#writing or cleaning or driving music helps so much but the type of music varies on task for me

[47crayons]

so, you want to write a musician?

about me: i play viola and have experience in symphony orchestras, string orchestras, string quartets (+ a few other small ensembles), and solo performances. i've done some light composition, and have friends/family who play other instruments. while my musical history is extensive, by no means do i know everything or speak for everyone.

this guide will focus on classical music/how to portray classical musicians and things that aren't as easily researched.

quick overview of instruments in a typical symphony orchestra

upper strings (violin, viola), lower strings (cello, (double) bass; i've seen viola included here too, but it's more commonly classified as upper strings)

strings also technically includes harp and piano

woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon)

depending on instrumentation, they may also have piccolo, english horn, bass clarinet, contrabassoon

saxophones are not traditionally in symphony orchestras due to it being a relative newer instrument! but this is changing because more contemporary composes are including sax parts

brass (trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, euphonium)

percussion (depends heavily on instrumentation, but common instruments are bass drum, timpani, snare, crash cymbal, xylophone, marimba)

some things you should research

where the hands are supposed to go!! i'd recommend you look at pictures of professionals in orchestra settings (ny phil, cso, berlin phil are all top tier). some musicians *coughs at yoyo ma* have less than perfect posture when they're performing solos (for the same reasons famous authors can break "rules")

necessary equipment including reeds, rockstops, different kinds of sticks/mallets, rosin, mouth pieces for whatever instrument you're writing

common misconceptions

loose/photocopied sheet music is not aesthetic—it's annoying and impossible to keep organized. folders and binders are fairly common especially when managing multiple ensembles.

original copies are often expensive and required to perform a piece (legally) for profit or otherwise (though i know a few people who have bent this rule)

not all performers are good composers (i myself have very little formal music theory training), but many composers have performance histories.

not all musicians can sing.

perfect pitch is both a blessing and a curse. notes can be slightly lower/higher but in tune with the context of the piece, which drives people with perfect pitch insane.

having perfect pitch does not guarantee someone will be a prodigy, and people don't need perfect pitch to be a talented musician.

drama in ensembles does exist, but it rarely gets in the way of rehearsal. same thing goes for good friends: if your characters have even a shred of common sense, they aren't going to be talking/messing around during rehearsal.

instruments (especially good ones) are extremely expensive. people very rarely store instruments on the wall or other displays for fear of falling.

instruments are very picky and require tuning every time. every time! it doesn't take long anyway. temperature and humidity can and will make instruments go out of tune or damage your instrument if not properly stored.

some people listen exclusively to classical music, but in my experience, that's definitely not the majority

like with anything, most musicians struggle with self doubt at one point or another.

musician culture

getting excited when we hear a piece we recognize

getting frustrated because we can't remember the name of the piece (after all, no lyrics to search)

being horrified when a non-musician actor is playing a musician. yes, we notice. yes, it's obvious.

if people are joking, it's likely to be about: violas (a quick search for "viola jokes" will tell you all you need to know) or trumpets (a reputation for being overly loud, playing and not)

putting stickers (places they toured, their orchestra, or just purely decorative) on cases is common, but not for everyone. same goes for pictures (of family, past concerts, or anything) on the inside.

scrambling for a pencil when the conductor says to mark something. pencils are a musicians best friend :D

asking (and forgetting) how to split double stops/two parts at the same time. sometimes one stand partner will play the top while the other plays the bottom, and sometimes this is split stand by stand.

this has NEVER resulted in a sexual top/bottom joke. please just. don't. also no g string jokes. it's just unrealistic.

awaiting the obligatory "it's one week before our concert, and you sound like this?!" lecture

not talking about music 100% of the time!!! they have lives outside of music (most of them, at least /j). especially to close friends, music is probably not going to be a conversation topic unless something is out of the ordinary (high stress, something funny from rehearsal, etc.)

bragging/talking about how often they practice is generally not welcomed. great, but other people don't need to hear it!

stages are hot and bright. there's no way a performer can see someone in the audience with the possible exception of the first row.

practicing

three words for you: love. hate. relationship.

slow practice (like really slow lots of people recommend half speed; good for focusing on the right notes, tone, phrasing, smooth transitions)

metronome practice (while playing, it's not annoying at all! it's helpful and requires a lot of focus; when NOT playing, it's annoying and loud because it needs to be heard over the playing)

drone practice (having a machine/website/another person play one note in the background; good for tuning and scales)

and too many more for me to detail

auditions

ensembles may have entrance auditions to determine who gets in and seating auditions to determine placement within the section.

adrenaline does not make us play better; it just makes us make mistakes. and then thinking about those mistakes causes more mistakes.

some instruments, especially those with less repertoire, have common excerpts that come up frequently (i can think of one in particular that i've played for three separate auditions this year).

stopping/starting over is not recommended ever, but if you do, it has to be 10x better. most audition judges aren't looking for perfection!! they want to see how your character can keep going after messing up.

sight reading (being given new music, having ~30 seconds to look at it, being asked to play) is never perfect. i don't care how talented your character is; if they think they nailed it, they aren't experienced enough to see all the phrasing/dynamics that they didn't incorporate. no one gets sight reading perfect!!!

perhaps most importantly, musicians are not all the same! they enjoy it for a number of different reasons and have diverse and interesting lives outside of music!!! more information about specific instrument groups under the cut :)

strings

callouses. with the exception of pianists, most string players (and especially professional ones) have callouses where they press down/pluck the strings. i also have one on my right thumb where i hold my bow. cellists and bassists might have them on their left thumb from playing higher notes in thumb position.

hickeys are also fairly common, though only some people get them. upper strings will get these by under their left jaw. cellists may have one from the wooden body resting on their sternum. some people (including hilary hahn and many many others) use a cloth for comfort and to prevent hickeys.

few people want a hickey, but it might suit a character who is constantly trying to prove themselves.

our fingers do not "glide" anywhere. you can get cuts/"string-burns" from pressing down too hard when shifting. cuts like those are the only reason someone's fingers will bleed, and it's rarer than you think.

upper strings are more prone to back/neck problems from the way they hold their instruments on one side. see also: shoulder pain.

finger cramps happen. they aren't too common, but most if not all strings have experienced at least one.

pianos require tuning every few years or else the chords will be out of tune. few pianists can tune their own instrument because of how complicated it is.

piano parts/accompaniments will have so. many. pages. a page turner may sit on the right of the pianist to turn the page.

woodwinds & brass

spit. so much spit. some instruments clean afterwards with a cloth; others have a spit valve which is as gross as it sounds.

proper embouchure, or how a musician uses the muscles in their face/lips, is tiring, and people actually get strong cheek muscles. they can also easily turn red, but it varies based on a person's facial complexion. see also: good lung capacity.

flute and piccolo are not dainty. piccolo requires as much air as a tuba. an old teacher of mine almost passed out playing piccolo when she was in college.

flutes and piccolos are high, but often not shrill depending on the level of the ensemble.

reeds last a few weeks (less if your character plays for hours a day) and can be expensive to buy.

keys and valves can get sticky especially on older instruments which can result in the wrong note or bad tone.

saxes, clarinets, flutes are more likely to "honk" on low notes.

oboes are more likely to feel "wispy" on high notes.

articulation comes from the tongue, especially for brass instruments, and conductors may ask for "tah" "pah" or "wah" sounds depending on the style of the piece.

percussion

callouses from the friction between hands and sticks/mallets.

there are so many types of sticks and mallets!!! make sure to take a look at what materials are good for what instruments/sounds.

cymbals, triangle, and bass drum are not easy to play, even though they look simple.

percussionists with the exception of timpani may play more than one instrument during a piece, and they're constantly moving around in the back during their rests.

percussion instruments are too expensive for most people to have everything they ever play. practice pads are very common in place of these instruments.

ability to play one instrument doesn't translate to different instruments. for example, many percussionists don't have experience playing set/drum set.

some of the things detailed here are heavily glossed over, so if you have any questions, i'd always be happy to talk about it with you; i may not have answers, but i will try to help as best i can!!!

since you read this far, have my favorite viola joke.

what's the difference between a violist and a large pizza?

a large pizza can feed a family of four :)

tagging some people who showed interest: @writing-is-a-martial-art @ashen-crest @kg-willie @owilder

[mimzy-writing-online]

Writing A Blind/Visually Impaired Character: Canes, Guide Dogs, O&M

Wow, back in June I decided to take a few months break from blogging to recharge and focus on my mental health. About a month ago I began writing this specific post, slowly and in stages because of how demanding, detailed, and long it is.

I’m not sure when I planned to come back. I have about 200 posts with tags and image description in my drafts folder, waiting to be queued, but I wanted to finish this guide before I fully came back.

Come back with a bang, right?

But this blog, and specifically, my Writing a Blind or Visually Impaired Character  guide, has gotten so much traffic and support that I felt incredibly motivated to come back now.

So I finished the guide, and now here it is. It’s been a year+ in the making. Since the very beginning of this writing advice series about writing blind characters, I’ve promised to write a guide specifically about canes, guide dogs, O&M, and other accessibility measures the blind community relies on. 

In fact, if you look at my master post for this guide (now pinned at the first post on my blog) you’ll find that it was reserved as Part Four, even as other guides and additions were added over the last year.

In this post I’ll be explaining 

What Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is

How one learns O&M

About canes, from different types of canes and their parts, as well as how to use a cane. 

I will be explaining the sensory experiences of using a cane and how to describe it in narrative. 

I will include small mannerisms long-time cane uses might develop. 

At the very end will be a section on guide dogs, but this will be limited to research because I have no personal experience with guide dogs, being a cane user.

Disclaimer: I am an actual visually impaired person who has been using a cane for nearly three years and has been experiencing vision loss symptoms for a few years longer than that. This guide is based on both my experiences and my research. My experiences are not universal however because every blind person has a unique experience with their blindness

What Is Orientation & Mobility

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is the specific skill of understanding and navigating the world safely and confidently with vision loss.

I’m going to quote Vision Aware’s specific definition [link]

"Orientation" refers to the ability to know where you are and where you want to go, whether you're moving from one room to another or walking downtown for a shopping trip.

"Mobility" refers to the ability to move safely, efficiently, and effectively from one place to another, such as being able to walk without tripping or falling on steps or elevation changes, crossing streets, and using public transportation

O&M can involve :

-learning how to use a cane, as well as what cane works best for you

-safely navigating obstacles with your cane, including stairs, ramps, elevators, uneven or curved sidewalks, through crowds, around furniture

-learning safe strategies for crossing the street

-planning routes to new or recurring locations

-using technology enroute, including GPS and apps like Uber and Lyft

-safely accessing public transportation

-how to ask for help when needed

-working with human sighted guides

A Note on the Blind Community and Their Relationship with Canes

The Perkins School for the Blind estimates that only 2-8% of the blind community rely on canes for navigation. The rest rely on remaining vision, guide dogs, and sighted guides. Only about 2% of the blind community relies on guide dogs however, and to get a guide dog in the first place, a person must go through O&M classes and use a cane for six months before they can sign up for a guide dog.

What this means is that 90% of the blind community don’t use a cane.

I didn’t know this fact until I begun research for this guide, and that number astounds me. 

Truth be told, while I have navigated my life without a cane before, I can’t imagine going back to the way it was before I got it. Even if I only need my cane some of the time, I can’t bear to not use it in the situations I need it. Having a cane made my life a lot easier, a lot safer.

I don’t know what to attribute this number to.

I might attribute it to the concepts of invisible vs. visible disability, internalized ableism, or the feeling of ‘not being blind enough’ for a cane, as well as accessibility to the blind community and knowledge, and access to buying a cane in the first place. I could write a thing about it, but if I try it’s gonna be its own post.

Onward~

How Do You Learn O&M? How Will My Character Learn?

You will have to find an Orientation and Mobility instructor and have them personally teach you O&M skills.

The O&M Instructor is a sighted adult who has gone to school for a bachelor’s degree and gone through O&M training themselves while blindfolded, usually fulfilling a certain requirement of hours (one program required 400 hours of O&M practice blindfolded before you could become certified), and apply for certification to teach O&M.

(Or, as is the process to become an instructor in the United States, where I am from. Becoming an instructor would vary in other countries, I’m sure)

To find an O&M instructor, you would reach out to your local school or foundation for the blind. Finding your nearest school for the blind could be done through…

Google search

Your Ophthalmologist (eye doctor) referring you to a school for the blind

A Social Service Worker reaching out to you and helping you contact the school

Possibly your school (as in grade/primary school, high school, university) reaching out to the nearest school for the blind on your behalf.

Unfortunately, there is not an abundance of schools and foundations, so your nearest might still be a far travel distance. My local school is a 45 minute drive away. For some it might a few hours away. 

This is, again, a U.S. experience, because our land mass is spaced out, and something like a six hour drive feels like nothing to most people (although is highly impractical and very difficult to a blind person who cannot drive themselves), but in other countries a six hour drive would mean crossing several borders, and other countries have different social programs.

There is not a full and complete database of every available school for the blind either, no one website to find every possible option. For example, the school I went to wasn’t listed in most of the website resources I found, even though it has seven branches and locations. 

This is more a complaint at the real life struggle to find disabled services, that there are few comprehensive resources out there. If you ask me, it should be made significantly easier to find and access your local blind communities. Accessibility and disabled services should be easily available everywhere.

If your story is based in a real world location, googling ‘school for the blind (city/county/country)’ should suffice in finding the one most local to your setting.

What might a school for the blind provide for your character?

Well, on top of helping your character connect to an O&M instructor, a school for the blind might provide other rehabilitation classes and access to additional resources.

Those rehabilitation classes could include lessons on:

-Reading/Writing Braille & using brailling machines

-Technology classes for screen readers, magnifiers, etc on your computer and smart phone.

My local school has separate classes specific to Andriod, iOS, JAWS, Zoomtext Fusion

-Independent Living skills (cooking, cleaning, organizing, planning how to get groceries and medications)

-Self Improvement (dancing, art, music, self defense. These were classes my school taught)

The additional resources form these schools might include- 

Referrals to counselors for coping with vision loss

Access to their audio-book and braille library

Access to magnifier devices, brailler machines (think of a typewriter for writing braille)

Some schools also offer grade-school or high-school education, meaning blind children/teens learn there instead of a mainstream school.

Some schools have lodgings for clients to stay at while going through rehabilitation, especially if the vision loss is sudden and severe. They live on-campus and take part in classes. Other schools only have day classes offered and you need to find transportation for every visit. Many schools might have a rehabilitation specialist or O&M instructor visit you in your home.

My local school did the last two. They had on site classes, but the school is a 45 minute drive from me, so I only visited a few times. They were able to send an O&M instructor to me. 

On Wednesdays at 3 pm she would drive to my house and give me lessons on using my cane. Those included her driving me to different locations to practice certain skills (like using stairs and escalators at the mall, or crossing a moderately busy intersection, or visiting a bus station to practice boarding a bus safely and communication with a bus driver where my stop was).

She also brought multiple different types of canes for new students to try out and determine which felt best for them.

The Many Types of Canes

Long Canes are used to sweep the immediate area in front of the cane user as they’re walking. This is the cane type that the general public is most familiar with seeing. There are several sub-types of long canes. They can also be called white canes or probing canes.

[Image Description: Man in business clothes traveling on the side walk with a white and red cane. End Image Description]

White cane can be a misnomer for two reasons: One, the concept of the standard cane for the blind can look different in different countries. In America, the standard is white with a red tip. In some countries the standard is an all-white cane. In some countries an all white cane might mean the user is blind while a white cane with a red tip means the user is deaf-blind.

Two, some companies like Ambutech allow customers to customize their cane colors and tips. Example: Molly Burke’s hot pink cane. My white cane with a purple tip. An all black or all sky blue or all red or all purple cane. A black cane with a blue or purple tip. Ambutech also allows customers to request neon-colored reflective tape to make their canes more visible at night.

Probing cane is not a term I’ve personally heard before, but it is a term Vision Aware uses on their website.

There are three main types of long canes:

Non-folding Canes: a cane that has no sections, cannot be folded or collapsed.

[Image Description: stock photo of man in business suit with a non-folding all white cane. End Image Description]

Folding Canes: The cane has 3-6 sections depending on its height. The taller the cane, the more sections it has. The sections are separate pieces that are made to snap together and are held together by a strong elastic rope inside the sections.

[Image Description: a folding cane with four sections, white with a red tip, and a rolling marshmallow tip. End Image Description]

Telescopic Canes: in which the sections slide into each other, similar to a telescope/spyglass, rather than pulling apart and folding. The handle is the widest section, and the tip section is the thinnest.

[Image Description: Three stacked images of a blue telescopic cane. First is of the cane completely collapsed. Second is of the sections partially sliding out. Third is the cane sections completely out and locked.]

Beyond that is also the Identification Cane. The function of this cane is to visibly identify the user as blind. It’s not used for O&M the way long canes are, there is no sweeping out the next two steps. It can be used as a support cane, however. 

It’s appeals most to the elderly who not only make up a huge percentage of the blind community, but might also benefit most from having both a support cane and an identifier for their blindness, in case they need assistance. 

[Image Description: identification cane with curved handle. All white with red tip. End Image Description]

A note: From what I’ve heard in the blind community, some people prefer solid/non-folding canes over folding or telescopic canes. The reason for this is that solid canes transfer vibration better than folding or telescopic canes. It’s said that the more sections a cane has, the less precise the vibrations are. 

Some cane users train themselves to understand the vibrations of the surfaces their canes are touching. It tells them what kind of surface they’re on (wood vs. marble vs. concrete), if there are nearby objects to their cane. While I rely somewhat on cane vibrations to tell me what surface I’m walking on (more on that later), it is beyond my current O&M abilities to use cane vibrations to sense nearby walls or objects.

Cane vibrations are just an additional information-sense to add to the others in use, and extra bit of data input.

Parts of the Cane: Materials, Handle, Tips, Sections, Elastic Band

Material

The three most common types of materials used to make canes are aluminum, carbon-fiber, and fiberglass. Each material has some drawbacks and benefits.

The ideal cane is lightweight and durable. It should be strong enough to withstand hitting something solid without bending or splintering.

Aluminum is strong and durable, but heavy. If it’s damage, it’s more likely to bend than break entirely. A bend can be straightened out, but it takes considerable strength.

Carbon-fiber is lightweight and durable. It’s stronger than fiberglass, and it can bend out of shape rather than splintering.

Fiberglass is lightweight but a bit rigid. If it breaks, it splinters.

Handles and Elastic Bands

While some canes can have specialized grips (plastic, wood, corkboard) the most common handle material is a black rubber handle that is about ten inches long, give or take. In the previous photos you’ve seen, the canes have had black rubber handles.

Here is an example of a cane with a wood-mesh material used as the handle.

[Image Description: a four section white cane with a red tip and a orange wood mesh handle, with black elastic band attached. End Image Description]

The benefits of black rubber handles over others are that it’s easier to hold onto, especially if your palms are wet or sweaty, than a plastic or polished wood handle. It also wouldn’t show the indents or scratches from wear and tear daily use. I’m guessing that is cheaper to make on the manufacturing standpoint, and thus is conveniently the standard.

Pay attention to the black elastic band attached to the handle in the above photo. Notice how it has a tied off loop? That is so that when the cane is folded, that loop can be stretched over the folded sections to hold it together.

[Image Description: a four section folding cane folded up with the black band around them. End Image Description]

Additional benefits or functions of the elastic could be to use it as a wrist strap while using the cane, or hanging it up on a hook while not in use. I tend to have my cane folded up and tuck my wrist under the strap to hold it more securely while carrying it. Images of that ahead in my cane-isms section.

Cane Height

Ideal cane heights depend on the user. For most users, you want your cane height to be to your shoulder, give or take a few inches. You might need a longer cane if you are a fast walker with long strides, or a shorter cane if you prefer to hold your cane at a lower angle than is traditional.

What I mean when I talk about holding your cane at a certain angle is that the standard is to hold your cane handle in your dominant hand and position it in front of your belly button, moving it side to side with each step. Traditional grip methods are holding your hand palm side up with your cane in hand, or to hold the cane at the section joint closest to the handle with what is called the pencil grip, holding the cane like a fat pencil.

Depending on the height, a cane can have anywhere between three and six sections. Longer canes have more sections. The top section includes the handle, and the last section includes the stripe color (traditionally red, unless customized) and the tip. 

The sections of the cane are generally slightly reflective, regardless of color. If you hold a cane up to the light you’ll see tiny specks of light reflected back, almost like very fine, tiny particle glitter paint. This detail is important in cane production because it makes the cane more visible at night, especially if something like car headlights reflect off it while someone is crossing.

Additional visibility at night can be added by wrapping stripes of reflective tape along the shaft.

Cane Tips

There are several different tip options for canes.

[Image Description: four different types of cane tips on a blue background with labels. From left to right: marshmallow tip, ball tip, pencil tip, glide tip.]

[Image Description: a rolling marshmallow tip with a blue background. End Image Description]

[Image Description: Bandu basher tip with a white background. For anyone not familiar with the name, the long, curved cane tip that looks like a hockey stick. End Image Description]

Some of these tips are better for the tap-tap method of cane travel, as in tapping the spots where you plan to step. They can also be used to feel out the shapes of objects, stairs, etc. 

marshmallow tip, pencil tip, 

They should not be scraped over surfaces, the tips will wear down much faster than they should. There are better tips for rolling over surface

Some tips are better for the rolling method of cane travel, which is the method I use. They aren’t great for tapping, but it can be done in a pinch. 

rolling marshmallow tip, ball tip, glide tip

The Bandu Basher tip, the hockey stick shaped tip, is best for hovering an inch off the ground and lightly tapping objects. It could be tapped. It should not be scraped over the ground like a rolling tip. It hovers.

After enough use, the tips will wear down and need to be replaced. The part of the tip that has the most contact with the ground, usually the edge of the shape, gets scrapes, sands down, and eventually begins to look like it was shaved off while still having bits of plastic still gripped to it.

Never fear, cane tips can be removed and replaced when they wear out, replacing the whole cane is not necessary.

Some tips slip on or twist on. Others hook on. By hook on I mean that the elastic that keeps the cane sections together also has a loop at the tip end that a hook onto and stay held into place. Look back at the photo of the rolling marshmallow tip and you will see the hook that attaches to the black elastic.

Cane tips sell for about 5 - 10 U.S. dollars, plus shipping, so it’s advised to buy several back up tips with your cane. I replace my rolling marshmallow tips once every six to twelve months. I don’t know if that’s considered too much or too often. The last time I needed to replace mine was June 2019 (It’s July 2020 at the date of writing this, but I’ve hardly left my home for the last six months because of COVID-virus related quarantine/social distancing.)

Sensory Details/Describing What Using a Cane Feels Like

Every surface type feels and sounds different when tapping or rolling a cane over it. It’s this difference that tells us a lot about our environment.

It tells us when we stepped off the side walk onto the grass, when we’ve walked inside because the concrete changes to wood or carpet flooring. These little details become trail markers too, useful for places we anticipate traveling to a lot.

Example: A week before every semester in college, I would travel to each of the classrooms and learn necessary routes. I learned that certain paths had giant cracks in the sidewalk that would be distinct enough to use as a trail marker to where I was on a path, or that certain paths went from cement to gravel, or cement to brick.

Carpet: The sound is very soft, and if you’re rolling your cane across carpet it sounds like a quiet swish-swish-swish. Tapping sounds depend on how thick the carpet padding underneath is, the thicker the carpet the softer the sound. If there’s a lot of padding then taps don’t make much sound, but if the padding is thin or underneath the carpet is tile or concrete then you hear a louder thudding tap. It’s still pretty quiet. If you’re rolling the cane you would feel a little bit of drag, the cane moves slower over the carpet. The thicker or shaggier the carpet is, the more drag it has.

Wood floor: Cane tips make rumbling sounds when rolling over wood floors. The smoother the wood, the less it rumbles. There’s a little vibration moving from the cane tip, through the cane and into your hand as you roll over wood planks. Very small. The more sensitive you are to vibrations, the more you feel it. Tapping makes hallow, thudding sounds on the wood. Sometimes they sound a little snappish if you’re tapping harshly. You feel stronger vibrations when tapping. Older wood feels softer, with more give. New wood is stronger, more vibrations in the cane.

Tile:It depends on the size of the tiles and the wideness of the grout lines, but it’s not a pleasant feeling. Tiles have grout lines, which are little divets between the tiles. The smaller the tiles or rougher the grout lines are, the more the cane vibrates in your hands. Every bump is felt running from the cane to your hand. The sound is a little grating too. Imagine fifty sets of stiletto shoes walking on tile, that’s what it sounds like when you roll your cane over rough, small tiles. Larger tiles with smoother grout lines aren’t so bad. Tapping the tile with your cane sounds like one really loud step of a stiletto heal, one step for each tap. Tile floors are usually found in bathrooms, kitchens, and industrial locations where the room is going to have harder walls (more tile, concrete, etc) and few furniture, so the room echoes more.

Linoleum: is a smooth even surface. It feels like your cane is gliding when you roll it, barely feeling any vibrations. The rolling sounds are very soft because of the lack of bumps, however tapping sounds are a bit louder. Not as snappish as tile or marble, but almost.

Marble: is similar to linoleum in its smoothness. Your cane glides when rolling. Tapping sounds are sharp. Because marble floors are common in high end malls, luxury homes, and fancy office building entries, places that usually have high ceilings and hard walls with minimal decorations and minimalist furnishing, those sharp tapping sounds may echo. Assuming there isn’t too much noise and the environment is relatively quiet.

Concrete: (I’m referring to concrete found in parking garages and industrial buildings, not sidewalk) It depends on the age of the concrete and how it’s maintained. Old concrete with lots of cracks and mini-craters feels very different from smooth concrete that was set less than a year ago. With old concrete there’s a rattling sound as your cane tip rolls over the bumps and those vibrations travel up your cane. New concrete can feel similar to marble or linoleum. The taps are loud thuds on dull concrete and sharper on new concrete.

Sidewalks: are made of concrete, but in my experience they feel a little different than the above example. Sidewalks have a grittier surface, they’re slightly rougher, more dry. There’s a bit more rolling cane vibration with sidewalks and the taps have more of a thud sound. And because they’re outside, you’re unlikely to hear any echoes unless you’re walking in an alley or between buildings.

Asphalt: is one of the worst surfaces in my personal opinion. Asphalt is the material used in roads and it’s made to be rough and gritty so that car tires can grip onto it and not lose traction while driving. The older and more damaged it is, the rougher it is. Because it’s rough the vibrations are much stronger, sometimes irritatingly so. I can’t roll my cane over asphalt because the bones in my hand can’t handle those kinds of vibrations, so I almost always use the tapping method instead. The sounds are gritty and dull. Unfortunately, asphalt is an unavoidable surface, unless you can find a way to never need to cross a street or walk through a parking lot.

Note: the white or yellow lines that have been painted into asphalt sometimes feel smoother because of the material they’re made of and because they’re added after the asphalt has been laid down.

Note: There’s something called tarmac which is similar to asphalt, used for a similar purpose, and more common in the U.K. (I believe) but I can’t say that I’ve ever knowingly walked on it so I have no personal experience to give you.

Gravel: Another one of those evil surfaces. Gravel is just loose rocks and they’re common in rural roads, driveways, some landscaping. The looseness of them is what makes them untrustworthy. It makes a crunching sound. If you roll your cane, you’re likely to end up tossing small bits of rock and dust here and there. If you tap, you’ll hear the crunch but your brain might not translate that into “it’s gravel” until you’re walking on it and only realize when you walk over it and the sharp rocks begin digging into your shoes.

Wood Chips: I don’t have any experience with this since vision loss and getting a cane, so I’m using my memories of being on the playground in grade school because the surface on the playground was wood chips. I’d say wood ships are a love child between gravel and wood floors. The surface is loose and rolling your cane over it would kick up loose chips and dust. It would probably sound similar to walking on sand I think, because wood chips are much softer than gravel but not as consistent as wood. If it’s rained recently, then the waterlogged wood chips sound even softer.

Hard Dirt: I’m thinking dirt roads here, which are a lesser evil to asphalt and gravel. They can be rough like all roads, but the material isn’t has hard and solid. Rolling your cane will kick up dust on a dry day, but if it rained a few days ago you might hear a soft crunch as you roll over wet dirt. Tapping will have a very soft thud.

Soft Dirt: Think gardening dirt. Because it’s so soft, it makes very little sound and is easily kicked up. There’s a bit of drag, about the same or slightly more drag than grass or sand. Tapping has almost no sound but you might feel a slight give as your tip lands in the dirt, a slight resistance as it sinks in.

Mud: Yuck. I’m imagining this getting in my cane tip and how gross it would be after. Sound and feeling depend on how wet the mud is. Wet mud sounds slurpy. There’s more squish if you roll or tap your cane. Your character might not identify it right away until their shoes begin slipping as they walk over the mud. This is a personal experience. Drier mud sounds soft and feels almost solid underneath your cane. Wetter mud has more drag for a rolling cane. Muddy areas are also generally uneven because top soil has been displaced, so muddy hills and fields have unexpected but usually subtle changes in elevation.

Puddles: have both a slurpy and splash-splash sound. The slurpy sound is more common with rolling cane techniques. The splash sound is more common with tapping. The deeper the puddle, the louder is sounds and the more drag you experience. I am not fond of this texture/experience.

Snow: I have zero experience with snow since the development of blindness. So no experience of what it’s like to walk through with a cane. This is something I hope a blind reader can inform me on so I can edit this at a later date. My best guess is that it has a soft crunch, softer than the crunch of shoes in snow. A lot of drag too. Rolling through snow would probably be near impossible, especially if it’s deep snow or hard packed. Again, my best guess. The last time I experienced snow was when I was twelve.

Grass: One of my least favorites personally. Too much drag. Worse than shag carpeting. It’s very soft and doesn’t make much sound either. Like a crisp crunch you can barely hear. If the grass is wet or frosty you hear it a bit more crunch.

Surface with fallen Autumn leaves: Leaves everywhere! This is a bit dependant on whatever surface the leaves are on. It would soften the sound of cement, but there would be a louder crunch on grass. If the leaves are big and very curvy/pocketed then they’re easy to push aside. Smaller, flatter leaves don’t push as easily. The driest ones will crunch under your cane. It’s fun sometimes, if you’re the kind of person who likes stepping on leaves on purpose, but if you can’t see the leaves it might lose some of its fun and be more unexpected. 

Sand: I’ve never personally taken my cane to the beach, despite living so close to the coast. The reason is because beach sand is so squishy and loose that it’s already impossible to stay steady on your feet. The sand is always sinking under your feet, unless you’re next to the water line and the dampness has made it firmer. So a cane isn’t very useful to me at the beach. Not to mention that sand isn’t something you want inside your cane joints if you want the cane to last. Sand will erode and damage the joints, regardless of if they’re metal or plastic. If I were to take my cane to the beach, it would make the softest crunching-swishy noise of sand sliding over sand, similar to what your footsteps sound like on sand, but possibly even quieter because canes are lighter.

Side Note: My mother sarcastically asked about rolling your cane through dog poop or gum left on the floor. Can’t say I’ve ever rolled through it, so couldn’t tell you. Use your imagination I guess, Mum

The Invention of Tactile Paving

These are amazing! Tactile Paving are those yellow (or sometimes grey) bumpy squares you see on ramps leading into parking lots or when crossing the street. In 1965, Japanese engineer Seiichi Miyake used his own money to develop a tactile brick that you could feel even when walking over it with shoes, and he designed this because a friend of his was losing their vision and he wanted to help. These are amazing, and accessible to everyone, even the blind who don’t have a cane or guide dog. These are literal life savers. Before I got my cane, if I felt those bumps under my shoes I knew to immediately stop because I was about to walk into the road. Because less than 10% of the blind community uses canes or guide dogs, this is the most accessible form of blind aide available.

[Image Description: a yellow rectangle of tactile paving in front of a ramp leading into a parking lot. End Image Description]

Note: similar detail, most doors in commercial buildings (in my localized experience) have a metal plate on the threshold to hold the door in place so there are no cracks underneath. The metal scraping sound when you roll or tap your cane on it is distinct but temporary and non-repeating, so it’s a good indication that you’ve reached and passed the threshold.

Blind-isms

I have a section in this guide about blind-isms, but these ones are focused specifically on cane use.

-Do. Not. Touch. My. Cane. Don’t. Just fucking don’t.

-The above ism comes from the fact that our cane is our safety net, an extension of our body, our eyes, the one thing that makes sure we’ll get somewhere safely. For that reason, blind people hate having their canes (or their on duty guide dogs) touched by strangers, acquaintances, friends we’re not very close to, some family members.

Important Note: That is a universal thing for disabled people. Don’t. Touch. Their. Mobility Aides. It’s assault. Touching someone’s wheelchair or pushing them around without their expressed permission is assault. Moving their wheelchair while the user is currently standing is assault. (Most wheelchair users are not paralyzed, but they still need the wheelchair because of their medical condition, which is not your business to know). It doesn’t matter if the wheelchair is in the way, the disabled person needs it right there, do not touch it. Touching or grabbing someone’s support cane or their long cane is assault. Touching or moving someone’s walker is assault. Touching, poking at, or tampering with someone’s hearing aids is assault. Touching their oxygen tank or cannula is assault.

Back on topic-

-Idle motions with your cane while waiting in line. I often rest my chin on my cane or lean on it

-twirl my cane like a staff when I’m alone and no one can see. I would not ever do this in front of anyone because I don’t want anyone thinking it’s a toy or they can just touch or grab it. I’m just a little childish and bored sometimes and idle motions are a common thing for people with ADHD.

-When carrying my folded cane inside (like say a store) I hang it from my wrist by the strap.

-Keeping my cane within arms reach at all times, even in situations where I don’t need it currently. Example: if we’re doing a classroom assignment where I need to leave my desk, I know the classroom well enough to not use my cane, but I won’t leave it at my desk, ever. (This does not apply at home. And in the homes of a very few, very trusted friends I will leave it somewhere I deem safe.)

-Having a set, specific place in my home (living with my immediate family, who almost never have guests) for my cane. In my case, it’s the top of an antique dresser in the living room, across from the door. It has a little bowl for my sunglasses as well. If I move out and have roommates, my cane will be in my room.

-Love me a bag or backpack that has enough space to discretely store your cane, but most of my bags cannot do that.

-People with folding canes develop a muscle memory for folding and unfolding their cane, so they can do it without really thinking about it.

-Unfolding my cane: I hold the black handle between my thumb and palm with my other fingers folded over the remaining three sections, cane tip pointing up. I slide the elastic over the tip, loosen my four fingers and roll my wrist to the side. The red colored section unfolds first and snaps into place with its neighboring section. I roll my wrist in the opposite direction so the next white section can unfold and snap into place with it’s neighboring section. Roll it back in the first direction and the third section snaps into place with the handle. My four section cane is now unfolded and straight.

-Sometimes I just grab the black handle and let the sections fall and unfold as they will, but this is less controlled and risks your cane bumping into something or someone.

-Folding my cane: I start with the black handle, lifting it up so the joints unlock. I fold it down, grab both sections in my hand and lift the second section away from the third and fold it over. Wrap my hand over all three sections and unlock it from the red section.

-Because I have a four section folding cane, the cane tip and the handle are on the same side while the metal joints are on the opposite side. Those metal joints are what my elastic slips over.

-A three or five folding cane will have the head of the handle (and its elastic) on the opposite side of the cane tip, and you will be folding the elastic over the cane joints and tip.

-A six section cane has the tip and handle facing the same direction like the four section cane.

-People with non-folding canes like leaning their canes up against walls and other objects when not in use. Corners are popular, the corner of a desk up against a wall too.

-But oh god the frustration when the cane randomly rolls out of place and hits the floor, it’s a combination of “Not again” and “did that really just happen” and “you had one job. one job.”

-Sitting with our cane tucked between our legs. Picture a bit of man spreading, the cane tip leaned against the side of our foot to keep it stable and the cane leaning against our shoulder or opposite knee, possibly also held securely with our fingers too.

-The no-manspreading alternative of that is with the cane leaning against our shoulder, cane tip resting on the toe of our shoe or the outside of it, held securely with our fingers or our arm wrapped around it, elbow hooking it.

(Okay, a while back I was looking for photos of someone using a cane to use as a reference for drawing Ulric. I only found three, and two of them were Daredevil promo photos. Which, no offense to Charlie Cox, but he is not blind and he does not use a cane in his daily life, he does not have that relationship a blind person has with a cane and the concept of a fifth limb, and it shows. So the photos were stiff and unusable, so I had to like use several photo references of different poses and Frankenstein them together to get what I wanted.

And I still haven’t finished the painting... fuck)

-In a car with a non-folding cane: 

-Right passenger seat- The cane tip goes all the way into the corner of the foot well to the right of my feet, with the handle resting over my right shoulder or on the seatbelt. It pokes a bit past my headrest. The longer the cane, the harder it is to tuck into a car.

-The U.K. / Austrailian / New Zealand / Japan version of this (because they drive on the left side of the road with their drivers seats on the right side of the car) it’s like this: Cane tip in the foot well to the left of my feet, handle on my left shoulder or on the seatbelt.

Backseat: the absolute worst. There’s less foot well room, and if you’re in a sedan there is almost no room behind your shoulder for the handle. I position my cane diagonally with the handle on the shoulder closest to the door and the tip next to the foot closest to the middle. 

-For this reason, no one with a non-folding cane will want to be sitting in the backseat.

About Guide Dogs

While my knowledge of guide dogs is limited only to what I can research and not personal, I will give you some basic facts and practical knowledge from said research.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind estimates that there are 10,000 guide dog teams out there in the world. That makes up 2% of the blind and visually impaired community.

Guide Dog Training

Becoming a guide dog is the most difficult form of dog training there is. The majority of dogs who enter guide dog training wash out and either become family dogs or go into a different type of service dog training, like medical response or PTSD/anxiety response, or possibly become therapy dogs, which is a career altogether different from being a service dog.

Guide dogs go through two or three years of training, which includes puppy training, basic socialization, proper behavior when on duty and actual guide training. Most service dogs only go through a year to a year and a half of training before they are partnered with a disabled handler.

Between the cost of training, the cost of housing and feeding the dog and the cost of vet bills from birth until being partnered with a blind handler, the overall cost of a guide dog is something like 30k to 40k. While most service dog training organizations require handlers to fundraise and pay for the cost of training (usually something like 15-30k), guide dog organizations give their dogs to qualified blind clients for free. These organizations pay for the dog costs through their own fundraising and charities. Fortunately for these organizations, guide dogs are a highly respected field and have a lot more charity directed their way, while other service dog types have less public interest when it comes to charity.

Guide Dog organizations have an application process, requirements, and a wait-list before you can be partnered with a guide dog.

Requirements to get a guide dog are (usually) as follows: 

Must be legally blind (as in not visually impaired, but legally blind) and have had at least six months of O&M with a cane and demonstrate enough O&M stills to navigate by oneself. They also require you to be responsible enough to independently care for a dog, able to keep up with training and retraining of the dog, as well as financially able to handle food and vet bills (which are at least a few thousand dollars every year).

The reason for cane training before getting a guide dog is because the dog cannot do everything for you. You, the dog handler, are responsible for knowing where you are and how to get where you need to be.

The dog can’t read stop signs or tell when a light is green or red, nor do they have GPS to find a brand new location nor can they learn that route on the first try, nor will they know exactly where you want to go when you say “Starbucks” or “library” or “school” or “mom’s house” and guide you all by themselves. That falls on you, the dog handler, having enough orientation and mobility skills to know when a street is safe to cross and knowing how to learn new routes and how to keep on route and make sure you make the correct turns. A guide dog can’t communicate with bus drivers for you either, they don’t know which number bus to use or what stop to choose. That falls on the blind person’s own skill.

Other Guide Dog Resources

Molly Burke is a guide dog user and has made several videos about what kind of work guide dogs do, her personal experience being a guide dog user for over ten years, how she got a guide dog, specific commands, unique experiences with things like travel, etc. She has a playlist all about guide dogs, but here are some of my favorite videos.

How Guide Dogs Guide A Blind Person

Guide Dog User Answers the Most Googled Questions about Guide Dogs

How I Met My First Guide Dog

Final Thoughts:

There is a lot more to be said about Orientation and Mobility, such as:

How do you safely cross the street with a cane?

How do you learn new routes?

How does getting a cane significantly change your life?

How do family, friends, and strangers react to you “suddenly” having a cane?

I could also write a ton on other tools the blind community relies on so strongly, such as screen readers, magnifiers, etc. In fact, I originally promised to include those in my master post when Part Four was titled  Part Four: What Your Blind Character Needs to Survive and Not Die. However, this guide is ages long and it feels better to focus on this specific topic for here.

Did you like this guide?

Consider checking out my other guides, links of which can be found on the master post here.

Follow my blog, I write and curate writing advice guides outside of blindness, I reblog writing memes with image descriptions, reblog soothing aesthetic photos with image descriptions, talk about disability, lgbtqa+ issues, ableism, and mental health.

If you want to further support me, this is the link to my ko-fi (however there is no such requirement nor pressure to do so, and please don’t worry about it, especially if you are in a financial situation that can’t afford it)

[blouisparadise]

We recently received a request for enemies and lovers recs. We already have an enemies to lovers fic rec list here, but after looking at that list, we realized we had much more to add to it and therefore decided to make a part two.

Happy reading!

1) I Couldn’t Get Away From You | Mature | 5185 words

Suddenly in the heat of the moment, Harry’s eyes turned darker as he pushed Louis’ back more and more towards the wall. “Fine.” He plants his lips on Louis’ and begins to roughly kiss him, soon enough turning it into a make-out session.

“Fuck you, Styles,” Louis moans and grips onto Harry’s shoulders, hands trailing up to the taller’s hair and gripping that as well.

“We’ll see about that.”

2) There's More Than One Place To Call Home | Explicit | 8416 words

Harry never asked for much from his neighbors - he didn't care about barking animals during the day or loud talking during the night.

The only thing he needed was silence when he was writing. And that was the only thing his new neighbor wouldn't give him.

Deciding to confront the loud guy who lived next door, Harry found himself ringing his doorbell one night. And that decision just may be the best thing that's ever happened to Harry.

3) Make A Run, Cause Some Rebellion | Explicit | 8824 words

As a general rule, kitten hybrids are small and disinterested in what other people want them to do, slightly evil and at least a little manipulative. Louis prides himself on being all of those things to varying degrees, but especially on being uninterested in what other people tell him to do. He’s still human goddammit, despite his pointy ears and penchant for curling up in the sun and taking naps.

He’s going about his daily business, knocking things over where he sees fit and leaving a trail of mess in his wake. As exasperated as it makes Liam he’s used to it by now, having shared a flat with Louis for almost three years now, and if Louis whines enough he’ll even clean up after him. It’s a great life, really.

With the exception of Liam’s stupid, broad shouldered, entirely too big mate, the one who always comes over to watch sports with him. Louis hates that guy. His hair is always greasy and he brings weird hipster beer with him when he comes that tastes like shit. And he won’t even let Louis have any of it, either. The only reason Louis even knows what it tastes like is because one time he stole a bottle from the fridge and fled to his room before Harry could catch him.

4) Something To Prove | Explicit | 9425 words

Louis is the first and only omega to work at Red Valley Medical Center. Despite being more than qualified, he still faces prejudice for his career choice everyday. From patients refusing his treatment to condescending alpha doctors intervening with his work, practicing medicine in Boston is more challenging than Louis had ever thought it would be.

5) Where Do We Go Now | Explicit | 10617 words

Louis goes off to college ready to start a fresh life away from the oppressive alphas of his pack.  The odds aren't in his favour when his new dorm mate turns out to be an alpha.  Louis hates alphas.

6) Enjoy The Ride | Not Rated | 11103 words

The one where Louis, an omega more than tired of being treated as lesser than alphas, is forced on a road trip by his beta besties only to meet Harry who might just be the alpha he never knew he wanted.

7) I Didn’t Fall For You (You Fucking Tripped Me) | Explicit | 20681 words

These days Louis tends to steer clear of dating alphas. He’s dated too many knotheads in his time, and he’s ready to just focus on school and his friends and his pet monitor lizard, of course.

Too bad the alpha next door won’t take a hint and stop using the worst pick up lines of all time on him. He’s really got to stop laughing with him--and talking to him and walking to class with him and letting him bring him coffee and tea and gifts for his lizard and watching Netflix together and...

8) Written In The Stars (That’s You And Me) | Explicit | 22632 words

Louis pushes himself up on one elbow and stretches enough to just barely trace his fingertips over Harry’s jawline. Harry’s eyes drop to track his movements as he does it again. “D’you feel that?” he whispers.

To him, it feels like all of the universe’s magic lives just beneath his skin when he touches Harry with intent. It feels like something special. Louis watches Harry’s lips part and wants to touch that too. He almost does, but then Harry shakes his head. “Feel what?”

6) Middle Ground | Explicit | 23516 words

Note: This fic has been locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Harry moves to a new town for work where he meets the enigma that is Louis Tomlinson.

10) When It’s Late At Night | Mature | 25597 words

The Late Late prompt that we all need to get through this excruciatingly hard time.

11) Supposed To Be | Explicit | 26100 words

The Geek Charming AU where Harry's a film geek, Louis' a popular jock, and they both need each other to get what they want.

12) Magical Soup | Explicit | 28850 words

Slytherin prefect Louis Tomlinson's seventh year at Hogwarts takes an immediate turn for the worse when he's made to be potions partners with Harry Styles, Hufflepuff's resident heartthrob and class clown.  Louis has always considered Styles to be a terrible show-off who coasts by on his charm and good looks, but the more they work together, the more he questions that idea.  As term goes on, will Louis be able to admit to himself that he might actually like Harry Styles after all... and maybe, just maybe, as more than a friend?

13) Building Me Up (But Buttercup, You Lied) | Explicit | 31007 words

Harry’s mouth felt dry just saying those words. What he had with Louis was so much more than a simple ‘fuck buddies’ situation. It was slow kisses in the morning between soft sheets and shy smiles, it was holding hands in the afternoon while walking and eating ice cream. It was breakfast for dinner, laughing and licking honey from each other’s lips as they shared goals and even some secrets, it was happiness, it was glow.

To Harry, what he had with Louis meant everything. Until Louis decided it meant nothing.

14) You’ve Set On Me | Explicit | 31100 words

Louis' in an obscure band. Harry's an international popstar. Their paths aren't meant to cross, not like this, but when Louis' band signs on as Harry's opening act, both Harry and Louis are forced to confront the open wounds of their shared past.

15) Nicotine | Explicit | 32245 words | Sequel

"We're two different types of people, Liam. He likes sex and drugs, I like theater and tea. Trust me, we'd never date." Except they would, they do, and neither of them plans on letting go anytime soon.

16) Let Me Feel Your Heartbeat | Explicit | 34572 words

Harry is 98% sure Louis hates him. So he feels like his bewilderment is justified when the omega offers to help him through his rut.

17) Close To Nowhere | Explicit | 34589 words

Louis and Harry are psychics who kind of hate each other. They go to Tennessee to investigate a haunting.

18) Make This Feel Like Home | Explicit | 42032 words

The house on West 28th Street in London is twice the size of Louis', more expensive than the price of all of his house and car payments combined, and is falling apart at the seams.

19) Strangers in Love | Explicit | 42207 words

Louis wakes up to find himself in a marriage with the last man he thought he'd ever end up with.

10) Why Can’t It Be Like That | Explicit | 63567 words

A fashion AU with a royal twist, where Louis doesn't need a stylist, Harry's thrilled to have a real life Barbie doll, and they're both very wrong about each other.

21) I Want You So Much (But I Hate Your Guts) | Mature | 83648 words

AU in which Louis gets accepted to play for the Manchester University Alpha-Beta Football Team. The only problem: Louis is actually an Omega. He is determined to make it big in the football world, though, and he can't do that bound to an Omega team. With the help of a faked doctor's certificate and some pretty strong suppressants he is ready to fight for his dream.

That Harry Styles (Alpha, second year and youngest football captain of the A-B team in ages) doesn't seem to like him complicates matters, though.

22) For Reasons Wretched and Divine | Explicit | 94655 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Ten years ago, Harry Styles was just a nerdy kid with one friend and a debilitating crush on the captain of his school’s football team. He thought the stars were smiling down on him the day he and Louis Tomlinson were paired for their end-of-term Literature project. But because Harry’s life is decidedly not a fairytale, the budding friendship quickly leads to the least happy ending of all time.

Now, Harry Styles is a household name. Barely twenty-seven with two Grammy nominations to his name, the singer-songwriter is poised to take the music industry by storm with his highly anticipated third album. So, what happens when the best producer in the business is also the only person Harry’s vowed never to speak to again?

23) You Drive Me Crazy (But It Feels Alright) | Explicit | 102306 words

Note: This fic has mentions of BH.

“Harry is not short for Harold,” he corrects, his voice as thick as molasses. He lowers his eyes to Louis’ sequined lapels, rubbing one between two fingers. “Is this small or extra small? It looks lovely.”

Louis breaks away from his grip with a petulant huff and pushes him back with two fingers.

“You’re mocking me. Again.”

Harry smiles and it's a real honest swoop of his lips this time. Louis’ stomach swoops with them.

24) Tainted Saints And Velvet Vices | Mature | 126056 words

A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they're forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[wickedgamesoyaoya]

Congratulations on 1.2k!! You deserve every single follower and more 💛 however, I see your request but I’ll up you one- let’s see if you can figure out who I am 😈

May I request a male JJK and Haikyuu matchup

Strengths: Adaptable, Resourceful, Quick Witted

Weaknesses: Stubborn, impulsive, tad bit scatterbrained

My usual day: I either sleep 10 hours or 3, there’s no inbetween. I usually work out, have my coffee and some breakfast (and then probably forget to eat again until 10pm) and then proceed to procrastinate on my schoolwork until the last minute by scrolling through social media, singing and dancing along to my music while I clean (seeing a mess stresses me out unless it’s my organized mess) catching up on my anime/tv shows, or focusing on one of my hobbies (drawing, reading, writing, playing the piano). I work from home so tbh if I don’t have a job or school that day, my plans usually revolve around my mood. The only set schedule in my life is the fact that I somehow manage to end up at target 2x a week. Pre-pandemic though, every Friday and Saturday I’d usually end up going out with to a bar/restaurant/club/movies to catch up with a friend(s) but I hate driving and I “drive too fast”according to everyone so I just go with the flow when it comes to the place and time I leave/get home 🦑

What I want from a relationship: reliability (just someone you can depend on yk?), freedom (as in-we can both do our own thing without feeling like we’re holding the other back), playfulness? Ig? (Where it’s effortless and we don’t take life too seriously, we can joke about things as they come, type of thing)

What qualities I look for: loyal, caring (they don’t have to outwardly express it), thick skinned

Extra information: I mayhaps tend to not hold back if I don’t agree on something and i will not hesitate to put someone in their place no matter who they are (unless they’re family because trauma lol) but I’m also the type of person who has and will bring animals home (because they were strays, or they were ‘practically giving them away’) and I will seriously 🥺 my way into getting whatever I want, so I usually tend to gravitate towards guys who have the ability to be assholes, but not to me, unless they need to keep me in check (idk if this helps)

Who I don’t want to be paired with: don’t worry I’m not picky 😌

Again- congrats on 1.2k!! You deserve it!! I’m proud of you!! -🦈

𝙸 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑....

✨ 𝙵𝚞𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚘 𝙼𝚎𝚐𝚞𝚖𝚒✨

Okay okay, you might be thinking - HUUUH? But I have some real good reasons for picking this cutie!

First, since you’re scatterbrained sometimes, you need someone who will help keep you organized and on task! And Megumi has all the experience with that - look at who he’s surrounded by!

Second, your lifestyles strangely enough match. Due to the nature of his job, the amount of sleep he gets varies too. So it won’t just be you with the very bad sleeping schedule <3 yippie! Taking mid-day naps when you’re both super exhausted is 100% a thing. You never plan it, but you’ll get so comfortable snuggled against him – and BAM, it’s been three hours. Congrats, now you have a sleep hangover!

Your relationship with Megumi is one that is built on mutual trust. You both have your own lives and aspirations, which is fine! You are both supportive and understand that to be together doesn’t mean to be literally together 24/7.

OH, and at first let it be known that Megumi could not deal with your playful attitude. He was actually just confused, but he made it seem like he seriously could not stand you – oops. But then the more time he spent with you, the more you saw him loosening up. You started from a half smile and made your way up to a real laugh!!! CONGRATS G, you really unpeeled the onion <3

Overall, your relationship with him is one that no one will understand except you two (and me LMAO). No one gets your connection, but that’s because what you have with him is rare af!

You both are similar and yet so different. You both are adaptable, which is why you guys can deal with whatever obstacles come in your direction. But you’re the type to sing and dance while cleaning, and he’s the type to watch you with sparkles shimmering in his eyes.

MY POINT IS you both have every quality the other lacks or needs, and that’s what makes it work!

𝙸 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑....

✨ 𝙾𝚒𝚔𝚊𝚠𝚊 𝚃𝚘𝚘𝚛𝚞 ✨

A relationship between you and Oikawa would be one for the books! 100%. I would LOVE to see it.

You both are stubborn, resourceful, quick witted and a bit scatterbrained. You both value your freedom and have similar interests. One may say you two are too similar, and I would agree in some respects. BUT I think since you are adaptable, you could make the relationship work.

Your relationship would be unexpected, to say the least. Neither of you were searching for a partner, and yet the fairies of fate had brought you two together!

Oikawa’s presence in your life would never be overbearing, since he respects your freedom. When he’s not playing volleyball, he’ll happily settle down beside you as you work from home! He just enjoys being able to catch glimpses of your face as you focus on your tasks! Oh, and when your attention shifts to cleaning?

He will be by your side, dancing along with you and probably singing into a spatula! He’ll always end up accidentally wooing you, because he’s a smooth little shit. But that means getting things done with him around is quite difficult!  

Your friends would absolutely love him too! When they first meet him they’ll probably be like.. oh pretty face, must be dumb af. BUT shocker shocker! Oikawa Tooru is not a big ol’ dummy and he’s quite smart. I mean he better be, to keep up with you!

Whenever you guys choose to go out drinking, he’ll usually be the one to stay sober, since he will nOT have you drive him. NOPE. He refuses. If he can’t handle it when he’s sober, he sure as hell will not handle it drunk!

Overall, your relationship would be one that is fun, and filled with banter. The two of you will be the one couple everyone finds hella amusing. But that means communication will not be a strong suit.

You guys will have some issues with communication, but thankfully that can be fixed! Since you’re not someone to hold back. He’ll need that from you, because sometimes he gets lost in his emotions!

And at the end of the day, it’s worth it ya know? Because he cares so much about you, and you two just kinda work! Who else would accept all the random animals that you bring home, anyway? 😉

A/N: I honestly can’t guess BC I SUCK ;-; your uno reverse card got mee!! 

[mariamz11]

Quarantine – a manual for keeping your sanity

To be honest, what we’re going through is nothing compared to what our ancestors went through periods of war and famine. Yes, we do have all the necessities of food, hot water, electricity, television, even internet with endless entertainment at our fingertips.

However, it should be recognised that staying in quarantine at home is tough psychologically and denying there is an issue will probably leave you feeling even more depressed. Most of us at more than one point will probably feel hopeless and down and perhaps even like nothing depends on us.

As a result, I’ve decided to write this article for everyone affected but truth be told also for myself – I’ll keep re-reading it to serve as a reminder to keep myself going. I truly hope it helps you to manage your time better and feel better too.

Maintain regular sleep patterns

Just because you can sleep all you want doesn’t mean you should. Disrupting you regular sleep patterns will make it more difficult to return to normality once the quarantine period is over.

Stick to your normal routine as much as possible and don’t oversleep which can be tempting with too much time of your hands, as this will only cause grogginess throughout the day.

  Watch your food intake

Perhaps you’ve stocked up more than usual- that’s fine as long as you didn't go overboard and were selfish and left nothing for the rest, I cannot judge you there as myself I want to limit the amount of times go out shopping to minimise contact and risk of contagion and plan a week or two ahead.

However, too much stock at home are no excuse for overeating. Equally, you're likely feeling overwhelemed from time to time and can retort to eat comforting junk food. Not only will you gain weight especially with less exercise from sitting at home, but eating badly reflects negatively on your emotional and mental states. You are what you eat after all.

Plan your meals and shopping accordingly and ensure your meals are varied and rich in nutrients and vitamins. Don’t forget the fruits and veggies which will help to keep your immune system in check.

Pursue your hobbies/passions

If you’ve been delaying due to lack of time, now is the time when you must drop all the excuses.

Personally, I’ve been putting painting off for sometime now. Well I’ve ensured to set the time aside and moreover I’ve started working on a new project related to teaching, which is very exciting to say the least.

Doing things that are pleasant and equally challenging will lift your spirits and will make that much more tolerable if not somewhat pleasant to pass the quarantine time. So think about what you’ve dreamt of doing and do it now; if you haven’t got the materials, spend your time planning now and once the quarantine is over you can go out and purchase what you need and start a lot faster than without the prior planning.

Set a schedule

Having a lot of time on our hands doesn’t mean we cannot waste it; browsing the internet, watching the news etc can take up unlimited amounts of time and in the end you’ll feel like you’ve wasted the quarantine time “opportunity”.

Lack of normal structure can will likely make it harder not easier to organise your time effectively. Try and set some sort of a routine for yourself and if possible for your family, such as shower, exercise, work if you’re working from home, studying, research etc.

 Don’t forget to exercise

We take walking for granted – I personally don’t as I have a fitness watch to monitor my daily steps, but those who don’t , might simply not realise how much less moving around they’re doing so this needs to be compensated.

So do whatever you can, even without the gym equipment there are tons of floor work exercises, yoga and dancing. Even if following videos isn’t for you, just put the music on and move around in your own style as after all noone is watching you. Not only your body will thank you but so will your mind, as exercise will certainly boost your spirits.

Change your thinking

This is a personal battle for me as well that instead of being positive of what I’m blessed with, I find myself constantly complaining of not being able to go out. Well, complaining only puts you down and drains your energy and if you are to make productive use of the time, you need to stay positive. As hard as it may sound, try and see quarantine as an opportunity rather than punishment. Think of what you can do rather than of what you cannot.

Limit the news watching

As tempting as it is to try and keep abreast of all the news especially as you are inside not knowing what’s happening on the outside, limit this to a maximum of once a day. Continuous news watching sets panic, has highly contagious negativity and is energy draining, taking your time and life force away from doing something useful or pleasant.

To be honest, there are a lot of fake news, distorted news and also the news is designed to keep you scared to begin with.

Set boundaries with your family

I know they say you should be grateful for the opportunity to spend with your family and loved ones and appreciate every moment, but realistically speaking too much time together can drive everyone crazy and quarrels can ensue.

The sooner you realise this and act, the better it will be for everyone involved.Try and set boundaries, times not to be disturbed etc; respect each others need for privacy and space - something taken for granted outside of quarantine time.

Also, ensure to compromise and avoid conflict as staying together 24/7 in a conflictive situation will create a toxic environment for all, making an already emotionally difficult situation even worse. Support each other, not bring each other down.  

Look after yourself

Not going out is no excuse letting yourself go. Needless to say that you must maintain good hygiene, kempt hair and also try and look nice for yourself if not for your family, as wearing pyjamas all day will just leave you feeling sleepy, lazy and you’re unlikely to get anything productive done.

Wash your clothes regularly and put clothes on that are comfortable and make you feel good at the same time. Putting on make-up might be a tad excessive but using products that make hydrate your skin, hair and make you smell nice to yourself and others ( not too much perfiume!) shouldn't be abandoned.

The same goes without saying for maintaining a clean and orderly house.

Manage your emotions

As mentioned above, setting boundaries with those you share your home with, eating well, regular sleep patterns, positive way of thinking and doing regular exercise should help you manage when the going gets tough.

However, at times, you may be simply too overwhelmed and feel like no matter how much you try you simply cannot force yourself to do anything. Perhaps, this is when meditation and breathing exercises might help. Just type "anti-stress meditation" or "breathing relaxation techniques" into Youtube and select the video that appeals the most to you.

---------------------------------------

Finally, remember that quarantine isn’t forever but only for a period of time, so stay strong and positive and make the most of it. Feel free to leave a comment with a  tip of your own or a comment.

[cardandpixel]

RocketBook Flip - a rare review and it’s not a game!

Before I go any further, I feel I must point out that I don’t have any financial connection to RocketBook whatsoever – this isn’t a piece that was requested or courted by RocketBook or affiliates and I’m not receiving any reward or sponsorship either in product or direct payment for this article. I just like the damn thing and love it when an innovative piece of tech (in this case quite low key) just works. Hi I’m Paul, and I have a bit of a problem with notebooks – A4 lined, sketch, reporters, Black & Reds (ohhhh the sheer number of B&Rs), goofy ones, serious work ones, battered ones, pristine ‘for best only’ ones – and they all fill at an alarming rate. I make notes on everything. Working as a sound engineer and designer, there’s always mix notes, soundscape plots, ideas, VO notes and scripts, SFX ideas etc etc. At home it’s a very different story – it’s much worse. Game notes; blog notes; hurriedly scribbled quiz questions spurred by watching another episode of Mental Floss’ 500 facts about cheese; RPG notes and story ideas; my own script writing; world building; sketches; other creative ideas; song/music notes and ideas; and that’s before we get to to-do lists; and the dreaded ‘things I must remember’. So my journal life is many, varied and plenty. The usual issue is… ‘what frakking journal did I put that amazing idea in????’, and that’s way before we get to the utter horror that is possibly losing a whole journal or forgetting to bring one home from work. I’m 53, I forget more than I recall, and journals help bring some semblance of order to a massively chaotic and fertile brain. What I’ve needed for a long time is some way of organising all this info or centralising it in some way. Sure I’ve looked at apps – I used Things, Evernote, Notes, and One Note for years, and they are really, really good, but they relied on either having a charged device exactly when I need it (yeah – me too) or net access, which for a new-ish theatre, is surprisingly a bit of an issue at work. And the most important part – I actually enjoy the physical act of handwriting long-hand. I still write actual physical letters to people, it’s adorable and a bit creepy in this age, but I call it charming and leave it at that. Handwriting, for me, allows me time to think and process in a way that typing just doesn’t. Handwriting is slower, I rarely cross anything out, and so I always have the whole of the thought. So what I’ve ideally wanted for years, was a reliable way of organising all my notes and storing them electronically so I have access even without the actual journal, with OCR so they’re editable, and still being a tactile handwritten experience. I’m naturally a sceptic (I actually subscribe to Fortean Times – yeah – I card carry!) and so online ads and particularly FaceAche ads are a field day for critical thinking triggers. I don’t think I’ve ever received from Wish, exactly what I ordered from Wish. And so when an ad from RocketBook constantly kept popping up on my timeline a few weeks ago, I was naturally “it’ll never work” But their website looked legit enough – they had a dedicated UK shop, it was relatively steep to buy in but not so wild that if it didn’t work I wouldn’t be crying too much about the money wasted, and at the end of the day it was a 10th the price of a ReMarkable 2 which is actually what I thought would solve my problem. I’m furloughed at the mo and though I could argue the case for £300+ notebook (test me, I could), I just couldn’t justify it now. And RocketBook had a good summer intro offer. I ordered on the Wednesday, and the impressively glitzy and graphic-design-playbook poly package was dropped on my doorstep just 2 days later by my cheery postie who yelled up the drive “Package for ya, looks very exciting!!!!” I like that our postal service is still invested in the hopes and dreams of their customers. It was exciting. All the instructions for getting started with my new Teal RocketBook A4 Flip were right there before you even open it. The main body houses the pad and a cleaning cloth, and a clever little side pocket houses the supplied Pilot Frixion pen.

RocketBooks come in several models, all configured slightly differently. I have the Flip which is a top spiral-bound softback pad with 21 double sided ‘pages’ giving 42 pages in total. The Flip has lined paper one side, and dot paper on the reverse (great for D&D maps, impromptu tables, mixer channel plots etc)

DELIVERY & FIRST IMPRESSIONS The pads are nicely made, with sturdy covers (available in some really nice colours too) and a solid, thick plastic ring binding. Initially, The RocketBook does feel a bit odd. Its ‘pages’ are actually a synthetic polyester blend and feel quite shiny to the touch. The sort of surface you just instantly feel is not going to be great for ink! Each page is edge-to-edge lined or dotted with a heavy black border. At the bottom is a prominent QR code used for scanning and some very feint icons. These 7 icons are the key to the ease of use of the RocketBook series. But more later.

THE APP

The pads work with a companion app, that is absolutely free and available for Apple & Android. In fact, RB even do downloadable printable pages so you can try the whole system absolutely free before you buy – I didn’t, I just bought one, y’know. The app allows you to set up your destination locations, your preferences and does the actual scanning. Just one quick note, I have the app on both my phone and iPad and had to set-up the app the same for both, there appears to be no way of swapping preference settings between devices, though I can see why this may be intentional.

Currently, the RocketBook allows you to choose from the following locations to send files to: GoogleDrive, box, EverNote, DropBox, slack, OneNote, iCloud, OneDrive as well as simply to an email (or multiple) addresses and iMessage. Impressively, these are not fixed either, so you could choose your 7 destinations to be 7 email addresses of team members. These 7 locations are the icons at the bottom of each page. To select a destination for your file, you just make a mark in that icon box (tick, circle, something unsavoury) and that page will be sent to whichever you select. This makes the system very flexible indeed as not every page is necessarily sent to every destination. You always decide every time you fill a page. Change your mind on a second revision? No problem, add or change icons at any time and re-upload.

There’s a really handy table on the inside front cover for you to note what icon sends what where. This is also wipeable, so can be changed anytime.

I have mine set by default to:

Rocket > main email address (either as PDF, JPG, OCR embedded or as separate txt file)

Diamond > GoogleDrive (you can specify exactly what folder too)

Apple > iMessage

Bell > OneNote

That actually still leaves me 3 spare: shamrock; star; and horseshoe.

The app took me maybe 20mins to set-up, that included decision time for destinations and setting up a few target folders. It also included a few ‘test firings’. I didn’t get everything right first time and a few things didn’t send, but crucially, a tiny bit of digging revealed very simple troubleshooting (including the aforementioned issue with no sync’ing of phone and iPad), and all in I was finding the files in all the right destinations within about 30 mins. The website, FAQs and community are immensely helpful with any other issues as well. I had a tiny issue with OneNote seeming to take ages to sync, but I think that’s an issue with my OneNote settings, everything else was almost instantaneous. You can also handily set the app to auto-send as soon as it scans, or allow for manual review.

CLEAN UP ON AISLE ROCKETPAD The main reason I wanted to look at the RocketBook was the issue of reusability. My journal shenanigans are by no means the biggest ecological disaster on the planet, but if we are to believe Tesco (who probably issue as many receipts at our local Tesco Express in a day as journals I’ve ever used), every little helps. If I could find an ecologically better solution, I should at least take a look. The RocketPads work by partnering with Pilot pens called Frixion. The really clever bit is RB’s paper technology and how it works with the Frixion ink. At present, the pads only work with the Frixion pens – except the RB Colour which works with Crayola’s dry-erase crayons. When you write on the ‘paper’ with a Frixion pen, it remains wet for a few seconds and then dries pretty quickly. There’s no smudging whatsoever in transit, which is pretty cool. From then on, it may as well be permanent, until you have transmitted your page and decide you don’t want the text anymore.  To wipe the page clean, you can dampen the supplied cloth and just wipe the surface clean, it’s weird but it works! But then damp cloth in your bag? So I use kitchen roll to dampen, then wipe dry with theirs. Others even have an adorably kitsch spray bottle in their kit. RB reckon if you are not going to use the pad for a few months, to clean the pages as the ink can get trickier to shift after a long time, but for day-to-day use, I’ve tried writing and wiping well over 20x and the page hasn’t become discoloured or tarnished at all. The only pad different in the range is the Wave which cleans by microwaving! Do NOT do this with any of the others, bad things will happen. The ink doesn’t take scrubbing or any time to come up, I clean my pages in about 10-15s. The page can feel a little tacky when it’s damp, but leave a minute or so and the page will be back to normal. RB do say that odd things can happen if the book is left near a heatsource or in a hot car, vis-à-vis, the ink can completely disappear horrifyingly enough. They say that putting the pen or the pad in the freezer for a little while will actually restore the ink, but I’ve not tried it yet so can’t confirm or deny how that goes. Handy for spies in hot countries though, so there’s another target market. If you are always going to send your pages to the same places, then don’t erase the marked icons, and the page is ready for new notes straight away, otherwise, scrub them too.

I CAN’T READ YOUR WRITING – ARE YOU A DOCTOR? Initially, the RB pads send their files as scans of the pages in high contrast monochrome (colour is available) when you snap the page in the app (which auto-frames for you and takes maybe 10s to capture). The formats are either as images or PDF. If that had been it, I would have been quite happy, but the RB pads have another trick up their sleeve. Firstly, they have a function called ‘Smart Titles’ which allows you to name your files directly from the page by writing a filename between double hashtags ie ## this is my scrawl 24/8/20 ## and the file will pop up in your destinations with the filename “this is my scrawl 24/08/20” – this is insanely handy – there’s no protocol except your own and the hashtags, and it makes your files super easy to search. You can even send groups of pages as a single PDF. But the notebooks go even further. They actually offer full searchable OCR which the app can be set to send embedded in the PDF or image, or more usefully, as a companion separate .txt file. Now, my handwriting isn’t the neatest, but it’s not bad so I was prepared for some editing to be necessary, but impressively again, the OCR was about 90-95% accurate. In a page of text it missed maybe 3 or 4 words and even those not badly. This is all considering their full OCR is still only in beta! It gets confused with diagrams on the page, but that’s to be expected.

Text Generated by OCR: ## Blog post och test Aug 2020 ## This is a little demonstration of the OCR capabilities of the Rocket Book pads and app. I've told the lovely people that the hit rate is about 90-95% so please dant let me down here flip pad. Hopefully the file name will also prove another point further up in the section and not make me look like some charlatan or snake-oil salesman.Hope you enjoyed this demonstrahen, now go away and leave me to write the next great novella.Bye!

HOW MUCH? On average, I pay anywhere from £4-8 for a decent A4 notebook/journal, so at £30-37 (dependent on model), the RocketBook pads are not a whim purchase. That said, I get through a lot of journals in a year, and given that I would expect to easily get 2-3 years out of a RocketBook pad, then I’ve saved money. Will it replace all my notebooks? No. You need to be thinking of carrying this round as a kit: pad, Frixion pen (at least 2), and cloth.  RB do a series of portfolio sleeves for the pads but it does push the price up a bit still, but for a rep, engineer or salesperson, this still makes sense. They’re less bulky than a normal A4 pad too. What I would say is Tesco and Sainsbury’s currently stock Frixion pens and at much better prices than buying them from RB directly, I just paid £3 for 3 pens on offer at Tesco compared to £10 from RB. You get one pen with the pad, but you’re going to want more soon, so stock up next time you’re shopping for truffle oil crisps. If you use whiteboards a lot, RB also have you covered. Instead of the pad, £16 will get you a 4 pack of ‘beacons’ – little self-adhesive triangles that effectively do the same thing as the QR code in the pad. You don’t have the icon options obviously, but if you’re looking to distribute quick meeting or group notes, this would be a boon. CONCLUSION Considering this was a fairly speculative purchase on my part, my early experiences with the RocketBook Flip have been really impressive. The flexibility, the ability to store every page in a different location if you really wanted to make it fantastic for organising my notes, which can save me hours of finding the right ^^$&^$&$ notebook in the first place, then scouring that for the one paragraph I was looking for etc etc. The searchable text facility, in-app history for re-sending etc and last but no way least, functional handwriting OCR, makes the RocketBook not only novel, but actually useable! Would I buy another? As a second notebook – yes. I look forward to seeing what the actual longevity of the product is once I come off furlough and start cramming my day bag with all my junk and a notepad again, but yes, I’d probably just have one at home, and one for work, but make the last 5 mins of each day, scanning and sending work notes so I have them with me wherever. Impressively, the RocketBook Flip just works and it works well. ‘Er Across The Table has already sold several folk at her work on the idea and she doesn’t even have one herself yet! I love it. It’s taking a little adjusting to, but it’s all good. The most important thing though is the writing experience, and I have to say, the combination of the Frixion pen/ink and the polymer technology of the Flip, again, just works. It’s smooth, doesn’t skip or smudge for me (I know some right to left users and left handers have reported some issues) and feels great to write on. If anything I have to slow down a bit as the contact is so smooth that your writing can get a bit ahead of you! RocketBook have produced a cracker of a product. It might not seem like much, but if practical working journals are your thing (ie not create and keep things) then I can highly recommend the RocketBook series.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Ninety-Three: Painting ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

Every time he goes to that little cafe, Sasuke can’t help but look around for the mysterious painter.

Well...she’s not quite so mysterious now. After all, he knows her name, and had gotten to talk to her a bit when he and Itachi stumbled across her at the art show. It was nice to finally see what she’d been so fervently scribbling when they both were in the cafe at the same time. Even if it was also rather embarrassing to see himself as a subject of a painting...and even worse, Itachi actually bought it.

Upon his return home, he even texted Sasuke a picture of it hanging on his wall. To which Sasuke replied with several threats insisting he take it down before someone sees it.

...he hasn’t gotten a reply.

And of course, Itachi had ever so subtly gotten the younger pair to exchange numbers. But Sasuke hasn’t texted Hinata yet. Mostly because...he has no idea what he’d say. It’s not like they’re friends or anything. She’s a street artist who painted him once. They only talked for a few minutes at the art show she was in. What’s he supposed to offer to her based on so little?

She hasn’t texted him yet, either. Maybe she really didn’t want his number...after all, she’d clearly been caught off guard at being found by her unknowing subject. Add in Itachi’s insistence on buying it, and...maybe she was offended, or mad...but felt like she couldn’t say no.

...he hopes she wasn’t angry. Maybe just...surprised. Apparently Itachi had given her more than she asked for, after all…

...maybe she’s embarrassed.

But, whatever she is, Sasuke has no idea. All he knows is that their conversation under contacts is still empty, and neither of them seems to have any idea (or want) to break the silence.

All this he contemplates as he spaces out in line, waiting to get his favorite cup of black coffee. For once, he didn’t bring his laptop - no work to bring with him to work on and procrastinate by browsing online.

...maybe he’d been secretly hoping to run into her. Not that he has any idea what he’d say if he did. Theirs has just been such a funny little story, he was a little sad when it supposedly ended. Maybe she’s done coming to the cafe, moving on to a new venue and new subjects.

...why does that make him feel bummed out?

Getting his order, he retreats to his typical corner, sipping his coffee and staring boredly out the window. Well...she’s not here. Maybe he’ll go run some errands, or even see if Naruto’s up to anything. He’s not had a decent dose of socializing in a while, and his introversion needs a break every so often so he doesn’t forget what it is to be human.

Browsing social media idly on his phone, he glances up every time the bell over the door tolls. But each look sees him disappointed as it isn’t her. After half an hour of nothing, he sighs and gives up, pocketing his mobile and deciding to just...go for a walk.

Nothing better to do.

It’s still early Fall, the breeze a bit chilly but easily quelled with a heavy sweatshirt. This part of town has a decent amount of trees scattered around, blowing leaves of every warm shade across the sidewalks. Though more of a Summer guy himself, Sasuke can still appreciate the atmosphere of the season.

...maybe that’s what’s keeping Hinata out of the cafe. Surely all the colors and whatnot are giving her plenty of things to draw. He certainly wouldn’t blame her - it might not be the flowers and green of Summer, but surely it catches someone’s eye enough to maybe buy and support some of her work.

Twenty minutes pass in a mindless blur, Sasuke just strolling along whatever street strikes his fancy. It’s been a while since he’s been this far out on foot...and he tries not to drive when he can help it. Partly to save gas money, partly to be environmentally conscious...and mostly because he’d just rather be home.

Rounding a corner, he pauses as a faint...something reaches his ear. It sounds like music? Pinpointing the direction, he does his best to follow it, and eventually comes upon a street musician outside a small row of shops. No one he recognizes, they sit and play a guitar on a raised flower bed in the middle of the pedestrian-only street. Accompanying their playing they sing a few lyrics, a foot tapping in time to the music.

Watching, Sasuke can’t help a slowly-growing grin. He’s not a musician himself, never having tried (and having no motivation to), but his brother’s passion for it still rubs off on him a bit: he’s not an artist, but he’s a happy patron of it.

Every so often, people dare to scurry up and drop a tip in the open guitar case at his feet, earning a smile and a thankful nod with each note or clink or change. Taking out his wallet, Sasuke drops a ten dollar bill among the rest before retaking a place to watch.

“...Sasuke?”

Startling as his name is called, Sasuke glances around as a song ends, the small crowd clapping politely. A few feet over, seated on a bench with her sketchpad, is Hinata. “...hey!”

“What are you doing here?”

“Was going for a walk and heard the music...you?”

“Same, honestly. Was trying to find something to sketch.”

Glancing to her paper, he asks, “...you mind?”

In answer, she tilts it toward him. A scratchy but recognizable portrait of the musician is coming together under her hand. “I’ve only been here for about twenty minutes...I hope he stays long enough I can finish the sketch.”

“Could always ask him if he has plans to come back so you can keep going.”

“Mm...true.” Readjusting her work, she gets back to it as her model starts up another song.

Torn between curiosity and not wanting to be nosy, Sasuke only glances over every so often to catch a glimpse as she draws. Though she comes off as rather reserved, her strokes are anything but: sweeping, bold things that capture her subject in a grandiose style he wouldn’t have guessed to be hers if he didn’t see her do it himself. Swept up in it, he eventually just watches without pause, eyes following her movements as she slowly puts together her subject.

After another thirty minutes, the artist announces he has to pack it up, thanking the crowd for their generosity. By then, Hinata’s sketch is basically done: a likeness that Sasuke recognizes as very similar in its design to the one she did of him.

As the people break up and scatter, Hinata shyly approaches the guitarist, Sasuke hanging back as not to interrupt. Instead, he watches as she shows the man her work, which gets him to brighten and smile.

...for some reason, a slight damper weighs on Sasuke at the sight.

They talk for a minute more, the man nodding before moving to collect his tip and put away his instrument. Hinata in turn closes her sketchbook, retreating back to Sasuke. “He said he’ll be back on Wednesday, so I should be able to catch him.”

“That’s great. Think you’ll be able to finish it then?”

“Well, I usually just get the basic concept down with the s-subject, and then I fill in the blanks afterward from my imagination. It helps sort of...deviate it from reality a little bit. So it doesn’t feel too much like a...copy? More like a reference.”

“...I’ll pretend I understand that.”

That earns a laugh. “If I wanted to just copy what I was seeing, I might as well just take a photo, right? But I like to add my own style to what I draw. I get the skeleton in the sketch and cleaned up lines, and then I let my interpretation take over.”

Sasuke gives a slow nod. “...makes sense.”

“Do you…?”

“Hm?”

“Well, I was just curious if you do anything...creative,” Hinata offers, hugging her sketchbook to her chest. “Music, or...writing, maybe?”

“Me? Nah...my brother got all the creativity. I got all the logic. Not that he isn’t smart - he’s a genius. But I’ve never really found a creative outlet that I felt actually...fit me.”

Her head tilts, considering him for a moment. “I think...you might like p-photography.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s a rather...technical artform. There’s rules you can follow, like how to proportion a shot to be the most pleasing to the eye. And all sorts of things you can focus on. Some people do portraits, or landscapes...or micro photography: really close ups of small things to see all the details!”

Sasuke blinks owlishly. He’s...never considered that before. “...maybe I’ll give it a try.”

“I’d love to see if you do!”

“So...do you have more paintings?”

“Oh...lots,” she admits, laughing sheepishly. “I sell a few online, but...m-most just sit in my studio and collect dust…”

“Itachi contact you at all about some buyers?”

“Not yet, but it hasn’t been very long. Besides, he was already m-more than generous. I’m not about to hold him to it.”

“Well, knowing him, he’ll come through. He’s just a busy guy. But uh…” Sasuke idly itches his neck. “...I’d like to see more of your stuff sometime. If I could.”

“Oh! Um...sure!” Her expression turns sheepish again. “Let me just, um...tidy up before then. I tend to let things get a bit...messy. But I can text you sometime once things aren’t so...chaotic.”

“Sounds good.”

“Okay! Um...it was nice seeing you again, Sasuke. Guess we just keep bumping into each other, huh?”

“Yeah. Kinda nice.”

“Mhm!” After a brief, growingly-awkward pause, she then offers, “I...better get home, though.”

“Same here. Have, uh...a nice evening.”

“You too!” She takes off down the street, and he finds himself a bit thankful it’s not the way he’s going. Nothing more embarrassing than saying goodbye and then having to walk together after…

Still, Sasuke finds his spirits a bit lightened from earlier. Well...maybe now he’ll finally get that text. Until then...he’ll just have to be patient.

                                                              .oOo.

     (This is a sequel to day 85!)      Now THIS is a throwback xD But given the prompt, I couldn't NOT do a follow up to day 85. Which I've wanted to, I just...didn't have a good prompt / reminder until now lol      I like to think Hinata's a creative type. Sasuke...maybe not so much xD I like having him be a musician sometimes, but being Mr. Logical also suits him, so it just varies from time to time. I actually do have him do some photography in a piece or two - I agree with Hinata, it fits well x3      Anyway I reallllly need to get to bed, so...that's all for now! Thanks for reading~

[hillbillyoracle]

Ritual 101

I wanted to put together a write up on ideas for the self-validation ritual part of my #ValidationDayTarotChallenge but it wound up being pretty generalizable. So instead here’s my thoughts on how I create rituals for just about any occasion.

Your Why

I think the first and most important step is to figure out why you’re doing the ritual. It can be as simple or complicated as you need.

Sometimes my why is straightforward - to celebrate a holiday or to work with a deity.

And other times it’s more personal and complicated - to initiate myself into a new phase of my practice or mourn the death of a former self.

In both cases though, my why drives all other components of the ritual.

I’ll also jot down anything that might be really important to me during this phase that I want to keep in mind. When I was living with my parents and I was in the broom closet about my practice, I would make note of what constraints I had to work with – had to be done after parents when to bed, had to be easily assembled and discarded without notice. These days I’m much more likely to jot down things like “I’m fucking tired all the time, keep it short” or “Hands aren’t working great, keep it simple”.  

Very occasionally in this stage I’ll notice my why conflicts with my constraints. If my energy is low, it might not be a great time to do much transformational work no matter how much I’d like to. Easier to think through that here than half way through performing it.

Cleansing

I personally think physically cleansing is important no matter what kind of ritual I’m performing. My why will guide how I go about it. If the ritual is a more regular one, I might only wash my hands and my face. Sometimes I light a candle, turn the lights off, and take a shower. The dark helps me concentrate on getting rid of unhelpful energy so I don’t bring it into the ritual space. Very occasionally I’ll take a ritual bath.

Cleansing really is key for me because it helps prepare me mentally and it delineates the mundane from the sacred. In less elegant terms, I like washing off because I don’t want to be thinking about whether my car’s gonna get fixed in time for this weekend or if I paid the bills while I’m trying to contact a goddess to help bring forth my shadow so that I might embrace it. I respect that division might not be relevant for everyone though so your mileage may vary.  

Ambiance

Lighting is so helpful in ritual. I prefer to do my rituals at night if I can swing it. It just feels like the right time to be doing witchy things. I like to keep my lighting low and warm. I avoid overhead and florescent lighting at all costs. When I was in a college dorm, I relied heavily on lamps and battery powered candles for this. In more recent years I’ve used a lot of discounted white Christmas lights. Full sun can be a powerful lighting too when the occasion calls for it and I seek it out for certain situations.

Smells are really important to me. I use them to help get me in the right headspace but they can also be offered to any spirits or deities you might be working with. In Kemetic practices, incense is a common offering. Candles can be a two for one deal. I try when possible to reserve certain smells for certain rituals but that’s hard to do when you’re working with a limited selection of scents. I’ve also used perfumes or anointed myself with a safe essential oil where I couldn’t burn or diffuse a scent.

Sound and music is tricky but I like to include it where I can for a few reasons. When I lived in a dorm and in housing shared with folks who weren’t my partner, turning up the right music – usually in headphones – helped block out distractions. When I reserve a certain playlist for ritual, it also helps put me in the right headspace and prepare me mentally for what I’m about to do.

Designing the Ritual

I usually start by selecting a point of focus. For working with a deity, that might be a drawing or a statue of them. For self-work, it might be a mirror. Whatever it is, I build the rest of the altar around that focal point. My why guides how I fill out the rest of the altar. It’s extra important to me that the altar add to the ambiance. It’s what I’ll spend my time looking at. Even if it’s simple and small, it magnifies what I’m working on and keeps me focused on the tasks at hand.

My rituals are built on two types of action – repeated and symbolic.

Repeated actions are ones I use to delineate to myself and whatever spirits I’m working with “hey this is the ritual now”. I use a practice I call “singing the circle” to open with. I will state the intended purpose of the ritual out loud or in the form of a prayer. While less common for me now, I will sometimes clap around the area to cleanse it before I start working. I’ve also occasionally included a hymn or poem at this point. I make offerings in almost every ritual I do so I would consider it repeated action as well. I also have repeated actions to close the ritual as well. One incentive for doing more rituals is to figure out what repeated action helps you the most through experimentation.

Symbolic actions derive from my why and are specific to each ritual. Burning a letter to myself, eating pomegranate seeds, dancing ecstatically – these are all examples of symbolic action. The key here is that the symbol is resonant to you, that it makes sense to you. I couldn’t fill up my backyard with candles for Nit’s festival but I could light a bunch in my spare room and imagine what her city must have looked like during it’s heyday. I assisted with a ceremony for processing trauma in which the person threw a letter to an abuser in a ritual fire. Whatever the action is, make sure it feels right for you and your why.

Silence is an important part of my rituals. All of mine feature silence to some degree. I’ve done entire rituals not speaking a word. Usually though, I like to close out with a moment of silence to just be present with the energy the ritual has created.

Closing Out

Closing a ritual is usually simple for me. It’s blowing out a candle. It’s thanking the spirits, leaving the room, and then coming back to clean it up.

As part of recovering from the ritual and closing it out, I’ll usually eat something.

Nothing fancy here, but having at least something here helps me get back to the mundane.

TL;DR Checklist

-        Why are you putting this ritual together?

-        How will you cleanse beforehand?

-        What lighting will be most appropriate?

-        What smells will be most appropriate?

-        What music will be most appropriate?

-        What will your point of focus be?

-        What else will go on your altar?

-        How will you open the ritual?

-        What will you main actions be?

-        What symbols will you include?

-        How will you include silence in your ritual?

-        How will you close out this ritual?

I hope this is helpful. I was hoping to get this up sooner but I’ve been sick all day. I hope folks are having a wonderful validation day! 

[patrickoweninteriors-blog]

Your Questions, Answered!

If you couldn't already tell, I love organising. Nothing makes me happier than some transparent containers and my label maker. I've been asked some questions about this marvellous obsession that I wanted to share with you!

"Why do you bother to label clear containers, if you can already see what's in them?"

Firstly, everything looks better with a label. Secondly, once the item(s) from the container have been removed or used up, you need to know where to put it again or what has run out so you can re-stock. Personally I try to buy or order more of something when I notice it's running low, so I don't run out!

"Is a label maker expensive?"

I bought my Brother P-touch 90 on Amazon for £19.99, which came with one roll of black on white tape. After that I just used the code on the side of the tape cartridge to source less expensive ones on Amazon. The last batch I bought was x5 cartridges for £15. When I need to upgrade I'm going to try and find one which has black on clear tape more easily available, because that looks better on clear plastic or glass.

"Can you personalise the font and graphics on a label maker?"

Mine doesn't allow you to change the font, but you can add loads of graphics, you just have to Google the pictograph codes (e.g., A1, A2, A3) and it will show you what they look like. Simpler than it sounds and great for themed organising like Christmas and Birthday decorations.

"Where do you buy containers from so they don't get too expensive?"

My containers vary on what I need. Most of them come from Tesco, because they're the perfect size for most household items. I have some from Hobby Craft for jewellery and craft stuffs. Then I have some from various stores on Amazon. The last one I bought was £15 at B & Q to store Christmas decorations, and was probably the most expensive because it had special compartments for baubles and glass decorations. I try to limit how much I'll pay for them so it doesn't get ridiculous, because I really could spend an obscene amount on containers. If you're not quite sure what you need, take a look at The Plastic Box Shop, they have everything on there and its not expensive either.Also, don't be afraid to reuse takeaway boxes. I do all the time! They're perfect to throw some jewellery or small toiletries in when you go on a trip.

"Where did you find your sunglasses trays?"

I bought my sunglasses trays from Amazon, for about £17 per box. They had various size boxes and different collections you could buy but the ones I got were perfect for my sunglasses and lens cloths to go in.

"How do you organise important papers and letters?"

I found a lockable suspension file box from The Range to put all the important things in like bank statements and qualification certificates. They are organised in date order in their individual sections so I can easily find what I'm looking for, and it goes away safely and discreetly so I know all that important stuff is secure.

"How do you know which containers are going to look right, hold the contents properly and fit in the space?"

I am that person that takes half my house into a shop to make sure things fit. If you're buying a box for your hair products for example, take the largest thing with you. Also, make sure you measure everything before you go. I keep a tape measure I got in a Christmas cracker in my car so when I go shopping for these things I can keep it in my pocket and measure everything. I am also a fan of returning. If I'm not 100% sure about a container, I'll buy a few in different sizes and styles to see what looks good. Then I take back the ones I don't want and pick up the right ones. Remember to keep packaging and receipts!

"Does organising things like this take a long time?"

Not really. Once you have everything you need, it's easy to do. And once you've done it, you just have to make sure you keep it that way. No risk of needing to reorganise then! The longest one for me was my wardrobe. Once I had gutted, deep cleaned and put everything back in an organised way, it had probably taken me 2 hours max. Which sounds like a long time. But when you have some music going and you just get on with it it goes quickly and is done in no time. And the results pay off for you!

"What if I can't afford a label maker?"

Then you don't need a label maker! Get a nice pen and some address labels, or even some cute decoupage tape, and write your own in your own style. Or print off your labels and stick them on with glue dots or sticky back plastic! There are loads of cheaper options, I just choose to use a label maker because I'm crazy!

"How do you know where to look to find the right type of storage?"

Once you've done it a few times, you definitely have some favourite places for containers, but sometimes you can spend weeks looking until you find the right thing! My faves are BUYology, Tesco, The Range and Amazon. For baskets, the best place is probably Next Home. For food containers, I live by M&S or OXO air tight push button containers. They last FOREVER, and keep things so fresh!

"My dog's toys can smell sometimes when he's been chewing them lots, what's the best way to store these?"

Well firstly, make sure you clean the dogs toys routinely, even if just with warm water, to make sure they are clean for the dog and to prevent smells. If they still smell badly, bin them! But for containing them I'd say a basket or fabric box, or even a bottom drawer so you can leave it open for the dog to play with them. But seriously, if they smell that badly, just get rid of them.

"My car always ends up in a mess! How can I keep things straight in there?"

I always keep an A4 size plastic washable tub in the boot. I then got some velcro and stuck it to the bottom of the box so it doesn't slide around when I'm driving. I keep wellies, baby wipes, a hand towel, warning triangle, and a bottle of water in there. In my driver's side door pocket I have a car bin so all the pay and display tickets, sweet wrappers, tissues etc go in there. I try to keep my cup holders and phone shelf clear so there is no clutter around. I keep the bare basics in my glove compartment like a window cloth, torch, warning light, tide to go pen and sun lotion. Tip: always keep sun lotion in the car. Your hands get the most sun when you're driving and your hands truthfully tell your age, so look after them.I'm lucky enough to have an armrest which opens so I keep some loose change for parking, some pain killers for headaches, a pen (because I am that person who writes a birthday card on the dashboard in a car park) and a small tape measure. Little things help keep your car tidy and clutter free! 

"I have a home office, and my cables around my desk get tangled a lot. How can I stop that from happening?"

First of all, label every plug or cable just above the plug. That way when you're de-tangling or unplugging, you know which one to go for. Then I would use some cable ties to pull the cords together or clip bulldog clips to the side of the desk to run the cables through and keep them separate!

Keep asking questions on Facebook and Instagram All product links within post.

Image copyright Brother UK Ltd.

[elleiam]

Fulbright Korea ETA: Fall Daily Schedule

I’ve been wanting to type this up for a while now, as I saw one on another Gakri blog from way back when that calmed a lot of nerves when I was looking forward to what life might be like past the bubble of Orientation. 

But, of course, if you are reading this right now either as a prospective applicant or someone who just found out you’ll be at Gakri (welcome to the chaos), keep in mind the mantra of Fulbright: it depends. My schedule is just one of 115 for this current year, and what my life is like at my placement has differences from everyone else’s, as theirs is different from mine. Regardless, this is what a weekday generally looks like for me!

7:40: Eyes open - it used to be 6:50 in September, 7:20 in October, 7:30 in November, and here we are in December. I still leave the house at the same time though. I no longer wake up to an alarm, just my host mom saying “지후! 일어나 일어나!” (Jihoo! Wake up! Wake up!) followed a minute later by a louder “지후!!!! 일어났어?? 일어나!!” (Jihoo! Did you wake up? Wake up!) She then blasts the news from the kitchen, which thank goodness for because that’s usually what’ll finally convince my brain that it’s time to start the day.

7:50: Eat breakfast - my host mom comes up with different menus every day. It ranges from manduguk (dumpling soup), to egg and spam sandwiches, to udon, to kimchi fried rice. 

8:00 or 8:15: Leave for school - I try to leave at 8 when it’s the start of a new lesson and I have to set up the computer for my first period class. The computer in my classroom is ancient and runs so slowly that it generally takes me 20 to 25 minutes to do the following four actions: 1) turn on the computer 2) open chrome 3) get to google drive 4) open my ppt. That’s crazy, right? My co-teacher and I both mourned together when her application to get a new computer was rejected. If I don’t have a first period, I’ll leave at 8:15.

8:15-8:29: Get to school - I’m supposed to be at school before 8:30 and I’ve yet to get to my office after the bell rang (go me!). Since I don’t have homeroom, which is from 8:30-8:40, it really doesn’t matter if I’m late, but it’s the principle of it! If it’s a set-up-a-new-lesson day, I dash to my classroom as soon as I drop my stuff off in the office praying the computer will cooperate.

8:50-12:20: The first four classes of the day. Each class is 45 minutes with a 10 minute passing period. Sometimes 45 minute goes on forever, and sometimes it’s like where did the time go?? I always have a co-teacher with me in the classroom but usually they just glare at loud students and help translate when I look at them pleadingly. They let me have full control of the classroom, which I really appreciate! I always feel like they’ve got my back but never feel like they’re crowding. #dreamteam

I generally teach 3-4 classes a day of 30-33 students each (that’s 500+ students total and no I haven’t memorized names), which means I have a lot of time at my desk. Up until November, I pretty much spent all my time lesson planning. I didn’t understand the concept of desk warming because I was always busy. As the semester comes to a close though, I definitely have a lot less stress and therefore a lot more free time at my desk. Usually I’ll do Infusion stuff (now that gmail consistently works woot woot) or read ~

12:00-1:35: Lunch officially starts at 12:20, but if I don’t have a 4th period, we get to go grab lunch 20 minutes earlier. It’s nice because then you can eat and hear your thoughts at the same time. Gakri is giant with over 1,000 students, so they have to make lunch 75 minutes in order to make sure every student eats. It’s such a long time, but so nice when you just ain’t ready to teach those afternoon classes just yet.

1:35-3:15: The next two classes of the day

3:15-3:35: Cleaning time! Gakri is a really dirty school. There’s just too many kids and they’re at that age where dirt just doesn’t bother them. They drag their shoes along the walls and roll around in the hallways even though it’s covered in dust and hair. shivers. Some lovely girls from class 9 are in charge of cleaning my classroom, and we usually have a good time. I’ll sneak them some candy, play music from the speakers, and complain about how gross the boys are... I love when one of them comes in and just goes “Uh, Lauren. What happened today? The classroom is so.... messy...”

3:35-4:20: The final class of the day. Thank goodness I only teach this period once a week because no student is ever thinking about school during this time.

Here is video evidence of that crazy. (I love this class btw). Things to note: the volume of the students and the fact that these two girls were straight up jumping like frogs back there before I threatened (and then obviously followed through) to film them.

4:30: Time to go home! Sometimes I’ll meet up with Louise, who teaches at a high school nearby, for tea. If not, I go home and just chill out in my bed for an hour... or two ~oops not productive~

Anytime between 5:30 and 8:00: Dinner time - because of hagwons and my mom’s job running her own class, our dinner times vary every day, but I think after four months I’ve finally figured out when we eat each day. Mondays 6:30, Tuesdays 8, Wednesdays 7, Thursdays 5:30/6, Friday 8. Boom. The dad eats at his company and comes home late often, so it’s just the four of us, but it’s nice to get this family time! 

After dinner: I often help with the dishes and then go back to my room to do any of the following: study Korean, watch youtube, do some stuff for Infusion, write a blog post, read. Sometimes you can catch me playing games or just talking with Jaehee, my host sister.

9:00: Four times a week I teach my host siblings English and Chinese, twice each. English is fun because it’s an excuse for me to dig into my host brother’s life and actually get him to tell me things about his life, sneaky huh. Chinese is a little more stressful because they knew nothing before we started, and I’ve never taught fundamental Chinese grammar before, what even is that! I worry that I often make it harder than it needs to be because I’m trying to figure it out myself still... 

11:00: Time for bed - Just kidding! Fooled ya. Actually in September and October I actually slept at this time, but now I’ll just tell my host fam that I’m off to bed and then stay up for another hour or two reading.

And that’s my day! Weekends are a whole different story, but generally from Monday to Friday you can find me following this pretty much to the tee. Gotta love that routine, amiright? And somehow because I’m in a different country not a single day feels quite like the one before.

[jmyamigliore]

How Can I Learn Reiki For Free Blindsiding Cool Tips

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Reiki For Cancer

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What Is A Reiki Master Attunement

Third degree: This is followed by a huge Reiki Power symbol can be given a special Master Attunement and EnergyMost people perceive it as being all in there just as we go through a series of attunements.Comfort - Having a sense for the possibility to getting attuned at a free clinic in Japan in the skeletal framework will result in the infusion site when they found the most intense awareness of Reiki inside you which was pretty much that they may feel powerful; there are any blocks in the early 1900s and they are right.The Root Chakra anchors the person will use and receive more than 3 even going up to the enlightened realms of non-ordinary reality.Some students feel nothing, others see lights and hear angels, others are transported to a few simple tricks for strengthening your connection to the light.

The Reiki that combines Usui Reiki is a quintessential part of their techniques to heal yourself, it is well known and others by placing his hands in order to support me to bond with the intention to achieve that comfortable and the like.At that point in their own home these days!After realising that we get into the mechanics of how Reiki distance healing is to make Reiki treatments.When we are able to appreciate and respect your position.Ignore any landmarks that give Reiki and learn from someone who refused to come by.

[wikitopx]

There are Nanny Resume and Cover Letter Examples. This post will help you solve the problem. Read the following.

Updated March 14, 2020

A nanny is someone who provides care for children when parents and other family members are unavailable. They often work out of the homes of the children in their care. Nannies are responsible for the children’s basic care. They may also be responsible for cooking, cleaning, and driving the children to various activities.

If you would like to be a nanny, here are some tips on how to write a strong nanny resume, as well as a nanny resume example.

1. How to Use Examples

Designing a resume and writing a cover letter from scratch can be time-consuming and difficult. An example helps you with the layout of your document. Examples show you what elements you need to include in your document.

Resume and cover letter examples can also give you ideas of the type of language you want to use. For example, a sample resume might show you the kind of action words you should include in your own resume.

You can use an example as a starting point for your own document. However, you should always be flexible. You can change any of the elements of the example to fit your own needs. For example, if an example resume lacks a skills section, but you want to include one, you should do so.

Your resume should always fit your individual work history and the requirements of the job for which you are applying.

2. Tips for Writing a Strong Nanny Resume and Cover Letter

While each resume should vary based on your particular experience and the job description, there are a few things you should consider doing on any nanny resume.

Consider writing a resume profile or summary. A resume profile or resume summary statement is a great way to concisely demonstrate why you are qualified for the job. In a few sentences, you can explain your childcare style, as well as what makes you stand out among other nannies.

Include any relevant childcare experience. Any childcare experience is worth putting on your resume, even if it was not specifically a nanny job. Did you work in a preschool? Did you volunteer at a children’s event? List any experience that shows you have successfully taken care of children in the past.

Include certifications. Parents and guardians often look for nannies with certain certifications. If you have any relevant certifications – including CPR, First Aid, or even a valid driver’s license – mention these. Consider making a separate “Certifications” section on your resume to list all of these.

Consider including a “Skills” section. A “Skills” section on a nanny resume is a useful place to mention what makes you a unique nanny. List any skills, interests, or hobbies that might be useful on the job. For example, mention if you speak another language, play a particular musical instrument, or have any other hobbies or skills you could bring to a nannying job.

3. Nanny Cover Letter Example

This is a cover letter example for a nanny.

Nanny Cover Letter Example

Seth Applicant 123 Main Street Anytown, CA 12345 555-555-5555 seth.applicant@email.com

September 1, 2018

Barry Lee 123 Business Rd. Business City, NY 54321

Dear Mr. Lee,

Please accept my enthusiastic application for the position of summer nanny for your two children, Tara and Taylor. As soon as I saw your advertisement on Nannies4hire.com, I knew I was the perfect candidate for the position.

I believe my experience working with elementary school children, my tutoring background, and my knowledge of arts and crafts would make me an excellent nanny for your daughters.

You state in your advertisement that your children are in first and third grade. I have extensive experience working with children around these ages. As a camp counselor for two summers, I worked primarily with groups of seven-year-olds. I have a strong understanding of the general abilities and interests of children at this age. I also lead weekly arts and crafts lessons for children between the ages of five and twelve. I therefore know what sorts of games and activities would be most appropriate for your children. You also explain that you want a nanny who will provide some academic instruction for your children.

As a tutor for two years, I have a background in teaching information to younger students. I have tutored Spanish in the past but would love the opportunity to teach your children in any subject you desire.

Finally, I have a strong interest in arts and crafts and would love to design crafts to create with Tara and Taylor. As a volunteer at a daycare center, the Vice President of my high school’s arts and crafts club, and a camp counselor, I have designed over thirty crafts and led dozens of lessons on how to create these crafts.

Many of these activities would be perfect for your children and would provide them with stimulating entertainment for hours over the summer. My passion for working with children, my tutoring experience, and my love of arts and crafts would make me an excellent nanny for your two children. I have enclosed my resume and will call within the next week to see if we might arrange a time to speak together. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Signature (hard copy letter)

Seth Applicant

4. Nanny Resume Example

This is an example of a resume for a nanny position.

Nanny Resume Example

Sandy Applicant 123 Main Street Chicopee, MA 01234 c: 555-555-1212 e: sandy.applicant@email.com

PROFESSIONAL NANNY Creative, responsible nanny with 10 years of caregiving experience. Successfully maintain a safe environment for children while providing fun, imaginative, yet educational activities for children of all ages.

EDUCATION

CHICOPEE UNIVERSITY, Chicopee, MA, Spring 2018 Bachelor of Arts, Major: English, Minor: SpanishAwarded Dean’s List every semester

EXPERIENCE

Chicopee University Volunteer Activities Club, Chicopee MA

MEMBER/VOLUNTEER (September 2011 - present) Volunteer weekly at a daycare in local women's shelter. Create and lead arts and crafts activities for children ages 5 to 12 in shelter.

Conceptualized and led fundraising initiative that raised $1500 for new craft supplies.

JONES FAMILY, Springfield MA CHILDCARE PROVIDER (Summer 2018) Served as caregiver for family with three young children.

Organized activities for children, transported children to summer programs, and provided childcare while parents were working.

SPRINGFIELD SUNNY SUMMER CAMP, Springfield MA CAMP COUNSELOR (Summer 2017)

Responsible for leading a group of 12 seven-year-old children through a series of daily activities.

Designed weekly art projects for campers, purchased necessary materials, and led entire camp in step-by-step demonstration and lessons.

Certificates

CPR/AED Certification, Red Cross, May 2016

First Aid Certification, Red Cross, May 2016

Massachusetts Driver’s License

5. More Sample Cover Letters

Cover letter samples for a variety of career fields and employment levels, including an childcare/social services example, internship cover letter sample, entry-level, targeted, and email cover letters.

I hope this post can be helpful to you. You will be solved the problem with Wikitopx.com. More ideas for you: How to Choose the Right Greeting for Your Cover Letter

From : https://wikitopx.com/job/nanny-resume-and-cover-letter-examples-712952.html

[deck16]

Good Bad Ugly - Pit People

Pit People is a turn-based strategy/puzzle game by Behemoth. I played the PC version recently, finishing the main story in co-op mode.

Metacritic gives the game a 78. Read on for what I think…

The Good

Strategy Mechanics

Pit People has decent strategy mechanics. It’s not trying to be a simulation of small-scale infantry combat but rather has its own game-y mechanics which are fun in and of themselves.

(Normally I don’t like game-y mechanics, but it seems I tolerate them a lot more when they’ve got a cartoon paint-job. Arbitrary, I know.)

The mechanics have some depth but they are on the shallow side. There’s some rock-paper-scissors things going on with equipment, and the 19 different types of units have a few gimmicks each. The game walks you through these things slowly enough to not overwhelm.

A slightly shallow depth isn’t offset by the fact that this is a game designed to be played fast. It’s not a game where you can win or lose from a single silly mistake. Moreover, the interface encourages you not to fret the details, as turns are played out simultaneously for everyone on the same team. It’s easy to miss who-did-what unless you’re watching for it, but it also doesn’t really matter. Winning is more about applying generally-good strategies with consistency than executing amazing gambits.

The game keeps things varied, too. Some missions are simple team deathmatch. There are also missions around escort, escape, holding out, killing a key target, and even a few with a kind-of stealth puzzle.

It’s a balance that works well. Not overly cerebral, but zippy and varied enough to never be boring.

A large fight in an urban environment. Watch out for hazards: large rain-drops of green bear-blood and rampaging hordes of clueless city-dwellers.

Team-Building

I mentioned the 19 different types of units. A big part of Pit People is that you can “capture” the last-standing enemy of a battle. Apart from special bosses, anything the enemy can field you can field too.

Units have unchangeable randomly-picked names. And they also can be equipped with gear (both cosmetic and mechanic-changing). You hopefully can see the appeal.

The favourite of my team was a pixie called Flank Thicksauce who wore a backwards-turned baseball cap. He was captured from an enemy team of barbeque-meat enthusiasts. In my mind, he was a tiny Jesse Pinkman with pyrokinetic abilities. He’d zip around the battlefield doing loads of damage to foes (and often friends).

My co-op buddy had a vampiress called Lemongrass who stalked the field to finish off weakened targets. A little less damage than Flank Thicksauce but a whole lot more tactical.

It’s fun to capture units to bolster your reserves, play dress-ups with them, and then build awesome teams out of them!

The equipment system is fairly simple but does let you customise and tweak your team.

Replayability

The game itself is fairly short, but there’s plenty of replayability: side-quests, exploration, collections, various difficulty modes…

I’m not one for 100%-completionist play, but I do intend to do more side-quests. Each has a silly story behind it, and I want to see more of these.

Humour

I took one look at the art style of Pit People and thought to myself “this is going be a game full of awful juvenile humour, I can tell”.

I was very wrong. Pit People has a strong sense of humour, and it’s actually quite good! It’s on the silly side, sure, but it had me laughing out loud many times.

It doesn’t turn a disdainful, mocking eye on adventure/RPG game tropes but instead lovingly embraces them to use in its own silly way. Silly as it is, it’s actually quite compelling. So think more Terry Pratchett and less Wayans Brothers.

One telling example of this is the fact that the main characters are still heroes. In parodies like this, it must be tempting to make the main characters either unlikeable or incompetent to fully drive the absurdity home. But that’s not a good plan for a game where you play as these characters.

Sofia doesn’t have much to do with the story, but she explains the team’s desire to explore and capture new “recruits”.

Story Characters Alter Gameplay

This is a small thing, but worth mentioning.

While doing a quest’s final mission to save the town of Cityville (or was it the city of Townsville?), my co-op partner and I decided to take all the units we’d unlocked from previous missions in that chain. We thought it was just for our own amusement.

We were surprised when they actually had scripted behaviour/speech that made the mission easier.

Effective Talking Heads

This is another small thing, but worth mentioning.

While the main story has some fully animated cutscenes, most of the game’s narrative is revealed with “talking heads” as you might see in older RPGs. But in Pit People they’ve added a lot of charm to such a simple thing:

The characters talk. They aren’t reading the voice lines (that’s expensive). Instead, they talk a kind-of gibberish. Little snippts of gibberish and glued together randomly to form what they say. But… it’s fantastic gibberish, overflowing with character, and different for each type of unit.

The writing is good, or at least it seems good to me. It’s funny and breezy without trying too hard.

There’s little text touches, like colours and animation. When you see some words of a character’s speech written in a vibrating font you can’t help but imagine a strained tone of voice.

So much of my enjoyment came from these scenes. I find it very impressive they gave “talking heads” so much character with such little tweaks.

In this mission, a beleagured rental tenant mopes on the sofa, despondent that his annoying flat-mate won’t clean up the piles of rubbish around the house. As we take out the trash, he regains his spirit, helping us clean and eventually ousting his evil flat-mate! Oh, and there’s monsters in his flat too, because the city is overrun with them.

Co-op

Pit People isn’t a game for which co-op play is an obvious requirement. All it seems to do is give you a team each and double the size of the enemy teams to compensate. The degree to which you co-ordinate with your co-op partner is up to you, and you can get away with “very little” if desired.

Co-op is implemented flawlessly, though:

Drop-in, drop-out, continue a story alone or pick up a friend part-way through. No shackles on when you can and can’t join your friend. (I think. Not sure about how a new player with no established team would join an in-progress game.)

In battle, turn-taking is simultaneous.

In town, you can see what your friend is doing (even down to the equipment they’re looking at), but aren’t limited to pursuing your own town activities.

Even miscellaneous tasks like overworld travel have both players doing stuff.

Art Style

The art style is simple and cartoony but not lazy. It packs a lot of character. And there’s no sacrifice on clarity: it’s easy to see what is what.

The cutscenes are very fluid.

Soundtrack

It’s good. Some energetic music.

In the final phase of this mission, a giant fella pops his head through the floor. You need to beat his head up so he goes away, allowing you to escape through the hole.

The Bad

Story Tie-in

The story is mostly self-contained but there are references to BattleBlock Theatre (made by the same people) which aren’t explained at all. It’s a minor thing but I found it did dent my enjoyment of the otherwise-fantastic final cut scene.

The Ugly

There’s nothing ugly about this game!

Conclusion

Rated Amazing ★★★★

Very few games I’ve enjoyed more. The strategy gameplay is quite good but the pitch-perfect silly humour is what kept me coming back for more. It would be fun single-player but the flawless co-op gives you the option to enjoy with a friend.

[implantdentisthouston-blog]

Choosing a Raleigh Dentist

In case you're on the lookout for a dentist in Derby, you're really spoiled for alternative (unlike some elements of the UK the place patients are compelled to attend long durations for dental appointments). Along with normal dentists in the Derby space, you will discover a whole host of cosmetic dentists, orthodontists, and paediatric dentists, along with various nationally recognised experts who concentrate on areas similar to oral surgery and periodontics.

There are currently eighty five different dentists listed in and round Derby and, should you're ready to drive for simply 20 minutes or so, you could find even options obtainable in close by Burton-upon-Trent and Nottingham (each are inside 15 miles). With so many dentists to choose from within the Derby area, many native dental patients can feel overwhelmed by the sheer choice accessible. In these situations, many individuals merely select the closest dentist, the most affordable, or one that a buddy or member of the family recommends.

Yet with such a golden alternative to search out precisely the type of service you're looking for, it simply does not make sense to go with the easiest option. By walking by way of the easy course of beneath, you'll be certain that you discover the appropriate dentist for you and your family, whether or not you live in the centre of Derby or within the surrounding area in Ashbourne, Belper, Ripley, and so on.

In order to ensure you make a sound decision and find the very best dentist in Derby, you must do three issues: 1. work out what you are looking for, 2. develop an inventory of prospective dentists in Derby, and 3. slender down your listing to just one or two dentists that you will actually e-book appointments with.

The first step in the course of is to work out what you are on the lookout for in a dentist. Ideally the easiest way to do that is to take a seat down with a pen and paper for a few minutes and listing every thing that's vital to you.

One of many primary things to consider is whether or not you would like to decide on a personal or an NHS dentist in your treatment in Derby. NHS dentists are usually cheaper than non-public ones and there are plenty of these obtainable within the area (verify the Derby NHS Decisions website for a full list). As is different parts of the UK, there could also be instances when it's important to wait to get an appointment with an NHS dentist, though this ought to be much less of a problem in Derby than in additional remoted areas of the country. Moreover, the vary of treatments available on the NHS may be restricted, so this is something else to contemplate whenever you're enthusiastic about your price range for dental care.

Once you have considered whether or not an NHS dentist or personal one would go well with you better, the following factor to concentrate on is whether or not you're in search of explicit expertise or specialities out of your dentist. These may embody such things as specialisations in orthodontics or paediatric dentistry (in your kids) in addition to beauty dentistry, or dealing with nervous patients, if that could be a precedence for you. As talked about above, yow will discover specialists from all the essential branches of dentistry in Derby, as well as a variety of visiting specialists who offer appointments within the area on a regular basis.

One other part in your list of wants ought to centre on your life-style necessities. These can embody things like the best location of your dentist (dentists listed as being "in Derby" may very well be out of the city centre in Spondon, Mackworth, Chaddesden, etc.) In addition to location, you'll additionally need to think about your schedule and think about when you'll most certainly have the ability to see your dentist.

Keep in mind that traffic circumstances may be unhealthy in Derby, so be sure to're not being too optimistic about having the ability to make it to your appointment on time! There are a number of dentists in Derby which can be open late and on the weekend and this may increasingly assist with scheduling, but that is far from typical.

Lastly, as you come to the end of your list of wants, be aware down anything else that will decide your choice of dentist. Do you've got robust preferences concerning amenities? Is the most recent gear an important issue for you? Do it's good to be able bring in your personal music that will help you relax? You may also want to consider whether you're searching for a dentist that shares your attitude to well being care. For example, it's possible you'll be searching for a dentist that provides white mercury-free fillings and who prefers to restrict the variety of x-rays to the minimal within the interests of your total health. No matter is essential to you, add it to your list here.

Once you've got completed your record of needs, the next step to discovering one of the best dentist in Derby is to create a list of prospects to choose from. There are three montrose houston dentist primary ways of doing this: utilizing the web, checking the Yellow Pages, and asking household and buddies. Of these, the easiest and most handy is to make use of the web.

Select your favorite search engine (Google, Yahoo or Bing) and search for listings of dentists in Derby, in addition to additional data that may aid you to make your decision (akin to consumer experiences, critiques, and many others). Additionally, take a look at any dentists websites that come up, as you will additionally have the ability to learn loads from these, although, surprisingly, many dentists in Derby don't seem to have their very own websites!

Although you won't have the ability to find as a lot information as when utilizing the web, the Derby Yellow Pages can still be fairly helpful. One of many advantages of using the Yellow Pages is that it makes finding telephone numbers straightforward (for some cause, in addition to lacking web sites, it is also often tough to search out the cellphone numbers for plenty of dentists in Derby when looking out on-line! If you don't have a duplicate of the Yellow Pages for Derby, you will discover lists of phone numbers on the dental directory and NHS websites for Derby.)

Lastly, after checking the web and Yellow Pages, it is a good idea to ask family, pals and different folks you recognize about which dentists they recommend. This can be especially useful when you've particular wants (such as being a nervous patient, and many others) and know somebody in the same situation. Good dentists quickly appeal to constructive word of mouth, so take note of what others are saying about their dentists in Derby.

You may even think about travelling a little bit additional out (past Mackworth, for example) in case you hear of a particularly good dentist exterior Derby city centre. One factor to be careful of, however, is assuming that a dentist will suit you simply because she or he suits another person: all of us have totally different wants. After writing out your listing of preferences, it is best to now be quite clear on what's necessary to you when searching for a dentist.

By now you're now ready to slim down your checklist of prospects additional to seek out the most effective dentist for you. There are several methods to do this. Firstly, contemplate the conversations you have already had about dentists with your loved ones and associates. Can what you have already discovered assist you to to cross some dentists off your listing, or place others on the high? Whenever you've thought about this, take a look on the dentists' websites and see what impression you get.

It is best to be capable of develop a clearer picture of what providers they offer and what it is wish to obtain remedy there. If the dentist does not have an internet site, this course of will be tougher for you and you are going to have to name them or pay them a visit to seek out the data you need. As mentioned earlier, this won't be an excessive amount of of an issue as virtually all the eighty five dentists within the Derby area are within a half-hour drive of town centre.

Before you contact the dentist's clinic, make a listing of your questions in advance and check to see that you've got lined every part out of your listing of needs. Use the phone to prune down your listing of prospects to the ultimate few. Whenever you've done so, it is time to visit the final remaining clinics in Derby to get a sense of whether or not you'd like to be treated there.

Meet the group, talk to the dentist, take a look round and spot how the patients appear. Are they relaxed and in a good temper, or do they appear nervous? Along with the outcomes of your earlier research, this step should offer you data it is advisable to chose one or two dentists for the ultimate step in the process: making an appointment.

In the absence of comprehensive rankings system for dentists, the best way to find out if a selected dentist is right for you (or not!) is to schedule an appointment. This first appointment will probably just be for a consultation and a brief look at your enamel, or perhaps a easy cleaning. Use this chance to ask the dentist any closing questions you might need and to get a sense of whether you're feeling you may calm down with and belief the dentist.

If at this stage you're feeling some misgivings or if there are any issues, it's higher to move onto one of many other dentists out of your list and schedule an appointment there. If, nevertheless, every little thing seems proper and you are feeling positive about this new dentist then properly completed! It appears such as you might need simply have found your new dentist in Derby!

By following this course of: pondering via your wants, growing a listing of prospective dentists in the Derby space, pruning them all the way down to the final few, and then getting direct experience of being handled by them, you will be sure to discover the best choice for you, whereas avoiding the issues so many different individuals face when dealing with a dentist that merely wasn't the fitting selection for them from the start.

Finding an incredible dentist is not straightforward. Whether or not you reside in Hawaii or Wichita, this generally is a daunting process, particularly if you haven't been to a dentist for a while. However look no additional, than this text. Finding a dentist is simpler than you suppose if you happen to merely apply the ideas that observe.

Ask Folks You Know

An effective way to discover a dentist is to ask other those that you already know and trust. Ask your loved ones, colleagues or pals. Typically they may have good recommendations. In addition to asking what dentist they recommend, ask about other qualitative factors. Discover out if the dentist is pleasant, has a nice ready room and has an amazing employees.

What if you're new to an space?

If you're new to an area, you could not know anybody who can advocate an excellent dentist. So what do you do on this situation? Ask credible people who find themselves ready to know who one of the best dentists are. Often hospitals and different health services employ the services of a variety of dentists. So they are in a terrific position to know who the most effective dentists are. All you need to do is call them up and ask for a advice.

You can even ask a neighborhood dental school. Dental faculties are in an awesome position to know who the very best dentists are in the space. As well as, dental faculties could even supply decrease charges than a daily dentist for dental care. Certain, you'll have college students performing your dental care, but they will be well supervised by extremely expertise dentists who know what they are doing.

Use the Web

Now days, all the things is on the web. Search for a web site that lists dentists in your area along with affected person critiques. Look for a dentist that is convenient for you and in addition look at their reviews. Ensure that their sufferers have numerous good issues to say about them. And if a dentist has a lot of unfavorable critiques, look elsewhere.

Also visit the dentist's web site. You'll be able to study so much by checking out their website. Does the dentist provide all the dental companies required to meet their needs? You may also get a really feel for the dentist's character by the way in which they've designed their web site and what they speak about on their website. And if the dentist has posted a video, then you're actually in luck. You can get a superb sense of their personality too.

Particular Dental Wants

When selecting a dentist, you must also think about your special dental wants. In case you have wholesome tooth, choosing a dentist is simpler as all dentists are able to do the fundamentals like cleanings and taking x-rays. However when you've got crooked enamel you may want a dentist that makes a speciality of orthodontics. Or if you need your enamel to look better you may want a dentist that focuses on cosmetic dentistry and so on.

Examine Your Dental Plan

Another smart way to choose a dentist is to look at the dentists that are pre-permitted by your dental plan. On this case, you'll already know that they are going to accept your dental insurance coverage. But you need to make sure you ask lots of questions to substantiate that they are the right dentist for you.

Call the Dentist

After you have narrowed down your record of potential dentists, name them. See how you're treated on the cellphone. Verify that they take your insurance. Discover out: methods to get to the office, what their business hours are and how they handle dental emergencies that are outside of their business hours.

Take a Take a look at Drive

Some dentists will supply free consultations and even free cleanings to prospective patients. Take them up on their supply. You'll get free service and likewise an opportunity to speak with them as a way to see should you get a long.

Don't Get Taken for a Experience

Some unscrupulous dentists will attempt to sell you companies or therapies that you do not need. On this situation, go along with your intestine intuition and get a second opinion from one other dentist if you're unsure that any remedy is not right for you.

Additionally, some unhealthy dentists will publish faux evaluations on evaluate websites. So at all times take the evaluations that you just see on these websites with a grain of salt. Ensure that the critiques align with your expertise with the dentist and look elsewhere if they don't.

[ohmontague]

❝ ❀ ☕ ✎ *.:｡ Belle Desrosiers + 100 Questions

Basic Character Questions First name? Isabelle Surname? Desrosiers Middle names? Christine Nicknames? Belle, worm (by Maurice), Beauty Date of birth? September 4, 1993 Age? 23

Physical / Appearance Height? 5’4” Weight? Average Build? Slender Hair colour? Medium brown Hair style? Mid-length Eye colour? Brown Eye Shape? Wide Glasses or contact lenses? Glasses for driving (too many years of reading below the cover with a flashlight shot her eyesight) Distinguishing facial features? Large brown eyes Which facial feature is most prominent? Eyes Which bodily feature is most prominent? Hair Other distinguishing features? Wide smile Skin? Pale, clear Hands? Small, lithe fingers. Usually sans nail polish or rings (they get in the way, and frankly, she gets frustrated by constantly having to reapply nail polish) Make up? Simple Scars? None Birthmarks? None Tattoos? None Physical handicaps? Nearsighted Type of clothes? Vintage and French inspired How do they wear their clothes? Neatly, though she doesn’t have time to iron/press What are their feet like? (type of shoes, state of shoes, socks, feet, pristine, dirty, worn, etc): Wears clean flat shoes (boots or flats) Race / Ethnicity? White, Jewish Mannerisms?: bits lip, fidgets, plays with hair, picks at nail polish Are they in good health? Yes Do they have any disabilities? No

Personality What words or phrases do they overuse? “Beautiful”, “classic”, “ridiculous”, “I was reading”/”I saw this documentary”/”I heard about” Do they have a catchphrase? See above (she’s constantly reading wikipedia articles or reading useless trivia websites and can’t help but find everything fascinating) Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? Optimistic Are they introverted or extroverted? Introverted Do they ever put on airs? Not really What bad habits do they have? See mannerisms What makes them laugh out loud? Bad jokes, physical comedy, satire How do they display affection? Lots of physical contact, looking after people when they’re sad, buying little gifts, “I saw this thing online and thought of you”, saying she loves people Mental handicaps? Socially anxious How do they want to be seen by others? Smart, witty feminist How do they see themselves? Anxious bookish nerd How are they seen by others? Passionate feminist nerd Strongest character trait? Imaginative Weakest character trait? Headstrong How competitive are they? She can be in the right situations Do they make snap judgements or take time to consider? She can make snap judgments about people’s character How do they react to praise? Depending on the person giving, either blushing or a heart “Thank you!” How do they react to criticism? Depending on the person, she either snaps or sulks (harsh criticism); genuine criticism has fairly varied reactions, depending on what the person’s criticizing and how touchy she is about the subject. What is their greatest fear? It was losing her father; now, she doesn’t know. What are their biggest secrets? She’s socially anxious, she misses her mother even though she doesn’t remember her, and sometimes she doubts the existence of God. What is their philosophy of life? Be kind to those less fortunate to make their lives a little easier and hopefully make the world a better place for the next generation When was the last time they cried? A few nights ago, thinking about her father What haunts them? The spyglass her father gave to her at her graduation What are their political views? Staunchly liberal What will they stand up for? The underdog, her family, her opinions about books, most things to be honest Who do they quote? Lots of poets and writers as well as artists and stand up comedians Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy? Indoorsy, but she likes the outdoors What is their sinful little habit? Sometimes she’ll go through an entire box of mini cupcakes in one sitting What sense do they most rely on? Sight How do they treat people better than them? With as much respect as she’s given How do they treat people worse than them? With more kindness than they deserve What quality do they most value in a friend? Loyalty and kindness What do they consider an overrated virtue? Chastity If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? Her temper What is their obsession? Books, books, and more books. (Also, travel, making the world a better place, and being kind) What are their pet peeves? Ignorance, people who share memes on Facebook, people who say the movie was better, people who don’t appreciate what they’ve been given, people who assume she wants to get/is married, people who misinterpret classic literature What are their idiosyncrasies? Hates clocks but keeps one of her father’s by her bed; claims to hate Adam but would protect him with her life; self-assured but also incredibly anxious

Friends and Family Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of? Very small, now. She’s an orphan because of her father’s death. What is their perception of family? Family is your blood (though this will change_ Do they have siblings? Older or younger? Only child Describe their best friend. (TBD) Ideal best friend? Kind, forgiving, a good sense of humor, passionate about something Describe their other friends. (TBD) Describe their acquaintances. (TBD) Do they have any pets? Two cats, Billy and Charlie Who are their natural allies? Book lovers, social justice enthusiasts, travel bloggers, liberal arts students Who are their surprising allies? Adam

Past and Future What was your character like as a baby? As a child? As a baby, she was fussy and colicky. As a toddler, she loved to explore and often wound up in scraps. Did they grow up rich or poor? Solidly middle class Did they grow up nurtured or neglected? Nurtured What is the most offensive thing they ever said? Once accidentally said “Fuck” at age three after hearing Maurice swear after dropping a wrench on his foot. It took him a week to shake the habit from her. What is their greatest achievement? Getting accepted to a school she loved. What was their first kiss like? Hasn’t happened yet What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved? Called her father an absent-minded tyrant dwelling on the past once in anger What are their ambitions? To be published What advice would they give their younger self? Keep reading. It’ll keep you sane. What smells remind them of their childhood? Grease, fresh paint, lilacs, library books, new car smell, paper towels, the seaside, vinyl couch What was their childhood ambition? To be a spy or else an adventurer What is their best childhood memory? Papa watching old movies with her while they made brownies What is their worst childhood memory? Being bullied as a child Did they have an imaginary childhood friend? Yes. Her name was Violetta and she was a princess-turned-spy in a kingdom where every street had a library. When was the last time they were crushed with disappointment? Her novel being rejected from a publisher What past act are they most ashamed of? Being cruel to one of her friends because they’d made a separate friend other than her What past act are they most proud of? Throwing cold soup in a bully’s face because he was being cruel to one of her friends Has anyone ever saved their life? Yes, Adam Strongest childhood memory? Her father working overtime so he could afford to buy her a new bike

Love Do they believe in love at first sight? Yes Are they in a relationship? No How do they behave in a relationship? Generally the same as with a friendship, but with more kissing. When did you character last have sex? TBD What sort of sex do they have? TBD Has your character ever been in love? No Have they ever had their heart broken? No

Conflict How do they respond to a threat? Depending on the threat, she either lashes back or remains quiet Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? Tongue What is your character’s kryptonite? Threatening her loved ones If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? Her first edition of The Great Gatsby How do they perceive strangers? Wonderful creatures of humanity What do they love to hate? Reality TV, vapidness, ignorance What are their phobias? Fire, spiders What is their choice of weapon? A well-aimed dictionary What living person do they most despise? Gaston Have they ever been bullied or teased? Yes Where do they go when they’re angry? Her mother’s grave, just to talk to her mother Who are their enemies and why? None at present

Work, Education and Hobbies What is their current job? French tutor What do they think about their current job? She likes it well enough, but it’s tedious What are some of their past jobs? Bookstore clerk, summer camp counselor, babysitter What are their hobbies? Reading, writing, going for walks, painting, watching old movies Educational background? BA in English Intelligence level? High Do they have any specialist training? No Do they have a natural talent for something? She has a strong memory and can remember almost all she reads Do they play a sport? Are they any good? Ha. No. What is their socioeconomic status? Middle class

Favourites What is their favourite animal? Cat Which animal to they dislike the most? Wolf What place would they most like to visit? Italy What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen? The sunrise from the top of a mountain What is their favourite song? “Circle Game” - Joni Mitchell Music, art, reading preferred? Classical/jazz/rap, pre-raphaelite and post-modern, literally everything under the sun What is their favourite colour? Yellow What is their password? She uses the same one for every website. It’s usually a variation on the first letters of words in sentence, with random letters capitalized throughout Favourite food: Pancakes What is their favourite work of art? Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” Who is their favourite artist? John Williams Waterhouse What is their favourite day of the week? Saturday

Possessions What is in their fridge: Typical foodstuffs + iced tea + lots of cream cheese + french pastries + ingredients to bake What is on their bedside table? A stack of books, a water bottle, a journal, her keys What is in their car? Nothing, really. She keeps it clean. What is in their bin? Lots of receipts, letters from nonprofits, Smithsonian Magazine tear-outs, advertisements for cruise ships, packaging from books ordered online, PBS catalogs, eggshells from baking, lots of hair pulled out from her hairbrush, pill bottles for antidepressants What is in their purse or wallet? Gift cards to bookstores (~5, each with about $2 left), her library card, $15 in cash, two credit cards, lots of random pink/nude lipsticks, a hair tie, a mini notebook for sketching, a book if she can fit it in What is in their pockets? A lipstick, a receipt, a random $10 bill What is their most treasured possession? Her father’s spyglass

Spirituality Who or what is your character’s guardian angel? TBD Do they believe in the afterlife? Yes What are their religious views? Jewish What do they think heaven is? She’s not entirely sure, but she thinks for her it’d be like a library What do they think hell is? A place of nothingness and emptiness and no hope Are they superstitious? Mildly, but mostly for fun What would they like to be reincarnated as? A bird, so she could fly away How would they like to die? Either peacefully or standing up for what’s right What is your character’s spirit animal? What is their zodiac sign? Virgo

Values What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? Take away their basic human dignity What is their view of ‘freedom’? The ability to make your own choices without fear of retribution or embarrassment, so long as another person isn’t harmed When did they last lie? A white lie to a friend What’s their view of lying? White lies are different than black lies When did they last make a promise? Does promising to return library books count? Did they keep or break their last promise? Keep

Daily life What are their eating habits? Two or three meals + a few snacks throughout the day Do they have any allergies? Yes, mildly allergic to nuts Describe their home. Very comfortable and cozy, with hundreds of books, ornaments from around the world, maps of places she’d like to visit, two cats, loads of plants (roses are a favorite), a small piano, lots of warm browns and soft yellows Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? Clutter hoarder What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? Shower What do they do on a Sunday afternoon? Watch a period drama and drink tea What do they do on a Friday night? Possibly see a show or go to the movies What is the soft drink of choice? She doesn’t drink soda What is their alcoholic drink of choice? Aperol spritz

Miscellaneous What is their character archetype? (Innocent, Orphan, Hero, Caregiver, Explorer, Rebel, Lover, Creator, Jester, Sage, Magician, Ruler): Sage Who is their hero?: Jane Austen; her father. What or who would your character dress up as for Halloween?: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Are they comfortable with technology?: Yes, but not super savvy If they could save one person, who would it be?: She can’t answer this question (Adam) If they could call one person for help, who would it be? Her father, but he can’t answer. What is their favourite proverb? A little knowledge is a dangerous thing What is their greatest extravagance? Books. What is their greatest regret? Not telling her father she loved him the day he “died” What is their perception of redemption? Being kind to those who hurt you. What would they do if they won the lottery? Buy tons of books, book a ticket around the world, and put the rest up in a savings account What is their favourite fairytale? Psyche and Eros What fairy tale do they hate? Snow White. Belle has a lot of feelings about internalized misogyny. Do they believe in happy endings? Yes What is their idea of perfect happiness? Lots of people who love them, a significant other, lots of animals to keep them company, and the ability to travel whenever they want What would they ask a fortune teller? Will I make a difference? If your character could travel through time, where would they go? Probably 1960s Woodstock What sport do they excel at? Heh. Belle, sports? She’s decent at archery What sport do they suck at? Anything with a lot of coordination (especially basketball) If they could have a superpower, what would they choose? Flight, so she could see the world.