#I still think you need self-awareness specially about his daughter and his social status

[australet789]

Im so dumb, i didnt notice The Circus was inmediately after Queen Bee and Ozzie's

That explains so much and makes Stolas finally making a decision about something in his life more meaningful

[charming-mage]

Exposed by the Media Prompts Part 2

I didn’t expect that much Exposed by the Media prompts. I thought the well was dry. I was wrong. Should’ve known not to underestimate the internet and reality TV shows.

Exposed by the Media Prompts Part 1

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Lies in the Media is a Different Beast: Adrien grew up in the media spotlight. He knows it’s usually not a good idea to confront the rumors in the tabloids. It gives the rumors some credibility. When he sees Lila confront a rumor that bothers her a bit too much, he doesn’t stop her. Confronting a lie in the media needs a different method than someone lying in your personal life. Just because he’s doing the high road doesn’t mean he’s going to stop her from committing a crucial mistake.

Civilian Friends Are Okay Now: It’s well known Ladybug won’t make friends in her hero persona. She’ll be friendly and kind, but with a polite distance. People accepted it after a while. This changes after Lila’s interview on the Ladyblog. People assume Ladybug changed her mind about it since there’s no retraction article.  Civilians become more pushy and want to have more personal relations. From regular people to higher ranking citizens. (ex. No more formality, more personal rapport, friendship, or even the start of an epic romance.) A few uncomfortable situations and angry citizens forces Ladybug to address this.

Total Drama Island: The Miraculous users find out one of the prizes in a new season of the Total Drama Island reality TV show is an important Miraculous artifact. It could be anything from a Miraculous to a secret Guardian book. The heroes and villains are forced to participate as none of them found the item in time. Marinette and Adrien go in their civilian selves while Hawkmoth sends in Lila. Lila tries hard to hide her true self, but the contestants do find out.

Forgot to Log Out: Lila forgets to log out of her social media accounts in the school library. She gets distracted by something and clicks on minimize instead of the close tab on her browser. Since Lila didn’t log out of her session and the next person who gets the computer didn’t bother to do so either, her tabs are still there. The person is a noisy gossip and scrolls through them. They are intrigued by what they find. They decide to take screenshots and uploads them to the school website forum page. For the drama of course. (This is based on my experience when I was in high school and the library in my city. It was common to just close the browser and not bother to log out. The next person only logged out if they needed something from their own account. It’s not worth it to log in and out just for some internet searching.)

Dear Abby: Marinette, needing advice from a third party about Lila’s lying, sends an email to the Dear Abby column. (Or France’s equivalent.) She figures since Abby has no connection to either her or Lila, the writer can give her unbiased advice. She does her best to make the details as vague as possible so everyone in her life (including Lila) can have privacy. Her message is replied to and included in an article weeks later. Her request and Abby’s reply becomes popular amongst readers. Marinette did make a mistake, though. One of the examples she gives about “Lemon” is unique enough that someone eventually finds an interview on the Ladybug suspiciously similar to the lie. Marinette stopped watching new Lila interviews because it enraged her too much. She doesn’t want to deal with Lila after school hours as well. So she’s not aware Lila also mentioned it in an interview. Dear Abby readers dig through the interviews and discover nothing but lies. The Dear Abby column and the Ladybug drama gets big enough to be covered by the media.

Real Life Works Differently Than Fiction : A few classmates end up in a situation like Lila tells in her stories. Believing in Lila, they do what Lila claimed she did thinking it would work out the same. It doesn’t turn out so well. They get scolded by involved parties not to do that again. A reporter on the scene interviews them. It comes out why they did it. Lila’s lies are exposed as the fiction they are.

Tsurugi Influence: Kagami’s status as Adrien’s girlfriend makes Lila switch targets. Marinette is in the back burner until Lila deals with her new love rival. Her plans to deal with Kagami backfires and brings media attention. Lila was too used to love rivals not doing any major action towards her. The wrath of the Tsurugi family is brought upon her. She realizes afterwards how influential and powerful the family is.

Adrien’s Phone is Stolen Again: And this time the phone thief is caught. Lila steals Adrien’s phone to post social media posts an hour later gushing about Lila/or talking about in her a positive light. By the time Adrien finds out, he can’t take back what “he” said without controversy. Which Mr. Agreste would not like. That’s Lila’s plan anyway. The problem is that Lila makes these posts while Adrien is on a surprise live interview. (Which she is unaware of.) The interviewer asks Adrien about the new posts while Adrien is clearly not on his phone/laptop. On a hunch, a quick search by Adrien leads to the discovery that his phone was stolen. The model confirms it’s his personal account and not a media team behind it. The content of the posts make Lila the main suspect.

You Can’t Delete Me Now : Lila gets in a controversy. She starts deleting comments and defending herself. Gabriel is busy in a meeting and doesn’t find out in time to stop her. Commenters get so mad at her, one of them gets the bright idea to hold up signs resembling post/comment/ or tweet. Somewhere in their message includes a line saying, “You can’t delete me now.” The idea catches on and it becomes a trend to walk around in public or near photo shoots holding signs with their comments. Everyone includes the now famous phrase in their sign.

Lila’s Wild Ride: Lila manages to steal the monkey miraculous. However, she learns the hard way why the Guardian needs to think carefully when matching someone with a miraculous. (Lila is not good at using the monkey miraculous’ power. At all.) Xuppu easily figures out what happened and makes sure to give Lila a very memorable time. The wilder it is the better. A live news crew captures footage of Ladybug furious “that lying Lila Rossi” stole a miraculous. Chat Noir is worried they’ll see a new Hawkmoth ally soon. There’s more chaos as the criminal underworld, opportunistic people, and die hard Ladybug fans enter the scene. Meanwhile, the French government is not pleased with the Italian government. An Italian diplomat’s daughter stealing a Miraculous from Ladybug herself looks very bad for relations. Looks like a secret operation that got exposed to the more paranoid members.

Hell’s Kitchen: Gordon Ramsey hosts an amateur cooking competition. An older Lila Rossi is one of the competitors. Ramsey doesn’t like her food. (or the drama she starts. And sabotaging the other competitor’s food.) Sadly for him, her cooking is barely better than the worst ones so she is able to scrap on to the next round. The execs love her for the drama. When the season airs, the contestants notice the footage was edited to make Lila look innocent. They get hate from Hell’s Kitchen fans about their meanness and most of them do what they can to defend themselves. People become interested in what Lila is like in real life. The only requirement for the prompt is for Lila to be an adult. Ramsey would not let lose on a minor.

Collaboration Gone Wrong: The Gabriel brand does a collaboration with a brand outside the fashion industry. It could be anything as long as it gets the other brand to be on the same set as Gabriel staff. Gabriel decides to give Lila bigger roles starting with this. Lila is beyond happy. A bump in the road appears when an intern around her age pulls her aside and asks her to stop lying. Lila doesn’t of course and secretly does her best to ruin the credibility of the intern before they get the idea to tell someone else. Unbeknownst to the Gabriel model, the intern is a close relative of the collaboration company’s CEO. The intern just doesn’t advertise that fact. Doesn’t want special treatment. Heads start rolling when the CEO finds out what Gabriel’s muse has done to their beloved family member. Permanently damaging a profitable business relationship is the least of Gabriel’s worries when the media gets wind of the scandal.

[toreadorwriter]

What happens in the dark ch 6

A blood hunt had been called on Marie, causing the Nosferatu to flee the city.  Prince William had heard through the other Nosferatu about what had happened. A rather nosy and money hungry fledgling was more than happy to tell the prince and subsequently gain status within the Camarilla.  William also got the news that the hitman's ashes were found in a filthy stained alley way which delighted the prince but the cause of death was still unknown to everyone else. 

There was a knock at the door, and  the ventrue redirected his attention from the view outside the window. His Sheriff ushered the newcomers into the office, it was the Baron and Baroness of Hollywood, again. Two times this week,  this is getting ridiculous. The prince pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off the impending headache. 

It was at this moment that Prince William was aware of a subtle change in Jewel’s aura. Was she pregnant? He was confident the child was not just a human after all. The offspring of a vampire and a human is rare but disgusting occurrence frowned upon by kindred society. What the Baron did in his free time was none of his business, but he did hope the child of such a union wouldn't survive.

Giving them a fake smile, the Prince noticed that Jewel was wearing a shimmery green backless dress with a silver belt that was way too ostentatious for his taste,  obviously meant to hide the baby bump. She was also wearing shimmering gloves to match with her outfit and her hair was put into a messy bun and held together with a silver stash. He hated to admit it, but she looked absolutely astonishing with her green eyeshadow that made her eyes stand out. The ghoul smirked at him as if reading him.  He must say he did see why Isaac liked her. Ms. Balewa signed at him in warning. He had been caught staring, hopefully the others didn't notice.

Isaac noticed. 

''Are you done ogling my fiancee? If so let's please proceed to the theatre."

William almost punched him then and there but he controlled himself clearing his throat. He was better than the Brujah after all. 

The tension in the elevator down to the lobby was enough to give the air a taste. 

An hour later, the group was at the theatre and greeted by the Counsel of Primogen, and a few straggling kindred and other associated members of the undead society were in the background. Jewel noticed that both Anarchs and Camarilla were in attendance, and hoped that the Sabbat decided to skip this event too.

The crowd swarmed them like flies to honey and started asking all sorts of questions and chattering amongst themselves. Ms. Balewa stared them down and cleared a path so Prince William could enter the theater, with Isaac and Jewel scrambling to keep up. 

Walking onstage, Prince William cleared his throat. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the theater.

''Hello everyone, I apologize for dragging all of you out here tonight. I know a lot of you are all busy but tonight is a special one. I would like to announce that Ms. Jewel Abrams is now Baroness of Hollywood. I know the Anarchs are separate from the Camarilla and are often at odds, but -”

Willam was cut off by an uproar. 

“WHAT THE FUCK” was shouted from the back, probably from one of the Last Round gang. 

This was also the first time Strauss had an expression on his face, and it was one of disgust. 

 Therese raised a gloved hand and the crowd went silent again. '' Isaac, why her? She's not even a Vampire and she's only 24 That's way too young for a Baroness! She shouldn’t even be here!”

“I think we have more pressing issues at the moment other than this  kindred’s affairs with the kine. As long as she does not break the Masquerade any more than her existence does, who cares? We should focus on why was a Lasombra in Los Angeles and a LA kindred ordering hits on others! There are not enough of us to hold off the Second Inquisition as it is. “ Nines added to the din in the theater. 

Gary was being his usual self in the back, although the anger about how Isaac scored his next target as his ghoul started to show on his twisted face. He slunk down farther into the shadows. 

The voices began to rise again in anger and confusion and disgust before Ms. Balewa picked up her walking stick, which disguised a huge club and smashed it hard on the ground. The sound echoed like a shot.

''Please try to behave yourselves." The prince said pointedly and everyone fell silent again. He cleared his throat. “Having a ghoul working as a Baroness may be exactly what we need in order to protect this city and keep it moving during the daytime, and to be the hidden face of kindred to mortal society. I expect you all to assist Baroness Jewel in her endeavors.”

Jewel’s face drained. The prince just turned her new position as Isaac’s wife into something way larger than any of them anticipated. 

There was applause from the audience, and Jewel did not need any supernatural powers to tell that most of the enthusiasm was not genuine. Jewel felt her social anxiety kicking in, so many people were staring or glaring at her and she felt sick to her stomach.

She decided the best course of action was to wave and nod to acknowledge the prince and immediately turned and grabbed Romero’s hand and bolted out of the room. 

Alysa was waiting in the hallway with an orange rose, a granola bar, and Jane and Seregi.

Jewel ran into the brick wall who currently goes by Seregi. 

''Oops, sorry daughter." Sergei chirped happily before scooping her up and twirling her around. The door slammed and Lorenzo walked through the door. 

''Sir,  please put the baroness down!” Lorenzo warned and the Tziscme rolled his eyes.

''Don't worry I'm her father how about you put that gun down son."

“My father is telling the truth, please put the guns down.”

And that put Lorenzo at ease. ''Alrighty, if you need any help don't be afraid to call us. Baroness.” A pointed glare later at the ghoul, and they returned to the auditorium.

“Can we leave now? Camarilla affairs are always so dull. Aren’t you hungry?” Jane asked Jewel, who texted Isaac and Romero it was time to leave.

There were more than a few stares when Jewel left the building, followed by strange and familiar vampires alike. 

Jewel ignored them and clambered in with her future husbands. Alysa,Anatole, Mercurio and Susi were already waiting in the limo. How did Alysa travel so fast?

 ''how did you guys?." but before she could finish what she was saying ,Susi nervously handed her the invite that her parents had sent them.

 Seregi reached out and touched Suzi’s hand. “I know how you and the rest of the world feels about my Clan, but I promise you we are just as normal as the rest of you. I just wanted to meet the people who so warmly welcomed my daughter into their home.” He then brushed his greying hair out of his eyes and reclined back in his chair.

Tensions were still high amongst the passengers of the limo, so Alysa and Anatole used their powers to help everyone relax. The unnamed driver was thankful for that, he was starting to get nervous.

The limo rolled into a driveway connecting to a house on the outer edge of LA. The estate was huge, with poisonous and spooky looking plants decorating the gardens and alongside the driveway. Mercurio and Susi started to get nervous. Holding his girlfriend's hand, Mercurio squeezed her hand gently ''Everything will be alright, this is all for Jewel." he whispered to Susi, but then again why was he doing this for Jewel? It's not that he had anything against her, it was just the necromancer felt so distant to him. He tolerated her because she's his girlfriend's friend, but he never actually had the time to sit down and get to know her.

 Seeing as that they literally had no choice  but to walk into the creepy ass Addams family wannabe mansion, he hoped he would live long enough to actually get to know her and not end up as a new piece of furniture. No matter what Seregi said in the Limo, he still didn't trust the fiend. 

The limo mercifully stopped moving and everyone left the vehicle. 

For all appearances, Jane looked every bit the charming and not at all threatening hostess.

''Welcome to our lovely home! I bet you guys are just dying to see what's inside!." The Tziscme cheerfully invited everyone inside and began to follow the cobblestone path to the doorway.

Alysa turned around and pointed at Romero. “I heard your thoughts, that was a figure of speech. You will be fine.” she then turned around and followed Jane inside.

The inside was beautiful, it was gothic and very neat. Blood Red furniture was placed in the living room and rare macabre decor littered the walls, interspersed with framed family photos. It was an eclectic sight, but it worked. 

Jewel groaned from embarrassment.

'' Mom, Dad, why did you stick that picture up in the foyer, I look hideous!” Jewel whined and Sergei looked at her in utter complete shock.

 ''I love your prom photos, you look like a princess in your pink dress." he defended but Jewel begged to differ.

''Dad, I had acne! And what is up with that eyeliner I look like I should be in an emo band. Ugh blue eyeshadow too." she said and her old man shook his head 

''You were a teenage human, they all have acne. Regardless of how you feel, I think you are beautiful. Besides this is my favorite picture and look how happy you are in it anyhow." Seregi then leaned over and hugged Jewel and kissed her forehead, much to her embarrassment and everyone else’s amusement. 

Suddenly, the meows of an unknown cat filled the room and out popped Jewel's childhood pet cat, Cinnamon and Spice. The two headed cat walked up to Jewel and happily jumped into her arms purring loudly. 

“What the hell is that?" Romero shouted.  He thought to himself “What did those fiends do to that cat?”

''Romero shut it,  don't be rude” Susi muttered and Isaac had to give both his ghouls a warning look. 

“Behave.”  he pointedly whispered and that set them both straight. 

“Awww you guys, don't be afraid of the cats, it's not their fault they were left for dead. I had to fuse them together to save their lives. But, I promise they are normal cats." Sergei said taking the cats from his daughter. The cat liked its paw before using Seregi as a launchpad and bounded off to God knows where.

The door opened and the cat exited the room. The door kept opening to reveal a rather large man in a butler outfit. His soulless eyes stared at them glassy and fish like, and what was left of his blonde hair was combed to the side. 

'' Oh Jeffrey thank Cain you are here, is dinner ready yet?" Jane asked and the Butler smiled widely, revealing rows of yellow razor sharp. How many teeth do humans have again? This man had an exceptional amount of them.

 "Why Madame, yes absolutely, your father Andrei has commanded me to let you and our guests know."  He said casually before bowing. He rose and said joyfully “ Ms. Jewel, it's nice to see you. You've blossomed into such a beautiful young woman. I am honoured you've returned back home." 

“It is nice to see you again too, Jeffrey it's been way too long." The baroness replied politely.

 The grotesque butler smiled before leading them to a huge plush and expensive looking dining room.  Two was there with Andrei and Two waved hi to his friends and roommates. ''Wow, I didn't think you'd all come, It's nice to see everyone." He said picking his nails and avoiding eye contact. While Jeffrey and some war form Tzimisce fledgelings placed tons of food for the vampires and humans on the table.

Andrei smiled at Jewel and she couldn't even react in time before he swept her up excitedly. 

''Hey, Grandpa, not so rough I'm….” But jewel couldn't finish her sentence because Andrei cut her off with the hug.

 ''Come sit, let's eat, we will discuss what's wrong during dinner." He chirped placing her down.

 Jewel hoped the baby was fine after all that. 

Everyone gasped in amazement seeing all the delicious and bountiful food on the table there was a normal human Thanksgiving-style feast: honey glazed ham, yams, mac and cheese,stuffing,turkey, and tons of desserts. Drinks of all sorts were also provided for the humans in the room. Jewel tsked her lips, she would definitely have to steer clear from the alcohol while she was pregnant. Should be fun to explain that one in a few minutes. 

Issac pulled the seat out for her and she smiled at him ''Thank you, love." She said thoughtfully smoothing her dress down while she sat down. The hosts’ fledgelings served everyone their food and that's when Sergei got straight to the point.

''Jewel, we've gathered everyone here today because of what happened. The hitman has been killed and we don't know why.” he lied knowing damn well he did it and had to stop himself from giggling .

“Marie has been the one who sent him unfortunately. I heard she has a blood hunt called on her head and has fled the city."

 He told her and Jewel wasn't shocked just disappointed. She did not look at the others in the room to see their reactions. 

Jane picked up where Seregi left off. “ It is a little odd that she was living with you in the first place, but the issue has been solved and we can  move forward in safety now. I’m sure if we all work together, we can keep more threats at bay and stop them before they take action.” 

Jewel sighed, twirling her food around on her plate. She decided it was time to let them know.

 ''Mom, Dad, Grandpa there's something I have to tell you all that might make you reconsider that the threats are gone." She confessed and Isaac intertwined her hands with hers.

 ''I'm pregnant, you’re going to be Grandparents."

Sergei, who was busy downing a glass of blood suddenly choked and sputtered. Jeffrey pat his back while Jane stood up excitedly shaking her sire ''Oh my God, did you hear that , Father there's going to be a baby! A human baby! I get to hold a baby again!” She squealed excitedly.

Andrei was so excited that he literally almost pulled Romero over the table in a hug. ''This is a very joyous time, we we must celebrate!" he said ecstatically. Romero was less than happy at being anywhere near this house and even more so being hugged by the Archbishop of the Sabbat, but he was relieved the news was received well by the family. 

Andrei stood up after releasing Romero and began a toast. “To the baby!” before sitting back down and letting the dinner begin. 

 During dinner Romero couldn't stop feeling nervous he ate a good amount of food, but still this was a Sabbat household! And he was engaged to the daughter of a Sabbat vampire ,but they were nice and hopefully it stayed that way.

 Romero happened to catch a glance of Jane's necklace and his face went pale. Inside the pendant was a bunch of sharpened baby teeth encased in a gem and he hoped that they didn't kill a child for that jewelry. 

Upon noticing him staring, Jane smiled sweetly at him.

"Honey, not to worry. These are Jewel's baby teeth, we don't kill children." She assured him.

That was a relief but still creepy as fuck regardless. Romero gave Jane a quick nod before distracting himself with a German chocolate cake.  The other humans were busily chomping away at it. Romero cut a piece and placed it on his plate and caught something moving out of the corner of his eye. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Andrei suddenly reached out to him.

''Oh God, oh shit he's going to turn me isn't he?" He thought to himself and that's when he saw Andrei holding a tub of vanilla ice cream.

 "Do you want some of this or not?" The vampire asked and Romero sat there in horror

"Oh, um, yes." he sputtered and the Tziscme elder covered the cake in some ice cream. Romero never imagined that that he would ever associate with the flesh crafters, much less be fed perfectly normal human food by them. Besides, before he met Jewel, he was actively at war against them.

 He looked around the dining room awkwardly at his new extended family. 

God, tonight was one hell of a night for all of them.

To be continued...

[unbearablydeer]

This Is The Eye Of The Hurricane | SoO

Name: Serneth Tahromor

Alias: Sern

Race: Dunmer/Altmer (Werewolf)

Gender: Female

Sexual Preference: Demisexual

Romantic Preference: Panromantic

Age: 38

Class: Nightblade

Birthdate: 28 Evening Star

Birthplace: Solitude

Alignment: True Neutral (borderline Chaotic)

Affiliation: None presently

Occupation: Mercenary (Sword-for-Hire)

Figure: Straight rectangular

Height: 5'8

Weight: 136 lbs

Skin tone: Light Blue Undertone

Hair: Silvery blonde

Eyes: Candy apple red

Distinguishing Features: Vibrant colored eyes, Sharply angled features, Warpaint across left half of head, Giant scar up her inner left thigh

Personality:

+Adaptable +Adventurous +Articulate +Efficient +Independent

/Aggressive /Ambitious /Casual /Maternal /Sarcastic /Self-Conscious /Solemn

-Aimless -Arrogant -Asocial -Callous -Crass -Faithless -Fiery -Hostile -Paranoid

Dress: A mixture of light leather and elven armor, her common clothes are relatively simple but nice enough makes her inconspicuous like she likes.

Special items:

She usually carries her first actual whittling project with her, it's small and aged, and certainly nothing great, but she keeps it none the less.

She also carries a torn bit of fabric with her father's craftsman signature on it that she often ties around her wrist.

Weapons: Orcish bow, Ebony Daggers,

Proficiencies:

One Handed

Sneak

Illusion

Pickpocketing

Lockpicking

Alteration

Light Armor

Archery

Speech

Magic/Special Abilities:

Armsman

Decapitation

Backstab

Shadow Warrior

Quiet Casting

Invisible

Muffle

Detect Life

Detect Dead

Waterbreathing

Wind walker

Merchant

Persuasion

Strengths:

Dependable

Observant

Adaptable

Perseverance

Social Intelligence

Zest

Weaknesses:

Belief in eye for an eye judgement

Blunt/Callous

Hedonistic

Paranoid

Over-ambitious

Pessimist

Uncontrolled beast form

Damaged right leg (slowed gait, heavy limp)

Backstory:

Childhood: It's safe to say that Serneth wasn't planned. She was born to Cyloi Tahromor and Saurmia Gaeire, the latter of which was a well known noble in their region. Naturally, if news got out about Saurmia's tumble with Cyloi, it'd be an entirely new scandal, especially with a child coming out of it. So, being the woman she was, Saurmia had Serneth in secret, and instantly handed her over to her father Cyloi, wanting absolutely nothing to do with the child. Cyloi was a woodcarver, so it was safe to say, he may not have had as much renown as Serneth's mother did, he was well enough off to take care of the babe. Serneth grew up being raised by Cyloi and his friend Daralo, learning both how to defend herself, and traits of both men's trades, whittling was where she shined when it came to woodwork, but with Daralo, she quickly picked up on the particular skill of thievery, much to her father's distaste, however, he let her make her choices in the end. Serneth was clever and grew up with a fair sense of book smarts and street smarts alike. She grew curious and ready to learn, which lead to the ultimate question of who her mother was. You see, Cyloi had been quiet about her mother's absence, and for some time, Serneth simply thought it was the normal to not have a mother until she began to spend more time around the few other children in their town. When she finally brought it up, Cyloi was hesitant, but finally sat her down and shortly explained her situation. At the time, Serneth didn't fully understand why her mother wanted little to do with her, and she began to grow a sort of resentment towards this woman she'd never even met, and even some towards herself for the worries of not being good enough began to form.

Adolescence: In her adolescence, it's not easy enough to say that Serneth was a troublemaker. Especially for the fact that she learned her birth-mother had married and had two more children. Two siblings she would more than likely never meet. This simply brought more disdain to her mind, whilst also strengthening her doubt in herself. Fueled by a mixture of a need to prove herself and simply straight up spite against Saurmia, she approached Daralo and began to undergo proper training with the blade and bow. Her tongue became just as sharp as her blades, especially when her finesse with the blade and bow became apparent to Daralo. His and even her father's praise quickly brought on a sense of arrogance, despite her own constant inner worries. She became harsher, her needs driving her further and further to the point that she began to take jobs alongside Daralo. The duo quickly became untrusted in their town, and more often than not, Serneth's father would find himself swamped with complaints from people Serneth had "assisted" for Daralo. Due to this, it was little surprise to anyone when she became outcasted in the town. Of course, what really got her going now, was because this was only partly because of her acts, the rest of it was due to none other than Saurmia Gaeire advising against even acknowledging any friend or family of Cyloi and Serneth Tahromor. Fanning the fire in her chest, Serneth had been ready to confront her mother, especially when sales began to go down for her once reputable father. She became much more angry and spiteful, and because of this, Cyloi became worried his daughter might do something brash, so with agreement from Daralo, the two urged her to set out on her own finally. Naturally, she'd been appalled by the idea at the time, but with her father's pleas, she finally relinquished to his wishes.

Adulthood: Serneth came into her adulthood bitterly sometime after leaving her hometown. She took to travelling and taking on odd jobs here and there, some of which were legal, others not so much. Although she appreciated the new sights, the itch to "right" her mother still burned in her chest, and fueled her spite and even some of her still remaining self-doubt. Aside from speaking with contractors, she became rather isolative, keeping to herself and setting up a small camp on the outskirts of cities or even in the midst of the wilderness at times. She's been rather disinterested in settling down anywhere permanently, and of course she's thought of returning to her hometown, but she's more than aware that if she did, there'd more than likely be trouble of some kind. So, as of now, she's simply taken to be one of the passing faces in cities and towns every once in a blue moon. And if when she is, who's to say everything will stay in it's right place. No one can keep track of everything, now can they?

Relationships:

Parents: Cyloi Tahromor (father), Saurmia Gaeire-Chamlock (mother)

Siblings: Paloril Chamlock (half-sister), Ryaalmo Chamlock (half-brother)

Children: -

Relatives: none that she would deem worth of recording

Partner: -

Familiar: -

Mentors: Cyloi Tahromor, Daralo Lerar

Friends: Fubuki

Allies: -

Rivals: -

Enemies: -

Pets:

Halitus (hawk)

Interests:

Calligraphy, Whittling, Collecting Flower Petals, Card Games, Reading, Body Art, Travelling, Astrology, Falconry, Poetry

Quotes:

"Ya know, if that coat's worth snapping at strangers over I guess you're just as ready to be buried in it?"

"Trust me, honey. I think you've done enough with that mouth of yours."

"I'm not worth much of anything these days."

Other:

Headcannon Voice: Amy Vorpahl

Don't mention her flower petal collection unless she brings it up. She'll bash the whole book into your head. Trust me, it's a big book.

10/10 best bird mom

Also don't talk to her about her mom. It's a horrid idea.

Guess who's a werewolf?

Roleplay Info:

Status: Open

Time Zone: EST

Script/Literate: Literate

Ratings:

G

PG

PG13

R/M (Gore/Adult Content)

Methods:

Discord

Skype

Deviantart Notes

Tumblr

Other

[scully-eats-sushi]

I have a difficult question, and please forgive me for having to ask it, but this is a rare opportunity. What is the most supportive way to act/react towards a parent with a child with autism or some other neuro-divergence? I have several friend-quaintances whose children have been recently diagnosed, and I'm hyper-aware of how I treat them now. Sympathy seems too much like pity. Curiosity seems morbid. Status quo feels like denial or ignorance.

Hi Michelle. This is a fine question, and I don’t mind answering it. Actually I appreciate that you're asking and want to know how to proceed because it sounds like you're a great supportive friend.

Just for reference, my three boys are all diagnosed as being on the spectrum, with various other co-diagnoses (ADHD, sensory processing disorder, motor coordination disorder, apraxia of speech). One daughter is probably on the spectrum but it’s less obvious. My husband is self-diagnosed as on the spectrum; he had other diagnoses as a kid but Aspergers would have been less likely to be diagnosed back then. All of my kids are very verbal and quite independent, especially as they’ve gotten older. Obviously, it is a spectrum and there are family with greater needs/more impacted kids than ours. Having said that, even the “high functioning” part of the spectrum can often be difficult. My oldest son, for example, has few friends (none really close that I know of), meltdowns, high anxiety and depression. He's intelligent but highly distractible and so it can be hard to get through academic classes (especially large and loud ones) without shutting down mentally. Second son is similar in some ways, very different in others.

Families who are new to diagnosis will often go through a period of mourning for what they expected versus the reality of raising someone who is neurodiverse. As well, there is a lot of anxiety about the future. I think most people don't mind a mix of status quo and curiosity. The family will still want to be treated with respect but may appreciate an offer for help if you can spare the time. Depending on the kid’s needs, the family may be spending many, many hours (and dollars) on therapies or special classes. It’s important to realize that the parents have less mental energy for their former social activities with their friends. They may even feel guilt for that, but they don't want to lose their friendships. Offer to meet them when it suits their schedule, or at their home if they stay at home with their kids. And understand that the social relationship could change but that they don't want to lose friends. Often friends tend to drift away from friends raising kids with special needs, and the parents (especially moms, and especially those who stay at home) start to feel isolated.

Treat kids with special needs in a completely normal manner. Individuals with autism are not “suffering” from autism, although they often have great challenges. It’s not a disease; it’s simply a matter of a person’s brain being wired somewhat differently than what a “neurotypical” person’s brain is like (if that makes sense). A kid with special needs can use an environment (sound and visual) that doesn't overstimulate them. They also often need routines; they can feel out of control and melt down if a routine changes. So as a friend you can ask what your friend’s family’s routine is, and try to fit within that routine rather than expect it to be disrupted. 

I hope that helps a bit. And I hope I didn’t come off sounding preachy.

Thank you for the ask!

[kinetic-seth]

Task 12: Muse Booster

Name: Seth Harper

Height: 6′2″

Age in Story: 25

Birthplace: Stockton, California

Hair (color, length, style): Dirty blond/light brunet (gets lighter in the warmer months, darker in the colder) hair with natural waves kept short cropped (image).

Race/Nationality: White; American with British ethnicity

Regional Influences: California

Accent (voice, style of speech, slang, signature words/phrases): Seth doesn’t have an accent that he’s aware of, and his voice is pleasantly deep sounding with a very subtle rough edge to it. He doesn’t have any signature words or phrases, but he tends to curse more often with people he’s comfortable with. Voice clip here.

Religion: No religion

Marital Status: So very single

Scars/Other Notable Physical Attributes: He gets a lot of compliments about his jawline and cheekbones. Other than that, the only other thing he has is the registration tattoo on his left wrist.

Handicaps (physical, emotional, mental): None actually professionally diagnosed, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he had some form of depression and mild anxiety.

Athletic? Inactive? Overall health?: Very athletic. He keeps himself in shape and works out either by running or going to the gym to use exercise equipment almost every day. It’s kind of become a habit and a necessity after he got involved in the drug dealing world, and most recently, fighting at Moxxi’s Madhouse.

Style of Dress: Seth’s style is very simple, and kind of cheap. He usually wears jeans, sneakers or combat boots, with a plain white or black t-shirt underneath a leather jacket or a leather hoodie. Sometimes he’ll wear a nicer shirt with a collar.

Favorite Colors: Reds, oranges, violets

How does character feel about appearance? His self esteem is weird. He thinks of himself as physically attractive, but if someone else of a higher degree of attractiveness were to compliment his appearance, he’d suddenly become a little more insecure.

Any siblings?: None that he’s aware of. Although, he considers his cousin Bradley to basically be his little brother.

Relationship with parents?: Well, his dad walked out on him when Seth was ten, and ever since then, his mother abused him. It’s safe to say that once he got out of the house at 16, he cut all ties with his mother, and he hasn’t heard from his father since he left.

Memories about childhood?: For some reason, Seth vividly remembers a happier time when he was around six, and his parents took him to the beach one Saturday. It was probably the best day of his life, and they were all smiling and happy, eating junk food like cotton candy, fried Oreos, and ice cream after his dad helped him build the most awesome sand castle. His mother took a picture of him with his dad making the castle, and no one knows that he keeps the picture in a frame by his bedside to remember that time in his life.

Educational background? (Street smart? Book smart?): He dropped out of high school when he ran away from home at sixteen, and eventually got his GED in case he ever had the opportunity to go to college. He’s more street smart than book smart. 

Work Experience: Drug dealer, bodyguard for a mafia leader’s daughter, and fighter at Moxxi’s Madhouse. He’s currently looking into bartending jobs.

Where does the character live now? Describe home. (Emotional atmosphere & physical): He lives in a two-bedroom beach side condo in West Stone. It has a luxurious, contemporary open spaced feel with a relaxed environment since he lives alone.

Neat or messy?: He doesn’t mind a mess in certain things like leaving clothes on the floor, but when it comes to picking up trash and cleaning up dishes, he’s much neater in that regard.

Sexuality: Straight, although he’s slowly discovering and acknowledging he is probably bisexual. 

Morals: Seth likes to think he has good morals overall, even if he doesn’t follow them. He tries to do the right thing, but he has no qualms with killing someone to defend someone he cares about.

Activities: Running, martial arts, kickboxing, fighting at Moxxi’s Madhouse

Friends? Pets?: Some of his closest friends are Teddy and Marcy, and his cousin Bradley

Enemies? Why?: None that he can think of

Basic Nature: Seth is a quiet and most people would say he “broods” a lot. He’s rather shy and introverted, although he can mask that when he feels like it. He’s sarcastic and gruff a lot of the time, but underneath that, he will go above and beyond for anyone he cares about.

Personality Traits: Quiet, loyal, protective, stubborn, sarcastic, caring, distrusting, witty (sometimes), strong-hearted, brave

Strongest/Weakest Traits: His strongest traits are definitely his stubbornness and protective streak. While he’s caring, he can sometimes not always be great at showing it, and that has sometimes gotten him in trouble.

What do they fear?: He fears losing the few people in his life that he cares about. 

What are they proud of?: The fact that he actually has friends, a home, and he’s survived this far in life.

Outlook on life: He tends to have a more pessimistic view of the world, but there is a small shred of optimism he keeps buried deep underneath.

Ambitions: He's very simple in what he wants, and all he’s striving to achieve for is to get a well-paying job and become a more functional adult. He has occasionally thought about going back to school, but he has no idea what he’d want to do.

Politics: Seth doesn’t really focus on politics a lot, nor does he really strongly side with any particular party. He feels he’s a bit too “uneducated” to talk about financial or economic issues, or war and country relations, but with things like immigration, social issues, crime, and Metahuman rights, he tries to pay attention to. He tends to be in the middle, agreeing with conservative values on one issue and leaning towards a liberal view on others. 

How do they see themselves?: He honestly really doesn’t see himself as anything special. Just another person living and going on through life until death comes.

How are they seen by others?: To those who know him, they see him as a strong but quiet person, a protective “sibling,” and a good friend. Strangers would say he’s either rude and sarcastic and cold, or nice but shy and aloof.

Do I (the writer) like this person? Why? Why not?: I like Seth as a person. He’s got that big protective older brother vibe, and I’d love to have him around when walking home at night instead of being by myself. He’d do whatever he has to in order to keep a friend safe and unharmed. 

Most Important Thing About Them: His kind heart.

Present Problem: He needs to find a well-paying job so he can get money and pay for his home, food, and other things. This has proven to be quite a difficult task.

How it will get worse: With the Nephilim being known as public Metahuman terrorists, the great majority of society (especially in Pansaw) fears Metahumans. Since Seth is registered, he’s been getting turned away from most of the jobs he’s trying to get.

Their goals in this story?: Main goal? Survive this crazy world. Other goals would include graduating from college (actually attending college first is a good idea too), find some love maybe, and possibly be happy.

What traits will help/hurt them in achieving this goal?: When Seth puts his mind to something, he perseveres like all hell. 

What makes them different from similar characters?: Seth could be compared to the “gentle giant” character trope, or the “looks like he could kill you, but is actually a cinnamon roll” meme. He can definitely be a cinnamon roll, but he will not bat an eye or feel any semblance of guilt when it comes to taking out a threat against his own life or a threat against someone he loves.

Why will readers remember this character vividly?: Despite his rough past and present, he’s still a good guy who hasn’t let it all tear him down completely, and that kind of strength is something I find admirable.

[cutsliceddiced]

New top story from Time: America’s Travel Guru Rick Steves’ Talks About Staying in One Place, What America Is Getting Wrong, and Dreaming of Escargots

This summer, I traveled. There were sun-soaked Italian hill towns; a sleepy Portuguese fishing village; a musty, centuries-old timber church in Romania. I saw it all from my couch, or sometimes the faded hammock on the porch. And I did it under the gentle narration of Rick Steves, the un-assuming travel magnate whose childlike wonder and irreverent curiosity, seen in decades of cheap and cheerful guidebooks and travel TV shows, have introduced multiple generations of tourists to the charms of small museums and the pleasures of a walking tour.

Now, with the coronavirus pandemic making international travel obsolete, Steves–just like the rest of us–has been staying home. “You can’t go to Europe? Poor boy,” he reminds himself with a burst of laughter. “From my point of view, my life has been on an amazing trajectory until three months ago–too good to be true.” It’s the first time in 30 years that Steves is spending the summer in his hometown of Edmonds, Wash. Steves is on the road for more than four months in a given year, mostly in Europe. As the leader of one of the most successful U.S. travel franchises–it was on track to host 35,000 tourists for its 2020 guided tours–it has been hit hard by the global pandemic.

In the meantime, Steves has rediscovered what it means to hear birds in the morning. He’s brushed off his old trumpet and plays a nightly rendition of taps for the neighborhood as the sun sets over the Pacific. He’s learning to love his partner’s dogs, to chop vegetables, and to travel–as he puts it–from home. “That mindset when I’m traveling, to sit on a bench and watch the moon rise over the Alps?” he explains. “We have moonrises here also.”

Travel is sensory, but it is also, as Steves has preached for decades, inherently political. It’s this connection to the broader world–the needs of his local community, the political crisis facing America and the grander global challenges ahead–that fuels him now. “When people say, ‘God bless America,’ I say, As opposed to what? God not bless Canada? It makes no sense to me. This is not a high school football game. We don’t just root for our team,” he says. “The challenges confronting us from here on out are global and need to be addressed in a global mindset. You can’t build a wall and say, ‘Desperation here, happy rich people there.'”

Rick Steves’ Europe is an empire, with 100 U.S.-based employees and 150 freelance tour guides around the world. He hosts tours, publishes guidebooks, speaks at events and broadcasts TV specials. Rick Steves the person, however, is a dad. He’s a little silly. His hair is a little long. His kitchen, where he works, is decorated with a generic travel poster advertising the joys of Tuscany.

But behind this affable persona lies a steely, decades-long ambition. Born in Edmonds to a family of piano importers, Steves disappeared to Europe as a teenage backpacker–and pretty much never looked back, hosting scrappy tours for young people, giving travel seminars in Washington State and self-publishing his first guidebook, Europe Through the Back Door, in 1979. Today Rick Steves’ Europe books make up 25 of the 30 top-selling guidebooks in the U.S., and his dozens of annual tours make millions of dollars.

Not that this status helps him now. The pandemic has slashed the travel and tourism industry; estimates project a 35% global downturn in 2020. Steves predicts revenues of “practically zero” for his year ahead and is cautious about making any plans to return until business can go back to usual. He is committed to retaining his full-time staff, reducing their hours and pay while continuing their health care. It’s tough in a business based on volume. “For things to work in my world, you gotta pack the house, you gotta pack the plane, you gotta pack the hotel, you gotta pack the restaurant, you gotta pack the tour bus. Social distancing is just not a part of that equation,” he says. “When I go to France, I want to be kissed on both cheeks, three times.”

On my family’s first trip to Europe, a Steves book was our bible to choosing tiny trattorias, and his videos were our primers to navigating the twisting steps of the Cinque Terre. Nearly 25 years later, listless in quarantine, my family turned to Steves once again, playing episodes of his namesake show to while away the quiet evenings. “Remember that bruschetta?” we asked one another, watching Steves luxuriate in the flavor of tomatoes and garlic on fresh bread. “We were there too!” Watching Steves now is like peeking into a time capsule of a reality we didn’t realize was ending. Steves seems to live in a Europe untouched by the hordes of contemporary tourism, his optimism unmarred by the darkness of today’s politics or the superficiality of our consumerism.

Yet Steves is intimately aware of historical and present realities. One travel special explores fascism in Europe–something that, he thinks, has lessons even more applicable now. “I don’t think America does a very good job of learning from history,” he says. “When I was younger, I wanted to hurl people out of their comfort zones. All I had was a baggie of Valium to help people calm down,” he says with a bright laugh, referring to his early days as a tour guide leading small groups to funky hostels. “Now you support somebody, you hold their hand.” All of this, he insists, is connected to building a better world. “If I was to measure profit, it is on how transformational the travel is that I offer. That’s profit. If I look at a Trump rally, I would love to have a busful of those people on a bus in Europe. Because that would make my work more productive.”

Productivity hasn’t stalled for Steves in isolation. He recently finalized an Egypt special and published a book of nostalgic essays about Europe. He also doubled down on his philanthropy, pledging millions of dollars to offset climate change, address global hunger and support his hometown. He is a longtime campaigner for the decriminalization of marijuana in the U.S., a cause he sees as deeply tied to the structural inequalities that have reared up so visibly in recent months. “It’s not because I’m a pothead but because I think the laws are racist, non-productive, anti–civil liberties, anti–states’ rights,” he lists off. He is donating and helping raise money to improve voter access in the South.

He’s also sitting still, watching the humming-birds that flock to his bird feeder. “The main thing for us to do right now–and what America is flunking at–is being patient. Being diligent, embracing science, respecting the needs of the greater community,” he says. This summer he would have been meeting the family of his daughter’s fiancé on a three-week trip. It would have been his first real European vacation in 30 years, guided by his son.

But if even Steves can stay home and refocus his attention, well, maybe that’s a lesson for us all. “I always say, ‘If it’s not to your liking, change your liking.’ Be in that group that loves it while we stay home,” he urges. The TV shows, the books, and the blog posts and flashbacks: these things will carry us through. “When you travel, all you’re doing is racking up these huge banks of memories and experiences. I was walking home the other day and saw a little snail on someone’s fence,” he recalls, smiling, “and all I could think of was escargots.”

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

[justkeepshuffling]

21 Albums From 2017 Ranked

I probably don't need to explain anything since nobody really seeks my opinion on these matters, but this isn't a "Best Of 2017" from a guy who digests ton's of releases.  These are albums that were (mostly) already on my radar by bands I already enjoy and I'm listing those particular albums in order of my level of enjoyment.  It's been a few years since I've done this, but I'm working overtime until 4am and what better way to stay awake and stimulated?  Ah, music...

21) Circa Survive - 'The Amulet'

I literally downloaded this album and never listened to it.  I think I checked out two music videos and thought, "This seems pretty Circa Survive".  I technically still haven't fully digested 'Violent Waves'.  Sometimes that happens for me.  Someone puts out a record before I've fully absorbed the prior one and I just never catch up accordingly.  My full listen through 2014's 'Descensus' did nothing for me, unfortunately.  I'm not sure if these guys are doing any reinventing.  It mostly feels like mid tempo monotony. 

20) Maroon 5 - ‘Red Pill Blues’

This album holds a special place in my heart since my daughter really took to the single “What Lovers Do (Feat. SZA)”.  When my wife told me this was her favorite song I thought she was just being a cute Mom.  Winds up no matter how fussy she is, the baby stops and smiles when the opening starts.  I could go on about how I miss Maroon 5 having real drums and how little James Valentine gets to let his guitar shine (especially after releasing such a beautiful signature model Ernie Ball guitar), but there’s catchy material all over the place. It’s the Adam Levine show and nobody wants to get off that money train, understandably.  At least I can always think of a beautiful little newborn enjoying music with her beautiful Mama when I think of this album.

19) Kelly Clarkson - 'Meaning Of Life'

Yet another album I never got a front to back session with.  When tracks come up on shuffle I'm usually impressed though.  Once again, I never gave 2015's 'Piece By Piece' a full front to back, nor 2011's 'Stronger'.  I was too busy being in love with 2009's 'All I Ever Wanted', which still stands as her masterpiece. 

18) Less Art - 'Strangled Light'

If you know anything about me, you're probably aware my love for anything Thrice related.  This band features the brotherly rhythm section of Riley Breckenridge (drums) and Eddie Breckenridge (bass in Thrice/guitar in Less Art) so I had to investigate.  While the post hardcore soundtrack is within my taste, the vocal delivery, sadly is not.  I'm a melody man, myself.  I cannot say enough good things about the production.  This is how guitars should sound.  The low end is so thick and distinct.  Everything cuts through.  The guitars are heavy but you hear every note within the chords.  Just beautiful.  Hats off to the engineer, producer and mixer for achieving tonal supremacy.

17) The Killers - 'Wonderful Wonderful'

I may have fizzled out on this band with 'Battle Born', but I was hopeful.  After a full once over, I don't find myself coming back to this often.  Standard rock record, but maybe a little wavering and uninspired.  If they continue putting out records for another decade or so, I'd be curious what gets played from this particular collection.

16) St. Vincent - 'Masseduction'

There's something about Annie Clark.  When I stop and think about her entire catalog, I sometimes ponder if she's overrated.  I honestly think she's just so damn cool that it's hard to say anything negative about her.  She certainly has some great songs and she's a phenomenal guitarist.  I tend to cherry pick with her songs.  I was a bit thrown off by the creative choices on this album.  I certainly don't worship at the altar of Jack Antinoff so I don't understand why everyone seeks him out as a producer (Note: his taste in women is uniquely questionable).  The production is bare, all electronic drums, and less guitar than I would have hoped.  Standout tracks like "New York" and "Los Ageless" are catchy but not much else gripped me.  Expectations are high post Grammy win.  I felt a little let down.

15) Katy Perry - 'Witness'

Speaking of high expectations...  Katy's part of the pop machine now.  The songwriting credits on this album are absurdly astronomical.  2013's 'Prism' was mature and inviting with real raw moments mixed in with the colorful fun.  The few moments on ‘Witness’ that had real possibility didn't pop where they needed.  "Chained To The Rhythm" had a ton of potential but the chorus lacked the brightness to make it stand out.  It just fell flat, like most of the album.  The pre-release tag of “Purposeful Pop” bit her in the ass post-release.  My theory, there were probably 30+ songs written (some of which were, in fact, social conscious) but didn’t make the final cut.  A week prior to the release, there were still only two titles out of about thirteen that were listed on iTunes, which I feel proves she was slighted by the powers that be.  If you don't have full say in your career decisions, maybe don’t make bold statements about your upcoming album.

14) Weezer - 'Pacific Daydream'

I walked into this album expecting disappointment.  2016's self-titled "White Album" was right on par with every other self-titled color release in their catalog as their best work.  Seeing another album coming down the pipe a year later that had an off title left me uneasy.  This album is in a similar vein, albeit not as great as it's predecessor.  It plays a bit more like a good b-sides record from those album sessions.  Very worth the listen, and makes up for some of the mess that 'Hurley' and 'Raditude' left on their hands.

13) Envy On The Coast - 'Ritual'

This EP has been explained as a revisiting of old idea's through the lense of the reformed present.  While Envy On The Coast is "back", it's missing three original members.  When your drummer is as incredible as Dan Gluszak, it's noticeable when he's not there.  I've had many discussions about how a band is never the same after losing their drummer.  It's such a strong part of the blueprint.  I'm not overly familiar with Dillinger Escape Plan's Billy Rymer, but the drumming on this release could have been done by anyone.  Envy vocalist Ryan Hunter drummed on 2010's 'Lowcountry' with descent results, I'm not sure why they didn't go that route again.  Songs like "Virginia Girls" sit right in play with where they had left off.  The songs are a bit straight forward/on the nose.  Perhaps some of the songwriting flare left with the eloped members.  I think this release was to get the lingering idea's of the past out of their system so they can properly attack a full length album next.  Considering how meandering all the post breakup projects were, I'm excited for the future.

12) Glassjaw - 'Material Control'

Fifteen years between full lengths is not ideal.  Most began to give up hope on this mystery record.  That Billy Rymer kid played on this album too!  Unlike 2002's 'Worship & Tribute', some of the songs tend to blend together with only a few true standouts.  Further parallels with Envy on the Coast include writing songs without an official drummer.  With Daryl and Beck doing all the heavy lifting, I can't help but feel that when the time comes to show a studio drummer 12 songs, structure gets watered down.  The tracks lack a sense of adventure, complexity, hard left turns. The vocals are buried in the mix at times, which lends itself to the aggressive bite of the guitar/bass attack.  Alas, it's just nice having something come out finally.

11) Foo Fighters - 'Concrete & Gold'

As my wonderful bass player Joey P. said, "After two career defining albums late in your career, this is the inevitable letdown".  The man is a wordsmith.  Sad but true, and yet...  it's worth noting their mediocre effort is still better than most.  The Greg Kurstin production choice makes zero sense, still.  I think Dave thought it would yield something incredible and people would be amazed by his oddball idea that really paid off.  It did not.  The musicianship is always crisp, so they can hang their hat on that since the songs aren't something you'll come back to again and again.  This is sadly a mostly forgettable album by the biggest band in the world.

10) Haim - 'Something To Tell You'

I waited years for this album.  Chomping at the bit.  Anxious.  Excited.  Impatient.  Guess what...  I barely listen to the damn thing.  I was obsessed with their debut.  Every song was perfectly crafted.  There's some real head scratching moments on this album.  Like producer Rostam Batmanglij using an obvious vocal effect he used on Vampire Weekend albums.  One song features awkward silence as a bridge.  The closer "Right Now" has this off beat drum loop that is damn near impossible to follow which takes you way out of the song because you're trying to nail down the confusing timing.  The girls still shine, and perhaps I just forget that the album is there but I thought with the amount of time invested in writing and recording it would be at least on par with their first album.

9) Brand New - 'Science Fiction'

The elephant in the room.  Sexual misconduct allegations aside, I'm going to concentrate on the music because there's three other band members who invested everything into creating this album and discrediting them would be a disservice to their efforts.  That being said, I listened to this album a lot.  People lost their minds over this surprise release.  I did not.  I was excited, yes.  But let's be clear, peoples obsessive nature for this band clouded their judgment.  It's a good album.  It's not the masterpiece people sold it as.  Considering their penchant for reinvention via back to back releases like 2003's 'Deja Entendu' and 2006's 'The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me', which both served as career defining milestones, an eight year wait should have yielded a much more refined and impressive product.  Still, this record is more tainted by Jesse Lacey's admittance of exploiting his status to take advantage of female fans more than the fact that a very good record isn't a great record.  Who'd have thought that their cheeky T-shirts saying "Brand New 2001-2018" was a much more ambitious timeline than they had anticipated...

8) Portugal. The Man - "Woodstock"

Just a good catchy rock record from a great workhorse of a band.  "Feel It Still" getting radio play should be a victory for us all.  There's a lot of winning moments on this record.  They deserve every bit of success they've worked so long to achieve. 

7) Bush - 'Black & White Rainbows'

Yes, I like Bush.  Gavin is the reason I switched to guitar and became a front man.  Since their "reformation", this music has been questionable, at best.  I hadn't realized how much Nigel and Dave reigned in the songs until they were absent from the process.  Most of Gavin Rossdale's lyrics in the 2010's are complete garbage.  Just meaningless phrases thrown against the wall.  How many ways can one phrase "Don't lose yourself", you ask?  Aside from "what the hell does that even mean?", too many ways apparently.  Here's the thing about this album for me...  I loved the production.  The dry, tight drum sound spoke to me.  The guitars/amps had a vintage pawn shoppe vibe.  It was Hi-fi Lo-fi done to perfection.  Then, out of nowhere...  months later the album is re-released as a "Remaster" with a completely different track listing, two new songs and the lead single has an extended outro chorus.  Lead guitarist Chris Traynor didn't have an answer as to why this happened.  It helped the drums cut through harder and the kick became more vibrant.  It was the right call.  I just wish I was able to blast this album with windows down without feeling embarrassed someone's going to hear the lyrics and lose all respect for me.

6) Dreamcar - 'Dreamcar'

What happens when you mix all the core dudes from No Doubt and AFI's Davey Havok?  You get 80's pop rock bliss!  I was super excited to hear this album and I probably don't listen to it as often as I should.  Not having any expectations or label constraints truly comes across in the music.  It's the musicianship you've come to expect from Tom, Adrian and Tony with the vocal theatrics of later-era AFI with touches of The Cure, Kraftwerk, and countless other New Wave/Post Punk influences.

5) SAINTE - 'Smile & Wave'

I wasn't familiar with Tay Jardine's prior band We Are The In Crowd.  I'm not even sure how I stumbled upon this band.  Maybe Youtube?  Either way, this 7 song EP blew me away.  The production is pristine.  The drums sound huge, the guitars and bass are so full, almost like an Eric Valentine produced record without the gritty/metallic/digital tinge he sometimes gets.  The melodies soar, they're memorable, they're fun.  I wish they had perhaps waited and recorded another 3 songs to make a proper full length.  I can't imagine the challenges of being a female rock vocalist in a post-Paramore landscape but if this is a band finding it's leg's, the future is incredibly bright.

4) Minus The Bear - 'VOIDS'

I'm realizing drummers are a recurring theme in this post.  Minus The Bear traditionally wrote the foundation of their records with guitarist Dave Knudson and drummer Erin Tate.  After Erin's vague dismissal, they had to regroup.  It's odd hearing a release without the heavy handed hi-hat work, but it still feels like a Minus The Bear album.  A casual listener may not take notice, but it's certainly an adjustment with keyboardist Alex Rose taking lead vocals on 3 of the 10 tracks.  While some tracks hit the mark, there's a few slow drones in the mix.  The only unfortunate moment is the climactic ending on closer "Lighthouse". The "A Day In The Life" style noisy build to a cool 16-bit, glitchy, audible seizure seems like an idea they tacked on to a song that was in the same key but doesn't quite follow the songs chord progression.  It confuses the musician in me.  Sometimes you have to let an idea go, no matter how much you love it.  Serve the song.  This was a transitional period navigated better than most.  The next release will be the true test of their ability to gel with the new method of songwriting.

3) Incubus - '8'

So many polarizing, conflicting feelings with this album.  How do you wrap your head around an album with such catchy songs yet such garbage production?  Let's start with the negatives.  This album is really only 9 songs.  The instrumental track is a total throwaway and the mariachi joke song "When I Became A Man" should have been a hidden track at best.  If you combine the prior EP "Trust Fall Side-A", you have a proper full length to be proud of.  Now let's talk production.  Holy hell, it's God awful.  Dave Sardy apparently made Brandon do a million vocal takes and when his voice was good and shredded, used the last wreck of a take.  Guitarist Mike Einziger, a Harvard grad, and a wildly underrated and innovative guitarist had the batshit crazy idea to have Skrillex come in and mix the album.  Dr. Wubwub Laptop Millionaire went even further and restructured songs and removed pre chorus' on top of it.  I'm hoping for the 20 year anniversary edition of this album they'll release the album we should have received.  I want to know Incubus' vision and perhaps a proper mix that doesn't sound like noisy kids trying to blow out your car speakers.  The redemption?  It's hooky as hell.  There's a reason these guys are huge.  They write catchy rock songs.  There's a few odd lyrical moments, but I can get past it.  Lead single "Nimble Bastard" is way to similar to the aforementioned EP's "Dance Like You're Dumb".  I'm still hoping to find out the "vision" for this album.  If I had to guess, they wanted a hard hitting gritty garage rock sound that was a nod to their debut full length 'S.C.I.E.N.C.E.' to compliment/balance the more refined rock they currently create.  Still, nothing will touch 2011's Brendan O'Brien produced 'If Not Now, When?'.  This album might have been a knee jerk reaction to the atmospheric, sparse, mellow vibe of that record.  I would have been equally as happy with a continuation of that mindset.  Though, a hard rock record still feels right for this band.

2) Paramore - 'After Laughter'

The last time I did one of these lists was 2013, and Paramore's self titled album was my number one pick that year.  Here we are in 2018, reviewing 2017 and boy was it close.  So close!  I probably listened to this album the most over the course of the year.  Negate the artsy back patting exploration of "No Friend", which serves nothing more to the album than a self indulgent excuse to have the Me Without You singer inaudibly mumble over a painfully droning outro to "Idol Worship", and you have a perfect record.  Now that we have that out of the way, we can discuss everything they did right with this album.  The 80's aesthetic even has a place in the experience.  After the prior albums brilliance, it was a logical move to stick with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen.  Where the prior album had bells, whistles and flourishes all over the place; 'After Laughter' has a more spacious sound.  Not to say if you don't pay close attention you won't find wonderful additions all over the place, but the production and mix on this album was a bit more bare bones.  The structures are simpler, the songs are dancier, and the flow is damn near perfect.  The guitars shine when necessary, and the neck pickup finds it's place on the bouncier riffs.  Zac Farro's return to the drum riser shows off what he learned in his time away.  Groove.  The drumming is not that of a rock drummer.  It's someone who's peppering in rhythmic atmosphere and holding back when necessary.  I was so invested in the upbeat tone of the music that I hadn't noticed the writing on the wall.  The lyrics should have tipped me off that things weren't so great in Hayley Williams' camp.  When she announced her very quick post nuptial split from NFG microphone hog Chad Gilbert, the information was in front of us the entire time.  The dark lyricism over the backdrop of uplifting tunes is reminiscent of early Saves The Day records, which, considering the reach of their influence was likely a conscious decision.  This might not have been a step forward in their sound, but a playfully necessary sidestep for a band that felt they were maturing faster than they wanted to.

1) Michelle Branch - 'Hopeless Romantic'

Oh the shit-eating grin on my face right now.  I didn't expect this either.  But holy effing hell!  What an album!  I downloaded this out of sheer curiosity.  2017 was the year of overdue albums and this one beat Glassjaw and Brand New by a mile.  It seemed odd for such a big pop star to go without releasing a full length for fourteen years.  Then to find out she had the Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney producing/performing seemed really interesting.  Winds up the guy is incredible at producing.  Every song is a perfectly crafted pop song.  Not bubble gum pop, but rock songs that could all be radio singles.  If I had to chose a criticism, it would be that "Knock Yourself Out" sounds too Michelle Branch-y.  Like, the Michelle Branch of the early aught's.  There's a vintage feel to the soundscape.  The bass is plucky, the drums are dry and punchy, and the melodies are what dreams are made of.  This collection has been a reminder that you can worry about a million aspects of a song, but a solid catchy melody is what we're all looking for.  It's brought me back to what truly counts in song writing.  A song you can sing along to.  There's not much more I can say about this album.  My inability to dissect this album is truly it's strong suit.  When a great song works, it just works.  Sometimes it comes together so quick you can't even explain the process.  Imagine that 12 times over.  Sometimes it's that simple.