes accompanied by an unearthly new video filmed in black and white, co-directed by Wasner with Graham Tolbert. Wasner says: “This song is about trying, and failing, to connect. It’s about the ways in which, despite our best efforts, we misunderstand each other, and become so attached to stories that we’re unable to see the truth that’s right in front of us. And it’s about the invisible mark that another person can leave on your body, heart and mind long after their absence. It can be difficult to make sense of the memory of your experience when the reality on the surface is always shifting—when the story you’re telling, or the story you’ve been told, unravels, leaving you with a handful of pieces and no idea how they used to fit together.”

Berlin-based indie-soul five-piece, People Club, announce their new EP Take Me Home, which is due May 7 and the band are sharing the title-track and new video. The title track 'Take Me Home' is a song about the realisation of mortality in old age and the cynicism that often plights the elderly after losing their loved ones and being left alone with their regrets. It is accompanied by a music video shot by long standing collaborator, Felix Spitta. Speaking of the process the band say, “Once again we worked with our very talented friend, Felix Spitta, who also shot the video for our last single Francine.  We basically spent a day fooling around at his house with a smoke machine and an old tape TV camera with a red filter.  The result is hazy and disorientating, just like this year has been so far.”

Introducing MARY., the dreamy alter-ego of musician and songwriter Stef T. The self-produced debut track, ‘Day to Day’, interlaces elements of electro-pop and R&B with a voice that enchants, along with an official video filmed, edited and directed by David Risdon and Charlie Rose Creative. Reading like a page in a diary, ‘Day to Day’ offers a candid and emotionally raw glance at being overlooked as a woman in a man’s world. She is put together, glamorous and poised on the outside, but on the inside she is simmering like a pot ready to boil over, fed-up and on the brink of snapping. Speaking of the track, Stef T explains, “’Day to Day’ is a reflection on what it is to be a woman in a role where you are always unseen; constantly giving yet never receiving. As woman, we are often undervalued for our day to day work in all aspects - as mothers, in relationships, in our careers; having to push extra hard to get the basic recognition and thanks that we are entitled to. This song is a commentary of a large part of my life where I settled, sacrificed and worked, only to be used and taken for granted. It is about learning to survive a toxic relationship, discover your own individual worth again and reclaim the power that you gave away to someone else. Producing this song myself is the only thing that made sense in context with the intention of MARY. as a project. She is an entirely self made, independent woman, who does it all and doesn't need a man to confirm that she's doing a good job. This is something I have personally struggled with, so I created the MARY. persona to feel more empowered in my storytelling as an artist, in an industry without a large visible number of female-identifying producers.”

Los Angeles based dream pop trio Tashaki Miyaki have just released a single and video of the title song from their forthcoming second album, Castaway, which will be released on April 23 via Metropolis Records. Singer, drummer and producer Paige Stark states that the song “is about the challenges of romantic love and how we are all bad at it in one way or another. The idea of a castaway in all this is that no one understands the relationship except the people in it, so you really are stuck on an island alone together there. Maybe you make it back to the mainland, or maybe you stay on the island.” Stark also shot the Sofia Coppola-inspired video on film, adding: "I wanted to tap into all the feelings that can come up in love relationships: anger, sadness, loneliness, vulnerability, stillness, joy, romance, longing. The actress in it has a beautifully expressive face and I've known her for a long time. I knew we would be able to create those moments together. I wanted it to feel like the camera was her lover, capturing her in various private moments, moods and feelings.”

With her Vanilla Shell EP celebrating its one-year anniversary last month, Danish-Chilean composer Molina is back with another abbreviated record in the form of the new single 'Cold,' featuring vocalist Jonas Bjerre, arriving with a pair of B-sides. The brief collection of songs continues her simultaneous journey inward toward the roots of Chilean music and outward into her own unique vision of the future. The project lands with a video for the A-side, which dreams up bizarre fantasy iconography in the tradition of Grimes and Björk to complement her subdued take on these artists’ out-there recordings. Blending ambiguous electronic sounds with the familiar drone of cello and Bjerre’s backing vocals, the track’s distinct persona may have more in common with the experimental soundscapes of artists like Jenny Hval or Julia Holter. [via Flood]

Maisie Peters has debuted her brand new single, ‘John Hughes Movie’. Described as the first single from her soon to be announced debut album, it’s a song about unrequited love, inspired by the legendary film producer and his classic coming-of-age teen comedies like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. The track comes alongside a video co-written by Maisie and director Louis Bhose (Loyle Carner, Arlo Parks, Lewis Capaldi). Maisie explains: “I wrote ‘John Hughes Movie’ when I was 17 about a house party that I had gone to. It’s a really honest depiction of being a hopeless, melodramatic teenager, being awkward and drunk and getting your heart broken by people you don’t even remember anymore. John Hughes films encapsulate that foolish romantic energy of high school and everything that I, a small town English wannabe Molly Ringwald wanted to be, but was not.” [via Dork]

Chloe x Halle have shared the music video for their song 'Ungodly Hour.' The video was debuted on Wedneday night's episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and shows the Bailey sisters going underwater for a sci-fi-style visual filled with choreography and elaborate adventures at the bottom of the ocean. Watch the Alfred Marroquín-directed video above. [via The FADER]

South London's Josie Man has returned with sentimental new single 'Cuts & Bruise', marking her first release of 2021. 'Cuts & Bruises' follows October 2020's 'Grow' single, and is accompanied by a Andrea Mae-directed video that shows couples enjoying tender moments, including Josie Man and her boyfriend. [via Line Of Best Fit]

Jessie Ware has shared a new short film for her song 'Remember Where You Are'. Her album What's Your Pleasure? arrived last year, a disco-fuelled missile that presented some much-needed good vibes amid lockdown. The songwriter returns to the record for her song 'Remember Where You Are', a soulful and uplifting slice of UK songwriting. There's now a full video for the song and it's steered by BAFTA winning director Dominic Savage. Starring British actress Gemma Arterton, it opens on Valentine's Day and finds the star wandering through deserted London streets. A glimpse of hope and renewal, it taps into the growing feeling that this time, lockdown might be coming to a permanent end. "It was a real pleasure to collaborate with Jessie and Gemma on this short film that is inspired by Jessie Ware’s beautiful music. It was also inspired by the real feeling that was felt when we filmed in the deserted streets of eerily strange lockdown London on a Saturday night/Sunday morning,” Dominic said. “The feelings and emotions in the film are a true reflection of what that felt like, and what this time invokes. Sadness, nostalgia, pain and defiance. But when we climbed Primrose Hill and the sun started to rise above the city, there was real hope and joy for a future that will surely be ours. Listening to Jessie’s music. There is no doubt of that." Jessie adds... "This song has always meant a lot to me and I was determined for other people to hear it and for it to be single. I am so touched by how many people have embraced this song, particularly when it's one of your favourite actresses and an acclaimed film director. Working with Gemma, Dominic and their team has been an absolute joy. To have them realise my song with a beautiful ode to London and the longing for human touch and interaction couldn't be more of a compliment. It's a truly cherished piece of work." [via Clash]

Jaguar Jonze has shared her new single and video 'CURLED IN' ahead of the release of her second EP ANTIHERO on April 16, both via Nettwerk Records. 'CURLED IN' presents all her best qualities at its outset. From the track’s rip-roaring, slicing guitar to her perfectly forceful, omnipresent vocals, 'CURLED IN' is a pure cathartic release. "Tear me apart, just tear me apart," she all but demands: "I've never seen wrong be done right." She's fulfilling her simplest needs, and it's freeing. "It's a bit of a twist for me to be a masochist." As a survivor of abuse, these words' unafraid power is all too apparent and an engaging statement to hear expressed.

Following the release of eclectic and impressive debut singles 'ASOS,' 'Right Time,' and 'Papercut,' rising left-of-center pop singer and songwriter Dava returns with a fresh and bold new single 'New Ceilings' available now via Sony Music's Disruptor Records. The moody anti-pop record was co-written by Dava and Mike Adubato (Del Water Gap, Grace VanderWaal) who also produced the track, and is the latest off the Los Angeles-based musician's forthcoming debut EP, Sticky, due out later this year. On the inspiration behind her new single, Dava shares, "This song was written about survival and staying true to yourself. I was having a hard time financially after moving to LA and my phone was shut off while on my way to this session. I was upset with myself for prioritizing music when I really needed the money from driving Uber to stay afloat." She continues, "The day I wrote 'New Ceilings' I was angry and I wanted a song that felt empowering and validated all the work I had put in up to that point. I ended up choosing different songs for my project but when I revisited this one year later, I felt it needed to be heard because of how authentically it embodies my struggle."

London-based Fifi Rong, a multi-talented avant-pop songstress, has shared the video for her stunning single, ‘Another Me’. Directed by Rok Pat, the video for ‘Another Me’ is stylistically simplistic, as Fifi Rong uses her own body as a medium of art, painting herself and inviting the simple imagery of waterside reeds and plants. A tranquil mysticism embraces the single as Fifi Rong acts as a gentle siren, luring the unsuspecting in yet known the inevitable outcome of the relationship. Speaking of the concept behind the single and video, Fifi Rong tells us: “In any doomed romance, timing is always mysteriously wrong. This is my first full CGI music video and it visually portrays the elusive nature of the character surrounding the key message: 'you won't find another me'. The undertone of the song displays a sense of pride and confidence in the character’s melancholy. Dressed in nothing but petals, I wanted my character to symbolise purity, nature, truthfulness, vulnerability and the divine feminine form. Acting as a rotating statue, I wanted to mark the passing of time and seasons as if a unique and lonely piece of art on display.”

[theskamlibrary]

75 dates in the Skam Universe Masterpost

Thank you so much for everyone who participated, we had a total of X dates in the Skam Universe. We are so grateful for every content creators who put such hard work and shared it with us, you are the backbone of this fandom and the ones who make it worthwhile. 

Support your content creators! Reblog their posts, give them feedback, comment, share the love.  

FIC

Cliché by @catloves3 {WTFock - Zoë Loockx/Senne De Smet - 497 words}

written for (fun)fair

Senne, Zoe, Jana, and Luka at a funfair.

*****

click by @butforwardiscalling {Skam Italy - Niccolò Fares/Martino Rametta - 1613 words }

written for shooting photos 

niccolò has a camera. martino is his preferred model, willing or not.

*****

Cheats and Prank Wars by @toobaddiane {Druck - Matteo Florenzi/David Schreibner - 2507 words}

written for prank war

It’s the summer after their first year in university started and the boys are just lazying around. After an episode of Brooklyn Nine Nine gives Jonas an idea, they engage in a harmless prank war. What could possibly go wrong when someone is super competitive and their boyfriend is their teammate?

Or Matteo and David are teammates in a prank war and David is a competitive jerk.

*****

I think I like my eyes by @ayellowcurtain {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 1026 words}

written for building a pillow fort 

*****

shut up and kiss me by @orpheuscris {Skam Espana - Cris Soto/Joana Bianchi - 3441 words}

written for study date

Joana and Cris have been at odds nearly the entire time they've been sitting next to each other in class. So that’s why it’s such a surprise when one day, near the end of the semester, Cris invites Joana over to her house to study. And why she’s even more surprised by herself when she accepts.

*****

show me the things (that you believe in) by @softdemaury {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 6329 words}

written for at home movie night

“Guess there goes your movie, then.” Lucas says while they’re sitting down at the kitchen table.

“Wait, you didn’t organize this to get out of watching that damn thing, right?” Eliott squints his eyes at Lucas, raising his fork in an attempt to look threatening.

Lucas laughs, “You think I’d do that? Of course I didn’t. We’ll just watch it next time, no big deal.”

or

5 times Eliott fails in making Lucas watch 10 Things I Hate About You and the 1 time Lucas takes the matter into his own hands

*****

Future Little Koala by @youleavebehindmemories {Skam Italy - Eva Brighi/Giovanni Garau - 2697 words }

written for wedding 

It's basically Giovanni and Eva at the wedding of Marti and Nicco with glimpses into Gio & Eva's future, domestic life! (as well as background moments from others)

*****

Feels like Love by @tunonseisolonico {Skam Italy - Niccolò Fares/Martino Rametta - 2602 words }

written for karaoke 

“Come on, Marti! Let´s go and sing a song, the two of us!”

“You for real?!” Marti immediately exclaimed, being full of doubts.

He couldn't help but got flashbacks in his head, thinking back to Silvia´s 80´s party, him sitting close to Nico on the couch, Emma on Nico´s other side. Niccolò asking them to sing a song with him, Marti already refusing to do so back then.

“Of course, I´m not joking!”

“Well, sounds like it. No, I´m not going to sing a song with you!”

*****

come with me, my love (to the sea of love) by @lepetitepeach {Skam France -Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 4816 words }

written for aquarium

there’s a small touch of wonder to everything that lives in the ocean

*****

critter cottage by @spacekardemomme {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 1546 words }

As he walked further into the room, he watched the rise and fall of eliott's chest, the way his hair is messily sprawled along the pillow, a few strands scattered across his forehead and cheekbones.

this is who i’m meant to spend the rest of my life with

*****

Yearning for more than a blue day by @modestytreehouse  {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 3723 words  }

written for brunch date 

He really should leave while Isak is still asleep and spare him the awkwardness of waking up beside Even. Spare himself the shame when Isak recognizes him.

*****

Kings of the cargo hold by @evakuality {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen -  3029 words}

written for cruise // art created by @hjertetssunnegalskap1 

“You’re early,” a voice says, a breathy, stuttery quality to it as its owner pants into the room behind Isak, the clatter of his feet loud as his footsteps echoes off the metal of the walls. “I was supposed to be here before you.” “What is all this?” Isak gestures at the table laid out in front of them. “Well, you agreed to eat with me,” Even says, his unfairly gorgeous blue eyes lit up as he stares into Isak’s soul

Aka, the one where Even gets extra as he prepares for the perfect moment with Isak.

*****

sens de la vie by @livvyblxckthxrn {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 2809 words}

written for museum date

a little dive into all of those instagram pics and stories

*****

det betyr jo alltid noe, det gjør jo det by @pagnilagni {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 8722 words }

written for apple picking // in Norwegian // translation in English by Bolomapa

Han står oppgitt ute på den overgrodde plenen og ser på epletrærne. De er gamle og krokete, har altfor mange greiner, de henger for tett sammen under den tette trekronen, tynget av røde epler tett i tett, de skulle vært tynnet, sa naboen, og treet skulle vært beskåret, han sa det et par uker etter at han beskar sine egne trær. “Men det er for sent nå, sevjen stiger, treet kommer til å blø i hjel. Du får ta det neste år i stedet”, hadde han sagt, mens han klappet ham faderlig på skulderen.

Han ser på epletrærne med den modne frukten, en mengde epler har falt ned i natt, mange flere enn i går, han burde plukke dem nå, han burde absolutt det. Men hva skal han med dem, lurer han på, en fortvilende klump i magen spør ham om svaret på det, for han aner ikke, å bruke en kilo epler er greit, kanskje to, han kan vel bake to eplekaker, men alt dette, det må være hundrevis av kilo, hva faen bruker folk dette til?

*****

You’ll never believe how ice cream helped this man to get a date by @nofeartina    {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 3333 words }

written for ice cream 

If it wasn't for Magnus, Isak would never have ended up at this ridiculous hipster ice cream place. But then again, he never would have met that ridiculously cute ice cream guy, either.

Sometimes it really pays off being a good friend.

Or 5 times Isak buys ice cream for Magnus and 1 time Even buys it for Isak.

*****

come and fade me by @ho1ogram {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 3957 words}

written for grocery shopping

And no matter how many times he repeats the same lines over and over again till he runs out of reasons to support why dating should be banned (it's a lie; Lucas will never run out of reasons for this purpose, he just gives in to the looks the boys - or Eliott - throw at him) that his friends understand his struggles, his pleas for them to stop. And always, like clockwork, he ends in having them set him up with an unknown guy.

or, Lucas is tired of going on dates after dates with guys that aren't Eliott, and Eliott has a few tricks up his sleeves.

*****

Thousand spires and thousand bridges by @hjertetssunnegalskap1 {Druck - Matteo Florenzi/ David Schreibner - 46352 words}

written for vacation // art by @hjertetssunnegalskap1

In this world, Matteo and David met during Abitur back in Berlin, just like in the canon story and they made sandwiches and almost kissed at the neon party, but David backed out, Matteo did the same and.... nothing more happened.

Now they are studying in Prague. Matteo thinks he lost his chance with David a long time ago. What David thinks, nobody knows.

*****

it's nice to have a friend by @livvyblxckthxrn {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 6592 words}

written for rollerskating

5 times eliott and lucas definitely were not on a date, and one time they were

*****

to all who come to this happy place, welcome by @tawmlinsun {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 4703 words }

written for disneyland // art by @cottonsdraw

"eliott demaury, you just passed your bac. what are you going to do now?"

"i'm taking my boyfriend to disneyland!"

*****

Super Smash Bros by @thegirlnooneknows5 {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 11672 words}

written for video games // playlist

“Okay. Pretend I’m a customer. Sell me this game.”

Eliott's smile was determined. “You ever had a customer you wanted to throw into the wall?”

“Countless.”

“Knock-Out X lets you live that fantasy.” He pulled the game off Lucas’ lap and held it up. The thought of Eliott’s hands so close to him coloured Lucas’ face pink. Eliott continued, “Just imagine if you could throw that customer into a wall and leave with no scratches, bruises or consequences. And look super badass while doing it.” “Seriously, though. You’re going to love it.”

-Or, a Striking Vipers Elu au in which they fall in love through a virtual reality game because love transcends all

*****

Coffee, Gay Gurus, and a Dance by @amyriadfthings {Druck - Matteo Florenzi/David - 1242 words}

written for coffee date

Good things happen over coffee. David & Matteo visit a veritable Berlin cultural institution and learn how to swing dance. Gay Gurus in action. Bonus gay gurus to appear eventually.

*****

Small Things by @probablydaydreamingg​ {Skam Italy - Niccolò Fares/Martino Rametta - 3232 words}

written for concert

Martino gave Nico two tickets for a concert as a graduation present. A cute date ensues.

*****

Hedgehog, on the rocks by @flying-elliska {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 4635 words}

written for drinks

Lucas's boyfriend just left him, two days before he has to go to his cousin's wedding, who just so happens to be marrying the town billionaire, and his friends are all otherwise engaged...

So as he arrives alone, he heads to the bar for some liquid courage.

Turns out the bartender isn't having a great evening either. So he embarks Lucas in a creative quest to find him the perfect beverage...

...

It's not a date yet. But there's still time...

*****

If I Should Fall Behind by @irazor {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 14732 words}

written for fancy dinner // art by @lovethem2121

The plan for tonight had been crystal clear. Stay close to his best friend, and steal her away if needed. Hold her hand through the ordeal of meeting Noora again for the first time in years. Then Even shows up – and suddenly, nothing goes the way it was supposed to.

Or: 3 times Isak didn't know what to say to Even, and 1 time he did.

*****

Fontainebleau by @hallo-catfish {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 12770 words}

written for camping

Lucas, let’s go camping, Eliott says, and with a vision of perfect quiet and green leaves unfurling before his eyes, Lucas agrees without even looking up from his problem set.

*

The summer after Lucas' first year in university, Lucas and Eliott take a weekend trip to Fontainebleau. 

*****

Under Starry Skies Above by @fille-lioncelle {Druck - Matteo Florenzi/David Schreibner - 7197 words}

written for weekend getaway 

Matteo and David have been feeling a little dejected, so Matteo suggests they get away for a weekend trip.

*****

Lost & bound by @hjertetssunnegalskap1 {Skam Norway -  Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 16397 words)

written for bicycle date

Even has been in a bicycle accident and he has lost his memory of the past three years. However, Isak gets a shock when Even tells him that they’re bonded soulmates, and expects them to be a couple.

*****

Così fan tutte by @hallo-catfish {Skam France - Chloé Jeanson/Lucille, Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 14070 words}

written for opera

Lucille goes to the opera. It’s another double date.

*****

ART

➔ @hjertetssunnegalskap1 : X - X

➔ @cottonsdraw : X

A TOTAL OF 196,241 WORDS HAS BEEN WRITTEN FOR THIS FEST, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS! 

[thecorteztwins]

Alt-Marauders update! It’s pretty much the Shinobi Feels edition, so tagging @esteicy-blog in case you wanna read your boy’s bits (it’s fine if not!) and @sammysdewysensitiveeyes and @littlemeangreen since you guys are regular readers! CONTENTS “Weakness” - Shinobi/Haven “Instinct” - Sebastian/Madelyne “Nature” - Sebastian/Haven “Saturn’s Children” - Shinobi/Alice

”WEAKNESS” They’d been captured, and placed in a power-dampening cell. They being Haven and Shinobi, the latter of whom was wounded, deep in his right side. Their captors had stabilized him---they wanted them alive for now, especially since they knew that letting Shinobi die just ensured he’d be revived on Krakoa with information that could defeat them---but given him nothing for the pain before tossing him back in the cell. Literally. He did not hit the floor. Haven’s arms caught him expertly and with strength that would have surprised him if he’d been thinking about anything but how much this hurt. Not the pain in his side---but the helplessness. Shinobi did not like being trapped. Shinobi did not like being at the mercy of others. It had bad memories. Perversely, Haven’s comforting presence made it worse. Because that was part of those same memories. His mother, holding him like she was, asking if he was alright, trying to soothe the pain away. He’d treasured her as a sanctuary then, but the fact was that it always came after the pain, and thus tied to it in his mind. That was the only reason he tried, feebly, to push Haven away, even when what he wanted was to sink into her, to curl up against her, to let her stroke his hair and whisper comforting assurances. He wanted that so bad but he also couldn’t, wouldn’t, be that weak little boy again who needed Mommy, who needed Mommy because Daddy had-- “Shinobi, Shinobi it’s me,” she said, “It’s Haven, Radha, it’s alright, you’re alright, I’m here, I’m right here.” She thought the reason for his weak thrashing, his trying to push himself away, was because he was confused, disoriented, thinking he was still in the hands of their enemies. But he was somewhere far worse---in the past. “I--I know,” he finally said as he got ahold of himself, “I’m fine.” He tried to push himself up on his arms. The pain was terrible for his body. But it’d be worse inside if he failed. If he was weak. He felt her gentle hands on him again, “Don’t try to move, Shinobi. You’re still hurt. They only stopped bleeding, but the wound is still--” “Don’t!” he barked, “Don’t---don’t---I’m not a child!” As much as Haven wanted to pull him to her, she was as respectful as she was compassionate. If someone was shouting at her not to touch them, she wasn’t going to; it would only do more harm than good. A comforting embrace could turn traumatic if forced, no matter how gentle, and Shinobi had been traumatized enough today. But she did not merely abandon the issue either. She looked at him with sympathetically scrutinizing eyes as he huffed and strained in his attempt to give every appearance of strength. This was...unusual. Shinobi was someone who craved attention, and though he desired more for it to be praise, she’d seen that he would settle for negative attention if nothing else would do, such as when Claudine and Madelyne waved him away in irritation at his amorous antics. He liked to show off, and was also...Haven was too kind to ever think of him as a coward, but when he realized there was real danger afoot, he tended to run. Which Haven could hardly blame him for, she was no combatant himself. He avoided pain. He sought attention. Yet now, when she was offering attention, he put himself in pain to refuse it. Something was amiss here. There was a piece of the puzzle that she was not seeing, a piece that would explain this. People were like puzzles, in their way---you could look at two pieces that seemed like they could never fit together in the same person, but that was only because you weren’t seeing the other pieces that linked them together. And while Haven tried not to think of other human beings as something to be solved, to be analyzed, to be worked out and put under a microscope---they were so much more than that, and deserving of dignity, of privacy, of keeping their hidden pieces to themselves if they so chose---she could not help SEEING these things when they came to light for her. She could not help the pieces connecting in her own mind. As these new pieces connected with pre-existing ones in her mind, the information coming together in a cohesive whole, integrating with what she already had known or at least suspected. “Shinobi,” she said very softly, but her voice seemed to echo to him, and it wasn’t because of their small cell. “Shinobi....by your father’s standards, I’m the weakest person he knows. He’s said as much. I believe you’ve heard him.” Shinobi turned to look at her, confused where this was going, and anxious at the mention of his father, the mere mention of the man when he was already in this pained, panicked state making his skin feel like it was tightening around him in anticipation of a blow. Where was she going with this. “So therefore, Shinobi, being as that is...it should be absolutely safe, should it not, to let yourself be weak around me?” She had not EXACTLY guessed what was going on. But she had gotten close. And Shinobi let himself collapse into her lap. *** "INSTINCT” “You know, I never asked you,” said Madelyne as they walked along the beach. It was nothing romantic, they were just on their way to the ship. “How’d you know it was me?” Sebastian looked at her oddly, and she clarified, “I mean when we first met. When Selene introduced me and I pulled down that drama queen cloak and there you see, the spitting image of---you know, her. I didn’t know it at the time, but you two had quite the past. How was SHE not your first thought?” “How do you know she was not?” Madelyne rolled her eyes, “You scoffed at me and called me an “unknown being”, you knew who I was---or at least who I WASN’T. If you’d thought I was Jean you would have---I don’t know but you wouldn’t say THAT.” “Perhaps I simply didn’t recognize the face without the Black Queen costume to go with it.” “Sebastian!” “You know that’s as liable an answer as any.” “You’re dodging the question.” Madelyne held out her arms to the sides, “Look, you’re basically the most morally bankrupt person I’ve ever met who wasn’t a literal demon—and I count Mr Sinister in that category—but you also gave me the kindness of individuality even BEFORE I started treating you as my personal bone machine. And I know the k-word doesn’t come easy to you Sebastian so what gives? More specifically, what did I give away that told you instantly who I WASNT?” There was a long pause. At last, Sebastian answered, and he didn’t sound sure in it at all, which was what let Madelyne know he was being honest. “I confess, spitfire, I really don’t know. Gut instinct, perhaps. “ “So Scott had no guts. Big surprise.” “Mr. Summers knew Ms. Grey in all her incarnations. I only ever knew your hated counterpart as the Black Queen, the Dark Phoenix. We never met when she was NOT that, NOT possessed by the Phoenix Force, not radiating with that strange cosmic energy.” Shaw did not know that the ‘Jean’ he had known had actually BEEN that cosmic energy and not Jean at all, nor did Madelyne, but that was besides the point. He continued, “I am no psychic---I did not have to be, to feel that power. It was more distinct than a face or form, and you lacked it. So much a difference did that make that I did NOT recognize face nor form without it. So if you are searching for some romantic reason concerning seeing your true self or some such sentimental claptr---” “No, that’s the thing, I KNOW it’s not that,” Madelyne cut him off sharply, insulted he’d think she’d ever be so deluded, “I know you didn’t love me. And I’m fine with that, I didn’t love you---did love your dick and money though. But that’s why it was crazy to me that the man who didn’t love me, saw more than the man who was supposed to.” “Well, I do hope that satisfied your curiosity,” Sebastian said, then smirked, “Now tell me again that first thing you loved about me?” Madelyne tried to push him into the water. *** “NATURE” “That’s how it is in nature, after all,” Sebastian finished, “Adversity builds strength. Look at the animals. Red in tooth and claw. Do you know what happens to the weak ones, Ms. Dastoor? They are devoured. As it should be.” “I don’t believe looking to animals as a model for our own behavior is a very good argument, Mr. Shaw,” said Haven, setting her teacup primly on her saucer, “After all, no animals wear clothing, and while I understand you find some articles...restrictive...it seems to be something you overall practice. Animals do not use boats either. Or teasets. Or currency.” “Fair enough. But simply because not EVERYTHING from the animal kingdom should be emulated, does not mean nothing should be.” “I do agree with that. I merely suspect we would differ on what should be.” “Quite correct. I think you can guess which I find most admirable. As I can guess your preferred models of behavior. Cows and dogs and such nursing their young, am I correct?” “You are, Mr. Shaw. But I think that my preferred models are actually just as conducive to your ideals of strength.” “Explain.” he leaned forward. He sounded genuinely interested, if only mildly. “I’m no zoological expert but I can tell you...it varies with species. Some, like sharks, don’t raise their young--they’ll in fact devour them. But in mammals, the strong species all nurse and nurture their young, at least the mothers do. Sometimes both parents, I think, as with wolf packs. But, let us take tigers, one of the greatest predators on the planet, surely a species that appeals to the ‘red in tooth and claw’ paradigm of power, the apex predator who devours the ones beneath it. These creatures, mighty as they are, begin as helpless cubs, blind and barely mobile. If their mothers abandoned them to adversity as you suggest they must, or worse, hurt them in order to make them strong, the cubs would die. Even if they did manage to fend for themselves in the wild without help, they’d be malnourished as cubs, resulting in stunted adults. And they wouldn’t learn how to hunt or behave. They need to loving guidance of their mother in order to be the powerful killers they become. I don’t think the father stays, but I imagine they would not be worse for it if he contributed. Therefore, I think the most successful species in your worldview, owe their success to the greatest traits in my worldview.” “Point to you, Ms. Dastoor,” said Sebastian, lifting his cup, “Though, as you yourself state---this does not apply to ALL great predators, and the tiger still does teach the cubs to hunt what is weaker than themselves. She does not nurture them forever. Surely at some point the juveniles are driven away from her, and by her own claws?” “I believe they do, when it is time. But I would not think you approved of that aspect of their behavior.” “Whyever not?” “Your son is an adult, yet you still have him taking orders at your side, do you not?” There was a very tense silence, and then Shaw smiled. “You say you’re no zoologist. Why do you know so much about tigers?” She smiled back, “Well, Mr. Shaw, it’s actually a bit spiteful, I suppose---I heard arguments like yours over and over, using ‘survival of the fittes’, to justify hurting or neglecting others. I decided to look into just how true it actually was that this was the “natural” order.” His smile became a grin, “Ah, so it is not about love of animals, but a love of refuting me.” "No, Mr. Shaw. It’s for love of the people hurt by beliefs like yours. But,” and her own smile became a grin as well, something that, despite its technical closeness to a smile, was a far cry from anything Sebastian had ever grlimpsed on her face before, “I will level with you---it is a little fun when someone doesn’t have an answer to my tiger example." *** SATURN’S CHILDREN “She was my mom, you know,” said Alice as they approached the wall of rubble. They were in the remains of the underground children where Alice and the other children had lived with Miss Sinister. Shinobi’s mission had been to get in using his phasing abilities, gather data, and get out. Alice, of course, had not been part of the plan. But when it was just her and him, she’d begged to come, and he’d...fuck, he didn’t know why he gave in. “I loved her. I still love her. And I thought she loved me,” Alice continued, as though in a trance, as though talking to the rubble and not to Shinobi, “And she did, I guess, just---just not how I thought. Like you love a car. Something you can use. Or more like, I guess, I guess---” Her voice broke, “A set of new clothes.” Shinobi, really just wanting her to shut up, grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her through with him. They were in the remains of the entryway when they went solid again, and as Shinobi tried to reconcile the digital map Claudine had given him with the ruins before him. Alice quieted down as they searched, but then something else set her off, she was touching something---a broken cloning tank. Again, she was talking to it, not to Shinobi. “She loved me for what she wanted me to be for her, she loved what I could do for her.” Shinobi stepped up behind her, “Uh, Ally?” “Alice.” “Right, Alison, listen, maybe uh talk to Madelyne or Haven or somebody about this later.” “Well they’re not here!” she shouted over her shoulder at him, and she sounded both angry and in pain, taking Shinobi aback, “They’re not here and you are and you...I know you understand me!” Shinobi froze, “The hell do you mean?” “You may be dumb but I’m not! I have eyes! All you want to do is party and have fun and get drunk with Pyro! No way you’re doing all this Black Bishop businessman stuff except for your dad!” “Hey, not true!” Shinobi returned, “The Hellfire Club is power, money is power, and power is everything! And I want everything!” “You don’t want power, you don’t even wanna get out of bed in the morning! “It’s called a hangover you stupid little snot!” “Exactly!” “Wh---what does that even mean?! Shut up, I’m not going to engage with a CHILD! And after I was nice enough to bring you here! I have half a mind to leave you now, if you love it so much! That would teach you some manners!” He just might have to, if he still didn’t need to look for the data. Alice at least was helpful with that---she had lived in this place, she knew it well, even in ruins. They walked in silence at first as she lead the way to where the supercomputer’s chamber would be, until, goddammit, she started up again. “Look I wasn’t trying to be mean to you. But I mean...you’re just a kid, really, like me. You just wanna have fun. And I see how your dad talks to you. Everybody does. Even if only Ms. Haven says anything. “And Pyro,” Shinobi pointed out. “Well, Ms. Haven covers my ears when HE says anything to your dad.” “Yeah, because you’re a kid and I’M NOT,” Shinobi said petulantly. And indeed he wasn’t a kid, he wasn’t some scared little boy anymore, he was black bishop of the hellfire club, partner to black king, his father, his father’s right hand man. Emphasis on MAN. Adult. Grown-up. Powerful. “Do you love him?” “Pyro? Nah, we’re just, uh...the adult kind of friends, you’ll understand when you’re older and more mature like m--” “Nooooo, dummy, your dad!” SHinobi tripped over the high heels of his costume, “What kind of question is that?” Alice looked down, not at Shinobi but at her sneakers, “I still love my mom. Claudine, I mean.” Shinobi didn’t answer her. He didn’t even look back at her. And she didn’t ask anymore questions, or talk about their parents anymore. They made it to the wrecked remains of the supercomputer, they got the wrecked remains of the data, and they returned to the rubble blocking the entrance. And as they phased out through it and stepped back into the outside world, Shinobi looked down at her and said, “I love what he can do for me.”

[naturesloopholed-a]

Introduction

welcome to my private, selective hope mikaelson from the originals and legacies.

Mun

mun is 20 years old (6/21 birthday). jennifer. eastern timezone.

Contact

discord is a very good option to contact me. You can ask for my discord information or skip to the discord section of the rules

ims are generally for people that I roleplay with but I will not rp in the ims feature.

ask box is also a good way to contact me if the other two options don’t work

Tagging

triggers are tagged with the trigger first and then tw. abuse, for example, is abuse tw.

all interactions are tagged with my interaction tag, a tag for how for the kind of thread it is (one para, novella, one-liner, etc), the verse, your url. 

I do not comment in the tags as it makes me really anxious but I read all of your comments in the tags.

please tag all your mentions of overdose and drugs. my uncle passed away from drugs and ever since then, I have a habit of crying and becoming a mess when I see things about it when I am already on edge. my therapist says it sounds like a trigger for me.

if I do anything with someone one that mentions drugs or overdose, I will be doing it will someone that I can talk with and they know that replies can take a while. the drug that makes me a crying mess the most is heroin. weed is a different story and if you character is a smoker of weed that is okay to mention in replies.

Face Claim

danielle rose russell is teenage/young adult hope

alexandra daddario is  alt adult hope 

elena saltine is Hope’s adult fc

Sophie Turner is Hope’s alt fc

summer fontana is child hope

Exclusives

I do have exclusives and mains. you can find them on mains and exclusives

Smut

I am an adult in all countries meaning it is legal for me to smut.

I will not do anything with minors in this area. sorry, not about that life. do not lie about your age

I have not done a lot of smutting so I am new to it (just a heads up).

 NSFW (Other than Smut)

other not safe for work content is likely to be on this blog. hope’s backstory is traumatic. her parents are dead (in canon), she watched her mother be tortured, she has thoughts of suicide ((i will talk to you before i put anything like this in our threads as this is highly triggering)). she has ptsd, anxiety, and struggles to control her magic and isn’t afraid of the darkness inside of her

blood, killing, murder, all of the things that generally are in supernatural are present. hope is a tribrid of three different creatures (vampire, werewolf, witch)

Memes

you can send memes in to start a relationship off with hope if that is easier. please try not to send in romantic ones though without at least talking to me first.

if you want to continue the ask meme reply of mine please move it to another clean text post or I will not reply.

Canon Divergent

there are some things that I will not be following in canon. I will let everyone know what that is.

hope has an abilities page that I made up with my own headcanons and tidbits and I will not shy away from them.

nonplayable characters that I make up are really for me to enhance the story of hope mikaelson. she has had teachers, friends, family all that make an impact on her and if one is mentioned that isn’t from the show(s) it is likely a nonplayable character in that nonplayable character tag.

 Non-playable characters

do you see a character mentioned in my blog that you like and would want to make as an oc? need help with it? come and ask me about playing them and I will likely say yes. these characters are my babies, made to enhance my version of hope but if you do make one, I will not say you can’t interact with other hope’s as well just note that part of the character is mine in terms of the idea of them etc.

any questions on nonplayable characters? just ask! want to hear more about them? see if they are open for you to nab as an awesome oc? my ask box is open always for that

Hate

any and all hate will likely be deleted unless I have something sassy to say. most of the time though you will just be blocked right on the spot and that will be the end of that. I am not here to spread a hateful environment, never have sent anything hateful and believe that it is a pointless thing to do.

I will not vague blog about someone on this blog, this is something that so many have anxiety over.

Ask Box

at any time I post something you don’t understand, you are free to message me. you can ask questions on or off anon. (do not send hate as mentioned above).

Personal Blogs

drabble requests? questions on something?  requests on gif sets for hope? feel free to send them in!

do not reblog my threads with other people!

stealing my headcanons or reblogging them will get you blocked. it makes me uncomfortable.

do not reblog my ooc posts!

Duplicates

anyone that loves hope like I do and makes a muse for it? I will support you. we can do twin threads, talk about hope, share headcanons, and more.

Queue

my queue is something I use often when it comes to hope’s blog. a lot of my replies go straight to my queue! if you are unsure where your reply is, just ask me! don’t badger me though to reply or post straight away

Connections

I am really open to original characters and things that have a connection to hope so feel free to bring me all your amazing ocs without shame. have a bio page though or at least some stats as that is something I look for.

Following 

have a rules page, an about page! rules are a big one for me as I want to read over things and be comfortable knowing when I am crossing a line

a clean tagging system. need help creating one? just ask me!

if I see our character’s interacting

Unfollowing

lots of negativity, hateful messages sent to people, ship bashing are all things that will get you unfollowed.

if we haven’t interacted or talked at least once in the first like three months that I followed you, I will unfollow

inactive blogs (for three months) without a hiatus notice. if you come back, feel free to message me and I will refollow you.

if you constantly are changing your muse (as in once every two weeks) and show no steady sign of keeping to a character. this does not count on multis as that is a different story. I want to build relationships with characters.

Shipping

shipping with me is based on chemistry. we can have a trial run though if anything.

I ship hope with landon, josie, lizzie, rafael so far in legacies.

Replies

I can be slow as a turtle at times. a lot of my time is spent rewriting things as I do not always like how it was written when I first did it.

things tend to go on into the queue as I have mentioned before or straight into my drafts for me to write a thousand times.

I don’t really do fancy formatting. small text, some italic for thoughts, some bolding sometimes, and an icon that I made is generally how things work. if you are looking for hope icons, send me an ask over here and I will lead you to where they are.

double small text will be resized if I notice it so that others can read it on my blog. nothing against your formatting but I want to be readable on font sizing.

I do use a generator for the first line of text that isn’t mobile friendly but if you need me to change it because you are unable to read the text for your threads, just let me know.  𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐑𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖!

Discord

Username / id on discord is  thingsmissed#4353

I do rp on discord as well and have a room set up with my tumblr url. You can enter the room and I will give us a few channels that only you and I can see. Want to enter the server to rp there? Click here!

Extra

I love to get to know my rp partner’s. I do find it easier to write with them if I talk to them even just a little.

[lightwarring]

REALLY LONG CHARACTER SURVEY. // ESTELLE CASTAGNIER RULES. repost ,   don’t  reblog  !  good  luck  !

TAGGED. @cielcrd​ tysm for this !! TAGGING. did it at luke’s answer sheet.

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Erina ( 恵里菜 ) ‘ Estelle ‘ Castagnier. 

NICKNAME: Elle ( by luke ), luckless golem ( by laiph ) 

AGE: 24

BIRTHDAY: 12th sun of the fourth Umbral Moon (12 August)

ETHNIC GROUP: Midlander hyur, half doman.

NATIONALITY: Ul’dah

LANGUAGE(S): Because of the echo, she knows most forms of languages

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Demisexual

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Panromantic

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single, Pending engagement she’s trying to get out of

CLASS: Lower class

HOMETOWN / AREA: Eastern Thanalan

CURRENT HOME: Castagnier inn

PROFESSION: Warrior of light, sort of. Part time server at the Quicksand

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Ash brown and till her collarbone with bangs reaching till her brow. 

EYES: Dark brown with big irises. Usually has a spark or energy in them, becomes narrowed and focused when working on a task at hand.

NOSE: Small and average

FACE: Triangle shaped with a smooth jawline

LIPS: Small but notably a tad pouty and in the color of cherry red.

COMPLEXION: Fair and smooth.

BLEMISHES: None

SCARS: Has a medium length one walking down her left side after being attacked by a monster when her star globe becomes weathered during battle.

TATTOOS: None

HEIGHT: 163 cm

WEIGHT: 55 kg

BUILD: Average height and quite lean. Typical curves that a woman would have.

FEATURES: Nothing too outstanding.

ALLERGIES: -

USUAL HAIRSTYLE: Tied up loosely with a band along the crown of her head.

USUAL FACE LOOK: Welcoming and friendly. As the daughter of the inn, she is used to greeting people and customers. Her eyes usually shine when her friends talk, and has face that shows how interested she is in learning about them. 

USUAL CLOTHING: Brown ramie poncho with tights around her legs and wears short boots. Wears a flower at the left side of her head.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR(S): Ghosts, being rejected (again), losing, failing on promises she made, wolves

ASPIRATION(S): Wants to beat Garleans’ asses and expand her family’s inn.

POSITIVE TRAITS: Strong willed, optimistic, big hearted, energetic, extroverted, expressive, supportive, loyal

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Reckless, laid back, slow, forgetful, headstrong, gullible, obstinate, very laid back

ZODIAC: Leo

TEMPERAMENT: Hot

SOUL TYPE(S): Priests / Server

ANIMALS: A butterfly

VICE  HABIT(S): Pride, becoming too overstimulated, overexcited and ends up exhausting herself, is really competitive with laipheaux

FAITH: In herself.

GHOSTS?: No, no, no, no, no.

AFTERLIFE?: Maybe.

REINCARNATION?: Maybe.

ALIENS?: It might be cool to think about.

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: Liberal.

ECONOMIC  PREFERENCE: At the moment, she is saving as much as she could so she doesn’t really shop unless it’s really necessary.

SOCIO POLITICAL POSITION: No opinion

EDUCATION LEVEL: Pugilist guild, astrologian guild, before that - at a lower tier level.

FAMILY.

FATHER: Cassius Castagnier ( biological )

MOTHER:  Kaiyo Harumi ( biological, deceased )

SIBLINGS: Luke Castagnier ( adoptive )

EXTENDED FAMILY: The other children at the inn.

NAME MEANING(S): Derived from ‘ stella ‘, meaning star.  ( 恵里菜 ) comes from the kanji of  恵 ( blessing ),  里 ( village ) and  菜 ( vegetable or some sort ), which is her mother’s happiest experience when she first left her homeland and into Girdania and met her father.

HISTORICAL CONNECTION?: One of the bearers of the echo and various warriors of light that was chosen by Hydaelyn to fight as her companion.

FAVORITES.

BOOK: Doesn’t like reading and tries not to. Picture books are more of her favourite, along with recipes and books with historical paintings.

MOVIE: None

5 SONGS: None

DEITY: Oschon

HOLIDAY: Starlight Celebration

MONTH: July

SEASON: Summer

PLACE: Quicksand, Costa del Sol

WEATHER: A sunny day with blue skies and white clouds.

SOUND: Chattering from a crowd, chimes on wind bells, many laughter, soothing voices

SCENT(S): -

TASTE(S): Adventurous and rich, willing to test the flavors with her cooking and food.

FEEL(S): Chiffon fabric and the tenderness of meat

ANIMAL(S): Rabbit

NUMBER: 8

COLORS: Red, green

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Cooking, mining, drinking competitions, organizing, teasing

BAD AT: Reading, directions, sitting still, luck based games, pre planning

TURN ONS: 

TURN OFFS:

HOBBIES: Cooking, going to the market, 

TROPES: The Gadfly, The Social Expert, And Now You Must Marry Me, Mirthless Laughter, The Rival ( to Laipheaux )

AESTHETIC TAGS: Sundress, food, cakes, white cottages, mountains and rocks, tarot decks, hairstyles, sunflowers, glass ornaments, starry night skies, constellations

GPOY  QUOTES: Not sure what this is.

FC INFO.

MAIN  FC(S): Herself

ALT FC(S): Can’t think of any.

OLDER FC(S): Well... she IS an adult.

YOUNGER  FC(S): Can’t think of any.

VOICE CLAIM(S): Kana Hanazawa - Japanese. demo

GENDERBENT FC(S): None.

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1: IF YOU COULD WRITE YOUR CHARACTER YOUR WAY IN THEIR OWN MOVIE, WHAT WOULD IT BE CALLED, WHAT STYLE WOULD IT BE FILMED IN, AND WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?:

-

Q2: WHAT WOULD THEIR SOUNDTRACK / SCORE SOUND LIKE?:

-

Q3: WHY DID YOU START WRITING THIS CHARACTER?:

A long time before Luke. I think I started her character in game for like... one or two years ago but I only added her in this blog after Luke since I wanna revive her and see what I can do with the small identity I gave her before I mained Luke.

Q4: WHAT FIRST ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS CHARACTER?:

As I played her, in my head, she seems to be a very upbeat and obliging person when asked for help - probably because she hates doing nothing too. And that I feel she has a sisterly vibe too. I also like how she can be at ease with people and has her own social grace, really loves chatting and listening to others. Man, I wish I had half the energy that she has.

Q5: DESCRIBE THE BIGGEST THING YOU DISLIKE ABOUT YOUR MUSE:

Hmmm, it’s the competitive part, probably. I don’t really like competitions myself and I’m a very, very low key person. 

Q6: WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN COMMON WITH YOUR MUSE?:

The fact that we’re both girls ?? lmao. We’re kinda like polar opposites, to be honest - but that’s what makes it fun for me to write her. I guess one of the common things I have with her is we like to settle and resolves things quickly and then move on rather than beat around the bush, complicate things and drag it on and on. We don’t hold grudges either.

Q7: HOW DOES YOUR MUSE FEEL ABOUT YOU?:

Probably feels that I should get my ass off my room from time to time. And maybe stop trying to shorten my own lifespan with my cooking. Man,,,,,, she does not agree with what I throw into the wok. She’s friendly though so she still feels pretty okay with me. 

Q8: WHAT CHARACTERS DOES YOUR MUSE HAVE INTERESTING INTERACTIONS WITH?

With my other muse, Laipheaux ( man, he is famous with my two muses, huh ). They have a friendly rivalry, mostly due to the fact that they can’t fully understand each others’ behavior well but still able to feel a sort of caring vibe from the other. Laiph didn’t think so at first until he realizes that Estelle still gave him birthday presents like she do with everyone else and left the grand company in girdania for reasons involving him too.Estelle, though she doesn’t read too much into things, acted with Laiph pretty much like she does with friends and didn’t have the same thought process about their relationship like he does. Though they used to roughhouse a lot, they’re much more calmer with each other ( at times, yeah ).

Q9: WHAT GIVES YOU INSPIRATION TO WRITE YOUR MUSE?:

Like in Luke’s answer sheet, my love for the game. Also that I really wanted to start writing female characters who aren’t outright tough and badass like Merlwyb. Sort of trying to exit my comfort zone and see how I can have fun trying new things. Estelle is still a strong character in her own right though, but has a sort of sisterly / motherly vibe ??

Q10: HOW LONG DID THIS TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE?:

Faster than Luke’s page now that I know how this works lol

[absylphe]

======> Abby: Mind your own damn business.

> Hours in the past, but not many...

“...and this here is what you’d call the, the... you know. Dream membrane. I guess common dialect would be thin and pliable partitioning structure, but we’re both classy gents, right? What’s a little common sense terminology between two bros?”

It’s almost indistinguishable from an Eridan’s voice, but you know enough to know that it’s a Cronus alt that’s slipping into your bubble, not an Eridan. The weird affectation to his speech is a little more practiced, a little more pleased with itself than eager to please. You’ve had a lot of weird assholes kind of phase through your ship lately - mostly just randos - but you’re pretty burnt out on dealing with too-curious assholes pestering you about what the living are doing in their super private dream bubbles that they rented for the summer, or whatever they normally see fit to complain about.

Despite all of this, you’re just too damn tired to care about leaving to get out of the way of what sounds like a one-sided date. You remain leaning against the wall, glow off, Sylph hood pulled up over your head, hoping you’ll just get ambled by as though you’re part of the shifting scenery.

“Vwell, vwell, vwell.”

No such luck, it seems. Did his accent just get more annoying?

“Hello, little lady. Don’t you look familiar?” Despite the condescending remark, the face that’s suddenly way too close to your own is a little lower down than yours, and god, he’s right about the familiar. Dumb little scars on a face that’s probably never even seen a real fight, eyes whiter than pearls, a smirk on his lip that has no place being there, suddenly very much in front of your gaunt face.

“Oh, wow, you’re even skinnier in person. I guess the camera does add a few pounds, eh? But you use that to your advantage, looks like. Your blog title makes way more sense now, dead girl walking? I mean, yikes.” You narrow your eyes and blow gently at his hairline, causing just this one stray lock of hair to curl downward, but he looks like you just insulted Happy Days, if he even knows what that is. His nose flares a little in a way that would probably be kind of unattractive, if you thought the rest of him was anything to look at to begin with.

Ugh. Okay he’s a little attractive, but in a really crushable way. Like you want to crush him, not like you have a crush. That’s Zucro, alright. The last person you thought you’d run into out here. The last person you wanted to see. You thought you saw the last of this loser when you unfollowed him after he threw a little grub tantrum about your perfectly serviceable hatejabs. Let me show you my jabs, your witticisms cried out, but no, he was too proud to entertain them without falling to tearful pieces about it.

He pushes back from the wall - is it still a wall? It feels like the dream bubbles might have phased it into a tree or a cave or something - with that little disgusted look on his face, waving his hand by his nose. “Phew, what did you eat? I’m a little more repulsed each and every moment, dollface.”

You gesture plainly at the dried teal blood on your shoulder. You think if he was alive, his face would pale, and maybe it does a little, but he just scoffs himself a recovery, continuing to go on, closed eyes and a pompous air to him. He’s a lot shorter than you thought he’d be? Or, that is, his demeanor kind of makes it suit him, but he still acted like he’d be a little taller. You notice what you guess is a Karkat alt out of the corner of your eye -- oh wait, no, that looks like... oh, then it’s... Pizza Hut? You kind of raise your fingers a little in this very underspoken wave and he gives you a decidedly not-very-Karkat wave back, looking much more entertained than you are.

“--are you even listening? Such massive unnatural ears stickin’ out all akimbo from your head like ugly baby horse legs -- or sorry, I guess you’re middling enough to call them premature hoofbeast friction scramblers, you know I’m something of an ally so I like to make sure my words are understandable to all audiences, even those who don’t deserve it -- anyway, you’d think you could stand to listen to a guy when he’s just spent all this time graciously giving you time to apologize for your neverending cyberbullying, the misgivings, the unrestrained usage of seadwellerphobic slurs -- speaking of which, you have the audacity to use those while openly dating a tyrian? Saying you care about her, but then turning around and calling me something so hateful? So disrespectful?”

God, this just... it’s ongoing, isn’t it? You can’t just scroll past this rant, you have to watch him hash it out in real time. You fix your eyes on his and you’re really, really, really trying not to lash out. You’ve gotten instantly murdered twice in the past few days for lashing out.

“--I was even thinking of letting you follow me again if you wanted to. Minimal fuss, all you’d have to do is issue a public apology detailing the various ways you went about harassing me for things completely out of my control -- nothing more than being too handsome and unattainable, when clearly you were driven to what I can only assume was malice. Yes, malice, driven by envy, which I’m sure you’re no stranger to, given how thoroughly green with it you are. See, that’s a human idiom, but it also applies to you, on account of your hue--”

He can see the frown curling on your lips, can’t he? Surely he can. It’s been building this whole time, ears beginning to twitch out of irritation rather than attention. Your claws are digging into your palms. 

“--should be grateful I haven’t decided to sic my legions of devoted fans on you for your transgressions, to be quite honest; that’s a power I have at my disposal that I’ve benevolently refrained from using because I believe in the power of a fair fight, one between equals, one that radiates mutual respect--”

He doesn’t seem to notice when you unbutton your hood from around your horns and pull it down so that your hair spills out, or when you let your arms fall down to your sides. He’s too busy talking. One hand is on his hip and the other is held out to the side like he’s telling a really long situational joke to a close friend. Like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever thought of.

“--and that’s to say nothing about your little mudblooded brood buddy, is it? Fairy pix? Stupid flicks? Ugly hick? Really, I’m not sure if he’s showing good taste in continuing to follow me the way you failed to, or actually if the failure to follow suit with what you did is just social cowardice--” 

When your fist connects with his nose, it makes a sickening cracking sound, followed by a stunned silence. 

Breathe in.

Violet.

Breathe out.

Violence.

“...first-- first of all I can’t believe that even YOU would dare to hit me--”

You do it again, this time in his stupid jaw. You grab his horn and slap him for good measure, pulling back for another punch while you kick him where it hurts. It seems to take him a minute to figure out exactly what’s happening before he starts fighting back, but even then, it’s not as practiced, not as ferocious. He’s not quite as out for blood as you are, and you have plenty of reasons to keep him from drawing yours. 

“You will never talk about Tavros like that again--”

“Or what, you’ll go cryin’ to that writhing harem of sympathetic morons you have the audacity call quadmates?”

You come at him and he comes back at you, growling and snarling and alternating between open and closed hands. You hardly want to ruin the experience of something so cathartic with something as final as your chainsaw.

Once you’ve knocked him flat on his ass, you take another breath, straddling his frame to keep him pinned down, and he’s not-fighting you enough that he’s probably trying to find some way to flip this around  in his favor through underhanded psychological warfare. You slap him across the face again before he can open his stupid mouth and you can feel a huge bruise developing on your side, under your grublegs -- ugh, this is the worst. He’s the worst. Spades flash in your head but you know you’ll never live it down if you do anything untoward. Also, you don’t really want that on your permanent record.

Luckily, you feel the other side of the bubble membrane coming fast -- the dream surroundings are fading, not that you ever really paid attention to what they were, anyway. You lean in like you’re going to kiss him and you see his fins flick a little. You cup his cheek gently and then --

CRACK

--you pop his broken nose back into place with your thumb, getting the most disgusting yelp and whimper as a reward for your efforts. You gently pat the cheek that’s already starting to bruise just to see him wince, a short-tempered smile on your lips.

“Don’t ever tell anyone I never did anything for you.”

And then they’re gone. The blood stayed, curiously; you’ll have to refresh this outfit to clean the miscellaneous blood spatters off of it, but you run your knuckle over your lips, a violet gloss over green.

[italicwatches]

Laid-Back Camp - Episode 02

Good. GOD. How did it take me five bloody hours to get back home. I hate when this shit happens. …Anyways. Let’s get it going. It’s Laid-Back Camp, episode 02. Here we GO!

-School. Rin’s gotten herself a camp-grub cookbook so she’s eating something that isn’t in a styrofoam cup. And then she has a flashback to Nadeshiko…

-Speaking of Nadeshiko, she sprints past on the way to her new club, both of them managing to miss each other. That’s just a little too ridiculous.

-Opening! This is a really bouncy and cheerful song.

-Episode 02: Welcome to the Outdoor Activities Club!

-So Nadeshiko’s gotten the camping bug. And that’s when she…Wow.

-Just…Wow. I didn’t have a chance to comment on it last time, but the club space is…

-How do I put this…

-Nadeshiko compares it to a hallway. I’ve been in hallways. This, sir, is no hallway. This is a god damned maintenance tunnel it’s so narrow. And it’s made even more narrow because they’ve had to go with floor bookshelves instead of overheads. It’s actually almost impressive how well they’ve used this tiny amount of space…

-Also, sidenote, do the pinecones talk every time? …Because I can roll with that.

-Hey it’s the bespectacled bluenette. I think she’s the shy one. The girl who…I mean…They tried to give her a cute fang, but it’s just colored as part of her lip, so it just looks like she has some sort of strange hanging hook as part of her mouth, look the point is she shows up too.

-So backstories are exchanged and…She gets turned away. Because the bluenette doesn’t want to be crammed in here with anyone else. Though, flip side, an actual club would mean an actual club room and not a pity-hallway. And that’s how that decision gets turned right around.

-Anyways names. Girl with the lip thing is Inuyama Aoi. Glasses is Ohgaki Chiaki. You already know Nadeshiko. Oh and it turns out they do some day-to-day stuff, mostly turning safely-burnable debris into mini bonfires for cooking on. Which would be great if the field out behind the school wasn’t perfectly clean.

-So plan B and that’s how Nadeshiko gets shown their magazine collection. Specifically, a magazine on tents, so we can teach the audience about the different kinds. First lesson, freestanding versus non-freestanding. Freestanding use a frame structure. Non-freestanding use pegs and ropes to stay up. Nine times out of ten, any tent you buy in a shop is gonna be freestanding, but if it’s not freestanding, you can get it really compact.

-For example, this tent here! …Chiaki bought it in the summer and it didn’t arrive until September. It cost ten dollars. Now I’m not about to judge someone for not spending a fortune on tents. Especially for gentler weather, you can really get away with something pretty basic. But I’m gonna be honest, I’m not entirely sure how much I trust a ten dollar tent.

-Of course, on the other hand, you’ve got the ones in that magazine, which, are…

-Oh.

-Oh dear.

-Well they top out at around 80 thousand yen, or 800-odd dollars.

-So the tent-pitching lesson will be conducted with this 980 yen tent out in the courtyard. And as that goes on, Rin spots it all while her friend helps make her giant bun. …In the shape of a bear. So the jokes are coming quick, I see.

-And outside, Chiaki…Manages to break the pole. God damn those are cheap poles. Now, you could salvage this with a fitting and some tape, and Rin’s friend tries to get her to go offer them one…But Rin is far too much of a loner. …Fine, so her friend will do it! And then soon they have the tent assembled and it actually exists and works. Also Rin’s friend points them to Rin as the source of knowledge because she is a meddler of great prowess and skill. Like, seriously, that’s some damn good meddling.

-So a few quick things we need to lay out since they happened in really quick succession.

-Chiaki calls her “Shimarin” like it’s all one word and she’s some mascot animal. Rin’s friend whose name I didn’t catch properly gives her name. Nadeshiko goes to race over to be all super excited and friendly and thankful aaaaaand hits the window.

-…Ow.

-That’s just…

-Ow.

-Oh god the sound design as she slides down against it!

-But then it’s a new day, with Rin pedaling her way up to another…Damn, that’s a hell of a campground. One that even has some other people here in the winter. But what I can’t help but notice, is that Rin’s need to dutifully stretch before she starts setting up her campsite is adorable.

-There’s just one little problem. Despite all her research, she couldn’t find an actual supermarket on the way up, so it’s convenience store cup-noodle again. And then it’s a text conversation with her dear friend, that ends in them feigning their deaths. These two are great.

-Oh, and this is one of those campgrounds that requires use of a stand for your campfires, you can’t do it on the ground. That’s not something I’m super familiar with; here, our campgrounds all have designated pits at campsites and require you to only do any fire-making in the fire pits. Between having to buy the firewood since there’s no good sources of free stuff in this open field, and the stand, her overnighter trip just got 2500 yen tracked onto it…Or, more than doubled her expenses compared to her initial fee.

-…Or she could just squeeze into her sleeping bag if it gets too cold. Yeah that sounds better. But first, a long walk to take in some gorgeous views and snap some photos. This place is very well set up.

-To the main building, where presumably the owners/workers live. A couple of dogs are tied up, and go to get attention…One coming up short of Rin. And the other slamming into her full force with a headbutt because it has another foot or two of rope to work with. Her world is pain.

-But, yeah, this place is set up almost perfectly as a classic tourist campground. Great views, bit pricey, they even have signs in places where you can get particularly great shots, like one at the foot of the pond that gets you that perfect upside-down-mountain reflection shot.

-And all those photos get sent to her friend, who is lazing in bed despite it being the afternoon, for it is the weekend. Truly I understand you. She’s almost up to take her doggo for a walk…But one opening of the balcony door later, girl and dog are both under those fucking covers.

-And Rin’s back at her tent with her book, all bundling up against the chilly breeze. If I didn’t want to use the bear-bun image so much, I’d have totally used that shot of her bike by the tent. Eventually it is late in the day, Mount Fuji is turned pink by the setting son, and Rin thinks back to school…

-To Nadeshiko trying to get her to join the club, and Rin making that disgusted face again. She likes her quiet alone camping time. But even she knows she did a bad thing. Why, she can hear Nadeshiko’s voice now calling to her mournfully…Again…Again…Wait it’s not echoing anymore.

-Because Nadeshiko’s just here. Rin’s friend Saitou-san meddled again. And Nadeshiko brought ingredients for grub! Specifically, hot pot! Shit that sounds really good, actually. I mean, I just ate a Mexican food platter so I’m not super hungry, but if you put it in front of me, I might do things I’d regret, is all I’m saying.

-Credits play as the night goes on. Nadeshiko’s out cold. Off camping themselves, Chiaki and Aoi are out cold with was that Saitou-san? And Rin is up early enough to catch the golden rays of the sunrise peaking over the horizon…I suspect this is a more future scene than a right now one, when they all come together to take it in…Or possibly even the actual credits animation. I guess we’ll know next time, won’t we.

-Aftercredits, to the Outdoors Activities club! Chiaki has tasty mochi treats that don’t last very long at all, especially because Nadeshiko goes to town on them a bit…intensely.

The magic question you always ask yourself in a show like this, is which archetype do you most connect to? And as much as I’d like to think I’m a strong, cool loner like Rin…I think we all know I’m closer to Saitou-san, endlessly meddling and easily beaten by weather.

But we shall see more of these characters and their plucky adventures next time, in episode THREE of Laid-Back Camp! Wait for it!

[animusviincit]

REALLY  LONG CHARACTER SURVEY. RULES. repost, don’t reblog ! tag 10 ! good  luck ! TAGGED. @regiaservitia (thankss!!) TAGGING. whoever wants to?? i am lazy rn xD

BASICS. FULL  NAME : lucrezia borgia d’este (sforza d’aragona) NICKNAME : n/a AGE : 20 BIRTHDAY : april 18 ETHNIC  GROUP : italian/spanish NATIONALITY :  italian LANGUAGE / S : italian, spanish, latin, french, english SEXUAL  ORIENTATION: bisexual                 ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION : more heteroromantic RELATIONSHIP  STATUS : sadly married most of the time CLASS : wealthy HOME  TOWN / AREA : rome, italy CURRENT  HOME : depends, rome or ferrara PROFESSION : daughter of the pope, governour, regent, papal chancellor, duchess

PHYSICAL. HAIR : dark blonde, long and wavy EYES : a lighter brown, also described as “of no special colour” NOSE : a perfect little nose uwu FACE : oval, very symmetrical LIPS : reddish COMPLEXION : going towards an olive teint BLEMISHES : a mole on her neck SCARS : none TATTOOS : none HEIGHT : 5′4″ WEIGHT : 131 lbs BUILD : delicately, but with some small curves FEATURES : see above ALLERGIES : none USUAL  HAIR  STYLE : usually pinned-up or with a veil USUAL  FACE  LOOK : joyful, interested, concentrated USUAL  CLOTHING : take a look here !

PSYCHOLOGY. FEAR / S : loss, abandonment, downfall ASPIRATION / S : to build a life of her own, freedom, happiness and love, do some good in the world, be remembered for her own achievements POSITIVE  TRAITS : intelligent, compassionate, caring, determinded NEGATIVE  TRAITS : ambitious, stubborn, proud MBTI : enjf-t (the protagonist) ZODIAC : aries TEMPERAMENT : sanguine SOUL  TYPE / S : thinker, performer, hunter, creator, leader, spiritualist, helper, caregiver, educator ANIMALS : wildcat VICE  HABIT / S : alcohol, sex?? FAITH : roman catholic GHOSTS ? : open to the possibity AFTERLIFE ? : yes, she believes in this REINCARNATION ? : see above ALIENS ? : naaaa POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT : liberal, supports her family ECONOMIC  PREFERENCE : money is always good?? SOCIOPOLITICAL  POSITION : definitely at the top EDUCATION  LEVEL :  highly educated in languages, literature and politics

FAMILY. FATHER : rodrigo borgia / pope alexander vi. MOTHER : vanozza de’ cattanei SIBLINGS : 3 brothers, cesare, juan, goffredo EXTENDED  FAMILY : a lot of cousins, as well as half-siblings NAME  MEANING / S : profit, wealth HISTORICAL  CONNECTION ? : she is a historical person??

FAVOURITES. BOOK : dante’s “la divina commedia” MOVIE : pride and prejudice perhaps xD 5  SONGS : DEITY : god HOLIDAY : christmas MONTH : june SEASON : summer PLACE : the lateran palace, by the lake/sea WEATHER : sun SOUND : the lute and the harp SCENT / S : roses usually TASTE / S : blueberries, oranges FEEL / S : sitting on a throne, soft silk on her skin ANIMAL / S : horses NUMBER : 4 COLOUR : mulberry/lilac

EXTRA. TALENTS : speaks 5 different languages, horse riding, playing the flute & the harp, writing poetry, ruling (the consistery, a town, a duchy) BAD  AT : being alone, dealing with failure, TURN  ONS : kindness, confidence, $$$$$$, intelligence TURN  OFFS : dishonesty, cockiness, ego, self-depreciation HOBBIES : going to the opera, bouzouki, dancing, singing // swimming, reading & writing poetry, traveling internationally TROPES : costume porn, daddy’s girl, may-december romance, happiness in slavery, morality pet, proper lady, you killed my father, chekhov’s gunman, dragon ascendant, earn your happy ending, “the reason you suck” speech, spanner in the works, tragic keepsake AESTHETIC  TAGS : everything is rose, rose // worthy daughter of epirus // and she, who was a good and modest girl // picked roses and flowers each dawn GPOY  QUOTES : ❛ to all who walk the dark path, and to those who walk in the sunshine but hold out a hand in the darkness to travel beside us ❜

FC INFO. MAIN  FC / S : isolda dychauk ALT  FC / S : blanca suarez, melanie laurent, hannah new ... OLDER  FC / S : blanca suarez YOUNGER  FC / S : jenessa grant in some verses VOICE  CLAIM / S : isolda tbh ^^ GENDERBENT  FC / S : n/a

MUN QUESTIONS. Q1 : if  you  could  write  your  character  your  way  in  their  own movie ,   what  would  it  be  called ,  what  style  would  it  be filmed  in ,  and  what  would  it  be  about ?           A1 : OHHH bc i am boring af it would be something like ‘the princess of the vatican’ or ‘blood and beauty’ and a lot of beautiful sceneries and no in/cest and THE WHOLE LIFE of lu including her last marriage and the time after cesares death. Q2 : what  would  their  soundtrack / score  sound  like ?           A2 : renaissance music of italy and spain, a lot of harp. Q3 : why  did  you  start  writing  this  character ?           A3 : i watched borgia and loved her and and a few years later I had read some more novels about the borgias and I was bored in holidays so ... :))))) Q4 : what  first  attracted  you  to  this  character ?           A4 : i think how delicate she was in the world she lived in, that she was such good soul and in many ways always carried that with her Q5 : describe  the  biggest  thing  you  dislike  about  your  muse.           A5 : that she doesn’t let anybody really love her. she blames herself for shit she had no influence on and that made her believe she doesn’t deserve love and she is deadly for people close to her. Q6 : what  do  you  have  in  common  with  your  muse ?           A6 : there are some things. like we both love reading (and are classic hoes tbh) and I can also pick up new languages quite good (not as good as lucrezia though). Q7 : how  does  your  muse  feel  about  you ?           A7 : depends. it’s a constant battle between hate and love lmao Q8 : what  characters  does  your  muse  have  interesting  interactions  with ?         A8 : her family historically I think, and actually every interation here I can’t even choose. Q9 : what  gives  you  inspiration  to  write  your  muse ?         A9 : watching borgia & renaissance music and lana del rey music Q10 : how  long  did  this  take  you  to  complete ?         A10 : i am never complete???

[nebelkrahe]

REALLY  LONG  CHARACTER  SURVEY.

     RULES.  repost ,   don’t  reblog  !    tag  10 ! good  luck  !      TAGGED BY.  @taleinspired​ !!! friend!!      TAGGING.   no one BECAUSE THIS IS SO LONG IM SCREAMIN. 

BASICS.

FULL  NAME :   qrow branwen NICKNAME :   dusty old qrow, old man AGE :   early forties in main verse BIRTHDAY :   haven’t decided ! ETHNIC  GROUP : welsh NATIONALITY :   born in vale,but grew up outside the kingdom with a group of bandits LANGUAGE / S : english     (     welsh in certain verses     ) SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :   pansexual  ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION :   demiromantic RELATIONSHIP  STATUS :   verse-dependant     (     single in canon     ) CLASS : lower middle class HOME  TOWN / AREA :   the island of patch, just outside of the kingdom of vale CURRENT  HOME : an apartment in vale given to him by ozpin, though he tends to wander wherever he is needed PROFESSION : full-fledged huntsman ; a member of the guardians with ozpin, glynda goodwitch, and james ironwood ; spy ; teacher at signal academy ; best uncle in the whole world!

PHYSICAL.

HAIR :  black with graying streaks due to age EYES : a light red, similar to his twin sister’s NOSE :  it holds a prominent place on his face, and though the show doesn’t depict it as larger FACE :  round ,    her cheeks rosier & chubbier as a child. LIPS :  not particularly notable  ;  just lips my guy COMPLEXION : extremely pale white. BLEMISHES :  none to note. SCARS :  several, all of his body from his many encounters with the creatures of grimm TATTOOS : several! i haven’t decided yet, but i will let you know HEIGHT :  somewhere between 5′10″ and 6′ WEIGHT :  around 200 lbs BUILD :  tall and lanky FEATURES : constant 5 o’clock shadow & generally hairy body ALLERGIES :  none. USUAL  HAIR  STYLE : usually has bangs hanging in his face with salt-and-pepper coloration USUAL  FACE  LOOK : neutral USUAL  CLOTHING : this mess lmao

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S :  losing the last of his family     (     ruby, yang, and tai mainly  /  perhaps even raven if the moment is right.     )     ; dying alone, being alone ASPIRATION / S :  to keep his family safe ; to live up to ozpin’s legacy POSITIVE  TRAITS :  honest, caring, childish  /  playful     (     at the right time, of course     )     ,  cool under pressure, focused NEGATIVE  TRAITS :  reckless, depressed, defensive, sarcastic MBTI :  ISFP-A " THE ADVENTURER  “ ZODIAC :   scopio TEMPERAMENT :  sanguine SOUL  TYPE / S :   warrior. ANIMALS : crow ! VICE  HABIT / S :   addicted to alcohol. FAITH : he has a rough time with his faith ; though he does believe in a higher power, he is unsure whether or not form it takes, or how he should worship  /  honor it GHOSTS ? :  absolutely ! AFTERLIFE ? :   no REINCARNATION ? :  after learning of the maidens, definitely ALIENS ? :  no  . POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT :   democratic  /  extremely liberal ECONOMIC  PREFERENCE :   money??? would be nice ??? SOCIOPOLITICAL  POSITION :  low middle class EDUCATION  LEVEL : college  /  full huntsman training

FAMILY.

FATHER :  [REDACTED] branwen     (      presumed dead     ) MOTHER :  [REDACTED] branwen     (      presumed dead     ) SIBLINGS : raven branwen     (     twin sister EXTENDED FAMILY :   ruby rose, summer rose, yang xiao-long, taiyang xiao-long, ozpin NAME MEANING / S :  qrow was originally named for his mother’s love of birds, but the tribe which adopted him and his sister tended to associate with his bad luck HISTORICAL  CONNECTION ? :  both the scarecrow from the novel the wizard of oz by  l. frank baum and the character bran the blessed from the ancient welsh  /  british storybook the mabinogion

FAVORITES.

BOOKS :  anything historical-- he enjoys war novels as well MOVIE :  action, comedy     (     family dramas always makes his eyes wet as well lmao     ) 5  SONGS :   take a whole playlist ! DEITY :  nike or bellona HOLIDAY :  valentine’s day lmao MONTH :  november SEASON :   summer and fall PLACE :  old gothic courtyards and churches WEATHER : calm fall air SOUND :  a bird’s caw SCENT / S : gunpowder, alcohol TASTE / S :  the sharp sting of alcohol FEEL / S :  a good pat on the shoulder ANIMAL / S :  birds ! NUMBER :  69 lmaq COLORS :  red, black, and gray !

EXTRA.

TALENTS : master scythe-wielder, he can drink most people under the table BAD  AT :  talking to people in a professional & appropriate manner TURN  ONS :  daddy kink, voyeurism, other stuff that is. sinful. TURN  OFFS : extreme violence, anything having to do with scat HOBBIES : sightseeing, reading, making up stupid jokes TROPES :  cool uncle, dark and troubled past w his sibling, the alcoholic, etc.  AESTHETIC  TAGS :  here is his aesthetic tag on my blog & here is the pinterest board i have for him <3 QUOTES :  my favorite bc there are so many:  " KID, GET OFF THE GROUND, SPIT OUT THE BLOOD AND BARE YOUR TEETH; GO DOWN A SAVAGE-- GO DOWN FIGHTING. "

FC INFO.

MAIN  FC / S :  joe manganiello ALT  FC / S : nah OLDER  FC / S :   he old LMAO YOUNGER  FC / S :   haven’t decided ! VOICE  CLAIM / S :  vic mignogna GENDERBENT  FC / S :  FUCK THAT SHIT LMAO. get this cis nonesense outta here. give me my transman qrow instead

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 :   if  you  could  write  your  character  your  way  in  their  own movie ,   what  would  it  be  called ,  what  style  would  it  be filmed  in ,  and  what  would  it  be  about ?           A1 :  ‘ a dusty old crow ‘  and it’d be an action movie and it’d be 10x better than rwby and strq-centric !!! Q2 :   what  would  their  soundtrack / score  sound  like ?         A2 :  soft acoustic guitars and bass to harsh violins & electric guitars during action scenes.     (     also !!! 70′s/80′s music     ) Q3 :   why  did  you  start  writing  this  character ?           A3 :  because i am a ho(tm) for the edgy old men characters Q4 :   what  first  attracted  you  to  this  character ?           A4 :  his voice tbh? i love the gravely voice Q5 :   describe  the  biggest  thing  you  dislike  about  your  muse.           A5 :   nothing tbh? i hate that he is grossly hairy and  Q6 :   what  do  you  have  in  common  with  your  muse ?           A6 :   barely anything tbh. well. the mental state, gayness, and need for alcohol at every moment of the day lmao Q7 :   how  does  your  muse  feel  about  you ?           A7 :    i would like to think he’d take care of me like he takes care of ruby n yang. like a nice dad figure that would probably protect me from myself better than i ever could Q8 :   what  characters  does  your  muse  have  interesting  interactions  with ? A8 :   everyone ??!! because qrow is. unpredictable tbh. it’s what i love about him Q9 :   what  gives  you  inspiration  to  write  your  muse ?         A9 :   the afore-link playlist. just thinking about him throughout the day lmao Q10 :   how  long  did  this  take  you  to  complete ?           A10 :   like three hours why tf is this so long jesus fuck

[thecelestialjukebox]

Best of 2017: 10-1

10. Paramore - Hard Times: 

“Hard Times,” first and foremost, is an expertly crafted retro pop song just on virtue of sonics— those marimbas! Those guitar stabs! That awkward vocoder bit! Yet it also captures something deep about the new wave material it’s cribbing from, something that many artists who’ve decided to do Talking Heads cosplay miss. On “Hard Times,” Hayley Williams, who has long been one of the best songwriters in the Alt-rock world, nails the profound sadness and fear of the best New Wave. But “Hard Times” is not just notable for how it imitates the past but in how it boldly stabs towards new sonic ground, in how it shows a Paramore that’s willing to evolve into something unrecognizable from the band that put out “Misery Business.”

9. Mount Eerie - Soria Moria:

 A Crow Looked At Me is a tragedy not just because of the real life calamity that it documents but because of the thing it realizes about the nature of sorrow. A Crow Looked At Me is about the death and mourning of Geneveive Castree, yes, but it’s also about how memory betrays us, gives us nothing but shards of what once was. “Soria Moria” is where Phil Elverum explores this theme most fully, weaving together his entire life and love into a meditation on the impossible places that grief and memory drive us towards, all held together by the twin images of a mythic Norwegian castle and “Slow pulsing red tower lights/Across a distance, refuge in the dust.”

8. Marika Hackman - Time’s Been Reckless:

 There are more genius hooks crammed into the four minutes of “Time’s Been Reckless” than most albums have in their entire running times. What more do you want from a power pop song? What greater joy is there than a pop song as expertly crafted as this?

7. The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - Marine Tigers: 

“Marine Tigers” is a heavy song— not just in its 4th-wave emo aesthetics and massive guitar riffs or its seven minute length, but in the density of its lyrics, which weave together fragments of the immigrant experience both political and personal into a meditation on what it means to be foreign. Yet any song this heavy needs something deeply vulnerable and open in it to survive— otherwise, it’s just dull— and “Marine Tigers” finds that moment in its midsection, as the eerie sustained guitar and synth lines fall away for riffs more delicate and the snare drops out entirely and the thing we’re left with it is just the simple declaration of defiant existence, repeated over and over again: “We’re here/I told you so.”  

6. Vince Staples - Big Fish:

 Vince Staples’ Big Fish Theory is one of those obvious masterpieces of an album, an album that commits so deeply to its aesthetic, equal parts submerged and metallic, that it can use its specificity to make universally powerful moments. “Big Fish,” the album’s pseudo-title track, is the most compelling moment on an album that’s full of them— it’s the easiest demonstration of Vince Staples’ appeal as a rapper who can move between intensity and levity. Just take the opening of the second verse:

“It's funny I was going crazy not too long ago

Women problems every morning like the Maury show

Swimming upstream while I'm tryna keep my bread

From the sharks make me wanna put the hammer to my head

At the park politickin' with the kids

Tryna get em on a straight path, got the lames mad

Know they hate to see me make cash, got the space dash

In the foreign with the GPS addressed to your mama house”

Vince delivers these lines with his characteristic flow, an almost mechanical method that lends his punchlines, like the literal “your mom” joke that ends this passage, a certain ambiguity. His best material is unnerving in that respect, in how you can’t ever tell fully how serious he is about any proposition, but it’s also thrilling.

5. St. Vincent - Hang On Me / Slow Disco:

 “Hang On Me” and “Slow Disco” are two equal and opposite forces, beginning and ending MASSEDUCTION with a desperate, pleading cry for companionship and an equally desperate act of abandonment. Both songs are bare, at least by St. Vincent’s typically maximalist standards, pairing Annie Clark’s vocal performances with just simple strings-and-synth arrangements that stick to slow, elegiac riffs. And in the open space left on these tracks, she delivers the two greatest vocal performances of her career, aching and raw in ways she never has been before.

4. Lil Uzi Vert - XO TOUR Llif3: 

On paper, it’s easy to dismiss “XO TOUR LLif3” as just another pop-trap novelty song, a faux-edgy earworm of a hook about dead friends with no song supporting it. After all, Lil Uzi Vert dropped it on SoundCloud unceremoniously last February on the short stopgap mixtape “Luv is Rage 1.5”, and only gave it a commercial release after the song became inescapably popular on that platform. Yet as soon Uzi’s voice starts to croak over TM88’s cyber-goth beat, it’s clear why “XO TOUR LLif3” is special. Cloaked in layers of autotune that nevertheless serve to accentuate the raw human emotion of his performance, the Philadelphia rapper slurs his lines together, starting and stopping and fragmenting himself towards incomprehensibility. It’s strange to see “XO TOUR LLif3” as some anthem, a song of the summer, when in itself it is not just personal but an invocation of the sheer loneliness and untranslatability of feeling. The line that everyone focuses on here is “all my friends are dead, push me to the edge,” which admittedly is one hell of a unique hook, but it’s in the song’s second verse (roughly speaking) that the song reveals its heart, a swirling mess of megalomania and fear: “I cannot die because this my universe.”

3. Lorde - The Louvre: 

The first part of “The Louvre” is already among the best work on Lorde’s messy, wonderful Melodrama. Lorde expertly captures the uncertainty and passion of a young romance in the song’s lyrics, which shift constantly from long, languid bits of poetry like “Well, summer slipped us underneath her tongue/Our days and nights are perfumed with obsession” to casual, conversational lines like “They’ll hang us in the Louvre/Down the back, but who cares—still the Louvre.” The beat, produced by Flume and Malay (who also contributed to many of the best bits of Frank Ocean’s Blonde) also contributes to this feeling of ambiguity, rising and falling and rising again from simple guitar strums to the burbling mass of synths that Lorde sings the song’s final chorus over, all wistful passion. Yet the best part of “The Louvre” is in the back half, after all that is over. The song’s extended, wordless outro, anchored by a repeated guitar and synth figure, is some of the most evocative sonic storytelling of the year, an open question of a piece that hints of sun-drenched memories.

2. Japanese Breakfast - The Body Is A Blade:

 “The Body Is A Blade” is a song about grief but it is not quite a sad song— instead, it feels like every other emotion but sadness is here, from a kind of wistful joy to defeat to anger finally all the way to acceptance. These feelings flow through every part of the song, from the guitars that hold the track down, slowly moving across its landscape with a deliberate sort of beauty, to the synth arpeggios that float in, unbound to the material world, in the song’s second half. In between these interlinked, kaleidoscopic parts a whole world of trauma and memory lies, brought out by Michelle Zauner’s vocal performance. Even as all these things move around her, she is steady, a force of clarity in an ambiguous and beautiful sonic world. Her lyrics, focused around the idea of survival in grief, do the same, returning again and again to the image of the body cutting through the days for the sake of staying alive.

1. Carly Rae Jepsen - Cut To The Feeling:

 Pop music is both very easy and very hard to explain. The easy part is identifying all the little moving parts that work— the surf guitar in “Toxic,” for example, or the rolling drum beat on “Maps.” The hard part is in explaining how each of those functional elements, the load-bearers of a song, come together into something more. It’s easier in other genres— you can point to the virtuosity of a metal guitarist or an uber-technical rapper as the point where a song achieves greatness, or see the deeper meaning in an expertly crafted folk song or thoughtful piece of R&B— but pop is supposed to be disposable, which isn’t a bad thing, really, but makes finding its critical value more difficult.

“Cut To The Feeling” makes the hard part easy. “Cut To The Feeling” is not quite the best pop song of all time but is certainly the most pop pop song of all time, a throwaway (it’s a B-side to Emotion’s B-sides, consigned to a fourth-rate French animated movie) that takes its status as a throwaway as not a write-off but a mission statement. It’s supposedly a love song, just as all of CRJ’s output has been, but it’s really a song about what pop music does to you, how these little confections of synths and vocal lines develop emergent properties and actually make you feel things. “Cut To The Feeling” knows that it isn’t real, that pop music is inherently an exercise in abstractions and constructed images, but it doesn’t really care. Somewhere in the song’s build, as chugging rhythm guitar gives way to those massive synth chords, the point of the difference between the feeling itself and the shortcut the music provides is lost. “Cut To The Feeling” sounds like what it is: an ode to the power of pop music to become something ineffably more even within its limitations.