#I’m not sure if Oliver has 4 or 6 braids I think it’s 4 and that matches with snoop doggs 4

[dollsinvogue]

Shadow High Oliver Ocean hair » Snoop Dogg hair

[inkribbon796]

What a Beautiful Wedding Ch. 1: A Sense of Poise and Rationality

Summary: “What a beautiful wedding” says a bridesmaid to a waiter. “And, yes, but what a shame. What a shame . . . 

Nothing bad happens here, I promise.

A/N: The music swells, the curtain lifts. Ladies, gentlemen, and all configurations of being: the show has begun . . .

Titles here are from Panic! at the Disco’s “I Write Sins not Tragedies”.

Okay, so this one’s been a bear to write so this might be uploaded a couple chapters today and the rest over the next day or two.

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Eric looked at himself in the mirror as Roman set the final touches on his hair. His dark hair had small braids with tiny beads designed to catch the sunlight. His suit was an off-white color and his wrists were decorated with intricate bangles that kept his nerves from activating his powers and setting things on fire.

Despite the suits and dresses and other formal attire all the heroes were still in their masks. Secrecy was still important and they knew the press would be nearby. The only exception would be Eric, who got glasses enchanted, courtesy of the Host, to protect his identity from anyone who shouldn’t know it.

“And voila!” Roman announced and did a little excited jump, spinning the chair marginally and holding up a mirror so that Eric could see the back of his head.

“Awww, you look so cute,” Patton told him.

“R-eally?” Eric ducked his head nervously.

“Positively radiant, my dear,” Roman boasted, his red dress swishing as he twirled. “Not an eye will be able to look away from you.”

Eric’s eyes widened fearfully.

“Nice going Princey,” Virgil spoke up from across the room.

“They’ll look in a good way,” Roman promised. “They’ll see you and realize that you are the most beautiful man in the world.”

“B-ut that’s Illy,” Eric managed to force out.

Roman paused to think on that, “Well I won’t deny that he’s obnoxiously good looking but now you can give him a run for his money.”

Randall walked in, “How we lookin’[1]?”

Twisting around the chair, Roman grinned as he motioned to Eric. “Marvel at this masterpiece. I dare say Da Vinci nor Monet could have done better.”

“Very handsome,” Randall told Eric, both childhood friends smiling at each other. “Just came from checkin’ on the other groom. We’re just waiting fer a final sweep ‘a the area to make sure it’s alright.”[2]

“Alright,” Eric said.

On the other side of the building, Illinois was fiddling with his bow tie as he checked his hair and suit in the mirror.

“How’s it looking?” Illinois asked, his eyes moving to look at his adopted brother in the mirror.

“Nothing is amiss,” the Host told him.

“Marv still isn’t back,” Chase reminded. “I don’t like it. I haven’t heard a peep from him.”

“The Host spoke with Marvin, he is on his way back to the city with the Blade and the Angel of Death,” the Host took a seat. “While they will be late for the ceremony, Illinois and the attendants will find that they will arrive just in time.”

“Okay,” Illinois took a deep breath. He didn’t touch his lucky coin, he wanted today to be a good day. A perfect day.

He’d been trying to play his safe for months to hoard as much magic as possible. No adventures. No fights. Not even a card game with his siblings.

Because Eric deserved nice things. He deserved to be happy and safe.

After a while Dark checked his pocket watch, and Illinois walked out with him and the Host. The blind seer headed on ahead to wait with the other groomsmen.

Dark waited at one end of a long rug that led to a big outdoor gazebo with a dark wood roof. Chairs led up to the gazebo and had wooden structures protecting it from any accidental rain or glare from the sun. A matching rug was one that Randall would lead Eric down. The two grooms would meet in the middle and then walk up to the altar where Jackie, who had taken the online classes needed to officiate marriages.

The Entity paused, waiting for the signal from the organ that Dark could start walking. But he looked over at Illinois. The young man was looking around, his hand reaching into his pocket and resisted trying to pull out his lucky coin.

In the demon’s mind he thought of little Illinois, barely at chest level, with wide eyes that hungered for adventure but a body too small to take him there.

Dark had never liked thinking about how big Illinois had gotten. It reminded him that Illinois would walk out of his life and become his own person. It’s just . . . it had all been so wonderful while it lasted.

Illinois looked over at Dark and smiled. “Hey, 아빠[3].”

“Illinois,” Dark answered, trying to keep Damien quiet and invisible. Dark had to keep his hands to himself and his feelings out of the way. This was all for Illinois. He took a second to take a deep breath and schooled his features. “I’ll have your portion of the city ready for when you get back.”

“What?” Illinois asked, mostly in confusion.

But then the music began and Dark was offering his elbow. Illinois took it and promised himself that when he could pull Dark away again they’d talk. He didn’t like the tone Dark had taken when he’d said that.

Illinois and Dark stepped in time to the music and all too soon he saw Eric, his hands gripping onto Randall’s arm. He almost tripped when his eyes met Illinois’s.

Then all too soon, they were within arms reach. Illinois reached out to take Eric’s arm and they walked up. To Illinois, Eric looked like an angel he’d somehow snagged out of the sky and convinced to stay with him.

They walked down the aisle and Illinois kept the pace slow so that Eric wouldn’t have a single problem walking down the aisle. Dark and Randall followed them up.

Everything was going perfectly.

Illinois and Eric were looking at each other and Jackie opened his mouth to start the ceremony, when someone else walked down the aisle.

“I’m here!” Someone in a red tux announced. A smile as sharp as glass. “Shame on you, Damien, I almost missed the whole thing.”

Everyone immediately looked at the Actor, Dark got in front of Illinois as the young man was trying to push Eric towards Jackie.

“Get out,” Dark snarled in a furious growl.

“You’d done your job, step aside,” Actor snapped out a dark mass of aura and batted Dark to the side, the Entity slamming into the organ and let out a pained cough.

“아빠!”[3] Illinois called out. Yancy, who was closer, immediately raced to Dark’s side but the Entity shoved him away from both him and the Actor.

“I will admit,” Marc smiled as he waltzed down the aisle, “I didn’t recognize you at first. That’s my bad. But I did try and talk to you, and it’s quite an oversight not to personally invite me.”

Dark pushed himself back up to a kneeling position, his ringing shrill and aura coiling around.

“I didn’t invite you because you’re a piece of shit and you just attacked my dad, so fuck off,” Illinois snarled. He started trying to move over to Dark but the Actor slid into his path.

“Not possible,” Actor smiled, gesturing to himself. “Daddy’s here now and we don’t need . . .”

Actor glared back at Dark, “. . . to be worried about extraneous characters.”

“Get the hell out of here, I don’t want you anywhere near my family,” Illinois snarled.

“Oh, junior,” Marc smiled. “I’m trying to help you. Think of it: father and son. We’d take the world by storm.”

Illinois felt fury, thinking off all the foster homes and awful situations he’d been in, “Even if you were, you can fuck right the fuck off!”

Behind the Actor, Ranboo was trying to inch closer to Dark. He’d been sitting with the rest of the heroes. But he was trying to quietly summon up a portal to get Dark away from the Actor but when he inched too close the Actor spun around and slammed his aura into the young teen, knocking him back.

“If I wanted to take on the peanut gallery, I would have called you up,” Actor snapped.

“Enderwalk!” Virgil called out and raced over to him as the teen slammed against the wall of the gazebo and let out a grunt of pain. Immediately the room seemed to snap out of whatever haze they were in and moved as Marc moved to attack Ranboo again. Tubbo was already the closest.

Ranboo braced for the attack to hit but in the nick of time, there was a shattering of glass and Techno emerged from one of the eye portals. Shield and axe in hand he deflected the shot and blew a hole in the roof of the gazebo.

“I’m gonna have to stop you right there,” Techno smiled. “Come on, kid, I saw you using a weapon before, come on.”

“Boo,” Tubbo moved in as Phil and Marvin raced in.

“Anyone dead yet?” Marvin demanded.

“Bout time yeh showed up,”[4] Chase spat, pulled out his gun, a real one and aimed it at the Actor’s head.

Snarling in anger, the Actor exploded into black mist, making Chase miss his shot and nicked Illinois right in the face by accident.

Actor grabbed Dark and stabbed him with a dragged he pulled out of his black mist. “I don’t like being teased, Dames.”

With a slice, Dark screamed and the Actor pulled out a black day planner. “If you want something done right you should just do it yourself.”

Magic began to swirl around the Actor as bubbles began to form. They swelled in size and began to fill the room.

Bing began to visibly freak out and used his nanites to push Mini and Oliver away with his nanites, throwing them outside the gazebo just as a bubble expanded to snap up the rest of the androids.

In an instant the city rumbled and Dark . . .

. . . . . .

Dark woke up in bed.

He glared at the faintly glowing clock on the distant wall. It was barely a half-hour before he had to get up so there was no point in going back to sleep.

He smiled faintly when he heard Wilford snoring, the man splayed out to Dark’s left. The softer snores were from Chase who was cuddled up into Dark’s chest.

With a smile softening his features Dark decided: maybe he could sleep in a few more minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post A/N: . . . Okay I lied big time.

Accessibility Translations:

1. looking

2. Just came from checking on the other groom. We’re just waiting for a final sweep of the area to make sure it’s alright

3. Dad. Informal, read phonetically as: Appa.

4. About time you showed up

[capricornus-rex]

A Shadow of What You Used to Be (6)

Chapter 6: No, There Is Another | Cal Kestis x Irele Skywalker

Summary: There is another! Years after young Anakin Skywalker departed Tatooine, his mother Shmi delivers a second child—this time, a daughter. Whilst the circumstance of the girl’s birth remains unexplained, Irele Skywalker has yet to choose the true path between those laid out for her.

A/N: Sorry it took so long, you guys! ;;w;; What with the holidays and me managing what to order for my 24th birthday today (It’s the 27th where I live so we’re celebrating in a quite chill way heheh), so this is my birthday treat to you! A new chapter! 💖💖

Tags: Fem! OC, Irele Skywalker, Force-sensitive! OC, Anakin’s Younger Sister, Skywalker! OC, Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice, Long-lost Sibling

Requesting to be tagged: @heavenly1927​

Also in AO3

Chapters: Prelude – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 | Previous: Part 5 | Next: Part 7 | Masterlist

7 of ?

19 BBY

Irele, her stepbrother Owen, and his now-wife Beru Lars live together in the same roof. After their father had died of natural causes, they placed him next to the grave of Shmi, as they deem it appropriate; they have taken full control of the homestead, though their ways didn’t change that much.

Now thirteen years old, Irele Skywalker had grown into the spitting image of Shmi Skywallker albeit younger. Medium length hair always secured as a ponytail with thin braids woven along the tail, warm and earthy-colored eyes, and a somber yet friendly smile.

The teenager had grown into an adventurous young spirit. Perhaps, if one is to see Shmi as a girl, she would have been the exact same as her daughter. Gaining friends in Anchorhead and even as far as Mos Eisley, though she had learned to steer clear of the latter town unless the need truly arises. Taking odd jobs in either of the towns, her hustler’s nature remained intact, she did not want to depend heavily on her brother and sister-in-law for monetary support—albeit Owen strongly disagrees, but to not avail.

“You’ve been out more often than staying at home!” chided Owen, who was now perhaps in his early thirties.

“Well, I do need to work, don’t I, big brother?” she tapped his bulky arm as she strolled into the house.

She had just returned from her work in the shop that’s a hybrid of a speeder vendor and a servicing center. Whether she realizes it or not, she always finds herself tinkering with something, fixing them… like her real brother’s pastime as a child.

Irele had taken home a piece of a machine to her house, a personal project of sorts, completely unrelated to her work. She settled herself on the small worktable in her bedroom and immediately casts her lamp’s light on the working space. A metal rod put together with various, mismatching shafts and components held together by screws and sewn leather wrappings; it’s even a miracle that it worked, one way or another, it would serve better as a melee weapon than that of a Magnaguard’s electro-staff. Perhaps this staff is one of the many testaments of Irele’s skillfulness and resourcefulness, for growing up as a hustler and being exposed to machinery at an early age.

As she grew, she always donned a woven scarf made by Shmi. It has been a few years or so, and the heartache is very much fresh; every time she catches a glimpse of her headstone, with Cliegg’s next to it, the healing wound is ripped open once again—though she found comfort in confiding and speaking to both of them as if they were still alive, sitting with her and listening.

“Oh, circuitry should be here. Mom would have pointed that out too.” she mumbled to herself as she fiddled the wires with the sharp end of a thin screwdriver.

Come the hour of sunset, Irele had finished her chores after her handicraft. In the middle of her working, she felt a presence—it was sage and calming—she also heard the grunting of a single eopie. Curious, she and Beru went to the door. She was right about the eopie, carrying a single rider who held the reins with only one hand and is carrying something with the other. Irele thought the hooded rider to be her brother, as she remembered his own cloak, but the cowl revealed a slightly older man—his jaw was covered with a full, sandy-brown beard, his eyes were kind and yet she hinted the sadness in them, as if tragedy had befell him shortly before coming here.

It was Obi-Wan.

When the stranger coaxed the animal to kneel, he carefully hopped down, and supported his precious cargo with his free arm. He approaches the older girl and she willingly takes what he gave. The wide sleeve of his robe gave way to show an infant boy, perhaps a few weeks old. Beru and Irele’s eyes lit up, they spoke nothing to the stranger but they bid him with a short, polite bow.

Obi-Wan noticed the second girl, her olive skin and brown eyes gave him a memory of Anakin—the reminder sharply jabbed him into the recesses of his mind. The angry voices, the echoes of the sputtering lava, and the sorrowful howling of Anakin drummed behind his ears.

“Are you alright, sir?” Irele noticed.

“Oh, dear. I am fine, thank you,” he cleared his throat and tucked his arms inside his sleeves. “I am just not used to travel here in this place… but I will be.”

“I see.”

“My dear, may I know your name?”

“It is Irele…”

“Irele…?”

“Irele Skywalker-Lars.”

Obi-Wan slowly angled his head upwards, concealing his surprise as her name sinks into him.

Another Skywalker?

“Well, Irele,” he cleared his throat again. “May I ask a favor from you?”

“I’ll do my best to fulfill it.”

“I’m sure you can,” Obi-Wan’s gaze went to Beru carrying the baby who joined her husband, Owen, looking at the binary sunset. “Take care of him.”

“I don’t mean to sound uptight but… Who is he to me?”

“He’s your family. Your nephew. His name is Luke.”

Irele was a smart girl. She knew whose son the infant would have belonged to. A part of her wanted to ask where the father is—her brother—but perhaps it was for the best that she does not obligate the stranger to indulge her questions.

“Then I’ll do everything in my power to keep him safe.”

“I know, Irele,” Kenobi smiled, although a little sadly. “I know.”

“Sir, I’m sorry but I don’t know your name.”

“Ben… Ben Kenobi.”

Kenobi did not stay long in the premises of the homestead. He bowed to Irele, who returned the gesture, and returned to his steed. The eopie grunted as Kenobi hauled the reins to the right side, then spurred the tall quadruped to the distance, clouds of sand puffing under its hooves until the figure disappears as the twin suns set.

When Kenobi was gone from her sight, she turned to her brother and sister-in-law, along with their nephew—whom Owen would have probably called his son, given the chance. Irele was excited. She was already thinking of the things she and Luke would do—what games they’d play, what machines she’d teach him to fix, what kind of speeders could they hop on together.

He was the brother she never had.

From a certain point of view, it’s a wrong that she could right, while fulfilling her promise to Kenobi.

After Beru nursed the infant, she laid him down on their bed, Irele never left Luke’s side. She chuckled every time he would squirm, coo, and smile at her. Her heart fluttered and she fell in love with him. When Beru left the two children alone, Irele tasked herself to watch over him.

She moved her finger to his tiny hand and with his tiny, soft fingers he clasped her thumb with a grip as light as a feather. Irele’s heart melted once more.

And then she whispered as she kissed the tiniest hand that held hers, “I’ll keep you safe, Luke. I’ll always protect you.”

[stagkingswife]

Stag’s Seasonal Ward Change

A Discord server that I help to mod had basically a lab project this week to cleanse and update our wards, and I had been thinking it was about time I update them for the changes of the seasons anyway. Since I like to involve the Forgotten Ones in my ward system I don’t like to leave them up for too long, I don’t like to ask any one of them to dedicate too much time to protecting my and my meatspace home, so I rotate seasonally.  And we’re just getting to time of September when grass is green and grain is yellow, when days are still warm but nights are cool, the perfect time for this.  Below are the steps of the process that I’m comfortable sharing publicly, there are of course always parts of my practice that I don’t share publicly, as if every practitioner’s prerogative. 

Step 1: Prep and Gather

I already knew basically what I wanted to do for this workshop.  Take down the old net, clean space, put up a new net and door ward.  Ward mirrors and closet doors.  The plan was to make a witch’s ladder for the net portion and a witch ball for the door and get those built in advance, so that I would only have the wards down for the amount of time it took to clean.  

I gathered all of my materials, which included a little jaunt to the park down the street to get fresh oak leaves and bark, and Sweet Gum seed balls (I wanted horse chestnuts, but the local park had these in abundance.)  

Step 2: Witch’s Ladder

My autumnal witch’s ladder is replacing my summer time shell and driftwood mobile.  It’s made of handspun brown thread of this lovely gradient brown and gold wool that I think was supposed to be for felting, but it worked for spinning too.  I braided in feathers left over from another project, sweet gum seed pods, and at the very end a small oak twig, which I hope will dry as part of the ladder.  The feathers represent both the Woman with the Mammoth Head, and the Voices on the Wind, two of my Forgotten Ones, who I’m invoking for protection with this ladder.  The thread and the sweet gum seed pods are to catch incoming spirits and energies and hold them until they can be cleansed or processed.  Then the oak at the bottom invokes both the Hunter and the Lady of the Ways, and has always had protection correspondences for me. 

While braiding the ladder I established most of the inner workings of my wards, the whitelist, the blacklist, how unknown entities should be treated.

Step 3:  Witch’s Ball

I decorated the outside of this Christmas ornament at a friends holiday party back in December and I had always planned to use it to make a witch ball, and I finally got around to it.  Inside is a small scroll with a protective charm, tied with more handspun yarn, then the rest of the ball is packed with clary sage, rosemary, cinnamon, yarrow, lavender, ground up eggshells, and salt mixed with rusted iron. The thread used to hang it is also used in the witch’s ladder, tying this into the whole system established in the ladder, but with some door base specifics.

Step 4: Cleansing

Now that everything has been made I can cleanse.  I started by just plain old cleaning my room, I find it hard to make a room energetically clean if it doesn’t meet a minimum of physical cleanliness as well as clutter and mess makes me anxious.  So I cleaned up, put things away, dusted and swept ( swept from east to west, following the path of the sun, which I feel also sweeps energies pretty well).  I also plan on windexing my windows and mirrors, but since part of the warding process involves anointing those with oil it doesn’t make sense to clean those beforehand, since I’ll only have to clean them again. 

This is sort of a middle step between physical and spiritual cleaning.  I make a floor wash with water, vinegar, lemon juice, and lavender, and I use it to mop my floors as part of this process whenever I clean.  It provides a good base for the purely spiritual cleansing, like making my area into a non-stick pan, anything I am trying to remove is easier to get out if I’ve already washed with this mixture. It’s pretty good on stains and sticky spots too. 

With a good physical basis I can work on the energy.  I didn’t bother to take down my old wards, which I know isn’t necessarily best practice, but I've had next to no activity in this entire apartment, and I know that nothing is in here to be driven out.  Unless you are positive that your cleansing and banishment is just a precaution do not do this, alway make a hole in your wards so that whatever you’re cleaning our banishing can actually get out.  In my case this is all just maintenance.  

I opted for smoke cleaning this time around with a mix of cedar needles, rosemary, and clary sage. I burned it a fire safe bowl and wafted the smoke into all corners singing one of my cleansing chants. I paid special attention to the bathroom mirrors, and both of the closets, since these can act so easily as portals of entry ways.  In the next step I will be barring these from acting as spiritual portals, but right now I just wanted to make sure nothing is lingering around, and I have a good base. I

Step 5:  Barring the Back Doors

I have a bathroom with two mirrors and two closets in my room, and I’m not planning to ward those as entrances, so I have to make sure they are impassable to spirits. I have a long standing anointing oil that I use for this.  The base is olive oil, which I like to think of as a cheeky call to my ancestors, which they seem to appreciate because they are willing to help.  I then mix in a yarrow infused oil I make, plus cypress, rosemary, oakmoss, and Irish moss essential oils.  I used this oil to mark a binding and blocking sigil on the closet doors and both bathroom mirrors.  Because part of the process is also making the area feel clean and fresh I then cleaned the doors and mirrors so the oil didn’t stain or leave smudges.  

Step 6:  Hanging the Wards

With everything ready and cleaned I’m ready to swap my wards.  I took down my summer ward, which invoked the Salt Gatherer and the Stone Cutter, now they can rest until next summer when that net will go back up.  I replaced it with my new ladder and invoked the Woman with the Mammoth Head and the Voices on the Wind, beseeched their help with protecting my space and my home.  I made offerings to them and said the prayer that I’ve been working on for the changing of my wards with the seasons. I then repeated the process when I hung the witch ball on the doorknob.  (The pictures above are of the ladder and the ball in their final locations)  I had some extra oak twigs with the leaves still on, so I put those on the windows for a little extra coverage. 

[livvywrites]

15 for 15

Tagged by @editronchi on my main blog but I moved it over here :D 

Rules: pick a character from your WIP, and have them answer these 15 questions - then tag 15 people!

Doing these for the main character of The Martyr Queen---but I have so many characters I’d love to do it again, so feel free to tag me back if you like~ 

1) What is your full name?

“Alinora Jezebel Mynerva.” 

2. What does your full name mean?

Alinora shrugs. “I don’t know. No one ever shared it’s meaning with me, if indeed it has one. I know my first name comes from my mother’s name--Elinor.” 

3. What are your other names/nicknames?

“Once I was called Ali. Now, I would prefer not to be. Most people call me Nora these days.” Alinora taps her fingers against her leg. “When I lived among the Swans, I lived under the name Jezebel Eramyn. Most people called me Jez, then.” She smiles. It isn’t friendly, nor is it happy. “Among other, less flattering names.” 

4. What is your gender?

“I am a female, and prefer to be referred to as such.” 

5. What is your sexuality?

“To tell the truth, I am not certain. When I was young, I was in love with one of my best friends. Her name was Liera, and she was... lovely. Now, though, I Have sworn off romance. Of all forms. But I do not believe I am exclusively attracted to women, if only because occasionally a man has caught my eye.” She shrugs. “Perhaps it is something to be think about later. Perhaps it isn’t.” 

6. Where are you from?

“The kingdom of Mynera. It’s a beautiful place, tucked in a valley between mountains and the sea. Across the sea, you can almost see the shore of the Vitala’s Isle--the place where the World Tree is. And once, the kingdom of the Anari had many cities within the mountains.

“Now, though, it is just us.” 

7. How old are you?

“I am 27. Young, for my kind--the Elenai. We are the longest lived race on Eldora, outside of the Slaeyr.” 

8. What is your magic form/what species are you?

“I am Elenai. We have no magical form.” 

9. What does your human form look like?

“I am rather tall, at least compared to those around me. Among the Elenai I am about average. I stand at 5′10, I believe. My skin is a sort of deep olive color---a nice brown shade. Not the darkest I’ve seen, or even within my group. But nor am I the lightest.

“I’m rather broad shouldered, with hips to match. I am muscular, though not overly so. I have a strong jaw and a somewhat large, rounded nose. My eyes are golden green. My cheekbones are rather high, and dotted with freckles. As is the bridge of my nose. My face could perhaps be compared to a diamond.

“My hair is thick and black, with a touch of curl when I let it down. I usually keep it braided and wrapped around my head like a crown. I am usually in my armor, or at least pieces of it. My armor is dark, better for moving around in the shadows, and is made of a mix of leather and chain.” 

10. What’s your aesthetic?

“My... aesthetic?” She cocks her head. “I can only guess at what that means, but I shall try to answer it anyway.” She thinks for a moment. “Hands stained with blood. The sharp point of a dagger, glinting silver in the light. Black leather boots. The sweep of a cloak against the ground. The sound of old sorrow, and the promise of coming vengeance.” 

11. Who’s your best friend?

“I do not have one.” Alinora shrugs. “I have sworn them off as surely as I have sworn off romance.” 

12. Would you ever get a piercing/tattoo?

“Yes, I would.” 

13. When are you happiest?

“When I am filled with purpose and progress has been made.” 

14. What’s your biggest secret?

Alinora laughs. “A secret is not a secret if you share it to anyone who asks. Your curiosity will have to go unfulfilled, I am afraid.” 

15. What was your first impression of ___?

“Talitha?” Alinora shakes her head. “She is... someone who could fill up a room, simply by entering it. Someone who almost always has eyes on her. Someone clever, but reckless. She is dangerous... and I am grateful to have her on my side, for all that she terrifies me.” 

Taglist: @she-writes-love; @quartzses; @idreamonpaper; @runningonrain; @witchywrite; @writings-of-a-narwhal; @queenofsquirrelsstuff; @margaretcroftwrites; @marniebalboa; @serperina; @waterfallwritings; @dreamsofbooksandmonsters; @starrywritingg; @kowlazovdi; @snowdropwrites (let me know if you want to be tagged, or not tagged, in the future) 

[lettersfromn0where]

OC Interview Tag

Rules: Pick a character from your WIP and have them answer these fifteen questions, then tag people. Thanks to @leonajasmin-writeblr for the tag! These characters are from my original WIP, The Radiant, which is about a group of teenagers who developed strange abilities as a result of growing up next to a nuclear waste dump. (Don’t buy a house near a nuclear waste disposal site, kids.) I’m going to use three because they’re beans and I love them and also can’t choose. Meg is regular text, Gigi is italics, Diya is bolded italics.

1. What is your full name?

Margaret Mai Lien Pham. Margaret is...an elegant old lady name my parents liked, Mai Lien is a nod to my Vietnamese heritage, and Pham is one of the most common Vietnamese surnames (and my father’s).

Genesis Chantal Cappellini (if you call me Genesis, I will murder you in cold blood), because I have strange parents. Chantal was chosen because not very many names sound nice with “Genesis,” and Cappellini is a super obscure last name that happens to be my family’s.

Diya Sunita Patel. Not sure why I was named that, but it’s nice, I suppose. 

2. What does your full name mean?

Margaret means “pearl,” Mai means “cherry blossom,” Lien means “lotus,” and Pham means “extensive.” Two flowers and a gem...hmm, I wonder what my parents were trying to get at there. (More likely than not it was chosen just because it sounded nice - I doubt they would’ve named me “cherry blossom lotus” if they were going for meaning.) 

Genesis means “origin” and is a book of the Bible, Chantal means “stone,” and Cappellini is - I kid you not - a type of pasta. Yup, I’m named after a book of the Bible and a pasta shape. WHY, MOTHER? WHYYYYY? 

Diya means “gift,” Sunita means “one of good character,” and Patel means something roughly like “village chief.” That sets a pretty lofty standard...

3. What are your nicknames/other names?

Meg! I don’t mind being called Margaret, but no one really does. Sometimes my best friend calls me other random nicknames for Margaret - I think I’ve been Maggie, Daisy, even Maisie once - but to everyone else, it’s just Meg. 

Gigi. No one outside of my family and one person I’ve known since I was four even knows what my real first name is, so yeah, it’s always Gigi. Which is as it should be. A very select group of people can call me Gen, but again, 99% of the time I’m just Gigi.

I don’t really have one. 

4. What’s your gender?

Author here: not going to bother with the fancy writing because they’re all female. 

5. What’s your sexuality?

Author here: Gigi is straight, but the other two girls’ sexualities are totally irrelevant to the story.

6. Where are you from?

Phoenix, Arizona. 

Originally from Chicago, but moved to Phoenix when I was so young that I’ve never thought of myself as being from anywhere else. 

Also Phoenix. Thing to look forward to about going away to college: not being in Phoenix.

7. How old are you?

Turning seventeen in two weeks and a junior in high school.

Sixteen - I’m a sophomore.

Seventeen and a junior, like Meg, but at different schools.

8. What is your magic form/what species are you?

Human, but genetically enhanced (by accident, not experiment) - I can instantaneously predict the outcomes of situations, mathematically, when I see them. 

Enhanced human - I shatter glass when I sing or raise my voice.

Human with powers - I “disappear”/turn invisible in direct sunlight.

9. What does your human form look like?

Average height, fairly thin but not tiny, very straight black hair. I’m naturally quite pale but tan easily, which I hate.

I’m very, uh...fun-sized. As in: 4′ 11.” I’m pretty petite in general but sorta curvy; I have olive skin, suuuuuper curly brown hair (VERY ANNOYING TO MANAGE), and green eyes. People have told me I’m cute but I would prefer to strike fear into the hearts of mankind...maaaybe. ;) 

I’m 5′ 10″ - that’s what people usually notice about me first. That, and that I always wear my hair waist-length and in a braid. Otherwise, I have brown eyes, bronze skin, and black hair.

10. What’s your aesthetic?

I don’t know if I have one, honestly. I like things to be neat and organized, though, so I guess it would be kind of minimalistic? I really like floral things, too.

Is chaos an aesthetic? I guess not. But if I had to choose...backstage in a theater on show night. That’s my place, my home, and I suppose my aesthetic too.

Orange. Anything and everything orange. Bright colors. Fruit. You get the idea.

11. Who’s your best friend?

Phoebe Vu. She’s the daughter of my parents’ oldest friends, so we grew up together - same school, same church, same everything for as long as we can remember. We’re both very nerdy, but in different ways - she does my computer science homework, I do her biology - and we’ve been doing everything together for so long that I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

Uh...maybe Cassidy Donnelly? She’s my best friend from theater. And I’ll never admit this, but I’ve got a soft spot for Alex Allende, a guy I’ve gone to school with for eleven years and pretend to hate but very obviously don’t, too. We don’t even really get along, but he knows me better than almost anyone. 

At school, I have only one friend, Jeremy Waller - he, like I, doesn’t really fit into any other groups, so we hang out a lot. But in truth, it would really be my brother, Deb (short for Debaditya, which no one calls him because most people can’t pronounce it). He’s a year older and we try to bash each other’s heads in from time to time, because siblings, but we’re extremely close. No one matters more to me than he does.

12. Would you ever get a piercing/tattoo?

Nope. Not my thing.

Uh, maybe if I had to for a role? My ears are pierced, but otherwise no.

Sure, why not? I’d get, like, one of those cute miniature tattoos, but a piercing sounds painful. 

13. When are you happiest?

My family and Phoebe’s used to go to a lake house somewhere up north together every summer, and we’d always take out a boat and go tubing and shove each other off the dock and night-swim - I miss those days. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I was at the lake. Other than that, when I finally grasp a difficult math concept - I’m pretty good at it, but I struggle sometimes, and finally getting a concept is one of the best feelings in the world. 

When I’m performing. Musical theater has been my life since I was a little kid and I never feel quite the same as I do when I’m onstage, whether I’m in the chorus or belting out a solo - it’s where I feel most at home and alive.

When I’m trying something new. I’m very adventurous, and I hate monotony, so I’m always happiest when I’m doing something I’ve never tried before. Routine bores me - I need my dose of adventure.

14. What’s your biggest secret?

My ability (power? Do I have powers? I guess I do). I haven’t told anyone except Phoebe - I’m terrified of how my family would react if they knew. 

The fact that I might be in love with Alex, my true first name, and the real reason I had to drop out of the Spring musical - not because I ‘didn’t have time,’ but because I’d shatter all the windows if I ever sang again.

I don’t have a lot of secrets...maybe that I’m realizing, after saying I’d be a doctor all my life, that I actually hate biology with every fiber of my being? 

15. What was your first impression of [each other]?

Author here: this is set a week after the rest of the things, after they’ve all met at a support group for enhanced kids. 

Meg: I was a little taken aback by Diya’s enthusiasm - I’m kind of introverted, and she can be A LOT. I was impressed by Gigi’s confidence but a *little* weirded out by how blunt she could be. 

Gigi: I thought Meg needed a hug (I was right) and admired that Diya could eat an entire box of Pop Tarts by herself - which was what she was doing when I first met her. Not very deep.

Diya: You know that meme where it’s, like, “I’ve only had (name) for a day, but if anything happened to her, I’d kill everyone in this room and then myself” (I’m paraphrasing here, so those aren’t the exact words)? That was me as soon as I met Meg. She is a PRECIOUS TRAUMATIZED BEAN (her parents kicked her out shortly before we met). My first impression of Gigi was “yup, she’s definitely in love with that Alex kid,” and I also noticed how extroverted and theatrical she was right away. 

Thanks for the tag! I don’t have a lot of writeblrs on my radar, so anyone who wants to do this is heretofore tagged. :) 

[power-of-ages-writeblr]

Character Creation Tag

tagged by uuuuuh the wonderful @scmalarky ^_^

As much as I’d like to do something on Gaia, I technically already did this one for her (which was on my blog before it was deleted big oof). So Imma have to choose another character. Uh... *plays rock paper scissors with self* let’s go with Norik!

1. What was the first element of your OC that you remember considering? (Name, appearance, backstory etc.)

Name, I believe. I was trying to come up with a character for some, uh, specific yet spoiler-y circumstances, and the first thing I planned out was the name.

2. Did you design them with any other characters/OCs from their universe in mind?

Not really. He’s related to a couple, but I didn’t really have designs for them in mind at that point either, so he’s not influenced by anything.

3. How did you choose their name?

I ended up taking the name from a lesser-known Bionicle character. It’s weird how well it’s worked, TBH - normally you don’t want to name characters for other characters to make sure they don’t get mixed up in your head, but Norik’s entirely his own personality! Which is good. I’m proud of him.

4. In developing their backstory, what elements of the world they lived in played the most influential parts?

Well, unfortunately, child Norik is ostracized because he’s born a “savant” (someone with special powers) before the in-universe event that makes savants common, so he’s basically perceived as a freak. That, and he also is influenced by the maelstrom - most of the time, the maelstrom just kind of physically corrupts people and turns them into monsters, but sometimes - like in Norik’s case - it’s influence is more psychological in nature.

5. Is there any significance behind their hair colour?

It’s different from his siblings’ - his is light brown, while his brother and sister both have black hair. Visual storytelling, baybey.

6. Is there any significance behind their eye colour?

His eyes are this shade of borderline gold - the same shade as his mum and both of his siblings. (Because maybe he’s not so different underneath? Further visual storytelling, baybey!!!)

7. Is there any significance behind their height?

No narrative significance. Design-wise, he’s basically the shortest male member of Pandemonium’s Bane, and the reason I think I did that was to not let people forget that all of the stuff he’s been through happened to a literal child >:)

8. What (if anything) do you relate to within their character/story?

,,,I mean,,,, no. Not really.

9. Are they based off you in some way?

I've said before (I’m not ON-RECORD as saying it, because that post was lost, but I have) that characters are based 1/3 off you, 1/3 off someone you know, and 1/3 made up. Assuming that is the case, I have no idea where those unoriginal 2/3 came from. He’s really not like me, and I don’t know anyone like him either.

10. Did you know what the OC’s sexuality would be at the time of their creation?

At time of creation? No. Not long after, I guess. I was like “hey there’s a lot of romance kind of brewing with my characters so I’m going to not give Norik a love interest” and then my thoughts went to “well hey if he’s not gonna get a love interest why not make him aromantic” and it was like that for a while. Then I decided that everyone who dual-wields weapons in my story should be bisexual (because of that thing with the Japanese slang) and guess who dual-wields swords? This guy! So now he’s bi/aro.

11. What have you found to be most difficult about creating art for your OC (any form of art: writing, drawing, edits etc.)

His HAIR. First of all I was like “it’s gonna be short, piece of cake” and then I drew good art of him with longer hair and was like “okay maybe he’ll have longer hair at this point in the story” and my friend Klaus was like “he should have a braid” and I was like “cool but I can’t draw braids” and that just stuck in my head for a while without going anywhere and then I tweaked his skin tone a bit to make it more obviously olive-toned and then it looked different when compared to the COLOUR of his hair and this all culminated in me testing out four different hairstyles for him in his character bio drawing and not really liking ANY of them.

So yeah, that’s been a bit of an issue.

12. How past the canon events that take place in their world have you extended their story, if at all?

Considering how long PoA takes place over (more than three decades), I don’t think I’ve actually extended his story right up TO the the end of canon events? I know I threw around the idea of him dying at one point but I never really considered it, but I don’t have much of an idea for him beyond the first few years of everything.

13. If you had to narrow it down to 2 things you MUST keep in mind while working with your OC, what would those things be?

1.) He has two modes - “trained killer of men” and “confused child”.

2.) His emotional volatility.

14. What is something about your OC that can make you laugh?

Considering he’s generally anti-social, not to mention aromantic, all evidence points to him being a smooth motherfucker:tm:.

15. What is something about your OC that can make you cry?

It doesn’t make me cry but he’s ABSOLUTELY been through too much shit by this point and he deserved literally none of it. Life hasn’t been kind to him.

16. Is there some element you regret adding to your OC or their story?

I was tempted to say “his hair” but bald Norik is a cursed concept Jesus Christ

17. What is the most recent thing you’ve discovered about your OC?

The fact that he’s a smooth motherfucker. That was an interesting writing session.

18. What is your favourite fact about your OC?

Between being a master of sword combat, and the fact that his (basically) superpowers are OP AF, he’s probably one of if not the most powerful member of the main PoA cast. And he’s a seventeen-year-old child. Marvelous.

Tagging @thelimeonade aaaand @startledserpentwriting!! ^_^

[miraniel]

l85 questions tag game

Tagged by @peppermintfeminist​. Hi mate! You’re the best!

— What was your last…

1. Drink: Alcoholic? You’re kidding right? I recently tried a milliliter of Somerset Apple Brandy and NOPE, never again. Non-alcoholic? Water with lemon. 

2. Phone call: My parents, just before I left for England, where I am now (not over the excitement yet)

3. Text message: “Yes” in response to my grandmother, who asked if I got her text. 

4. Song you listened to: Reflection from Mulan

5. Time you cried: Two days ago, in the middle of a back country road in Somerset, over a goddamn Severus Snape fanfic. I’m still mad that the writer actually managed to make me care about fucking Snape. 

— Have you ever…

6. Dated someone twice: No. Have I dated someone once? Yes, but only by accident. 

7. Kissed someone and regretted it: No.

8. Been cheated on: Look I’m ace as fuck and have never dated really ever. 

9. Lost someone special: Yes, I’ve lost friends in multiple senses. 

10. Been depressed: I don’t think so. 

11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: Any alcohol has this taste for me that the best I’ve been able to describe it is “rancid nickles,” it’s bloody awful, and I’ve never been able to stomach more than a sip of the stuff, so no. 

— Fave colours

12. Olive green. 

13. Purple. 

14. Deep cerulean. 

— in the last year have you…

15. Made new friends: Not really. I made a couple of cordial acquaintences in the drama productions I’ve been in, but no one close.

16. Fallen out of love: No, see above about being ace as fuck. Now, my brief obsession with the show Sherlock...

17. Laughed until you cried: Yes. So many times. 

18. Found out someone was talking about you: Yes, in both good ways and bad ways. 

19. Met someone who changed you: So many people. Just one who springs to mind is my Education professor at college. She was amazing. 

20. Found out who your friends are: I am fully aware that I am a terrible long-distance friend. It’s my worst flaw and I wish I was better about this. I think I’ve betrayed more friendships by just letting them slip away than I ever have had people turn on, or abandon, me. 

21. Kissed someone on your facebook friends list: Unless we’re referring to familial pecks on cheeks... no. 

— General

22. How many of your facebook friends do you know irl: Nearly all of them, apart from one random guy that my cousins met online and who has since befriended the entire family. 

23. Do you have any pets: I no longer live at home, but my family still has one of the two cats we had when I was growing up. 

24. Do you want to change your name: I think about it sometimes. I think about it a lot. I’ve just started using a new name with an eye to it becoming my official pen name. I don’t know if I want to start using it as my everyday name. 

25. What did you do for your last birthday: Oh, crap... I can’t remember. I think my mom was there, and my grandparents. We had cake and a tiny family party. I think. All I remember is I was glad I didn’t have a play rehearsal that day. 

26. What time did you wake up today: 6:50 am

27. What were you doing at midnight last night: Sleeping, for once in my life. 

28. What is something you can’t wait for: Finally achieving my lifelong goal: being employed, being published, and being financially stable enough that I can afford a little house, with a dishwasher and laundry, and a cat, and food, and health insurance, and Netflix. It seems... a long way off. Also the next episode of Supergirl?

29. This question is mysteriously missing, so I will pose a question to the universe/the people I’m going to tag: What was the first piece of media (film, book, world, comic, game, character, etc) that you were ever obsessed with?

30. What are you listening to right now: Silence.

31. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: Several Tims, but no Toms. Excluding possibly some random middle aged guys back when I was growing up because who remembers that sort of thing

32. Something that’s getting on your nerves: People assuming I’m in my early teens and asking me things like how high school is going. Then I’m like, “Nope, I’m like ten years older than that, graduated college a while ago now,” and they’re like “Oh, you look so young,” and I’m like “I know!!” and then (and this is the bit that’s driving me crazy) they all say “You’ll be so grateful when you’re my age!” Like... I just kind of called you out for patronizing me? And your immediate response is to patronize me again? Also there’s no guarantee that I’ll still look ten years younger than I actually am when I’m 50? Also, I may be grateful or not when I’m your age but it sure isn’t doing me any favors now? Please stop. Just stop. 

33. Most visited website: I may or may not be slightly obsessed with Nonasuch’s fantastic Dogfather Harry Potter AU and I might check their tumblr once or twice a day. 

34. Hair colour: Somewhere between dirty blond and light brown now. It was blond when I was a kid. 

35. Long or short hair: Okay, so I really want to be able to braid my hair elaborately again, but I also love the feel of short hair on the back of my neck.  Right now it’s in an inbetween stage and I can have neither of these things. What is a person to do. 

36. Do you have a crush on someone: I had things I called crushes when I was in high school and hadn’t figured out I’m ace as fuck. I get hardcore friend crushes. 

37. What do you like about yourself: I’m proud of my talents, though I play them down more than I should, and I neglect to practice them more than I should. I like how far I’ve come figuring out my identity and who I am these past six years or so. 

38. Want any piercings: Under no circumstances am I voluntarily going to sit still and let someone poke a needle through me or into me for anything other than a medical necessity. This applies to tattoos as well. I respect people who have them, but hell no for me. 

39. Blood type: SOMEONE knows because I’ve had a blood transfusion, I think, but I don’t have a clue. 

40. Nicknames: I have wanted a nickname my entire life and nothing has ever stuck. 

41. Relationship status: Single asexual inactively seeks person willing to share habitation, bookshelves, Netflix, pet, and nerdy conversation for the rest of their life. 

42. Sign: I don’t do the zodiac thing at all, but I’m an INTJ and a Hufflepuff. 

43. Pronouns: Um, this is a weird place and time to do this, but since you asked, I’ve just changed them to “they/them.” 

44. Fave tv show: Ever? Avatar the Last Airbender. Right now? Supergirl, The Flash, Miraculous Ladybug

45. Tattoos: See above regarding NEEDLES

46. Fave city: Albuquerque. Fight me. 

47: Ever had surgery: When I was a kid I had The Case of Pneumonia From Hell and Fun Times in Hospitals and got chest tubes and part of my lung removed. Also a few minor random stuff. 

48. Piercings: See above regarding needles. The needle phobia is directly related to the Fun Times in Hospitals. 

49. Sport: Literally none. I’ll watch gymnastics and skating every four years, but apart from that the highlight of my interest in sports was that time that JKR was live-writing the Quidditch World Cup on Pottermore. 

50. Vacation: I’m in Oxford right now, somewhere I’ve always dreamed of being! And I’m on my way to Scotland and Wales. 

— More general

52. Eating: Sushi, macaroni and cheese, fruit, chocolate, scones

53. Drinking: tea, tea, tea, milk, orange juice, non-alcoholic lemonade or apple cider, water, tea, tea, tea

54. I’m about to watch: Brooklyn 99 (The UK has it on netflix!!)

55. Waiting for: My betas to come back to me on my novel draft. Then it’s agent shopping!

56. Want: A cat, the ability to focus, the ability to read properly without stupid eye problems, a job, writing time

57. Get married: ... growing up I fantasized about getting married because I wanted my paternal cousins to meet my maternal cousins and I couldn’t think of any way that would likely happen apart from my marriage and I think they would get on like a house on fire.. this still seems like one of the only motivating factors for me ever to get married. 

58. Career: Author and poet and crazy cat lady

— Which is better

59. Hugs or kisses: hugs

60. Lips or eyes: Neither. I don’t actually like making eye contact even though I’ve learned to do it, and why would I stare at people’s mouths?

61. Shorter or taller: For a dance partner? Taller, but not significantly so. 

62. Older or younger: If this is meant to be about romantic partners? Because why would anyone ask this question? Significant age gaps are generally not a good thing either way, except possibly between two consenting adults who understand and work to alleviate the uneven power dynamic a significant age gap typically creates?

63. Nice arms or stomach: The heck?

64. Hookup or relationships: Relationships. 

65. Troublemaker or hesitant: Hesitant and trying to overcome it

— Have you ever

66. Kissed a stranger: NOPE

67. Drank hard liquor: See above regarding the horrors created by my taste buds and any alcohol.

68. Turned someone down: Yes. It was awwwkward, but he was a friend. Normally, when I suspect someone likes me, I run away and never speak to them again. Trying to get over that. 

69. Sex on first date: Uh nnnoooo

70: Broken someone’s heart: I hope not

71. Had your heart broken: By friendships, yeah.

72. Been arrested: Nope

73. Cried when someone died: Not really. 

74. Fallen for a friend: A couple times, but in like, a really aggressively platonic way

— Do you believe in

75. Yourself: Yes.

76. Miracles: Yes.

77. Love at first sight: Yes, because it basically happened to my parents. Theirs is a story of being bookstore managers, an immediate attraction, a mutual failure to understand origami, and a shared love of Star Trek. It would make a perfect rom com but there was literally no drama. My parents are adorable. 

78. Santa Claus: I have always had the ability to choose what I believe in. Santa Claus was one of those things, long after I knew the truth. 

79. Angels: Not really of the stereotypical “feathery wings and flawless skin” type. In the possibility or even likelihood of benevolent forces or beings outside human comprehension that are not a divine creator but may be from or of the divine, yes. This likely has a lot to do with how many times I read Narnia, The Dark is Rising, and A Wrinkle in Time as a kid, now I think about it. 

— Misc

80. Eye colour: Green

81. Best friend’s name: I have a few. One starts with a C. 

82. Favourite movie: The Fellowship of the Ring. Or 101 Dalmations. 

83. Favourite actor: Maggie Smith

84. Favourite cartoon: Avatar the Last Airbender. I didn’t discover it until I was about 18, but I love it to death. 

85. Religion: Ex-roman catholic Episcopalian 

Tagging @nerdiekatie, @swimmingbirdrunningrock, @dragon-feathers, and @fantasiavii

[fawneverwould]

PHYSICAL !!

1. Describe the character’s height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy? I’d say average. She’s 5′5. 2. How old is she? Sixteen. 3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch? She carries herself pretty well. 4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? She’s in decent shape, no disabilities.   5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? Pretty graceful and softly. 6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror? She’s very pretty, I think. She thinks of herself as average. 7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? Light and clear.   8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style. Wavy. It falls a little past her waist, an orange-brown color. She considers herself a redhead even though her hair is more naturally brown. (Shh, don’t tell anyone.) It looks like this or this but a bit longer. 9. What color are her eyes? Amber. 10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? A light dusting of freckles. 11. What are her chief tension centers? Her neck. 12. What is the character’s wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit? She dresses in a lot of warm colors. Pretty casual. She likes sweaters, boots, leggings, jeans best -- but in California she obviously doesn’t get to rock those much.***** 13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them? She likes slightly oversized shirts sometimes. But for the most part, yes. 14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences? She has to wear her high school uniform but she wears what she wants to volunteer in or on a usual basis. 15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? Briefs. Sometimes boxers.

SPEECH !!

1. What does this character’s voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? A tiny bit raspy. Sweet but mature. Soft. I mostly hear Debby Ryan* with a bit of Fawn* in my mind. 2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate? Soft, evenly, easy. She gets to rambling excitedly sometimes and talks faster or louder. 3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? None that I can think of. 4. What languages does she speak, and with how much fluency? English fluently.   5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations? Nah.   6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words? She is okay at impromptu.   7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? I’d say closer to eloquent. Less so when she’s feeling hyper/eager.

MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL !!

1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart? Fairly intelligent. A mixture of both. 2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate? She thinks on her feet. It gets her in trouble. 3. Describe the character’s thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? Intuitive but she can come up with some good ideas. It depends on the situation. 4. What kind of education has the character had? She’s a junior so that’s it as of now. 5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about? Anything that comes to animals. Especially pets or woodland creatures. She’s thinking about looking into veterinary practice. 6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert? Extrovert. 7. Describe the character’s temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? She is fairly even-tempered and usually happy. If she learns of an injustice, that’s a different story. Cheerful and driven. But also laid-back at the same time...? 8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? Enthusiastic. 10. Which is her default: fight or flight? She doesn’t back down. 11. Describe the character’s sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? Pranks, for sure, but she isn’t picky about what makes her laugh. She loves jokes. 12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them? She doesn’t have any. 13. What moments in this character’s life have defined her as a person? I’m not sure that any specific moments have changed who she is. She’s always been a passionate, nurturing, rebellious person. 14. What does she fear? Not being able to make a difference. 15. What are her hopes or aspirations? To make a difference, and own as many pets as possible. 16. What is something she doesn’t want anyone to find out about her? Fawn is a pretty open book. She isn’t keeping any secrets.

RELATIONSHIPS !!

1. Describe this character’s relationship with her parents. Fawn has always had a good relationship with her parents. She’s been daddy’s little girl from day one, as a child she was almost always in his arms. She is a lot like her mother. Both of them love, support and accept her the way that parents should and they are proud of her for being someone that takes a stand. They are what she misses the most about home, other than her fur babies. She doesn’t blame them for sending her away, their hands were tied, she just hopes they know she loves them the same. 2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? No, and she’s happy with her life how it is -- she’s the center of her parents’ worlds this way. But it might’ve been cool to have a brother or sister to torment with pranks and braid her hair for her. 3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can’t stand? She doesn’t see her mom’s family much. She has a lot of uncles, aunts and cousins on her dad’s side. They come around for holidays so just a few times throughout the year, but she loves all of them. 4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them? The Pixie Hollow girls are her sisters. 5. Who is the character’s best friend? How did they meet? Tink, Vidia, Iridessa, (probably Rosetta) and Silvermist, obviously. Also Oliver is a pure bean that she adores. She met them all at Walt. 6. Does she have other close friends? Does ‘every animal she meets’ count? 7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people? She makes friends easily. 8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends? Both. 9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once? She is single. The only boyfriend/husband she had was in elementary school when the kids paired off. 10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse? She is not. 11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest? She’s not crushing on anyone as of late, and I don’t think she’s had very many lasting crushes in her life. She might see a boy holding a puppy and think “wow he’s cute” but then she gets distracted by the puppy and forgets he’s there. 12. What does she look for in a romantic partner? An animal lover. It is very important that the person she’s with cares about having pets and lots of them. If not, it is not going to work. Sorry. Other than that she only wants to have feelings for the person and for them to be reciprocated. 13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any? She doesn’t, but she’d love to be a mom one day! 14. Does she have any rivals or enemies? Not anyone right now. 15. What is the character’s sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale? She is most likely heterosexual. A zero or a one. She would never be against being with someone solely because of gender but she’s only ever been attracted to/crushed on males. 16. How does she feel about sex? How important is it to her? She isn’t ready for sex right now. She’s only sixteen and she has no love interest. It isn’t something she thinks about all that much. She will worry about it when she’s in a relationship -- a long term relationship -- and she feels safe and comfortable with someone and wants to take that next step. 17. What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits? Heck if she knows.

BELIEFS !!

1. Do you know your character’s astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type? She’s an October baby, born on the third, so she’s a Libra. I think there are other signs that would fit her better. 2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life? She’s Christian. She used to go to church on Sundays and the occasional Wednesday back at home, but she was shushed a lot for talking during service and for awhile known as the girl that chased a rat throughout the pews. It’s important to her to believe there is a God and an afterlife but if she’s being honest, she’s never read the bible and she has no immediate plans to. 3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? Help those that cannot help themself. Be kind. Live your own life. I don’t think anything could change those. 4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from hers? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? As long as those beliefs aren’t hurting people, she’s tolerant and curious. 5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them? She’s prejudice against people that do not like any kind of animal. How can someone not like animals?

DAILY LIFE !!

1. What is the character’s financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? Average. Her family gets by. 2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her? She’s not necessarily popular but she is friendly and outgoing. She has never had to worry about where to eat lunch or who to walk with in the halls, here or at her old school. 3. Where does she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is her home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does she share it with others? Her dorm, and she has decorated it in warm colors with photos of pets and family and she has those little lights strung around her bed and it’s all organized and cozy and cute. She loves it. I love it. The dorm of my dreams. 4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on? Helping animals in need. 5. What does she do for a living? Is she good at it? Does she enjoy it, or would she rather be doing something else? She’s a student right now. She’s good at some classes, others not so much, but she does more than enough to get by. When she isn’t doodling cat faces all over her test pages. 6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time? She likes to volunteer at animal shelters. She enjoys reading and decorating, doodling. But for the most part if she’s got free time on her hands, she’s going to be outside climbing trees and talking to birds. 7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? I think she has average eating habits. She probably eats healthier than most teenagers, opting for fruit over candy bars on a normal basis and snacking on veggie straws over chips. She doesn’t drink alcohol. Most of her meals she either makes herself because they are simple or orders from town.

ASSOCIATIONS !!

1. Color? Orange. 2. Smell? Puppy breath. 3. Time of day? She’s a morning girl. 4. Season? Spring. But she’s partial to Fall too.   5. Book? Because Of Winn-Dixie. 6. Music? Alternative rock, indie pop, she isn’t picky. 7. Place? She’s a Georgia girl at heart. 8. Substance? Lemonade.   9. Plant? Sunflowers. 10. Animal? All of them.

EVERY * LEADS TO A PICTURE !!

[zephyrvos]

Lauriver for the meme

General:

Rate the Ship -  Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs - far more into it on a rewatch

How long will they last? - in a better world, forever. they could have made it work

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - they fell in love fast, the way teenagers do, but they had to relearn being in love when Oliver came back

How was their first kiss? - drunk and sloppy but passionate and long overdue

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Oliver

Who is the best man/men? - John and Tommy (and maybe Roy)

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - Sara (maid of honor) and Thea

Who did the most planning? - Laurel, though Thea helped a lot - after all, she has experience planning big events for Verdant

Who stressed the most? - Oliver did his guilt complex and worried that Laurel deserved better and he was chaining her down, Laurel just stressed about the actual event

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big. - Laurel would want a fancy wedding (just look at her dress in the alien vision)

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - They sent out fake invitations and set up a decoy ceremony to attract bad guys, because they wanted their wedding free of crime fighting

Sex:

Who is on top? - Oliver?

Who is the one to instigate things? - both of them

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head - they consistently dress in all leather and get their kicks beating up bad guys, pretty sure that transfers into the bedroom

How long do they normally last? - they’ve got good endurance, but it depends, because they’ll frequently have sex post-crime-fighting, and they’re worn out so they pass out pretty quick

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Ollie likes to try to give Laurel as many orgasms as he can, a little competition with himself, and Laurel is more than happy to let him keep trying to outdo himself

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - One, who’s totally spoiled

How many children will they adopt? - I’m not sure they would as a couple, though I like the idea of Laurel bringing a preteen/teen girl home from the streets one night and taking her in (similar to Sin in the comics)

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Laurel

Who is the stricter parent? - Ollie, he doesn’t want the kid ending up like he was

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Oliver Uncle John

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Oliver, actually - Laurel is busy being DA

Who is the more loved parent? - I think the kid loves them both, but it’s easier to connect with Laurel? Oliver still has trouble being distant at times

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? Oliver makes an effort to go, both because he wants to contribute money to his kid’s education, and he wants to make sure he’s around for his kid growing up

Who cried the most at graduation? - Ollie

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Laurel has had to use her and Quentin’s connections to get the kid out of trouble way too many times

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Oliver - Laurel can cook the basics, but Oliver finds it relaxing to cook

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Laurel (Oliver learned to eat anything to survive)

Who does the grocery shopping? - They tend to do it together

How often do they bake desserts? - For events or if they’re having the rest of the team over for a meal, otherwise they’re not big on just keeping dessert around

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - They both prefer meat

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Oliver - he’s extra attentive to these sort of romantic nights, because Laurel deserves the world and he doesn’t want to let her down again

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Oliver, partly because he comes from money and so he doesn’t think anything of it

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Laurel

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Oliver, he’s the one who prefers things neat and tidy

Who is really against chores? - Laurel grumbles about them, but Oliver is the one who has to be reminded to do them. He grew up with maids, so he’s not used to it

Who cleans up after the pets? - Oliver, because he’s the one who wanted them most

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Also Oliver

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Laurel

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Laurel

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Laurel (though half the time it’s Oliver’s fault, for coming in mid-shower for sex, so she has to get clean all over again)

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - Oliver takes the dog on runs with him

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - All the time. Every occasion they can find. They love decorating together

What are their goals for the relationship? - To demand the best from each other. Oliver wants to support Laurel, to see her fulfill her dreams, and to never let her down again. Laurel wants to be there for Oliver as he heals, and to not let the past destroy their future

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Laurel, when she can

Who plays the most pranks? - Oliver (Laurel tried once, when he first got back, and she learned not to. Now they prank each other, and she gets joy from knowing Oliver has adjusted to it all)

[kyliafanfiction-archive]

Lauriver for the meme?

General:

Rate the Ship -  Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs (at least in this fandom)

How long will they last? - Forever, in my universe

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - Well, hard to say from canon. Quick, I think, but they had a lot of stumbling.

How was their first kiss? - I hc their first kiss as kinda awkward and unsure.

Wedding: 

Who proposed? -  Oliver

Who is the best man/men? - Diggle. I imagine Roy and probably Barry would be Oliver’s groomsmen

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - Sara is maid of honor, with Thea and Nyssa as bridesmaids

Who did the most planning? - Laurel had this wedding planned out years ago. And I mean, sure, they had to make some changes, but they used a lot of her basic idea

Who stressed the most? - Oliver

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - I wanna be petty and say Felicity, but since my dream Lauriver verse has Oliver and Felicity never even approaching being a thing and Felicity just being a friend and member of Team Canary Arrow...  I can’t think of anyone.

Sex:

Who is on top? -  I imagine it depends/they take turns.

Who is the one to instigate things? - Both

How healthy is their sex life? -  Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - depends on if its a quicky or if they’re trying for a full night sexathon or what,.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Oliver always tries to make sure she has more than he does

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - one, maybe two 

How many children will they adopt? - No formal adoptions, but probably a lot of ‘adopted’ superheros in training

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Oliver. He’s the mostly stay at home husband while Laurel kicks ass in the courtroom

Who is the stricter parent? - Laurel

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Oliver. Then he teaches them how to do them safely

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Oliver

Who is the more loved parent? - Both

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? Both

Who cried the most at graduation? - Oliver

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Oliver. 

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? -  Oliver

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Neither really

Who does the grocery shopping? - Oliver

How often do they bake desserts? - Not that often

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Oliver loves his meat-heavy meals

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? -  Oluver

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Laurel

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Laurel. I don’t know if this is supported by canon, but she seems to be not that great of a cook or a person who never spent much time learning how to cook

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Not sure

Who is really against chores? - Neither are against it

Who cleans up after the pets? - No pets

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Depends on the context

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Laurel

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Oliver

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? -  Both of them together. Otherwise they’re both pretty quick when they’re alone

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - No dog

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Christmas and Easter, maybe that’s about it

What are their goals for the relationship? - Together forever

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Neither

Who plays the most pranks? - Laurel

Send Me a Ship!

[tentaculi]

ULTIMATE SHIP = WATERMELON DUMMIES

ULTIMATE SHIP | meme // @theimpalpable

General:

Rate the Ship Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs !!!!!!

How long will they last? uh, THEY BETTER LAST FOREVER because i love them with every fiber of my being so !!!! 

How quickly did/will they fall in love? i think there was definitely feelings right away?? the thing is that these two are so shy and innocent that it took both of them some time before they were like ho woah okay i like you !!

How was their first kiss? THE CUTEST EVER??? because that meant that caradoc took serum for her and my heart just is so full of love when i think about that?? 

Wedding:

Who proposed? CARADOC. she asked him to be her boyfriend and i could see him wanting to make the next milestone advance. ( though i guess them sharing a room would technically be the next one but shhhh ). 

Who is the best man/men? LOGAN his superbro !!

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? since this family is full of boys ( wth @ the genetics ) i would say that willow probably had lexine and poppy as her bridesmaids. 

Who did the most planning? i could see them equally sharing the planning? getting married and putting a real stamp on forever is something that totally excites them both. 

Who stressed the most? maybe willow? you know she hits emotions easily and i could see doc being the one that calms her down during those moments. 

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? uhhhhhhhhh marianna and probably brandon?? maybe doc invited brandon though as another olive branch attempt but i think for sure, for sure marianna was not !!!! invited

Sex:

Who is on top? ( me just going through this is making willow blush )…. but probably they switch? i just see what they do as sweet and tender so.. whatever position they end up in is the position they end up in. 

Who is the one to instigate things? i don’t think really either one of them does and more so it develops naturally from kissing and etc. 

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 ( i only say a nine – would have been a ten but – because these two don’t rely on sex and both have that understanding. due to the special circumstances of their relationship they relish in the small touches, the sweetness, of their relationship instead of climbing on top of each other. | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 (IMAGINE THE BLUSHING THAT HAPPENS ALREADY i could not imagine these two being in the next category lmao ) | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? i think it really depends on each session individually, though perhaps sometimes on the shorter side and then others on the longer? only reason i say this is because with doc being under serum it’s not like he can…. build endurance as well u H

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? i would say yes but also… i see doc being like, a real giver / pleaser? making sure she’s taken care of just because that’s how he is in their every day life already. 

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? TWO BEAUTIFUL BOYS. 

How many children will they adopt? we’ve never talked about this before but i think it would be something willow would be open to. though, we’ve established that the boys are the only kiddos so maybe it was talked about and they decided two was enough? 

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? i see this being equal but both have a hard time sometimes because WOW POOP and get a little squeamish… maybe. 

Who is the stricter parent? probably willow? even though i don’t really see her bringing down the hammer all that often. their both so lighthearted with the boys, not that they need to be anything more, since their kiddos don’t really get in trouble or overstep bounds. 

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? willow ( insert side eye emoji )

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? willow! they will be simple ones ( until lex teaches her how to cook ) but she’s definitely the one who does. besides, doc is probably gone due to work a lot of the time that early so it makes sense. 

Who is the more loved parent? NEITHER. they are both loved and cherished by evan and farren equally, who express their love in their own ways. 

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? i think both, definitely. raising their children together and being on the same page when it comes to their education + life is very important to both of them.  

Who cried the most at graduation? oh, please, they both cried equally. i think on some level there was a point in both willow and caradoc’s life where they weren’t sure a family would ever be possible so seeing their boys walk across the stage…. showing how far they’ve come together and as a family? yeah, they’re both crying. 

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? doc, probably. willow would just be a all huffy the whole time but i’m not sure either kid would be in such severe trouble? 

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? hahahah doc…. though i guess i should say lexine, huh! 

Who is the most picky in their food choice? willow and she’s not really picky… we just know doc can sometimes be a black hole. 

Who does the grocery shopping? i think both? though they probably weren’t great at it at first… had to grow into adult grocery shopping. 

How often do they bake desserts? never because lexine does that. girl, hooks it up for these two babes. 

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? i’d say meat??? 

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? both do it! 

Who is more likely to suggest going out? i think this is also a shared thing. one time it’s doc, another time it’s willow. 

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? …… eeesh willow. 

Chores:

Who cleans the room? i think that willow’s job isn’t always as demanding as the deadlines that doc has to meet – so often she’s at home and will clean up the entire house when she can, room included!

Who is really against chores? they both are. c’mon, chores suck! but they do them. 

Who cleans up after the pets? they both share but since mr. fluffy was a gift from doc willow makes sure to clean up after him as much as possible! her pup, her responsibility…. but we all know doc will take him for a walk / clean up / love on him too. 

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? hahahah maybe doc. 

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? i don’t think either stress, really? their guests usually consists of the family or extended family so they’re all people they are comfortable around. 

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? doc, that lucky son of a –

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? willow, probably? i could see her doing it for the sake of looking like a prune and only to show doc her pruney fingers. lmao, why is she like this? 

Who takes the dog out for a walk? both!! probably together more often than not but when doc isn’t home ( due to work, etc – maybe highjacked by logan ) she’ll walk him on her own. 

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? ALL THE TIME. willow loves, loves, loves christmas so you bet they take holiday pictures and everything. 

What are their goals for the relationship? to grow and love one and other, through the good and the bad, the easy and the hard, for the rest of their lives. 

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? doc if he could…. i’m js. 

Who plays the most pranks? probably doc though willow gets her jabs in too!!!

[putthison]

Ten Things I’m Excited About This Spring

It’s easy to get down on spring clothes. They don’t have the natural appeal of fall/ winter wardrobes -- no plush cashmere or prickly tweeds to draw you in. There’s also little opportunity to layer. Once the weather warms up, a lot of guys are left scratching their heads, wondering how they can remain well dressed while also staying comfortable. 

Spring can be a great time to play with brighter colors, interesting silhouettes, and unique materials, however. If you’re looking for ideas on what to wear this season, here are ten things I’m particularly excited about. In order of appearance above:

1. Tobacco Linen Suits

A linen suit is your weekend companion for when you want to look sharply dressed, but still somewhat relaxed. Good for afternoon brunches at a swanky hotel, excursions into the city, and nights at a rooftop bar with friends. Linen does well in navy, tan, and tobacco brown (the last is my favorite, and what I’ll be wearing this season). You can use the pieces together as a suit, or break them up into separates for something more casual. Linen sport coats go well with everything from jeans to tropical wool trousers. Pair these with braided belts and striped, open-collar shirts to create a more interesting look. 

2. Suede Leather Jackets

Leather can be too heavy for summer, but it’s perfect for those 60s to 70s temperatures in April and May. I’m particularly looking forward to wearing suede more often this year. It scuffs more easily than calfskin, but in certain designs, that can be part of the charm. I have a suede Harrington and cafe racer, both of which I love, but I’m mostly excited about wearing this Stoffa flight jacket I bought a couple of weeks ago. Also great: James Grose’s charcoal suede double rider. A nice change of pace from the black motorcycle jackets I’ve been seeing everywhere in the city. 

3. Leather Slip Ons

Penny loafers and camp mocs are my usual go-tos for warm weather footwear, but this year, I’m enamored with the idea of wearing more casual slip-ons -- something in between the formality of dress loafers and espadrilles. Unionmade has some nice ones this season from Barbanera (designed in conjunction with Eidos). I also dig these from Christian Kimber and Baudoin & Lange, the second of which is available through The Armoury. A little less dainty than Belgian Shoes, but has the same kind of charm. 

4. Looser Clothes

Slim fit clothes have dominated menswear for the last fifteen years, so I’ve been looking for something fresher. Looser clothes, such as the ones you see fourth photo above, can be a nice way to play with your silhouette when you have little opportunity to wear something more than a t-shirt and trousers. Think: looser fit pants cut a fuller thigh and tapered leg, along with comfy shirts made with dropped shoulder seams. Camoshita, Our Legacy, and Lemaire are good for these sorts of things. Uniqlo can also be surprisingly experimental (and a lot more affordable). Just look at these wide pants!

5. Boldly Printed Shirts

Similarly, when you can’t wear much else, it can be nice to make the most of what you have. A boldly printed shirt in this case -- maybe even cut with a camp collar -- will look a bit more interesting than your usual, light blue OCBDs (as much as I love those things). We’re big fans of Aloha shirts here. See Pete’s two-part series on vacation wear for ideas, as well as my review of Two Palms. 

6. Polo Shirts Under Sport Coats

If your clothes don’t fit as well as they should, this can go tremendously wrong (think: business guys trying to look cool a hotel bars). Instead, pick up something with a nice collar and has long sleeves, which will allow you to show a bit of shirt cuff. Layered under a softly constructed sport coat, this can be a great way to dress down traditional tailored clothing (just make sure everything fits well and don’t pair these with light washed dad jeans). Kent Wang sells some nice, affordable, long-sleeved polos. G. Inglese and Ascot Chang are also worth a look if you have more coin to spend. 

7. Tonal Navy Seersucker Suits

Seersucker is an American classic, but in its usual blue-and-white form, it can feel a bit preppy. As an alternative, I’ve been really digging the idea of a navy seersucker suit. It has all the fun and cool-wearing properties of traditional seersucker, but feels a bit more updated and sophisticated. You can wear one with a band collar shirt and Vans slip-ons, like Kyle above, or with a more traditional spread-collar shirt and dressier derbies. Available this spring in a cotton-silk blend through Camoshita (which is the one you see in the photo), or in a wool-silk blend through Ring Jacket at The Armoury (the product page will be up in a few weeks. The Armoury is also hosting a Ring Jacket trunk show in NYC, starting tomorrow). 

8. Colorful Swatch Watches

What good is spring style if it doesn’t make you smile? Swatch’s colorful timepieces are a great way to add a bit of cheer to your day. They’re affordable, much like Timex, but instead of those serious, classic designs, Swatch is all about bright, colorful watch straps and pop-art faces. Get one in a ridiculous color, such as sunshine yellow or apple green, or my favorite, the company’s translucent design (colloquially known as the jellyfish, which you can find on eBay). They go with nothing and everything at the same time. When the battery starts to die down, you can get it replaced for free at a Swatch store. 

9. Spring Scarves

The easiest way to accessorize a warm weather outfit -- at least until the weather gets too hot in June. I love oversized wool and cashmere scarves in the wintertime, but spring scarves call for something lighter, airier, and more manageable. We have some made from Japanese boro cotton that I think go great with workwear. Drake’s also makes some really special designs, including ones in painted stripe, geometric, floral, and patchwork motifs. Another favorite is Christian Kimber’s Melbourne scarf. The clay brown really complements navy, olive, and mid-gray -- all staple colors for outerwear. 

10. French Chore Coats

French chore coats tick all the right boxes for spring outerwear -- zero structure or lining inside, which makes them reasonably comfortable on warm days; cotton drill shell that’s dirt resistant and easy to wash; and two oversized hip pockets that are perfect for carrying an average-sized paperback book and a sandwich. As a relatively simple design, you’ll want to play with the details. Pair them with old tees or Breton shirts, fuller cut chinos, and either slip-ons or boots (if you’re wearing boots, roll the chinos up a bit higher to create a more interesting look). I listed a bunch of options here, but really -- when it comes to French chore coats, you should just get a vintage one. 

[jenncognito]

The Nine Spell Sisters You’ll Meet in the Cactus Garden of Insta

If you've found this blog lovely, deep down you already know you have a serious problem. It’s cool. As useless as reading this will be to save your wallet, you’ll find some peace in knowing we’re in this together. So let’s get on with the first step in solving acknowledging our shared problem by admitting that some or all of the following shit has been going on lately:

“We”* have been frantically Googling Spell and the Gypsy Collective, Joplin Jacket or worse Spell Xanadu eBay... or even more hopelessly tragic Spell Folktown. We've been waking from dreams of blue skies and going to bed fantasizing about Lotu...actually we don't go to bed - at least not lately. We’re not sleeping much are we? No. We’re up sweating; obsessing over the one that got away... or in all probability will, at the next drop - because our internet isn't fast enough; because 7 seconds is suddenly an eternity during check out; because XS sells out first. Every. Fucking. Time. What we have is full blown PTSD - Post Traumatic Spell Disorder, with more than a healthy side case of drop anxiety.

* Please note the use of the ‘Spell sister we’ here.  Much like a ‘spousal we’ this in fact means you.

Sound about right?

Welcome friend. It's nice to have you. You’re safe here. At least until the end of May, when Lotus drops.

Ever wonder how this started? I do (and so does my husband, my wallet and all my abandoned hobbies.)

Since science is ignoring me won’t explain the root cause of my condition, I've been working on a few conspiracy theories to help explain how one innocent retail therapy sesh, consisting of a Route 66 dress, turned into a full blown brand dependency that has me mapping out intricate buying strategies a full 48 - 72 hours before every drop:

Conspiracy Theory 1: Spell infuses their hand drawn fabrics with Stevie Nick's breath which they have bottled into microscopic nanotubes that fit into the heads of sewing needles. After the Australian TGA denied approval on a Stevie Nicks Vape pen, wherein the user would actually inhale the muse’s vocal chord filtered CO2, Spell had a shitload of unregulated gypsy breath on their turquoise encrusted hands. As Spelly and Lizzy are committed to sustainability, they quickly found a way to repurpose this rare and precious resource. The result? Once you start wearing a Spell piece, Stevie’s magical gypsy breath whispers into your pores, delivering you an effortless high that obviously demands you chase it again and again... on the wings of an enormous owl, obviously. Why this is probably true: Look no further than yourself - yes or no, you increasingly find yourself totally down with multiple layers of lace you would have never considered wearing at this age (or since that rad 1990 Jr. Prom dress)? Yes or no, you have found yourself with both a Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac Spotify Channel on endless rotation? Yes or no, when someone mentions the word leather, you blurt the lyrics “take from me my laaaace?” (note: There is actually a Spell Sisters 70’s Festival Jamboree playlist on Spotify. You’re welcome from Lulu Mey, the goddess who created it.)

Conspiracy Theory 2: Spell runs a genius instagram account 782k followers strong and just when you think you can ‘totally survive without another piece from Festival ‘17 BAM - you see it styled on a muse that could easily be you. You could be in Thailand, in that backless Lolita, in front of that waterfall, with those lovely beachy waves in your hair and no shoes because you floated there (on the owl - duh.) In fact it probably IS you… because they plucked that image straight out of your unicorn mind, put a 72% Lark filter on it and fed the ‘travelling you’ right into that instagram channel. They did this as a courtesy ICYMI; you know, all the retargeting ads the other gentle signs reminding you that you actually do NEED this piece in your life and it’s no longer optional. Why this is probably true: because it is true. See: @spell_byronbay.

Pick your theory but the FOMO (Folktown Obsessed Must Own) is real. Obviously, they have put a serious Spell on us - sorry not sorry, pun was too obvious. Show me another brand tribe that feels compelled to share their instant bond on insta when they show up full twinsies at a party (Who wore it best? Both of us! Yay! Love you! Love you more! #twinsemoji) Show me another brand tribe that has women from ages 18 - 81 searching for a magical unicorn in the shape of a mumu. Show me another brand who has more authentically gorgeous UGC. See: #myspellcollection #spelldesigns #spellskirtswish #vintagespell #spellluxelace #spellfestivalstyle

While we share a familiar ache in our wallets and art museums for closets, we’re a globally diverse tribe to be sure. Still yet, with every Spell Sister you meet, you connect with a little piece of yourself, right? Just in case your affliction is fresh and you’re still trying to find your cactus rose footings... Here’s the short list of the nine Spell Sister’s you’ll meet fall in love with in the cactus garden we call Insta (ps, I’m @jennvonhagen )

1) The Unconditional Lover: She buys something from every drop, and even if she's secretly not 100% sure it works on her, she's committed to making it work and her tribe is there to help her rock it hard. Queue the extra large knotted hemline and for God’s sake woman - just belt it. Spell can do no wrong - not even a dress recall phases her - she kept that Blue Skies Maxi Wrap dress, and she wears a kimono made of bubble wrap over it - and somehow it actually works for her - because she belts it.

2) The Fresh Collector: She "just found this new brand OMG" Bae got woke somewhere right after Hotel Paradiso and she can't shut the fuck up about her OZ obsession - because she DISCOVERED it you guys. We don’t blame her for the misconception, we felt EXACTLY the same way. Her insta is full of ‘lowered gaze’ shots that have you wondering WTF she’s staring at. Educated guess - it’s 16 trash bags full of labels she’ll never wear again. Regardless, she looks amazing in that dress, so we don’t give a shit - we welcome her with open kimonos.  Babushka was her first ‘fully aware drop’; her collection has a shit ton of it. We’re simultaneously proud and worried, because she has no idea what she’s gotten into.

3) The Hider: Everything is NWT. She hasn’t even worn what she's got, and the challenge of justifying the spend is getting exponential. With her towers of white boxes getting harder and harder to conceal, the Husband is now on to her. Busted a few times during a delivery, she now sends the white boxes to the neighbors house and swears:

“It’s from Target/ I’ve had this forever/I’m borrowing it/Yay Swapped!”

(Rejoice hiders: the boxes are being transitioned out. You’ll no longer have to hide them - now you can simply obsess over collecting the cute new calico bags.)

4) The Girl Next Door: Nobody knows what she does for a living, but apparently she lives at Spell. I mean right inside the fucking Byron store... 12 minutes after a drop goes live, she's #spellswishing in the latest sold-out-soon-to-be-Unicorn. We hate her. Just kidding we love her. Just kidding we want to be her. Just kidding, we’ll settle for a sleepover - in her bohemian yurt, which is probably located right outside Spell’s cactus garden. 

5) The Historian: Her collection dates back farther than Gypsy Queen and she probably has that first Sugarhigh+Lovestoned tee they styled the early jewels with in a safety deposit box. She can recite the name of every collection and every piece in it. She can spot fakes too, because she knows exactly when the logo lock up changed thanks to Rachel Pony Gold (circa April/May 2012). She indulges in the bootstrapped sisterly romance of it all. Damn right she owns the book; it’s signed - obviously.

6) The Cheerleader: She likes EVERY photo with Spell in it, and she will tell you you look GORGEOUS every single time she sees you on Insta because she believes that you have a beautiful unicorn soul. “You in that Sunset Road + Festival ‘16 mashup = AMAZING!”

She imagines you in your private cactus garden teaching your children how to hand letter affirmation mantras and macrame their own diapers as you sip organic kombucha and braid your bestie’s hair. She loves you. So. Fucking. Much. Her pronouns are heart eye emoji and kiss emoji.

7) The Impulse Buyer: constantly swears to God and all that is will-powerful that she WILL. NOT. CAVE to the next drop. She is going to be practical for fuck’s sake. (Yah, Lotus has alot of yellows and olives.. I’m more of a “summer”) But then she buys the Joplin Jacket because Florida winters are “brutal”. She has a large return shipping bill, admits that this is merely an endless paypal exchange and knows the Customer Service Angels by name (Oh, hey Angela). She uses the RA form and chat feature to send them love notes and see how they’re holding up after each drop.

8) The Wing-Woman: you either are one, have one - or both. She’s as hardcore as you are and she doesn’t judge your illness. You both have issues. This is the person you spend hours strategizing with before every drop. You two have your own kind of math and it’s harder to follow than ‘conceptual math. But this secret Spell math is a thing of fucking beauty: no matter what the equation, you always get the answer you want: 

”Ok, I returned my Blue Skies Wrap, so I have a credit, plus what I saved on the Babushka Midi equals the price of the Joplin …. I’m net zero!” 

You size up the line, screen shotting Snapchat and teasing each other via text. You pro/con every piece based on some fictional, rational version of you that “doesn’t need another gown, but needs to go with 2 piece sets you know, for more daily use.” (Um, sure - whatever you need to tell yourself hun.)  If you’re on vacay during the drop, she’s got your back - as in your paypal payback - unconditional support is just a click away. She’s also hunting unicorns for you on the side and blowing you up on text in the middle of the night with buyer’s guilt (note the lack of remorse. There is never remorse, just fleeting guilt and temporary indulgence shaming for going overboard with both the Stardust Cami AND the Jacket “I’m a living Goddamned disco ball, WTF have I done? But I lurrve them.Yay me!)

9) The Unicorn Hunter: She’s next level obsessed, willing to throw cash and half her current Spell stash at the "last ever of it's kind, ever." ‘Evil-bay’ is alternately her nemesis, and her reluctant savior. After multiple talks off the Buy It Now button and pleas to her practical side, she eventually caves for her Unicorn, pays an obscene price and then never takes it off. See: Anything Folktown or a Xanadu Maxi Dress on eBay/Poshmark/Depop/Facebook Swap & Sell insert streaming tears emoji + unicorn emoji

As different as we may be - there’s something beyond swirling around in art that pulls us together. Perhaps it’s the addictive cocktail of anticipation + adrenaline + winning. Even as we’re confident that Spelly, Lizzy and all the Angels are sorting through the surprise growing pains, deep down we know there’s a small part of us that will miss bonding/sweating/crying over the chaos. More likely though, it’s the authentic friendships formed while supporting each other. ( I just heard a story from two best friends who met via a hashtag. They live a world apart, but talk every day.)

While I can't offer a cure (because Lotus/May/God help us), we can still justify our spending take comfort in knowing we’re not alone. (Or maybe that just adds to our stress because at least 20K+ of us have the notifications turned on for an intense Facebook page where we channel our obsession into smarter ways to buy/sell or swap more pieces.) Either way - rejoice in the Spell Sisterhood - our love runs deep, our tribe is epic and your OOTD is eternally on point.

PS - does anyone have a Turquoise Folktown Skirt and Top set in XS? Seriously, I die.

Note: You can follow more of the saga on Insta @jennvonhagen After I wrote this blog, I stumbled upon a hilarious thread on the Facebook Spell Designs Buys Swap and Sell page where fellow sisters are sharing their legit addiction and proven survival techniques. I’m currently interviewing for a follow up to this post, where I’ll share stories from all nine types of sisters. If you identify with one or more of the above, comment with your number(s) and if you’d like to be a part of the next post, message me here, on Insta or email me at jenn@ambidustrious.com

[stripper-boots]

98

Look she’s sending me all of them so I’m going to answer 3-100 here and not destroy everyone’s dash.Anyways here we goooooooooo3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?Whatever I can find usually. I remember I used a pocket knife at school once and my teacher pretended not to notice. Shout out to them. 

4: how do you take your coffee/tea?My coffee with creamers and a lot of sugar, and I don’t really drink tea.

5: are you self-conscious of your smile?I used to be but then I stopped caring.

6: do you keep plants? 

No, I actually hate flower smell for some reason?

7: do you name your plants?Nope.

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?I play a lot of instruments but I wouldn’t say I express myself. I used to write poems but the my Great Depression hit. I guess writing?

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself?

I put on a concert in this bitch.

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?Stomach.

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends?@dragonbornoflegend covered a lot of them already, but I’d like to add Bbless 

12: what's your favorite planet?Mars or Jupiter.

13: what's something that made you smile today?All the compliments @dragonbornoflegend gave me and @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername calling me a “Fucking n00b”

14: if you were to live with your best friend(s) in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?Lot’s of weird decorations, like the one from Icarly but more dicks. It’s clean. I don’t have any animals because I get sad when they die but I’m attached to everyone’s pets. Exposed brick, wooden furniture, a sunroom with a skylight. We have a recording studio for  Let’s Plays where we have game consoles and PC’s. Weapons hanging on the wall, embroidery and canvas prints with swear words on them. A liquor cabinet that, at this rate, I am probably locked out of. @dragonbornoflegend and @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername have two separate keys that need to be used to be unlocked. The sunroom looks out to the lights of the bustling center of downtown, and for once the air is filled with life and happiness, not depression and the constant desire to die. We eat garlic sticks from our cutting board that says “Eat the spaghetti to forghetti your regrehtti” and toast over a white wine to the sounds of honking below and Parks and Rec in our living room for the 7th time.

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!In space the skin on your feet peels off!

16: what's your favorite pasta dish?Macaroni and Cheese.

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?I really want to die my hair rainbow and shave the sides off my head again and wear it in a french braid so that way it’s all braided together.

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.

I am a stupid machine. Throwing up (A lot, like a lot a lot), Weak ankles, weird shit I eat, the countless number of city infrastructure me and @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername have stolen.

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?I don’t now but boy, did I. It was emo central. I had a lot of songs about my struggles and heart aches and a lot of drawings of people killing themselves.

20: what's your favorite eye color? The eyes are my favorite physical trait of any person. I gravitate to Green, but honestly everyone has pretty eyes.But I have the prettiest. (It’s the one physical trait I like about myself pls just let me have this.)

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.I used to tear my bags apart but ever since I was a senior in high school I told my dad I wanted a vintage military messenger bag, and he got me a brand new one from Rapid Dominance that was army approved or something. it has like 7 pockets, fits my laptop perfectly, is made out of a canvas outside but a soft inside (Like a normal bag), and basically I can carry all my stuff I need to take notes in lecture, and was perfect for when I was in high school. I also have a vintage army style going, a lot of olive green, So it looks nice too. It says United States army 1775 with the army star on it. I want to get some patches to decorate it with, because it’s my only bag that has lasted this long. It has seen 4 of my dads girlfriends and a lot of changes in my life. It’s just a good bag.

22: are you a morning person?Well I work third shift so yes and no? 

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?I mean tbh it’s a lot of youtube and masturbating.(sorry family and friends)

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?I might tell them some day but I don’t tell anyone how bad living with my mom was.

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into?One time when I was growing up a family moved of a house on my block out and kept a lot of little things behind. Not that it was weird, but weird, but my brother, some friends, and I peaked into the window and my brother saw a giant purple crayon bank, and upon seeing it, he claimed it as his.So we break in (Keep in mind I am like, 7) and I stole a ceramic chicken. We get to the room with the crayon and he grabs the crayon and runs the front door of this house (where it’s snowing and people can see our foot prints) and yells on at the top of his lungs “I GOT THE CRAYON” While holding it above his 6′1″ head, making the rest of us run past him and back to my garage where we were “safe”That was pretty weird I guess.

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit?My work boots; I need to retire them soon.

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? That strawberry shortcake desert one.

28: sunrise or sunset? I can see the sunset from my window so I guess that.

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?Support me when I get triggered and not leave because I have what I am pretty sure are ptsd episodes. (I don’t want to self diagnose)

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?Truley scared?⁉️ 😂😂😂The fear😈 never💪stops🚫! We out here 💯 Fearin😣 erryday‼️ Thanks🙏 to my🤰 mom’s👊 physical👊 abuse👊‼️No but fr I had a pretty bad time living with my mom and I cope with it through humor. But there were times where I feared for my life, and seeing as the human body is hard wired to survival at all cost, I would say yes.

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.I just wear black socks, idk I’m too lazy to deal.

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.I again work third shift, so I am out past 3 AM a lot. @dragonbornoflegend told a good story. @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername and I took a trip to Alabama, and we stayed out till four in the morning in this small park in this small town with an old friend, and a friend we made that night. We layed in the middle of what is usually a busy street, quieted by the night and star gazed, started a fire in a grill then struggled to put it out, almost set the park on fire but swinging around a burning stick, and he tore down a light post with his bare hands and I stole a piece from the top of the post, all the while shooting the shit and being sober (New friend actually said that it was the first time he was sober in years and was one of the best times he had in a long time, which made me feel a type of way.)

33: what's your fave pastry?Anything that @dragonbornoflegend makes and blesses me with being allowed to eat it.

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?When I was in sixth grade my school had a girls only lock in. It was like a girl positivity boot camp. Some of it was helpful and good for young girls to hear, but they also did that thing where they said “Your sexuality is like a piece of tape” so you know. But they had a bunch of stuffed animals they gave away to all the girls there. And I was the first person to pick and there was a stuffed husky there, and when I picked it the entire place sighed. His name was Brownie (Like the Cleveland browns football mascot who is a dog) at first, then I changed it to phoenix. He has bright blue eyes, black fur on top, white fur on bottom. He had lost some of his stuffing when I got him so I re stuffed him and sewed him back up. I still have him.

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?Lol I am too sloppy for that mess but I’m proud of you if you do this.

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now?

Kidz bop

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?

Cleaner than messier, but I wouldn’t call it clean.

38: tell us about your pet peeves!Being called a dog, being called stupid, etc.

39: what color do you wear the most?Olive green, blue, red, and black.

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you?@dragonbornoflegend bought @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername and I a friendship necklace a few christmases ago. It means a lot to me.

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving?Catch 22

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!Really I get coffee anywhere. I like the aesthetic of them but I don’t really go because I’m broke.

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?That Alabama trip.

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?After we celebrated @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername‘s birthday with an extensive scavenger hunt, and being out till like 4 am the night before to get up at 9, we crashed at @dragonbornoflegend‘s house after eating some bomb ass cake. We talked for a bit, but eventually just fell asleep on The twin bed/chair together for like 4 hours. That was nice.

45: do you trust your instincts a lot?Yes and no. It depends on how much self doubt I have at the time.

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.I would think of one because I am the PUNisher of my friend group but  @dragonbornoflegend really nailed it earlier with “I have one that’s pretty saint-like lately. Bc they’re holey.”, because my back has open wounds in them. I have literal holes in my body.

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?Pineapples so they can never ruin a pizza again.

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?My mom and Y E P. Also I am afraid of AI and the deep sea which was not when I was a kid.

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?I used to but not much now. I bought one from a band called Ice Nine KIlls.

50: what's an odd thing you collect?That cermaic rooster actually started a ceramic nick-nack collection.

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them?@dragonbornoflegend‘s mom- Fuck you.

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far?Yes.

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them?I’ve seen Heathers the musical and that was Lit.

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?My dad.

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point?I am Petty™ so pretty much everything I do lol.

56: what are some things you find endearing in people?Good humor, intelligence, and kindness.

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?I love Bohemian Rhapsody but that song is 6 minutes and a vine long and I Will Not.

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? I’d say @dragonbornoflegend because they love cats and share cooking videos on facebook and have secret family discourse, where I am the vodka Aunt because I am a walking meme.

59: what's your favorite myth?My Happiness (Also I love mythology)

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? Edgar Allen Poe because my emo heart bleeds for it.

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received?I like to think I am good at gift giving, but I once got a small kids shirt when I was 16 (I have always been overweight) that had a Heart on it and smelled like Ice Tea.

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?If I did it would be grape juice, I love grape juice. Not enough to but it though.

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?Nope. My room is a trashcan of media.

64: what color is the sky where you are right now?White, with some blue poking through.

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? 

My work friends. My back holes have me out of work.

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like?Lot’s of dark flowers with red and purple. 

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?I like it.

68: what's winter like where you live?Usually mild but global warming dun goofed.

69: what are your favorite board games?Anything made by WOC

70: have you ever used a ouija board?Nope and you can’t keep them the fuck away from me. foh.

71: what's your favorite kind of tea?

Honestea. It’s easier to swallow than realitea. 

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it?Nope.

73: what are some of your worst habits?Being alive.

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.My two closest friends are both guys so. Sir Farts a Lot, and Sir Silicone Valley.

75: tell us about your pets!She died almost a month ago

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't?For once no.

77: pink or yellow lemonade?Neither please.

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?If I could develop one superpower, it would be the ability to snap my neck on command so that way when I next saw a minion I could kill myself instantly as to never see one again.

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?Cared about me after I treated them with abuse and harm.

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?Yellow and white. My landlord picked them because they pop???

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.The color of the blackest coffee when neutral, but like when coffee is poured, golden when light passes through it.

82: are/were you good in school?I got good grades and didn’t get into trouble, but that was just because I didn’t get caught.

83: what's some of your favorite album art?I like the Grateful Dead album, if nothing for all the shitty shirts walmart sells of it.

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?YES. I want to get a french bread in American Traditional that says “I don’t deny myself bread” A grey jedi symbol where the positive space is galaxy colors and stars, a simple map of I-71, and eventually a sleeve.

85: do you read comics? what are your faves?I read the punisher when I grew up.

86: do you like concept albums? which ones?It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to concept albums but I like them. THere’s this one where all the songs flow into the other and it’s basically like this dudes journey through the desert, I don’t remember the name tho.

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?Life is too short man do what you want. But watch Avatar: The Last Airbender.

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? I don’t know what it’s called but graffiti is neat.

89: are you close to your parents?I haven’t talked to my mom in 3 years and tbh Idk if she’s alive at this point. I used to be close to my dad but it’s kinda wishy washy.

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities.Cleveland gets a bad rap, but it is filled with culture. Polish bakers, german restaurants, rock n roll hall of fame. It’s not that bad.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? I’m going to cape cod for a wedding.

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?CHEESE TO PLEASE.

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most?Sidecut.

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?My little cousin. 

95: what are your plans for this weekend?I don’t have any, I’m pretty spontaneous. 

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?Never.

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?ENTP (Usally), Leo, gryffindor when I take the full test, but my pottermore account says hufflepuff

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?I don’t remember but yeah.

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.Living louder.- The Cab.

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?

If I gotta hit one I’m going with the future one because my past is sad and my now is only kinda better so hopefully I’ll be out of college with a job that isn’t lifting 70 pounds repeatedly in the dead of night.

[bykhanyisile]

Let’s Talk Hair Care

Before arriving in Eswatini I severely damaged my hair, I dyed it maybe 4 times in less than a week. My curls died and were in desperate need of revival so, I got a diva cut hoping for a fresh start.

Before arriving to Eswatini, July 2017

Pre-Service Training

During my pre-service training, I lived in a home where we fetched water from an unreliable tap, this made me conscious of how much water I used. I tried to use maybe 5 or 6 liters of water a day for bathing, cooking and consuming but to just wash my hair I needed 5 liters of water. I hated refilling my bucket twice in one day, I went from washing my hair every week to every two weeks. By the second week, it was dire, I could feel the sweat and dust accumulated in my hair.

Washing my hair was a whole days work. Washing it face down in a big basin tub, with no drain and a 5-liter bucket of water on the side, was not ideal. But I had two options, either I figured it out or shaved my head. I knew the latter was my last option; I have a big head so I rely on my hair to level things out. One time I went 2 ½ weeks without washing my hair because the day I was suppose to there was no water, I honestly held back tears that day. But what was I to do but to adjust, I knew managing my hair would be strenuous which is why I packed enough Shea Moisture to last me two years. Having the right hair products definitely lighten the load on my arms. This only went on for 2-3 months, we then moved back to the training camp where we had showers. Even now, I still get that thrill of washing my hair in a shower.

Leslie’s Salon

When I was younger I wanted to work in a salon, I had always enjoyed watching the Dominican women in my life do hair. It’s how I learned to braid & give blowouts but this dream quickly faded once I realized I only like and know how to do my own hair. Even now, there’s something unsettling about paying someone to mess up my hair when I can do it myself for free & paying for a job I can do better.

Although, I have a shower once my hair began to get longer I couldn’t bear the neck and back pain of washing my hair face down every other week. With the ambition of the young girl whose dream was to be a hairstylist, I opted for a haircut by yours truly. With a glass of wine, some music and scissors I found in my first aid kit I began to cut my hair. I didn’t even have a technique, I just kept thinking “I have curly hair so if I mess up it won’t be that noticeable” and of course I got scissor happy and cut a lot more than I should have

My first haircut

Protective styles

After my mom told me my hair looked like a wig I decided I needed my hair to grow and fast. Seeing toddlers with relaxers and grown women with no edges made me skeptical of the Swazi women’s ability to care for hair but they were experts in one thing, protective styles. Never having gotten a protective hairstyle before and let alone in Eswatini, I relied on Deborah a volunteer before me to guide me on which hair brand to buy, how many and most importantly who to go to.

Funny story, right after I got my hair done this man comes in the shop and offers to pay for it which was 200 emalangeni. I was hesitant and politely declined but he insisted, pulling out money and debit cards. I was still this fresh off the plane, paranoid volunteer and after putting an end to his attempts the man says “Don’t block your blessings” and walks away. A saying that has stuck with me ever since and ladies & gents I never blocked another blessing.

Styles

Getting protective styles can easily become out of my budget, E100 ($7) for the hair and E200 ($14) to get it done. So when my funds are low I experiment with styles that can give me a break from consistently having to spend 30minutes on my hair.

Treatment

For treatment, I alternate with these ingredients mayo, avocado, coconut oil, and olive oil. All of which works well for shine and dry hair, I tried bananas once but it’s hard to wash out. I usually watch a movie while I apply the treatment leaving it for about 30-40 minutes with a plastic bag on my head.

Present

My hair got long and fast and once I decide I want to cut my hair there’s no delaying me. I was restless one day at the backpackers and started to give myself a trim. Having cut my hair before I felt like I knew what I was doing but I fucked up. Lol, I chopped too much hair from one side, forgetting about shrinkage and ended up with one side way shorter than the other. I’m not really sure how to fix it, I’ve just been applying castor oil on the short side and wearing up-dos. I’m hoping to let it grow a little before trying to fix it by chopping the other side.

Lmao 🤷🏽‍♀️