#I’ll see you guys innnnn

[semicocoasweet]

Playlist shuffle challenge with Hange!!!!!

I am throwing these at you and running fr my beach induced motivation is GONE lmao

[tmntallthewaydown]

Tales of the Hidden City Writing Appreciation Post Pt.1!

The last batch of episodes, Tales of the Hidden City, were excellent. As an animator, it’s easy to get bowled over by the visuals of the show and just rant about those, but I wanted to spotlight another awesome part of Rise of TMNT -- the writing!

The writing is always fun in the show, but there were parts of these episodes that I really wanted to call out for how clever and great they are.

Each of the Tales of the Hidden City eps puts the characters in a situation where their strengths are negated or challenged. (Also, big cheer for a bunch of episodes finally exploring the Hidden City. It’s such a fun location, I want to see it all.)

Donnie Vs Witch Town  an episode where Donnie’s tech can’t solve the problem Raph’s Ride Along  an episode where Raph’s heroics are seen as anything but Hidden City’s Most Wanted  an episode where Mikey’s peacekeeping can’t keep the peace Bad Hair Day  an episode where the face man’s face ain’t enough

I figured I’d do a separate post for each episode so it doesn’t get over-long. 

I’ll be focusing on character development mainly since that’s what stood out to me most!

Donnie Vs Witch Town

Directed by Abe Audish, Written by Ian Busch, Storyboarded by Alicia Chan

*Spoilers for the episode!* I won’t do full recaps, and assume you’ve all seen the ep if you’re reading this..

We start with Donnie referencing the Shadow Fiend in the Battle Nexus. 

“Rumour has it, this Shadow Fiend is quite the fierce champion”

I’m assuming this line’s here because the writers want to keep dropping us tantalizing crumbs to set up the Shadow Fiend as being an important figure in this season. The writers want to keep them present and in our minds as well as let us know that whoever the fiend is, (I bet we all have guesses), they’ve gotta be making quite the name for themselves if even the Turtles have heard of them.

April says she’s headed to Witch Town, whereupon Donnie is horrified. I think horrified is the right word.

“Drop it, D.” “Why not ask me? Mr Science!”

The “Drop it, D” is an elegant way to imply this conversation is a continuation of one they were having pre-episode. April is already very done with the discussion.

Donnie’s line is great because it’s one of two times in this episode that he calls himself ‘Mr Science’ or ‘The Science Guy’. Here, the line comes off as triumphant and proud, but later there is a feeling of desperation to it. It’s a really nice parallel to set up at the beginning, so we can hammer home the duality of what that label means to Donnie.

To preface, this episode deals with Don’s self worth being tangled up in his ability to do Science good. Because of this, he does a lot of projecting in this episode. For the most part, you can assume any time he mentions ‘Science’, he is actually talking about himself. Basically, substitute that word for his own name, and it makes the subtext more obvious.

Here, have these just because they’re fun.

Don ‘helping out’ with various Science Fair projects. April has a good reason not to ask him for help again.

A nuclear powered cooking multi-tool?

The Erupting Volcano. The floor is literally lava.

The Classic Potato Battery experiment.

“Hmm. That must have been the work of another Teenage Mutant Ninja Dummie.”

I’m calling out Donnie’s response here just because I enjoy the consistency the writers give to the way he handles failures. Innnnn that he will feign complete ignorance of the incident and claim it must have been someone else entirely.

--

“You turned a cuddly animatronic bear into a psychotic robot bent on destroying us? No? Got April Fired? Mmm? Nothing? Mmm?” “That does not sound like me, no.”

- from Al Be Back

--

In general it’s an established part of his character that he has problems accepting failure.

Donnie deflects blame in many other episodes - to April in ‘The Purple Jacket’ and to his brothers in ‘Todd Scouts’ off the top of my head. This trait is pertinent to this episode in particular because the apology we get at the end of the episode from him is by far the most full and cohesive admission of blame he has given in the two series so far. I’d say it’s a step forward on the level of Leo’s apology from the ‘Air Turtle’ episode (another great episode showing Leo’s growth towards becoming a team player!). 

Either way, it’s nice that we see him redirect the blame early in the episode so the moment can provide more of a contrast to him coming full circle and accepting the blame later.

One last thing about the line - I put my hands up to admit that this may be me overthinking it, but Don essentially calls himself a dummie here. Whether this was intentional by the writers to hint at his insecurities or just a fun line, I couldn’t say - but since it relates back to events later in the episode I thought it might be worth mentioning.

Moving on, Donnie accompanies April to Witch Town despite it being the last place he wants to be. It’s our first hint that his obsessive need to convince April that all Mystic stuff is garbage might run a bit deeper than just vocal teasing. 

April calls him out on being closed minded and we get

“Oh I’m sorry, I was just stewing over how everyone needs to be more like me.”

Of course we know that’s not how he really feels, as we’ve all seen that episode.

The writing here is nice and subtle. It lets us know that Donnie isn’t being honest. He’s giving April sass, but the sentiment he’s expressing is false.

The episode continues with Donnie comparing every feat of magic to it’s scientific equivalent until April essentially tells him to can it if he doesn’t want a bat to the plastron. The witches show off, prompting exclamations from April at how amazing their magic is.

Then we get one of my favourite lines from Donnie as he snaps.

“Your Mystic Magic is not amazing, it’s simple and soft. There, I said it.”

That soft is a word that Donnie would use as an insult, associating it with something he dislikes and looks down on, is very affecting. You know what else is soft?

The writing here is so revealing and wonderful. They could have used any insult, but the writers chose to have him express his frustration in a way that sheds light on the way Donnie sees himself. It gets right to the root of the problem he has in this episode, which is that without his science and tech, Donnie doesn’t feel like he is particularly ‘Amazing’ either.

That April calling magic amazing is what prompt’s Don’s snap, rather than any of the words of the townsfolk, is one of the clues we’re given to the truth behind D’s drive in this episode. The writers will bring that back later on!

So April and Don are kicked outta Witch Town when Don’s improv musical performance to convince April to let him help her instead ends up blowing up in his face.

Popping this here because watching Donnie get deservedly smacked by April at this point was very cathartic for me. Dingus.

Donnie offers to help the witches in return for them helping April. It seems sweet at first, but it becomes plain fairly fast that this is really another opportunity for D to try and prove that science is king.

“Ah would you look at that. Banished, and I still saved the day.” “Wait, is that why you did this?” “Nooo! It’s because I was sorry - about being closed minded - about how wrong I were.”

Again, it’s up to the writers to show us that Donnie is lying about his motivations here. That little bit of incorrect grammar (saying ‘were’ instead of ‘was’), calls out to us that something is up. Donnie is smart, and it’s out of character for him to word things sloppily. It lets us know that all is not well, and that things are yet to be resolved, internally at least.

I couldn’t help calling out this wonderful posing, even though I’m trying to focus on the writing. It really sells us on the dissatisfaction brewing between them. Gorgeous acting from the animators.

The peace offering potion the witches were making seems to work, and Donnie wastes no time in trying to rub their faces in the fact that science provided one of the ingredients - until it becomes clear that Donnie’s contribution has soured the brew. He tries to avoid blame and responsibility, as we’ve seen him do in previous episodes (and earlier in this one). Nothing I’m calling out here besides the novelty of seeing a mob of witches trying to lynch a scientist - a bit of a historical reversal!

The big bad is storming Witch Town and Donnie gets ready to smack down - specifically “because when I defeat it with my tech, they will have to admit science is better!”

It’s worth saying that on the word ‘they’, he points directly at April. Because as we’re about to discover, it’s not actually proving to these random villagers that Science is best that’s important to him (though maybe that would be nice), but about proving to April specifically that Science is best. Thank you animators/storyboarders for making that subtext more explicit!

At this point we as the audience have had it up to here with Donnie’s bullheadedness. The reveal that D’s gripe is personal and April/brother specific, rather than just a frustration with Witch Town in general, goes some way to explaining why he is so obsessive over it.

Donnie’s Tech Bo breaks in the conflict, and we get the awesome reveal of April’s Mystic Bat. She is of course, badass with it and kicks butt. April saving Donnie’s hide with Mystic Magic prompts the confrontation between them that is the emotional heart of the episode.

“Why are you so obsessed with proving me wrong on this!?” “Because! I’m the Science Guy! (sigh) If Mystic Powers can do everything I can do but better, then why would you guys even need me?”

Here is the payoff to the opening ‘Mr Science’ line from earlier in the episode. The wording is similar, however this time the line is tinged with defeat. The duality revealed is that Science makes Don feel powerful, but without it, he feels powerless.

The visuals that go hand in hand with the dialog are very telling here, too.

The image of Donnie holding his broken Tech Bo isn’t just to show us that his technology isn’t enough to win, that it can be broken. It’s also showing us how he sees himself, drawing a direct comparison between Donnie and his broken Tech. He’s not always perfect, but he’s ultimately useful, right? Until he’s not. I’ve no doubt that this was a deliberate move from the Storyboarders, and I think they sold the moment brilliantly.

His words make it clear that Donnie believes that “if Mystic Powers can do everything I can do but better”, ie, help April with her project without blowing her classroom up, why would she not keep going to Mystics instead of him in the future? 

With her not ‘needing’ him for scientific assistance any more, he sees no reason for her to continue hanging out with him. This ties back to the clues the writers dropped earlier in the episode, that suggest he doesn’t regard himself highly without his science. 

The obsession this episode with disproving how ‘Amazing’ Mystic Magic is in front of April makes a lot more sense through the lens that he is fighting to keep April’s friendship.

“You Guys” expands this sentiment to include the rest of his family. If his tech ends up letting down the team and is unneeded then by extension, he would also be unneeded.

As viewers, we know this is untrue. Even beyond the fact that these characters rely on one another emotionally, we saw Don fight alongside his brothers in ‘Insane in the Mama Train’ - all of them tech-less and Mystic-less - and they kicked butt, even if they did end up being eventually captured. However, it’s clear from the writing here that this isn’t how Donatello himself feels.

“You’re not important to me because of your tech, you’re important to me because of you! I don’t think Mystic Powers is better than Science. If anything, they’re stronger together, just like us! Right?” “Right!”

April’s comeback is wonderful. Super eloquently written and gets right to the heart of his insecurities. First undermining the thought that if Don didn’t have tech, she wouldn’t need him, then framing Mystic Powers as something that will bring them closer together. Beautiful writing! 

I also want to just celebrate how the writers handle April’s characterisation as being someone who is super excited and curious about any kind of Mystic Magic or supernatural shenanigans. I really like this consistency in her character where she is way into anything otherworldly or unexplained. I hope we get to see more of it in the future!

We get to see April and Donnie kick butt together which super fun! I’m very happy we got another episode with these two, the way they bounce off one another is really enjoyable to watch.

“I was wrong to not be more open-minded. It’s just that Mystic Powers are the one thing I have not been able to solve. As a man of Science, it is maddening to finally come upon something that you do not understand. Especially when your dum-dum brothers totally do, and they wave their dum-dum weapons in their dum-dum hands all the dum-dum time! But that is just a long way of saying I am sorry’.

The apology is very articulate, letting us know that D is truthful here. It’s a nice little payoff when compared to his earlier lie with April, where the writers had him fudge his words to imply his dishonesty. 

April actually believes him this time too, judging by the lovely acting here. 

 We’re treated to this perspective on Donnie’s feelings, which reveals a couple of interesting things to us. ‘The one thing I have not been able to solve’ indicates that he has previously attempted - and failed - to understand Mystic stuff, which is new information. It goes against our impressions from the rest of the series so far (that he is simply disinterested). We also learn that his brothers’ understanding of their powers has created a knowledge imbalance that is a frustration to him. I very much hope that the show keeps taking steps in this direction with Donnie, just because I would love to see an arc that results in him getting more involved with the Mystic side of things.

To wrap up the episode, I really appreciated the way the writers handled the internal conflict in Donnie Vs Witch Town. There was a lot of subtlety and subtext in the writing, which I am absolutely here for. Donnie’s end reveal really recontextualizes the earlier shenanigans in a meaningful way, and marks a step forward for him. April has her Bat now, and Don is a little more open to Mystic Powers as a possibility! I’m excited to see where we go next! 

Thanks for sticking with me, if you got to the end, and I hope you found it as interesting as I did! ‘Raph’s Ride along’ is the next ep I’ll dig into.

[jasontodding]

castlevania episode 10 spoilers with little to no context, especially this time becuase i’m losing my goddamn mind:

well here we are folks, ready to wrap up another season and wait another year for the next instalment because there’s no way there’s not gonna be a season 4 after this

isaac in the old man’s castle: LET ME INNNNN

we thought hector was getting some sort of freedom arc this season? WELL WE WERE WRONG. so very wrong. out of the frying pan and into the fire.

isaac is on some next level awareness shit

“very probably actually hell”

monster got SWOLE

dramatic organ music? time to get spooky folks

“sypha, do you gave my back?” “always” i love these two with my whole heart

this is one of THE best fight scenes castlevania has ever done, periodt

the animation of trevor’s face when he fights? top tier

i think this might be a musical score from the games? it sounds familiar

TREVOR BELMONT CRACKING JOKES WHILE THE DOOR TO HELL IS OPEN BEHIND HIM

all the bleeding’s internal that where it’s supposed to be!!

this fucking apple tree

what is HAPPENING

this is totally a video game score, and i fucking love it

IT’S A VIDEO GAME SCORE I’M CRYING

WHIP IT REAL GOOD

saint germain went off oh my god

this is amazing

WHIP POWER UP !!

“i’ll see you again” bitch you better these two have almost no friends, mostly because they destroy every town they go into

i hope the castle becomes sentient and kicks ur asses

“i tried to be”

ALUCARD DESERVED A BETTER SEASON 3 2K20

once again, the damn apple tree

WHAT IS THIS ALL LEADING TO

i feel like i know but i also don’t at the same time, i just know it’s gonna be epic

it’s... a pit??

alucard.. in the floor of his room... crying and bleeding

“this thing’s been used a lot” what the flying fuck my dudes

trevor being all, “fuck it, let’s go in” THIS IS WHY WE LOVE THE BELMONT/BELNADES DETECTIVE AGENCY

let’s burn this shit down!!! hell yeah!!

ohhhh hector

slave rings? *takes a deep breath and puts head in hands*

“the real people are talking” when i say i’m pissed-

is hector gonna jump out the window? burn his hand off?

the other vampire sisters @ lenore: “please take ur straightness and leave”

another town bites the dust

two bro’s sitting in a cart with no space between them because they’re deeply in love

alucard channeling the tepes genes

PH H GOD

HOLY FUCK GUYS

i am READY for season 4. i want more belmont history, more video game lore mentioned. i want hector having an arc about regaining his agency, i want julia laforeze, i want both hector and alucard working through their trauma, i want the OT3 reunited, and i want carmilla to be taken tf down.

i think there are gonna be a TON of opinions about this season; personally i liked it more overall than s2, though i think season 2 has far more memorable/iconic/epic scenes, but the 10 episode arc was great for pacing and plot. a lot of the new characters fans were excited about turned out to be largely disposable, which i didn’t see coming, but also possibly makes room for more canon characters in the next season. even though i’d love to see more belmonts, i’m not gonna lie, trevor and sypha’s story does not feel over yet (ESPECIALLY after that finale), and i’ll be losing my mind over here until they announce season 4 and reunite the disaster squad/monster hunting trio.

[skeletonwoman]

J is for Judgement

This is a part 2! Comes after a part 1, and a part 1.5!!

You smile at Dick when he darkens the pet stores doorway.

“Hey baby, hey baby,” he greets and you snort, coming around the counter to give him a hug. You’ve never been much of a hugger, but hell, he’s just the cuddliest.

Also he smells like a tasty man.

Pulling apart, he leans against your counter, an attempt at being casual and you hide a smirk.

“So, bestie,” he begins and you waver in place. Luckily the space is empty apart from the two of you. “I’ve got a thing tonight, if you’re interested in coming.”

“Going out on the town with my bestie?” You begin, about to rain him in stupid compliments.

“Ah- not, the town…” He cuts in and you hum, wrinkling your brow. “Dami is throwing the dog a birthday party,” his tone drags the words as if it’s a chore, even though it sounds like tonight might be the best of your life, “and it’s just a small gathering, family and close friends. I was wondering…”

He gives you a sneaky look.

“Yeeees?” you sing-song back and he licks his lips, trying to hide smile.

“If you were interested…” His mouth drags the words out and you feel like you’re vibrating from the inside out.

“Innnnn?”

“Coming with me to the party tonight?”

“Yeah!” You shout, throwing your fists in the air and bouncing around in a circle before pulling up in front of him, dropping your excitement and blanking your face. “Yeah, sounds cool, no biggie, if you want, no prob, Bob.”

Dick beams at you, still leant against the counter. “They’re going to love you.”

“You bet your ass they will, Richie!” Your bravado has his expression softening with affection, even as your stomach flips with a sudden and crushing panic. Hiding this, you catch his hand in one of yours and swing them. “I am excited to meet Barbaraaaa.”

He scoffs, rolling his eyes and grinning, before pushing off the counter and dragging you about the store.

“Help me get the damn dog a present, it can be from both of us, obviously,” he says, before muttering. “Dogs birthday party, Jason didn’t get a birthday party last year but the dog does?”

You don’t tell Dick about the guy today. You know he notes the scrawled number on your hand and he smiles a little, but when you don’t mention it, he doesn’t ask.

As you’re walking home, Dick having promised to pick you up later, you stare at your phone.

Debating.

Screw it.

Me: Hi, this is Y/N from the pet store, I didn’t get your name today

You wait ten seconds before shoving your phone into your pocket out of anxiety and instead focussing on tonights hellscape.

You have to make these people love you. You have to!

Ignoring the silence and stillness of your pocketed phone, you instead focus on reviewing what you know about Dicks family.

Surprisingly- little.

Honestly? You barely know anything about them.

Except:

               He has two dads, Alfred and Bruce

               He has four brothers, Jay, Tim, Duke and Damian

               He has two sisters, Steph and Cass.

               He has one not sister, Barbara, also his unrequited love

               He doesn’t have favourites between any of them.

Luckily, as you start up your stoop and your chest starts to heave, your phone vibrates in your pocket.

Unknown Number: I’m Jason

You wait. For something, anything.

After two minutes, you’ve entered your apartment and, phone still in hand, made your way to your closet.

After ten, you’ve set the phone back on your bed and are deciding between a red bodysuit and a yellow crop top.

After twenty, you’re in the shower and anxiously shaving your legs even though you’ve decided to wear long pants.

At the thirty minute mark, out of the shower with your hair wrapped but before you apply moisturiser, you pick up the phone and give in.

Me: What do you do, Jason?

Putting it back down, without much expectation, you pick up the moisturiser once more but pause when the device beeps again.

Jason: I’m a freelancer, mixed martial artist.

Jason: Do you like lunch? Or breakfast food.

You try to grin too wide at the messages. He seems a little… unsure, maybe. You’re into it.

Me: I love lunch, and breakfast- for lunch or breakfast. What do you think about dinner?

You nab your red bodysuit and slip yourself into it, then fight on your favourite pair of pink corduroy pants. Gazing at yourself in the mirror, you frown, look at your closet, frown harder.

No.

“You’re hot.” You growl to your mirror self. “I am hot. And I am loveable and tonight is going to be great and tomorrow you can go out with Jason and kiss that gorgeous face.”

His visage pops up before you, scarred and unusual.

You hope his scars are more innocent than- well, than other scars in this city.

Maybe he got them in the womb, or terrible acne that forms perfect lines.

Oh boy.

Jason: I usually work nights, late, and I’d hate to cut our night short because I need to get to work

Your lips purse.

Oh shit!

Dickard: I’m coming up, you better look hot

Shoving away your awful, awful, just awful realization, you look back up at yourself in the mirror and grimace. Throwing on a light coat of lipstick and a layer of mascara, finishing off the makeup you’d been wandering through while texting with-

No.

Leaping up, you grab your jacket- that guys jacket-

Oh hell, you’re so dumb.

Pushing out every thought to do with night time activities and vigilantes and, worse, villain criminals, you throw on the jacket, put your phone and wallet in the pockets, slip on some shoes and snatch your keys.

“Shit,” you murmur, spinning around and nabbing your perfume from the table and spritzing yourself and the jacket. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Bounding for the door, you wrench it open just as Dick raises his hand to knock. You stare at each other, for a moment, while you pant.

“Running late?”

Shoving Dick backwards into the hall, you lock up behind yourself and turn back to him with a cheesy smile. “Show me your Daddy, Dicky.”

His expression goes blank and you hiss out a breath.

“No. No! Don’t-”

“I think maybe-”

“Oh shut up,” you growl and he laughs, throwing an arm over your shoulders and leading you out of the building. “Y’know, I’ve don’t know that much about your family. Like I know the cast, obviously but you’ve literally never told me where you live, and you’ve never-”

Dick grimaces, and you can tell he’s unsure and maybe embarrassed.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’ll figure it out, I doubt they know much about me, anyway!” You laugh, your throat tight and panicked and he offers a weak smile and a quick squeeze.

  “Oh, f*ck me, Dick.” You stare at the gates.

The Gates.

Not to heaven, or arkham, or anywhere so pedestrian, oh no.

“F*cking Wayne Manor, Grayson? As in Dick Grayson, adopted son of Bruce Wayne?”

Dick shrinks in his seat, driving up the lane, since the gates had opened automatically, for him.

“I’m going to kick your god damn ass, Grayson, I’m going to end you, you’re the worst, literally the worst,” the car stops, “you’re so f*cking dead, you dumb bitch, I can’t believe you’ve done this,” your door opens, “and I’m just so excited to meet your family, Dick! Hahaha!”

You take the hand proffered through the car door and rise to come face to face with- shit- Tim Drake.

Recognisable, famous Tim Drake.

“Hi! Dicks brother Tim! He’s so proud of you,” you greet and Tims lips twitch upwards at the sides, though his slightly warm, slightly protocol expression changes little beyond that.

“Welcome, Y/N, Dick’s mentioned you a lot and we’re all so excited to finally meet you. In the flesh.”

You try not to frown at his weird phrasing, only for it to get worse.

“Oh. Did Jason leave his jacket in your car again, Dick?” Tim asks, his gaze moving from the jacket on your shoulders to Dick, who is sidling up beside you.

Jacket. Jay. Jason. Phone number. Freelancer. Night time work.

Shit, shit, shit, please be a coincidence, please be a coincidence. F*cking Dick, f*cking shit, damn, heck.

You smile absently at the pair.

“Oh, no, this one is apparently very similar to Jasons but Y/N has assured me she found it in her building,” Dick assures him, and you look between the two, gauging their reactions.

Tim grimaces, and Dick frowns at him.

A vigilante gave you this jacket. You just got the phone number of a possible vigilante named Jason. Dicks brother Jay is named Jason and he’s got a jacket like this.

Please.

Hell.

You spot others emerging behind Tim, from the gigantic Wayne Manor doors.

Dick’s eyes dart to them and he slings a comforting arm over your shoulders.

“Let’s get in and out of the cold, hey Tim? C’mon, lead the way.” His voice is jovial but he holds you back a second as Tim sends him a look then starts toward the doors. His face tilts toward yours, a soft whisper coming through your hair to your ear. “I’m so sorry, I should have said something sooner, it’s a- it’s hard to explain, you know I’m adopted, we’re all pretty adopted around here and it’s such a difficult situation and its not like I have the greatest relationship with Bruce and- I’m sorry, Y/N, I should have said something sooner.”

The apology brushes over you and you tilt slightly against him, your forehead setting against his shoulder and he presses a kiss onto the top of your head.

“Thanks, kiddo.”

“We’re two years apart, you galumphing oaf.” You growl back, just as you step through the doors and come face to face with a group of people staring at the pair of you.

Your eyes lock on a beautiful red haired woman, her face stark for a long moment as she takes in the pair of you before everything on her face is hidden with a blink of an eye.

Oh crap.

You step out of Dicks grasp, pointedly, and offer a weak smile to the red haired girl. Barbara.

Shit, hell.

Everyone stares at the movement and it takes you a second before you see him.

“Is that Jasons jacket?” A kid asks loudly, Damian, hopefully, but your eyes don’t stray from the man at the back.

Jason from the pet shop.

“Relax everyone,” Dick laughs, his eyes moving from you to Jason and the pair of you stare at the obvious expression on his face. Dicks voice trails off. “It’s not Jasons…”

“Jesus and the Joker,” you gripe, your eyes darting from Barbara to Jason to Dick.

“So this is your jacket?” Dick asks, gesturing to the beat up brown coat on your shoulders. “How’d she get it? How’d you get it?”

Jasons head twitches in a shake, eyes locked on yours and you squint at him.

“No! Jason. Don’t make her lie. How’d this happen? Why’s she still got it?” He glances at the staring group and sighs. “She got it like a week ago.”

“Three days.”

You grit your teeth, glaring at Jason.

“Shall we, everyone, head into the living room? Alfred, dinner?”

Your eyes dart to Bruce Wayne, his voice and face clearly recognisable from several television segments, and you watch as the group silently and with thick tension move single file through a door. Beside Bruce, another man, Alfred, you guess, steps up close to him and murmurs something before Bruce nods.

Beside you, Dick tangles your fingers.

“Hey, best friend?”

Your eyes slide up to his and he offers you a pathetic smile.

“Dick,” you say softly, as the others exit, leaving the pair of you a moment. “Cards on the table, a group of those people who run around at night visited me and then that night you were out with Jay one of them visited again and he gave me his jacket and then he took it back but then he gave it back and then Jason came into the pet shop today before you did and I got his number and I texted him and I realized that hot guy Jason from the store was some kind of vigilante guy because of what he said and now I get here and they’re the same person and your brother Jason is the Red Hood? And he’s running around with other vigilantes who have hair the same as these people we’ve just walked into and please call me crazy, Dick, that I’m a big ol’ loon, please?”

You don’t mess with the f*cked system in Gotham and you certainly don’t get involved with someone involved with the f*cked system.

“I’m Nightwing.” Dick says in a rush. “And kinda Batman.”

Your nose wrinkles as you try not to burst into tears.

Just… One thing after another.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Dick pulls you into his chest and you don’t resist. He’s Nightwing but he’s still your Dickie, your platonic soulmate. “I was going to tell you soon, but I know how you feel about all of it and I didn’t want you to hate me or my family before you met them.”

“Dick!” Someone yells obnoxiously before being loudly hushed.

“I didn’t know about this Jason thing, I wish he’d have spoken to me, this is my fault for mentioning you to them.”

You hug him tight before pulling back and shaking out your hair. Pasting on a smile, you beam at your best friend.

“It’s a party, Dick, for a dog, I think we should focus on that for now and hope I haven’t ruined any chance to make Barbara like me.” You laugh half-heartedly, before taking his hand and stepping purposefully toward the doors everyone else waits behind.

Heck this was a heck one like just definitely took a while and quite stressful to write idk what was going on

[anne-iero-way-blog]

Vampire Bride (Frerard)

RING RING, MOTHERFUCKA! RING RIN-

Gerard groaned as he turned off his alarm. Today was going to be the worst day of his life. It was Halloween, and even though that was his favorite holiday, he was dreading the rest of the day.

You see, Gerard was a very gay seventeen year old emo, and it's his crush's birthday. Frank Iero was loved by all the girls at Belleville High School. He was envied by all the guys, despite being a few inches shorter than most of them. And he was the reason why Gerard didn't want to get out of bed.

Like any other popular kid, Frank was throwing a party since his parents were away. And it just so happened that Mikey, Gerard's younger brother, had gotten invited. Mikey knew exactly how Gerard felt about Frank, and there was no way he was letting him stay home. Not that night, anyway.

Gerard got up and dressed himself, pulling on some rather tight black jeans, a pair of worn out Converse, a plain black t-shirt, and his favorite red leather jacket. What? It matched his hair AND made his hazel eyes even more noticeable.

After school, Gerard was silently freaking out in his room. For once, he hadn't wanted the school day to end. Anything was better than facing Frank.

He was practically having a panic attack, so he decided to draw. He picked up his black leather sketchbook and started drawing aimlessly, not paying any attention to what he was doing at all.

By the time he calmed down, it was already 8:54, and he'd drawn at least seven pictures. He glanced down at his drawings, only to have his mouth open in horror at what he'd sketched.

Three of the drawings were of Frank. Gerard had memorized every detail of his face, and even in the state he was in, he'd been able to draw him flawlessly. But that wasn't what shocked him. The other four pictures were of Frank and himself, doing all sorts of things he wished with all of his fragile heart would happen. Them kissing, Frank carrying him, Frank cuddling him, and a drawing in which Frank was... doing things... to Gerard, but for certain reasons such as protecting your mind (and Tumblr’s content policy), will not be thoroughly described.

He couldn't like Frank. He'd just get his heart broken, and he didn't think he could deal with the pain. After all, Frank was straight, wasn't he? And even if he wasn't, there was no way he'd want to be with  someone like Gerard. He didn't have a chance.

Gerard's eyes burned as tears threatened to fall. He was broke down for the second time that afternoon, just as Mikey opened the door.

"Hey, Gee, we should be going soo- holy shit, you okay?" Mikey asked, clearly worried. Gerard hardly ever cried. Well, as far as he knew, anyway.

The older of he two simply nodded his head, shaking as he did so. I'm not okay, I promise, he thought. But he couldn't fool Mikey.

Mikey sat down next to his brother and began running a hand through his red hair. This had always calmed Gerard down, regardless of the situation.

And then he had an idea.

"M-Mikes... are you sure I should  be wearing this costume? I don't think coming to a high school party looking like this will in any way help my social life," Gerard told Mikey, gesturing at the black and red dress he was wearing. In his opinion, the dress made him look like a messed up, flat-chested vampire bride. Okay, he was dressed as a vampire bride. He even had the fangs and fake blood.

Either way, it wasn't a good idea for any boy, regardless of how popular he was, to be wearing a dress to a high school party. No matter how amazing his ass looked in it.

Mikey wore his usual pokerface. There was no way he was letting Gerard find out about the little plan he'd come up with before the party. He simply nodded and dragged him into Frank's house, not caring about his older brother's protests.

Mikey knocked on the door twice, and it was opened by a very drunk Brendon Urie. Of course Brendon was there. He was famous at Belleville High for never missing a single party.

"Haaaaaaai, guyss! Comeee innnnn," he slurred, his voice almost completely drowned out by the loud music playing inside. He stepped out of the doorway to let the two brothers in.

As soon as he stepped inside, Gerard could see people dancing, making out, drinking, and out cold on the floor. If he had been dreading the party then, he was definately freaking out now, especially since he was wearing heeled combat boots, a dress, and makeup in front of most of his classmates, who would likely record a few videos and know it was him once they were sober.

Even so, he followed Mikey inside, getting a lot of stares as he did. Not that he noticed, anyway, that most of the stares were directed at his ass. He was too worried about people staring at all to notice that detail. Social anxiety can be a real bitch sometimes.

Five minutes in, Gerard lost Mikey midst the chaos happening at Frank's house. He was about to have another panic attack, when he felt a hand gently gripping his bare shoulder.

"Oh, thank shit, Mikey! I thought I lost y- Wait. Y-you're not M-Mikey..." Gerard stuttered as he turned around to face the person.

Behind him stood Frank, dressed in a vampire costume as well. However, unlike Gerard, he was wearing pants instead of a dress.

Gerard was frozen in place while Frank kept his hand on his shoulder. Out of all the times for Mikey to disappear, why did it have to be then?

"Hey... um, you seem a bit scared. Are you looking for someone?" Frank asked, looking him in the eyes. Gerard merely nodded his head, still shocked by the physical contact.

As soon as he nodded, Frank slumped his shoulders a bit before asking, "Who are you looking for, Gerard? Is it your brother, or somebody else?"

And at this point, Gerard nearly fainted. How did Frank know his name? They'd never talked, except for that time when Frank complemented Gerard on his singing in music class, which Gerard replied to by blushing and telling Frank what an amazing guitar player he was. But besides that time, they'd never spoken a single word to each other.

"Oh, I-I'm with Mikey... Do you know where he is?" Gerard asked, trying desperately to hide his blush.

The other boy didn't reply. He just grabbed his wrist and led him into the backyard. Frank 's hand felt warm againt Gerard's. It filled him with a nice, comforting feeling.

After making their way through the crowd of teenagers, they finally made it to where Gerard's younger brother was standing, beer in his hand.

Frank pulled Gerard out of the ocean of bodies, which almost resulted in the redhead falling on top of him. Instead, he was held up by Frank, who had snaked his arms around his waist. They stayed like that for a moment, too stunned and flustered to say or do anything, until Gerard pulled away.

"T-thanks. You know, for helping me find Mikey. And, um, how do you kn-know my name?" He tucked a strand of blood red hair behind his ear.

Frank quickly thought of an excuse. "Oh, right. We have music, art, and chemistry together. And you're an amazing singer," he rambled.

Gerard flushed scarlet. Had Frank just said he liked his singing? No. He couldn't have. Frank would never do that. He was probably just hallucinating or something.

Mikey finished chugging the beer before yelling, "Just kiss already! The sexual tension is painful!" His words were slightly distorted due to the music and his intake of alcohol. He was clearly starting to get a little drunk, however, he looked as serious as ever when he said this. By then, Gerard could probably rival a strawberry, and Frank's face looked like he'd fallen face-first into a puddle of blood.

Ever so gently, Frank pulled Gerard's wrist toward him. Gerard could hardly believe what was happening when Frank carefully laced their fingers together. That's why he wasn't surprised when Frank removed his hand. After all, how could Frank Iero like him?

He was about to move away from him when he felt a pair of arms circling his waist. Frank only pulled him closer, making sure he had a firm grip on Gerard's hips.

"You know, you're pretty cute. And your ass is fucking amazing. So, Gee, if I'm a vampire, will you be my vampire bride?"

Frank took Gerard's red face as an answer and admired the beautiful creature before him before softly pressing his lips against Gerard's.

Gerard let out a surprised squeal, eventually melting into Frank's touch. He closed his eyes, tangling his fingers in the other boy's hair. The kiss was sweet, but passionate. It was soft and gentle while burning with an unextinguishable flame. A few minutes later, the pair pulled away, gasping for air.

Smiling, Mikey put his phone back in his pocket. Wait, what? When did he get his phone out? Was he recording? Oh, c'mon! I'm the narrator here! I should know these things! Anyway, fuck it. Apparently I am not all-knowing just because I'm the narrator.

Mikey somehow looked at the narrator. "That, or I'm kinda drunk and you're just hallucinating from lack of sleep." Hmm. Maybe that's true... Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, I'll finish telling you now.

The two boys stared at each other, their faces redder than ever. Frank smiled a bit before leaning in once more. This time, the kiss was a bit more wild and uncontrolled. Frank's hands hovered on Gerard's lower back before hesitantly being placed on his ass. Gerard let out a soft moan and tugged on Frank's hair, while the other boy slipped his tongue into his mouth. Neither of them wanted the moment to end. But thanks to logic and biology - please note that I said that with sarcasm - they eventually ended the kiss.

"You know, you never told me wether you'd be my vampire bride or not. We can have a mini-vampire wedding right here. It seems we're both dressed appropriately," Frank told Gerard, a smirk on his face. He could stare at the guy before him for the rest of his life without being tired.

His only answer was another kiss.

[sunshinesteviee]

thothollandd 1k celebration!!!

hey guys!! i can’t believe that there’s already over 1k of you... i can’t even explain how much that means to me. soooo, to celebrate, i wanna do like a sleepover weekend!! i just got my wisdom teeth out, so i have no plans for the rest of the weekend lol. 

feel free to send in pretty much anything. i’ll plan to do this for the whole weekend, so you can send stuff in whenever (starting thursday night!!!), and i’ll answer stuff as soon as i can.

you can send innnnn.....

blurb ideas

headcanon ideas

concepts

pick some prompts from the list i recently reblogged and send those in!!

they can be nsfw if you want!!!

fuck, marry, kill

unpopular opinions ☕

ask me questions/comments about whatever ya want

literally anything i don’t really mind, i just wanna have fun with y’all!!

again, i can’t explain how much this means to me. thank you so so so so so much. i can’t wait to see what y’all send in!!!

tagging some mutuals just to get the word out (i hope that’s okay w y’all): @spiderboytotherescue @blueoceanwavez @spideymood @tshquackson @notimeforthemessenger @hollandandi @starkschurro @wittyhoney

[svtbiasrekt]

NewParent!Vernon

oh mah gawd this is such a late request i am so sorry anon i hope you love it tho :’) Under keep reading since its long af

New parent!Vernon

Oh boy our boi Vernon’s gonna become a dad

You and your husband Vernon were pretty shook when you both found out you were expecting

But it wasn’t a bad shook oh no of course not

It was a super happy shook

Like vernon’s eyes widened but he had the biggest grin plastered on his handsome face

“OMG Y/N I’M GONNA BE A DAD!!!”

“Yes honey you will be a dad” you said as you playfully rolled your eyes lol

Vernon was super enthusiastic so as soon as he finished calling his family and seventeen to deliver the news he wanted to start on the nursery

You and Vernon agreed on painting the nursery a pastel baby yellow color since it was gender neutral since you didn’t know the baby’s gender yet plus it was a nice color

Soon you found out you’d be having a daughter!

And boy was hansol enthusiastic

“I’M GONNA HAVE A LITTLE GIRL!!”

You could tell he might end up spoiling her

Sigh

But aren’t dads supposed to spoil their little girls?

You’re due date was approaching very quickly

You were basically 8 ½ months long when Vernon FINALLY decided to start constructing the crib

And boy was he struggling

You were in the other room when you heard a hushed “oh shit” followed by a crashing noise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUUUI5EvylY (skip to 3:40)

You chuckled and walked (waddled) to the nursery

And there you saw a collapsed crip with a defeated Hansol next to it

“Do you need help lol?” you asked.

“YES but no i don’t want you to wear yourself out” said Vernon

Aww he’s so sweet

“Don’t worry Y/n i’ll finish this soon”

15 minutes later you heard the same hushed “oh shit” followed by a crashing noise

Oh god Vernon

Eventually he ended up calling Seungkwan to help

Seungkwan was probably the most excited out of seventeen for your new bundle of joy

As soon as Vernon told him the news he literally SCREAMED

Like the other members almost went deaf

Seungkwan even teared up a little since he was sooo happy

So anyway Boo was now at your house and was super happy cause the one and only uncle boo will have credit for helping make the crib

He asked questions like if you and vernon were ready or not and stuff

“Hell no!” laughed Vernon

This boi was pretty nervous as your due date approached

But you assured him he’ll be a good father

He still doubted himself tho :\

After like two hours of more hushed “oh shits” and sassy outbursts at the “problematic crib” the crib was finally built

“Y/N THE CRIB IS DONE!” yelled Vernon

“Yeah after like two million years ughh” whined Seungkwan

You only chuckled tho at the two bffs

Once Seungkwan left hansol became all serious

You were like what’s up?

“I couldn’t even build a crib how will I be a good father!!” asked Vernon sadly

..what

Damn he was nervous

“Hansol just because you can’t build a crib doesn’t mean you’ll be a bad father! you‘ll be the most caring and loving dad i know it.”

“You really think so?” he asked

“Of course”

“Thanksss” he said as he rested his head on your shoulder and wrapped his arms around you

Aww

He was being a lil softie

Anyway your due date came along

Both of you were super nervous but excited too

And all that nervousness and excitement for nothing

You never went into labor!

“SHES LATE” you whined overdramatically

“MY GOD BABY GIRL YOU HAD US WAITING FOR NOTHIN” whined Vernon

“We might as well go to bed” you told your hubby

“Yeah i guess so” he said as he climbed into bed

As soon as you were about to get into bed you felt your water break

ARE YOU SERIOUS

RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY BED (SALAD)

“Oh mah gawd MY WATER BROKE!” you screamed

“AHHH” screamed Vernon

“Uhhh HOSPITAL?? NOW??” you yelled. You didnt mean to sound harsh tho but you were quite in labor and in need of a hospital so

Vernon scrambled to help you into the car and made sure to drive carefully to the hospital

As you were driving you remembered the hospital bad

“Hansol… you packed the hospital bag right?”

“I THINK”

Ok this boi seemed more nervous than you the hospital bag can wait

Anyways

You make it to the hospital and the pain has gotten wayyyy worse

But despite all your screaming

And death grip on vernon

He still stayed with you for 9 fucking hours of labor

As soon as you heard your baby girl cry you saw Vernon’s face relax

And you of course cried at the sound of your baby

Vernon’s eyes were filled with wonder though as he saw and heard her daughter take her first breathes

He then looked over at you overwhelmed

All he could do was mouth ‘thank you’

And then tears flooded out from his eyes as he broke out into a smile as the doctor came forward to hand you your daughter

My god was she perfect

She had your hair color and eyes

She had hansol’s nose, smile, and eyebrows

She was so cute omg

You stared at her for a while and remembered vernon probably wanted to meet his daughter too

So you carefully handed her over to him

The same guy who thought he’d be a bad father remembered to carefully hold up her head and cradled her ever so gently

You’d say he’s got this fatherhood thing all right so far.

And omg vernon was so cute with her

Like he started a whole fucking conversation with her omg

“Hi baby girl! I’m your daddy and that’s your mommy! We’re at this place called the hospital…” and so on

All while more tears streamed down his face

And when she gripped his finger with her tiny hand

It was so precious but kind of hilarious

He made this sob-like kind of noise? It was hard to describe tbh but you giggled

You two were still not quite sure what to name her

Vernon suggested that her middle name could be his mother’s name (cause you know how much he loves his mom it’s so precious)

Btw his mom’s name is Melody

And you agreed with that idea she was a nice lady and obviously Vernon loves her a lot and Melody is a nice name

“Since i picked out her middle name you can choose her first name” said Vernon with a sincere smile as he pat your little baby’s head

That was so sweet omg

You decided to name your daughter D/n because (insert reasoning)

Soon Vernon’s family arrived and were thrilled to meet D/n

His mom really liked her middle name too haha

Your family came as well

Then of course Seventeen came to visit as well!

Seungkwan in particular, however, came in BAWLING

“SHE’S SO PRECIOUS!” he whisper yelled

All of seventeen wished you both congratulations

They were so sweet and already loved D/n

The8, being the artsy photographer he is, offered to take a family photo for you two

And of course you two said yes

And my god that was such a sweet photo

The members who were already parents were like “welcome to the club bro” to vernon

He was officially part of the parent line!

Anyway you two finally got to take D/n home

You “Checked In” to the home together as a family for the first time

“I check innnnn, Chwe house” sang Vernon oh god

You just rolled your eyes playfully at him he was so goofy

It was late like past dinner time and you and Vernon already ate that hospital food which you were tired of

D/n on the other hand was wide awake

You were surprised tho you thought she would be asleep by then but nope

So you and hansol decided to give D/n a tour of the house

Vernon pretended to be the tour guide while you held D/n and followed him

“And over here is the toilet, which you’ll have to learn to use someday” said Vernon

“And finally this is your place D/n” he said motioning toward the yellow nursery

D/n was obviously too young to process all of this so she just kind of stared and squirmed

You noticed Vernon kept staring at his daughter in adoration

“Hansol?”

“Yeah” he didn’t take his eyes off her

“Wanna hold her?” you asked extending your arms toward him

“YES i mean yeah sure!”

He held her carefully and just couldn’t stop smiling omg

D/n let out a tiny yawn so you instructed Vernon to carefully place her in the crib he spent so much time working on

“But i don’t ever wanna let go of her!” whispered Hansol

I mean who could blame him

D/n was such a cute baby

But cute babies need sleep

After explaining that to him he reluctantly placed her in the crib and she fell fast asleep

You both proud parents awwed at your beautiful daughter

“C’mon Hansol lets go to bed”

You two went to sleep

Compared to other babies D/n wasn’t that bad

She only cried like twice during the night

And that was usually for feedings or diaper changes

And you and Hansol bolted out of bed to see what was wrong

You two decided that you would be in charge of feedings and Vernon would be on diaper duty

Within the first week D/n went through so many diapers and bottles omg

Also within that first week you and Hansol were so tired

It was hard raising a newborn and being first time parents

But you two worked really well with one another

When hansol had to go back to work he made sure to ask the ceo if he could leave a little earlier to check up on you and D/n

Ceo said yes thankfully!!

So when hansol would come home early you’d get an opportunity to shower and catch up on sleep while he watched D/n

“Y/n! I’m back!” he’d yell enthusiastically

You were on the couch feeding D/n who ate a lot

“Hi Hansol!” you smiled tiredly

“Lemme take over from here” he said as you passed D/n and her bottle to him

“Thank you so much honey” you smiled and kissed his cheek

“No problem!” he grinned and continued to feed D/n

You went to go shower quickly since its hard to shower when you have a newborn

Meanwhile Vernon decided to talk to his daughter

“So D/n, guess what happened at work today?”

D/n just stared at him with curious eyes

“Uncle Boo thought he could rap my super quick verse in our newest song, but he failed SO BADLY hahahaha”

He just kind of went on talking to her like she was any other person

Even tho she couldn’t understand what he was saying since she was just a week old

“Also D/n, if you have a favorite parent by now, i hope it’s your mom, because she does sooo much here for us”

By this time you had heard what he just said since you just finished showering

“She would be going to work too like me, but she’s staying home to take care of you cause she loves you so much! So don’t give her too much trouble, ok?”

You felt your heart melt omg

Because

AWW HANSOL WAS SO SWEET

And hormones too oh god

You cried a lil but you won’t admit it

So you went to bed in peace and made sure to thank your wonderful husband for his kind words

Man Hansol is such a sweet father and husband you were so thankful

[syaniides]

Loosey Goosey [April 10, 2020]

IN PROGRESS

Zippy rolls over on her side along the couch as she bursts out laughing tryinnnnng not to wake the guys up but what the hell was Jaden even Doiiiiiingggggg, pbbbbtfffftteheheheheehehe....

Jaden sings alonggggg to the song playing from his phone as he wears the Iconic Trader Joe’s Shirt That he was going to find a way to get to Zipppp, dancing along to the beat with her on the phone, singing the lyricsssss to her as he does some Dance Movesssss, dancing a bit with his lamppppp too, before collapsing onto the bed, letting out a warm laugh. “You’re the bestttt skype Dancer,” he warmly muses as he rolls over to look at the screen, moving to pinch where Zippy’s cheeks would beeeeee...

"Nuhhhh uhhh..." Zippy warmly laughs aloud, her teeth peeking through her lips as she moves her her arms underneath her as she lies on her side...."The lamp is..."

"The lampppppp is really goooood, but not as good as youuuu..." He replies back warmly, trying to pinch her cheeks through the screen. "Admit itttttt...."

Zippy shakes her head as she slowly rubs her thighs together, streeeetching her legs out, "Mmmmmmnnnnnnnhhhh...it's Lampy. She's the best even on your birthday...what are you dooooing?" Zippy hums out, giving a little shake of her head, another laugh coming from her as she squints her sleepy eyes some at Jaden pinching the airrrrr.

Jaden lets out a laughhh, still feeling that nice warm buzzzzz as the room spins around himmmm...”Is it even still my birthday?? Maybe lamps waiteddd to show off her moves until it’s the next day...” He lets out, rolling over to try to squint at his phone to see if it was past midniggggght, before looking at Zippy, stroking her hair through the screeeeennn. “You sleepy?”

“If you haven’t went to bed...it’s Still your Birthdayyy...” Zippy says, matter of factly even tossing a finger wag at the screen as she softly blinks, mmmmmhhh, “A litttleee...are you?”

"Then maybe I don't wanna go to bedddd," Jaden rolls out as he lets out an easy laughhh, still doing the hair stroke through the screen. "Not realllyyy, I just feel good, and happy, and niceeee....."

"Wellllllll what you wanna do then?" She asks, her voice drawing playfully out as she sees Jaden still doing the odd hand thing, making her laugh again, moving her arm under her head as she keeps looking at him, "I can't braid your hair and I'm bummmmmmmed...."

Jaden lets out a soft, thoughtful hummmmmm as he tries to thinkthinkthinkkkkkk of what he wanted to do, even though it was kinda just niceeeeee, laying here, being there with Zippyyyyy, before a smile slowly spreaddddss on his face. "Will you singggg with me?" He offers as the idea pops into his mindddddd for whatever reasonnnnnn....

A slow, sleepy, smile curls onto Zippy’s lips, her voice coming out lowwww and deeep, “Happpppy Birthdayyyy...Mr. Skate Mommmmyyy....Pressssideeeent, Happpy BiiiiirrrrrrTTThdaaaaaaaay...”

A warm, loud laugh moves out of Jaden as he hears the song, giving an energetic clapppp, before saying, "Keep goingggggg I'll join in at the bridgeeeee...." He offers out as he props up his head in his hand as he rests his elbow on the bed, taking it all innnnn...

A rumble of laughter bursts out of Zippy as she hides her face a bit behind her forearm, poking her lips outttt....after the extended OoooOooo and another laugh, “...I don’t know the Rest...”

"Just sing whatever comes to youuuuuuu I wanna hear itttt...." He playfully murmurs outttt as he reaches his hand out to the screen to lightly flick her through ittttt....

[chelseyroseblog]

HOW I'M GETTING READY FOR HAWAII IN TWO WEEKS

I just celebrated my birthday HARD for the last week and I'm not mad at it, but I'm also feeling way less in shape than I was a week ago and totally unprepared for Hawaii haha.

BUT not to fear, I know how to get things back together over the course of two weeks and then we can all just pretend that the alcohol, burgers, chocolate, chips, dips, beer, pad thai, cake, ice cream and bread nevvver happened this week. ALLLRIGHHHHT!

I feel like I get asked this a lot though so I wanted to break down everything I'm doing so you guys know exactly how to prep for a vacation. 

1. WORKOUTS ARE A PRIORITY

I mean, it is quite literally, CRUNCH TIME. NO EXCUSES. When you have a short time period to get ready to vaca or for an event, you need to schedule your workouts like you schedule your blow drys. Here's what my workout schedule will look like for the next 2 weeks:

WORKOUT GOALS

M - Full Body

T - Upper Body 

W - Lower Body 

TH - Upper Body 

F - Full Body 

Sa - Hike/Something Outdoors

Su - Lower Body 

One of my biggest areas of focus is my lower body. I want to lift and round out my booty, tone my inner thighs, and tone my hamstrings SO a good rule of thumb when you really want to focus on an area is to get 30-40 total sets per week. WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN. I'll tell ya. 

So say on Wednesday I do 3 sets of hip thrusts, then I do 3 sets of back squats and then I do 3 sets of dead lifts...that means I've done 9 sets. So by the end of the week I want to try to hit at least 30. (Again this is for areas that you're REALLY wanting to work on). 

If I do that again on Sunday then I will have done 18 sets. This means in order to hit 30 sets, I need to incorporate 12 more sets throughout the week for legs. So I could do this by 3 sets of squats and 3 sets of bulgarians on one full body day, then 6 more sets of lower body exercises on another full body day. 

That would put my total sets for lower body at 30 for the week which is wooorrrrkk girl! This is how you'll start getting those results you're looking for. 

To give you perspective, a beginner usually gets 18 total sets a week, meaning that they might do 9 sets one day, cardio a few days that week, and then one more strength day with 9 sets for the day. This is not ideal for big changes so just something to keep in mind :)

Another thing to keep in mind when creating your work out plan is to make sure you're hitting each muscle group 2 times a week. 

So those are my workouts...Now let's figure out how much I should be eating with those workouts!

CALORIE GOALS:

So if I wanted to maintain my current weight and not work out, then I would have to consume 1,206 calories a day, but since I'll be working out, I can give myself some more calories YAY. (There's a system to figuring this out so if you want this done for yourself - email me at INFO@CHELSEYROSEHEALTH.COM and tell me you're interested in the NUTRITIONAL CONSULTATION). 

There's a whole number and percentage thing that happens here depending on how often you're working out and how hard the workouts are so for me we will multiply my calories by 1.55, so my daily intake of calories on work out days if I wanted to maintain my weight would be 1,869...

BUT

I want to lose a bit of weight right? So what I would need to do is create a caloric deficit so my calorie goal on work out days would be maybe something like 1,600. This means that by the end of a workout day, I will have burned about 250 more calories that day than I consumed which = WEIGHT LOSS. I think what a lot of people tend to do is work out and then reward themselves with a huge meal so your most likely not in a caloric deficit by the end of the day which is why you're not seeing the results you want! (Don't worry, I did that for a long time too).

MACROS GOAL:

Let's start with protein. If I want to maintain lean muscle that I'm putting on then I want to aim to get my body weight in grams of protein. So I would want to aim for about 130 grams of protein, this means that 520 of my calories would be coming from protein. (There's 4 calories per gram of protein so you just multiply 130 by 4). The cool thing about protein is that when consumed, you burn MORE CALORIES simply by eating it. This is called the thermogenic effect of food. Protein burns roughly 30% of calories consumed so if I eat 520 calories of protein, 156 of those calories will be burned off simply by my body trying to break it down and digest it. WOO!

OKAY - from here I can make my CARB goal intake. I know that a VERY low carb diet is 50 grams a day or less and a LOW CARB diet is 100 grams of protein a day or less. When I'm getting ready for a event or a vacation I like to hover at a "low carb diet". Carbs are made of water so when we eat less carbs we start to lose a lot of water weight and look leaner so it really helps when you don't have a ton of time to get ready for something. 

Carbs also have 4 calories per gram so if I want to have 100 grams of carbs a day, then that means that 400 of my calories will come from carbs. 

400 calorie in carbs + 520 calories in protein = 920 calories. If I'm shooting for 1,600 calories on a work out day then this means that I have 680 calories left to use innnnn fat..or alch haha, but seriously. 

one gram of alch = 7 calories

one gram of fat = 9 calories

So depending on what my day looks like I can play around with these remaining calories. 

And that's the lesson on MACROS. 

EATING GOALS

Alrighty - now that we know how much I can eat, I'll talk to you guys about WHAT I'll be eating. I can eat the same thing for months which is nice because then I don't have to think that much about cooking, prepping, blah blah blah. 

Breakfast 6:30am : 1 piece of medium/large fruit like an apple, pear, or banana or two pieces of small fruit like plums...mainly lol. I'm in love with plumcots right now AND a medium almond milk latte.

Snack 11:00am: This is where I like to get in some protein so I will pretty much always have a ONE BRAND Birthday Protein Bar.

Lunch 2:00pm: Protein bowl. If we have rice in the fridge then I'll add a 1/3 cup of that to the mix with 4 ounces of turkey, 1/4 an avocado, and 2 over medium eggs. Then I top it with some sea salt, goat cheese, and tajin. This is a super easy way for me to get in a lot of protein without feeling stuffed or losing any energy, and it keeps me full for like 4-5 hours. 

Snack 5:00pm: This is usually a point in the day that I'm on my way to work and I'm not super hungry but I need to get in more protein and I never know when I'm going to be able to break at work so I like to go in without any vibes of feeling hungry SO i'll do a cold brew with a scoop of protein powder and almond milk or I'll do a ONE BRAND birthday protein bar if I didn't have on earlier in the day. If I don't have to go to work then I skip this snack and just have dinner when I get hungry. 

Dinner 7:00 - 8:30ish: Nothing big. I'll usually have turkey with vegetables and 1/3 cup of carbs whether it's sweet potato, brown rice, pasta etc. Although since I'm keeping my carbs between 50 and 100 for the day it really just depends on what I've had already. 

SLEEPING GOALS

It's impossible to look and feel good without proper sleep and with my stupid ass schedule, sleep can be really hard sometimes. But I've gotten better at setting myself up for the best sleep possible and making sure that I take a nap the next day if I feel like I need one instead of trying to power through. 

When we're on minimal sleep, we LOOK it and our stress levels typically go up and we end up getting sugar cravings so sleep is meggaaa babe important. 

So to get the best sleep I'm going to make sure that I de stress before going to bed. I work at a lounge until midnight so when I come home from there I need to make sure that I try to relax and unwind before getting in bed or else I feel a little stressed in the morning still because it's like I didn't give myself a break. 

I also spray aromatherapy around me when I get home because it just helps with the relaxation aspect of the night and then I make sure that I do my face routine with all my favorite skin care products. 

An eye mask is essential for sleep as well and my phone always goes on the ground on airplane mode. Rest up bitches.

FINAL DO'S AND DONT'S

Do:

+ Drink a lot of water throughout the day

+ Have a celery juice for breakfast a few times to help reduce bloat

+ Drink a detox tea before bed 4-5 nights a week (I like slim master from Ralph's. Super Cheap)

+ Do hit up a sauna and get a colonic if you have time (MAJJJOOORRR)

Don't:

+ Drink if possible. If you do, go for 1 glass of wine or 1 clear liquor on the rocks. Try to avoid super sweet cocktails and beers FOR SURE. 

+ STRESS. This is so counter productive to what you're trying to do. Stressing will make you hang on to weight and crave sweets.

ANYYYWAAAYY I hope you guys found this helpful! I am officially on day one of the count down and made sure to hit the gym this morning, had an apple and a coffee for breakfast, had a turkey bowl for lunch, a ONE bar as a snack and right after this I'll be going on a hike before I figure out what I'm making for dinner! 

Thank you guys so much for popping in to read this. Comment below if you have any other tips, suggestions, or questions!

X

[where-the-heartache-is]

Exordium.

“You have no idea how thankful I am to you today,” he speaks up as they’re standing next to each other, in front of the long table that was being set up for dinner. As she tossed around the vegetables in the large bowl, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and her ever-present smile got wider. “I really didn’t do much, just all that I could!” she replied, with a little shake of the head. “This party would’ve been a disaster if you didn’t take control at the last moment. You’re not supposed to be doing all this, you don’t work for me!” he exclaimed, his guilt and overwhelm clearly visible in his hasty response. A little laugh escaped her mouth along with a breath. “Well, technically…” she turned to the right and looked at him, still beaming like a kid. Their eyes locked for a few seconds, as the music playing in the back subdued for them, with each passing moment. “But tonight, I didn’t invite you as my colleague or client,” he divulged, in a rather hushed-down tone. “So what did you invite me as, then?” The question escaped her lips without a second thought, not that she held any regrets due to it. They maintained eye contact while he opened his mouth to say something only to close it again, before blinking twice and shifting his gaze. With a tight-lipped smile, she put her focus back on the salad mixing, as his silence prolonged.

The 10th floor terrace had the ideal setup for one of these winter nights. The chilly weather combined with the chitter-chatter of people, the smoke from the barbecue lingering in the air, some acoustic music running through the speakers and fairy lights that flickered softly made it all a stellar atmosphere. And amidst this gathering, in a corner where the table was set up, stood two people in all their tranquility – like they had their own seclusion even in a space with about 20 other people. The clear sky above acted both as a blanket that covered the cozy aura as well as a vast, enchanting portal for the open-air arrangement.

She decided to break the reticence with one of her teasing remarks. “I mean, given the amount of time I’ve spent at your office the past two months, running around to get those designs done…” “I’m sorry about that, we’re trying our best but…” he spoke up after at least a good minute, his remark led by a chuckle. “But my boss is a woman who just can’t make up her mind, I know. You don’t have to apologise for her indecisiveness,” she rolled her eyes and shook her head, causing him to chuckle once more. “I wouldn’t want to put it like that, given you guys are paying us a handsome amount for the campaign,” he tittered along. “And so, your years of experience prevail,” she gave him an acclaiming look, a smirk gracing her face. “You handle her better than most people I’ve seen with just two years in the sector! How do the days pass when you spend a good third of it with her?” he genuinely asked, all ready to commend however she’d answer the query. A laugh began off her answer. “Most days are okay. Some days, though… Some hectic days like today, I usually find some way or the other to rewind. Depends on the situation,” a shrug followed. “Depends on the situation? For example?” his curiosity held the better of him. “Yeah! As innnnn… Say, right now, you ask me to rewind. Right here. You know what I’d do?” her eyebrows shoot up with her quiz. “What?” he asked, his eager eyes now twinkling. “I’d…” she closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before continuing. “I’d put all this away, all the thoughts and worries away – And with the smell of this burning coal from the barbecue taking up all my senses, I’d play a song. A breezy song. And then I’d dance. Sway and spin away, in a waltz all-too-unknown.” The cool wind blew her hair back and exposed the half of her face he could see from the side. Eyes shut close, the smile beaming all over her face – He gazed on in awe of how someone could speak so lustrously about something so simple, and look so blissfully pure while doing so. “A breezy song?” he felt something in the back of his head warning him about too many questions, but he just couldn’t help it. She opened her eyes and looked at him, causing him to snap out of the puzzling euphoria he was lost in. “A breezy song. You know, a song that feels the same way in my heart like this cold wind feels against my skin. One that fits this weather, sends shivers down my spine but makes me feel more alive than I ever have. Just, plain, breezy,” she shrugs again, with a child-like grin making the corners of her eyes crinkle. “Is my playlist not… Breezy? All acoustic songs on it, you know!” he suddenly feels the need to defend something she wasn’t even questioning. She laughed at his enquiry, with her brows shooting up in surprise. “Breezy doesn’t necessarily mean acoustic! If I had to name a breezy song, I’d saaay… Maaaybe… Yeah! Perfect! Perfect by Ed Sheeran. Soft, calming, breezy… but not all acoustic!” “Hmm… Okay, okay,” he acknowledged with a slight nodding of the head. “I’ll just go check up on everyone and get back to helping you, yeah?” “Sure, go on!” she reassuringly smiled, as she continued finishing off the setup.

Swaying her head to the acoustic songs all playing one after another, she found herself looking around for him every now and then. A little soothing feeling ran through her whenever she spotted him in the crowd, walking around like not a thing in the world could catch him off guard, even with all these eyes in the room on him. He made a few rounds around the place before walking back up to her, as she finally stepped back from the table with all the food ready to be served. “That last batch’s gonna take a few more minutes to be done,” he informed her, just as he does whenever she’s in the office asking for an update. “Let’s just be glad my boss isn’t here to question every possible step that could’ve led to this slight change of schedule,” she joked, for once something being postponed by a few minutes didn’t lead to at least 3 chaotic phone calls for both of them.   Just as they both finish off laughing at her remark, he comments quickly – “Until then, we do need some proper entertainment.” “Mhmm, we do, we do,” she agreed instantly. “Wanna rewind?” he asked. “Oh, I’d love to!” she blurted out. “Let’s dance then, shall we?” he put out his hand, with a glare of intent. She laughed for a few seconds before realizing he probably wasn’t mocking whatever she said earlier. “Oh. What?” she cross-questioned when she noticed the faint look on his face had stayed on. “Let’s dance. I even have your breezy song on my playlist,” he tried convincing her once again, still a gentle look all over his face. “I… But… You… Dance?” she tried to get her words together, but she couldn’t remember the last time she had so many questions but didn’t know how to put them out. “What?” he asked, with a confused laugh. “You… You just don’t, y’know, seem like the kind… I mean, like, there’s people from work here, and some are even your good friends… And I just… Wouldn’t think you’d be one to be dancing in front of them. I mean. I don’t mean it in an insulting way… I just,” she put up her hands in front and shrugged thrice, desperately hoping he’d understand what she was trying to say. And as always, he did. He couldn’t help but laugh at her scattered words. “If I had to be formal with everyone here, I’d call them downstairs in the conference room and discuss work, not up here on the terrace, where I’ve assured them all to be having a good time,” he gave a winning smile, like he knew she wouldn’t be able to question anything more about it. “But… Are you sure?” she asked once again, still not being able to make herself believe that he’d be displaying this side of himself in front of the ones he never misreads a word in front of, and he’d be displaying it with her. “If you don’t wanna dance with me, that’s a different case,” he pressed his lips together and shrugged. “No, no,” she instantly upheld her wish to say yes to the dance. She no longer found it in herself to question any longer, even though that query still remained in her head. As she put her hand in his, she finally adds, “I mean. I’d… love to.”

Shooting his assistant in the corner a look, he clutches her hand and pulls her through, taking her to almost the center of the place with him. The fairy lights twinkled just as the stars above did, while all eyes fell on them. As Ed Sheeran’s voice floated through the air, he put his arm around her waist while she put her hand on his shoulder, their other hand still tightly wrapped in the others’. Moving from left to right and back again, everything else felt blurred out with every step they took. The smell of the burning coal invading their senses, the chilly air still sometimes making some of her hair fall on her face before being blown back in place, the music drowning out even the loudest voices in their heads. He slowly closed his eyes and mouthed along, leaving her feeling more astonished than ever – A side to him she could always sense was there, but never thought he’d flash in front of people, and definitely not with her in his arms. Baby, I’m dancing in the dark, with you between my arms… he sang along the chorus, his eyes still shut. She gawked on at him in fascination, a feeling swirled up inside her, a feeling she had no name for, no explanation for. He opens his eyes and catches her peering captivatingly, being caught off guard, himself. He’d always been used to catching eyes, but never in such a spellbinding way. You look perrrfect tonight… he mouths along, as he twirls her and brings her back into his arms. A rush of blood makes its way to her cheeks, leaving her flushed. She couldn’t help but ask, in a whisper ever-so-soft – “I’m sure you have your own idea of rewinding. Why take my route today, then?” He chuckled, knowing this was coming any moment, though he expected her to wait until the song ended. “Well, I already answered that question earlier.” “Huh?” her brows slightly furrowed, as she tried tracing back to when he did. “I told you. You’re not here as my colleague or client tonight,” he answered, slightly cocking his head to his right as he shook it. A little shrug came with his remark, the corners of his mouth slid upwards. She tried responding but knew there wasn’t a way for her to put a finger on it now, their speechlessness mumbling an open secret to both of their ears. She opened her mouth only to close it again, and let the silence between them paint rays of sunshine all over her face, leaving her beaming once more. His smirk was still present as he twirled and pulled her back in once again as the song neared its end. I don’t deserve this, you look perfect tonight… the last bits of music played as they stood sharing a gaze and an enchanted smile, their spark burning up the atmosphere without any effort from either.