#2k18 BC Adventures

[coolpolarbear123]

Band Camp Day 2

I need to stop writing these at midnight.

August 21st, 2018

Day 1 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

NOT LAST:

Alright, so I’ll begin with random stuff I forgot from yesterday, as always

1) This band is, if not the biggest, one of the biggest bands this college has ever had, at 127 people.

127 people

Re: “This band is 120 people--double my old band” from sophomore year

Catch my drift?

2) This is includes the picc section, by the way. Fifteen people is a lot. I understand. I really understand when we’re tuning.

3) Everything has a call and response. Are you turning? How about turning around? Lateral sliding?

This brings me to terminology: I’m so sad I don’t get to kick any babies anymore

And now today: First thing’s first: I’m noncompliant! This means I did something wrong.

I forgot my nametag.

If someone is noncompliant, they get to dance in front of the entire band at the end of the day. (Spoiler: half the band was also noncompliant. I stood in a corner and waited until it was done)

All of the instruments are really good at sticking to their stereotypes. The clarinets dance to everything, the saxophones formed an actual cult (they were holding hands, chanting or something at one point), the trumpets are... well, you know, and the piccolos?

Well, we screech a lot

And I don’t mean with the actual piccolo

I think our goal this year is to be more annoying than the saxophones. At this rate, we’ll be the first ever to do it.

Everyone loves talking about high school marching band--not just the freshman

So, while doing marching practice, there’s a block we have to stand in. We’re standing in this block, at attention, and we have our instrument in our hands.

We’re practicing turning, so we turn, and the band director makes a comment that’s something along the lines of, “Harder to do when you have a sousaphone or bass drum, huh?” And a bass drum happens to be walking by us at the moment and basically says, “Yeah, no sh*t, Sherlock,” except that’s in my words and not his because I don’t remember his.

There was a word that started with a T in his phrase. That’s all I’ve got for you.

Also, you know the classic: “Band atten-hut!”? And everyone goes to attention completely off guard? There isn’t really that here. We have a sort of “preparation” attention and then “attention-attention,” and those are just called by saying stuff like “to the ready” and “band, atten-hut, atten-hut,” like, super casually.

My humour is officially accepted by the piccs:

“...was that too dark for you? Sometimes that’s too dark for some people.” Me, walking up to the conversation, “Sometimes I’m too dark for some people.” “Whoa. whOA. WHOAAAA.” Cue laughter.

Counting outloud is encouraged and it’s fantastic

Stands songs!!! Have!!!! Dances!!!!!!!!!!!

At the end of the day, we always sing the alma mater and the fight song, and no one has taught it to us yet. Please. Let me learn. I can’t just keep standing there.

We’re playing “25 or 6 to 4,” which is a song my old band played, except this is a different key and the rhythms are different.

Speaking of which, this is my third time trying to reteach myself the SSB. Gods, I hate that song

“Star Spangled Banner” for anyone who doesn’t know

We were practicing indoors, and the band director had the percussion say something, and every now and then, there’s this weird noise coming from... somewhere. It sounded sort of saxophone-like, but it wasn’t a saxophone. Eventually we were all laughing too hard, and the conductor stopped and asked, “What is that?” “The speakers!” The band director then tried to fix it. It was not fixed. Let’s just say we had to move on.

Snares: “Hey, we have two pieces of the same song, and they’re both different. Which one do you want us to play?” “The one by X and arranged by Y.” “They both are.” “Pick the yellower one.” “They’re white.”

Man, during tuning, he’s going section by section, and piccs are always last at stuff, right? So eventually he’s like, “Oh, yeah, and piccs,” and we all raise our piccs to tune to Bb

The Devil’s noise is heard, and half of us immediately take our instruments down to adjust. We put them up, and more people take them down. Rinse and repeat. None of us actually want to hear fifteen piccs at the same time. None of us can tune fifteen piccs at a time.

The clarinets cannot hold in their laughter at us trying to tune

I couldn’t either, honestly. Gods, who made this instrument?

We break off into sectionals

The clarinets: “I mean... we could go outside, I guess.” The piccs: “Haha we wouldn’t. Someone would call 911 on us.” Picc Drill Instructor: “I’d call 911 on a piccolo, honestly.” The Rest of the Piccs: “So would we.”

So, we’re going over a song that has dance moves, and basically we dip either down or up on this one phrase. It alternates.

Drill Instructor: “Go down on the D” *wink* Section Leader: “OH MY GOD WHAT” DI: “That’s how I was taught it!” DI: “Okay, and then you go up on the F” SL: “YOU KNOW IT”

Fastforward, we’re practicing some runs on our own for the fight song, and one of the picc players walk in--a junior, I think--and she just says, “That sounds terrible.”

Yes, I know we’re picc players. Shush.

Look, I know that after hearing these stories, you’re probably thinking that we’re really efficient and use our time wisely--constantly practicing.

I assure you, we’re not. Literally every time we broke into sectionals during marching today, our drill instructor told us stories until someone looked over at us, where she made us march in circles until we could go back to storytime.

The picc section, everyone.

There’s a song we’re playing called Free, and some how people only either have the first page or the second page, or if you’re a snare drum, you only have the last two measures.

I’m not joking--it’s a tiny slip of paper that says “Free” at the top and only has two measures.

There’s another song, and the picc part is handwritten. It’s really fun to watch all of the piccs lean forward in unison as we try to read our music. It’s also fun to hear us all stop in confusion. You can tell when fifteen piccs aren’t playing.

Or, we can

And the band director could

Dinner! The most exciting thing that happened was that some football player was getting a drink, and the machine just kept going, even after he took his cup away. My friend and I were the only ones who saw, and we were laughing, and he looked at us like, “I have no idea what to do.” That continued for a couple more minutes before he managed to fix it.

It was super funny, though, the dude was frantic. Flailed his arms a bit and everything

Back to marching practice, and the drill instructor has to make us march because a drum major is making her way over. Everyone else is playing follow the leader, so what does she decide to have us do?

Play follow the leader

Also known as Snakes, I guess

Our section leader led, and as she went on, she got worse and worse, eventually just yelling “oh god, oh god, oH GOD” over and over until none of us could shout our commands because we were laughing too hard.

We almost ran into the percs at that time. That was a major “OH GOD” moment from our section leader.

The newbies all had to march in a block on their own today. We suckkkkk

There’s a formation we stand in to practice playing songs without marching, so we’re in that, and we’re trying to tune (which never ends well, as we’ve learned by now), and:

Band director: “Do you know what’s worse than one piccolo?” Us: “Fifteen?” Band director: “Two.”

It’s 9 o’clock: the day is over. However, every day there are schedules activities, and today’s is a scavenger hunt.

We’re in groups by section, and we all had to meet up at a specific place. Eventually there’s a bunch of sections there, and each are doing their own thing. Trumpets are yelling “oof” in unison, saxophones were being cultists, piccs were silently chanting “not last, not last,” and the mellophones were all trying to not pee their pants.

Literally all of them had to use the bathroom, and there’s more mellophones than piccs, if you need a reference.

Our section leader somehow gets one of the locked doors open, and yells over to our drill instructor, “Hey, look!” “[SL] OPENED THE DOOR GUYS” *Huge rush of mellophones run into the building at top speed”

Someone starts playing music near us piccs. Many emo songs. We all know the words.

We get the list, and we’re off. 20 minutes, let’s do this.

I should mention that this activity is optional, but we had a little over half of us there.

I should also mention some background. They do this every year, and last year the piccs got last. The returning picc players had been telling us this for all of today. That means for all of today, we had all been silently saying “second to last” as our goal for today. All we wanted was second to last. Low standards, right?

So, we race around. There’s bonus points for creativity. For instance, one the things is, “Throw out the trash.” Last year, everyone threw away people, so we decided to throw out our piccs.

We made our SL a Sasquatch at one point

etc etc etc fun times. This post is too long for me to name everything

Twenty minutes later, we’re all sitting in circles by section on the grass, and the trumpets start singing songs. The clarinets start singing songs. The saxophones are holding hands and doing... something. The flutes are playing an unsuccessful game of “Two truths and a lie.”

“Are we gonna play Never Have I Ever at B-Dubs, then?” “PICCS DON’T DO BUTT STUFF”

The piccs start singing, too, once we realize we can’t do anything else. It’s something of a competition at this point.

I bring up the idea of Bohemian Rhapsody (hm), and so we start singing it, the trumpets join in, the clarinets are in, the other band members also probably also in, who knows. We manage to finish the song.

From that point on, the clarinets just sang with us. The trumpets were able to get the mellophones every now and then, I think

The piccs eventually get up and do the “Cha Cha Slide.” We manage to get everyone to clap their hands at that part.

Returning picc players are now raving about how much better the picc section is this year. Apparently last year they were a bunch of b*tches. This year is better, according to them. They love us, also according to them.

We keep doing whacky stuff while standing up. It’s a lot of fun, honestly.

Lots of random screeches, calls, and screams. While the trumpets have an “oof” thing, we have a “whatever comes to mind” thing

This includes “Piccs don’t do butt stuff,” “not last, not last,” actual screaming, and much more.

Other songs we sang include: “Firework,” by Katy Perry, “You Belong With Me,” by Taylor Swift, “What Does the Fox Say,” “Call Me, Beep Me,” and many others.

The results are in

The piccs are crossing their fingers for not last

not last not last not last not last not last

“In last place... the... trumpets!”

The piccolos are screaming. Everyone looks at us like we’re crazy

“NOT LAST NOT LAST NOT LAST”

“SECOND TO LAST SECOND TO LAST SECOND TO LAST”

“In second to last... the trombones!”

Piccolos are screaming even more. There’s no way we made it so far up. The returning members are screaming about how good this year is.

“The clarinets!”

The piccolos are so loud, the drum major is staring at the clarinets while gesturing to us like they should beat us up

It keeps going, and the piccolos keep screaming. The goal is to beat the saxes

It comes down to first and second. How did we make it this far? It’s super clear that the saxes won, by the way. They’re the saxes

Drum rolllllllllllllll

“And the winner is....”

“THE PICCOLOS”

Screaming is too soft of a word at this point. We all started chanting “NOT LAST NOT LAST NOT LAST” again. The returning members are super excited about this.

So,,,, many,,,, pictures are taken

“Gang Sign”

Last year, this whole thing happened, I guess, and basically what came out of it was this gang sign for the piccs, so now we all do that for pictures.

In the large group photo, we held up pinkies for first place

In the picc photos, all of us did gang signs

I feel like I’m missing something big, but I’m always missing stuff, which is why I put it in the next post. If I remember, you can check Day 3 when it comes out.

[uruhabuns]

SF9 MAMMA MIA Zepp Tokyo fanaccount!!

Okay now that I got some rest and somewhat less dead I’ll write about last night!! A lot happened so I’ll only mention the highlights!

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS:

🍀 Youngbin: had a dance and rap unit stage and slain my life 😭😩 his mullet is dead so he looks way better thank god

🌰 Inseong: at every MC section he kept pretending he was about to faint bc he’s the “old man” of the group I’m laughing omg. Vocals were on point as expected 😌

🐣 Jaeyoon: SNATCHED ME FOR HALF THE NIGHT. ARMS. ARMS EVERYWHERE. A MEAL AND A HALF. HE WAS COMING FOR MY LIFE. Also kept clinging to Inseong during every MC.

👅 Dawon: ALSO ARMS EVERYWHERE. The usual dork. POURED WATER ON HIMSELF AT THE END OF THE SHOW which then lead to a full water fight between the whole group lmao. Also a meal and a half 🙃

🦁 Juho: his frickin hair made me nut. His singing voice is so cute ;—; he gets really shy when he sings, smiles shyly and seems a little nervous, but confident when he raps. Rap line unit stage made me nut too.

🐭 Rowoon: so. Damn. CUTE. He kept throwing hearts and finger hearts to the audience. Also clings to the other members a lot when he’s a literal giant so it looks hilarious dhjsjsjdks. Poured water on Chani at the end.

🌞 Taeyang: this lil prick whom I call my bias. RUDE THE WHOLE NIGHT. Dancing was powerful like usual. BLACK HAIRRRRRRR!!!!! Most confident member with Japanese. Is still my bias thankfully.

🔝 Hwiyoung: HIS SINGING VOICE MADE ME NUT. I never imagined his singing voice to sound like tHAT since his rapping voice is so deep 😩 also quite rude bc his emo hair fhskkdjdjs

😇 Chani: the literal angel to fantasy. The lil bub was the least rude that night. Actually v v skilful with dance. Last to leave the stage after he got held and water poured on by Rowoon.

Other highlights:

❤️ Opened with the korean version of Mamma Mia, and closed with the jp version

❤️ YES. THEY DID MIDNIGHT ROAD, but only half of it ;—; I was really looking forward to hearing the vocals and Jaeyoon’s high note for the whole song 😭

❤️ three words: RUN DEVIL RUN. I ALMOST MOANED (if I did I might get egged by the Japanese fans). They did the cover they did at KCON earlier this year so it was quite short, BUT STILL SEXY AF.

❤️ TT COVER!! It was so cute to see them sing in high pitched voices 😂

❤️ Taeyang’s dance solo made me nut

❤️ They performed all the songs from the Mamma Mia album (tho some were still in korean like go back in time and midnight road) the choreography for go back in time was 😭😭😭😩😩😩💕💕💕💕

❤️ //Fanfare and ROAR beat drops//, me: //DROPS WITH IT IDC//

❤️ JUNGLE GAME!!!!! I actually witnessed the Transformer dance irl!!!

Other notes:

- Japanese fans are tame. VERY tame. No one was jumping or dancing during the performances, only waving their lightsticks (even then, they didn’t put them that high up). I was literally the only one jumping bc I couldn’t see sometimes 😅 no one really screamed horrifically either?? The fans were very respectful to each other. Though, I like how wild Australia could get so it makes the experience more fun for both the fans and group.

- Zepp’s acoustics made the sound feel like it was going through your body sO THAT WAS GREAT.

IM SORRY THIS IS SO LONG I WANTED TO KEEP IT SHORT 😭�� It was the most amazing concert I’ve been to. My voice hurts. I almost cried at the end. If anyone has questions I’ll be happy to answer since I might have forgotten some things! ILL NEVER BE HAPPY AGAIN.

[peachymhaechan]

“Do you even know how to have fun?”

Genre: angst to fluff, badboy!au

Warnings: language, mentions of drug abuse, underage drinking, mentions of sex

Pairing: Jeno x Reader

author’s note: this is my first request omg !! requested by @april-diamondthings, i hope you like it !!

if there was one thing you hated, that would be fuckboys

and, hate to break it to ya, but lee jeno was The Fuckboy at your school

everyone thought that jaemin was the school’s resident fuckboy but you knew better

after all, jeno had been your childhood best friend and has lived next door since you guys were in diapers

middle school came along, tho, and wiped out all friendship after you developed a crush on him and he didn’t feel the same and well... 

you guys drifted apart:/

senior year was coming to an end, and it was tradition for the seniors to throw a party with the juniors and pass on the torch of being top dogs of the school

that party, as per tradition, would have lots of underage drinking and drugs (don’t drink or do drugs, it’s not worth it guys!!)

since you had nothing better to do on a Friday night and your friends were bored, you figured why not go? 

besides, what’s the worst thing that could happen?

oh boy, were you about to wish you had just stayed home lmao

your parents all thought you were going to a friend‘s house (luckily none of your friends’ parents or your parents asked which bc uhhhhh y’all would have been found out real quick)

so since your parents were going to a family friend’s house for a lil party, you guys decided to leave at about 8

your small group of three friends climbed into your car and set out on your way

“Okay, guys. let’s make a pact: if one of us gets drunk, we will not let whoever it is get behind the wheel or drunk text. got it?” you announced, setting out ground rules for the night

your friends were all easy going and pretty responsible people, so needless to say, they all agreed

the venue was always the abandoned water park that your city had in the rundown part of town and every year, kids would sneak in months in advance and start decorating

they turned the old waterslides into fully functional slides again by running hoses, they’d string lights everywhere, and transform the wave pool into a skate park

of course, though, since your grade had a majority of the Dreamies (some weird clique that gave themselves a name, which Jeno was a part of), y’all were not prepared for half the shit they had in treat for that party

they deadass got one of the pools to work again

how? nobody knows to this very date, the Dreamies are a fuckin mystery

they also set up a swim-up bar in said pool, where a bunch of the seniors would be constantly pouring drinks for the whole night

a bon fire was going in one of the pools, where a bunch of kids gathered with their drinks and drugs and bs-ed for a while

when you guys arrived, bathing suits under your clothes, you came face to face with the thing of legends

juniors were invited every year, but you didn’t go last year so you had no idea what to expect

and lemme tell ya, it was not that

as soon as you climbed the fence to get in, you found yourself in a fucking amusement park

the kids you had gone to school with since kindergarten all ran around, partying out their last hoorah

like always, cliques stuck together but some intermingled

one of the Dreamies and one of your best friends greeted you right away

“Y/N! So nice of you to join us! We have drinks over there, hope you brought your bathing suit- oh, someone threw up on the fucking slide, damn it Chenle- and so much more pretty much all throughout! Gotta go relight those tiki torches, if you need anything just come find me!” -Haechan, 2k18

“I say we get a drink first,” one of your bffs suggested, pretty much signing everyone’s death warrants then and there

of course, nobody knew then that that’d be a big mistake

you guys put your clothing in one of the lockers the park had and went into the pool and over to the swim-up bar

“Mark! Long time no see, what the fuck is up, my man?” you asked the college boy serving drinks

you figured he had come back home to help out with the party bc 1) he used to be the leader of the Dreamies and Mark was 100% of their impulse control, and 2) they needed someone who actually knew how to make drinks to serve at the bar

“Hey, what’s up, Y/N? What can I get you?” 

“Whatever will fuck me up the fastest.” 

he didn’t bother to tell you what he had given you, and surprisingly (and fucking dumbly, too) you drank whatever it was in one go

“holy fucking shit, I’ve only ever seen one other person handle their strong ass liquor like that and that was a 40 year old alcoholic-” 

“give me more, bud!“

within the first hour of being there, Mark had you fucked up pretty good

you weren't completely drunk, but you were well on your way

because of this, everything was super fun and entertaining

Chenle’s dolphin impersonation in the pool? Hilarious

Jisung splashing the shit out of Renjun? Comedy gold

Jaemin trying to do the sexy lean against the side of the pool to hit on some poor girl and losing balance as he was asking her out? A gift from God

Haechan trying to stand up at the bottom of the water slide and falling flat on his ass? Hoy shit, the best thing since sliced bread

Everything was going great until you found yourself falling into someone’s arms

“Thanks-” you looked up to see who had caught you right before you fell off the ledge of the pool and your eyes locked with a pair you used to day dream in for years

Jeno

“You should watch where you’re going,” he muttered to you, helping you regain your balance

“Do you even know how to have fun?” 

that question stopped him dead in his tracks, somehow managing to freeze that cocky boy

“Do I know how to have fun?” he mumbled, unsure if he heard you right, partly amused by that question, “Oh, babe, you haven’t had fun until you’ve met me.” 

feeling pretty confident from the liquid courage, you said, “Then show me.” 

Jeno stared at you in shock, not knowing who exactly he was talking to

the last time you guys were considered friends was in junior high, and you had been so timid and he didn’t know how to bring you out of your shell

so jeno took your hand and whoosh! you were off for quite the adventure

first stop: the (fixed! vomit free!) water slides

pretty unsafe but they fixed up one of the ones that went almost straight down and jeno expected you to be super against it but nope, didn’t phase you in the least

“hold my beer” and down the slide you went

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it,” he told you at the bottom, helping you stand up

“Like I asked earlier, do you even know how to have fun?” 

oooooooh that was the wrong thing to say, because from that point on he made it his life goal to prove to you that he did, in fact, know how to have fun

since he had yet to drink or get high, he thought it’d be okay to impress you with his skateboarding abilities

in the ‘skate park’ he wasted no time in showing you all of his best tricks

“Show me how to be- how to be on X Games mode,” you demanded, wanting to know how the hell he stayed balanced enough to do that

the boy was super eager to have an excuse to be closer to you so of course he helped guide you on the board, keeping you on path and preventing you from falling off

his hands were on your waist to keep you steady, and in your heart you were excited because you had missed jeno being in your life but your mind said to cut that shit out right away

did you listen to your head? no, you listened to your heart

“well, was that enough?” he asked you, pulling you guys out of the skating area

“Nope, show me more,” you demanded, walking past the pool and the bar

jeno figured you weren’t paying attention to him so he mouthed :what the fuck did you give to her?!” to mark, and to his surprise, mark replied with “everything, bro! it’s my frat’s specialty. good luck getting her to function tomorrow!” 

jeno realized then that you needed to go home asap

“I’m gonna sit you down here and I will be back in a couple of seconds, okay?” he said as he forced you to sit down by the bon fire

he left you with a bunch of kids singing songs and rolling joints

luckily he appeared a few seconds later as promised, because you were getting more and more on board with trying drugs, too

“Here, drink this,” he told you, placing a red solo cup in your hands

your confused mind thought it was more beer so you chugged it, but became disappointed when the taste registered as just water

“I think that’s enough fun for tonight, yeah? Let’s get you home,” Jeno said, wrapping your arm around his shoulders and supporting your weight as you stumbled around everywhere

you pouted and bitched the whole time, wanting to stay longer

“can I pleeeeeease stay for a couple more minutes?” “no”

“can I please get another drink from Mark?” “No, I am going to have a conversation with Mark about what he serves people-”

“can we take a trip to the beach?” “no” 

“can I please hug Renjun? Oh, god, look at him, he’s so small I have to make sure he’s okay-” “Y/N, he’s so much taller than you are,” “don’t crush my fucking dreams, Jeno” 

“Jeno, I really don’t want to go...” “I really don’t care, you are completely shit faced, Y/N. It’s dangerous being this drunk! We are going home.” 

he put you in the passenger seat of his car and drove to your house, and the whole car ride you sat there and stared out the window

when he got to your front porch, you didn’t even need to pull the keys out, he took them from where your family hid it and unlocked the door

you were surprised that he even remembered that hiding spot from when you were kids

you both stumbled around in the dark, but finally you made it to your room

“Will you be okay to change into pajamas on your own?” he asked, worried about you getting hurt or falling asleep in the process

“Uhhhhh... yes. You can take some of my dad’s clothes,” you informed him, slurring your words to the point where he almost couldn’t understand

somehow, you managed to change out of your nasty party clothes and into pajamas

you curled up in bed while waiting for him to finish

when he came back into the room, he found you curled up into a ball on your bed, looking tiny in the sheets

just as he walked through the door to go downstairs, he heard a small and muffled, “Don’t go.” 

?

“Don’t you dare leave me again.” 

after that statement, of course he went back into your room and joined you under the covers

your body melted into his and you stared up into his eyes

“Do you ever miss it?” you asked him, suddenly sober again

“Miss what?” he asked, genuinely curious as to what you were talking about

“Being friends. Do you miss it?” 

“Of course I do, Y/N. You were my best friend...” 

“Then why did we let something as silly as a crush ruin it all?” 

“I... I don’t know.” 

“I fucking miss you so fucking much, Jeno. I miss you knocking on my window at three in the morning and coming over because you had a nightmare, I iss riding our bikes to the creek and searching for crawfish the whole day, I miss having snowball fights in the crazy old neighbor’s yard, I miss- I miss you, Jeno.” 

he gazed into your eyes, with an unknown glint that you could not place

he took your hand in his and did not let his eyes leave yours for one moment

“Did you know that my parents still ask about you every day? God, I miss you- I miss the way you’d break into my house and have random baking parties in my kitchen, I miss how you’d make me smell your hair when you’d try a new conditioner, I miss how you’d tease me over nicknames my family gave me, I- I. Miss you. So. Damn. Much, Y/N.” 

“Please don’t think that this is just a decision I made when I was drunk, because i have been thinking about this for a really long time,” you pleaded before stretching up and planting your lips on his

it wasn’t exactly how you had dreamed it’d be for the first time, but you couldn’t argue that it was bad

Jeno fell right into it, pulling your hips closer to him so he could take control of the kiss

that kiss felt like it lasted for years

when you finally broke the kiss for air, he said, “Y/N, please don't ever leave my side again.” 

“Trust me, I won’t.” 

After that, he fell asleep with you in his arms, not that you really minded lol

that night ended with sharing secrets and worrying about your drunk friends

let’s just say that that was the first of many more to come

[islcs]

( taylor hill / cisfemale / she&her ) the paparazzi have spotted ISLA DUCHOVNY, the TWENTY-TWO year old ACTOR who’s currently working as RILEY YOUNG on SUBURBIA. the tabloids have called them VIVACIOUS and JOCULAR, but also TEMPESTUOUS and IMPULSIVE. during their time in the spotlight, they’ve been dubbed the VISCEROTONIC. 

its 2k18, my name is cara, and i still suck @ these !  which btw is exactly why you’re getting this long c/p (: BUT COME PLOT WITH US ( angst ! tabloid drama ! secret romances ! exes ! awesome friendships ! betrayal ! fake friendships ! gimme gimme, i’m here for it all. ) jckdk onto the trash: 

this is my sinnamon roll isla lorraine duchovny as in eye luh! like…eye luh youuuuu ♥ 

she’s a gemini and if that doesn’t say anything about the kind of person she is i don’t know what does.

she didn’t have the best childhood growing up?? she’s from cute town in north carolina and the daughter of a charming mechanic and a small town waitress with v big dreams. her mom was a bit consumed with the idea of becoming an actress and aside from a few smaller roles on daytime soaps and what not, she passed on before she could ever live out that dream to the fullest. isla doesn’t ever talk about the how or why of that death ( she’s blocked a lot of it out ) and all her wiki page will tell you is that isla was young and chooses not to talk about it in an effort to preserve her mom’s vibrant memory.

to stay connected to her, isla held on to that dream for herself and when she was fifteen, she attended her first casting call for a small role in a new movie shooting in the area and looking for local talent. she wasn’t cast for the part but one of the casting directors was impressed enough with her to suggest she audition for another film.

she was 16 when she finally made her silver screen debut in an film along side tom hanks.

soon enough isla was becoming a household name, and while he was supportive at first, isla’s dad hugely disagreed on isla’s decision to continue on with the career. he blames hollywood for her mother’s death, so their relationship is fairly strained because of it. not wanting to be around to see it swallow isla up and spit her out the way it did her mother.

still…she’s always sending him money and making sure he and the bills are taken care of.

it’s usually sent back.

she plays the oh so turbulent riley young on surburbia – does life imitate art? sometimes. she’s tempestuous so every now and then her emotions...get the best of her what can i say. she’s like...a dormant volcano...until something sets her off and she’s ready to erupt.

an actual media darling for better and for worse. she genuinely gives her publicist grey hairs at times bc she doesn’t take it that seriously. girls just wanna have fun !

she’s impulsive, though, which tends to get her into trouble with her love for spontaneous adventures, spending time with people she’s usually advised not to, and/or going out for a wild night on the town …LiteraLLy always losing a damn shoe when she’s drunk its her mo ://

weeeell most of the time its bc she’s probably trying to throw it at someone…i mean, some people are just ignorant and gross can you blame her and one talks to her or her friends like that —  also, paparazzi please learn the definition of personal space.

she gets bored SO easily…like she’s super duper jaded with fame at this point so sometimes she’ll peace out for a trip somewhere v remote and obscure whether its to help build homes or laying out on a beach.  she loves having a voice though ?? and using it when she can for good. very philanthropic!! pls protect the ocean!!! 

she’s been vegan for like six months now 

loves animals??? pls don’t get her started on them. she will literally stop mid conversation with you just to get a better look at one. i wish i was kidding. she’s 100% kristen bell’s reaction to sloths.

look overall, isla is just...v charming and playful and sweet, honest. they’re all sides she shares with everyone until they’ve wronged her, a friend, or just given her a good as hell reason not to. because then…well, she can be a feisty, petty little thing. and she just...doesn’t deal well with being hurt honestly?? and would rather shut you out for it than take the chance of it happening again.

[bomba-tea]

😳😂🐼 :>c

munday meme, @silentconfliction​ uhhh sry for length aaaa

😳 ; What is something or someone you have always wanted to write with? i.e. a particular plot, a character, etc.

professor callaghan (and abigail)! look, would she write to him in prison? yes. would she visit him? also yes. i personally think she’d be the first of the group to forgive him for what he’s done. i guess it would be difficult to RP (well, i can think of ways to do it, but it’d take some tumblr RP form breaking).

(i’m really used to 1x1 RPs so i think that might be why i like shit like that)

a verse where honey actually manages to turn freddie into a kaiju. :’) it was a joke initially, but now i genuinely want it. mad scientist honey would be fun. i always joke about how she wants to fist fight victor frankenstein (bc i too like to dunk on him), but what if honey…IS frankenstein!

another character? UHHH,,, wasabi??? answer me GOD. april o’neil! any of those good, good tuhtle bois.

outside of BH6, expanding her voltron verse. i like thinking about the galaxy garrison as being a little more military than they let on, and sending a, uh, like, search party into space under the guise of it being further exploration and/or space station repair mission. that’s actually a uhhh,,, more of an internal investigation. do they also get fucked up? 👀 👀 send honey to space 2k18. anyway, that’s about as far as i got.

i’m into…mystery…adventures……… .. .. ….

also a verse IN @grimesucker‘s undercity, but, tbh, *i* can’t come up with anything bc honey’s so?? soft??? my brain explodes trying to figure out HOW (so i’mma just use audrey fuq it). but *handwave* post UC!!! pierre the french mastiff lives!!!

😂 ; What are some similarities between you and your muse?

we’re both apparently enfjs? (tho i disagree w her outcome but W/E!! she’s softer than i am i’m a fucking swamp goblin) we’re both super enthusiastic anime dorks that like to experiment with our wardrobes! tall (for being latinx)! we’re more forgiving than we should be, maybe, though i like that it always works out in honey’s favor.

🐼 ; What are some of your favourite hobbies?

it’s lame. i love going to the gym. i like running, but i’m nowhere near as good as my brother (who marathon trains). i love to cosplay and going to cons, though i’m pretty new at it! i’ve dressed as wonder pink from the wonderful 101 for official cons. i’ll be dressing as chichi from dragon ball z soon, and aubrey little from the adventure zone: amnesty podcast.

writing is my ultimate hobby. watching horror movies, listening to podcasts, reading old horror (like dracula, the vampyre, frankenstein, blah blah), and then drawing (tho i put my art down a lot). super into true crime. :x

[short--insomniacs]

happy new year!!!

bc i am a sap and i love my friends, let’s spread some new year’s love

@toiletpapur ur my ride or die, dude. from sophomore english to now, you’re the baddest bitch in nyc and ily. thanks for always being a shoulder to lean on, my gym bud, my adventure bud, and my fav person to wander around the east village looking for frozen yogurt with

@dizzy-constellation ahhh Mack i miss ur beautiful face and ily!!! 7th grade was a wild time when we put far too much eyeliner on our lower lids, and i’m glad we both glo’ed up!!! u are such a badass and so hardworking. i love fangirling w/ u and eating our weight in mac + cheese on sam’s couch together

@sea-what-i-mean man, what a punderful person u are. ur music taste is stellar, u are a BOSS ASS BITCH, and u always post quality memes!! our motley crew is still going strong and ur pepe gingerbread house this year belongs in MoMA. ilysm 

@theunspokeniscallingustonight I MISS UR FACE. U ARE LOVELY AND HAPPY AND U ALWAYS MAKE ME SMILE WHAT THE HECK. u and betsy are so pure and good and i will never forget ur enthusiastic 14-yr-old ass coming up to me to scream about choir!!!! (and teaching me how to not flail when i danced) 

@upsettoland ADAM!!! u are such a positive, happy, and cheerful person!! u have a wonderful knack for making the most beautiful gifs, and i love squealing about musicals w/ u!!! 

@lessracquetball bruh your art is STELLAR. it’s mind-bogglingly beautiful, and i LOVE IT. also Kendall ur a great singer and u have rad music taste!! thanks for screaming about theatre with me!!!!

@ilikestarsandshit MAGS UR AN ABSOLUTE RIOT AND A REAL GEM OK. thanks for being rad as hell, introducing me to parade, and educating me about mock trial (which ur gonna kick ass in!!!) and ur punderful!!!! 

@singaroundelay what more can i say, my dude?? ur hilarious, witty, and ur writing is divine. i’m honored to be your nitpicker and flail about musical things w/ u. (diseased) M + i believe in u!!!!

@tylerb543 i always look for u at Target and i’m so glad we got to squeal over some rad musicals and tv shows together!!! ur a gem, my dude. i always look for ur quality memes on my dash 

@queermistermarvin BILLIE. i’m stilling squealing over ur lovely hanukkah present! ur so sweet and just a joy to talk to!! i admire ur wit and passion, and you have such a talent for writing. keep on keepin’ on, bud!!

happy new year to all folks on this blue hellsite!!! i love all my mutuals dearly and i hope u prosper in 2k18!!!!

[tanoraqui]

Pre-(Me Reading) Oathbringer Speculation

So…Oarhbringer theories…I’ve been playing spoilers chicken but I think I’ve remained mostly clean, so this is based almost entirely on just WoK and WoR, +Edgedancer. Also I may have looked at who gets POV chapters.

Character Stuff

Dalinar is presently leader of the new would-be Knights Radiant, but based on the attributes associated with their Orders/heralds, that job should be Kaladin’s, with Dalinar more…advising? Which works for both their character arcs:

Kaladin needs to get his head out of his ass, not just ease up on his hatred of lighteyes but also start seeing the larger picture BEFORE he fucks it up, not after (see: swerving with bridge, challenging Amaram.) also, Windrunnere are known for protecting and leadership - so I bet his next vow will be about that. Good opportunity for it as he heads to Kholin, where the darkeyes’ revolution of his dreams seems to be starting. After Elhokar in WoR, he won’t just throw in with the uprising, but you know he’ll want to.

I’ve also seen a spoiler that he may end up, at least briefly, with the Parshendi who fled rather than take Stormform? Pls be kind to them, Kaladin. They need it.

Dalinar, meanwhile, needs to figure out how to let go of power. Shallan (I think it was Shallan) was right: he’s here to gather the new Radiants, not lead them. Not forever, at least. Between the book flap and some stronger spoilers, I know the politics are going international now, as Dalinar tries to rally the whole world, and fucks it up a little - good. I wonder if the second vow of the Bondsmiths is something like, “I will unite people, even if I am not in the lead”? “Even at cost to myself"?

P.S. Gonna find out about Dalinar's wife this book! Gonna find out what deal he made with the Nightwatcher (who is definitely Cultivation-based)! Should learn more about the Old Magic with that, and Cultivation, who frankly I suspect is behind the very warm feeling from that last, golden dream Dalinar had at the end of WoR!

The book flap says Dalinar must “confront the past” and the back says he “seeks the past. That which was abandoned. That which he must not learn. For those secrets will crush him as they did the Knights who came before.” + Amaram’s obsession with Talenal and my mild spoilers-given knowledge that we’re getting a bit more about the Heralds this book, I bet Dalinar isn’t just confronting his own past re: his forgotten wife, but also

a) the fact that 9/10 Heralds, now held as idols, just walked away from their sworn duty

b) the realization of this on the part of the Knights Radiant was the reason for the Recreance. “If the best can’t/won’t do it, why should we?” sort of thing. And so our heroes will have to choose for themselves...

[hint: “Someone has to start...We have to be better than them.”]

Shallan…Her brothers will arrive, which will require her to confront how much she’s changed since she left home, but I think her story this tome will be relatively character development-light, plot/worldbuilding-solving-heavy.

Adolin: The first time I read these books, I said Adolin is poised for an interesting 3rd book, and I stand by that. He CAN'T tell his father what he did; it would put Dalinar and his rule-following honor in an impossible position. But the guilt will stew, and he'll have to deal with the consequences, and incidentally, this is probably the first time in Adolin's life that he's so overshadowed? Not just his cousin the king and his father the Blackthorn, but his father - and fiancée, and ex-bodyguard, and even his baby brother the Knights Radiant? I'd like to see him struggle with that.

I'd also like to see him remain NOT a Knight Radiant, not yet at least, but maybe pick up Talenel'a Honorblade and join in the fun that way. That's probably the best Order For him anyway, the resolute, dependable fighters.

(A part of me is terrified of an endgame where Adolin is Odium's Champion. Foreshadowed by his dueling prowess, and his...periodic tendency towards rashness and rage.)

Less Main Characters:

Szeth!! I'm gonna be honest: all I want out of this book is for some Szeth POV where he's talking with Nightblood and it has the vibe of a buddy cop comedy. All I want. Also, I guess he's going to go judge Shinovar [that sounds so pretentious; good grief, Nale], and I hope for his own sake that he's merciful about it. I think he will be. He doesn't want to kill, even if they were in denial and it resulted in years of torment for him and the world.

Renarin will hopefully get a little more attention, but I think still no POV? So not much attention. (I WANNA MEET REN’S SPREN SO BAD.) Hopefully he can get a little confidence. 

I suspect his seizures are actually due to his Truthwatcher abiliies somehow - maybe because he’s been resisting them? Or they just always go hand in hand, but will get more manageable? Which pisses me off tbh, bc it’s been so great having Kaladin’s depression and Shallan’s inclination to cope with trauma by wildly disassociating be mostly unrelated to their powers, just part of who they are as people (more related in Shallan, but still it’s like...who she is? And that was a perfectly natural reaction to trauma, and treated as such.) 

But the fact that Lopen’s arm started growing back, and Renarin stopped needing his glasses, says Stormlight heals major, old, and chronic illnesses/injuries/physical problems, which means imo that Sanderson is not treating physical disability with the same grace he gave mental. Maybe the seizures will continue with the visions they probably accompany, and it’s just something Truthwatchers have to deal with - that could be okay. Maybe it’s chronic, and if he loses access to Stormlight, they’ll return? Kaladin’s depression acts a bit like that, which makes sense because that IS due to real physical cause i.e. chemical imbalance, which maybe the Stormlight is fixing temporarily but these kids’ bodies are still set up just a bit wrong, and that’s not something that can be “fixed”...that’d be nice...

(This got away from character-related theories, sorry.)

While I’m on the subject of Representation in Fiction: GIVE SHALLAN SOME FEMALE FRIENDS. ALSO MORE RECURRING FEMALE POV CHARACTERS, CONSIDERING...JUST LOOK AT THAT LIST UP THERE. 1 WOMAN, 3 MEN. C’mooonnn 

Speaking of which: My Wife If Only She'd Have Me, Jasnah Motherfucking Kholin had better come tell her actual mother that she's alive tbh, or at least send word, because Navani being forlorn to the point of illogic is, um, devastating. But also I will gladly die for the snark-filled adventures of Jasnah and Wit, so...

I know she has at least one POV chapter and I'm so excited. Only in one section, though, so alas we won't get much

Let Jasnah Have A Full Character Arc 2k18

Tentative guess that the wall she's soulcasting up on the cover is in Kholinar? Though also, who the hell knows, she and Wit could go anywhere. I ship it, y’all.

Taravangian has a recurring POV this book, which I assume is true recurring and not just, like, one chapter per section. Probably his arc will involve a growing uncertainty, as reality diverges further from the Diagram and unifying the world is harder than he thought, particularly with Dalinar as competition. (Note: Dalinar does need to learn to surrender power, but...not to this guy. He’s doing a LOT of wrong things for right reasons, and a) I disagree with that personally, and more importantly b) the morals of this series disagree with that.)

He believes his intelligence is the Nightmother’s boon and his compassion is the curse, and I bet either he’s got that backwards or they’re BOTH the curse and his desired “capacity” will manifest as, like, being at the right place in the right moment, five books from now.

Venli is worth mentioning, because she has a POV every or nearly every Interlude and I thus expect she’s the Traitor named by archetype on the back of the book. I don’t know how she took stormform before telling Eshonai about it, without anyone else noticing, but she clearly did. And the effect clearly sticks, even once a Listener changes back to another form...

Worldbuilding/Plot Theories:

Quick rundown of assorted factions/secret societies, as I understand:

Galivar: Started receiving same Honor Dream Voicemails as Dalinr, believed ‘em. 

Goals: Return the Listeners’ gods (did he KNOW that meant Odium? I’m guessing not, bc he told Taravangian they needed to save the world.

Resources: 1 trapped Voidspren, acquired ?????

The Diagram: Tipped off to nigh Desolation by Galivar, asked Nightmother for “capacity” to stop it, got seesawing intelligence/empathy.

Goals: Unify world under his rule, with violence and trickery if necessary, to brace against Desolation

Resources: Diagram, Death Rattles, widespread, free-ish agents in unknown locations. Significant members: Taravangian (head), Moash (confused).

Sons of Honor: Worship Heralds?

Goals: Sought return of Voidbringers in order to prompt return of Radiants and more importantly Heralds, who will return and...restore honor and piety and all that jazz?

Resources: Mostly unknown, but some scholarship. Significant members: Restares (head, not yet met), Amaram, currently in custody of Talenal but not his Blade

Ghostbloods: What do these people even want?

Goals: Urithiru; knowledge there probably. Didn’t want Jasnah spreading knowledge of Voidbringers? Or just didn’t want her to beat them to the city?

Resources: Substantial. Significant members: Thaidakar (head, not yet met), Mraize, Masked Woman [Parshendi?], Shallan, Halaran (possibly not fully.) Davars owe them money.

Envisigiants: Nice, useless cult or bigger than Teft knew? Don’t SEEM related to any of the above in goals.

In conclusion: man, fuck if I know. 

Um. I actually feel very lacking in plot or worldbuilding theories right now. I think most of them slipped into the character stuff anyway.

Either “Zahel” LOST his talking murdersword (whom I love), or he GAVE IT AWAY, and either way, honestly, what a dipshit and also where hte fuck is Vivenna and how did they get here?? Worldhopping obviously but there was no sign anyone in Warbreaker (aside from Hoid ofc) knew about that, so...???

I think the Aimians, with their mild shapeshifting, must be related to the Parshendi as well (I did look up the Horneaters.) And the...whatever sort of person Lift met in Edgedancer. I literally am not sure whether it’s spoilers or just background Cosmere lore that humans re not native to this planet, though they’ve been here for millennia, but I bet all the shapeshifting species are native. 

Obvious but worth saying: the Nightmother is to Cultivation as the Stormfather is to Honor, probably? More or less?

Big point of confusion, actually: Honor is dead, but I don’t think Cultivation is? Yet she’s in the same vicinity as Odium, and has been for millennia. Hiding? Hiding really well? Maybe voluntarily mostly broke herself up into spren?

Note: the Nightmother’s boons and curses appear to be mostly cerebral, matters of perception or ability, though sometimes something like a bolt of cloth. This is presumably because she’s operating in mostly the Cognitive Realm. (Lift’s boon, of course, is explicitly a...blending of Realms.) (Or possibly Lift’s Curse? You know, the whole Boon/Curse dichotomy is almost certainly a failure of human perception.)

In WoK, it sounded like Elhokar was being followed by the same sort of pattern-headed Cryptics as Shallan, but then they didn’t like being around Kaladin and that worries me, especially with Amaram (sketchy) being followed by shadows at the end of WoR. I can see Cryptics simply not liking Windrunners tbh, but...there are darker spren around, now.

The reason this Desolation seems to be starting differently than previous ones is probably a combination of the particularly long wait between them +...is it cruel of me to hope it really IS partly Wit’s fault. In interfering. I’m sure he’ll help, but you know he’s going to break something eventually.

No, it’s probably that the Oathpact is weak, on account of just one true Herald left, and Odium is preparing to blow this popstand.

The first 5 books will end with the Desolation REALLY starting, and the gap will cover the new Knights Radiant orders settling into their new roles, people dying all over but it still could be worse, etc.

Series Endgame things: I think both that we’re going to need 10 new Heralds, one per Order, AND that Odium is going o be released back into the greater Cosmere, and I’m not sure how both those things will happen but I swear they will.  

If I know absolutely anything about Brandon Sanderson’s writing habits, someday a man matching Spook’s description is going to appear in a Stormlight Archive book, inevitably speaking Eastern Empire street slang, and let me tell you, I am going to scream aloud. I think we’ll get Spook before Kelsier, though they might arrive together.

Worst comes to worst, I would watch an entire film of everyone else being dead but Odium furiously chasing Kelsier around the universe, playing whack-a-mole because this single asshole just will not stay dead. 

[woodys]

updates 2k18™

hi! i hope 2018 has been treating all of you well so far. ♥ just wanted to drop a few things that have been going on/update on some things that will pertain to this blog this year.

I’ve gained a lot of new followers recently (which i’m not sure why/how but its always appreciated) but I wanted to bring attention to this page just in case it were missed. I’d appreciate reading it if you haven’t already & blocking/tagging/or unfollowing where you see fit. Thanks!

Long post, short, I’m not going to be around here as often anymore! Well, at least that’s my plan. This year I really plan on focusing on my art, developing a style, and working to see it improve. That means being online less and keeping my head down yelling in my sketchbooks more.

DOES THAT MEAN YOU’RE QUITTING ROLEPLAY? No! I’ve been using it as an escapism for way too long to just drop it cold turkey. But it has finally become a second hand interest of mine than what i’d rather be doing 25/8. I’m also no longer interested in starting new plots, finding new partners, picking up new characters etc. (I don’t think i’d want to anyways bc the RPC has really deteriorated from my style) So unless you’re a close friend or current partner please don’t ask to plot. because it’s hard for me to say no and it puts me in a really awkward spot

SOOOO YOU’RE DROPPING YOUR PLOTS...? No, i’m not doing that either. I’m really happy with the ones I have left, active or not and I intend to continue to keep replying and see them through. At a slower pace than before, sure, (”What’s new” so I hear my partners say) but still with as much love as the day I picked them up. The ones that have yet to start I still am very devoted to as well. Truthfully, the plots I have now are the ones I can see myself having permanently until I really do feel like i’m “done” with roleplaying. So if all of those plots drop...then yeah, i’m Freed™.

THIS BLOG IS GOING INACTIVE? Nope! I love this blog, it’s home, and I always have it logged in via mobile app. Plus I still need a place to log my dumb PS4 adventures, yell about my faves, and do my annual E3 celebration. So you can still IM me if you need to get in touch with me. Just sometimes you’ll catch me online rapid posting if I have some free time and other times this blog might go days without a post. As much as I love tagging inspo for my characters and ships it’s just not my priority to keep up with it constantly anymore. I’ll still have a smaller queue of things though. 

If anyone wants to contact me faster than Tumblr IM I do have a Discord i’m willing to share if you’d like. Or if we’re really close I don’t mind sharing my number to text. And if anyone’s interested in following what I get up to on my art blog it’s right oveeerrr here.

I think that’s it for the most part. I can’t think of anything more for now. Except your usual ‘hey I post lots of personal and video games now’ PSA. I made this update moreso for anyone who visits my blog often and notice I go inactive here and get concerned. OTHER THAN THAT, I hope ya’ll have a good as heck year full of new adventures, new friends, new muses, and lots of fun because WE ALL DESERVE ONE GOOD YEAR! 

Happiest roleplaying! ♥ 

[lootdriven]

guys im doing it,,,,,,, im restarting my james rogers blog. it used to be shieldofashes but now its @shieldbirth

[coolpolarbear123]

Band Camp Day 6

I guess I can march

August 25th, 2018

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 7

HIT:

I guess I should start off by explaining the schedule for today. 

But first: DI is our drill instructor and SL is our section leader. Cool?

We started at nine again because we’re a good band, and it’s a shortened day, so we ended at five, ate dinner, then did evening activities at six instead of nine.

Except the band director let us out at four because we’re a good band, so we had two hours for dinner.

But let’s start at the beginning, because a lot happened today.

The picc inside jokes are currently: referencing the “Cha Cha Slide,” thighclaps, wanting to die and making every reference we can get, yeeting everything, gang sign, not last, and probably many other things I can’t remember.

We had three hours of marching rehearsal this morning.

Our section leader is back at it again with wanting to be hit by the van

Last night the seniors all got drunk to come to band with hangovers. Many seniors were not at band. My section leader was probably still drunk rather than hungover.

I heard that one girl threw up a lot

One girl chased geese with one of the fake geese we had? It was an interesting sight

One of the tubas brings a bassoon to band every day? Why?

Alright, so we ate lunch and headed to indoor band. We’re waiting for band to start, so one picc and I are sitting on a bench. Then another picc is walking by (she’s a librarian for the band, so I’m gonna call her “Librarian”), and looks at us and says, “I don’t appreciate all the thighclaps in the group chat” with a smile on her face.

So I immediately pick up my phone and put “#ThighClapsForLibrarian” in the groupchat

(I used her name, don’t worry)

So then everyone started doing that, and for the rest of the night, anytime we saw her, we would all say “Thigh Claps for Librarian” and give her a thigh clap.

Yeah she hated it

Nah she loved it

It was really funny. The DI and I next to each other in pregame, and Librarian is a little farther away, so later, when we were all on the field, DI and I were like “Thigh Claps for Librarian” and she wanted to die

Back to waiting for band to start, though, one of the piccs was about to enter the building, so we all swarmed her and thighclapped.

She promptly died of laughter

We were in sectionals, and SL was a mess. She tried to use this broken, splintered piece of wood as drum sticks (it was split in two). It did not work.

“I don’t think this is gonna work.” “Any of us could have told you that.”

While trying to find something she could use as drum sticks, she knocked over her coffee, which was in a travel mug that has a lid, but she didn’t want the lid, so she didn’t bring it in the first place.

All of us are dying laughing as she’s exiting the room to get paper towels.

Me: “You’re my favourite role model.” *Laughter increases*

“I will shank all of you” “Thank you”

There’s a lot of references to our band director uncomfortably holding all of our shoulders.

He asked me how to pronounce my name today

SL had her name tag in a weird place in her hood, and it was flipped, so it kept poking her in the face, and so at one point she just bit it and we lost it

SL really didn’t want to do sectionals today, and she was trying to be a good section leader, but we got her to end fifteen minutes early and so we talked about birthing stories

Piccs are weird, I know

I feel like my storytelling isn’t as good as it used to be (*cough* junior year of high school *cough cough*) and I’m sorry. These moments were super funny when they happened and I don’t know how to convey them

So we ate dinner, and it’s time for the evening activity: Hiking

Okay, it’s called something else, but the action is hiking, and if I tell you what it’s called, everyone who sees this will know where I am, so let’s not

It’s apparently a huge deal and tradition, so you’ve gotta show up to this one. Mandatory is a better word than optional for this one.

We meet at the practice field at six. The drum majors tell us to circle up. We do. They say it’s time for hiking... but first... let’s run pregame!

I’m sorry what.

Me: “What are we doing?” DI: “We’re running pregame!” Me: “That’s it--I’m quitting band.” DI: “You’re already in too deep.” Me: “I know.”

So we set for pregame, this is when thigh slaps for Librarian happens, and then: “Returning members, off the field!”

I’m sorry wHAT

So the newcomers have to march pregame. On our own. Literally let us die.

We did okay, I guess. I messed up a lot without people to guide to. We didn’t have our instruments, so I was able to shout stuff, though, like, “Dress down!” and “Wait for the line to go!”

So at the very end of pregame, we’re in a block for the SSB (if you don’t know that abbreviation by now there’s no helping you, please go read previous years), and the drum majors say, “You’re still at attention! Don’t break!”

Like, yeah, okay, we know. We’re standing, not moving. My shoulder hurts, whatever.

But then I start to realize what’s gonna happen, and I’m praying I’m wrong.

And we’re all the way at one end of the field, right? The cars and parking lot are behind us, and we’re pretty much staring down a road.

And suddenly there’s a noise from behind us

And then the returning members are running all around us, dressed in crazy costumes, using props, and doing their best to make us break attention. One girl had a cat, one dude was just skateboarding, one of the piccs came to thighslap in front of me.

She apparently did running thighslaps in front of other piccs. They broke, I think

Librarian came with a CD that had glasses drawn on it and put it right to my face so I could see my reflection. Once I realized it was her, I almost broke.

Anytime it was a picc that did something, I almost broke, basically.

One girl had a bird puppet that made weird noises that she shoved in my face.

And then it was done. It was finally done. “At ease” was said. We were free.

And then we weren’t.

“WE’RE ABOUT TO FIGURE OUT WHO FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR IS. ELIMINATION BLOCK.”

Elimination block. Where we get in a block and listen to commands as the drum majors give them. Mess up and you’re out.

Kill. Me.

The piccs are huddled. I go up to them.

“Not last, guys. Not last.” “We’re making a suicide pact.” “Not. Last.” “...okay.”

So we march in the block. And people keep leaving it. I see the occasional picc leave.

And then they have us condense. There’s maybe fifteen or something of us less. I’m not good with numbers, you know this. There’s a few piccs left. We’re not last.

And we keep going, and suddenly I get a glimpse of what’s around me. One girl. A piccolo. We’re the last two left.

And then she forgot to say “hit” and I was the last one.

And I won.

I’M SORRY WHAT

As soon as I’m at ease, DI flies at me with a hug, and she’s like, “WE’VE NEVER HAD A PICC WIN. NOT LAST, NOT LAST, NOT LAST. I’M SO PROUD, OH, MY GOD.”

I took a picture with past freshmen of the years. Apparently there was a curse that freshmen of the year would drop out of band the next year? The junior saxophone broke it, so there were three of us.

They made me promise not to drop out. As if I would.

And then it was off to the trails, finally.

Every keeps congratulating me on that--it’s weird

But hey, DI is happy

SL just wants to die

We get to the trail, and we hike up the mountain, and we get to the top as a band. It’s a fantastic view.

Along the way, many “’Cha Cha Slide’ off the mountain” jokes were made.

Pictures were taken

Piccs get naked happened (it was hot and a lot of us just took off our shirts and went around in sports bras)

Sliding to the right off the mountain was contemplated

DI took a good minute to complain about one of the piccs’ driving skills. Apparently it was brought up last night, and the drum major totally got into bashing it, and it was wild. DI got cut off early, though, because that picc player came up to us

It was the really nice DM who went off, I was surprised. But then again, they were all drunk.

Still, though, I agree. Her driving sucks.

then they had us all huddle up together. There were platforms, so they pushed the first-years back into the platform. Then, they had many seniors give us speeches.

These were, like, “hey, this is what band did for me,” speeches. Super emotional and all of that.

A picc went first, then another girl, and then DI went up with her friend.

This is when all the piccs lost it and started crying. The minute DI was crying, we were too.

Thighslaps for dad

Eventually SL was up there, and she just talked about how much she wanted to leave but never did ‘cause in the end it’s worth it. She forgot to state that part, but we knew it was there.

“I haven’t wanted to leave marching band this week, yet.” --SL (Us, later: “What do you mean--you’ve literally begged to leave all week. You said you wanted to leave earlier.” SL: “I didn’t mean it, though.”)

Thighslaps for mom

Finally, we all take a band oath, we sing the fight song and alma mater as the seniors cry, and then it’s picture time.

The piccs all thighslap/regular clap for the seniors, we took pictures (yes, one had gang sign), and then we hung around a little bit.

#YeetFor[Picc player]

I put it in the group chat. People repeated it. Picc player keeps trying to get us to stop. She had it coming. She knew it.

We hiked down, then. On the way, DI was like, “I feel like at some point someone’s gonna suffer through something and put it in the groupchat, and all of us are just gonna be like, ‘#thighclapsforso-and-so’”

Then the day was over and we drove back

It was a pretty crazy day

I have to say, though, my speech is gonna be thorough in four years. These posts will be easy to reference. (Future me, you auditioned last, got fifth chair, for detailed references. There are eight new piccs out of fourteen. There were fifteen. One switched to colour guard. She was a returning member.)

I’ll update the links eventually, but I gotta shower and e-mail my chem professor

[uruhabuns]

So I’m back in Tokyo and if there’s one thing I’ve learnt in my short trip to Seoul is that Japanese guys ain’t got shit on korean guys HEUDJAJDHKFH

[coolpolarbear123]

Band Camp Day 3

Honestly I can’t remember anything

August 22nd, 2018

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Uh:

This is going to be really short because honestly nothing happened

People are starting to actively sit by me

But also it’s because all of the sections are weirdly cultish and if they see another of their same instrument, it’s like they’re required to go there

But also the friend from last time asked to walk to the band room with me, so like, win

I remembered my nametag this time!

During block band--I explained that already, right? Where we form a giant block and it’s the same block every time?--there’s this girl right next to me, a fellow picc player, and I cannot guide to her. It drives me nuts

She’s always ahead, and I can’t see the girl next to her to guide to her

And I try to guide to the girl on my left, but half the time I can’t see her

Which brings up the point of things I can’t see: i.e. my flipfolder

That demon product that cuts the circulation off my arm and turns my elbow purple?

Yeah that

Every day there’s some weird thing set up at the base of the tower. I don’t know who does it, but yesterday tons of fake geese were scattered around, and today there were tons of socks in the chainlink fence that surrounds the base of the tower

“So your rotation--” “I thought you were going to say ‘erection.’“ “Why would I say erection?”

There’s a picc group chat and all we do is spam pictures of our pets.

The group photo is now a cat playing a piccolo

A lot of the sections do T-shirts every year, including the piccs, so this year we’re thinking: cat playing picc with the caption “#NotLast”

Drum major comes up to the piccs during break: “So what’s up?” Me: “I think we’re still hyped from winning last night” Drum Major: “Yeah, we were all really surprised.”

The two DMs were the judges, by the way

Speaking of the night activities, I didn’t go tonight.

Picc Ditch Day

Apparently that’s a joke they’ve been making for years, and once none of the piccs wanted to go, everyone was like, “Is it coming true? Picc Ditch Day?”

Also, speaking of the DMs, I cannot hear them. It gets harder and harder every second. Not because I’m going deaf by picc, but because one of them can’t be loud I guess

I shouldn’t complain, I was the same way as a DM

People are always shocked to learn I was a DM

We started pregame drill today! I suck! But at least my drill instructor is next to me, so it helps. Until she’s playing and I’m not and it freaks me out ‘cause I don’t want to get yelled at

I have trouble marching and reading music, so I’m working on memorizing, but until then...

Would it be mean if I ended it there, because that sounds like the most cliffhanger-y thing I could ever do with these posts. I could do it very easily, but I have info to relay. I read these, too. Future me is gonna love present me, even though I’m BS-ing this entire post because nothing happened

I’m not making these stories up--I’m just trying to fluff them up a bit to make this a normal sized post

Carrying on

During marching sectionals, the piccs always have to go to the far left corner.

The piccoloser corner, if you will

So today all of us were like, “Is this the picco-winner corner now?”

“NOT LAST NOT LAST NOT LAST”

Sectionals? I think you mean piccs tell stories time

And yet we’re some of the best marchers. We have the most freshman/newbies, and we’ve only been called out once, and that was during the freshman block yesterday. Only one of us got called out, too, so win

Overheard conversation from lunch:

“You know when you set two people up on a blind date, and they wanted it to happen? And then they get p*ssed?” “Why would you get p*ssed at that?” “I don’t know! Like, you guys wanted it to happen!”

That conversation sounds so boring; this is why I don’t play football

That and a multitude of other reasons

Skipping ahead to the end of the day (because seriously today was so uneventful), apparently the entire trombone section is noncompliant every day. The only explanation I’ve ever gotten for this is, “They’re the trombones.”

Did I mention that we’re not to associate with them?

Remember how I mentioned t-shirts? Apparently the saxes always make a sex reference on theirs

And the clarinets had tons of swear words on theirs last year. They had to cover them up with ducktape at a game or something, once

Piccs usually picc some random theme

Get it?

I haven’t made a pun in a really long time on these, so I figured it’s about time I get back into the rhythm of things

The thing about the trombone section--sorry this is so random--is that you always know they’re trombones. Without name tags, I probably couldn’t tell a clarinet player from a mello player, but the trombones... you just know

And the tubas, but like, they’re tubas. You know what they’re like

Clarinets can and will dance to everything

I think I’ve BS-ed enough

[coolpolarbear123]

Band Camp Day 4

Vines, Cats, and Cryptids, oh my!

August 23rd, 2018

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

YEET:

Hi, I’m sore and my shoulder hurts

Everyone can collectively agree that morning practice is the worst. Three and a half hours of ugh

let us die

The prank for today was filling the base of the tower with balloons (the base is surrounded by tall chainlink fence), but the balloons kept flying up and out, so it didn’t work

Man, during pregame, there’s this upperclassman who I have to guide to, but he never guides, so the two of us are always off. There’s no one on my other side, and I can’t see the person next to him because she’s short

THE PICCS ARE SO GAY

Sorry it’s just so funny. It started with one picc talking about her girlfriend a lot, and slowly more and more gay jokes are being made. Tonight we sorta lost it, and yeah. Piccs are the gayest section confirmed.

We’ll get to tonight later

There are two freshman saxes with the same name, and neither of them use a nickname. I know they can use a nickname because it’s my name and I use a nickname

Yeah there are three people with my name, which never happens, and we’re all freshman

The piccs talk about the “Cha Cha Slide” so much that our section leader might write us a score to it to play during games.

#SlideToTheLeft

It’s in reference to the scavenger hunt night

#NotLast

We’re gonna try and get buttons

We joke about getting a button with the gang sign on it, too

Piccs don’t do butt stuff

“Go back and do it one more time.” “I LOVE ONE MORE TIME”

The band has a favourite number: 27. Why? Well, the thing is, it’s such an old inside joke that no one really knows the story anymore. My section leader said that to her understanding, the band director said “start at measure whatever” and the trumpets didn’t hear him and just started shouting a random number: 27

So now every time we’re counting and we hit 27, people shout 27 a lot louder

Today one of the drum majors was so quiet that we didn’t hear that she said anything at all, much less her instruction

The clarinets played cult music? During break?

“Go back and do it again” “I LOVE PREGAME”

On top of being gay, the picc section is also very into Pokémon. We had a whole conversation about the games and cards we brought to college

“You guys will really like this song” “I hate this song, oh, my god.”

Section Leader: *lays down in road in front of truck* Drill Instructor: “You’re gonna get run over” Section Leader: “Only if I’m lucky”

#NobodyActuallyLikesOneMoreTime

Onto part two: indoor playing

During sectionals, we started planning t-shirts by making vine references and meme references. This means that for, like, twenty minutes, all we did was quote vines, occasionally having someone say “I’ll take that one!”

However, we had to cross the meme idea out, so the theme of our shirt will be cryptids instead

I’m a hippogriff

But still with a cat on the front, I think, playing picc

Our group chat is still only pictures of our pets

Sectionals was literally just us quoting vines, I don’t have much to report

Cha cha real smooth

Fast forward, we’re back on the practice field, which is still a parking lot

The piccs are running on adrenaline or something, because eventually we all start making more and more “Cha Cha Slide” references and other references I don’t care to explain, and we’re laughing so hard that our band director may or may not have yelled at the piccs very passive aggressively.

Yeah, not our finest moment. We were being pretty bad, though. He yelled at the entire band, but was starting straight at our section

We were starting halftime, by the way. Our show is Chicago themed

The drill is fairly simple, but some picc players cannot guide for the life of them

Some guy laughed and the band director went off. Yeah, the piccs made him mad.

Instead of marching, everything is yeeting.

Left yeet, right yeet, forward yeet, backwards yeet

We yeeted (yote? yoted? yought?) everywhere

Yeah, I can see why the band director yelled at us

End of the day, I finally learn why the trombones keep all going up there for noncompliance

Long story short: It’s because they’re trombones

Actually, though, they have a pact that if half or more of them get noncompliant, they all have to go up

So... how is more than half of them getting noncompliant. Fifteen piccs and we have maybe one go up, and we’re one of the larger sections

During the noncompliant dance, it’s a lion hunting skit. At one point they run into a river, and there’s a dude named Rivers, so when they said, “Oh no! A river!” he came out of the line with his hands out like, “yes, c’est moi”

“We can’t go over it” *Rivers looks up, confused* “We can’t go under it” *Rivers lifts up a leg, confused* “We can’t go around it” *Rivers turns around, confused* “We’ll have to go through it!” *Rivers winks*

Tonight’s activity is called “Frosty Treats and Section Bonding.” Frosty Treats is a place in town, and Section Bonding is what it sounds like

So, we were gonna go to Buffalo Wild Wings for the section bonding, but the trombones were headed there, so no thanks

We went to Applebees, where the picc section pretty much descended back to home base

(Which is H*ll, if you’re wondering.)

(But also, if you had to wonder, you’ve never heard more than one picc play at the same time)

Fourteen out of the fifteen of us went, which is pretty good. The table, however, was chaos. One side was just laughing the entire time. A song they knew came on? Laughter. Vine references? Laughter.

“You’ve lost your marbles.” “I’m at negative three,” said while laughing

It was mostly two freshmen and one sophomore, so everyone kept asking if that sophomore was corrupting them.

There were a lot of cat puns today. We have two people in the picc section named Cat and Kitty, so, what are you gonna do?

Make cat puns

One of our piccs is leaving us for colour guard, which is really sad, but CG needs it. Three people quit, so we’re down to three CG members. Our picc player has never done it before, but she’s gonna try. We’re turning her into a cryptid to keep her on the shirt.

Her nametag is gonna say “piccolor guard” now

I really gotta go do something productive. Meaning sleep. I’m going to die tomorrow

[coolpolarbear123]

Band Camp Day 7

I forgot that I haven’t made this post yet, I have classes tomorrow, it’s 11:03 PM, and I got out at 5:00 PM.

August 26th, 2018

10th Grade | 11th Grade | 12th Grade | This Year | Next Year | All

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

Whoa:

We had a picnic at eleven, then band officially started at two and went until five. It was a very short day.

So, you’re asking yourself. Why the heck is this post coming out so late if band was out at five?

Then you add: don’t blame timezones, you’re in EST and you just stated what time it was in the above statement

And to that I say: I got dinner, hung out with a friend, had a mandatory meeting, talked with my roommate/suitemates for a couple hours, then opened my laptop. So flip off.

I’m so hot and sweaty and have been so since band

First, some stuff I forgot from yesterday:

I have bruises on my knees from thigh slapping. They are still there. I will still continue to thigh slap.

Marching band tan lines have begun

We climbed a mountain yesterday, right? So like, one of the piccs did a highest thigh slap. What a moment. What a peak

When we were on the mountain, DI asked us how one of the piccs’ driving is. “It’s... cautious.” “When the seniors got drink last night, so-and-so went off on it, and then [DM] joined in. Apparently she’s super slow and will stop when there’s not even a stop sign?” “...yeah...”

The conversation got cut off because that picc player came over, but it continued today

Now for today:

One of the piccs sent a video in the group chat, and basically this dude is crying for help to this one person who has the same name as DI

DI: “If you guys say that to me when you’re confused, I’m letting you suffer.” SL: “And I’m going to pull out my camera.”

Another picc sent the weirdest infomercial in the group chat (the two of us were watching Australian Wipeout together, and it came on, and we immediately sent it), and now DI wants to recreate the video with thigh slaps

Another inside joke: saying “Hello” or “Hewwo” like the seagulls in Finding Nemo

EDIT: And another: naming every bug we see after the girl who left us for the colour guard

EDIT: And another joke: one of this piccs is 17, so we make a lot of “Shh there’s a child around” jokes

The rant about the driving picc continued. A lot of seniors hate her driving and will stab her. They keep asking DI to do something. DI can’t do something.

This band is super family-like. I wasn’t expecting it to be, and I was really scared it wasn’t going to be, but it is and it’s fantastic

I’m becoming friends with the other girl who has my name (though she pronounces it differently. She said she and the other one with my name were thinking about changing their pronunciations because I won freshman of the year, haha)

We were on the actual field today, which is indoors. This means there’s no air conditioning or wind. The entire campus doesn’t really have air conditioning because there’s no need for it. The winters are way longer than the summers

For all of my attempts to stay anonymous, I feel like anyone who took the time and effort into reading my posts could easily figure out where I am

Picc: “I’m feeling pale” Me: “Yeah, same”

(I’m not pale)

We ran through pregame. I messed up pregame. A lot.

We ran through halftime. I messed that up to

It was hot, okay?

I was dying

“My elbows are sweating?” “Did you just say swelling?” “No, sweating.” “Oh, I thought you said swelling. I was like: we don’t do elbow claps here, that’s be stupid.” *Does a thighclap*

Some of the piccs have a Taco Bell problem that I’m not going to get into

One of them went to Taco Bell for the second night in a row, brought two other piccs, and, well, yeah, you can take it from here

At the end, half an hour early, we circled up, and we applauded for some people (thighclaps for mom and dad)

(they laughed when I said that)

We learned who freshman rep will be on the Committee of Important Band People (That’s my name for it)

(This includes Librarians, the President, Historians, etc. I never went into detail, but it’s whatever. Maybe next year.)

The piccs did the wave multiple times

It

Was

So

Hot

I

Want

To

Die

I decorated my folder with a bunch of inside jokes, and one of them says “Let us die” in fancy font “(please)” “(...Just...)” “(...Do...)” “(...It...)” “(You know you want to)”

Many people would start laughing, read “die” then be like “WAIT”

I think SL is thinking about group therapy. We told her to bribe us with chocolate instead. She’s thinking about it

Anyway, band ended with us all going crazy at the fight song like normal, us dying of head exhaustion, like normal, and then yeah.

That was it, pretty much.

Librarian wants to frame my folder. There’s a ton of stuff drawn on it

I wish the piccs had a designated room only for piccs so that we could.

The group chat later had the seniors saying stuff like, “You guys are an awesome picc section and I’m so glad you guys came in during my senior year so we can end it strongly.”

People are still congratulating me on being freshman of the year

I tripped getting into a car this morning. Still don’t know how I did it

Piccs are just happy that we’re not last. We had first and second place.

DI is super excited. It’s her fifth year, so I understand why.

The colour guard was doing flips everywhere and I just wish I could

Don’t mind me as I try to think of everything I can add to this post

My friend, who goes to a different school, told me that he had a blast at his band camp, which was the week before mine. I told him I was scared that mine was going to be like his. The hours were long, I didn’t think I would make friends or that the band would be family-like

I was wrong, which is good.

I guess that’s it. I’ll edit the post if I think of anything else, but yeah. Freshman Year of Band Camp: College Edition complete.

Yeah. I survived band camp.

[uruhabuns]

if anyone knows 14u, i walked past 5 of them in shin okubo a few days ago but i couldn’t take a pic bc it was so crowded and cramped with people being crushed and walking on both sides of the foothpath >< they were really tall too so i couldn’t help but stare a little hAhasdfjkg

[coolpolarbear123]

Band Camp Day 1

Oh, you thought that I was done because I graduated high school? You’re so funny. That’s right, it’s band camp season: college edition.

August 20th, 2018

10th Grade | 11th Grade | 12th Grade | This Year | Next Year | All

Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

First thing’s first:

I’m the realest

Just kidding, just kidding.

In case you need a reminder: I’m a flute/piccolo player. And I love band. I love band so much that I decided to continue it in college.

Some of you may seem the problem in this. Some of you have instrument privilege.

Most colleges don’t allow flute/picc in the marching band

Now, don’t get me wrong, I play a couple other instruments: clarinet, tenor sax, etc., but do I play them well enough to march with them?

Ahahahahahaha no

So what did I do? I added “college that allows flute/picc into marching band” on my list of requirements for college

Also: I plan on majoring in zoology; I want to be a zoologist. Worst comes to worst, I major in biology, so not the biggest deal if I didn’t end up at a school that offered zoology. Not many schools do.

Are you starting to see a pattern?

Long story short, I’m at a college that has zoology for a major, allows picc in the marching band, and is in my home state.

Now onto actual band camp

Today’s schedule is a cakewalk compared to the other days. I was only busy from 12:30 PM to 9 PM.

Yeah.

So I checked into my dorm, met my roommate (thank the gods she’s a sophomore trumpet player. I’d be so lost without her), and headed to band camp registration

Registration was fairly uneventful. It felt a lot like my first day of sophomore band camp, where everyone was yelling and hugging, both separately and at the same time.

I got a nametag and got sized for stuff, then my roommate and I made our way into the choir room to attend a band meeting

The band director was late, which is apparently usual. Honestly, I wouldn’t expect anything different. What band director isn’t constantly late?

Okay, but seriously, for a bunch of people that expect us to be super punctual, why are they always so late

My roommate introduced me to other trumpet players. They are nice. And extroverted. I am not.

Extroverted.

I’ve been told that I’m nice.

I don’t see it

We meet the important people, then are separated into sections for auditions. Basically they’re testing us to see who should play what part.

Those took a little over an hour and were also fairly uneventful. Probably because I’m shy, don’t know anyone, and we’re picc players. The most that happened was that we finished early, so we played a get-to-know you game, finished that before it was time to go, and because we were in a room where all the seats were at pianos, I played a little bit of “Hall of Fame,” by The Script.

“That was so good!11!!!!111!” “It’s literally the only song I know. And it’s super easy.”

Also one girl sorta ran away--I think out of fear of the audition. The drill instructor found her a bit later.

Auditions are over, it’s time for playing rehearsal.

Picc players go in first. We have no idea what our order is. We cause a backup. Oops.

We get seated. I am fifth chair out of fifteen flutes. I don’t know how--I’m just a freshman--but I don’t think the seniors sitting sixth and seventh were happy. I think I overheard one of them earlier talking about how if a freshman made first they were gonna suck.

So we’re gonna suck.

They can suck it up.

“It’s a beautiful day in da UP” “AYYYYYYY”

There’s a lot of inside jokes like that

We play the fight song, alma mater, and “You Can Call Me Al”

“I’ve never heard the piccolos so in tune.” “Mmm thanks.”

According to the picc section, the band director is King of backhanded compliments

I think the flutes hate me. It really is like sophomore year

Time for dinner. The flutes sit by each other. I managed to make an acquaintance.

Each section is super cult-like. The trombones are super wild and cheer at everything. Everyone sits with their section. I know it’s pretty normal, but still a little nerve wracking.

Then we all go back to the band room area so we can march to the practice field.

Piccs are in the very back, which I find weird. I soon learn that piccs are last for everything instead of first. 

It’s a long march, and while we’re marching, we go through a traffic circle. This traffic circle has some student housing by it, and while we’re marching through, some college students blast some old war tune that’s played by a picc.

Then they start shouting, “THE REDCOATS ARE COMING, THE REDCOATS ARE COMING.”

“PAUL, THE REDCOATS ARE COMING.”

It was funny, and I appreciate the effort, but also trying to stay on beat with the snare was hard 

The practice field is actually a practice parking lot

Like, there’s a tower, and the lines are painted on with huge painted numbers, but it’s a parking lot

The drum majors show us some stuff, we separate into sections (piccs in the back corner, of course)

I suck at marching. Gods of Olympus. I never thought I could be so bad.

We come back together, the drum majors show us more stuff, we split apart again, I can see the trombones doing the Cha Cha Slide in the distance

“When do we do the Cha Cha Slide? The trombones were.” “You do not want to associate with the trombones. At all. They’re loud, obnoxious, and annoying. The once spent an entire bus ride whooping in the back seat. It was the worst.”

We march as an entire band. I still suck.

We’re done. I get a ride back with the picc drill instructor, who is also my ride tomorrow morning.

Apparently, according to the picc section, the band director is something of a... slightly racist, can’t give normal compliments, you’ll pass his class if you wear a low-cut shirt kinda guy.

At least, that’s what Rate My Teacher says (with the low-cut shirt thing)

Apparently there’s this story that involves a Korean Foreign Exchange Student and a racist comment. Basically she was having a super hard time adjusting and she was already hearing racist comments. She played bass drum, and there’s this saying the band director says a lot to the percussion.

It’s not a bad saying at all, but he changed a couple of the words to make it more Asian for her.

I got out of the car (left my picc in it, actually. I’ll have to get that tomorrow morning), and now I’m probably keeping my roommate up with my typing, so I’m gonna go now.

Oh, but before I do: relearning marching fundamentals is hard. At least it reminds me of my old band and how they did things.

Second thing: we change shows every home game. aaaAAAAA