#(like I find it all a little crass and not in the ‘Taylor should step aside!’ kind of way)

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

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[lucefrs]

did  you  know  either  of  the  victims  :   amelia  taylor  or  cassie  snyder  ?  if  yes  ,   how  well  did  you  know  them ?  

i didn’t know amelia. i knew cass. all the amnesty kids did. we’d smoke together and joke about getting lung cancer together. i’d always bum one off her ‘cos i was always short. she never minded. you know most people are quiet when they smoke, me included. that’s why i usually like smoking alone, i get too tempted to talk if i’m with other people and then it ruins the whole flow of the smoke to burn ratio and people get annoyed with me for interrupting their smoke break with fun facts about john stamos. but i could smoke with her, she was chill. was good at not talking. 

how  have  your  sleeping  and  eating  patterns  been  ?  

well they’ve always been bad, so are you just asking if they’ve been worse ? yeah, i guess. like the food looked super unappetizing all of a sudden which was a bummer cos i was hungry. like during the lockdown. then after all i wanted was junk food, like proper junk food, not junk food made by a five star michelin chef. if the night’s gone right i’m usually ready to plonk right into bed and knock the fuck out, but i guess recently i’ll do the stare at the ceiling thing, thinking about life and death and stuff. that’s like, a normal response though right ? ew, please don’t write seeks validation on your notes, i know and i’m working on it.

do  you  find  yourself  thinking  about  the  event  even  when  you  don’t  want  to  ?  if  yes  ,   what  are  the  most  frequent  images ?  

well yeah, sometimes. in a super selfish way though. like, what if i had been me. what if i had been outside then instead. i keep thinking of cass in this super cinematic way. it’s dark outside, the pavement’s rain slicked and there’s neon lights for some reason. she looks hella hot, and she’s wearing a leather jacket so she’s like robert deniro taxi driver cool. obviously she wasn’t, i dunno what she was wearing probably something super cute and valentinesy. can you find that out for me ? make my intrusive images a little more accurate ?

do  you  avoid  thinking  or  talking  about  the  event ?

not really, ignoring an elephant in the room is like, animal abuse. maybe less so with the gallagher kids, they just don’t get it. and i don’t get them, even though i really want to. some of them are really nice. and dreamy. but i don’t not think of it, i want the grief over asap and the best way to do that is to feel all the shit. 

do  you  avoid  going  places  or  being  in  situations  that  remind  you  of  the  event ?  if  yes  ,   what  are  these  places  ?  

no, i mean, i feel pretty safe here if that’s what you mean. i’m not like triggered by anything ‘cos nothing happened to me. except being kept here against my will, if anything my room reminds me that my door can self-lock if it so chooses to and that scares me more than a wandering murderer. i know, i should get my priorities sorted but that’s like fucked up, don’t you think ? 

do  you  have  nightmares  about   the  event  ?   if  yes  ,   please  describe  these  nightmares  to  the  best  of  your  ability  .  

nope, i had a dream about cass though. very mundane, very wholesome, didn’t know my heart was capable of such tenderness. oof, now that’s a line. i should be like the mamma mia guy in fleabag who writes down all the deep things he says. i don’t really get nightmares, which is wild since i’ve had some fucking awful trips. the last nightmare i had was my mam screaming so loud at me i woke up sweating. thought i was gonna have a heart attack i could literally feel it going off against my chest. called her immediately to tell her about it and she got a real hoot outta it. 

do  you  feel  easily  startled  or  anxious  ?  give  examples  .  

not really, i get a bit nervy sometimes. fidgety and shit, like. just gotta be constantly stimulated, gimme that good good sensory overload you know ? anxiety found dead in miami, i get more manic i guess. boom ! kachow ! aries teas.

do  you  worry  about  being  harmed  or  feel  “on guard” ?  give  examples  .  

nope, should i be ? like i genuinely don’t know how panicked i should be, maybe i’m still in denial. that’s one of the five steps right. five steps ? what is this, alcoholics anonymous ? i meant five stages. like i said, i feel less safe inside these walls, and i probably shouldn’t say this, but i’m like the least valuable member on the amnesty club. i mean jaysus, i joined on a fucking whim, no one wants to harm me, like i barely even know what the fuck is up. 

do  you  feel  detached  or  “numb”  ?  how  so  ?  

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. uhhhhhhhhhhh. maybe so !

do  you  feel  shame  or  guilt  about  the  event  or  about  problems  related  to  the  event ?  what  do  you  think  is  causing  this  same  or  guilt ?  

what do i have to be guilty about ? i’ve never done anything wrong in my life. if you’re talking survivor’s guilt ... well, no. shit, i don’t wish it were me at all. i guess, it like, and this sounds super freaking crass, but it doesn’t feel like it’s any of my business. of course i feel every ounce of grief from her death, but all the shit surrounding it, it’s just, like, these circumstances that don’t even feel like a thing. a bad trip, but it’ll be over soon enough. and we’ll all move on with our lives. get decent jobs. have kids. make lacklustre love to our partners and stick it out until the kids are out of high school to get a divorce. 

do  you  find  that  you  act  irritable  or  angry  ?  in  what  ways  ?  

yeah, but i have a right to be angry. every georgetown kid here does. like we’re getting next to no information about what the hell is going on, and it’s really fucking patronizing if you’re asking me. so yeah, i’m irritated with this place, ugh, and it’s like, you’re not even gonna do anything about it but tell me how i can cope with that. bit fucked, don’tcha think ? 

do  you  act  oppositional  ,  act  out  sexually  ,  or  abuse  alcohol  or  drugs ?

well ya, but i did that before any of this happened, and it’s not like a problem, it’s just my vibe. but i can’t say i’ve got it under control, even though i really do have it under control cos that’s just addict talk. so really, it’s just a catch 22. am i using that right ? i haven’t seen the movie.

[siwwhq-blog]

SAMPLE APPLICATION

Below is a sample application submitted by Admin Alexis for Slacker.

OOC:

Name, Pronouns, and Timezone: Alexis, she/her, EST

Age: 26 years

Activity level. Please explain: 7/10 due to work. I will try to be on at least once a day to try and get responses in. I'll at least check in to read over things :D 

Triggers: n/A

How did you find us? If you remember tell us the tag or page: n/A

Anything else: n/A

Character Basics:

   What skeleton are you applying for?: Slacker

   Character full name: Jackson Cole Taylor

   Character age: 23

   Faceclaim: Calum Hood

   Second Choice Faceclaim: Patty Walters

   Gender & Pronouns: cis male & he/him

   What year is your character in, and what degree are they pursuing? Jackson has been at SIWW for three years and he’s pursuing his Bachelor’s/four year degree.

   Any changes to the skeletons: n/A

Expansion:

Biography:

There's only the odd sensory memories before the age of six: the feel of dead, yellowed grass under his feet, the smell of whiskey burning his nostrils, the "kraa-kraa" calls of crows.

Jack's earliest tangible memory is of the stars. Nights spent craning his neck and staring intensely at the black velvet sky peaking out behind the billowy clouds otherwise blanketing the earth. Hoping for a glimpse of a shooting star and calling his older sister a liar whenever she claimed one for herself. Now all that remains of his early childhood is her coyly smug face and the intricate patterns cigarette smoke weaved in the air as they sat atop their trailer on the back of his eyelids as he sleeps.

A lot of families lived in that trailer park when they first moved in - Jackson  got on well with the dirty-faced kids, some young, some older, kicking pinecones around and fighting over the cheap, plastic kiddie pools in the heat of the Colorado summer.

He went to school, and it was probably the most decent one in the district. It was the same building all the wealthy families sent their children, Jackson just so happened to have his address still listed at his godfather's house so he could stay there. But, when Jack wasn't in school he was running through the streets, wasting hours at the skate park, or stealing cheap beer out of the trailers around him. The neighbors never locked their doors so it only served them right.

The air, when it wasn't heavy with liquor or cigarettes, always smelled of crisp wilderness air and pine trees. That was Jack's favorite part about where he lived. His least favorite part was, of course, the lack of ambition most of the other residents demonstrated. Plenty of them enjoyed just sitting outside in their lawn chairs smoking cigarettes and gossiping with one another. Although Jack got on well with a lot of the kids, he couldn't help but feel like he was in the wrong place. He did little to remedy that, what with lack of direction and knowledge on how to pursue something better.

His grades barely suffered until he hit his sophomore year. His sister was an assistant manager at a grocery store trying to make ends meet. She worked her tail off throughout her schooling career just to be forced out with little to nothing to show for it, and Jackson couldn't help but feel defeated before he even entered the rat race to a successful future. So he stopped trying, stopping showing up.

There was something about the two different extremes of people he was around that had him feeling out of place. He fell somewhere in the middle, considering stepping out of his comfort zone but lacking the means and knowledge to do so. The endless feeling of floating did little to comfort him, and it had him seeking his own source of it- that of which included skipping class, attending parties, and basically doing all he could to not fit either the mold of the snobby elitist or ambitionless troublemakers. He almost always fell into the latter despite his attempts to do otherwise.

After Jackson failed his second attempt at sophomore year, his sister had grown tired of his behavior. She sat him down and gave him a stern talking to. Although initially met with his stubbornness, Jack took to heart what she had to say, and he redirected the path he ran astray from with the promise of at least graduating. It was all he could be sure of, anyway, as he studied and made his way through comp classes and rose his GPA from it's nearly unsalvagable score.

It was shortly after his birthday in his third try at sophomore year Jack had a brief experience with magic. After dark, running through the back streets, and it was only convenient he and his friends had just left a party. Like most things in life, it started off great. They were flying, adrenaline and smug, playful pride the source of their fuel, leaving a group of jocks they'd pissed off in the dust. But it was on the busier main street that he bailed– he slipped on the asphalt to tumble onto his side with a bit of a surprised yelp and an ‘oof’ as he hit the ground, the wind knocked out of him. He was met with headlights and a blaring horn, and just as he, with bleary eyes, looked up in a panic he was suddenly on the sidewalk on the other side of the street.

The friends with him were too fogged in their minds to realize that their friend was a wizard, and that it was a blip of teleportation that managed to work in that moment. They thought they just missed him making his way to a different part of the street. Jack never told anyone- not them, not his sister, not a single soul. Not until he was contacted and given a tutor, courtesy of SIWW, to help him manage his abilities. It was one incident with no tell tale of when it'd happen again.

A year and a half later, Jackson walked for graduation with no plan for his future. That didn't matter to him, though, as he shook the principal's hand, took his diploma and waved to his sister in the crowd. He'd never seen her so proud of him. After Jack learned very quickly that without a plan in action he had no real direction to go. He applied at numerous places and ignored any college spam letters he received in the mail. 

Despite the earnest efforts of his guidance counselor, Jack never picked up an application before signing for his cap and gown. He had no intention to, but he found his disappointment in his struggle to get a footing in adult life. Already two years behind due to his own irresponsible decisions he barely paid any mind to anyone who tried to reach out to him. Until his sister grabbed an envelope and slid it across the table to him at breakfast.

Ah, right, magic.

He had that tutor, and he never forgot about what he possessed. With no knowledge beyond the management he was taught behind him it was like going in blind, but his sister smiled and encouraged him to take the invitation. He had an opportunity tailored just for him at his hands, and Jackson hesitantly accepted. For his entired life he knew nothing beyond his trailer park and the pine trees of Colorado or the too-white smiles of the upscale families beyond it. He never left his town, and it was nerve-wracking and exhilirating all at the same time to even consider it.

Jackson worked for the rest of the summer to save up money for supplies, and with some financial aid from both the school and his sister, he stepped foot into SIWW the following fall semester. He didn't have a real plan in action, but finally he felt like he could make something of himself.

Personality:

Stone-faced and oftentimes too silent, most people who aren’t in Jack’s immediate life would say it’s hard to get a word out of the boy. But, if you are to get him talking about something he likes, he will light up and speak passionately. He doesn’t go out of his way to seek friendship, but he isn’t closed off to the idea of it. Should he speak he can come off as borderline arrogant and rather crass lacking the politeness and manners expected by unprovoked strangers in the general public. He isn’t one looking for a fight as he often will think of himself above picking one with measly little ol’ you, but don’t put him passed lashing out if it is required for his own defense. His words are more a weapon than his fists, so don’t physically threaten him and you’re in the clear.

Jack's never been a cowardly man. He's always tried to take everything life has thrown at him like a champ, and he doesn't back down easily. Whether it was standing up against bullies or authority figures (he hardly sees the difference between the two words) or hurtling himself from rooftops and scaling the sides of ruined buildings, he's always had no fear keeping him from doing it. He handles most things in life passionately, be it a hobby or a person, he takes to it like a love affair.

Although he often carries a subtle smile on his face due to his consistence of contentment, he isn't one to fake a smile of any sort so no one has to worry about him wearing any masks. He does not try to lie, and the expressed downtrodden feelings aren't made noticeable for sympathy, he just doesn't feel the need to be secretive any time he feels gloomy about anything. This, however, can make him difficult to deal with especially if someone else's emotional needs are in more dire need than his own. He has a terrible habit of being unreceptive to those when he is on an emotional low.

Despite brawls in middle school and through out high school, and even a few altercations on the streets, Jack pays no mind to any of the consequences of his words or actions. He follows the typical mantra of “It is what it is” when regarding poor situations and unfavorable outcomes, be it his own or others’. He was a bit more mischievious as a youngster when the law couldn’t touch him. With age came the common sense of avoiding dangerous behaviors, but don’t put recklessness below him. He still can be impulsive in his actions and it’s mostly to stir up the monotony of his own routine life.

Jack has found that cracking snide remarks and maintaining a somewhat dark-humored persona has helped him through any remotely tough times. Although it can grate on others' patience, Jack tries not to let his age dictate his ability to let loose at times and shirk his responsibilities. He's a college kid with a high school senior's mentality. He is trusting to a fault, but if crossed he can bear a grudge and carry it to the grave, and he will let you know you are not on his good side. Jack is also prone to throwing himself pity parties in times of personal distress and negative thoughts, drinking himself into a stupor with whatever liquor stash he can get his hands on.

Headcanons:

1. Jackson is guilty for sometimes living beyond his means. He spends more than he should at the risk of having  nothing to spend the next week. He was lucky to receive a student credit card with a very small limit, but whenever it's paid off he is quick to add to his debt again. Part of it is not wanting to hold off on the luxurious things in life (expensive coffees or name brand clothes), but most of his careless spending probably derives from when he had to pretend he wasn't lower class throughout his middle and high school career. 2. Through his elementary and middle school years, Jack practiced soccer. He became pretty decent at it. Not necessarily MVP or team captain level, but he was first string. It was when his attendance in high school started dropping he was at risk for losing his spot on the team. But it wasn't that he was booted, it was that the expenses were too much so he ultimately had to drop on his own. 3. He had an altercation, per se, with some rowdy individuals over money and maybe a bit of paraphernalia, that ended up in a scuffle that left him with a bloodied nose and a posterior knee dislocation. For the most part he’s recovered, but if struck there or if accidentally twisted it locks up or pops out of place. It hurts and he has to go and get medical attention to pop it back if it dislocates again, but otherwise, if the rough contact doesn’t knock it out of place it gets stiff and he limps for a bit. 4. Jack isn’t much into drugs so much as he is into drinking. Thankfully it’s not an everyday thing, but there’s likely a bottle of booze and a few cans of beer tucked under his bed. Jim Beam may be his favorite, but when his finances don’t allow it any bottom shelf liquor will do. He also had a poor habit of walking into the unlocked trailer's around the park and stealing cheap beer out of their mini fridges. 5. For unexplainable reasons Jack fears thunder and lightning. He doesn’t have any memory for when this fear started, it’s just always been there. If there’s so much as a hint of thunder in the distance he pops his headphones in and plays music at high volumes and finds sanctuary in his closet or under his blankets where he will wait the storm out. This isn’t something he really tells anyone.

Anything Else: Noooo, I'll be in the talk tag. Look out for various forms of Slacker inspiration.